The prognosis and the impact of radiotherapy in clinically regional lymph node-positive prostate cancer: Which patients are candidates for local therapy with radiation?

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to identify the prognostic and predictive factors of local radiotherapy in clinically regional lymph node-positive prostate cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study includes patients who were newly diagnosed with regional lymph node-positive prostate cancer between 2008 and 2017. We investigated the prognostic value of clinicopathological parameters for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) as well as the differential prognostic impact of radiotherapy by subgroup analysis. RESULTS: Among the 93 men enrolled as patients, 48 (51.6 %) were treated with radiotherapy. The biopsy positive core rate and biopsy Gleason score were associated with PFS, and the number of lymph node metastases was associated with both PFS and OS. Patients who underwent radiotherapy showed better PFS and OS. High-risk features (at least 2 criteria among ≥75% biopsy positive core rate, Gleason score ≥9, and ≥2 positive lymph nodes) were especially associated with improved outcomes after undergoing radiotherapy. CONCLUSION: We identified prognostic factors for clinically regional lymph node-positive prostate cancer and showed the benefits of local radiation therapy. Patients with high-risk features may be especially suitable candidates for radiotherapy.

Dose evaluation indices for total body irradiation using TomoDirect with different numbers of ports: A comparison with the TomoHelical method.

TomoDirect has been reported to have some advantages over TomoHelical in delivering total body irradiation (TBI). This study aimed to investigate the relationships between the number of ports and the dose evaluation indices in low-dose TBI in TomoDirect mode using 2-12 ports and to compare these data with those for the TomoHelical mode in a simulation study. Thirteen patients underwent low-dose TBI in TomoHelical mode from June 2015 to June 2016. We used the same computed tomography data sets for these patients to create new treatment plans for upper-body parts using TomoDirect mode with 2-12 beam angles as well as TomoHelical mode. The prescription was 4 Gy in two equal fractions. For the TomoDirect data, we generated plans with 2-12 ports with approximately equally spaced angles; the modulation factor, field width, and pitch were 2.0, 5.0 cm, and 0.500, respectively. For the TomoHelical plans, the modulation factor, field width, and pitch were 2.0, 5.0 cm, and 0.397, respectively. D2, D98, D50, and the homogeneity index (HI) were evaluated to compare TomoDirect plans having 2-12 ports with the TomoHelical plan. Using TomoDirect plans, D2 with four ports or fewer, D98 with 10 ports or fewer, D50 with four ports or fewer and HI with five ports or fewer showed statistically significantly worse results than the TomoHelical plan. With the TomoDirect plans, D2 with seven ports or more, D50 with eight ports or more, and HI with eight ports or more showed statistically significant improvement compared with the TomoHelical plan. All of the dose evaluation indices of the TomoDirect plans showed a tendency to improve as the number of ports increased. TomoDirect plans showed statistically significant improvement of D2, D50, and HI compared with the TomoHelical plan. Therefore, we conclude that TomoDirect can provide better dose distribution in low-dose TBI with TomoTherapy.

Relationships between thermal dose parameters and the efficacy of definitive chemoradiotherapy plus regional hyperthermia in the treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer: data from a multicentre randomised clinical trial.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the contribution of the thermal dose parameters during regional hyperthermia (HT) treatment to the clinical outcomes in patients with cervical carcinoma (CC) who received chemoradiotherapy (CRT) plus HT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from a multicentre randomised clinical trial of concurrent CRT + HT vs. CRT alone were used to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this combination therapy in the CC patients. The intrarectal temperatures of patients undergoing HT were recorded. The complete thermal data of 47 (92%) of the 51 patients in the CRT + HT group were available for the thermal analysis. Thus, 47 patients who received CRT + HT were included in the present study. RESULTS: Among the patients who received CRT + HT, a higher CEM43T90 (≥1 min) value (a thermal dose parameter) was significantly associated with better local relapse-free survival in both univariate (p = 0.024) and multivariate (p = 0.0097) analyses. The disease-free survival of the patients with higher CEM43T90 (≥1 min) values tended to be better in comparison to patients with lower CEM43T90 (<1 min) value (p = 0.071). A complete response tended to be associated with the CEM43T90 (p = 0.056). Disease-free survival, local relapse-free survival and complete response rate for patients with higher CEM43T90 (≥1) were significantly better than those for patients with CRT alone (p = 0.036, p = 0.036 and p = 0.048). CONCLUSIONS: Dose-effect relationships between thermal dose parameters and clinical outcomes were confirmed in the CC patients treated with a combination of CRT + HT. This study also confirmed that HT with lower CEM43T90 is insufficient to achieve a significant hyperthermic sensitisation to CRT.

