Colorectal cancer and dormant metastases:Put to sleep or destroy?

After reading the review by An et al“Biological factors driving colorectal cancer metastasis”,which covers the problem of the metastasis of colorectal cancer(CRC),I had a desire to discuss with readers one of the exciting problems associated with dormant metastases.Most deaths from CRCs are caused by metastases,which can be detected both at diagnosis of the primary tumor and several years or even decades after treatment.This is because tumor cells that enter the bloodstream can be destroyed by the immune system,cause metastatic growth,or remain dormant for a long time.Dormant tumor cells may not manifest themselves throughout a person’s life or,after some time and under appropriate conditions,may give rise to the growth of metastases.In this editorial,we will discuss the most important features of dormant metastases and the mechanisms of premetastatic niche formation,as well as factors that contribute to the activation of dormant metastases in CRCs.We will pay special attention to the possible mechanisms involved in the formation of circulating tumor cell complexes and the choice of therapeutic strategies that promote the dormancy or destruction of tumor cells in CRCs.

Stage Ⅳ non-small cell lung cancer with multiple metastases to the small intestine leading to intussusception: A case report

BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal tract metastasis from lung cancer is rare and compared to small cell lung cancer(SCLC),non-SCLC(NSCLC)is even less likely to metastasize in this manner.Additionally,small intestinal tumors can also present with diverse complications,some of which require urgent intervention.CASE SUMMARY In this report,we detail a unique case of stage IV lung cancer,where the presence of small intestine tumors led to intussusception.Subsequent to a small intestine resection,pathology confirmed that all three tumors within the small intestine were metastases from adenocarcinoma of the lung.The postoperative follow-up period extended beyond 14 mo.CONCLUSION In patients with stage IV NSCLC,local tumor control can be achieved with various treatments.However,if small intestinal metastasis occurs,surgical intervention remains necessary,as it may improve survival.

Diagnostic challenges and individualized treatment of cervical adenocarcinoma metastases to the breast:A case report

BACKGROUND Cervical cancer is a rare primary tumor resulting in metastases to the breast with few cases reported in literature.Breast metastases are associated with poor prognosis.The following case highlights the diagnostic challenges associated with metastatic cervical cancer to the breast along with individualized treatment.CASE SUMMARY A 44-year-old G7P5025 with no significant past medical or surgical history presented with heavy vaginal to an outside emergency department where an exam and a pelvic magnetic resonance imaging showed a 4.5 cm heterogenous lobulated cervical mass involving upper two thirds of vagina,parametria and lymph node metastases.Cervical biopsies confirmed high grade adenocarcinoma with mucinous features.A positron emission tomography/computed tomography(PET/CT)did not show evidence of metastatic disease.She received concurrent cisplatin with external beam radiation therapy.Follow up PET/CT scan three months later showed no suspicious fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in the cervix and no evidence of metastatic disease.Patient was lost to follow up for six months.She was re-imaged on re-presentation and found to have widely metastatic disease including breast disease.Breast biopsy confirmed programmed death-ligand 1 positive metastatic cervical cancer.The patient received six cycles of carboplatin and paclitaxel with pembrolizumab.Restaging imaging demonstrated response.Patient continued on pembrolizumab with disease control.CONCLUSION Metastatic cervical cancer to the breast is uncommon with nonspecific clinical findings that can make diagnosis challenging.Clinical history and immunohistochemical evaluation of breast lesion,and comparison to primary tumor can support diagnosis of metastatic cervical cancer to the breast.Overall,the prognosis is poor,but immunotherapy can be considered in select patients and may result in good disease response.

