Progression-directed therapy in patients with oligoprogressive castration-resistant prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: Oligoprogressive lesions are observed in a subset of patients who progress to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), while other lesions remain controlled by systemic therapy. This study evaluates the impact of progression-directed therapy (PDT) on these oligoprogressive lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 40 patients diagnosed with oligoprogressive CRPC. PDT was performed for treating all progressive sites using radiotherapy. Fifteen patients received PDT using radiotherapy for all progressive sites (PDT group) while 25 had additional first-line systemic treatments (non-PDT group). In PDT group, 7 patients underwent PDT and unchanged systemic therapy (PDT-A group) and 8 patients underwent PDT with additional new line of systemic therapy on CRPC (PDT-B group). The Kaplan-Meier method was used to assess treatment outcomes. RESULTS: The prostate specific antigen (PSA) nadir was significantly lower in PDT group compare to non-PDT group (p=0.007). A 50% PSA decline and complete PSA decline were observed in 13 patients (86.7%) and 10 patients (66.7%) of PDT group and in 18 patients (72.0%) and 11 patients (44.0%) of non-PDT group, respectively. The PSA-progression free survival of PDT-B group was significantly longer than non-PDT group. The median time to failure of first-line systemic therapy on CRPC was 30.2 months in patients in PDT group and 14.9 months in non-PDT group (p=0.014). PDT-B group showed a significantly longer time to progression than non-PDT group (p=0.025). Minimal PDT-related adverse events were observed. CONCLUSIONS: PDT can delay progression of disease and enhance treatment efficacy with acceptable tolerability in oligoprogressive CRPC.

Clinical Role of Upfront F-18 FDG PET/CT in Determining Biopsy Sites for Lung Cancer Diagnosis.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the impact of FDG PET/CT timing for biopsy site selection in patients with stage IV lung cancer regarding complications and diagnostic yield. METHODS: This retrospective analysis was performed on 1297 patients (924 men and 373 women with a mean age of 71.4 ± 10.2 years) who underwent percutaneous needle biopsy (PNB) for stage IV lung cancer diagnosis in two hospitals. Data collected included the patient's characteristics, order date of the biopsy and PET/CT exams, biopsy target site (lung or non-lung), guidance modality, complications, sample adequacy, and diagnostic success. Based on the order date of the PNB and PET/CT exams, patients were categorized into upfront and delayed PET/CT groups. RESULTS: PNB for non-lung targets resulted in significantly lower rates of minor (8.1% vs. 16.2%), major (0.2% vs. 3.4%), and overall complications (8.3% vs. 19.6%) compared to PNB for lung targets (p < 0.001 for all types of complications). Compared to the delayed PET/CT group, the upfront PET/CT group exhibited a lower probability of lung target selection of PNB (53.9% vs. 67.1%, p < 0.001), including a reduced incidence of major complications (1.0% vs. 2.9%, p = 0.031). Moreover, there was no significant difference in the occurrence of minor and total complications between the two groups. Upfront PET/CT and delayed PET/CT groups showed no significant difference regarding sample adequacy and diagnostic success. CONCLUSIONS: Upfront PET/CT may have an impact on the selection of the biopsy site for patients with advanced lung cancer, which could result in a lower rate of major complications with no change in the diagnostic yield. Upfront PET/CT demonstrates potential clinical implications for enhancing the safety of lung cancer diagnosis in clinical practice.

Response Prediction after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Colon Cancer Using CT Tumor Regression Grade: A Preliminary Study.

Purpose: To investigate whether CT-based tumor regression grade (ctTRG) can be used to predict the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in colon cancer. Materials and Methods: A total of 53 patients were enrolled. Two radiologists independently assessed the ctTRG using the length, thickness, layer pattern, and luminal and extraluminal appearance of the tumor. Changes in tumor volume were also analyzed using the 3D Slicer software. We evaluated the association between pathologic TRG (pTRG) and ctTRG. Patients with Rödel's TRG of 2, 3, or 4 were classified as responders. In terms of predicting responder and pathologic complete remission (pCR), receiver operating characteristic was compared between ctTRG and tumor volume change. Results: There was a moderate correlation between ctTRG and pTRG (ρ = -0.540, p < 0.001), and the interobserver agreement was substantial (weighted κ = 0.672). In the prediction of responder, there was no significant difference between ctTRG and volumetry (Az = 0.749, criterion: ctTRG ≤ 3 for ctTRG, Az = 0.794, criterion: ≤ -27.1% for volume, p = 0.53). Moreover, there was no significant difference between the two methods in predicting pCR (p = 0.447). Conclusion: ctTRG might predict the response to NAC in colon cancer. The diagnostic performance of ctTRG was comparable to that of CT volumetry.

