Comparison of toxicity after IMRT and 3D-conformal radiotherapy for patients with pancreatic cancer - a systematic review.

IMRT has been suggested to reduce treatment-related toxicity in pancreatic cancer. We attempted to identify all IMRT-studies indexed in PubMed/Medline, comparing them with recent 3D-CRT trials. The predominant treatment-related toxicities, namely nausea/vomiting, diarrhoea and late GI toxicity, are significantly reduced with IMRT while there was no apparent difference for outcome measures.

SBRT in pancreatic cancer: what is the therapeutic window?

Purpose/objective: To analyse outcome and toxicity of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in pancreatic cancer (PDAC).

Material/methods: We systematically reviewed full reports on outcome and toxicity transforming prescription doses to equivalent doses of 2 Gy (EQD2) and biological equivalent doses (BED). Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, regression analysis and Lyman-Kutcher-Burman modelling were used.

Creating a data exchange strategy for radiotherapy research: towards federated databases and anonymised public datasets.

Disconnected cancer research data management and lack of information exchange about planned and ongoing research are complicating the utilisation of internationally collected medical information for improving cancer patient care. Rapidly collecting/pooling data can accelerate translational research in radiation therapy and oncology. The exchange of study data is one of the fundamental principles behind data aggregation and data mining.

IP-10/CXCL10 induction in human pancreatic cancer stroma influences lymphocytes recruitment and correlates with poor survival.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by an abundant desmoplastic reaction driven by pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) that contributes to tumor progression. Here we sought to characterize the interactions between pancreatic cancer cells (PCCs) and PSCs that affect the inflammatory and immune response in pancreatic tumors. Conditioned media from mono- and cocultures of PSCs and PCCs were assayed for expression of cytokines and growth factors.

[Surgical treatment of esophageal cancer : Evolution of management and prognosis over the last 3 decades].

Background: An increasing incidence of adenocarcinoma, a modified surgical strategy and the increasing use of multimodal therapeutic protocols have had a major impact on the surgical treatment of esophageal cancer during the last 3 decades.

Objectives: This study analyzed the development of these factors and their impact on the short and long-term prognosis of esophageal cancer over the last 25 years.

Patients And Methods: The study included 366 patients with esophageal cancer treated by esophagectomy at the University Hospital in Freiburg from 1988 to 2012.

Radiotherapy for SMAD4-negative musculoskeletal lesions from pancreatic cancer: case report and review.

Background: Pancreatic cancer (PC) predominantly metastasizes to liver, lung, and peritoneum. Metastatic disease correlates with SMAD4 status. Musculoskeletal metastases (MSM) are rare in pancreatic cancer.

An apparatus to manipulate and identify individual Ba ions from bulk liquid Xe.

We describe a system to transport and identify barium ions produced in liquid xenon, as part of R&D towards the second phase of a double beta decay experiment, nEXO. The goal is to identify the Ba ion resulting from an extremely rare nuclear decay of the isotope (136)Xe, hence providing a confirmation of the occurrence of the decay. This is achieved through Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy (RIS).

Neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy with gemcitabine/cisplatin and surgery versus immediate surgery in resectable pancreatic cancer: results of the first prospective randomized phase II trial.

Background: In nonrandomized trials, neoadjuvant treatment was reported to prolong survival in patients with pancreatic cancer. As neoadjuvant chemoradiation is established for the treatment of rectal cancer we examined the value of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in pancreatic cancer in a randomized phase II trial. Radiological staging defining resectability was basic information prior to randomization in contrast to adjuvant therapy trials resting on pathological staging.

In-trap spectroscopy of charge-bred radioactive ions.

In this Letter, we introduce the concept of in-trap nuclear decay spectroscopy of highly charged radioactive ions and describe its successful application as a novel spectroscopic tool. This is demonstrated by a measurement of the decay properties of radioactive mass A=124 ions (here, ^{124}In and ^{124}Cs) in the electron-beam ion trap of the TITAN facility at TRIUMF. By subjecting the trapped ions to an intense electron beam, the ions are charge bred to high charge states (i.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy for liver tumors: principles and practical guidelines of the DEGRO Working Group on Stereotactic Radiotherapy.

Purpose: This report of the Working Group on Stereotactic Radiotherapy of the German Society of Radiation Oncology (DEGRO) aims to provide a practical guideline for safe and effective stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) of liver tumors.

Methods: The literature on the clinical evidence of SBRT for both primary liver tumors and liver metastases was reviewed and analyzed focusing on both physical requirements and special biological characteristics.

Results: Recommendations were developed for patient selection, imaging, planning, treatment delivery, motion management, dose reporting, and follow-up.

Is cyberbullying related to trait or state anger?

