Longitudinal quality of life after sublobar resection and stereotactic body radiation therapy for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Many patients with early-stage lung cancer are not candidates for lobectomy because of various factors, with treatment options including sublobar resection or stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). Limited information exists regarding patient-centered outcomes after these treatments.

Methods: Subjects with stage I-IIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at high risk for lobectomy who underwent treatment with sublobar resection or SBRT were recruited from five medical centers.

Adverse Events Following Limited Resection versus Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Early Stage Lung Cancer.

Approximately a quarter of patients with early stage lung cancer are not medically fit for lobectomy. Limited resection and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) have emerged as alternatives for these patients. Given the equipoise on the effectiveness of the two treatments, treatment-related adverse events (AEs) could have a significant impact on patients' decision-making and treatment outcomes.

Forest bat population dynamics over 14 years at a climate refuge: Effects of timber harvesting and weather extremes.

Long-term data are needed to explore the interaction of weather extremes with habitat alteration; in particular, can 'refugia' buffer population dynamics against climate change and are they robust to disturbances such as timber harvesting. Because forest bats are good indicators of ecosystem health, we used 14 years (1999-2012) of mark-recapture data from a suite of small tree-hollow roosting bats to estimate survival, abundance and body condition in harvested and unharvested forest and over extreme El Niño and La Niña weather events in southeastern Australia. Trapping was replicated within an experimental forest, located in a climate refuge, with different timber harvesting treatments.

Stereotactic body radiation therapy for melanoma and renal cell carcinoma: impact of single fraction equivalent dose on local control.

Background: Melanoma and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are traditionally considered less radioresponsive than other histologies. Whereas stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) involves radiation dose intensification via escalation, we hypothesize SBRT might result in similar high local control rates as previously published on metastases of varying histologies.

Methods: The records of patients with metastatic melanoma (n = 17 patients, 28 lesions) or RCC (n = 13 patients, 25 lesions) treated with SBRT were reviewed.

Multi-institutional phase I/II trial of stereotactic body radiation therapy for liver metastases.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of high-dose stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for the treatment of patients with one to three hepatic metastases.

Patients And Methods: Patients with one to three hepatic lesions and maximum individual tumor diameters less than 6 cm were enrolled and treated on a multi-institutional, phase I/II clinical trial in which they received SBRT delivered in three fractions. During phase I, the total dose was safely escalated from 36 Gy to 60 Gy.

Multi-institutional phase I/II trial of stereotactic body radiation therapy for lung metastases.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of high-dose stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for the treatment of patients with one to three lung metastases.

Patients And Methods: Patients with one to three lung metastases with cumulative maximum tumor diameter smaller than 7 cm were enrolled and treated on a multi-institutional phase I/II clinical trial in which they received SBRT delivered in 3 fractions. In phase I, the total dose was safely escalated from 48 to 60 Gy.

Benefit of postoperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy in locoregionally advanced esophageal carcinoma.

Objective: We sought to determine whether chemoradiotherapy after esophagectomy improves survival.

Methods: From 1994 to 2000, 31 patients with locoregionally advanced esophageal carcinoma (90% pT3, 81% pN1, and 13% pM1a) received postoperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Concurrently, 52 patients with advanced carcinoma underwent esophagectomy alone and survived at least 10 weeks, the time frame for adjuvant therapy.

Value of accelerated multimodality therapy in stage IIIA and IIIB non-small cell lung cancer.

Objectives: This study was undertaken to assess accelerated multimodality therapy in patients with IIIA and IIIB non-small cell lung cancer in terms of toxicity, feasibility, response, survival, and recurrence (value) and to identify predictors of pathologic response and improved survival.

Methods: Between October 1994 and September 2000, a total of 105 patients with stage pIIIA (n = 78) or pIIIB (n = 27) non-small cell lung cancer were enrolled in a study of accelerated multimodality therapy, consisting of hyperfractionated radiotherapy with concurrent chemotherapy (paclitaxel and cisplatin) followed by resection and postoperative chemoradiation. Multivariable correlates of pathologic response and survival were assessed.

Factors associated with improved survival in patients with brain metastases from esophageal cancer: a retrospective review.

There are over 200,000 cases of brain metastases (BrM) every year, but very few are from esophageal cancer primaries. In order to determine predictors for outcome of these patients, the authors conducted a retrospective review of twenty-seven patients with BrM from esophageal carcinoma diagnosed at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation between 1991 and 2001. For the entire cohort, median follow-up and median survival was 3.

Effect of anatomic, procedural, and dosimetric variables on urinary retention after permanent iodine-125 prostate brachytherapy.

Objectives: To correlate anatomic, procedural, and dosimetric parameters with the rate of intermittent self-catheterization (ISC).

Methods: The records of 402 patients with a median age of 69 years treated with 125I prostate seed implantation from 1996 to 2001 were reviewed for the use of ISC. The records were examined for the preimplant factors: prostate volume, use of androgen deprivation, and prostate length.

Stage III non-small cell lung cancer and metachronous brain metastases.

Objectives: This study was undertaken to identify management strategies that maximize survival of patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer and metachronous brain metastases and to determine whether any apparent improved survival was due to treatment or simply to patient selection.

Methods: Treatment evaluations of both primary non-small cell lung cancer and brain metastases were performed in 91 patients. Optimal treatment was identified by multivariable analysis.

Survival by radiation therapy oncology group recursive partitioning analysis class and treatment modality in patients with brain metastases from malignant melanoma: a retrospective study.

Background: In a population of patients with brain metastases from melanoma, the authors sought to determine whether various therapies provided any benefit at all, whether local therapy was better than whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT), and whether combined local therapy and WBRT provided any advantage over local therapy alone. They also analyzed survival according to a Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) to determine how well the RTOG RPA classes predicted survival in this patient population and whether treatments varied in effectiveness from category to category.

Methods: A total of 74 patients with brain metastases from melanoma were treated at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation between 1984 and 1998.