Salvage percutaneous high-dose-rate brachyablation after stereotactic body radiation therapy for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer.

Patients with primary tumor progression after stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have a second chance at complete tumor eradication with salvage local therapies, including lung resection, repeat course of SBRT, and percutaneous ablative therapies. In this paper, we presented our institution's initial experience with percutaneous high-dose-rate (HDR) brachyablation for a relapsed stage I NSCLC that had been treated with SBRT 4.3 years earlier. Lung tumor measuring approximately 5 cm in maximum tumor dimension at the time of relapse was histopathologically confirmed to be persistent squamous cell carcinoma, and successfully treated with a single fraction of 24 Gy with HDR brachyablation. Treatment was delivered via two percutaneous catheters inserted under CT-guidance, and treated in less than 20 minutes. The patient was discharged home later the same day without the need for a chest tube, and has been monitored with serial surveillance scans every 3 to 6 months without evidence of further lung cancer progression or complications at 2.8 years post-HDR brachyablation procedure and 7.8 years after initial SBRT.

Safety and Effectiveness of Track Cauterization for Lung Cryoablation.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of track cauterization for lung cryoablation through comparison of postprocedural adverse event (AE) rates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-nine patients who underwent 164 percutaneous lung cryoablation procedures between 2013 and 2018 were included in this retrospective study. The study cohort was subdivided by whether track cauterization was conducted or not at the end of the procedure. The study cohort was also subdivided by the number of probes (1-2 probes vs 3-4 probes). Postablation AE rates were assessed by immediate and delayed (at 1 month or later) AEs, pneumothorax, hemothorax, pleural effusion, and whether intervention was required. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to compare differences in AE rates. RESULTS: Patients who underwent procedures with track cautery were 2.6 times less likely to exhibit pleural effusion (P = .017). Patients who underwent procedures conducted with a higher number of probes were 3.8 times more likely to receive interventions (P < .001), 1.6 times more likely to experience pneumothorax (P = .037), and 2.1 times more likely to experience pleural effusion (P = .003). History of lung surgery, increased number of probes, size of the probe, and absence of track cautery were noted to be significant predictors of AEs and need for interventions (all P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Track cauterization in lung cryoablation was proven to reduce pleural effusion, but no difference in pneumothorax or delayed AEs was noted. The use of fewer probes was associated with a lower rate of AEs.

Ablation of Stage I-II Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in Patients With Interstitial Lung Disease: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND. Treatment options for patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) who develop stage I-II non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are severely limited, given that surgical resection, radiation, and systemic therapy are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVE. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of percutaneous ablation of stage I-II NSCLC in patients with ILD. METHODS. This retrospective study included patients with ILD and stage I-II NSCLC treated with percutaneous ablation in three health systems between October 2004 and February 2023. At each site, a single thoracic radiologist, blinded to clinical outcomes, reviewed preprocedural chest CT examinations for the presence and type of ILD according to 2018 criteria proposed by the American Thoracic Society, European Respiratory Society, Japanese Respiratory Society, and Latin American Thoracic Society. The primary outcome was 90-day major (grade ≥ 3) adverse events, based on Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 5.0. Secondary outcomes were hospital length of stay (HLOS), local tumor control, and overall survival (OS). RESULTS. The study included 33 patients (19 men, 14 women; median age, 78 years; 16 patients with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ≤ 1) with ILD who underwent 42 percutaneous ablation sessions (21 cryoablations, 11 radiofrequency ablations, 10 microwave ablations) of 43 NSCLC tumors ((median tumor size, 1.6 cm; IQR, 1.4-2.5 cm; range, 0.7-5.4 cm; 37 stage I, six stage II). The extent of lung fibrosis was 20% or less in 24 patients; 17 patients had imaging findings of definite or probable usual interstitial pneumonia. The 90-day major adverse event rate was 14% (6/42), including one CTCAE grade 4 event. No acute ILD exacerbation or death occurred within 90 days after ablation. The median HLOS was 1 day (IQR, 0-2 days). Median imaging follow-up for local tumor control was 17 months (IQR, 11-32 months). Median imaging or clinical follow-up for OS was 16 months (IQR, 6-26 months). Local tumor control and OS were 78% and 77%, respectively, at 1 year and 73% and 46% at 2 years. CONCLUSION. Percutaneous ablation appears to be a safe and effective treatment option for stage I-II NSCLC in the setting of ILD after multidisciplinary selection. CLINICAL IMPACT. Patients with ILD and stage I-II NSCLC should be considered for percutaneous ablation given that they are frequently ineligible for surgical resection, radiation, and systemic therapy.

Special Considerations and Techniques of Interventions in Lung Transplant Recipients.

Lung transplant remains an important treatment option for patients with end-stage lung diseases providing improvement in survival rates and quality of life. Specialized considerations should be applied with interventions of lung transplant recipients as they host specific anatomic variations and high risk towards certain complications. In this article, we highlight the role of interventional radiology for lung transplant recipients along with discussion of interventional techniques. Specific emphasis is placed on describing and explaining the techniques pertained to the points of anastomosis, diagnosis and treatment of malignancies, and management of complications in lung transplant recipients.

Microwave Ablation versus Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.

PURPOSE: To assess the cost effectiveness of microwave ablation (MWA) and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for patients with inoperable stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature search was performed in MEDLINE with broad search clusters. A decision-analytic model was constructed over a 5-year period. The model incorporated treatment-related complications and long-term recurrence. All clinical parameters were derived from the literature with preference to long-term prospective trials. A healthcare payers' perspective was adopted. Outcomes were measured in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) extracted from prior studies and U.S. dollars from Medicare reimbursements and prior studies. Base case calculations, probabilistic sensitivity analysis with 10,000 Monte Carlo simulations, and multiple 1- and 2-way sensitivity analyses were performed. RESULTS: MWA yielded a health benefit of 2.31 QALYs at a cost of $195,331, whereas SBRT yielded a health benefit of 2.33 QALYs at a cost of $225,271. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $1,480,597/QALY, indicating that MWA is the more cost-effective strategy. The conclusion remains unchanged in probabilistic sensitivity analysis with MWA being the optimal cost strategy in 99.84% simulations. One-way sensitivity analyses revealed that MWA remains cost effective when its annual recurrence risk is <18.4% averaged over 5 years, when the SBRT annual recurrence risk is >1.44% averaged over 5 years, or when MWA is at least $7,500 cheaper than SBRT. CONCLUSIONS: MWA appears to be more cost effective than SBRT for patients with inoperable stage I NSCLC.

Augmented fluoroscopy guided transbronchial pulmonary microwave ablation using a steerable sheath.

Background: Transbronchial microwave ablation (MWA) is a promising novel therapy. Despite advances in bronchoscopy and virtual navigation, real time image guidance of probe delivery is lacking, and distal maneuverability is limited. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) based augmented fluoroscopy guidance using steerable sheaths may help overcome these shortcomings. The aim of this study was to evaluate feasibility and accuracy of augmented fluoroscopy guided transbronchial MWA with a steerable sheath and without a bronchoscope. Methods: In this prospective study, procedures were performed under general anesthesia. Extra-bronchial lung synthetic targets were placed percutaneously. Target and airways extracted from CBCT, with planned bronchial parking point close to the target were overlaid on live fluoroscopy. Endobronchial navigation was solely performed under augmented fluoroscopy guidance. A 6.5 Fr steerable sheath was parked in the bronchus per plan, and a flexible MWA probe was inserted coaxially then advanced through the bronchus wall towards the target. Final in-target position was confirmed by CBCT. Only one ablation of 100 W-5 min was performed per target. Animals were euthanized and pathology analysis of the lungs was performed. Results: Eighteen targets with a median largest diameter of 9 mm (interquartile range, 7-11 mm) were ablated in 9 pigs. Median needle-target center distance was 2 mm (interquartile range, 0-4 mm), and was higher for lower/middle than for upper lobes [0 mm (interquartile range, 0-4 mm) vs. 4 mm (interquartile range, 3-8 mm), P=0.04]. No severe complications or pneumothorax occurred. Two cases of rib fractures in the ablation zone resolved after medical treatment. Median longest axis of the ablation zone on post-ablation computed tomography was 38 mm (interquartile range, 30-40 mm). Histology showed coagulation necrosis of ablated tissue. Conclusions: Transbronchial MWA under augmented fluoroscopy guidance using a steerable sheath is feasible and accurate.

