Randomized controlled study of pain education in patients receiving radiotherapy for painful bone metastases.

Background: Although short-course radiotherapy is an effective treatment for patients with painful bone metastases, pain is not always sufficiently controlled. We therefore investigated the additional effect of a nurse-led pain education program on pain control and quality of life (QoL).

Patients And Methods: In this multicenter study, patients with solid tumor bone metastases and a worst pain intensity of ≥5 on a 0-10 numeric rating scale (NRS) were randomized between care as usual (control-group) and care as usual plus the Pain Education Program (PEP-group).

Re-Irradiation in Patients with Recurrent Rectal Cancer is Safe and Feasible.

Background: There is no consensus yet for the best treatment regimen in patients with recurrent rectal cancer (RRC). This study aims to evaluate toxicity and oncological outcomes after re-irradiation in patients with RRC in our center. Clinical (cCR) and pathological complete response (pCR) rates and radicality were also studied.

Clinical selection strategy for and evaluation of intra-operative brachytherapy in patients with locally advanced and recurrent rectal cancer.

Background And Purpose: A radical resection of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) or recurrent rectal cancer (RRC) can be challenging. In case of increased risk of an R1 resection, intra-operative brachytherapy (IOBT) can be applied. We evaluated the clinical selection strategy for IOBT.

Addition of HER2 and CD44 to F-FDG PET-based clinico-radiomic models enhances prediction of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy response in esophageal cancer.

Objectives: To assess the complementary value of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-related biological tumor markers to clinico-radiomic models in predicting complete response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) in esophageal cancer patients.

Methods: Expression of HER2 was assessed by immunohistochemistry in pre-treatment tumor biopsies of 96 patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer. Five other potentially active HER2-related biological tumor markers in esophageal cancer were examined in a sub-analysis on 43 patients.

Reliability of clinical nodal status regarding response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy compared with surgery alone and prognosis in esophageal cancer patients.

Clinical nodal (cN) staging is a key element in treatment decisions in patients with esophageal cancer (EC). The reliability of cN status regarding the effect on response and survival after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) with esophagectomy was evaluated in determining the up- and downstaged pathological nodal (pN) status after surgery alone. From a prospective database, we included all 395 EC patients who had surgery with curative intent with or without nCRT between 2000 and 2015.

Reasons for low uptake of a psychological intervention offered to cancer survivors with elevated depressive symptoms.

Objective: In line with screening guidelines, cancer survivors were consecutively screened on depressive symptoms (as part of standard care), with those reporting elevated levels of symptoms offered psychological care as part of a trial. Because of the low uptake, no conclusions could be drawn about the interventions' efficacy. Given the trial set-up (following screening guidelines and strict methodological quality criteria), we believe that this observational study reporting the flow of participation, reasons for and characteristics associated with nonparticipation, adds to the debate about the feasibility and efficiency of screening guidelines.

Prediction of Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy with Baseline and Restaging F-FDG PET Imaging Biomarkers in Patients with Esophageal Cancer.

Purpose To assess the value of baseline and restaging fluorine 18 (F) fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) radiomics in predicting pathologic complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy (NCRT) in patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer. Materials and Methods In this retrospective study, 73 patients with histologic analysis-confirmed T1/N1-3/M0 or T2-4a/N0-3/M0 esophageal cancer were treated with NCRT followed by surgery (Chemoradiotherapy for Esophageal Cancer followed by Surgery Study regimen) between October 2014 and August 2017. Clinical variables and radiomic features from baseline and restaging F-FDG PET were selected by univariable logistic regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator.

Predicting Response to Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy in Esophageal Cancer with Textural Features Derived from Pretreatment F-FDG PET/CT Imaging.

Adequate prediction of tumor response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) in esophageal cancer (EC) patients is important in a more personalized treatment. The current best clinical method to predict pathologic complete response is SUV in F-FDG PET/CT imaging. To improve the prediction of response, we constructed a model to predict complete response to nCRT in EC based on pretreatment clinical parameters and F-FDG PET/CT-derived textural features.

Longitudinal analysis of cytokine expression during neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and subsequent surgery in esophageal cancer patients.

Background: The purpose of this study was to provide more insight in the course of cytokine concentrations related to pathologic response (pR) and complications after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) and esophagectomy in esophageal cancer patients.

Methods: Patients treated with NCRT followed by transthoracic esophagectomy (n = 35) or transthoracic esophagectomy alone (n = 8) were included. Eight different cytokine concentrations were determined during NCRT, esophagectomy, and the first postoperative week.

CD44, SHH and SOX2 as novel biomarkers in esophageal cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

Background And Purpose: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) improves survival in esophageal cancer (EC) patients, but the response to treatment is heterogeneous and little is known regarding prognostic and predictive markers in these patients. CD44, SOX2 and SHH have been implicated in resistance to CRT, possibly through an association with a cancer stem cell phenotype.

Material And Methods: 101 EC patients treated with nCRT and surgery were included.

Increased risk of thromboembolism in esophageal cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

Background: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in esophageal cancer (EC) patients may increase the formation of thromboembolic events (TEEs). We analyzed the incidence and impact of TEEs in EC patients treated with platinum-based CRT.

Methods: A total of 336 patients with EC underwent an esophagectomy, of which 110 patients received neoadjuvant CRT (41.

Impact of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy on postoperative course after curative-intent transthoracic esophagectomy in esophageal cancer patients.

Background: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) improves locoregional control and overall survival in esophageal cancer patients. Although adverse events are relatively low during neoadjuvant CRT, severe postoperative adverse effects may occur, leading to morbidity and even mortality. We investigated the impact of a more frequently used neoadjuvant CRT regimen of 41.

Radiation-induced bullous pemphigoid: a systematic review of an unusual radiation side effect.

Background: Percutaneous radiotherapy (RT) may cause a range of acute and late side effects of the skin within the irradiated area. In rare cases radiotherapy can cause bullous pemphigoid (BP). BP is reported to occur mainly within irradiated fields following radiation treatment.