ArthroRad trial: randomized multicenter single-blinded trial on the effect of low-dose radiotherapy for painful osteoarthritis-final results after 12-month follow-up.

Objective: Updated report about the randomized comparison of the effect of radiotherapy on painful osteoarthritis (OA) applying a standard dose vs. a very low dose regime after a follow-up of 1 year.

Patients And Methods: Patients presenting with OA of the hand/finger and knee joints were included.

Integration of radiation oncology teaching in medical studies by German medical faculties due to the new licensing regulations : An overview and recommendations of the consortium academic radiation oncology of the German Society for Radiation Oncology (DEGRO).

The new Medical Licensing Regulations 2025 (Ärztliche Approbationsordnung, ÄApprO) will soon be passed by the Federal Council (Bundesrat) and will be implemented step by step by the individual faculties in the coming months. The further development of medical studies essentially involves an orientation from fact-based to competence-based learning and focuses on practical, longitudinal and interdisciplinary training. Radiation oncology and radiation therapy are important components of therapeutic oncology and are of great importance for public health, both clinically and epidemiologically, and therefore should be given appropriate attention in medical education.

ArthroRad trial: multicentric prospective and randomized single-blinded trial on the effect of low-dose radiotherapy for painful osteoarthritis depending on the dose-results after 3 months' follow-up.

Purpose: Randomized comparison of the effect of radiotherapy on painful osteoarthritis (OA) applying a standard-dose vs. a very-low-dose regime PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with OA of the hand and knee joints were included. Further inclusion criteria: symptoms for more than 3 months, favorable general health status, age above 40 years.

New clinical and biological insights from the international TARGIT-A randomised trial of targeted intraoperative radiotherapy during lumpectomy for breast cancer.

Background: The TARGIT-A trial reported risk-adapted targeted intraoperative radiotherapy (TARGIT-IORT) during lumpectomy for breast cancer to be as effective as whole-breast external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). Here, we present further detailed analyses.

Methods: In total, 2298 women (≥45 years, invasive ductal carcinoma ≤3.

Long term survival and local control outcomes from single dose targeted intraoperative radiotherapy during lumpectomy (TARGIT-IORT) for early breast cancer: TARGIT-A randomised clinical trial.

Objective: To determine whether risk adapted intraoperative radiotherapy, delivered as a single dose during lumpectomy, can effectively replace postoperative whole breast external beam radiotherapy for early breast cancer.

Design: Prospective, open label, randomised controlled clinical trial.

Setting: 32 centres in 10 countries in the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, the United States, and Canada.

Effect of Delayed Targeted Intraoperative Radiotherapy vs Whole-Breast Radiotherapy on Local Recurrence and Survival: Long-term Results From the TARGIT-A Randomized Clinical Trial in Early Breast Cancer.

Importance: Conventional adjuvant radiotherapy for breast cancer given daily for several weeks is onerous and expensive. Some patients may be obliged to choose a mastectomy instead, and some may forgo radiotherapy altogether. We proposed a clinical trial to test whether radiotherapy could be safely limited to the tumor bed.

[Radiotherapy after tumour prostheses-status, indication, coordination].

Background: Patients with complex tumour prostheses often require radiotherapy or radiochemotherapy.

Objectives: Possible tumour diagnoses, indications, planning and therapy procedures, and prognosis of radiotherapy in the context of an interdisciplinary treatment for bone sarcomas are reviewed, including interactions of metal prostheses with radiation and possible subsequent complications.

Methods: Literature search, summary of personal experience.

Should I Stay or Should I Go? A Prospective, Blinded Study Comparing the Diagnostic Capability of Dynamic and Stationary Pedobarography in Plantar Fasciitis.

The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic capability of a dynamic gait analysis insole and compare its ability to detect clinical correlations to a common stationary analysis tool. Twenty-five patients with chronic plantar fasciitis were included in this prospective, blinded, diagnostic study. Conventional, stationary gait analysis on a force plate on an even surface and continuous dynamic pedobarography on a standardized course consisting of different gait tasks were performed and correlated to the disease severity.

Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) of the head and neck: retrospective analysis of 81 patients.

The treatment of patients with cervical lymph node metastases without detectable primary tumor remains an important challenge, until today, no standard therapy is available. The present study investigated the multimodal treatment of patients with head and neck CUP syndrome (HNCUP) and their follow-up retrospectively. 81 patients with cervical lymph node metastases without a primary tumor were treated at the Departments of Otorhinolaryngology as well as Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology at the University of Saarland in Homburg, Germany in the period between 1991 and 2013.

Radiotherapy of painful heel spur with two fractionation regimens : Results of a randomized multicenter trial after 48 weeks' follow-up.

Background: In this randomized multicenter trial, we compared the effect of a lower single dose of 0.5 Gy vs. a standard single dose of 1 Gy concerning pain relief and quality of life, while maintaining a uniform total dose of 6 Gy.

Initial evidence for Sec62 as a prognostic marker in advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a malignancy with an increasing incidence. To aid with the selection of the most appropriate therapy, biomarkers have become a specific research focus. Sec62 is involved in endoplasmic reticulum stress tolerance and cell migration, and has been identified as a novel prognostic marker for non-small cell lung cancer.

Set-up errors and planning margins in planar and CBCT image-guided radiotherapy using three different imaging systems: A clinical study for prostate and head-and-neck cancer.

Purpose: The purpose of this work is to compare the positioning accuracy achieved by three different imaging techniques and planar vs. CBCT imaging for two common IGRT indications.