The ADVICER Template for Faculty Reviewer Letters for Promotion and Appointment.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Promotion is an important milestone in the career of academic radiologists. Appointments, Promotion and Tenure (APT) committees require multiple letters of support from both internal and external referees. Traditional narrative letters are highly subjective, have high inter-reader variability, are time-intensive, and vulnerable to gender and other biases. The Alliance of Directors and Vice Chairs of Education in Radiology (ADVICER) recognized the need for a standardized template to assist academic faculty, letter writers, and APT committees. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An ADVICER ad hoc committee of six educators with experience serving as external referees was convened to create a standardized template. Committee members performed a search of the relevant literature and internet sites, spoke with stakeholders such as APT chairs, and ultimately developed a template for faculty reviewer letters using the common clinician-educator pathway as a focal point. RESULTS: An open source, modifiable, standardized, template was produced. The template has been made available to ADVICER members and is available on the Association of University Radiologists (AUR) website at: https://www.aur.org/resources/Template-for-Faculty-Reviewer-Letters-for-Promotion-and-Appointment CONCLUSION: This external referee template has the potential to reduce subjectivity, eliminate bias, and provide a flexible, modifiable, comprehensive faculty review letter template which will be useful for academic faculty, letter writers, and promotions committees.

Technical Feasibility and Safety of Repeated Computed Tomography-Guided Transthoracic Intratumoral Injection of Gene-Modified Cellular Immunotherapy in Metastatic NSCLC.

INTRODUCTION: To assess the technical feasibility and safety of repeated percutaneous computed tomography (CT)-guided transthoracic biopsies and intratumoral injections of gene-modified dendritic cells in metastatic NSCLC. METHODS: A total of 15 patients with 15 NSCLC lesions measuring greater than 1.0 cm underwent two cycles of intratumoral biopsies and CCL21 dendritic cell injections separated by 7 days. All needle placements and injections were done under CT guidance. Clinical and imaging follow-up was done approximately 4 weeks after the first procedure. Safety and feasibility were determined as: (1) safety and feasibility similar to that of single-needle biopsy, and (2) an absence of serious adverse events defined as grade greater than or equal to three according to the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0. RESULTS: A total of 30 percutaneous, transthoracic intratumoral biopsies and injections into the lung cancer were performed, two cycles (at d 0 and 7) received by each patient (311 biopsies and 96 intratumoral injections). All percutaneous cases achieved technical success with respect to needle placement for both biopsy and injection of CCL21 dendritic cells. Only minor complications were observed (grade <3), including pneumothorax (n = 10, 33%) and small postbiopsy hemorrhage (n = 2, 7%). Pneumothorax was moderate (n = 1) or trace (n = 9), with resolution of the moderate pneumothorax after manual aspiration without chest tube placement. No patient required chest tube placement. No other complications or serious adverse effects related to the biopsy or dendritic cell injection were noted. All patients were in stable condition after up to 4 hours in the recovery unit and were discharged home on the same day. No procedure-related complications were observed on imaging or clinical follow-up at 4 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Repeated percutaneous, transthoracic CT-guided biopsies and intratumoral gene-modified cell-based immunotherapy injections into lung cancers are technically feasible, safe, and reproducible. There were no procedure-related serious (defined as grade ≥3) adverse events.

The ECLIPSE Study: Efficacy of Cryoablation on Metastatic Lung Tumors With a 5-Year Follow-Up.

INTRODUCTION: The ECLIPSE study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of cryoablation (CA) for local tumor control in patients with pulmonary metastatic disease in 5 years of follow-up. METHODS: ECLIPSE was a prospective, multicenter, single-arm study that included patients treated with CA if they had one to five metastatic lung tumors, each with a diameter of less than or equal to 3.5 cm. Patients were followed up in the course of 5 years. The primary end point was local tumor control, both per tumor and per patient; secondary end points included cancer-specific survival, overall survival, and quality of life (QoL). QoL was evaluated using the Karnofsky Performance Score, the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance score, and the Short Form-12 health survey. RESULTS: The study included 40 patients across four sites (three in United States and one in Europe). A total of 60 metastatic pulmonary tumors were treated with 48 CA procedures. Overall local tumor control rates were 87.9% (29 of 33) and 79.2% (19 of 24) per tumor, 83.3% (20 of 24) and 75.0% (15 of 20) per patient, at 3 and 5 years, respectively. A total of five treated patients had local progression throughout the duration of the study. Disease-specific survival rate was 74.8% at 3 years and 55.3% at 5 years, whereas overall survival at 3 and 5 years was 63.2% and 46.7%, respectively. Patient QoL scores did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: CA is an effective means of long-term local tumor control in patients with metastatic pulmonary tumors.