Establishment and evaluation of a prognostic model for patients with unresectable gastric cancer liver metastases

BACKGROUND Liver metastases(LM)is the primary factor contributing to unfavorable outcomes in patients diagnosed with gastric cancer(GC).The objective of this study is to analyze significant prognostic risk factors for patients with GCLM and develop a reliable nomogram model that can accurately predict individualized prognosis,thereby enhancing the ability to evaluate patient outcomes.AIM To analyze prognostic risk factors for GCLM and develop a reliable nomogram model to accurately predict individualized prognosis,thereby enhancing patient outcome assessment.METHODS Retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data pertaining to GCLM(type III),admitted to the Department of General Surgery across multiple centers of the Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2010 to January 2018.The dataset was divided into a development cohort and validation cohort in a ratio of 2:1.In the development cohort,we utilized univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses to identify independent risk factors associated with overall survival in GCLM patients.Subsequently,we established a prediction model based on these findings and evaluated its performance using receiver operator characteristic curve analysis,calibration curves,and clinical decision curves.A nomogram was created to visually represent the prediction model,which was then externally validated using the validation cohort.RESULTS A total of 372 patients were included in this study,comprising 248 individuals in the development cohort and 124 individuals in the validation cohort.Based on Cox analysis results,our final prediction model incorporated five independent risk factors including albumin levels,primary tumor size,presence of extrahepatic metastases,surgical treatment status,and chemotherapy administration.The 1-,3-,and 5-years Area Under the Curve values in the development cohort are 0.753,0.859,and 0.909,respectively;whereas in the validation cohort,they are observed to be 0.772,0.848,and 0.923.Furthermore,the calibration curves demonstrated excellent consistency between observed values and actual values.Finally,the decision curve analysis curve indicated substantial net clinical benefit.CONCLUSION Our study identified significant prognostic risk factors for GCLM and developed a reliable nomogram model,demonstrating promising predictive accuracy and potential clinical benefit in evaluating patient outcomes.

Incidence,Risk Factors,and Prognosis of Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Brain Metastases

Objective Brain metastases significantly impact the clinical course of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).This study aimed to examine the age-related incidence,demographics,and survival of patients with HCC and brain metastases.Methods Data of HCC patients from 2010 to 2015 in the Surveillance,Epidemiology,and End Results(SEER)Registry were screened for the presence of brain metastases.They were stratified by age and ethnicity.Multivariable logistic and Cox regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with brain metastases and those with overall survival(OS)and liver cancer-specific survival(CSS),respectively.Results A total of 141 HCC patients presenting with brain metastases were identified,accounting for 0.35% of all HCC patients and 2.37% of patients with metastatic disease.Among all HCC patients,the incidence rate was the highest among patients aged 30-49 years old(0.47%).Ethnicity was not associated with the presence of brain metastases at the time of HCC diagnosis.However,African-American patients presented with a significantly lower disease-specific survival[median time:1 month;interquartile range(IQR):0-3.0 months].Initial lung or bone metastasis was independently associated with an increased risk of the presence of brain metastases[odds ratio(OR):12.62,95% confidence interval(CI):8.40-18.97]but was not associated with a worse OS or CSS among those with brain metastases.Conclusion This study identified the age-related incidence and risk factors of brain metastases in HCC patients.These results may contribute to the consideration of brain screening among patients with initial metastatic HCC with lung or bone metastases,and influence the counseling of this patient population regarding their prognosis.

Effect of magnetic resonance imaging in liver metastases

This letter to the editor is a commentary on a study titled"Liver metastases:The role of magnetic resonance imaging."Exploring a noninvasive imaging evaluation system for the biological behavior of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the key to achieving precise diagnosis and treatment and improving prognosis.This review summarizes the role of magnetic resonance imaging in the detection and evaluation of liver metastases,describes its main imaging features,and focuses on the added value of the latest imaging tools(such as T1 weighted in phase imaging,T1 weighted out of phase imaging;diffusion-weighted imaging,T2 weighted imaging).In this study,I investigated the necessity and benefits of gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid for HCC diagnostic testing and prognostic evaluation.

