The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of a new somatostatin analog, 68 Ga-labeled 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N9,N$,N$9-tetraacetic acid-D-Phe 1 -Tyr 3 -octreotide ( 68 Ga-DOTA-TOC), for PET in patients with known or suspected neuroendocrine tumors. PET was compared with conventional scintigraphy and dedicated CT. Methods: Eighty-four patients (48 men, 36 women; age range, 28-79 y; mean age 6 SD, 58.2 6 12.2 y) were prospectively studied. For analysis, patients were divided into 3 groups: detection of unknown primary tumor in the presence of clinical or biochemical suspicion of neuroendocrine malignancy (n 5 13 patients), initial tumor staging (n 5 36 patients), and follow-up after therapy (n 5 35 patients). Each patient received 100-150 MBq 68 Ga-DOTA-TOC. Imaging results of PET were compared with 99m Tc-labeled hydrazinonicotinyl-Tyr 3 -octreotide ( 99m Tc-HYNIC-TOC) and 111 In-DOTA-TOC. CT was also performed on every patient using a multidetector scanner. Each imaging modality was interpreted separately by observers who were unaware of imaging findings before comparison with PET. The gold standard for defining true-positive (TP), true-negative (TN), false-positive (FP), and false-negative (FN) results was based on all available histologic, imaging, and follow-up findings. Results: PET was TP in 69 patients, TN in 12 patients, FP in 1 patient, and FN in 2 patients, indicating a sensitivity of 97%, a specificity of 92%, and an accuracy of 96%. The FP finding was caused by enhanced tracer accumulation in the pancreatic head, and the FN results were obtained in patients with a tumor of the gastrointestinal tract displaying liver metastases. 68 Ga-DOTA-TOC showed higher diagnostic efficacy compared with SPECT (TP in 37 patients, TN in 12 patients, FP in 1 patient, and FN in 34 patients) and diagnostic CT (TP in 41 patients, TN in 12 patients, FP in 5 patients, and FN in 26 patients). This difference was of statistical significance (P , 0.001). However, the combined use of PET and CT showed the highest overall accuracy. Conclusion: 68 Ga-DOTA-TOC PET shows a significantly higher detection rate compared with conventional somatostatin receptor scintigraphy and diagnostic CT with clinical impact in a considerable number of patients.

Objectives Previous attempts at meta-analysis and systematic review have not provided clear recommendations for the clinical application of thermal ablation in metastatic colorectal cancer. Many authors believe that the probability of gathering randomised controlled trial (RCT) data is low. Our aim is to provide a consensus document making recommendations on the appropriate application of thermal ablation in patients with colorectal liver metastases. Methods This consensus paper was discussed by an expert panel at The Interventional Oncology Sans Frontières 2013. A literature review was presented. Tumour characteristics, ablation technique and different clinical applications were considered and the level of consensus was documented.Eur Radiol (2015) Results Specific recommendations are made with regard to metastasis size, number, and location and ablation technique. Mean 31 % 5-year survival post-ablation in selected patients has resulted in acceptance of this therapy for those with technically inoperable but limited liver disease and those with limited liver reserve or co-morbidities that render them inoperable.Conclusions In the absence of RCT data, it is our aim that this consensus document will facilitate judicious selection of the patients most likely to benefit from thermal ablation and provide a unified interventional oncological perspective for the use of this technology. Key Points• Best results require due consideration of tumour size, number, volume and location.• Ablation technology, imaging guidance and intraprocedural imaging assessment must be optimised.• Accepted applications include inoperable disease due to tumour distribution or inadequate liver reserve.• Other current indications include concurrent co-morbidity, patient choice and the test-of-time approach.• Future applications may include resectable disease, e.g. for small solitary tumours.

