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Ladbury C, Sueyoshi MH, Brovold NM, Kumar R, Andraos TY, Gogineni E, Kim M, Klopp A, Albuquerque K, Kunos C, Leung E, Mantz C, Biswas T, Beriwal S, Small W, Erickson B, Gaffney D, Lo SS, Viswanathan AN. Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Gynecologic Malignancies: A Case-Based Radiosurgery Society Practice Review. Pract Radiat Oncol 2024; 14:252-266. [PMID: 37875223 DOI: 10.1016/j.prro.2023.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The use of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for gynecologic malignancies is controversial. We discuss certain circumstances when highly precise SBRT may be a useful tool to consider in the management of selected patients. METHODS AND MATERIALS Case selection included the following scenarios, the first 2 with palliative intent, para-aortic nodal oligorecurrence of ovarian cancer, pelvic sidewall oligorecurrence of cervical cancer, and inoperable endometrial cancer boost after intensity modulated radiation to the pelvis treated with curative intent. Patient characteristics, fractionation, prescription dose, treatment technique, and dose constraints were discussed. Relevant literature to these cases was summarized to provide a framework for treatment of similar patients. RESULTS Treatment of gynecologic malignancies with SBRT requires many considerations, including treatment intent, optimal patient selection, fractionation selection, tumor localization, and plan optimization. Although other treatment paradigms including conventionally fractionated radiation therapy and brachytherapy remain the standard-of-care for definitive treatment of gynecologic malignancies, SBRT may have a role in palliative cases or those where high doses are not required due to the unacceptable toxicity that may occur with SBRT. CONCLUSIONS A case-based practice review was developed by the Radiosurgery Society to provide a practical guide to the common scenarios noted above affecting patients with gynecologic malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colton Ladbury
- Department of Radiation Oncology, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California.
| | - Mark H Sueyoshi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Nellie M Brovold
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Ritesh Kumar
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey
| | - Therese Y Andraos
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Ohio State University James Cancer Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Emile Gogineni
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Ohio State University James Cancer Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Minsun Kim
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Ann Klopp
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Kevin Albuquerque
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, Texas
| | - Charles Kunos
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky
| | - Eric Leung
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Center, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Tithi Biswas
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Sushil Beriwal
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - William Small
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Loyola University Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Beth Erickson
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - David Gaffney
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Utah Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Simon S Lo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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Colson-Fearon D, Han K, Roumeliotis MB, Viswanathan AN. Updated Trends in Cervical Cancer Brachytherapy Utilization and Disparities in the United States From 2004 to 2020. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2024; 119:154-162. [PMID: 38040060 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2023.11.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Lower brachytherapy utilization for cervical cancer patients is associated with decreased survival. This study examines more recent trends in brachytherapy utilization from 2004 to 2020 to assess any trend reversal after awareness increased regarding the importance of brachytherapy. METHODS AND MATERIALS This study analyzed data from the National Cancer Database of patients with Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) IB to IVA cervical cancer treated with radiation therapy between 2004 and 2020. To compare brachytherapy utilization over time, 2- to 3-year categories were created to account for potential variation seen in individual years. A multivariate log binomial regression with robust variance was used to estimate the incidence rate ratio (IRR) of brachytherapy utilization in each year category in reference to the 2004-2006 category. Additionally, risk factors for brachytherapy utilization were identified. RESULTS Overall brachytherapy utilization for cervical cancer increased from 54.9% in 2004 to 75.7% in 2020. Compared with 2004 to 2006 when rates of utilization totaled 55.2%, brachytherapy utilization significantly increased to 63.4% in 2011 to 2014 (IRR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.11-1.19), 66.0% in 2015 to 2017 (1.20 [1.16-1.23]), and 76.0% in 2018 to 2020 (1.38 [1.34-1.42]). Sociodemographic factors associated with lower brachytherapy utilization included Black race (0.94 [0.92-0.97]), Hispanic ethnicity (0.92 [0.90-0.95]), and age >59 years (age ≥60-69: 0.96 [0.94-0.98]; age ≥70-79: 0.89 [0.87-0.92]; age ≥80: 0.73 [0.69-0.77]). Positive predictors of brachytherapy utilization included having insurance (IRR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.07-1.14). CONCLUSIONS In patients with FIGO IB-IVA cervical cancer treated with radiation therapy from 2004 to 2020, brachytherapy utilization has increased during the past decade. These results are encouraging given the known benefit to cause-specific survival and overall survival provided by brachytherapy treatment and indicate a reversal in the trend of declining brachytherapy noted previously. Concerns related to disparities by race, ethnicity, and insurance status require further interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darien Colson-Fearon
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Kathy Han
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael B Roumeliotis
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
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Han K, Colson-Fearon D, Liu ZA, Viswanathan AN. Updated Trends in the Utilization of Brachytherapy in Cervical Cancer in the United States: A Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results Study. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2024; 119:143-153. [PMID: 37951548 PMCID: PMC11023766 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2023.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Our previous Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) study revealed a concerning decline in brachytherapy utilization in the United States between 1988 and 2009. This study evaluates recent trends in brachytherapy utilization in cervical cancer and identifies factors and survival benefit associated with the use of brachytherapy treatment. METHODS AND MATERIALS Using SEER data, 8500 patients with International Federation of Gynecologists and Obstetricians 2009 stage IB2-IVA cervical cancer treated with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) between 2000 and 2020 were identified. Logistic regression analysis was performed on potential factors associated with brachytherapy use: age, marital status, race, ethnicity, income, metropolitan status, year of diagnosis, SEER region, histology, grade, and stage. To adjust for differences between patients who received brachytherapy and those who did not, propensity-score matching was used. Multivariable Cox regression analysis assessed the association of brachytherapy use with cervical cancer-specific mortality (CSM) and all-cause mortality (ACM) in the matched cohort. RESULTS Sixty-four percent of the 8500 women received brachytherapy in combination with EBRT; 36% received EBRT alone. The brachytherapy utilization rate declined sharply in 2003/2004 (lowest rate 44% in 2003) and then gradually improved especially in 2018 to 2020 (76%). Factors associated with higher odds of brachytherapy use included younger age, married (vs single), later years of diagnosis, certain SEER regions, and earlier stage. In the propensity-score matched cohort, brachytherapy treatment was associated with lower 4-year cumulative incidence of cancer death (32.1% vs 43.4%; P < .001) and better overall survival (64.0% vs 51.4%; P < .001). Brachytherapy treatment was independently associated with lower CSM (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.64-0.76; P < .001) and ACM (hazard ratio, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.67-0.78; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS Brachytherapy utilization among SEER regions has improved since 2004 in patients with stage IB2-IVA cervical cancer. Brachytherapy use remains independently associated with significantly lower CSM and ACM and is an essential component of treatment for patients with locally advanced cervical cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathy Han
- Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | | | - Zhihui Amy Liu
- Department of Biostatistics, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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Colson-Fearon D, Stone R, Viswanathan AN. Risk Factors and Survival Impact Associated With Documentation of Radiation Therapy Refusal in Patients With Gynecologic Cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2024; 118:427-435. [PMID: 37657506 PMCID: PMC10842819 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2023.08.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Radiation therapy (RT) refusal is known to have deleterious effects on survival for multiple cancer types. Factors associated with RT refusal by patients with gynecologic malignancies have not been well described. This study aimed to examine factors associated with and the survival impact of documented RT refusal among patients with gynecologic cancers. METHODS AND MATERIALS This study analyzed data from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) of patients with gynecologic cancers diagnosed between 2004 and 2020. Patients were included if they had complete survival data and a documented RT recommendation by their treating physician in the NCDB. Patients coded as received RT were compared with those coded as refused RT in the NCDB using a multivariate log binomial regression with robust variance to yield incidence rate ratios (IRR). Overall survival was analyzed using a multivariate (MV) Cox proportional hazards model to yield hazard ratios. RESULTS This study identified 209,976 patients. A total of 5.75% (n = 12,081) patients were coded as refusing RT. Multivariable IRR showed that documentation of RT refusal was positively associated with older age (MV IRR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.041-1.045), Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander race (1.72 [1.27-2.32]), and increased morbidity (score = 1: 1.06 [1.02-1.11]; score = 2: 1.20 [1.12-1.29]; score ≥3: 1.26 [1.14-1.38]). Negative associations were seen with Hispanic ethnicity (0.74 [0.67-0.80]), having insurance (0.58 [0.53-0.63]), and annual income >$74,063 (0.85 [0.81-0.90]). During the 16-year period, a statistically significant test for trend (P = .001) for increasing RT refusal was noted. RT refusal was associated with a significantly higher risk of death (MV hazard ratio, 1.59 [1.55-1.63]). CONCLUSIONS For patients with gynecologic malignancies diagnosed from 2004 to 2020, an increase in documented RT refusal is associated with decreased overall survival in all disease types. Targeted interventions aimed at mitigating potential sociodemographic barriers to receipt of RT are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darien Colson-Fearon
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Rebecca Stone
- Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
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Miles D, Sforza D, Wong JW, Gabrielson K, Aziz K, Mahesh M, Coulter JB, Siddiqui I, Tran PT, Viswanathan AN, Rezaee M. FLASH Effects Induced by Orthovoltage X-Rays. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2023; 117:1018-1027. [PMID: 37364800 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2023.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This work describes the first implementation and in vivo study of ultrahigh-dose-rate radiation (>37 Gy/s; FLASH) effects induced by kilovoltage (kV) x-ray from a rotating-anode x-ray source. METHODS AND MATERIALS A high-capacity rotating-anode x-ray tube with an 80-kW generator was implemented for preclinical FLASH radiation research. A custom 3-dimensionally printed immobilization and positioning tool was developed for reproducible irradiation of a mouse hind limb. Calibrated Gafchromic (EBT3) film and thermoluminescent dosimeters (LiF:Mg,Ti) were used for in-phantom and in vivo dosimetry. Healthy FVB/N and FVBN/C57BL/6 outbred mice were irradiated on 1 hind leg to doses up to 43 Gy at FLASH (87 Gy/s) and conventional (CONV; <0.05 Gy/s) dose rates. The radiation doses were delivered using a single pulse with the widths up to 500 ms and 15 minutes at FLASH and CONV dose rates. Histologic assessment of radiation-induced skin damage was performed at 8 weeks posttreatment. Tumor growth suppression was assessed using a B16F10 flank tumor model in C57BL6J mice irradiated to 35 Gy at both FLASH and CONV dose rates. RESULTS FLASH-irradiated mice experienced milder radiation-induced skin injuries than CONV-irradiated mice, visible by 4 weeks posttreatment. At 8 weeks posttreatment, normal tissue injury was significantly reduced in FLASH-irradiated animals compared with CONV-irradiated animals for histologic endpoints including inflammation, ulceration, hyperplasia, and fibrosis. No difference in tumor growth response was observed between FLASH and CONV irradiations at 35 Gy. The normal tissue sparing effects of FLASH irradiations were observed only for high-severity endpoint of ulceration at 43 Gy, which suggests the dependency of biologic endpoints to FLASH radiation dose. CONCLUSIONS Rotating-anode x-ray sources can achieve FLASH dose rates in a single pulse with dosimetric properties suitable for small-animal experiments. We observed FLASH normal tissue sparing of radiation toxicities in mouse skin irradiated at 35 Gy with no sacrifice to tumor growth suppression. This study highlights an accessible new modality for laboratory study of the FLASH effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devin Miles
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Daniel Sforza
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - John W Wong
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Kathleen Gabrielson
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Khaled Aziz
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Mahadevappa Mahesh
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jonathan B Coulter
- Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Ismaeel Siddiqui
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Phuoc T Tran
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Mohammad Rezaee
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
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Graham MK, Mao S, Viswanathan AN, Wang R, Wodu B, Gupta A, Vaghasia A, Leitzel J, Lowe K, Pasquale SD, Kaplin D, DeWeese TL, Yegnasubramanian S. Defining the Transcriptional Landscapes of the Tumor Microenvironment of Cervical and Vaginal Cancers at Single-Cell Resolution. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2023; 117:e531. [PMID: 37785648 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2023.06.1813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S) Malignancies found within vaginal tissue are often diagnosed as cancers of the cervix, vulva, or urethra and are clinically treated with similar modalities. However, the rarity of vaginal cancer may be an artifice of categorization; current treatment paradigms do not take into account tissue-specific mutations and differences in mechanistic pathways intracellularly. Understanding the shared and distinctly different transcriptional profiles of vaginal and cervical tumors at a single-cell resolution will provide insights in vaginal tumor biology and will open avenues for future clinical interventions. MATERIALS/METHODS Biopsies of tumor and adjacent normal tissue from 9 patients (3 adenocarcinomas (ADC), 3 squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) from the cervix, and 3 vaginal SCC) were collected and analyzed by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to compare the tumor, immune, and stromal features of cervical and vaginal cancers. RESULTS Collectively, over 50,000 cells were analyzed by scRNA-seq in this study. We performed dimensionality reduction and clustering analysis of the single-cell transcriptomes to identify the major cell types composing the vaginal and cervical tumor tissues. Compared to Cervical SCC, Vaginal SCC tissues showed reduced fractions of macrophages (-2.7 log2-fold; padj < 0.02) and T cells (-3.7 log2-fold; padj < 0.02) by differential cell proportion analysis (RAISIN). Likewise, the vaginal SCC epithelial cell compartments showed downregulation of inflammatory pathways including TNF signaling via NFKB (NES = -5.7, padj = 5.0 × 10-19), IL2 STAT5 signaling (NES = -4.5, padj = 1.6 × 10-12), and interferon gamma response (NES = -4.3, padj = 9.4 × 10-12), among the Hallmark pathway collection. On the other hand, vaginal SCC epithelial cells showed significant upregulation of oxidative phosphorylation (NES = 4.8, padj = 1.7 × 10-17), p53 pathway (NES = 4.2, padj = 1.8 × 10-13), mTORC1 signaling (NES = 4.2, padj = 1.9 × 10-13), and estrogen early and late response (NES = 4.0, padj < 7.5 × 10-12) compared to cervical SCC. CONCLUSION These results highlight distinct differences in the cell type composition and cancer epithelial pathways in vaginal vs. cervical SCC. Among upregulated pathways in vaginal SCC, ER and mTORC1 pathway activation may represent targets for therapeutic intervention worthy of further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- M K Graham
- Department of Urology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - S Mao
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - A N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD; Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - R Wang
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - B Wodu
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - A Gupta
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - A Vaghasia
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - J Leitzel
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - K Lowe
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - S Di Pasquale
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - D Kaplin
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - T L DeWeese
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - S Yegnasubramanian
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD; Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
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Mao SPH, Desravines N, Zarei S, Viswanathan AN, Fader AN. Combined trastuzumab and radiation therapy for HER2-positive uterine serous carcinoma: A case report. Gynecol Oncol Rep 2023; 49:101250. [PMID: 37575611 PMCID: PMC10415829 DOI: 10.1016/j.gore.2023.101250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Overexpression of HER2 in endometrial cancer is associated with poor prognosis, aggressive disease, and resistance to standard therapies. Recent studies have shown that HER2-targeted therapies, such as trastuzumab, can be effective in treating HER2-positive endometrial cancer in combination with chemotherapy. Currently, the management of advanced-stage HER2-positive uterine serous carcinoma (USC) consists of adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy with concurrent trastuzumab followed by trastuzumab maintenance therapy until disease recurrence or prohibitive toxicity. In the setting of persistent pelvic disease following systemic therapy, consolidation with tumor-directed radiation therapy also offers an opportunity to eradicate residual disease. With the emergence of molecular tumor classifications and systemic therapies (chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and target therapies), the landscape of adjuvant multi-modality therapy is ever changing and increasingly individualized. Currently, there is no prospective evidence to guide pelvic radiotherapy with concurrent trastuzumab in endometrial cancer, and as a result, no reported toxicity in endometrial cancer patients. In this case report, we present two patients with HER2-positive USC who received multi-agent chemotherapy with trastuzumab followed by pelvic radiation therapy and concurrent trastuzumab. Both patients tolerated this multimodal treatment without significant or persistent moderate or severe adverse events. These two cases provide insight into the safety and feasibility of administering radiation therapy with trastuzumab in endometrial cancer in the maintenance phase. Our report suggests that trastuzumab-based therapy may be a promising treatment option for HER2-positive endometrial cancer patients who receive concurrent or adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- SPH Mao
