Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides excellent soft-tissue contrast and allows for specific scanning sequences to optimize differentiation between various tissue types and properties. Moreover, it offers the potential for real-time motion imaging. This makes magnetic resonance imaging an ideal candidate imaging modality for radiation treatment planning in lung cancer. Although the number of clinical research protocols for the application of magnetic resonance imaging for lung cancer treatment is increasing (www.clinicaltrials.gov) and the magnetic resonance imaging sequences are becoming faster, there are still some technical challenges. This review describes the opportunities and challenges of magnetic resonance imaging for radiation treatment planning in lung cancer.
Background
Primary cardiac spindle cell sarcomas are extremely rare with only a few cases reported. They are frequently misdiagnosed on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging as benign myxoma or thrombi and the suspicion of a malignant sarcoma arises only during surgery. This case report describes a case of cardiac spindle cell sarcoma diagnosed after surgery, where the initial diagnostic possibilities included an intramural thrombus and a cardiac myxoma.
Case summary
A 57-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for evaluation of a possible recurrent myxoma in the left atrium on echocardiography. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging confirmed these masses as mural thrombotic masses, with a possible remnant of myxoma. After 2 months of anticoagulation therapy, the masses did not decrease in size on CMR imaging, and surgical removal was indicated. The atrial masses were surgically resected together with a large part of the left atrium. Histological examination showed spindle cell sarcoma. Unfortunately, the resection margins were positive and it was not possible to remove more atrium. PET-CT revealed metastasis in the right femur. The patient passed away 1 year after surgery.
Discussion
The rarity of spindle cell sarcoma and its similarities to benign cardiac myxoma and thrombi on echocardiography and CMR imaging present a diagnostic challenge when evaluating patients pre-operatively. Therefore, a malignant spindle cell sarcoma may only be diagnosed during surgery, after histological examination.
Patients with MYC rearranged (MYC-R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) have a poor prognosis. Previously, we demonstrated in a single-arm phase II trial (HOVON-130) that addition of lenalidomide to R-CHOP (R2CHOP) is well-tolerated and yields similar complete metabolic remission rates as more intensive chemotherapy regimens in literature. In parallel with this single-arm interventional trial, a prospective observational screening cohort (HOVON-900) was open in which we identified all newly diagnosed MYC-R DLBCL patients in the Netherlands. Eligible patients from the observational cohort that were not included in the interventional trial served as control group in the present risk-adjusted comparison. R2CHOP treated patients from the interventional trial (n = 77) were younger than patients in the R-CHOP control cohort (n = 56) (median age 63 versus 70 years, p = 0.018) and they were more likely to have a lower WHO performance score (p = 0.013). We adjusted for differences at baseline using 1:1 matching, multivariable analysis, and weighting using the propensity score to reduce treatment-selection bias. These analyses consistently showed improved outcome after R2CHOP with HRs of 0.53, 0.51, and 0.59, respectively, for OS, and 0.53, 0.59, and 0.60 for PFS. Thus, this non-randomized risk-adjusted comparison supports R2CHOP as an additional treatment option for MYC-R DLBCL patients.
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