International Journal of Radiation Research
Volume:22 Issue: 4, Oct 2024

Nowadays, radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are satisfactorily used for the diagnosis and therapy of different types of cancers. In this study, the human absorbed dose of 177Lu-Cetuximab-PAMAM was estimated based on the biodistribution data in tumor-bearing mice.

177Lu-DTPA-CHX-Cetuximab-PAMAM was prepared after the conjugation of cetuximab to PAMAM nanoparticles and DTPA-CHX to mAb-PAMAM. The biodistribution of the labeled nano-system was studied in the tumor-bearing nude mice up to 72 h after injection. The absorbed dose of human organs was calculated according to the animals’ data utilizing the radiation absorbed dose assessment resource (RADAR) and the relative mass extrapolation methods.

The radiolabeled compound, prepared at the optimized conditions, had a radiochemical purity (RCP) of 99.6% ± 0.4% (P < 0.05).  Most of the activity was accumulated in the tumor site (10.14 ± 0.89; P < 0.05). The liver and the kidneys received the highest absorbed dose with 0.561 and 0.207 mSv/MBq, respectively, which is lesser than the other monoclonal antibodies labeled with 177Lu.

Considering the special characteristics of 177Lu-DTPA-CHX-Cetuximab-PAMAM, this radiolabeled nano-system can be considered as a safe and effective radiolabeled compound for treatment of EGFR-expressing tumors.

In this study, Monte Carlo simulations were performed to estimate the dose of proton therapy to involved and uninvolved organs in gastric cancer.

The dose received by involved and uninvolved organs during gastric treatment was simulated during pencil beam scanning proton therapy using the MIRD-UF phantom and the MCNPX code. In this modeling, the appropriate energy range for tumor treatment in the gastric tissue of an adult male MIRD-UF phantom with monoenergetic proton beams was calculated. The dose secondary charged particles, neutrons and photons in the tumor and vital organs were evaluated.

The results showed that, depending on the size of the tumor, the appropriate and optimal range of proton energy to cover the tumor is 67 - 81.5 MeV. The distribution of energy deposition, total primary dose, and the ratio of neutron equivalent dose to absorbed therapeutic dose (H/D) were calculated for the tumor and 12 vital organs. The ratio between the total received dose of the healthy gastric tissue and the delivered dose of the tumor was about 0.0046. The average photon equivalent dose was about 0.9% of the neutrons. The highest H/D ratios for normal stomach, spleen, pancreas, and left kidney tissue were 0.167 mSv/Gy, 0.0362 mSv/Gy, 0.0231 mSv/Gy and 0.0143 mSv/Gy, respectively.

In the study, a small gastric tumor in an adult male phantom was irradiated with high-energy protons. Proton therapy delivered the highest possible dose to the tumor, while the healthy organs received a low dose.

Integrated Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is widely used to diagnose, stage, and track human diseases during whole-body scanning. Standardized uptake values (SUVmax) of normal organs were evaluated by Fluorlne-18-Fluoro-2-doxyD-glucose [18F-FDG (PET/CT)] scanning. Multimodality imaging is an interesting area of research that aims to study the relationship between SUVmax in normal livers and different parameters determined with PET/CT.

A total of 100 people were tested for 18F-FDG PET/CT. All participants fasted for at least 6 hours before PET/CT imaging, and their fasting blood glucose levels were normal. Scans were acquired following an intravenous dose of 18F-FDG, and PET scans were collected 45-90 minutes after FDG injection. We measured the SUVmax in the livers of persons with normal BMI, high BMI, and obesity.

After adjusting each SUVmax based on the results of the BMI calculation, which were determined for each subject based on their height and weight, the relationship between SUVmax and BMI was statistically significant (p value < 0.05). The SUV measurement was greater in males than females, and it increased significantly in both male and female overweight and obese patients. Gender and BMI were the most reliable independent predictors of SUV value.

The hepatic absorption of 18FFDG increases with the patient's BMI. Patients' genders are the independent variables that best predict their hepatic SUV values.

The main purpose of this study is to investigate different methods of radiotherapy (RT) using coplanar three-dimensional conformal RT (3D-CRT (cp)), non-coplanar 3D-CRT RT (3D-CRT (ncp)) and helical tomotherapy (HT) techniques to find the optimal method to treat gastric cancer patients. 

Twenty patients with gastric cancer were retrospectively enrolled. Three different treatment plans including HT, 3D-CRT (cp) and 3D-CRT (ncp) were generated and optimized for each patient. All plans were then evaluated with respect to dosimetric parameters exported from dose-volume histogram curves of target and organ-at-risk (OAR). SPSS software was used for statistical analysis. 

The conformity index in the target was similar for all plans (p > 0.05), but HT showed significantly better homogeneity compared to the two 3D-CRT methods (p-value < 0.05). Compared to the 3D-CRT (cp) and 3D-CRT (ncp) plans, the HT plans significantly reduced the mean dose, V13 and V20 values of the kidneys (p-Value < 0.05); V5 values of both kidneys were lower in the 3D-CRT (ncp) plan compared to 3D-CRT (cp) and HT. The difference was statistically significant. Moreover, the results proved that the 3D-CRT (ncp) could better preserve kidneys rather than 3D-CRT (cp). Dmean of the liver for HT plans (20.03) was significantly higher than those for both coplanar and non-coplanar 3D-CRT plans (17.86 and 17.7, respectively).

Generally, HT plans appear to be the best, but in the case of selecting an optimum method, it is necessary to pay attention to the location of tumors compared to OARs.

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of gamma-irradiation (5kGy) on total phenolic and total flavonoid content, antioxidant capacity, and concentration of phenolic compounds of olive leaves, and to assess the potential hypoglycemic effect of gamma-irradiated olive leaf extract (GOLE) in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

The results indicated that gamma-irradiation caused a significant increase in the total phenol content, total flavonoids, and antioxidant activity in olive leaves compared to raw leaves. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis showed that gamma-irradiation increased the values of phenolic compounds in olive leaves such as hydroxytyrosol, hydroxytyrosol-1-glucoside, rutinhydrate, and tyrosol. The results of the biological study showed that the co-administration of alloxan (150 mg/kg body weight) together with either raw (ROLE) or gamma-irradiated olive leaf extract (GOLE) (1ml/100 gm /body weight/ day/ 8 weeks) to rats caused hypoglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, decreased level of the homeostatic index of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), α-amylase and α-glucosidase activity, and a significant elevation in hepatic glycogen storage and the activity of hepatic hexokinase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, pyruvate kinase and glycogen synthase associated with a significant reduction in hepatic glucose 6-phosphatase, fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase, glycogen phosphorylase, the activity of liver marker enzymes and decreased level of serum creatinine, uric acid, and urea compared to the diabetic group.

