Concurrent Chemoradiation with Concomitant Boost in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer: A Phase II Study.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the pathological response of locally advanced rectal cancer after preoperative concurrent two-drug chemotherapy and intensified radiation therapy (RT) with concomitant boost.

Patients And Methods: Patients with T4 tumor or local recurrence were included. A trial based on two-stage Simon's design was planned.

Preoperative Chemoradiation With VMAT-SIB in Rectal Cancer: A Phase II Study.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and toxicity of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT)-simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) in preoperative combined treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer.

Methods: Radiation therapy was performed using the VMAT-SIB technique. The dose to mesorectum and pelvic lymph nodes was 45 Gy (1.

(11)C-Choline PET/CT for restaging prostate cancer. Results from 4,426 scans in a single-centre patient series.

Purpose: To evaluate (11)C-choline PET/CT as a diagnostic tool for restaging prostate cancer (PCa), in a large, homogeneous and clinically relevant population of patients with biochemical recurrence (BCR) of PCa after primary therapy. The secondary aim was to assess the best timing for performing (11)C-choline PET/CT during BCR.

Methods: We retrospectively analysed 9,632 (11)C-choline PET/CT scans performed in our institution for restaging PCa from January 2007 to June 2015.

Palliative Short-Course Radiation Therapy in Rectal Cancer: A Phase 2 Study.

Purpose: The management of patients with symptomatic rectal cancer not amenable to curative treatment may be challenging. The aim of this phase 2 study was to evaluate the efficacy of short-course radiation therapy in patients with obstructing rectal cancer.

Methods And Materials: Patients who were not candidates for surgical resection because of synchronous metastases, age, and/or comorbidities were considered eligible.

Progestin-releasing intrauterine device insertion plus palliative radiotherapy in frail, elderly uterine cancer patients unfit for radical treatment.

The present study investigated the combination of levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device (LNG-IUD) insertion and palliative radiotherapy (RT) as a potential approach for treating frail, elderly endometrial cancer (EC) patients considered unfit for curative oncological treatments. The inclusion criteria were an age of ≥65 years, pathological confirmation of a uterine neoplasm, a Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) value of ≥4 and the presence of vaginal bleeding. Patients underwent intrauterine insertion of an LNG-IUD, and thereafter, received a total dose of 30 Gy at 3 Gy per fraction, over 10 days.

Dietary anthocyanins and health: data from FLORA and ATHENA EU projects.

Adherence to a 'Mediterranean diet' has been shown to be beneficial to human health. Fruit and vegetables represent some of the main components of the Mediterranean diet and their role has been increasingly considered in the process of preventing or reducing the risk of chronic degenerative diseases, such as cerebrovascular or coronary heart disorders, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. To investigate the beneficial effect of these dietary compounds, two EU-funded projects were conducted during the last 10 years.

Linac-based extracranial radiosurgery with Elekta volumetric modulated arc therapy and an anatomy-based treatment planning system: Feasibility and initial experience.

We reported our initial experience in using Elekta volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and an anatomy-based treatment planning system (TPS) for single high-dose radiosurgery (SRS-VMAT) of liver metastases. This study included a cohort of 12 patients treated with a 26-Gy single fraction. Single-arc VMAT plans were generated with Ergo++ TPS.

Radiation-induced mesothelioma among long-term solid cancer survivors: a longitudinal analysis of SEER database.

We investigated the association between external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma among long-term (>5 years) solid cancer survivors. We analyzed data from the US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program (1973-2012). We fitted survival models adjusted by age, gender, race, year, surgery, and relative risk of primary mesothelioma in the county of residence (proxy for individual asbestos exposure).

Radiochemotherapy with Gemcitabine in Unresectable Extrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: Long-term Results of a Phase II Study.

Purpose: To evaluate the outcome of patients affected by unresectable extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma treated with radiotherapy (ERT) and concurrent gemcitabine-based chemotherapy with or without intraluminal brachytherapy (BT).

Patients And Methods: Twenty-seven patients underwent weekly gemcitabine (100 mg/m(2)) as a 24-h infusion during the course of three-dimensional radiotherapy (50.4 Gy to the tumor and 39.

Low-dose radiotherapy and concurrent FOLFIRI-bevacizumab: a Phase II study.

Aims: Low-dose radiation therapy (LDRT) can increase biological efficacy of chemotherapy. This Phase II trial evaluates LDRT plus FOLFIRI-bevacizumab (FOLFIRI-B) in metastatic colorectal cancer.

Primary Objective: raising the clinical complete response rate from 5 to 25%.

Brachytherapy in non melanoma skin cancer of eyelid: a systematic review.

Purpose: Non melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) of eyelid are uncommon. Many treatments approach are available with surgery being considered as the gold standard. Radiotherapy is an effective alternative in patients unfit for surgery.

Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and simultaneous integrated boost in head-and-neck cancer: is there a place for critical swallowing structures dose sparing?

Objective: To explore the potential of volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) to reduce the risk of swallowing problems after curative chemoradiotherapy.

Methods: 20 patients with head and neck cancer who previously underwent radiotherapy were selected. Radiotherapy was prescribed according to simultaneous integrated boost technique with all targets irradiated simultaneously over 30 daily fractions.

