Long-term results of intraoperative multicatheter breast implant (IOMBI) for accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) on early breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Multicatheter breast brachytherapy is a standard technique for accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) in early breast cancer patients. Intraoperative multicatheter breast implant (IOMBI) followed by perioperative high-dose-rate brachytherapy (PHDRBT) offers a novel and advantageous approach. We present long-term oncological, toxicity, and cosmesis outcomes for a well-experienced single institution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eligible women aged ≥ 40 years with clinically and radiologically confirmed unifocal invasive or in situ ≤ 3 cm breast tumors underwent IOMBI during breast-conserving surgery. Patients meeting APBI criteria by definitive pathologic results received 3.4 Gy × 10fx with PHDRBT. Patients not suitable for APBI received PHDRBT-boost followed by WBRT. RESULTS: A total of 171 patients underwent IOMBI during BCS, 120 patients (70.1 %) were suitable for APBI and 51 (29.8 %) for anticipated PHDRBT-boost. The median age was 61 years (range: 40-78), the median tumor size was 1.1 cm (range: 0.2-3.5), with a histological diagnosis of invasive ductal carcinoma in 78.9 % and ductal in situ in 21.1 %. A median of 9 catheters (range: 4-14) were used. For APBI, the median CTV and V100 were 40.8 cc (range: 8.6-99) and 35.4 cc (range: 7.2-94). The median of healthy breast tissue irradiated represents 7.2 % (range: 2.3-28 %) and the median local treatment duration was 10 days (range: 7-16). With a median follow-up of 8.8 years (range: 0.3-16.25), the 8-year local, locoregional, and distant control rates were 99 %, 98.1 %, and 100 %. G1-G2 late-toxicity rate was 53.4 %. Long-term cosmetic evaluation was excellent-good in 90.8 %. CONCLUSION: IOMBI&PHDRBT program reports excellent long-term oncological outcomes, with a reduction from unnecessary irradiation exposure which translates into low long-term toxicity and good cosmesis outcomes, especially on well-selected APBI patients.

Prediction of effective humoral response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in healthy subjects by cortical thickness of post-vaccination reactive lymphadenopathy.

PURPOSE: To study the association between ultrasound cortical thickness in reactive post-vaccination lymph nodes and the elicited humoral response and to evaluate the performance of cortical thickness as a predictor of vaccine effectiveness in patients with and without a previous history of COVID-19 infection. METHODS: A total of 156 healthy volunteers were recruited and followed prospectively after receiving two COVID-19 vaccination doses using different protocols. Within a week after receiving the second dose, an axillary ultrasound of the ipsilateral vaccinated arm was performed, and serial post-vaccination serologic tests (PVST) were collected. Maximum cortical thickness was chosen as a nodal feature to analyze association with humoral immunity. Total antibodies quantified during consecutive PVST in previously-infected patients and in coronavirus-naïve volunteers were compared (Mann-Whitney U test). The association between hyperplastic-reactive lymph nodes and effective humoral response was studied (odds ratio). The performance of cortical thickness in detecting vaccination effectiveness was evaluated (area under the ROC curve). RESULTS: Significantly higher values for total antibodies were observed in volunteers with a previous history of COVID-19 infection (p < 0.001). The odds ratio associating immunized coronavirus-naïve volunteers after 90 and 180 days of the second dose with a cortical thickness ≥ 3 mm was statistically significant (95% CI 1.52-6.97 and 95% CI 1.47-7.29, respectively). The best AUC result was obtained comparing antibody secretion of coronavirus-naïve volunteers at 180 days (0.738). CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound cortical thickness of reactive lymph nodes in coronavirus-naïve patients may reflect antibody production and a long-term effective humoral response elicited by vaccination. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: In coronavirus-naïve patients, ultrasound cortical thickness of post-vaccination reactive lymphadenopathy shows a positive association with protective antibody titers against SARS-CoV-2, especially in the long term, providing new insights into previous publications. KEY POINTS: • Hyperplastic lymphadenopathy was frequently observed after COVID-19 vaccination. • Ultrasound cortical thickness of reactive post-vaccine lymph nodes may reflect a long-term effective humoral response in coronavirus-naïve patients.

