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Purpose: Involved node radiation therapy (INRT) was introduced in the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Lymphoma Study Association/Fondazione Italiana Linfomi H10 trial, a large multicenter trial in early-stage Hodgkin Lymphoma. The present study aimed to evaluate the quality of INRT in this trial., Methods and Materials: A retrospective, descriptive study was initiated to evaluate INRT in a representative sample encompassing approximately 10% of all irradiated patients in the H10 trial. Sampling was stratified by academic group, year of treatment, size of the treatment center, and treatment arm, and it was done proportional to the size of the strata. The sample was completed for all patients with known recurrences to enable future research on relapse patterns. Radiation therapy principle, target volume delineation and coverage, and applied technique and dose were evaluated using the EORTC Radiation Therapy Quality Assurance platform. Each case was reviewed by 2 reviewers and, in case of disagreement also by an adjudicator for a consensus evaluation., Results: Data were retrieved for 66 of 1294 irradiated patients (5.1%). Data collection and analysis were hampered more than anticipated by changes in archiving of diagnostic imaging and treatment planning systems during the running period of the trial. A review could be performed on 61 patients. The INRT principle was applied in 86.6%. Overall, 88.5% of cases were treated according to protocol. Unacceptable variations were predominately due to geographic misses of the target volume delineations. The rate of unacceptable variations decreased during trial recruitment., Conclusions: The principle of INRT was applied in most of the reviewed patients. Almost 90% of the evaluated patients were treated according to the protocol. The present results should, however, be interpreted with caution because the number of patients evaluated was limited. Individual case reviews should be done in a prospective fashion in future trials. Radiation therapy Quality Assurance tailored to the clinical trial objectives is strongly recommended., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Local ablative treatment (LAT) is increasingly combined with systemic therapy in oligometastatic breast cancer (OMBC), without a high-level evidence to support this strategy. We evaluated the addition of LAT to systemic treatment in terms of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints were local control (LC) and toxicity. We sought to identify prognostic factors associated with longer OS and PFS., Methods and Materials: We identified consecutive patients treated between 2014 and 2018 for synchronous or metachronous OMBC (defined as ≤ 5 metastases). LAT included stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), surgery, cryotherapy and percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (PRA). PFS and OS were calculated, and Cox regression models analyzed for potential predictors of survival., Results: One hundred two patients were included (no-LAT, n = 62; LAT, n = 40). Sixty-four metastases received LAT. Median follow-up was 50.4 months (95% CI [44.4; 53.4]). One patient experienced grade 3 toxicity in the LAT group. Five-year PFS and OS were 34.75% (95% CI [24.42-45.26]) and 63.21% (95% CI [50.69-73.37]) respectively. Patients receiving both LAT and systemic therapy had longer PFS and OS than those with no-LAT ([HR 0.39, p = 0.002]) and ([HR 0.31, p = 0.01]). The use of LAT, HER2-positive status and hormone-receptor positivity were associated with longer PFS and OS whereas liver metastases led to worse PFS., Conclusions: LAT was associated with improved outcomes in OMBC when added to systemic treatment, without significantly increasing toxicity. The prognostic factors identified to extend PFS and OS may help guide clinicians in selecting patients for LAT., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: We report on our experience of using Helical Tomotherapy (HT) in the context of post-mastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) with or without immediate implant-based breast Reconstruction (IBR)., Material and Methods: The study included a total of 173 patients who underwent PMRT with HT between 2013 and 2015 in our institution (87 immediate breast reconstructions with retropectoral implants (IBR + ), 86 without reconstructions (IBR-)). The chest wall target volume included subcutaneous tissue and pectoralis muscle and excluded the posterior region of the implant as well as the ribs., Results: Median time to initiation of the first adjuvant treatment from mastectomy was similar between the two groups (p = 0.134). Dose coverage to the chest wall was