Predictors of Extraprostatic Extension in Patients with Prostate Cancer.

PURPOSE: To identify effective factors predicting extraprostatic extension (EPE) in patients with prostate cancer (PCa). METHODS: This retrospective cohort study recruited 898 consecutive patients with PCa treated with robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. The patients were divided into EPE and non-EPE groups based on the analysis of whole-mount histopathologic sections. Histopathological analysis (ISUP biopsy grade group) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (PI-RADS v2.1 scores [1-5] and the Mehralivand EPE grade [0-3]) were used to assess the prediction of EPE. We also assessed the clinical usefulness of the prediction model based on decision-curve analysis. RESULTS: Of 800 included patients, 235 (29.3%) had EPE, and 565 patients (70.7%) did not (non-EPE). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the biopsy ISUP grade, PI-RADS v2.1 score, and Mehralivand EPE grade were independent risk factors for EPE. In the regression assessment of the models, the best discrimination (area under the curve of 0.879) was obtained using the basic model (age, serum PSA, prostate volume at MRI, positive biopsy core, clinical T stage, and D'Amico risk group) and Mehralivand EPE grade 3. Decision-curve analysis showed that combining Mehralivand EPE grade 3 with the basic model resulted in superior net benefits for predicting EPE. CONCLUSION: Mehralivand EPE grades and PI-RADS v2.1 scores, in addition to basic clinical and demographic information, are potentially useful for predicting EPE in patients with PCa.

Comparison of the efficacy of the early LI-SWT plus daily tadalafil with daily tadalafil only as penile rehabilitation for postprostatectomy erectile dysfunction.

This study compares the efficacy of the early low-intensity shock wave therapy (LI-SWT) plus daily tadalafil with daily tadalafil only therapy as penile rehabilitation for postprostatectomy erectile dysfunction in patients with prostate cancer who underwent bilateral interfascial nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy (robotic or open). From April 2019 to March 2021, 165 patients were enrolled, and 80 of them successfully completed this prospective study. Daily tadalafil were administered to all the patients. LI-SWT consisted of a total of six sessions. Each session was performed on days 4, 5, 6, and 7, and on the second and fourth weeks after surgery. Each LI-SWT session consisted of 300 shocks at an energy density of 0.09 mJ/mm2 and a frequency of 120 shocks per minute that were delivered at each of the five treatment points for 15 min. Thirty-nine patients were treated with tadalafil-only (group A) while 41 were treated with tadalafil and LI-SWT simultaneously (group B). At postoperative 6 months, the proportion of patients with erection hardness scores (EHS) ≥ 3 (4/39 vs. 12/41) was significantly higher in group B (p = 0.034), and LI-SWT was the only independent factor for predicting EHS ≥ 3 (OR, 3.621; 95% CI, 1.054-12.437; p = 0.041). There were no serious side effects related to early LI-SWT. Early LI-SWT plus daily tadalafil therapy as penile rehabilitation for postprostatectomy erectile dysfunction is thought to be more efficacious than tadalafil only. Further large-scaled randomized controlled trials will be needed to validate these findings.

Comparison of Radiation Dose and Image Quality between the 2nd Generation and 3rd Generation Dual-Source Single-Energy and Dual-Source Dual-Energy CT of the Abdomen.