Tumour response following preoperative chemotherapy is affected by body mass index in patients with colorectal liver metastases

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer is the third most prevalent malignancy globally and ranks second in cancer-related mortality,with the liver being the primary organ of metastasis.Preoperative chemotherapy is widely recommended for initially or potentially resectable colorectal liver metastases(CRLMs).Tumour pathological response serves as the most important and intuitive indicator for assessing the efficacy of chemotherapy.However,the postoperative pathological results reveal that a considerable number of patients exhibit a poor response to preoperative chemotherapy.Body mass index(BMI)is one of the factors affecting the tumori-genesis and progression of colorectal cancer as well as prognosis after various antitumour therapies.Several studies have indicated that overweight and obese patients with metastatic colorectal cancer experience worse prognoses than those with normal weight,particularly when receiving first-line chemotherapy regimens in combination with bevacizumab.AIM To explore the predictive value of BMI regarding the pathologic response following preoperative chemotherapy for CRLMs.METHODS A retrospective analysis was performed in 126 consecutive patients with CRLM who underwent hepatectomy following preoperative chemotherapy at four different hospitals from October 2019 to July 2023.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were applied to analyse potential predictors of tumour pathological response.The Kaplan-Meier method with log rank test was used to compare progression-free survival(PFS)between patients with high and low BMI.BMI<24.0 kg/m^(2) was defined as low BMI,and tumour regression grade 1-2 was defined as complete tumour response.RESULTS Low BMI was observed in 74(58.7%)patients and complete tumour response was found in 27(21.4%)patients.The rate of complete tumour response was significantly higher in patients with low BMI(29.7%vs 9.6%,P=0.007).Multivariate analysis revealed that low BMI[odds ratio(OR)=4.56,95%confidence interval(CI):1.42-14.63,P=0.011],targeted therapy with bevacizumab(OR=3.02,95%CI:1.10-8.33,P=0.033),preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen level<10 ng/mL(OR=3.84,95%CI:1.19-12.44,P=0.025)and severe sinusoidal dilatation(OR=0.17,95%CI:0.03-0.90,P=0.037)were independent predictive factors for complete tumour response.The low BMI group exhibited a significantly longer median PFS than the high BMI group(10.7 mo vs 4.7 mo,P=0.011).CONCLUSION In CRLM patients receiving preoperative chemotherapy,a low BMI may be associated with better tumour response and longer PFS.

Impacts of radiation therapy on quality of life and pain relief in patients with bone metastases

Bone metastases(BM)are a common complication in advanced cancer patients,significantly contributing to morbidity and mortality due to their ability to cause pain,fractures,and spinal cord compression.Radiation therapy(RT)is vital in managing these complications by targeting metastatic lesions to ease pain,improve mobility,and reduce the risk of skeletal-related events such as fractures.Evidence supports the effectiveness of RT in pain relief,showing its ability to provide significant palliation and lessen the need for opioid painkillers,thereby enhancing the overall quality of life(QoL)for patients with BM.However,optimizing RT outcomes involves considerations such as the choice of radiation technique,dose fractionation schedules,and the integration of supportive care measures to mitigate treatment-related side effects like fatigue and skin reactions.These factors highlight the importance of personalized treatment planning tailored to individual patient needs and tumor characteristics.This mini-review aims to provide comprehensive insights into the multifaceted impacts of RT on pain management and QoL enhancement in BM patients,with implications for refining clinical practices and advancing patient care through the synthesis of findings from various studies.

Study on psychological resilience and associated influencing factors in lung cancer patients with bone metastases

