177Lu-PSMA Therapy.

Radiopharmaceutical therapy using 177Lu-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is an effective prostate cancer treatment that was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This method leverages the success of PSMA-targeted PET imaging, enabling delivery of targeted radiopharmaceutical therapy; has demonstrated a clear benefit in large prospective clinical trials; and promises to become part of the standard armamentarium of treatment for patients with prostate cancer. This review highlights the evidence supporting the use of this agent, along with important areas under investigation. Practical information on technology aspects, dose administration, nursing, and the role of the treating physician is highlighted. Overall, 177Lu-PSMA treatment requires close collaboration among referring physicians, nuclear medicine technologists, radiopharmacists, and nurses to streamline patient care.

Peritoneal carcinomatosis in patients with ovarian cancer: enhanced CT versus 18F-FDG PET/CT.

PURPOSE: The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of PET/CT in detecting peritoneal carcinomatosis in patients with ovarian cancer and to compare the diagnostic accuracy of FDG PET/CT with that of enhanced abdominal CT. METHODS: The medical records of 46 consecutive patients with ovarian cancer were reviewed, and the presence of peritoneal tumor on (18)F-FDG PET/CT and enhanced abdominal CT scans was also assessed. Imaging results were compared with the pathologic findings obtained by surgery. RESULTS: Pathologic results were positive for peritoneal carcinomatosis in 26 patients and negative in 20 patients. PET/CT correctly detected 25 of 26 patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis and enhanced abdominal CT correctly detected 23 of 26 patients. Sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of peritoneal carcinomatosis were 96.2% and 90%, respectively, for PET/CT and 88.5% and 65%, respectively, for enhanced abdominal CT. The accuracy of PET/CT was statistically higher than that of enhanced abdominal CT (93.5% vs 78.3%, P = 0.039). Four distinctly abnormal PET/CT findings of single nodular, multiple nodular, diffuse, and mixed FDG uptakes were identified and corresponded to pathologic findings. CONCLUSIONS: (18)F-FDG PET/CT imaging is efficient in the diagnosis of peritoneal carcinomatosis and its performance is superior to that of enhanced abdominal CT.

The value of fused SPECT/CT in the evaluation of solitary skull lesion.

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of single photon emission computed tomography and/or computed tomography (SPECT/CT) in differentiating metastatic from benign solitary skull lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive patients who had a SPECT/CT of the head subsequent to a whole-body bone scan (WBS) for the evaluation of a single skull lesion were selected. A single skull lesion on the WBS was further evaluated with SPECT/CT to characterize the lesion. The results of the SPECT/CT were correlated with other radiologic examinations performed within 2 weeks. An average follow-up interval after the SPECT/CT was 8.9 months to correlate with additional radiologic imaging studies and clinical information. RESULTS: A total of 19 lesions in 19 patients were seen on the WBS and 2 additional lesions on the SPECT/CT. All lesions demonstrated focal increased tracer uptake. The SPECT/CT correctly identified 3 out of 3 metastatic lesions and 12 out of 17 benign lesions, that is 71% of lesions were correctly classifised as metastatic or benign lesions. Only 1 patient was classified incorrectly as metastatic lesion with SPECT/CT when it was proven benign by other imaging modalities and follow-up. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of SPECT/CT images in identifying metastatic lesions were 100%, 92%, 75%, and 100%, respectively. Five lesions remained indeterminate even after the SPECT/CT interpretation and were confirmed benign by other imaging modalities. CONCLUSION: SPECT/CT can help identify benign versus metastatic solitary skull lesions in most of the patients with high sensitivity and specificity.

Significant coronary calcification detected using contrast-enhanced computed tomography: is it an indication for further investigation?