The results also showed that the anti-diabetic effect of GOLE was more significant than that observed with ROLE because of the effectiveness of gamma-irradiation (5 kGy) in improving the antioxidant activity and increasing the concentration of biological components of olive Leaf.

The radiation dose received by the eye lens when a chest computed tomography (CT) scan is performed, is generally not recorded in clinical practice, particularly due to the distance of this organ from the X-ray beam.

The absorbed dose in the eye lens was determined by Monte Carlo N-Particle version 5 (MCNP5) calculations and thermoluminescence dosimetry (TLD). Two models of the CT scanner and patient were constructed using the MCNP5 code. The first model was the Bottle Manikin Absorber (BOMAB), which includes the main structures of the eye, and the second was the computational voxelized phantom MAX06. In addition, measurements were carried out in 21 adult patients, which underwent a chest CT study in a Siemens SOMATOM Perspective scanner.

Average Monte Carlo values for the absorbed dose of 16.4 ± 0.4 mGy and 1.97 ± 0.04 mSv for the effective dose were obtained when the BOMAB model was used. Mean values of 13.3 ± 0.3 mGy and 1.59 ± 0.04 mSv, respectively, were obtained for the absorbed dose and effective dose for the MAX06 phantom. TLD measurements gave average values of 12.66 ± 1.33 mGy and 1.52 ± 0.16 mSv for absorbed dose and effective dose, respectively, in simple chest scans, and 7.60 ± 0.63 mGy and 0.91 ± 0.07 mSv, respectively, for simple contrast-enhanced studies.

The results of the Monte Carlo simulations with BOMAB and voxelized phantoms in our study agree relatively well with each other.

Radiation-induced peripheral neuropathy (RIPN) is one of the severe adverse effects of radiation therapy that significantly reduces patient quality of life. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) exert beneficial effects on nerve regeneration following injury. We hypothesized that BMSCs are a potential treatment option for RIPN. This study aimed to evaluate the radioprotective effects of BMSCs on RIPN in a rat model.

The right sciatic nerves of fifty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were locally irradiated with a single dose of 30 Gy X-rays. The rats were randomly divided into three groups (n = 18): Radiation control (RC), Radiation + BMSCs (RB) and Radiation + phosphate-buffered solution (RP). BMSCs and phosphate-buffered solution were administered via gastrocnemius muscle injection 24 hours after radiation exposure. Gait analysis, electrophysiological examinations and morphological examinations were performed subsequently.

No significant differences were observed between the RC and RP groups. Evaluation of the sciatic functional index demonstrated no statistical differences between the three groups after 4, 12 and 24 weeks. The RB group showed better improvement than either RC or RP group, as evidenced by increased motor nerve conductive velocity, expression level of S-100, mean diameter of the axon and thickness of the myelin sheath and decreased perineural scar tissue.

The present study indicated that BMSCs can improve the electrophysiological and morphological features of radiation exposed sciatic nerves, and have therapeutic potential for RIPN management.

To investigate the diagnostic value of head and neck computed tomography angiography (CTA) in combination with color Doppler ultrasonography (CDUS) in carotid artery stenosis in ischemic stroke (IS) patients.

DSA examination was performed on all patients, and they were separated into mild group, moderate group, as well as severe group (n=30) according to the degree of vascular stenosis. Head and neck CTA and CDUS were used to examine the plaque length, thickness, and quantity of each group. The total plaque area, carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), common carotid artery index (CCA), internal carotid artery index (ICA) as well as vertebral artery index (VA) were compared.

A total of 110 narrow blood vessels were detected by CTA combined with ultrasound, and had a higher accuracy rate. The total plaque area, length, thickness and number of plaques, the values of CCA, ICA and VA, and IMT in the moderate together with severe groups presented higher relative to the mild group, and those in severe group presented elevated relative to the moderate group (P < 0.05). The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the combined detection of head and neck CTA and CDUS in the diagnosis of vascular stenosis in IS patients were higher relative to the single detection (P < 0.05).

Head and neck CT angiography in combination with CDUS has a high application value in detecting carotid artery stenosis in IS patients, and provides an important reference value for the formulation of the next treatment plan and the assessment of patient prognosis.

Natural radiation is radiation that comes from two main environmental sources, the cosmic radiation from space that passes through the atmosphere, and terrestrial radiation is created when radionuclides decay in rock and soil. The most important radionuclides forming the natural radioactivity in terrestrial sources are 40K, 238U and 232Th.

In this study, 137Cs, 40K, 238U and 232Th activity levels were measured in samples taken from different parts of the island and beaches to determine the environmental radioactivity of Bozcada-Çanakkale using gamma spectrometry with a NaI(Tl) detector and radiation hazard indexes were calculated for soils.

Average activity concentrations of 40K, 238U, 232Th and 137Cs in soils were obtained as 427, 24, 31, and 29 Bqkg-1, respectively. The average activity values for 40K, 238U, 232Th and 137Cs in beach sands were determined to be 329, 23, 11 and 14 Bqkg-1, respectively. Radiological risk factors for Bozcaada soils were calculated.

Our results were compared with the literature data and average world limit values. As a result of this study, we can state that the activity concentrations of Bozcaada Island beach sands are lower than the activity concentrations of soils. Since Bozcada is an island that attracts tourists, the low radionuclide activity in the beach sands shows that this place does not pose a significant radiological threat to peoples.

This study aimed to test the possibility of using Magnetic Resonance (MR) images to create anthropomorphic breast phantoms for X-ray imaging and to compare the performance of fused deposition modeling (FDM) and 2D inkjet printing with radiopaque inks.

Two physical phantoms were produced using either an inkjet printer on paper or an FDM technique, both based on clinical MR data. The paper phantom was printed with 1.2 g of KI dissolved in 20 ml of water. For the FDM phantom, the extrusion rate was adjusted according to clinical Hounsfield unit (HU) values. These phantoms underwent imaging using a clinical computed tomography (CT) device at two energy spectra, and their CT images were assessed in terms of HUs, histogram distributions, spectral and subjective analyses, as well as cost.

The objective CT analysis of the phantoms revealed that HU values and β-values, indicating the anatomical complexity of the breast parenchyma, were in line with those expected, with an advantage for the FDM-based phantom. In both cases, the β-values were close to those for clinical breast images acquired with high-resolution CT scanners. Subjective evaluation, however, indicated a need for refining the realism of the phantoms, particularly in terms of preserving the fine details.

