A Single-center Experience of Radiotherapy in Pediatric Ewing Sarcoma/Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor of the Chest Wall

AIM

To evaluate the treatment results, prognostic parameters, and treatment-related toxicity in patients with Ewing sarcoma (ES)/primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) of the chest wall who underwent surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy (RT) in a tertiary referral center.

METHODS

The data of 24 patients under 18 years of age with a histologic diagnosis of ES/PNET in the chest wall that received RT in our department between February 2003 and July 2020 were retrospectively evaluated. RT was applied to the primary site±whole involved chest wall and to the whole lung in patients with lung metastasis.

RESULTS

The median age was 8.5 years (range: 1.5 to 17 y), 15 (63%) patients were female and 9 were male (37%). The tumor localization was extrathoracic in 18 (75%) and intrathoracic in 6 (25%) patients. Mediastinal lymph node and distant metastasis (DM) was present in 5 (21%) and 4 (16%) cases at diagnosis, respectively. The median follow-up after RT was 47 months (range: 11 to 162 mo). The 2-year and 5-year overall survival, event-free survival, local recurrence-free survival, and pleural recurrence-free survival were 83% and 48%, 48% and 42%, 74% and 48%, and 61% and 52%, respectively. The overall local control rate was 83% and the pleural control rate was 67%. RT was well tolerated, with 1 case of grade 3 acute dermatitis and 1 case of grade 3 subacute radiation pneumonitis. Late toxicity was observed in 3 (13%) cases.

CONCLUSION

Long-term survival can be achieved with extended-field RT even in patients with ES/PNET of the chest wall with DM. The low toxicity rates allow us to draw the conclusion that RT with modern techniques is an effective and safe treatment modality for these patients.

Stereotactic radiotherapy for head and neck paragangliomas: How long should we wait for treatment response?

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) is an effective treatment for head & neck (H&N) paragangliomas. Nevertheless, the timeline for achieving a tumor-volume-reduction (TVR) remains unclear.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sixty-three cases with H&N paragangliomas received definitive SRT and were evaluated retrospectively. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) v23.0 (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA) was used for statistics.

RESULTS

Sixty-eight lesions were irradiated, with glomus jugulotympanicum being the most common location (44 %). Median tumor diameter and volume were 3 cm (range, 1-7.6 cm) and 15.4 cm3 (range,1-185 cm3), respectively. Median dose was 25 Gy (range, 12-37.5 Gy) in 5 fractions (range, 1-5 fractions). Median follow-up was 40 months (range, 3-184 months). Treatment response, evaluated at a median 4.6 months post-SRT (range: 3-11 months), revealed TVR in 26 cases (41 %). During follow-up, 13 additional cases showed TVR, resulting in an overall TVR rate of 62 %. The median duration for attaining TVR was 9 months (range, 3-36 months) after SRT, and TVR occurred ≥ 12 months in 42 % of cases. Patients without prior surgery (p = 0.03) and with a longer follow-up (p = 0.04) demonstrated a higher rate of TVR. The likelihood of TVR tends to increase as the SRT dose increases (p = 0.06). Overall local control (LC) rate was 100 %. No ≥ grade 3 acute or late toxicities were observed.

CONCLUSION

While SRT demonstrates an excellent LC rate for H&N paragangliomas, it's important to note that the response to treatment may require time. TVR may last beyond the initial year of treatment in a substantial proportion of patients.

Revisiting the Radical Radiotherapy-Radiochemotherapy Results in Anal Canal Cancers: (TROD Gastrointestinal Group Study 02-005)

BACKGROUND AND AIM

This study aimed to determine treatment outcomes and factors affecting prognosis in patients diagnosed with anal canal cancer who received radical radiotherapy (RT) or radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy (CT-RT) in radiation oncology centers in Turkey and compare the results with literature.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

The study included 193 patients with anal canal cancer reported between 1995 and 2019, of which 162 had complete data. The study was conducted in 11 radiation oncology centers, and a joint database was shared among them. Patients received radiotherapy doses of 45 Gy to 60 Gy. Data analysis was done using SPSS for Windows version 20.

RESULTS

Median follow-up was 48.51 months (2-214). All patients received radiotherapy, and 140 (86.4%) received concurrent chemotherapy. Radiotherapy doses of 50.4 Gy to 60 Gy were administered to 74 patients (45.7%) using 2-dimensional-3-dimensional (2D-3D) conformal therapy and 70 patients (43.2%) using intensity modulated radiotherapy technique (IMRT). Acute phase hematologic toxicity was observed in 62 patients (38.3%), and nonhematologic toxicity in 123 patients (75.9%). The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 75.1% and disease-specific survival (DSS) rate was 76.4%. OS without colostomy was achieved in 79,8 % at 5 years, and complete response in 112 patients (69.1%). OS rate was significantly higher in 142 patients with positive response (P < .000) and 112 with complete response (P < .000). Anemia (P < .002), local progression, and systemic progression (P < .000) resulted in lower OS (P < .002). In univariate analysis, factors affecting OS rate were: gender, age, stage, lymph node status, T stage, RT treatment duration, and treatment planning with PET fusion, which were found to be statistically significant. Completing radiotherapy in less than 45 days, concurrent chemotherapy, and continued administration of mitomycin and 5 FU as chemotherapy had a significant positive effect on overall survival. OS rate was higher in patients receiving RT dose of 58 Gy or less and undergoing IMRT planning in radiotherapy. IMRT was associated with lower acute and late side effects.

CONCLUSION

Radiochemotherapy is the primary treatment for anal canal cancer and advanced radiotherapy techniques may increase survival by reducing side effects and improving treatment continuation. Higher treatment doses require further investigation. The efficacy of treatment can be improved by including patients treated with modern radiotherapy techniques in multicenter prospective studies using new and more effective chemotherapy and immunotherapy agents.

