RADIOTHERAPY AND ONCOLOGY

Ongoing prospective studies on reirradiation: A systematic review of a clinical trials database
Willmann J, Balermpas P, Rimner A, Appelt AL, Vasquez Osorio EM, Rønde HS, Day M, Embring A, Gabryś D, Guren MG, Hoskin P, Massaccesi M, Mayo C, Murray L, Nieder C, Guckenberger M and Andratschke N
Reirradiation has gained increasing interest, as advances in systemic therapy increase the survival of patients with cancer, and modern radiation techniques allow more precise treatments. However, high-quality prospective evidence on the safety and efficacy of reirradiation to guide clinical practice remains scarce. This systematic review evaluates ongoing prospective studies on reirradiation to identify research gaps and priorities.
Optimum radiation dose for palliation in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (OpRAH) - A phase 3 randomized controlled trial
Mallick S, Dagar A, Ghosh A, Aashita , Raj J, Hazarika S, Meena JK, Kumar A, Sharma J, Panda S, Sharma A, Sharma D and Thakar A
Radiotherapy is frequently employed for palliative treatment in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) but radiation dose fractionation regimens are not well-defined. We designed this phase 3 randomized controlled trial to compare two weekly hypo fractionated regimes and study the effect on progression-free survival (PFS) in this subset of patients.
Risk factors of level Ib lymph node metastasis and clinical outcome of its selectively prophylactic irradiation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A real-world study
Zhu MY, Wu HJ, Fang T, Zhang GS, Huang RD, Zhang L, Lu SZ, Wang L, Zhao C and Miao JJ
To evaluate the risk factor of level Ib lymph node metastasis (LNM) and the clinical outcome of its selectively prophylactic irradiation (pRT) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients treated with IMRT.
Proton FLASH-arc therapy (PFAT): A feasibility study for meeting FLASH dose-rate requirements in the clinic
Rothwell B, Bertolet A and Schuemann J
Proton arc therapy and FLASH radiotherapy (FLASH-RT) each offer unique advantages in proton therapy. However, clinical translation of FLASH-RT faces challenges in defining and delivering high dose rates. We propose the use of proton FLASH-arc therapy (PFAT) to leverage the benefits of arc while addressing FLASH delivery concerns by spatially fractionating dose delivery to healthy tissue.
Comparison of stereotactic body radiotherapy and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Komiyama S, Takeda A, Tateishi Y, Tsurugai Y, Eriguchi T and Horita N
Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is an emerging treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which provides excellent local control (LC) and prolongs overall survival (OS). However, in current guidelines, transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) has been proposed as a key treatment option for patients with early- and intermediate-stage HCC, whereas SBRT is not. Therefore, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and retrospective studies using the propensity score (PS) to compare the outcomes of SBRT and TACE for HCC in a balanced manner. We systematically searched the PubMed, Cochrane, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases to identify randomized controlled trials and studies comparing SBRT and TACE using PS analysis. The hazard ratios (HRs) for OS and LC were pooled. The heterogeneity between the data collected from these studies was also assessed. SBRT led to a comparable OS (HR: 0.83; 95 % confidence interval (CI): 0.52-1.34; p = 0.44) to TACE, and significantly improved LC (HR: 0.25; 95 % CI: 0.09-0.67; p = 0.006). Considerable heterogeneity was observed in the HR of OS and LC. Although there was no significant difference in the rate of grade 3 or higher toxicities between TACE and SBRT, or between studies, liver toxicity was identified as a common adverse event associated with both SBRT and TACE. Compared to TACE, SBRT showed a comparable OS and improved LC without serious toxicity. Therefore, SBRT should be considered an effective treatment option for various stages of HCC, depending on the tumor factors and pretreatment liver function.
Hypofractionated accelerated radiation dose-painting (HARD) improves outcomes in unresected soft-tissue sarcoma
Bryant JM, Mills MN, Liveringhouse C, Palm R, Druta M, Brohl A, Reed DR, Johnstone PA, Miller JT, Latifi K, Feygelman V, Yang GQ and Naghavi AO
Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are radioresistant with a low α/β, which may have a biologic benefit with hypofractionation. For unresectable STS, the dose escalation required to achieve durable control is often limited by long-term toxicity risk. We sought to compare an isotoxic approach utilizing hypofractionated accelerated radiation dose-painting (HARD) versus standard fractionated radiation therapy (SFT) in patients with unresected STS. We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with unresected STS who received either HARD (n = 49) or SFT (n = 43) with photon-based therapy between 1990 and 2022. The 2 HARD regimens each use 3 dose levels based on risk of disease burden. The gross disease, intermediate risk and low-risk clinical target volumes were treated with either 20-22 fractions of 3/2.5/2-2.2 Gy or 28 fractions of 2.5/2.2/1.8 Gy. SFT included patients treated with definitive intent, receiving ≥ 50 Gy in 1.8-2 Gy per fraction. Clinical endpoints included 3-year local control (LC), overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS), along with treatment-related toxicity. With a median age of 67 and tumor size of 7 cm, most patients were stage IV (37 %), grade 3 (67 %), had no concurrent systemic therapy (70 %), and were lower extremity tumors (24 %). HARD cohort consisted of higher age, stage, recurrent disease, and median BED (p < 0.05), when compared to SFT. With a median follow-up of 35.9 months, HARD demonstrated significant improvement in 3-year LC (96.4 % vs. 48.4 %, p < 0.001), compared to SFT overall, with a median PFS benefit (16 vs. 10 months, p = 0.037) for non-distantly metastatic patients at baseline. On multivariate analysis, HARD was significantly associated with improved LC (HR 0.058, 95 % CI 0.005-0.682, p = 0.024). The HARD regimen found no significant increase in toxicity, with limited acute grade 3 (24 %, all dermatitis) and late grade 3 toxicity (6 %) observed, with no grade 4 or 5 events. HARD regimen significantly improves LC for unresectable STS without a significant increase in toxicity, when compared to a standard fractionated approach, supporting further prospective investigation of this treatment approach.
