The role of 18F-FDG-PET/CT in the management of patients with high-risk breast cancer: case series and guideline comparison

Objectives: In grade III-IV breast cancer, dissemination of disease needs to be assessed. Until now this was done by conventional imaging (liver ultrasonography, chest X-ray and bone scintigraphy), but evidence favoring the use of FDG-PET/CT is accumulating. Methods: Patients with high-risk breast cancer, who had received conventional imaging and FDG-PET/CT, were included. Patients were staged and assigned a treatment after 1) conventional imaging and 2) FDG-PET/CT, both by a multidisciplinary oncology team. Equivocal FDG-PET/CT findings were histologically confirmed. Results: 16 patients were included (mean age 59 years). TNM-stage changed in 5 patients (31%) after FDG-PET/CT. In 3 patients (19%) unknown distant metastases were detected by FDG-PET/CT. An adjustment of treatment took place in 4 patients (25%). Conclusions: Our case series emphasizes the role of FDG-PET/CT in the staging of high-risk breast carcinoma, especially in the assessment of distant metastases. We suggest replacing conventional imaging with FDG-PET/CT

Relationship of promising methods in the detection of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity in breast cancer patients

Purpose\ud It remains challenging to identify patients at risk of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. To better understand the different risk-stratifying approaches, we evaluated 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (123I-mIBG) scintigraphy and its interrelationship with conventional echocardiography, 2D strain imaging and several biomarkers.\ud \ud Methods\ud We performed 123I-mIBG scintigraphy, conventional and strain echocardiography and biomarker (NT-proBNP, TNF-α, galectin-3, IL-6, troponin I, ST-2 and sFlt-1) assessment in 59 breast cancer survivors 1 year after anthracycline treatment. Interobserver and intermethod variability was calculated on planar and SPECT 123I-mIBG scintigraphy, using the heart/mediastinum (H/M) ratio and washout (WO). Pearson’s r and multivariate analyses were performed to identify correlations and independent predictors of 123I-mIBG scintigraphy results.\ud \ud Results\ud Delayed planar anterior whole-heart ROI (WH) H/M ratios and WO were the most robust 123I-mIBG parameters. Significant correlations were observed between 123I-mIBG parameters and several conventional echo parameters, global longitudinal and radial strain (GLS and GRS) and galectin-3. The highest Pearson’s r was observed between delayed H/M ratio and GRS (Pearson’s r 0.36, p = 0.01). Multivariate analysis showed that GRS was the only independent predictor of the delayed WH H/M ratio (p = 0.023).\ud \ud Conclusion\ud The delayed planar H/M ratio is the most robust 123I-mIBG parameter. It correlates with several conventional echocardiographic parameters, GLS, GRS and galectin-3. Of these, only GRS predicts the H/M ratio

The 4^4He(e,e′p)(e,e'p) Cross Section at Large Missing Energy

The $(e,e'p)$ reaction on $^{4}{He}$ nuclei was studied in kinematics designed to emphasize effects of nuclear short-range correlations. The measured cross sections display a peak in the kinematical regions where two-nucleon processes are expected to dominate. Theoretical models incorporating short-range correlation effects agree reasonably with the data.Comment: 4 pages LaTeX, using espcrc1.sty and wrapfig.sty (included), two figures. Talk presented by J. Templon at the 15th Int. Conf. on Few-Body Problems in Physics, Groningen, The Netherlands, 22-26 July, 199