Diagnostic Tool In Oncology Research Articles

Diagnostic Performances of PET/CT Using Fibroblast Activation Protein Inhibitors in Patients with Primary and Metastatic Liver Tumors: A Comprehensive Literature Review.

PET/CT using radiolabeled fibroblast activation protein inhibitors (FAPIs) is a promising diagnostic tool in oncology, especially when non-increased and/or physiologically high [18F]FDG uptake (as in liver parenchyma) is observed. We aimed to review the role of PET/CT using radiolabeled FAPIs in primary and/or metastatic liver lesions, and to compare their performances with more "conventional" radiopharmaceuticals. A search algorithm based on the terms "FAPI" AND ("hepatic" OR "liver") was applied, with the last update on 1st January 2024. Out of 177 articles retrieved, 76 studies reporting on the diagnostic application of radiolabeled FAPI PET/CT in at least one patient harboring primary or metastatic liver lesion(s) were fully analyzed. Although there was some heterogeneity in clinical conditions and/or study methodology, PET/CT with radiolabeled FAPIs showed an excellent performance in common primary liver malignancies (hepatocarcinoma, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma) and liver metastases (mostly from the gastrointestinal tract and lungs). A higher tumor-to-background ratio for FAPIs than for [18F]FDG was found in primary and metastatic liver lesions, due to lower background activity. Despite limited clinical evidence, radiolabeled FAPIs may be used to assess the suitability and effectiveness of FAPI-derived therapeutic agents such as [177Lu]Lu-FAPI. However, future prospective research on a wider population is needed to confirm the excellent performance.

Factors Contributing to the Accuracy of PET Scans in Detecting Cancer Metastases in Cairo Hospitals, Egypt

Introduction: Positron emission tomography (PET) has become an important diagnostic tool in oncology, providing metabolic information that can aid in the detection and evaluation of cancer. However, the accuracy of PET scans in detecting cancer metastases can be influenced by various factors, including the type of cancer, location of metastases, and image acquisition protocol. This study aims to evaluate the factors that influence the accuracy of PET scans in detecting cancer metastases in patients at Cairo Hospital, Egypt.
 Methods: Patient data were collected retrospectively. A total of 5000 research subjects participated in this study. Data were analyzed to identify factors associated with false-positive or false-negative PET scan results.
 Results: Patients with lung or colorectal cancer were 2.45 times more likely to experience accurate positive PET scan results than patients with other types of cancer. Patients with metastases in lymph nodes were 1.93 times more likely to experience accurate positive PET scan results than patients with metastases in solid organs. Patients with a long PET scan image acquisition protocol were 1.78 times more likely to experience accurate positive PET scan results than patients with a short image acquisition protocol.
 Conclusion: PET scan is a valuable diagnostic tool in oncology, but its accuracy in detecting cancer metastases can be influenced by various factors. These factors should be considered when interpreting PET scan results and to improve cancer diagnosis and management.

Application value of miRNA-182 as a biomarker for cancer diagnosis: a systematic review with meta-analysis.

Aim: This study aims to establish the potential reliability and validity of miRNA-182 as a diagnostic tool in oncology, and hence to contribute to the decision-making process in clinical settings. Materials & methods: To further evaluate the role of miRNA-182 as a cancer biomarker, we conducted a search of the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Wanfang and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases of existing literature. Conclusion: These results suggest that miRNA-182 could function as a potential molecular marker for cancer detection and diagnosis. The effect of miRNA-182 on tumor development should be further studied to confirm these results and add to the current understanding of its role in cancer.

Blood sample as a promising diagnostic tool in oncology - literature review

Introduction
 Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The molecular characterization of solid tumors has provided significant advances in oncology, and genome profiling using circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has helped improve the quality of medical care for patients with cancer. Liquid biopsy is a diagnostic molecular test to demonstrate the presence of circulating tumor DNA or circulating tumor cells released from primary or metastatic solid tumors. In addition, the minimally invasive nature of the liquid biopsy enables quick verification of the grade of malignancy. Observation of ctDNA in blood tests is of great importance at the treatment stage, it allows to determine resistance to the applied treatment, response to therapy and to predict relapse before it occurs.
 
 Aim of the study
 The aim of this review is to present information on the use of circulating tumor DNA together with circulating tumor cells in oncological diagnostics.
 
