Prognostic significance of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in HPV status era for oropharyngeal cancer.

AIM: To evaluate the role of baseline neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as prognostic marker in squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx (OPC) treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in the era of HPV status. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 125 patients (pts) affected with locally advanced OPC was performed. Inclusion criteria were age >18 years, stage III or IV (TNM 7th ed.) and definitive CRT. Haematological marker for their independent role as prognostic biomarkers for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Logistic models were used to assess the association with downstage in TNM 8th ed. RESULTS: Seventy-seven (61.6%) pts had HPV/p16 + related OPC. Therapeutic choice consisted in sequential and concurrent CRT. Median follow-up was 50 months. A value of NLR ≥3 was associated with poorer OS. Two-year OS was 91% and 81% in pts with NLR <3 and ≥3, respectively. CONCLUSION: A baseline NLR ≥ 3 at treatment initiation represented a negative prognostic marker for OPC treated with definitive CRT. These results are in line with literature data, and prognostic value of NLR has been confirmed restaging our cohort with new TNM staging (8th ed.). Therefore, NLR could be considered a valuable biomarker for risk stratification in pts with OPC.

Cell-free DNA as a prognostic marker in stage I non-small-cell lung cancer patients undergoing stereotactic body radiotherapy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) was related to clinical outcome in inoperable stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients undergoing stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Plasma cfDNA was assessed at baseline, before the last day and 45 days after the end of SBRT, in 22 NSCLC patients. Twenty-two healthy controls were also evaluated. RESULTS: Plasma cfDNA was higher in patients than in controls. An association with unfavourable disease-free survival was found for continuous baseline cfDNA increments (HR = 5.9, 95%CI: 1.7-19.8, p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Plasma cfDNA may be a promising prognostic biomarker in high-risk NSCLC patients.

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy with tomotherapy in locally advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: a phase I, docetaxel dose-escalation study, with hypofractionated radiation regimen.

BACKGROUND: Concurrent chemo-radiotherapy is demonstrately superior to sequential chemo-radiotherapy in the treatment of advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer not suitable for surgery. Docetaxel is considered to enhance the cytotoxic effect of radiotherapy on the tumour cells. Tomotherapy (HT) is a novel radiotherapeutic technique, which allows the delivery of Image Guided-IMRT (IG-IMRT), with a highly conformal radiation dose distribution.The goal of the study was to estimate tolerability of Docetaxel concurrent with IMRT and to find the maximum tolerated dose of weekly Docetaxel concurrent with IMRT delivered with HT Tomotherapy after induction chemotherapy with Cisplatin and Docetaxel in patients affected with stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. METHODS: We designed a phase I, dose-finding study to determine the dose of weekly Docetaxel concurrent with Tomotherapy after induction chemotherapy, in patients affected by Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer with Stage III disease, not suitable for surgery. RESULTS: Concurrent weekly Docetaxel and Tomotherapy are feasible; we did not reach a maximum tolerated dose, because no life-threatening toxicity was observed, stopping the accrual at a level of weekly docetaxel 38 mg/m2, a greater dose than in previous assessments, from both phase-I studies with weekly docetaxel alone and with Docetaxel concomitant with standard radiotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Concurrent weekly Docetaxel and Tomotherapy are feasible, and even with Docetaxel at 38 mg/m2/week we did not observe any limiting toxicity. For those patients who completed the combined chemo-radio treatment, median progression-free survival (PFS) was 20 months and median overall survival (OS) was 24 months.

Emerging Role of Immunomonitoring to Predict the Clinical Outcome of Patients With Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Treated With Radical Radiation Therapy.

