Survival outcomes of breast cancer patients with brain metastases: A multicenter retrospective study in Korea (KROG 16–12)

PurposeThis study evaluated the influence of prognostic factors and whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) on overall survival (OS) of breast cancer (BC) patients with brain metastases (BM).Methods and materialsMedical records of 730 BC patients diagnosed with BM from 2000 to 2014 at 17 institutions were retrospectively reviewed. OS was calculated from BM diagnosis. Median follow-up duration was 11.9 months (range, 0.1–126.2).ResultsMedian OS was 15.0 months (95% CI: 14.0–16.9). Patients with different BC-specific graded prognostic assessment (GPA) scores showed significant differences (p < 0.001) in OS. In multivariate analysis, histologic grade 3 (p = 0.014), presence of extracranial metastasis (p < 0.001), the number of BM (>4; p = 0.002), hormone receptor negativity (p = 0.005), HER2-negativity (p = 0.003), and shorter time interval (<30 months) between BC and BM diagnosis (p = 0.007) were associated with inferior OS. By summing the β-coefficients of variables that were prognostic in multivariate analyses, we developed a prognostic model that stratified patients into low-risk (≤0.673) and high-risk (>0.673) subgroups; the high-risk subgroup had poorer median OS (10.1 months, 95% CI: 7.9–11.9 vs. 21.9 months, 95% CI: 19.5–27.1, p < 0.001). Univariate and multivariate analyses of propensity score-matched patients diagnosed with BM ≥ 30 months after BC diagnosis (n = 389, “late BM”) revealed that WBRT-treated patients showed superior OS compared to non-WBRT-treated patients (p = 0.070 and 0.030, respectively).ConclusionOur prognostic model identified high-risk BC patients with BM who might benefit from increased surveillance; if validated, our model could guide treatment selection for such patients. Patients with late BM might benefit from WBRT as initial local treatment.     

Ketorolac use and anastomotic leak in patients with esophageal cancer

ObjectivesRecent evidence has shown an association between postoperative ketorolac use and anastomotic leak in patients undergoing intestinal and colorectal operations, but this relationship has been minimally explored after esophagectomy. As the use of nonopioid pain control and enhanced recovery protocols is increasingly prioritized, determination of a possible correlation between perioperative ketorolac use and leak is essential.MethodsRecords of patients undergoing esophagectomy for adenocarcinoma at a single institution from 2006 to 2018 reviewed for occurrence of anastomotic leak. Institutional pharmacy records were queried for ketorolac administration during the surgical case through the time of discharge. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the relationship between ketorolac administration and anastomotic leak.ResultsA total of 1019 patients met inclusion criteria, the majority of whom were male (907, 89%) with a median age of 62 years. Patients predominantly presented with locoregionally advanced disease and were treated with initial chemoradiation. Ketorolac was administered to 686 patients (67%); use was observed to increase over the study period from 49% in 2006 to 92% in 2016. Conversely, anastomotic leak occurred in 87 patients (9%) overall and decreased over time from 15% (11/72) in 2006 to 2% (2/83) in 2018. Upon multivariable analysis, neither ketorolac administration evaluated as a categoric variable (odds ratio, 0.99; P = .958) or as a continuous variable using dose (odds ratio, 1.00; P = .843) demonstrated an association with anastomotic leak.ConclusionsKetorolac in the postoperative period after esophagectomy has become an integral component of enhanced recovery pathways and does not appear to be associated with anastomotic leak.     

Prediction of overall survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with Y-90 radioembolization by imaging response criteria

