Objective:
Lateral pelvic lymph node (LPLN) metastases are an important cause of preventable local failure in rectal cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical and oncological outcomes following magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-directed surgical selection for lateral pelvic lymph node dissection (LPLND) after total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT).
Methods:
A retrospective consecutive cohort analysis was performed of rectal cancer patients with enlarged LPLN on pretreatment MRI. Patients were categorized as LPLND or non-LPLND. The main outcomes were lateral local recurrence rate, perioperative and oncological outcomes and factors associated with decision making for LPLND.
Results:
A total of 158 patients with enlarged pretreatment LPLN and treated with TNT were identified. Median follow-up was 20 months (interquartile range 10–32). After multidisciplinary review, 88 patients (56.0%) underwent LPLND. Mean age was 53 (SD±12) years, and 54 (34.2%) were female. Total operative time (509 vs 429 minutes; P=0.003) was greater in the LPLND group, but median blood loss (P=0.70) or rates of major morbidity (19.3% vs 17.0%) did not differ. LPLNs were pathologically positive in 34.1%. The 3-year lateral local recurrence rates (3.4% vs 4.6%; P=0.85) did not differ between groups. Patients with LPLNs demonstrating pretreatment heterogeneity and irregular margin (odds ratio, 3.82; 95% confidence interval: 1.65–8.82) or with short-axis ≥5 mm post-TNT (odds ratio 2.69; 95% confidence interval: 1.19–6.08) were more likely to undergo LPLND.
Conclusions:
For rectal cancer patients with evidence of LPLN metastasis, the appropriate selection of patients for LPLND can be facilitated by a multidisciplinary MRI-directed approach with no significant difference in perioperative or oncologic outcomes.
Gynecologic malignancies are among the most common cancers in women worldwide and account for significant morbidity and mortality. Management and consequently overall patient survival is reliant upon early detection, accurate staging and early detection of any recurrence. Ultrasound, Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography (PET-CT) play an essential role in the detection, characterization, staging and restaging of the most common gynecologic malignancies, namely the cervical, endometrial and ovarian malignancies. Recent advances in imaging including functional MRI, hybrid imaging with Positron Emission Tomography (PET/MRI) contribute even more to lesion specification and overall role of imaging in gynecologic malignancies. Radiomics is a neoteric approach which aspires to enhance decision support by extracting quantitative information from radiological imaging.
Hepatic lesions are commonly encountered in radiology practice. Lesions with classic imaging findings such as hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, hemangiomas, focal nodular hyperplasia, and adenomas are well described in literature and easily diagnosed by most experienced radiologists. In the appropriate context, metastases, which are one of the most common lesions encountered by radiologists who practice in predominantly cancer care settings, are also easily diagnosed. However, one may encounter rarer neoplasms which may be challenging to diagnose and manage. Often, these lesions have overlapping imaging features with those of the common lesions mentioned above. Diagnosis of these rarer tumors would require not only interpreting the images in the context of patient's demographics and clinical presentation but also recognizing the unique imaging features of these tumors. The literature is sparse in describing the radiological appearances of these tumors. Diagnosis based solely on imaging criteria is not advised in these instances. Histological confirmation or other prudent follow-up strategies are necessary for confirmation of imaging findings and interpretation. In this article, we will describe known imaging features of a few rarer primary malignant and benign neoplasms in the liver.
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