Simultaneous integrated or sequential boost to clinically involved lymph nodes in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy

OBJECTIVE

The optimal treatment of metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) in locally-advanced cervical cancer (LACC) is controversial. With the widespread use of modern radiotherapy (RT) techniques, it is become possible to perform dose escalation in clinically involved LNs. This study aimed to evaluate the oncologic outcomes of dose escalation to the involved LNs with the simultaneous-integrated (SIB) or sequential boost (SEB) techniques as a part of definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for patients with LACC.

METHODS

The data of 47 patients treated with definitive CRT with either a SIB or SEB technique to the metastatic LNs between 2015 and 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients received 50.4 Gy/28 fractions of external-beam RT and 28 Gy/4 fractions of brachytherapy.

RESULTS

The number of boosted LNs was 146. The median size of the LNs was 2 cm (range, 1-5 cm). The median cumulative equivalent dose in 2-Gy fractions for the LNs was 64.2 Gy (range, 57.6-71.2 Gy). During the median 30 months of follow-up (range, 14-91 months), no boosted LNs recurred and the local control (LC) rate was 100%. The 2-year overall, disease-free, local recurrence-free, and distant metastasis-free survival rate was 83.1%, 70.5%, 77.5%, and 74.4%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, the non-squamous cell histology was the only negative independent prognostic factor for DFS and DMFS. Treatment was well tolerated without any serious acute toxicity. Serious late toxicity developed in three (6%) patients as ureteral stenosis, rectal bleeding and pelvic fracture in one patient each.

CONCLUSIONS

RT dose escalation provides excellent LC for the clinically involved LNs, even for bulky ones, with a low toxicity profile. Routine LN dissection may not be necessary. However, randomized trials are needed to determine the optimal treatment approach.

Inter-observer variation of target volume delineation for CT-guided cervical cancer brachytherapy

Purpose

Delineation is a critical and challenging step in radiotherapy planning. Differences in delineation among observers are common, despite the presence of contouring guidelines. This study aimed to identify the inter-observer variability in the target volume delineation of computed tomography (CT)-guided brachytherapy for cervical cancer.

Material and methods

Four radiation oncologists (ROs) with different expertise levels delineated high-risk (HR) and intermediate-risk (IR) clinical target volume (CTV) according to GYN GEC-ESTRO recommendations, in a blinded manner on every CT set of ten locally advanced cervical cancer cases. The most experienced RO's contours were determined as the index and used for comparison. Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and pairwise Hausdorff distance (HD) metrics were applied to compare the overlap and gross deviations of all contours.

Results

Median DSC for HR-CTV and IR-CTV were 0.73 and 0.76, respectively, and a good concordance was achieved for both in majority of contours. While there was no difference in DSC measurements for HR-CTV among the three ROs, RO-3 provided improved DSC values for IR-CTV (p = 0.01). Median HD95 was 5.02 mm and 6.83 mm, and median HDave was 1.69 mm and 2.21 mm for HR-CTV and IR-CTV, respectively. There was no significant difference among ROs in HR-CTV for HD95 or HDave; however, IR-CTV value was significantly improved according to RO-3 (p = 0.01). Case-by-case HD analysis showed no significant inter-observer variations, except for two cases.

Conclusions

The inter-observer agreement is generally high for target volumes in CT-guided brachytherapy for cervical cancer. The agreement is lower for IR-CTV than HR-CTV. The individual characteristics of each case and different expertise levels of the ROs may have caused the differences. Despite the good concordance for delineation, dosimetric consequences can still be clinically significant.

Improving normal tissue sparing using scripting in endometrial cancer radiation therapy planning

The aim of this study was to improve the protection of organs at risk (OARs), decrease the total planning time and maintain sufficient target doses using scripting endometrial cancer external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) planning. Computed tomography (CT) data of 14 endometrial cancer patients were included in this study. Manual and automatic planning with scripting were performed for each CT. Scripts were created in the RayStation™ (RaySearch Laboratories AB, Stockholm, Sweden) planning system using a Python code. In scripting, seven additional contours were automatically created to reduce the OAR doses. The scripted and manual plans were compared to each other in terms of planning time, dose-volume histogram (DVH) parameters, and total monitor unit (MU) values. While the mean total planning time for manual planning was 368 ± 8 s, it was only 55 ± 2 s for the automatic planning with scripting (p < 0.001). The mean doses of OARs decreased with automatic planning (p < 0.001). In addition, the maximum doses (D2% and D1%) for bilateral femoral heads and the rectum were significantly reduced. It was observed that the total MU value increased from 1146 ± 126 (manual planning) to 1369 ± 95 (scripted planning). It is concluded that scripted planning has significant time and dosimetric advantages over manual planning for endometrial cancer EBRT planning.

Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy as an Effective Treatment for Pancreatic Cancer

Background Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) allows the delivery of an ablative radiation dose to the tumor with minimal toxicity. Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided SBRT appears to be a promising approach in the modern era, X-ray image-guided SBRT is still used worldwide for pancreatic cancer. This study aims to evaluate the results of X-ray image-guided SBRT in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC). Methodology Medical records of 24 patients with unresectable LAPC who underwent X-ray image-guided SBRT between 2009 and 2022 were retrospectively evaluated. SPSS version 23.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) was utilized for all analyses. Results The median age was 64 years (range = 42-81 years), and the median tumor size was 3.5 cm (range = 2.7-4 cm). The median total dose of SBRT was 35 Gy (range = 33-50 Gy) in five fractions. After SBRT, 30% of patients showed complete and 41% showed partial response, whereas 20% had stable disease and 9% had progression. Median follow-up was 15 months (range = 6-58 months). During follow-up, four (16%) patients had local recurrence, one (4%) had a regional recurrence, and 17 (70%) had distant metastasis (DM). The two-year local control (LC), local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), overall survival (OS), and DM-free survival (DMFS) rate was 87%, 36%, 37%, and 29%, respectively. In univariate analysis, a larger tumor size (>3.5 cm) and higher cancer antigen 19-9 level (>106.5 kU/L) significantly decreased the OS, LRFS, and DMFS rates. No severe acute toxicity was observed. However, two patients had severe late toxicity as intestinal bleeding. Conclusions X-ray image-guided SBRT provides a good LC rate with minimal toxicity for unresectable LAPC. However, despite modern systemic treatments, the rate of DM remains high which plays a major role in survival.

