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Introduction: Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most aggressive and lethal malignancies, calling for enhanced research. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) represents 70–80% of all cases and is known for its resistance to conventional therapies. Carbon-ion radiotherapy (CIRT) has emerged as a promising approach due to its ability to deliver highly localized doses and unique radiobiological properties compared to X-rays. In vitro radiobiology has relied on two-dimensional (2D) cell culture models so far; however, these are not sufficient to replicate the complexity of the in vivo tumor architecture. Three-dimensional (3D) models become a paradigm shift, surpassing the constraints of traditional models by accurately re-creating morphological, histological, and genetic characteristics as well as the interaction of tumour cells with the microenvironment. Materials and Methods: This study investigates the survival of pancreatic cancer cells in both 2D and spheroids, a 3D model, following photon, proton, and carbon-ion irradiation by means of clonogenic, MTT, spheroid growth, and vitality assays. Results: Our results demonstrate that carbon ions are more efficient in reducing cancer cell survival compared to photons and protons. In 2D cultures, carbon-ion irradiation reduced cell survival to approximately 15%, compared to 45% with photons and 30% with protons. In the 3D culture model, spheroid growth was similarly inhibited by carbon-ion irradiation; however, the overall survival rates were higher across all irradiation modalities compared to the 2D cultures. Carbon ions consistently showed the highest efficacy in reducing cell viability in both models. Conclusions: Our research highlights the pivotal role of 3D models in unraveling the complexities of pancreatic cancer radiobiology, offering new avenues for designing more effective and precise treatment protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Abstract Background Pulsed low dose rate radiotherapy (PLDR) is a new radiation delivery method, in which the fractional dose is divided into sub-fractional doses with periodical time breaks in between. The goal of our study is to assess the toxicity on healthy tissues resulting from PLDR as compared to conventional radiotherapy (CRT) using the same physical X-ray dose. Methods We analyzed the weight and survival time for CRT and PLDR groups and studied the inflammatory cytokine transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β), usually released following irradiation. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses were conducted for intestinal and bone marrow tissues from rats subjected to 8 Gy whole- body irradiation using CRT and PLDR techniques. We investigated genotoxicity by performing a comet assay (CA) in splenic tissues. Results Our findings showed an improvement in survival time with PLDR versus CRT by 82%.The mean survival time for CRT rats’ group was 6.3 days, while it was 35.9 days for PLDR group.The weight of CRT group decreased gradually by 3.7%, while weight of PLDR group increased gradually by 2.4%.CRT resulted in more cellular atrophy in bone marrow and intestinal tissues than in PLDR treatments as shown by hematoxylin and eosin staining analysis. In addition, the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) expression in bone marrow and intestinal tissues of CRT was higher than those expressed in tissues from PLDR as demonstrated by the Immuno reactive score (IRS). It was10(0.53) and 9.8(0.55) for BM and intestinal tissues, respectively from CRT group and 5.8(0.63) for PLDR for both tissues. The measured CA parameters were larger with CRT compared to PLDR, where the Tail Length (TL), Tail DNA % (TD%) and Tail Moment (TM) measurements were 25.4(3.4), 56.5(7.6) % and 20.5(3.5) for CRT, 7.3(1.9), 30.0(7.2) % and 5.7(1.8) for PLDR, with P value 0.000064, 0.0004 and 0.00017, respectively. Conclusion This study indicates that PLDR can reduce the toxicity on normal tissues compared to CRT. more...

Radiotherapy (RT) has been shown to be a cornerstone of both palliative and curative tumor care. RT has generally been reported to be sharply limited by ionizing radiation (IR)-induced toxicity, thereby constraining the control effect of RT on tumor growth. FLASH-RT is the delivery of ultra-high dose rate (UHDR) several orders of magnitude higher than what is presently used in conventional RT (CONV-RT). The FLASH-RT clinical trials have been designed to examine the UHDR deliverability, the effectiveness of tumor control, the dose tolerance of normal tissue, and the reproducibility of treatment effects across several institutions. Although it is still in its infancy, FLASH-RT has been shown to have potential to rival current RT in terms of safety. Several studies have suggested that the adoption of FLASH-RT is very limited, and the incorporation of this new technique into routine clinical RT will require the use of accurate dosimetry methods and reproducible equipment that enable the reliable and robust measurements of doses and dose rates. The purpose of this review is to highlight the advantages of this technology, the potential mechanisms underpinning the FLASH-RT effect, and the major challenges that need to be tackled in the clinical transfer of FLASH-RT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background: Pulsed low dose rate radiotherapy (PLDR) is a new radiation delivery method, in which the fractional dose is divided into sub-fractional doses with periodical time breaks in between. The goal of our study is to assess the toxicity on healthy tissues resulting from PLDR as compared to conventional radiotherapy (CRT) using the same physical X-ray dose. Methods: We analyzed the weight and survival time for CRT and PLDR groups and studied the inflammatory cytokine transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β), usually released following irradiation. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses were conducted for intestinal and bone marrow tissues from rats subjected to 8 Gy whole- body irradiation using CRT and PLDR techniques. We investigated genotoxicity by performing a comet assay (CA) in splenic tissues. Results: Our findings showed an improvement in survival time with PLDR versus CRT by 82%.The mean survival time for CRT rats' group was 6.3 days, while it was 35.9 days for PLDR group.The weight of CRT group decreased gradually by 3.7%, while weight of PLDR group increased gradually by 2.4%.CRT resulted in more cellular atrophy in bone marrow and intestinal tissues than in PLDR treatments as shown by hematoxylin and eosin staining analysis. In addition, the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) expression in bone marrow and intestinal tissues of CRT was higher than those expressed in tissues from PLDR as demonstrated by the Immuno reactive score (IRS). It was10(0.53) and 9.8(0.55) for BM and intestinal tissues, respectively from CRT group and 5.8(0.63) for PLDR for both tissues. The measured CA parameters were larger with CRT compared to PLDR, where the Tail Length (TL), Tail DNA % (TD%) and Tail Moment (TM) measurements were 25.4(3.4), 56.5(7.6) % and 20.5(3.5) for CRT, 7.3(1.9), 30.0(7.2) % and 5.7(1.8) for PLDR, with P value 0.000064, 0.0004 and 0.00017, respectively. Conclusion: This study indicates that PLDR can reduce the toxicity on normal tissues compared to CRT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Ultrahigh-dose rate FLASH radiotherapy (FLASH-RT) is a potentially paradigm-shifting treatment modality that holds the promise of expanding the therapeutic index for nearly any cancer. At the heart of this exciting technology comes the capability to ameliorate major normal tissue complications without compromising the efficacy of tumor killing. This combination of benefits has now been termed the FLASH effect and relies on an in vivo validation to rigorously demonstrate the absence of normal tissue toxicity. The FLASH effect occurs when the overall irradiation time is extremely short ( more...

