Effects of percutaneous cryoablation for renal tumor on overall and split renal function.

PURPOSE: To evaluate retrospectively the influence of percutaneous cryoablation for small renal tumors on total and affected kidney function and risk factors associated with worsening function of the affected kidney. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between April 2016 and March 2022, 27 patients who underwent cryoablation for small renal tumors at our institution participated in this study, which investigated time-dependent changes in postoperative renal function. We evaluated estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFRs) and split renal function revealed by scintigraphy using 99 m technetium-mercaptoacetyltriglycine (99mTc-MAG3) before cryoablation and at 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months after cryoablation. Numerous variables were analyzed to assess risk factors for worsening renal function. RESULTS: Baseline eGFR (mean ± standard deviation) was 56.5 ± 23.7 mL/min/1.73 m2 (mean ± SD; range, 20.5-112.5). Mean eGFRs at 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months after cryoablation were 57.4 ± 24.5 (19.1-114.9), 57.1 ± 25.1 (21.5-114.9), and 53.8 ± 23.9 mL/min/1.73 m2 (20.0-107.5), respectively. Changes were statistically insignificant (p = 1.0000, = 0.6749, and = 0.0761, respectively). Regarding split renal function, mean baseline contribution of the affected kidney determined by 99mTc-MAG3 was 49.7% ± 6.0% (38.8-63.3%); these rates at 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months after cryoablation were 43.7% ± 8.8 (29.1-70.6%), 46.2% ± 7.7% (32.6-70.3%), and 46.0% ± 8.5% (32.5-67.6%), respectively. Differences from baseline were significant for all periods (p < 0001, < 0001, = 0.0001, respectively). Serum C reactive protein and lactate dehydrogenase at 1 day following cryoablation, tumor's nearness to the collecting system or sinus, and volume of ablated normal renal parenchyma were significantly correlated with decreased contributions of the affected kidney by > 10% after cryoablation. CONCLUSION: Unlike total renal function, affected kidney function could worsen after cryoablation.

Quantitative analysis of liver standardized uptake value repeatability in SPECT/CT implications for clinical practice.

Purpose. The aim of this study was to assess the repeatability of the SUV normalized by liver volume (SUVL) between two liver receptor SPECT/CT studies performed on different days in patients with ICG-R15 values within normal range.Methods. 935 patients who underwent liver receptor scintigraphy between January 2010 and August 2018 were included. Patients who underwent liver resection, hepatic arterial embolization or had ICG-R15 >10% between scans were excluded, and 38 patients were finally included in the analysis. The repeatability of SUVL between scans was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) (1.1) between SUVLmax, SUVLpeak and SUVLmean at the first and second scan and the additive and proportional errors from the Bland-Altman analysis.Results. In ICC (1,1), SUVLmax, SUVLpeak and SUVLmean were all greater than 0.8, indicating almost perfect repeatability; neither additive nor proportional errors were observed in the Bland-Altman analysis.Conclusions. In patients with ICG-R15 values within the normal range, the SUV Liver (SUVL) between two liver receptor SPECT/CT studies performed on different days was repeatability over time. It was suggested that the SUVL of liver receptor scintigraphy could be an indicator that could be used for follow-up over time in the assessment of liver fibrosis.

