Improving State-Mandated Breast Density Notifications

PurposeEffective written communication directly affects health care outcomes. Since 2016, the complex language of state-mandated breast density notifications (BDNs) has been challenged, because it is perceived to be beyond the comprehension of most patients. The aim of this study was to assess whether a revised BDN written at a lower reading grade level improves understanding compared with the current state-mandated BDN.MethodsA revised notification with similar content to the current state-mandated BDN was developed. Both notifications were presented to patients for direct comparison, using a paper survey asking questions that evaluated patients’ perceptions and convictions associated with breast density. Surveys were distributed at four outpatient imaging centers to screening mammography patients.ResultsThe current BDN’s mean readability metric was 13.4, and that of the revised BDN was 6.6. Five hundred surveys were analyzed. Survey data demonstrated that 56.6% of all women perceived that dense breast tissue results indicated a “high” associated lifetime breast cancer risk from the current state-mandated BDN compared with only 2.2% with the revised notification (P < .001). Nearly all women were more likely to initiate discussions with their providers regarding their breast tissue density after reading the revised notification (96.0%) as opposed to the current state-mandated BDN (32.8%; P < .001).ConclusionsA significant portion of women misinterpret the intended messages of the current state-mandated BDN. Thus, a revised notification at a lower reading grade level may improve understanding of breast density, leading to improved individualized breast cancer screening for women with dense breasts.     

空间频域成像在皮肤病定量评估中的研究

利用空间频域成像技术搭建的成像系统检测多种皮肤病组织的光学参数和生理参数信息，并对比分析讨论不同类型的皮肤病与光学参数、生理参数之间的关系。实验结果表明，病变皮肤组织与正常皮肤组织之间在光学参数、生理参数上存在较大差异，这将为临床医生对皮肤病诊治提供一种新颖、可靠、科学的评估方法。     

The Lausanne forensic pathology approach to post-mortem imaging for natural and non-natural deaths

Post-mortem imaging by computed tomography (PMCT) and post-mortem CT angiography (PMCTA) are used routinely in forensic practice as components to the autopsy. PMCT is efficient for gas detection, foreign body visualization and skeleton analysis. Various parameters can lead to the indication for contrast agent injection. Contrast injection into the vascular system can overcome the disadvantages of non-contrast PMCT by visualization of solid organ parenchyma and vessels. This can also assist the conventional autopsy, allowing one to investigate the vascular system. It is the method of choice for the analysis of the blood vessels by showing vascular pathology, congenital or postsurgical anatomical variations and an exact source of bleeding. By knowing the artefacts linked to the angiographic technique, we limit the risk of misinterpretation. The use of post-mortem MRI (PMMR) for diagnostic purposes is still limited to rare indications. These include review of the neck in cases of death by mechanical asphyxia, total-body PMMR in neonatal and pediatric death and cardiac PMMR in case of suspected myocardial infraction. Currently, in our daily practice, the vast majority or PMMR is only performed for research purposes.     

Optimal combination of antiangiogenic therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma

The success of sorafenib in prolonging survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) makes therapeutic inhibition of angiogenesis a component of treatment for HCC. To enhance therapeutic efficacy, overcome drug resistance and reduce toxicity, combination of antiangiogenic agents with chemotherapy, radiotherapy or other targeted agents were evaluated. Nevertheless, the use of antiangiogenic therapy remains suboptimal regarding dosage, schedule and duration of therapy. The issue is further complicated by combination antiangiogenesis to other cytotoxic or biologic agents. There is no way to determine which patients are most likely respond to a given form of antiangiogenic therapy. Activation of alternative pathways associated with disease progression in patients undergoing antiangiogenic therapy has also been recognized. There is increasing importance in identifying, validating and standardizing potential response biomarkers for antiangiogenesis therapy for HCC patients. In this review, biomarkers for antiangiogenesis therapy including systemic, circulating, tissue and imaging ones are summarized. The strength and deficit of circulating and imaging biomarkers were further demonstrated by a series of studies in HCC patients receiving radiotherapy with or without thalidomide.     

Differentiating autoimmune pancreatitis from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma with CT radiomics features

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to determine whether computed tomography (CT)-based machine learning of radiomics features could help distinguish autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).Materials and MethodsEighty-nine patients with AIP (65 men, 24 women; mean age, 59.7 ± 13.9 [SD] years; range: 21–83 years) and 93 patients with PDAC (68 men, 25 women; mean age, 60.1 ± 12.3 [SD] years; range: 36–86 years) were retrospectively included. All patients had dedicated dual-phase pancreatic protocol CT between 2004 and 2018. Thin-slice images (0.75/0.5 mm thickness/increment) were compared with thick-slices images (3 or 5 mm thickness/increment). Pancreatic regions involved by PDAC or AIP (areas of enlargement, altered enhancement, effacement of pancreatic duct) as well as uninvolved parenchyma were segmented as three-dimensional volumes. Four hundred and thirty-one radiomics features were extracted and a random forest was used to distinguish AIP from PDAC. CT data of 60 AIP and 60 PDAC patients were used for training and those of 29 AIP and 33 PDAC independent patients were used for testing.ResultsThe pancreas was diffusely involved in 37 (37/89; 41.6%) patients with AIP and not diffusely in 52 (52/89; 58.4%) patients. Using machine learning, 95.2% (59/62; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 89.8–100%), 83.9% (52:67; 95% CI: 74.7–93.0%) and 77.4% (48/62; 95% CI: 67.0–87.8%) of the 62 test patients were correctly classified as either having PDAC or AIP with thin-slice venous phase, thin-slice arterial phase, and thick-slice venous phase CT, respectively. Three of the 29 patients with AIP (3/29; 10.3%) were incorrectly classified as having PDAC but all 33 patients with PDAC (33/33; 100%) were correctly classified with thin-slice venous phase with 89.7% sensitivity (26/29; 95% CI: 78.6–100%) and 100% specificity (33/33; 95% CI: 93–100%) for the diagnosis of AIP, 95.2% accuracy (59/62; 95% CI: 89.8–100%) and area under the curve of 0.975 (95% CI: 0.936–1.0).ConclusionsRadiomic features help differentiate AIP from PDAC with an overall accuracy of 95.2%.     

99mTc-DTPA核素肾动态显像评价主动脉夹层患者术后肾功能受损研究

目的:应用99mTc-DTPA肾动脉显像评价Stanford不同分型主动脉夹层患者术后左、右侧肾功能及总体肾功能受损程度,帮助临床制定进一步的治疗方案,改善患者预后。方法:回顾性分析2018年3月8日至2019年7月19日,在本院核医学科行99mTc-DTPA肾动态显像的主动脉夹层术后患者48例,评价患者双肾血流灌注、总肾小球滤过率(GFR)和分肾的GFR,比较Stanford主动脉夹层A型(简称A型)患者和主动脉夹层B型(简称B型)患者之间总肾功能及分肾功能,血肌酐、血尿素氮及血尿酸水平的差异。结果:B型患者术后总GFR低于A型患者(67.5 vs.80.6 m L/min,P<0.05),其中以左肾功能受损为著(30.9 vs.40.3 m L/min,P<0.05),差异有统计学意义。结论:肾动态显像对主动脉夹层术后患者早期评价肾功能有重要价值。主动脉夹层B型患者GFR较A型减低,且左侧肾GFR减低更明显,临床可以早期采取干预措施,改善主动脉夹层患者预后。