Radiosurgery-induced early changes in peritumoral tissue sodium concentration of brain metastases.

Background: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is an effective therapy for brain metastases. Response is assessed with serial 1H magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Early markers for response are desirable to allow for individualized treatment adaption.

Triple Blockade of Oncogenic RAS Signaling Using KRAS and MEK Inhibitors in Combination with Irradiation in Pancreatic Cancer.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest of human malignancies and carries an exceptionally poor prognosis. It is mostly driven by multiple oncogenic alterations, with the highest mutation frequency being observed in the KRAS gene, which is a key oncogenic driver of tumorogenesis and malignant progression in PDAC. However, KRAS remained undruggable for decades until the emergence of G12C mutation specific KRAS inhibitors.

L-RNA aptamer-based CXCL12 inhibition combined with radiotherapy in newly-diagnosed glioblastoma: dose escalation of the phase I/II GLORIA trial.

The chemokine CXCL12 promotes glioblastoma (GBM) recurrence after radiotherapy (RT) by facilitating vasculogenesis. Here we report outcomes of the dose-escalation part of GLORIA (NCT04121455), a phase I/II trial combining RT and the CXCL12-neutralizing aptamer olaptesed pegol (NOX-A12; 200/400/600 mg per week) in patients with incompletely resected, newly-diagnosed GBM lacking MGMT methylation. The primary endpoint was safety, secondary endpoints included maximum tolerable dose (MTD), recommended phase II dose (RP2D), NOX-A12 plasma levels, topography of recurrence, tumor vascularization, neurologic assessment in neuro-oncology (NANO), quality of life (QOL), median progression-free survival (PFS), 6-months PFS and overall survival (OS).

Hypoxia as a stimulus for tissue formation: The concept of organogenesis in microsurgically vascularized tissue engineering constructs.

Axial vascularization of tissue constructs is essential to maintain an adequate blood supply for a stable regeneration of a clinically relevant tissue size. The versatility of the arterio-venous loop (AVL) has been previously shown in various small and large animal models as well as in clinical reports for bone regeneration. We have previously demonstrated the capability of the AVL to induce axial vascularization and to support the nourishment of tissue constructs in small animal models after applying high doses of ionizing radiation comparable to those applied for adjuvant radiotherapy after head and neck cancer.

Combining a noble gas with radiotherapy: glutamate receptor antagonist xenon may act as a radiosensitizer in glioblastoma.

Background: Ionotropic glutamate receptors α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid receptor (AMPAR) and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) modulate proliferation, invasion and radioresistance in glioblastoma (GB). Pharmacological targeting is difficult as many in vitro-effective agents are not suitable for in patient applications. We aimed to develop a method to test the well tolerated AMPAR- and NMDAR-antagonist xenon gas as a radiosensitizer in GB.

Pituitary metastasis arising from hepatocellular carcinoma: a case report and update of the literature.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common neoplasia and the third leading cause of cancer-associated deaths worldwide. Most cases arise in patients with cirrhosis, and early detection through periodic screening can make it potentially curable. The presence of extrahepatic metastases (EHM) affects treatment decisions and curability.

Multicentric Assessment of Safety and Efficacy of Combinatorial Adjuvant Brain Metastasis Treatment by Intraoperative Radiation Therapy and Immunotherapy.

Purpose: After surgical resection of brain metastases (BMs), intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) provides a promising alternative to adjuvant external beam radiation therapy by enabling superior organ-at-risk preservation, reduction of in-hospital times, and timely admission to subsequent systemic treatments, which increasingly comprise novel targeted immunotherapeutic approaches. We sought to assess the safety and efficacy of IORT in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and other targeted therapies (TTs).

Methods And Materials: In a multicentric approach incorporating individual patient data from 6 international IORT centers, all patients with BMs undergoing IORT were retrospectively assessed for combinatorial treatment with ICIs/TTs and evaluated for toxicity and cumulative rates, including wound dehiscence, radiation necrosis, leptomeningeal spread, local control, distant brain progression (DBP), and estimated overall survival.