Axillary lymph node imaging in mRNA, vector-based, and mix-and-match COVID-19 vaccine recipients: ultrasound features.

OBJECTIVES: To assess ultrasound characteristics of ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes after two doses of four different COVID-19 vaccination protocols, to determine whether these parameters differed with age, and to describe how they changed on follow-up imaging. METHODS: A total of 247 volunteer employees from our center who had received two doses of COVID-19 vaccination were recruited and followed prospectively. Axillary ultrasound of the ipsilateral vaccinated arm was performed the week after receiving the second dose to analyze lymph node features (number, long-axis, cortical thickness, morphology, and vascular imaging). Axillary lymphadenopathy resulting from four vaccination protocols-mRNA (BNT162b2, mRNA-1273), ChAdOx1-S, and mix-and-match-was compared. Analysis was conducted using the Kruskal-Wallis test and post hoc analysis with Bonferroni corrections. Nodal reactogenicity was evaluated for two age groups: young (< 45 years old) and middle-aged ( ≥ 45 years old). All parameters were compared between both groups using an unpaired-sample Student t test. A p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Significantly higher values for total number of visible nodes, cortical thickness, Bedi's classification (p < 0.001), and vascularity (p < 0.05) were observed in mRNA vaccine recipients compared to full ChAdOx1-S protocol recipients. Moreover, mix-and-match protocol recipients showed greater nodal cortical thickness and higher Bedi's classification than full ChAdOx1-S recipients (p < 0.001). Analyses between age groups revealed greater cortical thickness, Bedi's classification, and color Doppler signal in younger patients (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Nodal parameters of Bedi's classification and cortical thickness were more often increased in mRNA and mix-and-match vaccine recipients when compared to ChAdOx1-S vaccine alone, especially in younger patients. KEY POINTS: • Hyperplastic lymphadenopathy was observed more frequently in mRNA and mix-and-match vaccine protocols compared to full vector-based vaccination. • Higher values for cortical thickness, Bedi's classification, and color Doppler signal parameters were identified in younger patients. • Observed lymph node findings normalized in greater than 80% of patients by the third month following vaccination.

Four-fraction ultra-accelerated minimal breast irradiation in early breast cancer: The initial feasibility results of an institutional experience.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility, early toxicity, and clinical outcomes of early-breast cancer patients in a single-arm, phase I/II study of an ultra-accelerated, four-fraction schedule of minimal breast irradiation (4f-AMBI) using a multicatheter, minimally-invasive, intraoperative tumor bed implant (MITBI) during breast-conserving surgery (BCS). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Eligible women aged >40 years with clinically and radiologically confirmed, unifocal invasive or in situ ≤3 cm tumors were considered as potential candidates for MITBI during BCS. After the pathology report, patients who met APBI criteria received ultra-accelerated four-fractions irradiation (6.2 Gy BID x 4fx over 2 days) with perioperative HDR-brachytherapy (PHDRBT). Early complications, toxicity, clinical outcomes, and cosmetic results were analyzed. RESULTS: Of 89 patients initially implanted, 60(67.4%) were definitively included in the 4f-AMBI-protocol. The median age was 64.4 years; the median CTV was 32.1 cc (6.9-75.4 cc), and the external-V100 was 43.1 cc (12.87-107 cc), representing 5% of the breast tissue irradiated with a median CTV D90 of 6.2 Gy (5.6-6.28 Gy). The entire local treatment (BCS&MITBI-4f-AMBI) was completed at a median of 8 days (4-10 days). The rate of early complications was 11%. There were no major complications. Acute skin-subcutaneous G1 toxicity was reported in 11.7%, and late G1 toxicity on 36.7%. After a median follow-up of 27 months (11-51 months), the local, elsewhere, locoregional and distant-control rates were 100%, 98.3%, 100%, and 100% respectively. The early-cosmetic evaluation was excellent-good in 94.5% of patients evaluated. CONCLUSIONS: Ultra-accelerated, four-fraction, minimal breast irradiation (4f-AMBI) using a minimally-invasive tumor bed implant procedure is safe, dosimetrically feasible, and shows small irradiated volumes. This program provides low toxicity rates and excellent short-term clinical and cosmesis outcomes.

