Is sarcopenia a missed factor in the management of patients with metastatic breast cancer?

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia has emerged as an important parameter to predict outcomes and treatment toxicity. However, limited data are available to assess sarcopenia prevalence in metastatic breast cancer and to evaluate its management. METHODS: The SCAN study was a cross-sectional multicenter French study that aimed to estimate sarcopenia prevalence in a real-life sample of metastatic cancer patients. Sarcopenia was identified by low muscle mass (estimated from the skeletal muscle index at the third lumbar, via computed tomography) and low muscle strength (defined by handgrip strength). Three populations were distinguished based on EWGSOP criteria: a sarcopenic group with low muscle mass AND strength, a pre-sarcopenic group with low muscle mass OR strength and a normal group with high muscle mass AND strength. RESULTS: Among 766 included patients, 139 patients with breast cancer and median age of 61.2 years (29.9-97.8 years) were evaluable; 29.5% were sarcopenic and 41.0% were pre-sarcopenic. Sarcopenic patients were older (P < 0.01), had a worse PS-score (P < 0.05), and a higher number of metastatic sites (P < 0.01), the majority being hepatic and bone. A moderate agreement between the oncologist's diagnosis and sarcopenia evaluation by muscle mass and strength was recognized (Cohen's kappa = 0.45). No associations were found between sarcopenia and adverse event occurrence in the 12 patients for whom these were reported. Sarcopenic patients were underdiagnosed and nutritional care and physical activity were less proposed. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to evaluate sarcopenia due to its impact on patient prognosis, and its utility in guiding patient management in metastatic breast cancer.

Initial Clinical Results of a Novel Immuno-PET Theranostic Probe in Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-Negative Breast Cancer.

This prospective study evaluated the imaging performance of a novel pretargeting immunologic PET (immuno-PET) method in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)-positive metastatic breast cancer, compared with CT, bone MRI, and 18F-FDG PET. Methods: Twenty-three patients underwent whole-body immuno-PET after injection of 150 MBq of 68Ga-IMP288, a histamine-succinyl-glycine peptide given after initial targeting of a trivalent anti-CEA, bispecific, antipeptide antibody. The gold standards were histology and imaging follow-up. Tumor SUVs (SUVmax and SUVmean) were measured, and tumor burden was analyzed using total tumor volume and total lesion activity. Results: The total lesion sensitivity of immuno-PET and 18F-FDG PET were 94.7% (1,116/1,178) and 89.6% (1,056/1,178), respectively. Immuno-PET had a somewhat higher sensitivity than CT or 18F-FDG PET in lymph nodes (92.4% vs. 69.7% and 89.4%, respectively) and liver metastases (97.3% vs. 92.1% and 94.8%, respectively), whereas sensitivity was lower for lung metastases (48.3% vs. 100% and 75.9%, respectively). Immuno-PET showed higher sensitivity than MRI or 18F-FDG PET for bone lesions (95.8% vs. 90.7% and 89.3%, respectively). In contrast to 18F-FDG PET, immuno-PET disclosed brain metastases. Despite equivalent tumor SUVmax, SUVmean, and total tumor volume, total lesion activity was significantly higher with immuno-PET than with 18F-FDG PET (P = 0.009). Conclusion: Immuno-PET using anti-CEA/anti-IMP288 bispecific antibody, followed by 68Ga-IMP288, is a potentially sensitive theranostic imaging method for HER2-negative, CEA-positive metastatic breast cancer patients and warrants further research.

Reoxygenation during radiotherapy in intermediate-risk prostate cancer.

Hypoxia is a major risk factor of prostate cancer radioresistance. We evaluated hypoxia non-invasively, using 18F-Misonidazole PET/CT prior to radiotherapy and after a dose of 20 Gy in intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients. Decreased hypoxic volumes were observed in all patients, suggesting that radiotherapy induces early prostate tumor reoxygenation.

Evaluation of tumor hypoxia prior to radiotherapy in intermediate-risk prostate cancer using 18F-fluoromisonidazole PET/CT: a pilot study.

