Background: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and laser ablation (LA) are effective treatments for benign thyroid nodules. Due to their relatively recent introduction into clinical practice, there are limited long-term follow-up studies. This study aimed to evaluate technique efficacy, rate of regrowth, and retreatment over 5 years after RFA or LA and to identify predictive factors of outcome. Methods: In this multicenter retrospective study, the rates of technique efficacy, regrowth, and retreatment were evaluated in 406 patients treated with either RFA or LA, and followed for 5 years after initial treatment. Propensity score matching was used to compare treatments. Cumulative incidence studies with hazard models were used to describe regrowth and retreatment trends, and to identify prognostic factors. Logistic regression models and receiver operating characteristic analyses were used for risk factors and their cutoffs. Results: RFA and LA significantly reduced benign thyroid nodule volume, and this reduction was generally maintained for 5 years. Technique efficacy (defined as a reduction ≥50% after 1 year from the treatment) was achieved in 74% of patients (85% in the RFA and 63% in the LA group). Regrowth occurred in 28% of patients (20% in the RFA and 38% in the LA group). In the majority of cases, further treatment was not required as only 18% of patients were retreated (12% in the RFA and 24% in the LA group). These data were confirmed by propensity score matching. Cumulative incidence studies showed that RFA was associated with a lower risk of regrowth and a lower risk of requiring retreatment over time. Overall, technique inefficacy and regrowth were associated with low-energy delivery. Retreatments were more frequent in young patients, in large nodules, in patients with lower volume reduction at 1 year, and in cases of low-energy delivery (optimal cutoff was 918 J/mL for RFA). Conclusions: Both thermal ablation techniques result in a clinically significant and long-lasting volume reduction of benign thyroid nodules. The risk of regrowth and needing retreatment was lower after RFA. The need for retreatment was associated with young age, large baseline volume, and treatment with low-energy delivery.

Thermal ablation (TA) procedures are effective treatments for several kinds of cancers. In the recent years, several medical imaging advancements have improved the use of image-guided TA. Imaging technique plays a pivotal role in improving the ablation success, maximizing pre-procedure planning efficacy, intraprocedural targeting, post-procedure monitoring and assessing the achieved result. Fusion imaging (FI) techniques allow for information integration of different imaging modalities, improving all the ablation procedure steps. FI concedes exploitation of all imaging modalities’ strengths concurrently, eliminating or minimizing every single modality’s weaknesses. Our work aims to give an overview of FI, explain and analyze FI technical aspects and its clinical applications in ablation therapy and interventional oncology.

The reproducibility of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and standard B-mode ultrasound in the assessment of radiofrequency-ablated volume of benign thyroid nodules was compared. A preliminary study was conducted on consecutive patients who underwent radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of benign thyroid nodules between 2014 and 2016, with available CEUS and B-mode post-ablation checks. CEUS and B-mode images were retrospectively evaluated by two radiologists to assess inter- and intra-observer agreement in the assessment of ablated volume (Bland–Altman test). For CEUS, the mean inter-observer difference (95% limits of agreement) was 0.219 mL (-0.372–0.809 mL); for B-mode, the mean difference was 0.880 mL (-1.655–3.414 mL). Reproducibility was significantly higher for CEUS (85%) than for B-mode (27%). Mean intra-observer differences (95% limits of agreement) were 0.013 mL (0.803–4.097 mL) for Reader 1 and 0.031 mL (0.763–3.931 mL) for Reader 2 using CEUS, while they were 0.567 mL (-2.180–4.317 mL, Reader 1) and 0.759 mL (-2.584–4.290 mL, Reader 2) for B-mode. Intra-observer reproducibility was significantly higher for CEUS (96% and 95%, for the two readers) than for B-mode (21% and 23%). In conclusion, CEUS had higher reproducibility and inter- and intra-observer agreement compared to conventional B-mode in the assessment of radiofrequency-ablated volume of benign thyroid nodules.

The aim of this study was to quantify the impact of radiologic image review performed by experienced radiologists in a multidisciplinary team (MDT) for head and neck cancers (HNCs). We performed a retrospective review of cases discussed at MDT meetings from April 2014 to March 2017 for which radiologic review was required. All changes in the former radiologic report were collected and classified as follows: 1) modifications of radiological reports (patients for whom the treatment strategy had not been defined at the moment of MDT meeting) and 2) modifications in treatment strategy (patients for whom treatment strategy had previously been defined and subsequently modified according to the outcome of radiologic revision). The latter subgroup was further categorised as “major changes” and as “minor changes”. A total of 540 cases were retrieved. Imaging review was required at the time of tumour diagnosis in 310 (57.4%) cases. Most patients (69%) had advanced stage tumours (III and IV). In 262 (48%) cases, no change of the initial radiologic report was made. In a total of 144 (27%) cases, the available imaging was not considered sufficient for a final indication to treatment and further imaging was required. In the remaining 134 (25%) cases, radiologic review led to a modification of either tumour staging (55%) or treatment strategy (45%). Specifically, major and minor modifications were applied in 44 (13%) and 17 (11%) of the cases considered, respectively. Among 134 patients for whom the radiologic review led to stage/treatment modification, follow-up was available for 118. In all but one patient, we could confirm the original reports were correctly modified per MDT discussion results. Our data strongly support the importance of including an experienced radiologist as a core member of the MDT for HNCs.

Radiogenomics as association between non-invasive imaging features and molecular genomics of lung cancer

Purpose: To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of a different sample preparation protocol for fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of thyroid nodules established during the COVID‐19 pandemic.Methods: From April 2020, conventional smears during FNAC were ceased according to World Health Organization recommendations due to the increased infection risk for operators, and a new protocol using only liquid‐based cytology (LBC) was adopted. FNACs performed between April and July 2020 (COVID‐19 group) were retrospectively compared with those from December 2019 through March 2020 (Pre‐COVID‐19 group). The distribution of diagnoses based on SIAPEC‐IAP categories and the concordance between cytological and histological results were compared using the chi‐squared test.Results: Categories based on FNAC for 90 and 82 thyroid nodules in the Pre‐COVID‐19 and COVID‐19 groups showed no significant difference in distribution (P = .081), with the following respective cases (and percentages): TIR1, 7 (8%) and 8 (10%); TIR1C, 0 (0%) and 6 (7%); TIR2, 59 (66%) and55 (67%); TIR3A, 8 (9%) and 5 (6%); TIR3B, 1 (1%) and 2 (3%); TIR4, 5 (6%) and 1 (1%); and TIR5, 10 (12%) and 5 (7%). Among patients with potentially malignant lesions, surgery was performed for 12/16 (75%) nodules in the Pre‐COVID‐19 and 7/8 (88%) nodules in the COVID‐19 groups, with no significant differences between cytological and histological diagnoses (P = .931).Conclusion: The new LBC‐only protocol provided similar diagnostic accuracy in comparison with conventional smears, and can be effectively applied during a viral pandemic improving operator safety.