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Background/Aim: To evaluate the outcome and toxicities in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) treated with radiochemotherapy and intracavitary brachytherapy. Patients and Methods: This study included 67 patients with LACC treated between 2010 and 2018. The most represented stage was FIGO IIB. The patients were treated with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) to the pelvis and boost to the cervix and parametrials. Concomitant chemotherapy (CHT) with cisplatin (CDDP) 40 mg/mq was planned. Subsequently, the patients underwent CT-based endouterine brachytherapy (BT). The response was evaluated at 3 months with PET-CT and/or pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Since then, the patients have been followed with clinical instrumental controls every 4 months for the first 2 years and every 6 months for the following 3 years. Local response was assessed with pelvic MRI and/or PET-CT scan at the end of intracavitary BT) according to RECIST 1.1 criteria. Results: The median duration of treatment was 55 days (range=40-73 days). The prescription dose to the planning target volume (PTV) was delivered in 25 to 30 (median 28) daily fractions. The EBRT median dose to the pelvis and gross tumor volume were 50.4 Gy (range=45- 56.25) and 61.6 Gy (range=45-70.4), respectively. The 1- year, 2-year, 3-year, and 5-year overall survival rates were 92.44%, 80.81%, 78.84%, and 76.45% respectively. The actuarial 1-year, 2-year, 3-year, and 5-year disease-free survival rates were 89.5%, 83.6%, 81%, and 78.2% respectively. Conclusion: This study analyzed acute and chronic toxicity, survival, and local control in cervical cancer patients treated with IMRT followed by CT-planned high dose rate-brachytherapy. Patients demonstrated satisfactory outcomes and incidence of acute and late toxicities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. To evaluate efficacy and toxicity of image-guided hypofractionated radiotherapy (HFRT) in the treatment of low-risk prostate cancer. Outcomes and toxicities of this series of patients were compared to another group of 32 low-risk patients treated with conventional fractionation (CFRT). Methods. Fifty-nine patients with low-risk prostate cancer were analysed. Total dose for the prostate and proximal seminal vesicles was 60Gy delivered in 20 fractions. Results. The median follow-up was 30 months. The actuarial 4-year overall survival, biochemical free survival, and disease specific survival were 100%, 97.4%, and 97.4%, respectively. Acute grade 1-2 gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) toxicity rates were 11.9% and 40.7%, respectively. Grade 1GI and GU late toxicity rates were 8.5% and 13.6%, respectively. No grade ⩾2 late toxicities were recorded. Acute grade 2-3GU toxicity resulted significantly lower (P = 0.04) in HFRT group compared to the CFRT group.The cumulative 4-year incidence of grade 1- 2GU toxicity was significantly higher (P < 0.001) for HFRT patients. Conclusions. Our study demonstrated that hypofractionated regimen provided excellent biochemical control in favorable risk prostate cancer patients.The incidence of GI and GU toxicity was low. However, HFRT presented higher cumulative incidence of low-grade late GU toxicity than CFRT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with blood-related cancers (BRC) suffer from a substantial symptom burden, including several pain syndromes sustained by different causes and pathogenetic mechanisms. So, with regard to pain, a multifaceted clinical scenario may be observed in this setting. Indeed, pain may be correlated to disease itself, to diseaseassociated complications, to iatrogenic causes or may be due to unrelated clinical conditions. A close diagnostic procedure for the assessment of the underlying causes of the pain and of its pathogenetic mechanisms may direct the treatment approach which should be based on a multidisciplinary management and requires the integration of etiology-targeted interventions and painkilling drugs. The World Health Organization's three-step analgesic ladder for cancer pain relief can provide adequate pain control using oral drugs in most patients with BRC on pain, although more complex interventions may be necessary for many difficult-to-treat pain syndromes which are not infrequently encountered in this setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine quality of life (QOL) and sexual functioning in a series of patients with intermediate- and high-intermediate risk endometrial cancer, treated with exclusive adjuvant one week high-dose-rate (HDR) vaginal brachytherapy (VBT) schedule., Material and Methods: Between July 2008 and October 2013, 55 patients with diagnosis of endometrial cancer were treated with adjuvant exclusive VBT. All patients had undergone surgical treatment with a laparotomy approach before VBT. Post-operative VBT was administered 6-8 weeks after surgery. Treatment was delivered to vaginal vault using Nucletron HDR unit with iridium-192 source at a dose of 21 Gy/3 fractions of 7 Gy each, three times a week, every other day, prescribed at 0.5 cm depth of vaginal wall, and 3 cm in length from the apex. QOL was assessed using European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality of life questionnaire Core-30 (QLQ-C30), and EORTC cancer-specific quality of life questionnaire (QLQ-CX24)., Results: Median follow-up time was 92 months (range, 42-162 months). Questionnaires were carried out respectively at 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 months after the end of BT. Response rate to questionnaires was 100% ( n = 55). Nineteen patients (35%) answered all the questions of surveys, while 36 patients (65%) completed the surveys, except for questions on sex activity, vaginal function, and sex enjoyment. Longitudinal analysis during 5-year follow-up period showed a statistically significant trend towards worsening of fatigue, constipation, and diarrhea. Overall physical functioning and role functioning was not impaired after VBT. Over the time, sex enjoyment improved, except for elderly patients. For emotional functioning, sex worry and social functioning presented no significant time-related effect., Conclusions: One week brachytherapy schedule to vaginal cuff is generally well-tolerated. QOL does not worsen after applying vaginal brachytherapy., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Termedia.)

Purpose: To report the results of INTERACTS (INTErventional Radiotherapy ACtive Teaching School) consensus conference on sarcoma interventional radiotherapy (brachytherapy)., Material and Methods: An international board of multidisciplinary experts was invited to a consensus conference on the state-of-the-art of sarcoma interventional oncology during the 9 th Rome INTER-MEETING (INTERventional Radiotherapy Multidisciplinary Meeting), proposing 3 statements for each one speech. At the end of each lecture, the entire group of experts was invited to vote with an electronic device. The preliminary results were presented and discussed at the end of the meeting, during a dedicated session. After the meeting, a survey was distributed within the consensus conference board to share and definitively vote the statements., Results: All the invited authors of the consensus conference board completed the final survey. All the 38 statements received more than 70% of agreement, 31 statements (82%) obtained an agreement of level higher or equal to 90%, 6 statements (15.8%) received an agreement level between 80% and 90%, and 1 statement (2.6%) had less than 80% of agreement., Conclusions: The consensus conference demonstrated that interventional radiotherapy must be considered by a multidisciplinary management of patients affected by sarcoma., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Termedia.)