BACKGROUND: Evaluate the significance of coronary arteries calcifications detected using contrast-enhanced chest computed tomography (CECCT) scans. METHODS: A total of 145 patients who underwent both CECCT and gated stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) within 2 weeks were included. The chest CT scans were reviewed for the presence of coronary artery calcium (CAC) by 2 experienced blinded readers. The degree of calcifications seen in any visualized area of the major coronary arteries was graded on a scale of 1 to 3 (1 when 0 to 4 small scattered plaques were seen, 2 when 5 or more scattered plaques were seen, and 3 when diffuse contiguous calcification were seen). The grade of CAC was correlated with the presence of MPI abnormalities. Additionally, the locations of the MPI abnormality was correlated with the CAC grade in the culprit coronary artery. RESULTS: Of 580 major coronary arteries evaluated, 79% had grade 1 CAC, 10% had grade 2, 11% had grade 3, and 1% were inevaluable. Of the 145 patients, 33 (23%) had abnormal MPI results. Twenty-three of the patients with abnormal MPI results (70%) had more than 4 calcified plaques (CAC grade of 2 or 3) in one or more of their coronary arteries, whereas 41 of 122 patients with normal MPI results (37%) had similar CAC grades (P=0.001). Seventeen of the 33 patients (52%) who had MPI defects also had significant CAC in the culprit coronary artery, 7 patients (21%) had significant CAC in a different coronary artery from the MPI defect territory, 8 patients (24%) had no significant CAC visualized, and in 1 patient a pacemaker wire interfered with CAC grading in the culprit coronary artery (RCA). The sensitivity, specificity, the positive, and negative predictive values of grade 2 or 3 CAC for an abnormal MPI results were 70%, 63%, 36%, and 88%, respectively. When a subgroup of patients above 60 years old with grade 3 CAC was reanalyzed, the sensitivity, specificity, the positive, and negative predictive values for an abnormal MPI results were 69%, 73%, 41%, and 90%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Multiple diffuse CAC as detected during the interpretation of CECCT scans in combination with advanced age is a significant finding that warrants further investigation for functionally significant CAD.

Intra-individual comparison of lymphatic drainage patterns using subareolar and peritumoral isotope injection for breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Controversy exists in the literature regarding the optimal site for lymphatic mapping in breast cancer. This study was designed to characterize lymphatic drainage patterns within the same patient after subareolar (SA) and peritumoral (PT) radiopharmaceutical injections and examine the impact of reader interpretation on reported drainage. METHODS: In this prospective trial, 27 women with breast cancer underwent sequential preoperative SA and PT injections of 0.5 to 2.7 mCi of technetium-99 m filtered sulfur colloid 3 days or more apart. Patterns of radiopharmaceutical uptake were reviewed independently by two nuclear medicine physicians. Inter-reader agreement and injection success were assessed in conjunction with observed drainage patterns. RESULTS: There was near perfect inter-reader agreement observed on identification of axillary LN drainage after PT injection (P = 0.0004) and substantial agreement with SA injection (P = 0.0344). SA injection was more likely to drain to only axillary LNs, whereas PT injection appeared more likely to drain to both axillary and extra-axillary LNs, although no statistically significant differences were found. All patients with extra-axillary drainage after PT injection (n = 6 patients) had only axillary drainage after SA injection. Dual drainage was observed for six patients with PT injection and one patient with SA injection. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that radiopharmaceutical injected in the SA location has a high propensity to drain to axillary LNs only. After controlling for patient factors and demonstrating inter-reader agreement, the inability to demonstrate statistically significant differences in drainage based on injection site suggests that lymphatic drainage patterns may be a function of patient and tumor-specific features.

Does colon cancer ever metastasize to bone first? a temporal analysis of colorectal cancer progression.

