Transient Enlargement in Meningiomas Treated with Stereotactic Radiotherapy.

To investigate the occurrence of pseudoprogression/transient enlargement in meningiomas after stereotactic radiotherapy (RT) and to evaluate recently proposed volumetric RANO meningioma criteria for response assessment in the context of RT. Sixty-nine meningiomas (benign: 90%, atypical: 10%) received stereotactic RT from January 2005-May 2018. A total of 468 MRI studies were segmented longitudinally during a median follow-up of 42.

Induction chemoimmunotherapy followed by CD8+ immune cell-based patient selection for chemotherapy-free radioimmunotherapy in locally advanced head and neck cancer.

Purpose: The first aim of the trial is to study feasibility of combined programmed death protein ligand 1/cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 inhibition concomitant to radiotherapy. In addition, efficacy of the entire treatment scheme consisting of induction chemoimmunotherapy followed by chemotherapy-free radioimmunotherapy (RIT) after intratumoral CD8 +immune cell-based patient selection will be analyzed.

Methods: Patients with stage III-IVB head and neck squamous cell carcinoma were eligible for this multicenter phase II trial.

Predictive Value of Multiparametric MRI for Response to Single-Cycle Induction Chemo-Immunotherapy in Locally Advanced Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Objectives: To assess the predictive value of multiparametric MRI for treatment response evaluation of induction chemo-immunotherapy in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Methods: Twenty-two patients with locally advanced, histologically confirmed head and neck squamous cell carcinoma who were enrolled in the prospective multicenter phase II CheckRad-CD8 trial were included in the current analysis. In this unplanned secondary single-center analysis, all patients who received contrast-enhanced MRI at baseline and in week 4 after single-cycle induction therapy with cisplatin/docetaxel combined with the immune checkpoint inhibitors tremelimumab and durvalumab were included.

Implementation of Double Immune Checkpoint Blockade Increases Response Rate to Induction Chemotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer.

To determine whether a single dose of double immune checkpoint blockade (induction chemoimmunotherapy (ICIT)) adds benefit to induction single-cycle platinum doublet (induction chemotherapy (IC)) in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), patients treated with cisplatin 30 mg/m d1-3 and docetaxel 75 mg/m d1 combined with durvalumab 1500 mg fixed dose d5 and tremelimumab 75 mg fixed dose d5 (ICIT) within the CheckRad-CD8 trial were compared with a retrospective cohort receiving the same chemotherapy (IC) without immunotherapy. The endpoint of this analysis was the complete response rate (CR). A total of 53 patients were treated with ICIT and 104 patients with IC only.

Questionnaire-based detection of immune-related adverse events in cancer patients treated with PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have become standard treatment in different tumor entities. However, safe treatment with ICI targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis requires early detection of immune-related adverse events (irAE). There exist different questionnaires of drug manufacturers for the detection of irAE that have not been validated so far.

Differences in and Prognostic Value of Quality of Life Data in Rectal Cancer Patients with and without Distant Metastases.

(1) Background: Individualization of treatment is a major challenge in oncology and requires a variety of predictive and prognostic parameters. In addition to tumor biology analyses, baseline health-related quality of life might be a valid tool to predict overall survival. This study was conducted to evaluate the prognostic relevance of baseline quality of life data in patients with rectal cancer.

Prospective Evaluation of All-lesion Versus Single-lesion Radiotherapy in Combination With PD-1/PD-L1 Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors.

Background: Local ablative treatments improve survival in patients with oligometastatic disease in addition to chemotherapy. The application of immune checkpoint inhibitors prolonged patients' survival in different tumor entities. This raises the question if patients still benefit from intensified local treatments in combination with a more efficient systemic treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Prospective evaluation of the prognostic value of immune-related adverse events in patients with non-melanoma solid tumour treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors alone and in combination with radiotherapy.

Background: Prospective data about the prognostic value of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in non-melanoma solid tumours are rare. The prognostic value of irAEs in patients treated with combined radiotherapy and immunotherapy is currently unknown.

Patients And Methods: The prospective non-interventional ST-ICI trial investigates treatment response of tumour patients to anti-programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) immune checkpoint inhibitors alone and in combination with radiotherapy and possible predictive markers.

Safety and efficacy of single cycle induction treatment with cisplatin/docetaxel/ durvalumab/tremelimumab in locally advanced HNSCC: first results of CheckRad-CD8.

Background: To determine safety and efficacy of single cycle induction treatment with cisplatin/docetaxel and durvalumab/tremelimumab in stage III-IVB head and neck cancer.

Methods: Patients received a single cycle of cisplatin 30 mg/m² on days 1-3 and docetaxel 75 mg/m² on day 1 combined with durvalumab 1500 mg fix dose on day 5 and tremelimumab 75 mg fix dose on day 5. Patients with pathologic complete response (pCR) in the rebiopsy after induction treatment or at least 20% increase of intratumoral CD8+ cell density in the rebiopsy compared with baseline entered radioimmunotherapy with concomitant durvalumab/tremelimumab.

Deterioration of Health-Related Quality of Life Scores under Treatment Predicts Longer Survival.

Objectives: Baseline health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scores predict survival, which has already been demonstrated in various studies. However, we were interested in whether changes in baseline scores during treatment are also significant predictors of survival.

Methods And Materials: We analysed the data of 400 consecutive cancer patients receiving radiochemotherapy.

Noncurated Data Lead to Misinterpretation of Treatment Outcomes in Patients With Prostate Cancer After Salvage or Palliative Radiotherapy.

Purpose: Clinical data warehouses (cDWHs) and cancer registry databases have enabled researchers to conduct clinical analytics with structured electronic health record data. However, these secondary electronic health record sources are often limited in scope because they do not capture the clinical information needed to understand complex clinical questions. Thus, we evaluated the effect of additional curation of data.

Stereotactic radiotherapy as primary definitive or postoperative treatment of intracranial meningioma of WHO grade II and III leads to better disease control than stereotactic radiotherapy of recurrent meningioma.

The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term clinical outcome, prognostic factors and quality of life after adjuvant or definitive fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) of meningioma WHO grade II and III or at recurrence. 131 patients with 138 meningioma (64 WHO grade II, 16 WHO grade III, 58 without histology) of the skull base, falx and convexity were treated between 01/2002 and 01/2015 at the Erlangen University Hospital by fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) as primary treatment (adjuvant or definitive) and at recurrence. 53% (n = 53) lesions of patients with primary tumour received postoperative SRT and 47% (n = 47) as definitive treatment (without surgery).

Electronic Support for Retrospective Analysis in the Field of Radiation Oncology: Proof of Principle Using an Example of Fractionated Stereotactic Radiotherapy of 251 Meningioma Patients.

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to verify the possible benefit of a clinical data warehouse (DWH) for retrospective analysis in the field of radiation oncology.

Material And Methods: We manually and electronically (using DWH) evaluated demographic, radiotherapy, and outcome data from 251 meningioma patients, who were irradiated from January 2002 to January 2015 at the Department of Radiation Oncology of the Erlangen University Hospital. Furthermore, we linked the Oncology Information System (OIS) MOSAIQ to the DWH in order to gain access to irradiation data.