PurposeTo evaluate the potential of imaging criteria in predicting overall survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after a first transcatheter arterial yttrium-90 radioembolization (TARE)Materials and methodsFrom October 2013 to July 2017, 37 patients with HCC were retrospectively included. There were 34 men and 3 women with a mean age of 60.5 ± 10.2 (SD) years (range: 32.7–78.9 years). Twenty-five patients (68%) were Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) C and 12 (32%) were BCLC B. Twenty-four primary index tumors (65%) were > 5 cm. Three radiologists evaluated tumor response on pre- and 4–7 months post-TARE magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography examinations, using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1, modified RECIST (mRECIST), European Association for Study of the Liver (EASL), volumetric RECIST (vRECIST), quantitative EASL (qEASL) and the Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System treatment response algorithm. Kaplan–Meier survival curves were used to compare responders and non-responders for each criterion. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard ratio (HR) analysis were used to identify covariates associated with overall survival. Fleiss kappa test was used to assess interobserver agreement.ResultsAt multivariate analysis, RECIST 1.1 (HR: 0.26; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.09–0.75; P = 0.01), mRECIST (HR: 0.22; 95% CI: 0.08–0.59; P = 0.003), EASL (HR: 0.22; 95% CI: 0.07–0.63; P = 0.005), and qEASL (HR: 0.30; 95% CI: 0.12–0.80; P = 0.02) showed a significant difference in overall survival between responders and nonresponders. RECIST 1.1 had the highest interobserver reproducibility.ConclusionRECIST and mRECIST seem to be the best compromise between reproducibility and ability to predict overall survival in patients with HCC treated with TARE.     

Impact of body mass index on overall survival in patients with metastatic breast cancer

BackgroundHigh Body mass index (BMI) is a risk factor for breast cancer among postmenopausal women and an adverse prognostic factor in early-stage. Little is known about its impact on clinical outcomes in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC).MethodsThe National ESME-MBC observational cohort includes all consecutive patients newly diagnosed with MBC between Jan 2008 and Dec 2016 in the 18 French comprehensive cancer centers.ResultsOf 22 463 patients in ESME-MBC, 12 999 women had BMI data available at MBC diagnosis. Median BMI was 24.9 kg/m² (range 12.1–66.5); 20% of women were obese and 5% underweight. Obesity was associated with more de novo MBC, while underweight patients had more aggressive cancer features. Median overall survival (OS) of the BMI cohort was 47.4 months (95% CI [46.2–48.5]) (median follow-up: 48.6 months). Underweight was independently associated with a worse OS (median OS 33 months; HR 1.14, 95%CI, 1.02–1.27) and first line progression-free survival (HR, 1.11; 95%CI, 1.01; 1.22), while overweight or obesity had no effect.ConclusionOverweight and obesity are not associated with poorer outcomes in women with metastatic disease, while underweight appears as an independent adverse prognostic factor.     

Magnetic resonance imaging of patients with lateral epicondylitis: Relationship between pain and severity of imaging features in elbow joints

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to determine the inter- and intra-observer reliabilities of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the diagnosis of lateral epicondylitis, to examine whether degree of common extensor tendon (CET) injury is related to other elbow abnormalities on MRI, and to investigate the correlation between elbow abnormalities on MRI and patients' symptoms.MethodsFifty-one patients (32 women and 19 men; mean age: 50 years (range, 22–63)) with a diagnosis of lateral epicondylitis were included in the study. The average duration of symptoms was 2.3 years. MRI scoring system was used to grade the CET injuries and associated injuries in the elbow joint. Three independent radiologists retrospectively reviewed MRI images. Inter- and intra-observer reliabilities for diagnosing lateral epicondylitis were calculated using kappa statistics, and Spearman's rank correlation analysis was used to analyze relationships between degree of CET injury and the associated abnormalities of elbow joints. Statistical relations were considered significant for p values of <0.05. In addition, using Spearman's rank correlation analysis, CET injuries and associated abnormalities of elbow joints were correlated with clinical symptoms using visual analog scale pain scores.ResultsVarious degrees of CET injuries were found in total of 51 patients. Radial collateral ligament and lateral ulnar collateral ligament (RCL/LCL) was the most common accompanying elbow abnormality other than CET injuries. Inter- and intra-observer agreements of CET and RCL/LUCL injuries on MRI were excellent. There were significant correlation between degrees of CET and RCL/LUCL injuries (correlation coefficient r = 0.667, p < 0.01) and between degree of RCL/LUCL injuries and visual analog 11-point pain box scale (VAS) scores (correlation coefficient r = 0.478, p = 0.033).ConclusionMRI showed excellent inter- and intra-observer reliabilities for the evaluation of lateral epicondylitis. In addition to common extensor tendinopathy, RCL/LUCL abnormality was the most common accompanying finding and degree of RCL/LUCL injuries positively correlated with degree of CET injuries. Furthermore, degree of RCL/LUCL injuries positively correlates with severity of pain.Level of evidenceLevel IV, Diagnostic study.     