Unilateral axillary adenopathy induced by COVID-19 vaccine: US follow-up evaluation.

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted in order to investigate COVID-19 vaccine influence on unilateral axillary lymph nodes, comparing nodal basal features with their characteristics after the first and second vaccination dose. METHODS: Ninety-one volunteer employees from our center who participated in the BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) vaccination campaign were prospectively recruited. A total of three axillary ultrasound evaluations of the ipsilateral vaccinated arm were performed: before vaccination, the week after the first dose and the week after the second dose. The following findings were recorded: the total number of visible nodes, the maximum measurements of the diameter and cortex, Bedi's classification, and color Doppler evaluation. The collected data were compared using paired-sample Student's t-test for quantitative continuous variables and Wilcoxon rank-sum test for ordinal variables. Additional analyses were performed after classifying patients according to the previous history of COVID-19 disease. Differences among both groups were evaluated with the Mann-Whitney U test. Variables with a p value < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Comparative analyses between the three US examinations showed a statistically significant augmentation of total visible nodes, maximum diameter, cortical thickness, grade of Bedi's classification, and Doppler signal (p < 0.001). Analyses between patients with and without previous COVID-19 infection showed a higher lymph node response in naïve patients compared to those who were previously infected. CONCLUSIONS: According to our results, both doses of COVID-19 vaccine induced an increase of all axillary lymph node parameters with statistically significant differences, especially in coronavirus-naïve patients. KEY POINTS: • Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine induces a high incidence of ipsilateral axillary lymphadenopathy. • US scan identified an increase of all lymph nodes parameters, especially in coronavirus-naïve patients.

The accuracy of titanium contrast-enhanced mammography: a retrospective multicentric study.

BACKGROUND: Recently, a new mammography system to perform contrast-enhanced mammography has become available in the market. For the high-energy acquisition, it uses a titanium filter instead of a copper one, reducing the tube load while maintaining image quality. PURPOSE: To retrospectively evaluate the accuracy of contrast-enhanced mammography with a titanium filter (TiCEM) in three readers with different grades of experience. MATERIAL AND METHODS: IRB-approved retrospective multicentric lesion by lesion study with 200 lesions, all of them initially classified as BI-RADS categories 0/3/4/5 on mammography and/or ultrasound and with pathological confirmation, in 135 patients. Three readers with different levels of experience (expert, resident, intermediate) blinded to the final diagnosis, retrospectively evaluated the low-energy (LE) images and the combination of LE and recombined (subtracted) images and classified the lesions according to the BI-RADS categories. Reader 1 also categorized the breast density. ROC curves were performed for each reader. RESULTS: Out of the 200 lesions, 82 were benign and 118 malignant (20 DCIS, 10 ILC, 88 IDC). The AUCs of LE versus TiCEM for were: Reader 1: 0.7 vs. 0.88, P < 0.001; Reader 2: 0.63 vs. 0.83, P < 0.001; and Reader 3: 0.63 vs. 0.84, P < 0.001. For the three readers, the AUCs of LE versus TiCEM were significantly superior in both dense and non-dense breasts (P < 0.001). Comparing the AUC of LE for Reader 1 (expert) versus the AUC of TiCEM for Reader 2 (resident) there were significant differences (0.7 vs. 0.83, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The accuracy of TiCEM was significantly better for all the readers, in both dense and non-dense breasts. The accuracy of a resident reading a TiCEM study was better than the accuracy of an expert radiologist reading LE images.

