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Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance and relationship of miR-497 and metadherin to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumor characteristics and patients’ survival. Methods: This study enrolled 120 (60 HCC patients and 60 healthy) subjects. Serum miR-497 and metadherin mRNA relative expression were analyzed by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The overall survival (OS) of HCC patients was assessed using the Kaplan–Meier curve and log-rank test. Results: Serum miR-497 showed statistically significant downregulation in HCC patients compared to controls (p < 0.001). Serum metadherin mRNA relative expression was significantly upregulated in HCC patients compared to controls (p < 0.001). Both serum miR-497 and metadherin mRNA expression were significantly associated with the number of tumor foci (p = 0.028 and 0.001, respectively), tumor size (p = 0.022 and <0.001, respectively), nodal metastasis (p = 0.003 and 0.003, respectively), distant metastasis (p = 0.003 and 0.003, respectively), vascular invasion (p = 0.040 and <0.001, respectively), and BCLC staging (p = 0.043 and 0.004, respectively). The overall survival was lower in patients with low miR-497 expression (p = 0.046) and in patients with high metadherin expression (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The expression levels of miR-497 showed downregulation in HCC patients, but metadherin expression showed upregulation. Both markers were inversely related and closely correlated with tumor characteristics and patients’ survival.

Background: Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (FDG-PET/CT) functional imaging has shown to be an invaluable non-invasive, diagnostic method, enhancing the accuracy in the presenting of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). The purpose of this research was to evaluate the role of the maximum standardized uptake value (SUV max) in PET-CT in staging and follow-up of operable and non-operable patients with NSCLC. Methods: This prospective research carried on 50 cases with histopathological diagnosis of NSCLC were mentioned to do PET/CT scanning for initial staging of the disease (17 patients died, 28 survived, and five were lost to follow-up so 28 patients out of 50 came for follow-up after treatment with surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy). All cases underwent intravenous contrast media, 18F-FDG Dosage Administration, CT Technique, PET Technique, PET-CT Fusion, and PET/CT Interpretation. Results: SUV max is a semi-quantitative technique of determining 18F-FDG uptake by tumor cells. Adenocarcinomas have lower 18F-FDG uptake and lower SUV max measurements compared to the squamous cell carcinoma. The average SUVs of tumours ≥ 4 were significant increased compared to those < 4, and additional analysis showed that SUV max was significantly correlated with tumor size. SUV max is a prognostic factor of T and N stages as T1 lesions had a decrease average SUV max compared to T2 and a lower mean SUV max than T3/T4 lesions, also we found that the mean SUV max of N0 is lower compared to that of NI, NII, and lower than NIII. There was a strong association among ΔSUV and Δ size. Conclusion: FDG-PET/CT was a valuable, efficient, and reliable method of analysis in the initial staging and follow-up of lung cancer cases, and lately became a portion of the international standards in the diagnosis and the follow-up of cases with bronchogenic carcinoma.

Background and objectives: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma represents one of the common malignancies with a relatively poor prognosis. However, early detection of this type of cancer may prove to be curable. Recent advancements in the radiological techniques might represent a hope for the early diagnosis and prediction of prognosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. This study aimed to assess the prognostic value of the primary tumor volumetric parameters obtained from FDG PET/CT first stage for the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma and to explore the possible correlation between serum matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and the patients’ characteristics. Methods: Fifty patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma were subjected to FDG PET/CT scan. The SUVpeak, SUVmax, and the metabolic tumor volume (MTV) were determined, as well as the SUVmean of the liver. Moreover, serum levels of MMP-2 were assessed. Follow-up of the patients was carried out for sixty months with determination of PFS and OS. Results: Peak SUV ≥ 3.9 was significantly correlated with the primary pancreatic lesions’ mean total glycolytic activity of >92 g, and MTV and was directly correlated with mortality. There was a positive correlation between peak SUV ≥ 3.9 and 50% SUVmax threshold > 82. Moreover, there was significant correlation between the total glycolytic activity and the studied clinicopathologic factors, except the age and sex of the patients and ECOG performance status. In addition, FDG uptake and the tumor glycolytic activity were substantially linked with a shorter PFS. Similarly, a strong correlation was found between MTV and PFS. Serum MMP-2 levels showed a significant relationship with the performance status, tumor stage, SUVmax threshold, and the glycolytic activity. Conclusions: Peak SUV, main lesion SUVmax, serum MMP-2, and the tumor glycolytic activity are good predictors of PFS of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma.