Impact of Preoperative CA 15-3 Levels in Operable Breast Cancer. Comparison with Tissue Polypeptide Antigen (TPA) and Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA)

CA 15-3, TPA and CEA were assayed before surgery in 60 patients with breast cancer. A significant association was found between preoperative CA 15-3 levels and some of the most important prognostic factors in breast cancer, such as lymph node status and tumor size. No similar association was discovered for CEA and TPA.

Preoperative CA 15-3 levels were also significantly associated with early recurrences of the disease, thus adding useful information to prognosis especially in N + patients.

Imaging of adrenal tumors using FDG PET: comparison of benign and malignant lesions

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to differentiate benign from malignant adrenal tumors using positron emission tomography (PET) with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in patients with unilateral adrenal masses originally detected by CT or MR imaging.

CONCLUSION

PET imaging with FDG can metabolically characterize adrenal masses. Abnormally increased FDG uptake in adrenal malignancies allows one to differentiate these abnormalities from benign lesions. Whole-body PET can also reveal extraadrenal tumor sites in patients with malignant tumors, using a single imaging technique for accurate disease staging.

[Positron-emission tomography with fluorine-18-deoxyglucose in the staging and control of patients with lymphoma. Comparison with clinico-radiologic assessment]

INTRODUCTION

The clinical applications of fluorine-18-deoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography (FDG PET) have been proposed on account of experimental evidence of increased glucose metabolism in tumor cells.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We examined 98 lymphoma patients--33 with Hodgkin and 65 with non-Hodgkin disease--with FDG PET and compared its findings with those of clinical and conventional radiologic studies. FDG PET was also used to follow-up 32 patients and the results were once again compared with clinical and radiologic data.

RESULTS

During staging, 138 lesions were found, 82 of them (59%) in nodal and 56 (41%) in extranodal locations. Extranodal tumor sites were found in 39 patients (40%), namely 4 with Hodgkin (12%) and 35 with non-Hodgkin (54%) disease. FDG PET findings were in agreement with clinical and radiologic results in all nodal and extranodal lesions, since all of them exhibited abnormally increased FDG uptake. PET detected new tumor sites in 6 patients. In the follow-up, agreement was observed in the majority (78%) of lesions, 30 of them in complete regression, 15 in partial regression and 17 in progression; however, the diagnostic results were in disagreement in the remaining (22%) tumor sites: no abnormal FDG uptake was found in 9 cases despite the persistence of radiologic abnormalities (post-treatment fibrosclerosis). Slightly increased FDG uptake (residual disease) was found in the other 8 lesions, where there was no clinical and/or radiologic evidence of disease.

CONCLUSIONS

FDG PET is a functional imaging technique useful to diagnose lymphomas and providing metabolic characterization of cancer abnormalities. Whole body PET permits the simultaneous assessment of nodal and extranodal lymphoma localizations. During the follow-up, FDG PET permits better monitoring of treatment effects than clinical and radiologic examinations.

Scintimammography with 99mTc-MDP in the detection of primary breast cancer

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The diagnostic accuracy of scintimammography with 99mTc-MDP was evaluated in 400 consecutive women with clinical or mammographic suspicion of breast cancer, candidate to surgery and/or excisional biopsy. Lateral views of both glands were acquired, in prone position, 5-10 min after the injection of 550-740 MBq of 99mTc-MDP. The scintigraphic results were compared to mammograms and classified using the histological findings as gold standard.

RESULTS

Mammography was suggestive for cancer in 231 (57%), suspicious in 49 (12%) and indeterminate in 120 (31%) patients. Breast carcinoma was histologically proven in 330 women, benign breast diseases in 70. The tumor size ranged from 4 x 5 to 50 x 60 mm. 99mTc-MDP visualized as foci of increased uptake 305/330 cancers (92%). In particular, in women with indeterminate mammograms the SMM had a diagnostic accuracy of 84%, correctly characterizing 101/120 lesions. Twenty missed cancers had largest diameter < or = 10 mm, 5 < or = 15 mm. Lack of 99mTc-MDP uptake occurred in 64 out of 70 benign lesions. These lesions were classified as truly negative. Conversely, 3 fibroadenoma and 3 epithelial hyperplasia with moderate or severe atypia were falsely positive. The overall specificity was 91.5%; the accuracy was 92%, the positive and negative predictive values were respectively 98% and 72%.

CONCLUSIONS

The results obtained in this study suggest that 99mTc-MDP scintimammography accurately detects breast carcinomas with largest diameter > 10 mm; it differentiates malignant from benign lesions, and it shows promising insights in characterizing breast abnormalities mammographically indeterminate.