Purpose: We compared the radiation dose and image quality between the 2nd generation and the 3rd generation dual-source single-energy (DSSE) and dual-source dual-energy (DSDE) CT of the abdomen. Materials and Methods: We included patients undergoing follow-up abdominal CT after partial or radical nephrectomy in the first 10 months of 2019 (2nd generation DS CT) and the first 10 months of 2020 (3rd generation DS CT). We divided the 320 patients into 4 groups (A, 2nd generation DSSE CT; B, 2nd generation DSDE CT; C, 3rd generation DSSE CT; and D, 3rd generation DSDE CT) (n = 80 each) matched by sex and body mass index. Radiation dose and image quality (objective and subjective qualities) were compared between the groups. Results: The mean size-specific dose estimation of 3rd generation DSDE CT group was significantly lower than that of the 2nd generation DSSE CT (42.5%, p = 0.013) and 2nd generation DSDE CT (46.9%, p = 0.015) groups. Interobserver agreement was excellent for the overall image quality (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]: 0.8867) and image artifacts (ICC: 0.9423). Conclusion: Our results showed a considerable reduction in the radiation dose while maintaining high image quality with 3rd generation DSDE CT as compared to the 2nd generation DSDE CT and 2nd generation DSSE CT.

Should We Always Perform Preoperative Chest Computed Tomography in Patients with cT1a Renal Cell Carcinoma?

No definitive criteria regarding the performance of preoperative chest computed tomography (CT) in patients with cT1a renal cell carcinoma (RCC) exists. We aimed to establish an objective standard for the optimal timing of preoperative chest CT in patients with RCC. Data from 890 patients who underwent surgical treatment for RCC between January 2011 and December 2020 were retrospectively collected. The primary endpoint was detection of lung metastasis on chest CT before nephrectomy. A multivariable logistic regression model predicting positive chest CT scans was used. Predictors included preoperative cTN stage, presence of systemic symptoms, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), platelet count/hemoglobin ratio, albumin/globulin ratio (AGR), and De Ritis ratio. The overall rate of positive chest CT scans before nephrectomy was 3.03% (27/890). Only one patient had lung metastasis before surgery for cT1a. cT stage (≥cT1b), CCI ≥4, and low AGR were associated with a higher risk of positive chest CT scans. The best cutoff value for AGR was 1.39. After 890-sample bootstrap validation, the concordance index was 0.80. The net benefit of the proposed strategy was superior to that of the select-all and select-none strategies according to decision curve analysis. Therefore, when chest CT scans were performed with a risk of a positive result ≥10%, 532 (59.8%) negative chest CT scans could be prevented. Only 24 (2.7%) potentially positive chest CT scans were misdiagnosed. Therefore, we recommend chest CT in patients with ≥cT1b disease, CCI ≥4, and low AGR.

Ectopic Adrenal Adenoma in Renal Sinus: A Case Report.

The kidney is a rare site of ectopic adrenal adenoma. To the best of our knowledge, some cases of ectopic adrenal adenoma have been found in the kidney, but few of these cases explain the CT and MRI findings of the lesion. We reported a case of ectopic adrenal adenoma in the left renal sinus. A 47-year-old male patient underwent abdominal CT for routine health check-ups, which revealed a 1.2 cm enhancing mass in the left renal sinus. The MRI showed a signal drop of the mass in T1 weighted in- and opposed-phase, which indicates fat components. The mass was confirmed as an ectopic adrenal adenoma after surgery.

Gallbladder Metastasis of Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Case Report.

The gallbladder (GB) is a rare site of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) metastasis. To the best of our knowledge, only a few reports of CT findings of GB metastasis exist in the literature. Herein, we report a case of histologically proven GB metastasis of RCC in a 55-year-old male who underwent CT for an intraluminal polypoid mass simulating a primary GB lesion.

Assessment of pelvic lymph node metastasis in FIGO IB and IIA cervical cancer using quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI parameters.

