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Lung cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide for both men and women. Surgery can be offered as a radical treatment at stages I and II and selected cases of stage III (III A). Whereas at more advanced stages, combined modalities of treatment are applied: radiochemotherapy (IIIB) and molecularly targeted treatment (small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors, VEGF receptor inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, and immunological treatment with monoclonal antibodies). Combination treatment, composed of radiotherapy and molecular therapy, is increasingly employed in locally advanced and metastatic lung cancer management. Recent studies have indicated a synergistic effect of such treatment and modification of immune response. The combination of immunotherapy and radiotherapy may result in the enhancement of the abscopal effect. Anti-angiogenic therapy, in combination with RT, is associated with high toxicity and should be not recommended. In this paper, the authors discuss the role of molecular treatment and the possibility of its concurrent use with radiotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Salivary gland neoplasms are rare cancers of the head and neck region. Radical treatment in tumors of large salivary glands is surgery. Adjuvant treatment depends on the presence of risk factors that worsen the prognosis, but the role of these factors in patients treated by surgery with radio- or radiochemotherapy still remains unclear. The aim of the study is assessment of treatment results and identification of the risk factors affecting the prognosis in patients with tumors of large salivary glands subjected to adjuvant radio- or radiochemotherapy. Patients and Methods: The study included 126 patients with local stage large salivary gland cancer who were treated surgically with adjuvant radio- or radiochemotherapy. The study excluded inoperable patients, patients with distant metastases, patients in a poor general condition and patients with contraindications to adjuvant treatment. They were treated between 2006 and 2016 and evaluated in terms of OS (overall survival), CSS (cancer-specific survival), RFS (relapse-free survival) and LRFS (local relapse-free survival). Results: During a 44-month follow-up, 5-OS, CSS, RFS and LRFS were 55%, 68%, 60% and 73%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that OS was influenced by the following parameters: WHO performance status, TNM stage (T and N parameters), radicality of surgery, histopathological type, applied method of radiotherapy planning and tumor volume. WHO performance status, T and N parameters of the TNM stage and large volume of elective area influenced CSS, and the T parameter of the TNM stage, the dose below 60Gy and tumor volume influenced RFS and LRFS. Chemoradiotherapy can be used in N-positive patients. Conclusion: The analysis indicates that the TNM grade, histopathological type, patient's condition, radicality of the procedure, technique and dose of radiotherapy are the most important prognostic factors in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this retrospective study was to present the prevalence of early and late radiation-induced reaction and factors affecting its formation and severity in patients after adjuvant radio- or radiochemotherapy in salivary gland cancer. Material and methods: A total of 113 patients with early and 91 with late radiation-induced reaction, irradiated in 2006-2016 were enrolled in the study. The frequency of acute mucosal radiation-induced reaction, time of onset, intensity, healing time, as well as incidence of late radiation-induced reaction from the skin and subcutaneous tissue were analysed. Factors that could influence the development and intensity of reaction were identified. R esults: Acute severity and the presence of late radiation-induced reaction do not affect overall survival. Dosage in the tumour bed site as well as the dosage in the nodal region affect the severity of acute radiation-induced mucosal reaction. The severity of early radiation-induced reaction is higher in men, more advanced patients (higher T and N+ in TNM classification), irradiated into a larger area, and those in whom two-dimensional planning and complementary chemoradiotherapy were applied. The late reaction of the skin and subcutaneous tissue was dominated by patients irradiated in the nodal regions and those with a higher intensity of early radiation-induced reaction. C onclusions: Supplementary radiotherapy or radiochemotherapy in salivary gland cancer is associated with acceptable toxicity which has no effect on overall survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The aim of the study was to analyse the survival and progression rates in patients with recurrent salivary gland cancer after surgery and adjuvant radio- or chemoradiotherapy. Material and methods. The study included 43 patients treated in 2006-2016 and evaluated in terms of PFS and OS. Results. The 6-, 12- and 24-month OS rates were: 51%, 41%, and 14%, respectively, while the 6-, 12- and 24-month PFS rates were: 44%, 27%, and 14%, respectively. Any treatment improves OS and PFS, with surgery having the greatest effect on improving PFS, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. A multivariate analysis has shown that