1.Real Time F-18 FDG PET-CT-Guided Metabolic Biopsy Targeting Differential FDG Avidity in a Pulmonary Blastoma
Tarun Kumar JAIN ; Harmandeep SINGH ; Rajender KUMAR ; Amanjit BAL ; Ashwani SOOD ; Bhagwant Rai MITTAL
Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2020;54(5):261-263
Pulmonary blastoma (PB) is a rare thoracic malignancy and preoperative diagnosis is challenging. A young man presented with dyspnea and chest pain for 3–4 months and chest-computed tomography (CT) revealed large mass in the left lung upper lobe and pleural effusion. Repeated CT-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology from the lesion and pleural fluid aspiration was negative for malignancy. F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (FDG PET-CT) revealed heterogeneous tracer avidity in left lung mass with areas of necrosis. Real-time PET-CT-guided biopsy from metabolically active component of the lesion revealed biphasic PB on histopathology.
2.Versatile Role of 18 F-FDG PET/CT in a Patient with Pan-cerebellar Paraneoplastic Manifestation Due to Underlying Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Piyush AGGARWAL ; Anwin Joseph KAVANAL ; Harmandeep SINGH ; Rajender KUMAR ; Rajeev RANJAN ; Jitupam BAISHYA ; Anish BHATTACHARYA
Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2021;55(6):311-314
Hodgkin’s lymphoma most commonly presents as painless lymphadenopathy and systemic B symptoms like fever, night sweats, and weight loss. But rarely, it can present with unusual paraneoplastic manifestations. In the present case, we report a 30-year-old woman who presented with sub-acute onset pan-cerebellar symptoms. The serum neuronal antibody panel was negative. She underwent F-18 FDG PET/CT to evaluate the neoplastic etiology as the underlying cause, which demonstrated both the primary etiology and the paraneoplastic changes in the brain.
3.Convoluted Neural Network for Detection of Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer on 68Ga PSMA PET/CT Delayed Imaging by Analyzing Radiomic Features
Rajender KUMAR ; Arivan RAMACHANDRAN ; Bhagwant Rai MITTAL ; Harmandeep SINGH
Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2024;58(2):62-68
Purpose:
To assess the utility of convoluted neural network (CNN) in differentiating clinically significant and insignificant prostate cancer in patients with 68Ga PSMA PET/CT-targeted prostate biopsy-proven prostate cancer.
Methods:
In this retrospective study, 142 patients with clinical suspicion of prostate cancer were evaluated who underwent 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT imaging followed by 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT-targeted prostate biopsy from the PSMA-avid prostatelesion. Twenty patients with no PSMA-avid lesions were excluded. Local Image Features Extraction (LifeX) software was used to extract radiomic features (RF) from delayed 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT images of 122 patients. LifeX failed to extract radiomic features in 24 patients, and the remaining 98 were evaluated. RFs were fed to an in-built CNN of the software for computation and results were achieved. Patients with Gleason Score ≥ 7 on histopathology were labeled clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa). The diagnostic values of radiomic features were evaluated.
Results:
The csPCa was revealed in 69/98 (70.4%) patients, and insignificant PCa was noticed in 29/98 (29.6%) patients. The software extracted 124 RF from the delayed 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT images. The accuracy of the CNN was 80.7% to differentiate clinically significant and clinically insignificant prostate cancer, with an error percentage (E %) of 19.3%. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive, and negative predictive values were 90.3%, 57.7%, 83.6%, and 71.4%, respectively, to detect csPCa.
Conclusion
CNN is a feasible pre-biopsy screening tool for identifying clinically significant prostate cancer and can be used as an adjunct in the initial diagnosis and early treatment planning.
4.Annotating the Role of 18F‑FDG PET/CT in Fibromatoses: A Benign Masquerader of Malignancies—Is It Really an Advantageous Tool?
Srinivas Ananth KUMAR ; Harmandeep SINGH ; Lileswar KAMAN ; Ritambhra NADA ; Bhagwant Rai MITTAL
Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2024;58(3):140-146
Fibromatoses are a heterogeneous group of benign proliferating fibroblasts and myofibroblasts which have a high predilection for recurrence and local invasion, especially deep fibromatoses or desmoid fibromatosis. 18F-FDG PET/CT, the workhorse of oncological imaging in nuclear medicine, can be employed to figure out the nature and aggressiveness of the lesions and various sites of involvement and to monitor treatment response to systemic therapies like tyrosine kinase inhibitors in case of deep or desmoid fibromatoses which is shown in the current research work.
5.Incidentally Detected Gallbladder Carcinoma: Can F‑18 FDG PET/CT Aid in Staging and Prognostication?
Venkata Subramanian KRISHNARAJU ; Rajender KUMAR ; Bhagwant Rai MITTAL ; Harjeet SINGH ; Piyush AGGARWAL ; Harmandeep SINGH ; Thakur Deen YADAV ; Ritambhra NADA ; Vikas GUPTA ; Rajesh GUPTA
Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2024;58(3):104-112
Purpose:
Incidental gallbladder carcinoma (IGBC) is diagnosed in post-cholecystectomy specimens for benign indications, where the role of 2-fluro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography(FDG-PET/CT) is not clearly defined. The present study aimed to assess the benefits of staging and prognosticating with FDG-PET/CT in IGBC.
