Development and Validation of a Nomogram Based on DCE-MRI Radiomics for Predicting Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1α Expression in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The expression levels of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α) have been identified as a pivotal marker, correlating with treatment response in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). This study aimed to develop and validate a nomogram based on dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) radiomics and clinical features for predicting the expression of HIF-1α in patients with LARC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 102 patients diagnosed with locally advanced rectal cancer were divided into training (n = 71) and validation (n = 31) cohorts. The expression statuses of HIF-1α were histopathologically classified, categorizing patients into high and low expression groups. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), minimum redundancy maximum relevance (mRMR), and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) were employed for feature selection to construct a radiomics signature and calculate the radiomics score (Rad-score). Univariate and multivariate analyses of clinical features and Rad-score were applied, and the clinical model and the nomogram were constructed. The predictive performance of the nomogram incorporating clinical features and Rad-score was assessed using Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curves, decision curve analysis (DCA), and calibration curves. RESULTS: Seven radiomics features from DCE-MRI were used to build the radiomics signature. The nomogram incorporating CEA, Ki-67 and Rad-score had the highest AUC values in the training cohort and in the validation cohort (AUC: 0.918 and 0.920). Decision curve analysis showed that the nomogram outperformed the clinical model and radiomics signature in terms of clinical utility. In addition, the calibration curve for the nomogram demonstrated good agreement between prediction and actual observation. CONCLUSION: The nomogram based on DCE-MRI radiomics and clinical features showed favorable predictive efficacy and might be useful for preoperatively discriminating the expression of HIF-1α.

Complete response to front-line therapies is associated with long-term survival in HIV-related lymphomas in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: The prognosis for people living with HIV (PLWH) who develop lymphomas has been greatly improved by combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) and anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies. However, real-world clinical data on this patient group in Asia are limited. METHODS: Treatment outcomes were retrospectively examined for 104 PLWH with lymphomas between 2000 and 2019. The cohort comprised five PLWH with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and 99 with non-Hodgkin lymphomas, including 61 with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), 19 with Burkitt lymphoma (BL), nine with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) and ten with other subtypes. RESULTS: The 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were as follows: HL (100%), PCNSL (76.2%), other subtypes (60.0%), BL (57.4%), and DLBCL (55.6%). Individuals who achieved complete response (CR) to front-line therapies had a significantly better 5-year OS rate than those without (96.2% vs. 17.8%, p < 0.001). PLWH who received cART for ≤6 months had significantly lower CD4+ T-cell counts at lymphoma diagnosis than those who received cART for longer periods (p = 0.048). Additionally, the 5-year OS rate was better for PLWH who received cART for ≤6 months before lymphomas diagnosis than those who received cART for longer periods (64.5% vs. 51.9%, p = 0.114). CONCLUSIONS: PLWH with DLBCL or BL had OS rates compatible to patients without HIV infection. Better outcomes for patients achieving CR to front-line therapy and those with shorter cART duration before lymphoma diagnosis suggest an underlying biological distinction in the lymphomas and the involvement of immunity, which warrants further studies.

Prediction by a multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging-based radiomics signature model of disease-free survival in patients with rectal cancer treated by surgery.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the ability of a multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based radiomics signature model to predict disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with rectal cancer treated by surgery. Materials and methods: We evaluated data of 194 patients with rectal cancer who had undergone radical surgery between April 2016 and September 2021. The mean age of all patients was 62.6 ± 9.7 years (range: 37-86 years). The study endpoint was DFS and 1132 radiomic features were extracted from preoperative MRIs, including contrast-enhanced T1- and T2-weighted imaging and apparent diffusion coefficient values. The study patients were randomly allocated to training (n=97) and validation cohorts (n=97) in a ratio of 5:5. A multivariable Cox regression model was used to generate a radiomics signature (rad score). The associations of rad score with DFS were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Three models, namely a radiomics nomogram, radiomics signature, and clinical model, were compared using the Akaike information criterion. Result: The rad score, which was composed of four MRI features, stratified rectal cancer patients into low- and high-risk groups and was associated with DFS in both the training (p = 0.0026) and validation sets (p = 0.036). Moreover, a radiomics nomogram model that combined rad score and independent clinical risk factors performed better (Harrell concordance index [C-index] =0.77) than a purely radiomics signature (C-index=0.73) or clinical model (C-index=0.70). Conclusion: An MRI radiomics model that incorporates a radiomics signature and clinicopathological factors more accurately predicts DFS than does a clinical model in patients with rectal cancer.

