Sarcomas are a heterogeneous group of tumors comprising approximately 1% of all malignancies. Definitive treatment of sarcoma is surgical resection. However, after surgical removal, 40% to 60% of the patients will develop local or distant recurrence. Therefore, the early detection and treatment of recurrence is an important part of modern sarcoma therapy. Positron emission tomography with fluorine-18-deoxyglucose (FDG-PET) has been highly successful in detecting and staging a variety of malignancies. However, its use in the management of patients with sarcoma is less defined. The purpose of our study was to assess the potential roles of FDG-PET in the detection of local recurrence and distant metastases. In this retrospective study, the images of 33 FDG-PET scans, reports of 29 computed tomography (CT) scans, and 8 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans from 28 patients were compared with surgical pathology or clinical follow up for at least 6 months. FDG-PET detected all 25 cases of local and distant recurrences with 100% sensitivity. CT was able to detect 18 of the 22 possible cases of recurrent disease, whereas MRI was able to detect 5 of 7 cases of recurrent disease. PET was particularly useful in patients with extensive histories of surgery and radiation therapy, precisely the setting in which CT and MRI have the lowest specificity and sensitivity. In conclusion, FDG-PET was a sensitive test to detect local and distant recurrences of sarcoma and this warrants further investigation.

The effect of fetal number (single or twin) on plasma concentrations of progesterone, estradiol 17β, cortisol, prolactin, growth hormone, triiodothyronine, thyroxine and insulin around parturition (periparturient period) were studied on ten Alpine × Beetle crossbred goats in their first to third lactation. The hormone profiles were studied on days -20, -15, -10, -5, -4, -3, -2, -1 prior to kidding and on day 0 and +1, +2, +3, +4, +5, +10, +15, +20 days postkidding. Plasma progesterone levels were significantly (p<0.01) higher in twin bearing goats comparison to single bearing goats during all the days of sampling. The decline in progesterone concentration from day 20 to day 1 before kidding was 56% in twin and 42% in single bearing goats. In single bearing goats plasma estradiol 17β was significantly (p<0.01) higher during prekidding days compared to twin bearing goats. The level of estradiol 17β was highest on the day of kidding in both the groups. The plasma prolactin level in twin bearing goats from day 10 to day 1 prepartum was higher as compared to single fetus bearing goats. However there was abrupt increase in prolactin level on the day of kidding in both the groups. The plasma growth hormone levels were significantly (p<0.01) higher in twin compared to single bearing goats. On the day of kidding growth hormone levels were significantly (p<0.01) higher in twin as compared to single bearing goats (1.40 vs. 0.95 ng/ml). In twin bearing goats plasma cortisol values from day 5 till the day of kidding remained elevated and the levels on the day of kidding was significantly highest in both the groups. The levels of triiodothyronine (T 3 ) were significantly higher (p<0.01) during all the periods of sampling in single compared to twin bearing goats. Plasma thyroxine (T 4 ) was significantly (p<0.01) lower in twin compared to single bearing goats. In single bearing goats plasma insulin levels were significantly (p<0.01) higher than twin bearing goats during prepartum period however during post partum period the levels in both the groups remained similar. It can be concluded that number of fetuses is having significant influence on the hormone profile during periparturient period.

No abstract

The biodistribution of (131)I-MIBG is different using therapeutic doses as compared to pre-therapy doses. (131)I-MIBG imaging following high therapeutic doses often reveals sites of occult metastatic disease that may be clinically relevant.

The effects of fetal number (single or twin) on blood glucose and plasma NEFA during pregnancy and around parturition were studied on ten Alpine × Beetal crossbred goats in their first to third lactation. The animals were divided in-groups 1(carrying single fetus, n=4) and 2(twin fetus, n=6). The samples were drawn on day1 after estrus and then at 14 days interval (fortnight) for 10 fortnights. Around parturition the samples were taken on days -20, -15, -10, -5, -4, -3, -2, -1 prior to kidding and on day 0 and +1, +2, +3, +4, +5, +10, +15, +20 days post kidding. In twin bearing goats the blood glucose concentration continued to increase from 1st until 4th fortnight and thereafter gradually decline from 5th upto 8th fortnight. In single bearing goats there was increase in levels from 2nd upto 4th fortnight and thereafter it declined from 5th uptill 9th fortnight. The difference in sampling interval was highly significant (p<0.01) in both the groups. However the values were higher in single than in twin bearing goats. The plasma NEFA concentration was low in both the groups' upto 4th fortnight and thereafter it is continuously increased upto 9th fortnight. During prepartum period the blood glucose was higher in single than in twin bearing goats. The values were minimum on the day of kidding in both the groups. During postpartum period the values were significantly (p<0.01) higher in twin than in single fetus bearing goats. The plasma NEFA was significantly (p<0.05) higher in twin than in single fetus bearing goats. The blood glucose and plasma NEFA concentration can be used as index of nutritional status during pregnancy and around parturition in goats.