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10032 Background: Identifying clinical and biological factors associated with outcomes in localized Ewing sarcoma (ES) will enable risk-stratified clinical trials with the goal of improved outcomes for high-risk patients and decreased treatment toxicity for low-risk patients. The specific aims of this analysis in localized ES patients were 1) to classify extraosseous (EO) primary tumors with subdivisions into deep (viscera, glands, body cavities, muscle, nerves) and superficial (cutaneous and subcutaneous) sites, and 2) to understand the relationship between baseline clinical factors (age, sex, primary tumor site, size (maximum dimension and volume)) and event-free survival (EFS). Methods: The analytic cohort included ES patients treated with ICC on AEWS0031 and AEWS1031. Primary tumor sites were defined as pelvic, non-pelvic, and EO (deep vs. superficial). Post-enrollment EFS was the primary endpoint. Univariate analyses used the Kaplan–Meier method (logrank test). Multivariable analyses used Cox proportional hazards models. To assess the impact of tumor volume as a continuous variable, a subgroup analysis was conducted using AEWS1031 only, as tumor volumes were collected prospectively on this study. Visual exploration of effects of continuous variables on EFS event hazard used restricted cubic splines with 3 knots. Tests were performed at the 5% level. Results: AEWS0031 (n = 628) and AEWS1031 Regimen B (n = 283) yielded 911 patients. In univariate analyses, difference in risk of EFS event was observed between tumor sites ( P = 0.03). EO tumors had the highest estimated EFS compared to pelvic and non-pelvic (5 year EFS 84.7% vs. 72.4% and 75.9%). Superficial EO appeared to be a very low-risk group, albeit interpretations are limited by the small group size and singular event (one second malignant neoplasm among 15 patients). In multivariable analysis of the combined cohort, sex, race, and ethnicity were not prognostic. EO tumors may be associated with decreased hazard compared with non-pelvic bone primaries (HR 0.58, P = 0.07), and tumors ≥200 mL with increased hazard (HR 1.56, P < 0.01). In the subgroup analysis, tumor volume and age were prognostic and in visualizations age was non-linearly related to the hazard of EFS event, increasing until approximately 15 years. Tumor volume was non-linearly related to the hazard of EFS event and increased until approximately 400 mL. Conclusions: Patients with ES and primary tumors ≥200 mL continue to be at higher risk of an EFS event when treated with ICC, and EO tumors may be lower risk compared with other sites. Risk of an event appears to remain constant in ES patients ≥15 years or with primary tumors ≥400 mL. These findings should be validated in prospective trials and tumor biology integrated with clinical factors to improve risk stratification for localized ES.

Trends in diagnostic biopsy sample collection approaches for primary bone sarcomas have shifted in the past 2 decades. Although open/incisional biopsies used to be the predominant approach to obtain diagnostic material for Ewing sarcoma and osteosarcoma, image-guided core needle biopsies have increased in frequency and are safe for patients. These procedures are less invasive and reduce recovery times but have potential limitations. The quantity and quality of tissue obtained through these procedures vary between institutions. Acquired viable tissue volumes can be low, limiting the conduct of downstream expanded clinical workup, molecular analyses, and research. Patients with advanced Ewing sarcoma and osteosarcoma continue to have overall poor outcomes despite dose-intensive cytotoxic chemotherapy. The biology of treatment resistance is not currently well understood, partly due to limited availability of relevant tissue to study. There is a need for access to quality tumor specimens for molecular and other analyses to identify high-risk tumor subsets and drive discovery to improve patient outcomes. Given broad variability in bone tumor tissue procurement and processing across member institutions, the Children’s Oncology Group Bone Tumor Committee convened a multidisciplinary group of experts to outline the current and near-future tissue needs for optimal clinical care and access to research platforms. The goal of this working group was to provide high-level guidance on biopsy practices that safely meet these evolving needs. Harmonizing tissue collection practices is paramount to improving the care of children, adolescents, and young adults diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma and osteosarcoma.

