Phase I Trial of Inducible Caspase 9 T Cells in Adult Stem Cell Transplant Demonstrates Massive Clonotypic Proliferative Potential and Long-term Persistence of Transgenic T Cells.

Purpose: Inducible caspase 9 () is a cellular safety switch that can make T-cell therapy safer. The purpose of this phase I trial was to investigate the use of -transduced T-cell addback in adult patients undergoing haploidentical stem cell transplantation for high-risk hematologic malignancies.

Patients And Methods: Patients undergoing myeloablative, CD34-selected haploidentical stem cell transplantation were treated with 0.

Concurrent chemoradiation with cisplatin and vinorelbine followed by consolidation with oral vinorelbine in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): the phase II CONCAVE study.

Aim: Despite recent advances, outcomes for patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) remain poor. We evaluated the combination of ciplatin/vinorelbine and concurrent thoracic radiotherapy followed by consolidation oral vinorelbine in this phase II study.

Methods: Eligible patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC received cisplatin intravenous (IV) 40 mg/m and vinorelbine IV 20 mg/m on days 1, 8, 22 and 29 concurrent with thoracic radiotherapy of 60 Gy in 30 fractions.

Recent advances in radiotherapy for thoracic tumours.

Radiation Oncology technology has continued to advance at a rapid rate and is bringing significant benefits to patients. This review outlines some of the advances in technology and radiotherapy treatment of thoracic cancers including brachytherapy, stereotactic radiotherapy, tomotherapy and intensity modulated radiotherapy. The importance of functional imaging with PET and management of movement are highlighted.

A retrospective analysis of survival outcomes for two different radiotherapy fractionation schedules given in the same overall time for limited stage small cell lung cancer.

Purpose: To compare survival outcomes for two fractionation schedules of thoracic radiotherapy, both given over 3 weeks, in patients with limited stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC).

Methods And Materials: At Radiation Oncology Mater Centre (ROMC) and the Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital (RBWH), patients with LS-SCLC treated with curative intent are given radiotherapy (with concurrent chemotherapy) to a dose of either 40 Gy in 15 fractions ('the 40 Gy/15# group') or 45 Gy in 30 fractions ('the 45 Gy/30# group'). The choice largely depends on institutional preference.

Limited chemotherapy and shrinking field radiotherapy for Osteolymphoma (primary bone lymphoma): results from the trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group 99.04 and Australasian Leukaemia and Lymphoma Group LY02 prospective trial.

Purpose: To establish benchmark outcomes for combined modality treatment to be used in future prospective studies of osteolymphoma (primary bone lymphoma).

Methods And Materials: In 1999, the Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group (TROG) invited the Australasian Leukemia and Lymphoma Group (ALLG) to collaborate on a prospective study of limited chemotherapy and radiotherapy for osteolymphoma. The treatment was designed to maintain efficacy but limit the risk of subsequent pathological fractures.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in older people.

The number of older people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the UK is rising. Older people are at risk of acquiring HIV infection for a multitude of reasons. This, combined with effective HIV treatment which has significantly prolonged life expectancy, means that health care professionals working in the UK can expect to see increasing numbers of older people with HIV infection.

Use of individual fraction size data from 3756 patients to directly determine the alpha/beta ratio of prostate cancer.

Purpose: To examine the effect of fraction size and total dose of radiation on recurrence of localized prostate cancer.

Methods And Materials: A total of 3756 patients treated with radiation monotherapy at three institutions were analyzed, including 185 high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDRB) boost patients. The 5th to 95th centiles of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) fraction sizes and doses were 1.

The ASBS Bariatric Surgery Centers of Excellence program: a blueprint for quality improvement.

Background: Variations in the techniques of bariatric surgery, coupled with the lack of a common database, has led to variable and, sometimes negative, outcomes from bariatric surgery. Thus, in November 2003, the American Society for Bariatric Surgery established Surgical Review Corporation (SRC) as an independent nonprofit entity for quality control of bariatric surgery and as a resource for data collection and analysis.

Methods: In November 2003, the leadership of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery founded SRC as an independent nonprofit entity for quality control of bariatric surgery and as resource for research.

A multicenter study demonstrating discordant results from electronic prostate-specific antigen biochemical failure calculation systems.

Purpose: To evaluate the interobserver variation of four electronic biochemical failure (bF) calculators using three bF definitions.

Methods And Materials: The data of 1200 men were analyzed using the electronic bF calculators of four institutions. Three bF definitions were examined for their concordance of bF identification across the centers: the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology consensus definition (ACD), the lowest prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level to date plus 2 ng/mL (L2), and a threshold of 3 ng/mL (T3).

An international multicenter study evaluating the impact of an alternative biochemical failure definition on the judgment of prostate cancer risk.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of an alternative biochemical failure (bF) definition on the performance of existing plus de novo prognostic models.

Methods And Materials: The outcomes data of 1,458 Australian and 703 Canadian men treated with external-beam radiation monotherapy between 1993 and 1997 were analyzed using a lowest prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level to date plus 2 ng/mL (L + 2) bF definition. Two existing prognostic models were scrutinized using discrimination (Somers Dxy [SDxy]) and calibration indices.

Combined-modality therapy for primary central nervous system lymphoma: long-term data from a Phase II multicenter study (Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group).

Purpose: To assess, in a multicenter setting, the long-term outcomes of a brief course of high-dose methotrexate followed by radiotherapy for patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL).

Methods And Materials: Forty-six patients were entered in a Phase II protocol consisting of methotrexate (1 g/m(2) on Days 1 and 8), followed by whole-brain irradiation (45-50.4 Gy).

Long-term outcome after radiotherapy alone for lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma: a retrospective multicenter study of the Australasian Radiation Oncology Lymphoma Group.

Background: The curative potential of radiotherapy (RT) alone as initial treatment for patients with Stage I-II lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (LPHL) has not been defined well.

Methods: Two hundred two patients who were treated between 1969 and 1995 were evaluated in a retrospective, multicenter study.

Results: Patient characteristics were as follows: The median age was 31 years, 75% of patients were male, 80% of patients had Ann Arbor Stage I disease, 1% of patients had bulky disease, 3% of patients had B symptoms, 1% of patients had extranodal involvement, and 80% of patients had supradiaphragmatic disease.

Both pretreatment prostate-specific antigen level and posttreatment biochemical failure are independent predictors of overall survival after radiotherapy for prostate cancer.

Purpose: To assess the impact of pretreatment prognostic factors plus subsequent biochemical failure on overall survival after radiotherapy for prostate cancer.

Methods And Materials: We analyzed the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and survival records of 1571 men with clinically localized prostate cancer treated with external beam radiotherapy monotherapy at the former Queensland Radium Institute between 1990 and 1997. The pretreatment PSA level, biopsy Gleason score, clinical stage, patient age, and the development of biochemical failure were assessed in relationship to overall survival and cause-specific survival, using fixed, as well as time-dependent, statistics.