Difference in arterial FDG accumulation in healthy study participants between digital PET/CT and standard PET/CT.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the differences in FDG accumulation in arteries throughout the body between digital and standard PET/CT. METHODS: Forty-six people who had FDG-PET examinations with a digital PET/CT scanner for health screening between April 2020 and March 2021 and had previous examinations with a standard PET/CT scanner were the study participants. FDG accumulation in arteries throughout the body was visually assessed in each segment. Scan was considered positive when arterial FDG accumulation was equal to or greater than that of the liver. The positivity rates for general arteries and each arterial segment were compared between the two kinds of scanners. If any one of the arterial segments was considered positive, the general arteries were classified as positive. Moreover, the rate of change in results from the standard PET/CT to the digital scanner in the same individual (negative to positive, positive to negative) was examined. RESULTS: In the evaluation of general arteries, the positivity rates were 21.7% (10 cases) for the standard PET/CT, whereas positive rates were 97.8% (45 cases) for the digital PET/CT (p < 0.001). In all arterial segments, the positivity rate was significantly higher with the digital PET/CT compared to the standard PET/CT; those with the digital PET/CT were, respectively, 95.7%, 87.0%, 73.9%, 37.0%, 34.8%, and 21.7% in the femoral, brachial, aortic, subclavian, iliac, and carotid arteries. On the other hand, those with the standard PET/CT were 13.0%, 13.0%, 19.6%, 2.2%, 0%, and 4.4% in segments in the above order. Changes from negative to positive were shown in many cases; 35 cases (76.0%) of general arteries, 38 cases (82.6%) for the femoral artery, and 34 cases (73.9%) for the brachial artery. The exception was one case in which a change from positive to negative was confirmed in the carotid artery. In all arteries considered to be positive, FDG accumulation was not greater than but was equal to that in the liver with both scanners. CONCLUSIONS: Arterial FDG accumulation was significantly higher with digital PET/CT compared to conventional PET/CT. With digital PET/CT, an arterial FDG accumulation equal to the liver may not to be considered as abnormal accumulation.

Spontaneous regression of small cell lung cancer associated with Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome: Case report.

Spontaneous regression (SR) of cancer is very rare, especially of small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Recently, an association of paraneoplastic neurological syndrome (PNS) has been reported as a cause of SR of cancer, and onconeural antibodies are a possible factor in the SR of cancer associated with PNS. We herein report the first case of SR of SCLC combined with anti-P/Q-type of voltage-gated calcium channel (VGCC) antibody-positive Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS), a subtype of PNS. This case report suggests that SCLC may be spontaneously reduced by an autoimmune response induced by VGCC antibodies associated with LEMS. Our finding may help elucidate the mechanisms that inhibit tumor growth and cause the regression of tumors.

A case of pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma associated with cystic airspace.

Lung cancer associated with a cystic airspace is frequently misdiagnosed or overlooked. Adenocarcinoma, followed by squamous cell carcinoma, is the most typical histologic type of lung cancer connected to a cystic airspace. Here we present the rare case of lung pleomorphic carcinoma associated with a cystic airspace. We encountered a 74-year-old Japanese man diagnosed by computed tomography (CT) as having a nodule outside a cystic airspace in the lung. Several previous CT images showed that the cystic airspace preceded the nodule. Postsurgery, pathology indicated a diagnosis of pleomorphic carcinoma. Since pulmonary pleomorphic carcinomas pursue an aggressive clinical course, their early detection may contribute to an improved prognosis. Our case demonstrated that pleomorphic carcinoma can arise with cystic airspaces. For early diagnosis of those aggressive lung cancers, chest physicians should carefully examine the walls of cystic airspaces on CT.

Predicting the pathological invasiveness of early lung adenocarcinoma prior to surgery using Deauville criteria: reliability and validity.

PURPOSE: This retrospective study aimed to investigate the validity and reliability of FDG-PET/CT visual assessment using Deauville criteria to predict pathological invasiveness of early lung adenocarcinoma prior to surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between April 2020 and January 2022, 51 patients who underwent surgery for pathological stage 0/I lung adenocarcinoma were enrolled. The pulmonary lesions were divided into two groups according to pathological invasiveness: less invasive (including adenocarcinoma in situ and minimally invasive adenocarcinoma and invasive adenocarcinoma. We compared CT size (total and solid size), SUVmax, and Deauville score between the two groups. Furthermore, we investigated inter-rater and intra-rater agreements regarding the Deauville score. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to identify the diagnostic performance of each method. RESULTS: Based on pathologic diagnoses, 51 lesions in the 51 patients were divided into 6 less invasive and 45 invasive adenocarcinoma lesions. According to quadratic-weighted Kappa statistics, inter-rater (k = 0.93) and intra-rater (k = 0.97) agreements among all five components of the Deauville score indicated high agreement. There was a statistically significant difference in CT solid size, SUVmax, and Deauville score between the two groups. There were no significant differences between CT solid size and FDG-PET/CT assessments (AUC = 0.93 for Deauville score and SUVmax, AUC = 0.84 for CT solid size). CONCLUSION: FDG-PET/CT visual assessment using the Deauville score could assist in deciding upon minimally invasive surgery for early lung adenocarcinoma.

