Situational anxiety in head and neck cancer: Rates, patterns and clinical management interventions in a regional cancer setting.

Introduction: Research indicates that the immobilisation mask required for radiation therapy (RT) for head and neck cancers can provoke intense anxiety. However, little is known about the rates of this anxiety, whether it changes over a course of treatment and how it is managed in clinical practice. This study aimed to describe the rates and patterns of situational anxiety in patients undergoing RT for head and neck cancer and the use of anxiety management interventions in current clinical practice in a major regional cancer setting in New South Wales, Australia.

Biofeedback Enabled CALM (BeCALM)-the feasibility of biofeedback on procedural anxiety during radiation therapy: study protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Patients undergoing treatment for cancer who require radiation therapy (RT) report anxiety specifically relating to the RT procedure. Procedural anxiety can be detrimental to treatment delivery, causing disruptions to treatment sessions, or treatment avoidance. Acute procedural anxiety is most commonly managed with anxiolytic medication.

Assessing the impact of magnetic resonance treatment simulation (MRSIM) on target volume delineation and dose to organs at risk for oropharyngeal radiotherapy.

Introduction: Assessing the use of a radiation therapy (RT) planning MRI performed in the treatment position (pMRI) on target volume delineation and effect on organ at risk dose for oropharyngeal cancer patients planned with diagnostic MRI (dMRI) and CT scan.

Methods: Diagnostic MRI scans were acquired for 26 patients in a neutral patient position using a 3T scanner (dMRI). Subsequent pMRI scans were acquired on the same scanner with a flat couch top and the patient in their immobilisation mask.

Gastrostomy dependency trends over 15 years of patients at a large tertiary referral center following the insertion of a prophylactic gastrostomy for chemoradiation for mucosal head and neck cancer.

Aim: The routine use of prophylactic percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tubes for nutrition support during radical chemoradiation for head and neck cancer has been suggested to result in PEG dependency. This research aimed to determine the rates of gastrostomy dependency at the Calvary Mater Newcastle (CMN) where PEGs are routinely used and to identify potentially modifiable risk factors.

Methods: All patients with head and neck cancer planned for curative chemoradiation with a prophylactic PEG inserted were included in this review.

Junior Doctor Evaluation of Radiation Oncology Education and Training in Medical Schools and Prevocational Training in Australia.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate radiation oncology (RO)-specific education, confidence and knowledge of junior doctors in Australian teaching hospitals. A 38-item web-based survey was emailed to prevocational junior doctors working in Australian hospitals in New South Wales (NSW), Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and Queensland (QLD) between November 2017 and January 2018. The survey evaluated RO educational and clinical exposure of participants during medical school, and prevocational training and their confidence and knowledge of the specialty.

Oncology and Radiation Oncology Awareness in Final Year Medical Students in Australia and New Zealand.

This study aimed to determine final year students' core oncology and radiation oncology knowledge and attitudes about the quality of teaching in medical programmes delivered in Australia and New Zealand. Does the modern medical programme provide core oncology skills in this leading global cause of mortality and morbidity? An online survey was distributed between April and June 2018 and completed by 316 final year students across all 21 medical schools with final year cohorts in Australia and New Zealand. The survey examined teaching and clinical exposure, attitudes and core knowledge for oncology and radiation oncology.

The status of radiation oncology teaching in Australian and New Zealand medical schools.

Introduction: Radiation therapy is a core component of curative and palliative cancer treatment; however, its indications and benefits remain poorly understood across the medical profession.

Methods: An electronic survey focussing on curriculum content, teaching and assessment in radiation oncology and plans for curriculum change was developed. The Faculty of Radiation Oncology, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiology (RANZCR) distributed the survey to all 24 Australian and New Zealand medical schools.

Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio dynamics during concurrent chemo-radiotherapy for glioblastoma is an independent predictor for overall survival.

Elevated neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) may predict worse outcomes in cancer, including glioblastoma (GBM). This study assessed whether change in NLR during focal radiotherapy and concomitant temozolomide (RT-TMZ) provides further prognostic information. This was a retrospective review of patients treated with RT-TMZ for histologically confirmed GBM from January 2004 to September 2010.

18F-FDG PET-CT performed before and during radiation therapy of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: Are they independent or complementary to each other?

Introduction: The aims of this study are to evaluate the prognostic value of metabolic parameters derived from (18) F-FDG PET-CT performed before definitive radiation therapy (RT) (prePET) in patients with mucosal primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (MPHNSCC) and to assess the additive prognostic values of FDG PET-CT performed during RT (iPET).

Methods: One hundred patients with MPHNSCC treated with radical RT underwent staging prePET and iPET performed during the third week of treatment. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax ), metabolic tumour volume (MTV) and total lesional glycolysis (TLG) of primary tumour were analysed for both prePET and iPET, and results were correlated with loco-regional recurrence-free survival (LRFS), disease-free survival (DFS), metastatic failure-free survival (MFFS) and overall survival (OS), using Kaplan-Meier analysis.

Impact of glycemia on survival of glioblastoma patients treated with radiation and temozolomide.

Evidence suggests hyperglycemia is associated with worse outcomes in glioblastoma (GB). This study aims to confirm the association between glycemia during radiotherapy (RT) and temozolomide (TMZ) treatment and overall survival (OS) in patients with newly diagnosed GB. This retrospective study included GB patients treated with RT and TMZ from 2004 to 2011, randomly divided into independent derivation and validation datasets.

Breast cancer detection among young survivors of pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma with screening magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: Female survivors of pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) who have received chest radiotherapy are at increased risk of breast cancer. Guidelines for early breast cancer screening among these survivors are based on little data regarding clinical outcomes. This study reports outcomes of breast cancer screening with MRI and mammography (MMG) after childhood HL.

The effect of adjuvant postmastectomy radiotherapy bolus technique on local recurrence.

Purpose: Postmastectomy radiotherapy bolus is heterogenous, with little evidence to guide clinical practise. This study explores the effect of chest wall bolus technique on chest wall recurrence.

Methods And Materials: This was a retrospective cohort study of 254 patients treated with adjuvant postmastectomy radiotherapy between 1993 and 2003.