Early Exploratory Analysis for Patient-reported Quality of Life and Dosimetric Correlates in Hypofractionated Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) for Low-risk and Intermediate-risk Prostate Cancer: Interim Results from a Prospective Phase II Clinical Trial.

Objectives: Given the relative novelty of stereotactic body radiation therapy as a treatment modality low-risk and intermediate-risk prostate cancer, little data exist evaluating dosimetry and its impact on patient-reported quality of life (PR-QOL) metrics. Herein, we present an interim analysis of a phase II clinical trial of PR-QOL and dosimetric correlates.

Methods: Patients with biopsy-proven low-risk or intermediate-risk prostate cancer, prostate volume ≤100 cm, and life expectancy ≥10 years were enrolled.

Stereotactic Ablative Radiation Therapy for Unresectable Colorectal Oligometastases.

Purpose: Patients with oligometastatic colorectal cancer have demonstrated excellent clinical outcomes with surgical resection of hepatic and pulmonary metastases. Stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR) has emerged as an alternative local therapy for nonsurgical candidates. Herein, we report the oncologic and patient-reported quality-of-life (PR-QoL) outcomes for a subset of patients with oligometastatic colorectal cancer who were treated in a prospective phase 2 multicenter clinical trial.

Initial Results of a Multicenter Phase 2 Trial of Stereotactic Ablative Radiation Therapy for Oligometastatic Cancer.

Purpose: Oligometastatic disease has emerged as a potentially curable state in the spectrum of cancer progression. Aggressive local therapy such as stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR) may improve oncologic outcomes. Herein, we report the initial oncologic outcomes and patient-reported quality of life (PR-QoL) from a phase 2 multicenter trial for patients with oliogmetastatic disease.

Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) for liver metastasis - clinical outcomes from the international multi-institutional RSSearch® Patient Registry.

Background: Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is an emerging treatment option for liver metastases in patients unsuitable for surgery. We investigated factors associated with clinical outcomes for liver metastases treated with SBRT from a multi-center, international patient registry.

Methods: Patients with liver metastases treated with SBRT were identified in the RSSearch® Patient Registry.

Lung metastases treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy: the RSSearch® patient Registry's experience.

Objectives: To report overall survival and local control for patients identified in the RSSearch® Patient Registry with metastatic cancer to the lung treated with SBRT.

Methods: Seven hundred two patients were identified with lung metastases in the RSSearch® Registry. Of these patients, 577 patients had SBRT dose and fractionation information available.

Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Clinically Localized Prostate Cancer: Toxicity and Biochemical Disease-Free Outcomes from a Multi-Institutional Patient Registry.

Objectives: To report on initial patient characteristics, treatment practices, toxicity, and early biochemical disease-free survival (bDFS) of localized prostate cancer treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and enrolled in the RSSearch(®) Patient Registry.

Methods:  A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with clinically localized prostate cancer enrolled in RSSearch(®) from June 2006 - January 2015. Patients were classified as low-risk (PSA ≤ 10 ng/ml, T1c-T2a, Gleason score ≤ 6), intermediate-risk (PSA 10.

ACVR1R206H receptor mutation causes fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva by imparting responsiveness to activin A.

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by episodically exuberant heterotopic ossification (HO), whereby skeletal muscle is abnormally converted into misplaced, but histologically normal bone. This HO leads to progressive immobility with catastrophic consequences, including death by asphyxiation. FOP results from mutations in the intracellular domain of the type I BMP (bone morphogenetic protein) receptor ACVR1; the most common mutation alters arginine 206 to histidine (ACVR1(R206H)) and has been thought to drive inappropriate bone formation as a result of receptor hyperactivity.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer: clinical outcomes from a National Patient Registry.

Objectives: Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is a definitive local treatment option for patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who are not surgical candidates and patients who refuse surgery. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of SBRT on T1-T2 NSCLC from a national registry, reflecting practices and outcomes in a real-world setting.

Methods: The RSSearch® Patient Registry was screened for T1-T2N0M0 NSCLC patients treated from May 2004 to May 2013 with SBRT.

Heritability and genomics of gene expression in peripheral blood.

We assessed gene expression profiles in 2,752 twins, using a classic twin design to quantify expression heritability and quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) in peripheral blood. The most highly heritable genes (∼777) were grouped into distinct expression clusters, enriched in gene-poor regions, associated with specific gene function or ontology classes, and strongly associated with disease designation. The design enabled a comparison of twin-based heritability to estimates based on dizygotic identity-by-descent sharing and distant genetic relatedness.

