Local control and patient survival after stereotactic radiosurgery for esophageal cancer brain metastases: an international multicenter analysis.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate local control (LC) of tumors, patient overall survival (OS), and the safety of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for esophageal cancer brain metastases (EBMs).

Methods: This retrospective cohort study used data from 15 International Radiosurgery Research Foundation facilities encompassing 67 patients with 185 EBMs managed using SRS between January 2000 and May 2022. The median patient age was 63 years, with a male predominance (92.

Psychometric Properties of a Digital Goniometer in Upper and Lower Cervical Range of Motion Measurement.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the intrarater reliability and criterion validity of a digital goniometer for measuring cervical range of motion including an active sitting version of the cervical flexion rotation test, an important clinical measure for capturing upper cervical dysfunction.

Methods: A cross-sectional study (n = 18; 78% women) examined total cervical and upper cervical active ranges of motion (flexion, extension, side bending, rotation) measured concurrently using 3 measurement methods (a digital goniometer, the cervical range-of-motion instrument, and 3-dimensional motion analysis). Intraclass correlation coefficient (2,1), Pearson correlation coefficients (digital goniometer versus 3-dimensional motion analysis), and minimum detectable change were calculated.

Local control and survival after stereotactic radiosurgery for colorectal cancer brain metastases: an international multicenter analysis.

Objective: The goal of this study was to characterize local tumor control (LC), overall survival (OS), and safety of stereotactic radiosurgery for colorectal brain metastasis (CRBM).

Methods: Ten international institutions participating in the International Radiosurgery Research Foundation provided data for this retrospective case series. This study included 187 patients with CRBM (281 tumors), with a median age of 62 years and 56.

Local Control and Survival Outcomes After Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Brain Metastases From Gastrointestinal Primaries: An International Multicenter Analysis.

Background: There are limited data regarding outcomes for patients with gastrointestinal (GI) primaries and brain metastases treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS).

Objective: To examine clinical outcomes after SRS for patients with brain metastases from GI primaries and evaluate potential prognostic factors.

Methods: The International Radiosurgery Research Foundation centers were queried for patients with brain metastases from GI primaries managed with SRS.

Stereotactic radiosurgery and local control of brain metastases from triple-negative breast cancer.

Objective: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is an effective treatment for intracranial metastatic disease, but its role in triple-negative breast cancer requires further study. Herein, the authors report overall survival (OS) and local tumor control in a multiinstitutional cohort with triple-negative breast cancer metastases treated with SRS.

Methods: Patients treated from 2010 to 2019 at 9 institutions were included in this retrospective study if they had biopsy-proven triple-negative breast cancer with intracranial metastatic lesions treated with SRS.

Reirradiation With Stereotactic Radiosurgery After Local or Marginal Recurrence of Brain Metastases From Previous Radiosurgery.

Purpose: Brain metastases represent a major indication for stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), but further study is needed regarding repeat SRS (SRS2) after local or marginal recurrence after prior SRS (SRS1). We report local tumor control (LC) after SRS2 and identify predictors of radiation necrosis (RN) and symptomatic RN (SRN).

Methods And Materials: Patients had biopsy-proven non-small cell lung cancer and at least 1 brain metastasis previously treated with SRS.

Adverse radiation effects in volume-staged radiosurgery for large arteriovenous malformations: a multiinstitutional study.

Objective: The optimal treatment paradigm for large arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) is controversial. One approach is volume-staged stereotactic radiosurgery (VS-SRS). The authors previously reported efficacy of VS-SRS for large AVMs in a multiinstitutional cohort; here they focus on risk of symptomatic adverse radiation effects (AREs).

Dose response and architecture in volume staged radiosurgery for large arteriovenous malformations: A multi-institutional study.

Background: Optimal treatment paradigm for large arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) is controversial. Volume-staged stereotactic radiosurgery (VS-SRS) provides an effective option for these high-risk lesions, but optimizing treatment for these recalcitrant and rare lesions has proven difficult.

Methods: This is a multi-centered retrospective review of patients treated with a planned prospective volume staging approach to stereotactically treat the entire nidus of an AVM with volume stages separated by intervals of 3-6 months.