Breast MR Images offer the possibility of constructing breast phantoms. However, the method fails to replicate fine details in phantom CT images. Addressing this challenge requires improvement in segmentation processes and manufacturing accuracy.

This study aims to investigate the pituitary MRI morphological parameters and alterations in 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25-(OH) D3], free thyroxine (FT4), and sex hormone levels in female children with central precocious puberty (CPP) and assess their clinical relevance.

From February 2022 to February 2023, 46 female children with CPP and 46 healthy controls were included. Pituitary MRI morphological parameters, 25-(OH) D3, FT4, and sex hormone levels were compared. Diagnostic values of each parameter were assessed.

Patients with CPP exhibited higher pituitary height and altered morphology compared to controls, with a higher proportion in grades 4 and 5 (P < 0.05). Coronal and sagittal dimensions were increased, while coronal width was decreased in the study group (P < 0.05). Levels of E2, LH, FSH, and FT4 were elevated, while 25-(OH) D3 was reduced in CPP patients (P < 0.05). Pituitary height, coronal height, and hormone levels showed high diagnostic value for CPP, with AUC values ranging from 0.811 to 0.886. Combined diagnosis using these indicators improved AUC to 0.909.

In female children with CPP, significant differences exist in pituitary MRI morphological parameters, sex hormones, 25-(OH) D3 and FT4 levels, providing valuable diagnostic insights for CPP.

DNA methyltransferase 2 (DNMT2) is reported as an RNA modifier regulating the expression of oncogenes in cancers. This work explored the regulatory potential of DNMT2 in gastric cancer (GC) cell proliferation and migration.

GC cells were induced with Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1) for constructing DNMT2 overexpression model. GC cell proliferation was subject to Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. GC cell migration was observed through wound scratch together with transwell migration assays.

The outcomes showed that the DNMT2 overexpression model was successfully built. Relative to the control, the levels of DNMT2 and SMC3 were apparently decreased by TGF-β1 stimulation, whereas E-cadherin, Smad2 as well as Vimentin expression was elevated by TGF-β1, and GC cell proliferation along with migration were significantly elevated. However, in comparison with the NC group, the DNMT2 overexpression group exhibited higher levels of DNMT2 and SMC3, significantly suppressed E-cadherin, Vimentin along with Smad2 expression, and significantly suppressed GC cell proliferation along with migration.

Overexpression of DNMT2 inhibits GC cell proliferation along with migration. The level of SMC3 was also elevated by DNMT2 overexpression in GC cells. The findings of our study might provide the theoretical basis for the development of GC.

The objective of this study was to examine the impact of synchronous low-dose splenic irradiation (LDSR) on immune function in patients with esophageal cancer undergoing radiotherapy.

Twenty-one patients who were diagnosed with esophageal cancer were randomly allocated to either the control or experimental groups. The control group received routine radiotherapy alone, whereas the experimental group underwent simultaneous LDSR during radiotherapy. Low dosage radiation refers to a beam with a low linear energy transfer (LET) that delivers a dose of 0.2 Gy or less, or a high LET beam that delivers a dose of 0.05 Gy or less, while maintaining an exposure dose rate of 0.005 cGy/min. The lymphocyte subsets in the two groups were analyzed using flow cytometry at various time points during and after treatment. Additionally, complications and their occurrence times were recorded simultaneously.

Gradual decreases were observed in CD16+CD56+, CD3+CD4+, and CD4+/CD8+ ratios following radiotherapy in the control group (p < 0.05). However, no considerable differences were observed between the experimental groups in these ratios (p > 0.05). LDSR was found to induce immunological enhancement and counteract immune suppression caused by radiotherapy. Furthermore, the experimental group experienced larger cumulative dosages that led to problems compared to the control group, with a delayed onset. Despite receiving a higher cumulative dose, the experimental group exhibited lower levels of myelosuppression and radiation esophagitis than the control group (p < 0.05). Overall, the results suggest that synchronous LDSR can enhance immune function during radiotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer and reduce the adverse effects associated with routine radiotherapy.

Synchronous LDSR may induce immunological enhancement during radiotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer, reduce adverse reactions to routine radiotherapy, and enhance tolerance.

To test the value of Computed tomography (CT) features in predicting the infiltration degree and pathological subtype of ground glass lung adenocarcinoma (≤ 3 cm).

Data from 412 lung adenocarcinoma patients with mixed ground glass nodules on CT from Jan. 2017 to Dec. 2021 were tested retrospectively. The patients were separated by the infiltrating degree into a minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA) group and an invasive adenocarcinoma (IAC) group. Then the IAC group was subdivided into low-, medium- and high-risk groups by the prognosis differences among subtypes, which were of lepidic, papillary, and micropapillary predominance respectively.

Average diameter of nodules, average CT value, solid component ratio, lobe sign, and burr sign were independent risk factors of IAC. The average diameter of nodules ≥ 12.5 mm, solid component ratio ≥ 20.96%, average CT value ≥ -473.07 HU, positive lobe sign and positive burr sign indicated the nodules were more likely IAC. Average CT value, and solid component ratio were independent risk factors for the high-risk pathological type of lung adenocarcinoma. The average CT value ≥ -242.92 HU and solid component ratio ≥ 69.536% indicated nodules were more likely the high-risk pathological type of lung adenocarcinoma.

CT imaging features improve the diagnostic efficacy of ground glass nodules, and have certain clinical value.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of a comprehensive nursing plan on post-radiooperative respiratory function, quality of life (QoL), and self-care ability in patients with lung cancer (LC) undergoing radiotherapy and surgery.

A total of 100 LC patients undergoing radiotherapy and surgery were randomly assigned to either the Routine Nursing Care (RNC) group (n = 50) or the Comprehensive Nursing Care (CNC) group (n = 50). Various parameters, including respiratory function, visual analog scale (VAS), self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), self-rating depression scale (SDS), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), exercise of self-care agency scale (ESCA), European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), and complication rate, were assessed.

Compared to the RNC group, the CNC group exhibited a significant decrease in respiratory frequency and an increase in oxygen saturation, maximal breathing capacity, minute ventilation volume, and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) (P < 0.05). Additionally, CNC group scores for VAS, SAS, SDS, and PSQI were lower, while ESCA and EORTC scores were higher compared to the RNC group (P<0.05). Complication rates post-intervention was significantly lower in the CNC group (4.0%) compared to the RNC group (28.0%) (P < 0.05).

