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A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Methods and Technologies Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2022) | Viewed by 54633

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Dr. Rheal A. Towner

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Guest Editor

Advanced Magnetic Resonance Center, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, 73104 OK, USA
Interests: molecular-targeted imaging; spectroscopic imaging; MRI; cancer; gliomas; hepatocellular carcinoma; pre-clinical

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Molecular imaging, particularly using either magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or positron emission tomography (PET), and MR spectroscopy, including spectroscopic imaging and hyperpolarized ¹³C-MR spectroscopy, have been used both clinically and pre-clinically to assess, diagnose and monitor therapeutic responses in various cancers. These approaches provide molecular, metabolic and biochemical evaluations regarding tumor growth, and aspects associated with tumorigenesis, including angiogenesis, cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cell migration and/or metastasis. Therapies that target these aspects of tumorigenesis can also benefit from these molecular imaging and spectroscopic techniques.

Developing an understanding regarding the use of advanced molecular-targeted imaging and spectroscopic approaches in cancer applications will enhance our future ability to detect and accurately diagnose various cancers, as well as determine optimal therapeutic approaches for the treatment of cancers. The molecular imaging of tumor-associated biomarkers includes angiogenesis-related proteins, such as vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2), integrins, matrix metalloproteinases, aminopeptidase N, glucose, epidermal growth factor, latrophilin, and seven transmembrane receptors containing protein 1 on chromosome 1 (ELTD1); cell migration/metastasis-related proteins, including CD-44; cell proliferation-related proteins, including c-Met and thymidine; and apoptosis-related proteins, including Annexin V.

This Special Issue highlights the current state of the art in molecular-targeted imaging and MR spectroscopy applications in various cancers, both in pre-clinical and clinical environments, as well as the use of these methodologies to assess the therapeutics of some of the highlighted cancers.

Dr. Rheal A. Towner
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

molecular-targeted imaging
spectroscopic imaging
MRI
PET
cancer
gliomas
hepatocellular carcinoma
pre-clinical

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 1313 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Design and Validation of a Handheld Optical Polarization Imager for Preoperative Delineation of Basal Cell Carcinoma

by Peter R. Jermain, Tyler W. Iorizzo, Mary Maloney, Bassel Mahmoud and Anna N. Yaroslavsky

Cancers 2022, 14(16), 4049; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14164049 - 22 Aug 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1869

Abstract

Background: Accurate removal of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is challenging due to the subtle contrast between cancerous and normal skin. A method aiding with preoperative delineation of BCC margins would be valuable. The aim of this study was to implement and clinically validate a novel handheld optical polarization imaging (OPI) device for rapid, noninvasive, in vivo assessment of skin cancer margins. Methods: The handheld imager was designed, built, and tested. For clinical validation, 10 subjects with biopsy-confirmed BCC were imaged. Presumable cancer margins were marked by the study surgeon. The optical images were spectrally encoded to mitigate the impact of endogenous skin chromophores. The results of OPI and of the surgeon’s preoperative visual assessment were compared to clinical intraoperative histopathology. Results: As compared to the previous prototype, the handheld imager incorporates automated image processing and has 10-times shorter acquisition times. It is twice as light and provides twice as large a field of view. Clinical validation demonstrated that margin assessments using OPI were more accurate than visual assessment by the surgeon. The images were in good correlation with histology in 9 out of 10 cases. Conclusions: Handheld OPI could improve the outcomes of skin cancer treatments without impairing clinical workflows. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Non-Invasive Imaging and Spectroscopic Methods in Cancer)

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13 pages, 1719 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Visualization of Prostate Cancer in MRI

by Avan Kader, Jan O. Kaufmann, Dilyana B. Mangarova, Jana Moeckel, Julia Brangsch, Lisa C. Adams, Jing Zhao, Carolin Reimann, Jessica Saatz, Heike Traub, Rebecca Buchholz, Uwe Karst, Bernd Hamm and Marcus R. Makowski

Cancers 2022, 14(12), 2909; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14122909 - 13 Jun 2022

