Can the Radiation Dose to CT-Enlarged but FDG-PET-Negative Inguinal Lymph Nodes in Anal Cancer Be Reduced?

Investigation of the distribution of inguinal lymph nodes and delineation of the inguinal clinical target volume using 18F-FDG PET/CT

OBJECTIVE

Radiotherapy is a crucial treatment modality for pelvic cancers, but uncertainties persist in defining the clinical target volume (CTV) for the inguinal lymphatic drainage region. Suboptimal CTV delineation may compromise treatment efficacy and result in subpar disease control. This study aimed to investigate and map the distribution of lymph node metastases (LNM) in the groin area to facilitate an improved and detailed CTV definition using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT).

METHODS

Inguinal LNM in patients with biopsy-proven pelvic malignancies were identified using 18F-FDG PET/CT scan. The longitudinally nearest axial plane was determined based on six typical bony landmarks, and the axial direction relative to the femoral artery of LNM was recorded. The distances from the LNM to the nearest edge of the femoral artery were measured on the axial plane. An optimal margin to cover 95% of LNM was estimated to develop contouring recommendations.

RESULTS

In this study, 500 positive LNM were identified by 18F-FDG PET/CT among 185 patients with primary pelvic malignancies. Relative to the femoral artery, lymph nodes were distributed laterally (10:00-11:00, n = 35), anteriorly (12:00-1:00, n = 213), and medially (2:00-4: 00, n = 252). For CTV delineation, the recommended distances from the femoral artery on the SFH were lateral 19 mm, anterior 19 mm, and medial 25 mm; on the SGT were lateral 26 mm, anterior 20 mm, and medial 25 mm; on the SPS were lateral 28 mm, anterior 29 mm, and medial 26 mm; on the IPS were anterior 29 mm and medial 28 mm; on the IIT were anterior 27 mm and medial 27 mm; on the ILT were anterior 25 mm and medial 23 mm. Use interpolation to contour the area between six axial slices, including any radiographically suspicious LNM.

CONCLUSIONS

Using 18F-FDG PET/CT, we investigated the distribution pattern of inguinal LNM and propose a more comprehensive guideline for inguinal CTV delineation.

[18F]-FDG PET in anal canal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

To provide comprehensive data on the diagnostic and prognostic value of [18F]-FDG PET (PET) in anal canal cancer patients.

METHODS

This study was designed following the PRISMA-DTA guidelines. For the meta-analysis, published original articles (until December 2022) that met the following criteria were included: Evaluated PET for locoregional and/or distant disease detection in patients with histopathology-proven anal canal cancer; Compared PET with a valid reference standard; Provided crude data to calculate meta-analytic estimates. Diagnostic measurements from subgroups were calculated in evaluating primary tumour detection, T stage, lymph node and distant metastases. Articles providing prognostic information on PET were also reported as a systematic review. For pooled meta-analytic calculations, the hierarchical method was used. The bivariate model was conducted to find the summary estimates. Analyses were performed using STATA 16.

RESULTS

After the screening, 28 studies were eligible to enter the meta-analytic calculations, and data from 15 were reported descriptively. For distinguishing T3/T4 from other T-stages, PET had pooled sensitivity and specificity of 91%(95%CI:72%-97%) and 96%(95%CI:88%-98%), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity for detecting metastatic (regional and/or distant) disease were 100% (95%CI:82%-100%) and 95% (95%CI:90%-98%), respectively. For therapy response assessment, the sensitivity and specificity of PET were 96%(95%CI:78%-99%) and 86%(95%CI:75%-93%), respectively. Higher pre-treatment total metabolic tumour volume was predictive of poorer survival. Conversely, for those achieving complete metabolic response, the 2-year PFS was 94%(95%CI:91%-97%) versus 51%(95%CI:42%-59%) for others (p-value < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

PET may be a useful tool for anal canal cancer therapy planning and provides valuable prognostic information.

Positron emission tomography with computed tomography imaging (PET/CT) for the radiotherapy planning definition of the biological target volume: PART 2

AIM

Positron Emission Tomography with Computed Tomography (PET/CT) has been proven to be useful in the definition of Radiotherapy (RT) target volume. In this regard, the present expert review summarizes existing data for pancreas, prostate, gynecological and rectum/anal cancer.

METHODS

A comprehensive search of published original article was made, based on SCOPUS and PubMed database, selecting the paper that evaluated the role of PET/CT in the definition of RT volume.

