Our purpose was to determine the relationship between serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level categories (<5, 5-10, 10-20, and >20 ng/mL) and the incidence of bone metastases detected by total-body ⁶⁸Ga-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-11 PET/CT and to assess if expanding the ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT imaging field to include the vertex and lower extremities (total-body acquisition) affects bone metastasis detection rates and patient management. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of 388 prostate cancer patients enrolled in 5 prospective studies (NCT02940262, NCT03368547, NCT03042312, NCT04050215, and NCT03515577). All underwent ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT scans acquired from vertex to toes for primary staging (n = 93/388, 24%), biochemical recurrence (BCR) localization (n = 225/388, 58%), or restaging metastatic disease (M1) before or during systemic therapy (n = 70/388, 18%) between September 2017 and May 2018. Results: In total, 321 of 388 patients (83%) had a positive ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA-11 study. PSMA-positive bone lesions were found in 105 of 388 (27%) patients, with an incidence that was positively associated with serum PSA level (<10 ng/mL, 21%; 10-20 ng/mL, 41%; ≥20 ng/mL, 41%; P < 0.001). This association was maintained for all 3 indications: initial staging, BCR, and restaging M1. Bone metastases occurred most frequently in restaging M1, followed by BCR and initial staging. Bone metastasis incidence was not significantly associated with National Comprehensive Cancer Network risk score (P = 0.22). The average number of PSMA-positive regions also increased with serum PSA level (P < 0.001). Eighteen of 388 (5%) and 18 of 388 (5%) had lesions above the superior orbital ridge and below the proximal third of the femur, respectively. There was only 1 of 388 patients (0.26%) in whom the total-body PET acquisition had an impact on management. Conclusion: Bone metastases as assessed with ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT are prevalent even in patients with low serum PSA levels. Therefore, current guidelines for bone assessments in prostate cancer patients should be revisited because ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT may provide additional information for accurate bone staging at low serum PSA levels. Including the total body (from vertex to toes) in ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT imaging revealed additional bone lesions in 6% of patients, but without significantly affecting patient management.

Background

Amino acid transport imaging with 18F-FDOPA PET is increasingly used for detection of glioblastoma recurrence. However, a standardized image interpretation for 18F-FDOPA brain PET studies has not yet been established. This study compares visual and semiquantitative analysis parameters for detection of tumor recurrence and correlates them with progression-free survival (PFS).

Methods

One-hundred ten patients (72 male:38 female) with suspected tumor recurrence who underwent 18F-FDOPA PET imaging were studied. PET scans were analyzed visually (5-point scale) and semiquantitatively (lesion-to-striatum- and lesion- to-normal-brain-tissue ratios using both SUV(mean) and SUV(max)). Accuracies for recurrence detection were calculated using histopathology and clinical follow-up for validation. Receiving operator characteristic and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were performed to derive imaging-based prediction of PFS and overall survival (OS).

Results

Accuracies for detection of glioblastoma recurrence were similar for visual (82%) and semiquantitative (range, 77%-82%) analysis. Both visual and semiquantitative indices were significant predictors of PFS, with mean lesion-to normal brain tissue ratios providing the best discriminator (mean survival, 39.4 vs 9.3 months; P < .001). None of the investigated parameters was predictive for OS.

Conclusions

Both visual and semiquantitative indices detected glioblastoma recurrence with high accuracy and were predictive for PFS. Lesion-to-normal-tissue ratios were the best discriminators of PFS; however, none of the investigated parameters predicted OS. These retrospectively established analysis parameters need to be confirmed prospectively.

Unlabelled

Because only pathologic examination can confirm the presence or absence of malignant disease in cancer patients, a certain rate of misinterpretation in any kind of imaging study is inevitable. For the accuracy of interpretation to be improved, determination of the nature, causes, and magnitude of this problem is needed. This study was designed to collect pertinent information from physicians referring patients for oncologic (18)F-FDG PET/CT.

Methods

A total of 662 referring physicians completed an 11-question survey focused on their experience with the interpretation of oncologic (18)F-FDG PET/CT studies. The participants were oncologists (36.1%; n = 239), hematologists (14.5%; n = 96), radiation oncologists (7.4%; n = 49), surgeons (33.8%; n = 224), and other physicians (8.2%; n = 54). Questions were aimed at determining the frequency, nature, and causes of scan misinterpretations as well as potential solutions to reduce the frequency of misinterpretations.

Results

Perceived misinterpretation rates ranged from 5% to 20%, according to most (59.3%) of the participants; 20.8% of respondents reported rates of less than 5%. Overinterpretation rather than underinterpretation was more frequently encountered (68.9% vs. 8.7%, respectively). Limited availability of a patient's history and limited experience of interpreters were the major contributors to this phenomenon, according to 46.8% and 26.7% of the participants, respectively. The actions most commonly suggested to reduce misinterpretation rates (multiple suggestions were possible) were the institution of multidisciplinary meetings (59.8%), the provision of adequate history when ordering an examination (37.4%), and a discussion with imaging specialists when receiving the results of the examination (38.4%).

Conclusion

Overinterpretation rather than underinterpretation of oncologic (18)F-FDG PET/CT studies prevails in clinical practice, according to referring physicians. Closer collaboration of imaging specialists with referring physicians through more multidisciplinary meetings, improved communication, and targeted training of interpreting physicians are actions suggested to reduce the rates of misinterpretation of oncologic (18)F-FDG PET/CT studies.

Purpose To determine feasibility and safety of biopsy and repeat biopsy for assessment of programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) status. Materials and Methods This retrospective analysis reviewed 101 patients who underwent transthoracic core needle biopsy for the KEYNOTE-001 (MK-3475) clinical trial of pembrolizumab, an antiprogrammed cell death-1 therapy for non-small cell lung cancer, from May 2012 to September 2014. Sixty-one male patients (mean age, 66.1 years; range 36-83 years) and 40 female patients (mean age, 66.8 years; age range, 36-90 years) were included. Data collected included population characteristics, treatment history, target location, size, and depth from pleura. Adequacy of the tissue sample for diagnostic testing and rates of biopsy-related complications were assessed. Statistical analysis was performed by using univariate and multivariate generalized linear models to determine significant risk factors for biopsy complications. Results A total of 110 intrathoracic biopsies were performed, and 101 (91.8%) were performed as repeat biopsies subsequent to a previous percutaneous or bronchoscopic biopsy or previous surgical biopsy or resection. More than 84.5% (93 of 110) of biopsies were performed in patients who had undergone previous local or systemic therapy. Specimens were adequate for evaluation of PD-L1 expression in 96.4% of biopsies. Procedure-related complications occurred in 28 biopsies (25.4%); pneumothorax was most common (22.7%). Overall mean number of core needle biopsy samples obtained was 7.9 samples. Conclusion Image-guided transthoracic core needle biopsy is an effective method for obtaining tissue for PD-L1 expression analysis. ^© RSNA, 2017.