18F-FDG PET as novel imaging biomarker for disease progression after ablation therapy in colorectal liver metastases.

PURPOSE: Recurrent disease following thermal ablation therapy is a frequently reported problem. Preoperative identification of patients with high risk of recurrent disease might enable individualized treatment based on patients' risk profile. The aim of the present work was to investigate the role of metabolic parameters derived from the pre-ablation 18F-FDG PET/CT as imaging biomarkers for recurrent disease in patients with colorectal liver metastases (CLM). METHODS: Included in this retrospective study were all consecutive patients with CLM treated with percutaneous or open thermal ablation therapy who had a pre-treatment baseline 18F-FDG PET/CT available. Multivariable cox regression for survival analysis was performed using different models for the metabolic parameters (SULpeak, SULmean, SULmax, partial volume corrected SULmean (cSULmean), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG)) corrected for tumour and procedure characteristics. The study endpoints were defined as local tumour progression free survival (LTP-FS), new intrahepatic recurrence free survival (NHR-FS) and extrahepatic recurrence free survival (EHR-FS). Clinical and imaging follow-up data was used as the reference standard. RESULTS: Fifty-four patients with 90 lesions were selected. Univariable cox regression analysis resulted in eight models. Multivariable analysis revealed that after adjusting for lesion size and the approach of the procedure, none of the metabolic parameters were associated with LTP-FS or EHR-FS. Percutaneous approach was significantly associated with a shorter LTP-FS. It was demonstrated that lower values of SULpeak, SULmax, SULmean , and cSULmean are associated with a significant better NHR-FS, independent of the lesion size and number and prior chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: We found no association between the metabolic parameters on pre-ablation 18F-FDG PET/CT and the LTP-FS. However, low values of the metabolic parameters were significantly associated with improved NHR-FS. The clinical implication of these findings might be the identification of high-risk patients who might benefit most from adjuvant or combined treatment strategies.

Meta-analysis of the concordance of histological grade of breast cancer between core needle biopsy and surgical excision specimen.

BACKGROUND: With the increasing use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and minimally invasive ablative therapy in breast cancer, pretreatment assessment of tumour grade on core needle biopsy (CNB) is increasingly needed. However, grading on CNB is possibly less accurate than grading based on the surgical excision specimen. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature was conducted to derive a reliable estimate of the agreement in tumour grading between CNB and subsequent surgical excision. METHODS: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria, Embase, PubMed and the Cochrane Library were searched. Pooled proportions of agreement in grading between CNB and the excision specimen, Cohen's κ and percentages of overestimation and underestimation were calculated. Random-effects models were applied because of substantial heterogeneity, assessed by I2 test. Determinants of the level of agreement in grading were explored with meta-regression. RESULTS: Thirty-four articles were included in the systematic review (6029 patients) and 33 in the meta-analysis (4980 patients). Pooled agreement and κ were 71·1 (95 per cent c.i. 68·8 to 73·3) per cent and 0·54 (0·50 to 0·58) respectively. Underestimation and overestimation occurred in 19·1 (17·1 to 21·3) and 9·3 (7·7 to 11·4) per cent respectively. Meta-regression showed associations between agreement of histological type (positive association) and proportion of patients with oestrogen receptor-positive disease (negative association) and grade agreement. CONCLUSION: Grading on CNB corresponds moderately with grading based on excision specimens, with underestimation in about one in five patients. Incorrect CNB tumour grading has limited clinical implications, as multiple factors influence decision-making for adjuvant systemic therapy.

Simultaneous R2*, R2, and R2' quantification by combining S0 estimation of the free induction decay with a single spin echo: A single acquisition method for R2 insensitive quantification of holmium-166-loaded microspheres.

