BJR open最新文献

Objectives: Over 9000 patients are diagnosed with oesophageal cancer annually in the United Kingdom (UK). Decision-making about treatment options is influenced by radiological staging, which may include computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). The use of EUS varies considerably around the UK and, since the introduction of PET-CT, the added value of EUS has been questioned. The VALUE study aims to understand this variation and determine how often and why EUS changes treatment decisions. VALUE will also evaluate patient and clinician experiences and opinions of EUS.

Methods: This is a prospective, observational study investigating EUS in oesophageal cancer staging. Patients will be recruited at up to eleven sites in the UK, where they will be consented (if eligible) and registered onto iMedidata RAVE. Clinical and demographic data, TNM staging, pre and post EUS treatment decisions, and complications will be collected. We will attempt to sample patients from ethnic minority backgrounds in the study population, as they are underrepresented in research. Up to 30 patients and 30 clinicians will be interviewed to evaluate the use of EUS and experiences of both patient and clinician. The primary endpoint is the proportion of cases that EUS changes treatment decisions. Secondary endpoints include identification of factors that clinicians' and patients consider when deciding if EUS should be used, the time from diagnosis to treatment decision before and after EUS, and the reasons why EUS changed management. The study has been registered on Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT06440174. The trial is open to recruitment.

Results: In total, 180 patients with potentially curable oesophageal cancer who are suitable for EUS will participate. Recruitment is currently planned until September 2025 and study results will be reported after June 2026.

Conclusion: The VALUE study will enable a better understanding of how and why EUS is used in oesophageal cancer. This research will identify important factors that clinicians and patients consider when deciding EUS use and determine the frequency that EUS changes treatment decisions in the modern staging pathway.

Advances in knowledge: The VALUE study is a prospective, multi-centre observational study investigating the use of EUS in the modern era of oesophageal cancer staging. The study aims to determine how often and why EUS changes treatment decisions. A qualitative component will explore both clinician and patient attitudes towards EUS.

Lung cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. In the present era of targeted therapy for various lung cancer mutations, it is essential to be aware of the imaging correlates of various lung cancer mutations on contrast enhanced computed tomography of thorax. In this article, we have discussed the imaging patterns of various types of lung cancer including different mutations and also comprehensively reviewed the imaging recommendations (National Comprehensive Cancer Network [NCCN], European Society of Medical Oncology [ESMO] and American Society of Clinical Oncology [ASCO]) and management guidelines of lung cancer (non-small cell, small cell and other neuroendocrine tumours). We have also discussed guidelines for screening, diagnosis, staging (recent 9th edition tumour node metastasis [TNM]), treatment response evaluation, and follow up. Role of interventional radiology in the treatment of primary lung cancer, lung metastasis, and management of posttreatment complications, have also been described in detail in this article. In addition, current status of artificial intelligence in lung cancer has also been briefly discussed.

Objectives: To investigate how anti-PD-1 treatment affects both Programmed Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression and glucose metabolism within normal tissues of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients using a dual SPECT/CT and PET/CT imaging approach.

Methods: Ten advanced NSCLC patients (NCT04436406) undergoing anti-PD-1 therapy ± chemotherapy underwent imaging at baseline and 9 weeks. PD-L1 expression was measured using [^99mTc]-labelled single-domain PD-L1 antibody single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography ([^99mTc]NM-01 SPECT/CT). Glucose uptake was measured using [¹⁸F]-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ([¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT). Two independent observers marked regions of interest across normal organs (liver, lung, spleen, bone marrow, muscle, kidney, pancreas, left ventricular myocardium, and blood pool) to determine maximum and mean standardized uptake values (SUV) at both time points. Observer agreement was measured with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).

Results: No significant changes in SUVs, indicating PD-L1 expression and glucose metabolism, were detected in normal organs after 9 weeks of treatment (all P > .05). No patients developed immune-related adverse events (irAEs) during the study period. Observer measurements showed excellent consistency with an ICC of 0.99 (95% confidence interval 0.99-0.99).

Conclusions: Our study showed stable PD-L1 expression and glucose metabolism within normal organs in advanced NSCLC patients treated with anti-PD-1 therapy ± chemotherapy. Interobserver reliability between observers was excellent. Additional studies with larger patient groups and a specific focus on irAE cases are needed.

