4 research outputs found
68Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC PET imaging in breast carcinoma patients
No full textBACKGROUND : To report on imaging findings using 68Ga-PSMAHBED-
CC PET in a series of 19 breast carcinoma patients.
METHODS : 68Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC PET imaging results obtained
were compared to routinely performed staging examinations
and analyzed as to lesion location and progesterone
receptor status.
RESULTS : Out of 81 tumor lesions identified, 84% were identified
on 68Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC PET. 68Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC
SUVmean values of distant metastases proved significantly
higher (mean, 6.86, SD, 5.68) when compared to those of primary
or local recurrences (mean, 2.45, SD, 2.55, p = 0.04) or
involved lymph nodes (mean, 3.18, SD, 1.79, p = 0.011).
SUVmean values of progesterone receptor-positive lesions
proved not significantly different from progesterone receptornegative
lesions. SUV values derived from FDG PET/CT, available
in seven patients, and 68Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC PET/CT
imaging proved weakly correlated (r = 0.407, p= 0.015).
CONCLUSIONS : 68Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC PET/CT imaging in
breast carcinoma confirms the reported considerable variation
of PSMA expression on human solid tumors using
immunohistochemistry.Department of Nuclear Medicine at University
Pretoria and NECSA.https://link.springer.com/journal/259am2018Nuclear Medicin
The role of F-18 FDG PET/CT in evaluating the impact of HIV infection on tumor burden and therapy outcome in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma
No full textBackground: To evaluate the impact of HIV infection on tumor burden and therapy outcome following treatment with chemotherapy in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma. Methods: A total of 136 patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma were studied (mean age +/- SD = 32.31 +/- 1.39 years, male = 86, female = 50). Advanced disease (stage III and IV) was present in 64% of patients. HIV infection was present in 57 patients while 79 patients were HIV-negative. Baseline F-18 FDG PET/CT was obtained in all patients. SUVmax, MTVand TLG were determined on the baseline scan to evaluate for tumor burden. All patients completed a standard regimen of adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine (ABVD). After a median period of 8 weeks (range = 6 to 17 weeks), a repeat F-18 FDG PET/CT scan was obtained to evaluate response to therapy using Deauville 5-point scoring system. Results: The HIV-positive and HIV-negative groups were similar with regards to age and disease stage. The groups were heterogeneous with respect to gender (p = 0.029). The SUVmax, MTV and TLG of lesions were not significant different between the two groups. Complete response was seen in 72.8% of the study population. Presence of HIV infection was associated with higher rate of treatment failure with 40.4% of the HIV-positive patients having treatment failure while only 17.7% of the HIV-negative patients had treatment failure (p = 0.0034). HIV infection was a significant predictor of response to chemotherapy. Effects of SUVmax, MTV, TLG and Ann Arbor stage of the disease were not statistically significant as predictors of therapy outcome. In a multiple logistic regression, presence of HIV infection still remained an independent predictor of therapy outcome in the presence of other factors such as SUVmax, MTV, TLG and the Ann Arbor stage of the disease. Conclusions: HIV infection is not associated with a higher tumor burden in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma. HIV infection is, however, a strong predictor of poor therapy outcome in patients treated with standard regimen of ABVD
Reduction of cardiac imaging tests during the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of Italy. Findings from the IAEA Non-invasive Cardiology Protocol Survey on COVID-19 (INCAPS COVID)
No full textBackground: In early 2020, COVID-19 massively hit Italy, earlier and harder than any other European country. This caused a series of strict containment measures, aimed at blocking the spread of the pandemic. Healthcare delivery was also affected when resources were diverted towards care of COVID-19 patients, including intensive care wards. Aim of the study: The aim is assessing the impact of COVID-19 on cardiac imaging in Italy, compare to the Rest of Europe (RoE) and the World (RoW). Methods: A global survey was conducted in May–June 2020 worldwide, through a questionnaire distributed online. The survey covered three periods: March and April 2020, and March 2019. Data from 52 Italian centres, a subset of the 909 participating centres from 108 countries, were analyzed. Results: In Italy, volumes decreased by 67% in March 2020, compared to March 2019, as opposed to a significantly lower decrease (p < 0.001) in RoE and RoW (41% and 40%, respectively). A further decrease from March 2020 to April 2020 summed up to 76% for the North, 77% for the Centre and 86% for the South. When compared to the RoE and RoW, this further decrease from March 2020 to April 2020 in Italy was significantly less (p = 0.005), most likely reflecting the earlier effects of the containment measures in Italy, taken earlier than anywhere else in the West. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic massively hit Italy and caused a disruption of healthcare services, including cardiac imaging studies. This raises concern about the medium- and long-term consequences for the high number of patients who were denied timely diagnoses and the subsequent lifesaving therapies and procedures
Impact of COVID-19 on Diagnostic Cardiac Procedural Volume in Oceania: The IAEA Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocol Survey on COVID-19 (INCAPS COVID)
No full textObjectives: The INCAPS COVID Oceania study aimed to assess the impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on cardiac procedure volume provided in the Oceania region. Methods: A retrospective survey was performed comparing procedure volumes within March 2019 (pre-COVID-19) with April 2020 (during first wave of COVID-19 pandemic). Sixty-three (63) health care facilities within Oceania that perform cardiac diagnostic procedures were surveyed, including a mixture of metropolitan and regional, hospital and outpatient, public and private sites, and 846 facilities outside of Oceania. The percentage change in procedure volume was measured between March 2019 and April 2020, compared by test type and by facility. Results: In Oceania, the total cardiac diagnostic procedure volume was reduced by 52.2% from March 2019 to April 2020, compared to a reduction of 75.9% seen in the rest of the world (p<0.001). Within Oceania sites, this reduction varied significantly between procedure types, but not between types of health care facility. All procedure types (other than stress cardiac magnetic resonance [CMR] and positron emission tomography [PET]) saw significant reductions in volume over this time period (p<0.001). In Oceania, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) decreased by 51.6%, transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) by 74.0%, and stress tests by 65% overall, which was more pronounced for stress electrocardiograph (ECG) (81.8%) and stress echocardiography (76.7%) compared to stress single-photon emission computerised tomography (SPECT) (44.3%). Invasive coronary angiography decreased by 36.7% in Oceania. Conclusion: A significant reduction in cardiac diagnostic procedure volume was seen across all facility types in Oceania and was likely a function of recommendations from cardiac societies and directives from government to minimise spread of COVID-19 amongst patients and staff. Longer term evaluation is important to assess for negative patient outcomes which may relate to deferral of usual models of care within cardiology
