Comparison of two different respiratory monitoring systems with 4D-CT images for target volume definition in patients undergoing para-aortic nodal irradiation.

OBJECTIVE: Today, respiratory movement can be monitored and recorded with different methods during a simulation on a four-dimensional (4D) computed tomography (CT) device to be used in radiotherapy planning. A synchronized respiratory monitoring system (RPM) with an externally equipped device is one of these methods. Another method is to create 4D images of the patient's breathing phases without the need for extra equipment, with an anatomy-based software program integrated into the CT device. Our aim is to compare the RPM system and the software system (Deviceless) which are two different respiratory monitoring methods used in tracking moving targets during 4D-CT imaging and to assess their clinical usability. METHODS: Ten patients who underwent paraaortic nodal irradiation were enrolled. The simulation was performed using intravenous contrast material on a 4D-CT device with both respiratory monitoring methods. The right/left kidneys and renal arteries were chosen as references to evaluate abdominal organ movement. It was then manually contoured one by one on both sets of images. The images were compared volumetrically and geometrically after rigid reconstruction. The similarity between the contours was determined by the Dice index. Wilcoxon test was used for statistical comparisons. RESULTS: The motion of the kidneys in all three directions was found to be 0.0 cm in both methods. The shifts in the right/left renal arteries were submillimetric. The Dice index showed a high similarity in both kidney and renal artery contours. CONCLUSION: In our study, no difference was found between RPM and Deviceless systems used for tracking and detection of moving targets during simulation in 4D-CT. Both methods can be used safely for radiotherapy planning according to the available possibilities in the clinic.

Radiotherapy for benign diseases in Turkey: a patterns of care survey of the Turkish Society for Radiation Oncology (TROD 05-002).

PURPOSE: We aimed to investigate the patterns of radiotherapy (RT) care in cases of benign diseases in Turkey. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was sent to all radiation oncology (RO) departments in Turkey. The number of patients treated for benign disease between 2015 and 2020 was requested. A list of benign conditions was given, and information on the number of patients per disease, single and total doses prescribed, weekly fractions, radiation type, energy, and device was requested. RESULTS: Of the 138 RO departments, 29 (21%) responded. The data received concerned 15 (52%) university, 10 (34%) public, and four (14%) private hospitals. A total of 130,846 patients were treated with RT in these departments. Of these patients, 6346 (4.85%) were treated for benign conditions. The most common benign diseases treated with RT were meningioma (35%), plantar fasciitis (19%), schwannoma (16%), arteriovenous malformation (11%), and pituitary adenoma (7%). Most centers performed RT for paraganglioma, heterotopic ossification, vertebral hemangioma, and Graves' ophthalmopathy, but none treated arthrosis. Wide variations were observed across the departments. Radiosurgery for intracranial pathologies was performed intensively in four centers. By contrast, RT for plantar fasciitis was predominantly treated in five centers, one of which had more than 1000 patients. CONCLUSION: The ratio of patients who underwent RT for benign diseases in Turkey among all patients who underwent RT was 4.85%. The common pattern of RT in 72% of patients was radiosurgery for intracranial benign diseases, followed by low-dose RT for plantar fasciitis in 19%.

Radiation recall myositis with pazopanib in a patient with soft tissue sarcoma.

INTRODUCTION: Radiation recall reaction is an acute inflammatory reaction confined to previously irradiated areas that are most commonly triggered by the administration of anti-cancer agents after radiotherapy. Radiation recall myositis is a relatively rare form of radiation recall reaction. CASE REPORT: Here we report a 29-year-old female patient who suffered from metastatic monophasic synovial sarcoma. 8.5 months after post-operative radiotherapy of the right thigh region, the patient suffered pain, edema, redness, and increased temperature locally on the right thigh. Physical exam showed red fixed skin, rigidity and severe tenderness of region, and thigh magnetic resonance imaging revealed dense edema areas at the addiction, semimembranous-semitendinous muscle, and superior part of the biceps femoris and vastus lateralis isointense on T1AG, hyperintense T2AG images. Based on these findings, the patient was diagnosed with pazopanib-induced radiation recall myositis. MANAGEMENT & OUTCOME: Pazopanib was stopped and pentoxifylline (2 × 400 mg), Vitamin E (3 × 400 mg), and methylprednisolone (2 × 8 mg) were prescribed. After 1 month, complete relief of thigh pain and marked recovery of rigidity, as well as erythema, were achieved and no recurrence of radiation recall reaction-related symptoms was observed after the pazopanib rechallenge. DISCUSSION: Myositis is a relatively rare presentation of radiation recall reaction and physicians must be aware of the symptoms of the patients who are treated by radiotherapy and pazopanib.

