Patient Perceptions of Radiation Therapy Prior to Initial Consultation With a Radiation Oncologist.

Purpose: There are currently limited data regarding patient perceptions and fears related to radiation therapy (RT). This study sought to identify and quantify patient concerns regarding RT and to determine the potential value of assessing these expectations prior to initial consultation.

Methods And Materials: Patients with no prior history of RT were invited to complete an investigator-developed anonymous electronic survey prior to consultation.

A National Survey of Pharmacist Involvement in Hepatitis C Virus Management in the United States.

Models estimate that the United States will not meet its 2030 hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination goal. Engagement of healthcare providers including pharmacists is critical for HCV elimination efforts. We aimed to characterise the involvement of pharmacists in HCV management.

Perception and Utilization of Cannabinoids in Patients Undergoing Radiation Treatment: Our Patients Are Curious.

Purpose: Limited studies have described the utilization of cannabinoids among patients with cancer. This survey study aimed to characterize utilization patterns and perceptions of cannabinoid use for treatment-related side effects among patients receiving radiation treatment.

Methods And Materials: This was an anonymous survey study of patients who were undergoing or recently completed radiation treatment at a comprehensive cancer center.

Ablative Radiotherapy as a Strategy to Overcome TKI Resistance in EGFR-Mutated NSCLC.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy is the recommended first-line treatment for metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) positive for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutation. However, most individuals treated with TKI therapy for EGFR-mutant NSCLC will develop tumor resistance to TKI therapy. Therapeutic strategies to overcome TKI resistance are the topic of several ongoing clinical trials.

Polypharmacy in older adults with cancer undergoing radiotherapy: A review.

Polypharmacy is characterized by the simultaneous use of multiple medications, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, and nutritional supplements. Polypharmacy is known to increase the risk of adverse drugs reactions, drug-drug interactions, and medication errors, and to negatively impact quality of life. The prevalence of polypharmacy varies by population, but has been reported to exceed 90% among older adults with cancer.

Combination radiation and immunotherapy in gynecologic malignancies-a comprehensive review.

Definitive and adjuvant radiation and chemoradiation have been mainstays in the management of multiple gynecologic malignancies for decades. However, despite these treatments, the prognosis of patients with locally advanced, recurrent, refractory, and metastatic disease continues to be poor. Over the last decade, immune checkpoint inhibitors have emerged as a promising therapeutic modality, but response rates to monotherapy are low.

Setup Accuracy in Craniospinal Irradiation: Implications for Planning Treatment Volume Margins.

Purpose: Craniospinal irradiation (CSI) using tomotherapy has advantages over standard 3-dimensional techniques. However, there is a paucity of published data on craniospinal setup reproducibility to guide appropriate planning treatment volume (PTV) margins. We sought to evaluate the setup accuracy of patients undergoing CSI to optimize PTV margins.

An Updated Review on Head and Neck Cancer Treatment with Radiation Therapy.

The complexity of head and neck cancers (HNC) mandates a multidisciplinary approach and radiation therapy (RT) plays a critical role in the optimal management of patients with HNC, either as frontline or adjuvant treatment postoperatively. The advent of both definitive and post-operative RT has significantly improved the outcomes of patients with HNC. Herein, we discuss the role of postoperative RT in different subtypes of HNC, its side effects, and the importance of surveillance.

Age, racial, and ethnic disparities in reported clinical studies involving brachytherapy.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate for age, racial, and ethnic disparities among clinical studies where patients can potentially receive brachytherapy treatment.

Methods And Materials: Trials involving brachytherapy for breast, cervical, prostate, and uterine cancers were identified using ClinicalTrials.gov.

Dosimetric comparison of multiple vs single isocenter technique for linear accelerator-based stereotactic radiosurgery: The Importance of the six degree couch.

Purpose: Single isocenter technique (SIT) for linear accelerator-based stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is feasible. However, SIT introduces the potential for rotational error which can lead to geographical miss. Additional planning treatment volume (PTV) margin is required when using SIT.

Radiation oncologist perceptions of therapeutic cannabis use among cancer patients.

Introduction: Cancer patients are increasingly incorporating medical marijuana into the management of treatment-related side effects. Currently however, data is limited regarding the risks and benefits of therapeutic cannabis for cancer patients. We sought to characterize radiation oncologists' practices and opinions regarding therapeutic cannabis via a nationwide survey.

Growth of the Social #RadOnc Network on Twitter.