PURPOSE: We prospectively determined whether the quantitative parameters derived from dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) are useful for predicting pelvic lymph node (LN) status in cervical cancer through node-by-node pathologic validation of images. METHODS: Overall, 182 LNs harvested from 200 consecutive patients with 2018 FIGO stage IB-IIA cervical cancer (82 metastatic and 100 nonmetastatic) were used for node-by-node assessment. Each LN was quantitatively assessed using Ktrans, Ve, and Kep values. The short-axis diameter, ratio of the long-axis to short-axis diameter, and long-axis diameter were also assessed. Data on metastatic LNs were divided into four groups according to the FIGO staging system. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate statistically significant parameters derived from DCE-MRI for the differentiation of metastatic LNs from nonmetastatic LNs. RESULTS: The mean short-axis diameter of metastatic LNs was significantly larger than that of nonmetastatic LNs (all P < 0.05) despite several overlaps. In comparison with nonmetastatic LNs, metastatic LNs showed a significantly lower Ktrans (all P < 0.05); however, Kep and Ve were not significantly different (all P > 0.05). For IB3 and IIA2 cervical cancer, Ktrans had moderate diagnostic ability for differentiating metastatic LNs from nonmetastatic LNs (for IB3: area under the curve [AUC] 0.740, 95% CI 0.657-0.838, 61.7% sensitivity, 80.2% specificity, P = 0.007; for IIA2: AUC 0.786, 95% CI 0.650-0.846, 60.2% sensitivity, 81.8% specificity, P = 0.008). CONCLUSION: Ktrans appears to be a useful parameter for detecting metastatic LNs, especially for IB3 and IIA2 cervical cancer.

Effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on breast tissue composition: a longitudinal mammographic study with automated volumetric measurement.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) on breast tissue composition with mammographic automated volumetric measurement. METHODS: This retrospective study included 168 breast cancer patients who were treated with NAC and underwent serial mammography (pre-treatment, mid-treatment, and post-treatment) between January 2015 and October 2018. Automated volumetric measurements of the contralateral breast volume (BV), fibroglandular volume (FGV), and breast density (BD) were performed using Volpara software. BD grades were divided into 4 groups by Volpara density grade (VDG). The longitudinal changes in BV, FGV, BD, and their associated factors were evaluated. RESULTS: Repeated-measures analysis of variance demonstrated a significant reduction in BV, FGV, and BD over time (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p = 0.002, respectively). BV showed a greater reduction in the second half than in the first half (- 28.6 cm3 vs. - 15.2 cm3), BD showed a greater reduction in the first half than in the second half (- 0.8% vs. - 0.1%), and FGV steadily decreased (- 4.6 cm3 and - 3.9 cm3 in the first and second halves). On multivariable linear regression analysis, chemotherapy regimen was associated with BV change between pre- and post-treatment (p = 0.002); age (p = 0.024) and VDG (p = 0.027) were associated with FGV change; age (p = 0.037), VDG (p = 0.002), and chemotherapy regimen (p = 0.003) were associated with BD change. CONCLUSIONS: NAC affects breast tissue composition, reflected as reductions in BV, FGV, and BD. Mammography with automated volumetric measurement can capture quantitative changes in these breast tissue parameters during NAC. KEY POINTS: • Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) affects breast tissue composition with different patterns of reduction in breast volume, fibroglandular volume, and breast density. • Age, Volpara density grades, and NAC regimen were independent factors associated with breast density change between pre-treatment and post-treatment. • Mammography with automated volumetric measurement enables identification of longitudinal changes in breast tissue composition.

Axillary Nodal Burden Assessed with Pretreatment Breast MRI Is Associated with Failed Sentinel Lymph Node Identification after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer.

