Outcomes of aggressive treatment in esophageal cancer patients with synchronous solitary brain metastasis

The aim of the present study was to investigate the outcomes of esophageal cancer (EC) patients with isolated synchronous brain oligometastasis (oligo-BM) treated with chemoradiotherapy (CRT) of the primary site and localized treatment of the BM with surgery, radiotherapy (RT) or radiosurgery. Of 125 EC patients investigated, seven patients (6%) had solitary BM. Six patients were diagnosed prior to, and one patient was diagnosed during, treatment. All patients were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and whole-brain RT (WBRT) for BM. All but one patient received definitive CRT with a median RT dose of 50.4 Gy using conventional fractionation RT. The median age at diagnosis was 59 years (range, 48-77 years). Six patients succumbed to mortality, and one continued to receive systemic chemotherapy at the last visit. The median survival time of the patients was 18.9 months (range, 10.0-27.2 months). Median time to progression after completion of the treatments was 8 months (range, 3-9 months). Two patients had progression of the primary tumor, and one patient had progression of the BM. The neurological status of three patients with BM who were identified during the staging work-up did not deteriorate as a consequence of WBRT. In conclusion, the present study has demonstrated that aggressive treatment of the primary tumor and oligo-BM in patients with EC may prolong the survival time

Prognostic Value of Metabolic Response Measured by FDG-PET-CT in Patients with Breast Cancer Liver Metastasis Treated with Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy

OBJECTIVE To investigate the impact of metabolic response measured by 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and computed tomography (FDG-PET-CT) in patients with breast cancer liver metastasis (BCLM) treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). METHODS The medical records of 17 patients with BCLM treated with SBRT between March 2013 and October 2017 were investigated retrospectively. Patients received SBRT for their liver metastasis, and thereafter, a second FDG-PET-CT was performed for response assessment in a median of 4.1 (2.2-8.2) months. A total of 54 Gy in three fractions were delivered to liver metastatic lesions. The standardized uptake value (SUV) and survival rates were evaluated. RESULTS After a median follow-up time of 11.5 (3.2-48.9) months, there was a significant difference between pre- and post-SBRT SUVs (p<0.001). Complete metabolic response was observed in 14 (82%) patients, partial metabolic response was observed in 2 (12%) patients, and stable metabolic disease/progressive metabolic disease was observed in 1 (6%) patient at post-treatment PET-CT. The 1- and 2-year overall survival rates were 68% and 57%, respectively, and the 1- and 2-year progression-free survival rates were 38% and 25%, respectively. CONCLUSION PET-CT is an effective tool for response monitoring in patients with BCLM treated with SBRT

Is there any benefit of paraaortic field irradiation in pelvic lymph node positive endometrial cancer patients? A propensity match analysis

We evaluated the survival outcomes and recurrence patterns of endometrial cancer (EC) patients with pelvic lymph node metastases who received postoperative radiotherapy (RT) to the pelvis (P-RT) or to the pelvis plus paraaortic lymph nodes (PA-RT) with or without systemic chemotherapy (ChT). The data from 167 patients with stage IIIC1 EC treated with postoperative RT or RT and ChT were collected retrospectively. Those patients with pelvic lymph node metastases were treated with either P-RT (106 patients, 63%) or PA-RT (61 patients, 37%). The median follow-up time for the entire cohort was 49 (range = 5–199) months. The patients receiving adjuvant ChT and RT had significantly higher 5-year OS rates (77% vs. 33%, p < .001) and 5-year PFS rates (71% vs. 30%, p < .001) when compared to those receiving adjuvant RT alone. The patients receiving P-RT and ChT had significantly higher 5-year OS rates and 5-year PFS rates when compared to those treated with adjuvant PA-RT in the entire cohort and matched cohort. Adjuvant ChT together with RT is the strongest predictor of the OS and PFS. Prophylactic PA-RT is unnecessary, even if ChT is used together with P-RT in EC patients with pelvic lymph node metastasis.Impact statement What is already known on this subject? Local and distant recurrence risks are relatively higher in patients with stage IIIC disease, postoperative adjuvant treatment is required to reduce the recurrence risk. Adjuvant RT is a common approach for patients with locally advanced EC. Optimal target volume for RT in patients with stage IIIC EC remains controversial. We demonstrated that extended field RT is unnecessary, even if ChT is used together with pelvic RT in stage IIIC EC patients. What do the results of this study add? We demonstrated that adjuvant ChT together with RT is the strongest predictor of the OS and PFS for EC patients with pelvic lymph node metastases. Extended field RT is unnecessary, even if ChT is used together with pelvic RT in EC patients with pelvic lymph node metastases. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Although adjuvant treatment modalities are associated with improvements in survival, distant metastasis still remains the most common site of recurrence in advanced EC patients. Thus, further research is warranted to identify improved combined modality strategies to optimise the outcomes for EC patients with pelvic lymph node metastasis