In conclusion, comprehensive nursing intervention effectively improves post-radiotherapy operative respiratory function, anxiety, depression, and sleep quality. Furthermore, it enhances self-care ability and QoL in patients with LC undergoing radiotherapy and surgery while reducing the incidence of complications. These findings support the clinical application of comprehensive nursing care in this patient population.

To explore the radiomics features of osteoporotic and malignant neoplastic vertebral compression fractures (VCFs), and to analyze the application value of radiomics in differential diagnosis of osteoporotic and malignant neoplastic VCFs.

Fifty-one patients with VCFs caused by malignant tumors and forty-nine patients with osteoporosis-induced VCFs treated in the Xiaoshan Hospital Affiliated to Hangzhou Normal University from January 2020 to June 2023 were retrospectively collected into a training set (70 cases) and a verification set (30 cases) according to a stratified random sampling design and a 7:3 ratio. The radiomics parameters of T2WI images of the diseased vertebral bodies were extracted, and the parameters with statistical differences were screened out by dimensionality reduction, so as to build a prediction model. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn to evaluate the differential diagnosis performance of radiomics for the etiology of vertebral fractures.

Eight radiomics features were obtained after dimensionality reduction using the LASSO algorithm. The constructed model was effective in differentiating osteoporotic and malignant neoplastic VCFs, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.95; while the AUC for the validation set was 0.84.

The radiomics features of T2WI images of vertebral fractures have high efficiency in the differential diagnosis of fracture etiology.

Nomogram modeling of the nature of thyroid nodules (TNs) is useful in helping physical examiners to make early interventions for malignant nodules. To predict the nature of TNs (benign and malignant) in a Chinese population undergoing physical examination by using nomogram model.

Basic information and ultrasound (US) images were collected from 4,144 examiners who were found to have TNs during their physical examinations between 2023 and 2024. Predictors of malignant thyroid nodules were assessed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression. The examiners' information was randomly categorized into the training set (n = 700) and the test set (n = 300) in a 7:3 ratios. The nomogram model was constructed based on the training set, and the ROCR and RMS program packages were used to plot the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calculate the area under curve (AUC) to evaluate the classification performance of the model.

The maximum diameter of TNs (P = 0.002), waist-to-hip ratio (P = 0.002), diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.001), TSH (P < 0.001), FT4 (P < 0.001), T4 (P = 0.013), Thyroglobulin (P ≤ 0.001), CEA (P = 0.007), Women (P = 0.012), Hypertension (P = 0.047), and multiple nodules (P < 0.001) were predictors of malignant thyroid nodules. The nomogram model constructed on the basis of waist-to-hip ratio, diastolic blood pressure, maximum diameter of TNs, and CEA values was able to better predict malignant thyroid nodules.

Our nomogram model for the nature of TNs constructed on the basis of physical examination information has high accuracy, and can provide some decision support for patients with TNs.

Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) play an important role in the biological and pathological processes of many cancers. LncRNA SChLAP1 and ATB have been shown to be overexpressed in a variety of cancers and may be involved in tumor cell invasion and metastasis. The goal of this study was to investigate the significance of lncRNA ATB and SChLAP1 expression in liquid biopsy of metastatic prostate cancer (PCa) relative to routine investigations.

urine samples from 65 PCa patients we collected to assess ATB and SChlap1 by realtime PCR, serum samples were collected to assess PSA. Bone scan and clinicopathological data including Gleason sum, clinical stage, tumor size and lymph node involvement were collected.

A significant elevation in lncRNA SChLAP1 and ATB expression in bone scan-diagnosed metastatic PCa patients. Both markers were significantly associated with advanced clinical stage, Gleason sum and tumor size. SCHLAP1 expression has high specificity (100%) and moderate sensitivity (68%) at a cutoff point of 2.528. ATB expression has a high sensitivity (93.75%) and specificity (75.76%) at a cutoff value of 4.55. In univariate analysis, Gleason score (> 8), tumor size (> 2), lncRNA ATB express (>4.55), lncRNA SCHAP (>2.53), and PSA (> 35 pg/ml) were independently predictive of a positive bone scan. Only ATB was significant, regardless of the other adjusted factors.

Expression levels of LncRNA SCHALP1 and ATB in PCa patients’ urine samples are promising, non-invasive markers that are associated with advanced clinicopathological parameters, including advanced clinical stage, high grade (Gleason sum) and larger tumor size.

transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the standard treatment for advanced and unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Lenvatinib (LVTN) is one of the novel oral antiangiogenic drugs demonstrating promising application prospects, which has been widely concerned and studied. This work was to systematically analyze efficacy and safety of TCAE combined with LVTN plus radiotherapy (RT) on HCC through the meta-analysis.

a comprehensive search was conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and The Cochrane Library databases from January 2000 to the present to identify studies examining the effectiveness and safety of combining TCAE with LVTN and RT for the treatment of HCC. Relevant literature was screened, and essential information along with evaluation indicators were extracted for analysis. RevMan5.3 was employed for quality assessment and meta-analysis of the included studies, and forest maps (FMs) were drawn.

five studies were included. Meta-analysis showed that TCAE combined with LVTN plus RT enhanced the total objective response rate (ORR) of HCC (OR = 3.16, 95%CI = 1.37-7.32, P < 0.05). TCAE combined with LVTN plus RT enhanced the total survival (OS) rate of HCC patients (OR = 2.01, 95%CI=1.30-3.12, P < 0.05). TCAE combined with LVTN plus RT could reduce the diarrhea rate greatly (OR = 2.84, 95%CI = 1.16-6.96, P< 0.05). However, no observable difference was found in the incidence of hypertension caused by TCAE combined with LVTN plus RT (OR = 2.39, 95%CI = 0.62-9.23, P > 0.05).

LVTN combined with TACE had superior efficacy on HCC compared with non-LVTN combined with TCAE, but the related side effects (SEs) may affect the scope of application and the quality of life of patients.

To analyze the diagnostic efficiency of DCE-MRI combined with DWI for breast cancer and the relationship between imaging characteristics and molecular biological markers.

A total of 120 patients with suspected breast lesions in the hospital were enrolled between January 2021 and October 2023, all underwent MRI examination to obtain DCE-MRI and DWI data. Taking results of pathological diagnosis as the golden standard, diagnostic efficiency of DCE-MRI combined with DWI for breast cancer was analyzed by Kappa consistency test. The expressions of ER, PR, HER-2 and Ki-67 in cancer tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry. The relationship between DCE-MRI, DWI characteristics and molecular biological markers was analyzed.

