Predictive value of platelet-to-lymphocyte and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in HCC treated with sorafenib and radioembolization

Background & Aims

Herein we used data derived from the SORAMIC trial to explore the predictive value of systemic inflammatory markers (neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio [NLR] and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio [PLR]) in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with sorafenib monotherapy or the combination of selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT)/sorafenib.

Methods

Patients randomized to sorafenib monotherapy or SIRT/sorafenib within the per-protocol population of the SORAMIC trial were evaluated in this exploratory post hoc analysis. The median baseline values of NLR and PLR were used as cut-off values to describe subgroups. Kaplan-Meier curves with log-rank tests were used to evaluate median survival in the sorafenib and SIRT/sorafenib arms in each subgroup. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was applied to eliminate the effect of confounding factors.

Results

A total of 275 patients with a median overall survival of 12.4 months were included in this analysis. The median NLR value of the cohort was 2.77 and the median PLR was 26.5. There was no significant difference in overall survival between the sorafenib and SIRT/sorafenib arms in patients with low NLR (p = 0.72) and PLR (p = 0.35) values. In patients with high NLR values, there was no statistically significant difference in median overall survival between SIRT/sorafenib and sorafenib cohorts (12.1 vs. 9.2 months, p = 0.21). In patients with high PLR values, overall survival in the SIRT/sorafenib arm was significantly longer than in the sorafenib arm (15.9 vs. 11.0 months, p = 0.029). This significant difference was preserved in the multivariable analysis (SIRT/sorafenib arm: hazard ratio 0.65, 95% CI 0.44-0.96, p = 0.03) incorporating age, Child-Pugh grade, and alpha-fetoprotein levels.

Conclusions

PLR is a potential predictive factor of benefit from additional SIRT in patients with HCC receiving sorafenib therapy. The potential predictive value of PLR should be further evaluated in future trials.

Impact and implications

Systemic therapies are the mainstay of treatment in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma at advanced stages. However, not all patients respond well to these treatments. In our analysis, using blood test parameters showing systemic inflammation status, we were able to identify patients who would benefit more from combined treatment with a locoregional treatment of radioembolization (or selective internal radiation therapy).

In vivo evaluation of tumor uptake and bio-distribution of 99mTc-labeled 1-thio-β-D-glucose and 5-thio-D-glucose in mice model

BACKGROUND

To investigate the capacity of 99mTc-labeled 1-thio-β-D-glucose (1-TG) and 5-thio-D-glucose (5-TG) to act as a marker for glucose consumption in tumor cells in vivo as well as to evaluate the biodistribution of 1-TG and 5-TG. We investigated the biodistribution, including tumor uptake, of 1-TG and 5-TG at various time points after injection (0.5, 2 and 4 h) in human colorectal carcinoma (HCT-116) and human lung adenocarcinoma (A549) xenograft bearing nude mice (N = 4 per tracer and time point).

RESULTS

Ex vivo biodistribution studies revealed a moderate uptake with a maximum tumor-to-muscle ratio of 4.22 ± 2.7 and 2.2 ± 1.3 (HCT-116) and of 3.2 ± 1.1 and 4.1 ± 1.3 (A549) for 1-TG and 5-TG, respectively, with a peak at 4 h for 1-TG and 5-TG. Biodistribution revealed a significantly higher uptake compared to blood in kidneys (12.18 ± 8.77 and 12.69 ± 8.93%ID/g at 30 min) and liver (2.6 ± 2.8%ID/g) for 1-TG and in the lung (7.24 ± 4.1%ID/g), liver (6.38 ± 2.94%ID/g), and kidneys (4.71 ± 1.97 and 4.81 ± 1.91%ID/g) for 5-TG.

CONCLUSIONS

1-TG and 5-TG showed an insufficient tumor uptake with a moderate tumor-to-muscle ratio, not reaching the levels of commonly used tracer, for diagnostic use in human colorectal carcinoma and human lung adenocarcinoma xenograft model.

Association between sacroiliac joint forms and subchondral changes in patients with Crohn's disease

AIM

To assess the relationship between anatomical variants of sacroiliac joint (SIJ) and subchondral changes detected in magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) in patients with Crohn's disease (CD).

METHODS

This was a retrospective study of 60 CD patients, who were divided into two groups: with (n = 16) and without SIJ (n = 44) involvement, depending on the presence of inflammatory (bone marrow edema) and structural changes (sclerosis and erosions) in MRE. Anatomical variants of SIJ were assessed in CT of the abdomen and/or pelvis, distinguishing typical form with convex iliac surface and atypical forms. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to reveal an association between joint changes and forms.

RESULTS

Our study included 60 patients (38 males; mean age 38.72 years ± 13.33). Patients with SIJ changes were older (p = .044). No significant differences in CD localization and behavior were found. The most common SIJ lesions were structural changes (in 75% of patients); the main atypical form was the iliosacral complex. The univariate and multivariate analyses showed a significant association of atypical forms with total subchondral changes (odds ratio [OR]: 3.429, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.043-11.268; p = .042; OR: 5.066, 95% CI: 1.273-20.167; p = .021, respectively), and with structural changes (OR: 4.185, 95% CI: 1.155-15.160; p = .029; OR: 5.986, 95% CI: 1.293-27.700; p = .022, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Atypical forms of SIJ are a risk factor for the occurrence of structural joint changes in CD patients. An association between bone marrow edema and atypical forms was not found.

Assessing regional hepatic function changes after hypertrophy induction by radioembolisation: comparison of gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI and 99mTc-mebrofenin hepatobiliary scintigraphy

BACKGROUND

To compare Gd-ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 99mTc-labelled mebrofenin hepatobiliary scintigraphy (HBS) as imaging-based liver function tests after unilateral radioembolisation (RE) in patients with primary or secondary liver malignancies.

METHODS

Twenty-three patients with primary or secondary liver malignancies who underwent Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI within a prospective study (REVoluTion) were evaluated. REVoluTion was a prospective open-label, non-randomised, therapy-optimising study of patients undergoing right-sided or sequential RE for contralateral liver hypertrophy at a single centre in Germany. MRI and hepatobiliary scintigraphy were performed before RE (baseline) and 6 weeks after (follow-up). This exploratory subanalysis compared liver enhancement on hepatobiliary phase MRI normalised to the spleen (liver-to-spleen ratio (LSR)) and the muscle (liver-to-muscle ratio (LMR)) with mebrofenin uptake on HBS for the total liver (TL) and separately for the right (RLL) and left liver lobe (LLL).

RESULTS

Mebrofenin uptake at baseline and follow-up each correlated significantly with LSR and LMR on MRI for TL (≤ 0.013) and RLL (≤ 0.049). Regarding the LLL, mebrofenin uptake correlated significantly with LMR (baseline, p = 0.013; follow-up, p = 0.004), whereas with LSR, a borderline significant correlation was only seen at follow-up (p = 0.051; p = 0.046).

CONCLUSION

LSRs and LMR correlate with mebrofenin uptake in HBS. This study indicates that Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI and 99mTc-labelled mebrofenin HBS may equally be used to assess an increase in contralateral liver lobe function after right-sided RE.

RELEVANCE STATEMENT

MRI may be a convenient and reliable method for assessing the future liver remnant facilitating treatment planning and monitoring of patients after RE-induced hypertrophy induction.

KEY POINTS

• Both MRI and HBS can assess liver function after RE. • Liver enhancement on MRI correlates with mebrofenin uptake on HBS. • MRI might be a convenient alternative for estimating future liver remnants after hypertrophy induction.

Diagnostic value of apparent diffusion coefficient of psoas muscles for evaluating complications in patients with Crohn's disease

Aim

To assess the association of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of the psoas muscles and psoas muscle index (PMI) with the activity and behaviour of Crohn's disease (CD).

Material and methods

This was a retrospective study of 88 CD patients who underwent magnetic resonance enterography. Patients were classified according to the Montreal Classification in uncomplicated (non-stricturing, non-penetrating, B1), and complicated (structuring [B2] and penetrating disease [B3]). At the level of the third lumbar vertebra, the ADC and PMI were estimated. CD activity was analysed using the Magnetic Resonance Index of Activity (MaRIA), and depending on its values patients were categorized as high or low activity. Additionally, the presence of creeping fat (CrF) was used to evaluate activity. ADC and PMI were using Student's t-test.

Results

Our study included 47 males and 41 females (mean age of 38.69 ±14.4 years). The ADC in uncomplicated (B1, n = 45) and complicated disease (B2 + B3, n = 43) were 1.11 ±0.19 and 1.03 ±0.10 (10-3*mm2/s), respectively, (p = 0.02). ADC was significantly lower in patients with stricturing disease than in patients without strictures (1.02 ±0.11 and 1.10 ±0.18 [10-3 mm2/s], respectively, p = 0.01). The group with non-penetrating disease showed higher PMI than those with penetrating disease (5.71 ±1.88 vs. 4.42 ±1.55 cm2/m2, respectively, p = 0.10). There was no significant difference in PMI and ADC between patients with low and high MaRIA or positive and negative CrF.

