Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Elastographic Evaluation of the Adrenal Glands of Dogs With Hypercortisolism.
de Paula Sesti F, et al
Researchers investigated whether elastography, a technique that measures tissue stiffness using ultrasound, could help detect adrenal gland abnormalities in dogs suffering from hypercortisolism, commonly known as Cushing's disease. The study compared 15 healthy dogs with 15 dogs diagnosed with hypercortisolism, examining the size and stiffness of their adrenal glands using both conventional ultrasonography and elastography. Dogs with hypercortisolism showed significantly enlarged adrenal glands, particularly in the left gland, with notable structural changes most commonly observed at the cranial and caudal poles. Elastographic analysis revealed that the adrenal glands of affected dogs displayed mixed stiffness patterns and were measurably stiffer than surrounding tissue, ranging from 33% to 80% stiffer compared to the adjacent mesentery, a difference that was statistically significant. These findings suggest that elastography, when used alongside standard ultrasound imaging, may serve as a valuable complementary diagnostic tool for veterinarians evaluating dogs suspected of having hypercortisolism, potentially enabling earlier and more accurate diagnosis.
Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association
Source →Simplified dosimetry using two-time-point kinetic modeling of 124I-MIBG PET for 131I-MIBG therapy in neuroblastoma.
Wang Y, et al
Researchers developed and validated a simplified dosimetry method for 131I-MIBG therapy, a standard treatment for metastatic neuroblastoma, aiming to reduce the number of imaging sessions required for personalized radiation dose planning. Conventional dosimetry typically demands three or more imaging sessions to accurately map how radioactive drug accumulates in tumors and organs over time, which burdens patients and clinical workflows. The new approach uses only two PET imaging time points combined with a one-tissue compartmental kinetic model to estimate time-activity curves and time-integrated activity for tumors and organs. Validated in five neuroblastoma patients using 124I-MIBG PET/CT, the two-time-point method achieved an average estimation bias of just 0.3% and a root mean square error of 14.2%, substantially outperforming conventional two-time-point mono-exponential fitting which yielded a bias of 14.9% and a root mean square error well above 36%. These findings suggest that accurate, personalized dosimetry for MIBG therapy can be achieved with fewer patient visits, potentially improving access to individualized treatment planning for children with neuroblastoma.
Medical physics
Source →Neurological Infections in HIV: A Case-Based Review for Clinicians.
Gupta N, et al
This case-based review, published in Le infezioni in medicina, addresses the challenge of diagnosing and managing central nervous system (CNS) diseases in people living with advanced HIV infection, particularly in low-resource clinical settings. The authors present eight illustrative patient scenarios covering the most common HIV-associated CNS conditions, including cryptococcal and tuberculous meningitis, toxoplasmosis, tuberculoma, primary CNS lymphoma, HIV encephalopathy, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, and cytomegalovirus encephalitis. Each case walks clinicians through a structured diagnostic approach that integrates neuroimaging, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, and laboratory diagnostics, organized around a syndromic framework that uses CD4 cell count, disease progression rate, and imaging patterns to narrow the differential diagnosis. The review also covers treatment principles, including appropriate antimicrobial and oncologic therapies, optimal timing for starting antiretroviral therapy, and strategies for preventing and managing immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome. This practical guide is particularly valuable for clinicians working in settings with limited diagnostic infrastructure, offering a context-appropriate roadmap for evaluating and treating some of the most dangerous complications of HIV infection.
Le infezioni in medicina
Source →Fluid Suppression Techniques Combined With Amide Proton Transfer-Weighted Imaging for the Evaluation of Adult-Type Diffuse Gliomas.
Zhu H, et al
Researchers investigated whether fluid suppression (FS) techniques combined with amide proton transfer-weighted (APTw) MRI imaging could improve the assessment of brain tumors known as adult-type diffuse gliomas in 117 patients scanned at 3 Tesla MRI. The study tested two FS approaches — standard FS-APTw and a spillover-corrected version (SCFS-APTw) — to reduce misleading signals from fluid-filled tumor regions such as cysts and necrotic areas. The results showed that SCFS-APTw achieved the highest diagnostic accuracy for identifying IDH mutation status, a key genetic marker that guides treatment decisions, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.846, and it also best distinguished the most aggressive glioma subtype, glioblastoma, from lower-grade tumors. Additionally, SCFS-APTw showed the strongest correlation with Ki-67, a marker of how rapidly tumor cells are dividing. These findings suggest that combining fluid suppression with APTw imaging provides clinicians with a non-invasive MRI-based tool to characterize glioma biology, potentially reducing the need for invasive biopsies and supporting more tailored treatment planning.
Korean journal of radiology
Source →Isocenter Optimization in WBRT: Concurrent Sparing of Lens and Lacrimal Gland via Anterior Penumbra Sharpening.
Xie C, et al
Researchers investigated whether shifting the isocenter — the central reference point used in radiation treatment planning — toward the front of the skull could simultaneously protect two sensitive structures, the lens and lacrimal gland, during whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT). In a study of 40 patients, treatment plans using this anterior isocenter shift were compared against conventional plans using both standard 3D-conformal radiotherapy and a more refined field-in-field technique. The optimized plans reduced the maximum radiation dose to the lens by 20% and significantly lowered doses to the lacrimal gland, while also sharpening the dose gradient at the edge of the treatment field by nearly one-third. These dosimetric improvements translated into meaningfully lower predicted probabilities of developing cataracts or dry eye syndrome after treatment. Crucially, the technique requires no additional hardware or software and can be implemented immediately within existing planning systems, making it highly accessible for radiation oncology departments worldwide. As more patients survive long enough to experience late radiation side effects, this straightforward geometric optimization offers a practical way to improve quality of life after WBRT.
Journal of applied clinical medical physics
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