Homogenous dose prescription in Gamma Knife Radiotherapy: Combining the best of both worlds.

Purpose: Stereotactic radiosurgery with linear accelerators (LINACs) or Leksell Gamma Knife® (LGK, Elekta AB) is an established treatment option for intracranial tumors. When those are involving/abutting organs at risk (OAR), homogenous and normofractionated treatments outmatch single fraction deliveries. In such situations, it would be desirable to balance LINAC's homogeneity benefits with LGK's dose gradient attributes.

Real-time definition of single seed placement sensitivity in low-dose-rate prostate brachytherapy.

Purpose: In low-dose-rate brachytherapy, iodine-125 seeds are implanted based on a treatment plan, generated with respect to different dose constraints. The quality of the dose distribution depends on a precise seed placement, however, during treatment planning the impact on the dose parameters when certain seeds fail to be placed precisely is not clear.

Methods And Materials: We developed a method using automatic differentiation to calculate gradients of dose parameters with regard to the seeds' positions.

Pharmaceutical management of acute radiation dermatitis in the German speaking radiation oncology community.

Background: Radiation dermatitis (RD) remains the most common side effect in radiation therapy (RT) with various pharmaceutical options available for prevention and treatment. We sought to determine pharmaceutical management patterns of radiation dermatitis among radiation oncology professionals.

Methods: We conducted a survey on RD among the German-speaking community of radiation oncologists inquiring for their opinion on preventive and therapeutic pharmaceutical approaches for acute RD.

Non-invasive physical plasma for preventing radiation dermatitis in breast cancer: Results from an intrapatient-randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

Background And Purpose: To investigate the effect of topical non-invasive physical plasma (NIPP), a volatile mix generated out of ambient air, on prevention of acute radiation dermatitis (RD) during and after whole-breast irradiation (WBI).

Materials And Methods: Lateral and medial breast halves were randomised within each patient to receive either 120 s of NIPP or sham treatment daily during WBI. Standard skin care with urea lotion was applied to the whole breast.

Safety and efficacy of helical tomotherapy following lung-sparing surgery in locally advanced malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Purpose: To assess the value of radiation therapy (RT) with helical tomotherapy (HT) in the management of locally advanced malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) receiving no or lung-sparing surgery.

Methods: Consecutive MPM cases not undergoing extrapleural pneumonectomy and receiving intensity-modulated (IM) HT were retrospectively evaluated for local control, distant control, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Impact of age, systemic treatment, RT dose, and recurrence patterns was analyzed by univariate and multivariate analysis.

Intraoperative or postoperative stereotactic radiotherapy for brain metastases: time to systemic treatment onset and other patient-relevant outcomes.

Purpose: Intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) has become a viable treatment option for resectable brain metastases (BMs). As data on local control and radiation necrosis rates are maturing, we focus on meaningful secondary endpoints such as time to next treatment (TTNT), duration of postoperative corticosteroid treatment, and in-hospital time.

Methods: Patients prospectively recruited within an IORT study registry between November 2020 and June 2023 were compared with consecutive patients receiving adjuvant stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) of the resection cavity within the same time frame.

Surface guidance compared with ultrasound-based monitoring and diaphragm position in cone-beam computed tomography during abdominal stereotactic radiotherapy in breath-hold.

Background And Purpose: Spirometry induced deep-inspiration-breath-hold (DIBH) reduces intrafractional motion during upper abdominal stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate whether surface scanning (SGRT) is an adequate surrogate for monitoring residual internal motion during DIBH. Residual motion detected by SGRT was compared with experimental 4D-ultrasound (US) and an internal motion detection benchmark (diaphragm-dome-position in kV cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) projections).

Electroanatomical mapping after cardiac radioablation for treatment of incessant electrical storm: a case report from the RAVENTA trial.