Advances in knowledge: Through a dual-modality molecular imaging approach, this research provides novel insight into anti-PD-1 therapy's effects on PD-L1 expression and glucose metabolism in normal organs of NSCLC patients, demonstrating that these parameters remain stable post-treatment.

Objective: To report the clinical application, dosimetric features, efficacy, and toxicity profile of HyperArc (HA) for benign orbital tumours not amenable to surgical resection.

Methods: A retrospective interventional cohort study. Gross target volume included the radiologically evident tumour and the optic nerve (excluded in case of haemangioma). Dosimetry was compared between HA and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) radiotherapy. Patients were treated with HA and followed-up clinically and radiologically for response and toxicity assessment.

Results: Eight patients were included in our study, six patients with an optic nerve sheath meningioma, one cavernous haemangioma and one orbital schwannoma. All patients demonstrated tumour regression, mean tumour volume prior to treatment of was 4916 mm³ and reduced to 3239 mm³ (P = .03). Three of eight patients showed improvement of visual acuity, three retained excellent pre-treatment vision and two patients had a reduction of vision. HA and VMAT planning target volume coverage dosimetry was similar (D95%: 98.7% and 98.6%, P > .05). The dosimetry of the contralateral lens (32.2 vs 69.8 Gy), lacrimal gland (1.7 vs 7.8 Gy), optic nerve (9.0 vs 26.6 Gy), nasal cavity (10.2 vs 20.6 Gy) and ipsilateral temporal lobe (4.9 vs 11.6 Gy) was significantly improved (P < .001) with HA.

Conclusion: This is the first reported clinical application of HA for benign orbital tumours. HA was an effective and well tolerated treatment modality. HA offered better dosimetry for some of the OARs compared to VMAT.

Advances in knowledge: This is the first article reporting the use of the HA system for planning and delivery of radiotherapy for orbital tumours.

Mediastinal masses represent a heterogeneous group of entities characterized by a variety of histopathological and radiological features. Imaging plays a pivotal role in the detection and interpretation of mediastinal abnormalities. CT remains the modality of choice due to its high spatial and temporal resolution and its ability to assess tissue composition, including the detection of fluid, fat, and calcifications. MRI represents a complementary tool in specific scenarios, such as differentiating complicated cysts from solid lesions or identifying intracellular fat content, as seen in thymic hyperplasia. The differential diagnosis of mediastinal masses relies primarily on the location of the mass and tissue composition, integrated with clinical characteristics of the patient. This review discusses the most common mediastinal masses in adults, providing a practical approach to their differentiation mainly based on the predominant density pattern and location.

Objectives: This work describes a unified workflow for classifying patterns of locoregional recurrence (LRR) using radiotherapy planning dose distributions. This approach aims to incorporate dose parameters into LRR classifications and facilitate application across different treatment sites and dose prescriptions to standardise classification terminology.

Methods: The relapse diagnostic CT (rCT) and manually delineated relapse gross tumour volume (rGTV) were co-registered with the radiotherapy planning CT (pCT) using deformable image registration (DIR). The DIR accuracy was quantified using the target registration error (TRE) using the absolute centroid distance between cancer site-specific regions of interest (ROIs). Dosimetric structures were delineated for planning regions receiving 95% of the dose prescribed to high-risk, intermediate-risk, and low-risk CTVs, relative to the cancer site or trial. The mapped rGTV was compared relative to each dose structure and classified into one of five categories: central and peripheral high-dose (Type A, Type B), central and peripheral elective-dose (Type C, Type D), and extraneous dose (Type E) failures.

Results: The unified workflow was successfully implemented on two different patient use cases, one from the IMPORT HIGH breast cancer trial, one from the VoxTox head-and-neck study, classifying LRR as Type A and Type E failures, respectively.

Conclusion: This workflow for classifying LRR is applicable across different cancer sites, despite differences in treatment protocol, target dose, and dose delivery. This provides a basis for utilising radiotherapy dose distributions to analyse patterns of failure irrespective of trial design or cancer-site.

Advances in knowledge: Standardised classifications of LRR that are correlated with the planning dose distribution could provide insight into the underlying causes of LRR burden post-radiotherapy and allow for critical evaluation of the current concepts of defined clinical tumour volumes and optimal PTV dose regions.