Adverse risk factors for salvage radiotherapy outcomes after radical prostatectomy in prostate cancer patients.

PURPOSE: To investigate salvage treatment approaches and treatment outcomes in high-risk prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy (RP). METHODS: In this retrospective, multicenter study, 272 patients who underwent salvage radiotherapy (RT) ± androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for recurrent prostate cancer after RP between 2007 and 2021 were analysed. Univariate analyses of time to biochemical and clinical relapse after salvage therapies were conducted using Kaplan-Meier plots and log-rank tests. Multivariate analyses were performed using a Cox proportional hazards model to determine the risk factors for disease relapse. RESULTS: Median age was 65 (48-82) years. All patients underwent salvage prostate bed RT. Pelvic lymphatic RT was performed in 66 patients (24.3%) and ADT was included in 158 (58.1%) patients. The median PSA value before RT was 0.35 ng/mL. The median follow-up time was 64 (12-180) months. 5-years bRFS, cRFS, and OS were 75.1%, 84.8%, and 94.9% respectively. In multivariate cox regression analysis; seminal vesicle invasion (HR 8.64, 95% CI 3.47-21.48, p < 0.001), pre-RT PSA higher than 0.14 ng/mL (HR 3.79, 95% CI 1.47-9.78, p = 0.006), and ≥ 2 positive pelvic lymph nodes (HR 2.50, 95% CI 1.11-5.62, p = 0.027) were found to be unfavorable prognostic factors for bRFS. CONCLUSION: Salvage RT ± ADT provided 5-years biochemical disease control in 75.1% of patients. Seminal vesicle invasion, ≥ 2 positive pelvic nodes and delayed administration of salvage RT (PSA levels higher than 0.14 ng/mL) were found to be adverse risk factors for relapse. Such factors should be taken into account during the decision process on salvage treatment.

Stereotactic Radiotherapy for Adrenal Metastases: A Multi-Institutional Review of Patient Characteristics and Outcomes - Turkish Society for Radiation Oncology SBRT Group Study (Trod SBRT 10-004).

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to report the outcomes of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for adrenal metastasis in a retrospective multi-institutional cohort. METHODS: The outcomes of 124 patients with 146 adrenal metastases who underwent SBRT within 11 years (2008-2019) were retrospectively evaluated. Survival outcomes were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method. Patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics and their effects on survival, local control (LC), and toxicity outcomes were analyzed by log-rank and multivariate Cox regression methods. RESULTS: The median age was 60 years. The most frequent primary tumor site was the lung, followed by the gastrointestinal system and breast. The adrenal gland was the only metastatic site in 49 (40%) patients. Median biologically effective dose (BED)10 was 61 Gy. The overall LC rate was 83%, and it was positively correlated with the BED10 and fraction dose. The 1- and 2-year local recurrence-free survival, overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 79% and 69%, 83% and 60%, and 31% and 12%, respectively. OS significantly improved with non-lung cancer and <4-cm lesion and PFS with a fraction dose ≥8 Gy, BED10 >65 Gy, and an isolated adrenal metastasis. Fourteen patients reported an acute toxicity, and late toxicity was observed in 3 patients, including one grade 5. CONCLUSION: A satisfactory LC rate was achieved for adrenal metastasis via SBRT. A higher BED10 and fraction dose were positive prognostic factors for tumor control. However, the main problem is DM in these patients, and systemic treatment options are needed to be improved.

