Dose constraints for moderate hypofractionated radiotherapy for prostate cancer: The French genito-urinary group (GETUG) recommendations.

Considering recent phase III trials results, moderate hypofractionated radiotherapy can be considered as a standard treatment for low and intermediate risk prostate cancer management. This assessment call for a framework allowing homogeneous and reproducible practices in the different centers using this radiotherapy schedule. The French Genito-Urinary Group (GETUG) provides here recommendations for daily practice of moderate hypofractionated radiotherapy for prostate cancer, with indications, dose, fractionation, pre-treatment planning, volume of interest delineation (target volume and organs at risk) and margins, dose constraints and radiotherapy techniques.

[Hypofractionated radiotherapy in prostate cancer].

Radiotherapy plays a central role in the management of localized prostate cancer, but the total duration of treatment of nearly 2 months poses not only problems of fatigue related to repetitive transports, especially for older patients, but also increases the overall cost of treatment including linear accelerators occupancy and patient transportation. To address this problem, various teams have developed hypofractionated radiotherapy protocols seeking to maintain the same efficacy and toxicity while reducing the total duration of treatment. These hypofractionated protocols require recent techniques such as image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).

Estimation of the risk for nutritional state degradation in patients with cancer: development of a screening tool based on results from a cross-sectional survey.

Background: In routine practice, the evaluation of the nutritional status of patients with cancer is not always performed although there is frequent modification as disease progresses. The validated screening and evaluation tools currently available are time-consuming and costly. In this study we analysed factors that could be used to identify patients likely to need nutritional surveillance or intervention.

[Cancer networks].

The complexity of legislation and the obstacle race run by all promoters in search of approval and funding for their projects could have greatly hindered the development of healthcare networks in France, or at least discouraged many promoter. Yet social and health professionals, along with certain healthcare service staff, considered these networks highly useful for decompartmentalising the French healthcare system. They would favour patient-oriented projects.

[The role of beta-ray therapy in the treatment of choroidal and ciliary body melanomas].

100 cases of uveal melanomas, were treated with 106RU 106RH beta-brachytherapy, between June 1983 and September 1987. 82 eyes having a follow-up superior or equal to 12 months, were analysed. 13 of these 82 eyes have been enucleated.