Comment on "Analysis of re-recurrent rectal cancer after curative treatment of locally recurrent rectal cancer"
Zhang CJ
Risk and survival outcomes of secondary pelvic neoplasm after radiotherapy in female patients with genital neoplasms: A large Population-Based cohort study
Lyu YH, Liu JQ, Wang FH, Yan WJ, Ming AH, Li GS, Ge JL, Jing R, Liu SJ, Hong-Yang , He YY and Jia-Li
To investigate the impact of radiotherapy (RT) on the risk of secondary pelvic neoplasms (SPN) and the survival outcomes of patients following a diagnosis of female patients with genital neoplasm(FGN).
Population based audit of heart radiation doses in 6925 high-risk breast cancer patients from the Danish breast cancer group RT Nation study
Buhl ES, Refsgaard LH, Al-Rawi SA, Andersen K, Berg M, Boye K, Jensen I, Lorenzen EL, Maae E, Maraldo MV, Matthiessen LW, Milo ML, Nielsen MH, Saini A, Yates E, Offersen BV and Korreman SS
In this study, we conducted a population-based retrospective audit of heart doses for high-risk breast cancer (BC) over a nine-year period in patients treated with adjuvant CT-based radiotherapy in a comprehensive and homogenized national BC cohort. Additionally, this serves as a demonstration of performing large scale audits with consistent delineations created by an auto-segmentation tool.
Prostate-specific antigen kinetics after stereotactic body radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer: A scoping review and meta-analysis
Dejonckheere CS, Caglayan L, Glasmacher AR, Wiegreffe S, Layer JP, Nour Y, Scafa D, Sarria GR, Spohn S, Essler M, Hauser S, Ritter M, Bernhardt M, Kristiansen G, Grosu AL, Zamboglou C and Gkika E
Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is emerging as a valuable treatment modality for localized prostate cancer, with promising biochemical progression-free survival rates. Longitudinal assessment of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is the mainstay of follow-up after treatment. PSA kinetics and dynamics are well-established in the context of brachytherapy and conventionally fractionated radiotherapy, yet little is known in the context of prostate SBRT.
An update to the American Radium Society's appropriate use criteria of lower grade Gliomas: Integration of IDH inhibitors
Tom MC, Nagpal S, Palmer JD, Breen WG, Pollom EL, Lehrer EJ, McGranahan TM, Shiue K, Chundury A, McClelland Iii S, Saeed H, Chang EL, Chiang VLS, Wang TJC, Knisely JPS, Chao ST and Milano MT
The ARS brain committee recommends that vorasidenib may be appropriate for recurrent or residual IDH-mutant grade 2 oligodendroglioma or astrocytoma. Vorasidenib is usually not appropriate for completely resected grade 2 oligodendroglioma or astrocytoma, any grade 3 oligodendroglioma or astrocytoma, or combined with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy for any grade 2-3 glioma.
Radiation therapy for stage IIA/IIB seminomas: Back to the future?
Le Guévelou J, Nicosia L, Blanchard P, Ralite F, Durand X, Marchesi V, Roubaud G and Sargos P
Seminoma is a highly curable disease; therefore, long-term morbidity of oncological treatment represents a crucial stake. In view of the considerable advances made in radiotherapy in the past decade, we aim to shed light on current and future strategies that hold promises for the management of stage II seminoma.
Efficacy of radiotherapy for bone metastasis in breast cancer patients treated with cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors
Kubeczko M, Gabryś D, Rembak-Szynkiewicz J, Gräupner D, Polakiewicz-Gilowska A and Jarząb M
In patients diagnosed withestrogen receptor (ER)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative advanced breast cancer, bone metastasesemerge as theprimary siteofsignificant tumor burden. Cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6i) inhibitorsare thegold standard in this clinical scenario, while radiotherapy (RT) represents a valuable addition. However, data on the efficacy of this combination remain scarce. We aimed to evaluate efficacy of RT in bone metastatic breast cancer patients treated with CDK4/6 inhibitors.
