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Kifjak D, Hochmair M, Sobotka D, Haug AR, Ambros R, Prayer F, Heidinger BH, Roehrich S, Milos RI, Wadsak W, Fuereder T, Krenbek D, Fazekas A, Meilinger M, Mayerhoefer ME, Langs G, Herold C, Prosch H, Beer L. Metabolic tumor volume and sites of organ involvement predict outcome in NSCLC immune-checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Eur J Radiol 2024; 170:111198. [PMID: 37992608 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2023.111198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to assess the ability of pretreatment PET parameters and peripheral blood biomarkers to predict progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in NSCLC patients treated with ICIT. METHODS We prospectively included 87 patients in this study who underwent pre-treatment [18F]-FDG PET/CT. Organ-specific and total metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were measured using a semiautomatic software. Sites of organ involvement (SOI) were assessed by PET/CT. The log-rank test and Cox-regression analysis were used to assess associations between clinical, laboratory, and imaging parameters with PFS and OS. Time dependent ROC were calculated and model performance was evaluated in terms of its clinical utility. RESULTS MTV increased with the number of SOI and was correlated with neutrophil and lymphocyte cell count (Spearman's rho = 0.27 or 0.32; p =.02 or 0.003; respectively). Even after adjustment for known risk factors, such as PD-1 expression and neutrophil cell count, the MTV and the number of SOI were independent risk factors for progression (per 100 cm3; adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 1.13; 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 1.01-1.28; p =.04; single SOI vs. ≥ 4 SOI: aHR: 2.26, 95%CI: 1.04-4.94; p =.04). MTV and the number of SOI were independent risk factors for overall survival (per 100 cm3 aHR: 1.11, 95%CI: 1.01-1.23; p =.03; single SOI vs. ≥ 4 SOI: aHR: 4.54, 95%CI: 1.64-12.58; p =.04). The combination of MTV and the number of SOI improved the risk stratification for PFS and OS (log-rank test p <.001; C-index: 0.64 and 0.67). CONCLUSION The MTV and the number of SOI are simple imaging markers that provide complementary information to facilitate risk stratification in NSCLC patients scheduled for ICIT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daria Kifjak
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Radiology, UMass Memorial Medical Center and University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA; Christian Doppler Laboratory for Machine Learning Driven Precision, Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Maximilian Hochmair
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Karl Landsteiner Institute of Lung Research and Pulmonary Oncology, Klinik Floridsdorf, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniel Sobotka
- Computational Imaging Research Lab, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander R Haug
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Raphael Ambros
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Florian Prayer
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Benedikt H Heidinger
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sebastian Roehrich
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ruxandra-Iulia Milos
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Wadsak
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine, CBmed, Graz, Austria
| | - Thorsten Fuereder
- Department of Internal Medicine I & Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dagmar Krenbek
- Department of Pathology and Bacteriology, Klinik Floridsdorf, Brünner Strasse 68, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Fazekas
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Karl Landsteiner Institute of Lung Research and Pulmonary Oncology, Klinik Floridsdorf, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Meilinger
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Karl Landsteiner Institute of Lung Research and Pulmonary Oncology, Klinik Floridsdorf, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marius E Mayerhoefer
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg Langs
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Machine Learning Driven Precision, Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria; Computational Imaging Research Lab, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Herold
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Helmut Prosch
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Christian Doppler Laboratory for Machine Learning Driven Precision, Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
| | - Lucian Beer
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Christian Doppler Laboratory for Machine Learning Driven Precision, Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
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Kudura K, Ritz N, Templeton AJ, Kutzker T, Foerster R, Antwi K, Kreissl MC, Hoffmann MHK. Predictive Value of Total Metabolic Tumor Burden Prior to Treatment in NSCLC Patients Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibition. J Clin Med 2023; 12:jcm12113725. [PMID: 37297920 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12113725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We aimed to assess the predictive value of the total metabolic tumor burden prior to treatment in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). METHODS Pre-treatment 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans performed in two consecutive years for staging in adult patients with confirmed NSCLC were considered. Volume, maximum/mean standardized uptake value (SUVmax/SUVmean), metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were assessed per delineated malignant lesion (including primary tumor, regional lymph nodes and distant metastases) in addition to the morphology of the primary tumor and clinical data. Total metabolic tumor burden was captured by totalMTV and totalTLG. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and clinical benefit (CB) were used as endpoints for response to treatment. RESULTS A total of 125 NSCLC patients were included. Osseous metastases were the most frequent distant metastases (n = 17), followed by thoracal distant metastases (pulmonal = 14 and pleural = 13). Total metabolic tumor burden prior to treatment was significantly higher in patients treated with ICIs (mean totalMTV ± standard deviation (SD) 72.2 ± 78.7; mean totalTLG ± SD 462.2 ± 538.9) compared to those without ICI treatment (mean totalMTV ± SD 58.1 ± 233.8; mean totalTLG ± SD 290.0 ± 784.2). Among the patients who received ICIs, a solid morphology of the primary tumor on imaging prior to treatment was the strongest outcome predictor for OS (Hazard ratio HR 28.04, p < 0.01), PFS (HR 30.89, p < 0.01) and CB (parameter estimation PE 3.46, p < 0.01), followed by the metabolic features of the primary tumor. Interestingly, total metabolic tumor burden prior to immunotherapy showed a negligible impact on OS (p = 0.04) and PFS (p = 0.01) after treatment given the hazard ratios of 1.00, but also on CB (p = 0.01) given the PE < 0.01. Overall, biomarkers on pre-treatment PET/CT scans showed greater predictive power in patients receiving ICIs, compared to patients without ICI treatment. CONCLUSIONS Morphological and metabolic properties of the primary tumors prior to treatment in advanced NSCLC patients treated with ICI showed great outcome prediction performances, as opposed to the pre-treatment total metabolic tumor burdens, captured by totalMTV and totalTLG, both with negligible impact on OS, PFS and CB. However, the outcome prediction performance of the total metabolic tumor burden might be influenced by the value itself (e.g., poorer prediction performance at very high or very low values of total metabolic tumor burden). Further studies including subgroup analysis with regards to different values of total metabolic tumor burden and their respective outcome prediction performances might be needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken Kudura