The efficacy and safety of paclitaxel plus bevacizumab therapy in breast cancer patients with visceral crisis

BackgroundVisceral crisis in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is defined as severe organ dysfunction requiring rapidly efficacious therapy. Although weekly paclitaxel plus bevacizumab (wPTX + BV) achieves a high response rate in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative MBC, the efficacy and safety of wPTX + BV for visceral crisis is unclear.MethodsWe retrospectively investigated patients with MBC with visceral crisis who received wPTX + BV. Visceral crisis was defined as follows: liver dysfunction (aspartate or alanine aminotransferase >200 U/L or total bilirubin >1.5 mg/dl), respiratory dysfunction (carcinomatous lymphangiomatosis, SpO₂ <93% in ambient air or required thoracentesis), superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome, or bone marrow carcinomatosis. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients on-treatment with wPTX + BV after 12 weeks. We also investigated time to treatment failure (TTF), overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), and adverse events.ResultsA total of 44 patients with respiratory dysfunction (n = 29), liver dysfunction (n = 10), bone marrow carcinomatosis (n = 7), and SVC syndrome (n = 2) were eligible for this investigation. The proportion of patients on-treatment with wPTX + BV after 12 weeks was 63% (30/44), and the other patients discontinued wPTX + BV because of adverse events (n = 5) and disease progression (n = 9). Median TTF and OS, and the ORR were 131 days and 323 days, and 41%, respectively. No treatment-related death occurred.Conclusion: wPTX + BV achieved favorable efficacy and safety for treating patients with visceral crisis and may therefore be considered an option for the treatment of this acutely severe clinical condition.     

Clinical characteristics and survival outcome of patients with estrogen receptor low positive breast cancer

BackgroundThe benefit of endocrine therapy for patients with estrogen receptor (ER)-low (1%–10%) positive breast cancer is a matter for debate. We aimed to compare the clinical characteristics and survival outcome of ER-low patients with ER-high (＞10%) positive patients and ER-negative patients.MethodsFrom the breast cancer database of our institution, we identified 5466 patients with known ER status who were diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer between January 2008 and December 2016. Variables associated with initiation of endocrine therapy were identified using multivariate logistic regression model. According to ER status, all patients were classified into ER-low (1%–10%), ER-high (>10%) and ER-negative subgroups. Fine and Gray competing risks regression was performed to compare the survival outcome of three subgroups.ResultsAge at diagnosis, ER status and progesterone receptor (PR) status were identified as correlates of initiation of endocrine therapy. ER-low patients were more likely to have advanced, PR-negative, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive or grade Ⅲ disease compared to ER-high patients. Similar to ER-negative patients, ER-low patients presented increased rate of locoregional recurrence (LRR), distant recurrence (DR) and breast cancer mortality (BCM) than ER-high patients. Endocrine therapy showed nonsignificant trends toward lower LRR, DR and BCM in ER-low patients.ConclusionSimilar to ER-negative patients, ER-low patients had more aggressive clinical characteristics and worse survival outcome than ER-high patients. ER-low patients appeared to benefit less from endocrine therapy. Randomized studies are needed to further explore the endocrine responsiveness of ER-low patients.     

Functional outcomes and complications after treatment of distal radius fracture in patients sixty years and over: A systematic review and network meta-analysis