Background: The aim of this study is comparison the effectiveness of stereotactic, hypofractionated and conventional radiotherapy assessed by the tumor volume changes of paraganglioma located in the head and neck region concerning fractional and total doses. Methods: We analyzed 76 patients after radiotherapy due to paraganglioma who were assigned to 3 groups considering fractional (≤2 Gy, 3–5.5 Gy, ≥6 Gy) and total (≤20 Gy, 21–40 Gy, >40 Gy) doses. The volumes of irradiated tumors were measured and compared based on diagnostic images performed before and after the treatment. Results: The mean tumor volume after the treatment with the lowest fractional dose (≤2 Gy) was decreased by 14.4 cm3. In patients treated with higher fractional doses (>2 Gy), the mean tumor volumes decreased by less than 1 cm3 for hypofractionated and stereotactic radiotherapy. 15.9 cm3 reduction of the mean tumor volume after the treatment with the highest RT total dose (>40 Gy) was stated. In patients treated with total doses ≤20 Gy and 21–40 Gy, the mean tumor volume was stable and reduced by 1.15 cm3, respectively. The analysis demonstrates a statistically significant (p < 0.05) treatment advantage in patients after the lowest fractional and highest total doses. Conclusion: The reduction of the tumor's volume was reported after conventional and unconventional radiotherapy. The most significant depletion of the paraganglioma volume was noted after a factional dose ≤2 Gy and a total dose >40 Gy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background and Objectives: Conventional radiotherapies used in the current management of rectal cancer commonly cause iatrogenic radiotoxicity. Proton beam therapy has emerged as an alternative to conventional radiotherapy with the aim of improving tumour control and reducing off-set radiation exposure to surrounding tissue. However, the real-world treatment and oncological outcomes associated with the use of proton beam therapy in rectal cancer remain poorly characterised. This systematic review seeks to evaluate the radiation dosages and safety of proton beam therapy compared to conventional radiotherapy in patients with non-metastatic rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A computer-assisted search was performed on the Medline, Embase and Cochrane Central databases. Studies that evaluated the adverse effects and oncological outcomes of proton beam therapy and conventional radiotherapy in adult patients with non-metastatic rectal cancer were included. Results: Eight studies were included in this review. There was insufficient evidence to determine the adverse treatment outcomes of proton beam therapy versus conventional radiotherapy. No current studies assessed radiotoxicities nor oncological outcomes. Pooled dosimetric comparisons between proton beam therapy and various conventional radiotherapies were associated with reduced radiation exposure to the pelvis, bowel and bladder. Conclusions: This systematic review demonstrates a significant paucity of evidence in the current literature surrounding adverse effects and oncological outcomes related to proton beam therapy compared to conventional radiotherapy for non-metastatic rectal cancer. Pooled analyses of dosimetric studies highlight greater predicted radiation-sparing effects with proton beam therapy in this setting. This evidence, however, is based on evidence at a moderate risk of bias and clinical heterogeneity. Overall, more robust, prospective clinical trials are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Introduction: Osteolytic spinal metastases (SM) have a higher risk of fracture. In this study we aim to confirm the remineralization of lytic SM after radiation therapy. Secondary the influence of SBRT compared to cEBRT and tumor type will be analyzed. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed. Results: 87 patients, 100 SM were included. 29 received SBRT, 71 cEBRT. Most common primary tumors were breast (35 %), lung (26 %) and renal (11 %). Both cEBRT and SBRT resulted in a significant increase of bone mineral density (BMD) (83.76 HU ± 5.72 → 241.41 HU ± 22.58 (p more...

Abstract Background Prostate cancer is the second most common malignancy in men, and its incidence is increasing which is attributed to increased screening programs. The treatment options of intermediate and high risk prostate cancer include radical prostatectomy, radiotherapy and androgen deprivation therapy. Hypofractionated radiotherapy is becoming more popular lately due to better understanding of the radiobiology of prostate cancer and favorable logistics. Objective To compare the toxicity and efficacy of hypofractionated versus conventional fractionation external beam radiotherapy in patients with intermediate and high risk localized prostate cancer treated in Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital and Research Center, Lahore (SKMCH & RC). Methodology We retrospectively conducted this study on histopathologically confirmed 114 patients with prostate adenocarcinoma who underwent treatment from January 2013 till December 2018. These patients were treated with radical radiotherapy along with hormonal therapy as per indication. Data was collected from electronic hospital system and analyzed by SPSS version 23. Results 114 patients were selected according to the inclusion criteria. Mean age was 68 years (61–75). 88% of patients had stage III-IVA disease at the time of diagnosis. Mean PSA and GS was 33 ± 39 SD and 7 ± 0.9 SD respectively. 89% (n = 102) received radiotherapy with 69% of patients receiving dose of 60 Gy in 20 fractions. Among patients who received hypofractionated dose, 86% (n = 61) of them were categorized as high risk and 14% (n = 10) were intermediate risk, whereas among conventional group 90% (n = 28) were high risk patients and 10% (n = 3) were of intermediate risk. In hypofractionated dose group, 14% (n = 10) developed grade 2 proctitis and 8% (n = 6) developed grade 2 cystitis, in contrast to conventional dose group in which only 3 patients (5%) developed grade 2 GI toxicity and 2 patients (2.9%) had grade 2 GU toxicity. However, these toxicities and their grade were clinically insignificant when compared with the dose groups (p = 0.11). 5 year overall survival for hypofractionated radiotherapy versus conventional dose was 100% and 90% respectively with 95% Cl and p value of 0.3 (clinically insignificant), whereas 5 year disease free survival was 100% and 75% for hypofractionation versus conventional EBRT respectively with 95% CI and p value of 0.04 (clinically significant). Conclusion Hypofractionated radiotherapy in patients with intermediate and high risk localized prostate cancer has better disease free survival at the expense of higher risk for proctitis and cystitis but no difference in overall survival as compared to conventional dose of radiation. more...

