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Imaging of solitary pulmonary nodule-a clinical review.

Quant Imaging Med Surg. 2013 Dec;3(6):316-326

Authors: Sim YT, Poon FW

Abstract
Current widespread use of cross-sectional imaging has led to exponential rise in detection of solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs). Whilst large numbers of these are benign 'incidentalomas', lung cancers presenting as SPNs are often early disease, which have good prognosis. Therefore, there is rising demand and expectation for more accurate, non-invasive, diagnostic tests to characterize SPNs, aiming to avoid missed or delayed diagnosis of lung cancer. There are wide differential diagnoses of benign and malignant lesions that manifest as SPNs. On conventional imaging, the morphological features supporting benignity include stable small nodule size, smooth demarcated margins, and calcifications. Lack of significant contrast enhancement is also more suggestive of benign nodules. With improved understanding of tumor biology, for instance neo-vascularization and increased vascular permeability, imaging techniques such as dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) provide details on contrast uptake and wash-out kinetics, which is more closely reflecting the physiological and pathological phenomena. Positron emission tomography (PET) using 18fluorine-fluoro-deoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) is a well-established functional imaging technique, for which one of the most common indications is differentiating between benign and malignant SPNs. Combined PET-CT integrates the anatomical, morphological and metabolic aspects in a single examination, improving overall diagnostic accuracy. Semi-quantitative analysis in FDG-PET imaging is based on measurement of maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax). SUVmax analysis may become more useful as an assessment of tumor biology in future risk stratification models for cancers. Dual-time point FDG-PET imaging, dual-energy CT, perfusion CT, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging using dynamic contrast enhancement or diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) techniques, are among the growing armamentarium for diagnostic imaging of SPNs. Provided there is no unacceptably high procedural or operative risk, tissue diagnosis by resection or percutaneous biopsy of SPN should be advocated in those patients identified as at moderate or high risk of malignancy, based on clinical stratification.

PMID: 24404446 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

The risk of cancer among patients with sleep disturbance: a nationwide retrospective study in Taiwan.

Ann Epidemiol. 2013 Dec;23(12):757-61

Authors: Hu LY, Chen PM, Hu YW, Shen CC, Perng CL, Su TP, Yen SH, Tzeng CH, Chiou TJ, Yeh CM, Chen TJ, Wang WS, Liu CJ

Abstract
PURPOSE: To investigate the risk of cancer among patients with nonapnea sleep disorders (SDs).
METHODS: We included newly diagnosed SD patients aged 20 years and older without antecedent cancer between 2000 and 2010 from the National Health Insurance Research Database. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of cancers were calculated to compare the cancer incidence of patients with SD with that of the general population.
RESULTS: During the 10-year study period, 2062 cancers developed among 63,381 SD patients, who were observed for 382,826 person-years (median follow-up of 6.23 years). The SIR for all cancers was 1.19 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14e1.24). For specific cancer types, SD patients exhibited an increased SIR for liver and lung cancers (1.44; 95% CI, 1.28e1.61 and 1.34; 95% CI, 1.18e1.51, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS: We observed that overall cancer risk is increased among Asian SD patients. In terms of individual cancers, the risks of liver and lung cancers were elevated. Clinicians should be aware of the possibility of increased liver and lung cancers among SD patients in Taiwan. A prospective study is necessary to confirm these findings.

PMID: 24404566 [PubMed - in process]

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Determinants of arterial stiffness in COPD.

BMC Pulm Med. 2014;14(1):1

Authors: Bhatt SP, Cole AG, Wells JM, Nath H, Watts JR, Cockcroft JR, Dransfield MT

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality is high in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and arterial stiffness is a potentially modifiable risk factor with added predictive value beyond that obtained from traditional risk factors. Arterial stiffness has been the target of pharmacologic and exercise interventions in patients with COPD, but the effects appear limited to those patients with more significant elevations in arterial stiffness. We aimed to identify predictors of increased arterial stiffness in a cohort with moderate to severe COPD.
METHODS: Aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV) was measured in subjects with moderate to severe COPD enrolled in a multicenter randomized controlled trial. Subjects were categorized into quartiles based on aPWV values and factors affecting high arterial stiffness were assessed. Multivariate models were created to identify independent predictors of high aPWV, and cardiovascular disease (CVD).
RESULTS: 153 patients were included. Mean age was 63.2 (SD 8.2) years and mean FEV1 was 55.4 (SD 15.2) % predicted. Compared to the quartile with the lowest aPWV, subjects in the highest quartile were older, had higher systolic blood pressure (SBP), were more likely to be current smokers, and had greater burden of thoracic aortic calcification. On multivariate analyses, age (adjusted OR 1.14, 95%CI 1.05 to 1.25, p = 0.003) and SBP (adjusted OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.09, p = 0.001) were independent predictors of elevated aPWV. Body mass index, therapy with cholesterol lowering medications and coronary calcification were independent predictors of CVD.
CONCLUSIONS: Elevated arterial stiffness in patients with COPD can be predicted using age, blood pressure and thoracic aortic calcification. This will help identify subjects for enrollment in clinical trials using aPWV for assessing the impact of COPD therapies on CV outcomes.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00857766.

PMID: 24387157 [PubMed - in process]

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Hospital admissions and exercise capacity decline in patients with COPD.

Eur Respir J. 2014 Jan 3;

Authors: Ramon MA, Gimeno-Santos E, Ferrer J, Balcells E, Rodríguez E, de Batlle J, Gómez FP, Sauleda J, Ferrer A, Barberà JA, Agustí A, Gea J, Rodriguez-Roisin R, Antó JM, Garcia-Aymerich J, the PAC-COPD Study Group

Abstract
Exercise capacity declines with time and is an important determinant of health status and prognosis in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We hypothesised that hospital admissions are associated with exercise capacity decline in these patients.Clinical and functional variables were collected for 342 clinically stable COPD patients. The 6-min walk distance (6MWD) was determined at baseline and after a mean±sd of 1.7±0.3 years. Information on hospitalisations during follow-up was obtained from centralised administrative databases. Linear regression was used to model changes in exercise capacity.Patients were mostly male (92%), with mean±sd age 67.9±8.6 years, post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s 54±17% predicted and baseline 6MWD 433±93 m. During follow-up, 6MWD decreased by 21.9±51.0 m·year(-1) and 153 (45%) patients were hospitalised at least once. Among patients admitted only for COPD-related causes (50% of those ever admitted), the proportion presenting a clinically significant loss of 6MWD was higher than in patients admitted for only nonrespiratory conditions (53% versus 29%, p = 0.040). After adjusting for confounders, annual 6MWD decline was greater (26 m·year(-1), 95% CI 13-38 m·year(-1); p<0.001) in patients with more than one all-cause hospitalisation per year, as compared with those with no hospitalisations.Hospitalisations are related to a greater decline in exercise capacity in COPD.

PMID: 24389867 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]