PURPOSE: The present study aimed at evaluating the baseline immune profile and the immunomodulating effects of radical hemithoracic radiation therapy (RT) in patients affected by malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) to identify potential predictive biomarkers of therapy response, toxicity development, and eligibility for further immunotherapeutic treatments. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Blood samples were collected from 55 patients with MPM, enrolled in a phase 3 trial comparing radical hemithoracic RT (interventional arm, n = 28) with local palliative RT (control arm, n = 27). Immunomonitoring was performed before RT, at the end of treatment, and 1 month after therapy, characterizing natural killer cells, B and T lymphocytes, activated CD4 and CD8 T cells, interferon-γ- and tumor necrosis factor-α-producing T helper (Th) 1 cells, regulatory T cells, and Th17 and Th22 lymphocytes, through flow cytometry. Serum levels of interleukin (IL)-6, -8, -10 and mesothelin were quantified through Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) assays at the same time points. Variations in the immune parameters were investigated by Friedman test and Wilcoxon signed rank post hoc test with Bonferroni correction for multiple testing, while the prognostic effect of immune biomarkers was evaluated through Kaplan-Meier method and Spearman's correlation analysis. RESULTS: Major immune variations were noticed after radical RT compared with palliative treatment, in particular an improvement in activated T cells and in interferon-γ-producing Th1 cells after RT. In the interventional arm, baseline high levels of Th22 and IL-10 and an increase in T cells were associated with an improved survival, whereas a fold increase in serum mesothelin correlated with the development of severe toxicity. An improvement of immunosuppressive regulatory T cells was observed in both arms of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The immunomonitoring performed in patients with MPM revealed potential prognostic biomarkers for radical hemithoracic RT treatment and identified specific immune signatures induced by RT immunomodulation, which could suggest a synergistic effect with an immunotherapeutic treatment.

Radical Hemithoracic Radiotherapy Induces Systemic Metabolomics Changes That Are Associated with the Clinical Outcome of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Patients.

Radical hemithoracic radiotherapy (RHRT) represents an advanced therapeutic option able to improve overall survival of malignant pleural mesothelioma patients. This study aims to investigate the systemic effects of this radiotherapy modality on the serum metabolome and their potential implications in determining the individual clinical outcome. Nineteen patients undergoing RHRT at the dose of 50 Gy in 25 fractions were enrolled. Serum targeted metabolomics profiles were investigated at baseline and the end of radiotherapy by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. Univariate and multivariate OPLS-DA analyses were applied to study the serum metabolomics changes induced by RHRT while PLS regression analysis to evaluate the association between such changes and overall survival. RHRT was found to affect almost all investigated metabolites classes, in particular, the amino acids citrulline and taurine, the C14, C18:1 and C18:2 acyl-carnitines as well as the unsaturated long chain phosphatidylcholines PC ae 42:5, PC ae 44:5 and PC ae 44:6 were significantly decreased. The enrichment analysis showed arginine metabolism and the polyamine biosynthesis as the most perturbed pathways. Moreover, specific metabolic changes encompassing the amino acids and acyl-carnitines resulted in association with the clinical outcome accounting for about 60% of the interpatients overall survival variability. This study highlighted that RHRT can induce profound systemic metabolic effects some of which may have a significant prognostic value. The integration of metabolomics in the clinical assessment of the malignant pleural mesothelioma could be useful to better identify the patients who can achieve the best benefit from the RHRT treatment.

Biological Pathways Associated With the Development of Pulmonary Toxicities in Mesothelioma Patients Treated With Radical Hemithoracic Radiation Therapy: A Preliminary Study.

Radical hemithoracic radiotherapy (RHR), after lung-sparing surgery, has recently become a concrete therapeutic option for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), an asbestos-related, highly aggressive tumor with increasing incidence and poor prognosis. Although the toxicity associated to this treatment has been reduced, it is still not negligible and must be considered when treating patients. Genetic factors appear to play a role determining radiotherapy toxicity. The aim of this study is the identification of biological pathways, retrieved through whole exome sequencing (WES), possibly associated to the development of lung adverse effects in MPM patients treated with RHR. The study included individuals with MPM, treated with lung-sparing surgery and chemotherapy, followed by RHR with curative intent, and followed up prospectively for development of pulmonary toxicity. Due to the strong impact of grade 3 pulmonary toxicities on the quality of life, compared with less serious adverse events, for genetic analyses, patients were divided into a none or tolerable pulmonary toxicity (NoSTox) group (grade ≤2) and a severe pulmonary toxicity (STox) group (grade = 3). Variant enrichment analysis allowed us to identify different pathway signatures characterizing NoSTox and Stox patients, allowing to formulate hypotheses on the protection from side effects derived from radiotherapy as well as factors predisposing to a worst response to the treatment. Our findings, being aware of the small number of patients analyzed, could be considered a starting point for the definition of a panel of pathways, possibly helpful in the management of MPM patients.