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - N Desravines
- The Kelly Gynecologic Oncology Service, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - S Zarei
- Gynecologic Pathology, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - AN Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - AN Fader
- The Kelly Gynecologic Oncology Service, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Sheikh K, Schmidt E, Daniel BL, Lee J, Tokuda J, Jerosch-Herold M, Benkert T, Bhat H, Seethamraju RT, Viswanathan AN. Image Derived Estimates of Fibrosis Using Ultrashort Echo Time MRI in Gynecologic Cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2023; 117:S67. [PMID: 37784551 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2023.06.371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S) Fibrosis forms during and after radiation therapy (RT) due to wound-healing and cell death. In gynecologic cancer patients treated with EBRT and HDR, we evaluated image derived (ID) acute fibrosis (IDFA) and chronic fibrosis (IDFC) estimates using non-contrast and late gadolinium contrast enhanced (LGE) inversion recovery ultrashort echo time (IR UTE) MRI, respectively. We hypothesized that that ID markers can quantify FA and FC within tumor as a result of response to RT and that fibrosis changes over the course of RT are associated with tumor regression. MATERIALS/METHODS Subjects: Three subjects with cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), 1 subject with cervical adenocarcinoma, and 2 subjects with vaginal SCC undergoing RT were included. Image Acquisition & Analysis: 1.5T MR imaging at four time-points (TPs): pre-RT, on-RT, post-RT, and post 3mo RT. IDFA imaging: Stack of spirals dual echo (TE = 50, 2690µs), TI = 60ms IR UTE research application. Subtracting the two echoes yielded short TE signal intensity (SI). IDFC imaging: stack of spirals dual echo IR UTE research application, TE = 50µs, TI = 200ms, acquired 15 minutes following contrast. Remnant tumor was contoured at each TP with T2, ADC, and DCE. Relative IDFA, IDFC quantification: voxel-wise IR UTE and LGE IR UTE signal intensity (SI) normalized to gluteal muscle SI. The sum of normalized IDFA and IDFC SI within the remnant tumor at each TP was divided by the corresponding tumor volume yielding tumor intensity (TI) TIFA and TIFC fibrosis accumulation estimates. STATISTICS The coefficients of variation (COV) for TIFA and TIFC were calculated by varying tumor margins and re-computing TIFA and TIFC. Univariate relationships were evaluated using linear regression. RESULTS The COVs for TIFA = 13% and TIFC = 7%. IDFA and IDFC were observed pre-RT on the tumor periphery, on-RT and post-RT within the tumor, with IDFA potentially transforming into IDFC. Table 1 shows that a greater decrease in tumor volume post RT was correlated with a larger pre-RT TIFA (r = -0.85, p = .03). Decrease in tumor volume was correlated with a larger TIFC post-RT (r = -0.79, p = .05). Post 3 month TIFC was associated with tumor reduction (r = 0.82, n = 4). CONCLUSION In this pilot study, we developed reproducible methods to quantify IDFA and IDFC within remnant tumor. Our results suggest that IDFA and IDFC may be associated with tumor response based on tumor volume.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Sheikh
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - E Schmidt
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - B L Daniel
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - J Lee
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - J Tokuda
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | | | - T Benkert
- MR Applications Predevelopment, Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Erlangen, Germany
| | - H Bhat
- Siemens Healthineers, Boston, MA
| | | | - A N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
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Chang L, Song D, Hales RK, Viswanathan AN, Wright JL. Quantifying Value in an Iterative Disease-Site Specific Peer Review System. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2023; 117:e369-e370. [PMID: 37785261 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2023.06.2468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S) To assess the greatest impact of peer review on treatment planning and plan modification in two disease-site specific peer review groups to improve quality assurance workflow. MATERIALS/METHODS We implemented an iterative peer review checklist tool and treatment planning registry to document recommendations and time spent in breast and thoracic disease-site specific peer review. Plan review included discussion of the clinical scenario, radiation dose/fractionation, prescription, organs at risk and target volumes, planning metrics including dose volume histogram and patient setup. Pre-treatment (Pre-tx) review of volumes and plans occurred prior to treatment start for definitive plans of ≤five fractions or using protons, and cases were re-reviewed in subsequent sessions to complete checklist items as needed. Reviews were graded as follows: discussion (no required changes), minor recommendations (changes recommended at attending discretion) and major recommendations (changes required). Students t-test and chi-squared analysis were used to identify statistical significance. RESULTS We identified 723 peer reviews over a 3-month period: 275 thoracic reviews of 195 unique patients (32% reviewed ≥twice), and 448 breast reviews of 273 unique patients (48% reviewed ≥twice, most commonly for a boost plan). On average, pre-tx review doubled the amount of time spent per case, (4:47min versus 2:03min, p<0.01) and resulted in significantly more discussion (29.3% vs 9.3%, p<0.01), minor changes recommended (13.2% versus 4.8%, p<0.01) and plan revision (19.2% versus 2.4%, p<0.01). Thoracic pre-tx reviews were twice as long as breast (5:43min versus 3:00min, p<0.01), and had a greater proportion of cases prompting discussion (26.7% vs 13.2%, p<0.01) and minor changes recommended (12.8% vs 6.3%, p<0.01). No time difference was found in regular review (2:19min vs 1:58 min, p = 0.09). The most frequent discussion/recommendation topics also varied by group with planning metrics in thoracic cases (14.9%) and setup imaging including PORT films and electron setup (5.1%) in breast (Table). CONCLUSION Iterative plan review with pre-review for selected cases encouraged educational discussion and plan revision, with notable variability by disease site. Thoracic cases required longer review time and had more frequent plan change recommendations likely reflecting differences in case complexity. In contrast, setup imaging in breast cases, which are more commonly 3D or electron-based, more frequently warranted discussion/revision and should be considered within the peer review paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Chang
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - D Song
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - R K Hales
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - A N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - J L Wright
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
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10
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Mao SPH, Han-Oh S, Moore J, Huang E, McNutt TR, Souranis AN, Briner V, Halthore A, Alcorn SR, Meyer JJ, Viswanathan AN, Wright JL. Selective de-implementation of routine in vivo dosimetry. J Appl Clin Med Phys 2023:e13953. [PMID: 36877712 DOI: 10.1002/acm2.13953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023] Open
Abstract
As cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) has become the localization method for a majority of cases, the indications for diode-based confirmation of accurate patient set-up and treatment are now limited and must be balanced between proper resource allocation and optimizing efficiency without compromising safety. We undertook a de-implementation quality improvement project to discontinue routine diode use in non-intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) cases in favor of tailored selection of scenarios where diodes may be useful. After analysis of safety reports from the last 5 years, literature review, and stakeholder discussions, our safety and quality (SAQ) committee introduced a recommendation to limit diode use to specific scenarios in which in vivo verification may add value to standard quality assurance (QA) processes. To assess changes in patterns of use, we reviewed diode use by clinical indication 4 months prior and after the implementation of the revised policy, which includes use of diodes for: 3D conformal photon fields set up without CBCT; total body irradiation (TBI); electron beams; cardiac devices within 10 cm of the treatment field; and unique scenarios on a case-by-case basis. We identified 4459 prescriptions and 1038 unique instances of diode use across five clinical sites from 5/2021 to 1/2022. After implementation of the revised policy, we observed an overall decrease in diode use from 32% to 13.2%, with a precipitous drop in 3D cases utilizing CBCT (from 23.2% to 4%), while maintaining diode utilization in the 5 selected scenarios including 100% of TBI and electron cases. By identifying specific indications for diode use and creating a user-friendly platform for case selection, we have successfully de-implemented routine diode use in favor of a selective process that identifies cases where the diode is important for patient safety. In doing so, we have streamlined patient care and decreased cost without compromising patient safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena P H Mao
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sarah Han-Oh
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Joseph Moore
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ellen Huang
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Todd R McNutt
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Annette N Souranis
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Valerie Briner
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Aditya Halthore
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sarah R Alcorn
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jeffrey J Meyer
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jean L Wright
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
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11
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Cao Y, Fabre V, Anderson R, Bova G, Souranis AN, Briner V, Kleinberg LR, Han-Oh S, Wright JL, Viswanathan AN. From Alpha to Omicron: A Radiation Oncology Network's Biocontainment-Based COVID-19 Experience. Adv Radiat Oncol 2023; 8:101094. [PMID: 36311821 PMCID: PMC9597568 DOI: 10.1016/j.adro.2022.101094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose To develop the safest possible environment for treating urgent patients with COVID-19 requiring radiation, we describe the unique construction of negative air pressure computed tomography simulator and linear accelerator treatment vaults in addition to screening, delay, and treatment protocols and their evolution over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods and Materials Construction of large high-efficiency particulate air filter air-flow systems into existing ductwork in computed tomography simulator rooms and photon and proton treatment vaults was completed to create negative-pressure rooms. An asymptomatic COVID-19 screening protocol was implemented for all patients before initiation of treatment. Patients could undergo simulation and/or treatment in the biocontainment environments according to a predefined priority scale and protocol. Patients treated under the COVID-19 protocol from June 2020 to January 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Results Negative air-flow environments were created across a regional network, including a multi-gantry proton therapy unit. In total, 6525 patients were treated from June 2020 through January 2022 across 5 separate centers. The majority of patients with COVID-19 had radiation treatment deferred when deemed safe. A total of 42 patients with COVID-19, who were at highest risk of an adverse outcome should there be a radiation delay, were treated under the COVID-19 biocontainment protocol in contrast to those who were placed on treatment break. For 61.9% of patients, these safety measures mitigated an extended break during treatment. The majority of patients (64.3%) were treated with curative intent. The median number of biocontainment sessions required by each patient was 6 (range, 1-15) before COVID-19 clearance and resumption of treatment in a normal air-flow environment. Conclusions Constructing negative-pressure environments and developing a COVID-19 biocontainment treatment protocol allowed for the safe treatment of urgent radiation oncology patients with COVID-19 within our department and strengthens future biopreparedness. These biocontainment units set a high standard of safety in radiation oncology during the current or for any future infectious outbreak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilin Cao
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Valeria Fabre
- Department of Medicine – Infectious Disease, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland,Department of Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Control, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Roberta Anderson
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Gregory Bova
- Johns Hopkins Health System, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Annette N. Souranis
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Valerie Briner
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Lawrence R. Kleinberg
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Sarah Han-Oh
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jean L. Wright
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Akila N. Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland,Corresponding author: Akila N. Viswanathan, MD, MPH
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12
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Kut C, Kao T, Morcos M, Kim Y, Boctor E, Viswanathan AN. 3D-printed Magnetic Resonance (MR)-based gynecological phantom for image-guided brachytherapy training. Brachytherapy 2022; 21:799-805. [PMID: 36050143 PMCID: PMC10810234 DOI: 10.1016/j.brachy.2022.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES There is a clinical need to develop anatomic phantoms for simulation-based learning in gynecological brachytherapy. Here, we provide a step-by-step approach to build a life-sized gynecological training phantom based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of an individual patient. Our hypothesis is that this phantom can generate convincing ultrasound (US) images that are similar to patient scans. METHODS Organs-at-risk were manually segmented using patient scans (MRI). The gynecological phantom was constructed using positive molds from 3D printing and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastisol. Tissue texture/acoustic properties were simulated using different plastic softener/hardener ratios and microbead densities. Nine readers (residents) were asked to evaluate 10 cases (1 ultrasound image per case) and categorize each as a "patient" or "phantom" image. To evaluate whether the phantom and patient images were equivalent, we used a multireader, multicase equivalence study design with two composite null hypotheses with proportion (pr) at H01: pr ≤ 0.35 and H02: pr ≥ 0.65. Readers were also asked to review US videos and identify the insertion of an interstitial needle into the pelvic phantom. Computed Tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) images of the phantom were acquired for a feasibility study. RESULTS Readers correctly classified "patient" and "phantom" scans at pr = 53.3% ± 6.2% (p values 0.013 for H01 and 0.054 for H02, df = 5.96). Readers reviewed US videos and identified the interstitial needle 100% of the time in transabdominal view, and 78% in transrectal view. The phantom was CT and MR safe. CONCLUSIONS We have outlined a manufacturing process to create a life-sized, gynecological phantom that is compatible with multi-modality imaging and can be used to simulate clinical scenarios in image-guided brachytherapy procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Kut
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Tracy Kao
- Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL
| | - Marc Morcos
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Younsu Kim
- Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Emad Boctor
- Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
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13
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Kut C, Chang L, Hales RK, Voong KR, Greco S, Halthore A, Alcorn SR, Song D, Briner V, McNutt TR, Viswanathan AN, Wright JL. Improving Quality Metrics in Radiation Oncology: Implementation of Pretreatment Peer Review for Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy in Patients with Thoracic Cancer. Adv Radiat Oncol 2022; 8:101004. [PMID: 37008272 PMCID: PMC10050896 DOI: 10.1016/j.adro.2022.101004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Traditional peer reviews occur weekly, and can take place up to 1 week after the start of treatment. The American Society for Radiation Oncology peer-review white paper identified stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) as a high priority for contour/plan review before the start of treatment, considering both the rapid-dose falloff and short treatment course. Yet, peer-review goals for SBRT must also balance physician time demands and the desire to avoid routine treatment delays that would occur in the setting of a 100% pretreatment (pre-Tx) review compliance requirement or prolonging the standard treatment planning timeline. Herein, we report on our pilot experience of a pre-Tx peer review of thoracic SBRT cases. Methods and Materials From March 2020 to August 2021, patients undergoing thoracic SBRT were identified for pre-Tx review, and placed on a quality checklist. We implemented twice-weekly meetings for detailed pre-Tx review of organ-at-risk/target contours and dose constraints in the treatment planning system for SBRT cases. Our quality metric goal was to peer review ≥90% of SBRT cases before exceeding 25% of the dose delivered. We used a statistical process control chart with sigma limits (ie, standard deviations [SDs]) to access compliance rates with pre-Tx review implementation. Results We identified 252 patients treated with SBRT to 294 lung nodules. When comparing pre-Tx review completion from initial rollout to full implementation, our rates improved from 19% to 79% (ie, from 1 sigma limit [SDs]) below to >2 sigma limits (SDs) above. Additionally, early completion of any form of contour/plan review (defined as any pre-Tx or standard review completed before exceeding 25% of the dose delivered) increased from 67% to 85% (March 2020-November 2020) to 76% to 94% (December 2020-August 2021). Conclusions We successfully implemented a sustainable workflow for detailed pre-Tx contour/plan review for thoracic SBRT cases in the context of twice-weekly disease site-specific peer-review meetings. We reached our quality improvement objective to peer review ≥90% of SBRT cases before exceeding 25% of the dose delivered. This process was feasible to conduct in an integrated network of sites across our system.
