Brendan Carey

Scoring systems used for the interpretation and reporting of multiparametric MRI for prostate cancer detection, localization, and characterization: could standardization lead to improved utilization of imaging within the diagnostic pathway?

Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) is increasingly being used earlier in the prostate cancer diagnostic pathway in order to detect and localize disease. Its results can be used to help decide on the indication, type, and localization of a prostate biopsy for cancer diagnosis. In addition, mpMRI has the potential to contribute information on the characterization, or aggressiveness, of detected cancers including tumor progression over time. There is considerable variation in the way results of different MRI sequences are reported. We conducted a review of scoring systems that have been used in the detection and characterization of prostate cancer. This revealed that existing scoring and reporting systems differ in purpose, scale, and range. We evaluate these differences in this review. This first step in collating all methods of scoring and reporting mpMRI will ultimately lead to consensus approaches to develop a standardized reporting scheme that can be widely adopted and validated to ensure comparability of research outputs and optimal clinical practice. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2013;37:48–58.

Prostate-specific antigen relapse-free survival in patients with localized prostate cancer treated by brachytherapy

Brachytherapy has become a very popular way of treating prostate cancer worldwide, and increasing attempts are being made by radiation oncologists to find the exact type of patient for whom this treatment is the most suitable. One of the largest series has come from Leeds, and the authors present the PSA relapse‐free survival in 667 patients with localised prostate cancer treated by brachytherapy in their department.

Recurrence patterns of locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma after 3D conformal (chemo)-radiotherapy

BackgroundTo establish recurrence patterns among locally advanced head and neck non-nasopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients treated with radical (chemo-) radiotherapy and to correlate the sites of loco-regional recurrence with radiotherapy doses and target volumesMethod151 locally advanced HNSCC patients were treated between 2004-2005 using radical three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy. Patients with prior surgery to the primary tumour site were excluded. The sites of locoregional relapses were correlated with radiotherapy plans by the radiologist and a planning dosimetrist.ResultsMedian age was 59 years (range:34-89). 35 patients had stage III disease, 116 patients had stage IV A/B. 36 patients were treated with radiotherapy alone, 42 with induction chemotherapy, 63 with induction and concomitant chemoradiotherapy and 10 concomitant chemoradiotherapy. Median follow-up was 38 months (range 3-62). 3-year cause specific survival was 66.8%. 125 of 151 (82.8%) achieved a complete response to treatment. Amongst these 125 there were 20 local-regional recurrence, comprising 8 local, 5 regional and 7 simultaneous local and regional; synchronous distant metastases occurred in 7 of the 20. 9 patients developed distant metastases in the absence of locoregional failure. For the 14 local recurrences with planning data available, 12 were in-field, 1 was marginal, and 1 was out-of-field. Of the 11 regional failures with planning data available, 7 were in-field, 1 was marginal and 3 were out-of-field recurrences.ConclusionThe majority of failures following non-surgical treatment for locally advanced HNSCC were loco-regional, within the radiotherapy target volume. Improving locoregional control remains a high priority.

An evaluation of four CT-MRI co-registration techniques for radiotherapy treatment planning of prone rectal cancer patients.

OBJECTIVES MRI is the preferred staging modality for rectal carcinoma patients. This work assesses the CT-MRI co-registration accuracy of four commercial rigid-body techniques for external beam radiotherapy treatment planning for patients treated in the prone position without fiducial markers. METHODS 17 patients with biopsy-proven rectal carcinoma were scanned with CT and MRI in the prone position without the use of fiducial markers. A reference co-registration was performed by consensus of a radiologist and two physicists. This was compared with two automated and two manual techniques on two separate treatment planning systems. Accuracy and reproducibility were analysed using a measure of target registration error (TRE) that was based on the average distance of the mis-registration between vertices of the clinically relevant gross tumour volume as delineated on the CT image. RESULTS An automated technique achieved the greatest accuracy, with a TRE of 2.3 mm. Both automated techniques demonstrated perfect reproducibility and were significantly faster than their manual counterparts. There was a significant difference in TRE between registrations performed on the two planning systems, but there were no significant differences between the manual and automated techniques. CONCLUSION For patients with rectal cancer, MRI acquired in the prone treatment position without fiducial markers can be accurately registered with planning CT. An automated registration technique offered a fast and accurate solution with associated uncertainties within acceptable treatment planning limits.

