We present the case of a 60-year-old male with recurrent atypical meningioma in the right parietal lobe, previously treated with surgery and radiation therapy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed 5 years after radiation therapy suggested a possible recurrence. A somatostatin receptor positron emission tomography/computed tomography (SR-PET/CT) scan with Gallium-68 DOTATATE was performed to confirm this suspicion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is the most commonly used metastasis-directed therapy (MDT) for oligometastatic urothelial carcinoma (omUC). Despite efforts in defining this disease entity, open questions remain concerning the role of MDT and the use of biomarkers, imaging, and its combination with systemic therapies. The aim of the present systematic review is to provide an updated overview of the current clinical evidence on SBRT for omUC in terms of survival and local control benefits.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCommunity acquired pneumonia is a well-known entity in internal medicine. It represents 1.2 cases per 1000 inhabitants every year, and up to 14 cases per 100 inhabitants in people older than 65 years old.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Continuous fluid infusions delivered between therapies by piggy-back systems avoid disconnection and reconnection of central venous catheters (CVCs), thereby reducing opportunities for line contamination. However, the impact of continuous versus intermittent infusions on central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) is unknown.
Aim: To investigate the effect of temporary infusion interruption and line disconnection, with or without use of a 70% isopropyl alcohol cap (IPA-C) on CLABSI rates in haematology patients.
Background: Metastasis-directed therapy (MDT) is increasingly being used in oligometastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (omCSPC). However, it is currently unclear how to optimally integrate MDT with the standard of care of systemic hormonal therapy.
Objective: To report long-term outcomes of MDT alone versus MDT and a defined course of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in omCSPC.
Purpose: Doses delivered to the urethra have been associated with an increased risk to develop long-term urinary toxicity in patients undergoing stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for prostate cancer (PCa). Aim of the present systematic review is to report on the role of urethra-sparing SBRT (US-SBRT) techniques for prostate cancer, with a focus on outcome and urinary toxicity.
Method: A systematic review of the literature was performed on the PubMed database on May 2023.
Purpose Of Review: IA (invasive aspergillosis) caused by azole-resistant strains has been associated with higher clinical burden and mortality rates. We review the current epidemiology, diagnostic, and therapeutic strategies of this clinical entity, with a special focus on patients with hematologic malignancies.
Recent Findings: There is an increase of azole resistance in spp.
We present two allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation recipients (HCTr) treated with pritelivir for acyclovir-resistant/refractory (r/r) HSV infection based on the expanded access program of the pritelivir manufacturer. Outpatient treatment with pritelivir was administered, with partial response by week 1 of treatment and complete response by week 4 of treatment in both patients. No adverse events were noted.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe report on a case of probable invasive Auerobasidium spp. pulmonary infection in a patient with myelodysplastic syndrome. The patient was successfully treated with liposomal amphotericin B monotherapy, with transition to orally administered isavuconazole.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are common among people with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH), but there are limited data about risk factors and incidence of STIs in large, representative cohort studies.
Methods: We assessed incidence and risk factors of STIs reported by treating physicians within the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS). Sexually transmitted infections and demographic, clinical, and behavioral characteristics were prospectively collected at 6-month follow-up visits between October 2017 and November 2019.
Background: The management of meningiomas is challenging, and the role of postoperative radiotherapy is not standardized.
Methods: Radiation oncology experts in Swiss centres were asked to participate in this decision-making analysis on the use of postoperative radiotherapy (RT) for meningiomas. Experts from ten Swiss centres agreed to participate and provided their treatment algorithms.
Purpose: To evaluate the results of the radiation therapy (RT) quality assurance (QA) program of the phase 3 randomized SAKK 09/10 trial in patients with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer after prostatectomy.
Methods And Materials: Within the Schweizerische Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Klinische Krebsforschung (SAKK) 09/10 trial testing 64-Gy versus 70-Gy salvage RT, a central collection of treatment plans was performed and thoroughly reviewed by a dedicated medical physicist and radiation oncologist. Adherence to the treatment protocol and specifically to the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) guidelines for target volume definition (classified as deviation observed yes vs no) and its potential correlation with acute and late toxicity (Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.
We describe the case of a 74-year-old female patient previously treated with radiation therapy for a meningioma of the skull base and with surgery for a right tympanic paraganglioma. After the morphological progression of the meningioma demonstrated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the patient underwent somatostatin receptor positron emission tomography/computed tomography (SR-PET/CT) with Gallium-68 DOTATATE for restaging. This examination showed increased somatostatin receptor expression by the meningioma and confirmed its extension as already assessed by MRI (endocranial extension, skull base involvement and invasion of the right orbit).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Salvage radiotherapy (SRT) is utilized for biochemical progression of prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy (RP).
Objective: To report the outcomes of the SAKK 09/10 trial comparing conventional and dose-intensified SRT.
Design, Setting, And Participants: SAKK 09/10 was a randomized, multicenter, phase 3 trial that recruited men with biochemical progression after RP.
Purpose: The purpose of the reported study was to investigate the value of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)-based radiomics for risk stratification and prediction of biochemical relapse in prostate cancer.
Methods: The study population consisted of 31 prostate cancer patients. Radiomics features were extracted from weekly CBCT scans performed for verifying treatment position.
Objective: To evaluate the performance of low dose cone beam CT (CBCT) acquisition protocols for image-guided radiotherapy of prostate cancer.
Methods: CBCT images of patients undergoing prostate cancer radiotherapy were acquired with the settings currently used in our department and two low dose settings at 50% and 63% lower exposure. Four experienced radiation oncologists and two radiation therapy technologists graded the images on five image quality characteristics.
Both radiolabelled choline and prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) could be used in patients with biochemical recurrent prostate cancer (BRPCa). We aimed to perform a meta-analysis about the head-to-head comparison of detection rate (DR) between these methods in BRPCa. A comprehensive literature search of studies listed in PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane library databases through October 2018 and regarding the head-to-head comparison of DR between radiolabelled choline and PSMA PET/CT in BRPCa was carried out.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To evaluate acute and late skin/subcutaneous toxicities and radiation-induced lung fibrosis (RILF) in patients treated with adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) for synchronous bilateral breast cancers (SBBC), after conservative surgery.
Methods/patients: Twenty-five patients were treated with volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT/RapidArc) on both breasts, and checked clinically for detecting RT toxicities during and after treatment. A high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) was performed, for detecting RILF during follow-up.