Is there any additional benefit of 68Ga-PSMA PET on radiotherapy target volume definition in patients with glioblastoma?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the contribution of 68Gallium (68Ga)-PSMA (prostate-specific membrane antigen) positron emission tomography (PET) in defining radiotherapy (RT) target volume for glioblastoma and to compare the target volumes defined by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). METHODS: RT planning Computed Tomography (CT) images were fused separately with pre-operative MRI and PET/MRI images of 10 glioblastoma patients, retrospectively. The contrast-enhanced area in T1 weighted MRI was contoured as gross tumor volume (GTV) and clinical target volume (CTV1) was obtained by including the cavity and T2/FLAIR hyperintense areas after giving a margin of 2 cm to the GTV. 68Ga-PSMA uptake area was contoured as biological tumor volume (BTV) and CTV2 was obtained with a margin of 2 cm to BTV. Planning target volumes (PTVs) were created with the 3 mm added to the CTVs. Conformity index (CI), dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and overlap volume (OV) were calculated by obtaining the intersection and union volumes. Volumetric comparison, similarity and overlap analyzes were performed statistically by Wilcoxon signed rank and One sample t-test. RESULTS: The median GTV was 21,96 cc (1,04 - 82,04) and BTV was 25,58 cc (2,43 - 99,47). BTV was on average 47% larger than GTV which was statistically significant (p = 0.03). For GTV-BTV, CTV1-CTV2 and PTV1-PTV2; mean values of CI were 0,56, 0,76 and 0,76; DSC were 0,70, 0,86 and 0,86; OV were 0,88, 0,94 and 0,94, respectively. There was no significant difference on size and spatial similarity between CTV1 and CTV2, PTV1 and PTV2. CONCLUSION: Altough BTV was larger than GTV, this significance was lost while we gave the same CTV margin including the peripheral edema. It seems that it may help to improve defining non-enhancing tumor part and also recurrent tumor volume. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: Recent studies have focused on the role of 68Ga-PSMA PET in imaging of glial tumors. It has been observed that 68Ga-PSMA PET can clearly define the tumor borders and it can be beneficial in target volume delineation, especially in reirradiation of recurrent tumors.

Management of IMRT in a gastric cancer patient with pacemaker: A case report and review of the literature.

Due to the prolongation of a lifetime, more cancer patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices are treated by radiotherapy. However, radiation may cause permanent or temporary malfunctions on these devices, and new-generation devices are more sensitive to radiation. Besides, radiotherapy techniques and image guidance methods that may cause different interactions with the functions of the devices have been changed significantly recently. Here, we reported our clinical experience in a patient with a pacemaker who underwent radiotherapy with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) due to gastric cancer and reviewed the literature.

The effect of preoperative radiotherapy on local control and prognosis in high-grade non-metastatic intramedullary osteosarcoma of the extremities.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to analyse the effect of preoperative radiotherapy on survival, recurrence and necrosis rates in osteosarcoma patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and limb-salvage surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Osteosarcoma patients who referred to our clinic from 1998 to 2015 were investigated retrospectively. 141 patients with non-metastatic osteosarcoma of the limb who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and underwent limb-sparing surgery with or without preoperative radiotherapy were included in the study. 73 patients had neoadjuvant chemotherapy only (CT group), while 68 patients had additional preoperative radiotherapy (CT + RT group). 5-year survival, disease-free survival, limb survival, local recurrence, metastasis, complication and necrosis rates were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Overall 5-year survival, 5-year disease-free survival, 5-year limb survival rates were 68.5, 64.3, 65.7 for CT group and 72.1, 67.6, 64.7 for CT + RT group, respectively. Preoperative radiotherapy gave similar survival and disease-free survival rates. Limb survival, recurrence and metastasis rates were similar between the groups. The necrosis rate of the lesions was significantly higher in the CT + RT group compared to the CT group. CONCLUSION: Preoperative radiotherapy can provide a higher necrosis rate and may allow the resection of unresectable lesions in the treatment of osteosarcoma. CT + RT provided similar 5-year survival despite the larger tumour size compared to CT group. Due to the higher wound complication rate (8.2% in CT, 23.5% in CT + RT group, p = 0.01), CT + RT should be restricted to the lesions with large size or close proximity to neurovascular structures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III; Therapeutic, Retrospective comparative study.