PURPOSE: To present a new method, S0 estimation of the free induction decay combined with a single spin echo measurement (SOFIDSE), that enables simultaneous measurements of R2*, R2, and R2' in order to quantify the local concentration of holmium microspheres (Ho-MS) for radioembolization. THEORY AND METHODS: SOFIDSE estimates R2* and the signal magnitude at time point 0, S0, from a multigradient echo readout of the free induction decay and subsequently estimates R2 using S0 and a single spin echo, from which R2' is deducted. The method was evaluated by comparing SOFIDSE R2 values with values obtained from shifted spin echo (SSE) measurements on a phantom setup containing Ho-MS and from dual spin echo measurements on a healthy volunteer. RESULTS: On average, SOFIDSE showed a small overestimation of R2 values compared with SSE independent of the microsphere concentration. R2' values determined by subtraction of either SOFIDSE R2 or SSE R2 from R2* showed excellent agreement (correlation coefficient = 1; P = 9 · 10(-11)). The Ho-MS-induced R2' values obtained by SOFIDSE were insensitive to the R2 value of the tissue in which they resided. CONCLUSION: SOFIDSE enables quantification of Ho-MS, in media with spatially or temporally varying R2 values, in a single acquisition.

(31)P magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the breast and the influence of the menstrual cycle.

Phosphorus metabolite ratios are potential biomarkers in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment monitoring. Our purpose was to investigate the metabolite ratios phosphomonoester to phosphodiester, phosphoethanolamine (PE) to glycerophosphoethanolamine (GPE), and phosphocholine (PC) to glycerophosphocholine (GPC) in glandular breast tissue, and the potential effect of the menstrual cycle, using (31)P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) at 7T. Seven women with regular menstrual cycles each underwent four examinations using a 3D (31)P multi-echo magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging sequence. Peak integrals were assessed using IDL and JMRUI software. First, T2 relaxation times were calculated using multi-echo data pooled across subjects and time points. Subsequent, metabolite ratios were calculated for each phase of the menstrual cycle using the calculated T2 values to account for when combining the free induction decay and all five echoes. The metabolite ratios were calculated both on group level and individually. T2 decay fits resulted in a T2 relaxation time for PE of 154 ms (95 % CI 144-164), for PC of 173 ms (95 % CI 148-205), for Pi of 188 ms (95 % CI 182-193), for GPE of 48 ms (95 % CI 44-53), and for GPC of 23 ms (95 % CI 21-26). The metabolite ratios analyzed on group level showed negligible variation throughout the menstrual cycle. Individual results did show an apparent intra-individual variation; however, not significant due to the measurements' uncertainty. To conclude, phospholipids in glandular tissue as measured with (31)P MRS at 7 T are not significantly affected by the menstrual cycle.

3-T breast magnetic resonance imaging in patients with suspicious microcalcifications on mammography.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diagnostic value of 3-Tesla (T) breast MRI in patients presenting with microcalcifications on mammography. METHODS: Between January 2006 and May 2009, 123 patients with mammographically detected BI-RADS 3­5 microcalcifications underwent 3-T breast MRI before undergoing breast biopsy. All MRIs of the histopathologically confirmed index lesions were reviewed by two breast radiologists. The detection rate of invasive carcinoma and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) was evaluated, as well as the added diagnostic value of MRI over mammography and breast ultrasound. RESULTS: At pathology, 40/123 (33%) lesions proved malignant; 28 (70%) DCIS and 12 (30%) invasive carcinoma. Both observers detected all invasive malignancies at MRI, as well as 79% (observer 1) and 86% (observer 2) of in situ lesions. MRI in addition to conventional imaging led to a significant increase in area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve from 0.67 (95% CI 0.56­0.79) to 0.79 (95% CI 0.70­0.88, observer 1) and to 0.80 (95% CI 0.71­0.89, observer 2), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: 3-T breast MRI was shown to add significant value to conventional imaging in patients presenting with suspicious microcalcifications on mammography. KEY POINTS: • 3-T MRI is increasingly used for breast imaging in clinical practice. • On 3-T breast MRI up to 86% of DCIS lesions are detected. • 3-T MRI increases the diagnostic value in patients with mammographically detected microcalcifications.

