Clinical characteristics, late effects and outcomes in pineoblastomas in children: a single center experience.

Background: Pineoblastomas (PB) are rare tumors of the central nervous system and are more common in children. There is no consensus about standard of care. The objective of this study is to analyze the outcome of children with PB.

Treatment outcomes of prostate cancer patients with Gleason score 8-10 treated with definitive radiotherapy : TROD 09-001 multi-institutional study.

Purpose: To validate the clinical outcomes and prognostic factors in prostate cancer (PCa) patients with Gleason score (GS) 8-10 disease treated with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) + androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in the modern era.

Methods: Institutional databases of biopsy proven 641 patients with GS 8-10 PCa treated between 2000 and 2015 were collected from 11 institutions. In this multi-institutional Turkish Radiation Oncology Group study, a standard database sheet was sent to each institution for patient enrollment.

Nimotuzumab-containing regimen for pediatric diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas: a retrospective multicenter study and review of the literature.

Purpose: Nimotuzumab is an IgG1 antibody that targets epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Overexpression of EGFR is detected in some pediatric brain tumors including diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPG)s.

Methods: Since May 2010, nimotuzumab, combined with carboplatin or vinorelbine or Temozolomide (TMZ), was administered during progressive disease (PD) after the use of the institutional protocol consisting of radiotherapy (RT) + TMZ and adjuvant TMZ.

Primary Rhabdomyosarcoma of the Breast: Imaging Findings and Literature Review.

Background: Primary breast rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) can occur in children. There is a lack of knowledge regarding radiologic findings and added diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of RMS in the literature.

Case Report: A 12-year-old girl was diagnosed with primary alveolar RMS of the breast.

Osteosarcoma of the rib: A rare presentation.

In children and adolescents with chest pain and dyspnea, pneumonia, pleural effusion, and empyema are the frequent causes in the differential diagnosis. Malignant tumors of the chest wall are rare and most originate from the ribs. In children, the most frequent malignant tumor of the rib is Ewing's sarcoma.

Vincristine, irinotecan, and temozolomide treatment for refractory/relapsed pediatric solid tumors: A single center experience.

Background: Although the survival of pediatric cancer has increased dramatically in the last decades, the survival of refractory, relapsed, and metastatic cases is still dismal. The combination of irinotecan and temozolomide has shown activity against refractory/relapsed pediatric solid tumors.

Method: Thirty-four children with refractory/relapsed solid tumors who had previously been heavily pretreated and who were given vincristine, irinotecan, and temozolomide as third- or further line chemotherapy during 2004-2015 were evaluated.

Absolute dose verification of static intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with ion chambers of various volumes and TLD detectors.

Aim: This study aims at examining absolute dose verification of step-and-shoot intensity modulated radiation treatment (IMRT) of prostate and brain patients by use of ion chambers of two different volumes and thermoluminescent detectors (TLD).

Background: The volume of the ion chamber (IC) is very important for absolute dose verification of IMRT plans since the IC has a volume average effect. With TLD detectors absolute dose verification can be done measuring the dose of multiple points simultaneously.

Relationships between serum PSA levels, Gleason scores and results of 68Ga-PSMAPET/CT in patients with recurrent prostate cancer.

Aim: To investigate the relationship between serum PSA level, Gleason score of PCa and the outcomes of Ga-PSMA PET/CT in patients with recurrent PCa.

Methods: A total of 109 consecutive patients (median age 71 years; range 48-89 years) who had PSA recurrence after RP and/or hormonotherapy and/or radiotherapy were included in this study. Local recurrences, lymph node metastasis (pelvic, abdominal and/or supradiaphragmatic), bone metastases (oligometastatic/multimetastatic) and other metastatic sites (lung, liver, brain, etc) were documented.

Silencing Sensitizes Prostate Cancer Cells to Enzalutamide-mediated Androgen Receptor Blockade.

Background/aim: Prostate cancer (PCa) is an androgen-dependent disease. Novel anti-androgens (i.e.

Neoadjuvant sequential chemoradiotherapy versus radiotherapy alone for treatment of high-risk extremity soft tissue sarcoma: a single-institution experience.

Aim Of The Study: Patients with large and high-grade extremity soft-tissue sarcoma are at significant risk for distant metastasis and sarcoma-related death. There is no randomized trial comparing chemoradiotherapy to radiotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting for high risk extremity soft-tissue sarcoma. The aim of this study is to evaluate the outcomes of patients treated with two different modalities (neoadjuvant sequential chemoradiotherapy vs.

Conventionally Fractionationed Volumetric Arc Therapy versus Hypofractionated Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy: Quality of Life, Side Effects, and Prostate-Specific Antigen Kinetics in Localized Prostate Cancer.

Objectives: To compare conventionally fractionationed volumetric arc therapy (VMAT) and hypofractionated stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) modalities in terms of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) kinetics, toxicity, and quality of life (QOL) in patients with localized prostate cancer.

Methods: Patients received radical radiotherapy as either 33.5 Gy/5 fr for SBRT or 75.

Breast Metastases in Children and Adolescents With Rhabdomyosarcoma: A Large Single-Institution Experience and Literature Review.

Introduction: Breast metastasis is rare in childhood malignancies. Soft tissue sarcomas, especially rhabdomyosarcomas (RMS), and hematologic neoplasms, such as lymphomas, are the most common tumors that metastasize to the breast, albeit rare.

Materials And Methods: All cases with breast metastasis within a cohort of 200 RMS patients followed in our institution during 1990 to 2014 were assessed retrospectively and the literature was reviewed.

