Effect of radiotherapy delay in overall treatment time on local control and survival in head and neck cancer: Review of the literature

Prospective comparison of acute severe toxicities between smokers and non-smokers during radiotherapy for head and neck cancers

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The association between smoking and acute radiation toxicities of head and neck cancer (HNC) is currently unproven. The aim of the study was to compare the occurrence of acute severe toxicity between active and non-active smokers treated for HNC by radiotherapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A prospective monocentric cohort study included patients treated by (chemo)radiotherapy for HNC from January 2021 to January 2023. Smoking status was recorded. Patients underwent a medical exam weekly during the radiotherapy to report acute toxicities according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Effects system version 5.0. Primary endpoint was the occurrence of at least one grade ≥ 3 acute toxicity among mucositis, dysphagia and dermatitis.

RESULTS

Among the 102 patients included, 27.4 % were active smokers, 58.8 % were former smokers and 13.7 % had never smoked. Regarding toxicity, 23.5 % (n = 24) patients experienced severe mucositis, 37.2 % (n = 38) severe dysphagia, 13.7 % (n = 14) severe dermatitis and 54.9 % (n = 56) experienced at least one of them. Occurrence of severe acute toxicity was not statistically associated with smoking during radiotherapy (64.3 % among active smokers versus 51.3 % among non-active smokers; p = 0.24). On multivariate analysis, concurrent chemotherapy (87.5 % vs 65.2 %; OR = 5.04 [1.64-15.52]; p = 0.004) and 2.12 Gy versus 2 Gy fractionation schedule (64.3 % vs 41.3 %; OR = 2.53 [1.09-5.90]; p = 0.03) were significantly associated with severe acute toxicity.

CONCLUSION

This study did not find an association between smoking during radiotherapy for HNC and occurrence of severe acute toxicities.

Comparison of a daily and alternate-day photobiomodulation protocol in the prevention of oral mucositis in patients undergoing radiochemotherapy for oral cancer: a triple-blind, controlled clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Preventive Photobiomodulation Therapy (PBMT) significantly reduces oral mucositis (OM) severity in patients undergoing Radiochemotherapy (RCT) for the treatment of oral cancer, but daily applications generate cost, overload the dental team, and reduce the number of patients assisted.To evaluate the effectiveness of two PBMT protocols in preventing OM in patients undergoing RCT for oral cancer.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

16 patients diagnosed with oral cancer undergoing RCT were included, equally divided into two groups: a group treated daily with PBMT, and another group also submitted to daily treatment, however, performing the application of PBMT every three days, interspersed with a simulation of PBMT (placebo). A red laser was used (~660 nm), 0.1W power, 1J of energy applied per point, 9 points per area (labial mucosa, buccal mucosa, lateral borders of the tongue, body of the tongue, and floor of the mouth) from the beginning of RCT until the end of the oncological treatment. Daily assessments were performed regarding OM scores, the World Health Organization (WHO) pain scale, and the visual analog scale (VAS). Weight, salivary flow (SGAPP), OHIP-14, and DMFT were evaluated on the initial and final days of RT. OM incidence and clinical data were compared by Pearson's chi-square test or Fisher's exact test. Pain and other scale scores were compared using the Mann-Whitney and Friedman/Dunn tests (SPSS v20.0 p<0.05).

RESULTS

In the group with PBMT on alternate days, there was an increase in the frequency of grade 2 and grade 3 oral mucositis and an increased risk of grade 2 oral mucositis, in addition to higher mean pain scores and greater reduction in salivary flow.

CONCLUSIONS

The daily PBMT protocol proved more effective in controlling the frequency and severity of OM, pain, and salivary flow.

Radiation Oncology Ransomware Attack Response Risk Analysis Using Failure Modes and Effects Analysis

PURPOSE

There have been numerous significant ransomware attacks impacting Radiation Oncology in the past 5 years. Research into ransomware attack response in Radiation Oncology has consisted of case reports and descriptive articles and has lacked quantitative studies. The purpose of this work was to identify the significant safety risks to patients being treated with radiation therapy during a ransomware attack scenario, using Failure Modes and Effects Analysis.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

A multi-institutional and multidisciplinary team conducted a Failure Modes and Effects Analysis by developing process maps and using Risk Priority Number (RPN) scores to quantify the increased likelihood of incidents in a ransomware attack scenario. The situation that was simulated was a ransomware attack that had removed the capability to access the Record and Verify (R&V) system. Five situations were considered: 1) a standard treatment of a patient with and without an R&V, 2) a standard treatment of a patient for the first fraction right after the R&V capabilities are disabled, and 3) 3 situations in which a plan modification was required. RPN scores were compared with and without R&V functionality.

RESULTS

The data indicate that RPN scores increased by 71% (range, 38%-96%) when R&V functionality is disabled compared with a nonransomware attack state where R&V functionality is available. The failure modes with the highest RPN in the simulated ransomware attack state included incorrectly identifying patients on treatment, incorrectly identifying where a patient is in their course of treatment, treating the incorrect patient, and incorrectly tracking delivered fractions.

CONCLUSIONS

The presented study quantifies the increased risk of incidents when treating in a ransomware attack state, identifies key failure modes that should be prioritized when preparing for a ransomware attack, and provides data that can be used to guide future ransomware resiliency research.

A cascade transformer-based model for 3D dose distribution prediction in head and neck cancer radiotherapy

Objective. Radiation therapy is one of the primary methods used to treat cancer in the clinic. Its goal is to deliver a precise dose to the planning target volume while protecting the surrounding organs at risk (OARs). However, the traditional workflow used by dosimetrists to plan the treatment is time-consuming and subjective, requiring iterative adjustments based on their experience. Deep learning methods can be used to predict dose distribution maps to address these limitations.Approach. The study proposes a cascade model for OARs segmentation and dose distribution prediction. An encoder-decoder network has been developed for the segmentation task, in which the encoder consists of transformer blocks, and the decoder uses multi-scale convolutional blocks. Another cascade encoder-decoder network has been proposed for dose distribution prediction using a pyramid architecture. The proposed model has been evaluated using an in-house head and neck cancer dataset of 96 patients and OpenKBP, a public head and neck cancer dataset of 340 patients.Main results. The segmentation subnet achieved 0.79 and 2.71 for Dice and HD95 scores, respectively. This subnet outperformed the existing baselines. The dose distribution prediction subnet outperformed the winner of the OpenKBP2020 competition with 2.77 and 1.79 for dose and dose-volume histogram scores, respectively. Besides, the end-to-end model, including both subnets simultaneously, outperformed the related studies.Significance. The predicted dose maps showed good coincidence with ground-truth, with a superiority after linking with the auxiliary segmentation task. The proposed model outperformed state-of-the-art methods, especially in regions with low prescribed doses. The codes are available athttps://github.com/GhTara/Dose_Prediction.

Hospital factors determining overall survival in cancer patients undergoing curative treatment

BACKGROUND

In oncology, overall survival (OS) and quality of life (QoL) are key indicators. The factors that affect OS and QoL include tumor-related characteristics (stage and grade), patient-related factors (performance status and comorbidities), and cancer-directed therapy (CDT)-related aspects. In addition, external factors such as governance or policy (e.g., inaccessibility to CDT, increased distance to service, poor socioeconomic status, lack of insurance), and hospital-related factors (e.g., facility volume and surgeon volume) can influence OS and QoL.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The primary objective of this narrative review was to identify hospital-related factors that affect OS and QoL in patients receiving curative CDT. The authors defined extrinsic factors that can be modified at the hospital level as "hospital-related" factors. Only factors supported by randomized controlled trials (RCT), systematic reviews (SR) and/or meta-analyses (MA), and population database (PDB) analyses that address the relationship between OS and hospital factors were considered.

RESULTS

The literature review found that high hospital or oncologist volume, adherence to evidence-based medicine (EBM), optimal time-to-treatment initiation (TTI), and decreased overall treatment time (OTT) increase OS in patients undergoing curative CDT. The use of case management strategies was associated with better symptom management and treatment compliance, but had a mixed effect on QoL. The practice of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) in cancer patients did not result in an increase in OS. There was insufficient evidence to support the impact of factors such as teaching or academic centers, hospital infrastructure, and treatment compliance on OS and QoL.

CONCLUSION

The authors conclude that hospital policies should focus on increasing hospital and oncologist volume, adhering to EBM, optimizing TTI, and reducing OTT for cancer patients receiving curative treatment.

Management of radiation-induced oral mucositis in head and neck cancer patients: a real-life survey among 25 Italian radiation oncology centers

AIM

Radiation-induced oral mucositis (RIOM) is the most frequent side effect in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients treated with curative radiotherapy (RT). A standardized strategy for preventing and treating RIOM has not been defined. Aim of this study was to perform a real-life survey on RIOM management among Italian RT centers.

METHODS

A 40-question survey was administered to 25 radiation oncologists working in 25 different RT centers across Italy.