 Materials and methods
 The work was created based on the PubMed database. Articles were searched in English using the following keywords: ctDNA, CTC, cfDNA.
 
 Results
 Currently, ctDNA analysis is an alternative to traditional molecular diagnostics of cancer tissue, assessment of the effectiveness of therapy, monitoring of tumor dynamics, monitoring of progression and predicting recurrence.
 
 Summary
 There are not many diagnostic methods for detecting ctDNA. Due to the short length of the fragments and the low content in the samples, ctDNA analysis requires more sensitive techniques to ensure its reliability compared to methods used in solid tissue biopsies. Existing techniques of ctDNA analysis focus mainly on the identification of mutations in advanced stages of cancer, less often on early diagnosis.

Application of perfusion computed tomography in renal diseases (review of literature)

Purpose. To analyze the literature data on the use of CT perfusion in kidney diseases and to assess the future prospects of using the technique in clinical practice.Materials and methods. In electronic databases (PubMed, E-library, Web of Science, Google Scholar), a search was conducted for published studies evaluating the possibilities of using CT perfusion in both neoplastic and non-neoplastic kidney diseases. The article analyzes the results of 40 most relevant works of Russian and foreign researchers devoted to this topic.Results. According to the analysis of the data obtained, perfusion CT is an effective diagnostic tool in oncology: the technique allows noninvasively assessing the nature of the tumour, including differentiating benign nodes (fat-poor angiomyolipoma and oncocytoma) from renal cell carcinoma; to establish the histological variant of renal cell carcinoma and Fuhrman grade, to characterize the effectiveness of ablative techniques and systemic treatment of renal cell carcinoma. Based on the correlation of CT kidney perfusion data and the results of various methods for determining organ function, the possibility of using perfusion CT as one of the prognostic factors for determining the tactics of treatment of patients with obstructive uropathies, aortomesenteric compression, and also shows the potential of using the technique in transplantology both in patients after surgery and during the examination of donors.Conclusions. Despite the fact that the role of CT kidney perfusion in various fields of urology and nephrology has been sufficiently studied, some important aspects of the likely application of this technique remain underestimated. Taking into account the high incidence rates and a significant percentage of localized forms of tumors, the study of the role of CT perfusion in planning and evaluating the results of nephron-sparing treatment of renal cell carcinoma may open up new prospects in optimizing surgical tactics.

Cancer patient management: Current use of next-generation sequencing in the EU TOP4

BackgroundNext-generation sequencing (NGS) is recognised by a growing audience of medical professionals as a functional diagnostic tool in oncology. However, adoption in clinical routine proceeds haphazardly in Europe. MethodsA semi-structured interview survey was administered to 68 cancer care professionals in four EU countries between June-August and November-December 2021. Pre-screening questionnaires assessed sufficient NGS expertise, diverse geographical distribution, and professional roles. ResultsOur findings provide a better understanding of current clinical, regulatory, and reimbursement practices for NGS in four EU countries. ConclusionsDespite the impending European In-vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices Regulation (IVDR), tortuous national guidelines implementations and limping reimbursement policies are common traits across surveyed countries and produce disparity in access to advanced healthcare services amid regional distinctions. Policy summaryThe evident information gap between involved parties and demand for consistent national guidelines could be filled by health economics analyses tailored to local specifics to provide factual leverage for a structured adoption of NGS testing.

Electro-Mechanical Coupling in Impedance-Based Tissue Differentiation Under Compression*

Impedance spectroscopy is a useful diagnostic tool in oncology to determine malignant and healthy tissue areas. However, since the electrical measurements are sensitive enough to detect structural changes in tissue, they are also prone to exterior influences such as the contact force of the sensor and mechanical stress in the tissue. These disturbances might predominate electrical properties and make tissue differentiation difficult. In this work, a multi-physical model for the electro-mechanical coupling during impedance spectroscopy is established. Increasing resistivity at rising compression levels is an often observed phenomena that can be explained by the extrusion of fluids from the compressed tissue. With fluids being important ion carriers, tissue conductivity heavily depends on the fluid content within the sample. Separate electrical and mechanical models for tissue are identified and linked through the fluid volume and its transfer to neighboring structures under compression. Measurements on both healthy urinary bladder wall and bladder tumors are carried out to identify the model parameters and to investigate if the changes induced by mechanical stress outweigh the pathological changes. The recorded data fits the electro-mechanical model and confirms that the impedance variations under compression originate from the fluid exodus. Furthermore, the electrical parameters for extracellular matrix resistivity and membrane capacity are found to differ significantly between healthy and malignant tissue, yielding to the conclusion that the apprehension of electromechanical factors prevailing over pathological changes is ungrounded for these parameters.