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14
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Zabihollahy F, Viswanathan AN, Schmidt EJ, Lee J. Fully automated segmentation of clinical target volume in cervical cancer from magnetic resonance imaging with convolutional neural network. J Appl Clin Med Phys 2022; 23:e13725. [PMID: 35894782 PMCID: PMC9512359 DOI: 10.1002/acm2.13725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Contouring clinical target volume (CTV) from medical images is an essential step for radiotherapy (RT) planning. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used as a standard imaging modality for CTV segmentation in cervical cancer due to its superior soft-tissue contrast. However, the delineation of CTV is challenging as CTV contains microscopic extensions that are not clearly visible even in MR images, resulting in significant contour variability among radiation oncologists depending on their knowledge and experience. In this study, we propose a fully automated deep learning-based method to segment CTV from MR images. METHODS Our method begins with the bladder segmentation, from which the CTV position is estimated in the axial view. The superior-inferior CTV span is then detected using an Attention U-Net. A CTV-specific region of interest (ROI) is determined, and three-dimensional (3-D) blocks are extracted from the ROI volume. Finally, a CTV segmentation map is computed using a 3-D U-Net from the extracted 3-D blocks. RESULTS We developed and evaluated our method using 213 MRI scans obtained from 125 patients (183 for training, 30 for test). Our method achieved (mean ± SD) Dice similarity coefficient of 0.85 ± 0.03 and the 95th percentile Hausdorff distance of 3.70 ± 0.35 mm on test cases, outperforming other state-of-the-art methods significantly (p-value < 0.05). Our method also produces an uncertainty map along with the CTV segmentation by employing the Monte Carlo dropout technique to draw physician's attention to the regions with high uncertainty, where careful review and manual correction may be needed. CONCLUSIONS Experimental results show that the developed method is accurate, fast, and reproducible for contouring CTV from MRI, demonstrating its potential to assist radiation oncologists in alleviating the burden of tedious contouring for RT planning in cervical cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Zabihollahy
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation SciencesJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Akila N. Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation SciencesJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Ehud J. Schmidt
- Division of Cardiology, Department of MedicineJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Junghoon Lee
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation SciencesJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
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15
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Woodhouse KD, Devlin PM, Kollmeier M, Lin LL, Orio P, Ouhib Z, Song D, Viswanathan AN, Watanabe Y, Yu Y, Small W, Schechter NR. ACR-ABS-ASTRO Practice Parameter for the Performance of Low-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy. Am J Clin Oncol 2022; 45:243-248. [PMID: 35485607 DOI: 10.1097/coc.0000000000000912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
AIM/OBJECTIVES/BACKGROUND The American College of Radiology (ACR), the American Brachytherapy Society (ABS), and the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) have jointly developed the following practice parameter for the performance of low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy. LDR brachytherapy is the application of radioactive sources in or on tumors in a clinical setting with therapeutic intent. The advantages of LDR brachytherapy include improving therapeutic ratios with lower doses to nontarget organs-at-risk and higher doses to a specific target. METHODS This practice parameter was developed according to the process described under the heading. The Process for Developing ACR Practice Parameters and Technical Standards on the ACR website (https://www.acr.org/Clinical-Resources/Practice-Parameters-and-Technical-Standards) by the Committee on Practice Parameters-Radiation Oncology of the Commission on Radiation Oncology, in collaboration with ABS and ASTRO. RESULTS This practice parameter was developed to serve as a tool in the appropriate application of this evolving technology in the care of cancer patients or other patients with conditions where radiation therapy is indicated. It addresses clinical implementation of LDR brachytherapy including personnel qualifications, quality assurance standards, indications, and suggested documentation. This includes a contemporary literature search. CONCLUSIONS This practice parameter is a tool to guide the use of LDR brachytherapy and does not assess relative clinical indication for LDR brachytherapy when compared with other forms of brachytherapy or external beam therapy, but to focus on the best practices required to deliver LDR brachytherapy safely and effectively, when clinically indicated. Comparative costs of versus other modalities therapy may also need to be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Peter Orio
- Boca Raton Regional Hospital, Lynn Cancer Institute, Boca Raton, FL
| | - Zoubir Ouhib
- Boca Raton Regional Hospital, Lynn Cancer Institute, Boca Raton, FL
| | | | | | | | - Yan Yu
- Thomas Jefferson University, Woodbury, NJ
| | - William Small
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Stritch School of Medicine, Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL
| | - Naomi R Schechter
- Keck Medical Center of USC, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
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16
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Franco I, Viswanathan AN. Radiation oncology management of stage III and IVA cervical carcinoma. Int J Gynecol Cancer 2022; 32:231-238. [PMID: 35256408 PMCID: PMC9899098 DOI: 10.1136/ijgc-2021-002491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Worldwide, stage III-IVA carcinomas of the uterine cervix comprise a significant proportion of cases at presentation, and have a higher rate of recurrence and worse overall survival. This review will discuss the epidemiology, prevention strategies, clinical presentation, and treatment recommendations for stage III-IVA cervical cancer. The focus will be on the role of radiation therapy, concurrent chemoradiotherapy, and brachytherapy, including the potential benefits and anticipated toxicities. The unique challenges and considerations of fistula formation and approaches to management will be highlighted, and follow-up care and future directions discussed. As low and middle income countries bear the highest burden of advanced stage carcinoma of the uterine cervix, this review will address the unique needs of global communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Idalid Franco
- Harvard Radiation Oncology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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17
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Gunderman AL, Schmidt EJ, Morcos M, Tokuda J, Seethamraju RT, Halperin HR, Viswanathan AN, Chen Y. MR-Tracked Deflectable Stylet for Gynecologic Brachytherapy. IEEE ASME Trans Mechatron 2022; 27:407-417. [PMID: 35185321 PMCID: PMC8855967 DOI: 10.1109/tmech.2021.3064954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Brachytherapy is a radiation based treatment that is implemented by precisely placing focused radiation sources into tumors. In advanced interstitial cervical cancer bracytherapy treatment, this is performed by placing a metallic rod ("stylet") inside a hollow cylindrical tube ("catheter") and advancing the pair to the desired target. The stylet is removed once the target is reached, followed by the insertion of radiation sources into the catheter. However, manually advancing an initially straight stylet into the tumor with millimeter spatial accuracy has been a long-standing challenge, which requires multiple insertions and retractions, due to the unforeseen stylet deflection caused by the stiff muscle tissue that is traversed. In this paper, we develop a novel tendon-actuated deflectable stylet equipped with MR active-tracking coils that may enhance brachytherapy treatment outcomes by allowing accurate stylet trajectory control. Herein we present the design concept and fabrication method, followed by the kinematic and mechanics models of the deflectable stylet. The hardware and theoretical models are extensively validated via benchtop and MRI-guided characterization. At insertion depths of 60 mm, benchtop phantom targeting tests provided a targeting error of 1. 23 ± 0. 47 mm, and porcine tissue targeting tests provided a targeting error of 1. 65 ± 0. 64 mm, after only a single insertion. MR-guided experiments indicate that the stylet can be safely and accurately located within the MRI environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony L Gunderman
- Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701 USA
| | - Ehud J Schmidt
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD., 21205
| | - Marc Morcos
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD., 21205
| | - Junichi Tokuda
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA., 02115
| | | | - Henry R Halperin
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD., 21205
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD., 21205
| | - Yue Chen
- Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701 USA
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18
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Chargari C, Arbyn M, Leary A, Abu-Rustum NR, Basu P, Bray F, Chopra S, Nout R, Tanderup K, Viswanathan AN, Zacharopoulou C, Soria JC, Deutsch E, Gouy S, Morice P. Increasing global accessibility to high-level treatments for cervical cancers. Gynecol Oncol 2022; 164:231-241. [PMID: 34716024 PMCID: PMC9496636 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2021.10.073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Human papillomaviruses (HPV)-related gynecological cancers are a major health care issue, and a leading cause of cancer death in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). In 2020, the World Health Organization launched a program aimed at cervical cancer elimination, by screening and vaccination strategies. Offering the best possible care to women diagnosed with invasive cancer is a complementary objective. Treatment of cervical cancer as per modern standards is complex and multimodal, mainly relying on surgery, external-beam radiotherapy (+/-chemotherapy) and brachytherapy. In parallel with the pivotal role of multidisciplinary discussion, international societies provide guidance to define the most effective and least toxic anti-cancer strategy, homogenize treatment protocols and provide benchmark quality indicators as a basis for accreditation processes. The challenge is to offer the appropriate diagnostic workup and treatment upfront and to avoid non- evidence-based treatment that consumes resources, impairs quality of life (QoL), and compromises oncological outcome. Various strategies may be applied for improving treatment quality: development of surgical mentorship, companion-training programs and international cooperation. The lack of radiotherapy/brachytherapy facilities is a major concern in LMIC. Reinforcing international support in terms of education, training, research and development and technical cooperation with national projects is required to increase access to minimum requirements but also introduce modern techniques, upgrade radiotherapy/brachytherapy services, and expand access to modern systemic treatments. In countries with robust economies, compliance to standards should also be increased. Integrative cancer care and multidisciplinary approaches are needed to tackle the dual challenge of increasing cure rates while minimizing QoL impairment. Appropriate dimensioning of the resources to avoid harmful treatment delays and access to expert referral centers is also a priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Chargari
- Radiation Oncology, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France; Inserm U-1030, Université Paris-Saclay, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.
| | - M Arbyn
- Unit Cancer Epidemiology - Belgian Cancer Centre, Brussels, Belgium
| | - A Leary
- Medical Oncology, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France
| | - N R Abu-Rustum
- Surgical Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, United States; European Society of Gynecological Oncology, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - P Basu
- Early Detection, Prevention & Infection Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization, Lyon, France
| | - F Bray
- Cancer Surveillance Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer, UK
| | - S Chopra
- Radiation Oncology, Advanced Centre for Treatment Research and Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Maharashtra, India
| | - R Nout
- Radiotherapy, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - K Tanderup
- Department of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - A N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - C Zacharopoulou
- European Parliament, Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, France
| | - J C Soria
- Governance, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France; Université Paris-Saclay, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - E Deutsch
- Radiation Oncology, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France; Inserm U-1030, Université Paris-Saclay, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France; Université Paris-Saclay, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - S Gouy
- Inserm U-1030, Université Paris-Saclay, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France; Université Paris-Saclay, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France; Surgical Oncology, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France
| | - P Morice
- Inserm U-1030, Université Paris-Saclay, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France; European Society of Gynecological Oncology, Geneva, Switzerland; Université Paris-Saclay, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France; Surgical Oncology, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France
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19
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Alipour A, Viswanathan AN, Watkins RD, Elahi H, Loew W, Meyer E, Morcos M, Halperin HR, Schmidt EJ. An endovaginal MRI array with a forward-looking coil for advanced gynecological cancer brachytherapy procedures: Design and initial results. Med Phys 2021; 48:7283-7298. [PMID: 34520574 PMCID: PMC8817785 DOI: 10.1002/mp.15228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To develop an endovaginal MRI array that provides signal enhancement forward into the posterior parametrium and sideways into the vaginal wall, accelerating multiple-contrast detection of residual tumors that survive external beam radiation. The array's enclosure should form an obturator for cervical cancer brachytherapy, allowing integration with MRI-guided catheter placement, CT, and interstitial radiation dose delivery. METHODS The endovaginal array consisted of forward-looking and sideways-looking components. The forward-looking element imaged the cervix and posterior endometrium, and the sideways-looking elements imaged the vaginal wall. Electromagnetic simulation was performed to optimize the geometry of a forward-looking coil placed on a conductive-metallic substrate, extending the forward penetration above the coil's tip. Thereafter, an endovaginal array with one forward-looking coil and four sideways-looking elements was constructed and tested at 1.5 Tesla in saline and gel phantoms, and three sexually mature swine. Each coil's tuning, matching, and decoupling were optimized theoretically, implemented with electronic circuits, and validated with network-analyzer measurements. The array enclosure emulates a conventional brachytherapy obturator, allowing use of the internal imaging array together with tandem coils and interstitial catheters, as well as use of the enclosure alone during CT and radiation delivery. To evaluate the receive magnetic field ( B 1 - ) spatial profile, the endovaginal array's specific absorption-rate (SAR) distribution was simulated inside a gel ASTM phantom to determine extreme heating locations in advance of a heating test. Heating tests were then performed during high SAR imaging in a gel phantom at the predetermined locations, testing compliance with MRI safety standards. To assess array imaging performance, signal-to-noise-ratios (SNR) were calculated in a saline phantom and in vivo. Swine images were acquired with the endovaginal array combined with the scanner's body and spine arrays. RESULTS Simulated B 1 - profiles for the forward-looking lobe pattern, obtained while varying several geometric parameters, disclosed that a forward-looking coil placed on a metal-backed substrate could double the effective forward penetration from approximately 25 to ∼40 mm. An endovaginal array, enclosed in an obturator enclosure was then constructed, with all coils tuned, matched, and decoupled. The ASTM gel-phantom SAR test showed that peak local SAR was 1.2 W/kg in the forward-looking coil and 0.3 W/kg in the sideways-looking elements, well within ASTM/FDA/IEC guidelines. A 15-min 4 W/kg average SAR imaging experiment resulted in less than 2o C temperature increase, also within ASTM/FDA/IEC heating limits. In a saline phantom, the forward-looking coil and sideways-looking array's SNR was four to eight times, over a 20-30 mm field-of-view (FOV), and five to eight times, over a 15-25 mm FOV, relative to the spine array's SNR, respectively. In three sexually mature swine, the forward-looking coil provided a 5 + 0.2 SNR enhancement factor within the cervix and posterior endometrium, and the sideways-looking array provided a 4 + 0.2 SNR gain factor in the vaginal wall, relative to the Siemens spine array, demonstrating that the array could significantly reduce imaging time. CONCLUSIONS Higher SNR gynecological imaging is supported by forward-looking and sideways-looking coils. A forward-looking endovaginal coil for cervix and parametrium imaging was built with optimized metal backing. Array placement within an obturator enhanced integration with the brachytherapy procedure and accelerated imaging for detecting postexternal-beam residual tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akbar Alipour
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA,Department of Radiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Akila N. Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology & Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Ronald D. Watkins
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Hassan Elahi
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Wolfgang Loew
- Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Eric Meyer
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Marc Morcos
- Department of Radiation Oncology & Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Henry R. Halperin
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Ehud J. Schmidt
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA,Department of Radiation Oncology & Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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20
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Zabihollahy F, Viswanathan AN, Schmidt EJ, Morcos M, Lee J. Fully automated multiorgan segmentation of female pelvic magnetic resonance images with coarse-to-fine convolutional neural network. Med Phys 2021; 48:7028-7042. [PMID: 34609756 PMCID: PMC8597653 DOI: 10.1002/mp.15268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Brachytherapy combined with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) is the standard treatment for cervical cancer and has been shown to improve overall survival rates compared to EBRT only. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is used for radiotherapy (RT) planning and image guidance due to its excellent soft tissue image contrast. Rapid and accurate segmentation of organs at risk (OAR) is a crucial step in MR image-guided RT. In this paper, we propose a fully automated two-step convolutional neural network (CNN) approach to delineate multiple OARs from T2-weighted (T2W) MR images. METHODS We employ a coarse-to-fine segmentation strategy. The coarse segmentation step first identifies the approximate boundary of each organ of interest and crops the MR volume around the centroid of organ-specific region of interest (ROI). The cropped ROI volumes are then fed to organ-specific fine segmentation networks to produce detailed segmentation of each organ. A three-dimensional (3-D) U-Net is trained to perform the coarse segmentation. For the fine segmentation, a 3-D Dense U-Net is employed in which a modified 3-D dense block is incorporated into the 3-D U-Net-like network to acquire inter and intra-slice features and improve information flow while reducing computational complexity. Two sets of T2W MR images (221 cases for MR1 and 62 for MR2) were taken with slightly different imaging parameters and used for our network training and test. The network was first trained on MR1 which was a larger sample set. The trained model was then transferred to the MR2 domain via a fine-tuning approach. Active learning strategy was utilized for selecting the most valuable data from MR2 to be included in the adaptation via transfer learning. RESULTS The proposed method was tested on 20 MR1 and 32 MR2 test sets. Mean ± SD dice similarity coefficients are 0.93 ± 0.04, 0.87 ± 0.03, and 0.80 ± 0.10 on MR1 and 0.94 ± 0.05, 0.88 ± 0.04, and 0.80 ± 0.05 on MR2 for bladder, rectum, and sigmoid, respectively. Hausdorff distances (95th percentile) are 4.18 ± 0.52, 2.54 ± 0.41, and 5.03 ± 1.31 mm on MR1 and 2.89 ± 0.33, 2.24 ± 0.40, and 3.28 ± 1.08 mm on MR2, respectively. The performance of our method is superior to other state-of-the-art segmentation methods. CONCLUSIONS We proposed a two-step CNN approach for fully automated segmentation of female pelvic MR bladder, rectum, and sigmoid from T2W MR volume. Our experimental results demonstrate that the developed method is accurate, fast, and reproducible, and outperforms alternative state-of-the-art methods for OAR segmentation significantly (p < 0.05).
