ABSTRACT
A U.S. farm policy shift to joint production of commodities and ecological services will advance sustainable agriculture.
Subject(s)
Agriculture , Biomass , Conservation of Natural Resources , Environment , Agriculture/economics , Agriculture/legislation & jurisprudence , Conservation of Natural Resources/economics , Conservation of Natural Resources/legislation & jurisprudence , Crops, Agricultural , Ecosystem , Energy-Generating Resources , Public Policy , Research , United StatesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: An increasing number of patients with breast cancer is being treated with preoperative chemotherapy. Evaluation of treatment response may be facilitated by positron emission tomography (PET) with 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG). This noninvasive technique may allow prediction of the chemotherapy outcome in an early phase of the treatment. METHODS: Prerequisites for treatment monitoring with PET are good FDG uptake in the tumor, high specificity, and a reliable quantification technique. These factors were studied in 20 patients with primary breast cancer, lymph node metastases, benign breast lesions, a combination of these abnormalities, or no abnormality. RESULTS: In 10 of 11 patients with primary breast cancer, the tumor was visualized. The median tumor-to-normal-tissue-uptake ratio was 4.9. In all five patients with increased uptake in the lymph node basin, pathologic proof of metastatic cancer was found. Of the patients with benign or no disease of the breast, slightly increased uptake was seen in one patient with fibrocystic disease. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that PET with FDG can be used for breast cancer imaging and staging.
Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Breast Neoplasms/pathology , Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating/diagnostic imaging , Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating/pathology , Deoxyglucose/analogs & derivatives , Tomography, Emission-Computed , Adenocarcinoma/diagnostic imaging , Adenocarcinoma/metabolism , Adenocarcinoma/pathology , Adult , Breast/metabolism , Breast Neoplasms/metabolism , Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating/metabolism , Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating/secondary , Deoxyglucose/pharmacokinetics , Female , Fluorine Radioisotopes/pharmacokinetics , Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 , Humans , Lymph Nodes/diagnostic imaging , Lymph Nodes/metabolism , Lymph Nodes/pathology , Lymphatic Metastasis/diagnostic imaging , Lymphatic Metastasis/pathology , Middle Aged , Neoplasm Invasiveness , Neoplasm Staging , Sensitivity and SpecificityABSTRACT
A 27-year-old woman in the second trimester of pregnancy presented with bitemporal hemianopsia. Total resection of a craniopharyngioma restored normal vision, and she delivered a normal infant at term. Permanent hormonal replacement therapy was not needed. Subsequent spontaneous pregnancy and delivery indicate that fertility was preserved. Literature review shows this case to be unique. Even with new developments in stereotactic radiotherapy, total excision remains a potentially achievable surgical goal.
Subject(s)
Craniopharyngioma/physiopathology , Fertility , Pituitary Neoplasms/physiopathology , Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic/physiopathology , Adult , Craniopharyngioma/surgery , Female , Humans , Pituitary Neoplasms/surgery , Pregnancy , Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic/surgeryABSTRACT
Two water-soluble gels, gelatin and Carbowax, were mixed with radioactive 68Ge solutions and evaluated for their use as long-lived (half-life, 280 days) radioactive sources. These gels melt at 40-50 degrees C and solidify at room temperature. The amount of 68Ge mixed with them can be increased or decreased as needed, eliminating waste of 68Ge. These gel sources also may replace short-lived 68Ga (half-life 68 min) as attenuation correction sources in positron emission tomography (PET) and reduce frequency of source preparation, thus reducing exposure of PET operators to radiation.