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2793

Abstract

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common cancers in men. For detection and diagnosis of PCa, non-invasive methods, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), can reduce the risk potential of surgical intervention. To explore the molecular characteristics of the tumor, we investigated the applicability of ferumoxytol in PCa in a xenograft mouse model in two different tumor volumes, 500 mm³ and 1000 mm³. Macrophages play a key role in tumor progression, and they are able to internalize iron-oxide particles, such as ferumoxytol. When evaluating T2*-weighted sequences on MRI, a significant decrease of signal intensity between pre- and post-contrast images for each tumor volume (n = 14; p < 0.001) was measured. We, furthermore, observed a higher signal loss for a tumor volume of 500 mm³ than for 1000 mm³. These findings were confirmed by histological examinations and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. The 500 mm³ tumors had 1.5% iron content (n = 14; σ = 1.1), while the 1000 mm³ tumors contained only 0.4% iron (n = 14; σ = 0.2). In vivo MRI data demonstrated a correlation with the ex vivo data (R² = 0.75). The results of elemental analysis by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry correlated strongly with the MRI data (R² = 0.83) (n = 4). Due to its long retention time in the blood, biodegradability, and low toxicity to patients, ferumoxytol has great potential as a contrast agent for visualization PCa. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Non-Invasive Imaging and Spectroscopic Methods in Cancer)

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9 pages, 1289 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Staging of Endometrial Cancer Using Fusion T2-Weighted Images with Diffusion-Weighted Images: A Way to Avoid Gadolinium?

by Teresa Resende Neves, Mariana Tomé Correia, Maria Ana Serrado, Mariana Horta, António Proença Caetano and Teresa Margarida Cunha

Cancers 2022, 14(2), 384; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14020384 - 13 Jan 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2414

Abstract

Endometrial cancer is the eighth most common cancer worldwide, and its prognosis depends on various factors, with myometrial invasion having a major impact on prognosis. Optimizing MRI protocols is essential, and it would be useful to improve the diagnostic accuracy without the need for other sequences. We conducted a retrospective, single-center study, which included a total of 87 patients with surgically confirmed primary endometrial cancer, and who had undergone a pre-operative pelvic MRI. All exams were read by an experienced radiologist dedicated to urogenital radiology, and the depth of myometrial invasion was evaluated using T2-Weighted Images (T2WI) and fused T2WI with Diffusion-Weighted Images (DWI). Both results were compared to histopathological evaluations. When comparing both sets of imaging (T2WI and fused T2WI-DWI images) in diagnosing myometrial invasion, the fused images had better accuracy, and this difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). T2WI analysis correctly diagnosed 82.1% (70.6–88.7) of cases, compared to 92.1% correctly diagnosed cases with fused images (79.5–97.2). The addition of fused images to a standard MRI protocol improves the diagnostic accuracy of myometrial invasion depth, encouraging its use, since it does not require more acquisition time. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Non-Invasive Imaging and Spectroscopic Methods in Cancer)

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Review

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34 pages, 10564 KiB

Open AccessReview

PET-CT in Clinical Adult Oncology: I. Hematologic Malignancies

by Ahmed Ebada Salem, Harsh R. Shah, Matthew F. Covington, Bhasker R. Koppula, Gabriel C. Fine, Richard H. Wiggins, John M. Hoffman and Kathryn A. Morton

Cancers 2022, 14(23), 5941; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14235941 - 30 Nov 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 5448

Abstract

PET-CT is an advanced imaging modality with many oncologic applications, including staging, assessment of response to therapy, restaging and evaluation of suspected recurrence. The goal of this 6-part series of review articles is to provide practical information to providers and imaging professionals regarding the best use of PET-CT for the more common adult malignancies. In the first article of this series, hematologic malignancies are addressed. The classification of these malignancies will be outlined, with the disclaimer that the classification of lymphomas is constantly evolving. Critical applications, potential pitfalls, and nuances of PET-CT imaging in hematologic malignancies and imaging features of the major categories of these tumors are addressed. Issues of clinical importance that must be reported by the imaging professionals are outlined. The focus of this article is on [¹⁸F] fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), rather that research tracers or those requiring a local cyclotron. This information will serve as a resource for the appropriate role and limitations of PET-CT in the clinical management of patients with hematological malignancy for health care professionals caring for adult patients with hematologic malignancies. It also serves as a practical guide for imaging providers, including radiologists, nuclear medicine physicians and their trainees. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Non-Invasive Imaging and Spectroscopic Methods in Cancer)

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49 pages, 21612 KiB

Open AccessReview

PET-CT in Clinical Adult Oncology—IV. Gynecologic and Genitourinary Malignancies

by Ahmed Ebada Salem, Gabriel C. Fine, Matthew F. Covington, Bhasker R. Koppula, Richard H. Wiggins, John M. Hoffman and Kathryn A. Morton

Cancers 2022, 14(12), 3000; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14123000 - 18 Jun 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 5561

