Reliability of radioguided occult lesion localization in reoperation of loco-regional persistent/recurrent differentiated thyroid cancer: Retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine the radioguided occult lesion localization (ROLL) reliability in the reoperation of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) and persistent or recurrent non-palpable loco-regional disease who underwent surgery at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología between 2012 and 2021. DESIGN: Observational retrospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: We included data from patients with DTC that underwent resection with ROLL. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Reliability analysed as percentage of patients with complete resection of tumour lesion using ROLL, disease-free survival, second loco-regional relapse, adequate resectability and complications. RESULTS: Two hundred and four cases were obtained. Pathological examination revealed papillary thyroid carcinoma in 202 patients, and follicular thyroid carcinoma in 2. Reliability was 96.57% in patients who underwent ROLL. When wide resection was performed-at surgeon's discretion-the reliability increased to 97.5%. CONCLUSIONS: The high reliability obtained suggests that ROLL was effective to localize non-palpable relapsing lesions. To our knowledge, this is the largest sample size published on this topic to date.

Modified dynamic risk stratification system further predicts individual outcome in patients with intermediate-risk papillary thyroid cancer.

OBJECTIVE: We assessed the contribution of initial treatment response to further refining prediction of individual outcomes in intermediate-risk papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) on the American Thyroid Association (ATA) risk stratification system. Dynamic risk stratification (DRS) as originally proposed by Tuttle et al. in 2010 was modified to also include serum antithyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb) as a surrogate marker of the likelihood of persistent disease, specifically in patients with thyroglobulin assay interference by TgAb. METHODS: Three hundred and seventy-three patients with ATA intermediate-risk PTC were enrolled retrospectively upon reviewing medical records. Patients were followed at the National Cancer Institute in Bogota, Colombia after being treated with total thyroidectomy and I-131 therapy between 2009 and 2013. Best response to initial therapy was classified as excellent, indeterminate, biochemically incomplete or structurally incomplete. Final disease status after a median follow-up of 7.1 years was classified as no evidence of disease (NED), indeterminate, or persistent disease (either biochemically or structurally). The rate of recurrence was determined in excellent responders. RESULTS: Excellent response was achieved by 164 patients (43.9%). At a median follow-up of 42 months, 19 (11.6%) had experienced recurrence. 87.4% of initially excellent responders available at the final checkpoint were NED, compared to 28% of those with biochemically or structurally incomplete response and to 60.2% of all ATA intermediate-risk PTC patients in our cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Modified DRS further predicted individual outcomes in intermediate-risk PTC, potentially allowing ongoing management to be tailored accordingly.

Eficacia de lutecio-177 DOTATATE/TOC en pacientes con tumores neuroendocrinos bien diferenciados en estado avanzado. Ensayo clínico fase II / Efficacy of Lutetium-177 DOTATATE/TOC in Advanced Neuroendocrine Tumors

Resumen Introducción: En 2009, el Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (INC) elaboró el 177Lu-DOTATATE/TOC. El propósito del estudio fue demostrar la eficacia de estos radiopéptidos en el tratamiento paliativo de pacientes con tumores neuroendocrinos (TNE) avanzados inoperables (metastásicos o localmente avanzados) y en progresión. Métodos: Ensayo clínico abierto fase II de un solo brazo en 13 pacientes adultos con TNE grado 1 o 2, con expresión de receptores de somatostatina en lesiones blanco demostrada por captación Krenning 3 o 4 en 99mTc-HYNIC TOC. Los pacientes fueron tratados con 177Lu-DOTATATE o 177Lu-DOTATOC (según disponibilidad) a una actividad acumulativa proyectada de 600-800 mCi dividida en 3-4 dosis cada 6-9 semanas comenzando siempre con una actividad fija de 200 mCi y dosimetría con la primera dosis. El desenlace primario fue la respuesta objetiva calculada 6 y 12 meses después de la última dosis del tratamiento. Resultados: Se incluyeron 13 pacientes (7 mujeres) de 63 ± 11,6 años con TNE avanzado inoperable y en progresión. La actividad final administrada fue de 800 mCi, 600 mCi, 400 mCi y 200 mCi en 4, 7, 1 y 1 pacientes, respectivamente. La tasa de control de enfermedad a 6 y 12 meses fue de 69,2% y 45,5%, respectivamente, logrando únicamente enfermedad estable. Fallecieron 7 pacientes, 2 de ellos en los primeros 6 meses. La mediana de supervivencia global a partir de la última dosis del radiopéptido fue de 15,7 meses. Conclusiones: Se corroboró la eficacia y la seguridad del tratamiento con los radiopéptidos en NETs avanzados.