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Sankt Clara Hospital, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Radiology, Sankt Clara Hospital, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
- Sankt Clara Research, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Nando Ritz
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Arnoud J Templeton
- Sankt Clara Research, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tim Kutzker
- Faculty of Applied Statistics, Humboldt University, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Foerster
- Department of Radiooncology, Cantonal Hospital Winterthur, 8400 Winterthur, Switzerland
| | - Kwadwo Antwi
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Sankt Clara Hospital, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Radiology, Sankt Clara Hospital, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michael C Kreissl
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Martin H K Hoffmann
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Sankt Clara Hospital, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Radiology, Sankt Clara Hospital, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
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FDG-PET metrics in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): a review and meta-analysis. Clin Transl Imaging 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s40336-023-00542-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
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Kudura K, Ritz N, Kutzker T, Hoffmann MHK, Templeton AJ, Foerster R, Kreissl MC, Antwi K. Predictive Value of Baseline FDG-PET/CT for the Durable Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibition in NSCLC Patients Using the Morphological and Metabolic Features of Primary Tumors. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:6095. [PMID: 36551581 PMCID: PMC9776660 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14246095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: We aimed to investigate the predictive value of baseline 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) for durable responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) by linking the morphological and metabolic features of primary tumors (PTs) in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Methods: For the purpose of this single-center study, the imaging data of the patients with a first diagnosis of NSCLC and an available baseline FDG-PET/CT between 2020 and 2021 were retrospectively assessed. The baseline characteristics were collected based on clinical reports and interdisciplinary tumor board documentation. The metabolic (such as standardized uptake value SUV maximum and mean (SUVmax, SUV mean), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG)) and morphological (such as volume, morphology, margin, and presence of lymphangiosis through imaging) features of all the PTs were retrospectively assessed using FDG-PET/CT. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), clinical benefit (CB) and mortality rate were used as endpoints to define the long-term response to therapy. A backward, stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed in order to define the best model for predicting lasting responses to treatment. Statistical significance was assumed at p < 0.05. Results: A total of 125 patients (median age ± standard deviation (SD) 72.0 ± 9.5 years) were enrolled: 64 men (51.2%) and 61 women (48.8%). Adenocarcinoma was by far the most common histological subtype of NSCLC (47.2%). At the initial diagnosis, the vast majority of all the included patients showed either locally advanced disease (34.4%) or metastatic disease (36.8%). Fifty patients were treated with ICIs either as a first-line (20%) or second-line (20%) therapy, while 75 patients did not receive ICIs. The median values ± SD of PT SUVmax, mean, MTV, and TLG were respectively 10.1 ± 6.0, 6.1 ± 3.5, 13.5 ± 30.7, and 71.4 ± 247.7. The median volume of PT ± SD was 13.7 ± 30.7 cm3. The PTs were most frequently solid (86.4%) with irregular margins (76.8%). Furthermore, in one out of five cases, the morphological evidence of lymphangiosis was seen through imaging (n = 25). The median follow-up ± SD was 18.93 ± 6.98 months. The median values ± SD of OS and PFS were, respectively, 14.80 ± 8.68 months and 14.03 ± 9.02 months. Age, PT volume, SUVmax, TLG, the presence of lymphangiosis features through imaging, and clinical stage IV were very strong long-term outcome predictors of patients treated with ICIs, while no significant outcome predictors could be found for the cohort with no ICI treatment. The optimal cut-off values were determined for PT volume (26.94 cm3) and SUVmax (15.05). Finally, 58% of NSCLC patients treated with ICIs had a CB vs. 78.7% of patients in the cohort with no ICI treatment. However, almost all patients treated with ICIs and with disease progression over time died (mortality in the case of disease progression 95% vs. 62.5% in the cohort without ICIs). Conclusion: Baseline FDG-PET/CT could be used to predict a durable response to ICIs in NSCLC patients. Age, clinical stage IV, lymphangiosis features through imaging, PT volume (thus PT MTV due to a previously demonstrated linear correlation), PT SUVmax, and TLG were very strong long-term outcome predictors. Our results highlight the importance of linking clinical data, as much as morphological features, to the metabolic parameters of primary tumors in a multivariate outcome-predicting model using baseline FDG-PET/CT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken Kudura
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Sankt Clara Hospital, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nando Ritz
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Basel, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tim Kutzker
- Faculty of Applied Statistics, Humboldt University, 10 117 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Arnoud J. Templeton
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Basel, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
- Sankt Clara Research, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Robert Foerster
- Department of Radiooncology, Cantonal Hospital Winterthur, 8400 Winterthur, Switzerland
| | - Michael C. Kreissl
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Kwadwo Antwi
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Sankt Clara Hospital, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