The consistency Kappa value between MRI and pathology 0.817, and its sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 96.05%, 84.09% and 91.67%, respectively. In patients with breast cancer, tumor diameter was significantly correlated with the expressions of ER, HER-2 and Ki-67 in cancer tissues, tumor morphology was significantly correlated with the expressions of ER, PR, HER-2 and Ki-67, tumor margin was significantly correlated with the expressions of ER and PR, TIC type was significantly correlated with Ki-67 expression, EPER was significantly correlated with HER-2 expression, TTP was significantly correlated with Ki-67 expression, ADC value was significantly correlated with Ki-67 expression, and the above differences were statistically significant (P<0.05).

DCE-MRI combined with DWI has high diagnostic efficiency for breast cancer, and their imaging characteristics are related to molecular biological markers to some extent. Imaging examination can further reflect biological behaviors of breast cancer indirectly.

Scavenger receptor cysteine-rich family member with 4 domains (SSC4D) is aberrantly expressed in gastric cancer (GC) based on bioinformatics analysis. However, its function has not been studied in GC.

The relation of SSC4D with GC patient survival and diagnsois was investigated based on bioinformatics analysis and clinical information from forty-seven patients. SSC4D was silenced by shRNAs and the impact of SSC4D silencing on GC cell proliferaton, migration, and invasion was analyzed. Xenograft nude mice were also used to reveal the function of SSC4D on GC carciogenesis at a pre-clinical level.

The knockdown of SSC4D inhibits GC cell malignacy as well as tumorigenesis.

SSC4D exerts oncogenic effects on GC cell growth, migration, invasiveness and epithelial cell mesenchymal transition (EMT) and tumor growth.

To explore the diffusion characteristics of the hippocampus injury (HI) in children during the complex acute febrile seizure (CAFS) through multiple b value (1000-2000 s/mm2) of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI).

This prospective observational study enrolled children with HI during CAFS, and nasopharyngeal and sinus disease (NSD). The multiple b value from DWI of the hippocampus were scanned.

A total of 41 children were included, with 21 of them had HI during CAFS, while the other 20 children were NSD. There was significant difference in apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of the left and right hippocampus between children with HI during CAFS and NSD (r < 0.05). The corresponding ADC graphs were relatively clear at b = 1000 s/mm2 and 1200 s/mm2.

Hippocampal DWI scans at b = 1000 s/mm2 and 1200 s/mm2 might be recommended clinical b value point for diffusion characterization of HI.

Lung cancer (LC) is major cause of cancer-induced death. The aim of this study wasto investigate application of CT-MRI fusion images under image registration algorithm in radiotherapy for patients suffering from LC and atelectasis.

Sixty cases of lung cancer complicated with atelectasis were randomly divided into an experimental (Exp) group and a control (Ctrl) group, and the patients were scanned by enhanced CT localization and MRI. CT-MRI images were fused by image registration algorithm, and the imaging characteristics and prognosis (curative effect, quality of life, complications) of patients were observed.

It was found that volume of the target area delimited in fusion image in Exp group was less in contrast to that in Ctrl group (P < 0.05). No difference existed in target encasement between the two; there was difference in values of V5 and V10 between the two. P < 0.05 mean lung dose in Exp group was significantly lower than that in Ctrl group. P < 0.05 indicated that value of cardiac V30 in Exp group was obviously less than that in Ctrl group. P < 0.05 demonstrated that lung recruitment in Exp group was greater when compared to that in Ctrl group after radiotherapy, while improvement of quality of life was also significantly better than that in Ctrl group, P < 0.05; overall response rate of radiotherapy in Exp group was slightly greater than that in Ctrl group, but difference showed no statistical significance; and no remarkable difference existed in number of cases of radiation pneumonitis between them, P > 0.05.

Using fusion image can reduce irradiation of normal lung tissue.

To investigate the application value of Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) classification grading diagnosis based on breast ultrasound, molybdenum target radiography mammography and MRI imaging for predicting atypicalbreast ductal hyperplasia (ADH) and breast cancer (BC).

Retrospective analysis of patients who visited the Department of Mammary Gynecology and Obstetrics of Nanjing Medical University for breast lumps between January 2015 and July 2021, based on the pathological findings of breast lumps, included 150 patients with benign breast usual ductal hyperplasia (UDH), 100 patients with atypical breast hyperplasia ADH, and 100 patients with breast cancer BC. The masses were evaluated and graded according to the fifth edition of the BI-RADS criteria, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves) were drawn based on ultrasound, molybdenum target radiography mammography, and MRI for BI-RADS grading to identify atypical hyperplasia (ADH) and breast cancer and the feasibility of the three imaging methods for predicting breast atypical hyperplasia  ADH and breast cancer BC was compared.

The best cut-off value for breast ultrasound prediction of breast atypical hyperplasia ADH and breast cancer BC was BI-RADS grade 3 and the best cut-off value for molybdenum target radiography mammography and MRI prediction of breast atypical hyperplasia ADH and breast cancer BC was BI-RADS grade 4A, with corresponding area under the curve (AUC) of 0.691, 0.757, 0.866; the Jorden index was 0.363, 0.448, 0.662; the sensitivity was 56.30%, 48.20%, 71.20%; specificity 80.00%, 96.60%, 95.00%; positive predictive value 78.87%, 97.22%, 98.11%; negative predictive value 57.97%, 53.43%, 47.50%, respectively.

BI-RADs classification grading diagnosis based on imaging examination has a high value in predicting breast dysplasia  ADH and breast cancer BC. BI-RADs classification grading can be given priority in clinical prediction of breast dysplasia ADH and breast cancer BC to reduce unnecessary invasive examination.

To explore the relation between results of transvaginal ultrasonography and the revised American Society for Reproductive Medicine (r-ASRM) staging based on laparoscopy in patients with endometriosis (EMT) and to establish a prediction model for risk of severe endometriosis based on the imaging characteristics of transvaginal ultrasonography.

A retrospective study was performed between April 2022 and May 2023 on women with EMT. The laparoscopic surgery results were used as the golden standard. Patients were divided into the minimal-to-moderate endometriosis (stage I-III) and severe endometriosis (stage IV) groups based on r-ASRM classification. The transvaginal ultrasonography imaging characteristics were extracted to establish a logistic regression model.

Among 200 patients with endometriosis, there were 78 cases of minimal-to-moderate endometriosis (stage I-III) and 122 cases of severe endometriosis (stage IV). Multivariate analysis showed that the maximum diameter of endometriomas in the right ovary, occurrence of unilateral or bilateral ovarian endometriomas, and degree of obliteration of the rectouterine pouch were independent predictors for the r-ASRM stage of endometriosis. The logistic regression model established using the above three variables had a sensitivity of 82.0%, a specificity of 93.6%, an accuracy of 86.5%, and an area under the curve of 0.933 (standard error 0.016, P < 0.005, 95% confidence interval: 0.901, 0.965).