Tmem119 expression is downregulated in a subset of brain metastasis-associated microglia.

Under pathological conditions, the immune-specialized brain microenvironment contains both resident microglia and bone marrow-derived myeloid cells recruited from peripheral circulation. Due to largely overlapping phenotypic similarities between these ontogenically distinct myeloid populations, studying their individual functions in central nervous system diseases has been challenging. Recently, transmembrane protein 119 (Tmem119) has been reported as a marker for resident microglia which is not expressed by bone marrow-derived myeloid cells. However, several studies have reported the loss or reduction of Tmem119 expression in pathologically activated microglia. Here, we examined whether Tmem119 could be used as a robust marker to identify brain metastasis-associated microglia. In addition, we also compared Tmem119 expression of primary microglia to the immortalized microglia-like BV2 cell line and characterized expression changes after LPS treatment. Lastly, we used a commercially available transgenic mouse line (Tmem119-eGFP) to compare Tmem119 expression patterns to the traditional antibody-based detection methods. Our results indicate that brain metastasis-associated microglia have reduced Tmem119 gene and protein expression.

Diagnostic role of F-18 FDG PET/CT in determining preoperative Lymph node status of patients with rectal cancer: a meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To obtain performance values of PET/CT for determining the nodal status of rectal cancer. MATERIALS: A comprehensive literature search was performed on PubMed and Embase for original diagnostic accuracy studies on the diagnostic performance of PET-CT for detection of LN metastasis in rectal cancer. The QUADAS-2 was used to evaluate the methodological quality of each study. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, and AUC were calculated to estimate the diagnostic role of PET/CT using a random-effects model. A subgroup analysis was performed to investigate the influence of different parameters on diagnostic performance. RESULTS: A total of 15 studies and 1209 patients were included. A publication bias was observed. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and AUC for PET/CT was 0.62 (95% CI 0.49, 0.74), 0.94 (95% CI 0.87, 0.97), and 0.87 (95% CI 0.83-0.89), respectively. Per-node basis yields higher accuracy than per-patient basis, with pooled sensitivities of 0.65 (95% CI 0.50-0.79) vs. 0.56 (95% CI 0.36-0.77) and specificities of 0.96 (95% CI 0.92-1.00) vs. 0.88 (95% CI 0.76-1.00), but there were no significant differences in diagnostic accuracy. CONCLUSION: PET/CT has high specificity but moderate sensitivity for the detection of LN metastasis in rectal cancer. The current data suggests that the diagnostic capabilities of this method is limited due to its moderate sensitivity.

Improved outcomes of localized diffuse large B-cell lymphoma at the Waldeyer ring in comparison to the sinonasal area in the rituximab era.

BACKGROUND: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) of the head-and-neck area primarily involves the Waldeyer ring (WR) and sinonasal area (SN). However, the differential clinical outcomes between patients with WR-DLBCL and those with SN-DLBCL in the rituximab era remain unclear. METHODS: To avoid confounding factors contributed by advanced DLBCL with WR and SN involvement, we assessed the clinical outcomes of patients with stage I/II WR-DLBCL and SN-DLBCL and compared them with those having corresponding stages of DLBCL in the lymph nodes but without other extranodal involvement (LN-DLBCL) in the same period. We compared the patients' clinical characteristics, treatment modalities, event-free survival (EFS), and overall survival (OS) among the three subgroups. RESULTS: We analyzed 67, 15, and 106 patients with WR-DLBCL, SN-DLBCL, and LN-DLBCL, respectively, between January 2000 and December 2019. All patients received front-line rituximab-based regimens, and > 80% received rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone-based regimens. More patients with SN-DLBCL had revised International Prognostic Index (R-IPI) score 3 (27%) when compared with those with WR-DLBCL (7%) and those with LN-DLBCL (10%, p = 0.181). Patients with WR-DLBCL, LN-DLBCL, and SN-DLBCL had 5-year EFS and OS rates of 80.7%, 59.5%, and 41.9% (p = 0.021) and 83.7%, 70.8%, and 55.8% (p = 0.032), respectively. Compared to patients with LN-DLBCL, those with WR-DLBCL also had a significantly favorable 5-year EFS rate (p = 0.021) and 5-year OS rate (p = 0.023). Three of the 15 patients with SN-DLBCL experienced lymphoma recurrence in the brain after front-line treatment. In multivariate analyses, R-IPI scores of 1-2 and 3 served as significantly poor prognostic factors for patients with poor EFS and OS. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to patients with LN-DLBCL, patients with WR-DLBCL receiving front-line rituximab-based treatments had favorable clinical outcomes; however, patients with SN-DLBCL had worse clinical outcomes. Further studies on molecular prognostic factors and treatment strategies for SN-DLBCL are warranted.