Combining 99mTc-GSA single-photon emission-computed tomography and Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging for staging liver fibrosis.

Preoperative assessment of the degree of liver fibrosis is important to determine treatment strategies. In this study, galactosyl human serum albumin single-photon emission-computed tomography and ethoxybenzyl (EOB) contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were used to assess the changes in hepatocyte function after liver fibrosis, and the standardized uptake value (SUV) was combined with gadolinium EOB-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid to evaluate its added value for liver fibrosis staging. A total of 484 patients diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent liver resection between January 2010 and August 2018 were included. Resected liver specimens were classified based on pathological findings into nonfibrotic and fibrotic groups (stratified according to the Ludwig scale). Galactosyl human serum albumin-single-photon emission-computed tomography and EOB contrast-enhanced MRI examinations were performed, and the mean SUVs (SUVmean) and contrast enhancement indices (CEIs) were obtained. The diagnostic value of the acquired SUV and CEIs for fibrosis was assessed by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). In the receiver operating characteristic analysis, SUV + CEI showed the highest AUC in both fibrosis groups. In particular, in the comparison between fibrosis groups, SUV + CEI showed significantly higher AUCs than SUV and CEI alone in discriminating between fibrosis (F3 and 4) and no or mild fibrosis (F0 and 2) (AUC: 0.879, vs SUV [P = 0.008], vs. CEI [P = 0.023]), suggesting that the combination of SUV + CEI has greater diagnostic performance than the individual indices. Combining the SUV and CEI provides high accuracy for grading liver fibrosis, especially in differentiating between grades F0 and 2 and F3-4. SUV and gadolinium EOB-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-enhanced MRI can be noninvasive diagnostic methods to guide the selection of clinical treatment options for patients with liver diseases.

The reproducibility of MTV and TLG of soft tissue tumors calculated by FDG-PET: Comparison between the lower limit by the fixed value SUV 2.5 and that value by 30% of SUVmax.

PURPOSE: We evaluated the reproducibility calculating volume-based FDG-PET/CT parameters, i.e., metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG), in soft tissue tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-three cases with soft tissue tumors were analyzed retrospectively. The conditions determining the lower limit of MTV were fixed value SUV 2.5 or 30% of SUVmax. To investigate the agreement of the measurements by two radiologists, %difference, the correlation coefficients and Bland-Altman plot were analyzed. We compared these parameters in both intra- and inter-operator for evaluating the agreement in the measurements. RESULTS: The values of % difference were excellent, 0.2-3.5%, in the intra-operator in all calculated volume-based parameters. In both inter- and intra-operator analysis, the values of % differences were lower in the parameters calculated by SUV 2.5 fixed value as a lower threshold compared with those calculated by 30% of SUVmax as a lower threshold. The correlation coefficient in MTV30% for inter-operator were 0.84 or 0.87, those were lower than values by the intra-operator evaluation. Nevertheless, the correlation coefficients were higher than 0.84 in every parameter. Particularly, correlation coefficient in the parameters calculated by SUV 2.5 fixed value was better than those calculated by 30% of SUVmax. The Bland-Altman plot analysis showed good agreement for all parameters, particularly in the intra-operator examinations. However, in the inter-operator study, some variances were noted in every condition. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the reproducibility of measuring volume-based FDG-PET/CT parameters of soft tissue tumors was good, particularly, in the measurement by fixed lower limit value SUV 2.5 in the intra-operator.

