Neurocognition in patients with brain metastases treated with radiosurgery or radiosurgery plus whole-brain irradiation: a randomised controlled trial.

Background: It is unclear whether the benefit of adding whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT) to stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for the control of brain-tumours outweighs the potential neurocognitive risks. We proposed that the learning and memory functions of patients who undergo SRS plus WBRT are worse than those of patients who undergo SRS alone. We did a randomised controlled trial to test our prediction.

Optimal treatment planning for skull base chordoma: photons, protons, or a combination of both?

Purpose: We compared dosimetry of proton (PR), intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) photon (PH), and combined PR and IMRT PH (PP) irradiation of skull base chordomas to determine the most optimal technique.

Methods And Materials: Computed tomography simulation scans of 5 patients with skull base chordoma were used to generate four treatment plans: an IMRT PH plan with 1-mm planning target volume (PTV; PH1) for stereotactic treatment, an IMRT PH plan with 3-mm PTV (PH3) for routine treatment, a PR plan with beam-specific expansion margins on the clinical target volume, and a PP plan combining PR and PH treatment. All plans were prescribed 74 Gy/Cobalt Gray equivalents (CGE) to the PTV.

Polymorphisms in the interleukin-4 receptor gene are associated with better survival in patients with glioblastoma.

Purpose: Previous literature provides some evidence that atopic diseases, IgE levels, and inflammatory gene polymorphisms may be associated with risk of glioblastoma. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of certain inflammatory gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) on patient survival. Malignant gliomas are the most common type of primary brain tumor in adults, however, few prognostic factors have been identified.

Multimodality treatment of osteosarcoma: radiation in a high-risk cohort.

Purpose: Chemotherapy during radiation and/or bone-seeking radioisotope therapy (153-samarium; 1 mCi/kg) during radiation may improve osteosarcoma cancer control.

Patients And Methods: We analyzed our preliminary radiation experience in high-risk, metastatic, and/or recurrent patients during a consecutive period of 20 months (May 2005-December 2006).

Results: Thirty-nine high-risk osteosarcoma patients had radiotherapy; 119 sites were irradiated.

Fludarabine allows dose reduction for total body irradiation in pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Purpose: To examine, in the setting of total body irradiation (TBI) for the preparation of pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), whether TBI dose can be reduced without compromising the efficacy of a regimen consisting of fludarabine and radiotherapy; and whether there is any increased risk of pulmonary toxicity due to the radiosensitizing effect of fludarabine.

Methods And Materials: A total of 52 pediatric patients with hematologic malignancies received TBI-based conditioning regimens in preparation for allogeneic HSCT. Twenty-three patients received 12 Gy in 4 daily fractions in combination with cyclophosphamide, either alone or with other chemotherapeutic and biologic agents.

Gastrostomy in oropharyngeal cancer patients with ERCC4 (XPF) germline variants.

Purpose: ERCC4 (XPF) plays a role in both recombinant DNA repair and nucleotide excision repair, which involve repairing radiation-induced genetic damage. We hypothesized that two ERCC4 single-nucleotide polymorphisms are associated with normal-tissue toxicity in patients treated with radiotherapy for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC).

Methods And Materials: A retrospective review of the medical records of 130 patients with OPSCC who were prospectively recruited into a molecular epidemiologic study was performed to determine whether a long-term percutaneous feeding gastrostomy (LPFG) tube (a tube required for more than 180 days) had been used during and after definitive radiotherapy.