Next-generation sequencing in the evaluation of biliary strictures in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis.

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a well-described risk factor for the development of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Early detection of CCA in these patients is of great importance because it expands options for therapeutic interventions, including liver transplantation. Current diagnostic tests for the evaluation of biliary strictures are limited to biliary brushing (BB) cytology and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has become an important diagnostic tool in oncology and may be a useful tool for diagnosing CCA on BBs. It is not clear how NGS performs when it is added to BB cytology and FISH in patients with PSC. This study reports the authors' experience with NGS performed as a prospective cotest with cytology and FISH on BBs obtained from 60 patients with PSC followed at Massachusetts General Hospital. A duct with malignancy was defined as a high-risk (HR) stricture with either high-grade dysplasia or CCA. NGS was better than FISH and cytology in detecting HR strictures, which showed multiple genetic mutations in all cases. NGS provided specific mutational information, and NGS results were reproducible in longitudinal samples. Adding NGS to BB cytology and FISH in the evaluation of biliary strictures for patients with PSC may provide additional information that could help to inform clinical management.

Leveraging the Fragment Length of Circulating Tumour DNA to Improve Molecular Profiling of Solid Tumour Malignancies with Next-Generation Sequencing: A Pathway to Advanced Non-invasive Diagnostics in Precision Oncology?

Circulating cell-free DNA (ccfDNA) has emerged as a promising diagnostic tool in oncology. Identification of tumour-derived ccfDNA (i.e. circulating tumour DNA [ctDNA]) provides non-invasive access to a malignancy’s molecular landscape to diagnose, inform therapeutic strategies, and monitor treatment efficacy. Current applications of ccfDNA to detect somatic mutations, however, have been largely constrained to tumour-informed searches and identification of common mutations because of the interaction between ctDNA signal and next-generation sequencing (NGS) noise. Specifically, the low allele frequency of ctDNA associated with non-metastatic and early-stage lesions may be indistinguishable from artifacts that accrue during sample preparation and NGS. Thus, using ccfDNA to achieve non-invasive and personalized molecular profiling to optimize individual patient care is a highly sought goal that remains limited in clinical practice. There is growing evidence, however, that further advances in the field of ccfDNA diagnostics may be achieved by improving detection of somatic mutations through leveraging the inherently shorter fragment lengths of ctDNA compared to non-neoplastic ccfDNA. Here, the origins and rationale for seeking to improve the mutation-based detection of ctDNA by using ccfDNA size profiling are reviewed. Subsequently, in vitro and in silico methods to enrich for a target ccfDNA fragment length are detailed to identify current practices and provide perspective into the potential of using ccfDNA size profiling to impact clinical applications in oncology.

Nanoparticles: Untying the Gordian Knot in Conventional Computed Tomography Imaging

X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging plays an essential role in disease diagnosis due to its noninvasive, painless mode and superior penetration depth. However, the resolution of the soft tissue ...

Multiparametric ultrasound diagnosis of metastatic and lymphoproliferative changes in lymph nodes in primary-multiple malignant tumors, including breast cancer and lymphoma

In this article, based on two clinical examples, the possibilities of multiparametric ultrasound in the differential diagnosis of metastatic and lymphoproliferative changes in lymph nodes in primary-multiple malignant tumors, including breast cancer and lym - phoma, are evaluated. Multiparameteric ultrasound includes B-mode, color and energy Doppler imaging, strain elastography, shear wave elastography and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). Standardization and reproducibility of these ultrasound techniques will allow to objectify the study, obtaining specific indicators of shear wave velocity in the zones of interest and specific signs of contrast enhancement, which can be used as impor tant differential diagnostic tool in oncology.

Proton MR spectroscopic imaging of human glioblastomas at 1.5 Tesla.