Role of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery in Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Multi-Institutional Retrospective Study of the International Radiosurgery Research Foundation (IRRF).

Background: Despite a high incidence of brain metastases in patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), limited data exist on the use of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), specifically Gamma Knife™ radiosurgery (Elekta AB), for SCLC brain metastases.

Objective: To provide a detailed analysis of SCLC patients treated with SRS, focusing on local failure, distant brain failure, and overall survival (OS).

Methods: A multi-institutional retrospective review was performed on 293 patients undergoing SRS for SCLC brain metastases at 10 medical centers from 1991 to 2017.

A Proposed Grading Scale for Predicting Outcomes After Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas.

Background: There are presently no grading scales that specifically address the outcomes of cranial dural arteriovenous fistula (dAVF) after stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS).

Objective: To design a practical grading system that would predict outcomes after SRS for cranial dAVFs.

Methods: From the International Radiosurgery Research Foundation (University of Pittsburgh [41 patients], University of Pennsylvania [6 patients], University of Sherbrooke [2 patients], University of Manitoba [1 patient], West Virginia University [2 patients], University of Puerto Rico [1 patient], Beaumont Health System 1 [patient], Na Homolce Hospital [13 patients], the University of Virginia [48 patients], and Yale University [6 patients]) centers, 120 patients with dAVF treated with SRS were included in the study.

Hemorrhage risk of cerebral dural arteriovenous fistulas following Gamma Knife radiosurgery in a multicenter international consortium.

Objective: The authors performed a study to evaluate the hemorrhagic rates of cerebral dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVFs) and the risk factors of hemorrhage following Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS).

Methods: Data from a cohort of patients undergoing GKRS for cerebral dAVFs were compiled from the International Radiosurgery Research Foundation. The annual posttreatment hemorrhage rate was calculated as the number of hemorrhages divided by the patient-years at risk.

BRAF V600 Mutation and BRAF Kinase Inhibitors in Conjunction With Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Intracranial Melanoma Metastases: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

Background: The BRAF mutation has been identified as a potent target for the treatment of metastatic melanoma and BRAF inhibitors (BRAFi) have demonstrated promising results against melanoma brain metastases (BM).

Objective: To further investigate the effectiveness of this combined treatment regimen.

Methods: In this multicenter retrospective cohort study, 198 patients with known BRAF mutation status and treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) between 2011 and 2015 were identified.

Long-term Quality of Life in Survivors of Brain Metastases: A Roller Coaster of Perspective.

Longevity in cancer patients with brain metastases is increasingly being observed. This raises discussions about how best to maintain a good quality of life for these patients. Recent data suggest that post-treatment quality of life (QoL) can be maintained using new treatment options, but little data exist regarding the QoL in long-term survivors.

Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Trigeminal Neuralgia in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis: A Multicenter Study.

Background: Facial pain response (PR) to various surgical interventions in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS)-related trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is much less optimal. No large patient series regarding stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has been published.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of MS-related TN treated with SRS.

Post-radiosurgical edema associated with parasagittal and parafalcine meningiomas: a multicenter study.

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) offers a high degree of tumor control for benign meningiomas. However, radiosurgery can occasionally incite edema or exacerbate pre-existing peri-tumoral edema. The current study investigates the incidence, timing, and extent of edema around parasagittal or parafalcine meningiomas following SRS.

Gamma Knife radiosurgery for facial nerve schwannomas: a multicenter study.

Object: Facial nerve schwannomas (FNSs) are rare intracranial tumors, and the optimal management of these tumors remains unclear. Resection can be undertaken, but the tumor's intimate association with the facial nerve makes resection with neurological preservation quite challenging. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has been used to treat FNSs, and this study evaluates the outcome of this approach.

Gamma Knife radiosurgery for posterior fossa meningiomas: a multicenter study.

Object: Posterior fossa meningiomas represent a common yet challenging clinical entity. They are often associated with neurovascular structures and adjacent to the brainstem. Resection can be undertaken for posterior fossa meningiomas, but residual or recurrent tumor is frequent.

Gamma knife radiosurgery for cerebellopontine angle meningiomas: a multicenter study.

