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Smith J, Margalit D, Golledge J, Nastasi D, Nohria A, McDowell L. Carotid Artery Stenosis and Ischemic Stroke in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer Treated With Radiation Therapy: A Critical Review. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2024:S0360-3016(24)00474-7. [PMID: 38583496 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2024.03.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
The purpose of this review is to summarize the literature on carotid artery stenosis (CAS) and ischemic stroke (IS) in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) treated with radiation therapy (RT) to guide assessment, screening, and management strategies. Patients treated with RT for HNC are at an elevated risk of developing CAS, with published meta-analyses demonstrating that CAS >50% occurs in approximately 25% of patients. Previous research suggests a 10-year cumulative incidence of stroke between 5.7% and 12.5%. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk prediction tools such as Qstroke, QRISK-2, and Framingham risk score perform poorly for predicting IS for patients with HNC who received RT. Duplex ultrasound is the most common imaging modality to assess CAS, but controversy remains as to the utility of screening asymptomatic individuals. Only 3 of the 5 major HNC survivorship guidelines acknowledge RT as a risk factor for CAS or IS, while only 1 makes a specific recommendation on screening for CAS (American Head and Neck Society). Within the general population, only 1 CVD guideline discusses RT as a risk factor for CAS (Society for Vascular Surgery). Clinicians involved in the care of patients with HNC treated with RT should be aware of the increased risk of CAS and IS and the challenges in risk prediction. Although there is a lack of evidence to make firm recommendations, HNC survivorship recommendations should ensure HNC survivors and primary care providers are informed of these risks and the importance of assessment and management of CVD risk factors. Future studies are required to refine risk prediction models in patients with HNC and to determine those most likely to benefit from targeted screening and initiation of early preventative strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Smith
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Department of Radiation Oncology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Australia.
| | - Danielle Margalit
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jonathan Golledge
- Queensland Research Centre for Peripheral Vascular Disease, College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia; The Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Townsville University Hospital, Townsville, Australia; The Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, Townsville, Australia
| | - Domenico Nastasi
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Gold Coast University Hospital, Gold Coast, Australia
| | - Anju Nohria
- Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Adult Survivorship Program, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Lachlan McDowell
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Department of Radiation Oncology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Australia
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Mosleh MM, Sohn MJ, Kim HS. Endothelial marker profiles in cerebral radiation-induced vasculopathy: A comparative immunohistochemical analysis. Medicine (Baltimore) 2024; 103:e37130. [PMID: 38306519 PMCID: PMC10843420 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000037130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Radiation therapy results in radiation-induced vasculopathy, characterized by alterations in the vascular architecture stemming from radiation exposure. The exact molecular pathways and associated pathologies of this condition have yet to be comprehensively understood. This study aimed to identify specific markers' roles in cerebral vascular endothelial injury pathogenesis after radiosurgery and explore their unique expression patterns in diverse pathologies post-stereotactic radiosurgery. A retrospective cohort study was conducted to assess the expression profiles of endothelial markers via immunohistochemical analysis in 25 adult patients (13 males and 12 females) who had undergone neurosurgical resection for various central nervous system pathologies following stereotactic radiosurgery or radiotherapy from 2001 to 2015. Our findings revealed strong immunohistochemical expression of ICAM-1 and E-selectin across various disease states, while MMP-9, PAI-1, and eNOS exhibited moderate expression levels. In contrast, VCAM-1 and P-Selectin had the weakest expression across all groups. Notably, while individual markers showed significant variations in expression levels when comparing different diseases (P < .001), no substantial differences were found in the overall immunohistochemical expression patterns across the 5 distinct pathologies studied (P = .407, via 2-way ANOVA). Despite the varied long-term effects of radiotherapy on the vascular endothelium, a common thread of inflammation runs through the pathology of these conditions. The distinct patterns of marker expression identified in our study suggest that different markers play unique roles in the development of radiation-induced vasculopathy. These findings offer insights that could lead to the development of novel preventive strategies and treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Mohsen Mosleh
- Department of Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Inje University, Busanjin-gu, Busan, Korea
| | - Moon-Jun Sohn
- Department of Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Inje University, Busanjin-gu, Busan, Korea
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neuroscience & Radiosurgery Hybrid Research Center, Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital, College of Medicine, Ilsanseo-gu, Goyang City, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
| | - Han Seong Kim
- Department of Pathology, Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital, Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital, College of Medicine, Ilsanseo-gu, Goyang City, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
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