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Zabihollahy
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Ehud J Schmidt
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Marc Morcos
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Junghoon Lee
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
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Bhatia RK, Sastri Chopra S, Palkonda VAR, Giri GV, Senapati S, Bilimagga RS, Chadha M, Viswanathan AN, Grover S. Assessing radiation oncology research needs in India: Results of a physician survey. Indian J Cancer 2021; 57:457-462. [PMID: 32769296 DOI: 10.4103/ijc.ijc_518_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Background In India, where the annual incidence of cancer is projected to reach 1.7 million by 2020, the need for clinical research to establish the most effective, resource-guided, and evidence-based care is paramount. In this study, we sought to better understand the research training needs of radiation oncologists in India. Methods A 12 item questionnaire was developed to assess research training needs and was distributed at the research methods course jointly organized by Indian College of Radiation Oncology, the American Brachytherapy Society, and Education Committee of the American Society of Therapeutic Radiation Oncology during the Indian Cancer Congress, 2017. Results Of 100 participants who received the questionnaire, 63% responded. Ninety percent (56/63) were Radiation Oncologists. Forty-two percent (26/63) of respondents had previously conducted research. A longer length of practice (>10 years) was significantly associated with conducting research (odds ratio (OR) 6.99, P = 0.031) and having formal research training trended toward significance (OR 3.03, P = 0.058). The most common reason for not conducting research was "lack of training" (41%, 14/34). The most common types of research conducted were Audits and Retrospective studies (62%, 16/26), followed by a Phase I/II/III Trial (46%, 10/26). Having formal research training was a significant factor associated with writing a protocol (OR 5.53, P = 0.016). Limited training in research methods (54%, 13/24) and lack of mentorship (42%, 10/24) were cited as reasons for not developing a protocol. Ninety-seven percent (57/59) of respondents were interested in a didactic session on research, specifically focusing on biostatistics. Conclusions With research training and mentorship, there is a greater likelihood that concepts and written protocols will translate into successfully completed studies in radiation therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - G V Giri
- Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | | | | | | | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Johns Hopkins Hospital, Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Surbhi Grover
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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22
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Morcos M, Viswanathan AN, Enger SA. On the impact of absorbed dose specification, tissue heterogeneities, and applicator heterogeneities on Monte Carlo-based dosimetry of Ir-192, Se-75, and Yb-169 in conventional and intensity-modulated brachytherapy for the treatment of cervical cancer. Med Phys 2021; 48:2604-2613. [PMID: 33619739 DOI: 10.1002/mp.14802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of dose reporting schemes and tissue/applicator heterogeneities for 192 Ir-, 75 Se-, and 169 Yb-based MRI-guided conventional and intensity-modulated brachytherapy. METHODS AND MATERIALS Treatment plans using a variety of dose reporting and tissue/applicator segmentation schemes were generated for a cohort (n = 10) of cervical cancer patients treated with 192 Ir-based Venezia brachytherapy. Dose calculations were performed using RapidBrachyMCTPS, a Geant4-based research Monte Carlo treatment planning system. Ultimately, five dose calculation scenarios were evaluated: (a) dose to water in water (Dw,w ); (b) Dw,w taking the applicator material into consideration (Dw,wApp ); (c) dose to water in medium (Dw,m ); (d and e) dose to medium in medium with mass densities assigned either nominally per structure (Dm,m (Nom) ) or voxel-by-voxel (Dm,m ). RESULTS Ignoring the plastic Venezia applicator (Dw,wApp ) overestimates Dm,m by up to 1% (average) with high energy source (192 Ir and 75 Se) and up to 2% with 169 Yb. Scoring dose to water (Dw,wApp or Dw,m ) generally overestimates dose and this effect increases with decreasing photon energy. Reporting dose other than Dm,m (or Dm,m Nom ) for 169 Yb-based conventional and intensity-modulated brachytherapy leads to a simultaneous overestimation (up to 4%) of CTVHR D90 and underestimation (up to 2%) of bladder D2cc due to a significant dip in the mass-energy absorption ratios at the depths of nearby targets and OARs. Using a nominal mass-density assignment per structure, rather than a CT-derived voxel-by-voxel assignment for MRI-guided brachytherapy, amounts to a dose error up to 1% for all radionuclides considered. CONCLUSIONS The effects of the considered dose reporting schemes trend correspondingly between conventional and intensity-modulated brachytherapy. In the absence of CT-derived mass densities, MRI-only-based dosimetry can adequately approximate Dm,m by assigning nominal mass densities to structures. Tissue and applicator heterogeneities do not significantly impact dosimetry for 192 Ir and 75 Se, but do for 169 Yb; dose reporting must be explicitly defined since Dw,m and Dw,w may overstate the dosimetric benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Morcos
- Medical Physics Unit, Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shirin A Enger
- Medical Physics Unit, Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda J Walker
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Theodore L DeWeese
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland
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24
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Hazell SZ, Fader AN, Viswanathan AN. Porphyria cutanea tarda exacerbation as a paraneoplastic syndrome in vaginal cancer resolved with chemoradiation. Gynecol Oncol Rep 2021; 35:100682. [PMID: 33426257 PMCID: PMC7779318 DOI: 10.1016/j.gore.2020.100682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Porphyria Cutanea Tarda (PCT) is a rare paraneoplastic syndrome. The effects of therapeutic ionizing radiation in patients with PCT are not well understood. We report the case of a 55 year-old woman with a past medical history significant for kidney transplant with rejection and removal on hemodialysis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, porphyria cutanea tarda, undifferentiated connective tissue disease probably systemic lupus, and hepatitis C, who underwent curative chemoradiation treatment for a recurrent vaginal squamous cell carcinoma. There was no increased acute toxicity and active porphyria cutanea tarda improved over the course of radiation treatment and fully resolved within 1 year. However, there was significant myofibrotic late toxicity within the treated region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Z Hazell
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 401 N Broadway, Suite 1440, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States
| | - Amanda N Fader
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kelly Gynecologic Oncology Service, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 600 N. Wolfe St., Phipps 287, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 401 N Broadway, Suite 1440, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States
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25
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Abstract
Vaginal necrosis is a late radiation tissue injury with serious morbidity complications. It is rare, and its incidence is not well assessed in prospective trials. Patient comorbidities and radiation dose can significantly increase the risk. As treatment of gynecologic malignancies often involve a multidisciplinary approach, timely diagnosis and appropriate management by physicians of the team are crucial. Untreated vaginal necrosis can lead to infection, hemorrhage, necrosis-related fistulation to the bladder or rectum, perforation, and death. In this review, we describe the pathophysiology of vaginal necrosis, its clinical course, and management options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Y Jia
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, United States of America
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, United States of America.
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26
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Chino J, Annunziata CM, Beriwal S, Bradfield L, Erickson BA, Fields EC, Fitch J, Harkenrider MM, Holschneider CH, Kamrava M, Leung E, Lin LL, Mayadev JS, Morcos M, Nwachukwu C, Petereit D, Viswanathan AN. The ASTRO clinical practice guidelines in cervical cancer: Optimizing radiation therapy for improved outcomes. Gynecol Oncol 2020; 159:607-610. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2020.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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27
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Morcos M, Antaki M, Viswanathan AN, Enger SA. A novel minimally invasive dynamic-shield, intensity-modulated brachytherapy system for the treatment of cervical cancer. Med Phys 2020; 48:71-79. [PMID: 32916763 DOI: 10.1002/mp.14459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To present a novel, MRI-compatible dynamicshield intensity modulated brachytherapy (IMBT) applicator and delivery system using 192 Ir, 75 Se, and 169 Yb radioisotopes for the treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer. Needle-free IMBT is a promising technique for improving target coverage and organs at risk (OAR) sparing. METHODS AND MATERIALS The IMBT delivery system dynamically controls the rotation of a novel tungsten shield placed inside an MRI-compatible, 6-mm wide intrauterine tandem. Using 36 cervical cancer cases, conventional intracavitary brachytherapy (IC-BT) and intracavitary/interstitial brachytherapy (IC/IS-BT) (10Ci 192 Ir) plans were compared to IMBT (10Ci 192 Ir; 11.5Ci 75 Se; 44Ci 169 Yb). All plans were generated using the Geant4-based Monte Carlo dose calculation engine, RapidBrachyMC. Treatment plans were optimized then normalized to the same high-risk clinical target volume (HR-CTV) D90 and the D2cc for bladder, rectum, and sigmoid in the research brachytherapy planning system, RapidBrachyMCTPS. Plans were renormalized until either of the three OAR reached dose limits to calculate the maximum achievable HR-CTV D90 and D98 . RESULTS Compared to IC-BT, IMBT with either of the three radionuclides significantly improves the HR-CTV D90 and D98 by up to 5.2% ± 0.3% (P < 0.001) and 6.7% ± 0.5% (P < 0.001), respectively, with the largest dosimetric enhancement when using 169 Yb followed by 75 Se and then 192 Ir. Similarly, D2cc for all OAR improved with IMBT by up to 7.7% ± 0.6% (P < 0.001). For IC/IS-BT cases, needle-free IMBT achieved clinically acceptable plans with 169 Yb-based IMBT further improving HR-CTV D98 by 1.5% ± 0.2% (P = 0.034) and decreasing sigmoid D2cc by 1.9% ± 0.4% (P = 0.048). Delivery times for IMBT are increased by a factor of 1.7, 3.3, and 2.3 for 192 Ir, 75 Se, and 169 Yb, respectively, relative to conventional 192 Ir BT. CONCLUSIONS Dynamic shield IMBT provides a promising alternative to conventional IC- and IC/IS-BT techniques with significant dosimetric enhancements and even greater improvements with intermediate energy radionuclides. The ability to deliver a highly conformal, OAR-sparing dose without IS needles provides a simplified method for improving the therapeutic ratio less invasively and in a less resource intensive manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Morcos
- Medical Physics Unit, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Majd Antaki
- Medical Physics Unit, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shirin A Enger
- Medical Physics Unit, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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28
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Elledge CR, LaVigne AW, Bhatia RK, Viswanathan AN. Aiming for 100% Local Control in Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer: The Role of Complex Brachytherapy Applicators and Intraprocedural Imaging. Semin Radiat Oncol 2020; 30:300-310. [PMID: 32828386 PMCID: PMC7875154 DOI: 10.1016/j.semradonc.2020.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The use of brachytherapy for the treatment of gynecologic malignancies, particularly cervical cancer, has a long and rich history that is nearly as long as the history of radiation oncology itself. From the first gynecologic brachytherapy treatments in the early 20th century to the modern era, significant transformation has occurred driven largely by advancements in technology. The development of high-dose rate sources, remote afterloaders, novel applicators, and 3-dimensional image guidance has led to improved local control, and thus improved survival, solidifying the role of brachytherapy as an integral component in the treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer. Current research efforts examining novel magnetic resonance imaging sequences, active magnetic resonance tracking, and the application of hydrogel aim to further improve local control and reduce treatment toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christen R Elledge
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Anna W LaVigne
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Rohini K Bhatia
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
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Erickson B, Crook J, Vicini F, Arthur D, Ouhib Z, Thomadsen B, Bice W, Butler WM, Petereit DG, Viswanathan AN. The ABS brachytherapy schools. Brachytherapy 2020; 19:820-826. [PMID: 32928682 DOI: 10.1016/j.brachy.2020.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The American Brachytherapy Society brachytherapy schools have been pivotal in teaching and evolving the art of brachytherapy over the past decades. Founded in 1995, the schools have consistently provided content for the major disease sites including gynecologic, prostate, and breast with ocular, vascular, head and neck, pediatric, intraluminal, systemic, and intraoperative approaches more selectively addressed. In addition, Physics schools, either coupled with clinical schools or as stand-alone venues, have provided an essential educational component for practicing physicists, a pivotal part of the brachytherapy team. Celebrating 25 years in existence, this historical overview of the American Brachytherapy Society brachytherapy schools is a tribute to the many teachers who have shared their expertise, to the many students who have been enthusiastic and interactive participants, and the staff who have made it all possible, with the reward of perpetuating the important and timely art of brachytherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth Erickson
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI.