A multicentre randomised clinical trial of chemoradiotherapy plus hyperthermia versus chemoradiotherapy alone in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of whole-pelvic hyperthermia (HT) added to standard chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in locally advanced cervical cancer (CC), by investigating the clinical response and survival of patients treated with cisplatin-based CRT vs. CRT with HT (CRT + HT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted at five hospitals in Japan between September 2001 and March 2015 in patients with the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IB (bulky)-IVA CC undergoing definitive CRT. After giving a written informed consent, patients were randomly allocated to two treatment groups: CRT and CRT + HT group. Overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), local relapse-free survival (LRFS), complete response (CR) rate and tolerability were evaluated. RESULTS: In total, 101 patients were treated. Patient characteristics, total dose of cisplatin and radiotherapy were similar for both groups. Although not statistically significant, the 5-year OS, DFS and LRFS in the CRT + HT group (77.8%, 70.8% and 80.1%, respectively) were better than those in the CRT group (64.8%, 60.6% and 71.0%, respectively). CR was significantly more likely to be achieved in patients in the CRT + HT group than in the CRT group (88% vs. 77.6%; adjusted odds ratio, 3.993; 95% confidence interval, 1.018-15.67; p = .047). CRT + HT was well tolerated and caused no additional acute or long-term toxicity compared with CRT alone. CONCLUSIONS: HT combined with CRT improved the CR rate of CRT in patients with locally advanced CC, however, could not improve survival outcomes. Further studies in larger samples are warranted.

Cancer of the pelvis: definitive three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for patients with isolated recurrence in the para-aortic lymph nodes.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of definitive three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (RT) for isolated para-aortic lymph node (LN) recurrence in patients with controlled primary cancer of the pelvis. Twenty-four consecutive patients with isolated para-aortic LN recurrence were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were included in this study if they were eligible to receive definitive RT for abdominal para-aortic LN recurrence with controlled primary cancer of the pelvis without other distant/recurrent diseases. The median time between the front-line therapy and RT for isolated para-aortic LN metastases was 21 months. Nineteen (79%) patients had an objective tumor response. In-field failure occurred in four patients (17%), while failure outside of the irradiated field was recognized in 12 patients (50%). The overall survival, progression-free survival and local control rates at 5 years were 56%, 29% and 72%, respectively. Statistically significant prognostic factors of the overall survival rate in the univariate analyses were an objective tumor response (P = 0.0098) and the time between front-line therapy and RT (P = 0.033). The maximum tumor size was a significant prognostic factor of the overall survival rates in the multivariate analyses (P = 0.046). The toxicities were mild; leukopenia of Grade 3 was detected in one patient, and no Grade 3 or higher non-hematological toxicity was observed. In conclusion, definitive three-dimensional RT for isolated abdominal para-aortic LN recurrence in patients with controlled primary cancer of the pelvis may be feasible, and can provide a relatively longer-term survival. The results justify further investigation of higher dose RT using modern RT planning techniques.

Postoperative radiotherapy for incompletely resected non-small cell lung cancer: clinical outcomes and prognostic value of the histological subtype.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of the postoperative radiotherapy in patients with incompletely resected NSCLC, and to investigate whether the histological subtype is a prognostic factor. Forty-one incompletely resected NSCLC patients who underwent postoperative radiotherapy were retrospectively analyzed. The microscopic residual tumor (R1 group) was recognized in 23 patients, and the macroscopic residual tumor (R2 group) in 18. The postoperative pathological stages were I (n = 3), II (n = 8), IIIA (n = 17), and IIIB (n = 13). The histology included squamous cell carcinoma (n = 23), adenocarcinoma (n = 14) or other types (n = 4). The first site of disease progression was distant metastases alone for 3 (13%) of 23 with squamous cell carcinoma, and for 9 (64%) of 14 with adenocarcinoma (p < 0.01). The 5-year overall, local control, disease-free, and distant metastasis-free survival rates were 56%, 63%, 37% and 49%. Univariate analyses showed that squamous cell carcinoma histology, N0-1 stage and the R1 group were significant predictors for better disease-free and distant metastasis-free survival. Multivariate showed that squamous cell carcinoma and N0-1 stage were significant predictors for better distant metastasis-free survival. Toxicity was generally mild; Grade 3 toxicities occurred in 3 patients (neutropenia, radiation pneumonia and esophageal stenosis), and no acute and late toxicities of Grade 4 to 5 were observed. In conclusion, postoperative radiotherapy for incompletely resected NSCLC could achieve a relatively high local control rate without severe toxicity. However, different treatment strategies for non-squamous cell carcinoma should be considered, because of the higher risk for the distant metastases.