Society of Interventional Radiology Multidisciplinary Position Statement on Percutaneous Ablation of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer and Metastatic Disease to the Lungs: Endorsed by the Canadian Association for Interventional Radiology, the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe, and the Society of Interventional Oncology.

PURPOSE: To state the Society of Interventional Radiology's position on the use of image-guided thermal ablation for the treatment of early stage non-small cell lung cancer, recurrent lung cancer, and metastatic disease to the lung. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A multidisciplinary writing group, with expertise in treating lung cancer, conducted a comprehensive literature search to identify studies on the topic of interest. Recommendations were drafted and graded according to the updated SIR evidence grading system. A modified Delphi technique was used to achieve consensus agreement on the recommendation statements. RESULTS: A total of 63 studies, including existing systematic reviews and meta-analysis, retrospective cohort studies, and single-arm trials were identified. The expert writing group developed and agreed on 7 recommendations on the use of image-guided thermal ablation in the lung. CONCLUSION: SIR considers image-guided thermal ablation to be an acceptable treatment option for patients with inoperable Stage I NSCLC, those with recurrent NSCLC, as well as patients with metastatic lung disease.

Outcomes with multi-disciplinary management of central lung tumors with CT-guided percutaneous high dose rate brachyablation.

BACKGROUND: Centrally located lung tumors present treatment challenges given their proximity to mediastinal structures including the central airway, esophagus, major vessels, and heart. Therapeutic options can be limited for medically inoperable patients, particularly if they have received previous thoracic radiotherapy. High dose rate (HDR) brachyablation was developed to improve the therapeutic ratio for patients with central lung tumors. The purpose of this study is to report initial safety and efficacy outcomes with this treatment for central lung malignancies. METHODS: From September 2015 to August 2019, a total of 25 patients with 37 pulmonary tumors were treated with percutaneous HDR brachyablation. Treatment was delivered by a multi-disciplinary team of interventional radiologists, pulmonologists, and radiation oncologists. Twenty-three patients received a median dose of 21.5 Gy (range 15-27.5) in a single fraction, whereas two patients received median dose of 24.75 Gy (range 24-25.5) over 2-3 fractions. Tumor local control (LC) was evaluated by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors v1.1. Treatment-related toxicities were graded by Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v5.0, with adverse events less than 90 days defined as acute, and those occurring later were defined as late. LC, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) rates were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Of 37 treated tumors, 88% were metastatic. Tumor location was central and ultra-central in 24.3% and 54.1%, respectively. Average tumor volume was 11.6 cm3 (SD 12.4, range 0.57-62.8). Median follow-up was 19 months (range 3-48). Two-year LC, PFS, and OS were 96.2%, 29.7%, and 65.5%, respectively. Thirteen of 39 (33.3%) catheter implantation procedures were associated with trace minor pneumothorax requiring no intervention, 1 (2.5%) procedure with minor radiographic pulmonary hemorrhage, and 4 (10.3%) with major pneumothorax requiring chest tube insertions. All procedural complications resolved within 24 h from treatment. Acute grade 1-2 toxicity was identified in 4 patients, whereas none developed late toxicity beyond 90 days of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous HDR brachyablation is a safe and promising treatment option for centrally located primary and metastatic lung tumors. Future comparisons with stereotactic body radiotherapy and other ablative techniques are warranted to expand multi-disciplinary management options.

Society of Interventional Radiology Quality Improvement Standards on Percutaneous Ablation of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Metastatic Disease to the Lungs.

PURPOSE: To provide guidance on quality improvement thresholds for outcomes and complications of image-guided thermal ablation for the treatment of early stage non-small cell lung cancer, recurrent lung cancer, and metastatic disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A multidisciplinary writing group conducted a comprehensive literature search to identify studies on the topic of interest. Data were extracted from relevant studies and thresholds were derived from a calculation of 2 standard deviations from the weighted mean of each outcome. A modified Delphi technique was used to achieve consensus agreement on the thresholds. RESULTS: Data from 29 studies, including systematic reviews and meta-analyses, retrospective cohort studies, and single-arm trials were extracted for calculation of the thresholds. The expert writing group agreed on thresholds for local control, overall survival and adverse events associated with image-guided thermal ablation. CONCLUSION: SIR recommends utilizing the indicator thresholds to review and assess the efficacy of ongoing quality improvement programs. When performance falls above or below specific thresholds, consideration of a review of policies and procedures to assess for potential causes, and to implement changes in practices, may be warranted.

