Tech Innov Patient Support Radiat Oncol
March 2023
The implementation of MRI-guided online adaptive radiotherapy has enabled extension of therapeutic radiographers' roles to include contouring. An offline interobserver variability study compared five radiographers' and five clinicians' contours on 10 MRIs acquired on a MR-Linac from 10 patients. All contours were compared to a "gold standard" created from an average of clinicians' contours.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Purpose: The implementation of MRI-guided online adaptive radiotherapy has facilitated the extension of therapeutic radiographers' roles to include contouring, thus releasing the clinician from attending daily treatment. Following undergoing a specifically designed training programme, an online interobserver variability study was performed.
Materials And Methods: 117 images from six patients treated on a MR Linac were contoured online by either radiographer or clinician and the same images contoured offline by the alternate profession.
Introduction: The diagnostic pathway for lung cancer can be long. Availability of front-line targeted therapies for NSCLC demands access to good quality tissue for genomic sequencing and rapid reporting of results. Diagnosis of lung cancer and availability of tissue was delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To report a planned analysis of the efficacy and toxicity of dose escalation to the intraprostatic dominant nodule identified on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging using standard and hypofractionated external beam radiation therapy.
Methods And Materials: DELINEATE is a single centre prospective phase 2 multicohort study including standard (cohort A: 74 Gy in 37 fractions) and moderately hypofractionated (cohort B: 60 Gy in 20 fractions) prostate image guided intensity modulated radiation therapy in patients with National Comprehensive Cancer Network intermediate- and high-risk disease. Patients received an integrated boost of 82 Gy (cohort A) and 67 Gy (cohort B) to lesions visible on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging.
Objectives: Vitamin supplementation reduces pemetrexed toxicity. Raised plasma homocysteine reflects deficiency in vitamin B12 and folate, and is suppressed by supplementation. This observational study of 112 patients receiving pemetrexed-based chemotherapy assessed homocysteine levels after 3 weeks of vitamin supplementation, hypothesising high levels would correlate with ongoing deficiency, thus increased toxicity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: In non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, to establish whether the fractional volumes of irradiated anatomic or perfused lung differed between those with and without deteriorating lung function or radiation associated lung injury (RALI).
Methods: 48 patients undergoing radical radiotherapy for NSCLC had a radiotherapy-planning CT scan and single photon emission CT lung perfusion imaging (Tc-labelled macroaggregate albumin). CT defined the anatomic and the single photon emission CT scan (co-registered with CT) identified the perfused (threshold 20 % of maximum) lung volumes.
In the United Kingdom, current screening guidelines for TP53 germline mutation carriers solely recommends annual breast MRI, despite the wide spectrum of malignancies typically seen in this group. This study sought to investigate the role of one-off non-contrast whole-body MRI (WB MRI) in the screening of asymptomatic TP53 mutation carriers. 44 TP53 mutation carriers and 44 population controls were recruited.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Erlotinib is active in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC) particularly in patients with EGFR-sensitizing mutations. The thymidylate synthase inhibitors are active in NSCLC, but capecitabine is not well studied. This study explored the safety and activity of this oral combination.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Hyponatraemia is a common finding in patients with cancer, and has been shown to be associated with poor prognosis in different settings. We have analysed the impact of severe hyponatraemia in patients with cancer.
Methods: A retrospective review of all patients admitted to a specialist cancer hospital with a plasma sodium of less than 115 mmol/l and a diagnosis of malignancy was undertaken.
Background: Malignant mesothelioma (MM) carries a poor prognosis and response rates to palliative chemotherapy remain low. Identifying patients with MM that are unlikely to respond to chemotherapy could prevent futile treatments and improve patient quality of life. Studies have suggested that soluble mesothelin is a potential biomarker for early diagnosis and prognosis of MM.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe examined the accuracy and acceptability of a home telemonitoring system for patients receiving chemotherapy. Patients undergoing two cycles of chemotherapy (over six weeks) used the telemonitoring system to analyse their own blood (capillary) and to enter symptom and temperature data. The blood results obtained from self-testing were compared with those from a venous blood sample analysed in the hospital laboratory analyser (the gold standard).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Diethylstilbestrol (DES) was the first hormone treatment used for prostate cancer and has also shown effectiveness in castration-resistant disease in small studies; however, concerns over thromboembolic toxicity have restricted its use in the past. Over 200 elderly men with castration-resistant prostate cancer were treated with 1-3 mg of DES, given with 75 mg aspirin and breast bud irradiation. Almost 30% of men showed a significant PSA response and the median time to PSA progression was 4.
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