Definitive radiotherapy plus regional hyperthermia with or without chemotherapy for superior sulcus tumors: a 20-year, single center experience.

PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy and toxicity of definitive radiotherapy (RT) plus regional hyperthermia (HT) in treating superior sulcus tumors (SSTs), and to identify predictors of positive outcomes. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Twenty-four patients with SSTs treated with definitive RT plus regional HT were retrospectively analyzed. The median total dose of RT was 70 Gy. All patients were treated with an 8-MHz RF-capacitive heating device. Twelve of 24 (50%) patients also underwent chemotherapy. Those with either subcutaneous fat measuring 2.5 cm or greater, or any other serious complications did not undergo this therapy. RESULTS: Overall survival, local control, and distant metastasis-free survival rates at 3 years were 47%, 55%, and 71%, respectively. Chemotherapy and younger age (<65 years) were significant predictors of the overall survival rate. Clinical stage (IIB) was a statistically significant prognostic indicator for local control survival rate. Toxicities were mild, with Grade 3 dermatitis seen in one patient. CONCLUSIONS: Definitive RT plus regional HT with chemotherapy may be a promising treatment for SSTs. The results justify further evaluation with detailed treatment protocols in a large number of patients.

Deep regional hyperthermia for the whole thoracic region using 8 MHz radiofrequency-capacitive heating device: relationship between the radiofrequency-output power and the intra-oesophageal temperature and predictive factors for a good heating in 59 patients.

PURPOSE: To assess the relationship between the radiofrequency (RF) output power and the intra-oesophageal temperature for hyperthermia of the whole thoracic region, and also to evaluate the patients' characteristics associated with adequate heating. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-nine patients with thoracic cancer treated with radiotherapy plus hyperthermia were retrospectively analysed. The 8-MHz RF capacitive heating device was applied, both the upper and lower electrodes were 300 mm in diameter, placed on opposite sides of the whole thoracic region. All the patients also underwent intra-oesophageal temperature measurements. RESULTS: All thermal parameters, T(min), T(max), T(ave), and %T ≥ 41°C, of the intra-oesophageal temperature highly correlated with the median RF output power (p < 0.0001), and the relations were independent in the multivariable analyses including clinical characteristics (p < 0.01). The performance status showed a statistically significant association on T(max), T(ave) and %T ≥ 41°C (p < 0.05). The patient age and subcutaneous fat at some levels were inversely correlated with the thermal parameters (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The RF output power was significantly correlated with the intra-oesophageal temperature; it could be used as a promising parameter to assess the efficacy of hyperthermia for the whole thoracic region. Higher intra-oesophageal temperature may be achieved in patients with good performance status, younger age and thinner subcutaneous fat.

Spontaneous pneumothorax after stereotactic radiotherapy for non-small-cell lung cancer.

The report presented here describes a case of spontaneous pneumothorax observed after stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). An 84-year-old man with a Stage IIB, T3N0M0 NSCLC in the right upper lobe and a Stage IA NSCLC in the right lower lobe of the lung was treated with SRT for both tumors. He received SRT with a total dose of 60.0 Gy in 10 fractions delivered to the right upper lobe, and 48.0 Gy in 4 fractions delivered to the right lower lobe. Two months after completion of the treatment, he developed spontaneous pneumothorax. He was asymptomatic and recovered with conservative management. Spontaneous pneumothorax has occasionally been reported to occur following thoracic radiotherapy for malignancy. Almost all of the reported cases are patients who had received mantle irradiation for Hodgkin's disease. We have been unable to fi nd any reports of spontaneous pneumothorax after SRT, which has recently been used for treating patients with early-stage NSCLC. Because a case of spontaneous pneumothorax after SRT was observed in our institution, its clinical course is described here along with a discussion of possible causes of spontaneous pneumothorax.

