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Henrik Hauswald,1–4 Denise Bernhardt,1–3 David Krug,1–3,5 Sonja Katayama,1,2 Gregor Habl,1–3,5 Justo Lorenzo Bermejo,6 Jürgen Debus,1–4,7–8 Florian Sterzing1–4,91Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; 2National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology (NCRO), Heidelberg Institute for Radiation Oncology (HIRO), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; 3National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, 69120, Germany; 4Clinical Cooperation Unit Radiation Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; 5Radiologie München, 80331 München, Germany; 6Institute of Medical Biometry and Informatics, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; 7Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center (HIT), Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany; 8German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; 9Department of Radiation Oncology, Hospital Kempten, 87439, Kempten, GermanyBackground: Patients with multiple brain metastases (BMs) from malignant melanoma have a poor prognosis. Recent developments in radiation techniques allow simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) concepts while sparing organs at risk. Data on conventional versus dose-escalated radiation approaches in multiple BMs from malignant melanoma are warranted.Methods: In this prospective, single-center, randomized two-armed study (trial ID: DRKS00005127), patients with multiple BMs from malignant melanoma were treated with either conventional whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) applying 30 Gy in 10 fractions (standard arm) or helical tomotherapy applying 30 Gy to the whole brain with an integrated boost to metastases of 50 Gy in 10 fractions and sparing of the hippocampus (HA-WBRT, experimental arm). The primary endpoint was treatment-related toxicity, while secondary endpoints were imaging response, intracerebral progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and quality of life.Results: The study was stopped early due to slow patient recruitment. A total number of 7 patients were enrolled (standard arm n=3, experimental arm n=4), and were followed-up for a median time of 5 months between August 2013 and July 2017. All patients were treated according to protocol. The median OS, intracerebral PFS and follow-up time were 5 months, 2 months and 5 months, respectively. The local control in every individual BM was significantly longer in the experimental versus the standard arm. No patient developed radiation-related high-grade toxicities.Conclusion: HA-WBRT with SIB results in improved local control in the individual melanoma BMs without radiation-associated high-grade toxicities. Survival times were comparable to published data.Keywords: melanoma, brain metastases, tomotherapy, hippocampal sparing, integrated boost

Rami A El Shafie,1,2 Karina Böhm,1,2 Dorothea Weber,3 Kristin Lang,1,2 Fabian Schlaich,1,2 Sebastian Adeberg,1,2 Angela Paul,1,2,4 Matthias F Haefner,1,2 Sonja Katayama,1,2 Florian Sterzing,1,2,5 Juliane Hörner-Rieber,1,2 Sarah Löw,6 Klaus Herfarth,1,2,4 Jürgen Debus,1,2,4,7 Stefan Rieken,1,2,4 Denise Bernhardt1,2 1Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg 69120, Germany; 2National Center for Radiation Oncology (NCRO), Heidelberg Institute for Radiation Oncology (HIRO), Heidelberg 69120, Germany; 3Institute of Medical Biometry and Informatics (IMBI), Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg 69120, Germany; 4Heavy Ion Therapy Center (HIT), Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg 69120, Germany; 5Department of Radiation Oncology, Klinikum Kempten, Kempten 87439, Germany; 6Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg 69120, Germany; 7German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg 69120, Germany Background: Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LC) is a severe complication of metastatic tumor spread to the central nervous system. Prognosis is dismal with a median overall survival (OS) of ~10–15 weeks. Treatment options include radiotherapy (RT) to involved sites, systemic chemo- or targeted therapy, intrathecal chemotherapy and best supportive care with dexamethasone. Craniospinal irradiation (CSI) is a more aggressive radiotherapeutic approach, for which very limited data exists. Here, we report on our 10-year experience with palliative CSI of selected patients with LC. Patients and methods: Twenty-five patients received CSI for the treatment of LC at our institution between 2008 and 2018. Patients were selected individually for CSI based on clinical performance, presenting symptoms and estimated benefit. Median patient age was 53 years (IQR: 45–59), and breast cancer was the most common primary. Additional brain metastases were found in 18 patients (72.0%). RT was delivered at a TomoTherapy machine, using helical intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). The most commonly prescribed dose was 36 Gy in 20 fractions, corresponding to a median biologically equivalent dose of 40.8 Gy (IQR: 39.0– 2.5). Clinical performance and neurologic function were assessed before and in response to therapy, and deficits were retrospectively quantified on the 5-point neurologic function scale (NFS). A Cox proportional hazards model with univariate and multivariate analyses was fitted for survival.Results: Twenty-one patients died and four were alive at the time of analysis. Median OS from LC diagnosis was 19.3 weeks (IQR: 9.3–34.0, 95% CI: 11.0–32.0). In univariate analysis, a Karnofsky performance scale index (KPI) ≥70% (P=0.001), age ≤55 years at LC diagnosis (P=0.022), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) protein