Prognostic values of ADCmean and SUVmax of the primary tumour in cervical cancer patients treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy

We analysed the correlation of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake into primary tumours using the maximum standardised uptake value (SUVmax) and the mean apparent diffusion coefficient (ADCmean) values in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with the clinical and pathological factors in patients with cervical cancer who were treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The patients were stratified according to the primary tumour pre-treatment ADCmean and SUVmax cut-off values. There were significant correlations between the SUVmax of the primary tumour and tumour size, and the treatment response. The correlation between the ADCmean and FIGO stage, tumour size, and the lymph node metastasis was significant. The SUVmax was significantly and inversely correlated with the ADCmean for cervical cancer (r = −0.44, p <.001). In the multivariate analysis, the primary tumour ADCmean, treatment response and the lymph node metastasis emerged as significant independent predictors of both OS and DFS, and of the primary tumour SUVmax for DFS. Tumour size has a borderline significance for OS. High SUVmax and low ADCmean of the primary tumour are important predictive factors for identifying high-risk patients with cervical cancer who are treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy. These results point to a future role for the diffusion-weighted MRI and for 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography, not only in the staging of cervical cancer but as an aid in the selection of an adjuvant treatment regimen after chemoradiotherapy for individual patients.Impact statement What is already known on this subject? A negative correlation between primary tumour SUVmax derived from positron emission tomography (PET/CT) and ADCmin derived from diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) in various cancer types and cervical cancer has been demonstrated. However, the prognostic value of primary tumour SUVmax and ADCmean in cervical cancer patients treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy is not well studied yet. What the results of this study add? The patients with high-risk features (larger tumours, extensive stage, lymph node metastasis) had higher primary tumour SUVmax and lower ADCmean values. Primary tumour ADCmean and lymph node metastasis emerged as significant independent predictors of both overall and disease-free survival. This study demonstrated that the functional biomarkers delivered from PET-CT and DW-MRI are important in predicting the treatment outcomes in the squamous cell carcinoma of cervix treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy, where clinical and radiological findings are very important, since these patients are not staged surgically. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Based on these findings, there may be a future role of DW-MRI and FDG/PET-CT not only in the staging of cervical cancer but as an aid in the selection of an adjuvant treatment regimen after chemoradiotherapy (ChRT) for individual patients

Local control and vertebral compression fractures following stereotactic body radiotherapy for spine metastases

Purpose: We aimed to retrospectively assess the incidence of vertebral compression fractures (VCF), examine clinicopathologic factors potentially associated with VCF, and evaluate treatment response in patients who received stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for spine metastases (spMets). Methods and Materials: We identified 78 patients with 125 spMets at baseline and subsequent assessments. Patients received SBRT doses of 16 or 18 Gy. Patients with pre-existing VCF and co-existing local progression were excluded. Spine instability neoplastic score (SINS) was used for spMets categorization. Response to SBRT and VCF were assessed according to the Positron Emission tomography Response Criteria In Solid Tumors (PERCIST) and Genant scores, respectively. Kaplan–Meier analyses were used to assess local control of disease and vertebral compression fracture-free survival (FFS). Results: We treated 103 cases with single spMets and 11 cases involving double spMets with SBRT. Progressive disease was reported in 3.2% and 8.2% of the cases in the first and last PET/CT reports, respectively. The distribution of treatment response in the remaining patients was: complete response in 30.6% of patients, partial response in 47.1% of patients, and stable disease in 22.3% of patients in the first PET/CT; complete response in 62.3% of patients, partial response in 16.7% of patients, and stable disease in 21% of patients at the last monitoring. Local failures were observed in 15 (12%) of cases. Median SINS was 5 (range: 1−13); majority of patients in our cohort (70.4%) were categorized as stable according to SINS, five (4%) patients had Grade 3 VCF at a median time of 16 months after SBRT (range: 2−22 months), and 60% of VCF occurred after an interval of at least 12 months after SBRT. No bisphosphonate usage was significantly associated with VCF (r = −0.204; p = 0.022). Median FFS was 21 months. Univariate analyses indicated that female gender (p 6 months of bisphosphonates use (p = 0.002), and the lowest vertebral body collapse score (p = 0.023) were associated with higher FFS. Female gender (p = 0.007), >6 months of bisphosphonates usage (p = 0.018), and the lowest vertebral body collapse score (p = 0.044) retained independent significance. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that spine SBRT with doses of 16–18 Gy promises good local control of disease with acceptable VCF rates. Lowest vertebral body collapse score, female gender, and >6 months of bisphosphonate use were significantly associated with longer FFS. Keywords: SBRT, Spine metastases, Vertebral compression fracture, Bisphosphonate, PET/C