BACKGROUND: It is well recognized that colorectal cancer does not frequently metastasize to bone. The aim of this retrospective study was to establish whether colorectal cancer ever bypasses other organs and metastasizes directly to bone and whether the presence of lung lesions is superior to liver as a better predictor of the likelihood and timing of bone metastasis. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis on patients with a clinical diagnosis of colon cancer referred for staging using whole-body 18F-FDG PET and CT or PET/CT. We combined PET and CT reports from 252 individuals with information concerning patient history, other imaging modalities, and treatments to analyze disease progression. RESULTS: No patient had isolated osseous metastasis at the time of diagnosis, and none developed isolated bone metastasis without other organ involvement during our survey period. It took significantly longer for colorectal cancer patients to develop metastasis to the lungs (23.3 months) or to bone (21.2 months) than to the liver (9.8 months). CONCLUSION: Metastasis only to bone without other organ involvement in colorectal cancer patients is extremely rare, perhaps more rare than we previously thought. Our findings suggest that resistant metastasis to the lungs predicts potential disease progression to bone in the colorectal cancer population better than liver metastasis does.

Patterns of cardiac perfusion abnormalities after chemoradiotherapy in patients with lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the prevalence of myocardial perfusion defects using myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) after chemoradiation or radiation therapy (CRT/RT) in lung cancer patients and described their patterns in relation to tumor location. METHODS: MPI in 44 patients who received RT for lung cancer and 44 control patients were compared. The two groups were comparable in risk factors for coronary artery disease. Data regarding tumor stage and location, interval between CRT/RT and MPI, and mean radiation dose to the heart was collected. The level of radiation delivered to the affected segments of the left ventricle versus the normal segments was compared using the isodose lines on the simulation computed tomography. RESULTS: Considering all tumor locations, 8 patients (18%) demonstrated MPI defects after CRT/RT versus 9 (20%) in the controls. However, 7 of 18 patients (39%) with centrally located tumors in the CRT/RT group versus only 1 of 15 patients (7%) in the control group demonstrated MPI defect (p= 0.04). The defects in the CRT/RT group were in the anterior and septal segments while the defects were in different segments in the controls. The median interval between end of RT and MPI was 12.3 months. The affected segments in the CRT/RT group received a mean radiation dose of 39.6 versus 11.4 Gy (p = 0.003) to the normal segments. CONCLUSIONS: CRT/RT to centrally located lung tumors tends to cause anterior/septal MPI defects. Abnormal MPI segments in the CRT/RT group have received significantly higher radiation than normal segments.

Sentinel node mapping in vulvovaginal melanoma using SPECT/CT lymphoscintigraphy.

We report 2 cases of vulvovaginal melanoma in which sentinel node mapping, performed using Tc-99m filtered sulfur colloid SPECT/CT lymphoscintigraphy, added important information to that provided by planar imaging and played a critical role in surgical planning and subsequent management. In the first case, lymphoscintigraphy planar imaging showed only foci of tracer uptake in the right groin and an equivocal focus in the left groin. SPECT/CT precisely localized these radioactive foci to the right and left inguinal sentinel nodes. The patient then underwent bilateral inguinal sentinel node sampling. In the second case, F-18 FDG PET/CT performed prior to lymphoscintigraphy demonstrated a moderately FDG-avid right inguinal lymph node that was indeterminate in nature. SPECT/CT revealed this lymph node to be a radioactive sentinel lymph node that was seen in the right groin on planar imaging. The patient then underwent right inguinal sentinel node sampling. Because pathologic study showed metastasis to the sentinel node, a planned pelvic exenteration was canceled, and the patient was referred for systemic treatment. Preoperative SPECT/CT lymphoscintigraphy is ideal for mapping the unpredicted lymphatic drainage pathways within the complex pelvic anatomy and this technique may also be used in the preoperative workup of other gynecologic malignancies.

Lung perfusion imaging can risk stratify lung cancer patients for the development of pulmonary complications after chemoradiation.

