[The use of SPECT-CT in the diagnosis of cancerous lesions of axillary lymph nodes in patients with breast cancer].

The purpose of the study was to explore the possibilities of a new hybrid technology of SPECT-CT in the diagnosis of metastatic regional lymph nodes (LN) in patients with breast cancer (BC). There were examined 57 primary patients. All patients underwent axillary lymph node dissection and /or biopsy of sentinel LN followed by histological examination of the material. Metastases in LN were verified in 20 (35%) of 57 examined patients. Sensitivity, specificity and overall accuracy of SPECT-CT in the combined use of anatomical and functional criteria for assessing the state of LN accounted for 75%, 89% and 84%, respectively. Sensitivity of SPECT-CT in the diagnosis of massive axillary LN lesion (more than two) in breast cancer patients was 95%. Thus, the new hybrid technology of SPECT-CT, combining functional and anatomical techniques for assessing of pathological changes, is highly informative in the diagnosis of metastatic lesions of regional LN in patients with breast cancer.

[SPECT-CT in the diagnosis of metastatic skeletal lesion].

The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic capabilities of SPECT-CT and planar osteoscintigraphy with 99m-Tc-labeled phosphates in cancer patients. There were examined 227 patients with various primary malignancies (mean age 57 years). Depending on the identified changes in the planar study patients were divided into four groups: I--no abnormalities (n = 62), II--benign changes (n = 67), III--suspected metastatic lesion (n = 41), IV--metastatic lesion (n = 57). The use of SPECT-CT in group I revealed metastatic lesion in 7 (11%) patients, in 15 (24%) patients there were additionally found benign focal changes in the skeleton. In group II metastases were found in 4 (6%) patients; it was not possible to exclude secondary lesion in 3 (4%) patients. In group III suspected metastatic lesion was excluded in 29 (71%) and confirmed in 7 (17%) patients. In group IV in 14 (25%) patients there were found non-tumor changes, the nature of the changes has not been found in 2 (4%) patients. As a result, SPECT-CT with 99m-Tc-labeled phosphates is more informative method of diagnosis of metastatic skeletal lesion than planar osteoscintigraphy. SPECT-CT application resulted in changes of conclusions of the planar scintigraphy about the nature of bone pathology in 67 (30%) cancer patients. However, in 4% the recognition of the nature of changes in the skeleton has failed.

[Role of single-photon emission-computed tomography and x-ray computed tomography in diagnosing lymphatic metastases in patients with non-small cell lung cancer].

Single photon emission tomography (SPECT) with 99mTc-MIBI was performed after conventional staging in 83 operated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Diagnostic results of SPECT and conventional computerized tomography (CT) staging were validated by histological examinations of operation material. According to histological verification 35 of 83 evaluated patients had lymph node (LN) invasion by NSCLC. SPECT detected LN involvement in 28 of these 35 patients and was false positive in additional 16 patients. Pneumonia or atelectasis were detected in 12 of 16 patients with false positive SPECT results. Sensitivity (Sen), specificity (Sp), accuracy (Ac), positive (PPV) and negative (NPV) predictive values of SPECT in diagnosis of LN invasion by NSCLC was as follows: 80%, 66%, 72%, 65%, 82%. Diagnostic accuracy of CT for detection of LN involvement was inferior to SPECT: Sen--71%, Sp--62%, Ac--66%, PPV--58%, NPV--75%. Combination of SPECT and CT data offer promising solutions with Sen reached 94% or high Sp which in patients without atelectasis or pneumonia can reach 96%.

[The use of SPECT-CT with 99mTc-labeled phosphates in patients with suspected skeletal metastases in planar bone scintigraphy].

We assessed the diagnostic capabilities of SPECT-CT in patients with unclear and suspicious on the secondary lesion with bone scintigraphy background in planar mode (227 patients (mean age - 57 years) with various primary malignancies). All patients underwent planar scintigraphy with 99mTc-labeled phosphates in the "whole body" mode and then - bizonal single-photon-emission computed tomography combined with X-ray computed tomography (SPECT-CT). In patients with the presence of lesions in the skeleton, suspicious on metastases, there was conducted comparison with the data of SPECT-CT. During planar investigation the suspicion on metastases was detected in 41 patients (18%). The use of SPECT-CT allowed excluding metastases in 29 (71%) and confirmed in 7 (17%) of them. In 5 (12%) cases the nature of the changes remained unclear. Thus, in cancer patients with revealed by planar bone scintigraphy unclear or suspicious for metastatic foci in the skeleton, the use of SPECT-CT allowed in most cases (88%) to clarify the nature of these changes.

[Methodological issues of sentinel lymph nodes biopsy in patients with breast cancer].

Radionuclide imaging of sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) was performed in 122 breast cancer patients, which before the biopsy of lymph nodes it was performed intratumoral injection of colloidal radiopharmaceuticals (RFP): in 89 patients--nanocolloidal (NC) and in 33--colloidal with particle size from 200 to 1000 nm. After the introduction of NC the SLN image was obtained in 83 of 89 women. (93.3%). After the introduction of large colloids (200-1000 nm or more) SLN visualization in this group was achieved in 27 of 33 patients, i.e., in 81.8% of cases (p < 0.05). Along with the axillary SLN, in 55.8% of cases SLN image was obtained in parasternal area and/or lymph nodes of the second and higher orders in axillary as well as under-and supraclavicular regions. On the contrary while using larger colloids, RFP accumulated only in SLN of axillary region in 85.1%. These differences in the topography of the absorption of various diameters radiocolloids were reliable (p = 0.01). Using the NC RFN compared with colloidal RFP of larger diameter can reliably improve SLN visualization till 98.9% however leads to a concomitant accumulation of RFP in lymph nodes of the second order in 55.8% of patients.

