Publications by authors named "L M Ballas"

Purpose: We evaluate prognostic factors and patterns of recurrence in patients who received RT ± androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for pathologic node-positive (pN1) prostate cancer (PCa) in a multi-institutional cohort.

Methods And Materials: Data from patients with pN1 PCa and received RT with short-term (ST, ≤6 mo) or long-term (LT, >6 mo) ADT were obtained from 4 academic institutions. Biochemical progression-free survival (bPFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were evaluated.

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Survival outcomes for multiple myeloma (MM) have drastically improved over the past two decades with the advent of highly effective biologic agents and integration of autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) for select patients. Despite these advances, MM remains an incurable disease and duration of remission decreases with each relapse. Palliative radiotherapy (RT) for MM, including treatment of pain, relief of compression, and prevention of fracture, is highly effective and generally well tolerated.

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Purpose: The presence of MYC and BCL2 translocations (ie, double-hit lymphoma, DHL) in large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) is associated with reduced chemosensitivity, but less is known on its impact on radiotherapy (RT) efficacy.

Methods And Materials: Patients with LBCL who received their first course of RT for relapsed/refractory disease between 2008 and 2020 were eligible if there was adequate pathologic evaluation to be categorized as DHL versus non-DHL as per the World Health Organization (fifth edition). Separate analyses were conducted by treatment intent.

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Background: Trimodality therapy (TMT) is a viable option for muscle-invasive localized bladder cancer, providing an alternative to radical cystectomy in properly selected patients. The approval of novel therapeutics in different stages of bladder cancer treatment has sparked interest in exploring concurrent systemic therapies with radiation in clinical trials to enhance long-term outcomes. Achieving uniformity in trial eligibility criteria and endpoint definitions is imperative in describing clinical significance, comparing trials, and changing standard of care guidelines.

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Purpose: Palliative radiation therapy (RT) is effective for multiple myeloma (MM) but may cause cytopenia. Bone marrow volume receiving 10 Gy (BMV10Gy) has been associated with hematologic toxicity (HT) in cervical cancer, but no studies have investigated this in MM. We hypothesized that absolute BMV10Gy is associated with acute HT in MM patients receiving palliative RT.

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