Background After publication of the findings of the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group Z1071 trial, sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) has been increasingly performed in patients with breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Purpose To investigate the pretreatment breast MRI and clinical-pathologic characteristics associated with failed sentinel node identification after NAC in patients with breast cancer. Materials and Methods Patients who underwent SLNB after NAC between January 2015 and January 2019 were retrospectively identified. Two radiologists independently reviewed the characteristics of axillary nodes (number, perinodal infiltration, cortical thickness, and maximal diameter) at pretreatment breast MRI. The associations of the clinical-pathologic and imaging characteristics of the axillary nodes with sentinel node identification were assessed by using the χ2 test and/or the χ2 test for trend and multivariable logistic regression with odds ratio (OR) calculation. Results A total of 276 women (mean age ± standard deviation, 48 years ± 9; range, 27-68 years) were included. Sentinel nodes were identified in 252 of the 276 patients (91%). Multivariable analysis showed that higher (stage 3 or 4) clinical T stages (OR = 5.2, P = .004 for radiologist 1; OR = 4.6, P = .01 for radiologist 2), use of a single tracer (OR = 4.3, P = .04 for radiologist 1; OR = 3.9, P = .046 for radiologist 2), a greater number (10 or more) of suspicious axillary nodes (OR = 11.5, P = .002 for radiologist 1; OR = 8.3, P = .01 for radiologist 2), and the presence of perinodal infiltration (OR = 7.0, P = .002 for radiologist 1; OR = 7.5, P = .003 for radiologist 2) were associated with failed sentinel node identification. Conclusion A greater number of suspicious axillary nodes and the presence of perinodal infiltration at pretreatment MRI, higher clinical T stages, and use of a single tracer were independently associated with failed sentinel node identification after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer. © RSNA, 2020 See also the editorial by Imbriaco in this issue.

Transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy versus combined magnetic resonance imaging-ultrasound fusion and systematic biopsy for prostate cancer detection in routine clinical practice.

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to retrospectively compare systematic ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy (US-PB) and multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging-ultrasound fusion prostate biopsy (MRI-PB) in men undergoing primary or repeated biopsies. METHODS: A population of 2,200 patients with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level >4.0 ng/ dL and/or an abnormal rectal examination was divided into two groups. All patients underwent US-PB (n=1,021) or MRI-PB (n=1,179) between April 2015 and April 2019. Population demographics, including age, PSA level, digital rectal examination results, prostate volume, number of previous negative biopsies, Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) version 2 (V2) score, and biopsy results, were acquired and compared with respect to these variables. Univariate regression analysis of the risk factors for a higher Gleason score (GS) was performed. RESULTS: The cancer detection rate (CDR) was 23.8% (243 of 1,021) in the US-PB group and 31.3% (399 of 1,179) in the MRI-PB group. Of those, 225 patients (22.0%) in the US-PB group and 374 patients (31.7%) in the MRI-PB group had clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa). The patients with csPCa in the MRI-PB group included 10 (40%), 50 (62.5%), 184 (94.8%), and 32 (94.1%) patients with PI-RADS V2 scores of 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. Of the patients with csPCa, 155 (91.7%) in the US-PB group were diagnosed on the basis of the primary biopsy, compared to 308 (94.4%) in the MRI-PB group. We found the PI-RADS V2 score to be the best predictor of a higher GS. CONCLUSION: MRI-PB showed a high CDR for csPCa. MRI-PB could be a reasonable approach in patients with high PI-RADS V2 scores at primary biopsy.

Development and External Validation of Multiparametric MRI-Derived Nomogram to Predict Risk of Pathologic Upgrade in Patients on Active Surveillance for Prostate Cancer.

OBJECTIVE. The aim of this study was to create, develop, and externally validate a nomogram that predicts pathologic upgrade in patients on active surveillance (AS) for prostate cancer using commonly available clinical and multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A consecutive sample of 300 patients undergoing AS for prostate cancer at the Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital between 2010 and 2016 was used to develop the nomogram. The validation cohort consisted of 150 patients undergoing active surveillance at Kyungpook National University Hospital between 2013 and 2017. The study outcome was the occurrence of pathologic upgrade in AS patients. The relationship between the clinical and mpMRI factors considered and pathologic upgrade was tested using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. The predictive accuracy of the nomogram was determined using the ROC AUC. RESULTS. The overall rate of pathologic upgrade was 25.0% in the developmental cohort and 22.0% in the validation cohort. Significant variables in the models were age, prostate-specific antigen level, biopsy grade group 2, baseline Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) scores of 4 and 5, positive cores on initial biopsy greater than 1, and biopsy cores with 50% or more tumor involvement. The progression seen on mpMRI of PI-RADS score was significantly associated with pathologic upgrade. The nomogram used to predict the risk of pathologic upgrade had a predictive accuracy of 0.78 in the external validation cohort. CONCLUSION. This study developed and externally validated a nomogram that predicts the risk of pathologic upgrade on the basis of commonly used factors. This nomogram may be used to assist management decision making for patients on AS for prostate cancer.

