Proton beam stereotactic body radiotherapy and hypofractionated therapy with pencil beam scanning is safe and effective for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: A single center experience.

Background: Proton beam therapy (PBT) is a non-surgical treatment that spares adjacent tissues compared to photon radiation and useful for Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA). We present a single center experience in HCC and iCCA treated with Pencil Beam Scanning (PBS) PBT.

Methods: Forty-four consecutive patients (22 patients in each group) receiving PBT were included and reviewed.

From Beaming Cancer to Beaming Parent: Paternity Leave Experiences in Radiation Oncology.

Purpose: Although supported by most men and women, paternity leave is heavily underused across industries owing in part to external pressures and inconsistent availability. The goal of this study was to assess the use of paternity leave in radiation oncology (RO) practices and identify any associated barriers.

Methods And Materials: A 36-item survey was distributed via e-mail to 536 male domestic RO attending and resident physicians.

A rare cause of esophagopleural fistula due to intensity-modulated proton therapy: a case report and review of literature.

Esophagopleural fistula (EPF), initially described in 1960, is an abnormal communication between the esophagus and the pleural cavity which can occur due to congenital malformation or acquired due to malignancy or iatrogenic treatment. The most common presenting symptoms are of a respiratory infection, such as fever, chest tenderness, cough and imaging findings consistent with pleural fluid consolidation. In this report, we present a 59-year-old man who exhibited shortness of breath, productive cough, and significant weight loss for 2 weeks.

High-risk, recurrent and oligometastatic prostate cancer: recent developments on the role of radiation.

Purpose Of Review: Although a standard of care in the treatment of organ-confined prostate cancer, use of radiation for treatment in the high-risk, metastatic and salvage settings is evolving rapidly.

Recent Findings: Recent clinical trials have explored the role of increased treatment for high-risk disease with the addition of adjuvant chemotherapy and expanded the role of radiation in settings previously reserved for systemic therapy. Addition of adjuvant chemotherapy for high-risk prostate cancer is controversial and recent evidence is discussed that continues to refine the patient population for further evaluation.

Proton Beam Therapy in Liver Malignancies.

Purpose Of Review: Proton beam therapy (PBT) allows for improved sparing of surrounding normal tissues compared with X-ray-based radiation therapy. This is especially important in the setting of liver malignancies, where an increase in integral dose leads to a higher risk of radiation-induced liver disease (RILD) as well as close proximity to vital gastrointestinal (GI) organs.

Recent Findings: We have data from multiple centers demonstrating that PBT can safely deliver high, ablative doses of radiation therapy conferring excellent local control with good tolerance of treatment.

The Utility of PET/Computed Tomography for Radiation Oncology Planning, Surveillance, and Prognosis Prediction of Gastrointestinal Tumors.

At present, the strongest evidence for the use of PET/computed tomography (CT) in gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies is to rule out distant metastatic disease at diagnosis, radiation treatment planning for anal malignancies, and disease recurrence monitoring in colorectal and anal malignancies. Use of PET/CT for GI malignancies continues to evolve over time, with new studies evaluating prognostic abilities of PET/CT and with increasing sensitivity and spatial resolution of more modern PET/CT scanners. The authors encourage future applications and prospective evaluation of the use of PET/CT in the staging, prognostication, and recurrence prediction for GI malignancies.