18F FDG-PET/CT analysis of spread through air spaces (STAS) in clinical stage I lung adenocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate the utility of F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F FDG-PET/CT) to predict spread through air spaces (STAS) in clinical stage I lung adenocarcinoma. METHODS: Between April 2020 and January 2022, 52 patients (55 lesions) who underwent surgery for clinical stage I lung adenocarcinoma were enrolled. The lesions were divided into two groups according to the presence of STAS. 18F FDG-PET/CT parameters, specifically the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG), were calculated. The SUVmax, MTV, and TLG were compared between the two groups upon surgical pathological examination. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to identify a cut-off value. RESULTS: Nineteen lesions (35%) were positive for STAS and 36 lesions were negative for STAS. According to the presence of STAS, significant differences were detected in the SUVmax (5.21 [range 1.52-16.50] vs. 2.42 [range 0.74-11.80], p = 0.0040) but not MTV (3.44 [range 0.65-24.36] vs. 2.95 [0.00-20.07], p = 0.20) and TLG (7.92 [range 0.93-47.82] vs. 5.63 [0.00-58.66], p = 0.14). SUVmax had an AUC value of 0.74 (95% CI 0.61-0.87) with a sensitivity of 89.5% and specificity of 52.8% at a cut-off of 2.48. CONCLUSIONS: SUVmax rather than MTV and TLG were shown to be valuable indices for the prediction of STAS in clinical stage I lung adenocarcinoma.

Pancreatic FDG uptake on follow-up PET/CT in patients with cancer.

To evaluate the breakdown of unexpected pancreatic 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake and the proportion of secondary primary pancreatic cancer on follow-up, patients with cancer underwent positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). The participants consisted of 4,473 consecutive patients with cancer who underwent follow-up PET/CT between January 2015 and March 2019 at Kochi Medical School. Among the participants, 225 with a history of pancreatic cancer were excluded from the present study. Retrospective and blinded PET/CT evaluations of 4,248 patients were performed. In patients with pancreatic FDG uptake, the distribution of FDG uptake in the pancreas was evaluated. The final diagnosis was determined pathologically. A total of 14 (0.3%) of the 4,248 patients exhibited FDG uptake in the pancreatic area. Pancreatic abnormalities were detected in 14 patients, and included five cases of pancreatic metastases (36%), four cases of secondary primary pancreatic cancer (29%), two cases of lymph node metastases (14%), one case of malignant lymphoma (7%), one case of autoimmune pancreatitis (7%) and one case of pseudolesion (7%). One patient with early-stage secondary primary pancreatic cancer had a maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) <3.0. The remaining 13 patients had a SUVmax >3.0 in the pancreas. Of the 14 patients, two had multiple foci of FDG uptake in the pancreas. Patients with multiple foci of FDG uptake exhibited pancreatic metastasis from renal cell carcinoma and malignant lymphoma. In conclusion, the majority of patients with unexpected pancreatic FDG uptake on follow-up PET/CT exhibited malignancies; furthermore, ~30% of the malignancies detected in patients with pancreatic FDG uptake were secondary primary pancreatic cancers. In patients with unexpected pancreatic FDG uptake on follow-up PET/CT, primary cancer should be considered as well as metastatic tumors.

Central Nervous System Involvement in Mantle Cell Lymphoma Presenting Magnetic Resonance Imaging Features of Mild Encephalitis/Encephalopathy with a Reversible Splenial Lesion.

Mild encephalitis/encephalopathy with reversible splenial lesion (MERS) has not been described in lymphoma patients. A 65-year-old man with refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) presented typical MRI features of MERS. The patient's cerebrospinal fluid contained an increased number of reactive T-cells; a small number of MCL cells were detected by immunoglobulin heavy chain-polymerase chain reaction (IGH-PCR). His symptoms and the splenial lesion resolved in response to ibrutinib treatment, although the patient eventually died of progressive MCL with overt leptomeningeal disease. We suggest that central nervous system involvement in MCL can present clinicoradiological features of MERS and that ibrutinib could be a choice of treatment.

