Total gaseous mercury in Kathmandu, a South Asian metropolis: Temporal variations, sources apportionment and health risk assessment.

South Asia is a global hotspot of air pollution gaining attention due to its severe implications, in which atmospheric mercury (Hg) could cause detrimental health effects in metropolitan areas. In this study, first-time year-round (January - December 2019) mean total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentration at Kathmandu, Nepal - a sub-tropical city in South Asia was reported at 9.9 ± 10.

Radiotherapy with cetuximab or durvalumab for locoregionally advanced head and neck cancer in patients with a contraindication to cisplatin (NRG-HN004): an open-label, multicentre, parallel-group, randomised, phase 2/3 trial.

Background: Management of patients with locoregionally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) when cisplatin is contraindicated is controversial. We aimed to assess whether radiotherapy with concurrent and adjuvant durvalumab would improve outcomes compared with radiotherapy with cetuximab.

Methods: NRG-HN004 was designed as an open-label, multicentre, parallel-group, randomised, phase 2/3 trial with safety lead-in conducted at 89 academic and community medical centres in North America.

Correlation Between Research Productivity During Medical School and Radiation Oncology Residency.

Purpose: This analysis investigates whether research productivity during medical school predicts future research productivity during radiation oncology residency.

Methods And Materials: At our institution, there have been 20 medical students who graduated between 2005 and 2015 and subsequently completed their residency training in radiation oncology. We built a database of all PubMed-indexed publications in which these former students were the first author or coauthor.

Association between hospital safety-net burden and receipt of trimodality therapy and survival for patients with esophageal cancer.

Background: To examine the relationship between hospital safety-net burden and (1) receipt of surgery after chemoradiation (trimodality therapy) and (2) survival in esophageal cancer patients.

Methods: The National Cancer Database was queried to identify 22,842 clinical stage II to IVa esophageal cancer patients diagnosed in 2004 to 2015. The treatment facilities were categorized by proportion of uninsured/Medicaid-insured patients into percentiles.

Inequalities in Cancer Stage at Diagnosis Among Incarcerated Individuals Undergoing Radiation Therapy at a Large Safety-Net Hospital.

Introduction: There is a dearth of data on cancer care in the incarcerated population, despite being the leading cause of illness-related death in United states' prisons. We retrospectively reviewed the demographic and clinicopathologic characteristics of incarcerated individuals who received radiation therapy at a large safety-net hospital.

Methods: Following IRB approval, we identified 80 incarcerated patients who presented for radiation therapy between January 2003 and May 2019.

Impact of depth of invasion on local recurrence in R0 resected node-negative oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: This study evaluates the impact of depth of invasion (DOI) on local recurrence (LR) in node-negative oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Methods: Fifty-one patients were retrospectively reviewed from an institutional database. Patients were evaluated for local control (LC).

F-FDG PET/CT Prediction of Treatment Outcomes in Human Papillomavirus-Positive, Locally Advanced Oropharyngeal Cancer Patients Receiving Deintensified Therapy: Results from NRG-HN002.

The purpose of this study was to determine the negative predictive value (NPV) of a 12- to 14-wk posttreatment PET/CT for 2-y progression-free survival (PFS) and locoregional control (LRC) in patients with p16-positive locoregionally advanced oropharyngeal cancer (LA-OPC). Study was a secondary endpoint in NRG-HN002, a noncomparative phase II trial in p16-positive LA-OPC, stage T1-T2, N1-N2b or T3, N0-N2b, and ≤10 pack-year smoking. Patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to reduced-dose intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with or without cisplatin.

A Yoga Exercise App Designed for Patients With Axial Spondylarthritis: Development and User Experience Study.

Background: Besides anti-inflammatory medication, physical exercise represents a cornerstone of modern treatment for patients with axial spondyloarthritis (AS). Digital health apps (DHAs) such as the yoga app YogiTherapy could remotely empower patients to autonomously and correctly perform exercises.

Objective: This study aimed to design and develop a smartphone-based app, YogiTherapy, for patients with AS.

Longitudinal Outcomes of Medical Student Research Mentorship: a 15-Year Analysis of the Radiation Oncology Mentorship Initiative.

At our institution, students can be mentored by radiation oncology faculty through structured research programs, such as the Medical Student Summer Research Program (MSSRP). The purpose of this study is to report the research productivity of students who engaged in radiation oncology research mentorship, whether through the MSSRP or other avenues of research mentorship. We compiled a database of abstracts and manuscripts co-authored by 58 students who conducted research with radiation oncology faculty from 2005 to 2020.

Prediction of the local treatment outcome in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma using deep learning analysis of pretreatment FDG-PET images.

Background: This study aimed to assess the utility of deep learning analysis using pretreatment FDG-PET images to predict local treatment outcome in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) patients.

