Intensity modulated radiation therapy and oral mucosa sparing in Head and neck cancer patients: A systematic review on behalf of Italian Association of Radiation Oncology - Head and neck working group.

Oral mucositis is a common dose-limiting toxicity during radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy in head and neck cancer patients. This potentially severe complication globally worsens quality of life and negatively impacts local control and survival's outcomes. Several studies have been published on feasibility and/or clinical benefit of intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) mucosa-sparing technique.

Feasibility single-arm study of a medical device containing and combined with chemotherapy in head and neck cancer patients.

Background: Neoplasms of the head and neck represent approximately 5% of cancers and they require complex multidisciplinary clinical management. (Desmodium) is a plant that possesses anti-allergic, antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties. (Lithothamnium) is a calcified seaweed that possesses remineralization properties and the ability to maintain homeostasis.

FDG PET in response evaluation of bulky masses in paediatric Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) patients enrolled in the Italian AIEOP-LH2004 trial.

Purpose: We present the results of an investigation of the role of FDG PET in response evaluation of bulky masses in paediatric patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) enrolled in the Italian AIEOP-LH2004 trial.

Methods: We analysed data derived from 703 patients (388 male, 315 female; mean age 13 years) with HL and enrolled in 41 different Italian centres from March 2004 to September 2012, all treated with the AIEOP-LH2004 protocol. The cohort comprised 309 patients with a bulky mass, of whom 263 were evaluated with FDG PET at baseline and after four cycles of chemotherapy.

Induction TPF followed by concomitant treatment versus concomitant treatment alone in locally advanced head and neck cancer. A phase II-III trial.

Background: Platinum-based chemoradiation (CCRT) is the standard treatment for Locally Advanced Head and Neck Squamous-Cell Carcinoma (LAHNSCC). Cetuximab/RT (CET/RT) is an alternative treatment option to CCRT. The efficacy of induction chemotherapy (IC) followed by chemoradiation compared to chemoradiation alone has not been demonstrated in randomized clinical trials.

A machine learning tool for re-planning and adaptive RT: A multicenter cohort investigation.

Purpose: To predict patients who would benefit from adaptive radiotherapy (ART) and re-planning intervention based on machine learning from anatomical and dosimetric variations in a retrospective dataset.

Materials And Methods: 90 patients (pts) treated for head-neck cancer (H&N) formed a multicenter data-set. 41 H&N pts (45.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma in a low incidence European area : A prospective observational analysis from the Head and Neck Study Group of the Italian Society of Radiation Oncology (AIRO).

Purpose: To evaluate the outcomes with respect to long-term survival and toxicity in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated in a European country with low incidence.

Materials And Methods: A prospective observational study carried out by the AIRO Head and Neck group in 12 Italian institutions included 136 consecutive patients treated with radiotherapy (RT) ± chemotherapy (CHT) for NPC (without distant metastasis) between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2010.

Results: The disease-specific survival (DSS), overall survival (OS), and disease-free survival (DFS) at 5 years were 92 (±2), 91 (±3), and 69 % (±5 %), respectively.

Pattern of care and effectiveness of treatment for glioblastoma patients in the real world: Results from a prospective population-based registry. Could survival differ in a high-volume center?

Background: As yet, no population-based prospective studies have been conducted to investigate the incidence and clinical outcome of glioblastoma (GBM) or the diffusion and impact of the current standard therapeutic approach in newly diagnosed patients younger than aged 70 years.

Methods: Data on all new cases of primary brain tumors observed from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2010, in adults residing within the Emilia-Romagna region were recorded in a prospective registry in the Project of Emilia Romagna on Neuro-Oncology (PERNO). Based on the data from this registry, a prospective evaluation was made of the treatment efficacy and outcome in GBM patients.

Could machine learning improve the prediction of pelvic nodal status of prostate cancer patients? Preliminary results of a pilot study.

We tested and compared performances of Roach formula, Partin tables and of three Machine Learning (ML) based algorithms based on decision trees in identifying N+ prostate cancer (PC). 1,555 cN0 and 50 cN+ PC were analyzed. Results were also verified on an independent population of 204 operated cN0 patients, with a known pN status (187 pN0, 17 pN1 patients).

Changes in patterns of practice for prostate cancer radiotherapy in Italy 1995-2003. A survey of the Prostate Cancer Study Group of the Italian Radiation Oncology Society.

Aims And Background: In 2002, a survey including 1759 patients treated from 1980 to 1998 established a "benchmark" Italian data source for prostate cancer radiotherapy. This report updates the previous one.

Methods: Data on clinical management and outcomes of 3001 patients treated in 15 centers from 1999 through 2003 were analyzed and compared with those of the previous survey.

Usefulness of 64Cu-ATSM in head and neck cancer: a preliminary prospective study.