Background: Electroanatomical mapping (EAM)-guided stereotactic arrhythmia radioablation (STAR) is a novel noninvasive therapy option for patients with monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT) refractory to antiarrhythmic drugs and/or urgent catheter ablation (CA). Data on success rates in an emergency situation such as electrical storm (ES) are rare. We present a case of a patient with an initially very poor life expectancy after extensive myocardial infarction with therapy-resistant ES, not amendable for further antiarrhythmic drug therapy, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation, or repeated CA who was introduced to the radiation oncology department for emergency STAR as a bail-out therapy.

Opportunities and Alternatives of Modern Radiation Oncology and Surgery for the Management of Resectable Brain Metastases.

Postsurgical radiotherapy (RT) has been early proven to prevent local tumor recurrence, initially performed with whole brain RT (WBRT). Subsequent to disadvantageous cognitive sequalae for the patient and the broad distribution of modern linear accelerators, focal irradiation of the tumor has omitted WBRT in most cases. In many studies, the effectiveness of local RT of the resection cavity, either as single-fraction stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) or hypo-fractionated stereotactic RT (hFSRT), has been demonstrated to be effective and safe.

Outcome assessment of intraoperative radiotherapy for brain metastases: results of a prospective observational study with comparative matched-pair analysis.

Purpose: Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) is an emerging alternative to adjuvant stereotactic external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) following resection of brain metastases (BM). Advantages of IORT include an instant prevention of tumor regrowth, optimized dose-sparing of adjacent healthy brain tissue and immediate completion of BM treatment, allowing an earlier admission to subsequent systemic treatments. However, prospective outcome data are limited.

Risk assessment, surveillance, and nonpharmaceutical prevention of acute radiation dermatitis: results of a multicentric survey among the German-speaking radiation oncology community.

Purpose: Radiation dermatitis (RD) represents one of the most frequent side effects in radiotherapy (RT). Despite technical progress, mild and moderate RD still affects major subsets of patients and identification and management of patients with a high risk of severe RD is essential. We sought to characterize surveillance and nonpharmaceutical preventive management of RD in German-speaking hospitals and private centers.

Long-term characterization of MRI-morphologic alterations after active motion-compensated liver SBRT: a multi-institutional pooled analysis.

Background: Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is an effective therapeutic approach in patients with liver metastases. However, long-term changes in hepatic normal tissue have to be taken into account in multimodal treatment regimes. Magnetic-resonance-imaging (MRI) based morphologic liver alterations (MMA) after liver SBRT have been analyzed longitudinally.

Intraoperative radiotherapy for brain metastases: first-stage results of a single-arm, open-label, phase 2 trial.

Objective: Focal stereotactic radiosurgery to the surgical cavity lowers local recurrence after resection of brain metastases (BM). To evaluate local control (LC) and brain disease control (BDC) after intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) for resected BM.

Methods: Adult patients with completely resected single supratentorial BM were recruited and underwent IORT to the cavity with a prescribed dose of 18 Gy to 1 mm-depth.

Five-Fraction Stereotactic Radiotherapy for Brain Metastases-A Retrospective Analysis.

Purpose: To determine the safety and outcome profile of five-fraction stereotactic radiotherapy (FSRT) for brain metastases (BM), either as a definitive or adjuvant treatment.

Methods: We assessed clinical data of patients receiving five fractions of 7 Gy each (cumulative physical dose of 35 Gy) to BM or surgical cavities. The primary endpoints were toxicity and radiation necrosis (RN) rates.

Dosimetric benefits of adaptive radiation therapy for patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Daily adaptive radiation therapy (ART) of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) lowers organs at risk exposure while maintaining the planning target volume (PTV) coverage. Thus, ART allows an isotoxic approach with increased doses to the PTV that could improve local tumor control. Herein we evaluate daily online ART strategies regarding their impact on relevant dose-volume metrics.