Minimally invasive tumor bed implant (MITBI) and peri-operative high-dose-rate brachytherapy (PHDRBT) for accelerated minimal breast irradiation (AMBI) or anticipated boost (A-PHDRBT-boost) in breast-conserving surgery for ductal carcinoma in situ.

PURPOSE: To evaluate our institutional experience of minimally invasive tumor bed implantation (MITBI) during breast-conserving surgery (BCS) for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) to deliver peri-operative high-dose-rate brachytherapy (PHDRBT) as accelerated minimal breast irradiation (AMBI) or anticipated boost (A-PHDRBT-boost). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients older than 40, with clinical and radiological unifocal DCIS < 3 cm were considered potential candidates for accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) and were implanted during BCS using MITBI-technique. Patients who in final pathology reports showed free margins and no other microscopic tumor foci, received AMBI with PHDRBT (3.4 Gy BID in 5 days). Patients with adverse features received A-PHDRBT-boost with post-operative external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). RESULTS: Forty-one patients were implanted, and 36 were treated and analyzed. According to final pathology, 24 (67%) patients were suitable for AMBI and 12 (33%) were qualified for A-PHDRBT-boost. Reoperation rate for those with clear margins was 16.6% (6/36); this rate increased to 33% (4/12) for G3 histology, and 66% (4/6) were rescued using AMBI. Early complications were documented in 5 patients (14%). With a median follow-up of 97 (range, 42-138) months, 5-year rates of local, elsewhere, locoregional, and distant control were all 97.2%. 5-year ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence rates (IBTR) were 5.6% (2/36), 8.3% (2/24) for AMBI, and 0% (0/12) for A-PHDRBT-boost patients. Both instances of IBTR were confirmed G3 tumors in pre-operative biopsies; no IBTR was documented in G1-2 tumors. Cosmetic outcomes were excellent/good in 96% of AMBI vs. 67% in A-PHDRBT-boost (p = 0.034). CONCLUSIONS: The MITBI-PHDRBT program allows selection of patients with excellent prognoses (G1-2 DCIS with negative margins and no multifocality), for whom AMBI could be a good alternative with low recurrence rate, decrease of unnecessary radiation, treatment logistics improvement, and over-treatment reduction. Patients whose pre-operative biopsy showed G3 tumor, presents with inferior local control and more risk of reoperation due to positive margins.

Assessing the impact of the addition of dendritic cell vaccination to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients: A model-based characterization approach.

AIMS: Immunotherapy is a rising alternative to traditional treatment in breast cancer (BC) patients in order to transform cold into hot immune enriched tumours and improve responses and outcome. A computational modelling approach was applied to quantify modulation effects of immunotherapy and chemotherapy response on tumour shrinkage and progression-free survival (PFS) in naïve BC patients. METHODS: Eighty-three Her2-negative BC patients were recruited for neoadjuvant chemotherapy with or without immunotherapy based on dendritic cell vaccination. Sequential tumour size measurements were modelled using nonlinear mixed effects modelling and linked to PFS. Data from another set of patients (n = 111) were used to validate the model. RESULTS: Tumour size profiles over time were linked to biomarker dynamics and PFS. The immunotherapy effect was related to tumour shrinkage (P < .05), with the shrinkage 17% (95% confidence interval: 2-23%) being higher in vaccinated patients, confirmed by the finding that pathological complete response rates in the breast were higher in the vaccinated compared to the control group (25.6% vs 13.6%; P = .04). The whole tumour shrinkage time profile was the major prognostic factor associated to PFS (P < .05), and therefore, immunotherapy influences indirectly on PFS, showing a trend in decreasing the probability of progression with increased vaccine effects. Tumour subtype was also associated with PFS (P < .05), showing that luminal A BC patients have better prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Dendritic cell-based immunotherapy is effective in decreasing tumour size. The semi-mechanistic validated model presented allows the quantification of the immunotherapy treatment effects on tumour shrinkage and establishes the relationship between the dynamics of tumour size and PFS.

