Re-irradiation plus pembrolizumab: Phase II study for recurrent glioblastoma patients.

Purpose: Radiation therapy may enhance anti-tumor immune responses by several mechanisms including induction of immunogenic cell death. We performed a phase 2 study of pembrolizumab with re-irradiation in patients with recurrent glioblastoma.

Methods: Sixty recurrent glioblastoma patients received pembrolizumab with re-irradiation alone (cohort A, bevacizumab-naïve; n=30) or with bevacizumab continuation (cohort B, n=30).

Prognostic Understanding and Goals of Palliative Radiotherapy: A Qualitative Study.

Context: There is a paucity of data describing patients' expectations of goals of palliative radiotherapy (RT) and overall prognosis.

Objectives: To explore patients' perceptions of and preferences for communication surrounding goals of palliative RT and cancer prognosis.

Methods: We conducted a qualitative study utilizing semi-structured interviews with seventeen patients with either bone or lung metastases receiving their first course of palliative RT at a comprehensive cancer center.

Longitudinal symptoms and temporal trends in palliative care, palliative radiotherapy, and anti-cancer treatment near end of life among patients with metastatic cancer.

Background: Early specialty palliative care (PC) integration improves oncologic outcomes. We aimed to examine longitudinal relationships between specialty PC and palliative radiotherapy (RT), temporal distribution of symptoms, and predictors of earlier specialty PC.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 135 patients with metastatic cancer who received palliative RT at our institution (7/2017-2/2018) and who had died by final study follow-up (6/2021).

Characteristics and Predictors of Radiographic Local Failure in Patients With Spinal Metastases Treated With Palliative Conventional Radiation Therapy.

Purpose: Although local control is an important issue for longer-term survivors of spinal metastases treated with conventional external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), the literature on radiographic local failure (LF) in these patients is sparse. To inform clinical decision-making, we evaluated rates, consequences, and predictors of radiographic LF in patients with spinal metastases managed with palliative conventional EBRT alone.

Methods And Materials: We retrospectively reviewed 296 patients with spinal metastases who received palliative EBRT at a single institution (2006-2013).

Durable Response to PD-1 Blockade in a Patient With Metastatic Pancreatic Undifferentiated Carcinoma With Osteoclast-Like Giant Cells.

Undifferentiated carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells (UCOGC) of the pancreas is a rare and potentially aggressive variant of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Data on this disease are sparse, and despite genetic similarities to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, UCOGC clinical outcomes can be markedly different. We report on a female patient aged 62 years who presented with UCOGC with pulmonary metastases initially treated with 2 lines of cytotoxic chemotherapy.

Patient-Provider Communication, Decision-Making, and Psychosocial Burdens in Palliative Radiotherapy: A Qualitative Study on Patients' Perspectives.

Context: Patient-provider communication impacts how patients with cancer make decisions about treatment.

Objectives: To examine patient perceptions of discussions, decision-making, and psychosocial burdens related to receiving palliative radiotherapy (RT), in order to inform best practices for communication about palliative RT.

Methods: We conducted an exploratory qualitative study using oral questionnaires and semi-structured interviews.

Patterns of Specialty Palliative Care Utilization Among Patients Receiving Palliative Radiation Therapy.

Context: Palliative radiation therapy (RT) is frequently used to ameliorate cancer-associated symptoms and improve quality of life.

Objectives: To examine how palliative care (PC) as a specialty is integrated at the time of RT consultation for patients with advanced cancer.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 162 patients with metastatic cancer who received palliative RT at our institution (7/2017-2/2018).

Quantitative-qualitative analyses of patient-reported pain response after palliative radiation therapy.

Purpose: While the 0-10 pain scale is often used to assess treatment response, it may not accurately reflect change in pain over time. The purpose of this study is to correlate pain improvement using the 0-10 pain scale to patients' perceived improvement in pain following palliative radiation therapy (RT), and to qualitatively characterize themes of pain assessment.

Methods: Patients age ≥ 20 receiving RT for spinal metastases were enrolled.

Assessing the utility of the spinal instability neoplastic score (SINS) to predict fracture after conventional radiation therapy (RT) for spinal metastases.

Purpose: Assessing the stability of spinal metastases is critical for making treatment decisions. The spinal instability neoplastic score (SINS) was developed by the Spine Oncology Study Group to categorize tumor-related lesions; however, data describing its utility in predicting fractures in patients with spinal metastases are limited. The purpose of this study is to assess the validity of SINS in predicting new or worsening fracture after radiation therapy (RT) to spine metastases.

Top 10 Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know About Radiation Oncology.

As palliative care (PC) moves upstream in the course of advanced illness, it is critical that PC providers have a broad understanding of curative and palliative treatments for serious diseases. Possessing a working knowledge of radiation therapy (RT), one of the three pillars of cancer care, is crucial to PC providers given RT's role in both the curative and palliative settings. This article provides PC providers with a primer on the vocabulary of RT; the team of people involved in the planning of RT; and common indications, benefits, and side effects of treatment.

Assessing the utility of a prognostication model to predict 1-year mortality in patients undergoing radiation therapy for spinal metastases.

Background Context: Predicting survival outcomes after radiation therapy (RT) alone for metastatic disease of the spine is a challenging task that is important to guiding treatment decisions (eg, determining dose fractionation and intensity). The New England Spinal Metastasis Score (NESMS) was recently introduced and validated in independent cohorts as a tool to predict 1-year survival following surgery for spinal metastases. This metric is composed of three factors: preoperative albumin, ambulatory status, and modified Bauer score, with the total score ranging from 0 to 3.