Methods: A collective of prostate cancer and head-and-neck cancer patients treated at our institution during the year 2013 was retrospectively analyzed.

Randomized multicenter follow-up trial on the effect of radiotherapy on painful heel spur (plantar fasciitis) comparing two fractionation schedules with uniform total dose: first results after three months' follow-up.

Background: Our first trial on radiotherapy for painful heel spur published in 2012 comparing the analgesic effect of a standard dose (6 × 1.0 Gy within three weeks) to that of a very low one (6 × 0.1 Gy within three weeks) resulted in a highly significant superiority of the standard dose arm.

Customized individual applicators for endocavitary brachytherapy in patients with cancers of the nasal cavity, sinonasal region and nasopharynx.

Brachytherapy has become an established therapeutic regimen for primary, persistent, recurrent and metastatic tumour disease in the head and neck region. This study presents the authors' preliminary experience with intracavitary brachytherapy by means of an individual silicone applicator in the treatment of patients with nasal, sinonasal, orbital and nasopharyngeal cancer. Between January 2001 and January 2013, twenty patients with cancer of the nasal cavity, the paranasal sinuses and nasopharynx underwent surgery and intracavitary brachytherapy with the aid of an individually manufactured silicone applicator in the Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery and in the Department of Radiotherapy and Radiooncology at the Saarland University Medical Center of Homburg, Germany.

DEGRO guidelines for the radiotherapy of non-malignant disorders : part III: hyperproliferative disorders.

Background And Purpose: Radiation therapy (RT) is an established and effective treatment modality in the management of a large variety of hyperproliferative disorders and benign neoplasms. Objective of this article is to summarize the updated DEGRO consensus S2e guideline recommendations.

Materials And Methods: This report comprises an overview of the relevant aspects of the updated guidelines with regard to treatment decision, dose prescription, and RT technique for a selected group of disorders including Morbus Dupuytren (MD)/Morbus Ledderhose (ML), keloids, Peyronie's disease (induratio penis plastica, IPP), desmoid tumors, pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS), symptomatic vertebral hemangiomas (sVH), and Gorham-Stout syndrome (GSS).

Randomized multicenter follow-up trial on the effect of radiotherapy for plantar fasciitis (painful heels spur) depending on dose and fractionation - a study protocol.

Background: An actual clinical trial showed the effect of low dose radiotherapy in painful heel spur (plantar fasciitis) with single doses of 1.0 Gy and total doses of 6.0 Gy applied twice weekly.

DEGRO guidelines for the radiotherapy of non-malignant disorders. Part II: Painful degenerative skeletal disorders.

Background And Purpose: The purpose of this article is to summarize the updated DEGRO consensus S2e guideline recommendations for the treatment of benign painful degenerative skeletal disorders with low-dose radiotherapy.

Materials And Methods: This overview reports on the role of low-dose radiotherapy in the treatment of enthesiopathies (shoulder syndrome, trochanteric bursitis, plantar fasciitis, and elbow syndrome) and painful arthrosis (knee, hip, hand, and finger joints). The most relevant aspects of the DEGRO S2e Consensus Guideline Radiation Therapy of Benign Diseases 2014 regarding diagnostics, treatment decision, dose prescription as well as performance of radiotherapy and results are summarized.

Dental status, dental treatment procedures and radiotherapy as risk factors for infected osteoradionecrosis (IORN) in patients with oral cancer - a comparison of two 10 years' observation periods.

Objectives: Dental status, dental treatment procedures and radiotherapy dosage as potential risk factors for an infected osteoradionecrosis (IORN) in patients with oral cancers: Retrospective evaluation of 204 patients treated in two observation periods of approximately ten years each.

Patients And Methods: In group A, 90 patients were treated in the years 1993-2003, in group B 114 patients in the years 1983-1992 (data in brackets). All patients had histopathologically proven squamous cell cancers, mainly UICC stages III and IV.

Multidisciplinary treatment of desmoid tumours in Gardner's syndrome due to a large interstitial deletion of chromosome 5q.

Background And Aims: Classic autosomal-dominant familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is clinically defined by the development of hundreds to thousands of colorectal adenomas beginning in childhood and adolescence. A variant of FAP characterized by polyposis in combination with osteomas or soft tissue tumours is called Gardner's syndrome. FAP is caused by germline inactivation of the APC (adenomatous polyposis coli) tumour-suppressor gene located on the long arm of chromosome 5 (5q21-5q22).

Dental status, dental rehabilitation procedures, demographic and oncological data as potential risk factors for infected osteoradionecrosis of the lower jaw after radiotherapy for oral neoplasms: a retrospective evaluation.

Purpose: Retrospective evaluation of the dental status of patients with oral cancer before radiotherapy, the extent of dental rehabilitation procedures, demographic and radiotherapy data as potential risk factors for development of infected osteoradionecrosis of the lower jaw.

Methods: A total of 90 patients who had undergone radiotherapy for oral cancer were included into this retrospective evaluation. None of them had distant metastases.

A disease-specific enteral nutrition formula improves nutritional status and functional performance in patients with head and neck and esophageal cancer undergoing chemoradiotherapy: results of a randomized, controlled, multicenter trial.

Background: In patients with head and neck and esophageal tumors, nutritional status may deteriorate during concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT). The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of enteral nutrition enriched with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on body composition and nutritional and functional status.

Methods: In a controlled, randomized, prospective, double-blind, multicenter study, 111 patients with head and neck and esophageal cancer undergoing concurrent CRT received either an enteral standard nutrition (control group) or disease-specific enteral nutrition Supportan®-containing EPA+DHA (experimental group) via percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy.