The STAMPEDE2 Trial: a Site Survey of Current Patterns of Care, Access to Imaging and Treatment of Metastatic Prostate Cancer.

AIMS: The forthcoming STAMPEDE2 trial has three comparisons in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. We aim to determine clinical practices among STAMPEDE trial investigators for access to imaging and therapeutic choices and explore their interest in participation in STAMPEDE2. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The survey was developed and distributed online to 120 UK STAMPEDE trial sites. Recipients were invited to complete the survey between 16 and 30 May 2022. The survey consisted of 30 questions in five sections on access to stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR), 177lutetium-prostate-specific membrane antigen-617 (177Lu-PSMA-617), choice of systemic therapies and use of positron emission tomography/computerised tomography and whole-body magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: From 58/120 (48%) sites, 64 respondents completed the survey: 55/64 (86%) respondents were interested to participate in SABR, 44/64 (69%) in 177Lu-PSMA-617 and 56/64 (87.5%) in niraparib with abiraterone comparisons; 45/64 (70%) respondents had access to bone, spine and lymph node metastases SABR delivery and 7/64 (11%) to 177Lu-PSMA-617. In addition to androgen deprivation therapy, 60/64 (94%) respondents used androgen receptor signalling inhibitors and 46/64 (72%) used docetaxel; 29/64 (45%) respondents would consider triplet therapy with androgen deprivation therapy, androgen receptor signalling inhibitors and docetaxel. Positron emission tomography/computerised tomography was available to 62/64 (97%) respondents and requested by 45/64 (70%) respondents for disease uncertainty on conventional imaging and 39/64 (61%) at disease relapse. Whole-body magnetic resonance imaging was available to 24/64 (38%) respondents and requested by 13/64 (20%) respondents in highly selected patients. In low-volume disease, 38/64 (59%) respondents requested scans at baseline and disease relapse. In high-volume disease, 29/64 (45%) respondents requested scans at baseline, best response (at prostate-specific antigen nadir) and disease relapse; 54/64 (84%) respondents requested computerised tomography and bone scan for best response assessment. CONCLUSION: There is noteworthy disparity in clinical practice across current study sites, however most have expressed an interest in participation in the forthcoming STAMPEDE2 trial.

Mapping Local Failure Following Bladder Radiotherapy According to Dose.

AIMS: To determine the relationship between local relapse following radical radiotherapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) and radiation dose. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with T2-4N0-3M0 MIBC were recruited to a phase II study assessing the feasibility of intensity-modulated radiotherapy to the bladder and pelvic lymph nodes. Patients were planned to receive 64 Gy/32 fractions to the bladder tumour, 60 Gy/32 fractions to the involved pelvic nodes and 52 Gy/32 fractions to the uninvolved bladder and pelvic nodes. Pre-treatment set-up was informed by cone-beam CT. For patients who experienced local relapse, cystoscopy and imaging (CT/MRI) was used to reconstruct the relapse gross tumour volume (GTVrelapse) on the original planning CT . GTVrelapse D98% and D95% was determined by co-registering the relapse image to the planning CT utilising deformable image registration (DIR) and rigid image registration (RIR). Failure was classified into five types based on spatial and dosimetric criteria as follows: A (central high-dose failure), B (peripheral high-dose failure), C (central elective dose failure), D (peripheral elective dose failure) and E (extraneous dose failure). RESULTS: Between June 2009 and November 2012, 38 patients were recruited. Following treatment, 18/38 (47%) patients experienced local relapse within the bladder. The median time to local relapse was 9.0 months (95% confidence interval 6.3-11.7). Seventeen of 18 patients were evaluable based on the availability of cross-sectional relapse imaging. A significant difference between DIR and RIR methods was seen. With the DIR approach, the median GTVrelapse D98% and D95% was 97% and 98% of prescribed dose, respectively. Eleven of 17 (65%) patients experienced type A failure and 6/17 (35%) patients type B failure. No patients had type C, D or E failure. MIBC failure occurred in 10/17 (59%) relapsed patients; of those, 7/11 (64%) had type A failure and 3/6 (50%) had type B failure. Non-MIBC failure occurred in 7/17 (41%) patients; 4/11 (36%) with type A failure and 3/6 (50%) with type B failure. CONCLUSION: Relapse following radiotherapy occurred within close proximity to the original bladder tumour volume and within the planned high-dose region, suggesting possible biological causes for failure. We advise caution when considering margin reduction for future reduced high-dose radiation volume or partial bladder radiotherapy protocols.

Age and gender effects on the extent of myocardial involvement in acute myocarditis: a cardiovascular magnetic resonance study.