Pelvic radiation disease: Updates on treatment options.

Pelvic cancers are among the most frequently diagnosed neoplasms and radiotherapy represents one of the main treatment options. The irradiation field usually encompasses healthy intestinal tissue, especially of distal large bowel, thus inducing gastrointestinal (GI) radiation-induced toxicity. Indeed, up to half of radiation-treated patients say that their quality of life is affected by GI symptoms (e.

Unusual Thyroid Carcinoma Metastases: a Case Series and Literature Review.

The most common sites of metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer are the neck lymph nodes, while distant metastases typically involve the lungs, the bones, and less frequently the brain. Uncommon metastatic sites include the liver, adrenal gland, kidney, pancreas, and skin. The epidemiological aspects of thyroid metastases in rare sites are largely unknown and their identification could have a significant impact on patients management.

Neoadjuvant multimodal treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is increasingly multidisciplinary, with neoadjuvant strategies (chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery) administered in patients with resectable, borderline resectable, or locally advanced disease. The rational supporting this management is the achievement of both higher margin-negative resections and conversion rates into potentially resectable disease and in vivo assessment of novel therapeutics. International guidelines suggest an initial staging of the disease followed by a multidisciplinary approach, even considering the lack of a treatment approach to be considered as standard in this setting.

Radiological and clinical results following high-dose intensity-modulated radiotherapy in recurrent craniopharyngioma: A case report.

Craniopharyngiomas (CPs) are rare benign suprasellar tumors. The standard treatment for CP is complete surgical resection or partial resection followed by adjuvant radiotherapy (RT). Adjuvant RT is typically administered at a total dose of 54 Gy with 1.

Initial clinical experience with Epid-based in-vivo dosimetry for VMAT treatments of head-and-neck tumors.

We evaluated an EPID-based in-vivo dosimetry algorithm (IVD) for complex VMAT treatments in clinical routine. 19 consecutive patients with head-and-neck tumors and treated with Elekta VMAT technique using Simultaneous Integrated Boost strategy were enrolled. In-vivo tests were evaluated by means of (i) ratio R between daily in-vivo isocenter dose and planned dose and (ii) γ-analysis between EPID integral portal images in terms of percentage of points with γ-value smaller than one (γ%) and mean γ-values (γmean), using a global 3%-3 mm criteria.

Stereotactic Radiotherapy in the Treatment of Lung Metastases from Bone and Soft-tissue Sarcomas.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate local control and toxicity in a group of patients treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for lung metastases (LM) from bone and soft tissue sarcomas.

Patients And Methods: From October 2010 to July 2014, patients with LM from sarcomas not suitable for surgery were treated with daily cone-beam computed tomography-guided SBRT. The dose administered ranged from 30 to 60 Gy in 3-8 fractions.

Intensity-modulated extended-field chemoradiation plus simultaneous integrated boost in the pre-operative treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer: a dose-escalation study.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility and determine the recommended pre-operative intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) dose of extended-field chemoradiation along with simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) dose escalation.

Methods: A radiation dose of 40 Gy over 4 weeks, 2 Gy/fraction, was delivered to the tumour and the lymphatic drainage (planning target volume, PTV3), which encompassed a volume larger than standard (common iliac lymphatic area up to its apex, in front of the L3 vertebra), concurrently with chemotherapy (cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil). Radiation dose was escalated to the pelvis (PTV2) and to the macroscopic disease (PTV1) with the SIB-IMRT strategy.

Palliative electro-chemotherapy in elderly patients with vulvar cancer: A phase II trial.

Objective: The primary endpoint of this trial was to assess clinical response (cCR) of squamocellular vulvar cancer (V-SCC) in elderly patients treated with electro-chemotherapy (ECT). Secondary endpoints were symptoms relief and local tumor control.

Methods: A phase II study was designed and elderly patients with V-SCC unfit for other treatments were treated.

Robotic radiosurgery in pancreatic cancer: A systematic review.

Aim: To present a systematic review of techniques and clinical results.

Methods: A systematic review of published literature was performed. Only studies reporting patient outcome after radiosurgery (single fraction) delivered with robotic devices [i.

Results of a phase II study of Short-course Accelerated Radiation Therapy (SHARON) for multiple brain metastases.

Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of a SHort-course Accelerated RadiatiON therapy (SHARON) in the treatment of patients with multiple brain metastases.

Materials And Methods: A phase II clinical trial was designed. Eligibility criteria included patients with at least 3 brain metastases or metastatic disease in >3 organ systems, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of ≤3.

On the cutting edge of intensity modulated radiotherapy and simultaneous integrated boost (IMRT-SIB): The case of a patient with 8 brain metastases.

Background: Patients with multiple brain metastases, especially those with more than 3 lesions, usually undergo to palliative whole brain (WB) radiotherapy (RT).

Methods: A breast cancer patient with 8 brain metastases was treated on the brain by a radical RT regimen. Prescription doses were according to the simultaneous integrated boost-intensity modulated radiation therapy (SIB-IMRT) technique with all lesions as well brain irradiated simultaneously in 20 daily fractions.