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Tagliaferri L, Mancini S, Lancellotta V, Dinapoli L, Capocchiano N, Cornacchione P, Scalise S, Autorino R, Campitelli M, Colloca GF, Fionda B, Rovirosa A, Macchia G, Ferrandina G, Gambacorta MA. The Impact of HAPPY (Humanity Assurance Protocol in Interventional Radiotherapy) on the Psychological Well-being of Gynecological Cancer Patients. Curr Radiopharm 2024; 17:168-173. [PMID: 37807408 DOI: 10.2174/0118744710247426230925054848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND HAPPY (Humanity Assurance Protocol in Interventional Radiotherapy) reports the necessity for gynecological cancer patients to undergo interventional radiotherapy (IRT, also called brachytherapy). The present paper has evaluated how some precautions may improve the psychological well-being of the patients during IRT. METHODS Patients with gynecological cancer undergoing IRT-HDR were analyzed. Patients answered three questionnaires before the IRT procedure (T0) and at the end of IRT (T1): Distress Thermometer (DT), Numerical Rating Scale for IRT procedure distress (NRS), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Correlations have been calculated pairwise through pandas. corrwith with a Pearson algorithm, and the p-values have been calculated through scipy.stats.pearsonr. Plots have been generated through seaborn and matplotlib. A Wilcoxon test was used. RESULTS 55 patients were selected for this study. The median age of the patients was 64 (range, 39-84) years. 52 patients were with stage I endometrial cancer, whereas 3/3 patients with cervical cancer had locally advanced stages (IIB-IVA). 26 patients had a high education level (47.3%), and 38 were married or with a partner (69.1%). Only 14/55 (25.45%) patients were working. The HADS, DT, and NRS averages before the IRT procedure (T0) were 10.2, 3.8, and 4.3, respectively. After applying the HAPPY protocol, the HADS, DT, and NRS averages after IRT (T1) were 9.4, 3.4, and 2.6, respectively. The Wilcoxon signed rank test analysis showed a significant improvement in NRS (p < 0.00001) and HADS (p = 0.034). Living with a partner, parents or relatives was the only parameter statistically significantly associated with better DT pre-IRT (p = 0.04), HADS pre-IRT (p = 0.01), DT post-IRT (p = 0.01), and HADS post-IRT (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION In our study, the HAPPY protocol was associated with a significant reduction in patients' distress, anxiety, and discomfort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Tagliaferri
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, UOC Radioterapia Oncologica, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Mancini
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Sede di Roma, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Lancellotta
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, UOC Radioterapia Oncologica, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Loredana Dinapoli
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, UOC Radioterapia Oncologica, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, 00168, Rome, Italy
- UOS Psicologia Clinica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Nikola Capocchiano
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, UOC Radioterapia Oncologica, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizia Cornacchione
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, UOC Radioterapia Oncologica, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Scalise
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, UOC Radioterapia Oncologica, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Rosa Autorino
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, UOC Radioterapia Oncologica, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Maura Campitelli
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, UOC Radioterapia Oncologica, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Ferdinando Colloca
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, UOC Radioterapia Oncologica, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Bruno Fionda
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, UOC Radioterapia Oncologica, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Angeles Rovirosa