Radiotherapy with 8-MHz radiofrequency-capacitive regional hyperthermia for stage III non-small-cell lung cancer: the radiofrequency-output power correlates with the intraesophageal temperature and clinical outcomes.

PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy of radiotherapy (RT) combined with regional hyperthermia (HT) guided by radiofrequency (RF)-output power and intraesophageal temperature and evaluate the potential contribution of HT to clinical outcomes in patients with Stage III non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Thirty-five patients with Stage III NSCLC treated with RT plus regional HT were retrospectively analyzed. Twenty-two of the 35 patients underwent intraesophageal temperature measurements. Patients with subcutaneous fat of 2.5 cm or greater, older age, or other serious complications did not undergo this therapy. The 8-MHz RF-capacitive heating device was applied, and in all patients, both the upper and lower electrodes were 30 cm in diameter, placed on opposite sides of the whole thoracic region, and treatment posture was the prone position. The HT was applied within 15 minutes after RT once or twice a week. RESULTS: All thermal parameters, minimum, maximum, and mean of the four intraesophageal temperature measurements at the end of each session and the proportion of the time during which at least one of the four intraesophageal measurements was 41 degrees C or higher in the total period of each session of HT, of the intraesophageal temperature significantly correlated with median RF-output power. Median RF-output power (>/=1,200 W) was a statistically significant prognostic factor for overall, local recurrence-free, and distant metastasis-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: The RT combined with regional HT using a higher RF-output power could contribute to better clinical outcomes in patients with Stage III NSCLC. The RF-output power thus may be used as a promising parameter to assess the treatment of deep regional HT if deep heating using this device is performed with the same size electrodes and in the same body posture.

Variation of clinical target volume definition among Japanese radiation oncologists in external beam radiotherapy for prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the interobserver variation in the prostate target volume and the trend toward the use of diagnostic computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance (MR) images for treatment planning. METHODS: Twenty-five radiation oncologists were asked to draw the external contour of the prostate on CT images (0.3 cm spacing) of a patient with localized prostate cancer. They also answered a questionnaire regarding the use of diagnostic CT or MR images for the contouring. RESULTS: Of the 25 physicians, 28% rarely or never referred to the diagnostic CT images. In contrast, the physicians tended to refer to the MR images more frequently. Approximately 50% of the physicians believed in the usefulness of contrast-enhanced images for the delineation of the prostate. As for the variation of the prostate contouring, the median craniocaudal prostate length was 36 mm (range, 21-54 mm), and the median prostate volume was 43.5 cm(3) (range, 23.8-98.3 cm(3)). The interobserver variability was not significant in the duration as a radiation oncologist, the board certification status as radiation oncologists, and the number of treatment plans developed for prostate cancer during the last 1 year. CONCLUSION: A wide variety of the definitions of the prostate was found among Japanese radiation oncologists.

Breath-hold monitoring and visual feedback for radiotherapy using a charge-coupled device camera and a head-mounted display: system development and feasibility.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to present the technical aspects of the breath-hold technique with respiratory monitoring and visual feedback and to evaluate the feasibility of this system in healthy volunteers. METHODS AND MATERIALS: To monitor respiration, the vertical position of the fiducial marker placed on the patient's abdomen was tracked by a machine vision system with a charge-coupled device camera. A monocular head-mounted display was used to provide the patient with visual feedback about the breathing trace. Five healthy male volunteers were enrolled in this study. They held their breath at the end-inspiration and the end-expiration phases. They performed five repetitions of the same type of 15-s breath-holds with and without a head-mounted display, respectively. A standard deviation of five mean positions of the fiducial marker during a 15-s breath-hold in each breath-hold type was used as the reproducibility value of breath-hold. RESULTS: All five volunteers well tolerated the breath-hold maneuver. For the inspiration breath-hold, the standard deviations with and without visual feedback were 1.74 mm and 0.84 mm, respectively (P = 0.20). For the expiration breath-hold, the standard deviations with and without visual feedback were 0.63 mm and 0.96 mm, respectively (P = 0.025). CONCLUSION: Our newly developed system might help the patient achieve improved breath-hold reproducibility.

Treatment of early tongue carcinoma with brachytherapy: results over a 25-year period.