Interobserver agreement between interpretations of acute changes after lung stereotactic body radiotherapy.

PURPOSE: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is an effective treatment modality for inoperable early-stage lung cancer or metastatic lung lesions. Post-SBRT, acute radiological lung changes sometimes mimic tumor progression, so over-investigation may be applied. We aimed to reveal the interobserver agreement among physicians regarding acute radiographic changes on CT of the thorax obtained shortly after SBRT MATERIALS AND METHODS: Radiologic images of 20 lesions treated with SBRT were evaluated for acute lung changes. Two physicians, one senior and one junior, from diagnostic radiology, radiation oncology, nuclear medicine, and chest disease departments reviewed these images. The final interpretations were categorized as stable, regression/consolidation, progressive disease, and SBRT-related changes. The evaluations of the physicians were compared with the experienced reference radiation oncologist. The gold standard was accepted as the reference physician's final score. Unweighted Cohen's kappa (κ) coefficient was used for assessing interobserver agreement between physicians. RESULTS: The evaluations of the physicians were compared with the reference radiation oncologist. The strongest coherence coefficient was found with the senior radiation oncologist (κ: 0.72). The kappa coefficients between the junior radiation oncologist, junior nuclear medicine physician, and the reference physician were 0.61 and 0.55, respectively. The disciplines with the lowest kappa coefficients were junior chest disease and senior radiologist, and the kappa values were 0.37 and 0.44, respectively. CONCLUSION: Disciplines dealing with lung cancer treatment may not be aware of the various radiologic changes after SBRT or inexperienced in interpreting them from recurrence. Therefore, physicians must have detailed radiotherapy information such as planning target volume (PTV), dose/fractionation, etc. In addition, final evaluations should be performed in the multidisciplinary team dealing with the treatment of the patient.

Prognostic factors in medically inoperable early stage lung cancer patients treated with stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR): Turkish Radiation Oncology Society Multicentric Study.

OBJECTIVE: We identified factors influencing outcomes in patients with medically inoperable early stage lung cancer (MIESLC) treated with stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR) at 14 centers in Turkey. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 431 patients with stage I-II MIESLC treated with SABR from 2009 through 2017. Age; sex; performance score; imaging technique; tumor histology and size; disease stage radiation dose, fraction and biologically effective dose with an α/ß ratio of 10 (BED10 ); tumor location and treatment center were evaluated for associations with overall survival (OS), local control (LC) and toxicity. RESULTS: Median follow-up time was 27 months (range 1-115); median SABR dose was 54 Gy (range 30-70) given in a median three fractions (range 1-10); median BED10 was 151 Gy (range 48-180). Tumors were peripheral in 285 patients (66.1%), central in 69 (16%) and <1 cm from mediastinal structures in 77 (17.9%). Response was evaluated with PET/CT in most cases at a median 3 months after SABR. Response rates were: 48% complete, 36.7% partial, 7.9% stable and 7.4% progression. LC rates were 97.1% at 1 year, 92.6% at 2 years and 91.2% at 3 years; corresponding OS rates were 92.6%, 80.6% and 72.7%. On multivariate analysis, BED10 > 100 Gy (P = .011), adenocarcinoma (P = .025) and complete response on first evaluation (P = .007) predicted favorable LC. BED10 > 120 Gy (hazard ratio [HR] 1.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1-3.2, P = .019) and tumor size (<2 cm HR 1.9, 95% CI 1.3-3, P = .003) predicted favorable OS. No grade 4-5 acute side effects were observed; late effects were grade ≤3 pneumonitis (18 [4.2%]), chest wall pain (11 [2.5%]) and rib fracture (1 [0.2%]). CONCLUSION: SABR produced encouraging results, with satisfactory LC and OS and minimal toxicity. BED10 > 120 Gy was needed for better LC and OS for large, non-adenocarcinoma tumors.

Comparison of kV Orthogonal Radiographs and kV-Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Image-Guided Radiotherapy Methods With and Without Implanted Fiducials in Prostate Cancer.