| | - Juanita Crook
- Department of Radiation Oncology, BC Cancer Kelowna and University of British Columbia
| | - Frank Vicini
- 21th Century Oncology, Michigan Healthcare Professionals, Farmington Hills, MI
| | - Douglas Arthur
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
| | - Zoubir Ouhib
- Lynn Cancer Institute of Boca Raton Regional Hospital, Delray Beach, FL
| | - Bruce Thomadsen
- Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
| | - William Bice
- Radiation Oncology Department, John Muir Health Systems, Walnut Creek, CA
| | - Wayne M Butler
- Schiffler Cancer Center, Wheeling Hospital, Wheeling, WV
| | | | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD
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30
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Small W, Bosch WR, Harkenrider MM, Strauss JB, Abu-Rustum N, Albuquerque KV, Beriwal S, Creutzberg CL, Eifel PJ, Erickson BA, Fyles AW, Hentz CL, Jhingran A, Klopp AH, Kunos CA, Mell LK, Portelance L, Powell ME, Viswanathan AN, Yacoub JH, Yashar CM, Winter KA, Gaffney DK. NRG Oncology/RTOG Consensus Guidelines for Delineation of Clinical Target Volume for Intensity Modulated Pelvic Radiation Therapy in Postoperative Treatment of Endometrial and Cervical Cancer: An Update. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2020; 109:413-424. [PMID: 32905846 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2020.08.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Accurate target definition is critical for the appropriate application of radiation therapy. In 2008, the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) published an international collaborative atlas to define the clinical target volume (CTV) for intensity modulated pelvic radiation therapy in the postoperative treatment of endometrial and cervical cancer. The current project is an updated consensus of CTV definitions, with removal of all references to bony landmarks and inclusion of the para-aortic and inferior obturator nodal regions. METHODS AND MATERIALS An international consensus guideline working group discussed modifications of the current atlas and areas of controversy. A document was prepared to assist in contouring definitions. A sample case abdominopelvic computed tomographic image was made available, on which experts contoured targets. Targets were analyzed for consistency of delineation using an expectation-maximization algorithm for simultaneous truth and performance level estimation with kappa statistics as a measure of agreement between observers. RESULTS Sixteen participants provided 13 sets of contours. Participants were asked to provide separate contours of the following areas: vaginal cuff, obturator, internal iliac, external iliac, presacral, common iliac, and para-aortic regions. There was substantial agreement for the common iliac region (sensitivity 0.71, specificity 0.981, kappa 0.64), moderate agreement in the external iliac, para-aortic, internal iliac and vaginal cuff regions (sensitivity 0.66, 0.74, 0.62, 0.59; specificity 0.989, 0.966, 0.986, 0.976; kappa 0.60, 0.58, 0.52, 0.47, respectively), and fair agreement in the presacral and obturator regions (sensitivity 0.55, 0.35; specificity 0.986, 0.988; kappa 0.36, 0.21, respectively). A 95% agreement contour was smoothed and a final contour atlas was produced according to consensus. CONCLUSIONS Agreement among the participants was most consistent in the common iliac region and least in the presacral and obturator nodal regions. The consensus volumes formed the basis of the updated NRG/RTOG Oncology postoperative atlas. Continued patterns of recurrence research are encouraged to refine these volumes.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Small
- Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois.
| | - Walter R Bosch
- Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Beth A Erickson
- Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwuakee, Wisconsin
| | - Anthony W Fyles
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | - Loren K Mell
- UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, California
| | | | | | | | - Joseph H Yacoub
- Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois
| | | | - Kathryn A Winter
- NRG Oncology Statistics and Data Management Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - David K Gaffney
- Huntsman Cancer Institute/University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
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Elledge CR, Beriwal S, Chargari C, Chopra S, Erickson BA, Gaffney DK, Jhingran A, Klopp AH, Small W, Yashar CM, Viswanathan AN. Radiation therapy for gynecologic malignancies during the COVID-19 pandemic: International expert consensus recommendations. Gynecol Oncol 2020; 158:244-253. [PMID: 32563593 PMCID: PMC7294297 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2020.06.486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To develop expert consensus recommendations regarding radiation therapy for gynecologic malignancies during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS An international committee of ten experts in gynecologic radiation oncology convened to provide consensus recommendations for patients with gynecologic malignancies referred for radiation therapy. Treatment priority groups were established. A review of the relevant literature was performed and different clinical scenarios were categorized into three priority groups. For each stage and clinical scenario in cervical, endometrial, vulvar, vaginal and ovarian cancer, specific recommendations regarding dose, technique, and timing were provided by the panel. RESULTS Expert review and discussion generated consensus recommendations to guide radiation oncologists treating gynecologic malignancies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Priority scales for cervical, endometrial, vulvar, vaginal, and ovarian cancers are presented. Both radical and palliative treatments are discussed. Management of COVID-19 positive patients is considered. Hypofractionated radiation therapy should be used when feasible and recommendations regarding radiation dose, timing, and technique have been provided for external beam and brachytherapy treatments. Concurrent chemotherapy may be limited in some countries, and consideration of radiation alone is recommended. CONCLUSIONS The expert consensus recommendations provide guidance for delivering radiation therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specific recommendations have been provided for common clinical scenarios encountered in gynecologic radiation oncology with a focus on strategies to reduce patient and staff exposure to COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christen R Elledge
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sushil Beriwal
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Cyrus Chargari
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France
| | - Supriya Chopra
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Centre, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, India
| | - Beth A Erickson
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - David K Gaffney
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Anuja Jhingran
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ann H Klopp
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - William Small
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Loyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - Catheryn M Yashar
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Beavis AL, Yen TT, Stone RL, Wethington SL, Carr C, Son J, Chambers L, Michener CM, Ricci S, Burkett WC, Richardson DL, Staley AS, Ahn S, Gehrig PA, Torres D, Dowdy SC, Sullivan MW, Modesitt SC, Watson C, Veade A, Ehrisman J, Havrilesky L, Secord AA, Loreen A, Griffin K, Jackson A, Viswanathan AN, Jager LR, Fader AN. Adjuvant therapy for early stage, endometrial cancer with lymphovascular space invasion: Is there a role for chemotherapy? Gynecol Oncol 2020; 156:568-574. [PMID: 31948730 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2019.12.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) is an independent risk factor for recurrence and poor survival in early-stage endometrioid endometrial cancer (EEC), but optimal adjuvant treatment is unknown. We aimed to compare the survival of women with early-stage EEC with LVSI treated postoperatively with observation (OBS), radiation (RAD, external beam and/or vaginal brachytherapy), or chemotherapy (CHEMO)+/-RAD. METHODS This was a multi-institutional, retrospective cohort study of women with stage I or II EEC with LVSI who underwent hysterectomy+/-lymphadenectomy from 2005 to 2015 and received OBS, RAD, or CHEMO+/-RAD postoperatively. Progression-free survival and overall survival were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS In total, 478 women were included; median age was 64 years, median follow-up was 50.3 months. After surgery, 143 (30%) underwent OBS, 232 (48.5%) received RAD, and 103(21.5%) received CHEMO+/-RAD (95% of whom received RAD). Demographics were similar among groups, but those undergoing OBS had lower stage and grade. A total of 101 (21%) women recurred. Progression-free survival (PFS) was improved in both CHEMO+/-RAD (HR = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.09-0.39) and RAD (HR = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.18-0.54) groups compared to OBS, though neither adjuvant therapy was superior to the other. However, in grade 3 tumors, the CHEMO+/-RAD group had superior PFS compared to both RAD (HR 0.25; 95% CI: 0.12-0.52) and OBS cohorts (HR = 0.10, 95% CI: 0.03-0.32). Overall survival did not differ by treatment. CONCLUSIONS In early-stage EEC with LVSI, adjuvant therapy improved PFS compared to observation alone. In those with grade 3 EEC, adjuvant chemotherapy with or without radiation improved PFS compared to observation or radiation alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna L Beavis
- The Kelly Gynecologic Oncology Service, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Ting-Tai Yen
- The Kelly Gynecologic Oncology Service, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rebecca L Stone
- The Kelly Gynecologic Oncology Service, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Stephanie L Wethington
- The Kelly Gynecologic Oncology Service, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Caitlin Carr
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Ji Son
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Laura Chambers
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Chad M Michener
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Stephanie Ricci
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Wesley C Burkett
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Debra L Richardson
- Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Allison-Stuart Staley
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Susie Ahn
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Paola A Gehrig
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Diogo Torres
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Sean C Dowdy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Mackenzie W Sullivan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Susan C Modesitt
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Catherine Watson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Ashely Veade
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jessie Ehrisman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Laura Havrilesky
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Angeles Alvarez Secord
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Amy Loreen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Kaitlyn Griffin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Amanda Jackson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Leah R Jager
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Amanda N Fader
- The Kelly Gynecologic Oncology Service, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Sturdza A, Viswanathan AN, Erickson B, Yashar C, Bruggeman A, Feddock J, Klopp A, Beriwal S, Gaffney D, Han K, Kamrava M. American Brachytherapy Society working group report on the patterns of care and a literature review of reirradiation for gynecologic cancers. Brachytherapy 2020; 19:127-138. [PMID: 31917178 DOI: 10.1016/j.brachy.2019.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Revised: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Recurrences of previously irradiated gynecological malignancies are uncommon. Standardized management of these cases is not well established. We aim to provide an in-depth literature review and present current practice patterns among an international group of experienced practitioners in the reirradiation setting of gynecologic cancers. METHODS AND MATERIALS An extensive literature search was performed and 35 articles were selected based on preset criteria. A 20-question online survey of 10 experts regarding their retreatment practices was also conducted. RESULTS The reviewed publications include a diverse group of patients, multiple treatment techniques, a range of total doses, local control, overall survival, and toxicity outcomes. Overall, local control ranged from 44% to 88% over 1-5 years with OS in the range of 39.5-82% at 2-5 years. Late G3-4 toxicity varied very broadly from 0% to 42.9%, with most papers reporting serious toxicities greater than 15%. The most common reirradiation technique utilized was brachytherapy. Some low-dose-rate data suggest improved outcomes with doses >50 Gy. The high-dose-rate data are more varied with some studies suggesting improved local control with doses >40 Gy. In general, a longer time interval between the first and second course of radiation as well as recurrences <2-4 cm tend to have improved outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Reirradiation with brachytherapy results in relatively reasonable local control and toxicities for women with recurrent gynecologic cancers. The appropriate dose for each case needs to be individualized given the heterogeneity of cases. Multidisciplinary management is critical to develop individualized plans and to clearly communicate potential side effects and expected treatment outcomes. TAKE HOME MESSAGE Reirradiation with brachytherapy is an acceptable effective organ preserving approach for recurrent gynecologic cancers with a reasonable local control and toxicity profile. Each case requires multidisciplinary management to develop an individualized approach. Monitoring for potential long-term toxicities is essential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Sturdza
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Radiation Biology, Medical University of Vienna, Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Austria.
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Beth Erickson
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin
| | - Catheryn Yashar
- Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, University of California San Diego
| | - Andrew Bruggeman
- Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, University of California San Diego
| | | | - Ann Klopp
- Department of Radiation Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center
| | - Sushil Beriwal
- Department of Radiation Oncology, UPMC Hillman cancer center
| | - David Gaffney
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Utah
| | - Kathy Han
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto
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Abstract
The incorporation of magnetic resonance imaging in brachytherapy has resulted in an increased use of interstitial catheters in order to create a comprehensive treatment plan that covers the visualized tumor. However, the insertion with passive, image-guidance requires estimating the location of the tumor during the insertion process, rather than visualizing and inserting the catheters directly to the desired location under active tracking. In order to treat residual disease, multiparametric MR sequences can enhance the information available to the clinician. The precision availed by MR-guided brachytherapy results in substantial improvements in needle positioning, and resulting treatment plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma C Fields
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
| | - Sarah Hazell
- Department of Radiation Oncology & Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Marc Morcos
- Department of Radiation Oncology & Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Ehud J Schmidt
- Department of Radiation Oncology & Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Cyrus Chargari
- Department of Radiotherapy, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology & Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