INTRODUCTION: We investigated the value of lung perfusion imaging in predicting the risk of developing pulmonary complications after chemoradiation (CRT) or radiation therapy (RT) for lung cancer. METHODS: Fifty patients who underwent lung perfusion imaging before RT for lung cancer were included. Planar and single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography images of the lungs were obtained. Lung perfusion score (LPS) was developed to visually grade localized perfusion defect per lung on a scale of 0 to 4 and perfusion pattern in the remaining lungs on a scale of 1 to 4. The LPS is the sum of the score for the localized perfusion defect in each lung plus the score for the remaining lungs perfusion. LPSs were correlated with pulmonary function tests and the patients were followed for 8 months after therapy to determine the incidence of grade 2 to 5 symptomatic therapy related pulmonary complications according to the common terminology criteria for adverse events (CTCAE 3.0). RESULTS: Thirty-four patients underwent CRT and 16 underwent RT. The mean total radiation dose delivered was 56.1 +/- 10.4 Gy. Eighteen patients (36%) suffered from pulmonary complications at a mean interval of 3.4 months after therapy. Nine patients had grade 2, 7 had grade 3, 1 had grade 4, and 1 had grade 5 pulmonary complications. The mean LPS was 4.9 in patients who developed pulmonary complications versus 3.5 in patients who did not (p = 0.01). There were no significant difference between pulmonary function tests in the patients with pulmonary complications and the patient without. In addition, there were no significant differences between the mean lung radiation dose, the volume of lung irradiated or the percentage of lung receiving greater than 20 Gy between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: LPS using lung perfusion imaging is useful for predicting possible pulmonary complications after CRT or RT in lung cancer patients.

Lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node detection in women with vaginal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the patterns of lymphatic drainage from primary vaginal cancers utilizing lymphoscintigraphy and to determine if this clinical information would affect treatment planning. METHODS: For women with newly diagnosed vaginal cancer, pretreatment lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node identification were performed using lymphoscintigraphy. In patients who underwent surgery, sentinel lymph nodes were identified intraoperatively using radiocolloid and patent blue dye. The impact of pretreatment lymphoscintigraphy findings on radiation planning in women who received radiation as initial treatment was noted. RESULTS: Fourteen women were enrolled during the study period. At least 1 sentinel lymph node was identified on pretreatment lymphoscintigraphy in 11 patients (79%). The median number of sentinel nodes found per patient was 2, and bilateral sentinel nodes were found in 6 (55%) of the 11 patients with sentinel nodes identified. Among these 11 patients, 5 (45%) had sentinel nodes identified in the groin only, 4 (36%) had sentinel nodes identified in the pelvis only, and 2 (18%) had sentinel nodes identified in both the groin and the pelvis. No relationship was observed between sentinel lymph node location and primary tumor histologic subtype or location. Three (33%) of the 9 women treated initially with radiation therapy had their radiation field altered as a result of the lymphoscintigraphy findings. CONCLUSION: In women with vaginal cancer, lymphatic drainage from the primary lesion does not always follow the lymphatic channels that would have been predicted anatomically. The addition of lymphoscintigraphy to the pretreatment evaluation for women with vaginal cancer may significantly improve comprehensive treatment planning.

Preserving functional lung using perfusion imaging and intensity-modulated radiation therapy for advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: To assess quantitatively the impact of incorporating functional lung imaging into intensity-modulated radiation therapy planning for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Sixteen patients with advanced-stage NSCLC who underwent radiotherapy were included in this study. Before radiotherapy, each patient underwent lung perfusion imaging with single-photon-emission computed tomography and X-ray computed tomography (SPECT-CT). The SPECT-CT was registered with simulation CT and was used to segment the 50- and 90-percentile hyperperfusion lung (F50 lung and F90 lung). Two IMRT plans were designed and compared in each patient: an anatomic plan using simulation CT alone and a functional plan using SPECT-CT in addition to the simulation CT. Dosimetric parameters of the two types of plans were compared in terms of tumor coverage and avoidance of normal tissues. RESULTS: In incorporating perfusion information in IMRT planning, the median reductions in the mean doses to the F50 and F90 lung in the functional plan were 2.2 and 4.2 Gy, respectively, compared with those in the anatomic plans. The median reductions in the percentage of volume irradiated with >5 Gy, >10 Gy, and >20 Gy in the functional plans were 7.1%, 6.0%, and 5.1%, respectively, for F50 lung, and 11.7%, 12.0%, and 6.8%, respectively, for F90 lung. A greater degree of sparing of the functional lung was achieved for patients with large perfusion defects compared with those with relatively uniform perfusion distribution. CONCLUSION: Function-guided IMRT planning appears to be effective in preserving functional lung in locally advanced-stage NSCLC patients.