Anger is a powerful emotion shared by victims and bullies in both physical and electronic forms of bullying. However, little is known about the specific roles of trait anger and state anger in involvement in bullying episodes. The purpose of this study was to verify which component of anger, trait or state, is more strongly related to physical and cyberbullying and victimization.

Why does the gut synthesize glucocorticoids?

Glucocorticoids (GC) are steroid hormones with important implications in the treatment of various inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. At the same time GC are known to have numerous side-effects. Endogenous GC are predominantly produced by the adrenal glands, and adrenal-derived GC serve important functions in the regulation of development, metabolism, and immune regulation.

Challenges in using ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose-PET-CT to define a biological radiotherapy boost volume in locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

Background: The best method of identifying regions within pancreatic tumours that might benefit from an increased radiotherapy dose is not known. We investigated the utility of pre-treatment FDG-PET in predicting the spatial distribution of residual metabolic activity following chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC).

Methods: 17 patients had FDG-PET/CT scans at baseline and six weeks post-CRT.

Ex vivo culture of intestinal crypt organoids as a model system for assessing cell death induction in intestinal epithelial cells and enteropathy.

Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) not only have a critical function in the absorption of nutrients, but also act as a physical barrier between our body and the outside world. Damage and death of the epithelial cells lead to the breakdown of this barrier function and inflammation due to access of the immune system to compounds of the intestinal flora. Intestinal epithelial damage is frequently associated with various inflammatory disorders, chemo- and radiotherapy as well as drug-mediated toxicity.

Structure-function relationship of thiazolide-induced apoptosis in colorectal tumor cells.

Thiazolides are a novel class of anti-infectious agents against intestinal intracellular and extracellular protozoan parasites, bacteria, and viruses. While the parent compound nitazoxanide (NTZ; 2-(acetolyloxy)-N-(5-nitro-2-thiazolyl)benzamide) has potent antimicrobial activity, the bromo-thiazolide RM4819 (N-(5-bromothiazol-2-yl)-2-hydroxy-3-methylbenzamide) shows only reduced activity. Interestingly, both molecules are able to induce cell death in colon carcinoma cell lines, indicating that the molecular target in intestinal pathogens and in colon cancer cells is different.

Transcriptional and metabolic adaptation of human neurons to the mitochondrial toxicant MPP(+).

Assessment of the network of toxicity pathways by Omics technologies and bioinformatic data processing paves the road toward a new toxicology for the twenty-first century. Especially, the upstream network of responses, taking place in toxicant-treated cells before a point of no return is reached, is still little explored. We studied the effects of the model neurotoxicant 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP(+)) by a combined metabolomics (mass spectrometry) and transcriptomics (microarrays and deep sequencing) approach to provide unbiased data on earliest cellular adaptations to stress.

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand on NK cells protects from hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Background: Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) significantly contributes to graft dysfunction after liver transplantation. Natural killer (NK) cells are crucial innate effector cells in the liver and express tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), a potent inducer of hepatocyte cell death. Here, we investigated if TRAIL expression on NK cells contributes to hepatic IRI.

Contextual regulation of pancreatic cancer stem cell phenotype and radioresistance by pancreatic stellate cells.

Background And Purpose: Progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is promoted by desmoplasia induced by pancreatic stellate cells (PSC). Contributory to this progression is epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), which shares many characteristics with the cancer stem cell (CSC) hypothesis. We investigated the role of these processes on the radioresponse and tumorigenicity of pancreatic cancer cells.

Multimodal treatment of locally advanced esophageal adenocarcinoma: which regimen should we choose? Outcome analysis of perioperative chemotherapy versus neoadjuvant chemoradiation in 105 patients.

Background: The study was done to compare treatment and long-term outcomes of neoadjuvant chemoradiation (neoCRT) and perioperative chemotherapy (periCTX) in patients with surgically treated esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Methods: An analysis of 105 patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma undergoing neoCRT (n = 58) or periCTX (n = 47) and esophagectomy between 2000 and 2012 was carried out.

Results: The overall median survival was 5.

Expanding the scope of human DNA polymerase λ and β inhibitors.

The exact biological functions of individual DNA polymerases still await clarification, and therefore appropriate reagents to probe their respective functions are required. In the present study, we report the development of a highly potent series of human DNA polymerase λ and β (pol λ and β) inhibitors based on the rhodanine scaffold. Both enzymes are involved in DNA repair and are thus considered as future drug targets.

The stromal compartments in pancreatic cancer: are there any therapeutic targets?

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterised by an abundant stromal response also known as a desmoplastic reaction. Pancreatic Stellate Cells have been identified as playing a key role in pancreatic cancer desmoplasia. There is accumulating evidence that the stroma contributes to tumour progression and to the low therapeutic response of PDAC patients.