significantly improved for the IBR + group (V95% = 95.1 % versus 92.0 %; p < 0.0001). The irradiated volume of the ipsilateral lung was significantly decreased in the IBR + group with a median V20Gy of 11.6 %, compared to 15.2 % for the control group (p < 0.0001). The median heart V15Gy was also significantly lower in the IBR + group than in the control group (1.7 vs 2.5 %; p = 0.0280). The reconstruction failure rate was 14.9% (n = 13). After a median follow-up of 65 months, loco regional recurrence rate was low in both groups: 3 patients (3.4%) in the IBR + group and 5 patients (5.8%) in the control group, without any local recurrence in the posterior part of the implant., Conclusions: The presence of a breast implant reduces cardiac and pulmonary doses during Tomotherapy irradiation, without compromising oncological outcomes., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Does oligometastatic breast cancer (OMBC) deserve a dedicated treatment? Although some authors recommend multidisciplinary management of OMBC with a curative intent, there is no evidence proving this strategy beneficial in the absence of a randomized trial. The existing literature sheds little light on OMBC. Incidence is unknown; data available are either obsolete or biased; there is no consensus on the definition of OMBC and metastatic sites, nor on necessary imaging techniques. However, certain proposals merit consideration. Knowledge of eventual specific OMBC biological characteristics is limited to circulating tumor cell (CTC) counts. Given the data available for other cancers, studies on microRNAs (miRNAs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and genomic alterations should be developed Finally, safe and effective therapies do exist, but results of randomized trials will not be available for many years. Prospective observational cohort studies need to be implemented., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Institut Claudius Regaud - IUCT-Oncopole. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The optimal dose in esophageal cancer patients treated with definitive chemoradiation (CRT) remains debated. We herein report on the dosimetric results, treatment-related toxicities and long-term outcomes of escalated dose up to 60Gy delivered with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT)., Materials and Methods: All consecutive patients that received a definitive CRT>50Gy for an unresectable esophageal carcinoma between 2010 and 2015 were retrospectively evaluated for this study. Methodology included data base search, delayed toxicity grading, statistical testing including frequency analysis and survival analysis., Results: A total of 51 patients were irradiated for a squamous cell carcinoma (86.3%) or an adenocarcinoma (13.7%). The median age at diagnosis was 62 years. Seven patients were simultaneously irradiated for another synchronous primary tumor. Forty-six patients (90.2%) received concurrent platin-based chemotherapy. The median prescribed doses were 60Gy (54-66) and 48Gy (44.8-56) delivered in 30 (27-35) fractions to the high and the low risks PTV respectively. The mean dose delivered to the lungs was 11.4Gy (IC 95%: 4.8-19.8), the median volumes receiving up to 20Gy (V20) and 30Gy (V30) were 13.5% (3.0-46.0) and 4.6% (0.7-19.8) respectively. The mean dose delivered to the heart was 13.9Gy (IC 95%:0.3-31.3) with a median V40 of 3.3% (0.0-25.0). One treatment-related death occurred within days after RT completion (neutropenic aplasia). After a median follow-up of 2.7 years (95% CI: 1.9-4.3), the 2-year overall survival, disease free survival and loco-regional control rates were 53.6%, 42.0% and 72.8% respectively. Delayed treatment related-toxicities ≤grade 3 occurred among 25 patients (62.5%) mostly esophageal stricture (79.2%)., Conclusion: We demonstrated in this study that dose escalation using IMRT in combination with platin-based chemotherapy as a definitive treatment for esophageal carcinoma is safe and results in higher loco-regional and control survival when compared to previously reported data., (Copyright © 2020 Société française de radiothérapie oncologique (SFRO). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Intra-operative radiotherapy for breast cancer has been developed throughout the last two decades. It is already well-established regarding local control and toxicity for intra-operative radiotherapy using electrons as we now have the necessary background knowledge. However, very few data on later toxicity are available for intra-operative radiotherapy using low-energy photons. We report here the case of a 36-year-old woman who experienced rib fracture following intra-operative and external radiotherapy. This patient has been included in the Targit-boost trial. The intra-operative irradiation has been operated with an INTRABEAM device delivering low-energy photons of 50-kV., (Copyright © 2020 Société française de radiothérapie oncologique (SFRO). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The role of radiation therapy (RT) for patients with bone-only metastatic (BOM) breast cancer has not been investigated sufficiently. The aim of this survey was to evaluate current clinical practice in treating breast cancer patients with BOM in Radiation Therapy Departments in Catalonia and Occitania within the scope of the GOCO group., Materials and Methods: An electronic questionnaire was completed by experienced radiation oncologists from fourteen RT centers. The items surveyed the professional experience, therapeutic approach, technique, dose stereotactic body RT (SBRT) availability., Results: All Radiation Oncology Departments (ROD) in Catalonia (12) and Occitania (2) responded to the survey. Eleven (78.5%) of the RODs advise RT for BOM as initial treatment in the oligometastatic setting. RT to asymptomatic bone oligometastases is more often restricted for "risky lesions". The most inconsistent approaches were the treatment for asymptomatic lesions, when to treat bone metastases with respect to systemic treatment (ST) and the indication for RT after a complete response to ST., Conclusion: While BOM breast cancer patients have a relatively good prognosis, there is a lack of consistency in their approach with RT. This can be explained by the absence of evidence-based guidelines and an incomplete availability of SBRT., (© 2019 Greater Poland Cancer Centre. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who are on liver transplant waiting list usually require local treatment to limit any risk of tumour growth. Historically percutaneous radiofrequency ablation or transarterial chemoembolization represented the major therapeutic alternatives. Depending on the size, or the topography of the lesion these two techniques may not be feasible. Radiation therapy under stereotactic conditions has recently emerged in the management of localized hepatocellular carcinoma as an alternative to the focused therapies performed to date. We herein report the case of a 43-year-old patient harbouring a complete histological response on explant after liver stereotactic irradiation and discuss its role in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma before liver transplantation., (Copyright © 2018 Société française de radiothérapie oncologique (SFRO). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

The optimization of radiotherapy in these young and long-lived survivors raises the question about the interest of using modern techniques to allow a better distribution of the dose. The choice of the irradiation technique must take into account the incidence of side effects related to radiation. In this context, the definition of the target volumes as well as the verification and monitoring of the delivered processing are essential. International recommendations for treatment fields are based on the "involved node radiotherapy" concept. The best irradiation technique to use remains to be defined. The use of intensity-modulated radiotherapy improves the coverage and reduces the dose to the organs at risk with a variable gain depending on the topography of the lymph nodes: upper or lower mediastinum, right or left lateralization, the techniques used. The deep inspiration breath-hold technique allows an increase of the pulmonary volume, extension of the mediastinum with an up down of the heart which make possible to move the planning target volume away from the cardiac structures. The volumetric-modulated arctherapy technique with several arches can be particularly interesting to reduce the dose to the breasts, as well as tomotherapy when bulky disease. Proton therapy with the Bragg peak specificity can play a key role in limiting doses to organs at risk, when robust planning that will take into account geometric and physical uncertainties is available. The heterogeneity of Hodgkin lymphomas in terms of volume, shape and initial location are the key elements to take into account when choosing the preferred radiotherapy technique., (Copyright © 2018 Société française de radiothérapie oncologique (SFRO). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Helical TomoTherapy ® allows precise and homogeneous tumour coverage and excellent sparing of organs at risk. We present here our treatment technique, dosimetric results, and our first clinical data for patients receiving total body irradiation as part of the conditioning regimen before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation., Patients and Methods: The cohort consisted of 11 patients who were treated in our institution between August 2014 and January 2016. The total dose was 12Gy in six fractions in three days. We collected the dose distribution information in the treatment volumes, organs at risk and area of junction. We report retrospectively the clinical events during the first 6 months after the procedure., Results: Median age was 31 years (range, 18-57 years). Median D98% was 11.5Gy (range: 6.6-11.9Gy). The median of the mean doses to the lungs was 8.7Gy (range: 8.5-9.3Gy). The mean dose for the junction area was 12Gy (range: 11.9-12.1Gy). All patients had the total procedure, and all underwent successful engraftment. During the first six months, nine patients had at least one grade 3 or 4 toxicity that was due essentially to graft versus host disease. No patient had radiation pneumonitis. The toxicities were both more frequent and of higher grade during the first three months., Conclusion: Total body irradiation using helical TomoTherapy ® is feasible. It allows a very good homogeneity of dose and conformity with an acceptable tolerance. It could deliver higher doses to sites at high risk of recurrence (bone marrow, sanctuary sites), while sparing major normal organs like lungs, liver, and kidneys. This reduction of dose could lead to reduced severity and frequency of late complications., (Copyright © 2017 Société française de radiothérapie oncologique (SFRO). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Helical radiation intensity modulated by tomotherapy improves dose distribution to complex and large volumes. The aim of the study was to assess acute toxicity of this technique during breast cancer irradiation after conserving surgery or mastectomy., Patients and Methods: Cutaneous toxicities, lung and oesophageal side effects, and breast lymphedema were retrospectively collected according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events Version 4.0 (CTCAE v4.0) in 292 patients treated for a breast cancer by tomotherapy between May 2010 and December 2014. After conservative surgery, the dose administered to breast volume and the tumour bed was respectively 52.2Gy and 63.8Gy in 29 fractions. After mastectomy, the dose was 50Gy in 25 fractions. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to highlight risk factors for dermatitis and breast oedema., Results: The rate of dermatitis grade 2 and 3 were 22.9% and 1.7% respectively. In univariate analysis, factors associated with acute radiation dermatitis were breast volume (P=0.002), body mass index (BMI) (P<0.0001), the use of chest compression mask (net) (P=0.005) and the localization of the irradiation (P <0.0001). In multivariate analysis, BMI greater than 25kg/m 2 (odds ratio [OR]: 3.61, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [1.93-6.74], P<0.0001), the use of a chest mask (OR 2.01, 95% CI [1.06-3.79] P=0.0328) and irradiation after conservative treatment increase the risk of acute radiation dermatitis (mastectomy: OR 0.64, 95% CI [0.04-0.43]; mastectomy with immediate reconstruction with prosthesis: OR 0.13 95% CI [0.10-0.38] P=0.0003). The incidence of breast oedema grade 2 or above was 19.5%, in univariate analysis, there was a correlation with BMI (P=0.003) and smoking (P=0.009). In multivariate analysis, smoking and BMI greater than 25kg/m 2  increased the risk of breast oedema (OR 2.47, respectively [95% CI 1.22-5.01] P=0.012 and OR 2.37 [95% CI 1.22-4.59] P=0.01). The rate of radiation pneumonitis of grade 2 or above was 1.4%. Among the patients, 19.9% had esophagitis grade 1 or 2., Conclusion: The helical irradiation intensity modulation tomotherapy is a well-tolerated treatment for breast cancer that reduces the high radiation doses to organs at risk., (Copyright © 2017 Société française de radiothérapie oncologique (SFRO). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.)

Radiotherapy's main skin toxicities are now well-separated, acute (acute radiation dermatitis) or chronic complications (chronic radiation dermatitis, induced cutaneous carcinoma, aesthetic sequelae). Exceptionally, radiotherapy may induce, by isomorphic reaction or Koebner's phenomenon, some specific dermatosis. In this article, we report five new observations of these unusual complications of radiation therapy, occurring in very variable time after breast irradiation and remaining strictly localized in the irradiated field (cutaneous mastocytosis, Sweet syndrome, lichen planus, vitiligo). These cases emphasize the need to realize a systematic histological exam if any atypical skin lesion appears after radiotherapy, even long after., (Copyright © 2017 Société française de radiothérapie oncologique (SFRO). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.)