Alterations in anatomic and functional imaging parameters with repeated FDG PET-CT and MRI during radiotherapy for head and neck cancer: a pilot study

BackgroundThe use of imaging to implement on-treatment adaptation of radiotherapy is a promising paradigm but current data on imaging changes during radiotherapy is limited. This is a hypothesis-generating pilot study to examine the changes on multi-modality anatomic and functional imaging during (chemo)radiotherapy treatment for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).MethodsEight patients with locally advanced HNSCC underwent imaging including computed tomography (CT), Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)-CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (including diffusion weighted (DW) and dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE)) at baseline and during (chemo)radiotherapy treatment (after fractions 11 and 21). Regions of interest (ROI) were drawn around the primary tumour at baseline and during treatment. Imaging parameters included gross tumour volume (GTV) assessment, SUVmax, mean ADC value and DCE-MRI parameters including Plasma Flow (PF). On treatment changes and correlations between these parameters were analysed using a Wilcoxon rank sum test and Pearson’s linear correlation coefficient respectively. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsStatistically significant reductions in GTV-CT, GTV-MRI and GTV-DW were observed between all imaging timepoints during radiotherapy. Changes in GTV-PET during radiotherapy were heterogeneous and non-significant. Significant changes in SUVmax, mean ADC value, Plasma Flow and Plasma Volume were observed between the baseline and the fraction 11 timepoint, whilst only changes in SUVmax between baseline and the fraction 21 timepoint were statistically significant. Significant correlations were observed between multiple imaging parameters, both anatomical and functional; 20 correlations between baseline to the fraction 11 timepoint; 12 correlations between baseline and the fraction 21 timepoints; and 4 correlations between the fraction 11 and fraction 21 timepoints.ConclusionsMulti-modality imaging during radiotherapy treatment demonstrates early changes (by fraction 11) in both anatomic and functional imaging parameters. All functional imaging modalities are potentially complementary and should be considered in combination to provide multi-parametric tumour assessment, to guide potential treatment adaptation strategies.Trial RegistrationISRCTN Registry: ISRCTN34165059. Registered 2nd February 2015.

CORRELATION BETWEEN PRE- AND POSTIMPLANT DOSIMETRY FOR IODINE-125 SEED IMPLANTS FOR LOCALIZED PROSTATE CANCER

PURPOSE In order to evaluate implant quality for permanent prostate brachytherapy in patients with localized prostate cancer, American Brachytherapy Society and ESTRO guidelines recommend that postimplant dosimetry should be performed. To understand more about the relationship between pre- and postimplant dosimetry, a comparison was made of patients who received iodine-125 ((125)I) brachytherapy between March 1995 and the end of 2004, using a preplan technique. METHODS AND MATERIALS CT postimplant dosimetry was available for 707 patients. Detailed dose volume analysis was performed using both preimplant ultrasound and postimplant CT data sets for a subgroup of 445 patients. The following parameters were compared: prostate volume covered by 100% of the prescription dose (Vp100), Vp150, and Vp200 and dose to 90% (D90) of the prostate. In addition, volume implanted (Vi) parameters were used to compare pre- and postimplant dosimetry. Vi parameters describe dose levels inside the patient, based on number of seeds, seed activity, and their spatial distribution relative to each other, without reference to the actual prostate volume or position. RESULTS The mean +/- standard deviation values of preimplant (34.7 +/- 8.9 cm(3)) and postimplant (36.7 +/- 9.4 cm(3)) prostate volumes were similar. The mean (+/-standard deviation) planned D90 was 183.4 (+/-12.1) Gy while the D90 that was achieved was 145.5 (+/-20.4) Gy. Over the study period, there was a steady increase of the average D90. Postimplant CT D90 and Vp100 values correlated significantly (R = 0.84; p < 0.001). The Vi and Vp parameters all showed a strong correlation. CONCLUSIONS In this study, we showed that there is a strong correlation between transrectal ultrasound-based preimplant and CT-based postimplant dosimetry. The excellent correlation between prostate D90 and V100 values demonstrates they are both equally valid quality indices. Vi parameters are an additional measure that can be used to assess the quality of the implant.