AimThis network meta-analysis aims to compare functional outcomes and complications between conservative treatment and surgery for distal radius fractures in patients aged 60 years and over.MethodsWe searched the PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effect of conservative treatment and surgery for distal radius fractures in patients aged 60 years and over. Primary outcomes included grip strength and overall complications. Secondary outcomes included Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) scores, Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation (PRWE) scores, wrist range of motion and forearm rotation, and radiographic assessment. All continuous outcomes were assessed using standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and binary outcomes were assessed using odds ratio (OR) with 95% CIs. The surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) was used to determine a hierarchy of treatments. Cluster analysis was performed for grouping treatments based on the SUCRA values of primary outcomes.ResultsFourteen RCTs were included to compare conservative treatment, volar lockedplate (VLP), K-wires fixation, and external-fixation. VLP outperformed conservative treatment for 1-year and minimum 2-year grip strength (SMD; 0.28 [0.07 to 0.48] and 0.27 [0.02 to 0.53], respectively). VLP yielded the optimal grip strength at 1-year and minimum 2-year follow-up (SUCRA; 89.8% and 86.7%, respectively). In a subgroup analysis of patients aged 60 to 80 years old, VLP outperformed conservative treatment in DASH and PRWE scores (SMD, 0.33 [0.10, 0.56] and 0.23 [0.01, 0.45], respectively). In addition, VLP had the fewest complications (SUCRA = 84.3%). Cluster analysis suggested that VLP and K-wire fixation were more effective treatment groups.ConclusionEvidence to date demonstrates that VLP provides measurable benefits in grip strength and fewer complications to those 60 years of age and over, and that benefit is not reflected in current practice guidelines. There is a subgroup of patients where K-wire fixation outcomes are similar to those of VLP; defining this subgroup may yield substantial societal benefits.     

PET/CT in the management of differentiated thyroid cancer

The standard treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) consists of surgery followed by iodine-131 (¹³¹I) administration. Although the majority of DTC has a very good prognosis, more aggressive histologic subtypes convey a worse prognosis. Follow-up consists of periodically measurements of serum thyroglobulin, thyroglobulin antibodies and neck ultrasound and ¹²³I/¹³¹I whole-body scan. However, undifferentiated thyroid tumors have a lower avidity for radioiodine and the ability of DTC to concentrate ¹³¹I may be lost in metastatic disease. Positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) has been introduced in the evaluation of patients with thyroid tumors and the 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxyd-glucose (¹⁸F-FDG) has been largely validated as marker of cell's metabolism. According to the 2015 American Thyroid Association guidelines, ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT is recommended in the follow-up of high-risk patients with elevated serum thyroglobulin and negative ¹³¹I imaging, in the assessment of metastatic patients, for lesion detection and risk stratification and in predicting the response to therapy. It should be considered that well-differentiated iodine avid lesions could not concentrate ¹⁸F-FDG, and a reciprocal pattern of iodine and ¹⁸F-FDG uptake has been observed. Beyond ¹⁸F-FDG, other tracers are available for PET imaging of thyroid tumors, such as Iodine-124 (¹²⁴I), ¹⁸F-tetrafluoroborate and Gallium-68 prostate-specific membrane antigen. Moreover, the recent introduction of PET/MRI, offers now several opportunities in the field of patients with DTC. This review summarizes the evidences on the role of PET/CT in management of patients with DTC, focusing on potential applications and on elucidating some still debating points.     

Long-term tracing and staining of carbon nanoparticles for axillary lymph nodes in patients with locally advanced breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy

BackgroundThe regression of positive nodes in breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate this regression by injecting and tracing carbon nanoparticles (CNs) into the fusion node prior to NAC in patients with breast cancer.MethodsGuided by ultrasound, 0.3 mL of CNs suspension was injected in the fusion node prior to NAC in 110 patients with local advanced breast cancer. Then the patients underwent breast surgery and total axillary lymph node dissection following 2–6 cycles of NAC. The distribution by intercostobrachial nerves (ICBN) of positive nodes and black-stained nodes was researched, and the relationship between the distribution and lymphovascular invasion were investigated by response to NAC.ResultsWhen patients were ranked by response to NAC (from sensitive to resistance), the number of positive nodes increased, as did the proportion of lymphovascular invasion, the number of black-stained nodes decreased. A significantly negative relationship was found between the number of positive nodes and the number of black-stained nodes (p < 0.001). The positive nodes in patients with sensitive consequence followed the rule from under the ICBN to above the ICBN. However, there was counter-example (skip metastasis) in the patients with resistance result.ConclusionThe regression of positive nodes follows the rule from upper to under, inner to outer in the patients with sensitive consequence to NAC. Long-term staining and tracing by CNs might provide an acceptable and feasible technique to investigate the regression of positive nodes, and would be a potential method for NAC-treated patients by using of ICBN.Trial registrationNCT 03355261. Retrospectively registered on November 28, 2017.     