Based on laparoscopic visualization, the radiomic features of preoperative transvaginal ultrasonography in patients with endometriosis were correlated with the endometriotic stage. The established model using these characteristics accurately predicted the r-ASRM stage of endometriosis after laparoscopic surgery.

All over the world, Computed Tomography (CT) scan is used as an essential method in radiation therapy treatment planning. Ionizing radiation for the medical exposures should follow principle "As Low as Reasonably Achievable" (ALARA) to reduce the dose. The objective of this study is to establish a Diagnostic Reference Level (DRL) for breast Computed Tomography planning (CTp) and compare it with other DRLs because there are no dose guidelines for breast cancer CTp in Iran. The established DRL can be used for dose optimization in CT planning.

We surveyed six RT centers in Tehran and collected data from patients with breast cancer, who were of average size, regarding the volume Computed Tomography Dose Index (CTDIvol), the dose length product (DLP), the dose parameters, the scan length, the thickness of the slices, and the use of automated exposure control (AEC). DRLs were calculated for each dose descriptor using the rounded 75th percentile of the distribution of means.

Data were collected on a total of 90 breast cancer CT localization scans from six CT centers. Significant variation was observed in mean DLP and mean CTDIvol among centers (p value < 0.0001). Moreover, mean mAs and scan length significantly differed across centers (p < 0.0001). Calculated DRLs for breast localization are 296.29 mGy cm and 6.64 mGy for DLP and CTDIvol, respectively which were lower compared with other studies conducted in this field.

There were differences in doses used for breast CT planning among centers. DRLs were proposed for dose optimization and patient radiation protection in CT planning.

surgery (CRS) and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) are recommended for advanced ovarian cancer (aOC) treatment. This study aimed to investigate the therapy-induced genomic changes and immune microenvironment alteration in patients with aOC.

The microarray data of ovarian cancer samples from naïve or treated patients were collected from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between samples were screened. Consensus clustering was conducted to explore the molecular subtypes of ovarian cancer samples. The correlation between tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) signatures with the molecular subtypes was subject to Gene set variation analysis (GSVA). The prognostic signature of aOC was constructed using machine learning based on lasso-cox regression. Finally, immune infiltration analysis was performed for immune landscape evaluation in aOC.

Totally 28 DEGs were found between the control and treatment groups. Enrichment analysis indicated the association of these genes with the immune changes. Moreover, the cluster 1/2 (C1/C2) of ovarian cancer were identified, and the C1 subtype had higher enrichment of TLS-related biomarkers. Moreover, 15 genes were revealed as independent factors for the prediction of ovarian cancer prognosis. Immune infiltration levels were significantly higher in the C1 subtype, which indicated the distinct immune landscape between the two molecular subtypes of ovarian cancer.

The NACT and CRS induced genomic changes were related to immune response in aOC. The findings of our study might deepen our understanding of the TLS-related signature and immune pattern in aOC patients.

Comparison of normal tissue integral dose and treatment monitor units from 3DCRT, IMRT and Rapid treatment plan for oesophagus, left breast, cervical and oropharynx cancer. The calculated normal tissue integral dose from different treatment plans with static and dynamic leaf positions, such as 3DCRT, IMRT and Rapid arc were compared with the generated MU.

Nine patients from oesophagus, left breast and cervix cancer and twelve patients from oropharynx cancer with a total of one hundred and thirty-five generated plans from 3DCRT, IMRT and Rapid arc were analysed. The normal tissue integral dose (NTID) was calculated from in-house developed Python software using a standard formula from the dose-volume histogram.

The analysis showed that the NTID and MU differed significantly from all three treatment planning methods and cancer sites. The highest integral dose was from IMRT and Rapid Arc in the oropharynx and oesophagus cancer site; cervical cancer had a 50% lower NTID, and left breast cancer had a 25% lower NTID than oesophageal cancer.

The results show that NTID is inversely related to body volume, and that MU depends on the type of treatment planning (greater in IMRT).

Radiation therapy is associated with a risk of long-term adverse effects. Ginger extract has several components that have many biological activities and vitamin c has also been recognized for protection against radiation-induced cell damage. The present study is designed to investigate the possible ameliorating effect of ginger extract and vitamin C on radiation-induced oxidative body damage.  Ginger extract and vitamin C were daily given to rats during 14 days before starting irradiation.

Rats were exposed to gamma radiation (6 Gray).

the result revealed that the levels of lipid peroxidation measured in brain tissues such as malondialdehyde (MDA), acetylcholinesterase (AChE) were significantly increased, while reduced the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione (GSH) content, dopamine (DA) and serotonin (ST) levels were significantly decreased in the brain homogenate of irradiated rats. Gamma-irradiation (6 Gy) resulted in a significant elevation in inflammatory markers of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-12 (IL-12) and C-reactive protein (CRP) compared to the control group. The rats that were administrated combined treatment with ginger extract and vitamin C showed significantly less severe damage and remarkable improvement in all of the last mentioned parameters when compared to irradiated rats.

According to the results obtained it could be concluded that a combined treatment with ginger extract by its antioxidant constituents, and vitamin C might be a useful candidate against radiation-induced oxidative stress, enzyme activities in the brain and metabolic disorders without any toxicity.

This work analyzed the efficacy of Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) enhanced scan in evaluating the therapeutic effect and prognosis of interventional therapy in patients with liver cancer (LC).

Eighty-two individuals diagnosed with primary LC were enrolled here and grouped according to the intraoperative treatment. Patients in group A were only treated with digital subtraction angiography (DSA) during the operation, while those in group B received DSA and CBCT during the operation. The operation time, radiation dose, detection rate of tumor lesions, and lipiodol deposition were compared between two groups.

In group A, 54 lesions were identified before operation, 48 lesions during intraoperative angiography, and 6 lesions remained undetected. In group B, 57 LC lesions were identified before operation, and 57 lesions during intraoperative CBCT enhanced scan, and 2 small LC lesions not presented previously were detected. The number of lesions with complete lipiodol precipitation in group B (42) was clearly higher as against group A (32) (P < 0.05). The operation time of group B was clearly longer as against group A (P < 0.05), but there existed no substantial difference in radiation dose patients in different groups (P > 0.05).