RESULTS

FDG-PET has an important and promising role for pancreatic cancer. Choline PET/CT could be useful for identifying high-risk volumes for prostate cancer; while PSMA PET/CT is still under evaluation. FDG PET/CT in gynecological cancers has been shown to impact external-beam RT planning. The role of FDG-PET for Gross Tumor volume identification is crucial, representing a useful and powerful tool for anal and rectal cancer.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, molecular and functional imaging approaches offer a major step to individualize radiotherapeutic approach.

Prognostic utility of pre- and post-treatment FDG-PET parameters in anal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

We prospectively assessed the contributions of PET to initial staging, early detection of treatment failures, and prognostication in patients with anal squamous cell carcinoma (ASCC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Consecutive patients with ASCC referred for radical chemoradiotherapy (CRT) consented to undergo FDG-PET imaging pre-treatment and at 3 and 6 months post-treatment. Clinicopathologic data were collected and CT and PET imaging reviewed for contribution to staging and recurrence detection. Maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), peak standardized uptake value (SUVpeak), metabolic tumour volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were assessed for association with progression-free survival (PFS), cause-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS) using the Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models.

RESULTS

Between 2009 and 2016, 73 patients with clinical stages I-IIIB ASCC completed curative-intent CRT. Median follow-up was 48 months. 14 patients died and 18 patients experienced disease progression. 4-year PFS, CSS, and OS were 73%, 87%, and 84%, respectively. A pre-treatment MTV >35 cm³ predicted for worse PFS (p = 0.011) and CSS (p = 0.024) on univariate and multivariate analyses, employing an MTV definition of voxels ≥25% of SUVmax. Higher 6-month post-treatment SUVmax and SUVpeak predicted for worse PFS and OS (p ≤ 0.011). Pre-treatment SUVmax, SUVpeak, and TLG, and 3-month post-treatment SUVmax and SUVpeak did not significantly correlate with survival outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings support that pre-treatment MTV provides meaningful prognostic information, with suggestion that an MTV delineation threshold of voxels ≥25% of SUVmax is appropriate in the anal region. Post treatment, the combination of clinical examination and PET effectively detected all treatment failures. Higher 6-month post-treatment SUVmax and SUVpeak predicted worse PFS and OS; however, the optimal timing of post-treatment PET imaging remains unclear.

Prognostic Significance of Fluorine-18 Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography in Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis

Purpose

Prognostic significance of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (¹⁸F-FDG-PET) in anal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) has been evaluated in several studies; however, the results seem to be controversial and no consensus exists about its predictive capability. The current meta-analysis was carried out to comprehensively investigate the prognostic significance of ¹⁸F-FDG-PET parameters in patients with anal SCC.

Methods

A comprehensive literature search of PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus databases was performed to retrieve pertinent articles published until August 5th 2018, concerning the prognostic significance of ¹⁸F-FDG-PET in patients with anal SCC. No language restriction was used. Several prognostic factors were reported for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) including pretreatment maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), inguinal nodal uptake, and metabolic response to therapy.

Results

Eleven studies (741 patients) were included. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) for the probability of PFS was 5.36 (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 3.12–9.21, p < 0.001) for metabolic response to therapy and 1.98 (95% CI: 1.26–3.12, p=0.003) for SUVmax. The pooled HR for the probability of OS was 5.87 (3.02–11.39, p < 0.0001) for metabolic response to therapy. On the other hand, the study revealed that the pooled HRs of MTV and inguinal nodal uptake for PFS were 1.56 (95% CI: 0.96–2.53, p=0.072) and 1.79 (95% CI: 1–3.21, p=0.051), respectively.

Conclusions

Our findings propose that some ¹⁸F-FDG-PET parameters could serve as prognostic indicators in anal SCC, but further larger studies are needed in this setting.