Purpose: Twitter is an increasingly popular social media platform within the health care community. The objective of this analysis is to characterize the profile of radiation oncology-related tweets and Twitter users over the past 6 years.

Methods And Materials: Using the web-based social media analytics platform Symplur Signals, we filtered tweets containing at least 1 of the following hashtags or key words: #radonc, #radiationoncology, "rad onc," or "radiation oncology.

Patterns of care and treatment outcomes in patients age 80 or older with non-metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Introduction: Older adults are underrepresented in landmark trials that determine treatment guidelines for pancreatic cancer. We used the National Cancer Database (NCDB) to compare treatment patterns and outcomes in stage I-III pancreatic cancer between older adult patients, defined as age 80 or older, to patients younger than 80.

Material And Methods: We identified 140,678 patients in the NCDB diagnosed with pancreatic cancer from 2004 to 2015.

The evolving role of radiation therapy for resectable and unresectable gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer is a common malignancy worldwide, and treatment of localized disease has shifted from surgery alone to the addition of chemotherapy at various stages in treatment. The role of radiation in the management of gastric cancer has evolved significantly since the seminal publication of INT 0116 demonstrated a survival advantage to adjuvant chemoradiation. In this review, we summarize multiple landmark studies discussing the role of radiation in non-metastatic gastric cancer, both in resectable and unresectable patients.

Temporal Trends of Resident Experience in External Beam Radiation Therapy Cases: Analysis of ACGME Case Logs from 2007 to 2018.

Purpose: We sought to characterize temporal trends of radiation oncology resident-reported external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) case experience with respect to various disease sites, including trends in stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic body radiation therapy cases.

Methods And Materials: Summarized, deidentified case logs for graduating radiation oncology residents between 2007 and 2018 were obtained from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education national summary data report. Mean number of cumulative cases and standard deviations per graduating resident by year were evaluated.

Induction of the Abscopal Effect with Immunotherapy and Palliative Radiation in Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

The induction of the abscopal effect using immunotherapy and radiation is under investigation through case reports and institutional studies. We describe a case of the abscopal effect with a combination of ipilimumab, nivolumab, and palliative radiation, in a patient with metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (mHNSCC).

Tumor Control and Toxicity after SBRT for Ultracentral, Central, and Paramediastinal Lung Tumors.

Purpose: Increased rates of toxicity have been described after stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for central lung tumors within 2 cm of the proximal bronchial tree (PBT). Recent studies have defined a new class of ultracentral tumors. We report our experience treating ultracentral, central, and paramediastinal tumors with SBRT and compare toxicity, disease control, and survival rates.

Continuous hemoglobin monitoring in pediatric trauma patients with solid organ injury.

Background/purpose: Hemoglobin monitoring is required in pediatric trauma patients with solid organ injury. We hypothesized that noninvasive hemodynamic monitoring (NIHM) represents an effective, safe alternative to laboratory hemoglobin (LabHb) monitoring in clinically stable patients.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted regarding pediatric trauma patients (<18 years old) with blunt solid organ injury over six consecutive months.

Risk Assessment for Sudden Death in Epilepsy: The SUDEP-7 Inventory.

Background: Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is a major cause of death in those with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). There is a need for inventories and biomarkers associated with the risk for SUDEP.

Objective: To explore the revised SUDEP Risk Inventory (SUDEP-7) in a cohort with DRE and determine the association with Heart Rate and other covariates.

Liver Nodules after the Fontan Operation: Role of Magnetic Resonance Elastography.

Hepatic dysfunction after the Fontan surgical palliation runs an indolent course. Moreover, there is no standard method of evaluating hepatic dysfunction. Magnetic resonance elastography has emerged as an advanced screening tool for preclinical detection of hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis.

Quantum dots for live cell and in vivo imaging.

In the past few decades, technology has made immeasurable strides to enable visualization, identification, and quantitation in biological systems. Many of these technological advancements are occurring on the nanometer scale, where multiple scientific disciplines are combining to create new materials with enhanced properties. The integration of inorganic synthetic methods with a size reduction to the nano-scale has lead to the creation of a new class of optical reporters, called quantum dots.

A point mutation in the cargo-binding domain of myosin V affects its interaction with multiple cargoes.

Class V myosins move diverse intracellular cargoes, which attach via interaction of cargo-specific proteins to the myosin V globular tail. The globular tail of the yeast myosin V, Myo2p, contains two structural and functional subdomains. Subdomain I binds to the vacuole-specific protein, Vac17p, while subdomain II likely binds to an as yet unidentified secretory vesicle-specific protein.