Image-Guided Percutaneous Thermal Ablation of Oligometastatic Ovarian and Non-Ovarian Gynecologic Tumors.

PURPOSE: To assess the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of percutaneous thermal ablation (TA) in the treatment of metastatic gynecologic (GYN) tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A study cohort of 42 consecutive women (mean age, 59. years; range, 25-78 years) with metastatic GYN tumors (119 metastatic tumors) treated with radiofrequency (n = 47 tumors), microwave (n = 47 tumors), or cryogenic (n = 30 tumors) ablation from over 2,800 ablations performed from January 2001 to January 2019 was identified. The primary GYN neoplasms consisted of ovarian (27 patients; 77 tumors; mean tumor diameter [MTD], 2.50 cm), uterine (7 patients; 26 tumors; MTD, 1.89 cm), endometrial (5 patients; 10 tumors; MTD, 2.8 cm), vaginal (2 patients; 5 tumors; MTD, 2.40 cm), and cervical (1 patient; 1 tumor; MTD, 1.90 cm) cancers. In order of descending frequency, metastatic tumors treated by TA were located in the liver or liver capsule (74%), lungs (13%), and peritoneal implants (9%). Single tumors were also treated in the kidneys, rectus muscle, perirectal soft tissue (2.5%), and retroperitoneal lymph nodes (1.6%). All efficacy parameters of TA and definitions of major and minor adverse events are categorized by the latest Society of Interventional Radiology reporting standards. RESULTS: The median follow-up of treated patients was 10 months. After the initial ablation, 95.6% of the patients achieved a complete tumor response confirmed by contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography. On surveillance imaging, 8.5% of the ablated tumors developed local progression over a median follow-up period of 4.1 months. Five of 8 tumors with local recurrence underwent repeated treatment over a mean follow-up period of 18 months, and 4 of 5 tumors achieved complete eradication after 1 additional treatment session that resulted in a secondary efficacy of 80%. The overall technique efficacy of TA was 96.2% over a median follow-up period of 10 months. CONCLUSIONS: TA was safe and effective for the local control of metastatic GYN tumors in the lungs, abdomen, and pelvis, with an overall survival rate of 37.5 months and a local progression-free survival rate of 16.5 months, with only 4.8% of treated patients experiencing a major adverse event.

Treatment of Post-Ablation Bronchopleural Fistula Using Percutaneous Synthetic Hydrogel Surgical Sealant: Initial Experience of Safety and Efficacy.

Purpose Bronchopleural fistula is a rare but serious complication of lung ablation, as it is difficult to treat and is associated with a high mortality rate. Standard therapy often relies on surgical pleurodesis, which can be particularly problematic in patients with poor baseline lung function. A minimally invasive treatment option for bronchopleural fistula may offer an alternative to surgery for appropriate patients. This case series describes the technique, safety and efficacy of percutaneously administered synthetic hydrogel surgical sealant in the treatment of post-ablation bronchopleural fistula in five patients. Materials and methods Retrospective chart review was carried out in five consecutive patients identified to have had BPF after lung ablation between 2009 and 2017 who were treated with percutaneous administration of synthetic hydrogel surgical sealant using CT guidance. Results The procedure was successfully carried out in all patients without immediate complications, and complete resolution of air leak was achieved in four of five patients (80%). Up to the most recent follow-up, no evidence of delayed complications or recurrent air leak was present (follow-up range 1 week-8 years). Conclusion The authors' initial experience shows that targeted surgical sealant is a potentially safe and effective alternative treatment of post-ablation persistent air leak.

Determination of disease severity in COVID-19 patients using deep learning in chest X-ray images.

