Publications by authors named "Anna-Maria Camarda"

Background: Sinonasal and skull base tumor surgery-related morbidity has been reduced by the use of endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery (EESBS). Postoperative radiation therapy (poRT) requires precise definition of target volumes. To enhance the accuracy of poRT planning, histological and radiological correlations are necessary to locate the tumor attachment on poRT CT scans.

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Cancer prehabilitation is the process between the time of cancer diagnosis and the beginning of the active acute treatment; prehabilitation consists of various need-based interventions, e.g., physical activity, a nutritional program, and psychological support.

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Article Synopsis
  • The use of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for thyroid cancer treatment is debated because there isn't a lot of strong data.
  • Some studies suggest that EBRT can help people with high-risk cases of thyroid cancer when it's used with surgery and chemotherapy.
  • Newer treatments like proton therapy and Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) could be helpful, but more research is needed to understand how they work best.
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The growing interest in proton therapy (PT) in recent decades is justified by the evidence that protons dose distribution allows maximal dose release at the tumor depth followed by sharp distal dose fall-off. But, in the holistic management of head and neck cancer (HNC), limiting the potential of PT to a mere dosimetric advantage appears reductive. Indeed, the precise targeting of PT may help evaluate the effectiveness of de-escalation strategies, especially for patients with human papillomavirus associated-oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) and nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC).

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Purpose/objective: To perform a dosimetric and a normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) comparison between intensity modulated proton therapy and photon volumetric modulated arc therapy in a cohort of patients with parotid gland cancers in a post-operative or radical setting.

Materials And Methods: From May 2011 to September 2021, 37 parotid gland cancers patients treated at two institutions were eligible. Inclusion criteria were as follows: patients aged ⩾ 18 years, diagnosis of parotid gland cancers candidate for postoperative radiotherapy or definitive radiotherapy, presence of written informed consent for the use of anonymous data for research purposes.

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Purpose: To evaluate efficacy and toxicity of carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT) in locally advanced head and neck mucosal melanoma (HNMM) patients treated at our Institute.

Materials And Methods: Between June 2013 and June 2020, 40 HNMM patients were treated with CIRT. Prescription dose was 65.

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Sinonasal cancers (SNCs) are rare and heterogeneous in histology and biological behavior. The prognosis is generally unfavorable, especially in inoperable cases. In recent years, for some histologies, such as undifferentiated sinonasal carcinoma (SNUC), multimodal treatment with a combination of induction chemotherapy, surgery, and chemo/radiotherapy (RT) has improved the prognosis.

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Purpose: To evaluate the role of upper-neck irradiation versus standard whole-neck irradiation in patients with N0-1 nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Methods: We conducted a PRISMA guideline based systematic review and meta-analysis. Randomized clinical trials assessing upper-neck irradiation versus whole-neck irradiation with or without chemotherapy in non-metastatic N0-1 nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients were identified.

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Background And Purpose: In recent years, there is an emerging interest in the prognostic role of chemistry blood biomarkers in oncological patients but their role in adenoid cystic carcinomas (ACCs) is still unknown. This study aims to assess the prognostic significance of baseline neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and blood chemistry in a series of head and neck ACC patients treated with carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT).

Material And Methods: We retrospectively retrieved the data of 49 consecutive head and neck ACC patients treated with CIRT.

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Background: Hypofractionated proton beam radiotherapy (PBT) is gaining attention in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (ES-NSCLC). However, there is a large unmet need to define indications, prescription doses and potential adverse events of protons in this clinical scenario. Hence, the present work aims to provide a critical literature revision, and to investigate associations between fractionation schedules/ biological effective doses (BEDs), oncological outcomes and toxicities.

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Undifferentiated carcinoma of the nasopharynx (NPC) is a rare disease, which usually occurs in the Asian population. Due to its anatomic location, it is characterised by rich lymph node drainage and has a high incidence of cervical node metastasis. However, cervical nodal metastasis commonly involves retropharyngeal nodes and level II nodes, followed by level III nodes.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on identifying criteria for selecting sinonasal cancer patients with orbital invasion who may benefit from proton therapy, using NTCP models and dose-volume histogram parameters.
  • Twenty-two patients were evaluated with two radiation techniques—IMPT and VMAT—focusing on toxicity risk at different dose levels and analyzing various toxic endpoints.
  • Results indicated that a significant percentage (77.3%) of patients could benefit from IMPT over VMAT, particularly in terms of reducing damage to critical organs like the eyes and brain.
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Aim: The purpose of this study is to collect available evidence on the feasibility and efficacy of stereotactic arrhythmia radio ablation (STAR), including both photon radiotherapy (XRT) and particle beam therapy (PBT), in the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF), and to provide cardiologists and radiation oncologists with a practical overview on this topic.

Methods: Three hundred and thirty-five articles were identified up to November 2021 according to preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses criteria; preclinical and clinical studies were included without data restrictions or language limitations. Selected works were analyzed for comparing target selection, treatment plan details, and the accelerator employed, addressing workup modalities, acute and long-term side-effects, and efficacy, defined either by the presence of scar or by the absence of AF recurrence.

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  • The study evaluates dosimetric and clinical risk factors for maxillary osteoradionecrosis (ORN) in adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) patients receiving carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT).
  • A retrospective review was conducted on clinical data of 67 ACC patients treated from 2013 to 2016, analyzing factors such as the dosages received by the maxilla and other clinical elements in relation to ORN development.
  • Results indicated a 16.4% incidence of maxillary ORN, with significant correlations found between ORN risk and factors like tumor site, presence of teeth, acute mucositis, and dosimetric volumes, particularly V60.
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Purpose: To critically review available literature on hypofractionated (≥ 3 Gy/fraction) proton therapy (PT) for breast cancer (BCa).

Methods: A systematic screening of the literature was performed in April 2021 in compliance with the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses recommendations. All full-text publication written in English were considered eligible.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study looks at a new way to give radiation therapy to breast cancer patients who had cancer come back after already receiving radiation during surgery.
  • They used a method that protects the area that was already treated, so it doesn't get too much radiation again.
  • The results showed that this method worked well without causing serious side effects, and all the patients stayed healthy after the treatment.
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