The results indicated that CBCT enhanced scan was superior to conventional DSA in detecting tumor    lesions, nutrient arteries, and lipiodol deposition in patients undergoing LC chemoembolization. Importantly, this enhanced method did not increase radiation dose but prolonged the operation time.

This study aims to analyze the clinicopathological characteristics of breast cancer (BC) patients with different genotypes who underwent radiotherapy. The goal is to explore the relationship between these characteristics and the risk of recurrence, providing valuable insights for clinical adjuvant therapy.

A retrospective analysis was conducted on pathological data of 256 BC patients who underwent surgical resection and radiotherapy. Data included age structure, tumor diameter and grading, estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) indicators, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and the cell proliferation antigen marker (Ki-67). Multifactorial analysis was employed to assess correlations.

The distribution of BC patients in the low, medium-high, and high-risk groups was 70.9%, 23.2%, and 5.6%, respectively. Multifactorial analysis revealed that PR, Ki-67 expression, and histological grading were independent factors influencing the RS score, with corresponding P values less than 0.05. They were positively correlated (P < 0.001) with Ki-67 expression levels and tumor tissue grading, and negatively correlated with hormonal indicators. The short-term probability of survival for patients with the four staged BC in the low-risk group was 82.34%, 76.12%, 62.13%, and 60.23%, and 23.69%, respectively. Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients and those with Luminal B BC exhibited a higher risk of metastasis (P < 0.05).

The pathological characteristics of BC patients with different genotypes showed significant differences. TNBC patients and those with Luminal B BC should be particularly vigilant about their risk of recurrence and metastasis, and strengthen prognostic considerations.

To analyze the value of serum human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) and endothelial cell specific molecule-1 (ESM-1) in the evaluation of chemoradiotherapy in patients with lung cancer (LC).

The patients were treated with chemoradiotherapy alone combined with bevacizumab targeted drug therapy. 45 healthy subjects were selected as the control group. According to different clinical effects, it is divided into progression (PD), stability (SD), partial remission (PR) and complete remission (CR). Among them, PR group + CR group + SD group is regarded as the effective group, and PD group is regarded as the ineffective group, Cr + PR = disease effective rate (RR), SD + PR + CR = disease control rate (DCR).

Compared with the control group, serum HE4 and ESM-1 in the study group was decreased (P < 0.05). compared with before treatment, the levels of serum HE4 and ESM-1 in Cr, PR and SD groups decreased (P < 0.05), and these in CR group were decreased than those in PR group (P < 0.05), the levels of serum HE4 and ESM-1 in PR group were decreased than those in SD group (P < 0.05). The best cutoff points of serum HE4 and ESM-1 levels for the diagnosis of therapeutic effect of LC were 69.88 ng/ml and 27.58ng/ml respectively.

The levels of serum HE4 and ESM-1 have obvious diagnostic value for the effect of chemoradiotherapy and targeted drugs in patients with LC, and they play critical role in the evaluation of the effect of drugs in patients with LC.

The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) in the treatment of rectal cancers.

Between January 2021 and January 2023, one hundred patients with rectal tumors came to our hospital. They were randomized into two groups: the ESD group (n = 50) and the TEM group (n = 50). We made comparisons between hospital stay, antibiotic usage rate, intraoperative hemorrhage, and surgery time. Additionally, we assessed the complete tumor resection rate, tumor residual rate, recurrence rate, time of first anal discharge, and serum levels of motilin (MTL) and gastrin (GAS). A 6-month follow-up period was also used to compare the two groups' complication occurrence.

In the ESD group, surgical time, antibiotic usage rate, and hospital stay were significantly reduced compared to the TEM group (P < 0.05). No statistically significant difference in intraoperative bleeding was observed (P > 0.05). Complete tumor resection rate, tumor residual rate, recurrence rate, first anal discharge time, serum MTL and GAS levels, and incidence of complications showed no significant differences between the two groups (P > 0.05).

TEM and ESD demonstrate comparable efficacy in treating rectal tumors. However, ESD exhibits advantages over TEM, including shorter surgical and hospitalization times and lower antibiotic application rates. These findings offer valuable insights for the clinical management of rectal tumors.

this study focused on evaluating the effectiveness of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in patients with cervical cancer (CC) undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

a total of 58 CC patients were included, undergoing examination through DCE-MRI scans. Subsequently, all cases were divided into two groups: the chemotherapy-effective group (32 cases) including complete response (CR) and partial response (PR), and the chemotherapy-ineffective group (26 cases) including stable disease (SD) and disease progression (PD).

after treatment, the average maximum diameter of tumors in the chemotherapy and radiation therapy failure group was 4.38 ± 1.23 cm, drastically larger than the 2.51±0.64 cm in the chemotherapy and radiation therapy response group (P < 0.05). Before treatment, the Ktrans of the chemotherapy and radiation therapy response group was superior to that of the failure group, while Ve was inferior to the latter (P < 0.05). After treatment, the Ktrans of the chemotherapy and radiation therapy response group decreased, showing a more drastic reduction compared to the failure group (P < 0.05). The Ktrans of the chemotherapy and radiation therapy response group was drastically inferior to that of the failure group, with statistical significance (P<0.05). The ΔKtrans% in the chemotherapy and radiation therapy response group was negative, inferior to pre-treatment values. In contrast, the ΔKtrans% in the chemotherapy and radiation therapy failure group was positive, superior to pre-treatment values (P < 0.05).

DCE-MRI demonstrates excellent scanning performance for CC, accurately monitoring the blood flow signals of CC tumors. Ktrans, Ve, and ΔKtrans have high predictive value in neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

We aimed to develop a mould for the over-flexion and over-extension positions to solve the technical problem of patients who find it difficult to form the over-flexion and over-extension positions of the cervical spine by lowering their heads forwards and raising their heads backwards.

We calculated the average physiological bending radian of normal people and measured the depth of the cervical physiological curve using Borden's method. Finally, we designed a mould that conformed to the characteristics of the human cervical spine to conduct nasal bone examinations in the over-flexion and over-extension positions in combination with the patient's examination position.

When the neck is equipped with an over-flexion and over-extension mould when performing coronal nasal bone examinations, the nasal bone structure is more fully displayed than in routine examinations; furthermore, the clinical diagnosis efficiency greatly improves, and the rate of misdiagnosis significantly reduces.

This model increases the comfort of patients and solves the technical problem of patients who cannot maintain the over-flexion and over-extension positions for an extended period.

This study investigates various aspects of TLD-100H radiation dosimeter, including luminescence kinetics, dose response, and the effects of the combination of thermally stimulated (TL) and optically stimulated (OSL) luminescence modes.

