Low-Dose Radiation Yields Lower Rates of Pathologic Response in Esophageal Cancer Patients.

Background: Although neoadjuvant chemoradiation (nCRT) followed by surgery is standard treatment for locally advanced esophageal or gastroesophageal junction (E/GEJ) cancer, the optimal radiation dose is still under debate.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of different preoperative radiation doses (41.4 Gy, 45 Gy or 50.

Vertebral compression fracture during stereotactic body radiotherapy for spinal metastasis: A rare case of tracking failure.

Spinal metastasis are a daily challenge in clinical practice. Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) allows delivery of definitive treatment with excellent long-term control rates. Its implementation needs dedicated devices and day-to-day image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT).

Aromatase inhibitors decrease radiation-induced lung fibrosis: Results of an experimental study.

Purpose: In experimental and clinical trials, tamoxifen (TAM) has been shown to increase radiation-induced lung fibrosis (RILF). Furthermore, aromatase inhibitors (AI) have been shown to be superior to TAM in the adjuvant setting and preclinical data suggest that letrozole (LET) sensitizes breast cancer cells to ionizing radiation in other studies. In this experimental study, we evaluated whether AI have any impact on the development of RILF in rats.

Should we include SPECT lung perfusion in radiotherapy treatment plans of thoracic targets? Evidences from the literature.

Purpose: To report the available data about the potential impact of integrating lung perfusion SPECT/CT in treatment plans optimization for the irradiation of thoracic targets.

Materials And Methods: We searched in the PubMed and Scopus databases, English-written articles published from 2000 to June 2015 dealing with the integration of perfusion SPECT/CT in radiotherapy.

Results: We found and analyzed 16 research articles (10 dosimetric, 6 clinical) for a total of 578 patients.

[(18)F]FDG-PET/CT metabolic parameters as useful prognostic factors in cervical cancer patients treated with chemo-radiotherapy.

Background: To compare the prognostic value of different anatomical and functional metabolic parameters determined using [(18)F]FDG-PET/CT with other clinical and pathological prognostic parameters in cervical cancer (CC).

Methods: Thirty-eight patients treated with standard curative doses of chemo-radiotherapy (CRT) underwent pre- and post-therapy [(18)F]FDG-PET/CT. [(18)F]FDG-PET/CT parameters including mean tumor standardized uptake values (SUV), metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and tumor glycolytic volume (TGV) were measured before the start of CRT.

[(18)F]FDG-PET standard uptake value as a metabolic predictor of bone marrow response to radiation: impact on acute and late hematological toxicity in cervical cancer patients treated with chemoradiation therapy.

Purpose: To quantify the relationship between bone marrow (BM) response to radiation and radiation dose by using (18)F-labeled fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography [(18)F]FDG-PET standard uptake values (SUV) and to correlate these findings with hematological toxicity (HT) in cervical cancer (CC) patients treated with chemoradiation therapy (CRT).

Methods And Materials: Seventeen women with a diagnosis of CC were treated with standard doses of CRT. All patients underwent pre- and post-therapy [(18)F]FDG-PET/computed tomography (CT).

Outcome and prognostic factors in olfactory neuroblastoma: a rare cancer network study.

Purpose: To assess the outcome in patients with olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB).

Methods And Materials: Seventy-seven patients treated for nonmetastatic ONB between 1971 and 2004 were included. According to Kadish classification, there were 11 patients with Stage A, 29 with Stage B, and 37 with Stage C.

Management of transitional-cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis and ureter.

Transitional-cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis or ureter is a relatively rare disease. Several risk factors are smoking, occupational carcinogens, analgesic abuse or Balkan nephropathy. The grade and stage of the disease have the most significant impact on the outcome.

Feasibility and efficacy of subcutaneous amifostine therapy in patients with head and neck cancer treated with curative accelerated concomitant-boost radiation therapy.

Objective: To assess the feasibility and efficacy of subcutaneous amifostine therapy in patients with head and neck cancer treated with curative accelerated radiotherapy (RT).

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Prognostic factors in urothelial renal pelvis and ureter tumours: a multicentre Rare Cancer Network study.

To assess the prognostic factors in patients with transitional-cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis and/or ureter, a series of 138 patients with transitional-cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis and/or ureter was collected in a retrospective multicentre study. 12 patients with distant metastases were excluded from the statistical evaluation. All but 3 patients underwent radical surgery: nephroureterectomy (n = 71), nephroureterectomy and lymphadenectomy (n = 20), nephroureterectomy and partial bladder resection or transurethral resection (n = 20), nephrectomy (n = 10), and ureterectomy (n = 5).