Ultra-low dose rate brachytherapy (uLDR-BT) in treatment of patients with unfavorable intermediate-risk group prostate cancer - retrospective analysis.

Background: Treatment with sole ultra-low dose rate brachytherapy (uLDR-BT) for unfavorable intermediate risk factor (IUR) group prostate cancer patients is not recommended by guidelines due to the lack of strong evidence of its effectiveness. However, there were numerous patients treated with good results with this method in older trials. Purpose of this work was to retrospectively asses effectiveness of uLDR-BT in IUR group treated in our department.

Thermally boosted interstitial high-dose-rate brachytherapy in high-risk early-stage breast cancer conserving therapy - large cohort long-term results.

Background: Early-stage high-risk breast cancer (BC) is standardly treated with breast-conserving therapy (BCT), combined with systemic therapy and radiotherapy (RT) ± tumor bed boost, e.g., with interstitial high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT).

Salvage re-irradiation in non-melanoma skin cancers: A multicenter analysis.

Background And Purpose: We conducted a multicentre real-world study to assess the outcomes of radical salvage re-irradiation for non-melanoma skin cancer (nMSC) recurrences following definitive or postoperative radiotherapy.

Materials And Methods: Data on patients treated between 2006 and 2022 with re-irradiation for nMSCs were retrospectively collected from five high-volume brachytherapy centers. The primary endpoint was local control (LC).

Advanced non-melanoma skin cancer in elderly patients: When surgery says NO, interventional radiotherapy (brachytherapy) says YES.

Purpose: The prevalence of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) increases, especially in older adults with comorbidities, narrowing radical treatment options. About 5% of skin cancer patients are diagnosed with an advanced stage, which impairs daily functioning. The study was to present a retrospective summary of elderly patients unfit for surgery and treated with various brachytherapy (BT) techniques tailored individually for locally advanced NMSCs in a reference BT department.

The potential of low-dose-rate brachytherapy with iodine-125 in the treatment of local recurrences of prostate cancer after primary high-dose-rate monotherapy.

Purpose: The incidence of local prostate cancer recurrences after monotherapy with high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) is low. However, a cumulated number of local recurrences during follow-up is naturally observed in highly specialized oncological centers. This retrospective study aimed to present the treatment of local recurrences after HDR-BT with low-dose-rate brachytherapy (LDR-BT).

Superficial high-dose-rate brachytherapy for primary tumors and relapses after surgery in patients with basal cell carcinoma of the head and neck region: results of a retrospective comparative cohort study.

Purpose: The recommended treatments for basal cell carcinoma (BCC) in the head and neck (H&N) region are Mohs surgery, standard surgical excision (SSE), and radiotherapy. According to the literature, local recurrence after surgical treatment in this area is associated with a worse prognosis in case of re-treatment. To our knowledge, there are no reports on high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) for BCC of the H&N region, both in primary lesions and relapses after SSE.

Thermal Boost Combined with Interstitial Brachytherapy in Early Breast Cancer Conserving Therapy-Initial Group Long-Term Clinical Results and Late Toxicity.

(1) In breast-conserving therapy (BCT), adjuvant radiation, including tumor bed boost, is mandatory. Safely delivered thermal boost (TB) based on radio-sensitizing interstitial microwave hyperthermia (MWHT) preceding standard high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy (BT) boost has the potential for local control (LC) improvement. The study is to report the long-term results regarding LC, disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), toxicity, and cosmetic outcome (CO) of HDR-BT boost ± MWHT for early breast cancer (BC) patients treated with BCT.

3D printing of individual skin brachytherapy applicator: design, manufacturing, and early clinical results.

Purpose: One of the main challenges in facial region brachytherapy is fixation of vendor-delivered standard applicators. Reproducibility can be maintained; however, there are frequent problems with applicator fitting to the skin surface in pleated regions. Manually prepared individual moulds require technological facilities and highly-trained staff.

Thermal Boost to Breast Tumor Bed-New Technique Description, Treatment Application and Example Clinical Results.

(1) Current breast-conserving therapy for breast cancer consists of a combination of many consecutive treatment modalities. The most crucial goal of postoperative treatment is to eradicate potentially relapse-forming residual cancerous cells within the tumor bed. To achieve this, the HDR brachytherapy boost standardly added to external beam radiotherapy was enhanced with an initial thermal boost.

High-dose-rate surface brachytherapy as a treatment option for renal cell carcinoma cutaneous metastases.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to present a case of complete clinical response of renal clear cell carcinoma cutaneous metastases after high-dose-rate surface brachytherapy (HDR sBT).

Material And Methods: An 81-year-old female diagnosed with stage IV clear cell renal carcinoma reported to our center with painful relapse of two cutaneous metastases after a previous metastasectomy. The patient was disqualified from systemic therapy due to comorbidities, and qualified to attempt a treatment using HDR sBT.

Being a young radiation oncologist in Poland: results of a multi-institutional survey.

In 2018, Polish Society of Radiation Oncology formed a young section (yPTRO), dedicated to radiation oncologists under the age of 40. To evaluate their current situation, an anonymous, nationwide, online survey was carried out. Thirty-two-item-based questionnaire investigated young radiation oncologists' perception of employment, workload, education, malpractice lawsuits, scientific research, and board exam.

High-dose-rate brachytherapy of primary cutaneous B-cell lymphoma: the first reported case series.

Purpose: Cutaneous B-cell lymphomas (CBCLs) are a rare group of diseases. External beam radiation therapy is recommended to treat CBCLs in all subtypes for locally advanced cases. However, there are no reports on high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) exclusively dedicated to CBCLs.

SKIN-COBRA (Consortium for Brachytherapy data Analysis) ontology: The first step towards interdisciplinary standardized data collection for personalized oncology in skin cancer.

Purpose: The primary objective of the SKIN-COBRA (Consortium for Brachytherapy data Analysis) ontology is to define a specific terminological system to standardize data collection for non-melanoma skin cancer patients treated with brachytherapy (BT, interventional radiotherapy). Through ontological characterization of information, it is possible to find, isolate, organize, and integrate its meaning.

Material And Methods: SKIN-COBRA is a standardized data collection consortium for non-melanoma skin patients treated with BT, including 8 cancer centers.

Radiation Oncology Training in Poland: Multi-institutional Survey.

To evaluate the quality of radiation oncology training in Poland and to identify difficulties and needs of radiation oncology trainees (ROTs), an anonymous online survey using Google Forms was conducted in November 2018. All ROTs from Poland (n = 154) were invited to complete the survey. The survey consisted of 30 questions and regarded aspects such as satisfaction from training, cooperation with the supervisor, and education.

Reducing dysphagia with palliative 2D high-dose-rate brachytherapy improves survival in esophageal cancer.

Purpose: The goal of this study was to assess the effectiveness of dysphagia relief and overall survival in patients with advanced esophageal cancer treated with palliative high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy (BT) without computed tomography-based planning.

Material And Methods: Palliative 2D HDR-BT was used to treat 93 patients with advanced or incurable esophageal cancer in a regional cancer center from October 2010 to December 2016. Before the treatment patients presented the following grades of dysphagia: 0 - 0%, I - 57%, II - 33.

Adjuvant interstitial three-dimensional pulse-dose-rate-brachytherapy for lip squamous cell carcinoma after surgical resection.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to report clinical outcomes of patients treated with pulse-dose-rate brachytherapy (PDR-BT) for lip cancer after insufficient surgery.

Material And Methods: Twenty lip cancer patients were treated from January 2012 to September 2016. Primary treatment included surgery with or without reconstruction.