Combined modality treatment of locally advanced oral and oropharyngeal cancer following primary radiotherapy with and without taxol radiosenzitization

AIM: To determine the effect of radiosensitization with Taxol and multimodality treatments on the survival of advanced oral and oropharyngeal cancer. Patients, methods: 56 patients with St. III-IV oral or oropharyngeal cancer were treated with external beam radiotherapy; 26 of them were sensitized by low-dose paxlitaxel and 30 were irradiated traditionally. The median follow up was 23 months (17-36). Endpoints of the study were: response to radiotherapy, progression-free and overall survival and the results of surgery and chemotherapy following radiation. RESULTS: 73.3% (41/56) of treatments resulted in CR or PR with median 10 months (0-33) progression-free and 14 months (4-33) overall survival. There was no significant difference between the radiosensitized and traditional radiotherapy group (p=0.6). The survival was significantly influenced by the stage of tumor and the response to primary radiotherapy. Seven (38.9%) of 16 patients treated also by either surgery or chemotherapy for recurrent or residual disease are free of cancer, 6 (35%) alive with tumor and 5 (26.1%) died with median survivals of 21, 20.5 and 18 months, respectively. Those treated only with radiotherapy with or without sensitization are free of cancer in 31.6%, alive with cancer 5.3%, died 63.2%. CONCLUSION: There were significant correlation between tumor stage, response to radiotherapy and combined modality treatment, and surival. The radiosensitizing effect of Taxol was not obvious so far, it may be apparent in the future by analyzing the long term survival data.     

Proton re-irradiation of unresectable recurrent head and neck cancers

BackgroundThis study presents a retrospective analysis (efficacy and toxicity) of outcomes in patients with unresectable recurrence of previously irradiated head and neck (H&N) cancers treated with proton therapy. Locoregional recurrence is the main pattern of failure in the treatment of H&N cancers. Proton re-irradiation in patients with relapse after prior radiotherapy might be valid as promising as a challenging treatment option.Materials and methodsFrom November 2015 to January 2020, 30 patients with in-field recurrence of head and neck cancer, who were not suitable for surgery due to medical contraindications, tumor localization, or extent, received re-irradiation with intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT). Sites of retreatment included the aerodigestive tract (60%) and the base of skull (40%). The median total dose of prior radiotherapy was 55.0 Gy. The median time to the second course was 38 months. The median re-irradiated tumor volume was 158.1 cm³. Patients were treated with 2.0, 2.4, and 3.0 GyRBE per fraction, with a median equivalent dose (EQD₂) of 57.6 Gy (α/β = 10). Radiation-induced toxicity was recorded according to the RTOG/EORTC criteria.ResultsThe 1- and 2-year local control (LC), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were 52.6/21.0, 21.9/10.9, and 73.4/8.4%, respectively, with a median follow-up time of 21 months. The median overall survival was 16 months. Acute grade 3 toxicity was observed in one patient (3.3%). There were five late severe side effects (16.6%), with one death associated with re-irradiation.ConclusionRe-irradiation with a proton beam can be considered a safe and efficient treatment even for a group of patients with unresectable recurrent H&N cancers.     

陀螺旋转式立体定向放射治疗联合NP 方案治疗局部晚期非小细胞肺癌 的临床疗效观察

目的:观察陀螺旋转式立体定向放射治疗系统(陀螺刀)联合长春瑞滨、顺铂(NP)方案治疗局部晚期非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)的临床疗效观察及毒副反应。方法:94例局部晚期NSCLC患者,先给予陀螺刀治疗,单次治疗剂量3.2-5.0 Gy,等剂量曲线50%-70%,计划靶体积(PTV)覆盖95%以上,总剂量35-50 Gy,治疗后进行NP方案化疗4-6个周期。与同期144例单纯陀螺刀治疗局部晚期NSCLC患者治疗结果相比较。结果:联合治疗的94例患者,近期有效率为86.17%(81/94),6、12和24个月生存率分别为86.17%(81/94)、60.64%(57/94)和36.17%(34/94),毒性反应较轻。同期单纯陀螺刀治疗患者,近期有效率为88.19%(127/144),6、12和24个月生存率分别为87.50%(126/144)、44.44%(64/144)和23.68%(33/144)。结论:陀螺刀联合NP方案是一种对局部晚期NSCLC比较有效的治疗方法,毒副反应较轻。     

