New Challenges in the Management of Cholangiocarcinoma: The Role of Liver Transplantation, Locoregional Therapies, and Systemic Therapy.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a neoplasm with high mortality that represents 15% of all primary liver tumors. Its worldwide incidence is on the rise, and despite important advances in the knowledge of molecular mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatment, overall survival has not substantially improved in the last decade. Surgical resection remains the cornerstone therapy for CCA. Unfortunately, complete resection is only possible in less than 15-35% of cases, with a risk of recurrence greater than 60%. Liver transplantation (LT) has been postulated as an effective therapeutic strategy in those intrahepatic CCA (iCCA) smaller than 3 cm. However, the low rate of early diagnosis in non-resectable patients justifies the low applicability in clinical practice. The evidence regarding LT in locally advanced iCCA is scarce and based on small, retrospective, and, in most cases, single-center case series. In this setting, the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy could be useful in identifying a subgroup of patients with biologically less aggressive tumors in whom LT may be successful. The results of LT in pCCA are promising, however, we need a very careful selection of patients and adequate experience in the transplant center. Locoregional therapies may be relevant in unresectable, liver-only CCA. In iCCA smaller than 2 cm, particularly those arising in patients with advanced chronic liver disease in whom resection or LT may not be feasible, thermal ablation may become a reliable alternative. The greatest advances in the management of CCA occur in systemic treatment. Immunotherapy associated with chemotherapy has emerged as the gold standard in the first-line treatment. Likewise, the most encouraging results have been obtained with targeted therapies, where the use of personalized treatments has shown high rates of objective and durable tumor response, with clear signs of survival benefit. In conclusion, the future of CCA treatment seems to be marked by the development of new treatment strategies but high-quality, prospective studies that shed light on their use and applicability are mandatory.

Application of the ROLL technique as a method of excisional biopsy in oncological pathology. / Aplicación de la técnica ROLL como método de biopsia excisional en patología oncológica.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the utility of the ROLL (Radioguided Occult Lesion Localization) technique as a method of excisional biopsy in hypermetabolic lesions suspected of malignancy evidenced in [18F]Fluordeoxiglucose PET/CT scans. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 33 patients were retrospectively evaluated referred for metabolic studies due to tumoral pathology or suspected neoplastic process and presenting hypermetabolic adenopathies with high probability of malignancy. The group consisted of 19 women and 14 men, ranging from 23 to 77 years old. Patients were performed a ROLL technique for localization and removal the selected adenopathies, through the injection of [99mTc] macro-aggregates of albumin guided by ultrasound or CT. A detection probe and a portable gamma camera were used during the surgical procedure. RESULTS: In 31 patients (94%) the location and removal of the radiolabeled adenopathies was achieved. In one patient the location of the lesion was not possible and a second patient was not operated due to inadequate dose injection confirmed by gammagraphy study. The result of the anatomopathological study of adenopathies resulted in 23 tumor affections and 8 benign processes, including a granulomatous process. CONCLUSION: The ROLL technique proved its utility as a radioguided excisional biopsy method for the study of lesions suspected of malignancy evidenced in patients undergoing PET/CT studies. The technique allowed to confirm the persistence of oncological process in some cases and the existence of false positives from the imaging study in others, modifying the patients therapeutic management.

Gastrointestinal Transit Scintigraphy in a Case of Syringomyelia.

Syringomyelia is a rare degenerative disease affecting the spinal cord and brain stem causing progressive neurological dysfunction. The presence of gastrointestinal symptoms in these patients is common, although references related to nuclear medicine imaging procedures in this pathology are limited, focusing on the study of gastric emptying. We present a 47-year-old male patient diagnosed with syringomyelia and persistent digestive symptoms who underwent gastrointestinal transit scintigraphy to assess the extent of dysmotility. Liquid gastric emptying and small-bowel transit were normal. Large bowel showed poor activity in descending and rectosigmoid colon, being compatible with generalized slow colon transit.

Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography in a Case of POEMS Syndrome.

The POEMS syndrome is a rare and multisystemic disease characterized by the presence of polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, presence of M protein, and alterations in the skin. The existence of bone lesions is frequent, being generally blastic or mixed and rarely lytic. We present the case of a 54-year-old male patient diagnosed with POEMS syndrome, with atypical presence of lytic lesions, who was referred for an 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) study for initial staging of the process. There were several hypermetabolic foci coinciding with bone lesions, reaching a maximum standardized uptake value of 15 at the level of the right iliac bone with associated soft-tissue mass. PET-CT is an adequate tool for evaluation, diagnosis, and monitoring of the pathology. The scan allows the detection and selection for its biopsy of bone lesions and lymphadenopathies.

Contribution of ¹¹¹In-pentetreotide SPECT/CT imaging to conventional somatostatin receptor scintigraphy in the detection of neuroendocrine tumours.

AIM: The aim of the study was to assess the contribution of 111In-pentetreotide single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) imaging to conventional somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS) in terms of lesion characterization and localization in the detection of neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 107 patients with suspected or confirmed NET underwent SRS and SPECT/CT after the injection of 148-222 MBq of 111In-pentetreotide. SRS and SPECT/CT images were interpreted independently. Each site of abnormal tracer uptake was recorded according to the anatomical localization, and as being consistent or not with NET. The findings were confirmed with pathological and/or clinical/imaging follow-up data. RESULTS: A final diagnosis of NET was achieved in 49/107 patients (45.8%). No evidence of NET was found in the rest. SPECT/CT resulted in a significant reduction of indeterminate cases [14/107 (13.1%) vs. 1/107 (0.9%); P<0.001] and correctly reclassified one patient as negative for NET and another as positive for NET. SPECT/CT had 87.8% sensitivity and 96.6% specificity on a patient-based analysis, statistically higher than SRS (P<0.001). A total of 160 foci were detected (108 NETs and 52 physiological/benign tumours). SRS correctly classified 105/160 foci (65.6%) and remained inaccurate for 55 lesions. These 55 included 31 indeterminate lesions, 12 lesions detected only by SPECT/CT and 12 false-positive lesions. The number of foci correctly classified on the SPECT/CT images was 151/160 (94.4%), whereas two remained indeterminate and seven were false-positive findings. CONCLUSION: SPECT/CT provides incremental diagnostic value over SRS, mainly because of a precise anatomical localization that helps discriminate between tumour lesions and physiological uptake. SPECT/CT may detect unsuspected lesions in a small proportion of patients.

Unsuspected urinoma of an obstructed kidney detected in a bone scan in a patient with lung cancer.

A 60-year-old woman with an adenocarcinoma of the lung was referred to our department for a bone scan to assess the extension of the metastatic bone disease. The images showed several foci of radiotracer uptake in the bone consistent with malignant involvement. Besides, a considerable accumulation of tracer was shown in the right perinephric region as well as in the renal pelvis. SPECT/CT images demonstrated a superior perirenal urine leak due to rupture of the collecting system. The leakage was treated by urinary catheter decompression with complete recovery after 4 weeks.