Engin Alagoz

Combination of preoperative ultrasonographic mapping and radioguided occult lesion localization in patients with locally recurrent/persistent papillary thyroid carcinoma: a practical method for central compartment reoperations.

Purpose: To improve the surgical success and reduce the complication rates, we combine our routine preoperative ultrasound (US) mapping technique with radioguided occult lesion localization (ROLL) in patients with papillary thyroid cancer recurrences in central compartment. Materials and Methods: In the morning of surgery, biopsy proven recurrent/persistent tumoral lesions were plotted on a sketch and injected with Tc-99m labeled macroaggregated albumin under US guidance. Thyroid bed exploration was carried out based on the location of biopsy proven lesion with the guidance of intraoperative gamma probe and neck map. The lymphoadipose tissues showing high count rates were resected and labeled separately for histopathologic study. Results: Despite extensive scarring in some patients probe safely guided to lesions. Noninjected tumor foci were searched and successfully resected in the light of neck map that showing topographic relation of injected and noninjected lesions. Among total of 41 excised lesions, 28 metastatic foci ranging from 3 to 38 mm in largest diameter were recognized at final histologic examination. Combination of preoperative mapping with ROLL was found helpful by the operating surgeons in all patients, respectively. Except 2 patients with known distant metastases, undetectable thyroglobulin levels were reached 6 weeks after surgery. Conclusions: The use of preoperative US-mapping with ROLL in patients with nonpalpable recurrent/persistent papillary thyroid cancer in central compartment is technically safe and effective method. Combination of techniques provides better information about topographical relations of recurrent/persistent lesions during surgery.

Evaluation of radiographic and metabolic changes in bone metastases in response to systemic therapy with 18FDG-PET/CT

Abstract Background. The aim of the study was to retrospectively evaluate radiographic and metabolic changes in bone metastases in response to systemic therapy with 18FDG-PET/CT and determine their roles on the evaluation of therapy response. Patients and methods. We retrospectively evaluated radiographic and metabolic characteristics of bone metastases in 30 patients who were referred for the evaluation of response to systemic therapy with 18FDG-PET/CT. All patients underwent integrated 18FDG-PET/CT before and after treatment. Results. The baseline radiographic patterns of the target lesions in responders group were lytic, sclerotic, mixed and CT negative; after treatment the radiographic patterns of all target lesions changed to a sclerotic pattern and attenuation increased (p = 0.012) and metabolic activity decreased (p = 0.012). A correlation was found between decreasing metabolic activity and increasing attenuation of the target lesions (r = -0.55) (p = 0.026). Ho wever, in nonresponders group, the baseline radiologic patterns of the target lesions were lytic, blastic, mixed and CT negative; after treatment all lytic target lesions remained the same and one CT negative lesion turned to lytic pattern and the attenuation of the target lesions decreased (p ± 0.12) and metabolic activity increased (p = 0.012). A correlation was found between increasing metabolic activity and decreasing attenuation (r = -0.65) (p = 0.032). An exception of this rule was seen in baseline blastic metastases which progressed with increasing in size, metabolic activity and attenuation. Conclusions. This study shows that the metabolic activity of lesions is a more reliable parameter than the radiographic patterns for the evaluation of therapy response.

The potential value of volume-based quantitative PET parameters and increased bone marrow uptake for the prediction of survival in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

PurposeThe aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between volume-based quantitative PET parameters and survival in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) and to evaluate the potential value of bone marrow (BM) uptake in predicting prognosis. Materials and methodsWe retrospectively reviewed the data of 51 patients with MPM who underwent initial staging by fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/computerized tomography (PET/CT). 18F-FDG-PET images were visually and quantitatively re-evaluated and maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax), mean standardized uptake values (SUVmean), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis of primary tumors, and pleural thickening were calculated. In addition, BM and liver uptakes were measured; also, the degree of BM uptake was scored visually. BM/liver ratio and visual BM uptake score were noted. The correlations between quantitative PET parameters, BM uptake, and overall survival were analyzed. Results18F-FDG-PET scans upstaged 6 (11.8%) of 51 patients because of detection of previously unknown distant metastasis. On univariate analysis, advanced disease stage, high leukocyte count (≥10×103/ml), pleural thickening greater than 13 mm, SUVmax, SUVmean, MTV, total lesion glycolysis, BM/liver greater than 1.01, and visual score 1 and 2 were negative prognostic factors (P<0.05). In multivariate analysis, SUVmax greater than 8.6 [P=0.027, hazard ratio (HR): 2.961], MTV greater than 112 (P=0.001, HR: 4.861), and visual score 2 (P=0.035, HR: 3.827) were associated independently with a poor prognosis. ConclusionThe presence of distant metastasis is more predictive of survival than PET nodal status in MPM patients. PET/CT has the potential to provide prognostic information in MPM patients and there was a good correlation between overall survival and volume-based PET parameters. Determination of BM uptake may contribute toward the prediction of patient outcome with other quantitative PET parameters.