Conclusions

The ADC of the psoas muscles is significantly lower in CD patients with uncomplicated disease, particularly those with stricturing disease. Therefore, ADC can be considered as an imaging biomarker of myopathic changes in CD patients.

Demonstrating Agreement between Radio and Fluorescence Measurements of the Depth of Maximum of Extensive Air Showers at the Pierre Auger Observatory

We show, for the first time, radio measurements of the depth of shower maximum (X_{max}) of air showers induced by cosmic rays that are compared to measurements of the established fluorescence method at the same location. Using measurements at the Pierre Auger Observatory we show full compatibility between our radio and the previously published fluorescence dataset, and between a subset of air showers observed simultaneously with both radio and fluorescence techniques, a measurement setup unique to the Pierre Auger Observatory. Furthermore, we show radio X_{max} resolution as a function of energy and demonstrate the ability to make competitive high-resolution X_{max} measurements with even a sparse radio array. With this, we show that the radio technique is capable of cosmic-ray mass composition studies, both at Auger and at other experiments.

Corrigendum: Sorafenib increases cytochrome P450 lipid metabolites in patient with hepatocellular carcinoma

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1124214.].

Prognostic value of baseline MRI features in patients treated with thermal ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma

PURPOSE

To investigate prognostic value of baseline MRI features for time-to-recurrence (TTR) and local recurrence in patients with early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHOD

Baseline and follow-up images of 88 patients treated with thermal ablation followed by adjuvant sorafenib or matching placebo due to HCC within the phase II prospective randomized trial (SORAMIC) were included. Baseline MRI images were evaluated in terms of atypical enhancement (lack of wash-in or wash-out), lesion diameter, tumor capsule, peritumoral enhancement on arterial phase, intratumoral fat, irregular margin, satellite lesions, and peritumoral hypointensity on hepatobiliary phase. Prognostic value of these features for TTR and local recurrence were assessed with univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models.

RESULTS

Recurrence at any location was diagnosed during follow-up in 30 patients, and the median TTR was 16.4 (95% CI, 15 - NA) months. The presence of more than one lesion (p = 0.028) and peritumoral hypointensity on hepatobiliary phase images (p = 0.012) at baseline were significantly associated with shorter TTR in univariable analysis. AFP > 15 mg/dL (p = 0.084), and history of cirrhosis (p = 0.099) were marginally non-significant. Peritumoral hypointensity on hepatobiliary phase images was the only significant risk factor for recurrence in multivariable analysis (p = 0.003). Local recurrence (adjacent to thermal scar) was diagnosed in eleven (8.3%) out of 132 lesions that underwent thermal ablation. The only significant risk factor for local recurrence was a lesion diameter larger than 3 cm (22.2% vs. 4.5%, p = 0.007).

CONCLUSIONS

Peritumoral hypointensity on hepatobiliary phase can serve as imaging biomarker to identify increased recurrence risk in patients undergoing thermal ablation for early-stage HCC.

Post-therapeutic microRNA-146a in liquid biopsies may determine prognosis in metastatic gastrointestinal cancer patients receiving 90Y-radioembolization

PURPOSE

The role of microRNA-146a (miR-146a) in defining the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) is well established. The aim of this study was to evaluate circulating miR-146a as an early prognostic marker of 90Y-radioembolization (90Y-RE) in metastatic liver cancer and to assess the correlation between circulating miR-146a and TIME cellular composition in distant, yet untreated metastases.

METHODS

Twenty-one patients with bilobar liver lesions from gastro-intestinal cancer underwent lobar 90Y-RE. Biopsy of contralateral lobe abscopal tumors was acquired at the onset of a second treatment session at a median of 21 days after initial RE, immediately prior to ablation therapy of the contralateral lobe tumor. miR-146a was measured by RT-qPCR in plasma collected 24 h before (T1) and 48 h after (T2) initial unilobar 90Y-RE. The level of miR-146a was correlated with the infiltration of CD4 + , CD8 + , FoxP3 T cells, CD163 + M2 macrophages and immune-exhausted T cells in the abscopal tumor tissue acquired before the second treatment session.

RESULTS

Plasma samples collected at T2 showed a higher concentration of miR-146a with respect to T1 in 43% of the patients (p = 0.002). In these patients, tumors revealed a pro-tumorigenic immune composition with enrichment of Tim3 + immune exhausted cells (p = 0.021), in combination with a higher infiltration of CD163 + M2 macrophages and a lower infiltration of CD8 + T cells. Patients with a higher level of miR-146a after 90Y-RE showed a trend to shorter OS (p = 0.055).

CONCLUSION

miR-146a may represent a novel prognostic biomarker for 90Y-radioembolization in metastatic liver cancer.

Increase of radiologically determined muscle area in patients with liver cirrhosis after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt

Sarcopenia is common in patients with liver cirrhosis and related to higher mortality. Implantation of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is a feasible method for reducing cirrhosis-related portal hypertension, but also possible improvement of the patient`s muscle status. We aimed to analyze changes in muscle quantity and prevalence of sarcopenia after TIPS. We retrospectively surveyed the muscle status in 52 patients (mean age 54.2 years) before and after TIPS by evaluating skeletal (SMI) and psoas muscle indices (PMI) in CT and MR images. Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD), Freiburg index of post-TIPS survival (FIPS), and their underlying laboratory parameters (e.g., Albumin) were analyzed. Prevalence of sarcopenia was 84.6%. After a median follow-up of 16.5 months after TIPS, SMI (0.020) and PMI (p < 0.001) increased, and sarcopenia decreased by 14.8% (0.109). MELD and PMI after TIPS were negatively correlated (r = - 0.536, p < 0.001). Albumin levels increased in patients with increased SMI after TIPS (p = 0.022). Confirming the positive impact of TIPS implantation on muscle indices in patients with liver cirrhosis, we found indications for improved survival and possible indications for altered metabolism with increased albumin levels in patients with increased muscle quantity.

Joint liver and hepatic lesion segmentation in MRI using a hybrid CNN with transformer layers

Backgound and Objective: Deep learning-based segmentation of the liver and hepatic lesions therein steadily gains relevance in clinical practice due to the increasing incidence of liver cancer each year. Whereas various network variants with overall promising results in the field of medical image segmentation have been successfully developed over the last years, almost all of them struggle with the challenge of accurately segmenting hepatic lesions in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This led to the idea of combining elements of convolutional and transformer-based architectures to overcome the existing limitations.

METHODS

This work presents a hybrid network called SWTR-Unet, consisting of a pretrained ResNet, transformer blocks as well as a common Unet-style decoder path. This network was primarily applied to single-modality non-contrast-enhanced liver MRI and additionally to the publicly available computed tomography (CT) data of the liver tumor segmentation (LiTS) challenge to verify the applicability on other modalities. For a broader evaluation, multiple state-of-the-art networks were implemented and applied, ensuring direct comparability. Furthermore, correlation analysis and an ablation study were carried out, to investigate various influencing factors on the segmentation accuracy of the presented method.

RESULTS

With Dice similarity scores of averaged 98±2% for liver and 81±28% lesion segmentation on the MRI dataset and 97±2% and 79±25%, respectively on the CT dataset, the proposed SWTR-Unet proved to be a precise approach for liver and hepatic lesion segmentation with state-of-the-art results for MRI and competing accuracy in CT imaging.

CONCLUSION

The achieved segmentation accuracy was found to be on par with manually performed expert segmentations as indicated by inter-observer variabilities for liver lesion segmentation. In conclusion, the presented method could save valuable time and resources in clinical practice.

Cholecystitis induced by Yttrium-90 radioembolization of advanced liver tumors: prospective evaluation of a management algorithm in 197 consecutive patients

BACKGROUND

Cholecystitis is a rare but dolorous complication after Y90-radioembolization of liver malignancies.

PURPOSE

To decide the occlusion of the cystic artery (CA) to prevent cholecystitis after Y90 radioembolization using an algorithm.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In 130 patients, the gallbladder was at risk of embolization as the right liver lobe was targeted. Precautionary measures (e.g. coil occlusion of the cystic artery) were decided by enhancement of the gallbladder in pre-treatment Tc99m-MAA SPECT/CT and performed directly before Y90 radioembolization. In non-enhancing cases, the CA was left open. The outcome was determined by clinical symptoms of acute or chronic cholecystitis as well as imaging and laboratory parameters. Findings were additionally classified according to the Tokyo Guidelines of acute cholecystitis.