PET imaging in adaptive radiotherapy of gastrointestinal tumors

INTRODUCTION

Radiotherapy is a cornerstone in the multimodality treatment of several gastrointestinal (GI) tumors. Positron-emission tomography (PET) has an established role in the diagnosis, response assessment and (re-)staging of these tumors. Nevertheless, the value of PET in adaptive radiotherapy remains unclear. This review focuses on the role of PET in adaptive radiotherapy, i.e. during the treatment course and in the delineation process.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

The MEDLINE database was searched for the terms ("Radiotherapy"[Mesh] AND "Positron-Emission Tomography"[Mesh] AND one of the site-specific keywords, yielding a total of 1710 articles. After abstract selection, 27 papers were identified for esophageal neoplasms, 1 for gastric neoplasms, 9 for pancreatic neoplasms, 6 for liver neoplasms, 1 for biliary tract neoplasms, none for colonic neoplasms, 15 for rectal neoplasms and 12 for anus neoplasms.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

The use of PET for truly adaptive radiotherapy during treatment for GI tumors has barely been investigated, in contrast to the potential of the PET-defined metabolic tumor volume for optimization of the target volume. The optimized target definition seems useful for treatment individualization such as focal boosting strategies in esophageal, pancreatic and anorectal cancer. Nevertheless, for all GI tumors, further investigation is needed.

CONCLUSIONS

In general, too little data are available to conclude on the role of PET imaging during radiotherapy for ART strategies in GI cancer. On the other hand, based on the available evidence, the use of biological imaging for target volume adaptation seems promising and could pave the road towards individualized treatment strategies.

Biological imaging for individualized therapy in radiation oncology: part II medical and clinical aspects

Positron emission tomography and multiparametric MRI provide crucial information concerning tumor extent and normal tissue anatomy. Moreover, they are able to visualize biological characteristics of the tumor, which can be considered in the radiation treatment planning and monitoring. In this review we discuss the impact of biological imaging positron emission tomography and multiparametric MRI for radiation oncology, based on the data of the literature and on the experience of our own institution in this field.

Positron emission tomography and computed tomographic (PET/CT) imaging for radiation therapy planning in anal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

To improve the accuracy of chemoradiation therapy in anal cancer patients PET/CT is frequently used in the planning of radiation therapy. A systematic review was performed to assess impact on survival, quality of life, symptom score, change in target definition and treatment intention. Systematic literature searches were conducted in Medline, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and Centre for Reviews and Dissemination. Ten cross-sectional studies were identified. No data were available on survival or quality of life. The summary estimate of the proportion of patients in which PET/CT had an impact on the target definition, was 23% (95% CI 16;33). The corresponding summary estimate of a change in treatment intent from curative to palliative was 3% (95% CI 2;6). Almost one in four patients had a change in target definition, which supports the use of PET/CT in radiation therapy planning, but the consequence regarding survival and quality of life is still uncertain.

PET imaging in anal canal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature to synthesize and summarize the evidence surrounding the clinical utility of positron emission tomography (PET) imaging in patients with anal canal cancer.

METHODS

The literature was searched using MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews databases. Studies comparing PET or PET/CT with conventional imaging in the staging, response evaluation and follow-up of anal canal cancer were deemed eligible for inclusion.

RESULTS

17 studies met the inclusion criteria. For the detection of primary tumour in situ, the pooled sensitivity was 99% for PET or PET/CT and 67% for CT. For the detection of inguinal lymph nodes, PET/CT had an overall sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 76%. PET or PET/CT upstaged 5.1 to 37.5% of patients and downstaged 8.2 to 26.7% of patients. Treatment plans were modified in 12.5 to 59.3% of patients, which consisted mainly of radiotherapy dose or field changes. Complete response on PET or PET/CT is a good prognostic factor for overall and progression-free survival.

CONCLUSIONS

PET/CT seems to add value to conventional imaging in the initial staging of patients with T2-4 disease but further high-quality research is required to validate this. There is insufficient evidence at this time to recommend a routine use of PET/CT in the assessment of treatment response or follow-up. Advances in knowledge: PET/CT appears to alter the disease stage and management in a meaningful number of patients to justify its use as part of staging investigations in locally advanced cases.

Negative 18F-FDG-PET-CT may exclude residual or recurrent disease in anal cancer

OBJECTIVES

The incidence of anal cancer is increasing in Western countries. Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) PET-computed tomography (CT) is used in the assessment of anal cancer, but its routine use is not established. The aim of this study was to assess the value of F-FDG-PET-CT in staging and post-treatment assessment in anal cancer and to determine its impact on management.

METHODS

This was a retrospective analysis of patients with anal cancer treated at the Sussex Cancer Centre who underwent PET-CT between November 2004 and September 2014. Information was retrieved from patient notes and the local cancer register, and verified by referring consultants in all cases.