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Silva SB, Wanderley CWS, Gomes Marin JF, de Macedo MP, do Nascimento ECT, Antonacio FF, Figueiredo CS, Trinconi Cunha M, Cunha FQ, de Castro Junior G. Tumor glycolytic profiling through 18F-FDG PET/CT predicts immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacy in advanced NSCLC. Ther Adv Med Oncol 2022; 14:17588359221138386. [PMID: 36506107 PMCID: PMC9730014 DOI: 10.1177/17588359221138386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background A significant proportion of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) do not respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Since metabolic reprogramming with increased glycolysis is a hallmark of cancer and is involved in immune evasion, we used 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) to evaluate the baseline glycolytic parameters of patients with advanced NSCLC submitted to ICIs, and assessed their predictive value. Methods 18F-FDG PET/CT results in the 3 months before ICIs treatment were included. Maximum standardized uptake values, whole metabolic tumor volume (wMTV), and whole-body total lesion glycolysis (wTLG) were evaluated. Cutoff values for high or low glycolytic categories were determined using receiver-operating characteristic curves. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated. Patients with a complete response and a matching group with resistance to ICIs underwent immunohistochemistry analysis. An unsupervised k-means clustering model integrating programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, glycolytic parameters, and ICIs therapy was performed. Results In all, 98 patients were included. Lower baseline 18F-FDG PET/CT parameters were associated with responses to ICIs. Patients with low wMTV or wTLG had improved PFS and OS. High wTLG, strong tumor expression of glucose transporter-1, and lack of responses were significantly associated. Patients with low glycolytic parameters benefited from ICIs, regardless of chemotherapy. Conversely, those with high parameters benefited from the addition of chemotherapy. Patients with higher wTLG and lower PD-L1 were associated with progression and worse survival to ICIs monotherapy. Conclusions Glycolytic metabolic profiles established through baseline 18F-FDG PET/CT are useful biomarkers for evaluating ICI therapy in advanced NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Fernando Q. Cunha
- Center for Research in Inflammatory Diseases (CRID) and Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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Ling T, Zhang L, Peng R, Yue C, Huang L. Prognostic value of 18F-FDG PET/CT in patients with advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1014063. [PMID: 36466905 PMCID: PMC9713836 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1014063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 08/30/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to investigate the value of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) in predicting early immunotherapy response of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in patients with advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS A comprehensive search of PubMed, Web of science, Embase and the Cochrane library was performed to examine the prognostic value of 18F-FDG PET/CT in predicting early immunotherapy response of ICIs in patients with NSCLC. The main outcomes for evaluation were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Detailed data from each study were extracted and analyzed using STATA 14.0 software. RESULTS 13 eligible articles were included in this systematic review. Compared to baseline 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging, the pooled hazard ratios (HR) of maximum and mean standardized uptake values SUVmax, SUVmean, MTV and TLG for OS were 0.88 (95% CI: 0.69-1.12), 0.79 (95% CI: 0.50-1.27), 2.10 (95% CI: 1.57-2.82) and 1.58 (95% CI: 1.03-2.44), respectively. The pooled HR of SUVmax, SUVmean, MTV and TLG for PFS were 1.06 (95% CI: 0.68-1.65), 0.66 (95% CI: 0.48-0.90), 1.50 (95% CI: 1.26-1.79), 1.27 (95% CI: 0.92-1.77), respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that high MTV group had shorter OS than low MTV group in both first line group (HR: 1.97, 95% CI: 1.39-2.79) and undefined line group (HR: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.61-2.77). High MTV group also showed a shorter PFS in first line group (HR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.28-2.68), and low TLG group had a longer OS in undefined group (HR: 1.37, 95% CI: 1.00-1.86). No significant differences were in other subgroup analysis. CONCLUSION Baseline MTV and TLG may have predictive value and should be prospectively studied in clinical trials. Baseline SUVmax and SUVmean may not be appropriate prognostic markers in advanced or metastatic NSCLC patients treated with ICIs. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=323906, identifier CRD42022323906.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Ling
- Department of Pharmacy, Suqian First Hospital, Suqian, China
| | - Lianghui Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Changzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Changzhou, China
| | - Rui Peng
- Department of General Surgery, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chao Yue
- Department of General Surgery, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lingli Huang
- Department of Pharmacy, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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Jin P, Bai M, Liu J, Yu J, Meng X. Tumor metabolic and secondary lymphoid organ metabolic markers on 18F-fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography predict prognosis of immune checkpoint inhibitors in advanced lung cancer. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1004351. [DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1004351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to investigate the predictive value of tumor metabolic parameters in combination with secondary lymphoid metabolic parameters on positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) for immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) prognosis in advanced lung cancer.MethodsThis study retrospectively included 125 patients who underwent 18F-fludeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT before ICI therapy, including 41 patients who underwent a second PET/CT scan during ICI treatment. The measured PET/CT parameters included tumor metabolism parameters [maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean), total lesion glycolysis (TLG), and total metabolic tumor volume (TMTV)] and secondary lymphoid organ metabolism parameters [spleen-to-liver SUVmax ratio (SLR) and bone marrow-to-liver SUVmax ratio (BLR)]. The correlation of PET/CT metabolic parameters with early ICI treatment response, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) was analyzed.ResultsWithin a median follow-up of 28.7 months, there were 44 responders and 81 non-responders. The median PFS was 8.6 months (95% confidence interval (CI): 5.872–11.328), and the median OS was 20.4 months (95% CI: 15.526–25.274). Pretreatment tumor metabolic parameters were not associated with early treatment responses. The high bone marrow metabolism (BLR >1.03) was significantly associated with a shorter PFS (p = 0.008). Patients with a high TMTV (>168 mL) and high spleen metabolism (SLR >1.08) had poor OS (p = 0.019 and p = 0.018, respectively). Among the 41 patients who underwent a second PET/CT scan, the ΔSUVmax was significantly lower (p = 0.01) and the SLR was significantly higher (p = 0.0086) in the responders. Populations with low-risk characteristics (low TMTV, low SLR, and ΔSLR > 0) had the longest survival times.ConclusionHigh pretreatment TMTV and SLR are associated with poor OS, and increased spleen metabolism after ICI therapy predicts treatment benefit. This indicates that the combination of tumor and spleen metabolic parameters is a valuable prognostic strategy.