Cost-effectiveness of radioguided occult lesion localization (ROLL) versus wire-guided localization (WGL) in breast conserving surgery for nonpalpable breast cancer: results from a randomized controlled multicenter trial.

BACKGROUND: Accurate preoperative localization of nonpalpable breast cancer is essential to achieve complete resection. Radioguided occult lesion localization (ROLL) has been introduced as an alternative for wire-guided localization (WGL). Although efficacy of ROLL has been established in a randomized controlled trial, cost-effectiveness of ROLL compared with WGL is not yet known. The objective of this study was to determine whether ROLL has acceptable cost-effectiveness compared with WGL. METHODS: An economic evaluation was performed along with a randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT00539474). Women (>18 years) with histologically proven nonpalpable breast cancer and eligible for breast conserving treatment with sentinel node procedure were randomized to ROLL (n = 162) or WGL (n = 152). Empirical data on direct medical costs were collected, and changes in quality of life were measured over a 6-month period. Bootstrapping was used to assess uncertainty in cost-effectiveness estimates, and sensitivity of the results to the missing data approach was investigated. RESULTS: In total, 314 patients with 316 invasive breast cancers were enrolled. On average ROLL required the same time as WGL for the surgical procedure (119 vs 118 min), resulted in a 7 % higher reinterventions risk, and 13 % more complications. Quality of life effects were similar (difference 0.00 QALYs 95 % CI (-0.04-0.05). Total costs were also similar for ROLL and WGL (+26 per patient 95 % CI -250-311). CONCLUSION: ROLL is comparable to WGL with respect to both costs and quality of life effects as measured with the EQ5D and will therefore not lead to more cost-effective medical care.

Radioactive seed localization for non-palpable breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Radioactive seed localization (RSL) is an alternative to wire localization for guiding surgical excision of non-palpable breast cancer. This review provides an overview of the available evidence on the accuracy of RSL in patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery. METHODS: PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library were searched systematically in January 2012 for studies that addressed localization of non-palpable breast cancer using an iodine-125-labelled seed. Studies were deemed eligible if they reported on the proportion of patients with tumour-positive margins after RSL, the proportion of patients needing re-excision after RSL, and procedural complications. RESULTS: Six studies reported data on RSL in 1611 patients with non-palpable breast lesions. Overall complete resection rates ranged from 73 to 96.7 per cent. Three studies included over 300 patients, and complete resection rates in these studies varied between 89.5 and 96.7 per cent. The risk of seed migration and failure of seed placement ranged from 0 to 0.6 per cent and 0 to 7.2 per cent respectively. CONCLUSION: Available scientific evidence suggests that RSL is a safe and accurate technique for localization of non-palpable breast lesions.

Added value of FDG-PET imaging in the diagnostic workup for yttrium-90 radioembolisation in patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases.

OBJECTIVE: Yttrium-90 radioembolisation (Y90-RE) is recommended for unresectable, chemorefractory liver-dominant disease; however, the incidence of extrahepatic disease (EHD) is high. FDG-PET may have additional value to CT in demonstrating EHD. Our aim was to evaluate the added diagnostic value of FDG-PET to abdominal CT and study the influence of FDG-PET findings on treatment decisions. METHODS: All consecutive patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRCLM) referred for Y90-RE were included. Patients who underwent both CT and FDG-PET in the diagnostic workup were selected. Imaging reports were scrutinised for documented sites of EHD, and changes of management due to FDG-PET findings were determined. RESULTS: A total of 42 patients were included. Findings on CT and FDG-PET matched in 20 patients (no EHD, n = 15; identical EHD, n = 5). In 4 patients, lesions detected on CT were not FDG-avid, and in 18 patients, FDG-PET showed more lesions than CT (P < 0.05). In 7/42 patients (17 %) a change of management was made based on the additional FDG-PET findings, i.e. exclusion from Y90-RE treatment (n = 6) and change in treatment plan (whole liver rather than segmental treatment, n = 1). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with CRCLM referred for Y90-RE, FDG-PET showed significantly more EHD and led to a considerable change of management.