RESULTS

Only 16 patients demonstrated enhancement of the gallbladder in Tc99m-MAA SPECT/CT. Including additional indications from angiographic findings, prophylactic measures were scheduled in 22 patients (standard of care). Thus, 121 patients were at risk of non-target embolization to the gallbladder during Y90 microsphere administration (investigative arm). Four cases (3.0%) of cholecystitis occurred by clinical presentation: two patients with onset of acute symptoms within 48 h after Y90 radioembolization ("embolic cholecystitis") and two patients with late onset of symptoms ("radiogenic cholecystitis"). The incidence of cholecystitis was not significantly more frequent without indication of precautionary measures (investigative cohort 2.9% vs. standard of care 4.7%; P = 0.53).

CONCLUSION

The overall incidence of cholecystitis after Y90 radioembolization is low. Determination of cystic artery intervention using Tc99m-MAA SPECT/CT successfully balances the incidence of symptomatic cholecystitis with unnecessary vessel occlusion.

Prognostic role of radiomics-based body composition analysis for the 1-year survival for hepatocellular carcinoma patients

BACKGROUND

Parameters of body composition have prognostic potential in patients with oncologic diseases. The aim of the present study was to analyse the prognostic potential of radiomics-based parameters of the skeletal musculature and adipose tissues in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS

Radiomics features were extracted from a cohort of 297 HCC patients as post hoc sub-study of the SORAMIC randomized controlled trial. Patients were treated with selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) in combination with sorafenib or with sorafenib alone yielding two groups: (1) sorafenib monotherapy (n = 147) and (2) sorafenib and SIRT (n = 150). The main outcome was 1-year survival. Segmentation of muscle tissue and adipose tissue was used to retrieve 881 features. Correlation analysis and feature cleansing yielded 292 features for each patient group and each tissue type. We combined 9 feature selection methods with 10 feature set compositions to build 90 feature sets. We used 11 classifiers to build 990 models. We subdivided the patient groups into a train and validation cohort and a test cohort, that is, one third of the patient groups.

RESULTS

We used the train and validation set to identify the best feature selection and classification model and applied it to the test set for each patient group. Classification yields for patients who underwent sorafenib monotherapy an accuracy of 75.51% and area under the curve (AUC) of 0.7576 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.6376-0.8776). For patients who underwent treatment with SIRT and sorafenib, results are accuracy = 78.00% and AUC = 0.8032 (95% CI: 0.6930-0.9134).

CONCLUSIONS

Parameters of radiomics-based analysis of the skeletal musculature and adipose tissue predict 1-year survival in patients with advanced HCC. The prognostic value of radiomics-based parameters was higher in patients who were treated with SIRT and sorafenib.

Prediction of Protumorigenic Effects after Image-Guided Radiofrequency Ablation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using Biomarkers

PURPOSE

To perform radiofrequency (RF) ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to assess serological and histopathological markers of tumorigenesis in distant untreated tumors to determine whether these were associated with unfavorable outcomes such as early relapse and increased biological aggressiveness.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study cohort comprised 13 patients from a prospective single-arm study. All patients underwent 2 ablation sessions of multifocal HCC nodules 14 days apart. Core biopsy samples of untreated tumors were acquired at baseline and at the time of the second ablation session. Samples were stained immunohistochemically with Ki-67 (proliferation) and CD34 (microvasculature). Blood plasma was obtained at baseline and 2 days after the initial ablation session and analyzed for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), vascular endothelial growth factor C, and angiopoietin-2 using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The clinical follow-up period ranged from 7 to 25 months. Patients were stratified as responders (complete remission or limited and delayed recurrence at >6 months; n = 6) or nonresponders (any recurrence within 6 months or >3 new tumors or any new tumor of >3 cm thereafter; n = 7).

RESULTS

In 3 of 7 nonresponders, the Ki-67 index markedly increased in untreated tumors, whereas Ki-67 was stable in all responders. Microvascular density strongly increased in a single nonresponder only. HGF and angiopoietin-2 increased by >30% in 3 of 7 and 4 of 7 nonresponders, respectively, whereas they were stable or decreased in responders. Overall, ≥2 biomarkers were elevated in 6 of 7 (85.7%) nonresponders, whereas 4 of 6 responders demonstrated no increased biomarker and 2 patients demonstrated increase in 1 biomarker only (P = .002).

CONCLUSIONS

RF ablation of HCC can produce protumorigenic factors that induce effects in distant untreated tumors. These may potentially function as biomarkers of clinical outcome.

Selective Internal Radiotherapy Alters the Profiles of Systemic Extracellular Vesicles in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasing globally. Radioembolization (RE)/selective internal radiotherapy (SIRT) is a promising treatment for inoperable HCC. RE triggers an immune response, involving extracellular vesicles (EVs) which are crucial for cell communication and tumor development. This study explores EV immune profiles and origins in patients with inoperable HCC before and after SIRT/RE. Blood samples from 50 HCC-patients treated with SIRT/RE were collected before and after therapy to determine cytokines and isolate EVs using size exclusion chromatography. The dynamic range and EV quality required for detecting variations in surface markers were assessed. Thirty-seven EV surface markers were analyzed using flow cytometry and correlated with clinical parameters. Several immunological markers (CD4, CD2, CD40, CD45, CD49e, CD69, CD209-EVs) were present in the circulation of HCC patients. These markers positively correlated with therapy response and survival. Conversely, B cell CD20, endothelial cell CD146, platelet CD49e, and CD41b EV markers negatively correlated with 60-day survival. Elevated levels of IL-6 and IL-8 before therapy correlated negatively with patient survival, coinciding with a positive correlation with CD20-positive EVs. Plasma EVs from HCC patients exhibit immunological, cancer, and coagulation markers, including potential biomarkers (CD4, CD20, CD49e, CD146). These may enhance our understanding of cancer biology and facilitate SIRT therapy monitoring.

Sarcopenia is an Independent Prognostic Factor in Patients With Pancreatic Cancer - a Meta-analysis

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

Sarcopenia is defined as skeletal muscle loss and can be assessed by cross-sectional imaging. Our aim was to establish the effect of sarcopenia on relevant outcomes in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) in curative and palliative settings based on a large patient sample.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

MEDLINE library, EMBASE and SCOPUS databases were screened for the associations between sarcopenia and mortality in patients with PDAC up to March 2022. The primary endpoint of the systematic review was the hazard ratio of Sarcopenia on survival. 22 studies were included into the present analysis.

RESULTS

The included 22 studies comprised 3958 patients. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 38.7%. Sarcopenia was associated with a higher prevalence in the palliative setting (OR 53.23, CI 39.00-67.45, p<0.001) compared to the curative setting (OR 36.73, CI 27.81-45.65, p<0.001). Sarcopenia was associated with worse OS in the univariable (HR 1.79, CI 1.41-2.28, p<0.001) and multivariable analysis (HR 1.62, CI 1.27-2.07, p<0.001) in the curative setting. For the palliative setting the pooled hazards ratio showed that sarcopenia was associated with overall survival (HR 1.56, CI 1.21-2.02, p<0.001) as well as in multivariable analysis (HR 1.77, CI 1.39-2.26, p<0.001). Sarcopenia was not associated with a higher rate of post-operative complications in univariable analysis (OR 1.10, CI 0.70-1.72, p = 0.69).

CONCLUSION

Sarcopenia occurs in 38.7% of patients with pancreatic cancer, significantly more in the palliative setting. Sarcopenia is associated with overall survival in both settings. The assessment of sarcopenia is therefore relevant for personalized oncology. Sarcopenia is not associated with postoperative complications.

Transfer-learning is a key ingredient to fast deep learning-based 4D liver MRI reconstruction

Time-resolved volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (4D MRI) could be used to address organ motion in image-guided interventions like tumor ablation. Current 4D reconstruction techniques are unsuitable for most interventional settings because they are limited to specific breathing phases, lack temporal/spatial resolution, and have long prior acquisitions or reconstruction times. Deep learning-based (DL) 4D MRI approaches promise to overcome these shortcomings but are sensitive to domain shift. This work shows that transfer learning (TL) combined with an ensembling strategy can help alleviate this key challenge. We evaluate four approaches: pre-trained models from the source domain, models directly trained from scratch on target domain data, models fine-tuned from a pre-trained model and an ensemble of fine-tuned models. For that the data base was split into 16 source and 4 target domain subjects. Comparing ensemble of fine-tuned models (N = 10) with directly learned models, we report significant improvements (P < 0.001) of the root mean squared error (RMSE) of up to 12% and the mean displacement (MDISP) of up to 17.5%. The smaller the target domain data amount, the larger the effect. This shows that TL + Ens significantly reduces beforehand acquisition time and improves reconstruction quality, rendering it a key component in making 4D MRI clinically feasible for the first time in the context of 4D organ motion models of the liver and beyond.