Radical Hemithoracic Radiotherapy Versus Palliative Radiotherapy in Non-metastatic Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: Results from a Phase 3 Randomized Clinical Trial.

PURPOSE: We conducted a phase 3 randomized clinical trial to assess whether radical hemithoracic radiation therapy (RHR) compared with palliative radiation therapy (PR) can achieve overall survival (OS) advantages in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). METHODS AND MATERIALS: From August 2014 to May 2018, patients with histologically diagnosed nonmetastatic MPM, who underwent nonradical lung-sparing surgery and chemotherapy (CHT), were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive RHR or PR. RHR total dose to the involved pleural cavity was 50 Gy in 25 fractions, and the gross residual disease received a simultaneous integrated boost of 60 Gy. The primary endpoint was OS. Secondary endpoints were local control, distant metastasis-free survival, progression-free survival, and acute and late toxicity rates. A sample size of 108 patients considering a type I error (α) of 0.05 and a statistical power of 80% was calculated to prove that RHR could improve the 2-year OS. OS was estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test (2-sided) tested differences between arms. The univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazard model. Possible prognostic factors investigated: age, sex, performance status, lung surgery, gross residual disease, and histology. RESULTS: One hundred eight patients were randomized: 53 to the PR arm and 55 to the RHR arm. Median follow-up was 14.6 months. The 2-year OS rate was 58% in the RHR arm versus 28% in the PR arm (hazard ratio, 0.54; 95% confidence interval, 0.31-0.95; P = .031). In the RHR arm: 11 patients experienced acute toxicity grade ≥3, 17 patients had grade 3 to 4 late toxicity. Nine patients experience a grade ≥2 pneumonitis, including 1 patient with grade 5. CONCLUSIONS: RHR significantly improves survival in patients with MPM treated with nonradical lung-sparing surgery and CHT compared with palliative treatments, although it is associated with a nonnegligible toxicity profile.

Prognostic Nutritional Index Predicts Toxicity in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Treated with Definitive Radiotherapy in Association with Chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: The Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) is a parameter of nutritional and inflammation status related to toxicity in cancer treatment. Since data for head and neck cancer are scanty, this study aims to investigate the association between PNI and acute and late toxicity for this malignancy. METHODS: A retrospective cohort of 179 head and neck cancer patients treated with definitive radiotherapy with induction/concurrent chemotherapy was followed-up (median follow-up: 38 months) for toxicity and vital status between 2010 and 2017. PNI was calculated according to Onodera formula and low/high PNI levels were defined according to median value. Odds ratio (OR) for acute toxicity were calculated through logistic regression model; hazard ratios (HR) for late toxicity and survival were calculated through the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: median PNI was 50.0 (interquartile range: 45.5-53.5). Low PNI was associated with higher risk of weight loss > 10% during treatment (OR = 4.84, 95% CI: 1.73-13.53 for PNI < 50 versus PNI ≥ 50), which was in turn significantly associated with worse overall survival, and higher risk of late mucositis (HR = 1.84; 95% CI:1.09-3.12). PNI predicts acute weight loss >10% and late mucositis. CONCLUSIONS: PNI could help clinicians to identify patients undergoing radiotherapy who are at high risk of acute and late toxicity.

Organ preservation in locally advanced head and neck cancer of the larynx using induction chemotherapy followed by improved radiation schemes.