Intraoperative ultrasound guidance for excision of non-palpable invasive breast cancer: a hospital-based series and an overview of the literature.

Intraoperative ultrasound (IOUS) can be used in the operation theatre for localization of non-palpable breast cancers. In this prospective cohort study, we compared the yield of IOUS to guidewire localization (GWL). A total of 258 consecutive patients with non-palpable invasive breast cancer underwent breast conserving surgery between 1999 and 2010. GWL was performed in 138 (54 %) and IOUS in 120 (46 %) patients. Tumor dimensions, resection volume, margin status and re-excision rates were compared by means of multivariate regression analysis. The groups were similar in terms of age, histological subtype and presence of DCIS. Lesions in the IOUS group were larger (1.24 vs. 0.98 cm, P < 0.001), while microcalcifications were more common in the GWL group (19 vs. 3 %, P < 0.001). Even after stratification for tumor diameter, presence of DCIS and findings on mammography, resection volumes were similar in both groups. Tumor-free resection margins were obtained in >93 % of patients (93.5 % with GWL vs. 93.3 % with IOUS, P = 0.958) and re-excision was performed in 11 % of patients undergoing GWL and 12.5 % of patients undergoing IOUS (P = 0.684). For localization of non-palpable breast cancer, IOUS is a reliable alternative to GWL, as it achieves similar results in terms of complete tumor removal, re-excision rate and excised volume.

Efficacy of 'radioguided occult lesion localisation' (ROLL) versus 'wire-guided localisation' (WGL) in breast conserving surgery for non-palpable breast cancer: a randomised controlled multicentre trial.

For the management of non-palpable breast cancer, accurate pre-operative localisation is essential to achieve complete resection with optimal cosmetic results. Radioguided occult lesions localisation (ROLL) uses the radiotracer, injected intra-tumourally for sentinel lymph node identification to guide surgical excision of the primary tumour. In a multicentre randomised controlled trial, we determined if ROLL is superior to the standard of care (i.e. wire-guided localisation, WGL) for preoperative tumour localisation. Women (>18 years.) with histologically proven non-palpable breast cancer and eligible for breast conserving treatment with sentinel node procedure were randomised to ROLL or WGL. Patients allocated to ROLL received an intra-tumoural dose of 120 Mbq technetium-99 m nanocolloid. The tumour was surgically removed, guided by gamma probe detection. In the WGL group, ultrasound- or mammography-guided insertion of a hooked wire provided surgical guidance for excision of the primary tumour. Primary outcome measures were the proportion of complete tumour excisions (i.e. with negative margins), the proportion of patients requiring re-excision and the volume of tissue removed. Data were analysed according to intention-to-treat principle. This study is registered at ClinincalTrials.gov, number NCT00539474. In total, 314 patients with 316 invasive breast cancers were enrolled. Complete tumour removal with negative margins was achieved in 140/162 (86 %) patients in the ROLL group versus 134/152 (88 %) patients in the WGL group (P = 0.644). Re-excision was required in 19/162 (12 %) patients in the ROLL group versus 15/152 (10 %) (P = 0.587) in the WGL group. Specimen volumes in the ROLL arm were significantly larger than those in the WGL arm (71 vs. 64 cm(3), P = 0.017). No significant differences were seen in the duration and difficulty of the radiological and surgical procedures, the success rate of the sentinel node procedure, and cosmetic outcomes. In this first multicentre randomised controlled comparison of ROLL versus WGL in patients with histologically proven breast cancer, ROLL is comparable to WGL in terms of complete tumour excision and re-excision rates. ROLL, however, leads to excision of larger tissue volumes. Therefore, ROLL cannot replace WGL as the standard of care.

MR liver imaging with Gd-EOB-DTPA: a delay time of 10 minutes is sufficient for lesion characterisation.

