Pancreatic Atrophy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Receiving Long-Term Treatment with Sorafenib

Chemotherapy-Induced Toxicities: An Imaging Primer

The Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused significant delays in the delivery of cancer treatments in Canada. As cancer treatment and imaging volumes return to normal, radiologists will encounter more cases of chemotherapy-induced toxicities. These toxicities have varied appearances on imaging, and can affect multiple organ systems. The purpose of this review is to offer a unified resource for general radiologists regarding the imaging appearances of chemotherapy-induced toxicities.

Investigation of morphological and functional changes in the liver and pancreas during bevacizumab treatment

Objectives: Recently, there have been reports regarding the atrophy of various organs caused by molecular targeted drugs. We investigated morphological and clinical changes in the liver and pancreas caused by treatment with bevacizumab.Methods: We investigated 30 patients with colorectal cancer who received bevacizumab-containing chemotherapy (study group) and 11 patients with colorectal cancer who received chemotherapy without bevacizumab (control group) from 2010 to 2014. We obtained computed tomography data of the liver and pancreas and performed three-dimensional image analysis and volumetry. Laboratory data before and after chemotherapy were analyzed.Results: There was no significant difference in liver volume before and after bevacizumab-containing chemotherapy, but the pancreatic volume was found to be significantly reduced after bevacizumab-containing chemotherapy (57.9 ± 16 mL versus 47.4 ± 15.3 mL; p = .005). The liver and pancreatic volume did not change statistically in the control group. With regard to complete blood cell counts and laboratory data, no significant differences were observed in the leukocyte count and hemoglobin, hemoglobin A1c, triglyceride, albumin, and C-reactive protein levels. In contrast, there was a significant decrease in the platelet count, total cholesterol level and a significant increase in the amylase level. A chemotherapy regimen that included bevacizumab reduced pancreatic volume and significantly altered the morphology of the pancreas.Conclusions: Although bevacizumab caused atrophy of the pancreas and reduced pancreatic volume, pancreatic endocrine function showed no change. Future studies should investigate the survival rate and functional changes caused by bevacizumab treatment.

Sorafenib-induced Prostate Volume Reduction, a New Adverse Effect Detected by Imaging: A Pilot Study

Background

Sorafenib has been used in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Sorafenib-associated organ reduction have been reported on imaging, such as thyroid, pancreas and muscle, but there has been no research on prostate volume reduction (PVR).

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 26 patients (twenty with HCC and six patients with RCC) who underwent sorafenib therapy for 31 to 1225 days (median, 100 days). PVR was estimated by two independent readers using CT volumetry.

Results

The sum of all prostate volumes measured by reader 1 was 24.2 ± 13.8 cm³ on the baseline CT and 20.4 ± 10.6 cm³ on the follow-up CT (p < 0.001), and that measured by reader 2 was 22.3 ± 13.9 cm³ on the baseline CT and 19.2 ± 10.6 cm³ on the follow-up CT (p < 0.001). The concordance correlation coefficient for the prostate volume measured by the two readers was 0.95 on the baseline CT scans and 0.94 on the follow-up CT scans. Sorafenib-associated PVR demonstrated slight dependence to the exposure time (r = -0.23). One patient with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) showed PVR (from 80.4 to 61.5 cm³ [reader 1]; 83.4 to 61.6 cm³ [reader 2]) after sorafenib administration. Sorafenib-associated PVR occurred in patients both with and without underlying liver dysfunction with relative prostate volume changes of 86.7 ± 12.0% and 85.0 ± 9.0%, respectively.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrated significant PVR with sorafenib treatment in patients regardless of the presence of BPH and underlying liver dysfunction.

Signaling through non-membrane nuclear phosphoinositide binding proteins in human health and disease

Phosphoinositide membrane signaling is critical for normal physiology, playing well-known roles in diverse human pathologies. The basic mechanisms governing phosphoinositide signaling within the nucleus, however, have remained deeply enigmatic owing to their presence outside the nuclear membranes. Over 40% of nuclear phosphoinositides can exist in this non-membrane state, held soluble in the nucleoplasm by nuclear proteins that remain largely unidentified. Recently, two nuclear proteins responsible for solubilizing phosphoinositides were identified, steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1; NR5A1) and liver receptor homolog-1 (LRH-1; NR5A2), along with two enzymes that directly remodel these phosphoinositide/protein complexes, phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN; MMAC) and inositol polyphosphate multikinase (IPMK; ipk2). These new footholds now permit the assignment of physiological functions for nuclear phosphoinositides in human diseases, such as endometriosis, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease/steatohepatitis, glioblastoma, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The unique nature of nuclear phosphoinositide signaling affords extraordinary clinical opportunities for new biomarkers, diagnostics, and therapeutics. Thus, phosphoinositide biology within the nucleus may represent the next generation of low-hanging fruit for new drugs, not unlike what has occurred for membrane phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase drug development. This review connects recent basic science discoveries in nuclear phosphoinositide signaling to clinical pathologies, with the hope of inspiring development of new therapies.

Biliary and pancreatic complications of molecular targeted therapies in cancer imaging

The purpose of this review is to familiarize radiologists with the different imaging manifestations of biliary and pancreatic toxicity of molecular targeted therapies. The advent of molecular targeted therapies for cancer treatment has prompted radiologists to be familiar with these new molecules, their patterns of response, and their class-specific toxicities. While liver and bowel toxicities have been extensively reported in literature, less is known about the pathogenesis and imaging of toxicity involving the pancreatobiliary system. Biliary and pancreatic toxicity of molecular targeted therapies present with variable manifestations and varying degrees of severity, from asymptomatic liver function tests elevation to acute pancreatitis or cholecystitis. Management of these conditions depends on the clinical scenario and the severity of the findings. In this article, we will (1) present the various classes of molecular targeted therapies most commonly associated with biliary and pancreatic toxicity; (2) illustrate imaging findings of drug-associated biliary and pancreatic injuries and their possible differential diagnosis; and (3) provide a guide for management of these conditions.

Cancer therapy related complications in the liver, pancreas, and biliary system: an imaging perspective

Awareness of cancer therapy-induced toxicities is important for all clinicians treating patients with cancer. Cancer therapy has evolved to include classic cytotoxic agents in addition to newer options such as targeted agents and catheter-directed chemoembolisation. Several adverse affects can result from the wide array of treatments including effects on the liver, pancreas, and biliary system that can be visualised on imaging. These complications include sinusoidal obstruction syndrome, fatty liver, pseudocirrhosis, acute hepatitis, pancreatitis, pancreatic atrophy, cholecystitis, biliary sclerosis, and biliary stasis. Many of these toxicities are manageable and reversible with supportive therapies and/or cessation of cancer therapy. The objective of this review is to discuss the imaging findings associated with cancer therapy-induced toxicity of the liver, biliary system, and pancreas.

TEACHING POINTS

• Cancer therapy can have adverse effects on the hepatobiliary system and pancreas. • Cancer therapy-induced toxicities can be visualised on imaging. • Knowledge of imaging changes associated with cancer therapy complications can improve treatment.