Effect of Radiation Doses to the Heart on Survival for Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy for Early-stage Non-Small-cell Lung Cancer: An Artificial Neural Network Approach.

Introduction: The cardiac radiation dose is an important predictor of cardiac toxicity and overall survival (OS) for patients with locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, radiation-induced cardiac toxicity among patients with early-stage NSCLC who have undergone stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) has been less well-characterized. Our objective was to assess the associations between cardiac radiation dosimetry and OS in patients with early-stage NSCLC undergoing SABR.

The impact of treatment package time on survival in surgically managed head and neck cancer in the United States.

Objectives: Delays in the initiation of postoperative radiation have been associated with worse outcomes; however, the effect of the overall treatment package time (interval from surgery through the completion of radiation) remains undefined. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of package time on survival and to evaluate this effect among different subgroups of head and neck cancer patients.

Patients And Methods: In this observational cohort study, the National Cancer Database was used to identify 35,167 patients with resected nonmetastatic head and neck cancer who underwent adjuvant radiation from 2004 to 2014.

Survival impact of treatment delays in surgically managed oropharyngeal cancer and the role of human papillomavirus status.

Background: The impact of treatment delays on survival in oropharyngeal cancer and whether the effect varies by human papillomavirus (HPV) status have yet to be defined.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of the survival impact of time from diagnosis to surgery (DTS), surgery to radiation (SRT), and duration of radiation (RTD) for patients in the National Cancer Database with resected oropharyngeal cancer who underwent adjuvant radiation from 2010 to 2014.

Results: We identified optimal thresholds of 30, 40, and 51 days for DTS, SRT, and RTD, respectively, with treatment times exceeding these thresholds associated with significantly worse overall survival.

Risk Factors, Causes, and Costs of Hospital Readmission After Head and Neck Cancer Surgery Reconstruction.

Importance: Thirty-day hospital readmissions have substantial direct costs and are increasingly used as a measure of quality care. However, data regarding the risk factors and reasons for readmissions in head and neck cancer surgery reconstruction are lacking.

Objective: To describe the rate, risk factors, and causes of 30-day readmission in patients with head and neck cancer following free or pedicled flap reconstruction.

Comparing Outcomes of Patients With Early-Stage Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Treated With Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy Based on Frailty Status.

Introduction: Frailty of surgical patients has been associated with worse outcomes. There is limited literature discussing frailty in patients with lung cancer treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). This study assesses the relationship between frailty and overall survival (OS), tumor control, and toxicity in patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with SBRT.

Endoscopic Management of Subglottic Stenosis.

Importance: Optimal management of subglottic stenosis has not been established. Endoscopic techniques include balloon dilation, radial incisions with carbon dioxide laser or cold knife, and combinations of techniques. Adjunctive measures include mitomycin application and glucocorticoid injection.

Anatomic and dosimetric changes in patients with head and neck cancer treated with an integrated MRI-tri-Co teletherapy device.

Objective: Prior studies have relied on CT to assess alterations in anatomy among patients undergoing radiation for head and neck cancer. We sought to determine the feasibility of using MRI-based image-guided radiotherapy to quantify these changes and to ascertain their potential dosimetric implications.

Methods: 6 patients with head and neck cancer were treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) on a novel tri-Co teletherapy system equipped with a 0.

Clinical Outcomes for Patients with Gleason Score 9-10 Prostate Adenocarcinoma Treated With Radiotherapy or Radical Prostatectomy: A Multi-institutional Comparative Analysis.

Background: The long natural history of prostate cancer (CaP) limits comparisons of efficacy between radical prostatectomy (RP) and external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), since patients treated years ago received treatments considered suboptimal by modern standards (particularly with regards to androgen deprivation therapy [ADT] and radiotherapy dose-escalation]. Gleason score (GS) 9-10 CaP is particularly aggressive, and clinically-relevant endpoints occur early, facilitating meaningful comparisons.

Objective: To compare outcomes of patients with GS 9-10 CaP following EBRT, extremely-dose escalated radiotherapy (as exemplified by EBRT+brachytherapy [EBRT+BT]), and RP.