Background: Prostate cancer is the second most common malignancy in men, and its incidence is increasing which is attributed to increased screening programs. The treatment options of intermediate and high risk prostate cancer include radical prostatectomy, radiotherapy and androgen deprivation therapy. Hypofractionated radiotherapy is becoming more popular lately due to better understanding of the radiobiology of prostate cancer and favorable logistics. Objective: To compare the toxicity and efficacy of hypofractionated versus conventional fractionation external beam radiotherapy in patients with intermediate and high risk localized prostate cancer treated in Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital and Research Center, Lahore (SKMCH & RC). Methodology: We retrospectively conducted this study on histopathologically confirmed 114 patients with prostate adenocarcinoma who underwent treatment from January 2013 till December 2018. These patients were treated with radical radiotherapy along with hormonal therapy as per indication. Data was collected from electronic hospital system and analyzed by SPSS version 23. Results: 114 patients were selected according to the inclusion criteria. Mean age was 68 years (61–75). 88% of patients had stage III-IVA disease at the time of diagnosis. Mean PSA and GS was 33 ± 39 SD and 7 ± 0.9 SD respectively. 89% (n = 102) received radiotherapy with 69% of patients receiving dose of 60 Gy in 20 fractions. Among patients who received hypofractionated dose, 86% (n = 61) of them were categorized as high risk and 14% (n = 10) were intermediate risk, whereas among conventional group 90% (n = 28) were high risk patients and 10% (n = 3) were of intermediate risk. In hypofractionated dose group, 14% (n = 10) developed grade 2 proctitis and 8% (n = 6) developed grade 2 cystitis, in contrast to conventional dose group in which only 3 patients (5%) developed grade 2 GI toxicity and 2 patients (2.9%) had grade 2 GU toxicity. However, these toxicities and their grade were clinically insignificant when compared with the dose groups (p = 0.11). 5 year overall survival for hypofractionated radiotherapy versus conventional dose was 100% and 90% respectively with 95% Cl and p value of 0.3 (clinically insignificant), whereas 5 year disease free survival was 100% and 75% for hypofractionation versus conventional EBRT respectively with 95% CI and p value of 0.04 (clinically significant). Conclusion: Hypofractionated radiotherapy in patients with intermediate and high risk localized prostate cancer has better disease free survival at the expense of higher risk for proctitis and cystitis but no difference in overall survival as compared to conventional dose of radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

No tumor group can be irresponsive to chemotherapy, especially radiotherapy, when applied in sufficient doses. However, in most cases, it is not possible to give effective doses that can destroy the tumor due to side effects and damage that may occur in healthy, normal tissues. Although current technological possibilities transmit the rays to the target area and protect the surrounding healthy tissues and organs much more effectively than before, there is a need for more studies and scientific content on this subject. FLASH-RT has theoretical advantages over conventional radiotherapy. Giving radiation in small, daily doses helps protect healthy cells by giving more time to repair. However, new research shows that there may be a way to deliver radiation at record speeds while sparing healthy tissue. FLASH (ultra-high dose rate radiotherapy), an innovative technique, uses electrons to target tumors while minimizing damage to healthy tissue. More importantly, FLASH is claimed to achieve these effects in less than a second, which can exponentially shorten the duration of radiation sessions. Recent studies indicated how using proton radiation instead of electrons or photons and other technical tweaks could turn FLASH into a powerful tool that can deliver radiation in milliseconds. Significant technological advances are needed to generate FLASH photons, potentially protons, very high energy electrons, and heavy ions. Such radiation sources will allow the required dose distribution to be obtained at more immense depths inside the human body, where most tumors occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background and Objectives: Conventional radiotherapies used in the current management of rectal cancer commonly cause iatrogenic radiotoxicity. Proton beam therapy has emerged as an alternative to conventional radiotherapy with the aim of improving tumour control and reducing off-set radiation exposure to surrounding tissue. However, the real-world treatment and oncological outcomes associated with the use of proton beam therapy in rectal cancer remain poorly characterised. This systematic review seeks to evaluate the radiation dosages and safety of proton beam therapy compared to conventional radiotherapy in patients with non-metastatic rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A computer-assisted search was performed on the Medline, Embase and Cochrane Central databases. Studies that evaluated the adverse effects and oncological outcomes of proton beam therapy and conventional radiotherapy in adult patients with non-metastatic rectal cancer were included. Results: Eight studies were included in this review. There was insufficient evidence to determine the adverse treatment outcomes of proton beam therapy versus conventional radiotherapy. No current studies assessed radiotoxicities nor oncological outcomes. Pooled dosimetric comparisons between proton beam therapy and various conventional radiotherapies were associated with reduced radiation exposure to the pelvis, bowel and bladder. Conclusions: This systematic review demonstrates a significant paucity of evidence in the current literature surrounding adverse effects and oncological outcomes related to proton beam therapy compared to conventional radiotherapy for non-metastatic rectal cancer. Pooled analyses of dosimetric studies highlight greater predicted radiation-sparing effects with proton beam therapy in this setting. This evidence, however, is based on evidence at a moderate risk of bias and clinical heterogeneity. Overall, more robust, prospective clinical trials are required. more...

Radiation therapy using conventional or newer high-precision dose techniques, including three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy, stereotactic body radiation therapy, four-dimensional conformational radiotherapy, and proton therapy, is an important component of treating patients with lung cancer. Knowledge of the radiation technique used and the expected temporal evolution of radiation-induced lung injury, as well as patient-specific parameters such as previous radiotherapy, concurrent chemoradiotherapy, or immunotherapy, is important in image interpretation. This review discusses factors that affect the development and severity of radiation-induced lung injury and its radiological manifestations, as well as the differences between conventional and high-precision dose radiotherapy techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The view of Radiotherapy (RT) as a simple inducer of DNA damage resulting in tumor cell death has dramatically changed in recent years, and it is now widely accepted that RT can trigger an immune response which provides a sound basis for combining RT with immunotherapy. Given that, radiation can be delivered with different regimens, its effect on immune responses and Tumor Immune Microenvironment (TIME) may vary with dose and fractionation schedule. This fractional dose dependency may need to be more considered because of recent developments in RT delivery techniques making it possible to deliver precisely higher dosages per fraction (hypofractionation) while reducing exposure to normal tissues. Although combining radiotherapy with immunotherapy could be a promising strategy for synergistic enhancement of treatment efficacy, the selection of the best-matched combination of immunotherapy with each radiotherapy scheme remains to be addressed. Thus, for designing better therapeutic combinations, it is necessary to understand the immunological effects of RT. Here, we review the impact of conventional and different hypofractionation radiation schedules on the TIME. Subsequently, we highlight how knowing about these interactions may have implications for choosing a rational combination with targeted therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background: Cancer is a leading health problem in India with approximately 1.1 million cases occurring each year. Cancer of the Larynx represents about 1% of the total cancer burden and accounts for 0.3% of all cancer deaths. Glottic tumors typically metastasize after they have directly invaded adjacent structures with better drainage. Glottic cancer has a high rate of cure and regardless of the modality used. Radiotherapy is generally the favoured treatment in most centers despite comparable cure rates for selected T1 and T2 glottis tumors. The present study was conducted to compare radiation induced acute and late treatment related toxicities of hypo-fractionated radiotherapy and conventional radiotherapy in early glottic cancer T1-2N0M0". Material and Methods: The study was conducted in Acharya Tulsi Regional Cancer Treatment and Research Institute, Sardar Patel Medical College, Bikaner. It was done on 50 histologically proven new cases of early glottic cancer with age <70 years. Patients were treated by radiotherapy and randomized into either of the two arms Arm A (Study) and Arm B (Control). On ARM A Hypo-fractionated radiotherapy 55Gy/20# in 2.75Gy/# in 4 weeks and on ARM B Conventional radiotherapy 66Gy/33# in 2Gy/#6.5 weeks was given. Voice quality and toxicities were graded at the end of treatment, after 1, 2, 3 and 6 months. Data was analyzed using percentage, mean, chi square test and p-value. Results: Majority of the patients were in their 6th decade of life and all patients were male. Majority of the population had ECOG Performance Score of 1. 