Evaluation of pleural lesions after pleurodesis with OK-432 by fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/CT.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine changes in FDG-PET/CT after pleurodesis with OK-432 and to investigate differences in the changes between non-malignant and malignant lesions. METHODS: Study participants were 17 patients with a history of malignant chest disease who underwent FDG-PET/CT after pleurodesis using OK-432 and in whom pleural lesions were determined to be non-malignant (n = 8) or malignant (n = 9). FDG uptake (SUVmax) was counted on all pleural lesions. CT findings (CT attenuation, shape) of pleural lesions with increased FDG uptake were evaluated. RESULTS: The number of patients with increased FDG uptake in the pleura differed significantly between the non-malignant group (3/8) and malignant group (9/9) (p < 0.01) The mean SUVmax of non-malignant lesions with increased FDG uptake was 2.3 ± 0.7 vs. 6.2 ± 2.2 in malignant lesions, for a significant difference (p < 0.01). The mean CT attenuation of lesions was 36 ± 11 HU in the non-malignant group and 34 ± 14 HU in the malignant group, a difference that was not significant (p = 0.91). There was a significant difference in nodular and linear shapes between non-malignant and malignant lesions (p < 0.01). All non-malignant lesions were linear. CONCLUSIONS: Positive FDG uptake was shown in non-malignant pleural lesions as well as in malignant pleural lesions after pleurodesis using OK-432. Combined analysis of FDG accumulation and CT morphology is helpful to distinguish between benign and malignant lesions.

Synthesis of Nitriles via the Iodine-Mediated Dehydrosulfurization of Thioamides.

A simple general method for the synthesis of nitriles using the inexpensive and easy to handle iodine (I2) is described herein. The reaction of thioamides with I2 in the presence of triethylamine at room temperature under aerobic conditions afforded various nitriles bearing aryl, vinyl, and alkyl groups in good-to-excellent yields. This method was also effective for conversion from thioureas to cyanamides.

Time-Dependent Effects of Cryoablation for Renal Tumor on Overall and Split Renal Function.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the influence of percutaneous cryoablation for renal cell carcinoma on function of the affected kidney. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between June 2016 and September 2017 at our institution, 12 inoperable patients underwent 15 cryoablation sessions for 17 small renal tumors. Of these, 9 patients who underwent 11 sessions of cryoablation were the focus of this study. For those patients, time-dependent changes in postoperative renal function were investigated by a retrospective review of clinical records. Evaluated were the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and scintigraphy using 99m technetium-mercaptoacetyltriglycine (99mTc-MAG3) before and 1 week, 1-2 months, and more than 6 months after cryoablation. RESULTS: Mean baseline eGFR was 76.88 ± 29.82 mL/min/1.73 m2 (mean ± standard deviation; range, 23.4-112.5). Mean eGFR 1 week, 1-2 months, and more than 6 months after cryoablation were 74.56 ± 26.68 mL/min/1.73 m2 (21.0-101.1), 69.5 ± 25.28 mL/min/1.73 m2 (24.1-105.6), and 75.08 ± 26.25 mL/min/1.73 m2 (29.0-107.3), respectively. Changes were statistically insignificant (P = .6044, P = .6699, and P = .9038, respectively). Regarding split renal function, the mean baseline contribution of the affected kidney determined by 99mTc-MAG3 was 47.27% ± 6.14 (38.8%-57.0%). Mean contributions of the affected kidney 1 week after, 1-2 months after, and more than 6 months after cryoablation were 44.40% ± 5.37 (38.3%-53.6%), 44.57% ± 6.52 (34.35%-55.0%), and 45.41% ± 7.77 (34.4%-56.5%), respectively. Differences from baseline were significant for the earliest 2 periods (P = .0473 and P = .0334, respectively) but not the later period (P = .2532). CONCLUSIONS: Results suggested that total renal function does not worsen after cryoablation; however, function of the affected kidney worsened after cryoablation but later partially recovered.

Comparison of MRI and 123I-FP-CIT SPECT for the evaluation of MSA-P clinical severity.

The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 123I-labeled 2ß-carbomethoxy-3ß-(4-iodophenyl)-N-(3-fluoropropyl)nortropane single photon emission computed tomography (123I-FP-CIT SPECT) for determining the clinical severity of patients with multiple system atrophy with Parkinsonism (MSA-P). MRI and 123I-FP-CIT SPECT images from 17 patients with MSA-P as diagnosed using the Unified MSA Rating Scale part IV (UMSARS IV) score were compared. Brain MRI scans were available for all 17 patients and 123I-FP-CIT SPECT images were available for 12 patients. Putaminal atrophy (PA), hyperintense putaminal rim (HPR), hyperintense pons (hot cross bun sign, HCB), atrophy of the cerebellar vermis and hemisphere (cerebellar atrophy, CA) and other abnormalities were evaluated in the MRI scans. Distribution of striatal uptake (SU) and the specific binding ratio (SBR) on each side of the bilateral striatum were evaluated using 123I-FP-CIT SPECT images. No significant associations were observed between HPR, HCB, CA and UMSARS IV score. However, the frequency of PA increased significantly with higher UMSARS IV score (P<0.05). No significant association was observed between UMSARS IV score and SBR. The results of the present study suggest that PA, which is known to be a diagnostic indicator for MSA-P, may be used to determine the clinical severity of MSA-P with greater efficacy than other MRI findings, including HPR, HCB and CA and 123I-FP-CIT SPECT results.

