Serial MR imaging of intracranial metastases after radiosurgery

Purpose: To evaluate the spatiotemporal evolution of radiosurgical induced changes both in metastases and in normal brain tissue adjacent to the lesions by serial magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Methods and Materials: Thirty-five intracranial metastases of different primaries were treated in 25 patients by single high-dose radiosurgery. MR images acquired before radiosurgery were available in all patients. Sixty-three follow-up MR studies were performed in these patients including T₂- and contrast-enhanced T₁-weighted MR images. The average follow-up time was 9 ± 5 months (mean ± standard deviation [SD]). Based on contrast-enhanced T₁-weighted MR images, tumor response was radiologically classified in the following four groups: stable disease was assumed if the average tumor diameter after treatment did not show a tumor shrinkage of more than 50% and an increase of more than 25%, partial remission as a shrinkage of tumor size of more than 50%, a disappearance of contrast-enhancing tumor as a complete remission, and an increase of tumor diameter of more than 25% as tumor progress. Moreover, we analysed signal changes on T₂-weighted images in brain parenchyma adjacent to the enhancing metastases. Results: The overall mean survival time was 10.5 ± 7 months, with a 1-year actuarial survival rate of 40%. Stable disease, partial or complete remission of the metastatic tumor was observed in 22 patients (88%). Central or homogeneous loss of contrast enhancement appeared to be a good prognostic sign for stable disease or partial remission. This association was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Three patients (12%) suffered from tumor progression. In eight patients (32%) with stable disease or partial remission, signal changes on T₂-weighted images were observed in tissue adjacent to the contrast enhancing lesions. A progression of the high signal on T₂-weighted images was seen in seven of the eight patients between 3 and 6 months after therapy, followed by a signal regression 6–18 months after irradiation. Conclusion: MR imaging is a sensitive imaging tool to evaluate tumor response as well as the presence or absence of adjacent parenchymal changes following radiosurgery. Loss of homogeneous or central contrast enhancement on Gd-enhanced MR images appeared to be a good prognostic sign for tumor response. Tumor shrinkage seems not to be dependent on time. In addition, most cases of radiation induced changes in normal brain parenchyma observed on T₂-weighted images seem to be self limited.     

Zum Einfluß der PR3‐Liganden auf Bildung und Eigenschaften der Phosphinophosphiniden‐Komplexe [{η2‐tBu2P–P}Pt(PR3)2] und [{η2‐tBu2P1–P2}Pt(P3R3)(P4R′3)]

Coordination Chemistry of P‐rich Phosphanes and Silylphosphanes XXI The Influence of the PR₃ Ligands on Formation and Properties of the Phosphinophosphinidene Complexes [{η²‐^tBu₂P–P}Pt(PR₃)₂] and [{η²‐^tBu₂P¹–P²}Pt(P³R₃)(P⁴R′₃)] (R₃P)₂PtCl₂ and C₂H₄ yield the compounds [{η²‐C₂H₄}Pt(PR₃)₂] (PR₃ = PMe₃, PEt₃, PPhEt₂, PPh₂Et, PPh₂Me, PPh₂ⁱPr, PPh₂^tBu and P(p‐Tol)₃); which react with ^tBu₂P–P=PMe^tBu₂ to give the phosphinophosphinidene complexes [{η²‐^tBu₂P–P}Pt(PMe₃)₂], [{η²‐^tBu₂P–P}Pt(PEt₃)₂], [{η²‐^tBu₂P–P}Pt(PPhEt₂)₂], [{η²‐^tBu₂P–P}Pt(PPh₂Et)₂], [{η²‐^tBu₂P–P}Pt(PPh₂Me)₂], [{η²‐^tBu₂P–P}Pt(PPh₂ⁱPr], [{η²‐^tBu₂P–P}Pt(PPh₂^tBu)₂] and [{η²‐^tBu₂P–P}Pt(P(p‐Tol)₃)₂]. [{η²‐^tBu₂P–P}Pt(PPh₃)₂] reacts with PMe₃ and PEt₃ as well as with ^tBu₂PMe, PⁱPr₃ and P(c‐Hex)₃ by substituting one PPh₃ ligand to give [{η²‐^tBu₂P¹–P²}Pt(P³Me₃)(P⁴Ph₃)], [{η²‐^tBu₂P¹–P²}Pt(P³Ph₃)(P⁴Me₃)], [{η²‐^tBu₂P¹–P²}Pt(P³Et₃)(P⁴Ph₃)], [{η²‐^tBu₂P¹–P²}Pt(P³Me^tBu₂)(P⁴Ph₃)], [{η²‐^tBu₂P¹–P²}Pt(P³ⁱPr₃)(P⁴Ph₃)] and [{η²‐^tBu₂P¹–P²}Pt(P³(c‐Hex)₃)(P⁴Ph₃)]. With ^tBu₂PMe, [{η²‐^tBu₂P–P}Pt(P(p‐Tol)₃)₂] forms [{η²‐^tBu₂P¹–P²}Pt(P³Me^tBu₂)(P⁴(p‐Tol)₃)]. The NMR data of the compounds are given and discussed with respect to the influence of the PR₃ ligands.     