Multi-class Tissue Segmentation of CT images using an Ensemble Deep Learning method

Microwave ablation (MWA) therapy is a well-known technique for locally destroying lung tumors with the help of computed tomography (CT) images. However, tumor recurrence occurs because of insufficient ablation of the tumor. In order to perform an accurate treatment of lung cancer, there is a demand to determine the tumor area precisely. To address the problem at hand, which involves accurately segmenting organs and tumors in CT images obtained during MWA therapy, physicians could benefit from a semantic segmentation method. However, such a method typically requires a large number of images to achieve optimal results through deep learning techniques. To overcome this challenge, our team developed four different (multiple) U-Net based semantic segmentation models that work in conjunction with one another to produce a more precise segmented image, even when working with a relatively small dataset. By combining the highest weight value of segmentation from multiple methods into a single output, we can achieve a more reliable and accurate segmentation outcome. Our approach proved successful in segmenting four different tissue structures, including lungs, lung tumors, and ablated tissues in CT medical images. The Intersection over Union (IoU) is employed to quantitatively evaluate the proposed method. The method shows the highest average IoU, with 0.99 for the background, 0.98 for the lung, 0.77 for the ablated, and 0.54 for the tumor tissue. The results show that employing multiple DL methods is superior to that of individual base-learner models for all four different tissue structures, even in the presence of the relatively small dataset.Clinical relevance- An essential issue of tumor ablation therapy is to know when the entire tumor tissue has completely been destroyed. However, as it is difficult to distinguish between destroyed and living tumor, this is hardly reliable in clinical practice during MWA therapy, especially when working with a small dataset. Improved AI segmentation methods can help to improve performance to reduce recurrence.

Interstitial Brachytherapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Analysis of Prognostic Factors for Overall Survival and Progression-Free Survival and Application of a Risk Stratification Model

INTRODUCTION

Interstitial brachytherapy (iBT) is an effective treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Identification of prognostic factors is pivotal for patient selection and treatment efficacy. This study aimed to assess the impact of low skeletal muscle mass (LSMM) on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of iBT in patients with HCC.

METHODS

For this single-center study, we retrospectively identified 77 patients with HCC who underwent iBT between 2011 and 2018. Follow-up visits were recorded until 2020. The psoas muscle area, psoas muscle index, psoas muscle density (MD), and the skeletal muscle gauge were assessed on the L3 level on pre-treatment cross-sectional CT scans.

RESULTS

Median OS was 37 months. 42 patients (54.5%) had LSMM. An AFP level of >400 ng/ml (hazard ratio [HR] 5.705, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.228-14.606, p = 0.001), BCLC stage (HR 3.230, 95% CI: 0.972-10.735, p = 0.026), and LSMM (HR 3.365, 95% CI: 1.490-7.596, p = 0.002) showed a relevant association with OS. Weighted hazard ratios were used to form a predictive risk stratification model with three groups: patients with low risk (median OS 62 months), intermediate risk (median OS 31 months), and high risk (median OS 9 months). The model showed a good prediction of 1-year mortality, with an AUC of 0.71. Higher MD was associated with better PFS (HR 0.920, 95% CI: 0.881-0.962, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

In patients undergoing iBT for HCC, LSMM is associated with worse OS. A risk stratification model based on LSMM, AFP >400 ng/mL, and BCLC stage successfully predicted patient mortality. The model may support and enhance patient selection.

Impact of body composition in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: A subanalysis of the SORAMIC trial

BACKGROUND

Body composition parameters have been reported to be prognostic factors in patients with oncologic diseases. However, the available data on patients with HCC are conflicting. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of body composition on survival in patients with HCC treated with sorafenib or selective internal radioembolization (SIRT) and sorafenib.

METHODS

This is an exploratory subanalysis of the prospective, randomized controlled SORAMIC trial. Within the palliative arm of the study, patients were selected if a baseline abdominal CT was available. A broad set of skeletal muscle and adipose tissue parameters were measured at the L3 level. Low skeletal muscle mass (LSMM) and density parameters were defined using published cutoffs. The parameters were correlated with overall survival.

RESULTS

Of 424 patients in the palliative study arm, 369 patients were included in the analysis. There were 192 patients in the combined sorafenib/SIRT and 177 patients in the sorafenib group. Median overall survival was 9.9 months for the entire cohort and 10.8 and 9.2 months for the SIRT/sorafenib and sorafenib groups, respectively. There was no relevant association of either body composition parameter with overall survival in either the overall cohort or in the SIRT/sorafenib or sorafenib subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS

This subanalysis of the prospective SORAMIC trial does not suggest a relevant influence of body composition parameters of survival in patients with advanced HCC. Body composition parameters therefore do not serve in patient allocation in this palliative treatment cohort.

Prevention of radiation-induced liver toxicity after interstitial HDR brachytherapy by pentoxifylline and ursodeoxycholic acid: patient compliance and outcome in a randomized trial

AIM

To investigate the impact of pentoxifylline (PTX, 3 × 400 mg per day) and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA, 3 × 250 mg per day) administered for 12 weeks on radiation-induced liver toxicity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Inclusion criteria were liver metastases of extrahepatic malignancies undergoing HDR-BT. 36 patients were prospectively randomized to the medication (N = 18) or control arm (N = 18) and follow-up by hepatobiliary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was scheduled 6 and 12 weeks after local ablation by HDR-BT. We determined the threshold doses of fRILI by image fusion of MRI with the dosimetry data.

RESULTS

32 patients completed the study schedule. Per-protocol treatment was limited to 8 patients in the medication group and 16 patients in the control group. 22 adverse events of any grade likely or certainly related to PTX were recorded in 12 patients leading to the discontinuation of the study medication in 7 patients and to a dose reduction of PTX in 2 patients. In the per-protocol population, statistical analysis failed to prove a reduction of fRILI 6 and 12 weeks after HDR-BT. The incidence of adverse effects attributed to PTX (70.6%) was well above the data found in the literature for its approved indication.

CONCLUSION

The study endpoint was not met mainly attributed to the low statistical power of the small per-protocol cohort. Independently, PTX cannot be recommended for the reduction of radiation-induced liver toxicity in oncologic patients undergoing HDR-BT of liver metastases. Further studies might focus on a combination of UDCA with other potential drugs to help establish a preventive and tolerable regimen.

[Radiation-induced cataract-an occult risk for urologists]

BACKGROUND

Radiation-induced cataracts represent a relevant risk to people occupationally exposed to radiation. The annual limit dose for the eye lens was reduced to 20 mSv per year by German legislation (radiation protect law StrlSchG 2017; 2013/59/Euratom) based on recommendation of International Commission on Radiation Protection (2011 ICRP) to avoid radiation-induced cataracts.

OBJECTIVES

Is there a risk of exceeding the annual limit dose for the eye lens in routine urological practice without special radiation protection for the head?

METHODS

As part of a prospective, monocentric dosimetry study, of 542 different urological, fluoroscopically guided interventions, the eye lens dose was determined using a forehead dosimeter (thermo-luminescence dosemeter TLD, Chipstrate) over a period of 5 months.

RESULTS

An average head dose of 0.05 mSv per intervention (max. 0.29 mSv) was found with an average dose area product of 485.33 Gy/cm². Significant influencing factors for a higher dose were a higher patient body mass index (BMI), a longer operation time, and a higher dose area product. The level of experience of the surgeon showed no significant influence.

DISCUSSION

With 400 procedures per year or an average of 2 procedures per working day, the critical annual limit value for the eye lenses or for the risk of radiation-induced cataract would be exceeded without special protective measures.

CONCLUSION

Consistently effective radiation protection of the eye lens is essential for daily work in uroradiological interventions. This may require further technical developments.

Multidisciplinary Treatment of Patients with Progressive Biliary Tract Cancer after First-Line Gemcitabine and Cisplatin: A Single-Center Experience

BACKGROUND

Patients with unresectable biliary tract cancer (uBTC) who progress despite first-line gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GC) treatment have limited systemic options with a modest survival benefit. Data are lacking on the clinical effectiveness and safety of personalized treatment based on multidisciplinary discussion for patients with progressing uBTC.

METHODS

This retrospective single-center study included patients with progressive uBTC who received either best supportive care or personalized treatment based on multidisciplinary discussion, including minimally invasive, image-guided procedures (MIT); FOLFIRI; or both (MIT and FOLFIRI), between 2011 and 2021.

RESULTS

Ninety-seven patients with progressive uBTC were identified. Patients received best supportive care (n = 50, 52%), MIT (n = 14, 14%), FOLFIRI (n = 19, 20%), or both (n = 14, 14%). Survival after disease progression was better in patients who received MIT (8.8 months; 95% CI: 2.60-15.08), FOLFIRI (6 months; 95% CI: 3.30-8.72), or both (15.1 months; 95% CI: 3.66-26.50) than in patients receiving BSC (0.36 months; 95% CI: 0.00-1.24, p < 0.001). The most common (>10%) grade 3-5 adverse events were anemia (25%) and thrombocytopenia (11%).

