Radiotherapy for painful shoulder syndrome: a retrospective evaluation.

Purpose: We evaluated the efficacy of low-dose radiotherapy for painful shoulder syndrome from an orthopedic perspective.

Methods: Patients with painful shoulder syndrome were recruited for this retrospective clinical quality assessment from January 2011 to December 2017. Patients were treated with a linear accelerator or an orthovoltage device at individual doses of 0.

Radiotherapy for painful benign skeletal disorders : Results of a retrospective clinical quality assessment.

Purpose: The aim of this retrospective clinical quality assessment was to evaluate the efficacy of low-dose radiotherapy (RT) for painful benign skeletal disorders.

Methods: Patients with different painful benign skeletal disorders (arthrosis and enthesopathies) were recruited for this retrospective clinical quality assessment between January 2014 and December 2015. RT was applied with a linear accelerator.

Basics of Radiation Biology When Treating Hyperproliferative Benign Diseases.

For decades, low- and moderate-dose radiation therapy (RT) has been shown to exert a beneficial therapeutic effect in a multitude of non-malignant conditions including painful degenerative muscoloskeletal and hyperproliferative disorders. Dupuytren and Ledderhose diseases are benign fibroproliferative diseases of the hand/foot with fibrotic nodules and fascial cords, which determine debilitating contractures and deformities of fingers/toes, while keloids are exuberant scar formations following burn damage, surgery, and trauma. Although RT has become an established and effective option in the management of these diseases, experimental studies to illustrate cellular composites and factors involved remain to be elucidated.

Low-Dose Radiation Therapy for Benign Painful Skeletal Disorders: The Typical Treatment for the Elderly Patient?

Purpose: To prospectively evaluate the short-term and long-term efficacy of low-dose radiation therapy (RT) for calcaneodynia, achillodynia, painful gonarthrosis, and painful bursitis trochanterica in elderly patients aged ≥70 years.

Methods And Materials: Between October 2011 and October 2013, patients aged ≥70 years with painful degenerative disorders of joints were recruited for a prospective trial. Single doses of 0.

Radiotherapy for non-malignant disorders: state of the art and update of the evidence-based practice guidelines.

Every year in Germany about 50,000 patients are referred and treated by radiotherapy (RT) for "non-malignant disorders". This highly successful treatment is applied only for specific indications such as preservation or recovery of the quality of life by means of pain reduction or resolution and/or an improvement of formerly impaired physical body function owing to specific disease-related symptoms. Since 1995, German radiation oncologists have treated non-malignant disorders according to national consensus guidelines; these guidelines were updated and further developed over 3 years by implementation of a systematic consensus process to achieve national upgraded and accepted S2e clinical practice guidelines.

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).

Radiotherapy is effective for desmoid tumors (aggressive fibromatosis) - long-term results of a German multicenter study.

Background: Desmoids (aggressive fibromatosis) are defined as benign neoplasms of the connective tissue that arise from the deep muscle fascia, aponeurosis, tendons, and scar tissue. Recurrence rates between 40 and 80% were reported after surgery alone. We addressed the impact of radiation therapy (RT) in the management of aggressive fibromatosis.

[Possibilities and perspectives of quality management in radiation oncology].

The medical discipline radiation oncology and radiation therapy (treatment with ionizing radiation) has developed rapidly in the last decade due to new technologies (imaging, computer technology, software, organization) and is one of the most important pillars of tumor therapy. Structure and process quality play a decisive role in the quality of outcome results (therapy success, tumor response, avoidance of side effects) in this field. Since 2007 all institutions in the health and social system are committed to introduce and continuously develop a quality management (QM) system.

Immunomodulatory properties and molecular effects in inflammatory diseases of low-dose x-irradiation.

Inflammatory diseases are the result of complex and pathologically unbalanced multicellular interactions. For decades, low-dose X-irradiation therapy (LD-RT) has been clinically documented to exert an anti-inflammatory effect on benign diseases and chronic degenerative disorders. By contrast, experimental studies to confirm the effectiveness and to reveal underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms are still at their early stages.

Randomized, multicenter trial on the effect of radiation therapy on plantar fasciitis (painful heel spur) comparing a standard dose with a very low dose: mature results after 12 months' follow-up.

Purpose: To conduct a randomized trial of radiation therapy for painful heel spur, comparing a standard dose with a very low dose.

Methods And Materials: Sixty-six patients were randomized to receive radiation therapy either with a total dose of 6.0 Gy applied in 6 fractions of 1.