Abstract Objectives: The National Cancer Institute first elaborated 177Lu-DOTATATE/TOC in 2009. The purpose of this study was to prove the efficacy of these radiopeptides in the palliative treatment of patients with progressive advanced inoperable neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Methods: A single-phase phase II open clinical trial was conducted in 13 adult patients with grade 1 y 2 NETs, with expression of somatostatin receptors in target lesions proven by Krenning Score 3 or 4 uptake in 99mTc-HYNIC TOC. Patients were treated with 177Lu-DOTATATE or 177Lu-DOTATOC (depending upon availability) at a projected acumulative activitiy of 600-800 mCi divided into 3-4 doses every 6-9 weeks always beginning with a fixed activity of 200 mCi and dosimetry during the first dose. The primary outcome was objective response to therapy. Results: 13 patients (7 women) aged 63 ± 11.6 years with inoperable advanced NETs were included. The final therapeutic administered activity was 800 mCi, 600 mCi, 400 mCi and 200 mCi in 4, 7, 1 and 1 patients, respectively. The disease control rate at 6 and 12 months was 69.2% and 45.5%, respectively, only obtaining stable disease. Six patients died, 2 of them in the first 6 months. Median overall survival was 15.7 months from the last treatment dose. Conclusions: The efficacy of the treatment with 177Lu-DOTATATE or 177Lu-DOTATOC radiopeptides elaborated in-house was confirmed, becoming a management alternative for patients with advanced NETs.

Advantages of the 99mTc-sestamibi Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography/Computed Tomography in Occult Parathyroid Adenoma and Concomitant Thyroid Papillary Carcinoma.

Hyperparathyroidism and concurrent thyroid nodular disease are prominent. In contrast, concomitant papillary thyroid cancer and hyperparathyroidism are uncommon (1%-2%). Parathyroid adenomas in unusual locations are difficult to detect by conventional diagnostic imaging. 99mTc-sestamibi single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) has increased the localizing success rate of these lesions since it provides specific functional and anatomical information, improving exploratory parathyroid surgery planning and decreasing operative time, unnecessary dissections, complications, and morbidity. We confirmed its usefulness in a patient with an occult parathyroid adenoma that was clearly identified by 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT/CT 2 weeks after a thyroidectomy for papillary carcinoma. The SPECT/CT results allowed us to successfully perform efficient reexploration of the thyroid bed, in a retroesophageal parathyroid adenoma by minimally invasive surgery.

Intermediate-Risk Papillary Thyroid Cancer: Risk Factors for Early Recurrence in Patients with Excellent Response to Initial Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Patients with excellent response to initial therapy have a low rate of tumor recurrence. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the rate of early tumor recurrence in patients with intermediate-risk papillary thyroid cancer who had an excellent response to initial treatment and to identify risk factors. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 217 patients with American Thyroid Association intermediate-risk papillary thyroid cancer who had a documented excellent response to initial treatment (total thyroidectomy and adjuvant therapy with 100-150 mCi [3.7-5.5 GBq] of radioactive iodine [RAI]). The assessed outcome was recurrence, defined as new evidence of disease after any disease-free period. Multivariate logistic regression and Cox regression models were used to determine the factors associated with recurrence upon recording clinical, surgical, and pathology variables. RESULTS: Sixteen (7.4%) cases of recurrent disease were documented after a median follow-up period of 42 months (range 17-88 months). Structural recurrence was documented in 10 (62.5%) patients, and biochemical recurrence was documented in the remaining six patients. The logistic regression model identified a significant association between early recurrence and pN1b involvement (odds ratio [OR] = 10.81 [confidence interval (CI) 1.87-62.59]), lateral neck RAI uptake (OR = 6.06 [CI 1.67-22]), and pre-ablation thyroglobulin >10 ng/mL (OR = 4.01 [CI 1.16-13.85]). Variables that proved significant in the Cox regression model were: pN1b involvement (hazard ratio = 9.6 [CI 1.91-48.52]) and lateral neck RAI uptake (hazard ratio = 5.95 [CI 1.86-18.97]). CONCLUSION: The observed early recurrence rate of 7.4% is uncharacteristically high for a population of patients who had an excellent response to initial treatment. The significant association that was found between recurrent disease and lateral neck lymph node metastasis, lateral neck I131 uptake in post-therapy whole-body scan, and pre-ablation thyroglobulin levels >10 ng/mL indicates that early recurrence (<5 years) most likely indicates progression of micrometastatic disease already present at diagnosis and unsuccessfully eradicated with initial therapy.