BACKGROUND: Brachytherapy for patients with early tongue cancer is an accepted method of treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The records of 409 patients with T1/2N0M0 tongue cancer treated with brachytherapy between 1978 and 2004 were reviewed. RESULTS: The overall and disease-free 5-year survival rates were 82.3% and 64.6% for patients with T1 disease, and 72.2% and 56.0% for patients with T2 disease, respectively. The 5-year nodal metastasis-free survival rates for patients treated between 1978 and 1986, 1987 and 1996, and 1997 and 2004 were 64.8%, 74.8% and 81.3% for patients with T1 disease (p=0.22), and 47.4%, 70.4% and 76.4% for patients with T2 disease (p=0.0011), respectively. The 5-year local recurrence-free survival rates for patients treated between 1978 and 1986, 1987 and 1996, and 1997 and 2004 were 91.0%, 84.0% and 96.9% for patients with T1 disease (p=0.31), and 87.6%, 83.3% and 85.8% for patients with T2 disease (p=0.90), respectively. CONCLUSION: The incidence rate of nodal metastasis in patients with early tongue cancer improved over the 25-year period studied, while the local recurrence-free survival rates remained stable.

Reproducibility of the abdominal and chest wall position by voluntary breath-hold technique using a laser-based monitoring and visual feedback system.

PURPOSE: The voluntary breath-hold (BH) technique is a simple method to control the respiration-related motion of a tumor during irradiation. However, the abdominal and chest wall position may not be accurately reproduced using the BH technique. The purpose of this study was to examine whether visual feedback can reduce the fluctuation in wall motion during BH using a new respiratory monitoring device. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We developed a laser-based BH monitoring and visual feedback system. For this study, five healthy volunteers were enrolled. The volunteers, practicing abdominal breathing, performed shallow end-expiration BH (SEBH), shallow end-inspiration BH (SIBH), and deep end-inspiration BH (DIBH) with or without visual feedback. The abdominal and chest wall positions were measured at 80-ms intervals during BHs. RESULTS: The fluctuation in the chest wall position was smaller than that of the abdominal wall position. The reproducibility of the wall position was improved by visual feedback. With a monitoring device, visual feedback reduced the mean deviation of the abdominal wall from 2.1 +/- 1.3 mm to 1.5 +/- 0.5 mm, 2.5 +/- 1.9 mm to 1.1 +/- 0.4 mm, and 6.6 +/- 2.4 mm to 2.6 +/- 1.4 mm in SEBH, SIBH, and DIBH, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Volunteers can perform the BH maneuver in a highly reproducible fashion when informed about the position of the wall, although in the case of DIBH, the deviation in the wall position remained substantial.

Erythema multiforme and Stevens-Johnson syndrome following radiotherapy.

Erythema multiforme (EM) and Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) are thought to be hypersensitivity syndromes with various causes, and radiotherapy might be one of the causes of these syndromes. We herein report two cases of EM/SJS following radiotherapy. The first case was a 63-year-old woman with breast cancer. At the end of postoperative radiotherapy with 60 Gy, severe pruritic erythema appeared in the irradiated area and spread over the whole body. She was diagnosed with EM by a skin biopsy. The second case was a 77-year-old woman with uterine cervical cancer who underwent postoperative radiotherapy. At a dose of 30.6 Gy, pruritic redness appeared in the irradiated area and the precordial region, and it became widespread rapidly with polymorphic transformation. Although without any histological confirmation, SJS was strongly suspected because of her pruritic conjunctivitis. Because both patients were given medicines during irradiation, radiotherapy may not be the only cause of EM/SJS. However, it should be noted that radiotherapy might trigger EM/SJS.