RESULTS

A total of 1554 HNC patients have been treated in the participating centers in 2021, the majority (median across the centers 91%) with curative intent. Median treatment time was 41 days, with a mean percentage of interruption due to toxicity of 14.5%. Eighty percent of responders provide written oral cavity hygiene recommendations. Regarding RIOM prevention, sodium bicarbonate mouthwashes, oral mucosa barrier agents, and hyaluronic acid-based mouthwashes were the most frequent topic agents used. Regarding RIOM treatment, 14 (56%) centers relied on literature evidence, while internal guidelines were available in 13 centers (44%). Grade (G)1 mucositis is mostly treated with sodium bicarbonate mouthwashes, oral mucosa barrier agents, and steroids, while hyaluronic acid-based agents, local anesthetics, and benzydamine were the most used in mucositis G2/G3. Steroids, painkillers, and anti-inflammatory drugs were the most frequent systemic agents used independently from the RIOM severity.

CONCLUSION

Great variety of strategies exist among Italian centers in RIOM management for HNC patients. Whether different strategies could impact patients' compliance and overall treatment time of the radiation course is still unclear and needs further investigation.

Efficacy of Supportive Care for Radiodermatitis in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer: Supplementary Analysis of an Exploratory Phase II Trial

Self-care demonstrated efficacy in preventing severe acute radiation dermatitis among patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma undergoing chemoradiotherapy (CRT). This prospective trial aimed to confirm the feasibility and safety of transcutaneous electrical sensory stimulation while examining the relationship between changes in self-care behavior through supportive care interventions and the severity of acute radiation dermatitis during CRT. Patients underwent assessments for dermatitis grading (Grades 1 to ≥3) and were interviewed regarding self-care practices. The self-care questionnaires comprised six items, and a point was deducted for each task that the patient could not perform independently. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the association between G3 radiation dermatitis and the lowest self-care behavior scores. Of the 10 patients enrolled, three experienced G3 dermatitis. During CRT, six patients maintained their initial scores and did not develop ≥G3 dermatitis. Meanwhile, three of four patients with decreased scores exhibited ≥G3 dermatitis. The group with ≥G3 dermatitis had significantly lower scores than those with ≤G2 dermatitis, suggesting that the inability of patients to perform self-care routinely may lead to severe acute radiation dermatitis. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm the potential of self-care interventions in preventing severe dermatitis.

Transitioning India to advanced image based adaptive brachytherapy: a national impact analysis of upgrading National Cancer Grid cervix cancer guidelines

Background

High-dose-rate image guided brachytherapy (IGBT) for cervical cancer leads to improved local control and reduced toxicity and is a critical component of treatment. However, transition to IGBT requires capacity upscaling. An institutional activity mapping and national impact analysis of such a transition were undertaken to understand feasibility.

Methods

Between September 2020 and March 2021, activity mapping was conducted in a high-volume centre that triaged cervical cancer patients for brachytherapy into four workflows; A: two-dimensional (2D) X-Ray point A-based intracavitary brachytherapy, B: CT point A-based intracavitary brachytherapy, C: MRI/CT-volume based intracavitary brachytherapy, D: MRI/CT volume-based intracavitary +/- interstitial brachytherapy. Clinical process time mapping was performed, and case scenarios for transition were modelled at the institutional and national levels based on available incidence and infrastructure levels. Treatment capacity changes were calculated, and potential strategies for workflow reorganisation were proposed.

Findings

Eighty-four patients were included in the study. The total time taken for the workflows A, B, C, and D were 176 min (57-208), 224 min (74-260), 267 min (101-302), and 348 min (232-383), respectively. The transition from workflow A to D through sequential steps led to 35%, 49%, and 64% loss of treatment capacity in the index institution. Solutions such as 10-hour or 12-hour overlapping shifts increased treatment capacity by 25% and 50% and performing single implants and delivering multiple fractions increased capacity by 100%. Twenty-three Indian states and Union Territories are predicted to be able to transition to advanced workflows. For four Indian states, it may be detrimental considering the current infrastructure level, and eight Indian states lacked brachytherapy access. Further financial investment is required in the latter 12 states for transition to advanced workflows.

Interpretation

Our study demonstrates that unplanned transition to IGBT can lead to treatment capacity loss and increase in waiting lists to access treatment. The proposed solutions of workflow reorganisation, using strategies such as single brachytherapy applicator implant and delivering multiple treatment fractions can improve access to treatment for women with cervix cancer in resource-strained and high patient-volume settings. We recommend state-wise solutions for the upscale from conventional 2D workflows to IGBT, subject to the availability of skilled personnel, infrastructure and training. Financial investments may be needed in some states to achieve this goal.

Funding

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) supported the salary of VH through project E33042 that focussed on implementation strategies of image guided brachytherapy.

Routine Prophylactic Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy in Head and Neck Cancers with Bilateral Neck Irradiation: A Regional Cancer Experience in New Zealand

INTRODUCTION

Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) are particularly susceptible to dysphagia and malnutrition. Prophylactic percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) placement is a method used to manage these issues, but practices vary among institutions. At Midcentral District Health Board, patients receiving radiotherapy to the primary and bilateral neck regions routinely undergo prophylactic PEG placement. This study aimed to review the nutritional and PEG-related outcomes of these patients.

METHODS

Records of 49 patients were retrospectively reviewed. Their demographics, tumour and treatment characteristics were recorded. We evaluated patient weight loss, non-elective hospitalisation, treatment interruption rates, PEG-related complications, usage, dependency rates and late dysphagia rates.

RESULTS

Oropharyngeal cancers were the most common primary site (61.2%), and 83.7% of patients received primary chemoradiotherapy. Mean weight loss at treatment completion was 5.6% ± 4.3 (4.6 kg ± 3.9). The rate of non-elective hospitalisations was 26.5%, and only 2% of patients had treatment interruptions. Peristomal infection was the most frequent PEG complication (20.4%). No PEG-related mortality was reported. Median duration of PEG dependency was 97 days (14-388 days). Two patients remained permanently dependent at 3 years due to grade 3 dysphagia, and six patients experienced grade ≥2 late dysphagia.

CONCLUSION

Our study showed that prophylactic PEG tube placement was relatively safe, with a high utilisation rate and low long-term dependence on PEG tubes after treatment completion. However, complications related to their use should be addressed through a multidisciplinary approach, with careful assessment by clinicians. The weight loss and hospitalisation rates observed were consistent with earlier studies that utilised prophylactic PEG tubes.

Efficacy and feasibility of Apatinib and S-1 as a novel oral induction therapy in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: an exploratory phase 2 open-label, single-arm trial

Objectives

The current standard nonsurgical treatment for locally advanced head and neck squamous cell cancer (LA-HNSCC) is concomitant chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with CRT has been explored in HNSCC patients and is an acceptable strategy. However, the occurrence of adverse events (AEs) restricts its application. We conducted a clinical study to explore the efficacy and feasibility of a novel induction therapy with orally administered apatinib and S-1 in LA-HNSCC.

Materials and methods

This nonrandomized, single-arm, prospective clinical trial included patients with LA-HNSCCs. The eligibility criteria included histologically or cytologically confirmed HNSCC, with at least one radiographically measurable lesion detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computerized tomography (CT) scan, age 18-75 years, and a diagnosis of stage III to IVb according to the 7^th edition of the American Joint Committee of Cancer (AJCC). Patients received induction therapy with apatinib and S-1 for three cycles (3 weeks/cycle). The primary endpoint of this study was the objective response rate (ORR) to induction therapy. The secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and AEs during induction treatment.

Results

From October 2017 to September 2020, 49 patients with LA-HNSCC were screened consecutively and 38 were enrolled. The median age of the patients was 60 years (range, 39-75). Thirty-three patients (86.8%) had stage IV disease according to the AJCC staging system. The ORR after induction therapy was 97.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 86.2%-99.9%). the 3-year OS rate was 64.2% (95% CI: 46.0%-78.2%) and 3-year PFS was 57.1% (95% CI: 40.8%-73.6%). The most common AEs during induction therapy were hypertension and hand-foot syndrome, which were manageable.

Conclusion

Apatinib combined with S-1 as novel induction therapy for LA-HNSCC patients resulted in a higher-than-anticipated ORR and manageable adverse effects. With the associated safety profile and preferable oral administration route, apatinib combined with S-1 is an attractive exploratory induction regimen in outpatient settings. However, this regimen failed to show a survival benefit.

Clinical trial registration

https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT03267121, identifier NCT03267121.