The present prospective study seeks to evaluate overall and disease free survival, response and organ preservation rate, and toxicity of an intensive chemotherapy regimen (CT) followed by unconventional radiotherapy (RT) in patients with locally advanced operable head and neck cancer. Between January 1998 and December 2006 (June 2005), 115 patients with locally advanced, operable head and neck cancer were evaluated. A total of 333 cycles of neoadjuvant CT (cisplatin-5FU, days 1, 14, 28) followed by hyperfractionated/accelerated radiotherapy were given to 108 patients. A total of 108 patients were evaluable and received the planned CT-RT treatment. Two months after the end of RT, 97.2% of patients had a clinical complete remission of the primary and 67.5% of the neck node site. The overall survival was 55% and cause-specific survival was 73% at 5 years. Of the 33 relapsed patients, 12 recurred only at the primary site and 10 patients had distant metastases. The overall organ preservation rate was 73.5%. The chemotherapy regimen reported an overall cardiotoxicity from 5FU in 14% of patients, with severe toxicity in 3%. The radiotherapy schedule developed 84% of Grade 3-4 mucositis in the observed patients. The accelerated CT-RT regimen is able to achieve a high rate of larynx preservation, a good tolerability, and a satisfactory cause-specific overall survival.

Direct health-care cost of head and neck cancers: a population-based study in north-eastern Italy.

Improvements in prognosis of head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) have paralleled with an increase in health-care costs, so that an economic evaluation is of growing importance. Presently, most of the evidence is from insurance-based studies in the USA. Between 2007 and 2010, 879 HNSCC patients were identified through the population-based cancer registry of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, including 266 oral, 187 oropharyngeal, 136 hypopharyngeal, and 290 laryngeal cancers. Health-care costs from diagnosis to treatment initiation and in the following 2 years were retrieved through a record linkage with the regional health data warehouse. This database collected comprehensive health information on all resident citizens. Generalized linear models with a gamma distribution and log-link function were applied to model costs. The average health-care cost from diagnosis up to 2 years after treatment initiation was €20,184 (95% confidence interval: €19,634 - 20,733). Heterogeneity emerged according to cancer site, elective treatment, and retreatment for cancer persistence/recurrence (no: €13,896; yes: €24,599; p < 0.001). An advanced stage was associated with increased costs stage (I: €12,969; II: €18,276; III: €26,229; IV: €25,574; p < 0.001) as the result of treatment complexity and elevated frequency of patients retreatment due to recurrence. These findings further support strategies to diagnose patients at an earlier cancer stage and the accurate definition of diagnostic and treatment pathways, to start treating patients when radical unimodal approach is still feasible. Besides the advantage in prognosis due to timely curative treatments, this would reduce the economic burden of cancer treatment.

Voxel-by-voxel correlation between radiologically radiation induced lung injury and dose after image-guided, intensity modulated radiotherapy for lung tumors.

PURPOSE: To correlate radiation dose to the risk of severe radiologically-evident radiation-induced lung injury (RRLI) using voxel-by-voxel analysis of the follow-up computed tomography (CT) of patients treated for lung cancer with hypofractionated helical Tomotherapy. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The follow-up CT scans from 32 lung cancer patients treated with various regimens (5, 8, and 25 fractions) were registered to pre-treatment CT using deformable image registration (DIR). The change in density was calculated for each voxel within the combined lungs minus the planning target volume (PTV). Parameters of a Probit formula were derived by fitting the occurrences of changes of density in voxels greater than 0.361gcm-3 to the radiation dose. The model's predictive capability was assessed using the area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for goodness-of-fit, and the permutation test (Ptest). RESULTS: The best-fit parameters for prediction of RRLI 6months post RT were D50 of 73.0 (95% CI 59.2.4-85.3.7)Gy, and m of 0.41 (0.39-0.46) for hypofractionated (5 and 8 fractions) and D50 of 96.8 (76.9-123.9)Gy, and m of 0.36 (0.34-0.39) for 25 fractions RT. According to the goodness-of-fit test the null hypothesis of modeled and observed occurrence of RRLI coming from the same distribution could not be rejected. The AUC was 0.581 (0.575-0.583) for fractionated and 0.579 (0.577-0.581) for hypofractionated patients. The predictive models had AUC>upper 95% band of the Ptest. CONCLUSIONS: The correlation of voxel-by-voxel density increase with dose can be used as a support tool for differential diagnosis of tumor from benign changes in the follow-up of lung IMRT patients.

