Primary Mediastinal Germ Cell Tumors: A Thorough Literature Review.

Primary mediastinal germ cell tumors (PMGCTs) are a rare type of cancer affecting young adults. They have different molecular and clinical features compared to testicular germ cell tumors. Non-seminoma PMGCTs have the shortest 5-year overall survival and the poorest prognosis among all of the germ cell tumor presentations, while seminomas share the same survival and prognosis as their testicular counterparts.

Geriatric assessment-informed treatment decision making and downstream outcomes: what are the research priorities?

Purpose Of Review: Geriatric assessment (GA) can predict outcomes relevant to patients and clinicians but is not widely used. The objective of this review is to summarize the evidence supporting use of GA to facilitate decision making and improve outcomes and identify gaps that need to be addressed to further bolster the rationale for the use of GA.

Recent Findings: Recently several randomized controlled studies exploring the impact of GA-directed care have been reported.

A Single-Center 10-Year Retrospective Analysis of Cryoablation for the Management of Desmoid Tumors.

Purpose: To determine the efficacy and safety of cryoablation in patients with desmoid tumors (DTs) retrospectively over a 10-year period at a single institution.

Materials And Methods: Between February 25, 2010, and February 25, 2020, 25 patients (age, 12-80 years) with 26 lesions (mean preprocedural tumor volume was 237 cm) were treated over 44 cryoablation procedures. Eleven patients were treated with first-line therapy.

Quality of Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) Resources Available on the Internet.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) carries a poor prognosis, and patients often have trouble accessing high-quality resources. The purpose of this study is to systematically evaluate the information available to GBM patients on the Internet. An Internet search using the term "Glioblastoma Multiforme" was performed using three different search engines: Google, Yippy, and Dogpile.

Treatment and outcomes of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in a unique non-endemic population.

Objective: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is common in Southeast Asia. Due to the influx of immigrants from this region, the incidence in British Columbia is increasing. Current literature from non-endemic populations encompasses heterogeneous cohorts.

Impact of COVID-19 outbreak on cancer immunotherapy in Italy: a survey of young oncologists.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has overwhelmed the health systems worldwide. Data regarding the impact of COVID-19 on cancer patients (CPs) undergoing or candidate for immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are lacking. We depicted the practice and adaptations in the management of patients with solid tumors eligible or receiving ICIs during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a special focus on Campania region.

Evolving Practice Patterns Over Two Decades (1993-2013) in the Management of Desmoid-type Fibromatosis in British Columbia.

Aims: Due to the rarity and varied natural history of desmoid-type fibromatosis, evidence-based treatment standards for this disease remain lacking. This study evaluated outcomes in patients with desmoid-type fibromatosis managed at a Canadian institution over two decades.

Materials And Methods: Records of 227 patients with desmoid-type fibromatosis referred from 1990 to 2013 were retrospectively reviewed to investigate management strategies including active surveillance, surgery, radiation therapy, cryoablation, and systemic therapy, including tamoxifen and chemotherapy.

Institutional analysis of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for oligometastatic lymph node metastases.

Background: In limited metastatic burden of disease, stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) has been shown to achieve high local control rates. It has been hypothesized that SBRT may translate to a better quality of life by delaying the need for systemic chemotherapy and possibly increasing survival. There is limited published literature on the efficacy of SBRT in limited nodal metastases.

Chemoradiation with capecitabine and mitomycin-C for stage I-III anal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Standard therapy for patients with stage I-III squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the anal canal is chemo-radiotherapy with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and mitomycin C (MMC). While there is limited published evidence to substitute capecitabine (CAP) for 5-FU, the objectives of the study were to describe the toxicity, dose intensity and outcomes of a sequential cohort of patients treated with chemo-radiotherapy with CAP and MCC in a population-based setting.

Methods: Patients with stage I-III malignancies of the anal canal referred between February 2010 and March 2012 were included.

Screening intervention to identify eligible patients and improve accrual to phase II-IV oncology clinical trials.

Purpose: Low enrolment rates in clinical trials present a barrier to the development of novel cancer therapies. Currently, only 3% of patients with cancer participate, and many studies fail to achieve necessary enrolment. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether a screening intervention to identify potentially eligible patients (PEPs) would increase accrual rates.

Sci-Thur AM: Planning - 05: Lung SBRT: Dosimetric accuracy of the Analytical Anisotropic Algorithm (AAA) for 6MV FFF RapidArc planning.

Purpose: Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) requires the delivery of a high biologically effective dose in only a few fractions. These large doses per fraction can necessitate long treatment times. The Varian Truebeam is capable of RapidArc delivery and also has the optional Flattening Filter Free (FFF) modes which greatly increase the dose rate.

Evaluation of the AAA Treatment Planning Algorithm for SBRT Lung Treatment: Comparison with Monte Carlo and Homogeneous Pencil Beam Dose Calculations.

Purpose: To evaluate the dose calculation accuracy of the Varian Eclipse anisotropic analytical algorithm (AAA) for stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), and to investigate the dosimetric consequences of not applying tissue heterogeneity correction on complex SBRT lung plans.

Materials And Methods: Nine cases of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that were previously treated with SBRT at our center were selected for this study. Following Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 0236, the original plans were calculated using pencil beam without heterogeneity correction (PBNC).

Percutaneous gastrostomy in radiologic practice.

Long-term gastrostomy tubes have a well-accepted role in providing nutritional support. Traditionally they have been placed by surgeons and by endoscopists. In the last decade, radiologists have come to play a major role in the placement of gastrostomy and gastrojejunostomy devices, and can usually do so as effectively and at lesser expense.

Candida osteomyelitis and disc space infection of the lumbar spine.

Candida osteomyelitis is an uncommon complication of immunosuppressive therapy. Its radiographic manifestations are similar to those of other relatively indolent infectious agents. We report the CT and MR findings in a patient who developed this condition following treatment for acute myelogenous leukemia, and review the imaging literature covering similar cases.