Effectiveness of palliative hemostatic radiotherapy for hemoptysis: a prospective single-arm observation study.

Background: Palliative radiotherapy (RT) is commonly used for malignancy-associated hemoptysis. This study aims to determine RT control probability, durability, and influencing factors.

Methods: This single-institution prospective observational study included patients ≥18 years old with any lung malignancy and active hemoptysis.

External Beam Radiation Therapy for Palliation of Symptomatic Bone Metastases: An ASTRO Clinical Practice Guideline.

Purpose: This guideline provides evidence-based recommendations for palliative external beam radiation therapy (RT) in symptomatic bone metastases.

Methods: The ASTRO convened a task force to address 5 key questions regarding palliative RT in symptomatic bone metastases. Based on a systematic review by the Agency for Health Research and Quality, recommendations using predefined consensus-building methodology were established; evidence quality and recommendation strength were also assessed.

A Systematic Review of Prognostic Factors in Patients with Cancer Receiving Palliative Radiotherapy: Evidence-Based Recommendations.

(1) Background: Prognostication in patients with cancer receiving palliative radiotherapy remains a challenge. To improve the process, we aim to identify prognostic factors in this population from the literature and offer evidence-based recommendations on prognostication in patients undergoing palliative radiotherapy for non-curable or advanced cancers. (2) Methods: A systematic review was performed on the medical literature from 2005 to 2023 to extract papers on the prognosis of palliative radiotherapy patients with advanced cancer.

A Case Report of Bilateral Adrenal Gland Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy to Manage Hypercortisolemia in a Patient With Ectopic Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH) Production From a Metastatic Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor.

A 63-year-old woman presented with hypokalemia, hypertension, weight gain, limb edema, and tremors. She was diagnosed with Cushing syndrome, with a 24-hour urine cortisol level of 41,013 nmol/day. Investigations revealed a grade 2 pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor with extensive hepatic metastases.

Radiotherapy for Metastatic Epidural Spinal Cord Compression with Increased Doses: Final Results of the RAMSES-01 Trial.

Patients with metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC) and favorable survival prognoses may benefit from radiation doses exceeding 10 × 3.0 Gy. In a multi-center phase 2 trial, patients receiving 15 × 2.

A 15-Year Single-Institution Retrospective Study of Primary Pancreatic Cancer Treated with Non-Ablative Palliative Radiotherapy.

We studied the use of palliative radiotherapy (RT) among patients with primary, non-curable, locally advanced pancreatic cancer. In this subset of patients, with very poor survival, various palliative RT dose fractionation schemes are used; but, in the absence of a guideline, practice patterns vary, and dose choice is mainly based on the physician's intuition. We divided the patients into three groups, according to the dose fractionation schedules received: low (A), intermediate (B), and high (C) dose groups, to study the potential differences in outcome between the different dose prescriptions.

A Case Report of an Isolated Cardiac Metastasis in a Patient with Esophageal Carcinoma.

A 76-year-old Caucasian male presented with syncope, intermittent melena, anemia, and unexplained weight loss. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed a friable non-obstructing esophageal tumor that appeared thickened on computed tomography (CT). Biopsies confirmed a poorly differentiated carcinoma.

Ablative vs. Non-Ablative Radiotherapy in Palliating Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer: A Single Institution Experience and a Systematic Review of the Literature.

We studied the dose-local control (LC) relationship in ablative vs. non-ablative radiotherapy in a non-radical treatment setting of "locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC)" by comparing our patients (n = 89) treated with SBRT on the CyberKnife unit vs. conventional radiation between January 2005 and January 2021, and by reviewing the literature.

Equity in adjuvant radiotherapy utilization in locally advanced head and neck cancer: A SEER-data based study.

Background: Not all patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer (HNC) who are eligible for adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) following upfront surgery appear to receive it.

Methods: Data were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Selected patients from 2009 to 2018 had locally advanced HNC, underwent upfront surgery, and were eligible for adjuvant RT.

A shift from simple to sophisticated: using intensity-modulated radiation therapy in conventional nonstereotactic palliative radiotherapy.

Purpose Of Review: The authors aimed to highlight trends in, and evidence underlying the use of highly conformal radiotherapy (RT) techniques in conventional nonstereotactic palliative RT. The authors reviewed palliative-intent and curative-intent studies relevant to the use of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for the delivery of nonstereotactic conventional regimens to the brain, head and neck, thorax, abdomen and pelvis, and bone metastases.