RESULTS

A total of 75 PET-CT scans in 52 patients were identified, representing 38.5% of patients diagnosed with anal cancer during this period. There were 24 staging scans and 51 post-treatment scans. Management was altered following 45.8% of staging scans and 56.0% of all scans, mostly changing treatment type or radiotherapy volume. Out of 28 positive post-treatment scans, 71.4% were true positives, 7.1% were false positives and 21.4% showed nonspecific uptake. Of the 23 negative post-treatment scans, all remained disease free at clinical/radiological follow-up (median follow-up 25 months). The sensitivity and specificity of post-treatment PET-CT were 100 and 74%, respectively. Negative predictive and positive predictive values were 100 and 71%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Evidence is evolving for the use of PET-CT in anal cancer. Because of a high negative predictive value, our series shows that PET-CT can be used in the assessment of treatment response to exclude residual/recurrent disease.

Genital invasion or perigenital spread may pose a risk of marginal misses for Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) in anal cancer

BACKGROUND

While intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in anal cancer is feasible and improves high-dose conformality, the current RTOG/AGITG contouring atlas and planning guidelines lack specific instructions on how to proceed with external genitalia. Meanwhile, the RTOG-Protocol 0529 explicitly recommends genital sparing on the basis of specific genital dose constraints. Recent pattern-of-relapse studies based on conventional techniques suggest that marginal miss might be a potential consequence of genital sparing. Our goal is to outline the potential scope and increase the awareness for this clinical issue.

METHODS

We present and discuss four patients with perigenital spread in anal cancer in both early and advanced stages (three at time of first diagnosis and one in form of relapse). Genital/perigenital spread was observed once as direct genital infiltration and thrice in form of perigenital lymphatic spread.

RESULTS

We review the available data regarding the potential consequences of genital sparing in anal cancer. Pattern-of-relapse studies in anal cancer after conventional radiotherapy and the current use of IMRT in anal cancer are equivocal but suggest that genital sparing may occasionally result in marginal miss. An obvious hypothesis suggested by our report is that perigenital lymphovascular invasion might be associated with manifest inguinal N+ disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Local failure has low salvage rates in recent anal cancer treatment series. Perigenital spread may pose a risk of marginal misses in IMRT in anal cancer. To prevent marginal misses, meticulous pattern-of-relapse analyses of controlled IMRT-series are warranted. Until their publication, genital sparing should be applied with caution, PET/CT should be used when possible and meeting genital dose constraints should not be prioritized over CTV coverage, especially (but not only) in stage T3/4 and N+ disease.

Can we omit prophylactic inguinal nodal irradiation in anal cancer patients?

Purpose

To evaluate the appropriateness of prophylactic inguinal nodal irradiation (PINI), we analyzed patterns of failure in anal cancer patients who were inguinal node-negative at presentation and did not receive PINI.

Materials and Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the records of 33 anal cancer patients treated by definitive concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT) between 1994 and 2013. Radiotherapy consisted of a total dose of 44-45 Gy (22-25 fractions in 5 weeks) on the whole pelvis, anus, and perineum. Except inguinal lymphadenopathy was present at initial diagnosis, the entire inguinal chain was not included in the radiation field. In other words, there was no PINI.

Results

The median follow-up duration was 50 months (range, 4 to 218 months). Median survival and progression-free survival (PFS) were 57 months (range, 10 to 218 months) and 50 months (range, 4 to 218 months), respectively. Among the survival, the median follow-up duration was 51 months (range, 12 to 218 months). The 5-year overall survival and PFS rates were 93.4% and 88.8%, respectively. Although none of the patients received inguinal node irradiation for prophylactic purposes, there was no inguinal recurrence.

Conclusion

Treatment of anal cancer by omitting PINI might be considered in selected patients with clinically uninvolved inguinal nodes.