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Gao Y, Wu C, Chen X, Ma L, Zhang X, Chen J, Liao X, Liu M. PET/CT molecular imaging in the era of immune-checkpoint inhibitors therapy. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1049043. [PMID: 36341331 PMCID: PMC9630646 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1049043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 04/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy, especially immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), has paved a new way for the treatment of many types of malignancies, particularly advanced-stage cancers. Accumulating evidence suggests that as a molecular imaging modality, positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) can play a vital role in the management of ICIs therapy by using different molecular probes and metabolic parameters. In this review, we will provide a comprehensive overview of the clinical data to support the importance of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT (18F-FDG PET/CT) imaging in the treatment of ICIs, including the evaluation of the tumor microenvironment, discovery of immune-related adverse events, evaluation of therapeutic efficacy, and prediction of therapeutic prognosis. We also discuss perspectives on the development direction of 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging, with a particular emphasis on possible challenges in the future. In addition, we summarize the researches on novel PET molecular probes that are expected to potentially promote the precise application of ICIs.
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Radiomic and Volumetric Measurements as Clinical Trial Endpoints—A Comprehensive Review. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14205076. [PMID: 36291865 PMCID: PMC9599928 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14205076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The extraction of quantitative data from standard-of-care imaging modalities offers opportunities to improve the relevance and salience of imaging biomarkers used in drug development. This review aims to identify the challenges and opportunities for discovering new imaging-based biomarkers based on radiomic and volumetric assessment in the single-site solid tumor sites: breast cancer, rectal cancer, lung cancer and glioblastoma. Developing approaches to harmonize three essential areas: segmentation, validation and data sharing may expedite regulatory approval and adoption of novel cancer imaging biomarkers. Abstract Clinical trials for oncology drug development have long relied on surrogate outcome biomarkers that assess changes in tumor burden to accelerate drug registration (i.e., Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 (RECIST v1.1) criteria). Drug-induced reduction in tumor size represents an imperfect surrogate marker for drug activity and yet a radiologically determined objective response rate is a widely used endpoint for Phase 2 trials. With the addition of therapies targeting complex biological systems such as immune system and DNA damage repair pathways, incorporation of integrative response and outcome biomarkers may add more predictive value. We performed a review of the relevant literature in four representative tumor types (breast cancer, rectal cancer, lung cancer and glioblastoma) to assess the preparedness of volumetric and radiomics metrics as clinical trial endpoints. We identified three key areas—segmentation, validation and data sharing strategies—where concerted efforts are required to enable progress of volumetric- and radiomics-based clinical trial endpoints for wider clinical implementation.
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Ter Maat LS, van Duin IAJ, Elias SG, van Diest PJ, Pluim JPW, Verhoeff JJC, de Jong PA, Leiner T, Veta M, Suijkerbuijk KPM. Imaging to predict checkpoint inhibitor outcomes in cancer. A systematic review. Eur J Cancer 2022; 175:60-76. [PMID: 36096039 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2022.07.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Checkpoint inhibition has radically improved the perspective for patients with metastatic cancer, but predicting who will not respond with high certainty remains difficult. Imaging-derived biomarkers may be able to provide additional insights into the heterogeneity in tumour response between patients. In this systematic review, we aimed to summarise and qualitatively assess the current evidence on imaging biomarkers that predict response and survival in patients treated with checkpoint inhibitors in all cancer types. METHODS PubMed and Embase were searched from database inception to 29th November 2021. Articles eligible for inclusion described baseline imaging predictive factors, radiomics and/or imaging machine learning models for predicting response and survival in patients with any kind of malignancy treated with checkpoint inhibitors. Risk of bias was assessed using the QUIPS and PROBAST tools and data was extracted. RESULTS In total, 119 studies including 15,580 patients were selected. Of these studies, 73 investigated simple imaging factors. 45 studies investigated radiomic features or deep learning models. Predictors of worse survival were (i) higher tumour burden, (ii) presence of liver metastases, (iii) less subcutaneous adipose tissue, (iv) less dense muscle and (v) presence of symptomatic brain metastases. Hazard rate ratios did not exceed 2.00 for any predictor in the larger and higher quality studies. The added value of baseline fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography parameters in predicting response to treatment was limited. Pilot studies of radioactive drug tracer imaging showed promising results. Reports on radiomics were almost unanimously positive, but numerous methodological concerns exist. CONCLUSIONS There is well-supported evidence for several imaging biomarkers that can be used in clinical decision making. Further research, however, is needed into biomarkers that can more accurately identify which patients who will not benefit from checkpoint inhibition. Radiomics and radioactive drug labelling appear to be promising approaches for this purpose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurens S Ter Maat
- Image Science Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Isabella A J van Duin
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Sjoerd G Elias
- Department of Epidemiology, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Paul J van Diest
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Josien P W Pluim
- Image Science Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Medical Image Analysis, Department Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands; Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Joost J C Verhoeff
- Department of Radiotherapy, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Pim A de Jong
- Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Tim Leiner
- Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinical, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Mitko Veta
- Medical Image Analysis, Department Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands; Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Karijn P M Suijkerbuijk
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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11
