Preliminary survey of 3D image-guided brachytherapy for cervical cancer at representative hospitals in Asian countries.

3D image-guided brachytherapy (3D-IGBT) has become a standard therapy for cervical cancer. However, the use of 3D-IGBT is limited in East and Southeast Asia. This study aimed to clarify the current usage patterns of 3D-IGBT for cervical cancer in East and Southeast Asia.

Clinical utilization of radiation therapy in Korea, 2016.

Radiotherapy (RT) is one of the primary cancer treatment modalities. To estimate the actual utilization of RT and infrastructure in Korea, the current study was performed. Data from 2012 to 2016 were extracted from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service.

Multi-institutional Observational Study of Prophylactic Extended-Field Concurrent Chemoradiation Therapy Using Weekly Cisplatin for Patients With Pelvic Node-Positive Cervical Cancer in East and Southeast Asia.

Purpose: This multi-institutional observational study conducted among 11 countries in East and Southeast Asia aimed to assess the clinical outcomes of prophylactic extended-field concurrent chemoradiation therapy using weekly cisplatin for patients with locally advanced cervical cancer.

Methods And Materials: Between October 2007 and May 2016, 106 patients with untreated squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix were enrolled in the present study. Radiation therapy consisted of pelvic irradiation (total dose, 50 Gy in 25 fractions including central shielding), prophylactic paraortic regional irradiation (36-40 Gy in 20 fractions), and either high- or low-dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy (ICBT) according to institutional practice.

Feasibility of using stereotactic body radiation therapy for unresectable soft tissue tumors of the trunk.

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for unresectable soft tissue tumors of the trunk.

Materials And Methods: Between January 2002 and December 2008, 23 patients with 36 lesions of soft tissue tumors, which were located in the trunk and not suitable for resection, underwent SBRT. Among the 36 lesions, 31 were malignant and 5 were benign.

Feasibility of split-course stereotactic ablative radiotherapy for oligometastases.

Background: There is growing interest in the use of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) for oligometastases. However, extreme caution should be exercised in treating tumors closely located to organs at risk (OARs) with SABR. To reduce complications, we have applied split-course SABR to oligometastases closely located to OARs or to those being retreated with radiotherapy.

Prognostic Importance of the Site of Recurrence in Patients With Metastatic Recurrent Cervical Cancer.

Purpose: The clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with metastatic recurrent cervical cancer remain poorly understood. The goals of the present study were to investigate the survival outcomes according to the recurrence site in a large cohort of cervical cancer patients.

Methods And Materials: Of 1322 patients with primary cervical cancer from 2000 to 2013, 205 with recurrence after primary or adjuvant postoperative radiation were enrolled retrospectively.

Stereotactic body radiation therapy for liver oligo-recurrence and oligo-progression from various tumors.

Purpose: To evaluate the outcomes of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for patients with liver oligo-recurrence and oligo-progression from various primary tumors.

Materials And Methods: Between 2002 and 2013, 72 patients with liver oligo-recurrence (oligo-metastasis with a controlled primary tumor) and oligo-progression (contradictory progression of a few sites of disease despite an overall tumor burden response to therapy) underwent SBRT. Of these, 9 and 8 patients with uncontrollable distant metastases and patients immediate loss to follow-up, respectively, were excluded.

The Clinical Utilization of Radiation Therapy in Korea between 2011 and 2015.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to estimate the clinical utilization of radiation therapy (RT) in Korea between 2011 and 2015.

Materials And Methods: We analyzed the claims data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service to estimate the clinical utilization of RT. The source population consisted of all patients who had any of the International Classification of Diseases 10th revision cancer diagnoses (C00-C97) and those with diagnostic codes D00-D48, who were also associated with at least one of the procedure codes related to RT.

Multicentre dose audit for clinical trials of radiation therapy in Asia.

A dose audit of 16 facilities in 11 countries has been performed within the framework of the Forum for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia (FNCA) quality assurance program. The quality of radiation dosimetry varies because of the large variation in radiation therapy among the participating countries. One of the most important aspects of international multicentre clinical trials is uniformity of absolute dose between centres.

The clinical utilization of radiation therapy in Korea between 2009 and 2013.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to estimate the clinical utilization of radiation therapy (RT) in Korea between 2009 and 2013.

Materials And Methods: We analyzed open claims data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. The subjects were patients who had diagnostic codes C00-C97 or D00-D48 according to the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases, with procedure codes indicating RT treatment.

Benefits of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy combined with incomplete transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) after incomplete transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.

Methods: The study enrolled 178 HCC patients initially treated with TACE between 2006 and 2011. Patients were included if they had Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage 0 or A, ≤3 nodules with a total sum of longest diameter ≤10 cm, Child-Turcotte-Pugh score of ≤7, no major vessel invasion, and no extra-hepatic metastases.

The Clinical Status of Radiation Therapy in Korea in 2009 and 2013.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to estimate the clinical status of radiation therapy (RT) in Korea.

Materials And Methods: We analyzed open claims data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA). The subjects were patients with malignant neoplasms who had procedure codes concerning RT in 2009 and 2013.

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy for T3-4 and N0-1 nasopharyngeal cancer: Asian multicenter trial of the Forum for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicity and efficacy of radiotherapy concurrent with weekly cisplatin for T3-4 and N0-1 nasopharyngeal cancer. Between 2005 and 2010, 70 patients with nasopharyngeal cancer (T3-4 N0-1 M0, World Health Organization Type 2-3) from Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand were registered. Patients were treated with 2D radiotherapy concurrent with weekly cisplatin (30 mg/m(2)).

Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Recurrent or Oligometastatic Uterine Cervix Cancer: A Cooperative Study of the Korean Radiation Oncology Group (KROG 14-11).

Aim: To evaluate local control and patient survival for recurrent or oligometastatic uterine cervical cancer treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) using CyberKnife, and to demonstrate the safety of SBRT.

Patients And Methods: Between 2002 and 2013, 100 recurrent or oligometastatic lesions in 85 patients were treated with SBRT at three Institutions. SBRT sites were within the previous RT field in 59 and partially overlapped in nine.

Low Hepatic Toxicity in Primary and Metastatic Liver Cancers after Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy Using 3 Fractions.

This study evaluated the incidence of hepatic toxicity after stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) using 3 fractions to the liver, and identified the predictors for hepatic toxicity. We retrospectively reviewed 78 patients with primary and metastatic liver cancers, who underwent SABR using 3 fractions between 2003 and 2011. To examine the incidence of hepatic toxicity, we defined newly developed hepatic toxicity≥grade 2 according to the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v4.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy for oligometastases confined to the para-aortic region: clinical outcomes and the significance of radiotherapy field and dose.

We retrospectively reviewed 88 patients with oligometases in the para-aortic region from any controlled primary tumor site who were treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). The 5-year local control, disease-free survival, and overall survival rates were 83%, 31%, and 41%, respectively. A 90% tumor-control probability was predicted at a biological effective dose of 90 Gy.

Outcomes of stereotactic body radiotherapy for unresectable primary or recurrent cholangiocarcinoma.

Purpose: To report the results of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for unresectable primary or recurrent cholangiocarcinoma.

Materials And Methods: From January 2005 through August 2013, 58 patients with unresectable primary (n = 28) or recurrent (n = 30) cholangiocarcinoma treated by SBRT were retrospectively analyzed. The median prescribed dose was 45 Gy in 3 fractions (range, 15 to 60 Gy in 1-5 fractions).

Salvage stereotactic body radiotherapy for locally recurrent uterine cervix cancer at the pelvic sidewall: Feasibility and complication.

Aims: To determine the feasibility of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in patients with pelvic sidewall recurrence of uterine cervical cancer after radical hysterectomy or definitive radiotherapy.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 23 patients with locally recurrent uterine cervical cancer limited to the pelvic sidewall who were treated with SBRT at our institution between January 2003 and May 2010. The SBRT dose ranged from 27 to 45 Gy (median, 39 Gy) in three fractions, and the fractional SBRT dose ranged from 9 to 15 Gy (median, 13 Gy).

Low and high linear energy transfer radiation sensitization of HCC cells by metformin.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of metformin as a radiosensitizer for use in combination therapy for human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Three human HCC cell lines (Huh7, HepG2, Hep3B) and a normal human hepatocyte cell line were treated with metformin alone or with radiation followed by metformin. In vitro tests were evaluated by clonogenic survival assay, FACS analysis, western blotting, immunofluorescence and comet assay.

High-dose stereotactic body radiotherapy correlates increased local control and overall survival in patients with inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Recent studies using stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have reported high tumor response and local control. However, the optimal SBRT dose remains unknown, and it is still not clear whether a dose response relationship for local control (LC) and overall survival (OS) exist or not. We performed this study to determine whether a dose response relationship for LC and OS is observed in SBRT for inoperable HCC.

Long-term follow-up results of a multi-institutional phase 2 study of concurrent chemoradiation therapy for locally advanced cervical cancer in east and southeast Asia.

Purpose: To report the long-term survival and toxicity of a multi-institutional phase 2 study of concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT) for locally advanced cervical cancer in east and southeast Asia.

Methods And Materials: Ten institutions from 8 Asian countries participated in the study. Between April 2003 and March 2006, 120 patients (60 with bulky stage IIB and 60 with stage IIIB) were treated with CCRT.

Severe intestinal toxicity after stereotactic ablative radiotherapy for abdominopelvic malignancies.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the predictors for severe intestinal toxicity (IT) in patients with abdominopelvic malignancies treated with three fractions of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR).

Methods: From 2001 to 2011, 202 patients with abdominopelvic malignancies were treated with curative-intent SABR. Among these, we retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 55 patients with the presence of the intestine that received a dose ≥20 % of the prescribed dose.

Feasibility and efficacy of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy for Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer-C stage hepatocellular carcinoma.

The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility and efficacy of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) for liver tumor in patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC)-C stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 35 patients between 2003 and 2011. Vascular invasion was diagnosed in 32 patients, extrahepatic metastases in 11 and both in 8.

Predictor of severe gastroduodenal toxicity after stereotactic body radiotherapy for abdominopelvic malignancies.

Purpose: To identify the predictors for the development of severe gastroduodenal toxicity (GDT) in patients treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) using 3 fractionations for abdominopelvic malignancies.

Methods And Materials: From 2001 to 2011, 202 patients with abdominopelvic malignancies were treated with curative-intent SBRT. Among these patients, we retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 40 patients with the eligibility criteria as follows: 3 fractionations, follow-up period≥1 year, absence of previous radiation therapy (RT) history or combination of external-beam RT and the presence of gastroduodenum (GD) that received a dose higher than 20% of prescribed dose.

Stereotactic body radiation therapy for inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma as a local salvage treatment after incomplete transarterial chemoembolization.

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) as a local salvage treatment after incomplete transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: The main eligibility criteria were a greatest tumor dimension (LD sum) <10 cm, inoperable HCC, and incomplete response after TACE. Prescribed SBRT doses were up to 60 gray (Gy) in 3 fractions, but doses were reduced until normal tissue constraints were allowed.