Effect of radiotherapy interruption on nasopharyngeal cancer

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant tumor originating from the epithelial cells of the nasopharynx with a unique geographic distribution, and is particularly prevalent in East and Southeast Asia. Due to its anatomical location, the surgery is difficult to access and the high sensitivity of nasopharyngeal cancer to radiotherapy (RT) makes it the main treatment modality. Radical radiotherapy is the first-line treatment for early-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma and the cornerstone of multidisciplinary treatment for patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Nevertheless, radiotherapy interruption is inevitable as a consequence of unavoidable factors such as public holidays, machine malfunction, patient compliance, and adverse response to treatment, which in turn leads to a reduction in bioactivity and causes sublethal loss of tumor cells to repair. Unirradiated tumor cells are more likely to repopulate at or near their original fastest growth rate during this interval. If no measures are taken after the radiotherapy interruption, such as increasing the dose of radiotherapy and systemic therapy, the tumor is most likely to go uncontrolled and then progress. This review describes the effects of radiotherapy interruption on nasopharyngeal carcinoma, the mechanism of the effect, and explores the measures that can be taken in response to such interruption.

Lirette S, Yang CC, Mundra E, Woods WC, Otts J, Doherty M, Panter P, Howard C, Ridgway M, Allbright R. The Influence of Patient and System Factors on the Radiotherapy Treatment Time in the Treatment of Non-metastatic Cervical Cancer Patients in a Rural and Resource-Lean State’s Safety-Net Hospital: Benefits of Strategic Planning

Objective To decrease radiotherapy treatment time (RTT), measured from the day of initiation of radiotherapy to the day of its completion, specific strategies were initiated in early 2020 in the only academic safety-net medical center in a rural, resource-lean state. The factors that can succeed and those that need further improvements were analyzed in this initial assessment phase of our efforts to shorten the RTT. Methods This is an analysis of 28 cervix cancer patients treated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided brachytherapy (February 2020-November 2021). The relationship between independent and dependent variable were analyzed by simple linear regression, and p-values ≤ 0.05 were considered statistically significant. SPSS software version 28.0 (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA) was used for statistical analysis. Results Two RTT groups (≤ 60 (32.1%) vs. > 60 days {67.9%}) with median RTT of 68 days (range, 51 to 106 days) were analyzed. Caucasians represented 66.7% of the RTT ≤ 60 days group. Four 'issues' were identified that increased the RTT: non-compliance, learning curve (early days of implementation of MRI-guided brachytherapy in the department), stage IV comorbidities, and with more than one issue mentioned; 77.8% with no issues had ≤ 60 days RTT vs. 26.3% for the > 60 days group. The breakdown of the no-issues factor by calendar year showed the RTT of ≤ 60 days was achieved higher in 2021 (85.7% vs. 20.0%; p=0.023) compared to 2020. For this entire cohort, the RTT of ≤ 60 days was achieved higher in 2021 (50.0% vs. 8.3%; p=0.019) compared to 2020. Data also showed improvement in RTT of ≤ 60 days for every sequential six months. 'Non-compliance' and 'learning curve' were the most important factors among patients having the longest RTTs. Conclusion The RTT can be further decreased. As a result of this preliminary analysis of the our strategic planning approach of 'circular' "See it," "Own it," "Solve it," and "Do it" and go back to the first step again, we plan to implement the following strategies in the immediate future to shorten the RTTs further and, in turn, improve our overall outcomes (local/regional control, disease-free survival, and overall survival): (a) Interdigitate MRI-guided brachytherapy during external beam radiotherapy (EBRT); patients who can not get the interdigitated brachytherapy procedures performed during the course of EBRT for any reason will receive two brachytherapy procedures per week; (c) attempt to add a cervix cancer care navigator to our staff to help patients having social issues, thus leading to compliance problems; (d) finally, in a year or two after these new strategic implementations, the RTT data will be reanalyzed.

Bacterial epiglottitis superimposed on oropharyngeal cancer: A case report

BACKGROUND

Patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy are placed in an immunocompromised state worth consideration in the event of potential airway compromise, especially when superimposed on an airway-obstructing tumor. We report a case of bacterial epiglottitis in a patient with active oropharyngeal cancer (OPC), who presented in such a way that an infectious etiology was not initially considered in the patient's care. To our knowledge, such a circumstance has not been reported in the literature.

CASE

Here, we report a case of a 68-year-old male with advanced-stage OPC who developed respiratory distress and underwent emergent tracheostomy. The patient was diagnosed postoperatively with Haemophilus influenza and Pseudomonas aerugeniosa. Following antibiotic treatment, the patient recovered to the point in which he could then undergo concomitant chemoradiation. The patient later had a recurrence of P. aerugeniosa during their radiotherapy that was also treated with antibiotics. The patient experienced continued symptoms related to their OPC and underwent pharyngectomy. Despite the initial success of this procedure, the patient experienced tumor recurrence and succumbed to his disease.

CONCLUSION

This case underscores the importance of considering multiple etiologies concerning airway compromise, as the consequence of delayed cancer treatment may be loss of local cancer control.

Patient navigation (PN) support to timely access to radiotherapy in the Brazilian public health system

PURPOSE

Patient navigation (PN) is a community-based service delivery intervention designed to promote access to timely diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other chronic diseases by eliminating barriers to integral care. Considering the complex difficulties in accessing treatment and the positive results of PN in high-income countries, our group decided to evaluate this tool to improve radiotherapy (RT) access in the public system in Brazil.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This pilot study took place in a public school hospital, with a historical cohort as the control arm. The primary endpoint was the time from histologic diagnosis and RT initiation among cancer patients receiving RT with curative intent in a PN program. The secondary objectives were the following time frames: referral to the first consultation by the RT team; first consultation up to RT beginning; RT beginning to RT end; referral to the end of RT and identifying/describing obstacles to the treatment; and assessing patient satisfaction with PN program.

RESULTS

A total of 124 patients were included in the retrospective arm and 73 in the navigation arm. Most had the loco-regionally advanced disease from the esophagus, head/neck, and rectum. PN decreased the median time from the biopsy result to the beginning of RT from 108 to 74 days (p < 0.001). PN reduced the time between biopsy results and referral to RT (53 to 40.5 days, p = 0.011), between the referral and the first consultation in the RT (25 to 13 days, p < 0.001), and between the referral to the end of the RT (98 to 78 days, p < 0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

Proper identification of barriers, especially in a low-resource setting, is mandatory to guide PN programs in LMICs. In an oncological context of socioeconomic vulnerability, PN is a financially viable and efficient tool to optimize access to timely RT.

Quality of Life, Psychological Distress, and Nutritional Status of Polish Patients with Head and Neck Cancer Treated with Radiotherapy

INTRODUCTION

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is a global epidemiological and clinical problem. In 2020, it was the seventh most common type of cancer worldwide. In 2019, HNC was the fourth most common cause of cancer death among men in Poland. Radiotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of patients with HNC at all clinical stages. However, it is associated with a significant rate of early and late adverse effects. As head and neck cancers are located close to vital anatomical structures, both the local progression of the disease and the treatments used can cause serious problems for patients with HNC, reducing their health-related quality of life (HRQoL) as well as increasing the risk of depressive disorders. Despite this, the current literature lacks research on these aspects of the therapeutic process in the Polish population. The aim of this study was to assess the early impact of radiotherapy on HRQoL outcomes, psychological distress, nutritional status, and overall performance of patients with HNC.

METHODS

The study was carried out among 85 patients with HNC treated in the Inpatient Radiotherapy Unit of the Radiotherapy Department of the Lower Silesian Oncology Center in Wrocław. The patients were asked to complete a set of questionnaires, including the EORTC QLQ-H&N35, the BDI, the NRS-2002, and the ECOG scale, at two time points: before the initiation of radiotherapy treatment and after a course of radiotherapy. The period between the assessments was 7 to 8 weeks.

RESULTS

Our findings demonstrated a negative impact of radiotherapy on scores in all the cancer-specific symptom and functioning scales used in the study. As regards functioning scales, the largest differences were observed for senses and swallowing, whereas with symptoms scales, the largest differences were noted for "sticky saliva" and "dry mouth". Over half of the patients included in the study required nutritional support after radiotherapy treatment. We found statistically significant differences in the levels of depressive symptom severity before and after radiotherapy treatment.

CONCLUSION

The present study showed significant changes in the physical and psychological functioning and nutritional status of the patients with HNC studied after radiotherapy treatment, which may have an impact on the effectiveness of cancer treatment.

Prediction of Radiotherapy Compliance in Elderly Cancer Patients Using an Internally Validated Decision Tree

This study aims to analyze the relationship between the available variables and treatment compliance in elderly cancer patients treated with radiotherapy and to establish a decision tree model to guide caregivers in their decision-making process. For this purpose, 456 patients over 74 years of age who received radiotherapy between 2005 and 2017 were included in this retrospective analysis. The outcome of interest was radiotherapy compliance, determined by whether patients completed their scheduled radiotherapy treatment (compliance means they completed their treatment and noncompliance means they did not). A bootstrap (B = 400) technique was implemented to select the best tuning parameters to establish the decision tree. The developed decision tree uses patient status, the Charlson comorbidity index, the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance scale, age, sex, cancer type, health insurance status, radiotherapy aim, and fractionation type (conventional fractionation versus hypofractionation) to distinguish between compliant and noncompliant patients. The decision tree's mean area under the curve and 95% confidence interval was 0.71 (0.66-0.77). Although external validation is needed to determine the decision tree's clinical usefulness, its discriminating ability was moderate and it could serve as an aid for caregivers to select the optimal treatment for elderly cancer patients.

