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BACKGROUND The objective of this study was to evaluate local control and patterns of failure in pediatric patients with low-grade glioma (LGG) who received treatment with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). METHODS In total, 39 children received IMRT after incomplete resection or disease progression. Three methods of target delineation were used. The first was to delineate the gross tumor volume (GTV) and add a 1-cm margin to create the clinical target volume (CTV) (Method 1; n = 19). The second was to add a 0.5-cm margin around the GTV to create the CTV (Method 2; n = 6). The prescribed dose to the GTV was the same as dose to the CTV for both Methods 1 and 2 (median, 50.4 grays [Gy]). The final method was dose painting, in which a GTV was delineated with a second target volume (2TV) created by adding 1 cm to the GTV (Method 3; n = 14). Different doses were prescribed to the GTV (median, 50.4 Gy) and the 2TV (median, 41.4 Gy). RESULTS The 8-year progression-free and overall survival rates were 78.2% and 93.7%, respectively. Seven failures occurred, all of which were local in the high-dose (≥95%) region of the IMRT field. On multivariate analysis, age ≤5 years at time of IMRT had a detrimental impact on progression-free survival. CONCLUSIONS IMRT provided local control rates comparable to those provided by 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional radiotherapy. Margins ≥1 cm added to the GTV may not be necessary, because excellent local control was achieved by adding a 0.5-cm margin (Method 2) and by dose painting (Method 3). Cancer 2013;119:2654-2659. © 2013 American Cancer Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) infrequently involves the central nervous system (CNS). This study was undertaken in patients with AML to determine whether cytogenetic findings predict CNS involvement. METHODS: The medical records of 1354 patients with AML who were treated at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center between January 2000 and December 2008 were reviewed. Forty patients (3%) had CNS involvement at time of presentation or disease recurrence, of whom 37 had conventional cytogenetics performed on bone marrow aspirate material. Demographics, treatment, and status at last follow-up were collected. RESULTS: Eleven patients (30%) had a diploid karyotype, and 14 patients (38%) had complex cytogenetics. Only 5 of the 40 patients had CNS disease at diagnosis, and the remaining patients had CNS disease at relapse. Patients who developed CNS disease were younger ( P = .019), had a higher white blood cell (WBC) count at diagnosis ( P = .001), had higher lactate dehydrogenase level (LDH) levels ( P < .0001), and had higher percentages peripheral blast cells ( P = .024) at diagnosis compared with the rest of the population. In addition, patients with CNS disease had higher rates of chromosome 16 inversion ( P < .001), chromosome 11 abnormality ( P = .005), and trisomy 8 ( P = .02) and had a tendency toward complex cytogenetics ( P = .2) compared with the control group (patients who had AML with no CNS involvement). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with AML and CNS disease often had higher LDH levels and WBC counts at diagnosis, and they often presented with chromosome 16 inversion and chromosome 11 abnormalities. The current study indicated that the overall survival of patients with AML who had CNS involvement is poor. Cancer 2012;. © 2011 American Cancer Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The objective of this study was to review the outcome of patients with solitary plasmacytoma (SP) after definitive radiation therapy.Methods: The authors retrospectively reviewed 84 patients with SP who were diagnosed and treated at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center during 1988 to 2008. The impact of tumor anatomic site, tumor size, and the presence of serum and urinary paraprotein at diagnosis was assessed on local control, survival, and the risk of developing multiple myeloma (MM).Results: Fifty-nine patients (70%) had bone SP, and 25 patients (30%) had extramedullary SP. Serum paraprotein was present in 39 patients (46%). The median radiation dose was 45 grays (Gy) (range, 36-53.4 Gy). Local control was achieved in 77 patients (92%). Neither radiation dose nor tumor size predicted local control. The 5-year rate of progression to MM was 47% and was higher for patients with bone SP (56% vs 30% for extramedullary SP; P = .021), and patients who had serum paraprotein detected at