Light scattering by pulmonary alveoli and airway surface liquid using a concentric sphere model.

We employ a concentric sphere Mie scattering model to describe light scattering by pulmonary alveoli and airway surface liquid (ASL). Using this layered sphere model, we compare alveolar scattering at different points along the respiratory cycle and observe the effect of ASL thickness on light scattering in the lung. We have also extrapolated the model to investigate alveolar scattering in various animal models of pulmonary disease. This model of pulmonary light scattering can estimate in vivo optical properties for normal and pathological states, potentially aiding the design of optical systems for diagnosis and investigation of pulmonary pathologies.

Patient preferences in tinnitus outcomes and treatments: a qualitative study.

In order to identify patient preferences in care for tinnitus an in depth grounded theory study was conducted. This consisted of interviews with 41 patients who had sought help for tinnitus across a range of locations and tinnitus services in England. Preferences for outcomes were for both the removal of the tinnitus and for improved coping and management of the tinnitus. Preferences for treatment were for individualized care, tailored information and for treatment to assist with psychological adjustment and auditory distraction. Adoption of treatments to manage tinnitus were based on a trial and error approach. Patients? preferences for individual treatments varied but were informed by the information they received. Information plays an important role in care for people with tinnitus. Patients hold individual preferences and require engagement in shared decision making.

The development of a decision aid for tinnitus.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a decision aid for tinnitus care that would meet international consensus for decision aid quality. DESIGN: A mixed methods design that included qualitative in-depth interviews, literature review, focus groups, user testing and readability checking. STUDY SAMPLE: Patients and clinicians who have clinical experience of tinnitus. RESULTS: A decision aid for tinnitus care was developed. This incorporates key evidence of efficacy for the most frequently used tinnitus care options, together with information derived from patient priorities when deciding which choice to make. CONCLUSION: The decision aid has potential to enable shared decision making between clinicians and patients in audiology. The decision aid meets consensus standards.

Efficacy of qualitative response assessment interpretation criteria at 18F-FDG PET-CT for predicting outcome in locally advanced cervical carcinoma treated with chemoradiotherapy.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the utility of a standardized qualitative scoring system for treatment response assessment at 18F-FDG PET-CT in patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced cervical carcinoma and correlate this with subsequent patient outcome. METHODS: Ninety-six consecutive patients with locally advanced cervical carcinoma treated with radical chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in a single centre between 2011 and 2014 underwent 18F-FDG PET-CT approximately 3 months post-treatment. Tumour metabolic response was assessed qualitatively using a 5-point scale ranging from background level activity only through to progressive metabolic disease. Clinical and radiological (MRI pelvis) follow-up was performed in all patients. Progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method (Mantel-Cox log-rank) and correlated with qualitative score using Chi-squared test. RESULTS: Forty patients (41.7 %) demonstrated complete metabolic response (CMR) on post-treatment PET-CT (Score 1/2) with 38 patients (95.0 %) remaining disease free after a minimum follow-up period of 18 months. Twenty-four patients (25.0 %) had indeterminate residual uptake (ID, Score 3) at primary or nodal sites after treatment, of these eight patients (33.3 %) relapsed on follow-up, including all patients with residual nodal uptake (n = 4Eleven11 of 17 patients (64.7 %) with significant residual uptake (partial metabolic response, PMR, Score 4) subsequently relapsed. In 15 patients (15.6 %) PET-CT demonstrated progressive disease (PD, Score 5) following treatment. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a highly statistically significant difference in PFS and OS between patients with CMR, indeterminate uptake, PMR and PD (Log-rank, P < 0.0001). Chi-squared test demonstrated a highly statistically significant association between increasing qualitative score and risk of recurrence or death (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Use of a 5-point qualitative scoring system to assess metabolic response to CRT in locally advanced cervical carcinoma predicts survival outcome and this prognostic information may help guide further patient management.

"They didn't think we'd do it!": Community gardening as an act of resistance for people with dementia.