Is it worth to perform preoperative MRI for breast cancer after mammography, tomosynthesis and ultrasound?

BACKGROUND: The use of preoperative breast MRI remains controversial despite being the most sensitive technique for the detection of breast malignancies. PURPOSE: To evaluate the benefit of preoperative breast MRI after performing the three conventional techniques (DM, US, DBT). To analyze the influence of breast density in the sensitivity of the different imaging techniques. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective review of 280 histologically confirmed breast cancers in 192 women. We reviewed the medical records and evaluated the change of treatment induced by MRI. Also, we assessed the reports of DM and the combination of the different imaging techniques, and categorized them according to ACR density (a-d) and as negative (BI-RADS 1-3) or positive (BIRADS 4 or 5). The gold standard was the pathologic assessment of the surgical specimen. The sensitivity of the different techniques was compared using McNemar test. RESULTS: Among these 192 women the use of MRI did not significantly increase the mastectomy rate (from 16.6% to 17.6%; p = 0.5). The addition of any technique demonstrated a higher sensitivity than DM alone. The sensitivity of DM alone was 52.5% while using all the techniques, including MRI, was 94.3% (p < 0.001). Regardless of breast density pattern, the addition of any technique significantly increased the sensitivity of DM (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The addition of MRI to the three conventional techniques increased the sensitivity but did not significantly modify the rate of mastectomies. Additional techniques increased the sensitivity of DM in both dense and non-dense breasts.

Impact on dose and image quality of a software-based scatter correction in mammography.

Background In 2014, Siemens developed a new software-based scatter correction (Progressive Reconstruction Intelligently Minimizing Exposure [PRIME]), enabling grid-less digital mammography. Purpose To compare doses and image quality between PRIME (grid-less) and standard (with anti-scatter grid) modes. Material and Methods Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was measured for various polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) thicknesses and dose values provided by the mammograph were recorded. CDMAM phantom images were acquired for various PMMA thicknesses and inverse Image Quality Figure (IQFinv) was calculated. Values of incident entrance surface air kerma (ESAK) and average glandular dose (AGD) were obtained from the DICOM header for a total of 1088 pairs of clinical cases. Two experienced radiologists compared subjectively the image quality of a total of 149 pairs of clinical cases. Results CNR values were higher and doses were lower in PRIME mode for all thicknesses. IQFinv values in PRIME mode were lower for all thicknesses except for 40 mm of PMMA equivalent, in which IQFinv was slightly greater in PRIME mode. A mean reduction of 10% in ESAK and 12% in AGD in PRIME mode with respect to standard mode was obtained. The clinical image quality in PRIME and standard acquisitions resulted to be similar in most of the cases (84% for the first radiologist and 67% for the second one). Conclusion The use of PRIME software reduces, in average, the dose of radiation to the breast without affecting image quality. This reduction is greater for thinner and denser breasts.

The effect of the amount of peritumoral adipose tissue in the detection of additional tumors with digital breast tomosynthesis and ultrasound.

Background Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) and ultrasound (US) can detect additional cancers after negative mammography. However, not all cancers are visible by both techniques. Purpose To study the role of the amount of peritumoral fat in the detection of additional cancers with DBT or US. Material and Methods One reader retrospectively reviewed 142 breast cancers in 109 women who underwent mammography, DBT, US, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Two readers in consensus evaluated the additional cancers detected by US, DBT, or MRI, and classified them into four groups according to the amount of peritumoral adipose tissue: group I, >75% of peritumoral fat; group II, 50-74%; group III, 25-49%, and group IV, 0-24%. The detection of additional cancers by US and DBT with respect to the other imaging techniques was evaluated. Results Seventy-eight cancers were detected by mammography and the remaining 64 cancers were detected by DBT, US, or MRI. US and DBT detected 46 (71.8%) and 25 (39.06%) additional tumors, respectively. Statistical significance was only found in group IV ( P < 0.01). Conclusion US detected more tumors than DBT in lesions surrounded by a small amount of fat. No significant differences were found between US and DBT in the detection of additional cancers in the other groups.