OBJECTIVES: To assess whether, in patients with normal liver function, a hepatobiliary delay time of 10 min after Gd-EOB-DTPA injection is sufficient for lesion characterisation. METHODS: In 42 consecutive patients with suspected focal liver lesions, dynamic MRI was performed after intravenous Gd-EOB-DTPA, followed by hepatobiliary phases at 5, 10 and 20 min. The following items were assessed at each hepatobiliary phase: parenchymal enhancement, contrast agent excretion in bile ducts, lesion enhancement characteristics (hypo-, iso-, or hyperintensity, rim enhancement, central non-enhancement), and contrast- and signal-to-noise ratios, separately for hypo- and hyperintense lesions. RESULTS: Following enhancement, parenchymal signal intensity increased significantly up to 10 min (86.3%, P < 0.001), and subsequently stabilised (86.5% after 20 min, P = 0.223). Biliary contrast agent excretion was first observed in 2, 32 and 5 patients after 5, 10 and 20 min respectively. Hepatobiliary lesion enhancement characteristics observed after 5 min persisted during later hepatobiliary phases. CNR and SNR ratios increased significantly (P < 0.05) up to 10 min after enhancement without further increase at 20 min, in hypo- and hyperintense lesions. CONCLUSIONS: If lesion characterisation is the primary reason for performing MRI, a hepatobiliary delay time of 10 min after Gd-EOB-DTPA injection is sufficient in patients with normal liver function. KEY POINTS : • Magnetic resonance imaging is now a first line of investigation of the liver. • Optimal CNR and SNR are achieved 10 min after Gd-EOB-DTPA injection. • Typical enhancement characteristics are observed early and do not change. • Ten-minute hepatobiliary delay is sufficient for characterisation of focal liver lesions.

Excised and irradiated volumes in relation to the tumor size in breast-conserving therapy.

In early-stage breast cancer and DCIS patients, breast-conserving therapy is today's standard of care. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relation between the microscopic tumor diameter (mTD), the excised specimen (ES) volume, and the irradiated postoperative complex (POC) volume, in patients treated with breast-conserving therapy. In 186 patients with pTis-2N0 breast cancer, the mTDs, ES, and POC volumes (as delineated on the radiotherapy-planning CT scan), were retrospectively determined. Linear regression analysis was performed to study the association between the mTD, and the ES and POC volumes. The explained variance (r (2)) was calculated to establish the proportion of variation in the outcome variable that could be explained by the determinant (P ≤ 0.05). Moreover, the influence of tumor characteristics, age, surgical procedures, and breast size was studied. Median mTD was 1.2 cm (range 0.1-3.6 cm), median ES volume was 60 cm(3) (range 6-230 cm(3)) and median POC volume was 15 cm(3) (range 0.5-374 cm(3)). The POC was not clearly visible on the majority of the CT scans, based on a median assigned cavity visualization score of 3 (range 1-5). The explained variance for the mTD on the ES volume was low (r(2) = 0.08, P < 0.001). A slightly stronger association was observed in palpable tumors (r(2) = 0.23, P < 0.001) and invasive lobular carcinomas (r(2) = 0.39, P = 0.01). Furthermore, weak associations were observed between POC volume and mTD (r(2) = 0.04, P = 0.01), and POC and ES volume (r(2) = 0.23, P < 0.001). A weak association was observed between breast volume and ES volume (r(2) = 0.27, P < 0.001). In conclusion, both the excised and the irradiated POC volumes did not show a clinically relevant association with the mTD in women with early-stage breast cancer treated with breast-conserving therapy. Future studies should focus on improvement of surgical localization, development of image-guided, minimally invasive operation techniques, and more accurate image-guided target volume delineation in radiotherapy.