People living with dementia commonly report negative experiences such as disempowerment, stigma, and oppression. Community gardening has demonstrated its potential as a forum for the practice of resistance against the oppressions experienced by other marginalised groups; however, this element of the experience of community gardening has yet to be explored in the context of dementia. A collaboratively-designed community gardening project took place over six weeks, involving six people with dementia. The participants selected all activities undertaken in the garden. Data were collected through semi-structured group interviews with the gardeners and researcher observations. Context-setting semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with four day centre staff members, and three key informants who had experienced working with people with dementia in the garden. The garden acted as a platform for the articulation of both verbal and embodied expressions of resistance against the disempowerment and loss of agency experienced by many people with dementia. The participatory design of the gardening sessions enabled the gardeners to assert their autonomy and independence, and defy the negative stereotypes associated with dementia, which some of the group members appeared to have internalised. Community gardening activities may offer a forum for expressions of resistance against the structures oppressing individuals with dementia. However, in order for this potential to be unlocked, such initiatives must be collaboratively designed, following an approach which recognises the strengths and enduring abilities of people living with dementia. Additionally, the empowering impact of community gardening should not be diluted by positioning the activity as a substitute for adequate statutory health and social care provision, thereby individualising responsibility for the wellbeing of people with dementia.

Prediction of Patient Outcomes in Locally Advanced Cervical Carcinoma Following Chemoradiotherapy-Comparative Effectiveness of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and 2-Deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose Imaging.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the utility and comparative effectiveness of three five-point qualitative scoring systems for assessing response on PET-CT and MRI imaging individually and in combination, following curative-intent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC). Their performance in the prediction of subsequent patient outcomes was also assessed; Methods: Ninety-seven patients with histologically confirmed LACC treated with CRT using standard institutional protocols at a single centre who underwent PET-CT and MRI at staging and post treatment were identified retrospectively from an institutional database. The post-CRT imaging studies were independently reviewed, and response assessed using five-point scoring tools for T2WI, DWI, and FDG PET-CT. Patient characteristics, staging, treatment, and follow-up details including progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) outcomes were collected. To compare diagnostic performance metrics, a two-proportion z-test was employed. A Kaplan-Meier analysis (Mantel-Cox log-rank) was performed. RESULTS: The T2WI (p < 0.00001, p < 0.00001) and DWI response scores (p < 0.00001, p = 0.0002) had higher specificity and accuracy than the PET-CT. The T2WI score had the highest positive predictive value (PPV), while the negative predictive value (NPV) was consistent across modalities. The combined MR scores maintained high NPV, PPV, specificity, and sensitivity, and the PET/MR consensus scores showed superior diagnostic accuracy and specificity compared to the PET-CT score alone (p = 0.02926, p = 0.0083). The Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed significant differences in the PFS based on the T2WI (p < 0.001), DWI (p < 0.001), combined MR (p = 0.003), and PET-CT/MR consensus scores (p < 0.001) and in the OS for the T2WI (p < 0.001), DWI (p < 0.001), and combined MR scores (p = 0.031) between responders and non-responders. CONCLUSION: Post-CRT response assessment using qualitative MR scoring and/or consensus PET-CT and MRI scoring was a better predictor of outcome compared to PET-CT assessment alone. This requires validation in a larger prospective study but offers the potential to help stratify patient follow-up in the future.

