Borkflores9746

5 years of basic training during residency at the expense of nuclear medicine, 3) Uncertainty regarding the international recognition of the nuclear medicine subspecialty training, and 4) Uncertain future of nuclear medicine regarding the chances of employment and the ratio of work activities of nuclear medicine to radiology. Conclusion This study provided insight into residents' motives to pursue or refrain from nuclear medicine subspecialization in an integrated nuclear medicine and radiology residency program. Medical imaging specialists in training hospitals and developers of curricula for nuclear medicine and radiology training should take these motives into account to ensure a sufficient outflow of newly graduated nuclear medicine specialists.Recent advances in the field of immune-oncology led to the discovery of next-generation immune checkpoints (ICPs). Lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3), being the most widely studied amongst them, is being explored as a target for the treatment of cancer patients. Several antagonistic anti-LAG-3 antibodies are being developed and are prime candidates for clinical application. Furthermore, validated therapies targeting CTLA-4, PD-1 or PD-L1 showed that only subsets of patients respond. This finding highlights the need for better tools for patient selection and monitoring. The potential of molecular imaging to detect ICPs noninvasively in cancer is supported by several (pre)clinical studies. Here, we report on a nanobody to evaluate whole-body LAG-3 expression in various syngeneic mouse cancer models using nuclear imaging. The radiolabeled nanobody detected LAG-3 expression on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) as soon as 1 hour after injection in the MC38, MO4 and TC-1 cancer models. The nanobody tracer visualized a compensatory upregulation of LAG-3 on TILs in MC38 tumors of mice treated with PD-1 blocking antibodies. When PD-1 blockade was combined with LAG-3 blockade, a synergistic effect on tumor growth delay was observed. In conclusion, these findings consolidate LAG-3 as a next-generation ICP and support the use of nanobodies as tools to noninvasively monitor the dynamic evolution of LAG-3 expression by TILs. This could be exploited to predict therapy outcome.Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is highly expressed on most prostate cancer (PCa) cells, and several PSMA ligands for PET imaging are now available worldwide. 68Ga-PSMA-11 has already received U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency approval, and use of PSMA PET is currently suggested by several international guidelines for investigating PCa in different clinical settings. In primary PCa, PSMA PET has been shown to be superior to cross-sectional imaging for the detection of pelvic lymph nodes and distant metastases with subsequent clinical management changes. Additionally, it might also have a role in intraprostatic tumor localization, especially when combined with multiparametric MRI. In a setting of PCa recurrence, higher detection rates have been observed than for any other available imaging techniques, especially at low prostate-specific antigen values. Furthermore, PSMA PET consistently led to a shift in clinical management, thus increasing the proportion of radiotherapy, surgery, or other focal therapies at the expense of systemic options or no treatment. In oligometastatic disease after radical surgery, PSMA PET may be relevant in guiding a metastasis-directed therapy approach, as preliminary data seem to suggest a benefit in terms of progression-free survival after treatment of PSMA PET-positive lesions. As a staging and gatekeeping technique, PSMA PET represents a reliable whole-body imaging procedure in combination with second-line therapy of castration-resistant PCa, as well as being pivotal when assessing patients eligible for radioligand therapy such as 177Lu-PSMA. This critical review aims at providing a comprehensive overview of the latest literature on the current or emerging main indications, as well as a general outlook on the recommended interpretation criteria for PSMA PET imaging.Shape index and eccentricity index are measures of left ventricular morphology. Although both measures can be quantified with any stress imaging modality, they are not routinely evaluated during clinical interpretation. We assessed their independent associations with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), including measures of post-stress change in shape index and eccentricity index. Methods Patients undergoing single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) between 2009 and 2014 from the REFINE SPECT registry were studied. Shape index (ratio between the maximum LV diameter in short axis and ventricular length) and eccentricity index (calculated from orthogonal diameters in short axis and length) were calculated in end-diastole at stress and rest. Multivariable analysis was performed to assess independent associations with MACE (death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, unstable angina, or late revascularization). Results In total, 14,016 patients, mean age 64.3 ± 12.2 and 8469 (60.4%) male, were included. MACE occurred in 2120 patients during a median follow-up of 4.3 years (interquartile range 3.4 - 5.7). Rest, stress, and post-stress change in shape and eccentricity indices were associated with MACE in unadjusted analyses (all p less then 0.001). However, in multivariable models only post-stress change in shape index (adjusted HR 1.38, p less then 0.001) and eccentricity index (adjusted HR 0.80, P = 0.033) remained associated with MACE. Conclusion Two novel measures, post-stress change in shape index and eccentricity index, were independently associated with MACE and improved risk estimation. Changes in ventricular morphology have important prognostic utility and should be included in patient risk estimation following SPECT MPI.Objective The aim of this study was to assess the added diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) as compared to unenhanced CT (UECT) in PET/CT staging and treatment response assessment of 18FDG-avid lymphomas. Methods 170 PET/UECT followed by CECT scans were prospectively performed for staging (n = 85) and for treatment response assessment (n = 85) of 18FDG-avid lymphomas, during a single session using an integrated 64-slice PET/CT scanner. CECT and UECT images were evaluated separately by two radiologists, whereas PET images by two nuclear physicians. Nodal and extranodal UECT and CECT findings were classified according to the Lugano criteria, and successively compared with PET/CT results, considered the gold standard. KN-93 price In the analysed groups, the agreement rate with the disease status determined via PET was calculated separately for UECT and CECT using Mc Nemar's test on paired data. The added value of the contrast medium was shown by the agreement between the PET and CECT results and the lack of agreement between UECT and PET.