Impact of Radiation Dose on the Survival of Patients With Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Treated With Palliative Intent: Results of a Multicenter Prospective Study.

Background/aim: Many patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receive palliative radiotherapy (RT). Several factors were analyzed to aid in prescribing an optimal treatment for these patients.

Patients And Methods: This prospective observational multicenter study investigated several potential factors for associations with overall survival (OS) in 61 patients with NSCLC receiving palliative RT with or without chemotherapy (CT).

Impact of HA-PCI on self-reported cognitive functioning and brain metastases in small-cell lung cancer: Pooled findings of NCT01780675 and PREMER trials.

Background: Cognitive decline is an arising concern in patients who need cranial irradiation. We used the pooled longitudinal individual patient data of two phase III trials: NCT01780675 and PREMER to investigate whether hippocampal avoidance (HA)-PCI is associated with improved self-reported cognitive functioning (SRCF) compared with PCI without increasing brain metastases (BM) development within the HA area.

Methods: Patients with stage I-IV small cell lung cancer (SCLC) were randomized to PCI or HA-PCI.

Saving lives, saving earth: hypofractionation and carbon footprint.

Purpose: The healthcare system contributes approximately 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet the environmental impact of radiotherapy treatments remains inadequately assessed.

Material And Methods: We selected all breast cancer patients (1959 patients) treated with adjuvant radiotherapy between 2015 and 2023 in one institution. We analyzed the CO emissions associated with travel.

Reirradiation salvage radiotherapy for recurrent prostate cancer after primary low-dose brachytherapy.

Purpose: Local recurrence of prostate cancer after low-dose rate brachytherapy is a clinical problem with limited salvage treatment options. This prospective study evaluated the tolerability and outcome of salvage external beam radiation therapy (S-EBRT) for locally recurrent prostate cancer after primary low-dose rate prostate brachytherapy (LDR-BT).

Materials And Methods: Between October 2012 and 2022, 18 patients with biopsy-proven locally recurrent prostate cancer after primary LDR-BT and received S-EBRT.

Radiogenomics in lung cancer: Where are we?

Huge technological and biomedical advances have improved the survival and quality of life of lung cancer patients treated with radiotherapy. However, during treatment planning, a probability that the patient will experience adverse effects is assumed. Radiotoxicity is a complex entity that is largely dose-dependent but also has important intrinsic factors.

Haematological and renal toxicity of radiation therapy in neuroblastoma paediatric patients.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate the renal and hematologic toxicity in paediatric patients with adrenal high-risk neuroblastoma who have received radiation therapy (RT) as part of radical treatment.

Material And Methods: Pediatric patients diagnosed with high-risk adrenal neuroblastoma who received RT as part of the definitive treatment between January 2004 and May 2020 in a single institution were selected. Complete blood counts (CBC) and creatinine clearance (CrCl) pre-RT and post-RT were compared through the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and correlated with survival analysis by Cox regression.

Quality of life improvement in patients with bone metastases undergoing palliative radiotherapy.

Background: The aim of the study was to analyze the impact of palliative radiotherapy on quality of life (QoL) in patients with symptomatic bone metastases.

Materials And Methods: We present the results from a prospective multicentric study including 128 patients who provided pre- and post-radiotherapy (one month after treatment) brief pain inventory (BPI) assessments. Worst pain was recorded using the BPI (range: 0-10).

Prospective multicentre analysis of the therapeutic approach and prognostic factors determining overall survival in elderly patients with non-small-cell lung carcinoma treated with curative intent.

Objective: To analyse patterns of treatment with curative intent commonly used in elderly patients with locally advanced non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) and predictive factors of overall survival in routine clinical practice.

Methods: This multicentre prospective study included consecutive patients aged ≥65 years old diagnosed with NSCLC between February 2014 and January 2018. Inclusion criteria: age ≥65 years, stage IIIA/IIIB NSCLC.

A data mining based clinical decision support system for survival in lung cancer.

Background: A clinical decision support system (CDSS ) has been designed to predict the outcome (overall survival) by extracting and analyzing information from routine clinical activity as a complement to clinical guidelines in lung cancer patients.

Materials And Methods: Prospective multicenter data from 543 consecutive (2013-2017) lung cancer patients with 1167 variables were used for development of the CDSS. Data Mining analyses were based on the XGBoost and Generalized Linear Models algorithms.

Randomized Phase III Trial of Prophylactic Cranial Irradiation With or Without Hippocampal Avoidance for Small-Cell Lung Cancer (PREMER): A GICOR-GOECP-SEOR Study.

Purpose: Radiation dose received by the neural stem cells of the hippocampus during whole-brain radiotherapy has been associated with neurocognitive decline. The key concern using hippocampal avoidance-prophylactic cranial irradiation (HA-PCI) in patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is the incidence of brain metastasis within the hippocampal avoidance zone.

Methods: This phase III trial enrolled 150 patients with SCLC (71.

A three-dimensional printed customized bolus: adapting to the shape of the outer ear.

Background: The skin-sparing effect of megavoltage-photon beams in radiotherapy (RT) reduces the target coverage of superficial tumours. Consequently, a bolus is widely used to enhance the target coverage for superficial targets. This study evaluates a three-dimensional (3D)-printed customized bolus for a very irregular surface, the outer ear.

GOECP/SEOR radiotherapy guidelines for small-cell lung cancer.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for approximately 20% of all lung cancers. The main treatment is chemotherapy (Ch). However, the addition of radiotherapy significantly improves overall survival (OS) in patients with non-metastatic SCLC and in those with metastatic SCLC who respond to Ch.