Post-induction lymph node delineation in nasopharyngeal cancer: A single-center experience

BACKGROUND

We routinely delineate the gross tumor volume (GTV) for the lymph nodes (LN) based on post-induction chemotherapy (IC) MRI in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Herein, we investigated the sufficiency of this method, particularly in high-risk LNs.

METHODS

Eighty-one LNs with a high-risk of clinical extranodal extension and/or ≥3-cm diameter in 58 patients were evaluated. A new GTV covering the pre-IC LN volume was delineated for each LN.

RESULTS

The median volume reduction was 72.5% for the GTV and 53.1% for the planning target volume. After a median 43 months, the overall LN local control rate was 97.5%. The 2- and 5-year LN recurrence-free survival, overall survival, and disease-free survival rate was 88.3% and 84.4%, 92.5% and 85.1%, and 86.8% and 79.2%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

IC yields a significant reduction in nodal target volumes, and post-IC nodal volume-based radiotherapy provides excellent LC in NPC, even in high-risk LNs.

Multi-institutional study on the role of post-operative radiotherapy in elderly patients with endometrial cancer

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prognostic factors for survival and toxicities in elderly (≥65 years) patients with endometrial cancer who underwent post-operative radiotherapy. Additionally, to compare the treatment outcomes between the older elderly (≥75 years) and younger elderly (65-74 years) patients.

METHODS

Medical records of patients with enometrial cancer treated between January 1998 and July 2019 were reviewed. Patients with stage IA to IIIC2, all histology subtypes, and any grade were included. All patients underwent total abdominal hysterectomy and received adjuvant radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy. All but 67 (8.4%) of 801 patients had lymph node dissection. Clinicopathological factors and treatment strategies were compared between the two age groups. The prognostic factors for overall survival and progression-free survival were investigated.

RESULTS

A total of 801 patients with enometrial cancer, 627 patients (78.3%) younger elderly and 174 patients (21.7%) in the older elderly group were included. Median follow-up was 74.3 months (range 0.4-224.6). The older elderly patients had significantly higher rates of grade 3 tumors (51.7% vs 40.8%; p=0.04), cervical glandular involvement (21.8% vs 14.0%; p=0.03), and cervical stromal invasion (34.5% vs 27.9%; p=0.04) than the younger elderly patients. The rates of lymph node dissection (p=0.2), radiotherapy modalities (p=0.92), and systemic chemotherapy (p=0.2) did not differ between the two groups. The 5-year locoregional control and distant metastasis rates were 88.3% and 23.8%, respectively. The 5-year cause-specific survival and progression-free survival rates for younger and older elderly patients, were 79.8% vs 74.3% (p=0.04) and 67.5% vs 57.8% (p<0.001), respectively. In multivariate analysis, larger tumor size, non-endometrioid histology, cervical stromal involvement, and stage III disease were associated with poor cause-specific survival and progression-free survival. Age was an independent predictor of worse progression-free survival, but not of cause-specific survival. There was no significant difference in acute and late gastrointestinal and genitourinary toxicities between age groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Post-operative radiotherapy for elderly patients with endometrial cancer is effective and well tolerated. Advanced age should not preclude appropriate treatment, especially in those with adequate quality of life, life expectancy, and functional status.

Every other day stereotactic radiation therapy for the treatment of uveal melanoma decreases toxicity

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

To report the long-term results of stereotactic radiosurgery and fractionated stereotactic radiation therapy (SRS/FSRT) in patients with uveal melanoma (UM).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated the results of patients treated between 2007 and 2019. The primary endpoints were local control (LC), local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), enucleation-free survival (EFS) and treatment toxicity.

RESULTS

443 patients with 445 UMs were treated via CyberKnife®. According to the COMS classification, 70% of the tumors were small/medium and 30% were large. Median total RT dose was 54 Gy, median BED10 was 151 Gy. After a median 74-months follow-up, SRS/FSRT yielded an 83% overall LC rate. The 5- and 10-year LRFS rate was 74% and 56%, respectively. Patient age and the COMS size were prognostic for all survival endpoints. An increased SRS/FSRT dose was associated with higher LRFS and EFS rates. SRS/FSRT-related toxicity was observed in 49% of the eyes. Median visual acuity (VA) significantly deteriorated after SRS/FSRT in 76% of the treated eyes. The overall eye preservation rate was 62%, and the 5- and 10-year EFS rate was 64% and 36%, respectively. The delivery of FSRT every other day resulted in a significantly lower rate of toxicity and enucleation compared to FSRT on consecutive days.