Radiation-induced alterations in microvessel density as predictor of treatment efficiency in oropharyngeal cancer

In this prospective study we have evaluated the predictive role of intratumoral microvessel density (MVD) for the therapeutic response and progression of inoperable oropharyngeal cancer (OPCC) treated with radiotherapy. Thirty-five OPCC patients were enrolled in this study. Biopsies from the primary tumor were taken before and after 20 Gy irradiation. Pathological factors such as histological grade, mitotic activity index and MVD were determined in both samples. Correlations of these factors with response to therapy, progression-free and overall survival were analyzed after a follow-up period of a minimum of 50 months. Objective response and survival was independent of the pretreatment MVD of OPCC. On the other hand, objective response was significantly affected by stage and low posttreatment MVD. Response to irradiation, and therapy-induced low postirradiation MVD were significant indicators of better overall and progression-free survival. We have shown in this small exploratory study that the anti-angiogenic effect of irradiation has a predictive value of the success of radiotherapy in locally advanced OPCC and can be used to select a radioresistant patient population which might require a more aggressive protocol.     

Locally advanced breast cancer in Saudi Arabia: high frequency of stage III in a young population

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), breast cancer constitutes 18% of all cancers in Saudi women. Whilst locally advanced breast cancer disease is unusual in Western countries, it constitutes more than 40% of all non-metastatic breast cancer in KSA. The relative frequency of locally advanced disease among our breast cancer population and the lack of a uniform consensus in the literature about its optimal management have prompted this retrospective analysis of the medical records of patients with Stage III breast cancer patients seen at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center between 1981 and 1991. In all, 315 patients were identified. Their median age ±SD was 46±11.6 years which is distinctly different from the 60–65 years median age in industrial Western nations. Most patients were younger than 50 years (64%) and premenopausal (62%). Patients were approximately equally divided between Stage III A and Stage III B Patients received multimodality treatment, including surgery., adjuvant chemotherapy, tamoxifen, and adjuvant radiotherapy. Sixty-one patients were excluded from survival analysis as they were considered lost to follow-up. Of the remaining 254 patients, 73 (29%) were alive and disease free, and 18 patients (7%) were alive but, with evidence of the disease. The remaining 163 (64%) had died from breast cancer or its related complications. Their median overall survival (OS) was 54 months, (95%, Cl, 27 to 121 months) and the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 28.8 months (95% Cl, 14.2 to 113 months). Cox proportional hazard, model identified Stage III B and the number of positive axillary lymph nodes as poor predictors of OS and PFS. Radiotherapy was the only adjuvant modality that affected survival favourably. The prognosis of patients with Stage III disease remains poor despite the use of a multimodality approach. The overall young age of our patients may have contributed to the poor outcome. Moreover, the adverse effect of Stage III B disease (as compared with Stage III A) and axillary nodal status was evident. Whilst the favourable effect of radiotherapy on survival was demonstrated, the lack of independent efficacy of other modalities (adjuvant chemotherapy and tamoxifen) or the apparent deleterious effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy should be addressed with discretion in such retrospective analysis. Optimal management of patients with locally advanced breast cancer disease should be appraised in well designed, prospective, randomised studies.     

陀螺旋转式伽玛刀分次治疗颅内转移瘤的临床疗效观察

目的:评价大分割伽玛射线立体定向放射治疗对颅内转移瘤的临床疗效.方法:采用陀螺旋转式伽玛射线立体定向放射设备治疗颅内转移瘤患者91例.单纯伽玛射线立体定向放射治疗采取大分割分次方式,处方剂量3.2-5Gy,每周5次,计划靶区边缘(45％或65％等剂量线处)总剂量全程为35-50Gy.结果:近期有效率(CR+PR)颅内移瘤少于3个组为93.06％ (67/72),大于3个组为73.69％ (14/19);局部剂量与肿瘤复发的关系,照射剂量50GY者复发率为11.86％(7/59),照射剂量为40GY者复发率为31.25％(10/32);生存率陀螺刀治疗的中位生存期为11.9个月.6、12、24个月生存率分别为:76.92％ (70/91)、60.44％(55/91)、29.67％(27/91).结论:大分割伽玛射线立体定向放射治疗脑部和体部恶性肿瘤近期疗效满意.     