predictors of PFS are: irradiated volume and radiation technique, while irradiated volume is the predictor of OS. Conclusions. Prognosis in patients with recurrent gland cancer is poor and does not depend on the type of relapse, but rather on further management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the role of adjuvant endovaginal brachytherapy HDR (High Dose Rate) or observation, as well as identification of risk factors of tumor recurrence. The study included 178 women after radical hysterectomy. All patients belonged to the group of low- and medium-risk stage I FIGO. Analysis consisted of 3-, 5-, and 10-year OS, DFS, and LRFS in both groups. Follow-up was more than 6.5 years. The 5-OS, 5-DFS, and 5-LRFS were 93%, 96%, and 98% in the treated group and 95%, 94%, and 96% in the observed group, respectively. These differences were not statistically significant. There was a statistically significant difference in 5-OS in the treated group, between low- and medium-risk subgroups (100% versus 87.55%, p=0.018). There was a better prognosis among the patients with FIGO IA compared to FIGO IB (5-DFS, 97 versus 86%, p=0.047). Among the risk factors, there were only statistically significant differences in the 5-OS, between the ages of ≤ 70 years and >70 years. Use of brachytherapy may affect the reduction in the number of local recurrences at the vaginal stump (6% versus 2%). This is particularly noticeable in the low-risk subgroup (9% versus 0%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neoplasms of large salivary glands are a highly differentiated group of diseases in terms of their histology. There are 24 histological types of these tumors, the most common of which are mucoepidermoid carcinoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma. The mainstay of radical treatment is surgical removal of the salivary gland, which, in certain patients, is supplemented with radiation therapy or chemoradiotherapy. There are no large randomized prospective studies that would show an overall survival or local control benefit in individual types of this disease. Research demonstrates that salivary gland tumors are generally resistant to radiation. Despite this, adjuvant radiotherapy is applied in patients without radical surgical margins and with highly advanced disease in most of these histological types. However, scientific investigations do not confirm the influence of adjuvant treatment on LC and OS in the mucoepidermoid type. Nevertheless, this treatment increases local control and prolongs overall survival in patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. As for acinic cell carcinoma and malignant mixed tumor, the benefit from radiotherapy is unclear. Irradiation in these diseases may improve local control and prolong survival in more advanced cases. As in other head and neck cancers, radiation therapy and chemoradiotherapy should be applied in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the salivary glands. Due to the rare occurrence of other histological types, data on the benefit from radiotherapy are lacking. Adjuvant radiotherapy has been shown to improve survival only in patients with more advanced basal cell carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Next to thermoablation, radioembolization or chemoembolization, radiation therapy is one of non-surgical methods of local treatment for primary and secondary liver cancers. Brachytherapy is a radiotherapy technique which enables highdose irradiation with relatively low doses delivered to the remaining, healthy liver parenchyma owing to appropriate arrangement and number of applicators. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of various doses in the healthy hepatic parenchyma on early biochemical toxicity in patients undergoing brachytherapy for liver tumors. Material and methods. The analysis involved values of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and total bilirubin (BIL) in 16 patients within the period of 6 months after brachytherapy. Six patients (37.5%) were administered 20 Gy, 7 (43.75%) 15 Gy (43.75%), and 3 (18.75%) 10 Gy. Toxicity was assessed based on the most common clinical liver function parameters: ALT, AST and BIL. Results. None of the patients demonstrated statistically significant differences in biochemical liver function markers (ALT, AST and BIL) for the first, second and third time periods. A statistically significant correlation was found between the maximum dose delivered to the liver and ALT levels in the second (p = 0.002) and third time periods (p = 0.014). Also, a correlation existed between CTV with the AST value in the first time period at a borderline significance level (p = 0.04). There were no statistically significant correlations between other physical parameters (Dmax, D1/3, D2/3, D50%, D10cm3, D100cm3, D500cm3, D100%, D90%, liver volume) and levels of biochemical liver function markers in individual time periods (p>0.05). Conclusions. Hepatotoxicity of brachytherapy depends on the volume of the irradiated tumor. This correlates with an increase in transaminases and indicates the existence of a certain tumor volume at which the toxicity of brachytherapy is not acceptable. Further studies are needed to assess the influence of brachytherapy conducted for the treatment of liver tumors on hepatotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]