Tc-99m MIBI scintigraphy in patients with lung cancer. Comparison with CT and fluorine-18 FDG PET imaging

Tc-99m MIBI imaging has been used to evaluate patients with different neoplastic disorders, but its role in nuclear oncology has not been definitely established. In this study, we compared the results of Tc-99m MIBI (planar and SPECT imaging) with those of F-18 FDG PET radionuclide studies in 19 patients who had proven lung cancer. One patient was studied in follow-up. All patients underwent chest CT scans. MIBI and FDG images were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed using region of interest analysis. Quantitative evaluation of MIBI and FDG activities in lung-tumor lesions was performed calculating tumor/nontumor ratios. On CT, 18 lung tumors were detected, while one patient was disease free. For lung lesions, the diagnostic sensitivity of planar MIBI imaging was 83%, while those of MIBI SPECT and FDG PET were both 100%. The quantitative analysis of lung-tumor MIBI and FDG activities showed that FDG uptake was significantly (P < 0.001) higher compared with MIBI uptake (5.5 +/- 3.1 vs 2.1 +/- 0.6); concordant MIBI and FDG images were found in 4 lesions in terms of central activity defect showing central necrotic tumor tissue. For lymph node abnormalities, planar MIBI scan only detected 3 lesions in 3 patients, whereas MIBI SPECT identified 9 lesions in 5 patients. FDG PET showed 13 lymph node abnormalities in 5 patients. This study shows similar results of Tc-99m MIBI SPECT and F-18 FDG PET in the diagnostic evaluation of patients with lung tumors. However, FDG lung tumor uptake was significantly higher compared with MIBI accumulation, suggesting a high glucose tumor metabolism. Thus, MIBI SPECT imaging may be useful to evaluate such patients and may be considered an alternative when PET is not available.

[Positron emission tomography (PET) with fludeoxyglucose F 18 in the study of adrenal masses: comparison of benign and malignant lesions]

In this study, 15 patients (4 men and 11 women, mean age: 50 +/- 13 years) with unilateral adrenal masses detected on ultrasound (US), Computed Tomography (CT) and/or Magnetic Resonance (MR) studies were submitted to positron emission tomography (PET) with fluorine-18 deoxyglucose (FDG). Histology demonstrated 3 adenomas, 1 myelolipoma, 1 angiolipoma, 1 neurinoma, 1 cyst, 1 malignant pheochromocytoma, 4 carcinomas and 3 metastases. The patient population was divided into two groups. Group 1 (n = 7) consisted of benign adrenal lesions. Group 2 consisted of malignant adrenal tumors. Lesion measurements were performed on the basis of the results of US, CT and/or MR images. In Group 1, no FDG uptake was observed in adrenal masses. Conversely, in Group 2 adrenal lesions showed abnormally increased FDG uptake, suggesting high glucose tumor metabolism. No significant difference in lesion size was observed between Groups 1 and 2 (5.6 +/- 4.0 vs 6.3 +/- 3.0 cm). Furthermore, in 6 patients of Group 2, total body PET images showed abnormal FDG uptake in extra-adrenal locations, such as chest (n = 2) and abdominal (n = 5) lymph nodes, lungs (n = 6), liver (n = 5), pancreas (n = 1), bone (n = 1) and muscle (n = 1) tissues. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that PET imaging with FDG can characterize adrenal masses. In particular, abnormally increased FDG uptake in adrenal malignancies allows to differentiate these abnormalities from benign lesions. Furthermore, total body imaging PET can identify extra-adrenal tumor sites in patients with malignant tumors.

Functional characterization of brain tumors: an overview of the potential clinical value

Early detection and characterization are still challenging issues in the diagnostic approach to brain tumors. Among functional imaging techniques, a clinical role for positron emission tomography studies with [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose and for single photon emission computed tomography studies with [201Tl]-thallium-chloride has emerged. The clinical role of magnetic resonance spectroscopy is still being defined, whereas functional magnetic resonance imaging seems able to provide useful data for presurgical localization of critical cortical areas. Integration of morphostructural information provided by computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, with functional characterization and cyto-histologic evaluation of biologic markers, may assist in answering the open diagnostic questions concerning brain tumors.

Technetium-99m-methylene diphosphonate scintimammography to image primary breast cancer

Technetium-99m-methylene diphosphonate (MDP) uptake within breast lesions was investigated during routine presurgical bone scintigraphy in a cohort of women at high risk for cancer who were candidates for surgery or excisional biopsy. The aim was twofold: (a) to demonstrate positive 99mTc-MDP uptake in primary breast cancer and (b) to differentiate malignant from benign lesions.