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Zhu K, Su D, Wang J, Cheng Z, Chin Y, Chen L, Chan C, Zhang R, Gao T, Ben X, Jing C. Predictive value of baseline metabolic tumor volume for non-small-cell lung cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: A meta-analysis. Front Oncol 2022; 12:951557. [PMID: 36147904 PMCID: PMC9487526 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.951557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have emerged as a promising treatment option for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, highlighting the need for biomarkers to identify responders and predict the outcome of ICIs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of baseline standardized uptake value (SUV), metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) derived from 18F-FDG-PET/CT in advanced NSCLC patients receiving ICIs. Methods PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched from January 1st, 2011 to July 18th, 2022, utilizing the search terms “non-small-cell lung cancer”, “PET/CT”, “standardized uptake value”, “metabolic tumor volume”, “ total lesion glycolysis”, and “immune checkpoint inhibitors”. Studies that analyzed the association between PET/CT parameters and objective response, immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and prognosis of NSCLC patients treated with ICIs were included. We extracted the hazard ratio (HR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). We performed a meta-analysis of HR using Review Manager v.5.4.1. Results Sixteen studies were included for review and thirteen for meta-analysis covering 770 patients. As for objective response and irAEs after ICIs, more studies with consistent assessment methods are needed to determine their relationship with MTV. In the meta-analysis, low SUVmax corresponded to poor PFS with a pooled HR of 0.74 (95% CI, 0.57-0.96, P=0.02). And a high level of baseline MTV level was related to shorter PFS (HR=1.45, 95% CI, 1.11-1.89, P<0.01) and OS (HR, 2.72; 95% CI, 1.97-3.73, P<0.01) especially when the cut-off value was set between 50-100 cm3. SUVmean and TLG were not associated with the prognosis of NSCLC patients receiving ICIs. Conclusions High level of baseline MTV corresponded to shorter PFS and OS, especially when the cut-off value was set between 50-100 cm3. MTV is a potential predictive value for the outcome of ICIs in NSCLC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Zhu
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- International School, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Danqian Su
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- International School, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianing Wang
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- International School, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhouen Cheng
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- International School, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yiqiao Chin
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- International School, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Luyin Chen
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- International School, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chingtin Chan
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- International School, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rongcai Zhang
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- International School, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tianyu Gao
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaosong Ben
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaosong Ben, ; Chunxia Jing,
| | - Chunxia Jing
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaosong Ben, ; Chunxia Jing,
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12
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Hicks RJ. The value of the Standardized Uptake Value (SUV) and Metabolic Tumor Volume (MTV) in lung cancer. Semin Nucl Med 2022; 52:734-744. [PMID: 35624032 DOI: 10.1053/j.semnuclmed.2022.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The diagnosis, staging and therapeutic monitoring of lung cancer were amongst the first applications for which the utility of FDG PET was documented and FDG PET/CT is now a routine diagnostic tool for clinical decision-making. As well as having high sensitivity for detection of disease sites, which provides critical information about stage, the intensity of uptake provides deeper biological characterization, while the burden of disease also has potential clinical significance. These disease characteristics can easily be quantified on delayed whole-body imaging as the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and metabolic tumor volume (MTV), respectively. There have been significant efforts to harmonize the measurement of these features, particularly within the context of clinical trials. Nevertheless, however calculated, in general, a high SUVmax and large MTV have been shown to have an adverse prognostic significance. Nevertheless, the use of these parameters in the interpretation and reporting of clinical scans remains inconsistent and somewhat controversial. This review details the current status of semi-quantitative FDG PET/CT in the evaluation of lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodney J Hicks
- Department of Medicine, St Vincent's Medical School, University of Melbourne, Melbourne Academic Centre for Health, University of Melbourne Centre for Cancer Research, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Central Clinical School, Alfred Hospital, Monash University, Melbourne VIC, Australia.
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13
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Yao Y, Zhou X, Zhang A, Ma X, Zhu H, Yang Z, Li N. The role of PET molecular imaging in immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in lung cancer: Precision medicine and visual monitoring. Eur J Radiol 2022; 149:110200. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2022.110200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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14
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Disease Burden on PET Predicts Outcomes for Advanced NSCLC Patients Treated with First-Line Immunotherapy. Clin Lung Cancer 2022; 23:291-299. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cllc.2022.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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15
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Liao X, Liu M, Wang R, Zhang J. Potentials of Non-Invasive 18F-FDG PET/CT in Immunotherapy Prediction for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Front Genet 2022; 12:810011. [PMID: 35186013 PMCID: PMC8855498 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.810011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), by targeting cytotoxic-T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4, programmed cell death 1 (PD-1), or PD-ligand 1, have dramatically changed the natural history of several cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). There are unusual response manifestations (such as pseudo-progression, hyper-progression, and immune-related adverse events) observed in patients with ICIs because of the unique mechanisms of these agents. These specific situations challenge response and prognostic assessment to ICIs challenging. This review demonstrates how 18F-FDG PET/CT can help identify these unusual response patterns in a non-invasive and effective way. Then, a series of semi-quantitative parameters derived from 18F-FDG PET/CT are introduced. These indexes have been recognized as the non-invasive biomarkers to predicting the efficacy of ICIs and survival of NSCLC patients according to the latest clinical studies. Moreover, the current situation regarding the functional criteria based on 18F-FDG PET/CT for immunotherapeutic response assessment is presented and analyzed. Although the criteria based on 18F-FDG PET/CT proposed some resolutions to overcome limitations of morphologic criteria in the assessment of tumor response to ICIs, further researches should be performed to validate and improve these assessing systems. Then, the last part in this review displays the present status and a perspective of novel specific PET probes targeting key molecules relevant to immunotherapy in prediction and response assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jianhua Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
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16
