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Background: The relationship between the grading of toxicities based on toxicity criteria and longitudinal changes in quality of life (QOL) scores after permanent prostate brachytherapy (PPB) for localized prostate cancer remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate these relationships. Materials and methods: We assessed 107 patients treated with PPB using Iodine-125 alone from May 2007 to April 2010. Disease-specific QOL scores before PPB and at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after PPB were retrospectively evaluated with the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC), focusing on urinary domains. Toxicities were graded using the Radiation therapy oncology group and the European organization for research and treatment of cancer toxicity criteria. Results: The median follow-up duration was 116 (range 18-148) months. Thirty-four patients (31.8%) developed grade = 2 acute genitourinary (GU) toxicities; six (5.6%) developed grade = 2 late GU toxicities. The general urinary domain score dropped significantly at 1 month (77.1 ± 14.1) post-PPB compared to the baseline score (92.2 ± 8.2), and then gradually returned to the baseline level by 12 months (93.7 ± 8.3) post-PPB. Reductions in the general urinary domain scores, including its subscale scores at 1, 3, and 6-months post-PPB were significantly greater among patients with grade = 2 GU toxicity than among those with grade 0-1 GU toxicity. Changes in urinary domain scores demonstrated a close relationship with acute GU toxicity grades after PPB. Conclusions: Longitudinal assessments of the EPIC QOL scores provided additional information regarding time-course changes in GU toxicities after PPB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aim: To identify predictors of adverse gastrointestinal (GI) events related to stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for liver tumors. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 56 patients who underwent SBRT for liver tumors at our institution between 2016 and 2021. The a/ß ratio of the GI tract (stomach, duodenum, and large intestine) was assumed to be 3 Gy in the Linear-Quadratic model (LQ model). The dose to the GI tract, that is, the biologically effective dose 3 (BED3) was converted to a 2 Gy equivalent dose (Gy2/3=2 Gy equivalent dose, a/ß=3). Using this 2 Gy equivalent dose, predictors of adverse GI events of Grade 2 or higher were investigated. Results: The median observation period was 10 months (0-40 months) and median age was 77 years (range=29-93 years). Forty-three of the 56 patients had hepatocellular carcinoma and the other 13 had metastatic liver tumors. Tumors were irradiated with 30-54 Gy/5-18 fractions of planning target volume D95% prescription (80% isodose). Eight of the 56 patients had Grade 2 or higher adverse GI events. By univariate analysis, GI D1cc, Dmax, V20, V25, V30, and V35 were all significant predictors of Grade 2 or higher adverse GI events. Among these, gastrointestinal V35 was the most significant predictor of Grade 2 or higher adverse GI events. Conclusion: For SBRT of liver tumors, GI V35 was the best predictor of Grade 2 or higher adverse GI events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Hypofractionated radiotherapy using fewer and larger fractional doses may be more beneficial than conventional external-beam radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer. We evaluated the 5-year outcomes of moderately hypofractionated radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer. Methods We retrospectively evaluated 195 patients with localized prostate cancer (T1-3N0M0) who underwent intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) (66 Gy delivered in fractions of 3 Gy every other weekday) between May 2005 and December 2011. Patients received androgen deprivation therapy depending on the perceived intermediate or high risk of their disease. A prostate-specific antigen nadir +2.0 ng/ ml indicated biochemical failure. We assessed toxicity using the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (RTOG/ EORTC) criteria, and patient-reported outcomes using the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC). Results The risk classifications (proportion) were low risk (13.8%), intermediate risk (35.9%), and high risk (50.3%). The median follow-up was 69 months. Thirteen (6.66%) patients experienced biochemical failure within a median of 40 months (interquartile range, 25-72 months). The 5-year overall survival rate and no biological evidence of disease rate were 97.7% and 92.4%, respectively. Based on the RTOG/EORTC criteria, no patient experienced acute or late toxicity of grade 3 or higher. The EPIC scores revealed significant differences in the average value of all domains (p < 0.01). At 1 month postradiotherapy completion, the general urinary and bowel domain scores had decreased, but these scores returned to baseline level by 3 months post radiotherapy. Conclusions The moderately hypofractionated radiotherapy protocol yielded short-term satisfactory clinical outcomes with acceptable toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]