Baseline F-FDG PET/CT for predicting pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and prognosis in locally advanced breast cancer patients: analysis of tumor and lymphoid organs metabolic parameters.

Purpose: To investigate metabolic parameters from baseline F-FDG PET/CT as predictors of pathological complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and disease recurrence in locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) patients.

Materials And Methods: From 142 LABC in 137 patients (bilateral-synchronous BC: 5/137), the following parameters from baseline (pre-treatment) F-FDG PET/CT were retrospectively analyzed, along with clinic-histological data: primary tumor activity (SUVmax, SUVmean, SUVpeak, tumor-to-liver ratio-TLR-, MTV, TLG); lymphoid organs activity (spleen and bone marrow SUVmax and SUVmean, spleen-to-liver ratio-SLR-, bone marrow-to-liver ratio-BLR); and PET-positive lymph-nodes' number. Predictors of pCR and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were assessed by univariable logistic regression and Cox regression (significant or suggestive association: p < 0.

PET/CT with Fibroblast Activation Protein Inhibitors in Breast Cancer: Diagnostic and Theranostic Application-A Literature Review.

Growing studies have recently reported on the promising application of radiolabeled-fibroblast activation protein inhibitors (FAPIs) as diagnostic and therapeutic agents in various oncological populations. To exclusively evaluate the current evidence on the diagnostic and therapeutic role of FAPI radiotracers in patients with breast cancer (BC), a narrative review of the available literature was performed. A search algorithm from PubMed/MEDLINE, based on the combination of "PET" OR "positron emission tomography" and "FAPI" and "cancer", with a last update in February 2022, was applied.

Dapagliflozin improves myocardial flow reserve in patients with type 2 diabetes: the DAPAHEART Trial: a preliminary report.

Objective: Cardiovascular (CV) outcome trials have shown that in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), treatment with sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i) reduces CV mortality and hospital admission rates for heart failure (HF). However, the mechanisms behind these benefits are not fully understood. This study was performed to investigate the effects of the SGLT-2i dapagliflozin on myocardial perfusion and glucose metabolism in patients with T2D and stable coronary artery disease (coronary stenosis ≥ 30% and < 80%), with or without previous percutaneous coronary intervention (> 6 months) but no HF.

Correlation of somatostatin receptor PET/CT imaging features and immunohistochemistry in neuroendocrine tumors of the lung: a retrospective observational study.

Purpose: To correlate somatostatin receptor (SSTR) and proliferative activity profile (SSTR2, SSTR5, Ki-67) at immunohistochemistry (IHC) with SSTR-PET/CT imaging features in a retrospective series of lung neuroendocrine tumors (NET). Proliferative activity by Ki-67 and F-FDG-PET/CT parameters (when available) were also correlated.

Methods: Among 551 patients who underwent SSTR-PET/CT with Ga-DOTA-somatostatin analogs (SSA) between July 2011 and March 2020 for lung neuroendocrine neoplasms, 32 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of NET were included.

Integration of molecular imaging in the personalized approach of patients with adrenal masses.

Adrenal masses are a frequent finding in clinical practice. Many of them are incidentally discovered with a prevalence of 4% in patients undergoing abdominal anatomic imaging and require a differential diagnosis. Biochemical tests, evaluating hormonal production of both adrenal cortex and medulla (in particular, mineralocorticoids, glucocorticoids and catecholamines), have a primary importance in distinguishing functional or non-functional lesions.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on oncological disease extent at FDG PET/CT staging: the ONCOVIPET study.

Purpose: To investigate whether the COVID-19 pandemic and national lockdown had an impact on the extent of cancer disease at FDG PET/CT staging as surrogate marker.

Methods: Retrospective observational study including cancer patients submitted to FDG PET/CT staging from June 1 to October 31, 2020, and June 1 to October 31, 2019, respectively. Data regarding primary tumour, nodal (N) status and number of involved nodal stations, and presence and number of distant metastases (M) were collected.

Effect of Dapagliflozin on Myocardial Insulin Sensitivity and Perfusion: Rationale and Design of The DAPAHEART Trial.

Introduction: Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors have been shown to have beneficial effects on various cardiovascular (CV) outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in primary prevention and in those with a high CV risk profile. However, the mechanism(s) responsible for these CV benefits remain elusive and unexplained. The aim of the DAPAHEART study will be to demonstrate that treatment with SGLT-2 inhibitors is associated with greater myocardial insulin sensitivity in patients with T2D, and to determine whether this improvement can be attributed to a decrease in whole-body (and tissue-specific) insulin resistance and to increased myocardial perfusion and/or glucose uptake.

Application of Artificial Neural Network to Preoperative F-FDG PET/CT for Predicting Pathological Nodal Involvement in Non-small-cell Lung Cancer Patients.

To evaluate the performance of artificial neural networks (aNN) applied to preoperative F-FDG PET/CT for predicting nodal involvement in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. We retrospectively analyzed data from 540 clinically resectable NSCLC patients (333 M; 67.4 ± 9 years) undergone preoperative F-FDG PET/CT and pulmonary resection with hilo-mediastinal lymphadenectomy.

18F-FDG and 68Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT Findings in a Case of Abdominal Leiomyosarcoma.

We report the case of a 58-year-old man with mesenteric nodule at CT performed for abdominal pain. In the suspicion of neoplastic disease, he underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT that did not show abnormal uptake. The nodule was monitored alternating CT and MRI.

Which Is the Optimal Scan Time of 18F-DOPA PET/CT in Patients With Recurrent Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma?: Results From a Dynamic Acquisition Study.

Purpose: The aim of this retrospective study was to determine, by dynamic acquisition, the optimal scan time of F-DOPA PET/CT in patients with recurrent medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC).

Methods: Twenty-one patients with suspected recurrent MTC underwent dynamic F-DOPA PET/CT (lasting 45 minutes) followed by whole-body scan. Three different time intervals of dynamic acquisition were evaluated: ultra-early phase (2-5 minutes), early phase (5-10 minutes), and late phase (40-45 minutes).

Response evaluation with F-FDG PET/CT in metastatic breast cancer patients treated with Palbociclib: first experience in clinical practice.

Objective: Palbociclib is a cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor recently approved for treatment in advanced or metastatic breast cancer (BC) patients. The use of F-FDG PET/CT for chemo/endocrine therapy response assessment in BC patients is well reported in the literature, but no studies have evaluated its role for assessing Palbociclib efficacy in clinical practice. Our study aimed to evaluate the potential role of F-FDG PET/CT in this setting.

68Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT in Thyroid Metastases of Lung Carcinoid.

We report the case of a 43-year-old man with a history of lung carcinoid and a recent detection of thyroid nodules by ultrasound. The cytological analysis raised the suspicion of medullary thyroid carcinoma; however, calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen levels were in reference range. Considering the previous diagnosis of lung carcinoid, the patient underwent whole-body Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT.

Treatment with octreotide LAR in clinically non-functioning pituitary adenoma: results from a case-control study.

Surgical cure cannot be achieved in most patients with invasive non-functioning pituitary macroadenoma (NFPA). Short-term residual tumor treatment with somatostatin analogs has produced disappointing results. This prospective case-control study assessed the efficacy of chronic treatment with long acting octreotide (octreotide LAR) on tumor volume in patients harboring post-surgical NFPA residue.