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First-Line Pembrolizumab Mono- or Combination Therapy of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Baseline Metabolic Biomarkers Predict Outcomes. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13236096. [PMID: 34885206 PMCID: PMC8656760 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13236096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is used for staging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and can help to estimate prognosis in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. Most available data in that field were derived from cohorts treated in higher therapy lines using ICI monotherapy with different drugs. Currently, however, most advanced NSCLC patients receive first-line ICI treatment, often in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy. We evaluated prognostic PET/CT biomarkers in 85 patients receiving first-line ICI, 70 (82%) of them as a chemotherapy–ICI combination. We found that patients with a higher metabolically active tumor volume (MTV) had a significantly poorer survival and lower radiological response rate. In patients with high MTV, a concomitantly low bone marrow to liver ratio indicated a better prognosis. Our results demonstrate that PET/CT-derived biomarkers can aid therapeutic decision-making in ICI-treated NSCLC. Abstract Quantitative biomarkers derived from positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) have been suggested as prognostic variables in immune-checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). As such, data for first-line ICI therapy and especially for chemotherapy–ICI combinations are still scarce, we retrospectively evaluated baseline 18F-FDG-PET/CT of 85 consecutive patients receiving first-line pembrolizumab with chemotherapy (n = 70) or as monotherapy (n = 15). Maximum and mean standardized uptake value, total metabolic tumor volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis, bone marrow-/and spleen to liver ratio (BLR/SLR) were calculated. Kaplan–Meier analyses and Cox regression models were used to assess progression-free/overall survival (PFS/OS) and their determinant variables. Median follow-up was 12 months (M; 95% confidence interval 10–14). Multivariate selection for PFS/OS revealed MTV as most relevant PET/CT biomarker (p < 0.001). Median PFS/OS were significantly longer in patients with MTV ≤ 70 mL vs. >70 mL (PFS: 10 M (4–16) vs. 4 M (3–5), p = 0.001; OS: not reached vs. 10 M (5–15), p = 0.004). Disease control rate was 81% vs. 53% for MTV ≤/> 70 mL (p = 0.007). BLR ≤ 1.06 vs. >1.06 was associated with better outcomes (PFS: 8 M (4–13) vs. 4 M (3–6), p = 0.034; OS: 19 M (12-/) vs. 6 M (4–12), p = 0.005). In patients with MTV > 70 mL, concomitant BLR ≤ 1.06 indicated a better prognosis. Higher MTV is associated with inferior PFS/OS in first-line ICI-treated NSCLC, with BLR allowing additional risk stratification.
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17
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Eaton KD, Romine PE, Martins RG, Leblond A, Carr LL, Vesselle HJ. Adaptive Fluorodeoxyglucose-Positron Emission Tomography Based Chemotherapy Selection for Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer. Cureus 2021; 13:e18804. [PMID: 34796077 PMCID: PMC8590825 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.18804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives The change in tumor fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake by positron emission tomography (PET) scan after one cycle of platinum-based chemotherapy has been shown to predict progression-free and overall survival (PFS and OS) among advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Using early FDG-PET response to determine subsequent chemotherapy, we aim to evaluate the role that adaptive chemotherapy regimens have on later CT response, PFS, and OS in patients with advanced NSCLC. Materials and Methods Chemotherapy-naïve patients with metastatic NSCLC received carboplatin and paclitaxel (CP) on day one and repeated FDG-PET on day 18. PET-responding patients continued CP chemotherapy for a total of four cycles. PET non-responders were switched to alternate docetaxel and gemcitabine (DG) for three additional cycles. The primary outcome was the CT Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST 1.0) response. Secondary endpoints included PFS and OS. Results Forty-six patients initiated treatment with chemotherapy on trial and were evaluable by PET/CT. Of these, 19 (41%) met the FDG-PET criteria for the response after a single cycle of CP. Only one non-responding patient had a CT response. Despite the lack of CT response in the DG arm, no trend for worse PFS or OS was seen between the two arms. Conclusions This work demonstrates that changing chemotherapy in the event of non-response by PET did not lead to improved CT RECIST response. However, non-responding patients who switched chemotherapy had similar PFS and OS to those who responded by PET and continued the same regimen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith D Eaton
- Medical Oncology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | | | | | - Antoine Leblond
- Nuclear Medicine, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, CAN
| | | | - Hubert J Vesselle
- Nuclear Medicine, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, USA
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18
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Lopci E. Immunotherapy Monitoring with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Based on [ 18F]FDG PET/CT in Metastatic Melanomas and Lung Cancer. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10215160. [PMID: 34768681 PMCID: PMC8584484 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10215160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors has prompted a major change not only in cancer treatment but also in medical imaging. In parallel with the implementation of new drugs modulating the immune system, new response criteria have been developed, aiming to overcome clinical drawbacks related to the new, unusual, patterns of response characterizing both solid tumors and lymphoma during the course of immunotherapy. The acknowledgement of pseudo-progression, hyper-progression, immune-dissociated response and so forth, has become mandatory for all imagers dealing with this clinical scenario. A long list of acronyms, i.e., irRC, iRECIST, irRECIST, imRECIST, PECRIT, PERCIMT, imPERCIST, iPERCIST, depicts the enormous effort made by radiology and nuclear medicine physicians in the last decade to optimize imaging parameters for better prediction of clinical benefit in immunotherapy regimens. Quite frequently, a combination of clinical-laboratory data with imaging findings has been tested, proving the ability to stratify patients into various risk groups. The next steps necessarily require a large scale validation of the most robust criteria, as well as the clinical implementation of immune-targeting tracers for immuno-PET or the exploitation of radiomics and artificial intelligence as complementary tools during the course of immunotherapy administration. For the present review article, a summary of PET/CT role for immunotherapy monitoring will be provided. By scrolling into various cancer types and applied response criteria, the reader will obtain necessary information for better understanding the potentials and limitations of the modality in the clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Egesta Lopci
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, IRCCS-Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, MI, Italy
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19