MRI fused with prone FDG PET/CT improves the primary tumour staging of patients with breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) fused with prone 2-[fluorine-18]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) in primary tumour staging of patients with breast cancer. METHODS: This retrospective study evaluated 45 women with 49 pathologically proven breast carcinomas. MRI and prone PET-CT scans with time-of-flight and point-spread-function reconstruction were performed with the same dedicated breast coil. The studies were assessed by a radiologist and a nuclear medicine physician, and evaluation of fused images was made by consensus. The final diagnosis was based on pathology (90 lesions) or follow-up ≥ 24 months (17 lesions). RESULTS: The study assessed 72 malignant and 35 benign lesions with a median size of 1.8 cm (range 0.3-8.4 cm): 31 focal, nine multifocal and nine multicentric cases. In lesion-by-lesion analysis, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were 97%, 80%, 91% and 93% for MRI, 96%, 71%, 87%, and 89% for prone PET, and 97%. 94%, 97% and 94% for MRI fused with PET. Areas under the curve (AUC) were 0.953, 0.850, and 0.983, respectively (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: MRI fused with FDG-PET is more accurate than FDG-PET in primary tumour staging of breast cancer patients and increases the specificity of MRI. KEY POINTS: • FDG PET-CT may improve the specificity of MRI in breast cancer staging. • MRI fused with prone 2-[fluorine-18]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose PET-CT has better overall diagnostic performance than MRI. • The clinical role of fused PET-MRI has not yet been established.

Multicatheter breast implant during breast conservative surgery: Novel approach to deliver accelerated partial breast irradiation.

PURPOSE: To assess the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of free-hand intraoperative multicatheter breast implant (FHIOMBI) and perioperative high-dose-rate brachytherapy (PHDRBT) in early breast cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Patients with early breast cancer candidates for breast conservative surgery (BCS) were prospectively enrolled. Patients suitable for accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) (low or intermediate risk according GEC-ESTRO criteria) received PHDRBT (3.4 Gy BID × 10 in 5 days). Patients not suitable for APBI (high risk patients according GEC-ESTRO criteria) received PHDRBT boost (3.4 Gy BID × 4 in 2 days) followed by whole breast irradiation. RESULTS: From June 2007 to November 2014, 119 patients were treated and 122 FHIOMBI procedures were performed. Median duration of FHIOMBI was 25 minutes. A median of eight catheters (range, 4-14) were used. No severe intraoperative complications were observed. Severe early postoperative complications (bleeding) were documented in 2 patients (1.6%), wound healing complications in 3 (2.4%), and infection (mastitis or abscess) in 2 (1.6%). PHDRBT was delivered as APBI in 88 cases (72.1%) and as a boost in 34 (27.8%). The median clinical target volume T was 40.8 cc (range, 12.3-160.5); median D90 was 3.32 Gy (range, 3.11-3.85); median dose homogeneity index was 0.72 (range, 0.48-0.82). With a median followup of 38.4 months (range, 8.7-98.7) no local, elsewhere, or regional relapses were observed; there was only one distant failure in PHDRBT boost. No major (acute or late) RTOG grade 3 or higher were documented in any of the 119 patients treated with PHDRBT. Cosmetic outcome in APBI patients was excellent or good in (87.0%) and fair or poor in (11.9%) while in boost patients was excellent or good in (76.4%) and fair in (23.5%). CONCLUSION: The FHIOMBI-PHDRBT program does not add complications to conservative surgery. It allows precise selection of APBI patients and offers excellent results in disease control and cosmetics. It also offers logistic advantages because it dramatically shortens the time of local treatment and avoids further invasive procedures.

Additional US or DBT after digital mammography: which one is the best combination?

