Context: Neck ultrasonography (US) has become a keystone in the follow-up of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer.Objective: The aim of this study was to determine specificity and sensitivity of ultrasound criteria of malignancy for cervical lymph nodes (LNs) in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer. Design:We prospectively studied 19 patients referred to the Institut Gustave Roussy for neck LN dissection. All patients underwent a neck US within 4 d prior to surgery. Only LNs that were unequivocally matched between US and pathology were taken into account for the analysis. Results:One hundred three LNs were detected on US, 578 LNs were surgically removed, and 56 LNs were analyzed (28 benign and 28 malignant). Sensitivity and specificity were 68 and 75% for the long axis (Ն1 cm), 61 and 96% for the short axis (Ͼ5 mm), 46 and 64% for the round shape (long to short axis ratio Ͻ 2), 100 and 29% for the loss of fatty hyperechoic hilum, 39 and 18% for hypoechogenicity, 11 and 100% for cystic appearance, 46 and 100% for hyperechoic punctuations, and 86 and 82% for peripheral vascularization. Conclusion:Cystic appearance, hyperechoic punctuations, loss of hilum, and peripheral vascularization can be considered as major ultrasound criteria of LN malignancy. LNs with cystic appearance or hyperechoic punctuations are highly suspicious of malignancy. LNs with a hyperechoic hilum should be considered as benign. Peripheral vascularization has the best sensitivity-specificity compromise. Round shape, hypoechogenicity, and the loss of hilum taken as single criteria are not specific enough to suspect malignancy. N ECK ULTRASONOGRAPHY (US) has replaced radioactive iodine in the follow-up of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) (1, 2). Sensitivity of US for the diagnosis of neck recurrence ranges from 70 to 100% (3-5). Metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) tend to be large, round, hypoechoic, and hypervascularized with a loss of hilar architecture (6 -13). In DTC, metastatic LNs may also demonstrate specific features such as hyperechoic punctuations or microcalcifications and cystic appearance (14 -16). The specificity of these US criteria in DTC is, however, not well known and difficult to assess on follow-up only because of the indolent nature of DTC. Specificity of US criteria based on pathology are, in fact, not available in DTC. Confirmation of malignancy of suspicious LN found on US is usually recommended and consists in a fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) for cytology and thyroglobulin determination in the aspirate fluid (17). There is a need for specific criteria of malignancy; otherwise, a majority of DTC patients will be submitted to FNAB, a stressful examination with potential morbidity.We therefore assessed both sensitivity and specificity of US criteria based on pathology in patients planned to neck LN dissection for DTC neck recurrence. Patients and Methods PatientsPatients referred to the Institut Gustave Roussy from February 2004 to January 2005 for surgical treatment of a neck recurrence of DTC...

Background Recent efforts of gene expression profiling analyses recognized at least four different triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) molecular subtypes. However, little is known regarding their tumor microenvironment (TME) heterogeneity. Methods Here, we investigated TME heterogeneity within each TNBC molecular subtype, including immune infiltrate localization and composition together with expression of targetable immune pathways, using publicly available transcriptomic and genomic datasets from a large TNBC series totaling 1512 samples. Associations between molecular subtypes and specific features were assessed using logistic regression models. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results We demonstrated that each TNBC molecular subtype exhibits distinct TME profiles associated with specific immune, vascularization, stroma, and metabolism biological processes together with specific immune composition and localization. The immunomodulatory subtype was associated with the highest expression of adaptive immune-related gene signatures and a fully inflamed spatial pattern appearing to be the optimal candidate for immune check point inhibitors. In contrast, most mesenchymal stem-like and luminal androgen receptor tumors showed an immunosuppressive phenotype as witnessed by high expression levels of stromal signatures. Basal-like, luminal androgen receptor, and mesenchymal subtypes exhibited an immune cold phenotype associated with stromal and metabolism TME signatures and enriched in margin-restricted spatial pattern. Tumors with high chromosomal instability and copy number loss in the chromosome 5q and 15q regions, including genomic loss of major histocompatibility complex related genes, showed reduced cytotoxic activity as a plausible immune escape mechanism. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that each TNBC subtype is associated with specific TME profiles, setting the ground for a rationale tailoring of immunotherapy in TNBC patients.

Dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (DCE-US) is a new functional technique enabling a quantitative assessment of solid tumor perfusion using raw linear data. DCE-US allows the calculation of parameters as slope of wash-in or area under the curve (AUC) representing, respectively, blood flow or blood volume. Reduction in tumor vascularization can easily be detected in responders after 1 or 2 weeks and is correlated with progression-free survival and overall survival in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). DCE-US is supported by the French National Cancer Institute (INCa), which is currently studying the technique in metastatic breast cancer, melanoma, colon cancer, gastrointestinal stromal tumors and renal cell carcinoma, as well as in primary hepatocellular carcinoma, to establish the optimal perfusion parameters and timing for quantitative anticancer efficacy assessments. Currently 490 patients are included in 20 centers and the preliminary results on 400 patients with 1,096 DCE-US demonstrated that AUC could be a robust parameter to predict response.

Background: Initial staging and assessment of treatment activity in metastatic prostate cancer (PCa) patients is controversial. Indications for the various available imaging modalities are not well-established due to rapid advancements in imaging and treatment. Methods:We conducted a critical literature review of the main imaging abnormalities that suggest a diagnosis of metastasis in localized and locally advanced PCa or in cases of biological relapse. We also assessed the role of the various imaging modalities available in routine clinical practice for the detection of metastases and response to treatment in metastatic PCa patients. Results:In published clinical trials, the most commonly used imaging modalities for the detection and evaluation of therapeutic response are bone scan, abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT), and pelvic and bone magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). For the detection and follow-up of metastases during treatment, modern imaging techniques i.e., choline-positron emission tomography (PET), fluciclovine-PET, or Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-PET provide better sensitivity and specificity. This is particularly the case of fluciclovine-PET and PSMA-PET in cases of biochemical recurrence with low values of prostate specific antigen. Conclusions:In routine clinical practice, conventional imaging still have a role, and communication between imagers and clinicians should be encouraged. Present and future clinical trials should use modern imaging methods to clarify their usage. Inclusion and Exclusion CriteriaOnly original manuscripts and reviews published in indexed and peer-reviewed journals and written in English between August 1999 and December 2019 were considered. Cross-sectional studies, case reports, published abstracts, dissertation materials, and conference presentations were excluded. Of 1,725 potential articles from the literature search, 105 were selected, including 16 literature reviews, 5 meta-analyses, 11 guidelines or position papers, and 73 original articles.