Objectives: Artificial intelligence (AI) deep learning algorithms trained on non-contrast CT scans effectively detect and quantify acute COVID-19 lung involvement. Our study explored whether radiological contrast affects the accuracy of AI-measured lung opacities, potentially impacting clinical decisions. We compared lung opacity measurements from AI software with visual assessments by radiologists using CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) images of early-stage COVID-19 patients.

Methods: This prospective single-centre study included 18 COVID-19 patients who underwent CTPA due to suspected pulmonary embolism. Patient demographics, clinical data, and 30-day and 90-day mortality were recorded. AI tool (Pulmonary Density Plug-in, AI-Rad Companion Chest CT, SyngoVia; Siemens Healthineers, Forchheim, Germany) was used to estimate the quantity of opacities. Visual quantitative assessments were performed independently by 2 radiologists.

Results: There was a positive correlation between radiologist estimations (r ² = 0.57) and between the AI data and the mean of the radiologists' estimations (r ² = 0.70). Bland-Altman plot analysis showed a mean bias of +3.06% between radiologists and -1.32% between the mean radiologist vs AI, with no outliers outside 2×SD for respective comparison.

The AI protocol facilitated a quantitative assessment of lung opacities and showed a strong correlation with data obtained from 2 independent radiologists, demonstrating its potential as a complementary tool in clinical practice.

Conclusion: In assessing COVID-19 lung opacities in CTPA images, AI tools trained on non-contrast images, provide comparable results to visual assessments by radiologists.

Advances in knowledge: The Pulmonary Density Plug-in enables quantitative analysis of lung opacities in COVID-19 patients using contrast-enhanced CT images, potentially streamlining clinical workflows and supporting timely decision-making.

Objective: A Linac Replacement Programme (LRP) was completed to ensure continuity of treatment whilst maintaining the highest standards of care. Clinical contingencies were devised to mitigate the impact of unscheduled interruptions during the LRP. This service evaluation was undertaken to appraise the effectiveness of contingencies on treatment delivery (TD) during the LRP.

Method: The oncology management system MOSAIQ was used to generate reports of treatment adjustments. These reports were then generated for Linac service history in the 2019-2020 year for comparative analysis and causative factors in Linac breakdowns. Adjustments to treatment were analysed for each patient.

Results: Of the 855 patients receiving treatment during the LRP, 184 were impacted in some way. Of these, 113 experienced some increase in overall treatment time (OTT); 742 (86.8%), therefore, experienced no increase in OTT, through deployment of clinical contingencies or not encountering machine breakdown during their treatment schedules. Throughout the LRP, Conebeam CT (CBCT) faults were the primary cause for machine closure. Due to this, breast patients remained on treatment at a higher rate than prostate patients who required 3D-geometric verification prior to TD.

Conclusions: This project highlighted the importance of preparation for CBCT faults and patient categorization in the development of contingencies. The extended dose and fractionation 60 Gy in 20# presented increased opportunities for cancellation in prostate patients, however, the use of MV imaging to assess patient set-up enabled continuation of TD. Increases in OTT could not be eliminated completely, however, for 21.5% of patients who experienced treatment adjustments the implementation of contingencies effectively prevented them exceeding Royal College of Radiologists guidance of 2-day extension in OTT.

Advances in knowledge: We believe this radiographer-led project is the first service evaluation reporting the practical effects on treatment of a LRP and impact of clinical contingencies used to mitigate and limit unscheduled interruptions in treatment and minimize the extension of OTT for patients during the transition.

Acute pulmonary emboli can manifest as a spectrum of physiological status ranging from an incidental finding to life threatening right heart failure. We discuss the crucial role imaging plays in the accurate and rapid diagnosis. In addition, imaging features are central in assessing the severity of the presentation allowing for appropriate risk stratification and escalation of care. The relative strengths of the various imaging modalities used in the management of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension are also discussed.

Ultrasound is as accurate as MRI in the detection of most brachial pathologies but tends to be underutilized in clinical practice compared to MRI. The main reason for this under-usage is a relative lack of knowledge regarding how to perform brachial plexus ultrasound and a lack of awareness of the ultrasound appearances of brachial pathologies. This review serves to re-address this imbalance by providing a practical overview on how to perform brachial plexus ultrasound as well as highlighting the ultrasound appearances of common pathologies likely to be encountered in everyday clinical practice.