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) of adrenal gland metastases in oligometastatic and oligoprogressive disease

BackgroundStereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) as a form of noninvasive treatment that is becoming increasingly used to manage cancers with adrenal gland metastases. There is a paucity of data on safety and efficacy of this modality. The aim of the study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of adrenal gland SBRT in oligometastatic and oligoprogressive disease.Materials and methodsIn this retrospective study, we performed a single-institution analysis of 26 adrenal lesions from 23 patients with oligometastatic or oligoprogressive disease treated from 2013 to 2019 with the goal of achieving durable local control. Palliative cases were excluded. Radiation dosimetry data was collected. Kaplan Meier product estimator and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis were used for statistical analysis.ResultsThe median dose was 36 Gy in 3 fractions (range: 24–50 Gy and 3–6 fractions) with a median biologically effective dose (BED10) of 72 (range: 40–100). 1-year local control rate was 80% and median local control was not achieved due to a low number of failures. 1- and 2-year overall survival rates were 66% and 32%. Toxicity was mild with only one case of grade 2 nausea and no grade 3–5 toxicity. Higher neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio was associated with worse overall survival and a trend toward worse progression-free survival. In addition, worse performance status and lower BED10 were associated with worse survival. No such association could be shown for primary tumor location, histology, size or stage.ConclusionAdrenal SBRT for oligometastatic or oligoprogressive disease is a safe and effective form of treatment.     

Use of Pulsed Low–Dose Rate Radiotherapy in Refractory Malignancies

BACKGROUND: Most tumor cell lines exhibited low-dose hyperradiosensitivity (LDHRS) to radiation doses lower than 0.3 Gy. Pulsed low–dose rate radiotherapy (PLDR) took advantage of LDHRS and maximized the tumor control process. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed patients receiving PLDR for refractory malignancies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In total, 22 patients were included in our study: 9 females and 13 males. The median age was 61 years old. All the patients previously received multiline treatments and failed with an estimated survival less than 6 months. Thus, palliative PLDR was given. The PLDR was delivered using 10 fractions of 2 Gy/day, with an interval of 3 minutes, for 5 days per week. The dose rate was 6.67 cGy/min. The median follow-up was 1 year (range 8-30 months). Nine patients underwent PLDR for reirradiation due to locally recurrent diseases. The time interval from last irradiation was 11 to 168 months. Ten patients received PLDR due to poor performance status. Three patients were given PLDR for bulky tumor. The irradiated sites included primary disease (seven patients), locally recurrent disease (nine patients), and retroperitoneal adenopathy (six patients). RESULTS: Five patients developed grade 3 or 4 toxicities. No grade 5 toxicities occurred. All the toxicities recovered after treatments. In general, the 1-year local-regional control rate was approximately 40%, and almost all the patients developed progression at the second year after PLDR. The 6-month survival rate was 76%, and the 1-year survival rate was 69%. For the three patients given PLDR for bulky tumor, all of them achieved partial remission 1 month after the PLDR, and one patient achieved complete response at the fourth month. CONCLUSION: PLDR is an effective and safe option not only for reirradiation but also for patients with poor performance status or bulky tumors. A prospective clinical trial (NCT03061162) is ongoing to validate our results.     

A Randomized Pilot Trial Comparing Position Emission Tomography (PET)-Guided Dose Escalation Radiotherapy to Conventional Radiotherapy in Chemoradiotherapy Treatment of Locally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Background

This pilot trial is designed to determine whether PET/CT-guided radiotherapy dose escalation can improve local control while minimizing toxicity for the treatment of locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Methods

67 patients were randomized into the three treatment arms: conventional chemoradiotherapy (group A), CT-guided dose escalation chemoradiotherapy (group B) and PET/CT-guided dose escalation chemoradiotherapy (group C). Radiotherapy was delivered using the simultaneous modulated accelerated radiation therapy (SMART) technique in the dose-escalation treatment arms. Patients received concurrent and adjuvant chemotherapy.

Results

The use of PET/CT significantly changed the treatment volume delineation of the gross tumor volume. 3-year local progression-free (LPF) survival rates of three groups were 83.3%, 90.9% and 100%, respectively. The 3-year regional progression-free survival (RPFS) rates were 95.8%, 95.5% and 100%, respectively. The 3-year disease free survival (DFS) rates were 79.2%, 86.4% and 95.2%, respectively. The 3-year overall survival (OS) rates were 83.3%, 90.9% and 95.2%, respectively. The 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 79.2%, 86.4% and 95.2%, respectively. No patient had grade 4 late toxicity.

Conclusions

PET/CT-guided dose escalation radiotherapy is well-tolerated and appears to be superior to conventional chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced NPC.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02089204     

Salvage I-125 brachytherapy for locally-recurrent prostate cancer after radiotherapy

PurposeRetrospective, single-institution analysis of clinical outcomes and treatment-related toxicity in patients treated with salvage I-125 low-dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy (BT) for locally-recurrent prostate cancer after radiotherapy.Materials and methodsBetween 2008 and 2018, 30 patients with biopsy-confirmed prostate cancer recurrence underwent salvage treatment with I-125 LDR-BT. Of these 30 patients, 14 were previously treated with primary external beam radiotherapy (EBRT; median dose, 73 Gy) and 16 with primary I-125 LDR-BT (145 Gy and 160 Gy in 14 and 2 cases, respectively). At seed implantation, the mean age was 75.8 years, with a median Gleason score of 7 and pre-salvage PSA of <10 ng/mL. Six patients received androgen deprivation therapy for six months after relapse diagnosis. The prescribed salvage I-125 BT dose to the gland was 120−130 Gy, with dose restrictions of Dmax <135% (urethra) and <100% (rectum). Toxicity was evaluated according to the CTCAE scale (v4.0).ResultsAt a median follow-up of 45 months, the biochemical recurrence-free survival rates at 1, 3 and 5 years were 86.7%, 56.7% and 53.3%, respectively. Overall survival at 5 years was 87%. On the multivariate analysis, two variables were significant predictors of recurrence: PSA at relapse and nadir PSA post-salvage. Grade 3 genitourinary toxicity was observed in 5 patients (radiation-induced cystitis in 3 cases and urethral stenosis in 2) and G3 gastrointestinal toxicity in 3 patients (rectal bleeding).ConclusionSalvage therapy with I-125 brachytherapy is a safe and effective treatment option for locally-recurrent prostate cancer in previously-irradiated patients. High pre-salvage PSA and post-salvage nadir PSA values were significantly associated with a worse disease control after salvage I-125 LDR-BT. In well-selected patients, I-125 LDR-BT is comparable to other salvage therapies in terms of disease control and toxicity. However, more research is needed to determine the optimal management of locally-recurrent prostate cancer.     

3D radiation therapy or intensity-modulated radiotherapy for recurrent and metastatic cervical cancer: the Shanghai Cancer Hospital experience

We evaluate the outcomes of irradiation by using three-dimensional radiation therapy (3D-RT) or intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for recurrent and metastatic cervical cancer. Between 2007 and 2010, 50 patients with recurrent and metastatic cervical cancer were treated using 3D-RT or IMRT. The median time interval between the initial treatment and the start of irradiation was 12 (6-51) months. Salvage surgery was performed before irradiation in 5 patients, and 38 patients received concurrent chemotherapy. Sixteen patients underwent 3D-RT, and 34 patients received IMRT. Median follow-up for all the patients was 18.3 months. Three-year overall survival and locoregional control were 56.1% and 59.7%, respectively. Three-year progression-free survival and disease-free survival were 65.3% and 64.3%, respectively. Nine patients developed grade 3 leukopenia. Grade 5 acute toxicity was not observed in any of the patients; however, 2 patients developed Grade 3 late toxicity. 3D-RT or IMRT is effective for the treatment of recurrent and metastatic cervical cancer, with the 3-year overall survival of 56.1%, and its complications are acceptable. Long-term follow-up and further studies are needed to confirm the role of 3D-RT or IMRT in the multimodality management of the disease.     

