Image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) in Lombardy, Italy: a survey by the Lombardy section of the Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO-Lombardy).

Background: Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) has changed clinical practice. We proposed a survey to radiotherapy centers in Lombardy to picture the current clinical practice of its use.

Research Design And Methods: The survey consisted of 32 multiple-choice questions, divided into five topics: type of hospital, patients treated in 2019, number of LINACs; presence of protocols and staff involved in IGRT; IGRT in stereotaxis; IGRT in non-stereotactic treatments; availability of medical and technical staff.

Could machine learning improve the prediction of pelvic nodal status of prostate cancer patients? Preliminary results of a pilot study.

We tested and compared performances of Roach formula, Partin tables and of three Machine Learning (ML) based algorithms based on decision trees in identifying N+ prostate cancer (PC). 1,555 cN0 and 50 cN+ PC were analyzed. Results were also verified on an independent population of 204 operated cN0 patients, with a known pN status (187 pN0, 17 pN1 patients).

Urinary bladder preservation for muscle-invasive bladder cancer: a survey among radiation oncologists of Lombardy, Italy.

Aims And Background: Bladder preservation is a treatment option in muscle-invasive bladder carcinoma. The most investigated approach is a trimodality schedule including maximum transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) followed by chemoradiotherapy. Our aim was to evaluate the use of bladder preservation by radiation oncologists of the Lombardy region in Italy.

Changes in patterns of practice for prostate cancer radiotherapy in Italy 1995-2003. A survey of the Prostate Cancer Study Group of the Italian Radiation Oncology Society.

Aims And Background: In 2002, a survey including 1759 patients treated from 1980 to 1998 established a "benchmark" Italian data source for prostate cancer radiotherapy. This report updates the previous one.

Methods: Data on clinical management and outcomes of 3001 patients treated in 15 centers from 1999 through 2003 were analyzed and compared with those of the previous survey.

Long term rectal function after high-dose prostatecancer radiotherapy: results from a prospective cohort study.

Purpose: To prospectively evaluate long-term late rectal bleeding (lrb) and faecal incontinence (linc) after high-dose radiotherapy (RT) for prostate cancer in the AIROPROS 0102 population, and to assess clinical/dosimetric risk factors.

Materials And Methods: Questionnaires of 515 patients with G0 baseline incontinence and bleeding scores (follow-up ≥6 years) were analysed. Correlations between lrb/linc and many clinical and dosimetric parameters were investigated by univariate and multivariate logistic analyses.