Interstitial HDR brachytherapy for anal cancer-results and quality of life.

Purpose: While anal cancer is a very rare oncological diagnosis representing less than 2% of lower gastrointestinal tract cancers, the incidence has doubled in the past 20 years. Radical radiochemotherapy with sequential or simultaneous boost is now the standard treatment modality. Interstitial HDR brachytherapy is one of the boost application options.

Total neoadjuvant therapy in rectal cancer: the evidence and expectations.

Current management of locally advanced rectal cancer achieves high cure rates, distant metastatic spread being the main cause of patients' death. Total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) employs (chemo)radiotherapy and combined chemotherapy prior to surgery to improve the treatment outcomes. TNT has been shown to reduce significantly distant metastases, increase disease-free survival by 5 - 10% in 3 years, and finally also overall survival (≈ 5% in 7 years).

Impact of comorbidity scores and lifestyle factors in curative radiotherapy in laryngeal cancer.

Purpose: The principal goal of treatment of laryngeal cancer is to eliminate a tumour while preserving laryngeal function with radio(chemo)therapy being the mainstay of treatment. The aim of this report is to present the influence of comorbidities and lifestyle factors on treatment outcomes in our cohort of patients.

Methods: During the period 2009-2018, curative radio(chemo)therapy for laryngeal cancer was performed on 189 patients.

Use of positron emission tomography/ computed tomography in the initial staging of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: Accuracy in evaluation of the primary site of the tumor, metastases to cervical lymph nodes, and distant metastases.

Aim: Our study aimed to evaluate the use of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in the initial staging of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), including assessment of local and distant spread of the disease. We also aimed to compare the accuracy of PET/CT in the evaluation of human papillomavirus (HPV) positive and HPV-negative oropharyngeal carcinoma.

Material And Methods: This single-center, prospective study was conducted between August 2016 and September 2021.

Tumour volume and radiotherapy prolongation in locally advanced head and neck cancer patients treated with radical IMRT.

Aims: The relationship of tumour volume, radiotherapy treatment time and other prognostic factors affecting prognosis was evaluated.

Methods: 184 patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer were treated with radical intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and compared retrospectively.

Results: In the multivariate analysis the overall survival was dependent on gross tumour volume (GTV), clinical stage (CS), radiotherapy treatment time (RTT) and p16 status.

Determining priority risk groups for compensation of treatment breaks in radical radiotherapy in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer.

Purpose: Prolongation of radiotherapy worsens the results of treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The purpose of this study was to identify the prognostic factors most affected by the prolongation of treatment.

Methods: 184 patients with locally advanced HNSCC were treated with curative chemo-radiation using SIB-IMRT from 2008 to 2016 and the influence of radiotherapy time (RTT) in groups of patients according to prognostic factors was retrospectively evaluated.

Radiotherapy dose limit for uterus fertility sparing in curative chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer.

Aims: Curative sphincter sparing radiotherapy is a treatment option for early rectal cancer. There are many methods developed for fertility preservation in young patients treated with pelvic radiotherapy. Pregnancy rates after radiotherapy are dependent on the radiation dose to ovaries and uterus.

A new survival score for patients with brain metastases who received whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) alone.

Background And Purpose: Survival scores for patients with brain metastasis exist. However, the treatment regimens used to create these scores were heterogeneous. This study aimed to develop and validate a survival score in homogeneously treated patients.

Effectiveness of transoral laser microsurgery for precancerous lesions and early glottic cancer guided by analysis of voice quality.

Background: The purpose of this study was to show our comparison of the quality of voice obtained after superficial transoral endoscopic cordectomies (types I, II, and III) according to the European Laryngological Society classification versus the more extended cordectomy (types IV and V) among patients with glottic precancerous lesions or early glottic cancer.

Methods: Sixty-two patients underwent vocal assessment after cordectomy (types I-V) for dysplasia, Tis, T1a, T1b, and T2 lesions.

Results: Cordectomy (types I-III) had good vocal outcomes.

Dose-escalation of whole-brain radiotherapy for brain metastasis in patients with a favorable survival prognosis.

Background: Patients with brain metastases who have a favorable survival prognosis may benefit from intensive treatments, including neurosurgery and radiosurgery. However, many patients cannot receive such treatments, and whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) alone is their only option. The most common WBRT schedule is 30 grays (Gy) in 10 fractions.

Shorter-course whole-brain radiotherapy for brain metastases in elderly patients.

Purpose: Many patients with brain metastases receive whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) alone. Using 10 × 3 Gy in 2 weeks is the standard regimen in most centers. Regarding the extraordinarily poor survival prognosis of elderly patients with multiple brain metastases, a shorter WBRT regimen would be preferable.

Scoring systems to estimate intracerebral control and survival rates of patients irradiated for brain metastases.