The classification of benign and malignant lung nodules based on CT radiomics: a systematic review, quality score assessment, and meta-analysis.

Radiomics methods are increasingly used to identify benign and malignant lung nodules, and early monitoring is essential in prognosis and treatment strategy formulation. To evaluate the diagnostic performance of computed tomography (CT)-based radiomics for distinguishing between benign and malignant lung nodules by performing a meta-analysis. Between January 2000 and December 2021, we searched the PubMed and Embase electronic databases for studies in English. Studies were included if they demonstrated the sensitivity and specificity of CT-based radiomics for diagnosing benign and malignant lung nodules. The studies were evaluated using the QUADAS-2 and radiomics quality scores (RQS). The inhomogeneity of the data and publishing bias were also evaluated. Some subgroup analyses were performed to investigate the impact of diagnostic efficiency. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) Guidelines were followed for this meta-analysis. A total of 20 studies involving 3793 patients were included. The combined sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio, and area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve based on CT radiomics diagnosis of benign and malignant lung nodules were 0.81, 0.86, 27.00, and 0.91, respectively. Deek's funnel plot asymmetry test confirmed no significant publication bias in all studies. Fagan nomograms showed a 40% increase in post-test probability among pretest-positive patients. Current evidence shows that CT-based radiomics has high accuracy in the diagnosis of benign and malignant lung nodules.

Effect of anlotinib combined with ticeorgio for recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a case report.

For patients with locally unresectable recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma who relapsed after 2 years of radiotherapy, re-radiotherapy is also the preferred treatment. However, for patients relapsed within 2 years, the use of re-radiotherapy would be greatly limited by its adverse effects. Consequently, finding a new strategy to prolong the time of re-radiotherapy for locally recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma is very necessary to reduce the related side effects and improve the curative effect. Anlotinib is an orally available small molecule multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor that primarily inhibits VEGFR2/3, FGFR1-4, PDGFR α/ß, c-Kit, and Ret. However, whether recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients can be treated with anlotinib combined with ticeorgio (also called S-1) remains unknown. Herein, we report a nasopharyngeal carcinoma patient with local recurrence after radical radiotherapy who benefited from combination treatment of anlotinib with ticeorgio.

Type I interferon response in astrocytes promotes brain metastasis by enhancing monocytic myeloid cell recruitment.

Cancer metastasis to the brain is a significant clinical problem. Metastasis is the consequence of favorable interactions between invaded cancer cells and the microenvironment. Here, we demonstrate that cancer-activated astrocytes create a sustained low-level activated type I interferon (IFN) microenvironment in brain metastatic lesions. We further confirm that the IFN response in astrocytes facilitates brain metastasis. Mechanistically, IFN signaling in astrocytes activates C-C Motif Chemokine Ligand 2 (CCL2) production, which further increases the recruitment of monocytic myeloid cells. The correlation between CCL2 and monocytic myeloid cells is confirmed in clinical brain metastasis samples. Lastly, genetically or pharmacologically inhibiting C-C Motif Chemokine Receptor 2 (CCR2) reduces brain metastases. Our study clarifies a pro-metastatic effect of type I IFN in the brain even though IFN response has been considered to have anti-tumor effects. Moreover, this work expands our understandings on the interactions between cancer-activated astrocytes and immune cells in brain metastasis.

First-line antibiotic treatment in patients with localized extragastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma.