CONCLUSION

A total dose of ≥45 Gy and BED_10Gy ≥ 112.5 SRS/FSRT is associated with a higher LC rate in patients with UM. Despite the favorable outcomes, treatment toxicity is the major limitation of this treatment. Toxicity and enucleation can be minimized by treating the eye every other day.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy boost in patients with cervical cancer

Our aim was to evaluate the oncological outcomes of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) boost in patients with cervical cancer. The data of 21 patients who received SBRT boost after definitive radiotherapy (RT) or chemoradiotherapy (CRT) between March 2012 and April 2019 were retrospectively evaluated. External beam radiotherapy (EBRT) was applied to patients with a total dose of 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis (IBM SPSS 23 software) and p < .05 value was considered significant. After definitive RT or CRT, there was a complete response in 9 (43%) patients, partial response in 11 (52%) patients and stable disease in 1 (5%) patient. The median follow-up period was 28 months (range, 7.5-88 months). Two-years cancer-specific survival rate was 80%. While 2-year LC rate was 75% in patients with residual tumour size <4 cm, it was 50% when there was ≥4 cm residual tumour after definitive CRT (p = .1). The treatment was well-tolerated and no acute or late toxicity was observed. Although brachytherapy (BRT) is an essential part of the treatment in locally advanced cervical cancer, SBRT may be used in patients with small residual disease who are not candidate for BRT. IMPACT STATEMENTCervical cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world, and external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and brachytherapy (BRT) are the main treatment options. However, in rare cases where BRT is not feasible, it has been questioned whether stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) as an alternative to BRT.What is already known on this subject? Nowadays, BRT still appears to be the gold standard treatment. However, studies with a small number of patients and short follow-up periods in the literature show that SBRT can be a good alternative in cases where BRT cannot be performed.What do the results of this study add? Our study is one of the series with the largest number of patients in the literature and with the longest follow-up period. In this area where there is no prospective study, we think that retrospective data with high patient numbers are enlightening.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Our study shows that SBRT is an alternative option in cases with small residual disease where BRT cannot be applied, and it provides a basis for a prospective randomised study.

Stereotactic Radiotherapy for Adrenal Metastases: A Multi-Institutional Review of Patient Characteristics and Outcomes - Turkish Society for Radiation Oncology SBRT Group Study (Trod SBRT 10-004)

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to report the outcomes of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for adrenal metastasis in a retrospective multi-institutional cohort.

METHODS

The outcomes of 124 patients with 146 adrenal metastases who underwent SBRT within 11 years (2008-2019) were retrospectively evaluated. Survival outcomes were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method. Patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics and their effects on survival, local control (LC), and toxicity outcomes were analyzed by log-rank and multivariate Cox regression methods.

RESULTS

The median age was 60 years. The most frequent primary tumor site was the lung, followed by the gastrointestinal system and breast. The adrenal gland was the only metastatic site in 49 (40%) patients. Median biologically effective dose (BED)10 was 61 Gy. The overall LC rate was 83%, and it was positively correlated with the BED10 and fraction dose. The 1- and 2-year local recurrence-free survival, overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 79% and 69%, 83% and 60%, and 31% and 12%, respectively. OS significantly improved with non-lung cancer and <4-cm lesion and PFS with a fraction dose ≥8 Gy, BED10 >65 Gy, and an isolated adrenal metastasis. Fourteen patients reported an acute toxicity, and late toxicity was observed in 3 patients, including one grade 5.

CONCLUSION

A satisfactory LC rate was achieved for adrenal metastasis via SBRT. A higher BED10 and fraction dose were positive prognostic factors for tumor control. However, the main problem is DM in these patients, and systemic treatment options are needed to be improved.

The impact of serum albumin-to-alkaline phosphatase ratio in cervical cancer patients treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy

We retrospectively analysed the prognostic significance of serum albumin, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and albumin to ALP ratio (AAPR) and other prognostic factors affecting the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in 200 cervical cancer patients treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT). The prognostic factors for OS and DFS, in addition to the predictive factors of albumin, ALP and AAPR, were investigated. Older age, lymph node metastasis, non-complete response (CR) to treatment and low serum albumin levels emerged as predictors of poor OS and PFS in multivariate analysis. However, with a cut-off value of 0.51, AAPR was not a significant prognostic factor of survival in multivariable analysis. There were no significant differences in clinicopathological factors between patients with low and high AAPR, except for lymph node metastasis, where lymph node metastasis rate was significantly higher in patients with a low AAPR compared to those with a high AAPR. Patients with CR had a significantly higher serum albumin level and AAPR compared to patients without CR. The pre-treatment serum albumin level was independent predictive for survival; therefore, it could be a suitable biomarker to guide systemic therapy and predict patient outcomes. Impact StatementWhat is already known on this subject? Two major determinants of tumour progression are nutritional status and inflammation. The albumin-to-alkaline phosphatase ratio (AAPR), which was originally proposed as a marker for nutritional status and immune response, was recently discovered to be a prognostic factor for various cancer types. However, its utility in the treatment of cervical cancer has not been established.What do the results of this study add? Low serum albumin levels were associated with a significantly shorter OS and PFS in cervical cancer patients treated definitively with CRT. AAPR, on the other hand, was not a significant prognostic factor for survival with a cut-off value of 0.51. Regional lymph node metastasis was significantly more common in patients with a low AAPR than in those with a high AAPR.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Patients with multiple clinicopathological risk factors and low serum albumin levels had an increased risk of disease recurrence and a poorer prognosis, highlighting the importance of additional adjuvant treatment strategies in these patients. Due to the preliminary nature of our findings, additional research is required to corroborate them.

Uterine papillary serous and clear cell carcinomas: Comparison of characteristics and clinical outcomes

INTRODUCTION

To assess the rate of disease control and survival after adjuvant treatment in patients with uterine papillary serous (PSC) and clear cell carcinoma (CCC) and compare the results between these two subtypes.

METHODS

The medical charts of 199 patients with de novo uterine PSC or CCC who underwent radiotherapy (RT) following surgery between 2001 and 2019 in three radiation oncology departments were retrospectively evaluated. Adjuvant treatment was decided by a multidisciplinary tumor board. All patients were planned to undergo adjuvant 4-6 cycles of chemotherapy with external beam RT (EBRT) and/or vaginal brachytherapy (VBT).