In this study we evaluated clinical feasibility of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy metabolite mapping (1H MRSI) by using 1.5 Tesla MR-scanner in 10 patients with high-grade glioblastoma. In vivo 1H MRSI performed with a relatively short scan time of 20 minutes enabled to obtain comprehensive information about metabolic changes in glioblastoma and adjacent tissues namely in the peritumoral edema, in the middle and solid part of the tumor, and in the normal-appearing brain tissue. Spectroscopically it was possible to identify initiation of neuronal cell death in the solid tumorous tissue via decreased N-acetyl-aspartate to creatine ratio (↓ tNAA/tCr) and expanding carcinogenesis reflected in elevated choline ratios (↑ tCho/tCr and tCho/tNAA). We showed also the central necrosis of glioblastoma accompanied by the tissue hypoxia, which were apparent as increased lactate and lipids ratios (↑ Lac/tCr and lip/Lac). Metabolic changes were noticeable also in the peritumoral area, showing the glioblastoma infiltration into the surrounding tissues. In intracranial tumors, 1H MRSI performed on 1.5 Tesla field strength was sufficient to provide information about the stage of carcinogenesis, tumor expansion or necrotization and thus it could be considered as a useful diagnostic tool in oncology.

Liquid chromatography-selected reaction monitoring (LC-SRM) approach for the separation and quantitation of sialylated N-glycans linkage isomers.

The study of N-linked glycans is among the most challenging bioanalytical tasks because of their complexity and variety. The presence of glycoform families that differ only in branching and/or linkage position makes the identification and quantitation of individual glycans exceedingly difficult. Quantitation of these individual glycans is important because changes in the abundance of these isomers are often associated with significant biomedical events. For instance, previous studies have shown that the ratio of α2-3 to α2-6 linked sialic acid (SA) plays an important role in cancer biology. Consequently, quantitative methods to detect alterations in the ratios of glycans based on their SA linkages could serve as a diagnostic tool in oncology, yet traditional glycomic profiling cannot readily differentiate between these linkage isomers. Here, we present a liquid chromatography-selected reaction monitoring (LC-SRM) approach that we demonstrate is capable of quantitating the individual SA linkage isomers. The LC method is capable of separating sialylated N-glycan isomers differing in α2-3 and α2-6 linkages using a novel superficially porous particle (Fused-Core) Penta-HILIC (hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography) column. SRM detection provides the relative quantitation of each SA linkage isomer, and minimizes interferences from coeluting glycans that are problematic for UV/Fluorescence based quantitation. With our approach, the relative quantitation of each SA linkage isomer is obtained from a straightforward liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) experiment.

Характеристика новообразований печени с использованием ARFI-эластометрии

The purpose of this study was to determine the possibility of ARFI- elastography for diagnosis of tumors of the liver. The study included 95 patients with liver tumors. 22 patients were excluded from the study because of the deep location of the formation or the inability to measure the speed performance. Therefore the tumors in 73 patients were obtained by ARFI-elastography and analyzed. Verification of the diagnosis was achieved by histological examination of the material in 93% of cases and by MRI, CT in 7% of cases. Patients were divided by diagnosis: 4 – with benign tumors, 33 – with hepatocellular carcinoma, 4 – with cholangio-carcinoma, 19 – with metastatic colorectal cancer, 13 – with metastases of other cancer. Benign tumors included two focal nodular hyperplasia and hepatocellular adenoma, one cavernous hemangioma a large size. The obtained results were compared with normal liver parenchyma in 77 people. Average speed was: 2.83 m/s in the benign, 1.55 m/s in the normal liver parenchyma, 2.5 m/s at the nodes of hepatocellular carcinoma, 2.66 m/s at the nodes cholangio-carcinomar, 2.79 m/s in the metastasis of colorectal cancer, 2.79 m/s in the remaining metastases. Associated threshold value for the diagnosis of the majority of malignant tumors, it is necessary to consider the speed of over 2 m/s. Sensitivity groups ranged from 59% to 100% and a specificity of 70% to 86%. The results indicate higher speed performance parameters (mean, median, threshold values > 2.3 m/s) in benign tumors. This is due to a small group, as well as the large size of entities – from 5.0 to 24.0 cm, indicating that the long-term course of the disease with the development of fibrosis in them, so the stiffness of education becomes higher. These data prove that the quantitative elastography shear wave can be used as an additional diagnostic tool in oncology, but further accumulation of scientific data, since the values of the groups overlap.