Aims: Cu-diacetyl-bis(N4-methylthiosemicarbazone) (Cu-ATSM) is a hypoxia-avid, positron emitter radiotracer. The primary aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of pretherapy Cu-ATSM PET/CT as a prognostic factor of response to therapy. The secondary aims are to investigate if there is a difference between early and late PET/CT scans and if there is a difference between the biologic tumor volume (BTV) in radiotherapy treatment planning calculated between Cu-ATSM and F-FDG, and to assess if Cu-ATSM is a prognostic marker of disease progression.

Randomised clinical trial: preventive treatment with topical rectal beclomethasone dipropionate reduces post-radiation risk of bleeding in patients irradiated for prostate cancer.

Background: Radiotherapy is an established treatment modality for prostate cancer; however, up to a third of patients develops a radiation-induced proctopathy.

Aim: To assess the effect of topical beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) in the prevention of radiation-induced proctopathy in patients undergoing radiotherapy for prostate cancer through a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised trial.

Methods: Patients were randomised either to BDP or to placebo (PL).

Patterns of postoperative radiotherapy for head and neck cancer in Italy: a prospective, observational study by the head and neck group of the Italian Association for Radiation Oncology (AIRO).

Aims And Background: Our previous survey showed that the patterns of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) for head and neck cancer (HNC) in Italy might be suboptimal. A prospective observational study was therefore designed to evaluate this issue in greater detail.

Methods: All radiotherapy centers involved in the HNC Working Group of the Italian Radiation Oncology Association were asked to enter into the study all patients treated with PORT during a 6-month period.

Combined 18F-FDG-PET/CT imaging in radiotherapy target delineation for head-and-neck cancer.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of the use of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) in radiotherapy target delineation for head-and-neck cancer compared with CT alone.

Methods And Materials: A total of 38 consecutive patients with head-and-neck cancer were included in this study. The primary tumor sites were as follow: 20 oropharyngeal tumors, 4 laryngeal tumors, 2 hypopharyngeal tumors, 2 paranasal sinuses tumors, 9 nasopharyngeal tumors, and 1 parotid gland tumor.

Evaluating the influence of the Siemens IGRT carbon fibre tabletop in head and neck IMRT.

Background And Purpose: To investigate the impact of a commercial IMRT/IGRT carbon-fibre tabletop in radiotherapy planning optimization and clinical dose distribution.

Materials And Methods: In this investigation the Siemens IGRT carbon fibre tabletop, routinely used for IMRT treatments in our Centre, has been incorporated into the CT volume of 6 IMRT patients. This was done by CT scanning the tabletop and by adding the obtained volume to the clinical dataset, acquired using the standard couch available in our CT scanner.

Long-term clinical and angiographic outcome of patients with occlusive in-stent restenosis treated with (32P) beta-brachytherapy.

The objective of this study was to determine the safety and efficacy of (32)P beta-brachytherapy in totally occlusive in-stent restenosis (ISR). Patients with occlusive ISR were generally excluded from the randomized clinical trials on intracoronary brachytherapy (utilizing either gamma- or beta-sources) that have shown reductions in restenosis rate and need for revascularization procedures. We analyzed short- and long-term effects of (32)P beta-brachytherapy (20 Gy) in 27 patients (28 lesions) with occlusive ISR and 84 (99 lesions) patients with nonocclusive high-risk ISR.

Predictors of 32P beta brachytherapy failure in patients with high-risk in-stent restenosis.

Background: The effectiveness of coronary radiation therapy for the treatment of in-stent restenosis (ISR) has been established in several randomized clinical trials. The efficacy of this treatment in the general population is less well established.

Methods And Materials: We report our experience in 118 consecutive patients with nonselected high-risk ISR who had undergone successful percutaneous coronary intervention and brachytherapy with (32)P beta-irradiation and who were prospectively enrolled in a quantitative angiographic and clinical follow-up protocol at 7 months after the index procedure.

Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the bone: treatment and analysis of prognostic factors for Stage I and Stage II.

Purpose: Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of the bone (PLB) are very rare diseases accounting for 3%-5% of primary bone tumors. The best treatment for PLB has not been found yet. We report on the experience of the Radiation Oncology Department of Bologna University, Italy, relative to the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.

[Intracoronary beta-radiotherapy in high-risk in-stent restenosis. Prospective results of a single center registry].

Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate, on single center prospective data, long-term angiographic and clinical results of intracoronary beta (32P) brachytherapy in "real world" patients with high-risk in-stent restenosis lesions.

Methods: Sixty-nine consecutive patients (77 lesions) with high-risk in-stent restenosis (mean lesion length 30.3 +/- 16.

[Radiotherapy of stage T1 carcinoma of the glottis. Analysis of prognostic factors in 154 patients].

A retrospective study was carried out on a series of 154 patients affected with vocal cord cancer in stage T1 treated with definitive radiotherapy April, 1979, to November, 1991. According to the 1992 TNM classification (UICC), 121 patients were classified as stage T1a and 33 patients as stage T1b. All patients were treated using parallel opposed fields of a 60 cobalt unit.