CONCLUSION

Multidisciplinary discussion is critical for identifying patients with progressive uBTC who might benefit the most from MIT, FOLFIRI, or both. The safety profile was consistent with previous reports.

Parameters of body composition and creeping fat are associated with activity of Crohn's disease

AIM

This study aimed at assessing body composition parameters, creeping fat (CrF), and Crohn's disease's (CD) activity based on the Magnetic Resonance Index of Activity (MaRIA).

METHODS

114 CD patients who underwent magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) between June 2010 and April 2020 were retrospectively assessed. The semi-automated body composition segmentation, the qualitative evaluation of CrF, and MaRIA were performed. Based on their MaRIA score, patients were divided into two groups: mild-to-moderate disease (MaRIA <11, n = 50) and severe disease (MaRIA ≥11, n = 64). MRE parameters were analyzed between both groups. Patients were dichotomized according to body composition categories and the presence of CrF. Univariate regression analyses were performed to investigate the association between dichotomized variables and severe disease. Significant variables were incorporated into the multivariate logistic regression model.

RESULTS

The severe disease group exhibited higher serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels compared to the mild-to-moderate disease group (p ≤0.001). In the mild-to-moderate disease group, a higher proportion of patients had a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 (kg/m²) (32.0%) compared to the severe disease group (16.5%) (p = 0.04). The subcutaneous adipose tissue index (SATI) was significantly higher in the mild-to-moderate disease group (p = 0.04). The visceral to subcutaneous adipose tissue (VAT/SAT) ratio tended to be higher in the severe disease group (p = 0.09). There was no significant difference between both groups regarding total adipose tissue index (TATI) (p = 0.10), visceral adipose tissue index (VATI) (p = 0.51), intramuscular adipose tissue index (IMATI) (p = 0.38), skeletal muscle index (SMI) (p = 0.83), and sarcopenia (p = 0.75). In the multivariate analysis, CrF was significantly associated with severe disease (odds ratio [OR] 11.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.13-42.17; p ≤0.001). Additionally, a BMI ≥ 25 (kg/m²) was protective against severe disease (OR: 0.34, 95% CI 0.12-0.95; p = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

CrF is significantly associated with CD activity.

Impact of adjuvant sorafenib treatment after local ablation for HCC in the phase II SORAMIC trial

Background & Aims

The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of adjuvant sorafenib treatment compared with placebo in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent local ablation.

Methods

The SORAMIC trial is a randomised controlled trial with diagnostic, local ablation, and palliative sub-study arms. After initial imaging within the diagnostic study, patients were assigned to local ablation or palliative arms. In the local ablation cohort, patients were randomised 1:1 to local ablation + sorafenib vs. local ablation + placebo. The primary endpoint was time-to-recurrence (TTR). Secondary endpoints were local control rate and safety in terms of adverse events and quality-of-life.

Results

The recruitment was terminated prematurely after 104 patients owing to slow recruitment. One patient was excluded because of a technical failure. Fifty-four patients were randomised to local ablation + sorafenib and 49 to local ablation + placebo. Eighty-eight patients who underwent standardised follow-up imaging comprised the per-protocol population. The median TTR was 15.2 months in the sorafenib arm and 16.4 months in the placebo arm (hazard ratio 1.1; 95% CI 0.53-2.2; p = 0.82). Out of 136 lesions ablated within the trial, there was no difference in local recurrence rate between sorafenib (6/69, 8.6%) and placebo groups (5/67, 5.9%; p = 0.792).Overall (92.5% vs. 71.4%, p = 0.008) and drug-related (81.4% vs. 55.1%, p = 0.003) adverse events were more common in the sorafenib arm compared with the placebo arm. Dose reduction because of adverse events were common in the sorafenib arm (79.6% vs. 30.6%, p <0.001).

Conclusions

Adjuvant sorafenib did not improve in TTR or local control rate after local ablation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma within the limitations of an early terminated trial.

Impact and implications

Local ablation is the standard of care treatment in patients with early stages of hepatocellular carcinoma, along with surgical therapies. However, there is a risk of disease recurrence during follow-up. Sorafenib, an oral medication, is a routinely used treatment for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. This study found that sorafenib treatment after local ablation in people with early hepatocellular carcinoma did not significantly improve the disease-free period compared with placebo.

Clinical trial number

EudraCT 2009-012576-27, NCT01126645.

The role of interventional radiology in treatment of patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) also known as Osler-Weber-Rendu disease is a rare autosomal dominant, multi-organ disorder that leads to formation of abnormal vascular connections resulting in devastating and life-threatening complications. Due to its multisystem character, wide range of clinical manifestations and variable expressivity, HHT remains a diagnostic challenge and requires close cooperation of specialists from various medical fields. Interventional radiology plays a key role in the management of this disease, helping maintain the health of HHT patients and minimize the risk of fatal complications. The aim of this article is to review clinical manifestations, diagnostic guidelines and criteria of HHT as well as to present the means of endovascular therapy in the management of HHT patients.

Sorafenib increases cytochrome P450 lipid metabolites in patient with hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer death, and medical treatment options are limited. The multikinase inhibitor sorafenib was the first approved drug widely used for systemic therapy in advanced HCC. Sorafenib might affect polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA)-derived epoxygenated metabolite levels, as it is also a potent inhibitor of the soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH), which catalyzes the conversion of cytochrome-P450 (CYP)-derived epoxide metabolites derived from PUFA, such as omega-6 arachidonic acid (AA) and omega-3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), into their corresponding dihydroxy metabolites. Experimental studies with AA-derived epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) have shown that they can promote tumor growth and metastasis, while DHA-derived 19,20-epoxydocosapentaenoic acid (19,20-EDP) was shown to have anti-tumor activity in mice. In this study, we found a significant increase in EET levels in 43 HCC patients treated with sorafenib and a trend towards increased levels of DHA-derived 19,20-EDP. We demonstrate that the effect of sorafenib on CYP- metabolites led to an increase of 19,20-EDP and its dihydroxy metabolite, whereas DHA plasma levels decreased under sorafenib treatment. These data indicate that specific supplementation with DHA could be used to increase levels of the epoxy compound 19,20-EDP with potential anti-tumor activity in HCC patients receiving sorafenib therapy.

Local tumor control of intermediate and advanced stage hepatocellular carcinoma after local ablative treatment with image-guided interstitial high-dose-rate brachytherapy: A subgroup analysis of 286 HCC nodules

PURPOSE

Image-guided interstitial high-dose-rate brachytherapy (iBT) has been demonstrated to offer high local tumor control rates (LTC) of >90% after local ablation of intermediate and advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; BCLC B and C). The purpose of this study was to show the efficacy of iBT stratified by subgroups and to identify clinical characteristics associated with superior local tumor control (LTC) based on a highly heterogenous patient population METHODS AND MATERIALS: A cumulative number of 286 HCC nodules in 107 patients were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical and imaging follow-ups were conducted every 3 months after treatment. Analyzed clinical factors were: etiology, presence of liver cirrhosis, radiographic features, lesion size, pretreatment, administered dose, presence of portal hypertension, portal vein thrombosis, and level of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP).

RESULTS

LTC rate was 88.8% for a median follow-up of 14.3 months (range 3-81 months; 95% CI: 85-92%). Median minimal enclosing tumor dose (D100) was 16.1 Gy (range 7.1-30.3 Gy; reference dose 15 Gy). Subgroup analysis showed significant fewer local recurrences for alcoholic liver disease (ALD)-related HCCs compared to those related to other causes of liver cirrhosis (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, virus-related liver cirrhosis and other causes) (p = 0.015). LTC was significantly lower after prior surgical resection (p = 0.046). No significant variance was observed for the applied D100 in each group or for all other clinical factors tested.

CONCLUSIONS

IBT achieves high LTC rates across treated subgroups. However, further studies should particularly address the possible impact of underlying etiology on local recurrence with emphasis on a possible higher radiosensitivity of ALD-related HCCs.

Sarcopenia does not limit overall survival in patients with colorectal liver metastases undergoing interstitial brachytherapy

PURPOSE

Several studies report an association of sarcopenia with survival in oncologic patients. The aim of this study is to assess the influence of sarcopenia on overall survival (OS) in patients with colorectal liver metastases undergoing interstitial brachytherapy (iBT) METHODS:  We identified 144 patients with colorectal liver metastases from our database from 2014-2017. Computed tomography (CT) chest scans at the L3 level were retrospectively analyzed. Psoas muscle area (PMA), psoas muscle index (PMI), and skeletal muscle gauge (SMG) were measured on the CT scan before treatment. Parameters were associated with overall survival.