Radiobiological evaluation considering the treatment time with stereotactic radiosurgery for brain metastases

Objective

We evaluated the radiobiological effect of the irradiation time with the interruption time of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) using CyberKnife® (CK) systemfor brain metastases.

Methods

We used the DICOM data and irradiation log file of the 10 patients with brain metastases from non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who underwent brain SRS. We defined the treatment time as the sum of the dose-delivery time and the interruption time during irradiations, and we used a microdosimetric kinetic model (MKM) to evaluate the radiobiological effects of the treatment time. The biological parameters, i.e. α0, β0, and the DNA repair constant rate (a + c), were acquired from NCI-H460 cell for the MKM. We calculated the radiobiological dose for the gross tumor volume (GTVbio) to evaluate the treatment time's effect compared with no treatment time as a reference. The D95 (%) and the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group conformity index (RCI) and Paddick conformity index (PCI) were calculated as dosimetric indices. We used several DNA repair constant rates (a + c) (0.46, 1.0, and 2.0) to assess the radiobiological effect by varying the DNA repair date (a + c) values.

Results

The mean values of D95 (%), RCI, and PCI for GTVbio were 98.8%, 0.90, and 0.80, respectively, and decreased with increasing treatment time. The mean values of D95 (%), RCI, and PCI of GTVbio at 2.0 (a+c) value were 94.9%, 0.71, and 0.49, respectively.

Conclusion

The radiobiological effect of the treatment time on tumors was accurately evaluated with brain SRS using CK.

Advances in knowledge

There has been no published investigation of the radiobiological impact of the longer treatment time with multiple interruptions of SRS using a CK on the target dose distribution in a comparison with the use of a linac. Radiobiological dose assessment that takes into account treatment time in the physical dose in this study may allow more accurate dose assessment in SRS for metastatic brain tumors using CK.

Impact of a mobile application (reminder app) on acute toxicity during radiotherapy of head-and-neck cancer – results of a randomized phase III trial (RAREST-02)

Background

Radiotherapy of head-and-neck cancer (SCCHN) is often associated with acute toxicity. In a previous trial, daily reminders by staff members to perform skin care resulted in less dermatitis. This randomized trial investigated whether a mobile application can replace these reminders.

Methods

Patients were stratified according to tumor site, treatment and center. Fifty-three patients were eligible for per-protocol-set (25 with, 28 without app). Primary endpoint was grade ≥ 2 dermatitis until 60 Gy. Secondary endpoints included dermatitis grade ≥ 2 until end of radiotherapy (EOT), dermatitis grade ≥ 3, and mucositis grade ≥ 2 and ≥ 3.

Results

After an interim analysis, the study was terminated (delayed and slow accrual). Until 60 Gy, grade ≥ 2 dermatitis rates were 72% with vs. 82% without app (p = 0.38), grade ≥ 3 dermatitis rates 20% vs. 11% (p = 0.45). Until EOT, grade ≥ 2 and ≥ 3 dermatitis rates were 72% vs. 86% (p = 0.22) and 24% vs. 18% (p = 0.58). Until 60 Gy, grade ≥ 2 and ≥ 3 mucositis rates were 76% vs. 82% (p = 0.58) and 20% vs. 36% (p = 0.20). Until EOT, corresponding mucositis rates were 76% vs. 82% (p = 0.58) and 28% vs. 43% (p = 0.26).

Conclusion

Given the limitations of this trial, the reminder app led to non-significant reduction of grade ≥ 2 dermatitis, grade ≥ 2 mucositis and ≥ 3 mucositis. Additional studies are required to define the value of reminder apps during radiotherapy for SCCHN.

Towards personalised dosimetry in patients with liver malignancy treated with 90Y-SIRT using in vivo-driven radiobiological parameters

BACKGROUND

The prediction of response is one of the major challenges in radiation-based therapies. Although the selection of accurate linear-quadratic model parameters is essential for the estimation of radiation response and treatment outcome, there is a limited knowledge about these radiobiological parameters for liver tumours using radionuclide treatments.

METHODS

The "clinical radiobiological" parameters ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]) for twenty-five patients were derived using the generalised linear-quadratic model, the diagnostic ([¹⁸F] FDG PET/CT) and therapeutic ([⁹⁰Y]-SIR-Spheres PET/CT) images to compute the biological effective dose and tumour control probability (TCP) for each patient.

RESULTS

It was estimated that the values for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] parameters range in ≈ 0.001-1 Gy^-1 and ≈ 1-49 Gy, respectively. We have demonstrated that the time factors, [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are the key parameters when evaluating liver malignancy lesional response to [⁹⁰Y]SIR-Spheres treatment. Patients with cholangiocarcinoma have been shown to have the longest average [Formula: see text] (≈ 236 ± 67 d), highest TCP (≈ 53 ± 17%) and total liver lesion glycolysis response ([Formula: see text] ≈ 64%), while patients with metastatic colorectal cancer tumours have the shortest average [Formula: see text] (≈ 129 ± 19 d), lowest TCP (≈ 28 ± 13%) and [Formula: see text] ≈ 8%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Tumours with shorter [Formula: see text] have shown a shorter [Formula: see text] and thus poorer TCP and [Formula: see text]. Therefore, these results suggest for such tumours the [⁹⁰Y]SIR-Spheres will be only effective at higher initial dose rate (e.g.  > 50 Gy/day).

Characteristics and Assessment of Frailty as Risk Factor of Therapy-Related Acute Toxicities and Delayed Overall Treatment Time in Elderly Patients Treating with External Beam Radiation Therapy at Indonesia Top Referral Hospital

BACKGROUND: Older patients are at a higher risk of being frail. Frailty implies that even a minor stressor can have major negative implications on physical, psychological domains. Geriatric-8 (G-8) screening tool shows good screening properties for identifying vulnerable elderly patients with cancer. AIM: We, therefore, decided to investigate the utility of G-8 associated with acute toxicity and prolonged overall treatment time (OTT) in elderly cancer patients treated with radiotherapy (RT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective observational cohort study is performed. Eligible subjects are patients aged ≥60 years and were referred for curative or palliative RT. We use the G-8 questionnaire for consecutive patients before starting RT. We recorded acute toxicity and OTT and identified potential predictors. RESULTS: A total of 52 consecutive geriatric patients were included with an average age of 67 years. Of all those subjects, 21% had head-and-neck cancers, 29% gynecology cancers, 23% breast cancers, and 27% other cancers. According to the G-8, 65% of the patients were potentially frail. Toxicity Grade ≥3 was observed among 32% of subjects who were potentially frail according to the G-8 and 0% of the subject who was fit (p = 0.007). Prolonged OTT was observed in 61.8% of potentially frail and 27.8% of the subjects who were fit (p = 0.020). On multivariate analysis, only chemoradiation was strongly associated with acute toxicity Grade ≥3 odds ratio 11.1 (95% confidence interval 1.4–83.6; p = 0.019). CONCLUSION: The utility of G-8 in daily practice seems to be limited. Only concurrent chemoradiation was associated with acute toxicity. Future prospective studies should investigate whether the G-8 is a good predictor for other relevant clinical outcomes and survival in our local settings.

Personalized auto-segmentation for magnetic resonance imaging guided adaptive radiotherapy of prostate cancer

PURPOSE

Fast and accurate delineation of organs on treatment-fraction images is critical in magnetic resonance imaging-guided adaptive radiotherapy (MRIgART). This study proposes a personalized auto-segmentation (AS) framework to assist online delineation of prostate cancer using MRIgART.

METHODS

Image data from 26 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer and treated using hypofractionated MRIgART (5 fractions per patient) were collected retrospectively. Daily pretreatment T2-weighted MRI was performed using a 1.5-T MRI system integrated into a Unity MR-linac. First-fraction image and contour data from 16 patients (80 image-sets) were used to train the population AS model, and the remaining 10 patients composed the test set. The proposed personalized AS framework contained two main steps. First, a convolutional neural network was employed to train the population model using the training set. Second, for each test patient, the population model was progressively fine-tuned with manually checked delineations of the patient's current and previous fractions to obtain a personalized model that was applied to the next fraction.

RESULTS

Compared with the population model, the personalized models substantially improved the mean Dice similarity coefficient from 0.79 to 0.93 for the prostate clinical target volume (CTV), 0.91 to 0.97 for the bladder, 0.82 to 0.92 for the rectum, 0.91 to 0.93 for the femoral heads, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed method can achieve accurate segmentation and potentially shorten the overall online delineation time of MRIgART. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Impact of Early Supportive Care Assessment on treatment decision in head and neck cancer before concomitant chemoradiotherapy

OBJECTIVE

To assess the impact of a global pretherapeutic comprehensive supportive care assessment performed in an outpatient supportive care clinic (OSCC) and early supportive care interventions on oncological treatment choice in patients with chemoradiation (CRT) indication for head and neck cancer (HNC).