Association between background parenchymal enhancement and tumor response in patients with breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy

PurposeTo analyze the relationships between background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) of the contralateral healthy breast and tumor response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in women with breast cancer.Materials and methodsA total of 228 women (mean age, 47.6 years ± 10 [SD]; range: 24–74 years) with invasive breast cancer who underwent NAC were included. All patients underwent breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before and after NAC and 127 patients underwent MRI before, during (after the 4th cycle of NAC) and after NAC. Quantitative semi-automated analysis of BPE of the contralateral healthy breast was performed. Enhancement level on baseline MRI (baseline BPE) and MRI after chemotherapy (final BPE), change in enhancement rate between baseline MRI and final MRI (total BPE change) and between baseline MRI and midline MRI (early BPE change) were recorded. Associations between BPE and tumor response, menopausal status, tumor phenotype, NAC type and tumor stage at diagnosis were searched for. Pathologic complete response (pCR) was defined as the absence of residual invasive cancer cells in the breast and ipsilateral lymph nodes.ResultsNo differences were found in baseline BPE, final BPE, early and total BPE changes between pCR and non-pCR groups. Early BPE change was higher in non-pCR group in patients with stages 3 and 4 breast cancers (P = 0.019) and in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative patients (P = 0.020).ConclusionEarly reduction of BPE in the contralateral breast during NAC may be an early predictor of loss of tumor response, showing potential as an imaging biomarker of treatment response, especially in women with stages 3 or 4 breast cancers and in HER2 – negative breast cancers.     

Clinical application of axillary reverse mapping in patients with breast cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundThe axillary reverse mapping (ARM) technique, identify and preserve arm nodes during sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) or axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), was developed to prevent breast-cancer related lymphedema (BCRL) remains controversial.MethodsA comprehensive search of Medline Ovid, Pubmed, Web of Science and the Cochrane CENTRAL databases was conducted from the inception till January 2020. The key word including “breast cancer”, “axillary reverse mapping”, and “lymphedema”. Stata 15.1 software was used for the meta-analysis.ResultsAs a result, twenty-nine related studies involving 4954 patients met our inclusion criteria. The pooled overall estimate lymphedema incidence was 7% (95% CI 4%–11%, I² = 90.35%, P < 0.05), with SLNB showed a relatively lower pooled incidence of lymphedema (2%, 95% CI 1%–3%), I² = 26.06%, P = 0.23) than that of ALND (14%, 95% CI 5%–26%, I² = 93.28%, P < 0.05) or SLNB and ALND combined (11%, 95% CI 1%–30%). The ARM preservation during ALND procedure could significantly reduce upper extremity lymphedema in contrast with ARM resection (OR = 0.27, 95% CI 0.20–0.36, I² = 31%, P = 0.161). Intriguingly, the result favored ALND-ARM over standard-ALND in preventing lymphedema occurrence (OR = 0.21, 95% CI 0.14–0.31, I² = 43%, P = 0.153). The risk of metastases in the ARM-nodes was not significantly lower in the patients who had received neoadjuvant chemotherapy, as compared to those without neoadjuvant treatment (OR = 1.20, 95% CI 0.74–1.94, I² = 49.4%, P = 0.095).ConclusionsARM was found to significantly reduce the incidence of BCRL. The selection of patients for this procedure should be based on their axillary nodal status. Preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy has no significant impact on the ARM lymph node metastasis rate.     

STING1 in sepsis: Mechanisms,functions, and implications

Sepsis is a life-threatening clinical syndrome and one of the most challenging health problems in the world. Pathologically, sepsis and septic shock are caused by a dysregulated host immune response to infection, which can eventually lead to multiple organ failure and even death. As an adaptor transporter between the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus, stimulator of interferon response cGAMP interactor 1 (STING1, also known as STING or TMEM173) has been found to play a vital role at the intersection of innate immunity, inflammation, autophagy, and cell death in response to invading microbial pathogens or endogenous host damage. There is ample evidence that impaired STING1, through its immune and non-immune functions, is involved in the pathological process of sepsis. In this review, we discuss the regulation and function of the STING1 pathway in sepsis and highlight it as a suitable drug target for the treatment of lethal infection.     