Recent Findings: The use of IMRT has become standard with certain indications for brain metastases such as hippocampus-avoiding/limiting whole brain RT.

International Validation of the EORTC QLQ-ANL27, a Field Study to Test the Anal Cancer-Specific Health-Related Quality-of-Life Questionnaire.

Purpose: The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) health-related quality of life questionnaire for anal cancer (QLQ-ANL27) supplements the EORTC cancer generic measure (QLQ-C30) to measure concerns specific to people with anal cancer treated with chemoradiotherapy. This study tested the psychometric properties and acceptability of the QLQ-ANL27.

Methods And Materials: People with anal cancer were recruited from 15 countries to complete the QLQ-C30 and QLQ-ANL27 and provide feedback on the QLQ-ANL27.

A dose perturbation tool for robotic radiosurgery: Experimental validation and application to liver lesions.

Background: An analytical tool is empirically validated and used to assess the delivered dose to liver lesions accounting for different types of errors in robotic radiosurgery treatment.

Material And Methods: A tool is proposed to estimate the target doses taking into account the translation, rotation, and deformation of a target. Translational errors are modeled as a spatial convolution of the planned dose with a probability distribution function derived from treatment data.

A Contouring Strategy and Reference Atlases for the Full Abdominopelvic Bowel Bag on Treatment Planning and Cone Beam Computed Tomography Images.

Purpose: To establish a practical contouring strategy with reference atlases for the abdominopelvic bowel bag on treatment planning computed tomography (TPCT) and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images.

Methods And Materials: A scoping literature review was done to evaluate the existing definitions and contouring guidelines for bowel bag and small bowel planning-at-risk volume-like structures. A comprehensive definition was proposed for the abdominopelvic bowel bag that expanded the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Pelvic Normal Tissue Consensus definition.

Systematic review of brachytherapy for symptom palliation.

Purpose: Brachytherapy is most often applied in the curative or salvage setting, but many forms of brachytherapy can be helpful for symptom palliation. Declining utilization is seen, for multiple reasons, such as lack of awareness, insufficient expertise, or poor access to equipment. High level evidence for many types of palliative brachytherapy has been lacking.

Development and validation of prognostic models for anal cancer outcomes using distributed learning: protocol for the international multi-centre atomCAT2 study.

Background: Anal cancer is a rare cancer with rising incidence. Despite the relatively good outcomes conferred by state-of-the-art chemoradiotherapy, further improving disease control and reducing toxicity has proven challenging. Developing and validating prognostic models using routinely collected data may provide new insights for treatment development and selection.

Provincial variations in radiotherapy utilization as a measure of access: A pan-Canadian study.

Background And Purpose: Access to radiotherapy (RT) is a key component of a cancer control strategy. However, radiotherapy utilization (RTU) rates fall short of desired benchmarks in certain Canadian provinces. We aimed to describe provincial variations in RTU across Canada.

The Impact of Chronic Kidney Disease in Patients With Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer Treated With Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation.

Background: Patients with chronic kidney disease are commonly excluded from clinical trials. The impact of chronic kidney disease on outcomes in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer has not been previously studied.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of chronic kidney disease on outcomes in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

Behavioral Determinants of Canadian Radiation Oncologists' Use of Single Fraction Palliative Radiation Therapy for Uncomplicated Bone Metastases.

Background: A mainstay therapy for pain relief from uncomplicated bone metastases is external beam radiation therapy. Single fraction radiation therapy (SFRT) is more convenient and cost-effective, causes fewer acute side effects, and is equivalent to multiple fraction radiation therapy for pain relief. Despite these advantages, radiation oncologists seldom prescribe SFRT.

Exploring the nausea experience among female patients with breast cancer; A pilot interview study.

Introduction: Nausea is a difficult symptom to report and measure in clinical trials. We conducted a pilot interview study to improve our understanding of the nausea experience.

Materials And Methods: Female patients with breast cancer that had experienced nausea during radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy underwent semi-structured interviews that focused on patient-defined and standard definitions, preferences for nausea grading scales, and nausea sub-features: intensity, location, timing/duration, character, associated symptoms, precipitating/alleviating factors, impact on quality of life.