Introduction The aim of this study is to investigate the performance of kilovoltage (kV) cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)-based adjustments with respect to kV-orthogonal fiducial marker-based matching in a group of patients with prostate cancer.  Methods Twenty prostate cancer patients were evaluated retrospectively: 10 with implanted fiducial markers and 10 without. Daily orthogonal kV imaging was recorded prior to radiation delivery. Images were evaluated in the left-right (LR), anterior-posterior (AP), and superior-inferior (SI) directions by matching either the implanted fiducials or going off bony anatomy, depending on the presence or absence of markers, respectively. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging was also subsequently acquired and images were aligned with the planning CT. The couch shifts were calculated and the patient's position was adjusted accordingly. Standard deviations and random errors were also computed. Pearson correlation and Bland-Altman analysis were performed to evaluate relationships between the datasets. Results A total of 240 images were evaluated. The Pearson correlation coefficient for shifts applied to patients with markers using kV and CBCT was 88.3%, 87.8%, and 94.5% for the LR, AP, and SI directions, respectively. For those without markers, the respective values for the LR, AP, and SI directions were: 39.3%, 22.4%, and 3.7%. A Bland-Altman analysis comparing kV and CBCT in patients with markers, revealed R2 values of 0.152, 0.282, and 0.097 in the LR, AP, and SI directions, respectively. The R2 values for patients without markers were 0.008, 0.01, and 0.057, in the LR, AP, and SI directions, respectively. Conclusions Our data suggest that CBCT can be a viable option for image-guidance in clinical settings where fiducial markers are unavailable such as situations of inaccessibility or medical contraindications.

Risk factors of radiation pneumonitis in patients with NSCLC treated with concomitant chemoradiotherapy--Are we underestimating diabetes?--Turkish oncology group (TOG)/Lung cancer study group.

INTRODUCTION: To evaluate the clinical and dosimetric parameters that increase the risk of radiation pneumonitis (RP) in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with concomitant chemoradiotherapy of nationwide multicentric data analysis. METHODS: All data of 268 patients who underwent definitive chemoradiotherapy were retrospectively collected from eight institutes participating in this study. Patient, tumor and treatment-related factors and dosimetric parameters were analyzed for grade ≥2 RP. The toxicity scoring system of The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group used for grading the severity of pneumonitis. A relationship with the risk of RP with potential predictive factors were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses. A recursive partition analysis (RPA) was applied to stratify patients according to the risk of developing RP. RESULTS: There were 90 (33.6%) patients who had grade ≥2 RP. The median time to pneumonitis after treatment was 4 months (range:1-6 months). In univariate analysis, diabetes mellitus (DM), use of cisplatin/etoposide, total and daily radiotherapy (RT) fraction dose, the planning target volume (PTV) size, mean lung dose, V5, V10 and RT technique were associated with the development of pneumonitis. In multivariate analysis, only DM (P = 0.008) was found to be independent risk factors for RP. According to RPA, the risk of developing RP was highest in patients with DM. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, besides the known dosimetric factors, DM was found to be the most important risk factor causing RP development in multivariate analysis and RPA. The risk is tripled compared to patients without DM.

Erectile dysfunction in prostate cancer patients treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy.

BACKGROUND: Sexual dysfunction is an important side-effect after radiotherapy (RT) for prostate cancer (PCa). The aim of this study was to compare sexual functions of PCa patients before and after intensity-modulated RT and to analyze their correlation with penile bulb (PB) doses and patient characteristics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-two patients who underwent RT ± hormone therapy for PCa between 2010 and 2013 were analyzed. Sexual functions assessed by patient-reported questionnaire and physician reported scale before and 3 years after treatment. The effect of patients' age, prostate volume, testosterone levels, comorbidity, smoking status, tumor stage, RT technique, hormone therapy, and PB doses to sexual functions were investigated. RESULTS: After 3 years of RT, 64.3% of all patients had a lower erectile score; and 75% of patients who were previously potent (n = 24) had become impotent after treatment. However sexual desire still remained in 75.8% of patients who had desire before treatment (n = 33). Statistical analysis showed that two parameters were correlated with postradiotherapy impotency outcome; PB mean radiation dose (P = 0.033) and testosterone levels (P = 0.032). CONCLUSIONS: RT, despite modern techniques, affects the sexual function of PCa patients in varying degrees. Reducing radiation doses to penile structures may play a role in preventing erectile dysfunction.