Bildung und Struktur des [{η2‐tBu2P–P}Pt(PHtBu2)(PPh3)]

Coordination Chemistry of P‐rich Phosphanes and Silylphosphanes. XX Formation and Structure of [{η²‐^tBu₂P–P}Pt(PH^tBu₂)(PPh₃)] [{η²‐^tBu₂P¹–P²}Pt(P³Ph₃)(P⁴Ph₃)] ( 2 ) reacts with ^tBu₂PH exchanging only the P³Ph₃ group to give [{η²‐^tBu₂P¹–P²}Pt(P³H^tBu₂)(P⁴Ph₃)] ( 1 ). The crystal stucture determination of 1 together with its ³¹P{¹H} NMR data allow for an unequivocal assignment of the coupling constants in related Pt complexes. 1 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1 (no. 2) with a = 1030.33(15), b = 1244.46(19), c = 1604.1(3) pm, α = 86.565(17)°, β = 80.344(18)°, γ = 74.729(17)°.     

On the (im)possibility of evaluating correct individual rate constants of chain propagation kp and chain termination kt by combining kp2/kt and kp/kt data for chain‐length dependent termination

On the basis of simulated data two ways of evaluating individual rate constants by combining k_p²/k_t and k_p /k_t (k_p , k_t = rate constants of chain propagation and termination, respectively) were checked considering the chain‐length dependence of k_t. The first way tried to make use of the fact that pseudostationary polymerization yields data for k_p²/k_t as well as for k_p /k_t referring to the very same experiment, in the second way k_p²/k_t (from steady state experiments) and k_p/k_t data referring to the same mean length of the terminating radical chains were compared. In the first case no meaningful data at all could be obtained because different averages of k_t are operative in the expressions for k_p /k_t and k_p²/k_t. In spite of the comparatively small difference between these two averages (≈15% only) this makes the method collapse. The second way, which can be regarded as an intelligent modification of the “classical” method of determining individual rate constants, at least succeeded in reproducing the correct order of magnitude of the individual rate constants. However, although stationary and pseudostationary experiments independently could be shown to return the same k_t for the same average chain‐length of terminating radicals within extremely narrow limits no reasonable chain‐length dependence of k_t could be derived in this way. The reason is an extreme sensitivity of the pair of equations for k_p/k_t and k_p²/k_t towards small errors and inconsistencies which renders the method unsuccessful even for the high quality simulation data and most probably makes it even collapse for real data. This casts a characteristic light on the unsatisfactory situation with respect to individual rate constants determined in the classical way, regardless of a chain‐length dependence of termination. As a consequence, all efforts of establishing the chain‐length dependence of k_t are recommended to avoid this way and should rather resort to methods based on inserting a directly determined k_p into the equations characteristic of k_p²/k_t or k_p/k_t, properly considering the chain‐length dependent character of k_t.