diagnosis (60% vs 39%; P = .016). On univariate analysis, patients aged <60 years and men had higher rates of progression to MM, although the differences were not significant (P = .048 and P = .29, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed that bone location and serum protein at diagnosis were associated statistically with progression to MM. The 5-year overall survival rate for the entire patient cohort was 78%, and no difference was observed between patients who had bone SP versus extramedullary SP (76% vs 85%, respectively; P = .274).Conclusions: The current results indicated that definitive radiation therapy for SP can provide excellent local control. Progression to MM remains the main problem and is more common among patients with bone SP and those who have serum paraprotein detected at diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to review the outcome of patients with solitary plasmacytoma (SP) after definitive radiation therapy. METHODS: The authors retrospectively reviewed 84 patients with SP who were diagnosed and treated at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center during 1988 to 2008. The impact of tumor anatomic site, tumor size, and the presence of serum and urinary paraprotein at diagnosis was assessed on local control, survival, and the risk of developing multiple myeloma (MM). RESULTS: Fifty-nine patients (70%) had bone SP, and 25 patients (30%) had extramedullary SP. Serum paraprotein was present in 39 patients (46%). The median radiation dose was 45 grays (Gy) (range, 36-53.4 Gy). Local control was achieved in 77 patients (92%). Neither radiation dose nor tumor size predicted local control. The 5-year rate of progression to MM was 47% and was higher for patients with bone SP (56% vs 30% for extramedullary SP; P = .021), and patients who had serum paraprotein detected at diagnosis (60% vs 39%; P = .016). On univariate analysis, patients aged <60 years and men had higher rates of progression to MM, although the differences were not significant ( P = .048 and P = .29, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed that bone location and serum protein at diagnosis were associated statistically with progression to MM. The 5-year overall survival rate for the entire patient cohort was 78%, and no difference was observed between patients who had bone SP versus extramedullary SP (76% vs 85%, respectively; P = .274). CONCLUSIONS: The current results indicated that definitive radiation therapy for SP can provide excellent local control. Progression to MM remains the main problem and is more common among patients with bone SP and those who have serum paraprotein detected at diagnosis. Cancer 2011;. © 2011 American Cancer Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The current study was conducted to determine the incidence of gastric involvement in patients presenting with extranodal marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) outside the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and to identify clinical or laboratory parameters that predict gastric involvement in such cases. METHODS: The records of 121 consecutive patients who presented with non-GI extranodal MZL and had undergone esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) as part of their initial workup were retrospectively reviewed. The authors assessed the presence of occult gastric MZL in these patients and possible associations with demographic characteristics; anatomic site of initial presentation; Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection; Zubrod score; International Prognostic Index (IPI); B symptoms; and serum lactate dehydrogenase, hemoglobin, albumin, and β2-microglobulin levels. RESULTS: The median age at diagnosis of non-GI MZL was 59 years. The most common primary tumor sites were the salivary/parotid gland (32 patients), ocular adnexa (26 patients), skin (19 patients), and lung (17 patients). Twenty-two patients (18%) were found to have gastric involvement on EGD. Using logistic regression analysis, factors found to be associated with gastric involvement included: high IPI score (odds ratio [OR], 3.70; P = .03), female sex (OR, 6.50; P = .02), serum β2-microglobulin level of ≥2.5 mg/L (OR, 3.69; P = .02), and involvement of the aerodigestive mucosal/glandular tissue (OR, 4.50; P = .004). On multivariate logistic analysis, aerodigestive mucosal/glandular sites, H. pylori infection, and an elevated β2-microglobulin level were found to be associated with gastric involvement. CONCLUSIONS: Routine EGD is recommended for patients with non-GI