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Zhang S, Zhang R, Gong W, Wang C, Zeng C, Zhai Y, Fang Q, Dai L. Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography Parameters Predict Efficacy of Immunotherapy in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas. Front Oncol 2021; 11:728040. [PMID: 34650916 PMCID: PMC8506113 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.728040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This study aims to assess the association between positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) parameters and the response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in unresectable head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Methods A total of 105 patients receiving immunotherapy (pembrolizumab or sintilimab with/without cisplatin) were retrospectively enrolled in this study; pretreatment data regarding metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) were collected. The primary interest of the study was objective response rate (ORR), and the secondary was progression-free survival (PFS). Results The mean total MTV was 40.6 cm3 (range: 8.5-100.3), ORRs in tumors with total MTV of ≥40.6 and <40.6 cm3 were 43.1% and 23.1%, respectively; the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.018). Survival analysis indicated similar PFS rates in the two groups (p = 0.057). The mean total SUVmax was 12.5, ORRs in tumors with total SUVmax ≥12.5 and <12.5 were 40.0% and 26.0%, respectively; the difference was not significant (p = 0.092). Survival analysis reported patients with total SUVmax of ≥12.5 had significantly worse PFS (p = 0.001) than patients with total SUVmax of <12.5. Conclusions In HNSCC, total MTV ≥40.6 cm3 translated into improved clinical response but not into better PFS; total SUVmax had no effect on clinical response, but total SUVmax ≥12.5 was associated with worse PFS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songtao Zhang
- Department of Thyroid and Head Neck, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Runfang Zhang
- Department of Thyroid and Head Neck, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Wenbo Gong
- Department of Thyroid and Head Neck, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Chao Wang
- Department of Thyroid and Head Neck, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Chen Zeng
- Department of Thyroid and Head Neck, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yifei Zhai
- Department of Thyroid and Head Neck, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Qigen Fang
- Department of Thyroid and Head Neck, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Liyuan Dai
- Department of Thyroid and Head Neck, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
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20
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Dall'Olio FG, Marabelle A, Caramella C, Garcia C, Aldea M, Chaput N, Robert C, Besse B. Tumour burden and efficacy of immune-checkpoint inhibitors. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2021; 19:75-90. [PMID: 34642484 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-021-00564-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that a high tumour burden has a negative effect on anticancer immunity. The concept of tumour burden, simply defined as the total amount of cancer in the body, in contrast to molecular tumour burden, is often poorly understood by the wider medical community; nonetheless, a possible role exists in defining the optimal treatment strategy for many patients. Historically, tumour burden has been assessed using imaging. In particular, CT scans have been used to evaluate both the number and size of metastases as well as the number of organs involved. These methods are now often complemented by metabolic tumour burden, measured using the more recently developed 2-deoxy-2-[18F]-fluoro-D-glucose (FDG)-PET/CT. Serum-based biomarkers, such as lactate dehydrogenase, can also reflect tumour burden and are often also correlated with a poor response to immune-checkpoint inhibitors. Other circulating markers (such as circulating free tumour DNA and/or circulating tumour cells) are also attracting research interest as surrogate markers of tumour burden. In this Review, we summarize evidence supporting the utility of tumour burden as a biomarker to guide the use of immune-checkpoint inhibitors. We also describe data and provide perspective on the various tools used for tumour burden assessment, with a particular emphasis on future therapeutic strategies that might address the issue of inferior outcomes among patients with cancer with a high tumour burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo G Dall'Olio
- Department of Cancer Medicine, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France.,Division of Medical Oncology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Department of Specialized, Experimental and Diagnostic Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Aurélien Marabelle
- Drug Development Department, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France.,Faculty of Medicine, University Paris-Saclay, Kremlin Bicêtre, France.,Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM), Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
| | - Caroline Caramella
- Department of Radiology, Hôpital Marie Lannelongue, Le Plessis-Robinson, France
| | - Camilo Garcia
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Endocrine Oncology, Institut Gustave Roussy and University Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France
| | - Mihaela Aldea
- Department of Cancer Medicine, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
| | - Nathalie Chaput
- Laboratory of Immunomonitoring in Oncology, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France.,Faculty of Pharmacy, University Paris-Saclay, Chatenay-Malabry, France
| | - Caroline Robert
- Department of Cancer Medicine, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France.,Faculty of Medicine, University Paris-Saclay, Kremlin Bicêtre, France.,Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM), Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
| | - Benjamin Besse
- Department of Cancer Medicine, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France. .,Faculty of Medicine, University Paris-Saclay, Kremlin Bicêtre, France.
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21
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Flaus A, Habouzit V, De Leiris N, Vuillez JP, Leccia MT, Perrot JL, Prevot N, Cachin F. FDG PET biomarkers for prediction of survival in metastatic melanoma prior to anti-PD1 immunotherapy. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18795. [PMID: 34552135 PMCID: PMC8458464 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98310-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Our aim was to analyse whether biomarkers extracted from baseline 18F-FDG PET before anti-PD1 treatment contribute to prognostic survival information for early risk stratification in metastatic melanoma. Fifty-six patients, without prior systemic treatment, BRAF wild type, explored using 18F-FDG PET were included retrospectively. Our primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Total metabolic tumoral volume (MTV) and forty-one IBSI compliant parameters were extracted from PET. Parameters associated with outcome were evaluated by a cox regression model and when significant helped build a prognostic score. Median follow-up was 22.1 months and 21 patients died. Total MTV and long zone emphasis (LZE) correlated with shorter OS and served to define three risk categories for the prognostic score. For low, intermediate and high risk groups, survival rates were respectively 91.1% (IC 95 80–1), 56.1% (IC 95 37.1–85) and 19% (IC 95 0.06–60.2) and hazard ratios were respectively 0.11 (IC 95 0.025–0.46), P = 0.0028, 1.2 (IC 95 0.48–2.8), P = 0.74 and 5.9 (IC 95 2.5–14), P < 0.0001. To conclude, a prognostic score based on total MTV and LZE separated metastatic melanoma patients in 3 categories with dramatically different outcomes. Innovative therapies should be tested in the group with the lowest prognosis score for future clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Flaus
- Nuclear Medecine Department, Saint-Etienne University Hospital, University of Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France. .,Nuclear Medicine Department, East Group Hospital, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France. .,Service de Medecine Nucléaire, Hôpital Nord, CHU de Saint-Etienne, 42 055, Saint-Etienne, Cedex 2, France.