BACKGROUND: Digital mammography (DM) is widespread used for the detection of breast cancer, but its sensitivity drops in dense breasts. It is well known that additional breast ultrasound (US) and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) increase the sensitivity of DM. However, to our knowledge, there are no articles comparing the role of both additional techniques. PURPOSE: To assess the diagnostic performance of DM and the different combinations of DM + additional DBT and DM + additional US in an enriched sample of patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective study in an enriched sample of 1042 patients. Out of them, 84 patients had histologically proven malignant lesions and 258 patients had benign lesions. Finally 700 patients with normal explorations or benign lesions without biopsy confirmation (but stable for at least 12 months) were included. All of them underwent DM, US, and DBT examinations that were retrospectively reviewed by one expert radiologist, blinded to the final diagnoses. The DBT examinations were performed using one single view with wide angle (50°). The reader categorized the cases as benign (BI-RADS 1 or 2) or malignant (BI-RADS 3-5) for DM and the different combination of techniques. The sensitivity (SE) and specificity (SP) were calculated with the PEPI software and the ROC curves of the different techniques and combinations were calculated by using the SPSS 15.0 software. RESULTS: The SE and SP of DM were 69.05% and 88.20%, respectively. Additional DBT significantly increased the AUC of DM as well as additional US or the combination DM + DBT + US (P < 0.05). However there were no significant differences between the AUC of DM + US and DM + DBT (P = 0.7). CONCLUSION: Additional US, DBT, or both, in combination with DM, significantly increased the AUC of DM. However, there were no significant differences between DM + DBT and DM + US.

Analysis of the changes induced by bevacizumab using a high temporal resolution DCE-MRI as prognostic factors for response to further neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Antiangiogenic drugs are being used in the treatment of locally advanced breast cancer. The effect of these drugs can be monitorized using high temporal resolution dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI). PURPOSE: To evaluate changes in tumor microvasculature induced by bevacizumab and the usefulness of these changes predicting response to further neoadjuvant therapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seventy patients with locally advanced breast cancers were treated with one cycle of bevacizumab followed by neoadjuvant therapy, combining bevacizumab and cytotoxic chemotherapy. Two DCE-MRI were performed before and after bevacizumab. Changes in tumoral volume, pharmacodynamic curves, and pharmacokinetic variables (K(trans), Kep, Ve, AUC90) in a ROI (ROI 1) encompassing the entire tumor and in another ROI (ROI 2) in the area of higher values of K(trans) were analyzed. Correlations with pathological response were made: parametrical and non-parametrical statistical analysis and ROC curves were used; a P < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Significant changes in tumoral volume (-4%), pharmacodynamic curves, and pharmacokinetic variables in ROI 1 K(trans) (-45%), Kep (-38%), Ve (-11%), and AUC90 (-44%) and ROI 2 K(trans) (-43%), Kep (-39%), Ve (-5%), and AUC90 (-45%) were observed after bevacizumab (P < 0.05). The effect of bevacizumab was not different between responders and non-responders (P > 0.05), and these changes could not predict response to further neoadjuvant therapy. CONCLUSION: Bevacizumab induces remarkable tumoral volume, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetic changes. However, these changes could not be used as early predictors for response to further neoadjuvant therapy.

Divertículo duodenal intraluminal como causa de pancreatitis recidivante. Diagnóstico mediante TC / Intraluminal duodenal diverticulum causing recurrent pancreatitis: diagnostic role of computed tomography

Entre las causas infrecuentes de pancreatitis figura el divertículo duodenal intraluminal. Presentamos el caso de un paciente de 23 años en el que se diagnosticó mediante TC y tránsito gastroduodenal esta alteración morfológica congénita como causante de sus cuadros de pancreatitis de repetición. Radiológicamente se manifiesta como una estructura sacular llena de contraste que ocupa parcialmente la luz de la segunda porción duodenal de la que está separada por una pared anular radiotransparente (Signo del 'halo'). Aportamos un resumen de la bibliografía consultada, comparando los hallazgos descritos con los obtenidos en nuestro caso (AU)