Radiomics in the evaluation of ovarian masses - a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: The study aim was to conduct a systematic review of the literature reporting the application of radiomics to imaging techniques in patients with ovarian lesions. METHODS: MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, EMBASE, Ovid and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for relevant articles. Using PRISMA criteria, data were extracted from short-listed studies. Validity and bias were assessed independently by 2 researchers in consensus using the Quality in Prognosis Studies (QUIPS) tool. Radiomic Quality Score (RQS) was utilised to assess radiomic methodology. RESULTS: After duplicate removal, 63 articles were identified, of which 33 were eligible. Fifteen assessed lesion classifications, 10 treatment outcomes, 5 outcome predictions, 2 metastatic disease predictions and 1 classification/outcome prediction. The sample size ranged from 28 to 501 patients. Twelve studies investigated CT, 11 MRI, 4 ultrasound and 1 FDG PET-CT. Twenty-three studies (70%) incorporated 3D segmentation. Various modelling methods were used, most commonly LASSO (least absolute shrinkage and selection operator) (10/33). Five studies (15%) compared radiomic models to radiologist interpretation, all demonstrating superior performance. Only 6 studies (18%) included external validation. Five studies (15%) had a low overall risk of bias, 9 (27%) moderate, and 19 (58%) high risk of bias. The highest RQS achieved was 61.1%, and the lowest was - 16.7%. CONCLUSION: Radiomics has the potential as a clinical diagnostic tool in patients with ovarian masses and may allow better lesion stratification, guiding more personalised patient care in the future. Standardisation of the feature extraction methodology, larger and more diverse patient cohorts and real-world evaluation is required before clinical translation. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Radiomics shows promising results in improving lesion stratification, treatment selection and outcome prediction. Modelling with larger cohorts and real-world evaluation is required before clinical translation. KEY POINTS: • Radiomics is emerging as a tool for enhancing clinical decisions in patients with ovarian masses. • Radiomics shows promising results in improving lesion stratification, treatment selection and outcome prediction. • Modelling with larger cohorts and real-world evaluation is required before clinical translation.

Imaging Modality and Frequency in Surveillance of Stage I Seminoma Testicular Cancer: Results From a Randomized, Phase III, Noninferiority Trial (TRISST).

PURPOSE: Survival in stage I seminoma is almost 100%. Computed tomography (CT) surveillance is an international standard of care, avoiding adjuvant therapy. In this young population, minimizing irradiation is vital. The Trial of Imaging and Surveillance in Seminoma Testis (TRISST) assessed whether magnetic resonance images (MRIs) or a reduced scan schedule could be used without an unacceptable increase in advanced relapses. METHODS: A phase III, noninferiority, factorial trial. Eligible participants had undergone orchiectomy for stage I seminoma with no adjuvant therapy planned. Random assignment was to seven CTs (6, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, and 60 months); seven MRIs (same schedule); three CTs (6, 18, and 36 months); or three MRIs. The primary outcome was 6-year incidence of Royal Marsden Hospital stage ≥ IIC relapse (> 5 cm), aiming to exclude increases ≥ 5.7% (from 5.7% to 11.4%) with MRI (v CT) or three scans (v 7); target N = 660, all contributing to both comparisons. Secondary outcomes include relapse ≥ 3 cm, disease-free survival, and overall survival. Intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses were performed. RESULTS: Six hundred sixty-nine patients enrolled (35 UK centers, 2008-2014); mean tumor size was 2.9 cm, and 358 (54%) were low risk (< 4 cm, no rete testis invasion). With a median follow-up of 72 months, 82 (12%) relapsed. Stage ≥ IIC relapse was rare (10 events). Although statistically noninferior, more events occurred with three scans (nine, 2.8%) versus seven scans (one, 0.3%): 2.5% absolute increase, 90% CI (1.0 to 4.1). Only 4/9 could have potentially been detected earlier with seven scans. Noninferiority of MRI versus CT was also shown; fewer events occurred with MRI (two [0.6%] v eight [2.6%]), 1.9% decrease (-3.5 to -0.3). Per-protocol analyses confirmed noninferiority. Five-year survival was 99%, with no tumor-related deaths. CONCLUSION: Surveillance is a safe management approach-advanced relapse is rare, salvage treatment successful, and outcomes excellent, regardless of imaging frequency or modality. MRI can be recommended to reduce irradiation; and no adverse impact on long-term outcomes was seen with a reduced schedule.

