8 research outputs found

    Fracture rate after conventional external beam radiation therapy to the spine in multiple myeloma patients

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    Background Context: Conventional external beam radiation therapy (cEBRT) is used in multiple myeloma (MM) to treat severe pain, spinal cord compression, and disease-related bone disease. However, radiation may be associated with an increased risk of vertebral compression fractures (VCFs), which could substantially impair survival and quality of life. Additionally, the use of the Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score (SINS) in MM is debated in MM. Purpose: To determine the incidence of VCFs after cEBRT in patients with MM and to assess the applicability of the SINS score in the prediction of VCFs in MM. Study Design: Retrospective multicenter cohort study. Patient Sample: MM patients with spinal myeloma lesions who underwent cEBRT between January 2010 and December 2021. Outcome Measures: Frequency of new or progressed VCFs and subdistribution hazard ratios for potentially associated factors. Methods: Patient and treatment characteristics were manually collected from the patients’ electronic medical records. Computed tomography (CT) scans from before and up to 3 years after the start of radiation were used to score radiographic variables at baseline and at follow-up. Multivariable Fine and Gray competing risk analyses were performed to evaluate the diagnostic value of the SINS score to predict the post-radiation VCF rate. Results: A total of 127 patients with 427 eligible radiated vertebrae were included in this study. The mean age at radiation was 64 years, and 66.1% of them were male. At the start of radiation, 57 patients (44.9%) had at least one VCF. There were 89 pre-existing VCFs (18.4% of 483 vertebrae). Overall, 39 of 127 patients (30.7%) reported new fractures (number of vertebrae (n)=12) or showed progression of existing fractures (n=36). This number represented 11.2% of all radiated vertebrae. Five of the 39 (12.8%) patients with new or worsened VCFs received an unplanned secondary treatment (augmentation [n=2] or open surgery [n=3]) within 3 years. Both the total SINS score (SHR 1.77; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.54–2.03; p<.001) and categorical SINS score (SHR 10.83; 95% CI 4.20–27.94; p<.001) showed an independent association with higher rates of new or progressed VCFs in adjusted analyses. The use of bisphosphonates was independently associated with a lower rate of new or progressed VCFs (SHR 0.47 [95% CI 0.24–0.92; p=.027]). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that new or progressed VCFs occurred in 30.7% of patients within 3 years, in a total of 11.2% of vertebrae. The SINS score was found to be independently associated with the development or progression of VCFs and could thus be applied in MM for fracture prediction and possibly prevention

    Clinical outcomes of radiation therapy for transgender and gender-expansive people with cancer

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    IntroductionApproximately 1.6 million people in the US identify as transgender, many of whom undergo gender-affirming medical or surgical therapies. While transgender individuals are diagnosed with cancer at similar rates as those who are cisgender, the impacts of radiation therapy on outcomes of gender-affirming care in transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people with cancer are understudied. We report on the experiences and outcomes of transgender and gender-expansive patients receiving radiation therapy for cancer treatment.MethodsThis study is a multi-institutional retrospective review of patients evaluated from 2005-2019 identified as transgender or gender-expansive in the medical record and treated with radiation therapy.ResultsWe identified 23 patients who received radiation to 32 sites, including 12 (38%) to the brain, head, or neck, 8 (25%) to the thorax, and 7 (22%) to the pelvis. Seventeen patients (74%) received gender-affirming hormone therapy and 13 patients (57%) underwent gender-affirming surgery. Four patients had pelvic radiation before or after gender-affirming pelvic surgery, including two trans women who had pelvic radiation after vaginoplasty. Four patients had radiation to the chest or thorax and gender-affirming chest or breast surgery, including two trans men with breast cancer. Two pediatric patients developed hypopituitarism and hypogonadism secondary to radiation therapy and, as adults, changed their hormone replacement therapy to affirm their transgender identities.DiscussionTransgender people with cancer undergo radiation therapy for a wide range of cancers. Understanding their prior gender-affirming medical or surgical treatments and future gender affirmation goals may identify important considerations for their oncologic care

    Adjuvant chemotherapy for invasive bladder cancer: a 2013 updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials

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    CONTEXT: The role of adjuvant chemotherapy remains poorly defined for the management of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). The last meta-analysis evaluating adjuvant chemotherapy, conducted in 2005, had limited power to fully support its use. OBJECTIVE: To update the current evidence of the benefit of postoperative adjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy compared with control (ie, surgery alone) in patients with MIBC. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A comprehensive literature review was performed to identify all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing adjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy with control for patients with MIBC. The search included the Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases, and abstracts from the American Society of Clinical Oncology meetings up to May 2013. An updated systematic review and meta-analysis was performed. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: A total of 945 patients included in nine RCTs (five previously analyzed, one updated, and three new) were examined. For overall survival, the pooled hazard ratio (HR) across all nine trials was 0.77 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59-0.99; p=0.049). For disease-free survival, the pooled HR across seven trials reporting this outcome was 0.66 (95% CI, 0.45-0.91; p=0.014). This disease-free survival benefit was more apparent among those with positive nodal involvement (p=0.010). CONCLUSIONS: This updated and improved meta-analysis of randomized trials provides further evidence of an overall survival and disease-free survival benefit in patients with MIBC receiving adjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy after radical cystectomy
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