Between January 2010 and December 2015, we enrolled 28 patients with stage IEI/IIE1 extragastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma who received first-line antibiotic treatment, after informing them about the pros and cons of alternative therapies. In addition, during the same period, 64 patients with stage IE/IIE1 disease who received conventional treatment were selected as the control group. The most common primary sites were the ocular adnexal area (17 cases), followed by the salivary glands (four cases), pulmonary (three cases), and thyroid, trachea, larynx, and colon region (one case each). First-line antibiotic treatment resulted in an overall response rate of 57.1%: 12 patients achieved complete remission (CR), while four achieved partial remission (antibiotic-responsive tumors). Monoclonal gammopathy was significantly prevalent in antibiotic-unresponsive tumors than in antibiotic-responsive tumors (50.0% [6/12] vs. 12.5% [2/16], p = 0.044). After a median follow-up of 7 years, all patients with CR remained lymphoma-free, with 7-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) rates of 62.7% and 96.4%, respectively. The 7-year EFS and OS rates of patients who received conventional treatments were 73.1% and 91.1%, respectively. Compared with that noted in patients who received conventional treatment, antibiotic treatment was effective in some patients with localized extragastric MALT lymphoma.

Long-term outcomes of combined intravitreal methotrexate and systemic high-dose methotrexate therapy in vitreoretinal lymphoma.

OBJECTIVE: The optimal treatment for vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL) remains a challenge, as central nervous system (CNS) relapse occurs frequently, leading to the worst impact on survival. We previously proposed combined intravitreal methotrexate and systemic high-dose methotrexate therapy for this disease. This study aimed to report the long-term outcomes of patients with VRL using this combination treatment. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study on patients with VRL at a tertiary referral center between 2003 and 2018. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients were included, of whom 23 had primary VRL (PVRL) and nine had concurrent intraocular and CNS diseases. The treatment was well tolerated. Twenty-six (81.3%) patients achieved complete response (CR). After a median follow-up time of 103.5 months, the 5-year survival rate was 73.3%, whereas the 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 29.9%. Twenty-four (75%) patients relapsed, including 12 with isolated intraocular relapses at first relapse and a total of 17 with CNS/systemic relapses. The development of CNS/systemic relapse negatively affected survival, but intraocular relapse did not. The median CNS/systemic PFS was 69.5 months, but the risk of CNS/systemic relapse increased steadily with a cumulative incidence rate at 2, 5, and 10 years being 22.6%, 44.2%, and 65%, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified concurrent CNS disease at diagnosis as the only poor-risk factor for CNS/systemic relapse. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms good efficacy and acceptable toxicities of the combination approach. However, incorporation of further intensive consolidation strategies into the treatment protocol to effectively prevent subsequent CNS/systemic relapse deserves to be considered.

Delay of Surgery for Spinal Metastasis due to the COVID-19 Outbreak Affected Patient Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: The present study is to analyze the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 2019) outbreak and the subsequent lockdown on the outcomes of spinal metastasis patients. METHODS: The study was a retrospective analysis of data from a prospective cohort study. All patients underwent surgical intervention for spinal metastases between January 2019 and December 2021 and had at least 3 months of postoperative follow-up. The primary outcome was overall mortality during the 4 different stages (pre-COVID-19 era, COVID-19 pandemic except in Taiwan, national lockdown, lifting of the lockdown). The secondary outcomes were the oncological severity scores, medical/surgical accessibility, and patient functional outcome during the 4 periods as well as survival/mortality. RESULTS: A total of 233 patients were included. The overall mortality rate was 41.20%. During the Taiwan lockdown, more patients received palliative surgery than other surgical methods, and no total en bloc spondylectomy was performed. The time from surgeon visit to operation was approximately doubled after the COVID-19 outbreak in Taiwan (75.97, 86.63, 168.79, and 166.91 hours in the 4 periods, respectively). The estimated survival probability was highest after the national lockdown was lifted and lowest during the lockdown. In the multivariate analysis, increased risk of mortality was observed with delay of surgery, with emergency surgery having a higher risk with delays above 33 hours, urgent surgery (below 59 and above 111 hours), and elective surgery (above 332 hours). CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic and related policies have altered daily clinical practice and negatively impacted the survival of patients with spinal metastases.

Clinical Outcomes of Metastatic Breast Cancer in Patients Having Imaging Liver Pseudocirrhosis with or without Evident Varices.