METHODS

In this monocentric prospective observational study, we included all patients considered for CRT (exclusive or post-operative) for HNC from February 2019 to March 2020. The following frailty indicators were assessed: comorbidities (Charlson index), nutritional status, altered functional ability (ADL and IADL), social precarity (EPICES score), cognitive impairment (MoCA score), addictive habits and pain.

RESULTS

OSCC led to a change in treatment for 13.7% of patients, mainly de-escalations. Ninety-three percent of patients had at least one altered domain, including 50% with three or more altered domains. Cognitive function was the most frequently altered domain (66.7%). Altered functional ability was significantly associated with treatment de-escalation after OSCC. Treatment interruptions were significantly associated with treatment de-escalation and social precarity. De-escalation was also associated with a significantly poorer PFS (median of 23.2 mos. vs 8.8 mos., HR = 2.18 95%IC[1.02-4.63] p = 0.037)) and a non-significant trend towards worse OS (median 23.3mos. vs not reached (HR = 2.16 95%CI[0.88-5.31] p = 0.0836).

CONCLUSION

We strongly encourage the creation of OSCC for patients treated with chemoradiation for HNC. This practice, through an exhaustive assessment, favours therapeutic adaptation, personalized follow-up and optimization of supportive care.

Age as a potential predictor of acute side effects during chemoradiotherapy in primary cervical cancer patients

Background

Toxicity during chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in cervical cancer patients might limit the chances of receiving an optimal treatment and to be cured. Few studies have shown relationships between acute side effects and patient’s age. Here, the association between age and acute side effects such as nausea/vomiting, diarrhea and weight loss during CRT was analysed in cervical cancer patients.

Methods

This study included 93 patients with primary cervical cancer stage IBI to IVA who received CRT from 2013 to 2019. The frequency of symptoms/toxicity grade was analysed by using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 5.0.

Results

Patients ≥ 52 years had a significantly higher frequency of nausea/vomiting and increased grade ≥ 3 toxicity during CRT compared to younger patients (p < 0.001, p = 0.001). Toxicity grade ≥ 3 of nausea/vomiting was associated with increased frequency of weight loss (p = 0.001), reduced ADL (p = 0.001) and dose modifications of both radiotherapy (RT) (p = 0.020) and chemotherapy (CT) (p = 0.030) compared to toxicity grade 2. The frequency of diarrhea (p = 0.015) and weight loss (p = 0.020) was higher in older patients compared to younger.

Conclusions

Older patients have an increased risk of acute side effects as nausea/vomiting, diarrhea and weight loss. Age could be useful in predicting acute side effects in primary cervical cancer patients with CRT.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Patterns of Care and Outcome of Head and Neck Cancer: Real-World Experience From a Tertiary Care Cancer Center in India

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented health, social, and economic unrest globally, particularly affecting resource-limited low-middle–income countries. The resultant curfew had made the access to and delivery of cancer care services an arduous task. We have reported the patterns of care and 1-year outcome of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) treatment before and during COVID-19 lockdown at our institution.

COVID-19 restrictions can have adverse impact on the access to and delivery of RT #HNCSM #COVID19

A novel use for routine CBCT imaging during radiotherapy to detect COVID-19

INTRODUCTION

Thoracic CT is a useful tool in the early diagnosis of patients with COVID-19. Typical appearances include patchy ground glass shadowing. Thoracic radiotherapy uses daily cone beam CT imaging (CBCT) to check for changes in patient positioning and anatomy prior to treatment through a qualitative assessment of lung appearance by radiographers. Observation of changes related to COVID-19 infection during this process may facilitate earlier testing improving patient management and staff protection.

METHODS

A tool was developed to create overview reports for all CBCTs for each patient throughout their treatment. Reports contain coronal maximum intensity projection (MIP's) of all CBCTs and plots of lung density over time. A single therapeutic radiographer undertook a blinded off-line audit that reviewed 150 patient datasets for tool optimisation in which medical notes were compared to image findings. This cohort included 75 patients treated during the pandemic and 75 patients treated between 2014 and 2017. The process was repeated retrospectively on a subset of the 285 thoracic radiotherapy patients treated between January-June 2020 to assess the efficiency of the tool and process.

RESULTS

Three patients in the n = 150 optimisation cohort had confirmed COVID-19 infections during their radiotherapy. Two of these were detected by the reported image assessment process. The third case was not detected on CBCT due to minimal density changes in the visible part of the lungs. Within the retrospective cohort four patients had confirmed COVID-19 based on RT-PCR tests, three of which were retrospectively detected by the reported process.

CONCLUSION

The preliminary results indicate that the presence of COVID-19 can be detected on CBCT by therapeutic radiographers.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

This process has now been extended to clinical service with daily assessments of all thoracic CBCTs. Changes noted are referred for oncologist review.

Assessing the Spleen as an Organ at Risk in Radiation Therapy and Its Relationship With Radiation-Induced Lymphopenia: A Retrospective Study and Literature Review

Purpose

We conducted a systematic review and a retrospective study to investigate the relationship between spleen irradiation and lymphocyte toxicity.

Methods and Materials

Forty-six patients diagnosed with locally advanced gastric, esophageal, and pancreatic cancer who underwent radiation therapy were included in this study. The spleen was contoured for each patient. Volumes that received 5 up to 40 Gy (5 Gy increments), minimum, mean, and maximum dose were considered along with lymphocyte count to determine toxicity. Comprehensive and systematic literature searches were performed using PubMed, SCOPUS, Cochrane Central Databases, and Google Scholar.

Results

Literature review on spleen unintended irradiation and lymphocyte toxicity resulted in 408 patients from 5 studies. In our study, univariate and multivariate linear regressions found an association between V15 (chemotherapy as controlling factor) and nadir lymphocyte count (P = .04) and between D_MAX and nadir lymphocyte count (P = .046). An increase of 1 Gy in mean splenic dose was associated with a 1% decrease in absolute lymphocyte count at nadir.

Conclusions

Although there is no consensus regarding lymphopenia spleen dose volume threshold, all studies found that higher splenic dose increases the risk of lymphopenia. Our study's results suggest that spleen unintentional V15 and maximum dose irradiation were associated with lymphopenia during chemoradiation therapy.

COVID-19 pandemic: a new cause of unplanned interruption of radiotherapy in breast cancer patients

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on patients undergoing radiotherapy by comparing the patterns of unplanned radiotherapy interruption before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. We enrolled patients who received their first dose of radiotherapy for breast cancer between January 28 and July 31, 2019 and between January 28, 2020, and July 31, 2020. We compared the radiotherapy interruption patterns in 2019 with those in 2020 to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on treatment interruption. Between January 28 and July 31, 2019, 287 patients with breast cancer received radiotherapy. Among them, 19 patients (6.6%) experienced treatment interruption; the reasons for treatment interruption were radiotherapy-related side effects (10 patients, 52.6%), other medical reasons (three patients, 15.8%), and personal reasons (six patients, 31.6%). Between January 28 and July 31, 2020, 279 patients with breast cancer received radiotherapy. Among them, 23 patients (8.2%) experienced treatment interruption; the reasons for treatment interruption were radiotherapy-related side effects (eight patients, 35%) and COVID-19 screening clinic-related reasons (six patients, 26.1%). Among the six patients with screening clinic-related causes of radiotherapy interruption, five had asymptomatic fever and one had mild cold-like symptoms. The duration of treatment interruption was longer in patients with screening clinic-related interruptions than in those with interruptions because of other causes (p = 0.019). Multivariate analysis showed that cancer stage and radiotherapy volume did not significantly affect treatment interruption. The radiotherapy of certain patients was suspended despite the lack of a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis. Precise and systematic criteria for the management of patients with suspected COVID-19 are needed, and the opinion of radiation oncologist in charge of the patient must also be considered.

Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on Gynecological Cancer Radiation During Complete Nationwide Lockdown: Observations and Reflections From Tertiary Care Institute in India

PURPOSE

To report real-world compliance to radiation in gynecologic cancers during the complete lockdown phase of COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

From March 23, 2020, until June 30, 2020, complete lockdown was imposed in India. During this period there was restructuring of cancer care and radiation oncology department due to operational policies prevalent in the institution, and the care for gynecological cancer was based on the evolving international recommendations. Institutional review board approval was obtained to audit patterns of care during the complete lockdown phase. Descriptive variables were used to report on patient characteristics, compliance, delays, toxicity, and observed deviations in recommended care.

