Does adjuvant radiotherapy benefit patients with diffuse-type gastric cancer? Results from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database.

Background: Diffuse-type gastric cancer is observed in approximately one-third of gastric cancers, yet the optimal treatment remains controversial. In the recently published Intergroup 0116 trial, a subgroup analysis demonstrated a lack of a long-term survival benefit for adjuvant chemoradiation therapy among patients with diffuse-type gastric cancer.

Methods: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry database was queried for patients who were newly diagnosed with diffuse-type gastric cancer between 2002 and 2005 and underwent surgical resection with or without adjuvant radiotherapy (RT).

Down-regulation of microRNA 106b is involved in p21-mediated cell cycle arrest in response to radiation in prostate cancer cells.

Background: microRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous short non-coding RNAs, and play a pivotal role in regulating of a variety of cellular processes, including proliferation and apoptosis, both of which are cellular responses to radiation treatment. The purpose of this study is to identify candidate miRNAs whose levels are altered in response to radiation in prostate cancer cells and to investigate the molecular pathway of such miRNAs in the regulation of radiation-induced cellular response.

Methods: Using a miRNA microarray assay, we screened 132 cancerous miRNAs in LNCaP cells in response to radiation treatment.

Multi-institutional trial of accelerated hypofractionated intensity-modulated radiation therapy for early-stage oropharyngeal cancer (RTOG 00-22).

Purpose: To assess the results of a multi-institutional study of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for early oropharyngeal cancer.

Patients And Methods: Patients with oropharyngeal carcinoma Stage T1-2, N0-1, M0 requiring treatment of the bilateral neck were eligible. Chemotherapy was not permitted.

Cyclin D1 guanine/adenine 870 polymorphism with altered protein expression is associated with genomic instability and aggressive clinical biology of esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Purpose: Altered cyclin D1 (CD1), a cell cycle regulator, may play an important role in imparting aggressive nature to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). CD1 gene single nucleotide polymorphism G/A870 results in two alternatively spliced transcripts, CD1a and CD1b. CD1b, preferentially encoded by the A870 allele, is putatively oncogenic.

Pretherapy nuclear factor-kappaB status, chemoradiation resistance, and metastatic progression in esophageal carcinoma.

Background: Transcriptional factor nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) seems to be associated with aggressive clinical biology (chemoradiation resistance and metastatic progression) of esophageal cancer. We hypothesized that activated NF-kappaB would define clinical biology irrespective of the type of chemotherapy or sequence administered.

Methods: Pretherapy and/or posttherapy cancer specimens were examined for activated NF-kappaB and correlated with pathologic response to chemoradiation, metastatic potential, overall survival, disease-free survival, and type of chemotherapy or sequence used.

Functional imaging in treatment planning in radiation therapy: a review.

The remarkable technical developments obtained in radiation oncology have resulted in an increasing use of image-based treatment planning in radiation therapy for three-dimensional and intensity modulated radiation therapy, stereotactic irradiation and image-guided brachytherapy. There has been increased use of computer-based record and verify systems as well as electronic portal imaging to enhance treatment delivery. From the data presented it is evident that PET scanning and other functional imaging techniques play a major role in the definition of tumor extent and staging of patients with cancer.