Diagnostic performance of positron emission tomography/computed tomography using fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose in detecting locoregional nodal involvement in patients with anal canal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose. The diagnostic performance of positron emission tomography using ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET) in detecting nodal involvement in patients with anal canal cancer (ACC) has been investigated by several studies with conflicting results. The aim of our study is to systematically review and meta-analyze published data about this topic. Methods. A comprehensive computer literature search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Embase databases was carried out on July 10 to find relevant articles concerning the diagnostic performance of FDG-PET in detecting locoregional nodal involvement in patients with ACC. No language restriction was used. Pooled diagnostic performance on a lesion-based analysis was calculated. Results. Seven retrospective and five prospective studies have been reviewed. Six studies allowed assessing pooled sensitivity; five studies allowed assessing pooled specificity. Sensitivity and specificity values of FDG-PET/CT on a lesion-based analysis ranged from 31 to 100% and from 53 to 98%, with pooled estimates of 56% (95% CI: 45–67%) and 90% (95% CI: 86–93%), respectively. Conclusions. Our meta-analysis demonstrates that FDG-PET is a specific diagnostic tool in detecting locoregional lymph node involvement in patients with ACC. Low sensitivity is a major concern; however, higher sensitivity could be reached combining FDG-PET with MR scan.

Visualization, imaging and new preclinical diagnostics in radiation oncology

Innovative strategies in cancer radiotherapy are stimulated by the growing knowledge on cellular and molecular tumor biology, tumor pathophysiology, and tumor microenvironment. In terms of tumor diagnostics and therapy monitoring, the reliable delineation of tumor boundaries and the assessment of tumor heterogeneity are increasingly complemented by the non-invasive characterization of functional and molecular processes, moving preclinical and clinical imaging from solely assessing tumor morphology towards the visualization of physiological and pathophysiological processes. Functional and molecular imaging techniques allow for the non-invasive characterization of tissues in vivo, using different modalities, including computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, positron emission tomography (PET) and optical imaging (OI). With novel therapeutic concepts combining optimized radiotherapy with molecularly targeted agents focusing on tumor cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and cell death, the non-invasive assessment of tumor microcirculation and tissue water diffusion, together with strategies for imaging the mechanisms of cellular injury and repair is of particular interest. Characterizing the tumor microenvironment prior to and in response to irradiation will help to optimize the outcome of radiotherapy. These novel concepts of personalized multi-modal cancer therapy require careful pre-treatment stratification as well as a timely and efficient therapy monitoring to maximize patient benefit on an individual basis. Functional and molecular imaging techniques are key in this regard to open novel opportunities for exploring and understanding the underlying mechanisms with the perspective to optimize therapeutic concepts and translate them into a personalized form of radiotherapy in the near future.

Chronic adverse events and quality of life after radiochemotherapy in anal cancer patients. A single institution experience and review of the literature

PURPOSE

To report on chronic adverse events (CAE) and quality of life (QOL) after radiochemotherapy (RCT) in patients with anal cancer (AC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Of 83 patients who had received RCT at our department between 1988 and 2011, 51 accepted the invitation to participate in this QOL study. CAE were evaluated using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v. 4.0 and QOL was assessed with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Colorectal (FACT-C) questionnaire.

RESULTS

CAE could be evaluated in 49 patients. There was a tendency toward a higher rate of grade 3 CAE in female patients, i.e. 18 out of 37 (49 %) vs. 2 out of 12 (17 %) male patients (p = 0.089). The most common grade 3 CAE were dyspareunia and vaginal symptoms (itching, burning and dryness) in 35 and 22 % of female patients, respectively, followed by stool incontinence in 13 % of all patients (6 out of 49). Both FACT-C and CAE information were available for 42 patients, allowing evaluation of the impact of CAE on QOL. The median total FACT-C score was 110 (40-132) out of a possible maximum of 136. The absence of grade 3 CAE (115 vs. 94, p = 0.001); an interval of ≥ 67 months after the end of the treatment (111 vs. 107, p = 0.010), no stool incontinence vs. grade 3 stool incontinence (111 vs. 74, p = 0.009), higher education (114 vs. 107, p = 0.013) and no dyspareunia vs. grade 3 dyspareunia (116 vs. 93, p = 0.012) were significantly associated with a higher median FACT-C score.

CONCLUSION

The majority of AC patients treated with RCT have acceptable overall QOL scores, which are comparable to those of the normal population. Patients with grade 3 CAE-particularly dyspareunia and fecal incontinence-have a poorer QOL compared to patients without CAE. In order to improve long-term QOL, future strategies might aim at a reduction in dose to the genitalia and more intensive patient support measures.

