Potentiation of radiation-induced growth inhibition by letrozole measured by the MTT assay

<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Letrozole sensitizes breast cancer cells to ionizing radiation"</p><p>Breast Cancer Research 2004;7(1):R156-R163.</p><p>Published online 7 Dec 2004</p><p>PMCID:PMC1064115.</p><p>Copyright © 2004 Azria et al., licensee BioMed Central Ltd.</p> Growth of MCF-7CA cells, measured 6 days after treatment, was inhibited to a 40% greater extent with letrozole plus 2 Gy radiation, and to a 76% greater extent with letrozole plus 4 Gy radiation, compared with radiation alone

Potentiation of radiation-induced growth inhibition by letrozole measured by cell-count assay

<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Letrozole sensitizes breast cancer cells to ionizing radiation"</p><p>Breast Cancer Research 2004;7(1):R156-R163.</p><p>Published online 7 Dec 2004</p><p>PMCID:PMC1064115.</p><p>Copyright © 2004 Azria et al., licensee BioMed Central Ltd.</p> Growth of MCF-7CA cells, measured for 18 days after treatment, was inhibited to a 76% greater extent with letrozole plus 4 Gy radiation after 12 days, and to an 85% greater extent after 18 days, compared with radiation alone. Solid lines, ■ and ◆ represent radiation alone at 2 Gy and 4 Gy, respectively; dotted lines, ■ and ◆ represent combination of radiation plus letrozole (0.7 μM) at 2 Gy and 4 Gy, respectively

Potentiation of radiation-induced growth inhibition by letrozole measured by clonogenic assay

<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Letrozole sensitizes breast cancer cells to ionizing radiation"</p><p>Breast Cancer Research 2004;7(1):R156-R163.</p><p>Published online 7 Dec 2004</p><p>PMCID:PMC1064115.</p><p>Copyright © 2004 Azria et al., licensee BioMed Central Ltd.</p> With radiation alone the MCF-7CA cell survival fraction decreased in a dose-dependent manner, which was significantly potentiated by the addition of 0.7 μM letrozole. For 2 Gy radiation, the surviving fraction was 0.66 with radiation alone and was 0.46 with the addition of letrozole (= 0.02). For 3 Gy radiation, the corresponding surviving fractions were 0.4 and 0.18, respectively (= 0.02)

Chest-MRI under pulsatile flow ventilation: A new promising technique

<div><p>Objectives</p><p>Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the chest has long suffered from its sensitivity to respiratory and cardiac motion with an intrinsically low signal to noise ratio and a limited spatial resolution. The purpose of this study was to perform chest MRI under an adapted non invasive pulsatile flow ventilation system (high frequency percussive ventilation, HFPV^®) allowing breath hold durations 10 to 15 times longer than other existing systems.</p><p>Methods</p><p>One volunteer and one patient known for a thymic lesion underwent a chest MRI under ventilation percussion technique (VP-MR). Routinely used sequences were performed with and without the device during three sets of apnoea on inspiration.</p><p>Results</p><p>VP-MR was well tolerated in both cases. The mean duration of the thoracic stabilization was 10.5 min (range 8.5–12) and 5.8 min (range 5–6.2) for Volunteer 1 and Patient 1, respectively. An overall increased image quality was seen under VP-MR with a better delineation of the mediastinal lesion for Patient 1. Nodules discovered in Volunteer 1 were confirmed with low dose CT.</p><p>Conclusion</p><p>VP-MR was feasible and increased spatial resolution of chest MRI by allowing acquisition at full inspiration during thoracic stabilization approaching prolonged apnoea. This new technique could be of benefit to numerous thoracic disorders.</p></div

Navigator technique showing a projection of the liver dome position on the superior-inferior axis at each heart beat demonstrating the almost perfect stabilization of the chest during VP-MR, conversely to normal respiratory cycle.

<p>The x axis represents the time and the y axis the height in millimeters.</p

TRUFI 3D 1.3mm thick-slices in double obliquity focused on the heart.

<p>15 mm thick MIP reformat perfectly showing the right coronary artery without blurring artefacts—due to thoracic stabilization associated with decreased diaphragmatic motion.</p

3D radial sequence in a sagittal oblique 20 mm thick MIP reformat showing the pulmonary vessels of the left lower lobe until their distality with VP.

<p>(a). Conversely, this couldn’t be obtained without VP (b). Note the quality of the endoluminal signal although no contrast was administrated.</p

CT scan with iodine administration showing a nodule in the anterior mediastinum suspected being of thymic nature.

<p>(a). Fast spin echo T2 sequence at the same level with VP (b) and without (c). The thymic nodule is much better delineated under VP in b) than in c).</p

MR Sequences performed under VP and without the device.

<p>MR Sequences performed under VP and without the device.</p

Ultra short time echo sequence at the level of the apex of the lung with VP.

<p>(a) and without VP (b). Incidental discovery of apical lung nodules that are more easily assessed in a) with sharper borders. Note that the lung parenchyma appears noisier in b). Correlation with thin CT slice in lung windowing (c) demonstrating the higher spatial resolution of CT with some additional details not detected by either MR sequence. Ultra short time echo sequence in sagittal 35 mm thick MIP reformat focused on the right lung. Vessels were much better assessed with increased sharpness of interfaces with VP (d) than without (e).</p