- Fonaments Clínics Department, University of Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- Radiation Oncology Department, Hospital Clínic Universitari, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- Gynecologic Cancer Unit, Hospital Clínic Universitari, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gabriella Macchia
- Gemelli Molise Hospital, Radiation Oncology Unit, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 86100, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Gabriella Ferrandina
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Sede di Roma, 00168, Rome, Italy
- Woman, Child and Public Health Department, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Antonietta Gambacorta
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, UOC Radioterapia Oncologica, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, 00168, Rome, Italy
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Sede di Roma, 00168, Rome, Italy
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Noorian F, Abellana R, Zhang Y, Herreros A, Baltrons C, Lancellota V, Tagliaferri L, Sabater S, Torne A, Rovirosa A. Are 7.5 Gy×2 fractions more efficient than 6 Gy×3 in exclusive postoperative endometrial cancer brachytherapy? A clinical and dosimetrical analysis. Radiother Oncol 2023; 189:109909. [PMID: 37699447 DOI: 10.1016/j.radonc.2023.109909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To compare two vaginal brachytherapy (VBT) schedules in postoperative endometrial carcinoma (PEC) patients considering vaginal-cuff relapses (VCR), late toxicities, dosimetry analysis and vaginal dilator use. MATERIAL AND METHODS 110 PEC patients were treated with exclusive high-dose-rate VBT using two schedules. Group-1:44-patients received 6 Gy×3fractions (September-2011-April-2014); Group-2:66-patients were treated with 7.5 Gy×2fractions with a dose limit of equivalent total doses in 2-Gy fr (EQD2(α/β=3)) of 68 Gy in the most exposed 2 cm3 of clinical target volume (CTV) (July-2015-November-2021). The dose was prescribed at 5 mm from the applicator surface. Were evaluated the overall radiation dose delivered to 90% of the CTV (D90), the CTV receiving 100% of the prescription dose (V100) and the EQD2(α/β=3) received in the most exposed 2 cm3 to dose in CTV. Late toxicity was prospectively assessed using RTOG scores for bladder and rectum and objective LENT-SOMA criteria for late vaginal toxicity (LVT). STATISTICS Descriptive analysis, Chi-square, Student's t-tests and Kaplan and Meier method. RESULTS The median follow-up was 60 months (15.9-60). There were no VCR or late toxicities in bladder or rectum. LVT ≥ G1 appeared in 26/44 (59.1%) in Group-1 and 25/66 (37.9%) in Group-2. The mean EQD2(α/β=3) received by the most exposed 2 cm3 of CTV was 63.7 Gy ± 10.0 in Group-1 and 60.5 Gy ± 3.8 in Group-2 (p = 0.063). There were no differences in adherence to vaginal dilator use ≥9 months, overall D90 and V100. CONCLUSION Considering the lack of vaginal relapses and similar LVT over time, 7.5 Gy×2fractions seem more efficient in terms of patient comfort, workload, and cost. This is the first study using dosimetry parameters to compare effectivity of schedules. Larger series are needed to confirm the present results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faegheh Noorian
- Radiation Oncology Dpt. Hospital Clínic Barcelona, C/ Villarroel, 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Fonaments Clínics Dpt. Faculty of Medicine, Universitat de Barcelona, C/ Casanovas 153, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Rosa Abellana
- Fonaments Clínics Dpt. Faculty of Medicine, Universitat de Barcelona, C/ Casanovas 153, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Yaowen Zhang
- Cancer Center, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, No.7 Weiwu Road, Zhengzhou 450003, China.
| | - Antonio Herreros
- Radiation Oncology Dpt. Hospital Clínic Barcelona, C/ Villarroel, 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Fonaments Clínics Dpt. Faculty of Medicine, Universitat de Barcelona, C/ Casanovas 153, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Clara Baltrons
- Radiation Oncology Dpt. Hospital Clínic Barcelona, C/ Villarroel, 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Vallentina Lancellota
- U.O.C. Radioterapia Oncologica, Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome 00168, Italy.
| | - Luca Tagliaferri
- U.O.C. Radioterapia Oncologica, Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome 00168, Italy.