Diferencias y controversias entre el reporte de patología y la interpretación clínica en patología tiroidea. II PARTE: Aspectos patológicos y métodos diagnósticos con impacto terapéutico / Thyroid diseases: Differences and controversies between the pathology report and clinical interpretation. PART II: Pathological aspects and diagnostic methods with therapeutic impact

Resumen Como revisamos en la primera parte1 hay algunos conceptos que deben ser considerados para el adecuado manejo médico por parte del equipo clínico que recibe el reporte de patología, de esta misma manera existen aspectos por parte del patólogo que este debe conocer, los cuales tienen impacto terapéutico. En esta segunda parte queremos revisar algunos conceptos que son de importancia por parte del patólogo que aplican directamente sobre la interpretación del clínico, como: procesamiento macroscópico; estudio de la citología por aspiración con aguja fina (FNA) vs. biopsia trucut, utilidad de la biopsia por congelación y de la inmunohistoquímica, así como los métodos e imágenes diagnósticas.

Abstract As was reviewed in the first part, there are some concepts that should be considered for the appropriate medical management by the medical team that receives the pathology report. Similarly, there are some aspects that the pathologist should know, such as those that can have therapeutic impact. In this second part, a short review is presented on some of the concepts that are of importance to the pathologist that apply directly to the interpretation by the clinician, such as the macroscopic processing, the cytology study of the fine-needle aspirate (FNA) vs. "tru-cut" biopsy, the usefulness of the frozen biopsy, and immunohistochemistry, as well as diagnostic methods and diagnostic images.

Diferencias y controversias entre el reporte de patología y la interpretación clínica en patología tiroidea. I parte: Factores pronósticos / Thyroid pathology: differences and controversies between the pathology report and clinical interpretation. Part I: prognostic factors

Resumen El cáncer de la glándula tiroides es una neoplasia cuya detección, diagnóstico y tratamiento se realiza de manera interdisciplinaria, por lo tanto el diagnóstico definitivo histopatológico debe ser completo y claro; de modo que pueda ser interpretado de la misma manera por parte del grupo médico tratante. De manera frecuente, los médicos no patólogos que reciben el reporte de un estudio histopatológico de tiroides se enfrentan con dificultades al momento de interpretar el reporte histopatológico y，por lo tanto, en definir la posterior conducta médica. El objetivo de este primer artículo es revisar de manera breve algunos de los diferentes temas que más generan dudas en la interpretación del reporte histopatológico y de las técnicas diagnósticas usadas en patología por parte de los médicos tratantes que tienen un impacto en las decisiones clínicas originadas a partir de la clasificación, estadificación, pronóstico y seguimiento de la enfermedad.

Abstract Cancer of the thyroid gland is a neoplasia for which its detection, diagnosis and treatment is interdisciplinary. For this reason, the definitive diagnosis by histopathology should be complete and clear so that it can be interpreted in the same way by the treating medical group. Non-pathology physicians who receive the report of a histopathological study of the thyroid often have difficulties when interpreting the report and therefore in defining the subsequent medical behaviour. The objective of this first article is to review briefly some of the different subjects that generate most doubts in the interpretation of the histopathology report, and the diagnostic techniques used in pathology by the attending physicians that have an impact on clinical decisions arising from the classification, staging, prognosis, and follow-up of the disease.