OBJECTIVE: Based upon epidemiological studies, male gender and younger age are risk factors for developing fatal myocarditis. The impact of age and gender on myocardial injury pattern in acute myocarditis, however, is not well understood. In patients with clinically acute myocarditis, this study sought to characterise the relation between patient age and gender and the extent of myocardial involvement using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging. CMR markers for oedema, inflammation and fibrosis defined myocardial involvement. DESIGN, SETTING AND PATIENTS: 65 patients (42 years old (SD 15), 41 male) with clinically acute myocarditis were assessed. Using standard methods, T2-weighted and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted (early and late enhancement) CMR images were acquired. T2 images were visually and quantitatively assessed for oedema. Early enhancement images were quantified for inflammation, as was regional fibrosis in late enhancement images. Data were analysed for groups of age (>40, <40 years) and gender. RESULTS: 62% of all patients had evidence of regional oedema, which was more prevalent in patients below 40 years of age (80.7% vs 51.3%, p<0.05), as was myocardial fibrosis (76.9% vs 48.7%, p<0.05). However, early enhancement was more frequently found in patients above 40 years (84.2% vs 61.5%, p<0.05). Men were twice as likely as women to demonstrate myocardial fibrosis (73.2 vs 37.5%, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: In patients with clinically acute myocarditis, myocardial fibrosis was more frequent in men and in patients younger than 40 years. Injury sustained in younger patients appears to be more regional and more severe, as indicated by a higher incidence of irreversible injury.

Myocardial tissue characterization in systemic lupus erythematosus: value of a comprehensive cardiovascular magnetic resonance approach.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multi-organ inflammatory disorder mainly affecting women and is associated with high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We tested the utility of a comprehensive cardiovascular magnetic resonance approach to assess myocardial involvement and to determine its relation to disease activity in SLE patients. We studied 20 SLE patients (19 females, 35+/-10 years) and 13 healthy volunteers (nine females, 28+/-11 years). Classification followed the criteria of the American College of Rheumatology and assessment of SLE activity was based on the European Consensus Lupus Activity Measurement index. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) was performed on a 1.5T scanner and included the following sequences: steady-state free precession, T2-weighted, early and late T1-weighted after gadolinium-DTPA injection. Ejection fraction was not significantly different between groups (controls: 63+/-6, inactive SLE: 67+/-7, active SLE 64+/-8; P=0.003 for all groups). In contrast, relative T2 ratio (myocardium to skeletal muscle) was significantly higher in active SLE than in the other groups (controls: 1.7+/-0.3, inactive: 1.8+/-0.2, active: 2.1+/-0.2; P=0.003). Similarly, early enhancement ratio was significantly higher in active SLE (controls: 2.4+/-1.4, inactive: 2.8+/-1.1, active: 4.5+/-2.0, P=0.39). Both relative T2 and early enhancement ratios significantly correlated with disease activity. Intramural foci of late enhancement were observed in three of eight patients (all with active SLE). Of the five patients with no late enhancement, only one had active disease. An imaging approach combining T2-weighted, early and late enhancement imaging is a useful tool to assess possible myocardial involvement in SLE. CMR parameters of global myocardial involvement correlate well with disease activity, but not with usual clinical signs as summarized in a cardiac score.

Normal oesophageal transit time on digital radiography.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a simple radiological technique for measuring normal oesophageal transit time. DESIGN: 72 patients with no oesophageal or gastrointestinal complaints underwent manometry and radiological oesophageal transit time (ROTT). ROTT was perfomed using 2 ml of fluid barium on a digital X-ray machine. Digital image acquisition started with the beginning of swallowing using 1 frame/s for 15 s. These images were printed on a single film. The effect of ageing on ROTT was also assessed. RESULTS: ROTT had a mean value of 10.08 s. ROTT was divided into three segments: proximal-to-left-main-bronchus; retrocardiac; and inferior oesophageal sphincter segments. The mean transit time across these segments was 2.84, 3.07, and 4.15 s, respectively. ROTT in patients over 40 years was longer than in patients under 40 years. CONCLUSION: ROTT is a physiological, rapid, non-invasive, and reproducible technique for measuring the normal oesophageal transsit time, without discomfort to patients.

Relation between bilharzial arthropathy and histocompatibility leucocytic antigen B27.

Fifty cases of active schistosomiasis divided into group I test group consists of twenty-five patients with arthropathy and group II control group consists of twenty-five patients without arthropathy, were subjected to clinical examination, indirected haemagglutination test (IHAT) for bilharziasis and plain X-ray on lumbosacral, sacroiliac and knee joints. HLA-B27 antigen typing was also done as a trial to find association between this antigen and the Egyptian cases of bilharzial arthropathy. Clinical examination of patients with arthropathy showed that the frequency of joint affection was knee joint 76%, shoulder joint 12% and hip, elbow and sacroiliac joints were equally 4% affected. Although the affected joints were tender and with limited movement, there were no hotness, deformities and morning stiffness. There was no effusion nor swelling except in one case of knee joint arthropathy. The results of the IHAT showed hundred percent positivity in all the patients without significant statistical difference between the test and the control groups (P greater than 0.05). X-ray on the sacroiliac, lumbosacral and knee joints showed no abnormalities in all the cases. The results of the HLA-B27 antigen typing showed that the frequency of this antigen in the test group was 16% and in the control group was 4%. The relation risk was 4.57 and the aetiological fraction was very small 0.12. However there was insignificant statistical difference between the test and the control groups (P greater than 0.05).