Materials and Methods:
A retrospective observational study from a tertiary-care center from January 2010 to July 2020 was performed. The demographic, clinical, histopathological, and treatment-related histories were collected. FDG-PET/CT-image findings were compared with survival outcomes through telephonic follow-up. The chi-square test was used for comparing frequencies. The univariate and multivariate survival estimates were analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier analysis and the Cox-proportional hazard model, respectively. Log-rank test was used to compare the Kaplan–Meier curves.
Results:
The study included 280 postcholecystectomy participants (mean age: 52 ± 11 years; women: 227) of whom 52.1% had open surgery(146/280). Residual disease in the gallbladder fossa (54.8% vs. 36.6%, p = 0.002) and liver infiltration (32.9% vs. 22.4%, p = 0.05) were seen more frequently in open surgery compared to laparoscopic surgery, while anterior abdominal wall deposits were more common in laparoscopy(35.1% vs. 24%,p = 0.041). FDG-PET/CT changed the management in 10% (n = 28) of patients compared to contrast-enhanced CT. The median survival was 14 months (95%CI-10.3–17.7). A higher stage of the disease on the FDG-PET/CT (loco-regional disease-HR 4.86, p = 0.006; metastatic disease-HR 7.53, p < 0.001) and the presence of liver infiltration (HR-1.92, p = 0.003) were independent predictors of poor survival outcomes.
Conclusion
FDG-PET/CT detects residual and metastatic disease in patients with IGBC, enabling the institution of appropriate management and acting as a tool for prognostication of survival.
6.Bendamustine in combination with ifosfamide, etoposide, and vinorelbine (VIBE) is an effective salvage regimen for heavily pre-treated patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma:a single-center experience
Gaurav PRAKASH ; Arihant JAIN ; Kamalkant SAHU ; Amanjit BAL ; Charanpreet SINGH ; Rajender BASHER ; Harmandeep SINGH ; Kundan MISHRA ; Aditya JANDIAL ; Deepesh LAD ; Alka KHADWAL ; Radhika SRINIVASAN ; Ashim DAS ; Neelam VARMA ; Subhash VARMA ; Pankaj MALHOTRA
Blood Research 2021;56(3):134-140
Background:
This study evaluated the outcomes of patients with refractory/relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma (RRHL) treated with a bendamustine-based regimen in combination with ifosfamide, etoposide, and vinorelbine (VIBE).
Methods:
Consecutive RRHL patients who were treated with the VIBE regimen were identified and studied for clinicopathologic characteristics, response to VIBE regimen, event-free survival (EFS), and feasibility of an autologous stem-cell transplant (autoSCT).
Results:
In total, 24 patients received the VIBE regimen, and a median of 3 cycles were administered. In this cohort, 80% of the patients had received ≥2 prior lines of therapy. The overall and complete response rates with VIBE were 79% and 42%, respectively. After a median follow-up (following VIBE regimen) of 14 months (range, 3‒76), the 3-year EFS and OS were 46% and 74%, respectively. Of the eligible patients, 92% underwent successful AutoSCT. The mean CD34+ cell count in the autograft was 5.5×106/kg (SD 2.07). Neutropenia was the commonest hematologic toxicity and it was observed in 42% of the patients. However, only 9% of the patients developed grade III/IV febrile neutropenia. Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting were the second most common grade III/IV toxicities in our cohort of patients.
Conclusion
In this retrospective analysis, the combination regimen, VIBE, has shown good efficacy in heavily pre-treated patients with RRHL without compromising stem cell collection. These encouraging results provide a rationale for further development of this regimen.
7.Bendamustine in combination with ifosfamide, etoposide, and vinorelbine (VIBE) is an effective salvage regimen for heavily pre-treated patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma:a single-center experience
Gaurav PRAKASH ; Arihant JAIN ; Kamalkant SAHU ; Amanjit BAL ; Charanpreet SINGH ; Rajender BASHER ; Harmandeep SINGH ; Kundan MISHRA ; Aditya JANDIAL ; Deepesh LAD ; Alka KHADWAL ; Radhika SRINIVASAN ; Ashim DAS ; Neelam VARMA ; Subhash VARMA ; Pankaj MALHOTRA
Blood Research 2021;56(3):134-140
Background:
This study evaluated the outcomes of patients with refractory/relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma (RRHL) treated with a bendamustine-based regimen in combination with ifosfamide, etoposide, and vinorelbine (VIBE).
Methods:
Consecutive RRHL patients who were treated with the VIBE regimen were identified and studied for clinicopathologic characteristics, response to VIBE regimen, event-free survival (EFS), and feasibility of an autologous stem-cell transplant (autoSCT).
Results:
In total, 24 patients received the VIBE regimen, and a median of 3 cycles were administered. In this cohort, 80% of the patients had received ≥2 prior lines of therapy. The overall and complete response rates with VIBE were 79% and 42%, respectively. After a median follow-up (following VIBE regimen) of 14 months (range, 3‒76), the 3-year EFS and OS were 46% and 74%, respectively. Of the eligible patients, 92% underwent successful AutoSCT. The mean CD34+ cell count in the autograft was 5.5×106/kg (SD 2.07). Neutropenia was the commonest hematologic toxicity and it was observed in 42% of the patients. However, only 9% of the patients developed grade III/IV febrile neutropenia. Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting were the second most common grade III/IV toxicities in our cohort of patients.
Conclusion
In this retrospective analysis, the combination regimen, VIBE, has shown good efficacy in heavily pre-treated patients with RRHL without compromising stem cell collection. These encouraging results provide a rationale for further development of this regimen.