RESULTS

During the lockdown period spanning 100 days, treatment of 270 and telephonic follow-up of 1103 patients with gynecological cancer was undertaken. Of 270 new patients, due to travel restrictions, 90 patients were referred to the facilities in vicinity of their residence. Of the remaining 180 patients, 138 were planned for complete treatment at our institution and 42 were referred to our center for brachytherapy. Of 138 patients, only 106 (76%) completed the planned external radiation. Twenty-four (26%) patients completed full course of concurrent chemotherapy, 11 (12%) received chemotherapy dose reduction, and 57 (62%) received no concurrent chemotherapy. Treatment delay of up to 3 weeks was noted in 8.6% patients due to COVID-19 infection. No grade 4 to 5 acute sequelae were observed. No excess adverse effects were observed in high-risk population. Low rate of symptom burden was observed among 1103 patients on telephonic follow-up. With 100 (9.6%) patients reporting symptoms, among these, 54% (54 of 100) had complete resolution of symptoms within 4 weeks of teleconsultation, and 10% had disease progression.

CONCLUSIONS

Low compliance with planned treatment was observed for radiation and concurrent chemotherapy due to lockdown and fear of contracting COVID-19 and will likely lead to increased risk of cancer-related mortality. Rapid restructuring of care is needed to prevent the same as COVID-19 pandemic further evolves.

Prophylactic versus reactive percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients undergoing radical radiotherapy

BACKGROUND

Radiotherapy (RT) for oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer (OPSCC) is associated with malnutrition due to treatment-related mucositis and dysphagia. While percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feeding can improve nutrition, it has acute and late complications, including dependence on PEG feeding. We retrospectively evaluated patient outcomes by whether gastrostomy placement was prophylactic (P-G) or reactive to RT complications (R-G).

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of OPSCC patients undergoing curative-intent RT at Waikato Hospital between 2010 and 2015.

RESULTS

Of 103 OPSCC patients treated with RT (+/- chemotherapy) 21 had P-G, 15 had R-G and 67 had none (No-G). P-G patients were significantly more likely to be female, older, have higher tumour stage and receive bilateral RT (all p < 0.05). P-G and No-G patients had similar rates and duration of hospital admission for complications during treatment, but both were significantly less than in R-G patients (admission rates 52.3%, 49.3% and 86.7%, and mean length of stay 3.5, 3.3 and 11.9 days, respectively; p < 0.001). R-G patients also had greater RT treatment delays than P-G or No-G patients (mean 1.1, 0.7 and 0.4 days, respectively, p < 0.05). No significant differences were noted between groups in PEG dependence or weight change during, or 1, 3 or 6 months after, RT. Weight loss was not significantly different with P-G than R-G despite more frequent use of bilateral RT fields in the former group.

CONCLUSIONS

P-G placement affords shorter and less frequent hospital admissions than R-G during RT for OPSCC, with no increased complications or gastrostomy-dependence rates.

Dose-dependence of radiotherapy-induced changes in serum levels of choline-containing phospholipids; the importance of lower doses delivered to large volumes of normal tissues

BACKGROUND

Conformal radiotherapy is a primary treatment in head and neck cancer, which putative adverse effects depend on relatively low doses of radiation delivered to increased volumes of normal tissues. Systemic effects of such treatment include radiation-induced changes in serum lipid profile, yet dose- and volume-dependence of these changes remain to be established.

METHODS

Here we analyzed levels of choline-containing phospholipids in serum samples collected consecutively during the radiotherapy used as the only treatment modality. The liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) approach applied in the study enabled the detection and quantitation of 151 phospholipids, including (lyso)phosphatidylcholines and sphingomyelins.

RESULTS

No statistically significant differences were found in the pretreatment samples from patients with different locations and stages of cancer. To compensate for potential differences between schemes of radiotherapy, the biologically effective doses were calculated and used in the search of correlations with specific lipid levels. We found that the levels of several phospholipids depended on the maximum dose delivered to the gross tumor volume and total radiation energy absorbed by the patient's body. Increased doses correlated with increased levels of sphingomyelins and reduced levels of phosphatidylcholines. Furthermore, we observed several phospholipids whose serum levels correlated with the degree of acute radiation toxicity.

CONCLUSION

Noteworthy, serum phospholipid levels were associated mainly with volumes of normal tissues irradiated with relatively low doses (i.e., total accumulated dose 20 Gy), which indicated the importance of such effects on the systemic response of the patient's organism to intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).

Clinical Implementation of Automated Treatment Planning for Rectum Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy Using Voxel-Based Dose Prediction and Post-Optimization Strategies

Purpose

This study aims to demonstrate the feasibility of clinical implementation of automated treatment planning (ATP) using voxel-based dose prediction and post-optimization strategies for rectal cancer on uRT (United Imaging Healthcare, Shanghai, China) treatment planning system.

Methods

A total of 180 previously treated rectal cancer cases were enrolled in this study, including 160 cases for training, 10 for validation and 10 for testing. Using CT image data, planning target volumes (PTVs) and contour delineation of the organs at risk (OARs) as input and three-dimensional (3D) dose distribution as output, a 3D-Uet DL model was developed. Based on the voxel-wise prediction dose distribution, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) plans were then generated automatedly using post-optimization strategies, including a complex clinical dose target metrics homogeneity index (HI) and conformation index (CI). To evaluate the performance of the proposed ATP approach, the dose-volume histogram (DVH) parameters of OARs and PTV and the 3D dose distributions of the plan were compared with those of manual plans.

Results

By combining clinical post-optimization strategies, the automatically generated treatment plan can achieve better homogeneous PTV coverage and dose sparing for OARs except the mean dose for femoral-head compared with the use of the mean square error objective function alone. Compared with the manual plan, no statistically significant differences in HI, CI or global maximum dose were found. The manual plans perform slightly better than plans with post-optimization strategies in other dosimetric indexes, but these plans are still within clinical requirements.

Conclusions

With the help of clinical post-optimization strategies, the proposed new ATP solution can generate IMRT plans that are within clinically acceptable levels and comparable to plans manually generated by dosimetrists.

A deep learning-based auto-segmentation system for organs-at-risk on whole-body computed tomography images for radiation therapy

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Delineating organs at risk (OARs) on computed tomography (CT) images is an essential step in radiation therapy; however, it is notoriously time-consuming and prone to inter-observer variation. Herein, we report a deep learning-based automatic segmentation (AS) algorithm (WBNet) that can accurately and efficiently delineate all major OARs in the entire body directly on CT scans.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We collected 755 CT scans of the head and neck, thorax, abdomen, and pelvis and manually delineated 50 OARs on the CT images. The CT images with contours were split into training and test sets consisting of 505 and 250 cases, respectively, to develop and validate WBNet. The volumetric Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and 95th-percentile Hausdorff distance (95% HD) were calculated to evaluate delineation quality for each OAR. We compared the performance of WBNet with three AS algorithms: one commercial multi-atlas-based automatic segmentation (ABAS) software, and two deep learning-based AS algorithms, namely, AnatomyNet and nnU-Net. We have also evaluated the time saving and dose accuracy of WBNet.

RESULTS

WBNet achieved average DSCs of 0.84 and 0.81 on in-house and public datasets, respectively, which outperformed ABAS, AnatomyNet, and nnU-Net. WBNet could reduce the delineation time significantly and perform well in treatment planning, with clinically acceptable dose differences compared with those in manual delineation.

CONCLUSION

This study shows the feasibility and benefits of using WBNet in clinical practice.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the oncologic care continuum: urgent need to restore patients care to pre-COVID-19 era

Background:

Globally, cancer is the second leading cause of death, and it is estimated that over 18·1 million new cases are diagnosed annually. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted almost every aspect of the provision and management of cancer care worldwide. The time-critical nature of COVID-19 diagnosis and the large number of patients requiring hospitalisation necessitated the rerouting of already limited resources available for cancer services and programmes to the care of COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, the stringent social distancing, restricted in-hospital visits and lockdown measures instituted by various governments resulted in the disruption of the oncologic continuum including screening, diagnostic and prevention programmes, treatments and follow-up services as well as research and clinical trial programmes.

Materials and Methods:

We searched several databases from October 2020 to January 2021 for relevant studies published in English between 2020 and 2021 and reporting on the impact of COVID-19 on the cancer care continuum. This narrative review paper describes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the cancer patient care continuum from screening and prevention to treatments and ongoing management of patients.

Conclusions:

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted cancer care and the management of cancer services and patients. Nevertheless, the oncology healthcare communities worldwide have done phenomenal work with joint and collaborative efforts, utilising best available evidence-based guidelines to continue to give safe and effective treatments for cancer patients while maintaining the safety of patients, healthcare professionals and the general population. Nevertheless, several healthcare centres are now faced with significant challenges with the management of the backlog of screening, diagnosis and treatment cases. It is imperative that governments, leaders of healthcare centres and healthcare professionals take all necessary actions and policies focused on minimising further system-level delays to cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment initiation and clearing of all backlogs cases from the COVID-19 pandemic in order to mitigate the negative impact on cancer outcomes.