Role of positron emission tomography-computed tomography in the management of anal cancer

PURPOSE

Pre- and post-treatment staging of anal cancer are often inaccurate. The role of positron emission tomograpy-computed tomography (PET-CT) in anal cancer is yet to be defined. The aim of the study was to compare PET-CT with CT scan, sentinel node biopsy results of inguinal lymph nodes, and anal biopsy results in staging and in follow-up of anal cancer.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Fifty-three consecutive patients diagnosed with anal cancer underwent PET-CT. Results were compared with computed tomography (CT), performed in 40 patients, and with sentinel node biopsy (SNB) (41 patients) at pretreatment workup. Early follow-up consisted of a digital rectal examination, an anoscopy, a PET-CT scan, and anal biopsies performed at 1 and 3 months after the end of treatment. Data sets were then compared.

RESULTS

At pretreatment assessment, anal cancer was identified by PET-CT in 47 patients (88.7%) and by CT in 30 patients (75%). The detection rates rose to 97.9% with PET-CT and to 82.9% with CT (P=.042) when the 5 patients who had undergone surgery prior to this assessment and whose margins were positive at histological examination were censored. Perirectal and/or pelvic nodes were considered metastatic by PET-CT in 14 of 53 patients (26.4%) and by CT in 7 of 40 patients (17.5%). SNB was superior to both PET-CT and CT in detecting inguinal lymph nodes. PET-CT upstaged 37.5% of patients and downstaged 25% of patients. Radiation fields were changed in 12.6% of patients. PET-CT at 3 months was more accurate than PET-CT at 1 month in evaluating outcomes after chemoradiation therapy treatment: sensitivity was 100% vs 66.6%, and specificity was 97.4% vs 92.5%, respectively. Median follow-up was 20.3 months.

CONCLUSIONS

In this series, PET-CT detected the primary tumor more often than CT. Staging of perirectal/pelvic or inguinal lymph nodes was better with PET-CT. SNB was more accurate in staging inguinal lymph nodes.

Treatment of acute radiodermatitis with an oil-in-water emulsion following radiation therapy for breast cancer: a controlled, randomized trial

BACKGROUND

A side effect of radiotherapy for breast cancer is acute radiodermatitis. It is a common practice to keep irradiated skin dry on account of data from the 1950s that suggested this regimen limits dermatitis. However, severe dryness of the skin induced by irradiation results in itching and discomfort. Dry skin is characterized by scaliness, epidermal barrier dysfunction, and reduced stratum corneum hydration, and these signs and symptoms are reduced by treatment with an emulsion.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We performed a randomized, controlled, open-label study with 66 patients (ITT population), treating the irradiated skin in one group (n = 34) with an oil-in-water emulsion (WO1932), while leaving the other group untreated (n = 32). Clinical scoring (ONS radiation skin reaction scoring, pruritus) and biophysical measurements (stratum corneum hydration and transepidermal water loss (TEWL), as a marker of skin barrier function) were determined at day 1 (directly after termination of the radiation therapy), day 8, and day 47 (± 7).

RESULTS

Irradiation increased the ONS score and pruritus, whereas skin hydration and TEWL were reduced. The primary hypothesis that the increase in skin hydration was significantly greater in the emulsion-treated compared to the untreated group as early as after 8 days of treatment could not be confirmed. At the end of the study (day 47 ± 7), however, normalization of stratum corneum hydration was more advanced in the treatment group compared to the untreated group and nearly reached the values of the contralateral healthy breast skin. ONS score and pruritus also revealed an advantage for the emulsion-treated group. TEWL did not show significant changes during emulsion treatment. No adverse events were caused by the treatment regimens

CONCLUSION

Treatment of radiodermatitis with an oil-in-water emulsion was well tolerated, enhanced stratum corneum hydration, improved clinical indicators, and provided relief from itching.

The promise and pitfalls of positron emission tomography and single-photon emission computed tomography molecular imaging-guided radiation therapy