RESULTS

116 patients were included. Median overall survival was 27 months. Median PMA was 13.79 cm², median PMI 4.51 cm²/m². Neither PMA (HR 1.036, 95 % CI 0.996-1.078, p = 0.080), PMI (HR 1.068, 95 % CI 0.922-1.238, p = 0.382), nor SMG (HR 1.00, 95 % CI 0.998-1.003, p = 0.955) were significantly associated with overall survival.

CONCLUSION

Sarcopenic patients undergoing iBT for colorectal liver metastases did not show decreased overall survival. If confirmed by comparative studies, sarcopenia may serve as a biomarker for treatment decision in patients with CRLM.

KEY POINTS

Sarcopenia is not a risk factor for survival in patients with CLRM undergoing iBT.

CITATION FORMAT

· Thormann M, Heitmann F, Wrobel V et al. Sarcopenia does not limit overall survival in patients with colorectal liver metastases undergoing interstitial brachytherapy. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2023; 195: 217 - 223.

Visceral to subcutaneous fat ratio predicts short-term mortality in patients with Covid 19. A multicenter study

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association of body composition parameters with outcomes in Covid-19.

METHODS

173 patients hospitalized for Covid-19 infection in 6 European centers were included in this retrospective study. Measurements were performed at L3-level and comprised skeletal muscle index (SMI), muscle density (MD), and adipose tissue measurements [visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), intramuscular adipose tissue (IMAT), visceral-to-subcutaneous-adipose-tissue-area-ratio (VSR)]. The association with mortality, the need for intubation (MV), and the need for admission to ICU within 30 days were evaluated.

RESULTS

Higher SAT density was associated with a greater risk of MV (OR = 1.071, 95%CI=(1.034;1.110), p < 0.001). Higher VAT density was associated with admission to ICU (OR = 1.068, 95%CI=(1.029;1.109), p < 0.001). Higher MD was a protective factor for MV and ICU admission (OR = 0.914, 95%CI=(0.870;0.960), p < 0.001; OR = 0.882, 95%CI=(0.832;0.934), p = 0.028). Higher VSR was associated with mortality (OR = 2.147, 95%CI=(1.022;4.512), p = 0.044). Male sex showed the strongest influence on the risk of ICU admission and MV. SMI was not associated with either parameter.

CONCLUSION

In patients hospitalized for Covid-19 infection, higher VSR seems to be a strong prognostic factor of short-term mortality. Weak associations with clinical course were found for MD and adipose tissue measurements. Male sex was the strongest prognostic factor of adverse clinical course.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE

VSR is a prognostic biomarker for 30-day mortality in patients hospitalized for Covid-19 disease.

Limits to Gauge Coupling in the Dark Sector Set by the Nonobservation of Instanton-Induced Decay of Super-Heavy Dark Matter in the Pierre Auger Observatory Data

Instantons, which are nonperturbative solutions to Yang-Mills equations, provide a signal for the occurrence of quantum tunneling between distinct classes of vacua. They can give rise to decays of particles otherwise forbidden. Using data collected at the Pierre Auger Observatory, we search for signatures of such instanton-induced processes that would be suggestive of super-heavy particles decaying in the Galactic halo. These particles could have been produced during the post-inflationary epoch and match the relic abundance of dark matter inferred today. The nonobservation of the signatures searched for allows us to derive a bound on the reduced coupling constant of gauge interactions in the dark sector: α_{X}≲0.09, for 10^{9}≲M_{X}/GeV<10^{19}. Conversely, we obtain that, for instance, a reduced coupling constant α_{X}=0.09 excludes masses M_{X}≳3×10^{13}  GeV. In the context of dark matter production from gravitational interactions alone, we illustrate how these bounds are complementary to those obtained on the Hubble rate at the end of inflation from the nonobservation of tensor modes in the cosmological microwave background.

Body Composition Predictors of Complicated Crohn's Disease

BACKGROUND

High visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and creeping fat (CrF) in Crohn's disease (CD) have been widely recognized. The VAT to subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) ratio and sarcopenia have been associated with CD complications. Studies regarding the influence of body composition predictors on CD complications assessed with magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) are scarce.

AIM

The aim of this study was to assess body composition parameters and CrF in opportunistic MRE as predictors of complicated CD.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study of 114 patients with inflammatory (n = 54) and complicated (n = 60) CD. The semiautomated assessment of body composition and the qualitative evaluation of CrF were performed.

RESULTS

Body composition parameters did not differ between both groups regarding the body mass index (p = 0.50), total adipose tissue index (TATI) (p = 0.14), subcutaneous adipose tissue index (SATI) (p = 0.17), visceral adipose tissue index (VATI) (p = 0.33), VAT/SAT ratio (p = 0.77), intramuscular adipose tissue (p = 0.64), skeletal muscle index (p = 0.22), and sarcopenia (p = 0.50). 47 strictures, 18 fistulae, and seven abscesses were identified. Fistulae were more likely to occur in patients with CrF (odds ratio [OR] 5.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.76-14.56; p=<0.001) and high VAT/SAT ratio (OR: 3.82, 95% CI 1.34-10.85; p = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Body composition measurements in CD patients displayed no statistically significant difference between the groups of inflammatory and complicated disease. Nonetheless, CD patients stratified in the group of high VAT/SAT ratio and the presence of CrF should be recognized as risk groups for the occurrence of fistulae.

Computed Tomography-Defined Fat Composition as a Prognostic Marker in Gastric Adenocarcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Computed tomography (CT)-defined fat quantification has been an emergent field of research in oncology. It was shown that this parameter is predictive and prognostic of several clinically relevant factors in several tumor entities.

OBJECTIVE

Our aim was to establish the effect of visceral (VFA) and subcutaneous fat areas (SFA) on overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and postoperative complications in gastric cancer patients based on a large patient sample.

METHODS

MEDLINE library, EMBASE, and SCOPUS databases were screened for the associations between VFA and SFA defined by CT images and OS, DFS, and postoperative complications in gastric cancer patients up to August 2022. The primary endpoint of the systematic review was the hazard ratio for the outcome parameters. High VFA was, in most studies, defined by the threshold value of 100 cm2. In total, 9 studies were suitable for the analysis and included in the present study.

RESULTS

The included studies comprised 3,713 patients. The identified frequency of visceral obesity was 44.9%. The pooled hazard ratio for the effect of high VFA on OS was 1.28 (95% CI 1.09-1.49, p = 0.002). For SFA, it was 1.87 (95% CI 1.45-2.42, p < 0.0001). The pooled hazard ratio for the influence of high VFA on DFS was 1.17 (95% CI 0.95-1.43, p = 0.14). The pooled odds ratio for the associations between VFA and postoperative complications was 1.36 (95% CI 1.09-1.69, p = 0.006).

CONCLUSION

CT-defined VFA and SFA influence OS in patients with gastric cancer. VFA also influences the occurrence of postoperative complications. Therefore, assessment of fat areas should be included in clinical routine in patients with gastric cancer.

Prognostic Role of the Pectoralis Musculature in Patients with COVID-19. A Multicenter Study

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the impact of low skeletal muscle mass in patients with COVID-19 on relevant outcomes like 30-day mortality, need for intubation and need for intensive care unit admission.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

For this study, data from six centers were acquired. The acquired sample comprises 1138 patients. There were 547 women (48.1%) and 591 men (51.9%) with a mean age of 54.5 ± 18.8 years; median age, 55 years; range, 18-84 years). In every case, thoracic CT without intravenous application of contrast medium was performed. The following parameters of the pectoralis muscles were estimated: muscle area as a sum of the bilateral areas of the pectoralis major and minor muscles, muscle density, muscle index (PMI) (pectoralis muscle area divided by the patient's body height square) as a ratio pectoralis major and minor muscles divided by the patient's body height², and muscle gauge as PMI x muscle density.

RESULTS

Overall, 220 patients (19.33%) were admitted to the intensive care unit. In 171 patients (15.03%), mechanical lung ventilation was performed. Finally, 154 patients (13.53%) died within the observation time of 30-day. All investigated parameters of pectoralis muscle were lower in the patients with unfavorable courses of Covid-19. All pectoralis muscle parameters were associated with 30-day mortality in multivariate analyses adjusted for age and sex: pectoralis muscle area, HR = 0.93 CI 95% (0.91-0.95) p < 0.001; pectoralis muscle density, HR = 0.94 CI 95% (0.93-0.96) p < 0.001; pectoralis muscle index, HR = 0.79 CI 95% (0.75-0.85) p < 0.001, pectoralis muscle gauge, HR = 0.995 CI 95% (0.99-0.996) p < 0.001.

CONCLUSION

in COVID-19, survivors have larger areas and higher index, gauge and density of the pectoralis muscles in comparison to nonsurvivors. However, the analyzed muscle parameters cannot be used for prediction of disease courses.