Remote effects in the ipsilateral thalamus and/or contralateral cerebellar hemisphere using FDG PET in patients with brain tumors.

PURPOSE: To evaluate reduced metabolism in the ipsilateral thalamus (TH) and/or contralateral cerebellum (CE) according to tumor localization and cortical metabolism around the tumor in patients with brain tumors based on FDG uptake. METHODS: This study investigated 48 consecutive patients with solitary cerebral hemisphere parenchymal brain tumors who underwent PET/CT and MRI. Patients were divided into 4 groups (A: reduced uptake in ipsilateral TH and contralateral CE, B: reduced uptake in ipsilateral TH only, C: reduced uptake in contralateral CE only, and D: no reduced uptake in ipsilateral TH or contralateral CE). FDG uptake and MRI findings were compared among these groups. RESULTS: Of 48 patients, group A included 24 (50%), group B included 10 (21%), group C included 0, and group D included 14 (29%). No significant tendencies were observed between the groups regarding tumor localization. However, reduced cortical metabolism around the tumor was observed in 22 patients in group A, 7 patients in group B, and 1 patient in group D. All patients in group B showed reduced metabolism from around the tumor up to the ipsilateral TH. CONCLUSION: Reduced FDG uptake in ipsilateral TH and contralateral CE usually occur simultaneously in patients with solitary brain tumors.

Therapeutic results of a novel enzyme-targeting radiosensitization treatment, Kochi oxydol-radiation therapy for unresectable carcinomas II, in patients with stage I primary breast cancer.

Linac-based stereotactic radiotherapy has little effect on the majority of advanced neoplasms. Therefore, the novel radiosensitizer Kochi oxydol-radiation therapy for unresectable carcinomas (KORTUC) II, which contains hydrogen peroxide and sodium hyaluronate, was developed. The effectiveness of KORTUC II for the treatment of chemotherapy-resistant supraclavicular lymph node metastases, recurrent breast cancer and stage IV primary breast cancer has previously been demonstrated. The present study evaluated the safety and efficacy of KORTUC II for patients with stage I primary breast cancer. A total of 15 patients (age range, 40-76 years) were enrolled. The injection of 3 ml of KORTUC II agent was initiated from the sixth radiotherapy fraction and was performed twice a week, under ultrasonographic guidance. The therapeutic effects were evaluated by PET-CT and/or MRI examinations prior to and following KORTUC II treatment. All patients exhibited complete responses and the overall survival rate was 100% after a follow-up period of five years. The mean duration of follow-up at the end of March 2015 was 53 months. Based on these results, KORTUC II treatment exhibited marked therapeutic effects with satisfactory treatment outcomes and an acceptable extent of adverse events.

Therapeutic response to a novel enzyme-targeting radiosensitization treatment (KORTUC II) for residual lesions in patients with stage IV primary breast cancer, following induction chemotherapy with epirubicin and cyclophosphamide or taxane.