PURPOSE: Hypoxia is a major factor in prostate cancer aggressiveness and radioresistance. Predicting which patients might be bad candidates for radiotherapy may help better personalize treatment decisions in intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients. We assessed spatial distribution of 18F-Misonidazole (FMISO) PET/CT uptake in the prostate prior to radiotherapy treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients about to receive high-dose (>74 Gy) radiotherapy to the prostate without hormonal treatment were prospectively recruited between 9/2012 and 10/2014. Prior to radiotherapy, all patients underwent a FMISO PET/CT as well as a MRI and 18F-choline-PET. 18F-choline and FMISO-positive volumes were semi-automatically determined using the fuzzy locally adaptive Bayesian (FLAB) method. In FMISO-positive patients, a dynamic analysis of early tumor uptake was performed. Group differences were assessed using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Parameters were correlated using Spearman rank correlation. RESULTS: Of 27 patients (median age 76) recruited to the study, 7 and 9 patients were considered positive at 2.5h and 3.5h FMISO PET/CT respectively. Median SUVmax and SUVmax tumor to muscle (T/M) ratio were respectively 3.4 and 3.6 at 2.5h, and 3.2 and 4.4 at 3.5h. The median FMISO-positive volume was 1.1 ml. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study regarding hypoxia imaging using FMISO in prostate cancer showing that a small FMISO-positive volume was detected in one third of intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients.

Can We Spare the Pancreas and Other Abdominal Organs at Risk? A Comparison of Conformal Radiotherapy, Helical Tomotherapy and Proton Beam Therapy in Pediatric Irradiation.

OBJECTIVES: Late abdominal irradiation toxicity during childhood included renal damage, hepatic toxicity and secondary diabetes mellitus. We compared the potential of conformal radiotherapy (CRT), helical tomotherapy (HT) and proton beam therapy (PBT) to spare the abdominal organs at risk (pancreas, kidneys and liver- OAR) in children undergoing abdominal irradiation. METHODS: We selected children with abdominal tumors who received more than 10 Gy to the abdomen. Treatment plans were calculated in order to keep the dose to abdominal OAR as low as possible while maintaining the same planned target volume (PTV) coverage. Dosimetric values were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. RESULTS: The dose distribution of 20 clinical cases with a median age of 8 years (range 1-14) were calculated with different doses to the PTV: 5 medulloblastomas (36 Gy), 3 left-sided and 2 right-sided nephroblastomas (14.4 Gy to the tumor + 10.8 Gy boost to para-aortic lymphnodes), 1 left-sided and 4 right-sided or midline neuroblastomas (21 Gy) and 5 Hodgkin lymphomas (19.8 Gy to the para-aortic lymphnodes and spleen). HT significantly reduced the mean dose to the whole pancreas (WP), the pancreatic tail (PT) and to the ipsilateral kidney compared to CRT. PBT reduced the mean dose to the WP and PT compared to both CRT and HT especially in midline and right-sided tumors. PBT decreased the mean dose to the ispilateral kidney but also to the contralateral kidney and the liver compared to CRT. Low dose to normal tissue was similar or increased with HT whereas integral dose and the volume of normal tissue receiving at least 5 and 10 Gy were reduced with PBT compared to CRT and HT. CONCLUSION: In children undergoing abdominal irradiation therapy, proton beam therapy reduces the dose to abdominal OAR while sparing normal tissue by limiting low dose irradiation.

Head and neck cancer patients with pulmonary nodules: value and role of CT-guided transthoracic needle aspiration biopsies.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate transthoracic needle aspiration biopsies of pulmonary lesions in patients with squamous cell cancer of head and neck. METHODS: Retrospective series of 85 patients with squamous cell cancer of head and neck cancer and pulmonary nodules who underwent CT-guided needle aspiration biopsy. RESULTS: Diagnostic samples were obtained in 85% of patients. There were 8 benign and 77 malignant lesions. Among the 73 proved cases, 4 were false-negative cases. CT-guided biopsy had an accuracy of 81%, a sensitivity of 94%, and a negative predictive value of 60%. Accuracies were 68% for lesions of 20 mm or smaller and 89% for lesions greater than 20 mm. In a subset of 45 solitary lesions, among 30 positive biopsies, 15 were categorized as primary malignancies, 3 as metastatic, and 12 as indeterminate malignancies. CONCLUSIONS: In head and neck cancer patients, the prevalence of thoracic malignancies is high when a pulmonary lesion is detected. CT-guided biopsy of pulmonary lesion is an accurate procedure. However, a third of positive biopsies were categorized as indeterminate malignancies.