Biopsia de ganglio centinela en cáncer de mama después de neoadyuvancia en una población latinoamericana / Sentinel Node Biopsy in Breast Cancer After Neoadjuvant Therapy in a Latin-American population

Objetivo: Determinar la utilidad de la biopsia del ganglio centinela en cáncer de mama después neoadyuvancia. Método: Estudio de prueba diagnóstica. Resultados: El análisis se lleva a cabo en 67 pacientes intervenidas en el Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (INC) (Bogotá, Colombia), la obtención de una tasa de migración axilar de 85%. La tasa de identificación del ganglio centinela fue del 90%. La tasa de falsos negativos fue del 25%. El rendimiento de la prueba de diagnóstico muestra: una sensibilidad del 75%; una especificidad de 100%; un valor predictivo positivo de 100%; un valor predictivo negativo de 77,5% y un valor de precisión de 85,6%. Conclusiones: Según los resultados de nuestra serie, esta técnica no se recomienda como procedimiento estándar aún en pacientes con axila clínicamente negativa corroborada con ecografía axilar. El alto porcentaje de falsos negativos (25%) encontrado puede deberse al número elevado de pacientes con estadios localmente avanzados en nuestra serie.

Objective: To determine the usefulness of sentinel node biopsy in breast cancer after neoadjuvant treatment. Methods: A study of a diagnostic test. Results: The analysis was carried out on 67 Latin-American patients treated in the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (Bogotá, Colombia), obtaining an axillary migration rate of 85%. The sentinel node identification rate was 90%. The false negative rate is 25%. The performance of the diagnostic test shows a sensitivity of 75%, specifity of 100%, positive predictive value of 100%, negative predictive value of 77.5%, and 85.6% accuracy. Conclusions: The results of our study show that this technique is not recommended as standard procedure, even in patients with clinically negative axilla confirmed by axillary ultrasound. The high percentage of false negatives may be due to the high number of patients with locally advanced disease in our series.

La Terapia empírica del cáncer de tiroides con I-131 como estrategia diagnóstica para identificar lesiones ocultas en pacientes con tiroglobulina elevada sin enfermedad estructural identificable / Empirical radioiodine therapy as diagnostic strategy to identify occult lesions in thyroid cancer patients with elevated thyroglobulin levels but no structurally identifiable disease

Objetivos: establecer la prevalencia de resultados positivos en el rastreo posterapia empírica; determinar valores de corte para tiroglobulina estimulada y suprimida que predijeron el resultado del rastreo posterapia empírica y describir factores clínicos e histopatológicos asociados con rastreos positivos. Métodos: se revisaron historias clínicas de pacientes, del Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (INC) entre 2003 y 2009, con cáncer diferenciado de tiroides y que tuvieron una tiroglobulina estimulada ≥ 10 ng/ml en ausencia de enfermedad estructural identificable por ecografía de cuello y por otras imágenes diagnósticas obtenidas a discreción de los médicos tratantes. Se les practicó un rastreo posterapia después de recibir 100-200 mCi de I-131. Resultados: se incluyeron 40 pacientes (34 mujeres) con cáncer diferenciado de tiroides, de 14 a 74 años de edad, la mayoría con invasión local o compromiso de ganglios cervicales. El rastreo posterapia fue positivo en 24 pacientes. Los valores de corte de tiroglobulina suprimida y estimulada que mejor predijeron los resultados del rastreo posterapia fueron 1,89 ng/ml y 25 ng/ml, respectivamente. Factores como edad ≥ 45 años, sexo masculino, variantes agresivas y otras variables de mal pronóstico (tumor > 4 cm, primera cirugía extrainstitucional, tiroglobulina postoperatoria > 30 ng/ml y respuesta estructural incompleta (80%)) fueron más frecuentes en los pacientes con rastreo positivo. Conclusiones: el rastreo posterapia empírica con I-131 es una estrategia diagnóstica que provee información localizadora, metabólica y pronóstica en la mayoría de los pacientes. © 2014 Instituto Nacional de Cancerología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. Todos los derechos reservados.

