The role of the maximum involvement of biopsy core in predicting outcome for patients treated with dose-escalated radiation therapy for prostate cancer

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the influence of the maximum involvement of biopsy core (MIBC) on outcome for prostate cancer patients treated with dose-escalated external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). Methods and materials The outcomes of 590 men with localized prostate cancer treated with EBRT (≥75 Gy) at a single institution were retrospectively analyzed. The influence of MIBC on freedom from biochemical failure (FFBF), freedom from metastasis (FFM), cause-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS) was compared to other surrogates for biopsy tumor volume, including the percentage of positive biopsy cores (PPC) and the total percentage of cancer volume (PCV). Results MIBC correlated with PSA, T-stage, Gleason score, NCCN risk group, PPC, PCV, and treatment related factors. On univariate analysis, MIBC was prognostic for all endpoints except OS; with greatest impact in those with Gleason scores of 8–10. However, on multivariate analysis, MIBC was only prognostic for FFBF (hazard ratio [HR] 1.9, p = 0.008), but not for FFM (p = 0.19), CSS (p = 0.16), and OS (p = 0.99). Conclusions In patients undergoing dose-escalated EBRT, MIBC had the greatest influence in those with Gleason scores of 8–10 but provided no additional prognostic data as compared to PPC and PCV, which remain the preferable prognostic variables in this patient population.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/112858/1/13014_2012_Article_631.pd

Quality of Life of Croatian Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Adjuvant Treatment – Comparison to Long-Term Breast Cancer Survivors

Quality of life (QoL) is an important outcome in assessment of breast cancer treatment. Data comparing QoL after different adjuvant treatments and QoL data on long-term survivors are modest. The aim of this study was to compare QoL scores of patients receiving adjuvant treatment with long-term breast cancer survivors, and to correlate QoL scores with clinical data. Sixty patients were recruited for the study: 20 during adjuvant radiotherapy, 20 during adjuvant chemotherapy, and 20 long-term breast cancer survivors. QoL was assessed using the self-administered EORTC core questionnaire QLQ-C30 and breast cancer-specific module QLQ-BR23. QoL scores between groups were compared using Kruskal-Wallis test and effects of clinical factors on QoL domains were tested using multiple regression analysis. No differences between three groups were observed in terms of all QoL scores. As measured by QLQ-C30, least affected QoL scales were cognitive functioning, social functioning, and physical functioning in all three patients group, while insomnia and pain scales were the most detrimentally affected. Among the groups, the highest scores of global health status and other functional scales were in adjuvant chemotherapy group. Measured by QLQ-BR23, body image scale was most affected, while sexual functioning scale was minimally affected, in all three groups. Multiple regression analysis has shown that the patient age were the only statistically significant predictor for global health status scale, and constipation scale. Our results demonstrated similar and favorable QoL in all three groups of patients and provided basic information on QoL in Croatian breast cancer patients

The role of the maximum involvement of biopsy core in predicting outcome for patients treated with dose-escalated radiation therapy for prostate cancer

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the influence of the maximum involvement of biopsy core (MIBC) on outcome for prostate cancer patients treated with dose-escalated external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). Methods and materials The outcomes of 590 men with localized prostate cancer treated with EBRT (≥75 Gy) at a single institution were retrospectively analyzed. The influence of MIBC on freedom from biochemical failure (FFBF), freedom from metastasis (FFM), cause-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS) was compared to other surrogates for biopsy tumor volume, including the percentage of positive biopsy cores (PPC) and the total percentage of cancer volume (PCV). Results MIBC correlated with PSA, T-stage, Gleason score, NCCN risk group, PPC, PCV, and treatment related factors. On univariate analysis, MIBC was prognostic for all endpoints except OS; with greatest impact in those with Gleason scores of 8–10. However, on multivariate analysis, MIBC was only prognostic for FFBF (hazard ratio [HR] 1.9, p = 0.008), but not for FFM (p = 0.19), CSS (p = 0.16), and OS (p = 0.99). Conclusions In patients undergoing dose-escalated EBRT, MIBC had the greatest influence in those with Gleason scores of 8–10 but provided no additional prognostic data as compared to PPC and PCV, which remain the preferable prognostic variables in this patient population.</p