Prognostic Factors for Effectiveness Outcomes After Transarterial Radioembolization in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Results From the Multicentre Observational Study CIRT

BACKGROUND

Transarterial radioembolisation (TARE) with Yttrium-90 resin microspheres is a treatment option for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer in the liver (mCRC). A better understanding of the prognostic factors and treatment application can improve survival outcomes.

METHODS

We analysed the safety and effectiveness of 237 mCRC patients included in the prospective observational study CIRSE Registry for SIR-Spheres Therapy (CIRT) for independent prognostic factors for overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and hepatic progression-free survival (hPFS) using the Cox proportional-hazard model.

RESULTS

The median OS was 9.8 months, median PFS was 3.4 months and median hPFS was 4.2 months. Independent prognostic factors for an improved overall survival were the absence of extra-hepatic disease (P= .0391), prior locoregional procedures (P= .0037), an Aspartate transaminase to Platelet Ratio Index (APRI) value of ≤0.40 (P< .0001) and International Normalized Ratio (INR) ≤1 (P= .0078). Partition model dosimetry resulted in improved OS outcomes compared to the body surface area model (P = .0120). Independent predictors for PFS were APRI >0.40 (P = .0416) and prior ablation (P = .0323), and for hPFS these were 2 to 5 tumor nodules (P = .0148), Albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) grade 3 (P = .0075) and APRI >0.40 (P = .0207). During the study, 95 of 237 (40.1%) patients experienced 197 adverse events, with 28 of 237 (11.8%) patients having a grade 3 or higher adverse events.

CONCLUSION

Including easy-to-acquire laboratory markers INR, APRI, ALBI and using partition model dosimetry can identify mCRC patients that may benefit from TARE.

Factors impacting survival after transarterial radioembolization in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: Results from the prospective CIRT study

Background & Aims

Transarterial radioembolization (TARE) with Yttrium-90 resin microspheres is an established treatment option for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, optimising treatment application and patient selection remains challenging. We report here on the effectiveness, safety and prognostic factors, including dosing methods, associated with TARE for HCC in the prospective observational CIRT study.

Methods

We analysed 422 patients with HCC enrolled between Jan 2015 and Dec 2017, with follow-up visits every 3 months for up to 24 months after first TARE. Patient characteristics and treatment-related data were collected at baseline; adverse events and time-to-event data (overall survival [OS], progression-free survival [PFS] and hepatic PFS) were collected at every 3-month follow-up visit. We used the multivariable Cox proportional hazard model and propensity score matching to identify independent prognostic factors for effectiveness outcomes.

Results

The median OS was 16.5 months, the median PFS was 6.1 months, and the median hepatic PFS was 6.7 months. Partition model dosimetry resulted in improved OS compared to body surface area calculations on multivariable analysis (hazard ratio 0.65; 95% CI 0.46-0.92; p = 0.0144), which was confirmed in the exact matching propensity score analysis (hazard ratio 0.56; 95% CI 0.35-0.89; p = 0.0136). Other independent prognostic factors for OS were ECOG-performance status >0 (p = 0.0018), presence of ascites (p = 0.0152), right-sided tumours (p = 0.0002), the presence of portal vein thrombosis (p = 0.0378) and main portal vein thrombosis (p = 0.0028), ALBI grade 2 (p = 0.0043) and 3 (p = 0.0014). Adverse events were recorded in 36.7% of patients, with 9.7% of patients experiencing grade 3 or higher adverse events.

Conclusions

This large prospective observational dataset shows that TARE is an effective and safe treatment in patients with HCC. Using partition model dosimetry was associated with a significant improvement in survival outcomes.

Impact and implications

Transarterial radioembolization (TARE) is a form of localised radiation therapy and is a potential treatment option for primary liver cancer. We observed how TARE was used in real-life clinical practice in various European countries and if any factors predict how well the treatment performs. We found that when a more complex but personalised method to calculate the applied radiation activity was used, the patient responded better than when a more generic method was used. Furthermore, we identified that general patient health, ascites and liver function can predict outcomes after TARE.

Clinical trial number

NCT02305459.

Local ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma by interstitial brachytherapy: prediction of outcome by diffusion-weighted imaging

BACKGROUND

Interstitial brachytherapy (iBT) has become a viable treatment option in the therapy of early and intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Prognostic imaging tools to predict patient outcome are missing.

PURPOSE

To assess the predictive value of baseline diffusion-weighted imaging in HCC before iBT with regard to local tumor control and overall survival (OS).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We retrospectively identified 107 patients who underwent iBT for HCC from 2011 to 2018 from our database. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values for each treated lesion were analyzed in region of interest measurements. Additionally, explorative combined ratios adjusting total measured lesion area and mean measured lesion area per patient by ADC values were calculated. Measurements underwent a univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis. The log rank test was then used to verify prognostic cutoff levels for median survival time.

RESULTS

A total of 189 lesions in 81 patients were measured. Median survival of patients was 46.0 months. Neither ADC parameter was indicative of local tumor control. Lesion size >5 cm was associated with lower local tumor control (hazard ratio [HR]=4.292, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.285-14.331; P = 0.018). Average measured lesion area divided by ADC_min (ADC_{area mean, min}) was identified to independently predict OS (HR=1.994, 95% CI=1.172-3.392; P = 0.011). A cutoff based on the variable's median (0.29 × 10-4 AU) identified patients with poor outcome (OS 36 vs. 61 months) for lower ADC_{area mean, min} values as verified by the log-rank test (P = 0.040).

CONCLUSION

Pre-treatment ADC_{area mean, min} may serve as an independent predictor of OS in patients with HCC undergoing iBT.

Predicting 4D liver MRI for MR-guided interventions

Organ motion poses an unresolved challenge in image-guided interventions like radiation therapy, biopsies or tumor ablation. In the pursuit of solving this problem, the research field of time-resolved volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (4D MRI) has evolved. However, current techniques are unsuitable for most interventional settings because they lack sufficient temporal and/or spatial resolution or have long acquisition times. In this work, we propose a novel approach for real-time, high-resolution 4D MRI with large fields of view for MR-guided interventions. To this end, we propose a network-agnostic, end-to-end trainable, deep learning formulation that enables the prediction of a 4D liver MRI with respiratory states from a live 2D navigator MRI. Our method can be used in two ways: First, it can reconstruct high quality fast (near real-time) 4D MRI with high resolution (209×128×128 matrix size with isotropic 1.8mm voxel size and 0.6s/volume) given a dynamic interventional 2D navigator slice for guidance during an intervention. Second, it can be used for retrospective 4D reconstruction with a temporal resolution of below 0.2s/volume for motion analysis and use in radiation therapy. We report a mean target registration error (TRE) of 1.19±0.74mm, which is below voxel size. We compare our results with a state-of-the-art retrospective 4D MRI reconstruction. Visual evaluation shows comparable quality. We compare different network architectures within our formulation. We show that small training sizes with short acquisition times down to 2 min can already achieve promising results and 24 min are sufficient for high quality results. Because our method can be readily combined with earlier time reducing methods, acquisition time can be further decreased while also limiting quality loss. We show that an end-to-end, deep learning formulation is highly promising for 4D MRI reconstruction.

Segmentation of Living and ablated Tumor parts in CT images Using ResLU-Net

Computed tomography (CT) is widely used as the imaging modality for the treatment of tumors in Microwave Ablation (MWA) therapy. In order to accurately perform ablation of liver tumors and prevent tumor recurrence it is necessary to segment both the living tumor and the ablated tissue on the CT images. The U-Net model has outperformed other methods in biomedical image segmentation. However, because of the low contrast between tumor and liver tissue texture, the traditional U-net network cannot perform an accurate segmentation of the CT images of liver during MWA therapy. The aim of this study is to improve the U-net model network to achieve a higher segmentation performance on the CT images of liver tumor inMWA therapy. To achieve this, residual block is added in the first steps of up-sampling to deepen the network depth and enhance the segmentation result. We compare the proposed method named as ‘ResLU-Net’ with a conventional U-Net model. The results show that the ResLU-Net method has a good performance in tumor segmentation with a structure similarity index (SSIM) value of 0.97. This new method can help physicians in the MWA therapy process.

Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Can Predict Therapy Response of Hepatocellular Carcinoma to Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization

AIM

The goal of this meta-analysis was to assess the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) as a pre- and posttreatment (ADC value changes [ΔADC]) predictive imaging biomarker of response to transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS

Scopus database, Embase database, and MEDLINE library were scanned for connections between pre- and posttreatment ADC values of HCC and response to TACE. Six studies qualified for inclusion. The following parameters were collected: authors, publication year, study design, number of patients, drugs for TACE, mean ADC value, standard deviation, measure method, b values, and Tesla strength. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Studies 2 instrument was employed to check the methodological quality of each study. The meta-analysis was performed by utilizing RevMan 5.3 software. DerSimonian and Laird random-effects models with inverse-variance were used to regard heterogeneity. The mean ADC values and 95% confidence intervals were computed.