RESULTS

Median age was 63 years for all, 64 years for PSC, and 59 years for CCC, respectively. Complete surgical staging was applied in 98% of patients. Histopathologic subtype was PSC in 142 (71%) and pure CCC in 57 (29%) patients, respectively. FIGO stage was I in 107 (54%), II in 35 (18%), and III in 57 (28%) patients, respectively. Lympho-vascular space invasion and positive peritoneal cytology (PPC) were present in 42% and 10% of patients, respectively. All patients but 23 (12%) underwent adjuvant chemotherapy. Median follow-up was 49.5 months for all patients, 43.9 months for patients with PSC, and 90.4 months for patients with CCC, respectively. During follow-up, 20 (10%) patients developed pelvic recurrence (PR) and 37 (19%) developed distant metastasis (DM). PSC subtype increased the PR and DM rates, although the latter not statistically significant. The 5-year overall survival and disease-free survival rate was 73% and 69% for all patients, 71% and 66% for patients with PSC, and 77% and 75% for patients with CCC, respectively. The difference was more prominent in patients with stage ≥ IB disease. In multivariate analysis, advanced age and PPC significantly decreased all survival rates.

CONCLUSION

PSC has a worse prognosis than CCC with regard to pelvic and distant recurrence with a trend for decreased survival rates. Therefore, a more aggressive therapy is needed for patients with uterine PSC, particularly in patients with stage ≥ IB disease.

Results of concurrent radiotherapy and immunotherapy in recurrent and metastatic head and neck cancer: A single-center experience

OBJECTIVES

In metastatic and recurrent head and neck cancer (M/R HN-SCC), the median survival is less than a year and locoregional recurrence is the main cause of death. Our aim was to evaluate the results of concurrent stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and immunotherapy (ICI) in these patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fifteen patients diagnosed with M/R HN-SCC were evaluated retrospectively. All patients received SBRT (3x8 Gy) to all recurrent and metastatic foci with concurrent ICI.

RESULTS

Six months overall survival (OS) rates and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 93% and 86%, respectively. Local control (LC) rate in the site of SBRT was 96%. Higher survival and LC rates were achieved with lower doses of radiotherapy with the synergistic effect of SBRT and ICI.

CONCLUSION

Concurrent ICI and SBRT was feasible with excellent LC.

Outcome and safety analysis of endometrial cancer patients treated with postoperative 3D-conformal radiotherapy or intensity modulated radiotherapy

BACKGROUND

We sought to analyze the toxicity rates and the treatment outcomes in endometrial cancer (EC) patients treated with postoperative three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The clinical data of 646 EC patients treated with postoperative adjuvant 3DCRT (265 patients, 41%) or with IMRT (381 patients, 59%) between April 2007 and August 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The primary endpoints were treatment-related acute and late gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) toxicities. The secondary endpoints were LC and overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS).

RESULTS

Median follow-up time was 37 months. The rates for acute GI and GU toxicities of any grade for the entire group were 55.6% and 46.8%, respectively. Acute grade ≥2 GI toxicity was significantly less in patients treated with IMRT compared to those treated with 3DCRT (11.0% vs. 19.2%, p=.004). However, no significant difference grade ≥2 GU toxicities was observed between the 3DCRT and IMRT groups (15.1% vs. 11.0%; p=.15). Acute grade ≥2 GI and GU toxicities were higher in patients receiving systemic chemotherapy, while paraaortic field irradiation increases only the risk of acute grade ≥2 GI toxicity. Estimated 3-year late grade ≥3 GI toxicity rates in the 3DCRT- and IMRT-treated patients were 4.6% and 1.9% (p= .03), respectively. The patients treated with adjuvant ChT had higher rates of late serious GI complications than those without adjuvant ChT. No significant difference in terms of survival and disease control was observed between the 3DCRT and IMRT treatment groups. No significant factor for LC was found in the multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION

In this multicentric study involving one of largest patient population, we found that IMRT-treated EC patients showed comparable clinical outcomes but with a lower incidence of GI toxicities compared with those treated with 3DCRT.

Impact of lymph node ratio in patients with stage IIIC endometrial carcinoma treated with postoperative radiotherapy

Aim: To evaluate the prognostic value of the lymph node ratio (LNR) and other clinicopathological factors in patients with stage IIIC endometrial cancer. Methods: Factors affecting overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were assessed in 397 patients with stage IIIC endometrial cancer treated with postoperative radiotherapy. Patients undergoing the removal of at least ten lymph nodes were included in the study. Results: The 5-year OS and PFS rates were 58% and 52%, respectively, with a median follow-up time of 35.7 months. The LNR cutoff value was 9.6%. In the multivariate analysis, advanced age (≥60 years), grade III tumor, presence of cervical stromal invasion, higher LNR and lack of adjuvant chemotherapy were independent predictors for worse OS and PFS. Conclusion: The LNR is an independent predictor for OS and PFS in patients with stage IIIC endometrial cancer treated with postoperative radiotherapy.

Does Combined Fractionated Stereotactic Radiotherapy and Immunotherapy Change the Outcome of Recurrent High-Grade Gliomas?

Background

Radiotherapy (RT) with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) has yielded good responses in many cancers. We aimed to report the results of combined fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (FSRT) and ICI in patients with recurrent high-grade glioma.

Methodology

Patients were treated with FSRT and nivolumab which were continued until progression or toxicity. The Response Assessment in Neuro-oncology and Immunotherapy Response Assessment in Neuro-oncology criteria were used to assess treatment response on magnetic resonance imaging. Treatment-related toxicity was noted in all patients.