Prognostic value of the TGFβ1 rs4803455 single nucleotide polymorphism in small cell lung cancer.

Background: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is one of the greatest therapeutic challenges of oncology. Potential associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms in heat shock protein β1 (HSPB1) and transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) and survival have been investigated.

Methods: A prospective multicenter study of 94 patients with SCLC treated between 2013 and 2016 was conducted.

Optimizing lung cancer radiation treatment worldwide in COVID-19 outbreak.

COVID-19 has spread around the planet, sending billions of people into lockdown as health services struggle to cope. Meanwhile in Asia, where the disease began, the spread continues, in China it seems for now to have passed its peak. Italy, Spain, France, UK, and the US have been the countries more affected in terms of deaths.

High-dose neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy versus chemotherapy alone followed by surgery in potentially-resectable stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC. A multi-institutional retrospective study by the Oncologic Group for the Study of Lung Cancer (Spanish Radiation Oncology Society).

Background: The optimal induction treatment in potentially-resectable stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC remains undefined.

Aim: To compare neoadjuvant high-dose chemoradiotherapy (CRT) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (CHT) in patients with resectable, stage IIIA-N2 non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: Retrospective, multicentre study of 99 patients diagnosed with stage cT1-T3N2M0 NSCLC who underwent neoadjuvant treatment (high-dose CRT or CHT) followed by surgery between January 2005 and December 2014.

Overexpression of Canonical Prefoldin Associates with the Risk of Mortality and Metastasis in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Canonical prefoldin is a protein cochaperone composed of six different subunits (PFDN1 to 6). PFDN1 overexpression promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and increases the growth of xenograft lung cancer (LC) cell lines. We investigated whether this putative involvement of canonical PFDN in LC translates into the clinic.

Late toxicity for prostate cancer patients treated with hypofractionated helical tomotherapy.

Aim: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the long term tolerability of hypofractionated helical tomotherapy (HT) in localized prostate cancer patients.

Background: Previous hypofractionated schedules with conventional RT were associated with excessive toxicity, likely due to inadequate sophistication of treatment delivery. There are few data about late toxicity after HT.

Association of single nucleotide polymorphisms at HSPB1 rs7459185 and TGFB1 rs11466353 with radiation esophagitis in lung cancer.

Background And Purpose: Radiochemotherapy (RCT) success in lung cancer (LC) can be limited due to the onset of adverse effects in the adjacent normal tissue such as radiation-induced esophageal toxicity (RIET). Therefore, specific biomarkers to customize the RCT dose administration and esophageal toxicity prediction are necessary to improve treatment effectiveness.

Materials And Methods: 247 LC patients prospectively recruited between 2012 and 2016 from 3 institutions were genotyped for 7 SNPs along TGFB1 and HSPB1 genes seeking an association with RIET risk development.

The single nucleotide variant rs2868371 associates with the risk of mortality in non-small cell lung cancer patients: A multicenter prospective validation.

Background And Purpose: Definitive radiation therapy (RT) with or without chemotherapy has become the standard treatment for non-metastatic unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, treatment outcomes can differ substantially and patients' genetic background could play a crucial role. Potential associations between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in Heat shock protein beta-1 (HSPB1) and survival have been reported in prior single-institution retrospective reports.

Analysis of predictors of pain response in patients with bone metastasis undergoing palliative radiotherapy: Does age matter?

Introduction: To evaluate whether age is a predictor of pain response after radiotherapy for painful bone metastasis (BM).

Methods: Between June 2010 and June 2014, 204 patients with BM undergoing palliative radiotherapy participated in a multicentre prospective study. Patients completed the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) to rate the intensity pain (from 0 to 10) at baseline and 4 weeks after radiotherapy.

Functional promoter rs189037 variant of is associated with decrease in lung diffusing capacity after irradiation for non-small-cell lung cancer.

Objective: Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ataxia telangiectasia-mutated gene have been linked with pneumonitis after radiotherapy for lung cancer but have not been evaluated in terms of pulmonary function impairment. Here we investigated potential associations between SNPs in and changes in diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after radiotherapy.

Methods: From November 1998 through June 2009, 448 consecutive patients with inoperable primary NSCLC underwent definitive (≥60 Gy) radiotherapy, with or without chemotherapy.

Long-term outcomes after radiosurgery for glomus jugulare tumors.

Aims And Background: The treatment of glomus jugulare tumors (GJT) remains controversial due to high morbidity. Historically, these tumors have primarily been managed surgically. The purpose of this retrospective review was to assess the tumor and clinical control rates as well as long-term toxicity of GJT treated with radiosurgery.

High dose rate brachytherapy for prostate cancer: A prospective toxicity evaluation of a one day schedule including two 13.5 Gy fractions.

Background And Purpose: High dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy (BT) provides a highly conformal method of dose delivery to the prostate. The purpose of this study is to prospectively determine the toxicity of the treatment protocol of 13.5 Gy × 2 fractions.

Joint segmentation of bones and muscles using an intensity and histogram-based energy minimization approach.

Background And Objectives: The segmentation of muscle and bone structures in CT is of interest to physicians and surgeons for surgical planning, disease diagnosis and/or the analysis of fractures or bone/muscle densities. Recently, the issue has been addressed in many research works. However, most studies have focused on only one of the two tissues and on the segmentation of one particular bone or muscle.