Advanced dose calculation algorithms in lung cancer radiotherapy: Implications for SBRT and locally advanced disease in deep inspiration breath hold

PurposeEvaluating performance of modern dose calculation algorithms in SBRT and locally advanced lung cancer radiotherapy in free breathing (FB) and deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH).MethodsFor 17 patients with early stage and 17 with locally advanced lung cancer, a plan in FB and in DIBH were generated with Anisotropic Analytical Algorithm (AAA). Plans for early stage were 3D-conformal SBRT, 45 Gy in 3 fractions, prescribed to 95% isodose covering 95% of PTV and aiming for 140% dose centrally in the tumour. Locally advanced plans were volumetric modulated arc therapy, 66 Gy in 33 fractions, prescribed to mean PTV dose. Calculation grid size was 1 mm for SBRT and 2.5 mm for locally advanced plans. All plans were recalculated with AcurosXB with same MU as in AAA, for comparison on target coverage and dose to risk organs.ResultsLung volume increased in DIBH, resulting in decreased lung density (6% for early and 13% for locally-advanced group).In SBRT, AAA overestimated mean and near-minimum PTV dose (p-values < 0.01) compared to AcurosXB, with largest impact in DIBH (differences of up to 11 Gy). These clinically relevant differences may be a combination of small targets and large dose gradients within the PTV.In locally advanced group, AAA overestimated mean GTV, CTV and PTV doses by median less than 0.8 Gy and near-minimum doses by median 0.4–2.7 Gy.No clinically meaningful difference was observed for lung and heart dose metrics between the algorithms, for both FB and DIBH.ConclusionsAAA overestimated target coverage compared to AcurosXB, especially in DIBH for SBRT.     

The Response,Outcome and Toxicity of Aggressive Palliative Thoracic Radiotherapy for Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients with Controlled Extrathoracic Diseases

Background and Purpose

For metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with controlled extrathoracic disease after systemic treatment, stable or progressive primary lung lesions may cause respiratory symptoms and increase comorbidities. In the present study, we sought to investigate whether aggressive palliative thoracic radiotherapy (RT) can enhance local control and improve the survival for this subgroup of patients.

Materials and Methods

Between March 2006 and December 2014, 56 patients with metastatic NSCLC who had responsive or stable extrathoracic diseases after chemotherapy and/or molecular targets, and received thoracic RT for stable and progressive primary lung lesions were included. RT with a median dose of 55 Gy (range, 40–62 Gy) was administered in 1.8–2.5 Gy fractions to primary lung tumor and regional mediastinal lymph nodes using modern RT technique. Overall survival (OS) from diagnosis, and locoregional progression-free survival (LRPFS), and survival calculated from radiotherapy (OS-RT) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

Results

There were 37 men and 19 women with a median age of 60 years at diagnosis. The median interval from the diagnosis of metastatic disease to thoracic RT was 8 months. Following thoracic RT, 26 patients (46%) achieved complete or partial response (overall response rate, ORR). Patients with squamous cell carcinoma or poorly-differentiated carcinoma had a higher ORR than those with adenocarcinoma (63% vs. 34%, P = 0.034). EGFR mutations was closely associated with a better ORR (45% vs. 29%, P = 0.284). At a median follow-up time of 44 months, the median OS, LRPFS after RT, and OS-RT were 50 months, 15 months, and 18 months.

Conclusion

Radical palliative throractic RT is safe and might be beneficial for primary lung lesions of metastatic NSCLC patients with controlled extrathoracic diseases.     

Conformal radiotherapy (3D CRT) for non-metastatic androgen-independent prostate cancer: costly and sophisticated but ineffective treatment?