Protocol compliance in a multicentric phase III trial investigating scheduled adaptive radiotherapy and dose painting in head and neck cancer
de Leeuw ALMP, Giralt J, Tao Y, Benavente S, Nguyen TF, Hoebers FJP, Hoeben A, Terhaard CHJ, Lee LW, Friesland S, Steenbakkers RJHM, Tans L, van Kranen SR, van de Kamer JB, Bartelink H, Rasch CRN, Sonke JJ and Hamming-Vrieze O
To report on quality assurance (QA) and protocol adherence (PA) in a multicentre phase III trial for head and neck cancer, evaluate patterns of protocol deviations and investigate the effect of PA on study outcomes.
A systematic review and meta-analysis on the impact of institutional peer review in radiation oncology
Jomy J, Lu R, Sharma R, Lin KX, Chen DC, Winter J and Raman S
Radiotherapy peer review is recognized as a key component of institutional quality assurance, though the impact is ill-defined. We conducted the first systematic review and meta-analysis to date to quantify the impact of institutional peer review on the treatment planning workflow including radiotherapy contours, prescription and dosimetry.
Quality assurance of internal mammary node irradiation in the DBCG IMN2 study
Refsgaard L, Buhl ES, Nielsen AWM, Thomsen MS, Andersen K, Jensen I, Berg M, Lorenzen EL, Thorsen LBJ, Overgaard J, Korreman SS, Offersen BV and
The Danish Breast Cancer Group (DBCG) IMN2 study investigated the gain from internal mammary node irradiation (IMNI) in node-positive breast cancer patients. IMNI was indicated in right-sided patients, but not in left-sided. Target volume delineations were based on bony landmarks in contrast to the contemporary vessel-based ESTRO consensus guideline. Our objective was to compare IMNI doses in right-sided versus left-sided patients.
Evaluation of radiation induced brain injury in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients based on multi-parameter quantitative MRI: A prospective longitudinal study
Huang LW, Pan JW, Li B, Wu WX, Guo L, Zhou XH, Zhang X, Gao MY and Xu ZF
Three dimensional pulsed continuous arterial spin labeling (3D-pCASL) and incoherent movement within voxels (IVIM) imaging was combined to assess dynamic microscopic structure changes of the hippocampus and temporal lobe white matter (TLWM) of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients post intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).
A metabolic switch to the pentose-phosphate pathway induces radiation resistance in pancreatic cancer
Shimoni-Sebag A, Abramovich I, Agranovich B, Massri R, Stossel C, Atias D, Raites-Gurevich M, Yizhak K, Golan T, Gottlieb E and Lawrence YR
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is remarkably resistant to standard modalities, including radiotherapy. We hypothesized that metabolic reprogramming may underlie PDAC radioresistance, and moreover, that it would be possible to exploit these metabolic changes for therapeutic intent.
Role of consolidative thoracic and prophylactic cranial radiation in extensive stage small cell lung cancer in chemo-immunotherapy era
Varlotto J, Voland R, DeCamp M, Khatri J, Shweihat Y, Nwanwene K, Tirona M, Wright T, Pacioles T, Jamil M, Anwar K, Bastidas J, Chowdhury N, Zander D, Silbermins D, Abdallah M and Flickinger J
The role of consolidative thoracic and prophylactic brain radiation for extensive stage small cell lung cancer patients is controversial. We investigated the factors associated with the use of any radiation therapy (RT) and whether RT has a benefit to overall survival (OS) in patients receiving any systemic therapy and whether this benefit is the same if Chemotherapy (CT) or chemo-immunotherapy (CT-IO) is used.
Validation of an artificial intelligence-based prognostic biomarker in patients with oligometastatic Castration-Sensitive prostate cancer
Wang JH, Deek MP, Mendes AA, Song Y, Shetty A, Bazyar S, Van der Eecken K, Chen E, Showalter TN, Royce TJ, Todorovic T, Huang HC, Houck SA, Yamashita R, Kiess AP, Song DY, Lotan T, DeWeese T, Marchionni L, Ren L, Sawant A, Simone N, Berlin A, Onal C, Esteva A, Feng FY, Tran PT, Sutera P and Ost P
There is a need for clinically actionable prognostic and predictive tools to guide the management of oligometastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (omCSPC).
Evaluating ChatGPT's competency in radiation oncology: A comprehensive assessment across clinical scenarios
Ramadan S, Mutsaers A, Chen PC, Bauman G, Velker V, Ahmad B, Arifin AJ, Nguyen TK, Palma D and Goodman CD
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning present an opportunity to enhance clinical decision-making in radiation oncology. This study aims to evaluate the competency of ChatGPT, an AI language model, in interpreting clinical scenarios and assessing its oncology knowledge.