Linac-based radiotherapy has a negligible effect on the majority of advanced neoplasms. Therefore, a novel radiosensitization treatment Kochi Oxydol Radiation Therapy for Unresectable Carcinomas II (KORTUC II), which utilizes hydrogen peroxide and sodium hyaluronate was developed. The effectiveness of KORTUC II for the treatment of chemotherapy-resistant supraclavicular lymph node metastases and recurrent breast cancers has previously been demonstrated. The present study evaluated the safety and efficacy of KORTUC II in patients with stage IV primary breast cancer. Seven patients (age range, 36-65 years) were enrolled. All patients received induction chemotherapy prior to KORTUC II treatment and underwent positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) examinations prior to and 2-7 months following KORTUC II treatment, and every six months thereafter where possible. The radiotherapy regimen (x-ray irradiation) was 2.75 gray (Gy)/fraction, 5 fractions/week for 16-18 fractions with a total radiation dose of 44-49.5 Gy. Administration of the KORTUC II agent (3-6 ml: 3 ml for a lesion <3 cm in diameter and 6 ml for a lesion ≥3 cm) was initiated from the sixth radiotherapy fraction, and was conducted twice a week under ultrasonographic guidance. The therapeutic effects were evaluated by PET-CT examinations prior to and following KORTUC II treatment. Of the seven lesions from the seven patients, five exhibited complete responses, two exhibited partial responses and none exhibited stable disease or progressive disease. The overall survival rate was determined to be 100% at 1 and 86% at 2 years post-treatment. The mean duration of follow-up by December 2014 was 51 months. The results of the PET-CT studies indicated that KORTUC II treatment demonstrated marked therapeutic effects with satisfactory treatment outcomes and acceptable adverse effects.

Therapeutic response to a novel enzyme-targeting radiosensitization treatment (Kochi Oxydol-Radiation Therapy for Unresectable Carcinomas) in patients with recurrent breast cancer.

Linear accelerator-based radiotherapy has little effect on the majority of locally advanced neoplasms. Thus, the novel radiosensitizer Kochi Oxydol Radiation Therapy for Unresectable Carcinomas, Type II (KORTUC II), which contains hydrogen peroxide and sodium hyaluronate, was developed. The effectiveness of KORTUC II for the treatment of chemotherapy-resistant supraclavicular lymph node metastases has been previously demonstrated. The present study evaluated the safety and effectiveness of KORTUC II in patients with recurrent breast cancer. A total of 20 patients (age range, 39-84 years) were enrolled in the study. The majority of patients underwent positron emission tomography (PET)-computed tomography (CT) examinations prior to and 1-7 months following KORTUC II treatment, and every 6 months thereafter when possible. The radiotherapy regimen was 2.75 Gy/fraction, 5 fractions/week, for 16-18 fractions, with a total radiation dose of 44.00-49.50 Gy (X-ray irradiation), or 4.00 Gy/fraction, 3 fractions/week, for 10-12 fractions, with a total radiation dose of 40.00-48.00 Gy (electron beam irradiation). The injection of 3-6 ml of the KORTUC II agent was initiated at the fifth radiotherapy fraction, and was performed twice/week under ultrasonographic guidance. The therapeutic effects were evaluated by PET-CT examinations prior and subsequent to KORTUC II treatment, which was observed to be well tolerated with minimal adverse effects. Of the 24 lesions presented by the 20 patients, 18 exhibited complete response, 5 partial response, 0 stable disease and 1 progressive disease. The overall survival rate was 100% at 1 year and 95% at 2 years. The mean duration of follow-up at the end of June 2014 was 51 months. Based on the results of the PET-CT studies conducted, KORTUC II treatment demonstrated marked therapeutic effects, with satisfactory treatment outcomes and acceptable adverse events.

Early prediction of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer using diffusion-weighted imaging and gray-scale ultrasonography.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is a widely accepted therapeutic option for patients with breast cancer. Although NACT produces good results for breast cancer patients, it has the potential to delay effective treatment in patients with chemotherapy-resistant breast cancer. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the utility of the pretreatment apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), which is calculated from diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), the change in ADC after first administration of NACT, and the change in tumor greatest diameter on ultrasonography in the early prediction of the tumor response to NACT. The response rate of breast tumors to NACT was calculated by the greatest diameter measured by contrast-enhanced MRI obtained before and after NACT. Only the change in ADC was significantly correlated with the response rate. The area under the curve of the change in ADC was sufficiently high (0.90, 95% confidence interval, 0.760-1.040) to discriminate between responders and non-responders. Calculation of the ADC from DWI-MRI was found to be useful for predicting breast tumor response to NACT. Further studies are required to investigate the benefit of changing systemic therapy for breast cancer based on the prediction of the response to NACT by DWI-MRI.