PurposePatients with diagnosis of hormone-refractory prostate cancers (HRPC) present a very heterogeneous population, and therefore it has been proposed to sub-categorize them into two subgroups depending on presence or absence of distant metastases. While the former subgroup has been typically treated with palliative intention, for the latter apparently there is no standard approach. The role of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) for this subgroup has not been well documented in the literature. Thus, the purpose of this work is to analyze the results of treatment of non-metastatic androgen-refractory prostate cancer (ARPC) with 3D-CRT and to investigate the potential prognostic factors which influenced the results.Material and MethodsOf 424 patients with diagnosis of localized and locally advanced prostate cancer who were treated between 1999 and 2004 in our centre, forty-three (n=43) patients were classified as non-metastatic ARPC. Distant metastases were excluded by negative bone scan, negative chest X-ray and negative pelvic CT for lymph node metastases. The median pre-hormone therapy PSA (pre-HT PSA) level for this group was 24 ng/ml (range 1 to 120) and 5.7 ng/ml (range 0.06 to 27) at the beginning of radiotherapy (pre-RT PSA). Clinical T stage distribution, defined according to the 2002 AJCC, was as follows: T1c = 12, T2 = 23, and T3 = 8 patients, respectively. Of 44 patients, 39 had a Gleason score of 2-7 and 4 had a Gleason score of 8–10. All patients with diagnosis of non-metastatic ARPC were treated with 3D-CRT with the daily fraction dose of 2 Gy to a median total dose of 68 Gy (range from 60 to 74 Gy). The median duration of androgen ablation therapy before RT was 26 months (range from 7 to 96). The median time of follow-up after 3D-CRT was 27 months (range from 13 to 62) and from the beginning of androgen ablation was 53 months (range from 20 to 158). The following prognostic factors were evaluated in univariate and multivariate analysis: age, pre-HT PSA, pre-RT PSA, Gleason score, total dose, PSA doubling time (PSADT< 6 months vs. PSADT > 6 months).ResultsThe 5-year actuarial overall survival was 82% and 5-year clinical relapse free-survival rate was 49%. During the follow-up 14 patients developed disease progression (locoregional and/or distant and/or biochemical) and two patients died of prostate cancer. The univariate analysis indicated that pre-HT PSA > 20 ng/ml, pre-RT PSA > 4ng/ml, and the high-risk group defined according to NCCN criteria (PSA >20 ng/ml and Gleason score >7) were statistically significant factors for the risk of disease progression.ConclusionsThree-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for patients with non-metastatic ARPC is a valuable method of treatment for the subgroup of patients with pre-HT PSA<20 ng/ml and Gleason score < 8. For patients classified as the high-risk group according to NCCN criteria 3D-CRT seems to be an ineffective treatment due to the observed high incidence of distant failure, and should be viewed as costly and sophisticated yet ineffective intervention. For this subgroup a systemic modality of treatment such as chemotherapy or biological manipulation should be considered.     

多西紫杉醇联合适形放疗治疗老年贲门癌患者的疗效观察

目的:探讨周剂量多西紫杉醇联合三维适形放疗(3DCRT)治疗进展期贲门癌患者的疗效。方法:2007年10月到2009年5月38例不能手术的贲门癌患者行3DCRT,处方剂量62Gy,1.8Gy/次,5次/周;同时联合多西紫杉醇75mg/m2,每周1次,连续6周。用Kaplan-Meier法分析患者的中位无进展生存时间。结果:完全缓解12例,部分缓解18例,30名患者缓解(78.9%),中位无进展生存时间16.4个月。治疗过程中的毒副作用轻,患者可以耐受。结论:周剂量多西紫杉醇化疗联合适形放疗对进展期贲门癌患者是安全、有效的。     

Clinical Trial of Prophylactic Extended-Field Carbon-Ion Radiotherapy for Locally Advanced Uterine Cervical Cancer (Protocol 0508)