BACKGROUND Evaluating the psychological resilience of lung cancer(LC)patients helps understand their mental state and guides future treatment.However,there is limited research on the psychological resilience of LC patients with bone me-tastases.AIM To explore the psychological resilience of LC patients with bone metastases and identify factors that may influence psychological resilience.METHODS LC patients with bone metastases who met the inclusion criteria were screened from those admitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University.The psychological scores of the enrolled patients were collected.They were then grouped based on the mean psychological score:Those with scores lower than the mean value were placed in the low-score group and those with scores equal to or greater than the mean value was placed in the high-score group.The baseline data(age,gender,education level,marital status,residence,monthly income,and religious beliefs),along with self-efficacy and medical coping mode scores,were compared.RESULTS This study included 142 LC patients with bone metastases admitted to our hospital from June 2022 to December 2023,with an average psychological resilience score of 63.24±9.96 points.After grouping,the low-score group consisted of 69 patients,including 42 males and 27 females,with an average age of 67.38±9.55 years.The high-score group consisted of 73 patients,including 49 males and 24 females,with a mean age of 61.97±5.00 years.χ2 analysis revealed significant differences between the two groups in education level(χ2=6.604,P=0.037),residence(χ2=12.950,P=0.002),monthly income(χ2=9.375,P=0.009),and medical coping modes(χ2=19.150,P=0.000).Independent sample t-test showed that the high-score group had significantly higher self-efficacy scores(t=3.383,P=0.001)and lower age than the low-score group(t=4.256,P<0.001).Furthermore,multivariate logistic regression hazard analysis confirmed that self-efficacy is an independent protective factor for psychological resilience[odds ratio(OR)=0.926,P=0.035,95%confidence interval(CI):0.862-0.995],while age(OR=1.099,P=0.003,95%CI:1.034-1.169)and medical coping modes(avoidance vs confrontation:OR=3.767,P=0.012,95%CI:1.342-10.570;resignation vs confrontation:OR=5.687,P=0.001,95%CI:1.974-16.385)were identified as independent risk factors.A predictive model based on self-efficacy,age,and medical coping modes was developed.The receiver operating characteristic analysis showed an area under the curve value of 0.778(95%CI:0.701-0.856,P<0.001),indicating that the model has good predictive performance.CONCLUSION LC patients with bone metastases are less psychologically resilient than the general population.Factors such as self-efficacy,age,and medical coping modes influence their psychological resilience.Patients with low self-efficacy,old age,and avoidance/resignation coping modes should be closely observed.

Feasibility and limitations of combined treatment for lateral pelvic lymph node metastases in rectal cancer

Colorectal cancer ranks among the most commonly diagnosed cancers globally,and is associated with a high rate of pelvic recurrence after surgery.In efforts to mitigate recurrence,pelvic lymph node dissection(PLND)is commonly advocated as an adjunct to radical surgery.Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy(NACRT)is a therapeutic approach employed in managing locally advanced rectal cancer,and has been found to increase the survival rates.Chua et al have proposed a combination of NACRT with selective PLND for addressing lateral pelvic lymph node metastases in rectal cancer patients,with the aim of reducing recurrence and improving survival outcomes.Nevertheless,certain studies have indicated that the addition of PLND to NACRT and total mesorectal excision did not yield a significant reduction in local recurrence rates or improvement in survival.Consequently,meticulous patient selection and perioperative chemotherapy may prove indispensable in ensuring the efficacy of PLND.

Current status of nerve infiltration by skip metastases in colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer(CRC)is a prevalent malignant tumor,with the global new cases reaching 1.9316 million and deaths reaching 935,200 in 2022.In China,therewere 555,500 new cases of CRC,with an age-standardized incidence rate of 24.07 per 10million,and 286,200 deaths.China accounts for approximately 30%of new cases and deaths from CRC worldwide,with East Asia accounting for over 75%.Initially,CRC presents as local tumor growth,but it has the potential to spread to other body parts over time.Perineural infiltration(PNI)is a relatively less discussed route of diffusion,yet it plays a crucial role in the progression and prognosis of CRC.PNI often occurs alongside local lymph nodes and distant metastases,posing challenges for treatment and management.Clinical symptoms,radiographic findings,and histopathological examination can be used to diagnose PNI with skipmetastasis.Symptoms commonly include local pain,paresthesia,andmotor impairment.Imaging helps identify the mass’s location and relationship to nerves,whereas histopathological examination confirms the diagnosis.Treatment of PNI skipmetastases is similar to other CRC metastases,including surgical resection,chemotherapy,radiotherapy,and targeted therapy.Surgical resection is the primary therapeutic approach,but the wider range of metastasis in PNI skip transfer may limit its feasibility.In cases where surgical resection is not possible,chemotherapy,radiotherapy,and targeted therapy are used to control tumor metastasis.In conclusion,PNI skip metastases increase the risk of poor prognosis for CRC,requiring a comprehensive approach with multiple treatments to prevent disease progression.Early detection and treatment are vital to improving prognosis.