Potential image-based criteria of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for colon cancer: multireaders' diagnostic performance.

PURPOSE: The objective was to assess which image-based criteria can be best accurately determined at MDCT and which results in least overtreatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 110 consecutive patients, who underwent curative surgery for colon cancer, were included in this retrospective study. Five radiologists independently assessed the longitudinal diameter of cancer as well as T- and N-categories. The five image-based criteria (T3cd/T4, T3/T4, T3/T4 or N+, T3cd/T4 or N2, and T3/T4 with ≥ 4 cm) were evaluated in terms of diagnostic accuracy, interreader agreement, and overtreatment risk using pooled receiver-operating curve and Fleiss kappa analyses. Pathologic high-risk stage II or III was used as a reference standard for assessment of overtreatment risk. RESULTS: The diagnostic accuracy of multireaders was in the acceptable range (pooled area under curve (AUC): 0.751-0.829). T3/T4 showed the highest AUC (0.829) in terms of diagnostic accuracy. T3/T4 with ≥ 4 cm showed the highest kappa value (κ = 0.695) followed by T3/T4 (κ = 0.623), indicating substantial agreement. The other three criteria revealed moderate agreement (κ = 0.558-0.577). In terms of overtreatment ratio, T3cd/T4 and T3cd/T4 or N2 showed relatively lower ratios (T3cd/T4, 2.2%; T3cd/T4 or N2, 2.9%), whereas T3/T4 and T3/T4 or N+ revealed higher ratios (T3/T4, 8.7%; T3/T4 or N+, 9.5%). CONCLUSIONS: T3/T4 was the best criterion in terms of diagnostic accuracy. However, in terms of interreader agreement and overtreatment risk, T3/T4 with ≥ 4 cm and T3cd/T4 were better as potential image-based criteria of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for colon cancer.

Validation of vesical imaging reporting and data system for assessing muscle invasion in bladder tumor.

PURPOSE: To retrospectively determine the diagnostic values of vesical imaging reporting and data system (VI-RADS) score for detecting muscle-invasive bladder tumors. METHODS: This study included 297 consecutive patients with 339 tumors who previously diagnosed and subsequently underwent multiparametric MR imaging between January 2015 and March 2019. Two radiologists assessed the scores of muscle-invasive tumors using cutoff values of ≥ 4 and ≥ 3. Cutoff values for VI-RADS scores were estimated from the best operating points of the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve analyses using the Youden J statistic. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy were calculated to assess the utility of VI-RADS for diagnosing muscle-invasive tumors. RESULTS: Inter-observer agreement was excellent for three different MR imaging type at lesion level (k = 0.89 for T2W, k = 0.82 for DW, and k = 0.85 for DCE). At a cutoff value of 4, T2W and DW imaging had a diagnostic accuracy of 79.3% (269/339) for tumor lesions with muscle invasion, which was similar to an overall score of 80.2% (272/339). The overall VI-RAD score showed 80.2% accuracy (272/339), with a cutoff value of ≥ 4, yielding 91.3% sensitivity (85/93), 76.0% specificity (187/246), 83.3% PPV (85/102), and 78.9% NPV (187/237). When we considered an arbitrary overall score of ≥ 3 as the cutoff value, the accuracy was 63.7% (216/339); sensitivity, 94.6% (125/132); specificity, 43.9% (91/207); PPV, 51.6% (125/242); and NPV, 63.7% (91/97). CONCLUSION: VI-RADS has an overall good performance in the diagnosis of muscle-invasive tumors.

Determination of Gleason score discrepancy for risk stratification in magnetic resonance-ultrasound fusion prostate biopsy.