The impact of time to treatment initiation on survival from head and neck cancer in north-eastern Italy.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of time to treatment initiation (TTI) on overall survival in patients with head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the period 2003-2009, 1616 HNSCC patients were diagnosed in Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Northeastern Italy, including 462 oral, 346 oropharyngeal, 212 hypopharyngeal, and 596 laryngeal cancers. Clinical information, including date and type of first treatment, and follow-up were retrieved from the regional Cancer Registry and a population-based health database collecting comprehensive health information on people living in the Region. Multivariate hazard ratio (HR) and confidence intervals (CI) were calculated through Cox model. RESULTS: Overall, the median TTI was 28days, (Q1-Q3: 13-45days), but significant variations emerged according to anatomical site, cancer stage, treatment approach, and care transition to specialized centers. Five-year overall survival decreased with increasing treatment delay from 62% for TTI<30days to 39% for TTI≥90days (p<0.01). HR of death was 1.13 (95% CI: 0.92-1.39) for TTI between 45-89days, and 1.47 (1.05-2.05) for TTI≥90days. The association between TTI and poor prognosis was stronger for laryngeal cancers and early-stage HNSCCs. Further, care transition from community hospitals to specialized centers was associated to a better prognosis (HR=0.73; 95% CI: 0.60-0.88). CONCLUSION: Our study findings suggest that HNSCC patients treated within 45days from diagnosis have increased survival probabilities and that early-stage patients suffered the most from treatment delay. Furthermore, care transition to specialized centers -though competitive to timely treatment- improves survival by providing the most innovative technologies and treatment approaches.

Thoracic radiation therapy and concomitant low-dose daily paclitaxel in non-small cell lung cancer: a phase I study.

The primary objective of the current study was to determine the maximum tolerated dose of paclitaxel (PTX) that could be added daily to radiation therapy (RT) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The secondary objective was to achieve a plasma concentration of PTX estimated to exert a radiosensitizing effect. Eighteen patients with locally advanced NSCLC were treated. 60 Gy of RT were given in 2 Gy fractions, 5 days per week. A daily dose of PTX was delivered by 4-h i.v. infusion before RT. The initial dose level of PTX was 9 mg/m2/day, escalated by 1 mg at each additional patient triplet. Two out of 6 patients experienced acute dose limiting toxicity (DLT) at the 12 mg/m2/day PTX dose level. PTX continuously greater than 10 nM, the estimated radiosensitizing condition, was achieved at the PTX dose level of 12 mg/m2/day. PTX at doses up to 11 mg/m2/day may be safely added to a conventional conformal RT course. Both DLT and the estimated radiosensitizing plasma exposure to PTX were encountered at the 12 mg/m(2)/day dose level.

Neoadjuvant accelerated chemotherapy followed by hyperfractionated radiation therapy in patients with operable, locally advanced head and neck carcinoma.