AimsLp(a) concentrations represent a major cardiovascular risk factor and are almost entirely controlled by one single locus (LPA). However, many genetic factors in LPA governing the enormous variance of Lp(a) levels are still unknown. Since up to 70% of the LPA coding sequence are located in a difficult to access hypervariable copy number variation named KIV-2, we hypothesized that it may contain novel functional variants with pronounced effects on Lp(a) concentrations. We performed a large scale mutation analysis in the KIV-2 using an extreme phenotype approach.Methods and ResultsWe compiled an discovery set of 123 samples showing discordance between LPA isoform phenotype and Lp(a) concentrations and controls. Using ultra-deep sequencing, we identified a splice site variant (G4925A) in preferential association with the smaller LPA isoforms. Follow-up in a European general population (n = 2892) revealed an exceptionally high carrier frequency of 22.1% in the general population. The variant explains 20.6% of the Lp(a) variance in carriers of low molecular weight (LMW) apo(a) isoforms (P = 5.75e-38) and reduces Lp(a) concentrations by 31.3 mg/dL. Accordingly the odds ratio for cardiovascular disease was reduced from 1.39 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.17–1.66, P = 1.89e-04] for wildtype LMW individuals to 1.19 [95%CI: 0.92; 1.56, P = 0.19] in LMW individuals who were additionally positive for G4925A. Functional studies point towards a reduction of splicing efficiency by this novel variant.ConclusionA highly frequent but until now undetected variant in the LPA KIV-2 region is strongly associated with reduced Lp(a) concentrations and reduced cardiovascular risk in LMW individuals.

68 Ga-labeled 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N9,N99,N999-tetraacetic acid-D-Phe 1 -Tyr 3 -octreotide (DOTA-TOC) PET has proven its usefulness in the diagnosis of patients with neuroendocrine tumors. Radionuclide therapy ( 90 Y-DOTA-TOC or 177 Lu-DOTA-octreotate) is a choice of treatment that also requires an accurate diagnostic modality for early evaluation of treatment response. Our study compared 68 Ga-DOTA-TOC PET with CT or MRI using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. Furthermore, standardized uptake values (SUVs) were calculated and compared with treatment outcome. Methods: Forty-six patients (29 men, 17 women; age range, 34-84 y) with advanced neuroendocrine tumors were investigated before and after 2-7 cycles of radionuclide therapy. Long-acting somatostatin analogs were not applied for at least 6 wk preceding the follow-up. Data were acquired with a dedicated PET scanner. Emission image sets were acquired at 90-100 min after injection. 68 Ga-DOTA-TOC PET images were visually interpreted by 2 experienced nuclear medicine physicians. For comparison, multislice helical CT scans and 1.5-T MRI scans were obtained. Attenuation-corrected PET images were used to determine SUVs. Repeated CT evaluation and other imaging modalities, for example, 18 F-FDG, were used as the reference standard. Results: According to the reference standard, 68 Ga-DOTA-TOC PET and CT showed a concordant result in 32 patients (70%). In the remaining 14 patients (30%), discrepancies were observed, with a final outcome of progressive disease in 9 patients and remission in 5 patients. 68 Ga-DOTA-TOC PET was correct in 10 patients (21.7%), including 5 patients with progressive disease. In these patients, metastatic spread was detected with the follow-up whole-body PET but was missed when concomitant CT was used. On the other hand, CT confirmed small pulmonary metastases not detected on 68 Ga-DOTA-TOC in 1 patient and progressive liver disease not detected on 68 Ga-DOTA-TOC in 3 patients. Quantitative SUV analysis of individual tumor lesions showed a large range of variability. Conclusion: 68 Ga-DOTA-TOC PET shows no advantage over conventional anatomic imaging for assessing response to therapy when all CT information obtained during follow-up is compared. Only the development of new metastases during therapy was detected earlier in some cases when whole-body PET was used. SUV analysis of individual lesions is of no additional value in predicting individual responses to therapy.

US may be useful for accurate evaluation of the radial nerve in patients with nerve palsy associated with humeral shaft fracture.