Clinical implications of additional posterior fractures in combined anterior-posterior pelvic ring fractures in elderly patients

ObjectivesHistorically, pelvic ring fractures (PRF) are considered to occur predominantly in the anterior ring and therfore to be mechanically stable. Combined anterior and posterior (A + P) PRF are expected to be less mechanically stable and therefore to be associated with higher levels of pain and reduced mobility compared to isolated anterior fractures. The current study investigates the clinical relevance of combined A + P PRF in elderly patients.MethodsA prospective multicentre cohort study was conducted in patients >70 years of age with anterior PRF after low-energy trauma diagnosed on conventional radiographs. All patients underwent an additional CT-scan. Patients were divided into two groups; isolated anterior or combined A + P fractures. Patients were treated conservatively with adequate analgesia for at least one week. If patients could not be mobilised after conservative treatment, surgical fixation was performed. Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) pain scores, dependence on walking aids and Activities of Daily Living scores (ADL) were measured at 2–4 weeks, and 3, 6 and 12 months after fracture.Results102 patients (age 81.1 ± 7.6 years) were included. Isolated anterior fractures were diagnosed in 25 (24.5%) and A + P fractures in 77 (75.5%) patients. Baseline characteristics did not differ between the two groups. Most patients were successfully treated conservatively and 5 (4.9%) underwent percutaneous trans-iliac, trans-sacral screw fixation after failure of conservative treatment. At 2–4 weeks post trauma, patients with A + P fractures had similar median pain scores (3 (range 0–8) vs. 5 (0–10), p = 0.19) and ADL scores (85 (25–100) vs. 78.6 (5–100), p = 0.67), but were more dependent on walking aids (92.8% vs. 72.2%; p = 0.02) compared to patients with isolated anterior fractures. There were no significant differences at 3 months. At one year follow-up the median NRS pain and ADL scores for both fracture groups were 0 and 100, respectively. Mortality was 10.8%, and additional loss to follow-up was 17.6%.ConclusionsThe vast majority of elderly patients with PRF have combined A + P fractures. The clinical implications of additional posterior pelvic ring fractures in elderly patients appears to be limited.     

Hypofractionated versus conventional fractionated radiotherapy for breast cancer in patients with reconstructed breast: Toxicity analysis

PurposeThis study investigated whether hypofractionated adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) increased breast-related complication(s) compared to conventional fractionated RT in reconstructed breast cancer patients.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective review including 349 breast cancer patients who underwent immediate breast reconstruction following mastectomy or breast-conserving surgery (BCS) between 2009 and 2018 at two institutions. All patients were treated with adjuvant RT via either a conventional fractionated or hypofractionated regimen. We defined a major breast complication as a breast-related toxic event requiring re-operation or re-hospitalization during the follow-up period after the end of RT.ResultsThe median follow-up was 32.3 months (4.8–118.5 months); 126 patients had conventional fractionated RT, and 223 patients received hypofractionated RT. In patients with mastectomy, there was no significant difference in the occurrence of any or major breast-related complications between the two fractionation regimens. In patients undergoing BCS, incidence of any breast complication showed no difference between two RT groups and no major breast complication was reported as well. Hypofractionated RT did not increase major wound problem (infection and dehiscence) compared to conventional RT. Incidence of major contracture was significantly lower in hypofractionated RT.ConclusionsThere was no significant difference in the occurrence of any or major breast-related complications between the two different fractionation regimens, even in patients with mastectomy. Hypofractionated RT may be used comparable to conventional fractionated RT in terms of breast-related complications in reconstructed breast cancer patients. The prospective randomized trial would be necessary to clarify this issue.     