Characterization of ex vivo healthy human axillary lymph nodes with high resolution 7 Tesla MRI.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize ex vivo healthy human axillary lymph nodes on 7 Tesla MRI and to correlate the findings with pathological analysis as a first step towards non-invasive staging of breast cancer patients in the future. METHODS: Four axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) specimens from 2 autopsy patients, who had no cancer, were examined on a clinical 7 Tesla MRI system. For morphological analysis a 3D T1-weighted fat-suppressed fast-field-echo [isotropic resolution 180 µm] was acquired. For quantitative analyses 2D T1-, 3D T2-, T2*- and diffusion-weighted images were acquired. The ALNDs were mapped and stained for precise correlation of MRI to pathology. Nodes were sliced in 3 µm sections, Haematoxylin & Eosin stained, and examined by an experienced pathologist. RESULTS: MRI detected all 45 nodes and 6 additional nodes that were not detected at pathological analysis. B-cell follicles, efferent- and afferent lymph vessels and blood vessels were identified. Mean T1, T2, T2*, ADC values (± standard deviation) were 944 ± 113 ms, 32 ± 2 ms, 16 ± 2 ms, 0.39 ± 0.09·10⁻³ mm²/s, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: 7 Tesla MRI of ex vivo human axillary lymph nodes correlated well with pathology. MRI detected all nodes present in the specimens and allowed visualization of fine structural detail. Pathology-correlated quantitative MRI data are presented.

Accuracy of multislice liver CT and MRI for preoperative assessment of colorectal liver metastases after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

INTRODUCTION: To determine the best imaging modality for preoperative detection, characterization and measurement of colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). METHODS: A total of 79 lesions in 15 patients with CRLM were included. Following NAC, all patients received multislice liver CT (MSCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that were scored by two observers for lesion number, type, diameter (mm) and segmental location. Intraoperative findings, histopathology and follow-up imaging were used as reference standard for surgically treated patients; non-surgical candidates underwent follow-up imaging. RESULTS: Lesion detection rate was similar for MSCT and MRI (76 and 80%, respectively, p = 0.648). Lesion characterization was significantly superior (p = 0.021) at MRI (89%, κ 0.747, p = 0.001) compared to MSCT (77%, κ 0.235, p = 0.005). Interobserver variability for diameter measurement was not significant at MRI (p = 0.909 [95% CI -1.245 to 1.395]), but significant at MSCT (p = 0.028 [95% CI -3.349 to -2.007]). Differences in diameter measurement were independent of observer (p = 0.131), and no statistical effect from imaging modality on diameter measurement was observed (p = 0.095). CONCLUSION: MRI is superior to MSCT in preoperative characterization and measurement of CRLM after NAC. Lesion detection rates for both modalities are comparable.

Holmium-166 poly(L-lactic acid) microsphere radioembolisation of the liver: technical aspects studied in a large animal model.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the accuracy of a scout dose of holmium-166 poly(L-lactic acid) microspheres ((166)Ho-PLLA-MS) in predicting the distribution of a treatment dose of (166)Ho-PLLA-MS, using single photon emission tomography (SPECT). METHODS: A scout dose (60 mg) was injected into the hepatic artery of five pigs and SPECT acquired. Subsequently, a 'treatment dose' was administered (540 mg) and SPECT, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the total dose performed. The two SPECT images of each animal were compared. To validate quantitative SPECT an ex vivo liver was instilled with (166)Ho-PLLA-MS and SPECT acquired. The liver was cut into slices and planar images were acquired, which were registered to the SPECT image. RESULTS: Qualitatively, the scout dose and total dose images were similar, except in one animal because of catheter displacement. Quantitative analysis, feasible in two animals, tended to confirm this similarity (r(2) = 0.34); in the other animal the relation was significantly better (r(2) = 0.66). The relation between the SPECT and planar images acquired from the ex vivo liver was strong (r(2) = 0.90). CONCLUSION: In the porcine model a scout dose of (166)Ho-PLLA-MS can accurately predict the biodistribution of a treatment dose. Quantitative (166)Ho SPECT was validated for clinical application.