To evaluate the efficacy and the toxicity of prophylactic extended-field carbon-ion radiotherapy (C-ion RT, Protocol 0508) for locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix in phase I / II clinical trial. Between May 2006 and January 2012, 26 patients of Protocol 0508 were treated with C-ion RT. The numbers of patients with stage IIB, IIIB, and IVA disease were 13, 11, and 2, respectively. Twenty patients had pelvic lymph node metastases. Median tumor size was 6.1 cm (range, 4.0–10.0 cm). The treatment consisted of extended-field irradiation of 39.0 gray equivalents (GyE) in 13 fractions, and additional 15.0 GyE in 5 fractions was given to the gross tumor volume (GTV) and surrounding tissues. With regard to local boost, 18.0 GyE in 2 fractions was given to GTV only. Total dose to the cervical tumor was 72.0 GyE over 20 fractions. The median follow-up period was 37 months. Twenty-one patients had grade 1 or 2 acute gastrointestinal toxicity, but all patients completed the treatment on schedule. There were no grade 3 or higher late complications, with 8 patients having grade 1 or 2 toxicities, 1 had grade 2 gastrointestinal toxicity and 2 had grade 2 genitourinary toxicity. Four patients (15.4%) developed local recurrence, and 8 patients (30.8%) had distant metastases. The 2-year local control rate, progression-free survival rate and overall survival rate were 83.6%, 61.5% and 73.1%, respectively. There were no severe acute or late complications in this trial. Prophylactic extended-field C-ion RT for locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix was a safe treatment. Although the number of patients in this study was small, the results support further investigations to confirm the therapeutic efficacy and to avoid or reduce toxicity.

Trial Registration

UMIN-CTR UMIN000016169     

Intracranial chordoma: radiosurgery,hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy and treatment outcomes

BackgroundThe aim of the study was to assess the results of stereotactic radiosurgery and hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (SRS/SRT) for skull base chordomas.Materials and methodsTwenty-three patients aged 12–75 were treated with SRS/SRT due to skull base chordoma. In 19 patients SRS/SRT was a part of the primary therapy, while in 4, a part of the treatment of recurrence. In 4 patients SRS/SRT was used as a boost after conventional radiotherapy and in 19 cases it was the only irradiation method applied. Patients were irradiated to total dose of 6–35 Gy and median total equivalent dose of 52 Gy.ResultsDuring median follow-up of 39 months, 4 patients died. One-, two- and five-year OS was 95%, 89% and 69%, respectively. In nine patients, progression of the disease was diagnosed during study period. One-, two- and five-year progression free survival (PFS) from the end of radiotherapy was 81%, 59% and 43%, respectively. Radiotherapy was well tolerated and only two patients in our group experienced moderate treatment-related toxicity.ConclusionSRS/SRT alone or in combination with surgery is a safe and effective method of irradiation of patients with skull base chordomas. High EQD₂ is necessary to achieve satisfactory treatment results.     

Hormonal therapy combined with radiotherapy in locally advanced prostate cancer

At present radiation therapy and radical prostatectomy are considered to be the treatment of choice for clinical T1-T2 prostate cancer. In a more advanced stage of the disease (T3) 10-year overall survival is observed in approximately 40% of patients treated with conventional radiotherapy. So far only a few methods for improving the efficacy of radiotherapy have been introduced. One of them is a three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy with 3 dimensional treatment planning. These novel methods make it possible to escalate the dose to the target and protect healthy tissue at the same time. The optimal volume of irradiation, total dose, fraction dose, techniques of radiotherapy, and the end points used during the follow-up are open to debate. In recent years a few clinical trials involving hormonal therapy and radiotherapy have been carried out. The most important of these are: RTOG 8307, RTOG 8610, RTOG 9202, and EORTC 22863.In the RTOG 8307 trial the comparison of outcomes of a combined treatment with a matched-control group of patients treated by radiotherapy alone has shown that adding hormonal therapy to radiotherapy resulted in a better outcome. Another trials RTOG 8531 and RTOG 8610 produced benefit due to the implementation of hormonal therapy in radiotherapy. The EORTC trial No. 22863 showed improvement in the 5-year overall survival when hormonal therapy after the completion of radiotherapy was continued for 3 years in the investigational arm. The RTOG 9202 study indicated benefit obtained from 2 years of adjuvant hormonal therapy.The results of these trials have had a substantial impact on the management of locally advanced prostate cancer, but there are still questions that have to be answered. There is no doubt that hormonal therapy is an important component of the management of locally advanced prostate cancer. Still the optimal combination of drugs and the timing of such treatment remains controversial. Considering the potential side effects of a combined treatment on the quality of life of patients and care costs, additional properly designed randomised trials are needed to identify the subgroup of patients who will obtain the greatest benefit. Currently, it can be concluded that in the group of patients with a high risk of relapse by adding hormonal therapy to radiotherapy the outcome of treatment in patients with prostate cancer has improved.