Results

A total of eight patients were included. Recurrence was detected after a median of 5.8 months following the first RT, all in the treatment field. FSRT (3 × 8 Gy) was applied with neoadjuvant, concurrent, and adjuvant nivolumab. After a median follow-up of 21.3 months from diagnosis and 12.6 months from recurrence, one patient was alive and seven succumbed to the disease. The median overall survival was 20.9 months after diagnosis and 12.9 months after recurrence. The median progression-free interval was 2.3 months after FSRT. The local control (LC) rate was 62.5% with a median local recurrence-free survival of nine months. Progression in other regions of the brain was observed in four patients with a median progression-free survival of 2.1 months. Acute toxicity was not observed. ICI-related grade 3 late pneumonitis was observed in two patients, and grade 1 late thyroid toxicity in two patients. One patient with pneumonitis also developed osteoporosis and radiation necrosis.

Conclusions

A high LC rate was achieved with concurrent FSRT and ICI with a severe late toxicity rate of 25%. This combination can be an option in recurrent high-grade gliomas.

Multi-institutional validation of the ESMO-ESGO-ESTRO consensus conference risk grouping in Turkish endometrial cancer patients treated with comprehensive surgical staging

In this study, 683 patients with endometrial cancer (EC) after comprehensive surgical staging were classified into four risk groups as low (LR), intermediate (IR), high-intermediate (HIR) and high-risk (HR), according to the recent consensus risk grouping. Patients with disease confined to the uterus, ≥50% myometrial invasion (MI) and/or grade 3 histology were treated with vaginal brachytherapy (VBT). Patients with stage II disease, positive/close surgical margins or extra-uterine extension were treated with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT)±VBT. The median follow-up was 56 months. The overall survival (OS) was significantly different between LR and HR groups, and there was a trend between LR and HIR groups. Relapse-free survival (RFS) was significantly different between LR and HIR, LR and HR and IR and HR groups. There was no significant difference in OS and RFS rates between the HIR and HR groups. In HR patients, the OS and RFS rates were significantly higher in stage IB - grade 3 and stage II compared to stage III and non-endometrioid histology without any difference between the two uterine-confined stages and between stage III and non-endometrioid histology. The current risk grouping does not clearly discriminate the HIR and IR groups. In patients with comprehensive surgical staging, a further risk grouping is needed to distinguish the real HR group.Impact statementWhat is already known on this subject? The standard treatment for endometrial cancer (EC) is surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) and/or chemotherapy is recommended according to risk factors. The recent European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO) and European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) guideline have introduced a new risk group. However, the risk grouping is still quite heterogeneous.What do the results of this study add? This study demonstrated that the current risk grouping recommended by ESMO-ESGO-ESTRO does not clearly discriminate the intermediate risk (IR) and high-intermediate risk (HIR) groups.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Based on the results of this study, a new risk grouping can be made to discriminate HIR and IR groups clearly in patients with comprehensive surgical staging.

Does Internal Mammary Node Irradiation for Breast Cancer Make a Significant Difference to the Diameter of the Internal Mammary Artery? Correlation with Computed Tomography

Objective

Lymphatic irradiation in breast cancer improves locoregional control and has been shown to decrease distant metastasis. However, irradiation also accelerates the formation of atherosclerosis and can cause stenosis, not only in the coronary arteries but also in the internal mammary artery (IMA). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of radiation on IMAs via computed tomography (CT).

Methods

We reviewed the data of 3,612 patients with breast cancer treated with radiotherapy (RT) between January 2010 and December 2016. We included 239 patients with appropriate imaging and nodal irradiation in the study. All patients were treated with lymphatic irradiation of 46-50 Gy, and a boost dose (6-10 Gy) to the involved internal mammary nodes (IMNs) when imaging studies demonstrated pathological enlargement. Bilateral IMA diameter and the presence of calcification were assessed via thin contrast-enhanced CT and those of ipsilateral irradiated IMAs were compared with those of contralateral nonirradiated IMAs.

Results

The mean diameter of irradiated IMAs was significantly shorter than that of nonirradiated IMAs, regardless of laterality. All vascular calcifications were determined on the irradiated side. A boost dose of radiation to the IMNs and radiation technique did not significantly affect the IMA diameter or the presence of calcification.

Conclusions

The diameter of the IMA is decreased due to RT regardless of laterality, radiation technique, and administration of a boost dose. Evaluation of vessels on CT before coronary artery bypass graft or flap reconstruction can help the surgeon select the most appropriate vessel.

A hesitated approach: primary radiotherapy for keloids-a case series

PURPOSE

To assess the efficacy and toxicity of hypofractionated radiotherapy (RT) alone in treatment-resistant symptomatic keloids.

METHODS

Six patients with a total of 13 inoperable large keloid lesions and no response to previous treatments were admitted to our department between 2017 and 2019. All patients were examined for detailed wound localization, size, contour, and color assessment, and for objective and subjective symptoms. Response to treatment was graded as "complete remission" in case of full symptomatic relief and >75% decrease in lesion size, as "partial remission" in case of partial symptomatic relief and 25-75% decrease in lesion size, and as "stable disease" in case of no symptomatic relief or <25% decrease in lesion size. Patients were followed up monthly for the first 3 months and every 3 months thereafter by physical examination.

RESULTS

A total dose of 37.5 Gy external RT in five fractions was prescribed by 6‑MeV electrons in 4 patients and 6‑MV photons in 2 patients. Complete response was obtained in all patients at the 6‑month control. All patients were satisfied with cosmetic results at their last control. Grade 2 dermatitis developed in all patients during the second week of RT but resolved completely in all after 6 months following the end of RT.

CONCLUSION

In keloids that are unresponsive to standard treatment, hypofractionated RT using a total dose of 37.5 Gy in five fractions is feasible.

Parotid gland stem cells: Mini yet mighty

BACKGROUND

Our aim was to evaluate the correlation between the radiation doses to parotid gland (PG) stem cells and xerostomia.

METHODS

Patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer (HNC) were retrospectively evaluated, and xerostomia inventory (XI) was applied to these patients. PG stem cells were delineated on the treatment planning CT, and the mean doses to the PG stem cells calculated.