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for total body irradiation (TBI) is practiced in several centers using the TomoTherapy System. In this context the planning target volume (PTV) is the entire body including the skin. A safety margin in the air surrounding the body should be added to take into account setup errors. But using inverse planning, over-fluence peak could be generated in the skin region to insure dose homogeneity. This work proposes to study the performance of the use of a virtual bolus (VB). A VB is a material placed on the skin surface during planning, but absent for the real treatment. The optimal VB that compensates large setup errors without introducing a high-dose increase or hot spots for small setup errors was determined. For two cylindrical phantoms, 20VBs with different densities, thicknesses or designs were tested. Dose coverage of the PTV (V95%) in the presence of simulated setup errors was computed to assess the VB performance. A measure of the dose increase in the phantom center due to the absence of the VB during treatment was also achieved. Finally, the fluence peak at the phantom edge was measured in complete buildup conditions using a large phantom and a detector matrix. Using these VBs, simulated setup errors were compensated to a minimum value of 2.6 and 2.1 cm for small and large phantom, respectively (and only 1.2 and 1.7 cm with no VB). An optimal double-layer VB was found with a density of 0.4 kg.m(-3) and a total thickness of 8mm; an inner layer of 5 mm was declared as the target for the treatment planning system and an additional layer of 3 mm was added to avoid the over-fluence peak. Using this VB, setup errors were compensated up to 2.9 cm. The dose increase was measured to be only +1.5% at the phantom center and over-fluence peak was strongly decreased.

Aim: To investigate the feasibility of dose escalation using rapid arc (RA) and Helical Tomotherapy (HT) for patients with upper, middle and distal esophageal carcinomas, even for large tumor volumes., Background: In esophageal cancer, for patients with exclusive radio-chemotherapy, local disease control remains poor. Planning study with dose escalation was done for two sophisticated modulated radiotherapy techniques: Rapid arc against Tomotherapy., Materials and Methods: Six patients treated with a RA simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) of 60 Gy were re-planned for RA and HT techniques with a SIB dose escalated to 70 Gy. Dose volume histogram statistics, conformity indices and homogeneity indices were analyzed. For a given set of normal tissue constraints, the capability of each treatment modality to increase the GTV dose to 70 Gy was investigated., Results: Either HT or VMAT may be used to escalate the dose delivered in esophageal tumors while maintaining the spinal cord, lung and heart doses within tolerance. Adequate target coverage was achieved by both techniques. Typically, HT achieved better lung sparing and PTV coverage than did RA., Conclusions: Dose escalation for esophageal cancer becomes clinically feasible with the use of RA and HT. This promising result could be explored in a carefully controlled clinical study which considered normal tissue complications and tumor control as endpoints.

Purpose: Recent improvements in the detection of breast cancer at an early stage have resulted in a rising incidence of breast ductal carcinoma in situ with microinvasion. So far, there is no consensus regarding its optimal management. We hereby report on our 10-year single institutional experience in breast ductal carcinoma in situ with microinvasion including pathological reviewing., Patients and Methods: All consecutive patients treated for a ductal carcinoma in situ with microinvasion at the Institut Claudius-Regaud (Toulouse, France) over a 10-year period were included in this study. We reviewed all available histological materials., Results: Sixty-three patients were eligible for this study. Two patients presented with a lymph node invasion at diagnosis. Each patient benefited from initial surgical management, which consisted either in mastectomy (n=25) or conservative resection (n=37). Axillary exploration was performed in 52 patients (82%). After a median follow-up of 61.3 months [46.9;69], the 5-year overall survival and disease free survival were 98.2 (95% CI=[88.2;99.7]) and 89.5% (95% CI=[76.3;95.6]) respectively. Two delayed invasive relapses occurred leading to one specific death. The pathological review highlighted a trend towards a loss of HR and HER2 expression (9%) in the microinvasive component in comparison with its surrounded in situ carcinoma., Conclusion: The risk of initial lymph node involvement and delayed invasive local relapse deserve an optimal locoregional management including lymph node evaluation. The non-negligible discrepancy's rate between in situ and microinvasive components justifies HR status and HER2 expression assessment on the microinvasive component., (Copyright © 2014 Société française de radiothérapie oncologique (SFRO). