Comparison of BSGI and MRI as Approaches to Evaluating Residual Tumor Status after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Chinese Women with Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The present retrospective study was designed to evaluate the relative diagnostic utility of breast-specific gamma imaging (BSGI) and breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as means of evaluating female breast cancer patients in China. METHODS: A total of 229 malignant breast cancer patients underwent ultrasound, mammography, BSGI, and MRI between January 2015 and December 2018 for initial tumor staging. Of these patients, 73 were subsequently treated via definitive breast surgery following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), of whom 17 exhibited a complete pathologic response (pCR) to NAC. RESULTS: BSGI and MRI were associated with 76.8% (43/56) and 83.9% (47/56) sensitivity (BSGI vs. MRI, p = 0.341) values, respectively, as a means of detecting residual tumors following NAC, while both these approaches exhibited comparable specificity in this diagnostic context. The specificity of BSGI for detecting residual tumors following NAC was 70.6% (12/17), and that of MRI was 58.8% (10/17) (BSGI vs. MRI, p = 0.473). CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that BSGI is a useful auxiliary approach to evaluating pCR to NAC treatment.

[Cutinase production from short-chain organic acids by Thermobifida fusca].

We studied cutinase production from short-chain organic acids by Thermobifida fusca WSH03-11 to evaluate the possibility of converting municipal sludge to high value-added products. The optimum organic acid (8.0 g/L) and nitrogen source (1.5 g/L) concentrations were determined by the single factor experiments with butyric acid, propionic acid and acetic acid as the carbon sources. When lactic acid was used as the carbon source, the optimum organic acid (3.0 g/L) and nitrogen source (1.0 g/L) concentrations were obtained. Cutinase production by T. fusca WSH03-11 was further improved with butyric acid (by 31.0%), propionic acid (by 13.3%), acetic acid (by 43.8%) and lactic acid (by 73.2%) as carbon source, respectively, with the optimized cutin concentrations. Among these four short-chain organic acids, the average specific consumption rate of acetic acid was the highest, higher than that of propionic acid 1.3-folds, butyric acid 2.0-folds and lactic acid 2.2-folds. The highest cutinase activity reached 52.4 u/mL with butyric acid (8 g/L) as the sole carbon source, higher than that of lactic acid (3 g/L) 1.7-folds, acetic acid (8 g/L) 2.5-folds and propionic acid (8 g/L) 3.2-folds. The yield of cutinase activity on lactic acid (12.70 u/mg) higher than that of butyric acid 1.4-folds, propionic acid 3.0-folds and acetic acid 3.8-folds. T. fusca WSH03-11 consumed acetic acid firstly in mixed acids carbon sources, and the consumption of butyric acid was inhibited. Further studies indicated that the consumption rate of butyrate was decreased by 66.7% in the presence of 0.5 g/L acetic acid in the mixed acids. This was the first report concerning the production of cutinase by T. fusca with mixed organic acids as the carbon sources. The results presented here provided a novel and efficient approach to produce high value-add products from municipal sludge, and also established a foundation for the industrial production of cutinase by T. fusca WSH03-11 with cheap carbon sources from the processing of municipal sludge.

Evaluation of lung lesions using FDG gamma-camera PET equipped with a one-inch crystal.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical value of 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) imaging with gamma-camera positron emission tomography (GCPET) equipped with a one-inch crystal for diagnosing lung lesions and determining the stage of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in regions with a high prevalence of inflammatory disease and tuberculosis. FDG-GCPET was used to examine 103 patients with suspected malignant lesions in the lung. The results of FDG-GCPET and conventional workup (CWU) including computed tomography (CT), ultrasonography and radionuclide bone scintigraphy were compared. The final diagnosis was based on the results of a histological analysis or follow-up of at least six months. The results showed 82 patients with malignant and 21 patients with benign lesions. If a lesion to background ratio > or = 2.0 was used as the threshold, then the diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of FDG-GCPET for NSCLC were 93.9, 57.1, 86.4, 89.5 and 70.6%, respectively. In 36 patients who underwent open-chest surgery, the diagnostic positive values of FDG-GCPET and CT for lymph-node involvement were 85% (17/20) and 65% (13/20), respectively. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV and NPV of FDG imaging were 85, 81.3, 83.3, 85 and 81.3%, respectively compared to the CT values of 65, 75, 69.4, 76.5 and 63.2%, respectively (NS). For the evaluation of distant metastases, 31 true-positive patients were identified during the follow-up. FDG imaging correctly identified 28 patients compared to 25 by CWU. In conclusion, FDG imaging with GCPET equipped with a one-inch crystal revealed a high lesion detection capability but a low level of clinical effectiveness for differentiating between malignant and benign lesions in the lung in regions with a high prevalence of inflammatory disease and tuberculosis. For N and M staging of NSCLC, this method may provide additional data that are not available from the CWU.

Analysis of multiple factors related to hematologic toxicity following 153Sm-EDTMP therapy.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical factors related to hematologic toxicity caused by treatment with samarium-153 ethylenediaminetetramethylene phosphonic acid (153Sm-EDTMP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 206 secondary bone neoplasm patients treated with 153Sm-EDTMP were analyzed retrospectively. Logistic regression (SPSS 10.0 for Windows; Chicago, IL) and correlation analysis were used to evaluate the factors concerned. RESULTS: Age, number of bone metastatic lesions, chemotherapy before treatment with 153Sm-EDTMP, concurrence of radiotherapy, and times of repeated treatments with 153Sm-EDTMP were determined by single factor analysis to be related to hematologic toxicity. Chemotherapy before treatment with 153Sm-EDTMP, concurrence of radiotherapy, drug use to maintain normal white blood cell counts, and times of repeated treatments with 153Sm-EDTMP were determined by multiple factor analysis to be related to hematologic toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: Chemotherapy before treatment with 153Sm-EDTMP, concurrence of radiotherapy, drug use to maintain normal white blood cell counts, and times of repeated treatments with 153Sm-EDTMP are the main clinical factors related to hematologic toxicity caused by 153Sm-EDTMP therapy. In patients with such factors, more attention might be paid to the change of blood cell counts after 153Sm-EDTMP therapy.

[89SrCl2 in the treatment of cancer patients with bone metastasis and pain].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical value of (89)SrCl(2) (Ke xing Inc, Shanghai) as a palliative therapy modality for cancer patients with bone metastasis. METHODS: In 504 cancer patients with painful limitation of movement due to bony metastasis, a dose of 1.48-2.22 MBq/kg (40-60 uCi/kg) iv infusion of (89)SrCl(2) was given. RESULTS: In 97 patients (19.2%) there was no improvement in pain and life quality, 298 patients (59.1%) showed mild to moderate improvement (moderately effective), 109 patients (21.6%) became free of pain and were subsequently fully ambulatory (markedly effective). The pain relief appeared from D1-D46 after (89)SrCl(2) administration, most frequently from D5-D14. The palliative effect could last for about 56 days to 13 months. Repeated bone scans of some patients showed that the metastatic foci in the bone became smaller or even disappeared gradually after the administration of (89)SrCl(2). Approximately 55% of patients experienced grade I approximately III bone marrow depression attributable to (89)SrCl(2), which would return to the pre-treatment level within 3 approximately 9 months. CONCLUSION: (89)SrCl(2) is effective and safe for the relief of bone pain and improvement of quality of life in cancer patients with painful bony metastasis.