| | - V Habouzit
- Nuclear Medecine Department, Saint-Etienne University Hospital, University of Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - N De Leiris
- Nuclear Medecine Department, CHU Grenoble Alpes, University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France.,Laboratoire Radiopharmaceutiques Biocliniques, University Grenoble Alpes, INSERM, CHU Grenoble Alpes, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - J P Vuillez
- Nuclear Medecine Department, CHU Grenoble Alpes, University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France.,Laboratoire Radiopharmaceutiques Biocliniques, University Grenoble Alpes, INSERM, CHU Grenoble Alpes, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - M T Leccia
- Dermatology Department, CHU Grenoble Alpes, University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - J L Perrot
- Dermatology Department, Saint-Etienne University Hospital, University of Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - N Prevot
- Nuclear Medecine Department, Saint-Etienne University Hospital, University of Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - F Cachin
- Nuclear Medicine Department, Jean Perrin Cancer Center of Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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22
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Ke L, Wang L, Yu J, Meng X. Prognostic Significance of SUVmax Combined With Lactate Dehydrogenase in Advanced Lung Cancer Patients Treated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Plus Chemotherapy: A Retrospective Study. Front Oncol 2021; 11:652312. [PMID: 34094942 PMCID: PMC8171668 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.652312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose This research aims to investigate the predictive capacity of PET/CT quantitative parameters combined with haematological parameters in advanced lung cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) plus chemotherapy. Methods A total of 120 patients who underwent 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) were enrolled before therapy. The following parameters were calculated: the maximum, mean, and peak standardized uptake value (SUVmax, SUVmean, and SUVpeak, respectively); total tumour volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG); and whole-body metabolic values (MTVwb, TLGwb, SUVmeanwb, and SUVmaxwb). Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, absolute neutrophil count, absolute platelet count, albumin levels and derived neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (dNLR) were also computed. The associations between the variables and therapy outcome (evaluated by iRECIST) were analyzed. Results Based on iRECIST, 32 of 120 patients showed iPD, 43 iSD, 36 iPR and 9 iCR. Multivariate analysis found that SUVmax, MTVwb, LDH and absolute platelet count were associated with treatment response (P =0.015, P =0.005, P <0.001 and P =0.015, respectively). Kaplan-Meier survival analyses showed that SUVmax ≥11.42 and LDH ≥245 U/L were associated with shorter OS (P = 0.001 and P = 0.004, respectively). Multivariate Cox regression revealed that SUVmax and LDH alone were not correlated with survival prognosis (p>0.05), but the combination of SUVmax and LDH was independently associated with OS (P=0.015, P=0.001, respectively). The median survival time (MST) for the low (LDH<245 and SUVmax<11.42), intermediate(LDH<245 or SUVmax<11.42), and high(SUVmax≥11.42 and LDH≥245) groups was 24.10 months (95% CI: 19.43 to 28.77), 17.41 months (95% CI: 15.83 to 18.99), and 13.76 months (95% CI: 12.51 to 15.02), respectively. Conclusion This study identified that SUVmax plus LDH correlated with the survival outcome in patients with advanced lung cancer receiving PD-1/PD-L1 blockade plus chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linping Ke
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China.,Department of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China.,Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Jinming Yu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Xue Meng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
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Vekens K, Everaert H, Neyns B, Ilsen B, Decoster L. The Value of 18F-FDG PET/CT in Predicting the Response to PD-1 Blocking Immunotherapy in Advanced NSCLC Patients with High-Level PD-L1 Expression. Clin Lung Cancer 2021; 22:432-440. [PMID: 33879398 DOI: 10.1016/j.cllc.2021.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The objective of this study was to evaluate if 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT)-derived parameters are useful in predicting response and survival after programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) blocking immunotherapy in patients with advanced NSCLC characterized by a high programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression (≥50%) on immunohistochemistry. PATIENTS AND METHODS In 30 patients with advanced stage IV non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and high PD-L1 expression, 18F-FDG PET/CT parameters before start of treatment with PD-1 blocking immunotherapy were evaluated retrospectively. In 24 out of the 30 patients, 18F-FDG PET/CT was available 8 to 9 weeks after start of the treatment. Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST 1.1) and metabolic responses assessed on 18F-FDG PET/CT were compared. RESULTS Median follow-up was 20 months (range, 4.2-37.6). Median PD-L1 expression was 80%. The objective response rate with RECIST 1.1 was 53.3%. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 12.4 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0-37.8), and median overall survival (OS) was 14.9 months (95% CI, 2.4-38.2). Baseline 18F-FDG PET/CT parameters did not differ between responders and non-responders (all P > .05). The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) was the only 18F-FDG PET/CT parameter associated with PFS (P = .04), with a trend for OS (P = .06). At first evaluation, response according to total metabolic tumor volume (TMTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were associated with PFS and OS (both P < .0001). This was not the case for RECIST 1.1 (P = .29 for PFS and P = .38 for OS). CONCLUSION Clinical response and survival were independent from metabolic tumor volume at baseline. Reduction of metabolic tumor volume after 8 to 9 weeks of treatment was a better predictor for prolonged survival than RECIST 1.1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolien Vekens
- Respiratory Division, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Hendrik Everaert
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bart Neyns
- Department of Medical Oncology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bart Ilsen
- Radiology Department, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Lore Decoster
- Department of Medical Oncology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
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