Intravoxel incoherent motion MRI as a biomarker of sorafenib treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the association between the therapeutic outcomes of sorafenib for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the parameters of intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM). METHODS: Nine patients were evaluated prospectively. All patients were Child-Pugh score A. The mean dimension of the lesion was 32 mm (range: 15-74 mm). MR images were obtained using a 1.5-Tesla superconductive MRI system. Diffusion-weighted imaging was performed under breath-holding using b-values of 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 400, and 800 s/mm(2). The following IVIM parameters were calculated: apparent diffusion coefficient, true diffusion coefficient (DC), pseudo-diffusion coefficient, and perfusion fraction. MRI was performed before treatment and at 1, 2, and 4 weeks after beginning treatment. Tumor response at 4 weeks was assessed by CT or MRI using modified RECIST. IVIM parameters of the treatment responders and non-responders were compared. RESULTS: The DC of responders at baseline was significantly higher than that of the non-responders. The sensitivity and specificity, when a DC of 0.8 (10(-3) mm(2)/s) or higher was considered to be a responder, were 100 % and 67 %, respectively. No significant differences were found in the other parameters between the responders and the non-responders. All IVIM parameters of the responders and non-responders did not change significantly after treatment. CONCLUSION: The DC before treatment may be a useful parameter for predicting the therapeutic outcome of sorafenib for advanced HCC.

Selective intraarterial chemoradiation therapy for oropharyngeal carcinoma with high-dose cisplatin.

PURPOSE: Cisplatin has shown a high tumor response rate among head and neck carcinomas, and the tumor response is related to the cisplatin dosage. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of selective intraarterial chemoradiation therapy for oropharyngeal carcinomas with high-dose cisplatin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study consisted of 21 patients with oropharyngeal carcinoma, stages II-IVB, in whom intraarterial chemoradiation therapy was performed between 2000 and 2008. All patients were given two courses of selective intraarterial infusions of cisplatin (300 mg/m(2)), systemic chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil, and simultaneous radiation therapy (58-61 Gy/30 fractions), with a 1-week rest period. RESULTS: The 2-year overall survival rate of the 15 patients who completed the therapeutic regimen was 71.3%. The 2-year locoregional control rate and disease-free survival rate were 95.0% and 67.7%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Selective intraarterial high-dose cisplatin chemotherapy with concomitant radiation therapy shows results similar to those of original methods in terms of survival and locoregional control with a reduction in the number of procedure times.

Estimation of cardiac left ventricular ejection fraction in transfusional cardiac iron overload by R2* magnetic resonance.

Cardiac dysfunction due to transfusional iron overload is one of the most critical complications for patients with transfusion-dependent hematological disorders. Clinical parameters such as total red blood cell (RBC) transfusion units and serum ferritin level are usually considered as indicators for initiation of iron chelation therapy. We used MRI-T2*, MRI-R2* values, and left ventricular ejection fraction in 19 adult patients with blood transfusion-dependent hematological disorders without consecutive oral iron chelation therapy, and propose possible formulae of cardiac function using known parameters, such as total RBC transfusion units and serum ferritin levels. We found a positive correlation in all patients between both R2* values (reciprocal values of T2*) and serum ferritin levels (r = 0.81) and also total RBC transfusion volume (r = 0.90), but not when we analyzed subgroups of patients whose T2* values were over 30 ms (0.52). From the formulae of the R2*, we concluded that approximately 50 Japanese units or 2,900 pmol/L ferritin might be the cutoff value indicating possible future cardiac dysfunction.

Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated effectively with irinotecan via hepatic arterial infusion followed by proton beam therapy.

We report a 48-year-old man with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) chemotherapy followed by proton beam therapy. The HCC lesion in this patient was 88 mm in diameter, with portal vein tumor thrombosis in the right lobe of the liver. He was first treated with 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin, and isovorin, administered by HAI, combined with interferon-alpha, and he was subsequently treated with epirubicin and mitomycin-C administered by HAI. However, no definite efficacy of either of these treatments was observed. Then, after 3 weeks' continuous administration of irinotecan by HAI, the tumor size decreased to 68 mm in diameter. However, 3 months after reduction of the tumor, the tumor had become enlarged to 100 mm in diameter and intrahepatic metastases were prominent. Angiographic findings indicated that the HCC was fed not only from the right hepatic artery but also from the left gastric and right and left subphrenic arteries. After rearrangement of the arteries, and 3 months' continuous HAI chemotherapy with irinotecan, plus hyperthermia, the tumor size had decreased to 50 mm in diameter. The reduction rate of the main tumor according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors was 43%; therefore, the efficacy of this treatment was judged as a partial response. Two months after reduction of the tumor, the patient's serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level was elevated, and so docetaxel was administered by HAI instead of irinotecan. The liver tumors showed gradual enlargement during the administration of docetaxel, although the AFP level was suppressed. Proton beam therapy was instituted and the liver tumors showed necrosis after this therapy. The patient died of hepatic failure and distant metastases 6 years after the onset of HCC. As far as we know, this is the first case report of HCC treated effectively with irinotecan administered by HAI followed by proton beam therapy in which tumor suppression and the long-term survival of the patient were observed.

Small-field radiotherapy in combination with concomitant chemotherapy for locally advanced pancreatic carcinoma.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of small-field radiotherapy in combination with concomitant 5-fluorouracil (5FU) or cisplatin for locally advanced pancreatic carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From November 1993 to January 1999, 53 patients underwent continuous 5FU infusion at 200mg/m2 (27 patients) or a 30-min cisplatin infusion at 5mg/m2/day (26 patients) just prior to each irradiation. The radiation field was limited to cover the primary and the paraaortic regions at celiac and supramesenteric axis levels. A total dose of 50.4Gy in 28 sessions was given in 5.6 weeks. RESULTS: Median and 1-year survival rates were 10.2 months and 35.2%, respectively. Local failure occurred in 19 patients (36%) and liver metastases in 16 patients (30%). All local recurrences occurred only within the radiation field. CONCLUSIONS: Median survival rates were comparable to other studies. Because local failure occurred only within the radiation field, the use of relatively small-field radiotherapy may be justified in the treatment of locally advanced pancreatic carcinoma in addition to concurrent administration of either 5FU or cisplatin.