Impact of Superoxide Dismutase-Gliadin on Radiation-induced Fibrosis: An Experimental Study.

Aim: Radiation-induced fibrosis (RIF) has since long been considered as irreversible. Further understanding of its mechanisms has led to trials investigating RIF treatment and prevention. The effect of superoxide dismutase (SOD)-gliadin, an oral form of SOD that resists gastrointestinal inactivation, on RIF treatment was evaluated in this experimental study.

Survival and prognostic factors in adult patients with recurrent or refractory ewing sarcoma family tumours: a 13-years retrospective study in Turkey.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the results of treatment and prognostic factors in adult patients with recurrent or refractory Ewing's sarcoma family tumors (ESFT).

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively evaluated treatment outcomes of 54 consecutive patients with ESFT (aged 15 years or more) with complete medical records, who were treated with multimodal therapies after recurrence at the Istanbul University, Institute of Oncology.

Results: The commonly used chemotherapy regimens at relapse were ifosfamide and etoposide (IE), ifosfamide and etoposide plus carboplatin (ICE), and oral etoposide.

A modified protocol with vincristine, topotecan, and cyclophosphamide for recurrent/progressive ewing sarcoma family tumors.

Purpose: Topotecan has recently been used in the treatment of pediatric cancer. We evaluated our experience with the modified combination of vincristine, topotecan, and cyclophosphamide (VTC) given in 3 days, in children with recurrent Ewing sarcoma.

Method: Children received vincristine (1.

Serum M65 as a biomarker for metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Introduction/background: Effective cancer biomarkers for early detection, prognosis, or therapy response prediction are urgently need in metastatic RCC. M30 and M65 are released during apoptotic cell death and precisely reflect epithelial tumor cell death. The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic value of plasma M30 and M65 levels in predicting survival rates for patients with metastatic RCC.

Pediatric diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma patients from a single center.

Background: The prognosis of children with diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPG) is dismal. This study aims to evaluate the characteristics and treatment outcome of children with DIPG in a single center.

Methods: We reviewed the outcome of children with DIPG treated at the Oncology Institute of Istanbul University from February 1999 to May 2012.

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the parotid gland in childhood survivor of acute lymphoblastic leukemia with need of radiotherapy for treatment and review of the literature.

Diagnosis of secondary malignancies began with the increasing survival in childhood cancer. Children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have an increased risk for developing mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) of the parotid gland. The latent period ranges from 5 to 16 years.

Response rates and adverse effects of continuous once-daily sunitinib in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma: a single-center study in Turkey.

Objective: Therapy targeted against the vascular endothelial growth factor pathway is a standard of care for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. This study assessed the response rates and toxicity profiles of sunitinib on a continuous once-daily dosing regimen in Turkish patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Methods: Between April 2006 and August 2010, 74 patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma who received sunitinib on a continuous, once-daily dosing regimen were included.

Investigation of miR-21, miR-141, and miR-221 in blood circulation of patients with prostate cancer.

In addition to their potential as tissue-based markers for cancer classification and prognostication, the study of microRNAs (miRNAs) in blood circulation is also of interest. In the present study, we investigated the amounts of three cancer-related miRNAs, miR-21, -141, and -221 in blood plasma of prostate cancer (PCa) patients. A cohort of 51 patients with PCa was enrolled into the study, and miRNAs were measured in two subgroups, with localized/local advanced or metastatic PCa.

Post-treatment circulating plasma BMP6 mRNA and H3K27 methylation levels discriminate metastatic prostate cancer from localized disease.

Background: We evaluated the utility of post-treatment plasma levels of the circulating bone-morphogenetic protein-6-specific mRNA (cBMP6 mRNA), cell-free DNA (cf-DNA), apoptotic nucleosomes and Histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3), in discriminating metastatic prostate cancer (PCa) from organ confined, locally controlled disease.

Methods: Peripheral blood was taken from the patients at the end of therapy, and quantitative PCR was performed to amplify cBMP6 mRNA or cf-DNA from plasma while apoptotic nucleosomes and H3K27me3 were determined by ELISA-based approaches. Following blinded measurements, the markers were compared between the patients with local (n=22), local advanced (n=11) or metastatic disease (n=28).

Treatment of Wilms tumor: a report from the Turkish Pediatric Oncology Group (TPOG).

Aim: To standardize diagnosis and treatment of childhood Wilms tumor (WT) in Turkey.

Methods And Patients: Between 1998 and 2006, WT patients were registered from 19 centers. Patients <16 years with unilateral WT whose treatment started in first postoperative 3 weeks were included.

Multiple anterior and posterior chamber pseudocysts in a 12-year-old boy with diffuse infiltrating retinoblastoma.

Diffuse infiltrating retinoblastoma is a rare subtype, occurring in 1% of all patients with retinoblastoma. It usually presents with pseudoinflammatory response in the anterior chamber and the vitreous, masquerading as endophthalmitis or uveitis. This report describes a 12-year-old boy with multiple free-floating intraocular pseudocysts as a unique finding in diffuse infiltrating retinoblastoma.

The role of surgery and radiotherapy in treatment of soft tissue sarcomas of the head and neck region: review of 30 cases.

Background: Thirty adult patients with head and neck soft tissue sarcoma (HNSTS) treated between 1987 and 2000 were retrospectively analysed.

Patients And Methods: The most frequent histopathological subtypes were chondrosarcomas (27%) and malignant fibrous histiocytoma (20%). The surgical resection was performed in 25 of the 30 patients (83%).