Breakdown of Symbiosis in Radiation-Induced Oral Mucositis

Oral mucositis is an acute side effect of radiation therapy that is especially common with head and neck cancer treatment. In recent years, several studies have revealed the predisposing factors for mucositis, leading to the pre-treatment of patients to deter the development of opportunistic oral fungal infections. Although many clinical protocols already advise the use of probiotics to counteract inflammation and fungal colonization, preclinical studies are needed to better delineate the mechanisms by which a host may acquire benefits via co-evolution with oral microbiota, probiotics, and fungal commensals, such as Candida albicans, especially during acute inflammation. Here, we review the current understanding of radiation therapy-dependent oral mucositis in terms of pathology, prevention, treatment, and related opportunistic infections, with a final focus on the oral microbiome and how it may be important for future therapy.

Pattern of care in radiotherapy at a University Hospital in Spain: the RENORT project

PURPOSE

RENORT is a novel data mining application developed to extract relevant clinical data from oncology information systems (OIS; ARIA and Mosaiq) used in radiation oncology (RO).

METHODS/PATIENTS

We used RENORT to extract demographic and clinical data from the OIS of all patients treated at the RO Department at the General Hospital of Valencia during the year 2019.

RESULTS

A total of 1158 treatments were performed. The female/male ratio was 39.3%/60.7%, with a mean age of 66 years. The mean waiting time between the treatment decision/proposal to the first visit was 10.1 days. Mean duration of the treatment preparation process was 21 days. Most patients (90.4%) completed treatment within the prescribed time ± 7 days. The most common sites/treatment types were: metastatic/palliative treatments (n = 300; 25.9%), breast (209; 18.0%), genitourinary (195; 16.8%), digestive (116; 10.0%), thoracic (104; 9.0%), head and neck (62; 5.4%), and skin cancer (51; 4.4%). The distribution according to treatment intent was as follows: palliative (n = 266; 23.0%), adjuvant curative (335; 28.9%), radical without adjuvant treatment (229; 19.8%), radical with concomitant treatment (188; 16.2%), curative neoadjuvant (70; 6.0%), salvage radiotherapy (61; 5.3%); and reirradiation (9; 0.8%). The most common treatment techniques were IMRT/VMAT with IGRT (n = 468; 40.4%), 3D-CRT with IGRT (421; 36.4%), SBRT (127; 11.0%), 2DRT (57; 4.9%), and SFRT (56; 4.8%). A mean of 15.9 fractions were administered per treatment. Hypofractionated schemes were used in 100% of radical intent breast and prostate cancer treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

The RENORT application facilitates data retrieval from oncology information systems to allow for a comprehensive determination of the real role of radiotherapy in the treatment of cancer patients. This application is valuable to identify patterns of care and to assess treatment efficacy.

Decreasing treatment burden in HPV-related OPSCC: A systematic review of clinical trials

INTRODUCTION

Favorable outcomes are observed after treatment with standard chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for Human papillomavirus (HPV)-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) patients. The consistent growing interest on treatment-related toxicity burden, potentially jeopardizing survivors' quality of life, led clinicians to investigate possible de-escalation strategies.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A comprehensive systematic literature search of clinical trials was performed through the EMBASE database to provide an overview of the de-escalation strategies spectrum. Additionally, hand searching and clinicaltrials.gov were also used.

RESULTS

Herein, we report and discuss different approaches to de-escalation of therapy, with respect to both local and systemic strategies.

CONCLUSIONS

Several promising de-escalation experiences have been published. However, while further evidence is awaited, no changes in the management nor deviation from the standard of care should be made outside of clinical trials.

The experience of nutritional care according to patients with head and neck cancer involved with a combined dietitian, specialist nurse and speech pathologist clinic in a regional Australia: a qualitative longitudinal study

PURPOSE

Malnutrition is a co-morbidity of head and neck cancer (HNC) that has negative consequences for patients. Evidence-based guidelines (EBGs) provide recommendations to prevent and manage malnutrition. A clinic that combines the services of a dietitian, specialist oncology nurse and speech pathologist may promote the implementation of nutritional EBGs in regional Australia. This study aimed to explore the nutritional care experience that patients with HNC had in this setting.

METHODS

A qualitative longitudinal study collected data via semi-structured interviews with HNC patients who were treated in one regional cancer care network in Australia. Interviews were conducted at key points in their HNC journey from diagnosis to 4 months post-radiotherapy. Data was analysed using a grounded theory approach.

RESULTS

Ten participants completed a total of thirty-six interviews. The findings were grouped into four categories: "preparing for nutritional challenges", "multidisciplinary care directed by patient needs", "the battle to eat", and "incongruence between patient values and nutritional priorities".

CONCLUSION

These findings highlight the nutritional burden associated with HNC and barriers to patients accepting nutritional support from healthcare professionals. Information provided by doctors and nurses prior to treatment may help patients prepare for the nutritional challenges ahead and accept support from dietitians. Furthermore, clinics that promote continuity through treatment and allow dietitians to lead aspects of nutritional care, in collaboration with nurses, speech pathologists and doctors, may also enhance the nutritional care experience. More qualitative research within HNC teams would provide further insight on enhancing the implementation of nutritional EBGs to improve outcomes for these patients.

Barriers and explanatory mechanisms in diagnostic delay in four cancers - A health-care disparity?

Introduction:

Most cancer disparities research has traditionally focused on two key outcomes, access to appropriate treatment and survival, but they do not encompass important aspects of patient-centered care such as the timeliness of diagnosis and treatment. Prolonged time intervals between symptom onset and treatment initiation increase the risk of poorer clinical outcomes and are associated with worse patient experience of subsequent cancer care. This study aims to assess the delay from symptom onset to the start of definitive treatment and to identify the possible contributory factors and its impact on response in cancers of head and neck, breast, cervix, and lung.

Materials and Methods:

This was a retrospective study of patients enrolled between 2015 and 2017. A questionnaire was filled in about socioeconomic aspects, patient history, tumor data, professionals who evaluated the patients, and the respective time delays. Statistical test included Mann–Whitney U test, univariate and multivariate test, and one-way ANOVA to evaluate the correlations.

Results:

Stage migration was significant with patient delay (P < 0.01). In head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and Carcinoma lung, a significant correlation was found between referral delay and residence (P < 0.01) and treatment delay and reason for referral (HNSCC only) (P = 0.04). Referral delay and treatment delay were correlated to response in breast and cervix, respectively (P < 0.01).

Conclusion:

Social awareness, regularly updating primary care physicians about alarming symptoms of cancer, developing guidelines to identify these symptoms, promoting continuity of care, and enabling access to specialist expertise through prompt referral should all help prevent delays in cancer diagnosis.

A double-blind phase III trial of immunomodulating nutritional formula during adjuvant chemoradiotherapy in head and neck cancer patients: IMPATOX

BACKGROUND

In a previous phase II study an immunonutrient supplement was found to reduce severe acute toxicities for head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) patients treated with concomitant cisplatin and radiotherapy.

OBJECTIVES

The primary objective of the present study was to evaluate efficacy of the same immunonutrient supplement on severe mucositis. Secondary objectives included tolerance, compliance to oral supplementation, chemotherapy interruptions and delays, quality of life, and progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) at 1, 2, and 3 y.

METHODS

Between November 2009 and June 2013, 180 HNSCC patients eligible for adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery with curative intent were included in our double-blind phase III multicenter trial. They were assigned to receive oral supplementation (3 sachets/d) of either a formula enriched with l-arginine and omega-3 (n-3) fatty and ribonucleic acids (experimental arm), or an isocaloric isonitrogenous control (control arm), for 5 d before each of 3 cycles of cisplatin. Intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analyses were undertaken, along with subgroup analyses of ≥75% compliant patients, to compare the incidence of acute mucositis (Radiation Therapy Oncology Group and WHO scales) and 36-mo survival.

RESULTS

At 1 mo after terminating chemoradiotherapy (CRT), no differences were observed in the incidence of grade 3-4 mucositis between treatment groups, in the ITT, PP (172 patients), and subgroup (≥75% compliance, n = 112) analyses. The immunomodulating supplement did not significantly improve survival in the ITT and PP analyses at 3 y after CRT. Among ≥75% compliant patients, however, OS at 3 y was significantly improved in the immunomodulating formula group (81%; 95% CI: 67%, 89%) compared with controls (61%; 95% CI: 46%, 73%; P = 0.034), as well as PFS (73%; 95% CI: 58%, 83% compared with 50%; 95% CI: 36%, 63%; P = 0.012).

CONCLUSIONS

Although this immunomodulating formula failed to reduce severe mucositis during CRT, the findings suggest that the long-term survival of compliant HNSCC patients was improved.This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01149642.