Radiotherapy for giant cell tumors of the bone: a safe and effective treatment modality.

Background: Giant cell tumor of the bone (GCTB) is a benign or sometimes semi-malignant neoplasm accounting for 5% of all primary bone tumors. This type of tumor has been historically considered as radioresistant, but nowadays radiotherapy (RT) is used in unresectable, recurrent or incompletely resected cases. Since the value of RT is not well defined, a national cohort study was conducted.

Radiation therapy for Gorham-Stout syndrome: results of a national patterns-of-care study and literature review.

Purpose: The German Cooperative Group on Radiotherapy for Benign Diseases conducted a national patterns-of-care study to investigate the value of radiation therapy (RT) in the management of Gorham-Stout syndrome.

Methods And Materials: In 2009 a structured questionnaire was circulated to 230 German RT institutions to assess information about the number of patients, the RT indication and technique, and the target volume definition, as well as accompanying treatments, outcome data, and early or late radiation toxicity.

Results: In November 2009 responses were available from 197 departments (85.

[The role of external beam radiation therapy in the adjuvant treatment of pigmented villonodular synovitis].

Aim: Pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) is a rare proliferative disorder arising from synovial cells of the tendon sheets and joint capsules. The potential value of external beam radiation therapy in the interdisciplinary management of PVNS is demonstrated by a comprehensive literature review on the clinical use of radiotherapy and the results of national patterns of care study (PCS) which was conducted by the German Cooperative Group on Radiotherapy in Benign Diseases (GCG-BD) in 2008-2009.

Material And Method: A structured questionnaire was mailed to all 227 RT institutions in Germany to assess all previous treatments, the RT indication and techniques, the rate of local control, the functional outcome and the possible adverse effects related to the use of external beam radiation therapy (RT).

[The significance of radiation therapy for symptomatic vertebral hemangiomas (SVH)].

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of radiation therapy (RT) for symptomatic vertebral hemangioma (SVH).

Material And Methods: Based on the Registry for Rare Benign Disorders (RRBD) of the German Cooperative Group on Radiation Therapy for Benign Diseases (GCG-BD), the clinical information, treatment plans and outcome data from seven cooperating German RT institutions were analyzed retrospectively.

Results: Over a period of 39 years (1969-2008), a total of 84 patients with 96 symptomatic lesions underwent RT.

Radiation therapy for treatment of pigmented villonodular synovitis: results of a national patterns of care study.

Purpose: The German Cooperative Group on Radiotherapy in Benign Diseases (GCG-BD) conducted a pattern-of-care study (PCS) to analyze the radiation therapy (RT) practice for pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS).

Methods And Materials: In 2007, a structured questionnaire to assess the number of patients, the pretreatments, the RT indication, technique, target volume concepts, outcome data, and possible early or late toxicity was circulated to 227 institutions.

Results: Until August 2008, a response was available from 189 institutions (83.

[Radiotherapy in painful gonarthrosis. Results of a national patterns-of-care study].

Background And Purpose: After a patterns-of-care study (PCS) in 2003/2004 addressing benign disorders in general, the German Cooperative Group on Radiotherapy for Benign Diseases (GCG-BD) conducted several multicenter cohort studies including the use of radiotherapy (RT) in painful gonarthrosis (GNA).

Material And Methods: From 2006 to 2008, a PCS for GNA was conducted in all German RT institutions using a standardized structured questionnaire. Patient accrual, patient number, pretreatment, pain record, treatment indications, RT technique, and target volume concepts for painful GNA were assessed.

Radiotherapy for symptomatic vertebral hemangiomas: results of a multicenter study and literature review.

Purpose: The current study analyzes the potential role of radiotherapy (RT) in symptomatic vertebral hemangioma (SVH).

Methods And Materials: Seven cooperating German institutions collected clinical information, treatment plans, and outcome data for all patients with SVH referred for local RT.

Results: From 1969 to 2008, a total of 84 patients with 96 symptomatic lesions were irradiated for SVH.

Randomized multicenter trial on the effect of radiotherapy for plantar Fasciitis (painful heel spur) using very low doses--a study protocol.

Background: A lot of retrospective data concerning the effect of radiotherapy on the painful heel spur (plantar fasciitis) is available in the literature. Nevertheless, a randomized proof of this effect is still missing. Thus, the GCGBD (German cooperative group on radiotherapy for benign diseases) of the DEGRO (German Society for Radiation Oncology) decided to start a randomized multicenter trial in order to find out if the effect of a conventional total dose is superior compared to that of a very low dose.