Background: Resection of cerebellopontine angle (CPA) meningiomas may result in significant neurological morbidity. Radiosurgery offers a minimally invasive alternative to surgery.

Objective: To evaluate, in a multicenter cohort study, the outcomes of patients harboring CPA meningiomas who underwent Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS).

Stereotactic radiosurgery of petroclival meningiomas: a multicenter study.

Petroclival meningiomas are difficult to treat due to their intimate location with critical structures, and complete microsurgical resection is often associated with significant morbidity. In this study, we evaluate the outcomes of petroclival meningiomas treated with Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) as an adjunct to microsurgery or a primary treatment modality. A multicenter study of 254 patients with a benign petroclival meningioma was conducted through the North American Gamma Knife Consortium.

A clinical model for identifying radiosensitive tumor genotypes in non-small cell lung cancer.

Purpose: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) includes a spectrum of radiosensitive and radioresistant tumors. However, little is known about the molecular determinants of cellular radiation responses. We examined clinical outcomes after gamma knife radiotherapy for NSCLC intracranial metastases to evaluate the use of this model for determining radiosensitive tumor genotypes.

Genome wide association for addiction: replicated results and comparisons of two analytic approaches.

Background: Vulnerabilities to dependence on addictive substances are substantially heritable complex disorders whose underlying genetic architecture is likely to be polygenic, with modest contributions from variants in many individual genes. "Nontemplate" genome wide association (GWA) approaches can identity groups of chromosomal regions and genes that, taken together, are much more likely to contain allelic variants that alter vulnerability to substance dependence than expected by chance.

Methodology/principal Findings: We report pooled "nontemplate" genome-wide association studies of two independent samples of substance dependent vs control research volunteers (n = 1620), one European-American and the other African-American using 1 million SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) Affymetrix genotyping arrays.

Molecular genetics of addiction and related heritable phenotypes: genome-wide association approaches identify "connectivity constellation" and drug target genes with pleiotropic effects.

Genome-wide association (GWA) can elucidate molecular genetic bases for human individual differences in complex phenotypes that include vulnerability to addiction. Here, we review (a) evidence that supports polygenic models with (at least) modest heterogeneity for the genetic architectures of addiction and several related phenotypes; (b) technical and ethical aspects of importance for understanding GWA data, including genotyping in individual samples versus DNA pools, analytic approaches, power estimation, and ethical issues in genotyping individuals with illegal behaviors; (c) the samples and the data that shape our current understanding of the molecular genetics of individual differences in vulnerability to substance dependence and related phenotypes; (d) overlaps between GWA data sets for dependence on different substances; and (e) overlaps between GWA data for addictions versus other heritable, brain-based phenotypes that include bipolar disorder, cognitive ability, frontal lobe brain volume, the ability to successfully quit smoking, neuroticism, and Alzheimer's disease. These convergent results identify potential targets for drugs that might modify addictions and play roles in these other phenotypes.

Addiction molecular genetics: 639,401 SNP whole genome association identifies many "cell adhesion" genes.

Addictions are substantially heritable complex disorders. We now report whole genome association studies that identify 89 genes likely to contain variants that contribute to addiction vulnerability, using previously- and newly-validated microarray based pooling assays. Each gene contains clustered single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that display significant allele frequency differences between abusers and controls in each of the two samples studied with 639,401 SNP arrays and confirmatory SNPs from each of two other abuser/control samples.

Pooled association genome scanning: validation and use to identify addiction vulnerability loci in two samples.

Association genome scanning is of increasing interest for identifying the chromosomal regions that contain gene variants that contribute to vulnerability to complex disorders, including addictions. To improve the power and feasibility of this approach, we have validated "10k" microarray-based allelic frequency assessments in pooled DNA samples and have used this approach to seek allelic frequency differences between heavy poly-substance abusers and well characterized control individuals. Thirty-eight loci contain SNPs that display robust allele frequency differences between abusers and controls in both European- and African-American samples.

Calorie restriction increases cigarette use in adult smokers.

Rationale: Cigarette smokers weigh less than nonsmokers, and smokers often gain weight when they quit. This is a major barrier to smoking cessation, especially among women. However, strict dieting is not recommended during smoking cessation out of concern that it might promote relapse.