Introduction In the current paper, the “carotid artery calcium score” method is presented with the target to offer a metric method to quantify the amount of calcification in the carotid artery. Model and Definition The Volume of Interest (VOI) should be extracted and those voxels, with a Hounsfield Unit (HU) value ≥130, should be considered. The total weight value is determined by calculating the sum of the HU attenuation values of all voxels with values ≥130 HU. This value should be multiplied by the conversion factor (“or voxel size”) and divided by a weighting factor, the attenuation threshold to consider a voxel as calcified (and therefore 130 HU): this equation determines the Carotid Artery Calcium Score (CACS). Results In order to provide the demonstration of the potential feasibility of the model, the CACS was calculated in 131 subjects (94 males; mean age 72.7 years) for 235 carotid arteries (in 27 subjects, unilateral plaque was present) considered. The CACS value ranged from 0.67 to 11716. A statistically significant correlation was found (rho value = 0.663, p value = .0001) between the CACS in the right and left carotid plaques. Moreover, a statistically significant correlation between the age and the total CACS was present (rho value = 0.244, p value = .005), whereas no statistically significant difference was found in the distribution of CACS by gender ( p = .148). The CACS was also tested at baseline and after contrast and no statistically significant difference was found. Conclusion In conclusion, this method is of easy application, and it weights at the same time the volume and the degree of calcification in a unique parameter. This method needs to be tested to verify its potential utility, similar to the coronary artery calcium score, for the risk stratification of the occurrence of cerebrovascular events of the anterior circulation. Further studies using this new diagnostic tool to determine the prognostic value of carotid calcium quantification are needed.

Despite the publication of several national/international guidelines, the optimal management of patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis (AsxCS) remains controversial. This article compares 3 recently released guidelines (the 2020 German–Austrian, the 2021 European Stroke Organization [ESO], and the 2021 Society for Vascular Surgery [SVS] guidelines) vs the 2017 European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS) guidelines regarding the optimal management of AsxCS patients. The 2017 ESVS guidelines defined specific imaging/clinical parameters that may identify patient subgroups at high future stroke risk and recommended that carotid endarterectomy (CEA) should or carotid artery stenting (CAS) may be considered for these individuals. The 2020 German–Austrian guidelines provided similar recommendations with the 2017 ESVS Guidelines. The 2021 ESO Guidelines also recommended CEA for AsxCS patients at high risk for stroke on best medical treatment (BMT), but recommended against routine use of CAS in these patients. Finally, the SVS guidelines provided a strong recommendation for CEA+BMT vs BMT alone for low-surgical risk patients with >70% AsxCS. Thus, the ESVS, German–Austrian, and ESO guidelines concurred that all AsxCS patients should receive risk factor modification and BMT, but CEA should or CAS may also be considered for certain AsxCS patient subgroups at high risk for future ipsilateral ischemic stroke.

The role of calcium in atherosclerosis is controversial and the relationship between vascular calcification and plaque vulnerability is not fully understood. Although calcifications are present in ≈50% to 60% of carotid plaques, their association with cerebrovascular ischemic events remains unclear. In this review, we summarize current understanding of carotid plaque calcification. We outline the role of calcium in atherosclerotic carotid disease by analyzing laboratory studies and histopathologic studies, as well as imaging findings to understand clinical implications of carotid artery calcifications. Differences in mechanism of calcium deposition express themselves into a wide range of calcification phenotypes in carotid plaques. Some patterns, such as rim calcification, are suggestive of plaques with inflammatory activity with leakage of the vasa vasourm and intraplaque hemorrhage. Other patterns such as dense, nodular calcifications may confer greater mechanical stability to the plaque and reduce the risk of embolization for a given degree of plaque size and luminal stenosis. Various distributions and patterns of carotid plaque calcification, often influenced by the underlying systemic pathological condition, have a different role in affecting plaque stability. Modern imaging techniques afford multiple approaches to assess geometry, pattern of distribution, size, and composition of carotid artery calcifications. Future investigations with these novel technologies will further improve our understanding of carotid artery calcification and will play an important role in understanding and minimizing stroke risk in patients with carotid plaques.