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In patients with mechanical aortic and mitral valves and left ventricular (LV) tachycardia (VT), catheter ablation is technically challenging due to the limited access to the LV. Promising new alternatives to radiofrequency ablation include pulsed-field electroporation, percutaneous or surgical sympathetic neuromodulation, and noninvasive stereotactic radioablation therapy (SBRT). We herein describe the effect of SBRT as a bailout therapy on the management of a challenging VT case in the presence of double left-sided mechanical valves.

Background: Stereotactic body radioablation therapy (SBRT) has recently been introduced with the ability to provide ablative energy noninvasively to arrhythmogenic substrate while reducing damage to normal cardiac tissue nearby and minimizing patients' procedural risk. There is still debate regarding whether SBRT has a predominant effect in the early or late period after the procedure. We sought to assess the time course of SBRT's efficacy as well as the value of using a blanking period following a SBRT session.Methods: Eight patients (mean age 58 ±14 years) underwent eight SBRT sessions for refractory ventricular tachycardia (VT). SBRT was given using a linear accelerator device with a total dose of 25 Gy to the targeted area.Results: During a median follow-up of 8 months, all patients demonstrated VT recurrences, however, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapies were significantly reduced with SBRT (8.46 to 0.83/per month, p=0.047; 18.50 to 3.29/per month, p=0.036, respectively). While analyzing the temporal SBRT outcomes, the two weeks to 3 months period demonstrated the most favorable outcomes. After 6 months, one patient was ICD therapy-free and the remaining patients demonstrated VT episodes. Conclusions: Our findings showed that the SBRT was associated with a marked reduction in the burden of VT and ICD interventions especially during first 3 months. Although SBRT doesn’t seem to succeed complete termination of VT in long-term period, our findings support the strategy that SBRT can be utilized for immediate antiarrhythmic palliation in critically ill patients with otherwise untreatable refractory VT and electrical storm.

Purpose The aim of this study is to evaluate the treatment responses of Kaposi sarcoma patients treated with radiotherapy (RT). Materials and Methods The data of 18 patients (40 different regions) who were treated for Kaposi sarcoma in Department of the Radiation Oncology, Ankara City Hospital, Turkey between March 23, 2010 to February 13, 2018 were evaluated retrospectively. The primary endpoint of the study was the clinical-subjective response after RT, and the secondary endpoint was the visual response assessment after RT. Results In evaluating the patients’ reported response of the lesions: 25 (62.5%) of complete response (CR), 12 (30%) of partial response (PR), and stable response was seen in 3 patients (7.5%). Patient reported response after RT was significantly higher in male sex (p = 0.002; odds ratio [OR] = 13.8, 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.7–70.0). Physician reported response rates were available for 28 lesions and CR was detected in 12 lesions (30%); PR was observed in 16 (40%). The relationship between physician reported outcome and RT techniques (electron, bolus, or water bolus) is close to the limit of statically significance (p = 0.052). Fewer lesions disappeared in patients with photon preference than electrons (p = 0.036; OR = 0.093; 95% CI, 0.009–0.950). Patients’ reported complete response rates were significantly higher in the 20 Gy per 5 fractions treatment arm (p = 0.042; OR = 1.75; 95% CI, 1.1–2.7). Conclusion RT is an effective local treatment with high response rates in the treatment of Kaposi sarcoma. The subjective-clinical response rate was higher in male sex and the visual response was higher in the 20 Gy per 5 fractions arm. Additional studies are needed to standardize RT dose and techniques.

Patients with multiple brain metastases are often treated with whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT). Second course of WBRT is an important treatment option for patients with clinical or radiological intracranial disease progression. This study examines the outcomes in patients with multiple brain metastases who underwent reirradiation.We examined the medical records of 34 patients with multiple brain metastases who were treated WBRT. The median dose for the first course of WBRT was 30 Gy (range, 25-30 Gy) and for the second course 25 Gy (range, 20-30 Gy). Statistical analyses were performed with using Cox regression analyses, log-rank test and Kaplan-Meier method.The median Karnofsky performance status (KPS) was 80 (range, 50-100) before reirradiation. Patients with KPS of70 had a median survival of 11.4 months, compared to 2.2 months with KPS of ≤70 (P=0.012) and patients who have severe symptoms at the time of reirradiation with median survival 2.2 months while those with mild symptoms had a median of 4.8 months survival (P=0.08). The median overall survival for all patients after diagnosis of metastases was 24.7 months, after the re-irradiation WBRT (re-WBRT) it was 5.3 months (95% CI, 4.08-6.62) and from the diagnosis of primary tumor was 27.1 months (95% CI, 17.75-37.04).In select patients who have good performance status and who do not have severe symptoms might benefit from re-WBRT and re-WBRT seems to be associated with minimal toxicity in patients treated with lower palliation doses.