Radiotherapy in the treatment of extracranial hemangiopericytoma/solitary fibrous tumor: Study from the Rare Cancer Network.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The role of radiotherapy (RT) in the treatment of hemangiopericytoma/solitary fibrous tumor (HPC/SFT) is still under debate. We aimed at investigating whether radiotherapy can improve the results in patients operated for extracranial HPC/SFT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from patients with HPC/SFT, treated from 1982 to 2012, were retrospectively reviewed within the Rare Cancer Network framework. Actuarial local control (LC), disease-free survival (DFS), metastasis-free survival (MFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated with Kaplan-Meyer method. Patient and tumor parameters were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Of 114 HPC/SFT, 58 (50.9%) occurred in the extremities/superficial trunk and 56 (49.1%) in intra-thoracic/retroperitoneum. Seventy-eight patients (68.4%) underwent surgery only (Sx), and 36 (31.6%) Sx and RT (Sx + RT). Median RT dose was 60 Gy (range 45-68.4 Gy) in 1.6-2.2 Gy fractions. In the extremities/superficial trunk group of patients, actuarial 5-year LC rates were 50.4% after Sx and 91.6% after Sx + RT (p < 0.0001) for LC, and 50.4% after Sx and 83.1% after Sx + RT (p = 0.008) for DFS. In the intra-thoracic/retroperitoneum group of patients, actuarial 5-year rates were 89.3% after Sx and 77.8% after Sx + RT (p = 0.99) for LC, and 73.8% after Sx and 77.8% after Sx + RT (p = 0.93) for DFS. At multivariate analysis, the addition of RT resulted in better LC and DFS in the whole series. The advantage was confirmed for LC in the group of patients affected by extremity/superficial trunk tumors. CONCLUSION: Addition of RT to Sx could improve the prognosis, in terms of LC and DFS, essentially in patients with extremities/superficial trunk tumor locations.

LONG-TERM RESULTS OF EXTREMITY SOFT TISSUE SARCOMAS LIMB-SPARING SURGERY AND RADIOTHERAPY.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prognostic factors and results of limb sparing surgery and postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) in patients with non-metastatic soft tissue sarcomas (STS) of the extremities. METHODS: Between 1980-2007, 114 extremity-located STS treated with PORT were analyzed retrospectively. Tumors were mostly localized in the lower extremities (71,9%). The median radiotherapy (RT) dose was 60.9 Gy. Chemotherapy was administered to 37.7% of the patients. Tumor sizes were between 3-26 cm (median 7 cm). The three most frequent histological types included undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (26.3%), liposarcoma (25.4%), and synovial sarcoma (13.2%). The median follow-up for all patients was 60 months, and 81 months for survivors. RESULTS: The 5- and 10-year local control (LC) rates were 77% and 70.4%, respectively; actuarial survival rates for 5 and 10 years were 71.8% and 69.1%, respectively. Increasing the dose above 60 Gy for all patients and the patients with positive margins demonstrated a clear benefit on 5-year LC (p=0.03 and p=0.04, respectively). Based on multivariate analysis, the addition of chemotherapy and RT dose were independent prognostic factors for LC. A recurrent presentation significantly affects the disease-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: PORT for STS of the extremities provides good long-term disease control with acceptable toxicity in a multidisciplinary approach. Level of evidence III, Retrospective study .