Clinicopathologic features and prognostic factors of tall cell variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma: comparison with classic variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma.

ObjectiveTall cell variant (TCV), an aggressive form of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), frequently presents with extrathyroidal disease and recurrence. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinicopathologic features and outcomes of patients with TCV by comparing them with a larger group of patients with classic variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (cPTC). Patients and methodsA total of 2500 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma were treated and monitored during a 23-year period (1992–2015). Of them, 2250 (90%) had PTC and 235 (9.5%) had follicular thyroid carcinoma. Of the 2250 patients, 862 (38.3%) and 70 (3.1%) had cPTC and TCV, respectively. Cases of TCV and cPTC of PTC were compared on the basis of risk factors. ResultsPatients with TCV were significantly older compared with cPTC patients (P<0.001). Tumor size was significantly bigger (P=0.01) and preablation thyroglobulin level was significantly higher (P<0.001) in TCV patients than in cPTC patients. The incidence of capsule invasion, extrathyroidal extension, and vascular invasion was significantly higher in TCV (P=0.003, <0.001, and 0.011, respectively). The incidence of initial lymph node metastasis was significantly higher in TCV (P<0.001). Patients with TCV were mostly at an advanced stage compared with patients with cPTC (P<0.001). Development of local or distant metastasis during the follow-up was significantly higher in TCV than in cPTC. Sex and multifocality were not statistically significant. ConclusionTCV has a higher incidence of local or distant metastasis and mortality rate. Thus, it must be treated with the highest possible 131I ablation doses and followed up carefully.

The Correlation Between Pre-treatment Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Parameters and Clinical Prognostic Factors in Pediatric Hodgkin Lymphoma

Objective: To compare standardized uptake values (SUV) derived from pre-treatment 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging and clinical prognostic factors in pediatric patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Methods: Pre-treatment FDG PET/CT findings of 28 children with HL were evaluated in this retrospective study. Metabolic tumor volume (MTV), SUVmax normalized by weight (SUVweight), lean body mass (SUVlbm), body surface area (SUVbsa) and plasma glucose levels of tumors (SUVglucose) were calculated using pre-treatment FDG PET/CT scan images. These metabolic parameters were correlated with clinical factors [age, sex, number of lymph node groups, presence of splenic involvement, bulky mediastinal disease, Ann Arbor stage, serum white blood cell (WBC) count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), serum albumin and hemoglobin levels]. Results: SUVbsa, SUVlbm, SUVweight, SUVglucose and MTV were higher in patients with stage III-IV disease, bulky tumor and ≥3 lymph node groups (p<0.05). SUVbsa and SUVglucose were higher in patients with splenic involvement (p<0.05). There was no significant correlation between these metabolic parameters and sex, ESR, levels of albumin and WBC (p>0.05). SUVbsa and SUVlbm were higher in patients with anemia (p<0.05). Additionally, significant increases were detected in SUVweight, MTV, and SUVglucose with increasing age (p=0.005, p=0.027, and p=0.009, respectively). SUVbsa and SUVlbm had no significant correlation with age (p>0.05). Conclusion: Metabolic parameters derived from pre-treatment FDG PET/CT may have an important role in predicting high-risk disease in patients with HL. Also, SUVbsa and SUVlbm may be better markers than SUVweight in the quantitative evaluation of FDG PET/CT scans in pediatric patients.

Complete remission on 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography after nivolumab treatment in a patient with indolent Hodgkin lymphoma

Most patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) get a remission after induction chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy (RT). However, relapse rates range from 10–20% in cases of stage I–II disease to 30–40% in patients with more stage III–IV disease. In addition, approximately 10–15% of patients suffer disease progression after a partial initial response. Nivolumab is an immunotherapeutic antineoplastic developed as a totally human immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) monoclonal antibody against programmed death-1 (PD-1), an immune checkpoint inhibitor that negatively controls T-cell proliferation and functions. Intravenous administration of nivolumab was approved for the treatment of unresectable malignant melanoma in 2014 in Japan. Phase 1 or 2 studies in certain malignities including HL has been going on. Herein, we present a patient with relapsed/refractory HL not responded to multiple protocols, but successfully treated by nivolumab as depicted on 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT).

¿Pueden contribuir los parámetros tumorales metabólicos, establecidos mediante 18F-FDG PET/TC para estadificación primaria, a la estratificación del riesgo de los linfomas del sistema nervioso central, para el tratamiento del paciente como modelo pronóstico?