Sanziana RI Schiopu,1,2 Gregor Habl,3 Matthias Haefner,2 Sonja Katayama,2 Klaus Herfarth,2,4 Juergen Debus,2,4 Florian Sterzing4,5 1Department of Internal Medicine V, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany; 2Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany; 3Department of Radiation Oncology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University, Munich, Germany; 4Clinical Cooperation Unit Radiation Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; 5Radiation Oncology, Kempten Clinic, Kempten, Germany Purpose: Leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) is an increasingly common complication of late-stage systemic cancer, for which there is no standard treatment. We analyzed outcome and toxicity in patients with LM undergoing craniospinal irradiation via helical tomotherapy (HT-CSI) at our institution. Patients and methods: The charts of 15 patients diagnosed with LM and undergoing HT-CSI between 2006 and 2014 were retrospectively assessed. Main neoplasms included breast cancer, lung cancer, and lymphoma. All patients presented with cranial neuropathy due to LM. Follow-up was performed regularly. Survival analysis was performed by the Kaplan–Meier method, and prognostic factors were tested using the COX-regression model. Results: Median survival by cancer type was 6 (breast cancer), 1 (lung cancer), and 2 months (lymphoma), respectively. Median overall survival and relapse-free survival were calculated to be between 2 and 3 months. Six- and 12-month survival was 30% (95% CI 0.08–0.5) and 20% (95% CI 0.05–0.4), respectively. Symptom palliation occurred in 53% of patients in general, but in 67% of breast cancer patients, in particular. Patients with lung cancer experienced no improvement. Most common acute treatment-related toxicity at different levels were hematological toxicity, multiple cranial neuropathy, fatigue, infections, nausea, and headache. Conclusion: HT-CSI can help meet the challenge of treating patients with LM, especially because it can palliate symptoms and improve neurological functions. One-year survival remains as disappointing as before. Keywords: craniospinal irradiation, radiotherapy, palliative care, neoplastic meningitis, breast cancer

Denise Bernhardt,1–3 Florian Sterzing,1–4,5 Sebastian Adeberg,1–4 Klaus Herfarth,1–3 Sonja Katayama,1,3 Robert Foerster,1,3,6 Juliane Hoerner-Rieber,1,3 Laila König,1,3 Juergen Debus,1–4 Stefan Rieken1,3 1Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; 2Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center (HIT), Heidelberg, Germany; 3Heidelberg Institute of Radiation Oncology (HIRO), Heidelberg, Germany; 4Clinical Cooperation Unit Radiation Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; 5Department of Radiation Oncology, Klinikum Kempten, Kempten, Germany; 6Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland Background: Treatment of patients with pelvic adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) remains a challenge owing to the rarity of the disease, the lack of data, and the relative radioresistance of these tumors.Case reports: This case series presents the results of three patients with recurrent or inoperable pelvic ACC treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) plus carbon ion (C12) boost. Patients received C12 therapy at a dose of 3 Gray equivalents (GyE) (relative biological effectiveness [RBE]) per fraction up to 24 GyE RBE, followed by 50 GyE of photon IMRT in 25 fractions.Conclusion: IMRT plus C12 ion boost as a definitive or adjuvant treatment for pelvic ACCs seems to be a promising therapeutic option. No unexpected toxicity was detected and the observed toxicity remained consistently low. The initial treatment response is promising and similar to that experienced for head and neck ACCs. Keywords: ACC of Bartholin’s gland, adenoid cystic carcinoma, ACC of the prostate, ion therapy, IMRT, tomotherapy, particle irradiation, carbon ion

Abstract Background Even today, treatment of Stage III NSCLC still poses a serious challenge. So far, surgical resection is the treatment of choice. Patients whose tumour is not resectable or who are unfit to undergo surgery are usually referred to a combined radio-chemotherapy. However, combined radio-chemotherapeutic treatment is also associated with sometimes marked side effects but has been shown to be more efficient than radiation therapy alone. Nevertheless, there is a significant subset of patients whose overall condition does not permit administration of chemotherapy in a combined-modality treatment. It could be demonstrated though, that NSCLCs often exhibit over-expression of EGF-receptors hence providing an excellent target for the monoclonal EGFR-antagonist cetuximab (Erbitux®) which has already been shown to be effective in colorectal as well as head-and-neck tumours with comparatively mild side-effects. Methods/design The NEAR trial is a prospective phase II feasibility study combining a monoclonal EGF-receptor antibody with loco-regional irradiation in patients with stage III NSCLC. This trial aims at testing the combination's efficacy and rate of development of distant metastases with an accrual of 30 patients. Patients receive weekly infusions of cetuximab (Erbitux®) plus loco-regional radiation therapy as intensity-modulated radiation therapy. After conclusion of radiation treatment patients continue to receive weekly cetuximab for 13 more cycles. Discussion The primary objective of the NEAR trial is to evaluate toxicities and feasibility of the combined treatment with cetuximab (Erbitux®) and IMRT loco-regional irradiation. Secondary objectives are remission rates, 3-year-survival and local/systemic progression-free survival.