The prevalence of myocardial ischemia after concurrent chemoradiation therapy as detected by gated myocardial perfusion imaging in patients with esophageal cancer.

UNLABELLED: The detection of myocardial perfusion abnormalities after radiation therapy (RT) has been investigated previously in patients with lymphoma and breast cancer. However, the prevalence and association of such abnormalities with RT in esophageal cancer patients have not been investigated previously. METHODS: The prevalence of myocardial perfusion abnormalities detected using gated myocardial perfusion imaging (GMPI) in patients with esophageal cancer after RT (RT group) was compared with that in patients with esophageal cancer who did not undergo RT (NRT group). The patients' data were extracted from a prospectively collected database. The results of GMPI that were read by multiple readers were tested further by an expert reader who was unaware of the patients' clinical information. This reader's findings were correlated with the different RT isodose lines as seen in the CT for RT planning. Isodose lines containing the affected segments in GMPI as well as the rest of the left ventricle were recorded. Additionally, information with regard to the mean radiation dose to the heart for each patient was collected. An overall, mean radiation dose to the heart in patients with abnormal GMPI studies was compared with that in patients with normal GMPI studies. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients were included, 26 in the RT group and 25 in the NRT group. The mean and median interval between RT and GMPI was 7.5 and 3.0 mo, respectively. We identified myocardial perfusion defects in 14 patients (54%) in the RT group and in 4 patients (16%) in the NRT group. Eleven patients (42%) in the RT group had mild inferior wall ischemia versus only 1 patient (4%) in the NRT group (P = 0.001). All of the patients with inferior wall ischemia had distal esophageal cancer. The remaining 12 patients in the RT group and 21 patients in the NRT group had normal GMPI results. The mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 59.0% +/- 10.7% in the RT group and 59.3% +/- 9.8% in the NRT group (P = not significant). Good agreement was found between the GMPI results interpreted by multiple readers and those of the single expert reader (kappa = 0.84). In 7 of 10 patients (70%) who had abnormal GMPI results in the RT group, the myocardial perfusion defect was encompassed in RT isodose lines >/= 45 Gy, whereas in only 5 of 20 patients (25%) the normal left ventricle was included in the RT isodose line >/= 45 Gy. CONCLUSION: RT is associated with a high prevalence of inferior left ventricular ischemia, as detected using GMPI in patients with distal esophageal cancer. Most perfusion defects are encompassed within an isodose line >/= 45 Gy in the RT plan.

Use of lymphoscintigraphy defines lymphatic drainage patterns before sentinel lymph node biopsy for breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Lymphoscintigraphy (LSG) can identify lymphatic drainage patterns before sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy is performed in patients with early-stage breast cancer, but the importance of extraaxillary SLNs seen on LSG is unknown. We assessed whether drainage patterns seen on LSG were associated with histologic findings in axillary SLNs recovered at SLN biopsy. STUDY DESIGN: From a prospectively maintained database, we identified 1,201 clinically node-negative patients with invasive breast cancer who underwent preoperative LSG and axillary SLN biopsy. Patient and tumor characteristics, LSG results, and final SLN pathology results were examined. RESULTS: LSG showed drainage to internal mammary (IM) nodes in 1.6% of patients, axillary nodes in 68.1%, both IM and axillary nodes in 19.8%, and no drainage in 10.3%. Drainage to IM nodes was observed for tumors in all quadrants of the breast. Patients with IM drainage had a younger median age than patients without IM drainage (51.8 versus 58.3 years, respectively; p < 0.001). The intraoperative axillary SLN identification rate was higher when axillary drainage was observed on LSG than when it was not observed (98.7% versus 93.0%, respectively; p < 0.001), but the LSG drainage pattern was not associated with pathologic status of the SLN or number of metastatic SLNs. At a median followup of 32 months, 4 patients had regional nodal recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Almost one-fourth of patients had lymphatic drainage to the extraaxillary lymph nodes, particularly the IM nodes, seen on LSG. Extraaxillary drainage seen on LSG did not preclude identification of axillary SLNs at operation. Longterm followup of patients with lymphoscintigraphic evidence of extraaxillary drainage is needed to determine whether regional and systemic recurrence patterns differ in these patients.