METHODS

Anterior and oblique lateral views of the breasts were acquired 0-4 min, 10-20 min and 2 hr after intravenous injection of 740 MBq of 99mTc-MDP in 200 women with elevated suspicion or proven diagnosis of breast cancer (Group 1) and in 80 women with other solid tumor types (Group 2).

RESULTS

Physical examination and mammography revealed breast abnormalities in all Group 1 subjects. The mammographic findings were definitely positive for carcinoma in 120 patients, highly suspicious in 27 and indeterminate in 53. Breast cancer was later histologically diagnosed in 172 women (86%) and benign disease found in 28 women (14%). Of these patients, 158 (92%) showed focal uptake of 99mTc-MDP in the images collected 10-20 min after injection. This was found to be the best timing for imaging, with tumor-to-background ratios as high as 4.3 (mean +/- s.d. = 3.8 +/- 0.4). Two hr after injection, only 61 of the 158 (38%) malignant lesions were clearly detectable.

CONCLUSION

Technetium-99m-MDP is concentrated by primary breast carcinoma 10-20 min after injection, enabling successful external gamma imaging. Scintimammography with 99mTc-MDP is an accurate test that differentiates malignant from benign breast lesions, particularly in patients with indeterminate mammograms.

Subclinical cardiotoxicity by doxorubicin: a pulsed Doppler echocardiographic study

In order to detect subclinical levels of Doxorubicin (D) cardiotoxicity, 21 patients aged 42 +/- 8 years with malignancies and treated with D as a part of a multiple regimen, were evaluated. The mean cumulative dose of D was 242 +/- 112 mg.m-2 (150 to 520 mg.m-2). Patients with systemic hypertension, valvular diseases, suspected coronary artery disease, ejection fraction less than 55% as assessed by radionuclide angiography, and aged more than 50 years were excluded from the study. A Doppler echocardiographic examination was performed before and after the course of D therapy with a mean interval of 142 days. The following variables were assessed: fractional shortening (FS), ejection fraction (EF), stroke volume (SV), isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT), maximal early diastolic flow velocity (Emax), maximal late diastolic flow velocity (Amax), and mitral deceleration time (Mdt). Indices derived from 19 aged-matched normal subjects were compared to those of the patients before the course of therapy. Doppler echocardiographic measurements did not differ significantly between the control group and patients before the course of therapy. While there were no significant changes in FS, EF, and SV in the study group before and after therapy, indices of diastolic filling showed striking differences: IVRT changed from 72 +/- 11 to 87 +/- 19 ms (P less than 0.001), Emax from 81 +/- 12 to 65 +/- 17 cm.s-1 (P less than 0.001), Mdt from 174 +/- 25 to 183 +/- 34 ms (P less than 0.05), Amax from 44 +/- 17 to 52 +/- 16 cm.s-1 (P less than 0.01). These data demonstrate impaired diastolic filling after doxorubicin therapy at conventional dosages.

Concentration polarization phenomenon in new and re-used RP610 hemofilters during post-dilutional hemofiltration

RP610 hemofilters have been used up to five times in Post-dilutional hemofiltration. Clearance studies were Performed «in vivo» (creatinine and phosphate) and «in vitro» (Cr51 EDTA, I131 Hypaque, Co57 vitamin B12, H3 Inulin, C14 Dextran, l125 Albumin,) in new hemofilters and in those re-used once and five times. Hydraulic permeability and rejection coefficients, for the six markers different molecular weight, were also measured. Our preliminary results show that repeated cleansing with Amuchina® does not alter the characteristics of RP610 hemofilters. A scintigraphic method is suggested for visualizing possible changes in polarized areas between new and re-used hemofilters.

Concentration polarization phenomenon in new and re-used RP610 hemofilters during post-dilutional hemofiltration

RP610 hemofilters have been used up to five times in post-dilutional hemofiltration. Clearance studies were performed "in vivo" (creatinine and phosphate) and "in vitro" (Cr51 EDTA, I131 Hypaque, Co57 vitamin B12, H3 Inulin, C14 Dextran, I125 Albumin,) in new hemofilters and in those re-used once and five times. Hydraulic permeability and rejection coefficients, for the six markers different molecular weight, were also measured. Our preliminary results show that repeated cleansing with Amuchina does not alter the characteristics of RP610 hemofilters. A scintigraphic method is suggested for visualizing possible changes in polarized areas between new and re-used hemofilters.