A prospective phase II trial was carried out to evaluate an accelerated chemotherapy (CT) regimen followed by hyperfractionated radiation therapy (RT) in previously untreated Stage III-IV, operable (total laryngectomy), head and neck cancer patients. The current study evaluates overall survival, loco-regional control, organ preservation rates and toxicity. Between April 1997 and December 2002, 68 patients with advanced head and neck cancer were treated with 3 cycles of induction CT (cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil; days 1, 14, and 28) followed by hyperfractionated RT (7440 cGy/62 fractions). Sixty patients received the planned RT-CT treatment. Two months after the end of RT, 96% of patients had a clinical complete remission of the primary and 66% of the neck disease. At a median follow-up of 32 months, the 3-year overall and disease-free survival rates were 66% and 76%, respectively. Seven patients recurred on the primary site, 1 on the neck and 2 patients only had distant metastases. The organ preservation rate was 73%. Acute grade 3-4 mucositis occurred in 75% of patients and an 18% rate of CT-related cardiotoxicity was reported. The accelerated CT-RT regimen achieves a high rate of larynx preservation albeit with considerable toxicity. The current prospective clinical trial was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (C.R.O.) on May 27, 1996, # CRO-02-96. Written informed consent was required from all patients entering the study.

Radical Radiation Therapy After Lung-Sparing Surgery for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: Survival, Pattern of Failure, and Prognostic Factors.

PURPOSE: To prospectively assess the survival, patterns of failure, and prognostic factors in a large cohort of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma who had undergone a novel trimodal therapeutic approach, including lung-sparing surgery, chemotherapy, and subsequent treatment with high doses of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to the whole hemithorax. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The analysis was conducted on the data from 69 patients. Of the 69 patients, 35 underwent extended pleurectomy/decortication (P/D), with resection of the entire pleura, along with portions of the pericardium and diaphragm and 34, partial pleurectomy, defined as partial removal of parietal or visceral pleura for diagnostic purposes, leaving gross tumor behind in all cases. All patients received cisplatin/pemetrexed chemotherapy. Postoperative IMRT was delivered to the entire hemithorax, excluding the intact lung. The IMRT dose was 50 Gy in 25 fractions. Any fluorodeoxyglucose-avid areas or regions of particular concern for residual disease were given a simultaneous boost to 60 Gy. RESULTS: The median follow-up duration was 19 months. No difference was seen in overall survival and locoregional control between the extended P/D group and the partial pleurectomy group. The 2-year overall survival was 65% and 58% in the extended P/D and partial pleurectomy groups, respectively (P=.94). Locoregional control at 2 years was 65% and 64% in the extended P/D and partial pleurectomy groups, respectively (P=.75). The predominant pattern of failure was distant: 19 patients (27.5%) developed distant metastases as the first site of relapse. Gross residual disease after surgery was significantly associated with overall survival (hazard ratio 3.45). One fatal pneumonitis was reported; 14 cases (20%) of grade 2 to 3 pneumonitis were documented. CONCLUSIONS: Radical IMRT after lung-sparing surgery and chemotherapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma leads to promising survival results and acceptable toxicity rates. The similarity of survival between patients treated with extended P/D or partial pleurectomy observed in our study is intriguing.

Locoregionally advanced carcinoma of the oropharynx: conventional radiotherapy vs. accelerated hyperfractionated radiotherapy vs. concomitant radiotherapy and chemotherapy--a multicenter randomized trial.

