Once-a-week or every-other-day urethra-sparing prostate cancer stereotactic body radiotherapy, a randomized phase II trial: 18 months follow-up results

Background To present the 18 months results from a prospective multicenter phase II randomized trial of short vs protracted urethra-sparing stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for localized prostate cancer (PCa).Methods Between 2012 and 2015, a total of 170 PCa patients were randomized to 36.25 Gy in 5 fractions (6.5 Gy x 5 to the urethra) delivered either every other day (EOD, arm A, n = 84) or once a week (QW, arm B, n = 86). Genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity (CTCAE v4.0 scale), IPSS, and QoL scores were assessed at baseline, at the 5th fraction (5fx), 12th weeks (12W), and every 6 months after SBRT. The primary endpoint was biochemical control at 18 months and grade >= 3 toxicity (including grade >= 2 for urinary obstruction/retention) during the first 3 months.Results Among the 165 patients analyzed, the toxicity stopping rule was never activated during the acute phase. Maximum acute grade 2 GU toxicity rates at 5fx were 17% and 19% for arms A and B, respectively, with only 2 cases of grade 2 GI toxicity at 5fx in arm A. At month 18, grade >= 2 GU and GI toxicity decreased below 5% and 2% for both arms. No changes in EORTC QLQ-PR25 scores for GU, GI, and sexual domains were observed in both arms between baseline and month 18. Four biochemical failures were observed, 2 in each arm, rejecting the null hypothesis of an unfavorable response rate = 95% rate.Conclusions At 18 months, urethra-sparing SBRT showed a low toxicity profile, with minimal impact on QoL and favorable biochemical control rates, regardless of overall treatment time (EOD vs QW)

Improved detection of diffuse glioma infiltration with imaging combinations: a diagnostic accuracy study

Background Surgical resection and irradiation of diffuse glioma are guided by standard MRI: T2/FLAIR-weighted MRI for non-enhancing and T1-weighted gadolinium-enhanced (T1G) MRI for enhancing gliomas. Amino acid PET has been suggested as new standard. Imaging combinations may improve standard MRI and amino acid PET. The aim of the study was to determine the accuracy of imaging combinations to detect glioma infiltration. Methods We included 20 consecutive adults with newly-diagnosed non-enhancing (seven diffuse astrocytomas, IDH-mutant; one oligodendroglioma, IDH-mutant and1p/19q-codeleted; one glioblastoma IDH-wildtype) or enhancing glioma (glioblastoma, nine IDH-wildtype and two IDH-mutant). Standardized pre-operative imaging (T1-, T2-, FLAIR-weighted and T1G MRI, perfusion and diffusion MRI, MR spectroscopy and O-(2-[18F]-fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine ([18F]FET) PET) was co-localized with multi-region stereotactic biopsies preceding resection. Tumor presence in the biopsies was assessed by two neuropathologists. Diagnostic accuracy was determined using receiver operating characteristic analysis. Results A total of 174 biopsies were obtained (63 from nine non-enhancing and 111 from 11 enhancing gliomas), of which 129 contained tumor (50 from non-enhancing and 79 from enhancing gliomas). In enhancing gliomas, the combination of Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) with [18F]FET PET (AUC, 95%CI: 0.89,0.79-0.99) detected tumor better than T1G MRI (0.56,0.39-0.72;P<.001) and [18F]FET PET (0.76,0.66-0.86;P=0.001). In non-enhancing gliomas, no imaging combination detected tumor significantly better than standard MRI. FLAIR-weighted MRI had an AUC of 0.81 (0.65-0.98) compared to 0.69 (0.56-0.81;P=0.019) for [18F]FET PET. Conclusion and relevance Combining ADC and [18F]FET PET detects glioma infiltration better than standard MRI and [18F]FET PET in enhancing gliomas, potentially enabling better guidance of local therapy

Anti-inflammatory agents and monoHER protect against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity and accumulation of CML in mice

Cardiac damage is the major limiting factor for the clinical use of doxorubicin (DOX). Preclinical studies indicate that inflammatory effects may be involved in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. Nɛ-(carboxymethyl) lysine (CML) is suggested to be generated subsequent to oxidative stress, including inflammation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether CML increased in the heart after DOX and whether anti-inflammatory agents reduced this effect in addition to their possible protection on DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. These effects were compared with those of the potential cardioprotector 7-monohydroxyethylrutoside (monoHER)