BACKGROUND: Pseudocirrhosis is an imaging finding of malignancies with liver metastasis with or without clinical liver cirrhosis-related portal hypertension (pHTN). This study defined evident pHTN by the presence of esophageal or gastric varices and compared patients' outcomes of metastatic breast cancer with imaging-diagnosed pseudocirrhosis with or without varices. METHODS: The medical records from patients with metastatic breast cancer and pseudocirrhosis between 2005 and 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. Survival outcomes were compared based on endoscopic evidence of esophageal or gastric varices. RESULTS: Among 106 patients with pseudocirrhosis, 33 (31%) had de novo stage IV disease, and 66 (62%) had hormone receptor (HR)-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative breast cancer. Eighty-one (76%) had initial metastases in both hepatic lobes, and 32 (30%) had esophageal or gastric varices. The median overall survival (OS) was 5 and 13 months in patients with and without varices (P = .002). The median OS in patients with HER2-positive, HR-positive/HER2-negative, and triple-negative subtype was 16, 9, and 2 months, respectively (P = .001). Patients with varices usually had cirrhotic complications, including gastrointestinal bleeding, hyperbilirubinemia, hyperammonemia, and coagulopathy. Despite their challenging clinical conditions, 7 patients with varices had OS exceeding 1 year. In multivariate analysis, evident varices (P = .007) and triple-negative subtype (P = .013) were associated with poor OS. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with pseudocirrhosis and evident varices had a significantly shorter median OS, and were usually associated with clinical cirrhosis-related complications. To maximize OS, early identification and meticulous supportive care are warranted.

DCE-MRI radiomics models predicting the expression of radioresistant-related factors of LRP-1 and survivin in locally advanced rectal cancer.

Objective: Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-1 (LRP-1) and survivin are associated with radiotherapy resistance in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). This study aimed to evaluate the value of a radiomics model based on dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) for the preoperative assessment of LRP-1 and survivin expressions in these patients. Methods: One hundred patients with pathologically confirmed LARC who underwent DCE-MRI before surgery between February 2017 and September 2021 were included in this retrospective study. DCE-MRI perfusion histogram parameters were calculated for the entire lesion using post-processing software (Omni Kinetics, G.E. Healthcare, China), with three quantitative parameter maps. LRP-1 and survivin expressions were assessed by immunohistochemical methods and patients were classified into low- and high-expression groups. Results: Four radiomics features were selected to construct the LRP-1 discrimination model. The LRP-1 predictive model achieved excellent diagnostic performance, with areas under the receiver operating curve (AUCs) of 0.853 and 0.747 in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. The other four radiomics characteristics were screened to construct the survivin predictive model, with AUCs of 0.780 and 0.800 in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. Decision curve analysis confirmed the clinical usefulness of the radiomics models. Conclusion: DCE-MRI radiomics models are particularly useful for evaluating LRP-1 and survivin expressions in patients with LARC. Our model has significant potential for the preoperative identification of patients with radiotherapy resistance and can serve as an essential reference for treatment planning.

Occurrence of ventricular septal perforation in patients with permanent left bundle branch pacing followed up using echocardiographic and computed tomography images.

OBJECTIVE: To explore short-term changes after left bundle branch pacing (LBBP) using echocardiography and computed tomography (CT), especially for postoperative ventricular septal perforation. METHODS: Between January and September 2019, 33 patients with atrioventricular block underwent LBBP at Beijing Anzhen Hospital. All the patients were evaluated using electrocardiography, pacing, parameters and echocardiographic measurements, including for major complications, during the 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24-month follow-up. Interval perforations were examined during a 1-month follow-up echocardiogram and CT. RESULTS: Left bundle branch pacing was successfully performed in 100% (33/33) of patients. The mean seizure threshold was stable and unchanged postoperatively at the 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24-month follow-up. The paced QRS duration of the LBBP was 119.72 ± 2.53 ms and <130 ms in all patients. Unipolar impedance during the procedure was higher than 500 Ω (662.00 ± 181.50 Ω). No ventricular septal perforation occurred at the end of the procedure. At the 1-month follow-up, two patients reported transthoracic echocardiography, with CT revealing septal lead perforation. Through CT, two other patients were found to have septal lead perforation, and echocardiography indicated that the pacing lead had penetrated the interventricular septum and entered the left subendocardium. At the 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24-month follow-up, these four patients exhibited no significant increase in pacing threshold or impedance (p > .05). No ventricular thrombus or stroke was detected. CONCLUSION: Permanent LBBP is safe and feasible in patients with bradycardia. Echocardiography and/or CT can more accurately evaluate changes in cardiac structure and function after LBBP.

