Radiation-Induced Lymphopenia and Its Impact on Survival in Patients with Brain Metastasis.

Background: Differences in radiation-induced lymphopenia and prognosis between methods of radiotherapy (RT) for brain metastases remain unclear.

Methods: In this retrospective analysis of patients who underwent whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) or stereotactic radiosurgery/radiotherapy (SRS/SRT) for brain metastases, baseline total lymphocyte count (TLC) data were obtained within 2 weeks before RT initiation. Follow-up TLC data were evaluated at 0-2, 2-4, and 4-8 weeks after RT completion.

Clinical course of longer than five years after definitive radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Background: This study aimed to reveal the long-term outcomes and late toxicities (> 5 years) after definitive intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods: Data from 43 patients (median age, 55 years; range, 17-72 years) with NPC who underwent definitive IMRT between 2001 and 2018 were analyzed. All patients were alive and disease-free 5 years after IMRT.

Dose difference between anisotropic analytical algorithm (AAA) and Acuros XB (AXB) caused by target's air content for volumetric modulated arc therapy of head and neck cancer.

Background: We clarified the dose difference between the anisotropic analytical algorithm (AAA) and Acuros XB (AXB) with increasing target's air content using a virtual phantom and clinical cases.

Materials And Methods: Whole neck volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plan was transferred into a virtual phantom with a cylindrical air structure at the center. The diameter of the air structure was changed from 0 to 6 cm, and the target's air content defined as the air/planning target volume (PTV) in percent (air/PTV) was varied.

Impact of rectal gas on the planning target volume margin for pelvic bone and prostate matching in prostate cancer patients receiving volumetric-modulated arc therapy.

We performed daily cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) to determine the impact of rectal gas on the movements of prostate and seminal vesicles (SVs). We aimed to determine the relationship between planning target volume (PTV) margins and rectal gas. In 30 treatments of 15 prostate cancer patients, excessive rectal gas was removed and CBCT images were analyzed.

External beam radiotherapy combination is a risk factor for bladder cancer in patients with prostate cancer treated with brachytherapy.

Purpose: To investigate the risk of bladder cancer (BCa) in patients treated with brachytherapy for prostate cancer (PCa).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 583 patients with PCa who underwent brachytherapy with or without external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). We analyzed the disease-free survival (DFS) of BCa in patients with PCa who underwent brachytherapy with or without EBRT.

Visualization of tumor hypoxia and re-oxygenation after stereotactic body radiation therapy in early peripheral lung cancer: A prospective study.

Background And Purpose: In this study, fluoromisonidazole positron emission tomography (F-MISO PET/CT) was used to evaluate tumor hypoxia and re-oxygenation in patients with lung tumors treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).

Materials And Methods: Patients with T1-2 N0 lung cancer were included in this study. The prescribed dose was 48-52 Gy in four fractions.

Difference in failure patterns after stereotactic body radiotherapy for lung cancer according to clinical T stage based on 4D computed tomography.

Purpose: Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is a treatment option for early-stage lung cancer. We aimed to examine the differences in failure patterns after SBRT according to the clinical T stage.

Methods: A total of 120 patients with early-stage lung cancer (T1-3N0M0) who underwent SBRT were analysed.

Organs-at-risk dose constraints in head and neck intensity-modulated radiation therapy using a dataset from a multi-institutional clinical trial (JCOG1015A1).

Background: JCOG1015A1 is an ancillary research study to determine the organ-specific dose constraints in head and neck carcinoma treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) using data from JCOG1015.

Methods: Individual patient data and dose-volume histograms of organs at risk (OAR) were collected from 74 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with IMRT who enrolled in JCOG1015. The incidence of late toxicities was evaluated using the cumulative incidence method or prevalence proportion.

Escalated Maximum Dose in the Planning Target Volume Improves Local Control in Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for T1-2 Lung Cancer.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is a treatment option for early-stage lung cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the optimal dose distribution and prognostic factors for local control (LC) after SBRT for lung cancer. A total of 104 lung tumors from 100 patients who underwent SBRT using various treatment regimens were analyzed.

Feasibility study of volumetric modulated arc therapy with Halcyon™ linac for total body irradiation.

Background: The use of total body irradiation (TBI) with linac-based volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) has been steadily increasing. Helical tomotherapy has been applied in TBI and total marrow irradiation to reduce the dose to critical organs, especially the lungs. However, the methodology of TBI with Halcyon™ linac remains unclear.

Serum lactate dehydrogenase is a predictive biomarker in patients with oropharyngeal cancer undergoing radiotherapy: Retrospective study on predictive factors.

Background: The present study aimed to evaluate the prognostic factors in human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive and HPV-negative oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) treated with definitive radiotherapy.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 101 patients with OPC who underwent definitive radiotherapy between 2008 and 2018.

Results: The median follow-up period of the surviving patients was 68 months (range, 8-164 months).

Dosimetric Evaluation of Simplified Knowledge-Based Plan with an Extensive Stepping Validation Approach in Volumetric-Modulated Arc Therapy-Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Lung Cancer.

Purpose: We investigated the performance of the simplified knowledge-based plans (KBPs) in stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) with volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for lung cancer.

