Clinical nuclear medicine
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Clinical nuclear medicine · Oct 2014
Detecting interval metastases and response assessment using 18F-FDG PET/CT after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for esophageal cancer.
The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential of FDG PET/CT for the detection of interval distant metastases after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and the prediction of the pathologic response to CRT in esophageal cancer patients. ⋯ Futile surgery was prevented in 8% of our esophageal cancer patients because interval metastases were detected on an FDG PET/CT after neoadjuvant CRT. The accuracy for predicting a complete or major pathologic response was limited and does not support the use of FDG PET/CT for refraining from surgical treatment.
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Clinical nuclear medicine · Sep 2014
11C-MET PET/CT and advanced MRI in the evaluation of tumor recurrence in high-grade gliomas.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of l-[methyl-()11C]methionine (11C-MET) PET/CT and MRI (with the inclusion of advanced imaging techniques, namely, MR spectroscopy and MR perfusion) in the assessment of tumor recurrence in high-grade gliomas. ⋯ Both 11C-MET PET/CT and MRI (with the inclusion of advanced MRI techniques) demonstrated a high diagnostic performance in the identification of tumor residual/recurrence in high-grade gliomas posttherapy. Although 11C-MET PET/CT seemed to be more sensitive, whereas advanced MRI seemed more specific, there was no statistically significant difference in the diagnostic performance of either modality in the present study. Further studies with a larger group of patients are warranted.
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Clinical nuclear medicine · Sep 2014
Tips for a physician in getting the right job, Part XIV: Assessing some of the business and governance aspects of the practice.
The business and governance aspects of a practice are important factors in considering employment. These issues affect the income, quality, harmony, and stability of the group. The job seeker should ask how the group is organized and try to assess how well it is led. This includes observing the efficiency and quality of the clinical operation, seeing how well people get along and how helpful they are to each other, learning about the future plans of the group and how they were determined, and learning about the billing operation.
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Clinical nuclear medicine · Aug 2014
Case ReportsInflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the lung indistinguishable from adenocarcinoma on imaging studies.
We present the case of a right lung nodule discovered on routine chest x-ray in an asymptomatic 62-year-old man. CT revealed a spiculated nodule in segment 1 of the right upper lobe, 2.2 cm in diameter and without calcification. The nodule showed high focal FDG uptake (SUVmax, 17.8) on PET. Right upper lobectomy was performed under the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma; however, the histopathologic findings were of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor.
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Clinical nuclear medicine · Aug 2014
Tips for a physician in getting the right job, part XIII: applicant questions about remuneration, call, and time off.
Part of how an applicant is judged is by the quality of questions he/she asks. If the answers to the questions could be readily found with minimal research, that does not give a good impression. ⋯ If the candidate asks many questions about finances and vacations during the opening minutes of an interview, without inquiring about the practice, that also does not give a good impression. On the other hand, during the later phases of an interview day(s), questions regarding remuneration, call, and time off should be asked.