Surgical outcome of patients with core-biopsy-proven nonpalpable breast carcinoma: a large cohort follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) is the preferred treatment for nonpalpable breast carcinoma. The outcome, however, may be disappointing. In this study surgical outcome in a large cohort of patients diagnosed with nonpalpable breast carcinoma is evaluated. METHODS: In 833 patients with 841 nonpalpable breast carcinomas the number of re-excisions and type of surgical procedures was calculated and summed per patient. Subsequently, the number of conversions to mastectomy and the number of days until complete tumor removal were analyzed. In a subgroup analysis the patients with an in situ carcinoma were compared with the patients with an invasive carcinoma. RESULTS: The initial surgery consisted of BCS for 589 tumors (70%) and of mastectomy for 242 tumors (29%). For ten tumors (1%) the initial surgery was unknown. After BCS, 158/589 tumors (27%) required a re-excision: 116/337 (34%) for the in situ carcinomas and 63/504 (13%) for the invasive carcinomas (p = 0.0001). The number of conversions from BCS to mastectomy was 106/589 (18%): 66/241 (28%) in patients diagnosed with an in situ carcinoma versus 40/348 (11%) in patients with an invasive carcinoma (p = 0.0001). The median number of days until complete tumor removal was 28, being 38 days for the in situ carcinomas and 25 days for the invasive carcinomas (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: There is room for improvement in the surgical treatment of nonpalpable breast carcinoma, especially the relatively favorable in situ carcinoma, as it requires significantly more excisions, mastectomies, conversions to mastectomy, and days for complete removal.

Ultrasound-guided laser-induced thermal therapy for small palpable invasive breast carcinomas: a feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: The next step in breast-conserving surgery for small breast carcinomas could be local ablation. In this study, the feasibility of ultrasound-guided laser-induced thermal therapy (LITT) is evaluated. METHODS: Patients with large-core needle biopsy-proven invasive, palpable breast carcinoma (clinically or=2 cm in size (P = .026). CONCLUSIONS: Successful LITT of invasive breast cancer seems to be feasible when confined to small (<2 cm) nonlobular carcinomas without surrounding extensive in-situ component and angioinvasion. However, to implement LITT in a curative setting, improvements in imaging to more reliably preoperatively assess tumor size and monitoring of fiber tip placement and treatment affect are essential.

Yttrium-90 microsphere radioembolization for the treatment of liver malignancies: a structured meta-analysis.

Radioembolization with yttrium-90 microspheres ((90)Y-RE), either glass- or resin-based, is increasingly applied in patients with unresectable liver malignancies. Clinical results are promising but overall response and survival are not yet known. Therefore a meta-analysis on tumor response and survival in patients who underwent (90)Y-RE was conducted. Based on an extensive literature search, six groups were formed. Determinants were cancer type, microsphere type, chemotherapy protocol used, and stage (deployment in first-line or as salvage therapy). For colorectal liver metastases (mCRC), in a salvage setting, response was 79% for (90)Y-RE combined with 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin (5-FU/LV), and 79% when combined with 5-FU/LV/oxaliplatin or 5-FU/LV/irinotecan, and in a first-line setting 91% and 91%, respectively. For hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), response was 89% for resin microspheres and 78% for glass microspheres. No statistical method is available to assess median survival based on data presented in the literature. In mCRC, (90)Y-RE delivers high response rates, especially if used neoadjuvant to chemotherapy. In HCC, (90)Y-RE with resin microspheres is significantly more effective than (90)Y-RE with glass microspheres. The impact on survival will become known only when the results of phase III studies are published.

Radiofrequency ablation for breast cancer: a review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) provides an effective technique for minimally invasive tissue destruction. A novel application is the use for treatment of small breast carcinoma. METHODS: A broad search was conducted in Pubmed, Embase and the Cochrane library. Results of the relevant articles were analysed. RESULTS: The analysed studies were all feasibility or pilot studies using different patient and tumour characteristics and ablation settings. Despite many methodological differences, high percentages of complete tumour ablation varying between 80% and 100% were reported. CONCLUSION: Radiofrequency ablation is a promising new tool for minimally invasive ablation of small carcinomas of the breast. A large randomized control study is required to assess the long-term advantages of RFA compared to the current breast conserving therapies.