RESULTS

The total test score and mean doses to bilateral PGs were significantly correlated (r = .34, P = .001), and the mean doses to bilateral PG stem cell niches were significantly correlated with the total test score (r = .32, P = .002).

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, we found that the mean dose to PG stem cells can predict dry mouth as much as the mean dose to the PG.

Role of vaginal brachytherapy boost following adjuvant external beam radiotherapy in cervical cancer: Turkish Society for Radiation Oncology Gynecologic Group Study (TROD 04-002)

OBJECTIVE

There are a limited number of studies supporting vaginal brachytherapy boost to external beam radiotherapy in the adjuvant treatment of cervical cancer. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the addition of vaginal brachytherapy boost to adjuvant external beam radiotherapy on oncological outcomes and toxicity in patients with cervical cancer.

METHODS

Patients treated with post-operative external beam radiotherapy ± chemotherapy ± vaginal brachytherapy between January 2001 and January 2019 were retrospectively evaluated. The treatment outcomes and prognostic factors were analyzed in patients treated with external beam radiotherapy with or without vaginal brachytherapy.

RESULTS

A total of 480 patients were included in the analysis. The median age was 51 years (range 42-60). At least two intermediate risk factors were observed in 51% of patients, while 49% had at least one high-risk factor. The patients in the external beam radiotherapy + vaginal brachytherapy group had worse prognostic factors than the external beam radiotherapy alone group. With a median follow-up time of 56 months (range 33-90), the 5-year overall survival rate was 82%. There was no difference in 5-year overall survival (87% vs 79%, p=0.11), recurrence-free survival (74% vs 71%, p=0.49), local recurrence-free survival (78% vs 76%, p=0.16), and distant metastasis-free survival (85% vs 76%, p=0.09) rates between treatment groups. There was no benefit of addition of vaginal brachytherapy to external beam radiotherapy in patients with positive surgical margins. In multivariate analysis, stage (overall survival and local recurrence-free survival), tumor histology (recurrence-free survival, local recurrence-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival), parametrial invasion (recurrence-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival), lymphovascular space invasion (recurrence-free survival), and lymph node metastasis (distant metastasis-free survival) were found as negative prognostic factors.

CONCLUSION

Adding vaginal brachytherapy boost to external beam radiotherapy did not provide any benefit in local control or survival in patients with cervical cancer.

Stereotactic radiotherapy in patients with oligometastatic or oligoprogressive gynecological malignancies: a multi-institutional analysis

INTRODUCTION

Data supporting stereotactic body radiotherapy for oligometastatic patients are increasing; however, the outcomes for gynecological cancer patients have yet to be fully explored. Our aim is to analyze the clinical outcomes of stereotactic body radiotherapy in the treatment of patients with recurrent or oligometastatic ovarian cancer or cervical cancer.

METHODS

The clinical data of 29 patients (35 lesions) with oligometastatic cervical cancer (21 patients, 72%) and ovarian carcinoma (8 patients, 28%) who were treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy for metastatic sites were retrospectively evaluated. All patients had <5 metastases at diagnosis or during progression, and were treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy for oligometastatic disease. Patients with ≥5 metastases or with brain metastases and those who underwent re-irradiation for primary site were excluded. Age, progression time, mean biologically effective dose, and treatment response were compared for overall survival and progression-free survival.

RESULTS

A total of 29 patients were included in the study. De novo oligometastatic disease was observed in 7 patients (24%), and 22 patients (76%) had oligoprogression. The median follow-up was 15.3 months (range 1.9-95.2). The 1 and 2 year overall survival rates were 85% and 62%, respectively, and the 1 and 2 year progression-free survival rates were 27% and 18%, respectively. The 1 and 2 year local control rates for all patients were 84% and 84%, respectively. All disease progressions were observed at a median time of 7.7 months (range 1.0-16.0) after the completion of stereotactic body radiotherapy. Patients with a complete response after stereotactic body radiotherapy for oligometastasis had a significantly higher 2 year overall survival and progression-free survival compared with their counterparts. In multivariate analysis, early progression (≤12 months) and complete response after stereotactic body radiotherapy for oligometastasis were the significant prognostic factors for improved overall survival. However, no significant factor was found for progression-free survival in the multivariable analysis. No patients experienced grade 3 or higher acute or late toxicities.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with early detection of oligometastasis (≤12 months) and with complete response observed at the stereotactic body radiotherapy site had a better survival compared with their counterparts. Stereotactic body radiotherapy at the oligometastatic site resulted in excellent local control rates with minimal toxicity, and can potentially contribute to long-term survival.

A multi-institutional analysis of sequential versus 'sandwich' adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy for stage IIIC endometrial carcinoma

Objective

To analyze the outcomes of sequential or sandwich chemotherapy (ChT) and radiotherapy (RT) in patients with node-positive endometrial cancer (EC).

Methods

Data from 4 centers were collected retrospectively for 179 patients with stage IIIC EC treated with postoperative RT and ChT (paclitaxel and carboplatin). Patients were either treated with 6 cycles of ChT followed by RT (sequential arm; 96 patients) or with 3 cycles of ChT, RT, and an additional 3 cycles of ChT (sandwich arm; 83 patients). Prognostic factors affecting overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed.

Results

The 5-year OS and PFS rates were 64% and 59%, respectively, with a median follow-up of 41 months (range, 5–167 months). The 5-year OS rates were significantly higher in the sandwich than sequential arms (74% vs. 56%; p=0.03) and the difference for 5-year PFS rates was nearly significant (65% vs. 54%; p=0.05). In univariate analysis, treatment strategy, age, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, pathology, rate of myometrial invasion, and grade were prognostic factors for OS and PFS. In multivariate analysis, non-endometrioid histology, advanced FIGO stage, and adjuvant sequential ChT and RT were negative predictors for OS, whereas only non-endometrioid histology was a prognostic factor for PFS.