BACKGROUND: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-ultrasound (US) fusion biopsy remains challenging and highlights the need towards standardization. PURPOSE: To characterize the clinical and MRI features of clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) with discrepant Gleason score (GS) in MRI-US fusion biopsy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 400 consecutive patients with suspected cancer lesions who underwent MRI-US fusion biopsy and subsequent prostatectomy were included. In the comparison of biopsy GS with pathology GS, matched lesions were defined as a GS, and discrepant lesions were defined as an upgrade of the GS. Descriptive statistics were used to define clinical characteristics, including age, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), PSA density, and maximal cancer core length (MCCL). Differences between lesions with matched and discrepant GS were determined considering the location and PI-RADS v2 score. A paired comparison of the volumes between the two groups was performed. RESULTS: There were 130 lesions with discrepant GS in 124 patients. There was no significant difference in the age, PSA, and PSA density between the two groups, except for the MCCL (P = 0.028). The lesions were distributed in the peripheral (n = 88) and transition (n = 42) zones; 33, 50, and 47 lesions were at the apex, mid-gland, and base levels, respectively. PI-RADS scores were as follows: 2 (n = 5), 3 (n = 8), 4 (n = 68), and 5 (n = 39). In comparison with matched lesions, discrepant lesions had significantly smaller multiparametric MRI-measured cancer volumes (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Knowledge of discrepant GS in MRI-US fusion biopsy is important, and a careful approach is needed to reduce this discrepancy.

Effective Radiation Dose Reduction in Computed Tomography With Iterative Reconstruction in Patients With Urinary Stone.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to prospectively compare the image quality and visibility of urinary stone on computed tomographic (CT) images at multiple radiation exposure levels from the same patient reconstructed with sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction (SAFIRE). METHODS: This study included 760 patients with urinary stone who underwent CT with simultaneous acquisition at 6 exposures per patient (100% filtered back projection, 75%, 50%, 37.5%, 25%, and 12.5% SAFIRE). Two radiologists independently assessed overall image quality, noise, and stone visibility by using a 5-point scale. Quantitative measurements, including the CT number, image noise, signal-to-noise ratio, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and corresponding figure of merit (FOM), were compared for 100% versus 5 other radiation doses. RESULTS: Qualitative overall image quality, noise, and stone visibility according to the location were not inferior at 37.5% exposure compared with 100% exposure, except for the visualization of smaller stones <3 mm. The signal-to-noise ratio and CNR of CT images were increased at 50% exposure compared with 100% exposure. Computed tomographic images at 37.5% exposure reconstructed with SAFIRE had significantly more noise and a lower CNR compared with CT images reconstructed with filtered back projection, based on FOMnoise and FOMCNR. The size-specific dose estimation was 4.1 ± 0.8 mGy at 37.5% exposure. CONCLUSION: Computed tomography performed at 37.5% exposure with SAFIRE may be diagnostically acceptable for the detection of clinically relevant stone.

Assessment of solid components of borderline ovarian tumor and stage I carcinoma: added value of combined diffusion- and perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: We sought to determine the value of combining diffusion-weighted (DW) and perfusion-weighted (PW) sequences with a conventional magnetic resonance (MR) sequence to assess solid components of borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs) and stage I carcinomas. Methods: Conventional, DW, and PW sequences in the tumor imaging studies of 70 patients (BOTs, n=38; stage I carcinomas, n=32) who underwent surgery with pathologic correlation were assessed. Two independent radiologists calculated the parameters apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), Ktrans (vessel permeability), and Ve (cell density) for the solid components. The distribution on conventional MR sequence and mean, standard deviation, and 95% confidence interval of each DW and PW parameter were calculated. The inter-observer agreement among the two radiologists was assessed. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and multivariate logistic regression were performed to compare the effectiveness of DW and PW sequences for average values and to characterize the diagnostic performance of combined DW and PW sequences. Results: There were excellent agreements for DW and PW parameters between radiologists. The distributions of ADC, Ktrans, and Ve values were significantly different between BOTs and stage I carcinomas, yielding AUCs of 0.58 and 0.68, 0.78 and 0.82, and 0.70 and 0.72, respectively, with ADC yielding the lowest diagnostic performance. The AUCs of the DW, PW, and combined PW and DW sequences were 0.71±0.05, 0.80±0.05, and 0.85±0.05, respectively. Conclusion: Combining PW and DW sequences to a conventional sequence potentially improves the diagnostic accuracy in the differentiation of BOTs and stage I carcinomas.