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Chernavsky NE, Morcos M, Wu P, Viswanathan AN, Siewerdsen JH. Technical assessment of a mobile CT scanner for image-guided brachytherapy. J Appl Clin Med Phys 2019; 20:187-200. [PMID: 31578811 PMCID: PMC6806478 DOI: 10.1002/acm2.12738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The imaging performance and dose of a mobile CT scanner (Brainlab Airo®, Munich, Germany) is evaluated, with particular consideration to assessment of technique protocols for image-guided brachytherapy. METHOD Dose measurements were performed using a 100-mm-length pencil chamber at the center and periphery of 16- and 32-cm-diameter CTDI phantoms. Hounsfield unit (HU) accuracy and linearity were assessed using materials of specified electron density (Gammex RMI, Madison, WI), and image uniformity, noise, and noise-power spectrum (NPS) were evaluated in a 20-cm-diameter water phantom as well as an American College of Radiology (ACR) CT accreditation phantom (Model 464, Sun Nuclear, Melbourne, FL). Spatial resolution (modulation transfer function, MTF) was assessed with an edge-spread phantom and visually assessed with respect to line-pair patterns in the ACR phantom and in structures of interest in anthropomorphic phantoms. Images were also obtained on a diagnostic CT scanner (Big Bore CT simulator, Philips, Amsterdam, Netherlands) for qualitative and quantitative comparison. The manufacturer's metal artifact reduction (MAR) algorithm was assessed in an anthropomorphic body phantom containing surgical instrumentation. Performance in application to brachytherapy was assessed with a set of anthropomorphic brachytherapy phantoms - for example, a vaginal cylinder and interstitial ring and tandem. RESULT Nominal dose for helical and axial modes, respectively, was 56.4 and 78.9 mGy for the head protocol and 17.8 and 24.9 mGy for the body protocol. A high degree of HU accuracy and linearity was observed for both axial and helical scan modes. Image nonuniformity (e.g., cupping artifact) in the transverse (x,y) plane was less than 5 HU, but stitching artifacts (~5 HU) in the longitudinal (z) direction were observed in axial scan mode. Helical and axial modes demonstrated comparable spatial resolution of ~5 lp/cm, with the MTF reduced to 10% at ~0.38 mm-1 . Contrast-to-noise ratio was suitable to soft-tissue visualization (e.g., fat and muscle), but windmill artifacts were observed in helical mode in relation to high-frequency bone and metal. The MAR algorithm provided modest improvement to image quality. Overall, image quality appeared suitable to relevant clinical tasks in intracavitary and interstitial (e.g., gynecological) brachytherapy, including visualization of soft-tissue structures in proximity to the applicators. CONCLUSION The technical assessment highlighted key characteristics of dose and imaging performance pertinent to incorporation of the mobile CT scanner in clinical procedures, helping to inform clinical deployment and technique protocol selection in brachytherapy. For this and other possible applications, the work helps to identify protocols that could reduce radiation dose and/or improve image quality. The work also identified areas for future improvement, including reduction of stitching, windmill, and metal artifacts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marc Morcos
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation SciencesJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMDUSA
| | - Pengwei Wu
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMDUSA
| | - Akila N. Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation SciencesJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMDUSA
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Chargari C, Deutsch E, Blanchard P, Gouy S, Martelli H, Guérin F, Dumas I, Bossi A, Morice P, Viswanathan AN, Haie-Meder C. Brachytherapy: An overview for clinicians. CA Cancer J Clin 2019; 69:386-401. [PMID: 31361333 DOI: 10.3322/caac.21578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Brachytherapy is a specific form of radiotherapy consisting of the precise placement of radioactive sources directly into or next to the tumor. This technique is indicated for patients affected by various types of cancers. It is an optimal tool for delivering very high doses to the tumor focally while minimizing the probability of normal tissue complications. Physicians from a wide range of specialties may be involved in either the referral to or the placement of brachytherapy. Many patients require brachytherapy as either primary treatment or as part of their oncologic care. On the basis of high-level evidence from randomized controlled trials, brachytherapy is mainly indicated: 1) as standard in combination with chemoradiation in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer; 2) in surgically treated patients with uterine endometrial cancer for decreasing the risk of vaginal vault recurrence; 3) in patients with high-risk prostate cancer to perform dose escalation and improve progression-free survival; and 4) in patients with breast cancer as adjuvant, accelerated partial breast irradiation or to boost the tumor bed. In this review, the authors discuss the clinical relevance of brachytherapy with a focus on indications, levels of evidence, and results in the overall context of radiation use for patients with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyrus Chargari
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Gustave Roussy Comprehensive Cancer Center, Villejuif, France
- French Military Health Academy, Paris, France
| | - Eric Deutsch
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Gustave Roussy Comprehensive Cancer Center, Villejuif, France
- Faculty of Medicine, Paris-South University/Paris Saclay, Paris, France
- Molecular Radiotherapy Unit 1030, National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), Paris, France
| | - Pierre Blanchard
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Gustave Roussy Comprehensive Cancer Center, Villejuif, France
| | - Sebastien Gouy
- Department of Surgery, Gustave Roussy Comprehensive Cancer Center, Villejuif, France
| | - Hélène Martelli
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Kremlin Bicetre University Hospital, Kremlin Bicetre, France
| | - Florent Guérin
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Kremlin Bicetre University Hospital, Kremlin Bicetre, France
| | - Isabelle Dumas
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Gustave Roussy Comprehensive Cancer Center, Villejuif, France
| | - Alberto Bossi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Gustave Roussy Comprehensive Cancer Center, Villejuif, France
| | - Philippe Morice
- Department of Surgery, Gustave Roussy Comprehensive Cancer Center, Villejuif, France
- Paris-South University/Paris Saclay, Paris, France
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Christine Haie-Meder
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Gustave Roussy Comprehensive Cancer Center, Villejuif, France
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Sheikh K, Hrinivich WT, Bell LA, Moore JA, Laub W, Viswanathan AN, Yan Y, McNutt TR, Meyer J. Comparison of treatment planning approaches for spatially fractionated irradiation of deep tumors. J Appl Clin Med Phys 2019; 20:125-133. [PMID: 31112629 PMCID: PMC6560243 DOI: 10.1002/acm2.12617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Revised: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this work was to compare the dosimetry and delivery times of 3D‐conformal (3DCRT)‐, volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT)‐, and tomotherapy‐based approaches for spatially fractionated radiation therapy for deep tumor targets. Methods Two virtual GRID phantoms were created consisting of 7 “target” cylinders (1‐cm diameter) aligned longitudinally along the tumor in a honey‐comb pattern, mimicking a conventional GRID block, with 2‐cm center‐to‐center spacing (GRID2 cm) and 3‐cm center‐to‐center spacing (GRID3 cm), all contained within a larger cylinder (8 and 10 cm in diameter for the GRID2 cm and GRID3 cm, respectively). In a single patient, a GRID3 cm structure was created within the gross tumor volume (GTV). Tomotherapy, VMAT (6 MV + 6 MV‐flattening‐filter‐free) and multi‐leaf collimator segment 3DCRT (6 MV) plans were created using commercially available software. Two tomotherapy plans were created with field widths (TOMO2.5 cm) 2.5 cm and (TOMO5 cm) 5 cm. Prescriptions for all plans were set to deliver a mean dose of 15 Gy to the GRID targets in one fraction. The mean dose to the GRID target and the heterogeneity of the dose distribution (peak‐to‐valley and peak‐to‐edge dose ratios) inside the GRID target were obtained. The volume of normal tissue receiving 7.5 Gy was determined. Results The peak‐to‐valley ratios for GRID2 cm/GRID3 cm/Patient were 2.1/2.3/2.8, 1.7/1.5/2.8, 1.7/1.9/2.4, and 1.8/2.0/2.8 for the 3DCRT, VMAT, TOMO5 cm, and TOMO2.5 cm plans, respectively. The peak‐to‐edge ratios for GRID2 cm/GRID3 cm/Patient were 2.8/3.2/5.4, 2.1/1.8/5.4, 2.0/2.2/3.9, 2.1/2.7/5.2 and for the 3DCRT, VMAT, TOMO5 cm, and TOMO2.5 cm plans, respectively. The volume of normal tissue receiving 7.5 Gy was lowest in the TOMO2.5 cm plan (GRID2 cm/GRID3 cm/Patient = 54 cm3/19 cm3/10 cm3). The VMAT plans had the lowest delivery times (GRID2 cm/GRID3 cm/Patient = 17 min/8 min/9 min). Conclusion Our results present, for the first time, preliminary evidence comparing IMRT‐GRID approaches which result in high‐dose “islands” within a target, mimicking what is achieved with a conventional GRID block but without high‐dose “tail” regions outside of the target. These approaches differ modestly in their ability to achieve high peak‐to‐edge ratios and also differ in delivery times.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khadija Sheikh
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - William T Hrinivich
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Leslie A Bell
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Joseph A Moore
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Wolfram Laub
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yulong Yan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Todd R McNutt
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jeffrey Meyer
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Robin TP, Grover S, Reddy Palkonda VA, Fisher CM, Gehl B, Bhattacharya K, Mallick I, Bhattasali O, Viswanathan AN, Sastri (Chopra) S, Mahantshetty U, Hardenbergh PH. Utilization of a Web-Based Conferencing Platform to Improve Global Radiation Oncology Education and Quality—Proof of Principle Through Implementation in India. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2019; 103:276-280. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2018.07.2003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Revised: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/22/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Rao AD, Nicholas SE, Kachniarz B, Hu C, Redmond KJ, Deville C, Wright JL, Page BR, Terezakis S, Viswanathan AN, DeWeese TL, Fivush BA, Alcorn SR. Association of a Simulated Institutional Gender Equity Initiative With Gender-Based Disparities in Medical School Faculty Salaries and Promotions. JAMA Netw Open 2018; 1:e186054. [PMID: 30646313 PMCID: PMC6324345 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.6054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Despite progress in narrowing gender-based salary gaps, notable disparities persist in the scientific community. The significance of pay difference may be underestimated, with little data evaluating its effect on lifetime wealth after accounting for factors like time to promotion and savings. OBJECTIVES To characterize gender disparities in salary and assess the outcomes associated with a gender equity initiative (GEI). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Quality improvement study with simulations of salary and additional accumulated wealth (AAW) using retrospectively reviewed Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine annual salary and promotion data. All academic faculty were included in the faculty salary analysis from 2005 (n = 1481) and 2016 (n = 1885). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Salary and longitudinal promotion data from 2005 to 2016 were used to estimate gender-based differences in salary and time to promotion. The effect of these differences on total salary and AAW, including retirement and salary-based investments, was simulated for a representative male and female faculty member over a 30-year career in 3 scenarios: (1) pre-GEI, (2) post-GEI, and (3) in real time for GEI, beginning with and progressing through these initiatives. RESULTS Analyses of salaries of 1481 faculty (432 women) in 2005 and 1885 faculty (742 women) in 2016 revealed that a decade after GEI implementation, the overall mean (SE) salary gap by gender decreased from -2.6% (1.2%) (95% CI, -5.6% to -0.3%) to -1.9% (1.1%) (95% CI, -4.1% to 0.3%). Simulation of pre-GEI disparities correlated with male faculty collecting an average lifetime AAW of $501 416 more than the equivalent woman, with disparities persisting past retirement. The AAW gap decreased to $210 829 in the real-time GEI simulation and to $66 104 using post-GEI conditions, reflecting success of GEI efforts. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Even small gender-based salary gaps are associated with substantial differences in lifetime wealth, but an institutional commitment to achieving equitable promotion and compensation for women can appreciably reduce these disparities. The findings of this study support broad implementation of similar initiatives without delay, as results may take more than a decade to emerge. A modifiable version of the simulation is provided so that external users may assess the potential disparities present within their own institutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avani D. Rao
- Department of Radiation and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Sarah E. Nicholas
- Department of Radiation and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Bartlomiej Kachniarz
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Chen Hu
- Department of Oncology—Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Kristin J. Redmond
- Department of Radiation and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Curtiland Deville
- Department of Radiation and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jean L. Wright
- Department of Radiation and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Brandi R. Page
- Department of Radiation and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Stephanie Terezakis
- Department of Radiation and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Akila N. Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Theodore L. DeWeese
- Department of Radiation and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Barbara A. Fivush
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Sara R. Alcorn
- Department of Radiation and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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Harkenrider MM, Martin B, Nieto K, Small C, Aref I, Bergman D, Chundury A, Elshaikh MA, Gaffney D, Jhingran A, Lee L, Paydar I, Ra K, Schwarz J, Thorpe C, Viswanathan AN, Small W. Multi-institutional Analysis of Vaginal Brachytherapy Alone for Women With Stage II Endometrial Carcinoma. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2018; 101:1069-1077. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2018.04.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Revised: 04/06/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Hazell SZ, Stone RL, Lin JY, Viswanathan AN. Adjuvant therapy after radical trachelectomy for stage I cervical cancer. Gynecol Oncol Rep 2018; 25:15-18. [PMID: 29977985 PMCID: PMC6030022 DOI: 10.1016/j.gore.2018.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Radical trachelectomy is a fertility sparing option for select stage I cervical patients. Indications for adjuvant treatment following trachelectomy are based on standard recommendations following hysterectomy. Case report outlining specifics of imaged-guided brachytherapy as part of the adjuvant treatment after trachelectomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Z Hazell
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Rebecca L Stone
- Department of Gynecology and Obstectrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Jeffrey Y Lin
- Department of Gynecology and Obstectrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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Anderson R, Armour E, Beeckler C, Briner V, Choflet A, Cox A, Fader AN, Hannah MN, Hobbs R, Huang E, Kiely M, Lee J, Morcos M, McMillan PE, Miller D, Ng SK, Prasad R, Souranis A, Thomsen R, DeWeese TL, Viswanathan AN. Interventional Radiation Oncology (IRO): Transition of a magnetic resonance simulator to a brachytherapy suite. Brachytherapy 2018; 17:587-596. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brachy.2018.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Revised: 12/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Grover S, Bvochora-Nsingo M, Yeager A, Chiyapo S, Bhatia R, MacDuffie E, Puri P, Balang D, Ratcliffe S, Narasimhamurthy M, Gwangwava E, Tsietso S, Kayembe MKA, Ramogola-Masire D, Dryden-Peterson S, Mahantshetty U, Viswanathan AN, Zetola NM, Lin LL. Impact of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection on Survival and Acute Toxicities From Chemoradiation Therapy for Cervical Cancer Patients in a Limited-Resource Setting. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2018; 101:201-210. [PMID: 29619965 PMCID: PMC5999036 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2018.01.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Revised: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To prospectively compare survival between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected versus HIV-uninfected cervical cancer patients who initiated curative chemoradiation therapy (CRT) in a limited-resource setting. METHODS AND MATERIALS Women with locally advanced cervical cancer with or without HIV infection initiating radical CRT in Botswana were enrolled in a prospective, observational, cohort study from July 2013 through January 2015. RESULTS Of 182 women treated for cervical cancer during the study period, 143 women initiating curative CRT were included in the study. Eighty-five percent of the participants (122 of 143) had stage II/III cervical cancer, and 67% (96 of 143) were HIV-infected. All HIV-infected patients were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) at the time of curative cervical cancer treatment initiation. We found no difference in toxicities between HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected women. The 2-year overall survival (OS) rates were 65% for HIV-infected women (95% confidence interval [CI] 54%-74%) and 66% for HIV-uninfected women (95% CI 49%-79%) (P = .70). Factors associated with better 2-year OS on multivariate analyses included baseline hemoglobin >10 g/dL (hazard ratio [HR] 0.37, 95% CI 0.19-0.72, P = .003), total radiation dose ≥75 Gy (HR 0.52, 95% CI 0.27-0.97, P = .04), and age <40 years versus 40-59 years (HR 2.17, 95% CI 1.05-4.47, P = .03). CONCLUSIONS Human immunodeficiency virus status had no effect on 2-year OS or on acute toxicities in women with well-managed HIV infection who initiated curative CRT in Botswana. In our cohort, we found that baseline hemoglobin levels, total radiation dose, and age were associated with survival, regardless of HIV status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surbhi Grover
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Botswana University of Pennsylvania Partnership, Gaborone, Botswana; Princess Marina Hospital, Gaborone, Botswana; School of Medicine, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana.