Abstract

Concurrently acquired positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET-CT) is an advanced imaging modality with diverse oncologic applications, including staging, therapeutic assessment, restaging and longitudinal surveillance. This series of six review articles focuses on providing practical information to providers and imaging professionals regarding the best use and interpretative strategies of PET-CT for oncologic indications in adult patients. In this fourth article of the series, the more common gynecological and adult genitourinary malignancies encountered in clinical practice are addressed, with an emphasis on Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved and clinically available radiopharmaceuticals. The advent of new FDA-approved radiopharmaceuticals for prostate cancer imaging has revolutionized PET-CT imaging in this important disease, and these are addressed in this report. However, [¹⁸F]F-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG) remains the mainstay for PET-CT imaging of gynecologic and many other genitourinary malignancies. This information will serve as a guide for the appropriate role of PET-CT in the clinical management of gynecologic and genitourinary cancer patients for health care professionals caring for adult cancer patients. It also addresses the nuances and provides guidance in the accurate interpretation of FDG PET-CT in gynecological and genitourinary malignancies for imaging providers, including radiologists, nuclear medicine physicians and their trainees. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Non-Invasive Imaging and Spectroscopic Methods in Cancer)

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38 pages, 4298 KiB

Open AccessReview

PET-CT in Clinical Adult Oncology—VI. Primary Cutaneous Cancer, Sarcomas and Neuroendocrine Tumors

by Gabriel C. Fine, Matthew F. Covington, Bhasker R. Koppula, Ahmed Ebada Salem, Richard H. Wiggins, John M. Hoffman and Kathryn A. Morton

Cancers 2022, 14(12), 2835; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14122835 - 8 Jun 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3914

Abstract

PET-CT is an advanced imaging modality with many oncologic applications, including staging, therapeutic assessment, restaging and surveillance for recurrence. The goal of this series of six review articles is to provide practical information to providers and imaging professionals regarding the best use of PET-CT for specific oncologic indications, the potential pitfalls and nuances that characterize these applications, and guidelines for image interpretation. Tumor-specific clinical information and representative PET-CT images are provided. The current, sixth article in this series addresses PET-CT in an evaluation of aggressive cutaneous malignancies, sarcomas and neuroendocrine tumors. A discussion of the role of FDG PET for all types of tumors in these categories is beyond the scope of this review. Rather, this article focuses on the most common malignancies in adult patients encountered in clinical practice. It also focuses on Food and Drug Agency (FDA)-approved and clinically available radiopharmaceuticals rather than research tracers or those requiring a local cyclotron. This information will serve as a guide to primary providers for the appropriate role of PET-CT in managing patients with cutaneous malignancies, sarcomas and neuroendocrine tumors. The nuances of PET-CT interpretation as a practical guide for imaging providers, including radiologists, nuclear medicine physicians and their trainees, are also addressed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Non-Invasive Imaging and Spectroscopic Methods in Cancer)

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48 pages, 101281 KiB

Open AccessReview

PET-CT in Clinical Adult Oncology—V. Head and Neck and Neuro Oncology

by Richard H. Wiggins, John M. Hoffman, Gabriel C. Fine, Matthew F. Covington, Ahmed Ebada Salem, Bhasker R. Koppula and Kathryn A. Morton

Cancers 2022, 14(11), 2726; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14112726 - 31 May 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 7624

Abstract

PET-CT is an advanced imaging modality with many oncologic applications, including staging, assessment of response to therapy, restaging, and longitudinal surveillance for recurrence. The goal of this series of six review articles is to provide practical information to providers and imaging professionals regarding the best use of PET-CT for specific oncologic indications, and the potential pitfalls and nuances that characterize these applications. In addition, key tumor-specific clinical information and representative PET-CT images are provided to outline the role that PET-CT plays in the management of oncology patients. Hundreds of different types of tumors exist, both pediatric and adult. A discussion of the role of FDG PET for all of these is beyond the scope of this review. Rather, this series of articles focuses on the most common adult malignancies that may be encountered in clinical practice. It also focuses on FDA-approved and clinically available radiopharmaceuticals, rather than research tracers or those requiring a local cyclotron. The fifth review article in this series focuses on PET-CT imaging in head and neck tumors, as well as brain tumors. Common normal variants, key anatomic features, and benign mimics of these tumors are reviewed. The goal of this review article is to provide the imaging professional with guidance in the interpretation of PET-CT for the more common head and neck malignancies and neuro oncology, and to inform the referring providers so that they can have realistic expectations of the value and limitations of PET-CT for the specific type of tumor being addressed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Non-Invasive Imaging and Spectroscopic Methods in Cancer)

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30 pages, 12592 KiB

Open AccessReview

PET-CT in Clinical Adult Oncology: II. Primary Thoracic and Breast Malignancies

by Matthew F. Covington, Bhasker R. Koppula, Gabriel C. Fine, Ahmed Ebada Salem, Richard H. Wiggins, John M. Hoffman and Kathryn A. Morton