Functional protease profiling with reporter peptides in serum specimens of colorectal cancer patients: demonstration of its routine diagnostic applicability

BackgroundThe progression of many solid tumors is characterized by the release of tumor-associated proteases and the detection of tumor specific proteolytic activity in serum specimens is a promising diagnostic tool in oncology. Here we describe a mass spectrometry-based functional proteomic profiling approach that tracks the ex-vivo degradation of a synthetic endoprotease substrate in serum specimens of colorectal tumor patients.MethodsA reporter peptide (RP) with the amino acid sequence WKPYDAAD was synthesized that has a known cleavage site for the cysteine-endopeptidase cancer procoagulant (EC 3.4.22.26). The RP was added to serum specimens from colorectal cancer patients (n = 30), inflammatory controls (n = 30) and healthy controls (n = 30) and incubated under strictly standardized conditions. The proteolytic fragment of the RP was quantified with liquid chromatography / mass spectrometry (LC/MS).ResultsRP-spiking showed good intra- and inter-day reproducibility with coefficients of variation (CVs) that did not exceed a value of 10%. The calibration curve for the anchor peptide was linear in the concentration range of 0.4 – 50 μmol/L. The median concentration of the RP-fragment in serum specimens from tumor patients (TU: 17.6 μmol/L, SD 9.0) was significantly higher when compared to non-malignant inflammatory controls (IC: 11.1 μmol/L, SD 6.1) and healthy controls (HC: 10.3 μmol/L, SD 3.1). Highest area under receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) values were seen for discrimination of TU versus HC (0.89) followed by TU versus IC (0.77). IC and HC could barely be separated indicated by an AUROC value of 0.57. The proteolytic activity towards the RP was conserved in serum specimens that were kept at room temperature for up to 24 hours prior to the analysis.ConclusionThe proteolytic cleavage of reporter peptides is a surrogate marker for tumor associated proteolytic activity in serum specimens of cancer patients. A simple, robust and highly reproducible LC/MS method has been developed that allows the quantification of proteolytic fragments in serum specimens. The preanalytical impact of sample handling is minimal as the tumor-associated proteolytic activity towards the reporter peptide is stable for at least up to 24 h. Taken together, the functional protease profiling shows characteristics that are in line with routinely performed diagnostic assays. Further work will focus on the identification of additional reporter peptides for the construction of a multiplex assay to increase diagnostic accuracy of the functional protease profiling.

FDG-PET/CT imaging in gynecologic cancers: Is there an advance on patient management?

5080 Background: FDG-PET/CT has emerged as a powerful diagnostic tool in oncology. Here, we aimed to evaluate our current practice so as to define the appropriate use of PET/CT in gynecologic malignancies management in our institution. Methods: Included in this retrospective analysis were 116 patients affected by gynecologic tumors who underwent PET/CT imaging at our Institution between 2005 and 2010. Indications were as follows: 1) suspicion of recurrence based on clinical symptoms, elevated CA-125 serum level, and/or uncertain conventional imaging, 2) assessment of treatment response, and 3) on routine follow up. The results from PET/CT were correlated with patient clinical follow-up information and findings from other imaging modalities. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the identification of CA-125 marker cutoff were used. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV) were determined by person-based analysis. Results: The primary tumor sites were ovarian cancer (n = 88), uterine cancer (n = 19), and cervical cancer (n = 9). The median age was 56 years (range 20-82 years). All patients had been treated with curative intent for gynecologic cancer according to FIGO stage. The table below summarizes FDG-PET/CT results in relation to the indications for which the test was performed. ROC analysis showed an optimal cutoff point for CA125 of 36 U/ml (AUC 0.841, p= <0.0001) to individuate positive PET/CT. Conclusions: The greatest utility of FDG-PET/CT was seen in setting of suspected gynecologic cancer recurrence. PET/CT helped in defining the extent of metastatic disease, including metastasis in normal-sized pelvic and retroperitoneal lymph nodes, and in unsuspected distant sites. PET/CT allowed a better disease’s restaging and optimization of treatments, especially in those cases for which surgical resection of single metastatic lesions could be performed. Indication No. of patients (%) Sensitivity (%) Specificity (%) PPV (%) NPV (%) Accuracy (%) Assessment of relapse 67 (58) 98.3 83.3 98.3 83.3 97 Assessment of treatment response 30 (26) 75 88.8 81.8 84.2 83 Follow-up 19 (16) NA 89.4 NA 100 89 Abbreviation: NA, not applicable due to absence of patients with true positive findings.

