Biopsy has been used to diagnose thoracic diseases for more than a century. Percutaneous needle biopsy plays a crucial role in the diagnosis, staging, and treatment planning for tumors in the lungs, thoracic wall, hilum, and mediastinum. With the continuous improvement in imaging techniques, the range of clinical applications for percutaneous needle biopsy is also expanding. It has become important to improve Chinese professionals’ and technicians’ understanding of percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (PTNB) in order to standardize operating procedures and to strengthen perioperative management. However, there is currently no Chinese expert consensus that provides systematic standardization and guidance for PTNB in clinical practice. The Committee of Chinese Society of Interventional Oncology (CSIO) of the Chinese Anti‐Cancer Association (CACA) initiated a Chinese multidisciplinary expert consensus on PTNB. The consensus includes image‐guided methods, indications, contraindications, multidisciplinary team recommendations, biopsy procedures, daytime/outpatient biopsy, complications, pathological examination, and management of negative results.

BACKGROUNDHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide, and novel methods for early/rapid diagnosis of HCC are needed. Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy is considered to have the potential to distinguish between normal liver tissue and HCC tissue; however, there are few reports on it. We conduct this observational study to explore the feasibility of THz imaging for the diagnosis of HCC.AIMTo evaluate the feasibility of THz for discriminating between HCC and normal liver tissues using fresh tissue specimens obtained from HCC patients who had undergone surgery.METHODSNormal liver tissue and HCC tissue were cryosectioned into 50 μm-thick slices and placed on cover glass. Two adjacent tissue sections were separated subjected to histopathological examination by hematoxylin and eosin staining or THz transmission examination, and THz images were compared with pathologically mapped images. We determined the typical tumor and normal liver tissue regions by pathological examination; the corresponding areas of adjacent sections were examined by THz transmission.RESULTSThe transmission rate of HCC tissue was 0.15-0.25, and the transmission rate of typical HCC tissue was about 0.2. THz transmittance in normal liver tissue is slightly higher than 0.4, but there were many influencing factors, including the degree of liver cirrhosis, fat components, ice crystals in frozen sections, and apoptosis.CONCLUSIONIn conclusion, this study shows that THz imaging can detect HCC tissue. Further research will yield more detailed data of the THz transmission rates of HCC tissue with different degrees of differentiation.

The COVID-19 pandemic seriously threatens the lives of the general public and poses momentous challenges to all medical workers, including those engaged in interventional radiology, who play an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases. To further standardize the prevention and control of nosocomial infections and ensure the safety of doctors and patients, the Chinese Society of Interventional Radiology (CSIR) organized multidisciplinary experts in the field of interventional radiology in China to prepare an "Expert Consensus" elaborating and summarizing the protective strategies and suggestions for medical workers in the field of interventional radiology when they engage in interventional diagnosis and treatment activities against the background of novel coronavirus infection control. The aim is to provide a reference for interventional procedures in hospitals and other medical institutions at all levels in China and worldwide. The key points include the following: (I) non-emergency interventional diagnosis and treatment should be suspended while work is ongoing to prevent and control the spread of (II) protective measures should be taken according to the appropriate level designated for COVID-19 infection prevention and control; (III) patients should take measures to protect themselves when they want to see a doctor, including accessing outpatient services online and other relevant channels of consultation.

BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide. Currently, the most accurate diagnosis imaging modality for hepatocellular carcinoma is enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. However, it is still difficult to distinguish cirrhosis lesions, and novel diagnosis modalities are still needed. AIM To investigate the feasibility of hyperspectral analysis for discrimination of rabbit liver VX2 tumor. METHODS In this study, a rabbit liver VX2 tumor model was established. After laparotomy, under direct view, VX2 tumor tissue and normal liver tissue were subjected to hyperspectral analysis. RESULTS The spectral signature of the liver tumor was clearly distinguishable from that of the normal tissue, simply from the original spectral curves. Specifically, two absorption peaks at 600-900 nm wavelength in normal tissue disappeared but a new reflection peak appeared in the tumor. The average optical reflection at the whole waveband of 400-1800 nm in liver tumor was higher than that of the normal tissue. CONCLUSION Hyperspectral analysis can differentiate rabbit VX2 tumors. Further research will continue to perform hyperspectral imaging to obtain more information for differentiation of liver cancer from normal tissue.