PURPOSE: Chest X-ray plays a key role in diagnosis and management of COVID-19 patients and imaging features associated with clinical elements may assist with the development or validation of automated image analysis tools. We aimed to identify associations between clinical and radiographic features as well as to assess the feasibility of deep learning applied to chest X-rays in the setting of an acute COVID-19 outbreak. METHODS: A retrospective study of X-rays, clinical, and laboratory data was performed from 48 SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positive patients (age 60±17 years, 15 women) between February 22 and March 6, 2020 from a tertiary care hospital in Milan, Italy. Sixty-five chest X-rays were reviewed by two radiologists for alveolar and interstitial opacities and classified by severity on a scale from 0 to 3. Clinical factors (age, symptoms, comorbidities) were investigated for association with opacity severity and also with placement of central line or endotracheal tube. Deep learning models were then trained for two tasks: lung segmentation and opacity detection. Imaging characteristics were compared to clinical datapoints using the unpaired student's t-test or Mann-Whitney U test. Cohen's kappa analysis was used to evaluate the concordance of deep learning to conventional radiologist interpretation. RESULTS: Fifty-six percent of patients presented with alveolar opacities, 73% had interstitial opacities, and 23% had normal X-rays. The presence of alveolar or interstitial opacities was statistically correlated with age (P = 0.008) and comorbidities (P = 0.005). The extent of alveolar or interstitial opacities on baseline X-ray was significantly associated with the presence of endotracheal tube (P = 0.0008 and P = 0.049) or central line (P = 0.003 and P = 0.007). In comparison to human interpretation, the deep learning model achieved a kappa concordance of 0.51 for alveolar opacities and 0.71 for interstitial opacities. CONCLUSION: Chest X-ray analysis in an acute COVID-19 outbreak showed that the severity of opacities was associated with advanced age, comorbidities, as well as acuity of care. Artificial intelligence tools based upon deep learning of COVID-19 chest X-rays are feasible in the acute outbreak setting.

Disposable Isolation Device to Reduce COVID-19 Contamination During CT Scanning.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The use of chest computed tomography (CT) in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic raises concern regarding the transmission risks to patients and staff caused by CT room contamination. Meanwhile the Center for Disease Control guidance for air exchange in between patients may heavily impact workflows. To design a portable custom isolation device to reduce imaging equipment contamination during a pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Center for Disease Control air exchange guidelines and requirements were reviewed. Device functional requirements were outlined and designed. Engineering requirements were reviewed. Methods of practice and risk mitigation plans were outlined including donning and doffing procedures and failure modes. Cost impact was assessed in terms of CT patient throughput. RESULTS: CT air exchange solutions and alternatives were reviewed. Multiple isolation bag device designs were considered. Several designs were custom fabricated, prototyped and reduced to practice. A final design was tested on volunteers for comfort, test-fit, air seal, and breathability. Less than 14 times enhanced patient throughput was estimated, in an ideal setting, which could more than counterbalance the cost of the device itself. CONCLUSION: A novel isolation bag device is feasible for use in CT and might facilitate containment and reduce contamination in radiology departments during the COVID Pandemic.

Alternatives to Surgery for Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Thermal Ablation.

Thermal ablation involves the application of heat or cold energy to the lung under image guidance to eradicate tumors. It is indicated for treatment of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer in nonsurgical patients. Ablation technologies have advanced, such that nearly all small tumors can now be treated safely and effectively. Ablation does not cause a lasting decline in pulmonary function tests and may therefore be used to treat multiple synchronous and metachronous lung tumors, a chief advantage over other treatments. Large series with intermediate- and long-term data have been reported showing favorable overall survival, similar to radiation therapy.

State of the Art: Toward Improving Outcomes of Lung and Liver Tumor Biopsies in Clinical Trials-A Multidisciplinary Approach.

PURPOSE: National Cancer Institute (NCI)-sponsored clinical trial network studies frequently require biopsy specimens for pharmacodynamic and molecular biomarker analyses, including paired pre- and post-treatment samples. The purpose of this meeting of NCI-sponsored investigators was to identify local institutional standard procedures found to ensure quantitative and qualitative specimen adequacy. METHODS: NCI convened a conference on best biopsy practices, focusing on the clinical research community. Topics discussed were (1) criteria for specimen adequacy in the personalized medicine era, (2) team-based approaches to ensure specimen adequacy and quality control, and (3) risk considerations relevant to academic and community practitioners and their patients. RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Key recommendations from the convened consensus panel included (1) establishment of infrastructure for multidisciplinary biopsy teams with a formalized information capture process, (2) maintenance of standard operating procedures with regular team review, (3) optimization of tissue collection and yield methodology, (4) incorporation of needle aspiration and other newer techniques, and (5) commitment of stakeholders to use of guideline documents to increase awareness of best biopsy practices, with the goal of universally improving tumor biopsy practices.