Comparing the diagnostic performance of radiotracers in prostate cancer biochemical recurrence: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To systematically assess the early detection rate of biochemical prostate cancer recurrence using choline, fluciclovine, and PSMA. METHODS: Under the guidance of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis Diagnostic Test Accuracy guidelines, literature that assessed the detection rates (DRs) of choline, fluciclovine, and PSMA in prostate cancer biochemical recurrence was searched in PubMed and EMBASE databases for our systematic review from 2012 to July 15, 2021. In addition, the PSA-stratified performance of detection positivity was obtained to assess the DRs for various methods, including fluciclovine, PSMA, or choline PET/CT, with respect to biochemical recurrence based on different PSA levels. RESULTS: In total, 64 studies involving 11,173 patients met the inclusion criteria. Of the studies, 12, 7, and 48 focused on choline, fluciclovine, and PSMA, respectively. The pooled DRs were 24%, 37%, and 44%, respectively, for a PSA level less than 0.5 ng/mL (p < 0.001); 36%, 44%, and 60% for a PSA level of 0.5-0.99 ng/mL (p < 0.001); and 50%, 61%, and 80% for a PSA level of 1.0-1.99 ng/mL (p < 0.001). The DR with 18F-labeled PSMA was higher than that with 68Ga-labeled PSMA, and the DR was 58%, 72%, and 88% for PSA levels < 0.5 ng/mL, 0.5-0.9 ng/mL, and 1.0-1.99 ng/mL, respectively. CONCLUSION: The DRs of PSMA-radiotracers were greater than those of choline-radiotracers and fluciclovine-radiotracers at the patient level. 18F-labeled PSMA achieved a higher DR than 68Ga-labeled PSMA. KEY POINTS: • The DRs of PSMA-radiotracers were greater than those of choline-radiotracers and fluciclovine-radiotracers at the patient level. • 18F-labeled PSMA achieved a higher DR than 68Ga-labeled PSMA.

Novel Deployable Panel Structure Integrated with Thick Origami and Morphing Bistable Composite Structures.

This paper proposes a novel deployable panel structure integrated with a bistable composite structure and thick panel based on the thick origami technique. To overcome the interference effects between thick panels, the axis shift method is used in this deployable structure design. Bistable composite structures are employed as hinges for morphing characteristics. The trigger force and load-displacement curves of the structure are obtained by experiments and numerical simulations. The factors that affect the coverage area-to-package volume ratio and trigger force are discussed. The experimental and numerical results verify that the structure has two stable configurations and a large coverage area-to-package volume ratio.

Clinical outcomes for patients with thymoma and thymic carcinoma after undergoing different front-line chemotherapy regimens.

BACKGROUND: Front-line platinum-base chemotherapy for advanced thymoma and thymic carcinoma (TC) improves resectability and prolongs patients' overall survival (OS). In this study, we evaluated patients' outcomes given different front-line regimens: cisplatin, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide (CAP); cisplatin and etoposide (EP); or cisplatin and paclitaxel (TP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the medical records of patients with advanced thymoma and TC who were treated at our medical center between 2005 and 2015. We investigated objective response rates (ORRs), progression-free survival (PFS), and OS after undergoing different front-line regimens. RESULTS: Among the 108 enrolled patients, 37 (34%) had thymoma and 71 (66%) had TC; 45 received CAP, 36 received EP, and 27 received TP regimens. The ORRs of patients receiving CAP, EP, and TP were 51%, 50%, and 41%, respectively. For patients with stage III and IVA disease, the median PFS after CAP, EP, and TP were 34.5, 26.4, and 18.0 months (p = 0.424), respectively, and the 5-year OS rates were 84.9%, 70.6%, and 60.0% (p = 0.509). In patients with stage IVB disease, the median PFS were 9.4, 8.2, and 11.6 months after undergoing CAP, EP, and TP (p = 0.173), respectively, and the 5-year OS rates were 41.1%, 39.1%, and 14.3% (p = 0.788). TC pathology subtype and liver metastasis were associated with poor OS. Three patients with stage IVB TC had an OS of more than 5 years. CONCLUSION: Different front-line chemotherapy regimens may provide similar long-term PFS and OS in patients with advanced thymoma and TC. In addition to TC and liver metastasis were associated with poor OS, other potential prognostic factors are warranted for studying.