[Nuclear medicine in radiotherapy planning for patients with malignant neoplasms of different locations].

The performance of nuclear medicine methods in radiation therapy tactics determination was analyzed in patients receiving therapy for Hodgkin lymphoma (HL, n=556), breast cancer (BC, n=230), treatment-naive patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC, n=86). In HL patients the nuclear medicine methods were used to determine the irradiation fields for spleen irradiation (67%) and abdominal lymph nodes (27%). The bone marrow scan data had significant influence on radiation therapy tactics in 10-27% of cases. The visualization of primary tumor lymphatic drainage lead to changing the irradiation field topography in 75% cases of external BC and 85% of internal BC localization. Tumorotropic isotope mammal scan data lead to the changes in planned irradiation volume in 16% of BC patietns. In NSLC patients the results of "positive" scintigraphy with lipophilic 99mTc-marked cations lead to the change in irradiation tactics in 16% of cases. Therefore, the results of diagnostic investigations suggest the important role of nuclear medicine diagnostic methods in patients with various tumors of different localizations.

[Organ-preserving interventions in combined therapy of children and adolescents with osteosarcoma].

An analyzed cohort consists of 50 pediatric patients with osteosarcoma receiving combined therapy in N. N. Petrov Research Institute for Oncology (1999-2010). Thirty nine of them had localized disease, 11 patients had distant metastases. The treatment scheme included neoadjuvant therapy with cisplatin and doxorubicin, surgical treatment and adjuvant therapy depended on initial response and could include cisplatin, doxorubicin, high-dose methotrexate, ifosfamide, etoposide. Four-year overall and relapse-free survival in children with localized disease was 74.3% and 69.2% accordingly. In 62% of patients were performed organ-preserving surgical interventions, in 22 patients was performed endoprosthetics, in 4 patients the defect was replaced by a bone autograft on a vascular bundle. The effectiveness of initial treatment and secondary endoprosthetics were analyzed. Six patients with lung metastases received normotermic lung chemoperfusion, 4 of them are alive and disease-free for 8 to 24 months.

[Early diagnosis of breast cancer with scintimammography and ultrasound ].

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of scintimammography (SMG) and ultrasound (US) in early diagnosis of breast cancer. SMG was administered to 32 women with breast lesions of less than 1 cm in diameter. In addition, all patients underwent high frequency US imaging with digital wide field of view. The following US features were set as diagnostic: heterogeneous echo pattern, irregular morphology, hyperecho, poorly defined edges, posterior acoustic attenuation. SMG was performed in planar and tomography modes 15 min. after i/v injection of 740-860 MBq 99mTc-sestamibi. Images with focal and scattered patchy uptake were discarded. Data on all lesions were verified by biopsy and/or surgery. Thirty-six women revealed lesions of less than 1 cm: 12 out of 14 cases of breast cancer had them, while malignancy was not detected in 16 of 21 women with benign breast lesions. Sensitivity (Sen), Specificity (Sp) and Accuracy (Ac) of SMG in this group was as follows: 86%, 76% and 80%, respectively. US examinations in this group diagnosed benign lesions in 27 out of 35 women: 21--negative, 6--false negative. In the remaining 8 cases, US findings on breast cancer were positive: Sen was low (57%), Sp--high (100%) and Ac--moderate (82%). Taking into account that SMG represents functional status of breast lesions while US--anatomical one, we tested diagnostic value of their combination too (US+SMG). Cancer diagnosis was passed when either SMG or US revealed abnormalities. This diagnostic strategy featured outstanding Sen (100%), moderate Sp (76%) and Ac of 82%. It may be concluded that the combination procedure seems highly promising as far as early diagnosis of small (< 1 cm) breast cancers are concerned.

[Clinico-radiological assessment of chemotherapy for osteosarcoma received prior to surgery]. / Kliniko-rentgenologicheskaia otsenka éffektivnosti khimioterapii osteosarkom v predoperatsionnom periode.

A clinico-radiological evaluation of chemotherapy received by 20 patients with osteosarcoma at the Institute's Clinic (1999-2003) was conducted. Morhological confirmation of the findings on course dynamics agreed upon by clinicians and roentgenologists was obtained in 78%. X-ray examinations provided more information. The clinico-radiological evidence on tumor regression failed morphological test in one-third of cases.

[Study of an antioxidant dietary supplement "Karinat" in patients with benign breast disease]. / Izuchenie antioksidantnoi biologicheski aktivnoi dobavki k pishche "Karinat" u bol'nykh s fibroadenomatozom molochnykh zhelez.

A randomized double blind placebo-controlled trial of efficiency of a dietary supplement "Karinat" in patients with benign breast disease was carried out. Karinat contains beta-carotene 2.5 mg, alpha-tocopherol 5 mg, ascorbic acid 30 mg and garlic powder 150 mg per one tablet. Out of 66 patients, 33 patients were given karinat, 33 were given placebo. The patients reccived a tablet of karinal or placebo twice a day during 6 months. Examinations of the patients included clinical estimation of symptoms of mastopathy and dysalgomenorrhea, breast sonography and mammography. It was found that karinat reduced the severity of mastalgia, premenstrual syndrome, dysmenorrhea and algomenorrhea and caused regression of palpable symptoms of the breast fibromatosis. On the whole karinat had positive action in 75.8% that was significantly greater by 45.5% as compared with placebo. Karinat may be useful for the treatment of patients with benign breast disease.