The aim of this study was to evaluate any cytogenetic change in sister chromatid exchange (SCE), micronuclei (MN) and binuclear cell (BNC) of peripheral blood lymphocytes in breast cancer patients treated with postoperative radiation therapy (RT). Frequency of the SCE, MN and BNC were examined in 22 breast cancer patients received RT and 10 healthy individuals. All parameters were measured before (RT-a), at the completion of (RT-b) and three months after the completion of (RT-c) RT. A significant difference emerged in SCE (p=0.008) and MN (p=0.004) between RT-a and control groups. There was not any statistically significant difference in the SCE frequencies between RT-b and RT-c measurements. The frequencies of MN were also significantly higher in RT-b (p=0.005) and RT-c (p=0.005) than in control group. MN levels decreased to pre-RT levels three months after completion of treatment. Increasing MN and SCE frequencies following radiotherapy is an expected situation. Decrease in MN frequency at 3-month after the completion of RT suggests that expected repair continues. Persistent SCE at the same period suggests that recovery in SCE has not completed yet and a longer period of time is needed.

Cystoid macular edema is rarely observed secondary to paclitaxel treatment. A 55-year-old female patient was applied five cures of paclitaxel and carboplatin chemotherapy after being diagnosed with metastatic ovarian cancer. The patient had a normal bilateral vision prior to the chemotherapy treatments. After the fifth cure, the patient complained of bilateral vision loss, which was more severe in the left eye. Ophthalmologic examination revealed that right eye vision was 4/10 blurred without glasses and 7/10 blurred with glasses, left eye vision was 1/10 blurred without glasses and 4/10 blurred with glasses. Pathology was not detected during the biomicroscopic examination. Fundus examination of the patient revealed pigment epithelium irregularity, which was found to be less in the right eye, and it was found a decrease in foveal cavity. For fundus examination, the patient underwent fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT). FFA revealed fluorescein leakage and cystoid appearance particularly more apparent in the left eye. Thickening in the macula and cystoid space was observed particularly more in the left eye in the OCT measurement. In conclusion, we presented our case as a rarely observed cystoid macular edema secondary to paclitaxel treatment.

Background: Leptin is a peptide hormone that has a role in the regulation of body weight and has effects on metabolic, neuroendocrine, reproductive and hematopoietic systems. Breast cancer has also been associated with obesity and reproductive hormones, especially estradiol. Only a few studies have investigated the relation between plasma leptin and risk of breast cancer and only one study evaluated the effect of tamoxifen on leptin levels in patients with breast cancer. Methods: We investigated serum leptin levels in gender-, body mass index (BMI)- and agematched breast cancer patients and healthy individuals (58 of each). Results: Serum leptin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay (Human Leptin RIA Kit). Serum leptin levels in the breast cancer patients were significantly higher than those in the control group (27.00 versus 17.65 ng/ml, p = 0.019). There were no differences with respect to BMI and age between control and breast cancer patients. There were no significant differences in BMI and leptin levels between pre- and postmenopausal patients (27.00 ± 1.39 and 27.19 ± 0.81 kg/m 2 , 26.81 ± 6.25 and 27.06 ± 2.98 ng/ml) (p > 0.05). We found no difference in serum leptin level between early and late stages of patients (22.38 versus 31.30 ng/ml, p = 0.086). However, the serum leptin level in patients using tamoxifen was significantly higher than that of patients not using tamoxifen (32.71 and 19.39 ng/ml, respectively p = 0.009). There was no correlation between CA 15-3 and leptin level (r = 0.069, p = 0.610). Conclusion: High serum leptin levels seen in breast cancer patients are not related to stage of the disease or to cancer itself but may be associated with the use of tamoxifen.

Synovial sarcomas are most frequently observed in the extremities. Although synovial sarcomas are the third most common histological type of soft-tissue sarcomas of the extremities, primary mediastinal synovial sarcoma is extremely rare. Monophasic synovial sarcoma is the most commonly observed subtype. whereas the biphasic subtype is less common. We present our case which was diagnosed as biphasic synovial sarcoma located in the anterior mediastinum, which is considered to be a rare entity. The patient underwent surgical resection together with multimodal adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

WOS: 000297064900008, PubMed: 22933968, Background. The majority of subcutaneous metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) originate from needle tracks or surgical wound contamination. Non-iatrogenic subcutaneous metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma was rarely reported. Case report. A 70-year-old man presented with a mass in his left occipital region of the scalp. The surgical complete resection was performed. The histopathology report of the scalp mass showed a characteristic metastatic HCC. Computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen showed no primary or metastatic lesion in the abdomen; that's why the adjuvant treatment was not given after the surgery. Five months later, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain revealed a 6 x 5.5 cm mass at the left posterior parietal region of the scalp. Second surgery was performed and histopathology of the specimen excised was again metastatic HCC. The external beam radiation therapy (XRT) was administered after the surgery. A follow-up MRI of the brain showed no recurrent disease after 9 months from XRT. Conclusions. HCCs should be considered in the differential diagnosis of carcinomas metastatic to the skin, even in the absence of liver symptoms.

WOS: 000294324600010, PubMed: 22933959, Background. The aim of the retrospective study was to evaluate the outcome and prognostic factors of newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients who received 3-D conformal radiotherapy (RT) combined with concomitant and/or adjuvant temozalamide (TMZ) postoperatively. Patients and methods. Fifty patients with glioblastoma multiforme were treated with 3-D conformal RT combined with concomitant and/or adjuvant TMZ postoperatively. Median age was 57 years (range, 12-79) and median Karnofsky performance status (KPS) was 70 (range, 40-100). A multivariate Cox regression model was used to test the effect of age, sex, KPS, extent of surgery, tumour dimension (= 5cm), full dose RT (>= 60 Gy vs.