Ruthenium-106 brachytherapy and central uveal melanoma.

Purpose: Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary ocular malignancy. The size and location of the tumor are decisive for brachytherapy with the β-emitting ruthenium-106 (Ru-106) plaque. The treatment of juxtapapillary and juxtafoveolar UM may be challenging because of the proximity or involvement of the macula and optic nerve and high recurrence rates.

Adjuvant Brachytherapy with Ruthenium-106 to Reduce the Risk of Recurrence of Conjunctival Melanoma after Excision.

Introduction: Local recurrence of conjunctival melanoma (CM) is common after excision. Local radiotherapy is an effective adjuvant treatment option, and brachytherapy with ruthenium-106 (Ru) is one such option. Thus, herein, we aimed to describe our experience with and the clinical results of post-excision adjuvant Ru plaque brachytherapy in patients with CM.

Evaluation of radiodensity and dimensional stability of polymeric materials used for oral stents during external beam radiotherapy of head and neck carcinomas.

Purpose: Intraoral stents protect the healthy tissues from ionizing radiation during external beam radiotherapy reducing mucositis, hyposalivation and osteoradionecrosis. This study investigated the radiodensity and dimensional stability of polymeric materials for suitability in construction of intraoral stents and aimed to provide clinical guidelines.

Methods: Specimens were fabricated using 4 material types namely, resin composite (ProTemp-PRO), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) (Enamel Temp Plus-ETP, Palapress-PAL, TAB 2000-TAB), polycaprolactone (Orfit-ORF) and silicone (Adisil-ADI, Lab Putty-LAB, Memosil2-MEM, Optosil-OPT, President Plus-PRE, Siolaplast A-SIA).

Dental extraction, intensity-modulated radiotherapy of head and neck cancer, and osteoradionecrosis : A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To seek evidence for osteoradionecrosis (ORN) after dental extractions before or after intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for head and neck cancer (HNC).

Methods: Medline/PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched from 2000 until 2020. Articles on HNC patients treated with IMRT and dental extractions were analyzed by two independent reviewers.

Stereotactic or conformal radiotherapy for adrenal metastases: Patient characteristics and outcomes in a multicenter analysis.

To report outcome (freedom from local progression [FFLP], overall survival [OS] and toxicity) after stereotactic, palliative or highly conformal fractionated (>12) radiotherapy (SBRT, Pall-RT, 3DCRT/IMRT) for adrenal metastases in a retrospective multicenter cohort within the framework of the German Society for Radiation Oncology (DEGRO). Adrenal metastases treated with SBRT (≤12 fractions, biologically effective dose [BED10] ≥ 50 Gy), 3DCRT/IMRT (>12 fractions, BED10 ≥ 50 Gy) or Pall-RT (BED10 < 50 Gy) were eligible for this analysis. In addition to unadjusted FFLP (Kaplan-Meier/log-rank), we calculated the competing-risk-adjusted local recurrence rate (CRA-LRR).

Treatment of radiation-induced maculopathy with fluocinolone acetonide.

Purpose: Chronic macular oedema is a well-known presentation of radiation-induced maculopathy (RM) following external beam photon therapy, plaque radiotherapy and proton beam radiotherapy for choroidal tumours. Current therapies vary in respect of efficacy and clinical benefit. The potential of fluocinolone acetonide (FAc) slow-release implants is unknown.

Visualization of the tumor cavity after lumpectomy of breast cancer for postoperative radiotherapy.

To visualize the tumor cavity after lumpectomy, the tumor cavity was coated with the liquid tissue marker sucrose acetate isobutyrate (SAIB) with its radiopaque electron dense SAIB analogue (x-SAIB) and assessed for radiotherapy planning. SAIB/x-SAIB enhanced the confidence for target structure definition. Tissue displacement after oncoplasty may be revealed by SAIB/x-SAIB.

Stereotactic radiotherapy for choroidal melanomas by means of HybridArc™ : Physics and technique of linac-based photon beam therapy.

Purpose: Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) is suitable to treat ocular tumours. The optimal beam geometry for SRT, however, has not been defined. Here we evaluate a combination technique with dynamic conformal arcs (DCAs) and intensity-modulated static fields (IMRT), known as HybridArc™ (HA).

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and extrapleural pneumonectomy of malignant pleural mesothelioma with or without hemithoracic radiotherapy (SAKK 17/04): a randomised, international, multicentre phase 2 trial.

Background: Postoperative hemithoracic radiotherapy has been used to treat malignant pleural mesothelioma, but it has not been assessed in a randomised trial. We assessed high-dose hemithoracic radiotherapy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and extrapleural pneumonectomy in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Methods: We did this phase 2 trial in two parts at 14 hospitals in Switzerland, Belgium, and Germany.

