Early biomarkers related to secondary primary cancer risk in radiotherapy treated prostate cancer patients: IMRT versus IMAT.

Purpose: To investigate whether rotational techniques (Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy - VMAT) are associated with a higher risk for secondary primary malignancies compared to step-and-shoot Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (ss-IMRT). To this end, radiation therapy (RT) induced DNA double-strand-breaks and the resulting chromosomal damage were assessed in peripheral blood T-lymphocytes of prostate cancer (PCa) patients applying γH2AX foci and G0 micronucleus (MN) assays.

Methods And Materials: The study comprised 33PCa patients.

A predictive model for dysphagia following IMRT for head and neck cancer: introduction of the EMLasso technique.

Background And Purpose: Design a model for prediction of acute dysphagia following intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for head and neck cancer. Illustrate the use of the EMLasso technique for model selection.

Material And Methods: Radiation-induced dysphagia was scored using CTCAE v.

Acute radiation-induced nocturia in prostate cancer patients is associated with pretreatment symptoms, radical prostatectomy, and genetic markers in the TGFβ1 gene.

Purpose: After radiation therapy for prostate cancer, approximately 50% of the patients experience acute genitourinary symptoms, mostly nocturia. This may be highly bothersome with a major impact on the patient's quality of life. In the past, nocturia is seldom reported as a single, physiologically distinct endpoint, and little is known about its etiology.

Lack of a correlation between γH2AX foci kinetics in lymphocytes and the severity of acute normal tissue reactions during IMRT treatment for head and neck cancer.

Purpose: To investigate the phosphorylated histone H2A isoform X (γH2AX) foci kinetics as an indicator for the development of acute normal tissue complications during Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) for head and neck cancer (HNC) patients.

Materials And Methods: Microscopic scoring of the γH2AX foci was used to evaluate the DNA-double-strand-break repair capacity in from Ataxia-Telangiectasia (A-T) patients derived lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCL) and T-lymphocytes isolated from 31 IMRT treated HNC patients. Cells were irradiated in vitro with 0.

Genetic variation in three candidate genes and nicotine dependence, withdrawal and smoking cessation in hospitalized patients.

Aims: This study evaluates the relationship of six polymorphisms found in the CHRNA3, DRD2 and COMT genes with nicotine dependence, the ability to quit smoking and the occurrence of withdrawal symptoms after short-term use of nicotine patch in hospitalized patients.

Materials & Methods: The study included 233 participants from a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of nicotine patch substitution with a 6-month follow-up period. Nicotine dependence was assessed by the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) questionnaire, withdrawal symptoms by the Minnesota Nicotine Withdrawal Scale questionnaire and smoking cessation by self-reported abstinence at 1 week, 1 month and 6 months after treatment.

Dose response and repair kinetics of gamma-H2AX foci induced by in vitro irradiation of whole blood and T-lymphocytes with X- and gamma-radiation.

Purpose: Dose response and repair kinetics of phosphorylated histone H2A isoform X (gamma-H2AX) foci in T-lymphocytes were investigated in the low-dose range after in vitro irradiation of whole blood and T-lymphocytes with 100 kVp X-rays and (60)Co gamma-rays.

Materials And Methods: Whole blood or isolated T-lymphocytes were irradiated in vitro and gamma-H2AX foci were scored. Dose response was determined in the 0-500 mGy dose range.

Prediction of late normal tissue complications in RT treated gynaecological cancer patients: potential of the gamma-H2AX foci assay and association with chromosomal radiosensitivity.

In the present study, the gamma-H2AX assay was investigated as a predictive test for the development of late normal tissue complications. Therefore, phosphorylated histone H2AX (gamma-H2AX) foci were scored in peripheral blood T-lymphocytes of gynaecological radiotherapy patients, irradiated in vitro with a high dose rate (HDR) and a low dose rate (LDR) protocol. The G2 chromatid break assay was used to compare chromosomal radiation sensitivity with DNA double-strand-break (DSB) repair capacity.

gamma-H2AX foci as a biomarker for patient X-ray exposure in pediatric cardiac catheterization: are we underestimating radiation risks?

Background: A better knowledge of patient x-ray dose and the associated radiation risk in pediatric interventional cardiology is warranted in view of the extensive use of x-rays and the higher radiosensitivity of children. In the present study, gamma-H2AX foci were used as a biomarker for radiation-induced effects. Patient-specific dose was assessed and radiation risks were estimated according to the linear-no-threshold model, commonly used in radiation protection, and the gamma-H2AX foci data.

Acute normal tissue reactions in head-and-neck cancer patients treated with IMRT: influence of dose and association with genetic polymorphisms in DNA DSB repair genes.

Purpose: To investigate the association between dose-related parameters and polymorphisms in DNA DSB repair genes XRCC3 (c.-1843A>G, c.562-14A>G, c.

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in DNA double-strand break repair genes: association with head and neck cancer and interaction with tobacco use and alcohol consumption.

We investigated the effect of different levels of smoking and drinking on the development of squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (HNSCC) and performed analyses to evaluate possible differences in cancer susceptibility among the anatomical subregions of head and neck. Moreover, we investigated the association between 5 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the homologous recombination DNA repair pathway (XRCC3 c.-1843 A>G, XRCC3 c.

Polymorphisms in nonhomologous end-joining genes associated with breast cancer risk and chromosomal radiosensitivity.

As enhanced chromosomal radiosensitivity (CRS) results from non- or misrepaired double strand breaks (DSBs) and is a hallmark for breast cancer and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in DSB repair genes, such as non homologous end-joining (NHEJ) genes, could be involved in CRS and genetic predisposition to breast cancer. In this study, we investigated the association of five SNPs in three different NHEJ genes with breast cancer in a population-based case-control setting. The total patient population composed of a selected group of patients with a family history of the disease and an unselected group, consisting mainly of sporadic cases.