Radiation therapy for recurrent esophageal cancer after surgery: clinical results and prognostic factors.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the outcome of radiotherapy for recurrent esophageal cancer after surgery and to determine the prognostic factors. METHODS: From 1987 through 2002, 82 patients treated with radiotherapy for loco-regional recurrences of esophageal cancer after surgery were retrospectively reviewed. The stage at initial surgery was I in 16, II in 41, III or higher in 24 and unknown in 1. The median size of recurrent tumors was 3.5 cm in diameter. Fifty-two patients were treated with radiotherapy alone, and 30 were treated with radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy. The median total dose of external radiotherapy given was 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions. RESULTS: The median survival period after recurrence was 7.0 months. The 2- and 5-year overall survival rate for all patients was 22 and 11%, respectively. In univariate analysis, the patients with performance status (PS) = 0-1, or tumor size <3.5 cm, and those treated with total dose >/=50 Gy showed a better survival outcome than each the other groups. The patients with a history of previous radiotherapy showed a poorer survival outcome in univariate analysis than each the other groups. In multivariate analysis, tumor size, PS and radiation dose were independent prognostic factors for overall survival. CONCLUSION: The prognosis of patients with post-operative loco-regional recurrence of esophageal cancer is poor. However, a long-term survival may be expected by definitive radiotherapy for the patients with small-size tumors and with a good PS.

Long-term functional outcome of brachytherapy for carcinoma of the mobile tongue: focus on the atrophic change of irradiated tongue.

OBJECTIVE: To assess tongue atrophy and long-term functional outcome of mobile tongue cancer patients after interstitial radiotherapy. METHODS: Of 493 patients whose squamous cell carcinoma of the mobile tongue had been treated with low dose rate brachytherapy, there were 57 patients evaluated between July 2002 and April 2004 whose tongue had not been modified by surgical procedures and who had no primary recurrence. The median time from treatment to evaluation was 96 months (range: 9-214 months). Almost all of the patients belonged to the early stage tongue cancer (T1/T2/T3/T4=30:24:3:0), and all had received interstitial radiotherapy with a single-plane implant. To evaluate the deformity of the tongue, we used a grading system that classified the atrophic changes of the tongue into four categories (G0-G3). RESULTS: Thirty-nine patients (70%) showed mild tongue hemiatrophy (G1 or G2) in the irradiated side. However, no patients showed severe atrophy where the tongue cannot be made to protrude beyond the incisors (G3). The length of time after brachytherapy was >72 months and the age of the patients at brachytherapy had the same statistical significance (P=0.0366). As for functional outcome, understandability of speech and a normal diet were preserved for almost all patients. CONCLUSION: The progression of atrophic change in the irradiated tongue occurred over a long term after brachytherapy. However, most patients could maintain their activities of daily life without severe restriction.

Long-term local control of recurrent adenoid cystic carcinoma in the parotid gland with radiotherapy and intraarterial infusion chemotherapy.

We report a case of postoperative recurrence of adenoid cystic carcinoma in the left parotid gland treated with radiotherapy and arterial infusion chemotherapy. A 52-year-old woman had a history of surgical resection for an adenoid cystic carcinoma arising from the left parotid gland 25 years before. Despite two reoperations for local recurrence after the initial surgery, she had a third local recurrence in the remnant of the left parotid gland. The patient was treated with a concurrent combination of radiotherapy (60 Gy/30F) and intraarterial infusion chemotherapy with carboplatin (750 mg/30 days) from which she obtained a complete response. The patient has remained free of local progression 54 months after treatment. Radiotherapy and arterial infusion chemotherapy is effective treatment for local recurrence of adenoid cystic carcinoma in the head and neck.

Low pre-radiotherapy prostate-specific antigen level is a significant predictor of treatment success for postoperative radiotherapy in patients with prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: The optimal role of postoperative radiotherapy for patients with prostate cancer remains undefined. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of 70 patients (median age: 66 years), who had received radical radiotherapy (RT) between the years 1996 and 2004 after radical prostatectomy (RP), were analyzed. Fifteen patients had received immediate adjuvant RT, while the other 55 patients had received salvage therapy. Hormonal therapy had been performed in 28 patients before RT and continued in two of them concurrently with RT. A median dose of 60 Gy was delivered to the prostate bed. Pelvic node irradiation was performed in all patients. RESULTS: After a median follow-up period of 23 months, 21 patients had experienced biochemical failure. Actuarial 3- and 5-year biochemical relapse-free survival estimates were 67.4%. No patient had local failure, although distant metastases with biochemical failure were found in five patients. On univariate analysis, the following were significant for biochemical failures: seminar vesicle involvement, serum PSA level >1 ng/ml before RT, pathological pelvic node involvement, RT indication (adjuvant vs. salvage) and Gleason score. However, only the serum PSA level before RT was significant on multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Postoperative RT with a pre-RT PSA level <0.1 ng/ml seemed to be effective in patients with prostate cancer.