OBJETIVO: Avaliar os fatores prognósticos e os resultados da cirurgia poupadora de membro e radioterapia pós-operatória em pacientes com sarcomas de partes moles das extremidades. MÉTODOS: Entre 1980 e 2007, 114 sarcomas de partes moles localizados em extremidades tratados com cirurgia poupadora de membro e radioterapia pós-operatória foram analisados restrospectivamente. Os tumores localizavam-se principalmente na região mais baixa (71,9%). A dose média da radioterapia foi de 60,9 Gy. A quimioterapia foi usada em 37,7% dos pacientes. Os tamanhos do tumores estiveram entre 3 e 26 cm (mediana de 7 cm). Os três tipos histológicos mais frequentes foram, respectivamente, sarcoma pleomórfico indiferenciado (26,3%), lipossarcoma (25,4%) e sarcoma sinovial (13,2%). O tempo médio de acompanhamento para todos os pacientes foi de 60 meses e 81 meses para sobrevivente. RESULTADOS: As taxas de controle local para 5 e 10 anos foram de 77% e 70,4%, respectivamente, e as taxas de sobrevida foram de 71,8% e 69,1%. Aumentar a dose acima de 60 Gy para todos os pacientes e para aqueles com margens positivas demonstrou claro benefício no controle local de 5 anos (p = 0,03 e p = 0,04, respectivamente). Considerando a análise multivariada, a adição de quimioterapia e a dose de radioterapia foram fatores prognósticos independentes para controle local. Apresentação recorrente afetou significativamente a sobrevida livre da doença. CONCLUSÕES: A cirurgia poupadora de membro e radioterapia pós-operatória para sarcomas de partes moles das extremidades fornece bom controle da doença a longo prazo, com toxicidade aceitável na abordagem multidisciplinar. Nível de evidência III, Estudo retrospectivo.

Long-term results of extremity soft tissue sarcomas limb-sparing surgery and radiotherapy / Resultados de longo prazo de sarcomas de extremidade: cirurgia e radioterapia com espuma

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the prognostic factors and results of limb sparing surgery and postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) in patients with non-metastatic soft tissue sarcomas (STS) of the extremities. Methods: Between 1980-2007, 114 extremity-located STS treated with PORT were analyzed retrospectively. Tumors were mostly localized in the lower extremities (71,9%). The median radiotherapy (RT) dose was 60.9 Gy. Chemotherapy was administered to 37.7% of the patients. Tumor sizes were between 3-26 cm (median 7 cm). The three most frequent histological types included undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (26.3%), liposarcoma (25.4%), and synovial sarcoma (13.2%). The median follow-up for all patients was 60 months, and 81 months for survivors. Results: The 5- and 10-year local control (LC) rates were 77% and 70.4%, respectively; actuarial survival rates for 5 and 10 years were 71.8% and 69.1%, respectively. Increasing the dose above 60 Gy for all patients and the patients with positive margins demonstrated a clear benefit on 5-year LC (p=0.03 and p=0.04, respectively). Based on multivariate analysis, the addition of chemotherapy and RT dose were independent prognostic factors for LC. A recurrent presentation significantly affects the disease-free survival. Conclusions: PORT for STS of the extremities provides good long-term disease control with acceptable toxicity in a multidisciplinary approach. Level of evidence III, Retrospective study.

RESUMO Objetivo: Avaliar os fatores prognósticos e os resultados da cirurgia poupadora de membro e radioterapia pós-operatória em pacientes com sarcomas de partes moles das extremidades. Métodos: Entre 1980 e 2007, 114 sarcomas de partes moles localizados em extremidades tratados com cirurgia poupadora de membro e radioterapia pós-operatória foram analisados restrospectivamente. Os tumores localizavam-se principalmente na região mais baixa (71,9%). A dose média da radioterapia foi de 60,9 Gy. A quimioterapia foi usada em 37,7% dos pacientes. Os tamanhos do tumores estiveram entre 3 e 26 cm (mediana de 7 cm). Os três tipos histológicos mais frequentes foram, respectivamente, sarcoma pleomórfico indiferenciado (26,3%), lipossarcoma (25,4%) e sarcoma sinovial (13,2%). O tempo médio de acompanhamento para todos os pacientes foi de 60 meses e 81 meses para sobrevivente. Resultados: As taxas de controle local para 5 e 10 anos foram de 77% e 70,4%, respectivamente, e as taxas de sobrevida foram de 71,8% e 69,1%. Aumentar a dose acima de 60 Gy para todos os pacientes e para aqueles com margens positivas demonstrou claro benefício no controle local de 5 anos (p = 0,03 e p = 0,04, respectivamente). Considerando a análise multivariada, a adição de quimioterapia e a dose de radioterapia foram fatores prognósticos independentes para controle local. Apresentação recorrente afetou significativamente a sobrevida livre da doença. Conclusões: A cirurgia poupadora de membro e radioterapia pós-operatória para sarcomas de partes moles das extremidades fornece bom controle da doença a longo prazo, com toxicidade aceitável na abordagem multidisciplinar. Nível de evidência III, Estudo retrospectivo.