46 (92%) of patients presented with hoarseness alone while 4 (8%) of them presented with hoarseness and dysphagia, which were comparable in both the groups. Histologically, patients had Squamous Cell carcinoma (SCC). In study vs control arm where 11 (44%) vs 5 (20%) patients were T1A, 9 (36%) vs 5 (20%) in T1B, 4 (20%) vs 10 (40%) in T2A and 1 (4%) vs 5 (20%) in T2B respectively. In the study arm 25 (100%) patients received 58.4 Gy (2GyEq) whereas in control population 15 (60%) received 66 Gy and the rest 10 (40%) received 64 Gy. All 25 (100%) patients in both arms completed treatment. At the end of treatment, only 3 (12%) patients in study arm and 5 (20%) in control arm had normal voice. At 1st month of follow up, 7 (28%) vs 9 (36%) patients, at 3rd month of follow up, 13 (52%) vs 15 (60%) patients and at 6th month follow up, 21 (84%) vs 22 (88%) patients in study and control arm respectively had normal voice. (X² = 1.026, p value = 0.599). As compared, at the end of the treatment, at 1st, 3rd and 6th months follow up, grades of skin reactions, mucositis and dysphagia reduced from 2 to 1 and later 1 to 0. Conclusions: Hypo-fractionated radiotherapy is a safe modality of treatment with high local control rates, acceptable long term toxicities, favorable voice outcomes and symptomatic relief with added advantage of shorter treatment time which offers better patient compliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Purpose: To assess the treatment response and toxicity profile among two groups of newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) postoperative patients receiving conventional radiotherapy (RT) versus hypofractionated RT with concurrent temozolomide (TMZ) in both. Materials and Methods: A total of 50 patients randomly allotted into two arms (25 in each). Dose received 60 Gy (2 Gy/#) in conventional fractionation RT versus 50 Gy (2.5 Gy/#) in hypofractionated RT with concurrent TMZ 75 mg/m2 orally daily in both arms, respectively. Follow-up was done at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after completion of treatment to evaluate toxicities, treatment response, and progression-free survival (PFS). Results: All patients were well tolerated with treatment; no major adverse effects were monitored in two arms. There was no statistical significant difference in treatment response, which was found 64% versus 60% in arm A and arm B, respectively, at 3 months of follow-up (P = 0.768). Toxicity profiles were also noted similar in both arms. The 6-month PFS was 84% and 80% in arm A and arm B, respectively (P = 0.71) and 12-month PFS was 60% and 52% in arm A and arm B, respectively (P = 0.69). Conclusion: Among the patients followed, this study showed that hypofractionated RT regimen was not inferior to conventional RT regimen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Glioma has received considerable attention because of its potential of inducing high rates of morbidity, disability, and mortality. FLASH radiotherapy (FLASH-RT) has emerged as a popular topic in current research because of its ability to protect normal tissues. The present review summarized the current development of FLASH-RT in both the central nervous system and glioblastomas, explored the potential mechanisms underlying FLASH-RT-mediated protective effects on the central nervous system, and revealed the advantages of this new technique for glioma therapy. This study highlights the benefits and challenges of the present research and provides a reference for future research. more...

Introduction: Spinal malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are extremely rare. Because of vital surroundings, en bloc resection can be difficult in MPNSTs of the cervical spine. Herein, we report three cases of MPNST followed by radiotherapy or carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT) after surgery. Technical Note: In case 1, the patient underwent subtotal resection from both a posterior and anterior approach following by adjuvant X-ray radiotherapy. The patient died 13 years after surgery due to liver cancer unrelated to MPNST. In case 2, recurrence spread to the spinal canal in 10 months after primary CIRT. The patient underwent resection of the spinal canal lesion with the residual lesion treated by additional CIRT. Recurrence could be controlled for at least 1 year. In case 3, the patient underwent partial resection for the spinal canal lesion with the residual lesion treated by CIRT. Intradural and extradural recurrences from outside of the CIRT field were observed at 3 years after surgery. Conclusions: Complete resection and adjuvant X-ray radiotherapy would be an effective treatment for MPNST of the cervical spine, even if en bloc resection with a wide margin is impossible. CIRT for the residual tumor after incomplete resection may have the potential to be an additional treatment option; however, further investigation is warranted. more...

Introduction: Radiotherapy is considered standard of care for adjuvant peri-operative treatment of many spinal tumors, including those with instrumented fusion. Unfortunately, radiation treatment has been linked to increased risk of pseudoarthrosis. Newer focused radiotherapy strategies with enhanced conformality could offer improved fusion rates for these patients, but this has not been confirmed. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients at three tertiary care academic institutions with primary and secondary spinal malignancies that underwent resection, instrumented fusion, and peri-operative radiotherapy. Two board certified neuro-radiologists used the Lenke fusion score to grade fusion status at 6 and 12-months after surgery. Secondary outcomes included clinical pseudoarthrosis, wound complications, the effect of radiation timing and radiobiological dose delivered, the use of photons versus protons, tumor type, tumor location, and use of autograft on fusion outcomes. Results: After review of 1252 spinal tumor patients, there were 60 patients with at least 6 months follow-up that were included in our analyses. Twenty-five of these patients received focused radiotherapy, 20 patients received conventional radiotherapy, and 15 patients were treated with protons. There was no significant difference between the groups for covariates such as smoking status, obesity, diabetes, intraoperative use of autograft, and use of peri-operative chemotherapy. There was a significantly higher rate of fusion for patients treated with focused radiotherapy compared to those treated with conventional radiotherapy at 6-months (64.0% versus 30.0%, Odds ratio: 4.15, p = 0.036) and 12-months (80.0% versus 42.1%, OR: 5.50, p = 0.022). There was a significantly higher rate of clinical pseudoarthrosis in the conventional radiotherapy cohort compared to patients in the focused radiotherapy cohort (19.1% versus 0%, p = 0.037). There was no difference in fusion outcomes for any of the secondary outcomes except for use of autograft. The use of intra-operative autograft was associated with an improved fusion at 12-months (66.7% versus 37.5%, OR: 3.33, p = 0.043). Conclusion: Focused radiotherapy may be associated with an improved rate of fusion and clinical pseudoarthrosis when compared to conventional radiation delivery strategies in patients with spinal tumors. Use of autograft at the time of surgery may be associated with improved 12-month fusion rates. Further large-scale prospective and randomized controlled studies are needed to better stratify the effects of radiation delivery modality in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is now widely used in cancer therapy. However, the biological effects of SBRT compared with conventional radiotherapy (CRT) are not clear. The cytoskeleton plays an important role in many biological processes and cellular life activities. The effects of SBRT or CRT on the morphology and cytoskeletal structure of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells remain unknown. Based on the biologically equivalent dose (BED) formula, we designed SBRT and CRT fractionation regimens with the same BED. The morphology was captured during radiation, and rhodamine-phalloidin immunofluorescence was used to study the cytoskeleton. A lactate dehydrogenase assay kit was used to determine the cell membrane permeability, and western blot was used to detect the cytoskeleton protein expression levels. The morphology and cytoskeleton expanded after SBRT or CRT, with an increase in cell membrane permeability and stable cytoskeleton protein levels. Besides, different dose of SBRT (10,20,30 Gy) induce similar morphology and cytoskeleton enlargement. Our findings indicate that SBRT and CRT can induce cytoskeleton reorganization and the enlargement of cell morphology (at different rates) in NSCLC. The morphology and cytoskeleton enlargement after SBRT are dose independence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Abstract Purpose To compare the efficacy and toxicity of hypofractionated radiotherapy versus conventional fractionated radiotherapy in postmastectomy breast cancer using meta-analysis. Methods The PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, Wan Fang and CNKI databases were searched to identify controlled clinical trials comparing hypofractionated radiotherapy versus conventional fractionated radiotherapy in postmastectomy breast cancer. Overall survival (OS) was the primary endpoint, and disease-free survival (DFS), locoregional recurrence (LRR), distant metastasis (DM), acute skin toxicity, acute lung toxicity, late skin toxicity, lymphedema,, shoulder restriction, and late cardiac related toxicity were the secondary endpoints. Results Twenty-five controlled clinical trials involving 3871 postmastectomy breast cancer patients were included in this meta-analysis according to the selection criteria. The meta-analysis revealed that there were no significant differences in OS (OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 0.87~1.33, P = 0.49), DFS (OR = 1.13, 95% CI = 0.91~1.40, P = 0.28), LRR (OR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.76~1.33, P = 0.96), DM (OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 0.85~1.58, P = 0.34), acute skin toxicity (OR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.67~1.32, P = 0.72), acute lung toxicity (OR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.74~1.20, P = 0.62), late skin toxicity (OR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.75~1.27, P = 0.88), lymphedema (OR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.77~1.28, P = 0.94), shoulder restriction (OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.43~1.31, P = 0.31), or late cardiac related toxicity (OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 0.82~1.65, P = 0.39) between the two groups. Conclusions The results of this study show that compared to conventional fractionated radiotherapy, hypofractionated radiotherapy is not significantly different with respect to efficacy or toxicity in postmastectomy breast cancer. Additional large randomized clinical trials are needed to further confirm this conclusion. more...

