Local control and toxicity after stereotactic radiotherapy in brain metastases patients and the impact of novel systemic treatments.

Background And Purpose: Treatment modalities for patients with brain metastases consist of surgery, radiotherapy, and systemic treatments such as immunotherapy and targeted therapy. Although much is known about local control of brain metastases after radiotherapy and surgery alone, more understanding is needed of the additional effect of new systemic treatments. Our study presents real-world data about the combined effects of different local and systemic treatment strategies on local response of irradiated brain metastases.

Fractionated brain X-irradiation profoundly reduces hippocampal immature neuron numbers without affecting spontaneous behavior in mice.

Whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) is used to improve tumor control in patients with primary brain tumors, or brain metastasis from various primary tumors to improve tumor control. However, WBRT can lead to cognitive decline in patients. We assessed whether fractionated WBRT (fWBRT) affects spontaneous behavior of mice in automated home cages and cognition (spatial memory) using the Barnes maze.

Artificial and natural interventions for chemotherapy- and / or radiotherapy-induced cognitive impairment: A systematic review of animal studies.

Background: Cancer survivors frequently experience cognitive impairments. This systematic review assessed animal literature to identify artificial (pharmaceutical) or natural interventions (plant/endogenously-derived) to reduce treatment-related cognitive impairments.

Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched and SYRCLE's tool was used for risk of bias assessment of the 134 included articles.

Health-related quality of life after stereotactic radiosurgery in patients with brain metastases.

Purpose: This study aimed to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with brain metastases treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and to identify factors associated with this.

Methods: HRQoL was measured pre-SRS, at 3- and 6-month follow-up. Physical functioning, cognitive functioning, role functioning, and fatigue were analyzed with the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire.

Risk assessment of vascular complications following manual therapy and exercise for the cervical region: diagnostic accuracy of the International Federation of Orthopaedic Manipulative Physical Therapists framework (The Go4Safe project).

Question: What is the diagnostic accuracy of the International Federation of Orthopaedic Manipulative Physical Therapists (IFOMPT) framework to assess the risk of vascular complications in patients seeking physiotherapy care for neck pain and/or headache?

Design: Cross-sectional diagnostic accuracy study.

Participants: One hundred and fifty patients seeking physiotherapy for neck pain and/or headache in primary care.

Methods: Nineteen physiotherapists performed the index test according to the IFOMPT framework.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced neurotoxicity is not associated with seroprevalence of neurotropic infections.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) substantially improve outcome for patients with cancer. However, the majority of patients develops immune-related adverse events (irAEs), which can be persistent and significantly reduce quality of life. Neurological irAEs occur in 1-5% of patients and can induce severe, permanent sequelae or even be fatal.

Optimizing treatment of brain metastases in an era of novel systemic treatments: a single center consecutive series.

Background: The multidisciplinary management of patients with brain metastases consists of surgical resection, radiation treatment and systemic treatment. Tailoring and timing these treatment modalities is challenging. This study presents real-world data from consecutively treated patients and assesses the impact of all treatment strategies and their relation with survival.

Neurocognitive functioning after Gamma Knife and LINAC stereotactic radiosurgery in patients with brain metastases.

Purpose: Brain metastases (BM) themselves and treatment with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) can influence neurocognitive functioning. This prospective study aimed to assess neurocognitive decline in patients with BM after SRS.

Methods: A neuropsychological test battery was assessed yielding ten test outcomes.

Characteristics of immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced encephalitis and comparison with HSV-1 and anti-LGI1 encephalitis: A retrospective multicentre cohort study.

Aim: Immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced encephalitis (ICI-iE) is a rare but life-threatening toxicity of immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment. We aim to identify the characteristics of ICI-iE and describe factors that discriminate it from herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1 encephalitis and anti-leucine-rich glioma-inactivated 1 (anti-LGI1) encephalitis, as two alternative entities of encephalitis.

Methods: In this retrospective multicentre cohort study, we collected patients with ICI-iE reported to the Side Effect Registry Immuno-Oncology from January 2015 to September 2021 and compared their clinical features and outcome with 46 consecutive patients with HSV-1 or anti-LGI1 encephalitis who were treated at a German neurological referral centre.

A qualitative study on the challenges health care professionals face when caring for adolescents and young adults with an uncertain and/or poor cancer prognosis.

Background: Adolescents and young adults (AYAs, aged 18-39 years) with advanced cancer have an increased life expectancy due to improvements and refinements in cancer therapies, resulting in a growing group of AYAs living with an uncertain and/or poor cancer prognosis (UPCP). To date, no studies have examined the difficulties of health care professionals (HCPs) providing care to AYAs with a UPCP. This study aimed to understand the challenges in daily clinical practice experienced by HCPs from different disciplines who provide palliative as well as general care to AYAs with a UPCP.

Prospective validation of a new imaging scorecard to assess leptomeningeal metastasis: A joint EORTC BTG and RANO effort.

Background: Validation of the 2016 RANO MRI scorecard for leptomeningeal metastasis failed for multiple reasons. Accordingly, this joint EORTC Brain Tumor Group and RANO effort sought to prospectively validate a revised MRI scorecard for response assessment in leptomeningeal metastasis.

Methods: Coded paired cerebrospinal MRI of 20 patients with leptomeningeal metastases from solid cancers at baseline and follow-up after treatment and instructions for assessment were provided via the EORTC imaging platform.

Interexaminer Agreement and Reliability of an Internationally Endorsed Screening Framework for Cervical Vascular Risks Following Manual Therapy and Exercise: The Go4Safe Project.

Objective: Clinicians are recommended to use the clinical reasoning framework developed by the International Federation of Orthopaedic Manipulative Physical Therapists (IFOMPT) to provide guidance regarding assessment of the cervical spine and potential for cervical artery dysfunction prior to manual therapy and exercise. However, the interexaminer agreement and reliability of this framework is unknown. This study aimed to estimate the interexaminer agreement and reliability of the IFOMPT framework among physical therapists in primary care.

Brain structure prior to non-central nervous system cancer diagnosis: A population-based cohort study.

Purpose: Many studies have shown that patients with non-central nervous system (CNS) cancer can have brain abnormalities, such as reduced gray matter volume and cerebral microbleeds. These abnormalities can sometimes be present even before start of treatment, suggesting a potential detrimental effect of non-CNS cancer itself on the brain. In these previous studies, psychological factors associated with a cancer diagnosis and selection bias may have influenced results.

Prognostic validation and clinical implications of the EANO ESMO classification of leptomeningeal metastasis from solid tumors.

Background: The EANO ESMO guidelines have proposed a classification of leptomeningeal metastases (LM) from solid cancers based on clinical, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytology presentation. MRI patterns are classified as linear, nodular, both, or neither. Type I LM is defined by positive CSF cytology (confirmed LM) whereas type II LM is defined by typical clinical and MRI signs (probable or possible LM).

Higher Plasma Amyloid-β Levels Are Associated with a Higher Risk of Cancer: A Population-Based Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Various studies show an inverse relation between Alzheimer disease and cancer, but findings are likely to be biased by surveillance and survival bias. Plasma amyloid-β (Aβ) is defined as a preclinical feature of Alzheimer disease, with lower levels of Aβ42 being associated with a higher risk of Alzheimer disease. To get more insight into the biological link between Alzheimer disease and cancer, we investigated plasma Aβ levels in relation to the risk of cancer.