Short-term morbidity and acceptability of 125iodine implantation for localized carcinoma of the prostate.

To report the short‐term morbidity and acceptability of the first 50 patients treated with the percutaneous implantation of radioactive iodine seeds for localized carcinoma of the prostate at the Cookridge Hospital.

EAU Standardised Medical Terminology for Urologic Imaging: A Taxonomic Approach

BACKGROUND The terminology and abbreviations used in urologic imaging have generally been adopted on an ad hoc basis by different speciality groups; however, there is a need for shared nomenclature to facilitate clinical communication and collaborative research. OBJECTIVE This work reviews the current nomenclature for urologic imaging used in clinical practice and proposes a taxonomy and terminology for urologic imaging studies. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A list of terms used in urologic imaging were compiled from guidelines published by the European Association of Urology and the American Urological Association and from the American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Terms searched were grouped into broad categories based on technology, and imaging terms were further stratified based on the anatomic extent, contrast or phases, technique or modifiers, and combinations or fusions. Terms that had a high degree of utilisation were classified as accepted. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS We propose a new taxonomy to define a more useful and acceptable nomenclature model acceptable to all health professionals involved in urology. The major advantage of a taxonomic approach to the classification of urologic imaging studies is that it provides a flexible framework for classifying the modifications of current imaging modalities and allows the incorporation of new imaging modalities. The adoption of this hierarchical classification model ranging from the most general to the most detailed descriptions should facilitate hierarchical searches of the medical literature using both general and specific terms. This work is limited in its scope, as it is not currently all-inclusive. This will hopefully be addressed by future modification as others embrace the concept and work towards uniformity in nomenclature. CONCLUSIONS This paper provides a noncomprehensive list of the most widely used terms across different specialties. This list can be used as the basis for further discussion, development, and enhancement. PATIENT SUMMARY In this paper we describe a classification system for urologic imaging terms with the aim of aiding health professionals and ensuring that the terms used are more consistent.

Comparison of focal boost high dose rate prostate brachytherapy optimisation methods

For HDR prostate brachytherapy treatments of 15 Gy to the whole gland plus focal boost, optimisation to either tumour plus margin (F-PTV) or involved sectors was compared. For 15 patients median F-PTV D90 and V150 were 21.0 Gy and 77.2% for F-PTV optimisation and 19.8 Gy and 75.6% for sector optimisation.

Can the completeness of radiological cancer staging reports be improved using proforma reporting? A prospective multicentre non-blinded interventional study across 21 centres in the UK

Objectives Following a diagnosis of cancer, the detailed assessment of prognostic stage by radiology is a crucial determinant of initial therapeutic strategy offered to patients. Pretherapeutic stage by imaging is known to be inconsistently documented. We tested whether the completeness of cancer staging radiology reports could be improved through a nationally introduced pilot of proforma-based reporting for a selection of six common cancers. Design Prospective interventional study comparing the completeness of radiology cancer staging reports before and after the introduction of proforma reporting. Setting Twenty-one UK National Health Service hospitals. Participants 1283 cancer staging radiology reports were submitted. Main outcome measures Radiology staging reports across the six cancers types were evaluated before and after the implementation of proforma-based reporting. Report completeness was assessed using scoring forms listing the presence or absence of predetermined key staging data. Qualitative data regarding proforma implementation and usefulness were collected from questionnaires provided to radiologists and end-users. Results Electronic proforma-based reporting was successfully implemented in 15 of the 21 centres during the evaluation period. A total of 787 preproforma and 496 postproforma staging reports were evaluated. In the preproforma group, only 48.7% (5586/11 470) of key staging items were present compared with 87.3% (6043/6920) in the postproforma group. Thus, the introduction of proforma reporting produced a 78% improvement in staging completeness . This increase was seen across all cancer types and centres. The majority of participants found proforma reporting improved cancer reporting quality for their clinical practice . Conclusion The implementation of proforma reporting results in a significant improvement in the completeness of cancer staging reports. Proforma-based assessment of cancer stage enables objective comparisons of patient outcomes across centres. It should therefore become an auditable quality standard for cancer care.