Adaptive time management for patients who have non-small cell lung cancer and underwent definitive radiotherapy: a dosimetric study of different gap duration scenarios

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the tumor control probability (TCP), normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) and adaptive time management (ATM) in patients who had non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and underwent radiotherapy with same gap length at different treatment weeks.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Twenty patients' definitive radiotherapy treatments, completed in 6.5 weeks, were evaluated retrospectively. Three different scenarios with gaps in 5 fractions at different weeks of treatment (2nd, 4th, and 6th week) were planned. Three ATM models (biologically effective dose (C_BED), time-dose-fractionation (C_TDF) and in-house developed (C_InH)) were calculated for each scenario. TCP and NTCP were calculated and compared with the dose-volume histogram (DVH) of each model.

RESULTS

TCP was accepted as 100% in uninterrupted treatments. When treatment was interrupted and not compensated with ATM, the highest TCP difference was determined as 23.46% in the 4th week (p<.001). Based on comparisons of ATM models, the lowest TCP decrease was found in C_InH. Increasing the fraction size by C_InH and C_BED provided more TCP improvement than increasing the number of fractions by C_TDF.

CONCLUSION

The treatment gap to be given in the middle of the treatment is more challenging in terms of tumor control. Adaptive approaches that maintain overall treatment time while increasing fractional dose offer increased TCP.

Outcome of external beam radiotherapy for treatment of noncutaneous tumors of the head in horses: 32 cases (1999-2015)

Background

The long‐term outcomes of external beam radiotherapy for treatment of noncutaneous tumors of the head in horses is unknown.

Objective

To report the long‐term outcomes for treatment of noncutaneous tumors of the head of horses, and report short and long‐term clinical adverse effects.

Animals

Thirty‐two horses treated in 2 referral hospitals.

Methods

In this retrospective study, medical records of horses receiving radiation therapy for noncutaneous tumors between 1999 and 2015 were reviewed. Signalment, tumor type, treatment protocol, tumor control duration, and survival were recorded. Kaplan‐Meier survival curves were generated for overall survival (OS), by tumor type and location, and compared using Log‐rank tests, and treatment protocol adherence.

Results

Follow‐up ranged from 2 to 145 months (median 14 months). Of 32 horses, 16 (50%) were alive at the time of reporting, with complete tumor response occurring in 12 (38%). Horses with tumors of the maxilla/nasal cavity had significantly shorter median OS compared to horses with tumors in other locations (21 months vs 145 months) (P = .06). Adverse effects resulting from the tumor or the therapy occurred in 20/32 (63%). The occurrence of major adverse effects and delays in treatment protocol were not significantly associated with median survival estimates.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

External beam radiotherapy can be used to treat a variety of noncutaneous tumors of the head of horses. Adverse effects related to radiotherapy or the tumor are common.

Impact of compliance to chemoradiation on long-term outcomes in squamous cell carcinoma of the anus: results of a post hoc analysis from the randomised phase III ACT II trial

BACKGROUND

Concurrent chemoradiation is standard-of-care for patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the anus. Poor compliance to chemotherapy, radiotherapy treatment interruptions and unplanned breaks may impact adversely on long-term outcomes.

METHODS

The ACT II trial recruited 940 patients with localised squamous cell carcinoma of the anus, and assigned patients to mitomycin (week 1) or cisplatin (weeks 1 and 5), with fluorouracil (weeks 1 and 5) and radiotherapy (50.4 Gy in 28 fractions over 38 days). This post hoc analysis examined the association between baseline factors (age, gender, site, T stage and N stage), and compliance to treatment (radiotherapy and chemotherapy), and their effects on locoregional failure-free survival, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Compliance was categorised into groups. Radiotherapy: six groups according to total dose and overall treatment time (OTT). Chemotherapy: three groups (A = per-protocol; B = dose reduction or delay; C = omitted).

RESULTS

A total of 931/940 patients were assessable for radiotherapy and 936 for chemotherapy compliance. Baseline glomerular filtration rate <60 ml/min and cisplatin were significantly associated with poor week 5 compliance to chemotherapy (P = 0.003 and 0.02, respectively). Omission of week 5 chemotherapy was associated with significantly worse locoregional failure-free survival [hazard ratio (HR) 2.53 (1.33-4.82) P = 0.005]. Dose reductions/delays or omission of week 5 chemotherapy were associated with significantly worse PFS {HR: 1.56 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.18-2.06], P = 0.002 and HR: 2.39 (95% CI: 1.44-3.98), P = 0.001, respectively} and OS [HR: 1.92 (95% CI: 1.41-2.63), P < 0.001 and HR: 2.88 (95% CI: 1.63-5.08), P < 0.001, respectively]. Receiving the target radiotherapy dose in >42 days is associated with worse PFS and OS [HR: 1.72 (95% CI: 1.17-2.54), P =0.006].

CONCLUSION

Poor compliance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy were associated with worse locoregional failure-free survival, PFS and OS. Treatment interruptions should be minimised, and OTT and total dose maintained.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER

ISRCTN 26715889.

Is Single Cord Irradiation Going to Be a New Standard for T1a Glottic Carcinoma?

Purpose and Objective: To evaluate the disease-free survival, overall survival, dosimetric, and voice handicap index (VHI) results of T1a glottic invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) patients who underwent hypofractionated single vocal cord irradiation (HSVCI).

Materials and Methods: The data of 18 patients with stage T1a glottic SCC were collected prospectively and analyzed retrospectively between July 2016 and July 2019. Patients were immobilized using a custom-fitted thermoplastic face and shoulder mask in hyperextension position. The CT scan was performed with 1-mm-thick slices. A planned target volume (PTV) margin of 3 mm was given to clinical target volume (CTV) in all directions, and 13 organs at risk were identified. Patients were prescribed a total of 5760–5808 cGy in 15–16 fractions. Patients had daily cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), and the treatment was carried out with the physician. VHI test was applied to patients before and at the end of radiotherapy (RT) and 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 months after the completion of RT.

Results: Local control and overall survival rate is 100% for a median of 18 months (6–44 months) of follow-up. A patient was diagnosed with 2nd primary lung cancer and active treatment still continues. All patients completed the treatment within the scheduled time. Grade 1–2 dysphagia and dermatitis occurred in all patients, and no grade 3 and above side effects were observed. The mean values of VHI were 37.00, 39.83, 38.28, 17.17, 12.22, 8.56, and 6.06 at the beginning of RT, at the end of RT, and 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 months after RT, respectively.

Conclusion: Compared to surgery and conventional laryngeal radiotherapy, HSVCI is an alternative treatment method for T1a glottic cancer by reducing the treatment time to 3 weeks, facilitating recurrence treatment, and providing effective sound quality without compromising local control. Considering that ~80% of recurrences in glottic cancer occur within the first 2 years, 100% local control in a median of 18 months is extremely successful, but long-term follow-up is essential to observe possible late side effects.

Head and neck radiotherapy amid the COVID-19 pandemic: practice recommendations of the Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO)

Management of patients with head and neck cancers (HNCs) is challenging for the Radiation Oncologist, especially in the COVID-19 era. The Italian Society of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO) identified the need of practice recommendations on logistic issues, treatment delivery and healthcare personnel’s protection in a time of limited resources. A panel of 15 national experts on HNCs completed a modified Delphi process. A five-point Likert scale was used; the chosen cut-offs for strong agreement and agreement were 75% and 66%, respectively. Items were organized into two sections: (1) general recommendations (10 items) and (2) special recommendations (45 items), detailing a set of procedures to be applied to all specific phases of the Radiation Oncology workflow. The distribution of facilities across the country was as follows: 47% Northern, 33% Central and 20% Southern regions. There was agreement or strong agreement across the majority (93%) of proposed items including treatment strategies, use of personal protection devices, set-up modifications and follow-up re-scheduling. Guaranteeing treatment delivery for HNC patients is well-recognized in Radiation Oncology. Our recommendations provide a flexible tool for management both in the pandemic and post-pandemic phase of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Missed radiation therapy sessions in first three weeks predict distant metastasis and less favorable outcomes in surgically treated patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma

Background

We sought to investigate the prognostic impact of missed RT sessions in patients who had undergone surgery for oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC).

Methods

The study sample consisted of 905 patients with surgically treated OCSCC who fulfilled criteria of RT course ≤8 weeks. The study participants were divided into three groups based on the characteristics of missed RT, as follows: 1) early missed RT, 2) late missed RT, and 3) RT as scheduled.

Results

The 5-year overall survival (OS) rates in the early missed RT, late missed RT, and RT as scheduled groups were 53.0, 58.1, and 64.5%, respectively (p = 0.046). In multivariate analysis, early missed RT was independently associated with both OS (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.486; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.122–1.966; p = 0.006) and the occurrence of distant metastasis (HR = 1.644; 95% CI: 1.047–2.583; p = 0.031).

Conclusion

Early missed RT was independently associated with a higher occurrence of distant metastasis and less favorable OS in patients who had undergone surgery for OCSCC.