An economic evaluation of radiotherapy for patients with symptomatic Ledderhose disease.

Background: Evidence for effectiveness of radiotherapy for Ledderhose disease was demonstrated in the LedRad-study. However, the health economic impact of Ledderhose disease is unclear. Therefore, an economic evaluation alongside the LedRad-study was planned.

Comparison of the clinical performance of a hybrid Alba 4D and the AMC-4 locoregional hyperthermia systems.

Objective: The in-house developed 70 MHz AMC-4 locoregional hyperthermia system has been in clinical use since 1984. This device was recently commercialized as the Alba 4D (Medlogix, Rome, Italy), with a similar geometrical 4-waveguide design. At the time of this study a hybrid Alba 4D was installed at our center, which incorporated elements of the AMC-4.

Cardiac allograft vasculopathy and donor age affecting permanent pacemaker implantation after heart transplantation.

Aims: The need for permanent pacemakers (PMs) after heart transplantation (HT) is increasing. The aim was to determine the influence of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV), donor age, and other risk factors on PM implantations early and late after HT and its effect on survival.

Methods And Results: A retrospective, single-centre study was performed including HTs from 1984 to July 2018.

A randomized phase-II study of reirradiation and hyperthermia versus reirradiation and hyperthermia plus chemotherapy for locally recurrent breast cancer in previously irradiated area.

Background: In patients with inoperable local regional recurrences of breast cancer in previously irradiated areas, local control is difficult to maintain and treatment options are limited. The Dutch standard treatment for such recurrences is reirradiation combined with hyperthermia. Apart from enhancing the effect of reirradiation, hyperthermia is also known to improve local effects of chemotherapy like cisplatin.

Post-operative re-irradiation with hyperthermia in locoregional breast cancer recurrence: Temperature matters.

Purpose: To investigate the impact of hyperthermia thermal dose (TD) on locoregional control (LRC), overall survival (OS) and toxicity in locoregional recurrent breast cancer patients treated with postoperative re-irradiation and hyperthermia.

Methods: In this retrospective study, 112 women with resected locoregional recurrent breast cancer treated in 2010-2017 with postoperative re-irradiation 8frx4Gy (n = 34) or 23frx2Gy (n = 78), combined with 4-5 weekly hyperthermia sessions guided by invasive thermometry, were subdivided into 'low' (n = 56) and 'high' TD (n = 56) groups by the best session with highest median cumulative equivalent minutes at 43 °C (Best CEM43T50) < 7.2 min and ≥7.

Clinical Feasibility of a High-Resolution Thermal Monitoring Sheet for Superficial Hyperthermia in Breast Cancer Patients.

Accurate monitoring of skin surface temperatures is necessary to ensure treatment quality during superficial hyperthermia. A high-resolution thermal monitoring sheet (TMS) was developed to monitor the skin surface temperature distribution. The influence of the TMS on applicator performance was investigated, feasibility and ability to reliably monitor the temperature distribution were evaluated in a clinical study.

Concurrent Daily Cisplatin and High-Dose Radiation Therapy in Patients With Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine survival, local and distant control, toxicity, and prognostic factors in patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT).

Methods And Materials: Consecutive patients with stage IIIA and IIIB NSCLC (N = 154) staged with F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography were retrospectively selected (2005-2015). CCRT consisted of daily low-dose cisplatin (6 mg/m) combined with 24 fractions of 2.

Left ventricular assist device implantation with and without concomitant tricuspid valve surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: Moderate-to-severe tricuspid regurgitation is common in end-stage heart disease and is associated with an impaired survival after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) surgery. Controversy remains whether concomitant tricuspid valve surgery (TVS) during LVAD implantation is beneficial. We aimed to provide a contemporary overview of outcomes in patients who underwent LVAD surgery with or without concomitant TVS.

A flexible 70 MHz phase-controlled double waveguide system for hyperthermia treatment of superficial tumours with deep infiltration.

Purpose: Superficial tumours with deep infiltration in the upper 15 cm of the trunk cannot be treated adequately with existing hyperthermia systems. The aim of this study was to develop, characterise and evaluate a new flexible two-channel hyperthermia system (AMC-2) for tumours in this region.

Materials And Methods: The two-channel AMC-2 system has two horizontally revolving and height adjustable 70 MHz waveguides.

Thermal Skin Damage During Reirradiation and Hyperthermia Is Time-Temperature Dependent.

Purpose: To investigate the relationship of thermal skin damage (TSD) to time-temperature isoeffect levels for patients with breast cancer recurrence treated with reirradiation plus hyperthermia (reRT + HT), and to investigate whether the treatment history of previous treatments (scar tissue) is a risk factor for TSD.

Methods And Materials: In this observational study, temperature characteristics of hyperthermia sessions were analyzed in 262 patients with recurrent breast cancer treated in the AMC between 2010 and 2014 with reirradiation and weekly hyperthermia for 1 hour. Skin temperature was measured using a median of 42 (range, 29-82) measurement points per hyperthermia session.

Considerable interobserver variation in delineation of pancreatic cancer on 3DCT and 4DCT: a multi-institutional study.

Background: The delineation of pancreatic tumors on CT is challenging. In this study, we quantified the interobserver variation for pancreatic tumor delineation on 3DCT as well as on 4DCT.

Methods: Eight observers (radiation oncologists) from six institutions delineated pancreatic tumors of four patients with (borderline) resectable pancreatic cancer.

Role of Hyperthermia in Breast Cancer Locoregional Recurrence: A Review.

In patients with locoregional recurrences of breast cancer not suitable for resection, subsequent local control is difficult to maintain in previously irradiated areas when reirradiation alone or reirradiation with chemotherapy is used. Due to the limited number of treatment options there is a high risk of subsequent failure and uncontrollable local disease. In this group of patients, local hyperthermia combined with radiotherapy increases the clinical response and local control, adding limited acute and late toxicity, as has been shown in randomized trials.

Reirradiation and hyperthermia for irresectable locoregional recurrent breast cancer in previously irradiated area: Size matters.

Background/purpose: Treatment options for irresectable locoregional recurrent breast cancer in previously irradiated area are limited. Hyperthermia, elevating tumor temperature to 40-45°C, sensitizes radio-and-chemotherapy. Four hundred and fourteen patients treated with reirradiation+hyperthermia (reRT+HT) in the AMC(n=301) and the BVI(n=113), from 1982 to 2005 were retrospectively analyzed for treatment response, locoregional control (LC) and prognostic factors for LC and toxicity.

Treatment and prognostic factors of radiation-associated angiosarcoma (RAAS) after primary breast cancer: a systematic review.

Background: Radiation-associated angiosarcoma (RAAS) of the breast is a rare, aggressive disease. The incidence is increasing with the prolonged survival of women irradiated for primary breast cancer. Surgery is the current treatment of choice.

Reirradiation and hyperthermia for radiation-associated sarcoma.

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of reirradiation and hyperthermia in the treatment of radiation-associated sarcoma (RAS) in the thoracic region, which is an increasing, yet extremely rare condition with a poor prognosis.

Methods: Between 1979 and 2009, 16 patients with RAS in the thoracic region were treated in the Academic Medical Center and the Institute Verbeeten with reirradiation and hyperthermia. In 13 patients, this treatment was given for unresectable disease and 3 times after resection as adjuvant treatment.