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To assess the interobserver variability in clinical target volume (CTV) definitions when using registered (18)F-labeled deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET-CT) versus side-by-side image sets in pediatric Hodgkin's disease (HD)., Methods and Materials: Prechemotherapy FDG-PET-CT scans performed in the treatment position were acquired from 20 children (median age, 14 years old) with HD (stages 2A to 4B) and registered with postchemotherapy planning CT scans. The patients had a median age of 14 years and stages of disease ranging between 2A and 4B. Image sets were coregistered using a semiautomatic coregistration system. The biological target volume was defined on all the coregistered images as a guide to defining the initial site of involvement and to avoid false-positive or negative results. Five radiation oncologists independently defined the CTV for all 20 patients: once using separate FDG-PET-CT images as a guide (not registered) to define CTVa and once using the registered FDG-PET-CT data to define CTVb. The total volumes were compared, as well as their coefficients of variation (COV). To assess the interobserver variability, the percentages of intersection between contours drawn by all observers for each patient were calculated for CTVa and for CTVb., Results: The registration of a prechemotherapy FDG-PET-CT scan caused a change in the CTV for all patients. Comparing CTVa with CTVb showed that the mean CTVb increased in 14 patients (range, 0.61%-101.96%) and decreased in 6 patients (range, 2.97%-37.26%). The COV for CTVb significantly decreased for each patient; the mean COVs for CTVa and CTVb were 45% (21%-65%) and 32% (13%-57%), respectively (p = 0.0004). The percentage of intersection among all CTVbs for the five observers increased significantly by 89.77% (1.99%-256.41%) compared to that of CTVa (p = 0.0001)., Conclusions: High observer variability can occur during CT-based definition of CTVs for children diagnosed with HD. Registration of FDG-PET and planning CT images resulted in significantly greater consistency of tumor volume definition., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To present the national survey patterns in France for breast cancer brachytherapy in 2009., Material and Method: A written questionnaire was sent to the academic and general hospitals and the anticancer centres. The different items were type of institution; breast cancer clinical trial participation; number of breast brachytherapy per year; its indications; material and dose rate used., Results: Among the 76 sent questionnaires, 35 (46 %) answers were available: 9 % of academic hospitals and 50 % of cancer centres performed breast brachytherapy. The number of breast brachytherapy per year ranged between 300 and 350. The indications were boost (100 %), partial breast irradiation (20 %) and second conservative treatment for local recurrence (53 %). The implanted material consisted in needles (27 %) and plastic tubes (73 %). The dose rate was low (50 %), pulsed (25 %) and high (25 %)., Conclusion: Breast brachytherapy appears as a validated technique in case of boost but remains under investigation for partial breast irradiation and second conservative treatments. Good clinical practice rules as well as technical and dosimetric guidelines are needed. A cost-effective analysis of breast brachytherapy is warranted., (2010 Société française de radiothérapie oncologique (SFRO). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.)

Thirteen patients with intra-abdominal malignancies entered a phase I study of fluorouracil (5-FU) given by continuous infusion (96 h) iv and ip, simultaneously, and modulated by high-dose folinic acid-iv. Severe but reversible stomatitis was the only dose-limiting toxicity at a dose of 5-FU of 550 mg/m2/day. Local toxicity (5-FU-induced abdominal pain) was a significant side effect in patients receiving more than 1 cycle. The pharmacokinetic advantage of 5-FU-ip was confirmed in our study (ratio AUC peritoneum/plasma between 160 and 328). The systemic exposure to 5-FU (plasmatic AUC ranging from 73.4 to 173.21 microM) and to AF were found in efficacious ranges. The recommended dose of 5-FU iv and ip is 500 mg/m2/day. This regimen is feasible and may potentially have application for adjuvant chemotherapeutic programs after surgery for colorectal cancer.

From January, 1975 to December, 1987, 241 patients with rectal cancer underwent pre-operative irradiation and surgical resection. The radiation was delivered with 25 MeV photons, 5 days per week by 2.4 grays fractions up to a total dose of 36 grays. Surgery was curative in 195 patients; 57% had abdomino-perineal resection. Irradiation had to be discontinued in 3 patients and 4 patients subsequently developed severe acute ileitis. Postoperative mortality rate was 2.9%. The most frequent postoperative complications were delayed healing of abdominal wounds (18%) and perineal wounds (14%). Severe late complications occurred in 27 (13%) patients. The incidence of intestinal obstruction was 5%. Follow-up survivors ranged from 18 months to 13 years. Local failure occurred in 24 (12%) of the 195 patients. Local failure rates were 10% for Dukes' A tumors, 11.6% for Dukes' B, and 22.7% for Dukes' C tumors. Five and 10 year actuarial survival rates after curative surgery were 70% and 52%. The Dukes' classification was the only factor that influenced survival.