Methods: One hundred fifty-four OPSCC patients who received pretreatment FDG-PET were included and divided into training (n = 102) and test (n = 52) sets. The diagnosis of local failure and local progression-free survival (PFS) rates were obtained from patient medical records.

Disparities in Laryngeal Cancer Treatment and Outcomes: An Analysis by Hospital Safety-Net Burden.

Objectives/hypothesis: To analyze the impact of hospital safety-net burden on survival outcomes for laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) patients.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Methods: From 2004 to 2015, 59,733 LSCC patients treated with curative intent were identified using the National Cancer Database.

Reduced-Dose Radiation Therapy for HPV-Associated Oropharyngeal Carcinoma (NRG Oncology HN002).

Purpose: Reducing radiation treatment dose could improve the quality of life (QOL) of patients with good-risk human papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). Whether reduced-dose radiation produces disease control and QOL equivalent to standard chemoradiation is not proven.

Patients And Methods: In this randomized, phase II trial, patients with p16-positive, T1-T2 N1-N2b M0, or T3 N0-N2b M0 OPSCC (7th edition staging) with ≤ 10 pack-years of smoking received 60 Gy of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) over 6 weeks with concurrent weekly cisplatin (C) or 60 Gy IMRT over 5 weeks.

A national cancer database analysis on stereotactic body radiation therapy of head and neck cancers.

Background: To evaluate demographic, clinicopathological, treatment factors including biological effective radiation dose (BED) that influence overall survival in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).

Methods: Between 2004 and 2015, 591 SBRT-treated HNC patients were identified from the National Cancer Data Base. A BED using an alpha/beta ratio of 10 (BED), was used to compare dose fractionation of different SBRT regimens.

Ipsilateral radiation for squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil: American Radium Society appropriate use criteria executive summary.

Background: We conducted the current systemic review to provide up-to-date literature summary and optimal evidence-based recommendations for ipsilateral radiation for squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil.

Methods: We performed literature search of peer-reviewed journals through PubMed. The search strategy and subject-specific keywords were developed based on the expert panel's consensus.

Risk assessment of osteoradionecrosis associated with periodontitis using F-FDG PET/CT.

Purpose: Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) is a serious complication after radiotherapy (RT), even in the era of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether F-FDG PET/CT can predict ORN associated with periodontal disease in patients with oropharyngeal or oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OP/OC SCC) undergoing RT.

Methods: One hundred and five OP/OC SCC patients treated with RT who underwent pretreatment F-FDG PET/CT between October 2007 and June 2016 were retrospectively reviewed.

Deep learning analysis using FDG-PET to predict treatment outcome in patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective: To assess the utility of deep learning analysis using F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake by positron emission tomography (PET/CT) to predict disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC).

Methods: One hundred thirteen patients with OCSCC who received pretreatment FDG-PET/CT were included. They were divided into training (83 patients) and test (30 patients) sets.

Hypofractionated radiotherapy and surgery compared to standard radiotherapy in early glottic cancer.

Purpose: Early-stage glottic laryngeal cancer is treated with surgery or radiotherapy (RT), but limited randomized data exists to support one modality over the other. This study evaluates survival differences in early glottic cancer patients treated with either surgery or RT.

Materials And Methods: 14,498 patients with early glottic cancer diagnosed from 2004 to 2015 and treated with surgery or RT were identified in the National Cancer Database.

Prediction of the human papillomavirus status in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma by FDG-PET imaging dataset using deep learning analysis: A hypothesis-generating study.

Purpose: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of imaging-based deep learning analysis to differentiate between human papillomavirus (HPV) positive and negative oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCCs) using FDG-PET images.

Methods: One hundred and twenty patients with OPSCC who underwent pretreatment FDG-PET/CT were included and divided into the training 90 patients and validation 30 patients cohorts. In the training session, 2160 FDG-PET images were analyzed after data augmentation process by a deep learning technique to create a diagnostic model to discriminate between HPV-positive and HPV-negative OPSCCs.

Optimal Radiotherapy Dose in Anal Cancer: Trends in Prescription Dose and Association with Survival.

Purpose: Definitive chemoradiotherapy represents a standard of care treatment for localized anal cancer. National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines recommend radiotherapy (RT) doses of ≥ 45 Gy and escalation to 50.4-59 Gy for advanced disease.

Presentation, Treatment, and Outcomes of Vulnerable Populations With Esophageal Cancer Treated at a Safety-Net Hospital.

Social determinants of health have been associated with poor outcomes in esophageal cancer. Primary language and immigration status have not been examined in relation to esophageal cancer outcomes. This study aims to investigate the impact of these variables on stage of presentation, treatment, and outcomes of esophageal cancer patients at an urban safety-net hospital.