Usefulness of preoperative lymphoscintigraphy in patients who undergo radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy for cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the value of preoperative lymphoscintigraphy before intraoperative lymphatic mapping for sentinel lymph node identification during radical hysterectomy. STUDY DESIGN: Fifty patients underwent intraoperative lymphatic mapping on our institutional review board-approved protocol. The location of sentinel lymph nodes that were found on lymphoscintigraphy and intraoperative lymphatic mapping were compared. RESULTS: Fifteen of 21 patients (71%) with solitary sentinel lymph nodes that were found on lymphoscintigraphy had multiple sentinel lymph node basins found during the operation. Thirteen of 25 patients (52%) with unilateral sentinel lymph node basins that were found on lymphoscintigraphy had bilateral sentinel lymph nodes at intraoperative lymphatic mapping. Of 15 patients with 2 sentinel lymph node locations that were identified on lymphoscintigraphy, 12 patients (80%) had > or = 3 found during the operation. Of the sentinel lymph nodes that were located on the external iliac basin (n = 47) on lymphoscintigraphy, only 20 lymph nodes (43%) were found at that location during the operation. Concordance between the 2 methods was poor. Seven of the 9 patients with lymph node metastases had disease that was limited to the sentinel lymph nodes. CONCLUSION: Preoperative lymphoscintigraphy adds little value over intraoperative lymphatic mapping for sentinel lymph node identification during radical hysterectomy.

The value of 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT/CT over conventional SPECT in the evaluation of parathyroid adenomas or hyperplasia.

UNLABELLED: As SPECT/CT technology evolves, its applications and indications need to be evaluated clinically for more efficient and cost-effective use. This retrospective study evaluated the clinical value of simultaneously acquired (99m)Tc-sestamibi SPECT/CT versus conventional SPECT in diagnosing and locating parathyroid adenomas or hyperplasia in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. METHODS: Immediately and 60 minutes after intravenous administration of 740-925 MBq of (99m)Tc-sestamibi, static planar images of the neck and chest were obtained. SPECT/CT images were acquired 30 minutes after injection. Two experienced masked readers independently evaluated whether conventional SPECT images provided information beyond what was available from the planar images either by changing the diagnosis or by better locating the glands and whether the SPECT/CT images provided information beyond what was available from the planar plus conventional SPECT images. Forty-eight consecutive patients with a clinical diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism were included in the study. The 32 whose scans showed positive results underwent surgical resection and were examined histopathologically. RESULTS: Planar and SPECT imaging, with or without CT fusion, identified 89% of the surgically confirmed diseased parathyroid glands. Use of SPECT/CT changed the diagnosis in only 1 patient (2%) from positive to negative and better located the glands in only 4 patients (8%). SPECT/CT was particularly helpful in locating the 2 ectopic parathyroid adenomas diagnosed in this cohort. Tracer retention in diseased glands did not correlate with histologic characteristics. Also, biochemical markers did not correlate with the scan findings. CONCLUSION: SPECT/CT has no significant clinical value additional to that of conventional SPECT for parathyroid imaging except in locating ectopic parathyroid glands. Eliminating the CT acquisition will spare patients the additional time, radiation exposure, and expense.