Abstract Background Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. The results of treatment after hypofractionated radiotherapy only have been reported from several small randomized clinical trials. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to compare clinical outcomes of hypofractionated radiotherapy versus conventional radiotherapy in the treatment of intermediate- to high-risk localized prostate cancer. Methods Relevant studies were identified through searching related databases till August 2018. Hazard ratio (HR) or risk ratio (RR) with its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) was used as pooled statistics for all analyses. Results The meta-analysis results showed that overall survival (HR = 1.12, 95% CI: 0.93–1.35, p = 0.219) and prostate cancer-specific survival (HR = 1.29, 95% CI: 0.42–3.95, p = 0.661) were similar in two groups. The pooled data showed that biochemical failure was RR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.76–1.07, p = 0.248. The incidence of acute adverse gastrointestinal events (grade ≥ 2) was higher in the hypofractionated radiotherapy (RR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.12–2.56, p = 0.012); conversely, for late grade ≥ 2 gastrointestinal adverse events, a significant increase in the conventional radiotherapy was found (RR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.61–0.91, p = 0.003). Acute (RR = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.89–1.15, p = 0.894) and late (RR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.86–1.10, p = 0.692) genitourinary adverse events (grade ≥ 2) were similar for both treatment groups. Conclusion Results suggest that the efficacy and risk for adverse events are comparable for hypofractionated radiotherapy and conventional radiotherapy in the treatment of intermediate- to high-risk localized prostate cancer. more...

An increasing number of patients irradiated for metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC) experience an in-field recurrence and require a second course of radiotherapy. Reirradiation can be performed with conventional radiotherapy or highly-conformal techniques such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). When using conventional radiotherapy, a cumulative biologically effective dose (BED) ≤120 calculated with an α/β value of 2 Gy (Gy2) was not associated with radiation myelopathy in a retrospective study of 124 patients and is considered safe. In that study, conventional reirradiation led to improvements of motor deficits in 36% of patients and stopped further symptomatic progression in another 50% (overall response 86%). In four other studies, overall response rates were 82-89%. In addition to the cumulative BED or equivalent dose in 2 Gy fractions (EQD2), the interval between both radiotherapy courses <6 months and a BED per course ≥102 Gy2 (corresponding to an EQD2 ≥51 Gy2) were identified as risk factors for radiation myelopathy. Without these risk factors, a BED >120 Gy2 may be possible. Scoring tools have been developed that can assist physicians in estimating the risk of radiation myelopathy and selecting the appropriate dose-fractionation regimen of re-treatment. Reirradiation of MESCC may also be performed with highly-conformal radiotherapy. With IMRT or VMAT, rates of pain relief and improvement of neurologic symptoms of 60-93.5% and 42-73%, respectively, were achieved. One-year local control rates ranged between 55% and 88%. Rates of myelopathy or radiculopathy and vertebral compression fractures were 0% and 0-9.3%, respectively. With SBRT, rates of pain relief were 65-86%. Two studies reported improvements in neurologic symptoms of 0% and 82%, respectively. One-year local control rates were 74-83%. Rates of myelopathy or radiculopathy and vertebral compression fractures were 0-4.5% and 4.5-13.8%, respectively. For SBRT, a cumulative maximum EQD2 to thecal sac ≤70 Gy2, a maximum EQD2 of SBRT ≤25 Gy2, a ratio ≤0.5 of thecal sac maximum EQD2 of SBRT to maximum cumulative EQD2, and an interval between both courses ≥5 months were associated with a lower risk of myelopathy. Additional prospective trials are required to better define the options of reirradiation of MESCC. more...

Abstract Background To compare WBC counts during treatment of localized prostate cancer with either conventionally fractionated (CF) or moderately hypofractionated (HYPO) radiotherapy. Methods Weekly blood test results were extracted from the charts of patients treated within a phase III study comparing HYPO to CF. In order to compare WBC counts at the same nominal dose in both arms and thus to tease out the effect of fractionation, for each recorded WBC value the corresponding cumulative total dose was extracted as well. WBC counts were binned according to percentiles of the delivered dose and three dose levels were identified at median doses of 16, 34.1 and 52 Gy, respectively. A General Linear Model based on mixed design Analysis Of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test variation of WBC counts between the two treatment arms. Results Out of 168 randomized patients, 140 (83.3%) had at least one observation for each one of the selected dose levels and were included in the analysis. Mean counts were lower in the CF than the HYPO arm at all selected dose levels, reaching a statistically significant difference at dose level #3 (5397/mm3 vs 6038/mm3 for CF and HYPO, respectively, p = 0.004). The GLM model confirms that the impact of dose on WBC counts is significantly lower in the HYPO arm over the CF one (Greenhouse-Geisser test, p = 0.04). Interestingly, while WBC counts tend to drop throughout all dose levels in the CF arm, this is the case only in the earlier part of treatment in the HYPO arm. Conclusion This secondary analysis of a phase III study shows that dose fractionation is correlated to WBC drop during treatment of localized prostate cancer, favoring HYPO over CF. more...