Hierarchical enhanced non-rigid registration for target volume correction and propagation for adaptive external beam radiotherapy of carcinoma of the prostate.

Volumes change during fractionated radiotherapy (RT). We investigate a tool based on the Hierarchical Enhanced Registration Algorithm (HERA) to project a 3D segmentation set of the prostate into the subsequent imaging sets at any time point during RT by using intensity-based image registration techniques. Sequential CT sets during RT at 15, 30, 45, and 60 Gy of two patients were used.

Intensity-modulated radiotherapy and volumetric-modulated arc therapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma after extrapleural pleuropneumonectomy.

Radiotherapy reduces the local relapse rate after pleuropneumonectomy of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). The optimal treatment technique with photons remains undefined. Comparative planning for intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) was performed.

CD4+ CD25+ Treg regulate the contribution of CD8+ T-cell subsets in repopulation of the lymphopenic environment.

Peripheral T-cell expansion is of major relevance for immune function after lymphopenia. In order to promote regeneration, the process should result in a peripheral T-cell pool with a similar subpopulation structure as before lymphopenia. We investigated the repopulation of the CD8(+) central-memory T cells (T(CM) ) and effector-memory T cells (T(EM)) pools after adoptive transfer of sorted CD8(+) T cells from naïve, T(CM) and T(EM) subsets into T-cell-deficient hosts.

Age as a predictive factor in glioblastomas: population-based study.

We evaluated 715 glioblastoma patients diagnosed during 1980-1994 in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland, to provide information on how patients were treated at the population level. Despite a general policy during the study period of treatment by surgical intervention aimed at maximum tumor removal followed by radiotherapy, there was a marked tendency toward limited treatment with advancing patient age. Of those younger than 65 years, 82% were treated either with surgery followed by radiotherapy, surgery alone or radiotherapy alone, versus 47% of patients 65 years or older.

Consolidative involved field radiotherapy after high dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: a case-control study.

The role of involved field radiation therapy (IF-RT) after high dose chemotherapy (HDC) with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) has not been conclusively defined. It has been hypothesized that HDC might obviate the need of consolidative IF-RT. A retrospective matched-pair analysis of patients undergoing HDC and ASCT with or without consolidative IF-RT has been performed.

In-line (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography with computed tomography (PET/CT) in patients with carcinoma of the sinus/nasal area and orbit.

Background: Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are the standard imaging techniques to evaluate patients with carcinoma in the sinus/nasal area and orbit. The use of positron emission tomography (PET) with (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in such patients is as yet less well established.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the clinical impact of PET co-registered with CT (PET/CT).

G2/M cell cycle checkpoint is functional in cervical cancer patients after initiation of external beam radiotherapy.

Purpose: To investigate changes in cancer of the uterine cervix during radiotherapy (RT) with respect to G2/M transition in relation to tumor cell apoptosis and changes in the tumor vasculature in cervical carcinoma.

Methods And Materials: A total of 40 consecutive patients with Stage IIA-IIIB cervical cancer underwent RT without any chemotherapy. Tumor biopsy was obtained before RT and after five fractions of 1.

Automated functional image-guided radiation treatment planning for rectal cancer.

Purpose: Computer tomography-based (CT-based) tumor-volume definition is time consuming and is subject to clinical interpretation. CT is not accessible for standardized algorithms for the purpose of treatment-volume planning. We have evaluated the accuracy of target-volume definition based on the positron emission tomography (PET) data from an integrated PET/CT system with 2-[(18)F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) for standardized target-volume delineation.

Patupilone acts as radiosensitizing agent in multidrug-resistant cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.

Interference with microtubule function is a promising antitumoral concept. Paclitaxel is a clinically validated tubulin-targeting agent; however, treatment with paclitaxel is often limited by taxane-related toxicities and is ineffective in tumors with multidrug-resistant cells. Patupilone (EPO906, epothilone B) is a novel non-taxane-related microtubule-stabilizing natural compound that retains full activity in multidrug-resistant tumors and is clinically less toxic than paclitaxel.

The use of a leg holder immobilisation device in 3D-conformal radiation therapy of prostate cancer.

Background And Purpose: To evaluate the impact of a leg holder immobilisation device on patient positioning accuracy in the treatment of prostate cancer.

Material And Methods: Twenty patients of similar age and stage of disease treated with curative external beam radiotherapy for prostate cancer were included prospectively. Ten patients were sequentially allocated to one of the two groups, and treated either with or without a leg holder.

On-line correction of beam portals in the treatment of prostate cancer using an endorectal balloon device.

Background: Reproducible target volume assessment is required in order to optimize portal field margins in the treatment of prostate cancer. The benefits of an endorectal balloon on target volume assessment remain unclear.

Material And Methods: Nine patients were treated with a daily placed air filled rectal balloon.