Picbreeder: a case study in collaborative evolutionary exploration of design space.

For domains in which fitness is subjective or difficult to express formally, interactive evolutionary computation (IEC) is a natural choice. It is possible that a collaborative process combining feedback from multiple users can improve the quality and quantity of generated artifacts. Picbreeder, a large-scale online experiment in collaborative interactive evolution (CIE), explores this potential.

Impact of neck dissection on long-term feeding tube dependence in patients with head and neck cancer treated with primary radiation or chemoradiation.

Background: The impact of posttreatment neck dissection on prolonged feeding tube dependence in patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) treated with primary radiation or chemoradiation remains unknown.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using propensity score adjustment to investigate the effect of neck dissection on prolonged feeding tube dependence.

Results: A review of 67 patients with node-positive HNSCC (T1-4N1-3), treated with primary radiation or chemoradiation, with no evidence of tumor recurrence and follow-up of at least 24 months, was performed.

A hypercube-based encoding for evolving large-scale neural networks.

Research in neuroevolution-that is, evolving artificial neural networks (ANNs) through evolutionary algorithms-is inspired by the evolution of biological brains, which can contain trillions of connections. Yet while neuroevolution has produced successful results, the scale of natural brains remains far beyond reach. This article presents a method called hypercube-based NeuroEvolution of Augmenting Topologies (HyperNEAT) that aims to narrow this gap.

Does treatment duration affect outcome after radiotherapy for prostate cancer?

Purpose: The protraction of external beam radiotherapy (RT) time is detrimental in several disease sites. In prostate cancer, the overall treatment time can be considerable, as can the potential for treatment breaks. We evaluated the effect of elapsed treatment time on outcome after RT for prostate cancer.

Does transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) affect outcome in patients who subsequently develop prostate cancer?

Objectives: Pretreatment prostate specific antigen (PSA) is a strong predictor of prostate cancer outcome after radiotherapy and is a key parameter in pretreatment risk assessment. Because PSA is secreted from both benign and malignant tissue, a prior transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) may lower pretreatment PSA levels out of proportion to the extent of cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a history of TURP is associated with increased biochemical failure (BF) after definitive radiotherapy for prostate cancer.

A comparison of acute and chronic toxicity for men with low-risk prostate cancer treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy or (125)I permanent implant.

Purpose: To compare the toxicity and biochemical outcomes of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and (125)I transperineal permanent prostate seed implant ((125)I) for patients with low-risk prostate cancer.

Methods And Materials: Between 1998 and 2004, a total of 374 low-risk patients (prostate-specific antigen < 10 ng/ml, T1c-T2b, Gleason score of 6 or less, and no neoadjuvant hormones) were treated at Fox Chase Cancer Center (216 IMRT and 158 (125)I patients). Median follow-up was 43 months for IMRT and 48 months for (125)I.

How can men destined for biochemical failure after androgen deprivation and radiotherapy be identified earlier?

Purpose: The significance of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) increases during the recovery of androgen after androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and radiotherapy for prostate cancer is not well understood. This study sought to determine whether the initial PSA increase from undetectable after completion of all treatment predicts for eventual biochemical failure (BF).

Methods And Materials: Between July 1992 and March 2004, 163 men with a Gleason score of 8-10 or initial PSA level >20 ng/mL, or Stage T3 prostate cancer were treated with radiotherapy (median dose, 76 Gy) and ADT and achieved an undetectable PSA level.

Unexpected dementia following prophylactic cranial irradiation for small cell lung cancer: case report.

Object: Prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) is commonly offered to patients with limited stage primary small cell lung cancer following a complete response.

Methods: We present the unique case of a 76-year-old woman treated with PCI with a dose of 30 Gy in 15 fractions, at 200 cGy per fraction who developed progressive dementia.

Conclusions: This is the first reported case of dementia from PCI at this low dose per fraction.

The proportion of prostate biopsy tissue with Gleason pattern 4 or 5 predicts for biochemical and clinical outcome after radiotherapy for prostate cancer.

Purpose: To investigate the prognostic utility of the proportion of prostate biopsy tissue containing Gleason pattern 4 or 5 (GP4/5) after definitive radiotherapy (RT) for prostate cancer.

Methods And Materials: A total of 568 patients with T1c-3 Nx/0 prostate cancer who received three-dimensional conformal RT alone between May 1989 and August 2001 were studied. There were 161 men with Gleason score 7-10 disease.