Conclusion

Postoperative adjuvant ChT and RT for stage IIIC EC patients, either given sequentially or sandwiched, offers excellent clinical efficacy and acceptably low toxicity. Our data support the superiority of the sandwich regimen compared to the sequential strategy in stage IIIC EC patients for OS.

Is there any benefit of paraaortic field irradiation in pelvic lymph node positive endometrial cancer patients? A propensity match analysis

We evaluated the survival outcomes and recurrence patterns of endometrial cancer (EC) patients with pelvic lymph node metastases who received postoperative radiotherapy (RT) to the pelvis (P-RT) or to the pelvis plus paraaortic lymph nodes (PA-RT) with or without systemic chemotherapy (ChT). The data from 167 patients with stage IIIC1 EC treated with postoperative RT or RT and ChT were collected retrospectively. Those patients with pelvic lymph node metastases were treated with either P-RT (106 patients, 63%) or PA-RT (61 patients, 37%). The median follow-up time for the entire cohort was 49 (range = 5-199) months. The patients receiving adjuvant ChT and RT had significantly higher 5-year OS rates (77% vs. 33%, p < .001) and 5-year PFS rates (71% vs. 30%, p < .001) when compared to those receiving adjuvant RT alone. The patients receiving P-RT and ChT had significantly higher 5-year OS rates and 5-year PFS rates when compared to those treated with adjuvant PA-RT in the entire cohort and matched cohort. Adjuvant ChT together with RT is the strongest predictor of the OS and PFS. Prophylactic PA-RT is unnecessary, even if ChT is used together with P-RT in EC patients with pelvic lymph node metastasis.Impact statementWhat is already known on this subject? Local and distant recurrence risks are relatively higher in patients with stage IIIC disease, postoperative adjuvant treatment is required to reduce the recurrence risk. Adjuvant RT is a common approach for patients with locally advanced EC. Optimal target volume for RT in patients with stage IIIC EC remains controversial. We demonstrated that extended field RT is unnecessary, even if ChT is used together with pelvic RT in stage IIIC EC patients.What do the results of this study add? We demonstrated that adjuvant ChT together with RT is the strongest predictor of the OS and PFS for EC patients with pelvic lymph node metastases. Extended field RT is unnecessary, even if ChT is used together with pelvic RT in EC patients with pelvic lymph node metastases.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Although adjuvant treatment modalities are associated with improvements in survival, distant metastasis still remains the most common site of recurrence in advanced EC patients. Thus, further research is warranted to identify improved combined modality strategies to optimise the outcomes for EC patients with pelvic lymph node metastasis.

Radiotherapy After Skin-Sparing Mastectomy and Implant-Based Breast Reconstruction

INTRODUCTION

We evaluated the cosmetic results of radiotherapy (RT) after implant-based reconstruction (IBR).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated 170 patients with 171 breast cancers treated between December 2004 and January 2016 in 2 university hospitals. RT fields were reconstructed breast (RB) only in 24 (14%), and RB and regional lymphatics in 147 (86%) breasts, respectively. All but 1 patient received a total 50 Gy with conventional fractionation. All patients received systemic chemotherapy. One hundred thirty-eight (81%) patients received hormonal therapy; 118 tamoxifen and 20 aromatase inhibitor.

RESULTS

Median follow-up time was 46.8 months (range, 1-163 months). The 5-year disease-free and overall survival rate was 83% and 93%, respectively. Cosmetic results were considered excellent in 111 (65%), fair in 46 (27%), and bad in 14 (8%) RB by patients. Thirty-four (20%) RB had restorative surgery; because of surgeons' preference because of implant natural life time span in 5, and contracture, fibrosis, deformation, or dislocation of the implant, or cellulitis in the remaining. Statistically significant adverse factors in univariate analysis for impaired cosmetic outcome were bolus use on the RB, lymphatic irradiation, and volume that received at least 110% of the prescribed dose being > 1%. The use of bolus material was the only prognostic factor for deterioration of the cosmetic result in multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION

RT after IBR yields acceptable cosmetic results. Although only 111 (65%) of RBs were considered to have excellent cosmetic results, only a small percentage of patients needed reoperation because of bad cosmetic outcome.

Treatment outcomes of endometrial cancer patients with paraaortic lymph node metastasis: a multi-institutional analysis

Objective

To analyze the prognostic factors and treatment outcomes in endometrial cancer patients with paraaortic lymph node metastasis.

Methods

Data from four centers were collected retrospectively for 92 patients with endometrial cancer treated with combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy or adjuvant radiotherapy alone postoperatively, delivered by either the sandwich or sequential method. Prognostic factors affecting overall survival and progression-free survival were analyzed.

Results

The 5-year overall survival and progression-free survival rates were 35 % and 33 %, respectively, after a median follow-up time of 33 months. The 5-year overall survival and progression-free survival rates were significantly higher in patients receiving radiotherapy and chemotherapy postoperatively compared with patients treated with adjuvant radiotherapy alone (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). In a subgroup analysis of patients treated with adjuvant combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the 5-year overall survival and progression-free survival rates were significantly higher in patients receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy via the sandwich method compared with patients treated with sequential chemotherapy and radiotherapy (P = 0.02 and P = 0.03, respectively). In the univariate analysis, in addition to treatment strategy, pathology, depth of myometrial invasion, and tumor grade were significant prognostic factors for both overall survival and progression-free survival. In the multivariate analysis, grade III disease, myometrial invasion greater than or equal to 50%, and adjuvant radiotherapy alone were negative predictors for both overall survival and progression-free survival.

Conclusion

We demonstrated that adjuvant combined treatment including radiotherapyand chemotherapy significantly increases overall survival and progression-free survival rates compared with postoperative pelvic and paraaortic radiotherapy.