Shared decision-making in tinnitus care - An exploration of clinical encounters.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined clinical encounters between clinicians and patients to determine current practice for the diagnosis and treatment of tinnitus. The objective was to develop an understanding of the ideal clinical encounter that would facilitate genuine shared decision-making. DESIGN: Video ethnography was used to examine clinical encounters for the diagnosis and treatment of tinnitus. METHODS: Clinical encounters were video-recorded. Patients were interviewed individually following their clinic appointment. Data were analysed using constant comparison techniques from Grounded Theory. Initial inductive analyses were then considered against theoretical conceptualizations of the clinician-patient relationship and of the clinical encounter. RESULTS: Alignment between clinician and patient was found to be essential to a collaborative consultation and to shared decision-making. Clinician groups demonstrated variation in behaviour in the encounter; some asked closed questions and directed the majority of the consultation; others asked open questions and allowed patients to lead the consultation. CONCLUSIONS: A shift away from aetiology and physiological tests is needed so that tinnitus is managed as a persistent unexplained set of symptoms. This uncertainty is challenging for the medical professionals; lessons could be learned from the use of therapeutic skills. Further research is required to test techniques, such as the use of decision aids, to determine how we might create the ideal clinical encounter. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Tinnitus is a condition in which sound is heard in the absence of an external source. Current approaches to managing tinnitus vary depending on clinical site (Hoare & Hall, ). In most instances, tinnitus does not have a straightforward medical cause. Tinnitus care is challenging to traditional biomedical encounters because the process of diagnosis may not lead to a defined treatment. Clinicians are required to consider not only what the tinnitus sounds like but more importantly, what it means for the affected individual. This requires a careful and skilled approach to eliciting a patient's current behaviour, coping, and preferences for both outcomes and treatment approaches. What does this study add? We provide the first in-depth description of decision-making in clinical services for tinnitus. Findings suggest a shift in focus is required to move away from the current prioritization of the biomedical treatment of tinnitus. There is variation to the extent different clinicians were able to deal with the uncertainty presented by the symptoms of tinnitus.

Variability in Affect and Willingness to Take Medication.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if 1) patients have distinct affective reaction patterns to medication information, and 2) whether there is an association between affective reaction patterns and willingness to take medication. METHODS: We measured affect in real time as subjects listened to a description of benefits and side effects for a hypothetical new medication. Subjects moved a dial on a handheld response system to indicate how they were feeling from "Very Good" to "Very Bad". Patterns of reactions were identified using a cluster-analytic statistical approach for multiple time series. Subjects subsequently rated their willingness to take the medication on a 7-point Likert scale. Associations between subjects' willingness ratings and affect patterns were analyzed. Additional analyses were performed to explore the role of race/ethnicity regarding these associations. RESULTS: Clusters of affective reactions emerged that could be classified into 4 patterns: "Moderate" positive reactions to benefits and negative reactions to side effects ( n = 186), "Pronounced" positive reactions to benefits and negative reactions to side effects ( n = 110), feeling consistently "Good" ( n = 58), and feeling consistently close to "Neutral" ( n = 33). Mean (standard error) willingness to take the medication was greater among subjects feeling consistently Good 4.72 (0.20) compared with those in the Moderate 3.76 (0.11), Pronounced 3.68 (0.14), and Neutral 3.62 (0.26) groups. Black subjects with a Pronounced pattern were less willing to take the medication compared with both Hispanic ( P = 0.0270) and White subjects ( P = 0.0001) with a Pronounced pattern. CONCLUSION: Patients' affective reactions to information were clustered into specific patterns. Reactions varied by race/ethnicity and were associated with treatment willingness. Ultimately, a better understanding of how patients react to information may help providers develop improved methods of communication.

Subjective Numeracy and the Influence of Order and Amount of Audible Information on Perceived Medication Value.