Objectives: a) To establish the prevalence of positive post-therapeutic I-131 whole-body scan (PWBS) results in patients with elevated thyroglobulin (Tg) levels and with no structurally identifiable disease; b) to calculate stimulated and suppressed Tg cut-off values with the highest accuracy using ROC analyses; c) to describe positive PWBS-related clinical and histopathology factors. Methods: A retrospective assessment is presented of PWBS results in 40 patients (34 female) between 14 and 74 years of age with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) who were treated with empirical radioiodine therapy at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología between 2003 and 2009, and with a stimulated Tg ≥ 10 ng/ml with no structurally identifiable disease. Results: PWBS revealed a pathological uptake in 24 (60%) patients. The highest diagnostic accuracies of serum Tg for abnormal I-131 uptake in PWBS were 1.89 ng/ml for suppressed Tg and 25 ng/ml for stimulated Tg. Factors such as age ≥ 45 years, aggressive variants, and other poor outcome predictors, tumor size > 4 cm, extra-institutional first surgery, postoperative thyroglobulin >30 ng/ml and structurally incomplete tumor response to initial treatment, were more frequently related to positive PWBS. Conclusion: PWBS is a diagnostic strategy that provides localizing, metabolic and prognostic information in most patients with elevated Tg levels and with no structurally identifiable disease.

Carcinoma escamccelular de labio superior en paciente adolescente / Squamous cell carcinoma of the upper lip in an adolescent patient

El cáncer de la cavidad oral es un problema mayor de salud pública en todo el mundo, como lo describieron AlRawi y Talabani. Es más frecuente en pacientes después de la quinta década de la vida, con una razón hombre a Sin embargo ha aumentado la frecuencia en este grupo de edad. Se presenta el caso de una joven de 11 años, con carcinoma escamocelular de labio superior. Mediante linfogammagrafia preoperatoria se determinó la necesidad de disección selectiva de cuello supraomohioidea, excluyéndose el grupo parotídeo, a pesar de la localización del tumor, con lo cual se disminuyó en forma muy importante la morbilidad operatoria. Se resecó el tumor del labio superior con cirugía micrográfica de Mohs y posteriormente se rotó un colgajo de Yotsuyanagi. Seguimiento postoperatorio durante 18 meses sin evidencia de recaída local, regional, ni a distancia. Los autores recomiendan que el manejo de casos similares sea realizado en forma multidisciplinaria (dermatología, cirugía de cabeza y cuello, medicina nuclear, cirugía plástica), con lo cual se podrían disminuir la morbilidad y las alteraciones funcionales, aumentando la probabilidad de sobrevida libre de recurrencia.

Cancer of the oral cavity is a major public health problem around the world (Al-Rawi and Talabani); it occurs more frequently in patients after the fifth decade of life (2:1 male:female ratio). This entity is very unusual in children; however, frequency has become increased in this agegroup. This article presents the case of an 11-year-old child suffering squamous cell carcinoma of the upper lip. Preoperative lymphogammagraphy identified the need for selective dissection of the supraomohyoideal neck, excluding the parothydeal group, in spite of the tumour's location, thereby greatly reducing operative morbidity. Mohs micrographic surgery was used for tumour resection of the upper lip and then a Yotsuyanagi flap was rotated. 18-month post-operation follow-up revealed no local, regional or distant relapse regarding cancer foci. The authors recommend that similar cases should be managed in a multidisciplinary way (dermatology, head and neck surgery, nuclear medicine, plastic surgery), thereby being able to reduce morbidity and functional alterations and increasing the probability of recurrence-free survival.