Substrate optimization and clinical validation of reporter peptides for MS-based protease profiling in serum specimens: A new approach for diagnosis of malignant disease

The progression of many solid tumors is characterized by the release of tumor-associated proteases, such as cancer procoagulant, MMP2 and MMP7. Consequently, the detection of tumor-specific proteolytic activity in serum specimens has recently been proposed as a new diagnostic tool in oncology. However, tumor-associated proteases are highly diluted in serum specimens and it is challenging to identify substrates that are specifically cleaved. In this study, we describe the systematic optimization of a synthetic peptide substrate using a positional scanning synthetic combinatorial library (PS-SCL) approach. The initial reporter peptide (RP) comprises of the cleavage site, WKPYDAAD, that is part of the coagulation factor X, the natural substrate of the tumor-associated cysteine protease cancer procoagulant (EC 3.4.22.26). Specifically, the amino acid substitution of aspartatic acid (D) in position P1' against asparagine (N) improved the processing of respective RPs in serum specimens from patients with colorectal tumors compared to healthy controls. Proteolytic fragments of RPs accumulated during prolonged incubation with serum specimens and were quantified with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Finally, the optimized RP with the cleaved motif WKPYNAAD was combined with the RPs, VPLSLTMG and IPVSLRSG, that were cleaved by the tumor-associated proteases, MMP2 and MMP7, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of MS-based protease profiling was evaluated for this triplex RP mix in a cohort of 50 serum specimens equally divided into colorectal cancer patients and healthy control individuals. Multiparametric analysis showed an AUC value of 0.90 for the receiver operating characteristic curve and was superior to the classification accuracy of the single markers. Our results demonstrate that RPs for MS-based protease profiling can systematically be optimized with a PS-SCL. Furthermore, the combination of different RPs can additionally increase the classification accuracy of functional protease profiling, and this in turn could lead to improved diagnosis, monitoring and prognosis of malignant disease.

Molecular imaging in oncology: the acceptance of PET/CT and the emergence of MR/PET imaging

In the last decade, PET-only systems have been phased out and replaced with PET-CT systems. This merger of a functional and anatomical imaging modality turned out to be extremely useful in clinical practice. Currently, PET-CT is a major diagnostic tool in oncology. At the dawn of the merger of MRI and PET, another breakthrough in clinical imaging is expected. The combination of these imaging modalities is challenging, but has particular features such as imaging biological processes at the same time in specific body locations.

Apport de la tomographie par émission de positons dans la prise en charge de la sarcoïdose

FDG-PET, now hybrid positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET-CT), has become an established diagnostic tool in oncology. Fluorodesoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) is not specific for malignant lesions, as uptake of the tracer depends on its accumulation in cells with an increased glucose metabolism as it is also the case in infectious and inflammatory lesions, like sarcoidosis. Thus, FDG-PET has been proposed for internal medicine indications, one of whom is sarcoidosis. The main characteristics of FDG-PET are its better sensitivity compared to (67)Ga scintigraphy and its ability to be used as an earlier marker of therapeutic response as compared with anatomy-based and conventional scintigraphic imaging. However, FDG-PET should be used in atypical or advanced stage of the disease. Future prospective studies should be awaited before integrating FDG-PET in clinical routine for treatment outcome and disease activity assessment in sarcoidosis. New radiopharmaceutical probes are under development and will improve the performance of PET.

Mitochondrial genotype in vulvar carcinoma - cuckoo in the nest

Vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) is a rare female genital neoplasm. Although numerous molecular changes have been reported in VSCC, biomarkers of clinical relevance are still lacking. On the other hand, there is emerging evidence on the use of mtDNA as a diagnostic tool in oncology. In order to investigate mtDNA status in VSCC patients, haplogroup distribution analysis and D-loop sequencing were performed. The results were compared with available data for the general Polish population, cancer free-centenarians as well as patients with endometrial and head and neck cancer. The obtained data were also compared with the current status of mitochondrial databases. Significant differences in haplogroup distribution between VSCC cohort, general Polish population and cancer-free centenarians cohort were found. Moreover, a correlation between the VSCC patients haplogroup and HPV status was observed. Finally, a specific pattern of mtDNA polymorphisms was found in VSCC. Our results suggest that the mitochondrial genetic background may influence the risk of VSCC occurrence as well as susceptibility to HPV infection.