Purpose: To create and validate scoring systems for intracerebral control (IC) and overall survival (OS) of patients irradiated for brain metastases.

Methods And Materials: In this study, 1,797 patients were randomly assigned to the test (n = 1,198) or the validation group (n = 599). Two scoring systems were developed, one for IC and another for OS.

Short-course whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) for brain metastases due to small-cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Objective: Many patients with brain metastases due to SCLC have a poor survival prognosis. The most common treatment is whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT). This retrospective study compares short-course WBRT with 5x4Gy in 1 week to standard WBRT with 10x3Gy in 2 weeks.

The International Testicular Cancer Linkage Consortium: a clinicopathologic descriptive analysis of 461 familial malignant testicular germ cell tumor kindred.

Objectives: Familial aggregation of testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT) has been reported, but it is unclear if familial TGCT represents a unique entity with distinct clinicopathologic characteristics. Here we describe a collection of familial TGCT cases from an international consortium, in an effort to elucidate any clinical characteristics that are specific to this population.

Materials And Methods: Families with >or=2 cases of TGCT enrolled at 18 of the sites participating in the International Testicular Cancer Linkage Consortium were included.

Surgical resection followed by whole brain radiotherapy versus whole brain radiotherapy alone for single brain metastasis.

Purpose: To compare the outcome of surgical resection followed by whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) with WBRT alone in patients treated for single brain metastasis.

Methods And Materials: The data from 195 patients with single brain metastases were retrospectively evaluated. Of the 195 patients, 99 underwent resection of the metastasis followed by WBRT and 96 underwent WBRT alone.

Comparison of short-course versus long-course whole-brain radiotherapy in the treatment of brain metastases.

Background And Purpose: Whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) is the most common treatment for brain metastases. Most of these patients have a poor survival prognosis. Therefore, a short radiation program is preferred, if it provides a similar outcome as longer programs.

Analysis of the DND1 gene in men with sporadic and familial testicular germ cell tumors.

A base substitution in the mouse Dnd1 gene resulting in a truncated Dnd protein has been shown to be responsible for germ cell loss and the development of testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) in the 129 strain of mice. We investigated the human orthologue of this gene in 263 patients (165 with a family history of TGCT and 98 without) and found a rare heterozygous variant, p. Glu86Ala, in a single case.

Whole-brain radiotherapy with 20 Gy in 5 fractions for brain metastases in patients with cancer of unknown primary (CUP).

Background: Whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) is the most common treatment for brain metastases. Survival of patients with cancer of unknown primary (CUP) presenting with brain metastases is extremely poor. A radiation program with a short overall treatment time (short-course RT) would be preferable to longer programs if it provides similar outcomes.

Evaluation of 2 whole-brain radiotherapy schedules and prognostic factors for brain metastases in breast cancer patients.

Background: The majority of breast cancer patients with brain metastases receive whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) and have a survival of only a few months. A short WBRT regimen would be preferable if it provides survival that is similar to that achieved with longer programs. This retrospective study compared survival and local control within the brain resulting from short-course WBRT with longer programs in 207 breast cancer patients.

Reduction of overall treatment time in patients irradiated for more than three brain metastases.

Purpose: Patients with multiple brain metastases usually receive whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT). A dose of 30 Gy in 10 fractions (10 x 3 Gy) in 2 weeks is the standard treatment in many centers. Regarding the poor survival of these patients, a shorter RT regimen would be preferable if it provides a similar outcome as that with 10 x 3 Gy.

Two radiation regimens and prognostic factors for brain metastases in nonsmall cell lung cancer patients.

Background: Nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with brain metastases usually receive whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT). Most of these patients survive for only a few months. A short course of WBRT would be preferable to longer regimens if it could provide similar survival.

Quality of life following endoscopic resection or radio-therapy for early glottic cancer.

Objective: To compare post treatment quality of life (QoL) of patients treated by radiotherapy or endoscopic transoral endolaryngeal surgery using two quality of life scoring tools.

Methods: From May 1998 to July 2005, 48 patients (11 women and 37 men) with early glottic cancer were treated with curative radiotherapy (18 patients) or laser cordectomy (30 patients), and retrospectively evaluated using QoL questionnaires; European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) - EORTC-QoL Core Questionnaire (QLQ-C30 version 2.0) and organ specific EORTC - QLQ, Head and Neck Module (QLQ-H&N35) at the University Hospital Motol, Czech Republic.

The role of FDG-PET/CT in the detection of recurrent colorectal cancer.

Purpose: The conventional diagnostic techniques used to assess recurrence of colorectal cancer (CRCR) often yield unspecific findings. Integrated FDG-PET/CT seems to offer promise for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant lesions. The aim of this study was to compare the value of FDG-PET and PET/CT in the detection of CRCR subsequent to colonic resection or rectal amputation.