Significance of Co-expression of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and Ki67 on Clinical Outcome in Patients With Anal Cancer Treated With Chemoradiotherapy: An Analysis of NRG Oncology RTOG 9811.

Purpose: To measure co-expression of EGFR and Ki67 proteins in pretreatment tumor biopsies of anal cancer patients enrolled on NRG Oncology RTOG 9811, a phase III trial comparing 5-fluorouracil/mitomycin-C/radiation therapy (Arm A) versus 5-fluorouracil/cisplatin/radiation therapy (Arm B), and to correlate expression with clinical outcome.

Methods And Materials: EGFR and Ki67 co-expression was measured after constructing a tissue microarray using fluorescence immunohistochemistry and automated quantitative image analysis. The Ki67 score within EGFR high versus low areas (Ki67ratio in EGFR) in each tumor core was analyzed at the median, quartiles, and as a continuous variable.

Phase II double-blind placebo-controlled randomized study of armodafinil for brain radiation-induced fatigue.

Background: Common acute-term side effects of brain radiotherapy (RT) include fatigue, drowsiness, decreased physical functioning, and decreased quality of life (QOL). We hypothesized that armodafinil (a wakefulness-promoting drug known to reduce fatigue and increase cognitive function in breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy) would result in reduced fatigue and sleepiness for patients receiving brain RT.

Methods: A phase II, multi-institutional, placebo-controlled randomized trial assessed feasibility of armodafinil 150 mg/day in participants receiving brain RT, from whom we obtained estimates of variability for fatigue, sleepiness, QOL, cognitive function, and treatment effect.

Web based pathology assessment in RTOG 98-04.

Aims: Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 98-04 sought to identify women with ‘good risk’ ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) who receive no significant benefit from radiation. Enrolment criteria excluded close or positive margins and grade 3 disease. To ensure reproducibility in identifying good risk pathology, an optional web based teaching tool was developed and a random sampling of 10% of submitted slides were reviewed by a central pathologist.

Neoadjuvant therapy may lead to successful surgical resection and improved survival in patients with borderline resectable pancreatic cancer.

Background: Borderline resectable pancreatic cancers are technically amenable to surgical resection, but are associated with increased risk of locoregional recurrence. Patients with these tumours may be treated with neoadjuvant therapy in an attempt to improve margin-negative resection rates.

Methods: The University of Cincinnati Pancreatic Cancer Database was retrospectively reviewed.