Planning Target Volume Margin in Linac-Based Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Brain Metastases

Background: The treatment of brain metastases with radiotherapy has shifted to the use of Stereotactic Radio-surgery (SRS). The technical issue of expanding the treatment volume around the Gross Tumor Volume (GTV) is a current debate. Radiotherapy centers use variable GTV-PTV margins, ranging from one to 2 mm. Material and Methods: We performed a dosimetric comparison in plans of twenty patients using three margins: PTV zero, PTV1, and PTV2. We also developed imaginary Peel volumes. These volumes are described as follows: Peel1 = PTV1 − GTV, Peel2 = PTV2 − GTV. Results: Our results showed that the mean PTV volume differed significantly across the different margins (p = 0.000). The V12 of the brain significantly varied as a function of PTV margin (p = 0.000). The target coverage and plan quality indices were not significantly different. The Peel volume dosimetric analysis showed that the mean dose was significantly higher in the nearby normal brain tissue: Peel1 (p = 0.022) and Peel 2 (p = 0.013). Conclusion: According to our dosimetric analysis, expanding the GTV into a PTV by 1 mm margin is more convenient than 2 mm.

Current Epidemiology of Intracranial Metastases in Two University Teaching Reference Hospitals of the Town of Yaounde, Cameroon: Analysis of 35 Cases Recorded in the Neurosurgery Departments

Background: The incidence of intracranial metastases (ICMET) has been steadily rising, and its frequency with respect to primary brain tumours is relatively high. Objective: The objectives of this study were to elucidate the current epidemiology and describe the clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic features of ICMET in Yaounde. Method and findings: A descriptive cross-sectional study was done in the neurosurgery departments of the General and Central Hospitals of Yaounde during the period from January 2016 to December 2022. We included all medical booklets of patients admitted for a tumoral intracranial expansive process with our target population being patients with histological evidence of ICMET, and did a retrospective inclusion of data using a pre-established technical form aimed at collecting sociodemographic data, clinical data, paraclinical data, and the treatment procedures. Analysis was done using the SPSS statistical software. A total of 614 cases of intracranial tumors were included among whom 35 presented histological evidence of ICMET. This gives a frequency of 5.7%. The sex ratio was 0.94, the mean age was 55.68 +/- 14.4 years, extremes 28 and 86 years and the age range 50 - 59 was affected in 28.57% of cases. The clinical presentation included signs of raised intracranial pressure (headache, blurred vision, vomiting) in 26 cases (74.3%), motor deficit 48.6%, seizures 17.1%. The mode of onset was metachronous in 71.4% and synchronous in 28.6%. The imaging techniques were cerebral CT scan in 82.9%, cerebral MRI in 40%, TAP scan in 22.9%. The metastatic lesions were supratentorial in 94.3% and single in 62.9%. The primary cancers found were breast cancer (31.4%), lung cancer (25.7%), prostate cancer (17.1%), thyroid cancer (5.7%), colon cancer (2.9%), and melanoma (2.9%). The therapeutic modalities were total resection (68.6%), radiotherapy (37.1%). Conclusion: Intracranial metastases are relatively frequent. There is a female sex predominance and the age group 50 - 59 years is the most affected. Brain metastases mostly occur in patients with a history of known primary tumor. The clinical signs mainly include signs of raised intracranial pressure, motor deficit, seizures and mental confusion. Cerebral CT Scan is the main imaging technique used. Most of the lesions are single and supratentorially located. The primary cancers most represented include breast cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer. Surgery is the main treatment procedure. The adjuvant treatment (radiotherapy, chemotherapy) was limited.

Liver metastases:The role of magnetic resonance imaging

The liver is one of the organs most commonly involved in metastatic disease,especially due to its unique vascularization.It’s well known that liver metastases represent the most common hepatic malignant tumors.From a practical point of view,it’s of utmost importance to evaluate the presence of liver metastases when staging oncologic patients,to select the best treatment possible,and finally to predict the overall prognosis.In the past few years,imaging techniques have gained a central role in identifying liver metastases,thanks to ultrasonography,contrast-enhanced computed tomography(CT),and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI).All these techniques,especially CT and MRI,can be considered the noninvasive reference standard techniques for the assessment of liver involvement by metastases.On the other hand,the liver can be affected by different focal lesions,sometimes benign,and sometimes malignant.On these bases,radiologists should face the differential diagnosis between benign and secondary lesions to correctly allocate patients to the best management.Considering the above-mentioned principles,it’s extremely important to underline and refresh the broad spectrum of liver metastases features that can occur in everyday clinical practice.This review aims to summarize the most common imaging features of liver metastases,with a special focus on typical and atypical appearance,by using MRI.