MZL, particularly those with primary aerodigestive mucosal/glandular tissue involvement or those with a high IPI, female sex, elevated serum β2-microglobulin level, or H. pylori infection regardless of the primary tumor site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The current study was conducted to determine whether the use of cochlear-sparing intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) boost results in excess local failures in children with medulloblastoma. METHODS: Fifty children with a median age of 7.8 years underwent resection, craniospinal irradiation (CSI), IMRT posterior fossa (PF) and/or tumor bed (TB) boost, and cisplatin-based chemotherapy for medulloblastoma. For standard-risk patients, the CSI dose was 18 to 23.4 grays (Gy) and was followed either by an IMRT PF boost to 36 Gy and a TB boost of 54 to 55.8 Gy (n = 29) or by an IMRT TB boost to 55.8 Gy (n = 4). For high-risk patients, the CSI dose was 36 to 39.6 Gy followed by an IMRT PF boost to 54 to 55.8 Gy (n = 8), an IMRT PF boost to 45 Gy and a TB boost to 55.8 Gy (n = 2), or an IMRT TB boost to 55.8 Gy (n = 7). For the TB boost, a 2-cm margin around the surgical bed was treated in most patients. RESULTS: The 5-year overall and progression-free survival rates (±standard deviation) were 72% ± 6.6% and 68.3% ± 6.8%, respectively, for all patients; 77.8% ± 7.4% and 75.1% ± 7.6%, respectively, for standard-risk patients; and 60.8% ± 12.8% and 55.4% ± 12.8%, respectively, for high-risk patients. The 5-year PF control rate was 90.5% ± 4.6%. TB failures occurred in 3 patients (including 2 patients who had distant failure), whereas an isolated non-TB PF failure occurred in 1 patient. CONCLUSIONS: The use of IMRT was associated with excellent local control and did not result in excess PF failures outside of the TB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the prognostic factors in patients with marginal zone lymphoma (MZL). The patients in the study were divided into three groups according to the type of MZL such as extranodal, nodal and splenic. The results of the study revealed that splenic MZL patients had the best prognosis among the three groups despite the increased prevalence of negative prognostic indicators. The patients with extranodal and nodal MZL had similar prognosis. The study was able to provide a prognostic scoring system for patients with extranodal MZL.

BACKGROUND: Most Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients present with disease in nodal regions. However, in a small subset, disease develops in unique anatomic sites such as the head and neck area. This study aims to identify the characteristics and outcomes of patients who develop HL involving extranodal and nodal head and neck sites. METHODS: Theauthors searched The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center's database for HL patients treated between 1967 and 2007 and included those with HL at head and neck sites. They reviewed the records for site of involvement, pathology, treatment, and survival. RESULTS: The authors identified 39 patients with extranodal and nodal HL of the head and neck. Five patients with lymphocyte predominant HL were excluded. Specifically, 10 of 34 patients had disease in the tonsils, 9 in the nasopharynx, 8 in the thyroid, 3 in the parotid, 2 in the adenoids, and 1 each in Waldeyer'sring and nasal antrum. Median age at diagnosis was 31.5 years, average age at diagnosis was 38 years, and 22 of 34were male; 23 had stage I or II disease. Pathologically, 14 of 34 had the nodular sclerosis subtype, whereas 15 hadmixed cellularity. Twenty-nine of 34 had nodal neck disease at presentation. Five of 34 received chemotherapy alone,5 received radiation alone, and 24 received combination therapy. Twenty-one of 34 received 39.6 gray of externalbeam radiation. The most commonly used chemotherapy regimens were ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine,and dacarbazine) and MOPP (mechlorethamine, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone). At last follow-up, 85%were disease-free. CONCLUSIONS: HL of the head and neck is primarily diagnosed as early stage disease of men and of young to middle-aged individuals. Chemotherapy and primary/adjuvant radiotherapy offer excellent local and systemic control. The extent to which nodal disease is present in the neck does not alter outcomes when combined modality therapy is offered. Despite the unique anatomic location of these lesions, standard HL protocols workeffectively to promote disease-free survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]