PURPOSE: To compare conventional fractionation radiation therapy (RT), Arm A, vs. split-course accelerated hyperfractionated RT (S-AHF), Arm B, vs. conventional fractionation RT plus concomitant chemotherapy (CT), Arm C, in terms of survival and toxicity for advanced, unresectable epidermoid tumors of oropharynx. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Between January 1993 and June 1998, 192 previously untreated patients affected with Stage III and IV oropharyngeal carcinoma (excluding T1N1 and T2N1) were accrued in a multicenter, randomized Phase III trial (ORO 93-01). For Arms A and C, 66-70 Gy in 33-35 fractions, 5 days a week, were administered in 6.5-7 weeks to tumor and positive nodes. In Arm B, the dose delivered to tumor and involved nodes was 64-67.2 Gy, giving 2 fractions of 1.6 Gy every day with an interfraction interval of at least 4 h and preferably 6 h, 5 days a week. At 38.4 Gy, a 2-week split was planned; after the split, RT was resumed with the same modality. In Arm C, CT regimen consisted of carboplatin and 5-fluorouracil (CBDCA 75 mg/m(2), Days 1-4; 5-FU 1,000 mg/m(2) i.v. over 96 h, Days 1-4, recycling every 28 days (at 1st, 5th, and 9th week). RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was detected in overall survival (p = 0.129): 40% Arm A vs. 37% Arm B vs. 51% Arm C were alive at 24 months. Similarly, there was no statistically significant difference in terms of event-free survival (p = 0.196): 20% for Arm A, 19% for Arm B, and 37% for Arm C were event free at 24 months. On the contrary, the 2-year disease-free survival was significantly different among the three arms (p = 0.022), with a superiority for Arm C. At 24 months, the proportion of patients without relapse was 42% for Arm C vs. 23% for Arm A and 20% for Arm B. Patients in Arm A less frequently developed G3+ acute mucositis than their counterparts in Arm B or C (14.7% vs. 40.3% vs. 44%). Regarding the CT-related acute toxicity, apart from 1 case of fatal nephrotoxicity, only hematologic G3+ (Grade 3 or higher) acute sequelae were observed (World Health Organization scale), most commonly leukopenia (22.7%). Arm C showed slightly more G3+ skin, s.c. tissue, and mucosal late side effects (RTOG scale), although significant sequelae were relatively uncommon, and mucosal sequelae were most commonly transient. The occurrence of persistent G3 xerostomia was comparable in all three treatment arms. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of simultaneous CT and RT with the regimen of this trial is better than RT alone in advanced oropharyngeal squamous-cell carcinomas, by increasing disease-free survival. This improvement, however, did not translate into an overall survival improvement, and was associated with a higher incidence of acute morbidity.

Complete metabolic remission with Gefitinib in a hemodialysis patient with bone metastases from non-small cell lung cancer.

Gefitinib is highly active in patients with advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring activating mutation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene. The feasibility and the degree of response to treatment with gefitinib in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) undergoing hemodialysis has not yet been fully described in literature. We describe the case of a 70-year-old man with CRF undergoing hemodialysis three times-a-week who developed vertebral and rib bone metastasis three years after lobectomy. The bone biopsy confirmed the pulmonary origin and pyrosequencing analysis revealed deletion in E746-E750 of exon 19. We started daily administration of 250 mg gefitinib with no changes in the hemodialysis schedule. Gefitinib was well-tolerated without any adverse event. After three months, the (18)F-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) showed complete metabolic remission of bone lesions. The patient is still under treatment and maintains response (30 months to date). To our knowledge, this is the first description of complete metabolic remission in this type of patient. In conclusion, gefitinib has been safely administered to a patient with NSCLC with EGFR-activating mutation undergoing chronic hemodialysis and its use has achieved an excellent and prolonged response on bone metastases.

Radical pleurectomy/decortication followed by high dose of radiation therapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma. Final results with long-term follow-up.