BACKGROUND: Order and amount of information influence patients' risk perceptions, but most studies have evaluated patients' reactions to written materials. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of 4 communication strategies, varying in their order and/or amount of information, on judgments related to an audible description of a new medication and among patients who varied in subjective numeracy. METHODS: We created 5 versions of a hypothetical scenario describing a new medication. The versions were composed to elucidate whether order and/or amount of the information describing benefits and adverse events influenced how subjects valued a new medication. After listening to a randomly assigned version, perceived medication value was measured by asking subjects to choose one of the following statements: the risks outweigh the benefits, the risks and benefits are equally balanced, or the benefits outweigh the risks. RESULTS: Of the 432 patients contacted, 389 participated in the study. Listening to a brief description of benefits followed by an extended description of adverse events resulted in a greater likelihood of perceiving that the medication's benefits outweighed the risks compared with 1) presenting the extended adverse events description before the benefits, 2) giving a greater amount of information related to benefits, and 3) sandwiching the adverse events between benefits. These associations were only observed among subjects with average or higher subjective numeracy. CONCLUSION: If confirmed in future studies, our results suggest that, for patients with average or better subjective numeracy, perceived medication value is highest when a brief presentation of benefits is followed by an extended description of adverse events.

Hybrid (CT/MRI based) vs. MRI only based image-guided brachytherapy in cervical cancer: Dosimetry comparisons and clinical outcome.

PURPOSE: Limited access to MRI has restricted implementation of MRI-based image-guided brachytherapy (IGBT) in line with GEC-ESTRO guidelines in many centers. This work reports our experience using an alternative CT/MRI based (hybrid) approach for IGBT, dosimetry comparisons, and its impact on long-term clinical outcome and major toxicity. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Seventy-six patients diagnosed with locally advanced cervical cancer between May 2008 and May 2012 treated with IGBT were analyzed. The hybrid approach is the default IGBT approach during this study period. Forty-nine had hybrid approach and 27 patients had "3-fraction conformal MRI" approach (17 within EMBRACE study). Treatment consisted of 48 Gy in 24 fractions of conformally planned external beam radiotherapy with weekly cisplatin followed by three weekly fractions of brachytherapy to high-risk clinical target volume (HR-CTV). All patients have a prebrachytherapy MRI 4 days before treatment and with the applicators in place on Fraction 1. MRI only or CT is used for subsequent fractions. Using image registration techniques and the assumption that the HR-CTV is fixed with respect to the applicator, the HR-CTV from MRI at Fraction 1 is transferred onto subsequent fraction CT image sets for the hybrid approach. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 41 months (range, 23-71 months). Excellent 3-year local control, overall progression-free survival, and overall survival of 92.6%, 78.8%, and 77.7% were seen with the hybrid approach and 92.2%, 66.3%, and 69.6% with a 3-fraction conformal MRI approach, respectively. Dosimetry achieved and late toxicity rates were comparable in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Hybrid IGBT in locally advanced cervical cancer offers an alternative approach when access to MRI restricts implementation of IGBT.

The role of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) in planning radiotherapy target volumes for oesophageal cancer.

Computed tomography (CT) scanning is the main imaging modality utilised for planning radical oesophageal radiotherapy. Endoscopic ultrasound allows accurate localisation and local staging of oesophageal tumours. A method of incorporating this information into the CT planning process is described. Gross tumour volume position changes that occur when using this technique are presented.

The current role of imaging for prostate brachytherapy.

Prostate brachytherapy is a radiotherapy technique for early stage prostate cancer that uses imaging guidance to place radioactive sources directly into the prostate gland. Transrectal ultrasound is used to facilitate a template-guided transperineal approach to the prostate and permits a highly conformal method of prostate radiotherapy with doses far higher than can be achieved with other radiation techniques. Maturing data has validated this technique as an acceptable treatment option with favourable and durable biochemical outcomes. The radiologist has a major role to play in the process: patient selection, guiding source delivery and follow-up after treatment all require close collaboration with colleagues in Radiation Oncology and Medical Physics. This review emphasises the specific contribution of imaging in the context of currently reported outcomes data.