The incidence of osteoporosis and fractures of the hip are diminished in blacks and in obese subjects. To determine whether bone mass is increased in them, bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine, trochanter, and femoral neck was measured by dual photon absorptiometry in 89 nonobese white and 51 nonobese black women, all of whom were within 30% of their ideal body weight and between the ages of 20 and 50 yr, and in 21 obese white women and 21 obese black women, all of whom weighed 30% on more than their ideal body weight and were in the same age range. The BMD of the mid radius was also measured by single photon absorptiometry. The mean BMD of the mid radius was higher in black than in white nonobese women [0.73 +/- 0.01 (+/- SE) vs. 0.70 +/- 0.01 g/cm2; P less than 0.01] and was not altered by obesity in either group. The mean BMD was higher in the black than in the white nonobese women at the lumbar spine (1.23 +/- 0.02 vs. 1.16 +/- 0.01 g/cm2; P less than 0.01), trochanter (0.78 +/- 0.02 vs. 0.72 +/- 0.01 g/cm2; P less than 0.01) and femoral neck (0.96 +/- 0.02 vs 0.90 +/- 0.02 g/cm2; P less than 0.02). The mean body weight was higher in the obese than in the nonobese white women (92 +/- 2 vs. 61 +/- 1 kg; P less than 0.001) and black women (94 +/- 3 vs. 63 +/- 1 kg; P less than 0.001). The mean BMD was higher in the obese than in the nonobese white women at the lumbar spine (1.24 +/- 0.03 g/cm2; P less than 0.05), trochanter (0.89 +/- 0.04; P less than 0.001), and femoral neck (0.99 +/- 0.03; P less than 0.01) and was higher in the obese than in the nonobese black women at the lumbar spine (1.33 +/- 0.03 g/cm2; P less tham 0.01), trochanter (0.88 +/- 0.04 g/cm2; P less than 0.05), and femoral neck (1.04 +/- 0.03 g/cm2; P less than 0.05). Multivariate regression analysis revealed positive correlations between body weight and BMD at each of the 3 weight-bearing sites, but not at the mid radius, in both the black women and white women.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Relative to Gallium scintigraphy, PF-PET appears to provide greater accuracy for detecting cardiac sarcoidosis. Our findings also highlight the importance of revising JMHWG to incorporate PF-PET and the importance of adequate prolonged fasting prior to FDG PET imaging.

The goals of imaging in head and neck cancer are to establish tumor extent and size, to assess nodal disease, to evaluate for perineural tumor spread, and to distinguish recurrent tumor from post-treatment changes. MRI is the preferred modality for assessment of nasopharyngeal, sinonasal, and parotid tumors, because of better contrast resolution, high frequency of perineural spread, and less prominent motion artifacts. MRI is the best modality to delineate the extent of intraorbital and intracranial extension of malignant tumors. Tumors of the oropharynx, larynx, and hypopharynx are frequently primarily imaged with CT, which is less affected by breathing and swallowing artifacts. MRI is also the initial study of choice for tumors confined to the oral tongue, and possibly also for other oral cavity locations because MRI is superior in detection of tumor spread into the bone marrow. There is no clear advantage of CT or MRI for evaluation of nodal disease. Positron emission tomography (PET) is very sensitive for metastatic lymph nodes that are at least 8 mm in size and is the technique of choice in dubious cases. Imaging-guided biopsies are performed whenever needed. For imaging of treated head and neck cancer, PET scans have been found to generally offer higher sensitivity than MRI or CT. Combined PET/CT may be the modality of choice because it almost completely eliminates the false-positive and false-negative PET findings. Patients with head and neck cancer who are referred to tertiary care centers commonly arrive with cross-sectional images obtained at other institutions. Reinterpretation of these studies by dedicated radiologists frequently leads to changes in findings, which alter treatment and affect prognosis.

We previously demonstrated that muscle-building exercise is associated with increases in serum Gla-protein, serum 1,25(OH)2D, and urinary cyclic AMP. These studies were interpreted to mean that this form of exercise increases bone formation and modifies the vitamin D-endocrine system to provide more calcium for bone. The present investigation was carried out in normal young adult white men to determine the effects of exercise on bone mineral density at weight-bearing and nonweight-bearing sites. Twelve men who had regularly engaged in muscle-building exercises (use of weights, exercise machines, or both) for at least 1 year and 50 age-matched controls (aged 19-40 years) were studied. The body weights of the two groups were not different from each other (78 +/- 2 vs. 74 +/- 1 kg, NS). Bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine, trochanter, and femoral neck was measured by dual-photon absorptiometry, and BMD of the midradius was measured by single photon absorptiometry. It was found that muscle-building exercise was associated with increased BMD at the lumbar spine (1.35 +/- 0.03 vs. 1.22 +/- 0.02 g/cm2, P less than 0.01), trochanter (0.99 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.86 +/- 0.02 g/cm2, P less than 0.01), and femoral neck (1.18 +/- 0.03 vs. 1.02 +/- 0.02 g/cm2, P less than 0.001) but not at the midradius (0.77 +/- 0.02 vs. 0.77 +/- 0.01 g/cm2, NS). These studies provide additional evidence that muscle-building exercise is associated with increases in BMD at weight-bearing sites but not at nonweight-bearing sites.

FDG PET-CT scan 3 months after treatment of NSCLC with SBRT was a specific but insensitive test for the detection of recurrence or treatment failure. Serial CT scans should be used for early surveillance following SBRT, whereas FDG PET-CT scans should be reserved to define suspected metastatic disease or to evaluate new abnormalities on CT scan, or for possible reassessment later in the follow-up period after radiation-related inflammation subsides.