| | | | - Alyssa Yeager
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Rohini Bhatia
- University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York
| | - Emily MacDuffie
- Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Priya Puri
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Dawn Balang
- Department of Oncology, Gaborone Private Hospital, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Sarah Ratcliffe
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | | | | | - Sylvia Tsietso
- Department of Oncology, Gaborone Private Hospital, Gaborone, Botswana
| | | | - Doreen Ramogola-Masire
- Botswana University of Pennsylvania Partnership, Gaborone, Botswana; School of Medicine, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Scott Dryden-Peterson
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute, Gaborone, Botswana; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Nicola M Zetola
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Botswana University of Pennsylvania Partnership, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Lilie L Lin
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
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Affiliation(s)
- Chika R. Nwachukwu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Jyoti Mayadev
- Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Science, University of California, San Diego
| | - Akila N. Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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Dryden-Peterson S, Bvochora-Nsingo M, Suneja G, Efstathiou JA, Grover S, Chiyapo S, Ramogola-Masire D, Kebabonye-Pusoentsi M, Clayman R, Mapes AC, Tapela N, Asmelash A, Medhin H, Viswanathan AN, Russell AH, Lin LL, Kayembe MKA, Mmalane M, Randall TC, Chabner B, Lockman S. HIV Infection and Survival Among Women With Cervical Cancer. J Clin Oncol 2017; 34:3749-3757. [PMID: 27573661 DOI: 10.1200/jco.2016.67.9613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among the 20 million women with HIV worldwide. We sought to determine whether HIV infection affected survival in women with invasive cervical cancer. Patients and Methods We enrolled sequential patients with cervical cancer in Botswana from 2010 to 2015. Standard treatment included external beam radiation and brachytherapy with concurrent cisplatin chemotherapy. The effect of HIV on survival was estimated by using an inverse probability weighted marginal Cox model. Results A total of 348 women with cervical cancer were enrolled, including 231 (66.4%) with HIV and 96 (27.6%) without HIV. The majority (189 [81.8%]) of women with HIV received antiretroviral therapy before cancer diagnosis. The median CD4 cell count for women with HIV was 397 (interquartile range, 264 to 555). After a median follow-up of 19.7 months, 117 (50.7%) women with HIV and 40 (41.7%) without HIV died. One death was attributed to HIV and the remaining to cancer. Three-year survival for the women with HIV was 35% (95% CI, 27% to 44%) and 48% (95% CI, 35% to 60%) for those without HIV. In an adjusted analysis, HIV infection significantly increased the risk for death among all women (hazard ratio, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.20 to 3.17) and in the subset that received guideline-concordant curative treatment (hazard ratio, 2.63; 95% CI, 1.05 to 6.55). The adverse effect of HIV on survival was greater for women with a more-limited stage cancer ( P = .035), those treated with curative intent ( P = .003), and those with a lower CD4 cell count ( P = .036). Advanced stage and poor treatment completion contributed to high mortality overall. Conclusion In the context of good access to and use of antiretroviral treatment in Botswana, HIV infection significantly decreases cervical cancer survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Dryden-Peterson
- Scott Dryden-Peterson, Akila N. Viswanathan, and Shahin Lockman, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Scott Dryden-Peterson and Shahin Lockman, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Jason A. Efstathiou, Akila N. Viswanathan, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, Bruce Chabner, and Shahin Lockman, Harvard Medical School; Jason A. Efstathiou, Rebecca Clayman, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, and Bruce Chabner, Massachusetts General Hospital; Akila N. Viswanathan, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Abigail C. Mapes, Neo Tapela, Aida Asmelash, Mompati Mmalane, and Shahin Lockman, Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership; Memory Bvochora-Nsingo, Gaborone Private Hospital; Sebathu Chiyapo, Princess Marina Hospital; Doreen Ramogola-Masire, Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership; Malebogo Kebabonye-Pusoentsi, Neo Tapela, Heluf Medhin, and Mukendi K.A. Kayembe, Botswana Ministry of Health, Gaborone, Botswana; Gita Suneja, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT; and Surbhi Grover and Lilie L. Lin, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Memory Bvochora-Nsingo
- Scott Dryden-Peterson, Akila N. Viswanathan, and Shahin Lockman, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Scott Dryden-Peterson and Shahin Lockman, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Jason A. Efstathiou, Akila N. Viswanathan, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, Bruce Chabner, and Shahin Lockman, Harvard Medical School; Jason A. Efstathiou, Rebecca Clayman, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, and Bruce Chabner, Massachusetts General Hospital; Akila N. Viswanathan, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Abigail C. Mapes, Neo Tapela, Aida Asmelash, Mompati Mmalane, and Shahin Lockman, Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership; Memory Bvochora-Nsingo, Gaborone Private Hospital; Sebathu Chiyapo, Princess Marina Hospital; Doreen Ramogola-Masire, Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership; Malebogo Kebabonye-Pusoentsi, Neo Tapela, Heluf Medhin, and Mukendi K.A. Kayembe, Botswana Ministry of Health, Gaborone, Botswana; Gita Suneja, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT; and Surbhi Grover and Lilie L. Lin, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Gita Suneja
- Scott Dryden-Peterson, Akila N. Viswanathan, and Shahin Lockman, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Scott Dryden-Peterson and Shahin Lockman, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Jason A. Efstathiou, Akila N. Viswanathan, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, Bruce Chabner, and Shahin Lockman, Harvard Medical School; Jason A. Efstathiou, Rebecca Clayman, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, and Bruce Chabner, Massachusetts General Hospital; Akila N. Viswanathan, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Abigail C. Mapes, Neo Tapela, Aida Asmelash, Mompati Mmalane, and Shahin Lockman, Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership; Memory Bvochora-Nsingo, Gaborone Private Hospital; Sebathu Chiyapo, Princess Marina Hospital; Doreen Ramogola-Masire, Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership; Malebogo Kebabonye-Pusoentsi, Neo Tapela, Heluf Medhin, and Mukendi K.A. Kayembe, Botswana Ministry of Health, Gaborone, Botswana; Gita Suneja, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT; and Surbhi Grover and Lilie L. Lin, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Jason A Efstathiou
- Scott Dryden-Peterson, Akila N. Viswanathan, and Shahin Lockman, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Scott Dryden-Peterson and Shahin Lockman, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Jason A. Efstathiou, Akila N. Viswanathan, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, Bruce Chabner, and Shahin Lockman, Harvard Medical School; Jason A. Efstathiou, Rebecca Clayman, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, and Bruce Chabner, Massachusetts General Hospital; Akila N. Viswanathan, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Abigail C. Mapes, Neo Tapela, Aida Asmelash, Mompati Mmalane, and Shahin Lockman, Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership; Memory Bvochora-Nsingo, Gaborone Private Hospital; Sebathu Chiyapo, Princess Marina Hospital; Doreen Ramogola-Masire, Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership; Malebogo Kebabonye-Pusoentsi, Neo Tapela, Heluf Medhin, and Mukendi K.A. Kayembe, Botswana Ministry of Health, Gaborone, Botswana; Gita Suneja, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT; and Surbhi Grover and Lilie L. Lin, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Surbhi Grover
- Scott Dryden-Peterson, Akila N. Viswanathan, and Shahin Lockman, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Scott Dryden-Peterson and Shahin Lockman, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Jason A. Efstathiou, Akila N. Viswanathan, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, Bruce Chabner, and Shahin Lockman, Harvard Medical School; Jason A. Efstathiou, Rebecca Clayman, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, and Bruce Chabner, Massachusetts General Hospital; Akila N. Viswanathan, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Abigail C. Mapes, Neo Tapela, Aida Asmelash, Mompati Mmalane, and Shahin Lockman, Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership; Memory Bvochora-Nsingo, Gaborone Private Hospital; Sebathu Chiyapo, Princess Marina Hospital; Doreen Ramogola-Masire, Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership; Malebogo Kebabonye-Pusoentsi, Neo Tapela, Heluf Medhin, and Mukendi K.A. Kayembe, Botswana Ministry of Health, Gaborone, Botswana; Gita Suneja, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT; and Surbhi Grover and Lilie L. Lin, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Sebathu Chiyapo
- Scott Dryden-Peterson, Akila N. Viswanathan, and Shahin Lockman, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Scott Dryden-Peterson and Shahin Lockman, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Jason A. Efstathiou, Akila N. Viswanathan, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, Bruce Chabner, and Shahin Lockman, Harvard Medical School; Jason A. Efstathiou, Rebecca Clayman, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, and Bruce Chabner, Massachusetts General Hospital; Akila N. Viswanathan, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Abigail C. Mapes, Neo Tapela, Aida Asmelash, Mompati Mmalane, and Shahin Lockman, Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership; Memory Bvochora-Nsingo, Gaborone Private Hospital; Sebathu Chiyapo, Princess Marina Hospital; Doreen Ramogola-Masire, Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership; Malebogo Kebabonye-Pusoentsi, Neo Tapela, Heluf Medhin, and Mukendi K.A. Kayembe, Botswana Ministry of Health, Gaborone, Botswana; Gita Suneja, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT; and Surbhi Grover and Lilie L. Lin, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Doreen Ramogola-Masire
- Scott Dryden-Peterson, Akila N. Viswanathan, and Shahin Lockman, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Scott Dryden-Peterson and Shahin Lockman, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Jason A. Efstathiou, Akila N. Viswanathan, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, Bruce Chabner, and Shahin Lockman, Harvard Medical School; Jason A. Efstathiou, Rebecca Clayman, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, and Bruce Chabner, Massachusetts General Hospital; Akila N. Viswanathan, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Abigail C. Mapes, Neo Tapela, Aida Asmelash, Mompati Mmalane, and Shahin Lockman, Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership; Memory Bvochora-Nsingo, Gaborone Private Hospital; Sebathu Chiyapo, Princess Marina Hospital; Doreen Ramogola-Masire, Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership; Malebogo Kebabonye-Pusoentsi, Neo Tapela, Heluf Medhin, and Mukendi K.A. Kayembe, Botswana Ministry of Health, Gaborone, Botswana; Gita Suneja, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT; and Surbhi Grover and Lilie L. Lin, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Malebogo Kebabonye-Pusoentsi
- Scott Dryden-Peterson, Akila N. Viswanathan, and Shahin Lockman, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Scott Dryden-Peterson and Shahin Lockman, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Jason A. Efstathiou, Akila N. Viswanathan, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, Bruce Chabner, and Shahin Lockman, Harvard Medical School; Jason A. Efstathiou, Rebecca Clayman, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, and Bruce Chabner, Massachusetts General Hospital; Akila N. Viswanathan, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Abigail C. Mapes, Neo Tapela, Aida Asmelash, Mompati Mmalane, and Shahin Lockman, Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership; Memory Bvochora-Nsingo, Gaborone Private Hospital; Sebathu Chiyapo, Princess Marina Hospital; Doreen Ramogola-Masire, Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership; Malebogo Kebabonye-Pusoentsi, Neo Tapela, Heluf Medhin, and Mukendi K.A. Kayembe, Botswana Ministry of Health, Gaborone, Botswana; Gita Suneja, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT; and Surbhi Grover and Lilie L. Lin, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Rebecca Clayman
- Scott Dryden-Peterson, Akila N. Viswanathan, and Shahin Lockman, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Scott Dryden-Peterson and Shahin Lockman, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Jason A. Efstathiou, Akila N. Viswanathan, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, Bruce Chabner, and Shahin Lockman, Harvard Medical School; Jason A. Efstathiou, Rebecca Clayman, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, and Bruce Chabner, Massachusetts General Hospital; Akila N. Viswanathan, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Abigail C. Mapes, Neo Tapela, Aida Asmelash, Mompati Mmalane, and Shahin Lockman, Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership; Memory Bvochora-Nsingo, Gaborone Private Hospital; Sebathu Chiyapo, Princess Marina Hospital; Doreen Ramogola-Masire, Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership; Malebogo Kebabonye-Pusoentsi, Neo Tapela, Heluf Medhin, and Mukendi K.A. Kayembe, Botswana Ministry of Health, Gaborone, Botswana; Gita Suneja, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT; and Surbhi Grover and Lilie L. Lin, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Abigail C Mapes
- Scott Dryden-Peterson, Akila N. Viswanathan, and Shahin Lockman, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Scott Dryden-Peterson and Shahin Lockman, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Jason A. Efstathiou, Akila N. Viswanathan, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, Bruce Chabner, and Shahin Lockman, Harvard Medical School; Jason A. Efstathiou, Rebecca Clayman, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, and Bruce Chabner, Massachusetts General Hospital; Akila N. Viswanathan, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Abigail C. Mapes, Neo Tapela, Aida Asmelash, Mompati Mmalane, and Shahin Lockman, Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership; Memory Bvochora-Nsingo, Gaborone Private Hospital; Sebathu Chiyapo, Princess Marina Hospital; Doreen Ramogola-Masire, Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership; Malebogo Kebabonye-Pusoentsi, Neo Tapela, Heluf Medhin, and Mukendi K.A. Kayembe, Botswana Ministry of Health, Gaborone, Botswana; Gita Suneja, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT; and Surbhi Grover and Lilie L. Lin, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Neo Tapela
- Scott Dryden-Peterson, Akila N. Viswanathan, and Shahin Lockman, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Scott Dryden-Peterson and Shahin Lockman, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Jason A. Efstathiou, Akila N. Viswanathan, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, Bruce Chabner, and Shahin Lockman, Harvard Medical School; Jason A. Efstathiou, Rebecca Clayman, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, and Bruce Chabner, Massachusetts General Hospital; Akila N. Viswanathan, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Abigail C. Mapes, Neo Tapela, Aida Asmelash, Mompati Mmalane, and Shahin Lockman, Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership; Memory Bvochora-Nsingo, Gaborone Private Hospital; Sebathu Chiyapo, Princess Marina Hospital; Doreen Ramogola-Masire, Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership; Malebogo Kebabonye-Pusoentsi, Neo Tapela, Heluf Medhin, and Mukendi K.A. Kayembe, Botswana Ministry of Health, Gaborone, Botswana; Gita Suneja, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT; and Surbhi Grover and Lilie L. Lin, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Aida Asmelash
- Scott Dryden-Peterson, Akila N. Viswanathan, and Shahin Lockman, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Scott Dryden-Peterson and Shahin Lockman, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Jason A. Efstathiou, Akila N. Viswanathan, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, Bruce Chabner, and Shahin Lockman, Harvard Medical School; Jason A. Efstathiou, Rebecca Clayman, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, and Bruce Chabner, Massachusetts General Hospital; Akila N. Viswanathan, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Abigail C. Mapes, Neo Tapela, Aida Asmelash, Mompati Mmalane, and Shahin Lockman, Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership; Memory Bvochora-Nsingo, Gaborone Private Hospital; Sebathu Chiyapo, Princess Marina Hospital; Doreen Ramogola-Masire, Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership; Malebogo Kebabonye-Pusoentsi, Neo Tapela, Heluf Medhin, and Mukendi K.A. Kayembe, Botswana Ministry of Health, Gaborone, Botswana; Gita Suneja, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT; and Surbhi Grover and Lilie L. Lin, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Heluf Medhin
- Scott Dryden-Peterson, Akila N. Viswanathan, and Shahin Lockman, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Scott Dryden-Peterson and Shahin Lockman, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Jason A. Efstathiou, Akila N. Viswanathan, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, Bruce Chabner, and Shahin Lockman, Harvard Medical School; Jason A. Efstathiou, Rebecca Clayman, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, and Bruce Chabner, Massachusetts General Hospital; Akila N. Viswanathan, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Abigail C. Mapes, Neo Tapela, Aida Asmelash, Mompati Mmalane, and Shahin Lockman, Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership; Memory Bvochora-Nsingo, Gaborone Private Hospital; Sebathu Chiyapo, Princess Marina Hospital; Doreen Ramogola-Masire, Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership; Malebogo Kebabonye-Pusoentsi, Neo Tapela, Heluf Medhin, and Mukendi K.A. Kayembe, Botswana Ministry of Health, Gaborone, Botswana; Gita Suneja, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT; and Surbhi Grover and Lilie L. Lin, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Scott Dryden-Peterson, Akila N. Viswanathan, and Shahin Lockman, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Scott Dryden-Peterson and Shahin Lockman, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Jason A. Efstathiou, Akila N. Viswanathan, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, Bruce Chabner, and Shahin Lockman, Harvard Medical School; Jason A. Efstathiou, Rebecca Clayman, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, and Bruce Chabner, Massachusetts General Hospital; Akila N. Viswanathan, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Abigail C. Mapes, Neo Tapela, Aida Asmelash, Mompati Mmalane, and Shahin Lockman, Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership; Memory Bvochora-Nsingo, Gaborone Private Hospital; Sebathu Chiyapo, Princess Marina Hospital; Doreen Ramogola-Masire, Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership; Malebogo Kebabonye-Pusoentsi, Neo Tapela, Heluf Medhin, and Mukendi K.A. Kayembe, Botswana Ministry of Health, Gaborone, Botswana; Gita Suneja, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT; and Surbhi Grover and Lilie L. Lin, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Anthony H Russell