PURPOSE: We have previously shown the feasibility of delivering high doses of radiotherapy in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) patients who underwent radical pleurectomy/decortication (P/D) or surgical biopsy. In this report, we present the long-term results of MPM patients treated with radical P/D followed by high doses of radiotherapy. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Twenty consecutive MPM patients were enrolled in this prospective study and underwent radical P/D followed by high dose radiotherapy. The clinical target volume was defined as the entire hemithorax excluding the intact lung. The dose prescribed was 50 Gy in 25 fractions. Any FDG-avid areas or regions of particular concern for residual disease were given a simultaneous boost to 60 Gy. Nineteen patients received cisplatin/pemetrexed chemotherapy. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to calculate rates of overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and loco-regional control (LRC). RESULTS: The median follow-up was of 27 months. The median OS and PFS were 33 and 29 months, respectively. The median LRC was not reached. The Kaplan-Meier estimates of OS at 2 and 3 years were 70% and 49%, respectively. The estimates of PFS at 2 and 3 years were 65% and 46%, respectively. The estimates of LRC at 2 and 3 years were 68% and 59%, respectively. The predominant pattern of failure was distant: 7 patients developed distant metastases as the first site of relapse, whereas only 3 patients experienced an isolated loco-regional recurrence. No fatal toxicity was reported. Five Grades 2-3 pneumonitis were documented. CONCLUSIONS: High dose radiation therapy following radical P/D led to excellent loco-regional control and survival results in MPM patients. A median OS of 33 months and a 3-year OS rate of 49% are among the best observed in recent studies, supporting the idea that this approach represents a concrete therapeutic option for malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Stereotactic body radiation therapy for re-irradiation of persistent or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: To retrospectively assess toxicity and outcome of re-irradiation with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in patients with recurrent or persistent non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), who were previously treated with radical radiation therapy (50-60 Gy). The secondary endpoint was to investigate whether there are dosimetric parameter predictors of severe radiation toxicity. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The analysis was conducted in 17 patients with "in-field" recurrent/persistent centrally located NSCLC, who underwent re-irradiation with SBRT. SBRT consisted of 30 Gy in 5 to 6 fractions; these prescriptions would be equivalent for the tumor to 37.5 to 40 Gy, bringing the total 2-Gy-per-fraction cumulative dose to 87 to 100 Gy, considering the primary radiation therapy treatment. Actuarial analyses and survival were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and P values were estimated by the log-rank test, starting from the date of completion of SBRT. Dosimetric parameters from the subgroups with and without grade ≥3 pulmonary toxicity were compared using a 2-tailed Student t test. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 18 months (range, 4-57 months). Only 2 patients had local failure, corresponding to a local control rate of 86% at 1 year. The Kaplan-Meier estimates of overall survival (OS) rates at 1 and 2 years were 59% and 29%, respectively; the median OS was 19 months. Four patients (23%) experienced grade 3 radiation pneumonitis, and 1 patient developed fatal pneumonitis. One patient died of fatal hemoptysis 2 months after the completion of SBRT. Unexpectedly, heart maximum dose, D5 (minimum dose to at least 5% of the heart volume), and D10 were correlated with risk of radiation pneumonitis (P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: Re-irradiation with SBRT for recurrent/persistent centrally located NSCLC achieves excellent results in terms of local control. However, the high rate of severe toxicity reported in our study is of concern.

Tomotherapy after pleurectomy/decortication or biopsy for malignant pleural mesothelioma allows the delivery of high dose of radiation in patients with intact lung.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to assess the safety of high doses of radiation delivered with tomotherapy to the intact lung after radical pleurectomy/decortication or biopsy for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). METHODS: Twenty-eight patients were enrolled in this prospective study and underwent adjuvant or definitive tomotherapy after radical pleurectomy/decortication (n = 20) or pleural biopsy (n = 8) for MPM. The dose prescribed to the planning target volume, defined as the entire hemithorax, including chest-wall incisions and drain sites and excluding the intact lung, was 50 Gy delivered in 25 fractions. All patients underwent fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography for staging after surgery. Any fluorodeoxyglucose-avid areas or regions of particular concern for residual disease were given a simultaneous boost of radiotherapy to 60 Gy. Specific lung dosimetric parameters were reported. Toxicity was graded using the modified Common Toxicity Criteria version 3.0. RESULTS: The median follow-up was of 19 months (range, 6-29 months). Five patients (17.8%) experienced severe respiratory symptoms corresponding to grade 2 pneumonitis in three cases, and grade 3 pneumonitis in two cases. No fatal respiratory toxicity was reported. Controlateral lung V5 was strongly correlated with the risk of pneumonitis. Patients who developed grade 2 and 3 pneumonitis had a higher controlateral lung V5 (mean V5=32%) than those without pneumonitis (mean V5=17%) (p=0.002). Other two grade 3 toxicities were registered: one severe pain to the chest wall, and one severe thrombocytopenia. CONCLUSIONS: Tomotherapy allows the safe delivery of high dose of radiation to the hemithorax of MPM patients with intact lung.