External beam radiation therapy procedures have, until recently, been planned almost exclusively using anatomic imaging methods. Molecular imaging using hybrid positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography scanning or single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging has provided new insights into the precise location of tumors (staging) and the extent and character of the biologically active tumor volume (BTV) and has provided differential response information during and after therapy. In addition to the commonly used radiotracer (18)F-fluoro- 2-deoxyD-glucose (FDG), additional radiopharmaceuticals are being explored to image major physiological processes as well as tumor biological properties, such as hypoxia, proliferation, amino acid accumulation, apoptosis, and receptor expression, providing the potential to target or boost the radiation dose to a biologically relevant region within a tumor, such as the most hypoxic or most proliferative area. Imaging using SPECT agents has furthered the possibility of limiting dose to functional normal tissues. PET can also portray the distribution of particle therapy by displaying activated species in situ. With both PET and SPECT imaging, fundamental physical issues of limited spatial resolution relative to the biological process, partial volume effects for quantification of small volumes, image misregistration, motion, and edge delineation must be carefully considered and can differ by agent or the method applied. Molecular imaging-guided radiation therapy (MIGRT) is a rapidly evolving and promising area of investigation and clinical translation. As MIGRT evolves, evidence must continue to be gathered to support improved clinical outcomes using MIGRT versus purely anatomic approaches.

Quality of life outcomes in patients with anal cancer after combined radiochemotherapy

PURPOSE

To assess self-reported quality of life (QoL) experienced by anal cancer patients after radiochemotherapy, and to identify patient- and disease-related factors associated with QoL.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 88 patients treated for anal cancer at our institution between 1990 and 2006 were identified from our database. Of these, 15 patients had died, and 4 were lost to follow-up. QoL was assessed using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire (cancer-specific QoL) and the colorectal cancer module QLQ-CR38 (site-specific QoL); 52 responses were received. The median follow-up was 36 months (range, 5-137 months).

RESULTS

As for cancer-specific QoL, global health QoL score (mean 60.4) was similar to the general German population, whereas most of the function and symptom scale scores were considerably lower/higher in anal cancer patients. The most prominent mean score differences were observed in role functioning (-21.8 points), emotional functioning (-20.7 points), social functioning (-28.9 points), diarrhea (+34.6 points), and financial difficulties (+26.9 points; p < 0.001). As for site-specific QoL, the mean function scale scores ranged from 22.1 (sexual function) to 63.2 (body image), and the mean symptom scale scores from 14.7 (weight loss) to 69.0 (stoma-related problems, 4 patients) and 67.9 (male sexual dysfunction), respectively. Most of the QoL scores were not affected by late toxicity, patient- or disease-related factors. Fatigue (+18.2 points) emerged as the strongest predictor of impaired QoL.

CONCLUSION

The global health QoL of anal cancer patients is comparable with that of the general German population, but there are specific limitations, e.g., sexual dysfunction, urological/gastrointestinal complaints, financial difficulties, fatigue, and a reduction in emotional and social well-being.

Impact of FDG PET/CT in the staging and the follow-up of anal carcinoma

PURPOSE

The purpose of the study was to assess the diagnostic performance of positron emission tomography/computed tomography and fluorodeoxyglucose (18F) (FDG PET/CT) for the staging and the follow-up of anal carcinoma, and to evaluate the impact of FDG PET/CT on patient management.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients with anal carcinoma were referred to our department from October 2004 until July 2008. The diagnostic performance was evaluated on a perexamination basis and on a per-site basis, together with impact of PET/CT on patient management. The standard of truth was histology when available and, in all cases, follow-up data during at least 6 months.

RESULTS

Fifty-eight FDG PET/CT performed in 44 patients were analysed—22 for initial staging and 36 during follow-up. The detection rate of non-excised tumours on initial examination was 93%. During post-treatment follow-up, FDG PET/CT had, on a per-examination basis, sensitivity for the detection of persistent or recurrent disease of 93% and specificity of 81%, and on a per-site basis, 86% and 97%, respectively. Its negative predictive value was 94% on a per-examination basis and 98% on a per-site basis. FDG PET/CT had an impact on management in nine patients out of 44 (20%), which was relevant in eight of them (89%).

CONCLUSION

FDG PET/CT is an accurate imaging modality in anal cancer. It has an interesting added value during post-treatment follow-up, especially when persistence or recurrence of disease is suspected. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether surveillance by means of FDG PET/CT might have a positive impact on overall survival.

T1-2 anal carcinoma requires elective inguinal radiation treatment--the results of Trans Tasman Radiation Oncology Group study TROG 99.02

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Elective inguinal irradiation increases morbidity. We describe outcomes of moderate intensity chemoradiation treating anal canal and adjacent pelvic nodes only.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Forty patients with T1-2, N0 anal carcinoma were enrolled between March 1999 and March 2003. Inguinal nodes were NOT electively irradiated. The anal canal and regional pelvic nodes received 36 Gy/20# over 4 weeks, and 2 weeks later the anal canal was boosted with 14.4 Gy/8#. Chemotherapy was 5 fluorouracil 800 mg/m(2)/day on days 1-4 and 36-39, and Mitomycin C 10mg/m(2) on day 1.