OBJECTIVE Primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma is an aggressive and fatal extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma jailed in CNS at initial diagnosis. Its prognosis is poor and the disease has a fatal outcome when compared with systemic non-Hodgkin lymphoma. A few baseline risk stratification scoring systems have been suggested to estimate the prognosis mainly based on serum lactate dehydrogenase level,age, Karnofsky performance score, involvement of deep brain structures and cerebrospinal fluid protein concentration. 18F-FDG PET/CT has a high prognostic value with respect to overall survival and disease-free survival in many cancers and lymphomas. We aimed to investigate metabolic tumor indexes on primary staging 18F-FDG PET/CT as prognostic markers in primary CNS lymphoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS Fourteen patients with primary CNS diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (stage i) were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. Primary staging 18F-FDG PET/CT was performed and quantitative parameters like maximum standardized uptake value, average standardized uptake value, metabolic tumor volume and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were calculated for all patients before the treatment. Cox regression models were performed to determine their relation with survival time. RESULTS In the evaluation of all potential risk factors impacting recurrence/metastases (age, sex, serum lactate dehydrogenase, involvement of deep brain structures, maximum standardized uptake value, average standardized uptake value, metabolic tumor volume, and TLG) with univariate analysis, TLG remained statistically significant (P=.02). CONCLUSION Metabolic tumor parameters are useful in prognosis estimation of primary CNS lymphomas, especially TLG, which is the most important one and may play a role in patient management.

Angiographic results of the patients with positive transient ischemic dilatation on their gated myocardial perfusion imaging scans

Objectives: Gated myocardial perfusion imaging (gMPI) is an established tool for the diagnosis and risk stratification of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) providing a variety of parameters regarding to perfusion and function of left ventricle (LV). Transient ischemic dilation (TID) is one of them. The presence of TID has been shown as a marker of severe and extensive CAD. The aim of this study was to correlate scintigraphic and angiographic findings of patients with positive TID on their gMPI scans.

Review of the Utility of FDG-PET/CT in the Management of Primary Testicular Lymphoma

Objective: Primary testicular lymphoma (PTL) is a form of extra-nodal lymphoma originating from the testicles. Currently, positron emission tomography (PET) with glucose analogue 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) is the most popular and widely used modality for evaluating tumor metabolism, and PTL usually displays increased 18F-FDG uptake. Despite the rapid increase in clinical applications of FDG PET/ computed tomography (CT), its role in PTL has neither been clearly defined nor reviewed systematically. This study reviews the usefulness and limitation of FDG PET/CT in the diagnosis and treatment of PTL. Methods: This study included 12 patients with PTL between 2004 and 2015. We retrospectively examined PET/CT results along with patient outcome. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) was calculated. Results: The mean overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) was 44.5 months and 35.5 months, respectively. The mean SUVmax was identified as 18.5 in recurrent/metastatic group. The 1-year and 3-year OS was 94% and 69%, while the 1-year and 2-year DFS was 93.5% and 56%, respectively. Conclusion: FDG PET/CT is very helpful in both staging and evaluating treatment response. Although it is not a perfect tool in the initial diagnosis, it might aid in the differential diagnosis of challenging testicular tumors. Pre-treatment and post-treatment FDG uptake values may also have a prognostic value in patients with PTL.

Uptake Patterns of Untreated Primary Gastrointestinal Extranodal Lymphomas on Initial Staging 18F-FDG PET/CT and Metabolic Tumor Parameters

Objective: Non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas arising from tissues other than primary lymphatic sites are classified as primary extranodal lymphomas (PEL). PELs of the gastrointestinal system (PGISL) originate from the lymphatic tissues within the gastrointestinal tract. The prognostic value of 18F-FDG PET/CT in lymphomas is high in terms of both overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Our aim was to investigate the uptake patterns and properties of low-grade and high-grade PGISL on primary staging 18F-FDG PET/CT, as well as the prognostic significance of metabolic tumor parameters in high grade PGISL. Methods: Thirty-nine patients with PGISL were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study between 2004-2015. Primary staging 18F-FDG PET/CT have been performed and quantitative parameters of SUVmax, SUVmean, metabolic tumor volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG) have been calculated for all patients prior to treatment. Low-grade and high-grade PGISL were compared in terms of metabolic tumor parameters. Cox regression models were performed to determine factors that correlate with DFS in high-grade PGISL. Results: There were statistically significant differences between high-grade and low-grade PGISL in terms of SUVmax, SUVmean, MTV, TLG, recurrence, mortality, DFS and OS. None of the potential risk factors (sex, age, site, SUVmax, SUVmean, MTV, TLG) for recurrence and metastasis in high grade PGISL was identified as a risk factor on univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis. Conclusion: Metabolic tumor parameters are not predictive markers in high-grade PGISL, especially in diffuse large B cell variant and primary gastric lymphoma. The first implications suggest they will not play a role in patient management.