Outcome of loco-regional radiotherapy in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients treated with abiraterone acetate

Purpose To evaluate the potential benefit of curative radiotherapy (RT) to the primary tumor in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients treated with abiraterone. Materials and methods The clinical parameters of 106 mCRPC patients treated with abiraterone were retrospectively evaluated. Patients were either oligometastatic (<= 5 metastases) at diagnosis or became oligometastatic after the systemic treatment was analyzed. Local RT to the primary tumor and pelvic lymphatics was delivered in 44 patients (41%), and 62 patients (59%) did not have RT to the primary tumor. After propensity match analysis, a total of 92 patients were analyzed. Resultsn Median follow-up time was 14.2 months (range: 2.3-54.9 months). Median overall survival (OS) was higher in patients treated with local RT to the primary tumor than in those treated without local RT with borderline significance (24.1 vs. 21.4 months; p=0.08). Local RT to the prostate and pelvic lymphatics significantly diminished the local recurrence rate (16 patients, 31% vs. 2 patients, 5%; p=0.003). In multivariate analysis, the prostate specific antigen (PSA) response >= 50% of the baseline obtained 3 weeks after abiraterone therapy was the only significant prognostic factor for better OS and progression-free survival (PFS). Patients treated with primary RT to the prostate had significantly less progression under abiraterone and a longer abiraterone period than those treated without local prostate RT. Conclusions Local prostate RT significantly improved OS and local control in mCRPC patients treated with abiraterone. The patients treated with primary RT had significantly less progression under abiraterone and a longer abiraterone period than those treated without local prostate RT

Stereotactic radiotherapy for adrenal metastases: a multi-institutional review of patient characteristics and outcomes. Turkish Society for Radiation Oncology SBRT Group Study (TROD SBRT 10-004)

Introduction: This study aims to report the outcomes of SBRT for adrenal metastasis in a retrospective multi-institutional cohort. Methods: The outcomes of 124 patients with 146 adrenal metastases who underwent SBRT within 11 years (2008-2019) were retrospectively evaluated. Survival outcomes were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method. Patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics and their effects on survival, local control (LC), and toxicity outcomes were analyzed by log-rank and multivariate Cox regression methods.Results: The median age was 60 years. The most frequent primary tumor site was the lung, followed by the gastrointestinal system and breast. The adrenal gland was the only metastatic site in 49 (40%) patients. Median BED10 was 61 Gy. The overall LC rate was 83% and it was positively correlated with the BED10 and fraction dose. The 1- and 2-year local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 79% and 69%, 83% and 60%, and 31% and 12%, respectively. OS significantly improved with non-lung cancer and = 8 Gy, BED10 >65 Gy, and an isolated adrenal metastasis. Fourteen patients reported an acute toxicity and late toxicity was observed in three patients, including one grade 5.Conclusion: A satisfactory LC rate was achieved for adrenal metastasis via SBRT. A higher BED10 and fraction dose were positive prognostic factors for tumor control. However, the main problem is DM in these patients and systemic treatment options are needed to be improved

Role of vaginal brachytherapy boost following adjuvant external beam radiotherapy in cervical cancer: Turkish Society for Radiation Oncology Gynecologic Group Study (TROD 04-002)

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