Comparison of conventional magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion-weighted imaging in the differentiation of bone plasmacytoma from bone metastasis in the extremities

PurposeTo compare conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in the differentiation of bone plasmacytoma from bone metastasis in the extremities.Materials and methodsA total of 65 patients with 27 bone plasmacytomas (11 men; mean age, 63.6 ± 8.2 [SD] years) and 38 patients with bone metastases (20 men; mean age, 64.1 ± 11.5 [SD] years) were retrospectively included. Plasmacytomas and metastases were compared for size, peritumoral edema, signal intensity (SI), SI pattern, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values and standard deviation (SD) of ADC. Receiver operating characteristic analysis with area under the curve (AUC) was used to calculate sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of MRI and DWI for the diagnosis of plasmacytoma according to a defined cut-off value.ResultsOn conventional MRI, plasmacytomas showed less peritumoral edema (22% vs. 71%; P < 0.001), were more often hyperintense on T1-weighted image (48% vs. 18%; P = 0.022) and more homogeneous on T2-weighted image (78% vs. 26%; P < 0.001) and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images (70% vs. 25%; P = 0.001) than bone metastases. Mean ADC value and SD of ADC were significantly lower in bone plasmacytomas (760.1 ± 196.9 [SD] μm²/s and 161.5 ± 62.7 [SD], respectively) than in bone metastases (1214.2 ± 382.6 [SD] μm²/s and 277.0 ± 110.3 [SD], respectively) (P < 0.001). Using an ADC value ≤ 908.3 μm²/s, DWI yielded 88% sensitivity and 78% specificity for the diagnosis of plasmacytoma. ADC value yielded best area under the curve (AUC = 0.913), followed by SD of ADC (AUC = 0.814) and homogeneity on T2-weighted images (AUC = 0.757). The combination of conventional MRI and DWI (AUC = 0.894) showed improved diagnostic performance over conventional MRI alone (AUC= 0.843) for discriminating between plasmacytoma and metastasis.ConclusionConventional MRI in combination with DWI can be useful to discriminate between bone plasmacytoma and bone metastasis in the extremities.     

Practice patterns for surgical management of low-risk papillary thyroid cancer from 2014 to 2019: A CESQIP analysis

BackgroundPatients with low-risk-PTC who undergo thyroid lobectomy (TL) have comparable disease-specific survival with lower morbidity than total thyroidectomy (TT). We aim to describe the surgical management of low-risk-PTC using the Collaborative Endocrine Surgery Quality Improvement Program (CESQIP).MethodCESQIP thyroidectomies of PTC tumors <4 cm were analyzed from 2014 to 2019 (n = 740). Postoperative outcomes were compared. Subgroup analysis examined temporal and institutional trends, and stratified for tumor size. Statistics utilized t-test, ANOVA, and Chi-squared.ResultsTT patients had greater hypoparathyroidism, operative time, and length-of-stay (all p < 0.001). Incidence of TL decreased with increasing tumor size (24.2% for <1 cm, 15.8% for 1–2 cm, 6.1% for 2–4 cm). TL rates increased from 2.0% in 2014 to 21.2% in 2018–19. Completion thyroidectomy was recommended in 12.0% of TL subjects. There was significant variation in TL rate by institution (p < .001).ConclusionsFor low-risk-PTC, TT remained the most commonly utilized operation. TL rates increased following release of the new ATA guidelines. TT was associated with higher perioperative morbidity. Further insight is needed to understand factors influencing operative approach.     

Multiparametric imaging of breast cancer: An update of current applications

Imaging plays an indispensable role in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Several new imaging tools are currently being developed for clinical use to improve diagnostic performance and tumor response evaluation. Abbreviated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows shortening scanning time without penalizing diagnostic performances. Ultrafast dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI is a new approach that provides kinetic information and helps identify breast lesions developed in breast with marked background parenchymal enhancement. Intravoxel incoherent motion and kurtosis are parameters of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) that bring useful information in breast cancer. High-resolution DWI, allows morphological assessment of lesions without using a contrast agent. High-resolution breast positron emission tomography provides detailed metabolic information on small breast cancer. Photoacoustic imaging utilizes hemoglobin as an intrinsic contrast agent and depicts fine -branching structure of the tumor vessels related to cancer. It is important that experts in breast imaging understand the advantages and limitations of these new techniques in order to offer optimal imaging to each patient.