La Tomografía por emisión de positrones: nuevo paradigma para la evaluación y el manejo del cáncer / Positron Emission Tomography: a new Paradigma in Cancer Management

El Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (INC) está construyendo actualmente una instalación para hacer tomografía por emisión de positrones (PET, por sus siglas en inglés), que consta de un ciclotrón y un escáner que fusiona la imagen funcional (PET) con una imagen anatómica de escáner convencional. Este proyecto estará en operación en diciembre de 2007. Por ser una institución de referencia de carácter nacional, dedicada al manejo del cáncer, el INC planea ofrecer a todo el país tanto servicios de distribución de radiofármacos emisores de positrones como servicios médicos relacionados con esta tecnología. La tecnología PET provee información metabólica útil en el manejo de los pacientes. Las propiedades del decaimiento de positrones permiten realizar imágenes muy precisas de la distribución in vivo de un radiofármaco emisor de positrones. Diversos radiofármacos emisores de positrones se han usado para caracterizar múltiples estados fisiológicos y patológicos. La principal aplicación clínica se da en oncología, con la utilización de la 18 fluor flurodesoxiglucosa (FDG), un análogo de la glucosa capaz de acumularse en muchos tumores con mayor avidez que el tejido normal. La PET se está usando para el diagnóstico y seguimiento de muchas neoplasias, y la lista de artículos publicados continúa creciendo. Aquí se incluyen aspectos de instrumentación de PET y muchas de las aplicaciones clínicas en oncología.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is currently building a Positron emission tomography facility that will house a cyclotron and a PET FUSION scanner. It should be operational as of december 2007. Being a cancer dedicated national referral center, the NCI should provide both positron-emitting radiopharmaceuticals and medical services to institutions and patients nationwide. PET technology provides metabolic information that has been documented to be useful in patient care. The properties of positron decay allow accurate imaging of the in vivo distribution of positron-emitting radiopharmaceuticals. A wide array of positron-emitting radiopharmaceuticals has been used to characterize multiple physiologic and pathologic states. The major clinical PET applications are in cancer patients using fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). FDG, an analogue of glucose, accumulates in most tumors in a greater amount than it does in normal tissue. PET is being used in diagnosis and follow-up of several malignancies, and the list of articles supporting its use continues to grow. In this article, the instrumentation aspects of PET are described and most of the clinical applications in oncology are described.

Diagnostic value of 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate and 99mTc-pentavalent DMSA compared with 99mTc-sestamibi for palpable breast lesions.

UNLABELLED: Different radiopharmaceuticals have been used to detect breast cancer. Among them, sestamibi has been extensively studied and has come to have a well-recognized role in the evaluation of palpable breast lesions. The goal of this study was to compare the diagnostic value of 99mTc-labeled compounds, such as methylene diphosphonate (MDP) and pentavalent dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA-V), with sestamibi for palpable breast lesions, in the scope of a multicenter trial sponsored by the International Atomic Energy Agency. METHODS: Patients from 7 countries were included: 47 women (mean age, 54 +/- 13 y) examined with MDP and sestamibi and 111 women (mean age, 55 +/- 12 y) examined with DMSA-V and sestamibi. Cancer was diagnosed in 41 of 49 lesions from the MDP group and in 78 of 113 lesions from the DMSA-V group. Axillary lymph node involvement was observed in 18 of 30 patients from the first group and in 27 of 53 patients from the second group. Prone scintimammography was performed using a dose of 740 MBq of each tracer, and diagnostic values were calculated from a masked interpretation of scans. RESULTS: In the first group, the sensitivity for sestamibi and MDP studies was 82.9% and 65.9%, respectively, with a specificity of 87.5% and 50%, respectively. In the second group, the sensitivity for sestamibi and DMSA-V studies was 87.2% and 65.4%, respectively, with a specificity of 77.1% and 74.3%, respectively. Regarding axillary involvement, the sensitivity was 33.3% for sestamibi in both groups, whereas the values for MDP and DMSA-V were 16.7% and 7.4%, respectively. In contrast, the specificity for sestamibi was 83.3% and 92.3% for the first and second groups, respectively, and the specificity for MDP and DMSA-V was 91.7% and 100%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Sestamibi is the most adequate alternative among the mentioned 99mTc-labeled radiopharmaceuticals for the evaluation of palpable breast lesions.