RESULTS

Median follow-up was 44 months. Complete response was 95%. Four year results were; overall survival 71%, local control 82%, and colostomy-free survival (including salvage) 85%. Inguinal failure occurred in 22.5% but was isolated in only 12.5%. Treatment was well tolerated acutely with no toxic deaths. Severe late toxicity occurred in 7.5%.

CONCLUSIONS

This moderate dose 'non inguinal' chemoradiation regimen resulted in modest acute toxicity, minimal long term morbidity and local control in line with other series. However staging failed to identify 12.5% of patients whose isolated inguinal failure might have been prevented by elective irradiation. Without more effective staging, all patients should receive elective inguinal irradiation.

Sentinel lymph node in patients with rectal cancer invading the anal canal

BACKGROUND

To assess the feasibility of the sentinel lymph node procedure in patients with rectal cancer extending to the anal canal.

METHODS

Between January 2005 and April 2008, 15 patients with adenocarcinoma of the rectum with direct invasion of the anal canal and no clinical evidence of inguinal involvement were prospectively enrolled in the study. The sentinel node procedure consisted of a combination of preoperative radiocolloid lymphoscintigraphy and intraoperative detection of the inguinal sentinel node with a gamma probe. Patent blue dye was also used to facilitate direct identification of the blue-stained lymph node. After removal, the sentinel node was studied by hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Detection and removal of inguinal sentinel nodes was possible in all patients. Four patients (26.7%) had sentinel nodes identified as positive for metastatic adenocarcinoma. All positive cases also had metastases detected in perirectal lymph nodes; three of them developed hepatic or pulmonary metastases within 6 months after surgery. Of the 11 patients with negative sentinel nodes, only four (36.4%) also presented metastatic perirectal lymph nodes. Although none of the negative cases developed late inguinal metastases, three developed systemic or pelvic recurrence within 12 months after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

The standardized procedure was highly effective in sampling inguinal sentinel nodes in very low rectal cancers, allowing the detection of subclinical metastatic disease. Although this technique can be potentially useful for a subgroup of patients with isolated inguinal metastases, it cannot be routinely recommended for patients with rectal tumors invading the anal canal at this moment.

FDG-PET/CT imaging for staging and target volume delineation in conformal radiotherapy of anal carcinoma

Background

FDG-PET/CT imaging has an emerging role in staging and treatment planning of various tumor locations and a number of literature studies show that also the carcinoma of the anal canal may benefit from this diagnostic approach. We analyzed the potential impact of FDG-PET/CT in stage definition and target volume delineation of patients affected by carcinoma of the anal canal and candidates for curative radiotherapy.

Methods

Twenty seven patients with biopsy proven anal carcinoma were enrolled. Pathology was squamous cell carcinoma in 20 cases, cloacogenic carcinoma in 3, adenocarcinoma in 2, and basal cell carcinoma in 2. Simulation was performed by PET/CT imaging with patient in treatment position. Gross Tumor Volume (GTV) and Clinical Target Volume (CTV) were drawn on CT and on PET/CT fused images. PET-GTV and PET-CTV were respectively compared to CT-GTV and CT-CTV by Wilcoxon rank test for paired data.

Results

PET/CT fused images led to change the stage in 5/27 cases (18.5%): 3 cases from N0 to N2 and 2 from M0 to M1 leading to change the treatment intent from curative to palliative in a case.

Based on PET/CT imaging, GTV and CTV contours changed in 15/27 (55.6%) and in 10/27 cases (37.0%) respectively. PET-GTV and PET-CTV resulted significantly smaller than CT-GTV (p = 1.2 × 10^-4) and CT-CTV (p = 2.9 × 10^-4). PET/CT-GTV and PET/CT-CTV, that were used for clinical purposes, were significantly greater than CT-GTV (p = 6 × 10^-5) and CT-CTV (p = 6 × 10^-5).

Conclusions

FDG-PET/CT has a potential relevant impact in staging and target volume delineation of the carcinoma of the anal canal. Clinical stage variation occurred in 18.5% of cases with change of treatment intent in 3.7%. The GTV and the CTV changed in shape and in size based on PET/CT imaging.