RESULTS

Six studies (n = 271 patients with 293 HCC nodules) were included. The pretreatment mean ADC in the responder group was 1.20 × 10-3 mm2/s (0.98, 1.42) and 1.14 × 10-3 mm2/s (0.89, 1.39) in the nonresponder group. The analysis of post-TACE ΔADC revealed a threshold of ≥20% to identify treatment responders. No suitable pretreatment ADC threshold to predict therapy response or discriminate between responders and nonresponders before therapy could be discovered.

CONCLUSION

ΔADC can facilitate early objective response evaluation through post-therapeutic ADC alterations ≥20%. Pretreatment ADC cannot predict response to TACE.

Extracellular Vesicles May Predict Response to Radioembolization and Sorafenib Treatment in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Exploratory Analysis from the SORAMIC Trial

PURPOSE

SORAMIC is a randomized controlled trial in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing sorafenib ± selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT). We investigated the value of extracellular vesicle (EV)-based proteomics for treatment response prediction.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

The analysis population comprised 25 patients receiving SIRT+sorafenib and 20 patients receiving sorafenib alone. Patients were classified as responders or nonresponders based on changes in AFP and imaging or overall survival. Proteomic analysis was performed on plasma EVs by LC/MS, followed by bioinformatics analysis. Clinical relevance of candidate EV proteins was validated by survival and receiver-operating characteristic analysis with bootstrap internal sampling validation. Origin of circulating EV was explored by IHC staining of liver and tumor tissues and transcriptomics of blood cells.

RESULTS

Proteomic analysis identified 56 and 27 EV proteins that were differentially expressed in plasma EVs between responders and nonresponders receiving SIRT+sorafenib and sorafenib alone, respectively. High EV-GPX3/ACTR3 and low EV-ARHGAP1 were identified as candidate biomarkers at baseline from the 13 responders to SIRT+sorafenib with statistically significant AUC = 1 for all and bootstrap P values 2.23 × 10-5, 2.22 × 10-5, and 2.23 × 10-5, respectively. These patients showed reduced abundance of EV-VPS13A and EV-KALRN 6 to 9 weeks after combined treatment with significant AUC and bootstrap P values. In reverse, low GPX3 and high ARHGAP1 demonstrated better response to sorafenib monotherapy with AUC = 0.9697 and 0.9192 as well as bootstrap P values 8.34 × 10-5 and 7.98 × 10-4, respectively. HCC tumor was the likely origin of circulating EVs.

CONCLUSIONS

In this exploratory study, EV-based proteomics predicted response to SIRT+sorafenib and sorafenib-only treatment in patients with advanced HCC of metabolic origin.

Sarcopenia does not predict outcome in patients with CNS lymphoma undergoing systemic therapy

Low skeletal muscle mass as a proxy parameter for sarcopenia acts as a non-invasive imaging marker that is associated with poor prognosis in numerous types of cancer. The present study aimed to assess the influence of body composition parameters on overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) in patients diagnosed with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). A total of 98 patients with PCNSL treated at University Hospital Magdeburg (Magdeburg, Germany) from 2013–2019 were retrospectively studied. Patients with a pre-treatment staging computed tomography (CT) scan that included the third lumbar vertebra were reviewed for analysis. Skeletal muscle area (SMA), skeletal muscle index (SMI), mean muscle density and skeletal muscle gauge (SMG) were measured on the CT scan prior to treatment. Parameters were associated with OS and PFS. Overall, 72 patients were included in the present study. Results of the present study demonstrated that the median OS was 10 months (range, 1–181 months), and 37 patients (51.4%) presented with sarcopenia. Moreover, the median OS was 7 months in the sarcopenic group and 32 months in the non-sarcopenic group. Results of the present study further illustrated that SMI, SMA, density and SMG did not exert a significant effect on OS. Notably, the median PFS was 2.5 months in the low SMI group and 10 months in the normal SMI group. Body composition parameters did not exert a significant effect on PFS. Overall, the results of the present study demonstrated that sarcopenia was not a risk factor for decreased OS or PFS in patients with PCNSL undergoing systemic treatment.

Addition of Y-90 radioembolization increases tumor response and local disease control in hepatocellular carcinoma patients receiving sorafenib

PURPOSE

To compare the treatment response and progression-free survival (PFS) in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients who received sorafenib treatment either alone or combined with radioembolization (RE).

METHODS

Follow-up images of the patients treated within a multicenter phase II trial (SORAMIC) were assessed by mRECIST. A total of 177 patients (73 combination arm [RE + sorafenib] and 104 sorafenib arm) were included in this post-hoc analysis. Response and progression characteristics were compared between treatment arms. Survival analyses were done to compare PFS and post-progression survival between treatment arms. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to compare survival with factors known to influence PFS in patients with HCC.

RESULTS

The combination arm had significantly higher objective response rate (61.6% vs. 29.8%, p < 0.001), complete response rate (13.7% vs. 3.8%, p = 0.022), and a trend for higher disease control rate (79.2% vs. 72.1%, p = 0.075). Progression was encountered in 116 (65.5%) patients and was more common in the sorafenib arm (75% vs. 52.0%, p = 0.001). PFS (median 8.9 vs. 5.4 months, p = 0.022) and hepatic PFS were significantly better in the combination arm (9.0 vs. 5.7 months, p = 0.014). Multivariate analysis confirmed the treatment arm as an independent predictor of PFS.

CONCLUSION

In advanced HCC patients receiving sorafenib, combination with RE has an additive anticancer effect on sorafenib treatment resulting in a higher and longer tumor response. However, the enhanced response did not translate into prolonged survival. Better patient selection and superselective treatment could improve outcomes after combination therapy.

[Radiology residency training during the COVID-19 pandemic : Conception and evaluation of a three-phase online-based teaching concept]

The coronavirus pandemic has posed major challenges to clinical training. Innovative and interactive concepts are needed to maintain training for residents even in times of contact restrictions and distance rules. Training concepts for residents are underrepresented in the current literature. We present an innovative online-based training concept for radiology residents in our department, based on a tripartite design; independent case preparation where residents refer to existing knowledge is followed by a case discussion and specific questions and feedback from the participating senior physicians. A questionnaire-based evaluation of the training concept was carried out after 12 months. We found that participants rated the training concept positively when it came to difficulty, representativeness of clinical work and relevance for specialist training. The questionnaire responses also provided insights into the desired duration, the selection of imaging modalities, and frequency of the concept in the future. All respondents stated that they had benefited from the format. Online-based concepts can therefore be a relevant contribution to the clinical training of residents and represent an adequate alternative to or extension of analog concepts.

Selective Internal Radiotherapy Changes the Immune Profiles of Extracellular Vesicles and Their Immune Origin in Patients with Inoperable Cholangiocarcinoma

The incidence of cholangiocellular carcinoma (CCA) is rising worldwide. As there are no specific early symptoms or specific markers of CCA, it is often diagnosed in later inoperable stages. Accumulating evidence underlines the importance of radiation therapy in the induction of antitumor immunity. The surface protein composition on extracellular vesicles (EVs) relates to originating cells and thus may play a role in vesicle function. We assessed immune profiles of EVs and their immune origin in patients with inoperable CCA prior and after selective internal radiotherapy (SIRT). A total of 47 CCA patients receiving SIRT and 12 healthy volunteers (HV) were included. Blood was withdrawn before therapy (pre T) and after T. EVs were purified from plasma by cluster of differentiation (CD)9-, CD63-, and CD81-immunobead isolation. To detect differently abundant surface markers, dynamic range and EVs input quality were assessed. A total of 37 EVs surface markers were measured by flow cytometry and correlated either with the administered activity dose (MBq) or with the interval until death (month). EVs phenotyping identified lymphocytes, B cells, NK cells, platelets, endothelial cells, leukocyte activation, B cell activation, T and B cell adhesion markers, stem/progenitor cells, and antigen-presenting cells (APC) as EVs-parenteral cells. CD4 and CD8 significantly declined, while other markers significantly increased in CCA patients pre T vs. HV. Platelets-deriving EVs significantly decreased, normalizing to levels of HV but still significantly increasing vs. HV post SIRT. B cells-deriving EVs significantly increased pre T vs. HV, positively correlating with administered activity dose. MHCII and CD40 EVs significantly increased pre SIRT and negatively correlated with administered activity dose, while EVs from antigen presenting cells and CD49e pre SIRT positively correlated with survival time after therapy. Increased levels of CD24 and CD44 in cancer pre T were significantly decreased post T. Among the heterogeneity of EVs that was demonstrated, in particular, B cells-deriving, MHCII, and CD40 positive or APC-deriving EVs need to be further studied for their diagnostic or prognostic relevance in clinical scenarios.