252 evaluable patients were treated in the Centre Claudius Regaud from January 1974 to December 1983 for stage Ib, IIa or proximal IIb carcinoma of the uterine cervix. This retrospective analysis compares results obtained either by radio-surgical combination therapy (113 patients = RS group) or by exclusive irradiation (139 patients = RT group). The comparison of the two groups in terms of patient age, obesity, associated vascular pathology and previous abdomino-pelvic surgery favored the RS group significantly. The distribution according to clinical stage also significantly favored the RS group. The proportion of patients with stage IIb disease was 12% in the RS group as opposed to 25% for the RT group. Despite unfavorable patient and tumor characteristics, therapeutic results in the RT group were similar to those of the RS group. Pelvic recurrences developed in 18/110 (16%) and 18/139 (13%) of the patients in the RS and RT groups, respectively. Distant metastases occurred in 5/92 (5%) patients in the RS group and 13/121 (11%) patients in the RT group, but the difference was not significant (p less than 0.1). Five year corrected actuarial disease-free survival was 82% in both groups. There were no major early complications in the RT group while four were found in the RS group, of which three were fatal. 2% of patients had major late complications in the RS group versus 6% in the RT group and none were lethal. 25% of the RT group patients had a moderate or mild complication versus 10% in the RS group but 2/3 of these complications recovered without sequellae.

Most pancreatic carcinomas are clinically observed when the tumoral spread is well advanced. Consequently, surgical excision is very often either partial or unfeasible. However, evolutive patterns of pancreatic carcinomas show a long past history of loco-regional spread before the onset of visceral metastasis. Consequently, radiotherapy could be proposed to treat locally advanced pancreatic tumors or residual disease after surgical excision in curative intend. The major challenge dealing with radiotherapeutic management of pancreatic carcinomas is to safely deliver doses as high as 60-70 Gy into the upper half of the abdominal cavity. Several technical conditions must be fulfilled before this can take place: high energy and multiple convergent photon beams, precise surgical and/or radiological description of tumoral extent, careful sparing of critical tissues such as spinal cord and kidneys. Usually, radiotherapeutic planning is administered in 2 successive sessions: 40-45 Gy are first administered to the tumor and main nodal drainage over 4-6 weeks, then a 15-25 Gy boost dose is given to the primary tumor bed only. However, postoperative irradiation after complete removal of a gross tumor gives a 10% survival rate only at 2 years. Improvement of these results, are eventually expected from intra-operative irradiation techniques or radiochemotherapy combined treatments.

The authors report a 7.9% incidence of late severe ileal complications after abdominal and/or pelvic external radiation therapy in 188 consecutive patients. All treatments were performed using 25 MV photon beams, with AP-PA field technique, a daily dose of 1.8-2 Gy, 5 times a week. One hundred and two (54.3%) patients were given whole pelvic irradiation up to 45-55 Gy without a boost, 64 patients (34%) received boost doses on limited volumes up to 60-65 Gy. The analysis of factors which could be useful in predicting a high risk of severe ileal sequellae, has shown that the main factor was the past history of previous laparotomy. Thus, the incidence of chronic ileitis in patients who have never been laparotomized in the past and who were treated by radiotherapy alone, was 2.2% (2/97); in contrast patients with previous abdominal surgery whatever its purpose, showed in 13/91 cases (14.3%) severe ileal complications (p less than 0.05). In addition, the risk of chronic ileitis increases with the number of previous laparotomies irrespective of delay or purpose: 10.1% after one laparotomy, 22.2% after two and 50% after three or more laparotomies. The influence of these data on the planning of abdominal and/or pelvic external irradiation is discussed.