Background: Childhood diffuse brainstem glioma (dBSG) is a rare tumor with a poor prognosis. Any tumor-directed surgical intervention is difficult. Magnetic resonance imaging forms the mainstay of diagnosis and radiation therapy has remained the backbone of therapy. In this study, we compare the outcomes of conformal radiotherapy with conventional therapy in the context of resource-constrained settings.Methods: In this retrospective analysis, conducted between 2010 and 2019, all pediatric patients with a diagnosis of dBSG were analyzed. The survival data were calculated in months from the date of diagnosis. Survival differences between variables were compared using the Log-rank test and the risk of death was calculated using Cox regression analysis.Results: A total of 20 patients (11 males, 55%) with a diagnosis of dBSG were included. Median age at diagnosis was 6.5 years. No surgical resection or biopsy was done in any patient. Fifteen (75%) patients received radiotherapy and only 4 (20%) patients received additional chemotherapy. Five (25%) patients did not receive any form of anti-cancer therapy. Median overall survival (OS) was 8 months (95% CI 5.2-10.8). Females were at a higher risk of death than males. Children treated with radiotherapy had a longer OS than untreated children; however, the modality of radiotherapy employed or the addition of chemotherapy did not affect the OS.Conclusion: Radiotherapy, irrespective of the modality, increases the survival of children with dBSG in resource-poor settings. Additionally, socioeconomic concerns need to be addressed in the management of these tumors, especially in the case of female children. Lay summaryChildhood diffuse brainstem glioma (dBSG) is a rare tumor with a poor prognosis. Any tumor-directed surgical intervention is difficult. Magnetic resonance imaging forms the mainstay of diagnosis and radiation therapy has remained the backbone of therapy. In this 10-year retrospective study, we compare the outcomes of conformal radiotherapy with conventional therapy in the context of resource-constrained settings. A total of 20 patients with a diagnosis of dBSG were included with a median age at diagnosis of 6.5 years (5.25-8.75). No surgical resection or biopsy was done in any patient. Fifteen (75%) patients received radiotherapy and only 4 (20%) patients received additional chemotherapy. Five (25%) patients did not receive any form of anti-cancer therapy. Median overall survival (OS) was 8 months (95% CI 5.2-10.8). Females were at a 3.4-fold (95% CI 1.0-12.1) higher risk of death than males. Children treated with radiotherapy had a longer OS than untreated children; however, the modality of radiotherapy employed or the addition of chemotherapy did not affect the OS. Radiotherapy, irrespective of the modality, increases the survival of children with dBSG in resource-poor settings. Additionally, socioeconomic concerns need to be addressed in the management of these tumors, especially in the case of female children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Compared the efficacy and side effects of PF chemotherapy combined with chronomodulated radiation therapy and PF chemotherapy combined with conventional radiotherapy in locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Forty-five patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma were randomly divided into chronomodulated radiation therapy group and conventional radiotherapy group, 22 cases and 23 cases respectively. The same radiotherapy method and therapeutic dose were used in both groups, and PF regimen was given simultaneously. The radiotherapy time of the chronomodulated radiation therapy group is between 20: 00 and 22:00, while the conventional radiotherapy group is between 8:00 and 10:00. At the time of 3 months and 6 months after the radiotherapy, the complete regression rate (CR rate) of the nasopharynx and neck of the patients in the chronomodulated radiation therapy group was higher than that of the conventional radiotherapy group (P<0.05). The incidence of various acute side effects in the chronomodulated radiation therapy group was lower than that in the conventional radiotherapy group, but there was no statistical difference. The level of CD4/CD8 was elevated in the chronomodulated radiation therapy group after treatment, while it was decreased in the conventional group (P<0.05). PF chemotherapy combined with chronomodulated radiation therapy is effective in patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma, with mild toxic and side effects, and may be beneficial to improve the immune function of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Purpose: Synchrotron microbeam radiation therapy (MRT) is based on the spatial fractionation of the incident, highly collimated synchrotron beam into arrays of parallel microbeams depositing several hundred grays. It appears relevant to combine MRT with a conventional treatment course, preparing a treatment scheme for future patients in clinical trials. The efficiency of MRT delivered after several broad-beam (BB) fractions to palliate F98 brain tumors in rats in comparison with BB fractions alone was evaluated in this study.Methods and Materials: Rats bearing 106 F98 cells implanted in the caudate nucleus were irradiated by 5 fractions in BB mode (3 × 6 Gy + 2 × 8 Gy BB) or by 2 boost fractions in MRT mode to a total of 5 fractions (3 × 6 Gy BB + MRT 2 × 8 Gy valley dose; peak dose 181 Gy [50/200 μm]). Tumor growth was evaluated in vivo by magnetic resonance imaging follow-up at T-1, T7, T12, T15, T20, and T25 days after radiation therapy and by histology and flow cytometry.Results: MRT-boosted tumors displayed lower cell density and cell proliferation compared with BB-irradiated tumors. The MRT boost completely stopped tumor growth during ∼4 weeks and led to a significant increase in median survival time, whereas tumors treated with BB alone recurred within a few days after the last radiation fraction.Conclusions: The first evidence is presented that MRT, delivered as a boost of conventionally fractionated irradiation by orthovoltage broad x-ray beams, is feasible and more efficient than conventional radiation therapy alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Aim: Multiform glioblastoma (MG) represents 70% of all gliomas, with half of patients older than 65 years with median survival of 12–18 months, hypofractionation seeks to reduce the intensity and duration of treatment without impacting on survival rates. The objective was to determine the global survival and recurrence-free survival of adults over 70 years old with MG treated with hypofractionated radiotherapy and standard scheme. The review of patients older than 70 years treated with radiotherapy from 2013 to 2016 was performed. Results: Twenty-four patients were analysed, with a median follow-up of 239 days, and there is no difference in overall survival 12·3 versus 10·5 months (p = 0·55) and recurrence-free survival 8·3 versus 3·4 months (p = 0·48) between both schemes, conventional versus hypofractioanted, respectively. Conclusion: The results in this study show that hypofractionated scheme could be comparable in overall survival and recurrence-free survival to conventional fractionation, but a longer patients' trial should be done. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Purpose: To compare the efficacy and toxicity of hypofractionated radiotherapy versus conventional fractionated radiotherapy in postmastectomy breast cancer using meta-analysis.Methods: The PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, Wan Fang and CNKI databases were searched to identify controlled clinical trials comparing hypofractionated radiotherapy versus conventional fractionated radiotherapy in postmastectomy breast cancer. Overall survival (OS) was the primary endpoint, and disease-free survival (DFS), locoregional recurrence (LRR), distant metastasis (DM), acute skin toxicity, acute lung toxicity, late skin toxicity, lymphedema,, shoulder restriction, and late cardiac related toxicity were the secondary endpoints.Results: Twenty-five controlled clinical trials involving 3871 postmastectomy breast cancer patients were included in this meta-analysis according to the selection criteria. The meta-analysis revealed that there were no significant differences in OS (OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 0.87~1.33, P = 0.49), DFS (OR = 1.13, 95% CI = 0.91~1.40, P = 0.28), LRR (OR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.76~1.33, P = 0.96), DM (OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 0.85~1.58, P = 0.34), acute skin toxicity (OR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.67~1.32, P = 0.72), acute lung toxicity (OR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.74~1.20, P = 0.62), late skin toxicity (OR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.75~1.27, P = 0.88), lymphedema (OR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.77~1.28, P = 0.94), shoulder restriction (OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.43~1.31, P = 0.31), or late cardiac related toxicity (OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 0.82~1.65, P = 0.39) between the two groups.Conclusions: The results of this study show that compared to conventional fractionated radiotherapy, hypofractionated radiotherapy is not significantly different with respect to efficacy or toxicity in postmastectomy breast cancer. Additional large randomized clinical trials are needed to further confirm this conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This study aimed to investigate an improved setup protocol for maintaining patient setup accuracy, with minimal or no use of image-guided radiation therapy in conventional radiotherapy for lung cancer. A coordinate value for the treatment couch in the anterior–posterior (AP) direction was obtained from the first fraction using bony anatomy image guidance. The coordinate value was invariably used for patient positioning in the second and subsequent treatment fractions. The errors of 2410 setup image sets (anterior and lateral) from 105 patients with lung cancer were analyzed. The systematic and random patient positioning errors in the AP direction were 0.6 ± 1.0 mm. Such errors accounted for 97% of all fractions within ± 2 mm. The protocol resulted in minimal patient setup errors in the AP direction using only one image for guidance; therefore, it may be applied to conventional radiotherapy for lung cancer in case of insufficient image guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background: Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. The results of treatment after hypofractionated radiotherapy only have been reported from several small randomized clinical trials. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to compare clinical outcomes of hypofractionated radiotherapy versus conventional radiotherapy in the treatment of intermediate- to high-risk localized prostate cancer.Methods: Relevant studies were identified through searching related databases till August 2018. Hazard ratio (HR) or risk ratio (RR) with its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) was used as pooled statistics for all analyses.Results: The meta-analysis results showed that overall survival (HR = 1.12, 95% CI: 0.93-1.35, p = 0.219) and prostate cancer-specific survival (HR = 1.29, 95% CI: 0.42-3.95, p = 0.661) were similar in two groups. The pooled data showed that biochemical failure was RR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.76-1.07, p = 0.248. The incidence of acute adverse gastrointestinal events (grade ≥ 2) was higher in the hypofractionated radiotherapy (RR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.12-2.56, p = 0.012); conversely, for late grade ≥ 2 gastrointestinal adverse events, a significant increase in the conventional radiotherapy was found (RR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.61-0.91, p = 0.003). Acute (RR = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.89-1.15, p = 0.894) and late (RR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.86-1.10, p = 0.692) genitourinary adverse events (grade ≥ 2) were similar for both treatment groups.Conclusion: Results suggest that the efficacy and risk for adverse events are comparable for hypofractionated radiotherapy and conventional radiotherapy in the treatment of intermediate- to high-risk localized prostate cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Highlights • Conventional radiotherapy and synchrotron microbeam radiotherapy elicit different tumor immune responses. • Conventional but not microbeam radiotherapy induces infiltration of macrophages and neutrophils into mammary tumors. • In contrast, higher numbers of T cells and pro-inflammatory genes concentrate in tumors following microbeam radiation compared to conventional radiation. Abstract Background Synchrotron microbeam radiation therapy (MRT) is a new, evolving form of radiotherapy that has potential for clinical application. Several studies have shown in preclinical models that synchrotron MRT achieves equivalent tumor control to conventional radiotherapy (CRT) but with significantly reduced normal tissue damage. Methods To explore differences between these two modalities, we assessed the immune cell infiltrate into EMT6.5 mammary tumors after CRT and MRT. Results CRT induced marked increases in tumor-associated macrophages and neutrophils while there were no increases in these populations following MRT. In contrast, there were higher numbers of T cells in the MRT treated tumors. There were also increased levels of CCL2 by immunohistochemistry in tumors subjected to CRT, but not to MRT. Conversely, we found that MRT induced higher levels of pro-inflammatory genes in tumors than CRT. Conclusion Our data are the first to demonstrate substantial differences in macrophage, neutrophil and T cell numbers in tumors following MRT versus CRT, providing support for the concept that MRT evokes a different immunomodulatory response in tumors compared to CRT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Objective: This study aimed to determine and compare mammographic findings after conventional radiotherapy and forward intensity-modulated radiation therapy for breast conservation., Methods: Eighty-six patients with BCT (373 mammograms) were included between 2010-2015 and had post-treatment mammograms available for review. All mammograms were taken with an 18 × 24 cm detector and 0.070 mm pixel size (Selenia Dimensions, Hologic, Marlborough, Massachusetts, US). We documented the radiation technique, dose, and mammographic findings (e.g., edema, thickening, scarring, and calcification). We tracked the stability duration for each patient and grouped mammographic findings into 1-, 2, and 3 years post-treatment. SPSS version 26 and Stata version 18 were used for analysis., Results: The FIMRT group received a lower total radiation dose (p=0.030), a higher dose per fraction (p=0.030), and a lower maximum skin dose (p<0.001). The time to stable was shorter in the FIMRT group (975 days for CRT vs. 478 days for FIMRT; p=0.001). Among the 86 patients, the FIMRT group showed less breast parenchymal edema and noticeable scarring at 1, 2, and 3 years post-treatment than the CRT group, although the difference was not statistically significant., Conclusion: In the FIMRT group, post-BCT mammographic findings, including breast parenchymal edema and marked scar appearance, were fewer than those in the CRT group, and the duration to stable was significantly reduced. more...