Multidisciplinary discussion and management of synchronous colorectal liver metastases: A single center study in China

BACKGROUND The multidisciplinary team(MDT)has been carried out in many large hospitals now.However,given the costs of time and money and with little strong evidence of MDT effectiveness being reported,critiques of MDTs persist.AIM To evaluate the effects of MDTs on patients with synchronous colorectal liver metastases and share our opinion on management of synchronous colorectal liver metastases.METHODS In this study we collected clinical data of patients with synchronous colorectal liver metastases from February 2014 to February 2017 in the Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital and subsequently divided them into an MDT+group and an MDT-group.In total,93 patients in MDT+group and 169 patients in MDT-group were included totally.RESULTS Statistical increases in the rate of chest computed tomography examination(P=0.001),abdomen magnetic resonance imaging examination(P=0.000),and preoperative image staging(P=0.0000)were observed in patients in MDT+group.Additionally,the proportion of patients receiving chemotherapy(P=0.019)and curative resection(P=0.042)was also higher in MDT+group.Multivariable analysis showed that the population of patients assessed by MDT meetings had higher 1-year[hazard ratio(HR)=0.608,95%confidence interval(CI):0.398-0.931,P=0.022]and 5-year(HR=0.694,95%CI:0.515-0.937,P=0.017)overall survival.CONCLUSION These results proved that MDT management did bring patients with synchronous colorectal liver metastases more opportunities for comprehensive examination and treatment,resulting in better outcomes.

Baseline radiologic features as predictors of efficacy in patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors with liver metastases receiving surufatinib

Objective:Currently,pre-treatment prediction of patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors with liver metastases(PNELM)receiving surufatinib treatment was unsatisfying.Our objective was to examine the association between radiological characteristics and efficacy/prognosis.Methods:We enrolled patients with liver metastases in the phase III,SANET-p trial(NCT02589821)and obtained contrast-enhanced computed tomography(CECT)images.Qualitative and quantitative parameters including hepatic tumor margins,lesion volumes,enhancement pattern,localization types,and enhancement ratios were evaluated.The progression-free survival(PFS)and hazard ratio(HR)were calculated using Cox’s proportional hazard model.Efficacy was analyzed by logistic-regression models.Results:Among 152 patients who had baseline CECT assessments and were included in this analysis,the surufatinib group showed statistically superior efficacy in terms of median PFS compared to placebo across various qualitative and quantitative parameters.In the multivariable analysis of patients receiving surufatinib(N=100),those with higher arterial phase standardized enhancement ratio-peri-lesion(ASER-peri)exhibited longer PFS[HR=0.039;95%confidence interval(95%CI):0.003−0.483;P=0.012].Furthermore,patients with a high enhancement pattern experienced an improvement in the objective response ratio[31.3%vs.14.7%,odds ratio(OR)=3.488;95%CI:1.024−11.875;P=0.046],and well-defined tumor margins were associated with a higher disease control rate(DCR)(89.3%vs.68.2%,OR=4.535;95%CI:1.285−16.011;P=0.019)compared to poorlydefined margins.Conclusions:These pre-treatment radiological features,namely high ASER-peri,high enhancement pattern,and well-defined tumor margins,have the potential to serve as predictive markers of efficacy in patients with PNELM receiving surufatinib.