Materials And Methods: For 50 cases who underwent SBRT, only three structures were registered into knowledge-based model: total lung, spinal cord, and planning target volume. We performed single auto-optimization on VMAT plans in two steps: 19 cases used for the model training (closed-loop validation) and 16 new cases outside of training set (open-loop validation) for TrueBeam (TB) and Halcyon (Hal) linacs.

Outcome of chemoradiotherapy using intensity-modulated radiation therapy for cervical esophageal cancer: a single institute experience.

Background: The role of intensity-modulated radiation therapy in the treatment of cervical esophageal cancer remains unclear. The outcome of concurrent chemoradiotherapy for cervical esophageal squamous cell carcinoma using intensity-modulated radiation therapy was retrospectively evaluated.

Methods: Between 2004 and 2017, 36 patients with cervical esophageal cancer treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy were included.

Influence of Cleaned-up Commercial Knowledge-Based Treatment Planning on Volumetric-Modulated Arc Therapy of Prostate Cancer.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the influence of cleaned-up knowledge-based treatment planning (KBP) models on the plan quality for volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) of prostate cancer.

Materials And Methods: Thirty prostate cancer VMAT plans were enrolled and evaluated according to four KBP modeling methods as follows: (1) model not cleaned - trained by fifty other clinical plans (KBP); (2) cases cleaned by removing plans that did not meet all clinical goals of the dosimetric parameters, derived from dose-volume histogram (DVH) (KBP); (3) cases cleaned outside the range of ±1 standard deviation through the principal component analysis regression plots (KBP); and (4) cases cleaned using both methods (2) and (3) (KBP). Rectal and bladder structures in the training models numbered 34 and 48 for KBP, 37 and 33 for KBP, and 26 and 33 for KBP, respectively.

Dose-volume Histogram Analysis of Knowledge-based Volumetric-modulated Arc Therapy Planning in Postoperative Breast Cancer Irradiation.

Background/aim: We evaluated the dosimetric profiles of manually generated volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans and performance of a commercial knowledge-based planning system (KBP) in treating breast cancer.

Materials And Methods: We defined the manually generated VMAT plan as the manual plan (MP). Twenty MPs were generated for left-sided breast cancer patients who underwent breast-conserving surgery and used to develop a KBP training set.

Correction: Evaluation of lung toxicity risk with computed tomography ventilation image for thoracic cancer patients.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Comparing the 7th and 8th editions of the American Joint Committee on Cancer/Union for International Cancer Control TNM staging system for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma treated by definitive radiotherapy.

Background: We retrospectively compared the 7th and the 8th editions of The American Joint Committee on Cancer/Union for International Cancer Control (AJCC/UICC) TNM classification in the cohort of survival of the patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) treated by definitive radiotherapy.

Methods: We included in this study 403 patients with ESCC who underwent radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy, at a total radiation dose of ≥ 50 Gy with curative intent from 2000 to 2016 at Kindai University Hospital, and who had no distant metastasis (excluding supraclavicular lymph node). The same patient data set was re-staged according to both the 7th and 8th editions of AJCC/UICC TNM classification.

Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Predicts Survival After Whole-brain Radiotherapy in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

Aim: This study aimed to identify prognostic factors for response to whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) in patients with brain metastases (BMs) from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Patients And Methods: This study retrospectively evaluated 100 patients who underwent WBRT for BMs from NSCLC between December 2012 and October 2017. Clinical factors were tested for associations with overall survival after WBRT.

Serum lactate dehydrogenase predicts survival in small-cell lung cancer patients with brain metastases that were treated with whole-brain radiotherapy.

This study aimed to identify factors that predict prognosis after radiotherapy for brain metastases (BMs) from small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). This study retrospectively evaluated 48 consecutive patients who underwent whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) for BMs from SCLC between February 2008 and December 2017. WBRT was delivered at a median dose of 30 Gy (range: 30-40 Gy) in 10 fractions (range: 10-16 fractions).

Evaluation of lung toxicity risk with computed tomography ventilation image for thoracic cancer patients.

Background: Four-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT) ventilation is an emerging imaging modality. Functional avoidance of regions according to 4D-CT ventilation may reduce lung toxicity after radiation therapy. This study evaluated associations between 4D-CT ventilation-based dosimetric parameters and clinical outcomes.

Definitive chemoradiotherapy for anal canal cancer: single-center experience.

Background: Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is a standard treatment for anal canal cancer although many patients with anal canal cancer undergo surgery in Japan. The efficacy of CRT for anal canal cancer was evaluated retrospectively.

Methods: Medical charts of 13 patients with anal canal cancer treated by definitive CRT from October 2004 to May 2016 were reviewed.

A novel radiation-shielding undergarment using tungsten functional paper for patients with permanent prostate brachytherapy.

Tungsten functional paper (TFP) is a paper-based radiation-shielding material, which is lead-free and easy to cut. We developed a radiation protection undergarment using TFP for prostate cancer patients treated with permanent 125I seed implantation (PSI). The aim of this study was to evaluate the shielding ability of the undergarment with respect to household contacts and members of the public.