Background: To compare the survival outcomes and late toxicities of postoperative intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with two‐dimensional radiotherapy (2D‐RT) for patients with soft tissue sarcoma (STS) of extremities and trunk. Methods: 274 consecutive patients with nonmetastatic STS of extremities and trunk treated with postoperative IMRT (n = 187) and 2D‐RT (n = 87) were analyzed. Survival was calculated by using Kaplan‐Meier method. Independent prognostic factors were identified using Cox stepwise regression analysis for variables with a P‐value <0.1 in univariate analysis. Results: With a median follow‐up time of 58.1 months, 30 local recurrences, 66 distant metastases, and 40 deaths occurred. Compared to 2D‐RT group, the IMRT group had higher 5‐year local recurrence‐free survival (LRFS) (91.1% vs 80.8%; P = 0.029), distant metastasis‐free survival (DMFS) (80.0% vs 69.7%; P = 0.048), disease‐free survival (DFS) (75.2% vs 59.2%; P = 0.021), and overall survival (OS) (90.2% vs 81.0%; P = 0.029). Multivariate analysis showed IMRT was an independent favorable factor for LRFS, DMFS, DFS, and OS. For late toxicities, the patients in IMRT group enjoyed lower incidences of ≥Grade 2 joint stiffness (3.9% vs 12.3%; P = 0.041) and ≥Grade 3 fractures (0.0% vs 3.4%; P = 0.25) than those in 2D‐RT group. ≥Grade 2 Edema was similar between these two groups (4.8% vs 9.2%; P = 0.183). Conclusions: When compared with conventional techniques, postoperative IMRT seems to provide better LRFS, DMFS, DFS, and OS and less late toxicities in patients with STS of extremities and trunk, which should be offered as a preferred treatment. Our study is the first to directly compare not only clinical survival outcomes, but also late toxicities of postoperative intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and two‐dimensional radiotherapy (2D‐RT) for patients with STS of extremities and trunk, and our results demonstrated that IMRT provided better local control (5 year 91.1% vs. 80.8%) and OS (5 year 90.2% vs. 81.0%) and less severe late toxicities compared with 2D‐RT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background: To compare WBC counts during treatment of localized prostate cancer with either conventionally fractionated (CF) or moderately hypofractionated (HYPO) radiotherapy.Methods: Weekly blood test results were extracted from the charts of patients treated within a phase III study comparing HYPO to CF. In order to compare WBC counts at the same nominal dose in both arms and thus to tease out the effect of fractionation, for each recorded WBC value the corresponding cumulative total dose was extracted as well. WBC counts were binned according to percentiles of the delivered dose and three dose levels were identified at median doses of 16, 34.1 and 52 Gy, respectively. A General Linear Model based on mixed design Analysis Of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test variation of WBC counts between the two treatment arms.Results: Out of 168 randomized patients, 140 (83.3%) had at least one observation for each one of the selected dose levels and were included in the analysis. Mean counts were lower in the CF than the HYPO arm at all selected dose levels, reaching a statistically significant difference at dose level #3 (5397/mm3 vs 6038/mm3 for CF and HYPO, respectively, p = 0.004). The GLM model confirms that the impact of dose on WBC counts is significantly lower in the HYPO arm over the CF one (Greenhouse-Geisser test, p = 0.04). Interestingly, while WBC counts tend to drop throughout all dose levels in the CF arm, this is the case only in the earlier part of treatment in the HYPO arm.Conclusion: This secondary analysis of a phase III study shows that dose fractionation is correlated to WBC drop during treatment of localized prostate cancer, favoring HYPO over CF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background: Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) has been more widely used in extranodal nasal-type natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL) because it can maximally improve the local control rate of tumor and reduce the radiation dose received by surrounding normal tissues. However, there has been no consensus on whether IMRT can help to lower the toxic and adverse reactions caused by radiation therapy. The aim of this study is to compare skin toxicity caused by IMRT and conventional radiotherapy in Stage I–II NKTCL. Methods: A total of 93 patients with Stage I–II NKTCL, nasal-type arising in the nasal cavity were consecutively treated using curative radiotherapy between April 2005 and August 2014. These patients received radiotherapy without chemotherapy. Definitive radiotherapy was conducted using conventional radiotherapy in 33 patients and IMRT in the other sixty patients with a regional field and a total dose of 50 Gy. Dosimetric parameters of radiation treatment plans and skin toxicity were analyzed and compared between conventional radiotherapy and IMRT. Results: From the dosimetric analysis, IMRT demonstrated significantly improved dose coverage and homogeneity than conventional radiotherapy. Meanwhile, the Grade 1, 2, and 3 skin toxicity incidences in conventional radiotherapy group were 42.4%, 39.4%, and 18.2%, and in IMRT group were 25.0%, 31.7%, and 43.3%, respectively. Our data suggested that the severity of skin toxicity in IMRT group was statistically higher than that in conventional radiotherapy group. Conclusions: IMRT provided improved dose coverage than conventional radiotherapy. However, IMRT failed to lower patients' risks for skin toxicity and may have the potential to increase skin toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background: Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) has been more widely used in extranodal nasal-type natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL) because it can maximally improve the local control rate of tumor and reduce the radiation dose received by surrounding normal tissues. However, there has been no consensus on whether IMRT can help to lower the toxic and adverse reactions caused by radiation therapy. The aim of this study is to compare skin toxicity caused by IMRT and conventional radiotherapy in Stage I-II NKTCL.Methods: A total of 93 patients with Stage I-II NKTCL, nasal-type arising in the nasal cavity were consecutively treated using curative radiotherapy between April 2005 and August 2014. These patients received radiotherapy without chemotherapy. Definitive radiotherapy was conducted using conventional radiotherapy in 33 patients and IMRT in the other sixty patients with a regional field and a total dose of 50 Gy. Dosimetric parameters of radiation treatment plans and skin toxicity were analyzed and compared between conventional radiotherapy and IMRT.Results: From the dosimetric analysis, IMRT demonstrated significantly improved dose coverage and homogeneity than conventional radiotherapy. Meanwhile, the Grade 1, 2, and 3 skin toxicity incidences in conventional radiotherapy group were 42.4%, 39.4%, and 18.2%, and in IMRT group were 25.0%, 31.7%, and 43.3%, respectively. Our data suggested that the severity of skin toxicity in IMRT group was statistically higher than that in conventional radiotherapy group.Conclusions: IMRT provided improved dose coverage than conventional radiotherapy. However, IMRT failed to lower patients' risks for skin toxicity and may have the potential to increase skin toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Objective Particle therapy has been reported as an emerging radiotherapy for several tumors, but its effectiveness for chordoma remains to be studied. This meta-analysis was performed to compare the effectiveness of photon therapy, proton therapy, and carbon-ion therapy for chordoma. Methods Studies reporting the use of conventional radiotherapy (CRT), stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT), proton therapy, and carbon-ion therapy were identified in several databases. A fixed-effects model was used to perform a meta-analysis of 3-, 5-, and 10-year overall survival. The χ 2 test was used to compare pooled estimates for each treatment type. Results Twenty-five studies were included in this meta-analysis. The results showed that the 3-, 5-, and 10-year overall survival rates were higher for SRT, proton therapy, and carbon-ion therapy than for CRT. The 10-year overall survival was higher for proton therapy than for SRT. Conclusions We revealed that particle therapy was more effective following surgery for chordoma than CRT. After 10 years, proton therapy was more beneficial than SRT. However, future studies should include more studies to enable accurate meta-analysis and a better exploration of prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Introduction: This study compared the pattern of radiation induced parotid changes between conventional (ConRT) and intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients. Methods: 56 adult NPC patients treated with IMRT (n=28) and conventional radiotherapy (n=28) were recruited. CT scans were acquired before radiotherapy, at 10th, 20th and 30th fractions, and 3 months after treatment. Parotid gland was delineated in the corresponding CT slices and its mean dose was calculated. The volumetric and geometric changes of the parotid gland at various time intervals were compared against the pre-treatment structure set. The pattern of changes was compared between the two techniques. Results: The mean parotid dose of IMRT (37.5±9.5 Gy) was significantly lower than ConRT (49.1±7.4 Gy). The parotid gland volume, DICE similarity coefficient and lateral dimension of patient head gradually decreased during the radiotherapy course and partially recovered in 3 months post-treatment. The differences between two groups were not significant until at 3 month after treatment, where IMRT showed significantly better volume recovery. Conclusion: Similar parotid gland size and location changes were observed during the treatment course in both ConRT and IMRT. However IMRT demonstrated better parotid volume recovery after treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...