Role of advanced imaging techniques in the evaluation of oncological therapies in patients with colorectal liver metastases

In patients with colorectal liver metastasis(CRLMs)unsuitable for surgery,oncological treatments,such as chemotherapy and targeted agents,can be performed.Cross-sectional imaging[computed tomography(CT),magnetic resonance imaging(MRI),18-fluorodexoyglucose positron emission tomography with CT/MRI]evaluates the response of CRLMs to therapy,using post-treatment lesion shrinkage as a qualitative imaging parameter.This point is critical because the risk of toxicity induced by oncological treatments is not always balanced by an effective response to them.Consequently,there is a pressing need to define biomarkers that can predict treatment responses and estimate the likelihood of drug resistance in individual patients.Advanced quantitative imaging(diffusionweighted imaging,perfusion imaging,molecular imaging)allows the in vivo evaluation of specific biological tissue features described as quantitative parameters.Furthermore,radiomics can represent large amounts of numerical and statistical information buried inside cross-sectional images as quantitative parameters.As a result,parametric analysis(PA)translates the numerical data contained in the voxels of each image into quantitative parameters representative of peculiar neoplastic features such as perfusion,structural heterogeneity,cellularity,oxygenation,and glucose consumption.PA could be a potentially useful imaging marker for predicting CRLMs treatment response.This review describes the role of PA applied to cross-sectional imaging in predicting the response to oncological therapies in patients with CRLMs.

Regression of recurrent granulosa cell tumor liver metastases following selective internal radiation therapy

Granulosa cell tumor(GCT)is the most common sex cordstromal tumor,comprising 5%of all ovarian malignancies[1].The disease course is indolent,and the majority of cases present at stage 1.However,metastases may develop with potential sites being peritoneum,lung,brain,liver and bone[2].Due to the rarity of the disease,published evidence for management of granulosa cell tumor liver metastases(GCTLM)is limited.Surgical resection is the optimal treatment in instances where there is a high chance of achieving complete resection[3].With regards to unresectable GCTLM there is a paucity of evidence to guide treatment strategy.

Treatment of patients with multiple brain metastases by isolated radiosurgery:Toxicity and survival

BACKGROUND Radiosurgery for multiple brain metastases has been more reported recently without using whole-brain radiotherapy.Nevertheless,the sparsity of the data still claims more information about toxicity and survival and their association with both dosimetric and geometric aspects of this treatment.AIM To assess the toxicity and survival outcome of radiosurgery in patients with multiple(four or more lesions)brain metastases.METHODS In a single institution,data were collected retrospectively from patients who underwent radiosurgery to treat brain metastases from diverse primary sites.Patients with 4-21 brain metastases were treated with a single fraction with a dose of 18 Gy or 20 Gy.The clinical variables collected were relevant to toxicity,survival,treatment response,planning,and dosimetric variables.The Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients,Mann-Whitney test,Kruskal-Wallis test,and Log-RESULTS From August 2017 to February 2020,55 patients were evaluated.Headache was the most common complaint(38.2%).The median overall survival(OS)for patients with karnofsky performance status(KPS)>70 was 8.9 mo,and this was 3.6 mo for those with KPS≤70(P=0.047).Patients with treated lesions had a median progression-free survival of 7.6 mo.There were no differences in OS(19.7 vs 9.5 mo)or progression-free survival(10.6 vs 6.3 mo)based on prior irradiation.There was no correlation found between reported toxicities and planning,dosimetric,and geometric variables,implying that no additional significant toxicity risks appear to be added to the treatment of multiple(four or more)lesions.CONCLUSION No associations were found between the evaluated toxicities and the planning dosimetric parameters,and no differences in survival rates were detected based on previous treatment status.

Metastases Extracranial Mimicking Meningioma: A Case Report

Background: Skull vault lesions are rare and represent 1% - 2% of all bone masses. Most cerebral metastases are the intra axial tumors, whereas extra-axial masses mimicking meningioma are extremely rare. Case presentation: A 35-year-old woman with a history of mastectomy left breast cancer 5 years below radiotherapy was referred to the neurosurgery department with a parietal extra-axial mass parietal evolving for one year. CT scan with Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an extra-axial tumor with lysis bone. A craniotomy was performed to remove the mass that was located extra-axial. Histopathological examination revealed metastasis. Conclusions: Lesion skull vaults are rare but they should be considered in the differential diagnosis of intraosseous meningioma lesions. In this report, we discuss the clinical aspects of cases we observed, in which the metastasis bone was found thanks to the histological examination of a calvarial mass after surgery.