No abstract

The mortality benefit of screening for AAA in men aged 64-73 years was maintained in the longer term and screening was cost effective.

Anti-1-amino-3-18F-fluorocyclobutane-1-carboxylic acid (18F-FACBC) is a synthetic amino acid analog PET radiotracer undergoing clinical trials for the evaluation of prostate and other cancers. We aimed to describe common physiologic uptake patterns, incidental findings, and variants in patients who had undergone 18F-FACBC PET. Methods Sixteen clinical trials involving 611 18F-FACBC studies from 6 centers, which included dosimetry studies on 12 healthy volunteers, were reviewed. Qualitative observations of common physiologic patterns, incidental uptake, and variants that could simulate disease were recorded and compared with similar observations in studies of the healthy volunteers. Quantitative analysis of select data and review of prior published reports and observations were also made. Results The liver and pancreas demonstrated the most intense uptake. Moderate salivary and pituitary uptake and variable mild to moderate bowel activity were commonly visualized. Moderate bone marrow and mild muscle activity were present on early images, with marrow activity decreasing and muscle activity increasing with time. Brain and lungs demonstrated activity less than blood pool. Though 18F-FACBC exhibited little renal excretion or bladder uptake during the clinically useful early imaging time window, mild to moderate activity might accumulate in the bladder and interfere with evaluation of adjacent prostate bed and seminal vesicles in 5%–10% of patients. Uptake might also occur from benign processes such as infection, inflammation, prostatic hyperplasia, and metabolically active benign bone lesions such as osteoid osteoma. Conclusion Common physiologic uptake patterns were similar to those noted in healthy volunteers. The activity in organs followed the presence of amino acid transport and metabolism described with other amino acid–based PET radiotracers. As with other PET radiotracers such as 18F-FDG, focal nonphysiologic uptake may represent incidental malignancy. Uptake due to benign etiologies distinct from physiologic background also occurred and could lead to misinterpretations if the reader is unaware of them.

Involvement of the cervical lymph nodes is the most important prognostic factor for patients with oral/ oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), and the decision whether to electively treat patients with clinically negative necks remains a controversial topic. Sentinel node biopsy (SNB) provides a minimally invasive method of determining the disease status of the cervical node basin, without the need for a formal neck dissection. This technique potentially improves the accuracy of histological nodal staging and avoids over-treating three-quarters of this patient population, minimizing associated morbidity. The technique has been validated for patients with OSCC, and larger-scale studies are in progress to determine its exact role in the management of this patient population. This article was designed to outline the current best practice guidelines for the provision of SNB in patients with early-stage OSCC, and to provide a framework for the currently evolving recommendations for its use. These guidelines were prepared by a multidisciplinary surgical/nuclear medicine/pathology expert panel under the joint auspices of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) Oncology Committee and the Sentinel European Node Trial Committee.

No abstract

Tumor depth is an important prognostic factor for patients with SCC of the oral cavity or oropharynx. Tumors greater than 4 mm are associated with greater risk of upstaging; however, this optimum cutoff value may vary between primary tumor sites.

Implant loosening is the most common indication for revision surgery after total hip arthroplasty (THA). Although bone resorption around the implants plays a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of loosening, it is unknown whether potent early inhibition of osteoclasts could mitigate this process and thus reduce the need for revision surgery. We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial in 64 patients aged 35 to 65 years with unilateral osteoarthritis of the hip. They underwent surgery with an uncemented THA and were randomized to either two subcutaneous doses of denosumab (n = 32) or placebo (n = 32) given 1 to 3 days and 6 months after surgery. Patients were followed for 24 months. Primary outcome was periprosthetic bone mineral density (BMD) of the hip at 12 months as measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). In addition, [ 18 F] sodium fluoride positron emission tomography/CT (F-PET) was performed in half of the patients for analysis of periprosthetic standardized uptake value (SUV). Analyses were made according to intention-to-treat principles. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov 2011-001481-18, NCT01630941. Denosumab potently inhibited early periprosthetic bone loss. After 12 months, BMD in the denosumab group was 32% (95% confidence interval [CI] 22-44) higher in Gruen zone 7 and 11% (95% CI 8-15) higher in zones 1 to 7. After 24 months, the difference in BMD between groups had decreased to 15% (95% CI 4-27) in zone 7 and 4% (95% CI 0-8) in zones 1 to 7. In both groups, SUV increased after surgery, but the increase was less pronounced in the denosumab group. Biochemical markers of bone metabolism decreased in the denosumab group in the first 12 months, but a rebound effect with marker concentrations above baseline was observed after 24 months. Denosumab potently prevents early periprosthetic bone loss after uncemented THA; however, the effect diminishes after discontinuation of treatment. Further research is needed to determine whether this bone loss will prove to be of clinical importance and, if so, whether the positive effect observed in this study could be preserved by either prolonged treatment with denosumab or additional antiresorptive treatment.

Involvement of the cervical lymph nodes is the most important prognostic factor for patients with oral/ oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), and the decision of whether to electively treat patients with clinically negative necks remains a controversial topic. Sentinel node biopsy (SNB) provides a minimally invasive method for determining the disease status of the cervical node basin, without the need for a formal neck dissection. This technique potentially improves the accuracy of histologic nodal staging and avoids overtreating three-quarters of this patient population, minimizing associated morbidity. The technique has been validated for patients with OSCC, and larger-scale studies are in progress to determine its exact role in the management of this patient population. This document is designed to outline the current best practice guidelines for the This article