PTCOG international survey of practice patterns and trends in utilization of proton therapy for breast cancer.

Purpose/objectives: The indications, techniques, and extent to which proton beam therapy (PBT) is employed for breast cancer are unknown. We seek to determine PBT utilization for breast cancer.

Materials/methods: The Particle Therapy Co-Operative Group (PTCOG) Breast Subcommittee developed an IRB-approved 29-question survey and sent it to breast cancer radiation oncologists at all active PBT centers worldwide in June 2023.

Prospective evaluation of patient-reported outcomes of invisible ink tattoos for the delivery of external beam radiation therapy: the PREFER trial.

Introduction: Invisible ink tattoos (IITs) avoid cosmetic permanence of visible ink tattoos (VITs) while serving as more reliable landmarks for radiation setup than tattooless setups. This trial evaluated patient-reported preference and feasibility of IIT implementation.

Methods And Materials: In an IRB-approved, single institution, prospective trial, patients receiving proton therapy underwent IIT-based treatment setup.

Effectiveness and toxicity of five-fraction prone accelerated partial breast irradiation.

Purpose: Our institution was an early adopter of 5-fraction accelerated partial breast irradiation (ABPI) to treat women with early-stage breast cancer. This study reports long-term oncologic and cosmetic outcomes.

Methods: We included patients receiving APBI 600 cGy × 5 fx delivered every other day or every day between 2010 and 2022.

Different Re-Irradiation Techniques after Breast-Conserving Surgery for Recurrent or New Primary Breast Cancer.

Breast re-irradiation (reRT) after breast-conserving surgery (BCS) using external beam radiation is an increasingly used salvage approach for women presenting with recurrent or new primary breast cancer. However, radiation technique, dose and fractionation as well as eligibility criteria differ between studies. There is also limited data on efficacy and safety of external beam hypofractionation and accelerated partial-breast irradiation (APBI) regimens.

Radiation in Early-Stage Breast Cancer: Moving beyond an All or Nothing Approach.

Radiotherapy omission is increasingly considered for selected patients with early-stage breast cancer. However, with emerging data on the safety and efficacy of radiotherapy de-escalation with partial breast irradiation and accelerated treatment regimens for low-risk breast cancer, it is necessary to move beyond an all-or-nothing approach. Here, we review existing data for radiotherapy omission, including the use of age, tumor subtype, and multigene profiling assays for selecting low-risk patients for whom omission is a reasonable strategy.

Early effectiveness and toxicity outcomes of reirradiation after breast conserving surgery for recurrent or new primary breast cancer.

Purpose: Breast reirradiation (reRT) after breast conserving surgery (BCS) has emerged as a viable alternative to mastectomy for women presenting with recurrent or new primary breast cancer. There are limited data on safety of different fractionation regimens. This study reports safety and efficacy among women treated with repeat BCS and reRT.

Repeat re-irradiation with interstitial HDR-brachytherapy for an in-field isolated nodal recurrence in a patient with HPV-positive squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Purpose: Locoregionally recurrent head and neck cancer is a complex clinical scenario that often requires multimodality treatment. These patients have often previously received definitive treatment with a combination of surgery, radiation therapy, and systemic therapy, which can make further management difficult. A second isolated locoregional failure is rare and clinicians are faced with a challenge to optimize disease control while minimizing treatment-related toxicity.

Accelerated partial breast irradiation in early stage breast cancer.

Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) is increasingly used to treat select patients with early stage breast cancer. However, radiation technique, dose and fractionation as well as eligibility criteria differ between studies. This has led to controversy surrounding appropriate patients for APBI and an assessment of the toxicity and cosmetic outcomes of APBI as compared to whole breast irradiation (WBI).

Radiation Recall Dermatitis after Donor Lymphocyte Infusion for Adult T-Cell Leukemia Lymphoma Post-Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant.

To our knowledge, this is the first case report describing radiation recall dermatitis (RRD) after donor lymphocyte infusion post-allogeneic stem cell transplant in a patient with acute T-cell leukemia lymphoma. Given its rare occurrence, unclear clinical characterization, and etiology, RRD remains poorly understood. In the setting of novel immunotherapies and recent development of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, we aimed to better characterize RRD and its most likely pathogenesis in our patient's case.

Characterization of rib fracture development following liver directed stereotactic body radiation therapy.

Purpose: Rib fractures are a well-described complication following thoracic stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). However, there are limited data in the setting of liver-directed SBRT.

Methods: Patients who underwent liver SBRT from 2014 to 2019 were analyzed.

Disparities in the Uptake of Telemedicine and Implications for Clinical Trial Enrollment in Patients With Breast Cancer.

Purpose: Since the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine has emerged as an alternative to office visits in routine radiation oncology practice. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with patient preference for an initial consult via telemedicine and correlation with clinical trial enrollment.

Methods And Materials: We evaluated patients with breast cancer seen during the open enrollment of a prospective randomized trial from June 1, 2020, to May 13, 2021.

Antacid exposure and immunotherapy outcomes among patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Antibiotic exposure has been associated with worse outcomes with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in cancer patients, likely due to disruption of the gut microbiome. Other commonly prescribed medications, such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and histamine-2-receptor antagonists (H2RAs), are also known to disrupt the microbiome, but data on their association with ICI outcomes are conflicting.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective, multicenter, international cohort study including 314 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients treated with ICIs from 2017 to 2019 to assess the association between PPI or H2RA exposure (up to 30 days before ICI) and overall survival.

Ibrutinib dose modifications in the management of CLL.

Background: Ibrutinib is a Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in 2014. Ibrutinib is often used to treat patients who are younger than the patients originally included in theclinical trials have additional unfavorable prognostic factors and suffer from additional comorbidities excluded from the original phase III trials. Our objective was to examine current clinical practices and their impact in this expanded population of CLL patients who often require adjustments in the standard prescribed dose and schedule of therapy.

Safety and Efficacy of Liver Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Segmental Transarterial Radioembolization.

Purpose: With increasing use of radiation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) through transarterial radioembolization (TARE) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), there is concern for increased radiation-related complications when using SBRT after TARE. This study compares safety of SBRT after segmental TARE versus transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).

Methods And Materials: A retrospective review identified patients receiving SBRT after TACE or TARE for HCC from 2011 to 2017.

Stereotactic body radiation therapy for centrally located hepatocellular carcinoma: outcomes and toxicities.

Purpose: To examine safety and efficacy of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for centrally located hepatocellular carcinoma (CL-HCC).

Methods: Fifty-three patients with CL-HCC were treated with SBRT from 2011 to 2017 in our institution. CL-HCC was defined as a tumor sited in segments 4, 5, or 8 adjacent to the hepatic hilum, or < 1.

Genomic Landscape of Appendiceal Neoplasms.

Purpose: Appendiceal neoplasms are heterogeneous and are often treated with chemotherapy similarly to colorectal cancer (CRC). Genomic profiling was performed on 703 appendiceal cancer specimens to compare the mutation profiles of appendiceal subtypes to CRC and other cancers, with the ultimate aim to identify potential biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets.

Methods: Tumor specimens were submitted to a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments-certified laboratory (Foundation Medicine, Cambridge, MA) for hybrid-capture-based sequencing of 3,769 exons from 315 cancer-related genes and 47 introns of 28 genes commonly rearranged in cancer.