Treatment outcomes of prostate cancer patients with Gleason score 8-10 treated with definitive radiotherapy : TROD 09-001 multi-institutional study.

PURPOSE: To validate the clinical outcomes and prognostic factors in prostate cancer (PCa) patients with Gleason score (GS) 8-10 disease treated with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) + androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in the modern era. METHODS: Institutional databases of biopsy proven 641 patients with GS 8-10 PCa treated between 2000 and 2015 were collected from 11 institutions. In this multi-institutional Turkish Radiation Oncology Group study, a standard database sheet was sent to each institution for patient enrollment. The inclusion criteria were, T1-T3N0M0 disease according to AJCC (American Joint Committee on Cancer) 2010 Staging System, no prior diagnosis of malignancy, at least 70 Gy total irradiation dose to prostate ± seminal vesicles delivered with either three-dimensional conformal RT or intensity-modulated RT and patients receiving ADT. RESULTS: The median follow-up time was 5.9 years (range 0.4-18.2 years); 5­year overall survival (OS), biochemical relapse-free survival (BRFS) and distant metastases-free survival (DMFS) rates were 88%, 78%, and 79%, respectively. Higher RT doses (≥78 Gy) and longer ADT duration (≥2 years) were significant predictors for improved DMFS, whereas advanced stage was a negative prognosticator for DMFS in patients with GS 9-10. CONCLUSIONS: Our results validated the fact that oncologic outcomes after radical EBRT significantly differ in men with GS 8 versus those with GS 9-10 prostate cancer. We found that EBRT dose was important predictive factor regardless of ADT period. Patients receiving 'non-optimal treatment' (RT doses <78 Gy and ADT period <2 years) had the worst treatment outcomes.

The Role of Radiotherapy in the Treatment of Primary or Recurrent Desmoid Tumors and Long-Term Results.

BACKGROUND: Desmoid tumors are uncommon and benign mesenchymal neoplasms. The optimal treatment of patients with desmoid tumors is still controversial. Surgery is the primary treatment for locally invasive or recurrent desmoid tumors. Also, radiotherapy is a treatment option for patients at high risk for local failure such as those with positive margins or recurrent and unresectable tumors. AIMS: To report our institutional experience and long-term results of patients with desmoid tumors who received radiotherapy. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional study. METHODS: Between 1980 and 2009, 20 patients who received radiotherapy (RT) in our institution were analyzed. The majority of patients (80%) were referred with a recurrent tumor after previous surgery. Thirteen patients underwent marginal resection, 4 had wide local excision and 3 patients had only biopsy. Resection margin was positive in 15 (75%) patients. All patients received radiation therapy. The median prescribed dose was 60 Gy. Five patients received less than 54 Gy. RESULTS: The median follow-up time was 77.5 months (28-283 months). Nine patients developed local recurrence after RT. Seven local failures (78%) were in field. Time to local recurrence ranged from 3-165 months (median 33 months). The 2-5 year local control (LC) rates were 80% and 69%, respectively. On univariate analysis, the 5 year local control rate was significantly better in the patients treated with ≥54 Gy than in patients who received <54 Gy (p=0.023). The most common acute side effect was grade 1-2 skin toxicity. As a late side effect of radiotherapy, soft tissue fibrosis was detected in 10 patients and lymphangitis was seen in 1 patient. One patient developed radiation-induced sarcoma. CONCLUSION: According to our results, radiotherapy is especially effective in recurrent disease and provides a high local control rate in the patients received more than 54 Gy.