Effect of COVID-19 on Gynecologic Oncology Care: A Survey of Practicing Gynecologic Radiation Oncologists in the United States.

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has placed demands and limitations on the delivery of health care. We sought to assess the effect of COVID-19 on the delivery of gynecologic oncologic care from the perspective of practicing radiation oncologists in the United States.

Methods And Materials: An anonymous online survey was created and distributed to preidentified radiation oncologists in the United States with clinical expertise in the management of gynecologic patients.

Evaluating an Ultraviolet C System for Use During SARS-CoV2 Pandemic and Personal Protective Equipment Shortage.

Purpose: The supply of N95 masks and filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) has been limited nationally owing to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Ultraviolet C (UVC) light has been suggested as a potential option for decontamination of FFRs by the Centers for Disease Control. There has been a lack of publications characterizing UVC dose distribution across FFRs.

COVID-19 impact on timing of brachytherapy treatment and strategies for risk mitigation.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to highlight the importance of timely brachytherapy treatment for patients with gynecologic, breast, and prostate malignancies, and provide a framework for brachytherapy clinical practice and management in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods And Materials: We review amassing evidence to help guide the management and timing of brachytherapy for gynecologic, breast, and prostate cancers. Where concrete data could not be found, peer-reviewed expert opinion is provided.

Predictive factors of recurrence following adjuvant vaginal cuff brachytherapy alone for stage I endometrial cancer.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify risk factors for recurrence in a cohort of stage I endometrial cancer patients treated with vaginal cuff brachytherapy at a single academic institution.

Methods And Materials: From 1989 to 2011, 424 patients with stage I endometrial cancer underwent total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, with or without lymphadenectomy (LND), followed by high-dose-rate vaginal cuff brachytherapy (VCB) to patients felt to be high or intermediate risk FIGO stage IA and IB disease. Covariates included: 2009 FIGO stage, age, grade, histology, presence of lymphovascular space invasion, LND, and receipt of chemotherapy.

Nuclear epidermal growth factor receptor is a functional molecular target in triple-negative breast cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subclass of breast cancers (i.e., estrogen receptor-negative, progesterone receptor-negative, and HER2-negative) that have poor prognosis and very few identified molecular targets.

Effects of treatment duration during concomitant chemoradiation therapy for cervical cancer.

Purpose: To determine whether extended treatment duration (TD) impacts in-field relapse and survival in the setting of concomitant chemoradiation therapy (CRT) for cervical cancer.

Methods And Materials: A total of 480 consecutive cervical cancer patients treated with radiation therapy (RT) alone or concomitant CRT for curative intent were retrospectively analyzed. Relapse was defined as in-field with respect to external beam radiation therapy fields.

Severe late toxicities following concomitant chemoradiotherapy compared to radiotherapy alone in cervical cancer: an inter-era analysis.

Purpose: To compare rates of severe late toxicities following concomitant chemoradiotherapy and radiotherapy alone for cervical cancer.

Methods And Materials: Patients with cervical cancer were treated at a single institution with radiotherapy alone or concomitant chemoradiotherapy for curative intent. Severe late toxicity was defined as grade≥3 vaginal, urologic, or gastrointestinal toxicity or any pelvic fracture, using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.

Erlotinib is a viable treatment for tumors with acquired resistance to cetuximab.

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a ubiquitously expressed receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) and is recognized as a key mediator of tumorigenesis in many human tumors. Currently there are five EGFR inhibitors used in oncology, two monoclonal antibodies (panitumumab, and cetuximab) and three tyrosine kinase inhibitors (erlotinib, gefitinib, and lapatinib). Both strategies of EGFR inhibition have demonstrated clinical successes, however many tumors remain non-responsive or acquire resistance during therapy.

Dasatinib blocks cetuximab- and radiation-induced nuclear translocation of the epidermal growth factor receptor in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Background And Purpose: The aberrant expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has been linked to the etiology of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The first major phase III trial combining cetuximab with radiation confirmed a strong survival advantage. However, both cetuximab and radiation can promote EGFR translocation to the nucleus where it enhances resistance to both of these modalities.

Understanding resistance to EGFR inhibitors-impact on future treatment strategies.

EGFR is a tyrosine kinase that participates in the regulation of cellular homeostasis. Following ligand binding, EGFR stimulates downstream cell signaling cascades that influence cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, survival and complex processes, including angiogenesis and tumorigenesis. EGFR has been strongly implicated in the biology of human epithelial malignancies, with therapeutic applications in cancers of the colon, head and neck, lung, and pancreas.

External beam radiotherapy for colon cancer: patterns of care.

Purpose: Despite its common and well characterized use in other gastrointestinal malignancies, little is known about radiotherapy (RT) use in nonmetastatic colon cancer in the United States. To address the paucity of data regarding RT use in colon cancer management, we examined the RT patterns of care in this patient population.

Methods And Materials: Patients with nonmetastatic colon cancer, diagnosed between 1988 and 2005, were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.

The role of Src in solid tumors.

The proto-oncogene c-Src (Src) encodes a nonreceptor tyrosine kinase whose expression and activity are correlated with advanced malignancy and poor prognosis in a variety of human cancers. Nine additional enzymes with homology to Src have been identified and collectively are referred to as Src family kinases (SFKs). Together, SFKs represent the largest family of nonreceptor tyrosine kinases and interact directly with receptor tyrosine kinases, G-protein-coupled receptors, steroid receptors, signal transducers and activators of transcription, and molecules involved in cell adhesion and migration.

Epidermal growth factor receptor cooperates with Src family kinases in acquired resistance to cetuximab.

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a receptor tyrosine kinase that plays a major role in oncogenesis. Cetuximab is an EGFR-blocking antibody that is FDA approved for use in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Although cetuximab has shown strong clinical benefit for a subset of cancer patients, most become refractory to cetuximab therapy.