Cancers 2022, 14(11), 2689; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14112689 - 29 May 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 9561

Abstract

Positron emission tomography combined with x-ray computed tomography (PET-CT) is an advanced imaging modality with oncologic applications that include staging, therapy assessment, restaging, and surveillance. This six-part series of review articles provides practical information to providers and imaging professionals regarding the best use of PET-CT for the more common adult malignancies. The second article of this series addresses primary thoracic malignancy and breast cancer. For primary thoracic malignancy, the focus will be on lung cancer, malignant pleural mesothelioma, thymoma, and thymic carcinoma, with an emphasis on the use of FDG PET-CT. For breast cancer, the various histologic subtypes will be addressed, and will include ¹⁸F fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), recently Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved ¹⁸F-fluoroestradiol (FES), and ¹⁸F sodium fluoride (NaF). The pitfalls and nuances of PET-CT in breast and primary thoracic malignancies and the imaging features that distinguish between subcategories of these tumors are addressed. This review will serve as a resource for the appropriate roles and limitations of PET-CT in the clinical management of patients with breast and primary thoracic malignancies for healthcare professionals caring for adult patients with these cancers. It also serves as a practical guide for imaging providers, including radiologists, nuclear medicine physicians, and their trainees. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Non-Invasive Imaging and Spectroscopic Methods in Cancer)

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34 pages, 116999 KiB

Open AccessReview

PET-CT in Clinical Adult Oncology: III. Gastrointestinal Malignancies

by Bhasker R. Koppula, Gabriel C. Fine, Ahmed Ebada Salem, Matthew F. Covington, Richard H. Wiggins, John M. Hoffman and Kathryn A. Morton

Cancers 2022, 14(11), 2668; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14112668 - 27 May 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 7543

Abstract

PET-CT is an advanced imaging modality with many oncologic applications, including staging, assessment of response to therapy, restaging and longitudinal surveillance for recurrence. The goal of this series of six review articles is to provide practical information to providers and imaging professionals regarding the best use of PET-CT for specific oncologic indications, and the potential pitfalls and nuances that characterize these applications. In the third of these review articles, key tumor-specific clinical information and representative PET-CT images are provided to outline the role that PET-CT plays in the management of patients with gastrointestinal malignancies. The focus is on the use of ¹⁸F fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), rather than on research radiopharmaceuticals under development. Many different types of gastrointestinal tumors exist, both pediatric and adult. A discussion of the role of FDG PET-CT for all of these is beyond the scope of this review. Rather, this article focuses on the most common adult gastrointestinal malignancies that may be encountered in clinical practice. The information provided here will provide information outlining the appropriate role of PET-CT in the clinical management of patients with gastrointestinal malignancies for healthcare professionals caring for adult cancer patients. It also addresses the nuances and provides interpretive guidance related to PET-CT for imaging providers, including radiologists, nuclear medicine physicians and their trainees. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Non-Invasive Imaging and Spectroscopic Methods in Cancer)

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17 pages, 3336 KiB

Open AccessReview

Fundus Autofluorescence Imaging in Patients with Choroidal Melanoma

by Almut Bindewald-Wittich, Frank G. Holz, Thomas Ach, Miltiadis Fiorentzis, Nikolaos E. Bechrakis and Gregor D. Willerding

Cancers 2022, 14(7), 1809; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14071809 - 2 Apr 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 6256

Abstract

Choroidal melanocytic lesions require reliable and precise clinical examination and diagnosis to differentiate benign choroidal nevi from choroidal melanoma, as the latter may become life-threatening through metastatic disease. To come to an accurate diagnosis, as well as for monitoring, and to assess the efficacy of therapy, various imaging modalities may be used, one of which is non-invasive fundus autofluorescence (FAF) imaging using novel high-resolution digital imaging technology. FAF imaging is based on the visualization of intrinsic fluorophores in the ocular fundus. Lipofuscin and melanolipofuscin within the postmitotic retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells represent the major fluorophores that contribute to the FAF signal. In addition, the presence or loss of absorbing molecular constituents may have an impact on the FAF signal. A choroidal melanoma can cause secondary retinal and RPE alterations that affect the FAF signal (e.g., occurrence of orange pigment). Therefore, FAF imaging supports multimodal imaging and gives additional information over and above conventional imaging modalities regarding retinal metabolism and RPE health status. This article summarises the features of FAF imaging and the role of FAF imaging in the context of choroidal melanoma, both before and following therapeutic intervention. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Non-Invasive Imaging and Spectroscopic Methods in Cancer)

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