| | | | - Aureli Torne
- Gynecological Cancer Unit, Hospital Clinic Barcelona, C/ Villarroel, 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Angeles Rovirosa
- Radiation Oncology Dpt. Hospital Clínic Barcelona, C/ Villarroel, 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Fonaments Clínics Dpt. Faculty of Medicine, Universitat de Barcelona, C/ Casanovas 153, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
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Casà C, Corvari B, Cellini F, Cornacchione P, D'Aviero A, Reina S, Di Franco S, Salvati A, Colloca GF, Cesario A, Patarnello S, Balducci M, Morganti AG, Valentini V, Gambacorta MA, Tagliaferri L. KIT 1 (Keep in Touch) Project-Televisits for Cancer Patients during Italian Lockdown for COVID-19 Pandemic: The Real-World Experience of Establishing a Telemedicine System. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:1950. [PMID: 37444784 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11131950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
To evaluate the adoption of an integrated eHealth platform for televisit/monitoring/consultation during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS During the lockdown imposed by the Italian government during the COVID19 pandemic spread, a dedicated multi-professional working group was set up in the Radiation Oncology Department with the primary aim of reducing patients' exposure to COVID-19 by adopting de-centralized/remote consultation methodologies. Each patient's clinical history was screened before the visit to assess if a traditional clinical visit would be recommended or if a remote evaluation was to be preferred. Real world data (RWD) in the form of patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) and patient reported experiences (PREMs) were collected from patients who underwent televisit/teleconsultation through the eHealth platform. RESULTS During the lockdown period (from 8 March to 4 May 2020) a total of 1956 visits were managed. A total of 983 (50.26%) of these visits were performed via email (to apply for and to upload of documents) and phone call management; 31 visits (1.58%) were performed using the eHealth system. Substantially, all patients found the eHealth platform useful and user-friendly, consistently indicating that this type of service would also be useful after the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS The rapid implementation of an eHealth system was feasible and well-accepted by the patients during the pandemic. However, we believe that further evidence is to be generated to further support large-scale adoption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calogero Casà
- Fatebenefratelli Isola Tiberina-Gemelli Isola, Via di Ponte Quattro Capi 39, 00186 Rome, Italy
| | - Barbara Corvari
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Cellini
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizia Cornacchione
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea D'Aviero
- Mater Olbia Hospital, SS 125 Orientale Sarda, 07026 Olbia, Italy
| | - Sara Reina
- Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche ed Ematologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Di Franco
- Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche ed Ematologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Salvati
- Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche ed Ematologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Alfredo Cesario
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Patarnello
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Mario Balducci
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessio Giuseppe Morganti
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Via Zamboni 33, 40126 Bologna, Italy
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Via Giuseppe Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Valentini
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche ed Ematologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Antonietta Gambacorta
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche ed Ematologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Tagliaferri
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
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Vaginal dilator use more than 9 months is a main prognostic factor for reducing G2‑late vaginal complications in 3D‑vaginal‑cuff brachytherapy (interventional radiotherapy)? Clin Transl Oncol 2023; 25:1748-1755. [PMID: 36752959 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-023-03099-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Analyse the impact of different prognostic factors on G2-late vaginal complications after vaginal brachytherapy (VBT) ± external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) in postoperative endometrial cancer (PEC). METHODS One hundred and twenty-six PEC patients treated with VBT ± EBRT were retrospectively analysed considering age, body mass index, applicator diameter, clinical target volume (CTV), use of dilators, chemotherapy and EQD2(α/β=3) at the most exposed 2 cm3 of the CTV as prognostic factors for vaginal complications. Late vaginal complications were evaluated using objective LENT-SOMA criteria. STATISTICS descriptive analysis, Chi-square, Fisher and Student tests were applied. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed with the Baptista-Pike exact method and multiple logistic regression. RESULTS Mean age was 65 years (SD ± 10), and median follow-up was 66 months (8-104). 19/126 patients (15%) showed G2-late vaginal complications, and 107/126 (85%) G0-G1. Univariate analysis showed: CTV ≤ 9 cm3 (p = 0.036), use of dilators < 9 months (p = 0.015), and total ≥ 68 Gy EQD2 received by 2 cm3 of CTV (p = 0.039) were associated with G2-late vaginal toxicity. Multivariate analysis showed the use of dilators < 9 months as an independent prognostic factor for G2-late vaginal toxicity (p = 0.043, OR 8.59, CI 1.59-159.9). CONCLUSION The use of dilators < 9 months in VBT ± EBRT for PEC was an independent prognostic factor for G2-late vaginal toxicity. The use of vaginal dilators ≥ 9 months requires further analysis in studies evaluating late vaginal toxicity.
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