- Scott Dryden-Peterson, Akila N. Viswanathan, and Shahin Lockman, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Scott Dryden-Peterson and Shahin Lockman, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Jason A. Efstathiou, Akila N. Viswanathan, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, Bruce Chabner, and Shahin Lockman, Harvard Medical School; Jason A. Efstathiou, Rebecca Clayman, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, and Bruce Chabner, Massachusetts General Hospital; Akila N. Viswanathan, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Abigail C. Mapes, Neo Tapela, Aida Asmelash, Mompati Mmalane, and Shahin Lockman, Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership; Memory Bvochora-Nsingo, Gaborone Private Hospital; Sebathu Chiyapo, Princess Marina Hospital; Doreen Ramogola-Masire, Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership; Malebogo Kebabonye-Pusoentsi, Neo Tapela, Heluf Medhin, and Mukendi K.A. Kayembe, Botswana Ministry of Health, Gaborone, Botswana; Gita Suneja, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT; and Surbhi Grover and Lilie L. Lin, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Lilie L Lin
- Scott Dryden-Peterson, Akila N. Viswanathan, and Shahin Lockman, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Scott Dryden-Peterson and Shahin Lockman, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Jason A. Efstathiou, Akila N. Viswanathan, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, Bruce Chabner, and Shahin Lockman, Harvard Medical School; Jason A. Efstathiou, Rebecca Clayman, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, and Bruce Chabner, Massachusetts General Hospital; Akila N. Viswanathan, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Abigail C. Mapes, Neo Tapela, Aida Asmelash, Mompati Mmalane, and Shahin Lockman, Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership; Memory Bvochora-Nsingo, Gaborone Private Hospital; Sebathu Chiyapo, Princess Marina Hospital; Doreen Ramogola-Masire, Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership; Malebogo Kebabonye-Pusoentsi, Neo Tapela, Heluf Medhin, and Mukendi K.A. Kayembe, Botswana Ministry of Health, Gaborone, Botswana; Gita Suneja, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT; and Surbhi Grover and Lilie L. Lin, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Mukendi K A Kayembe
- Scott Dryden-Peterson, Akila N. Viswanathan, and Shahin Lockman, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Scott Dryden-Peterson and Shahin Lockman, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Jason A. Efstathiou, Akila N. Viswanathan, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, Bruce Chabner, and Shahin Lockman, Harvard Medical School; Jason A. Efstathiou, Rebecca Clayman, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, and Bruce Chabner, Massachusetts General Hospital; Akila N. Viswanathan, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Abigail C. Mapes, Neo Tapela, Aida Asmelash, Mompati Mmalane, and Shahin Lockman, Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership; Memory Bvochora-Nsingo, Gaborone Private Hospital; Sebathu Chiyapo, Princess Marina Hospital; Doreen Ramogola-Masire, Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership; Malebogo Kebabonye-Pusoentsi, Neo Tapela, Heluf Medhin, and Mukendi K.A. Kayembe, Botswana Ministry of Health, Gaborone, Botswana; Gita Suneja, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT; and Surbhi Grover and Lilie L. Lin, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Mompati Mmalane
- Scott Dryden-Peterson, Akila N. Viswanathan, and Shahin Lockman, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Scott Dryden-Peterson and Shahin Lockman, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Jason A. Efstathiou, Akila N. Viswanathan, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, Bruce Chabner, and Shahin Lockman, Harvard Medical School; Jason A. Efstathiou, Rebecca Clayman, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, and Bruce Chabner, Massachusetts General Hospital; Akila N. Viswanathan, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Abigail C. Mapes, Neo Tapela, Aida Asmelash, Mompati Mmalane, and Shahin Lockman, Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership; Memory Bvochora-Nsingo, Gaborone Private Hospital; Sebathu Chiyapo, Princess Marina Hospital; Doreen Ramogola-Masire, Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership; Malebogo Kebabonye-Pusoentsi, Neo Tapela, Heluf Medhin, and Mukendi K.A. Kayembe, Botswana Ministry of Health, Gaborone, Botswana; Gita Suneja, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT; and Surbhi Grover and Lilie L. Lin, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Thomas C Randall
- Scott Dryden-Peterson, Akila N. Viswanathan, and Shahin Lockman, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Scott Dryden-Peterson and Shahin Lockman, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Jason A. Efstathiou, Akila N. Viswanathan, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, Bruce Chabner, and Shahin Lockman, Harvard Medical School; Jason A. Efstathiou, Rebecca Clayman, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, and Bruce Chabner, Massachusetts General Hospital; Akila N. Viswanathan, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Abigail C. Mapes, Neo Tapela, Aida Asmelash, Mompati Mmalane, and Shahin Lockman, Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership; Memory Bvochora-Nsingo, Gaborone Private Hospital; Sebathu Chiyapo, Princess Marina Hospital; Doreen Ramogola-Masire, Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership; Malebogo Kebabonye-Pusoentsi, Neo Tapela, Heluf Medhin, and Mukendi K.A. Kayembe, Botswana Ministry of Health, Gaborone, Botswana; Gita Suneja, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT; and Surbhi Grover and Lilie L. Lin, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Bruce Chabner
- Scott Dryden-Peterson, Akila N. Viswanathan, and Shahin Lockman, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Scott Dryden-Peterson and Shahin Lockman, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Jason A. Efstathiou, Akila N. Viswanathan, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, Bruce Chabner, and Shahin Lockman, Harvard Medical School; Jason A. Efstathiou, Rebecca Clayman, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, and Bruce Chabner, Massachusetts General Hospital; Akila N. Viswanathan, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Abigail C. Mapes, Neo Tapela, Aida Asmelash, Mompati Mmalane, and Shahin Lockman, Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership; Memory Bvochora-Nsingo, Gaborone Private Hospital; Sebathu Chiyapo, Princess Marina Hospital; Doreen Ramogola-Masire, Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership; Malebogo Kebabonye-Pusoentsi, Neo Tapela, Heluf Medhin, and Mukendi K.A. Kayembe, Botswana Ministry of Health, Gaborone, Botswana; Gita Suneja, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT; and Surbhi Grover and Lilie L. Lin, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Shahin Lockman
- Scott Dryden-Peterson, Akila N. Viswanathan, and Shahin Lockman, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Scott Dryden-Peterson and Shahin Lockman, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Jason A. Efstathiou, Akila N. Viswanathan, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, Bruce Chabner, and Shahin Lockman, Harvard Medical School; Jason A. Efstathiou, Rebecca Clayman, Anthony H. Russell, Thomas C. Randall, and Bruce Chabner, Massachusetts General Hospital; Akila N. Viswanathan, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA; Scott Dryden-Peterson, Abigail C. Mapes, Neo Tapela, Aida Asmelash, Mompati Mmalane, and Shahin Lockman, Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership; Memory Bvochora-Nsingo, Gaborone Private Hospital; Sebathu Chiyapo, Princess Marina Hospital; Doreen Ramogola-Masire, Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership; Malebogo Kebabonye-Pusoentsi, Neo Tapela, Heluf Medhin, and Mukendi K.A. Kayembe, Botswana Ministry of Health, Gaborone, Botswana; Gita Suneja, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT; and Surbhi Grover and Lilie L. Lin, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
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de Arcos J, Schmidt EJ, Wang W, Tokuda J, Vij K, Seethamraju RT, Damato AL, Dumoulin CL, Cormack RA, Viswanathan AN. Prospective Clinical Implementation of a Novel Magnetic Resonance Tracking Device for Real-Time Brachytherapy Catheter Positioning. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2017; 99:618-626. [PMID: 28843373 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2017.05.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Revised: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE We designed and built dedicated active magnetic resonance (MR)-tracked (MRTR) stylets. We explored the role of MRTR in a prospective clinical trial. METHODS AND MATERIALS Eleven gynecologic cancer patients underwent MRTR to rapidly optimize interstitial catheter placement. MRTR catheter tip location and orientation were computed and overlaid on images displayed on in-room monitors at rates of 6 to 16 frames per second. Three modes of actively tracked navigation were analyzed: coarse navigation to the approximate region around the tumor; fine-tuning, bringing the stylets to the desired location; and pullback, with MRTR stylets rapidly withdrawn from within the catheters, providing catheter trajectories for radiation treatment planning (RTP). Catheters with conventional stylets were inserted, forming baseline locations. MRTR stylets were substituted, and catheter navigation was performed by a clinician working inside the MRI bore, using monitor feedback. RESULTS Coarse navigation allowed repositioning of the MRTR catheters tips by 16 mm (mean), relative to baseline, in 14 ± 5 s/catheter (mean ± standard deviation [SD]). The fine-tuning mode repositioned the catheter tips by a further 12 mm, in 24 ± 17 s/catheter. Pullback mode provided catheter trajectories with RTP point resolution of ∼1.5 mm, in 1 to 9 s/catheter. CONCLUSIONS MRTR-based navigation resulted in rapid and optimal placement of interstitial brachytherapy catheters. Catheters were repositioned compared with the initial insertion without tracking. In pullback mode, catheter trajectories matched computed tomographic precision, enabling their use for RTP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose de Arcos
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
| | - Ehud J Schmidt
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Junichi Tokuda
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kamal Vij
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Antonio L Damato
- Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | | | - Robert A Cormack
- Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Baltimore, Maryland.
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Guthier CV, Damato AL, Hesser JW, Viswanathan AN, Cormack RA. A fast inverse treatment planning strategy facilitating optimized catheter selection in image-guided high-dose-rate interstitial gynecologic brachytherapy. Med Phys 2017; 44:6117-6127. [DOI: 10.1002/mp.12590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Revised: 07/19/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Christian V. Guthier
- Department of Radiation Oncology; Harvard Medical School; Brigham and Women's Hospital; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Boston MA USA
| | - Antonio L. Damato
- Department of Radiation Oncology; Harvard Medical School; Brigham and Women's Hospital; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Boston MA USA
- Department of Medical Physics; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; New York NY USA
| | - Juergen W. Hesser
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology; Medical Faculty Mannheim; Heidelberg University; Mannheim Germany
| | - Akila N. Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology; Harvard Medical School; Brigham and Women's Hospital; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Boston MA USA
- Johns Hopkins Medicine; Baltimore MD USA
| | - Robert A. Cormack
- Department of Radiation Oncology; Harvard Medical School; Brigham and Women's Hospital; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Boston MA USA
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Damato AL, Kassick M, Viswanathan AN. Rectum and bladder spacing in cervical cancer brachytherapy using a novel injectable hydrogel compound. Brachytherapy 2017; 16:949-955. [PMID: 28619385 DOI: 10.1016/j.brachy.2017.04.236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Revised: 03/19/2017] [Accepted: 04/13/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of this study was to evaluate injection of a novel hydrogel (TraceIT; Augmenix, Waltham, MA) between the cervix, rectum, and bladder in female cadavers compared with, and in addition to, the current standard of gauze packing, for organ-at-risk sparing in cervical cancer brachytherapy planning. METHODS AND MATERIALS This brachytherapy cadaver study used T2-weighted MRI and CT imaging to compare three scenarios: (1) gauze packing alone, (2) hydrogel injection placed in the cervical fornices and rectovaginal septum, and (3) gauze packing in conjunction with hydrogel injection. Hydrogel distribution was evaluated. Doses to 2 cm3 volumes (D2cc) for the rectum, bladder, and sigmoid were collected. Statistical significance (p < 0.05) was evaluated using a two-tailed paired t test. RESULTS Hydrogel was successfully injected to space the bladder and rectum from the cervix in all five cadavers. The spacer was easily identifiable on both CT and MRI. The use of hydrogel in addition to packing resulted in a 22% decrease in rectum D2cc dose (p = 0.02), a 10% decrease in bladder D2cc (p = 0.27), and no change in sigmoid D2cc dose. No difference was observed between hydrogel only vs. gauze packing only. CONCLUSIONS Our results revealed a significant clinically meaningful decrease in rectal D2cc associated with the use of hydrogel in addition to gauze packing-TraceIT hydrogel holds promise as a spacer in cervical cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio L Damato
- Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | | | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Science, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
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LaVigne AW, Triedman SA, Randall TC, Trimble EL, Viswanathan AN. Cervical cancer in low and middle income countries: Addressing barriers to radiotherapy delivery. Gynecol Oncol Rep 2017; 22:16-20. [PMID: 28948205 PMCID: PMC5602511 DOI: 10.1016/j.gore.2017.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Revised: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The global cervical cancer burden falls disproportionately upon women in low and middle-income countries. Insufficient infrastructure, lack of access to preventive HPV vaccines, screening, and treatment, as well as limited trained personnel and training opportunities, continue to impede efforts to reduce incidence and mortality in these nations. These hurdles have been substantial challenges to radiation delivery in particular, preventing treatment for a disease in which radiation is a cornerstone of curative therapy. In this review, we discuss the breadth of these barriers, while illustrating the need for adaptive approaches by proposing the use of brachytherapy alone in the absence of available external beam radiotherapy. Such modifications to current guidelines are essential to maximize radiation treatment for cervical cancer in limited resource settings. Challenges to radiation delivery for cervical cancer in LMIC are discussed. The efficacy of treatment with brachytherapy alone is presented. Limited resource settings require adaptive approaches to treatment guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna W LaVigne
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 733 North Broadway, Suite G49, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
| | - Scott A Triedman
- The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, United States
| | - Thomas C Randall
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, United States
| | - Edward L Trimble
- Center for Global Health, National Cancer Institute, United States
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Weinberg Building, Suite 1440, 401 North Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States
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Kamran SC, Manuel MM, Catalano P, Cho L, Damato AL, Lee LJ, Schmidt EJ, Viswanathan AN. MR- versus CT-based high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy for vaginal recurrence of endometrial cancer. Brachytherapy 2017; 16:1159-1168. [PMID: 28823395 DOI: 10.1016/j.brachy.2017.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Revised: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To compare clinical outcomes of MR-based versus CT-based high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy (ISBT) for vaginal recurrence of endometrioid endometrial cancer (EC). METHODS AND MATERIALS We reviewed 66 patients with vaginal recurrent EC; 18 had MR-based ISBT on a prospective clinical trial and 48 had CT-based treatment. Kaplan-Meier survival modeling was used to generate estimates for local control (LC), disease-free interval (DFI), and overall survival (OS), and multivariate Cox modeling was used to assess prognostic factors. Toxicities were evaluated and compared. RESULTS Median followup was 33 months (CT 30 months, MR 35 months). Median cumulative equivalent dose in 2-Gy fractions was 75.5 Gy for MR-ISBT and 73.8 Gy for CT-ISBT (p = 0.58). MR patients were older (p = 0.03) and had larger tumor size (>4 cm vs. ≤ 4 cm) compared to CT patients (p = 0.04). For MR-based versus CT-based ISBT, 3-year KM rate for local control was 100% versus 78% (p = 0.04), DFI was 69% versus 55% (p = 0.1), and OS was 63% versus 75% (p = 0.81), respectively. On multivariate analysis, tumor Grade 3 was associated with worse OS (HR 3.57, 95% CI 1.25, 11.36) in a model with MR-ISBT (HR 0.56, 95% CI 0.16, 1.89). Toxicities were not significantly different between the two modalities. CONCLUSION Despite worse patient prognostic features, MR-ISBT was associated with a significantly better (100%) 3-year local control, comparable survival, and improved DFI rates compared to CT. Toxicities did not differ compared to CT-ISBT patients. Tumor grade contributed as the most significant predictor for survival. Larger prospective studies are needed to assess the impact of MR-ISBT on survival outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia C Kamran
- Harvard Radiation Oncology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
| | - Matthias M Manuel
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women's Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, Bronx, NY
| | - Paul Catalano
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - Linda Cho
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women's Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Antonio L Damato
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women's Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Larissa J Lee
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women's Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Ehud J Schmidt
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Department of Medicine (Cardiology), Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women's Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
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