The TL kinetic parameters were determined using general order kinetics via computerized glow-curve deconvolution (GOK-CGCD). OSL decay curves and kinetics were also investigated through OSL signal decomposition. The dose response was studied for a practical dose range of 2-80 Gy. Interesting OSL and TL reading modes combination were also tested.

The identified dosimetric peak at ~560 K was deconvoluted into two main peaks (553K and 568K). The dose response study reveals a sublinear behaviour within the considered dose range. Two dominating types of fast and slowly decaying OSL traps were identified. Indicative values of de-trapping probabilities and photoexcitation cross sections of these OSL traps are thus provided. Results of TL and OSL reading modes combination demonstrate well that measuring TL signal before OSL resulted in almost complete erasure of the OSL signal. Additionally, an increase in TL integral intensity by ~+10% was observed when OSL measured firstly, likely due to the emptying of a limited number of lower temperature shallow traps by OSL. Indeed, these no longer applied a screen effect for the higher temperature traps, making their release more prominent in TL reading mode. Consequently, improving or optimizing the TL signal.

These findings contribute to a better understanding of TLD-100H’s behaviour and support its reliability as a radiation dosimeter in medical physics.

Radiation therapy (RT) plays a crucial role in breast cancer management. However, RT may inadvertently expose neighboring organs to potential adverse effects. This study aimed to quantitatively analyze the radiation dose delivered to the cervical and thoracic esophagus during RT, focusing on patients undergoing post-mastectomy adjuvant RT.

This cross-sectional study included 100 breast cancer patients who underwent post-mastectomy adjuvant RT to the chest wall and supraclavicular field (SCF) using 3-Dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy (3DCRT). The dosimetric parameters, including mean dose (Dmean), V5, V10 and V30, were estimated from dose-volume histogram (DVH) data for the cervical and thoracic esophagus.

The mean age of the patients was 54.01 (± 11.62) years. The Dmean (± SD) for the thoracic and cervical esophagus were 1.15 (± 0.52) and 3.06 (± 2.09), respectively, with statistically significant different doses between the thoracic and cervical esophagus (P-value < 0.001). The V5, V10, and V30 for the thoracic esophagus were zero; however, the V5, V10 and V30 for the cervical esophagus were 7.07 (± 15.83), 2.29 (± 8.04) and 0.29 (± 1.99), respectively. The V5 values were significantly higher than V10 (P-value < 0.001) and V30 (P-value < 0.001), while V10 and V30 did not differ significantly (P-value = 0.155).

This study reveals distinct dosimetric patterns for the cervical and thoracic esophagus during RT. The thoracic esophagus received low radiation doses, whereas the cervical esophagus demonstrated higher doses and more significant variability. Findings emphasize the importance of meticulous treatment planning to minimize potential late radiation-induced complications, especially in the cervical region.

Evaluation of X-ray exposure biological effects in neonates are more important due to high radiosensitivity. This study aimed to evaluate the radiation doses of neonates undergoing x- ray radiography using portal machine in intensive care units (NICUs).

We analyzed dose area product (DAP) values among 105 neonates with a gestational age less than 37 weeks admitted at our hospitals between 2021 and 2022. The number of radiographs was 154. DAP values were measured by DAP meter and compared in three category of weight (extremely low weight, low weight and normal weight) in two commonly radiographies (chest and abdomen).

DAP values ranged from 3.21 ± 0.1 to 5.65 ± 2.11 mGy.cm2 and from 2.11 ± 1.98 to 4.38 ± 0.75 mGy.cm2 for patient weight from 920 to 2200 gr in chest and abdomen radiography respectively. These values were higher than the international criteria, standards in some cases. High significantly correlation was shown between technical settings of radiography (KV, CTP, field size) and DAP (P < 0.05 for all).

It is recommended to use the proper collimation, kilovoltage and current time product during radiography of premature neonates to optimize patient protection.

Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) with radioactive Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is a highly sensitive tool that is used for detecting malignancy. However, it can sometimes produce false positive results if done after vaccination. To prove this, we present two cases of individuals who received pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccination (PPV) and later showed FDG accumulation in the axillary lymph nodes during PET/CT scans. The first case involves a 69-year-old man who underwent a PET/CT scan for a health checkup. The scan revealed low-grade FDG uptake in the left axillary lymph nodes. A thorough examination of his medical history revealed that the patient had received PPV in his left upper arm eight days prior to the checkup. The vaccination was suspected to have caused left axillary lymphadenopathy. The second case involves a 66-year-old woman who also underwent a PET/CT scan for a health checkup. The scan showed FDG-avid lymph nodes in the left axillary region and increased FDG uptake in the spleen. After further questioning, it was discovered that the patient had received PPV in her left upper arm eight days prior to the checkup. Seven days after the PET/CT scan, when a complete blood count with differential was performed on the second case, it revealed that all data were within normal limits. Further, an abdominal ultrasound was conducted, which showed normal findings in the spleen. Based on these results, the medical team concluded that the prior vaccination was the cause of the observed benign findings and emphasized the importance of carefully reviewing patient history to differentiate between benign findings and malignant lesions.

This Pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (PASH), a rare benign breast tumor, manifests as a fissured pseudovascular cavity formed by interstitial hyperplasia. Imaging often presents it as a nodular or non-mass-type lesion associated with other benign lesions. Clinical detection of PASH generally reveals a rare mass type.

We report a case of a 13-year-old girl with a rapidly growing circumscribed mass in her unilateral breast. Mammography of the breast revealed a high-density mass without calcification; color Doppler ultrasound showed a low echo with arterial blood flow; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) suggested that the mass was heterogeneous; diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) results indicated a slightly high signal; T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) high-signal components showed a fissure without enhancement; and the time-signal intensity curve of solid components displayed a type I curve. Patient underwent surgical treatment, whereupon pathological results indicated PASH.

PASH presents as a rapidly growing borderline mass without calcification in a unilateral breast. Comparative analyses of the imaging characteristics of multiple MR sequences show significant enhancement of the low-signal area in T2WI results.

Many scientists and colleagues from abroad and Iran (listed below) voluntarily helped us very much in review and evaluation process of manuscripts being accepted for publication in 2024 issues of the International Journal of Radiation Research (IJRR) (Volume 22, numbers 1-4) and those not suitable for publication. Indeed their careful and critically reading the manuscripts and their valuable comments and suggestions greatly improved the quality of papers. On behalf of the executive and editorial board of the IJRR, I sincerely thank all of them for their efforts and support throughout the past years and we hope to have their continued support and help in the future.

Prof. Hossein Mozdarani
Editor-in-Chief, IJRR