Trait Mindfulness and Social Support Predict Lower Perceived Stress Burden in Patients Undergoing Radiation Therapy.

Purpose: Cancer diagnosis and treatment, including radiation therapy (RT), cause significant patient stress. Mindfulness and social support have been shown to help manage the psychological effects of cancer treatment. The objective of our study was to determine the sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with stress burden in patients receiving RT. Methods and Materials: Patients receiving RT for cancer at a single institution were given a 3-section survey to complete during the first on-treatment visit. The survey included the Perceived Stress Scale, Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey, and Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale, which were used to measure stress, social support, and trait mindfulness, respectively. Linear regression analysis was performed to determine associations between perceived stress and age, patient sex, race and ethnicity, treatment intent, disease site, trait mindfulness, and social support. Factors significant in univariable analysis were analyzed with a multivariable analysis. Results: A total of 93 patients undergoing RT at a tertiary care academic institution were recruited from July to September 2019. Median scores for Perceived Stress Scale, Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey, and Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale were 14.6 (range, 0-31; SD, 6.9), 4.2 (range, 1-5; SD, 1.0), and 5.1 (range, 3.1-6.0; SD, 0.8), respectively. On univariable analysis, mindfulness and social support were associated with decreased stress burden, and female sex and palliative intent were associated with increased stress burden. These factors all maintained significance in multivariable analysis. Conclusions: These results suggest measures to improve mindfulness and perceived social support, such as mindfulness meditation and psychoeducational approaches, may lessen the stress burden and improve quality of life for patients undergoing RT. Future studies should analyze the longitudinal impact of individual patient characteristics, including patient sex and treatment intent, to better understand their effects on psychological maladjustment during cancer care.

Artificial Neural Network Prediction of Mortality in Cancer Patients Presenting for Radiation Therapy at a Multisite Institution.

INTRODUCTION: For many decades, the management of cancer has utilized radiation therapy, which continues to evolve with technology to improve patient outcomes. However, despite the standardization of treatment plans and the establishment of best clinical practices based on prospective, randomized trials and adherence to National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines, the outcomes from radiation therapy are highly variable and dependent on a number of factors, including patient demographics, tumor characteristics/histology, and treatment parameters. In this study, we attempt to use available patient data and treatment parameters at the time of radiation therapy to predict future outcomes using artificial intelligence (AI). METHODS: Six thousand five hundred ninety-five cases of patients who completed radiation treatment were selected retrospectively and used to train artificial neural networks (ANNs) and baseline models (i.e., logistic regression, random forest, support vector machines [SVMs], gradient boosting [XGBoost]) for binary classification of mortality at multiple time points ranging from six months to five years post-treatment. A hyperparameter grid search was used to identify the optimal network architecture for each time point, using sensitivity as the primary outcome metric. RESULTS: The median age was 75 years (range: 2-102 years). There were 63.8% females and 36.1% males. The results indicate that ANNs were able to successfully perform binary mortality prediction with an accuracy greater than random chance and greater sensitivity than baseline models used. The best-performing algorithm was the ANN, which achieved a sensitivity of 83.00% ± 4.89% for five-year mortality. CONCLUSION: The neural network was able to achieve higher sensitivity than Logistic Regression, SVM Random Forest, and XGBoost across all output target variables, demonstrating the utility of a neural network model for mortality prediction on the provided dataset.

Comparing gastrointestinal stromal tumor outcomes between geriatric and non-geriatric patients: A population-based analysis.

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal tumors of the GI tract. SEER is an extensive cancer database which proves useful in analyzing population trends. This analysis investigated GIST outcomes between geriatric & non-geriatric patients. METHODS: SEER*STAT 8.4.0.1 was used to extract relevant GIST data from 2000 to 2019. Geriatric age was defined as ≥70 years. Variables included age, sex, surgery, cancer-specific death, and overall survival. Statistical tests included univariate analysis using KM survival estimate (95% confidence interval) to calculate 5-year survival (5YS). Log-Rank tests determined statistical significance. Multivariable Cox's PH regression estimated the geriatric hazard death ratio adjusted for sex, stage, and surgery. RESULTS: The number of patients included was 13,579, yielding overall 5YS of 68.6% (95% CI 67.7-69.5). Cancer-specific death was 39.11% in 2000 & 3.33% in 2019. Non-geriatric & geriatric patient data yielded 5YS of 77.4% (76.4%-78.3%) and 53.3% (51.7%-54.8%) respectively (p < 0.0001). For no surgery/surgery, younger patient data yielded 5YS of 48.7% (45.8%-51.4%) and 83.7% (82.7%-84.7%) respectively (p < 0.0001); geriatric data yielded 5YS of 29.3% (26.5%-32.1%) and 62.8% (60.8%-64.6%) respectively (p < 0.0001). Multivariable analysis yielded a geriatric hazard death of 2.56 (2.42-2.70) (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Cancer-specific death decreased since 2000, indicating an improvement in survival & treatment methods. Observed lower survival rates overall in the geriatric group. Surgery appeared to enhance survival rates in both groups, suggesting that surgery is an important factor in GIST survival regardless of age. Large prospective studies will help define clinical management for geriatric patients.

Financial Toxicity in Radiation Oncology.

Financial toxicity details the financial burden patients face due to a variety of medical costs. Cancer patients, especially those receiving radiation therapy, are at a much higher risk of experiencing economic hardships than healthy people or people with other conditions. There are a variety of risk factors associated with financial toxicity as well as numerous tools to assess the toxicity experienced by patients. In this review article, we present a concise overview of contributors, risk factors, case studies, tools, impacts, and potential interventions of financial toxicity.

Rates of Occult Invasive Disease in Patients With Biopsy-Proven Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Situ.

Importance: The likelihood that an oral cavity lesion harbors occult invasive disease after biopsy demonstrating carcinoma in situ (CIS) is unknown. While de-escalated treatment strategies may be appealing in the setting of CIS, knowing whether occult invasive disease may be present and its association with survival outcomes would lead to more informed management decisions. Objective: To evaluate rate of occult invasive disease and clinical outcomes in patients with oral cavity CIS. Design, Setting, and Participants: This was a retrospective population-based cohort study using the National Cancer Database and included adults with biopsy-proven oral cavity CIS as the first diagnosis of cancer between 2004 and 2020. Data were analyzed from October 10, 2022, to June 25, 2023. Exposures: Surgical resection vs no surgery. Main Outcomes and Measures: Analyses calculated the rate of occult invasive disease identified on resection of a biopsy-proven CIS lesion. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression with odds ratios and 95% CIs were used to identify significant demographic and clinical characteristics associated with risk of occult invasion (age, year of diagnosis, sex, race and ethnicity, oral cavity subsite, and comorbidity status). Kaplan-Meier curves for overall survival (OS) were calculated for both unresected and resected cohorts (stratified by presence of occult invasive disease). Results: A total of 1856 patients with oral cavity CIS were identified, with 122 who did not undergo surgery (median [range] age, 65 [26-90] years; 48 female individuals [39.3%] and 74 male individuals [60.7%]) and 1458 who underwent surgical resection and had documented pathology (median [range] age, 62 [21-90] years; 490 female individuals [33.6%] and 968 male individuals [66.4%]). Of the 1580 patients overall, 52 (3.3%) were Black; 39 (2.5%), Hispanic; 1365 (86.4%), White; and 124 (7.8%), other, not specified. Among those who proceeded with surgery with documented pathology, 408 patients (28.0%) were found to have occult invasive disease. Higher-risk features were present in 45 patients (11.0%) for final margin positivity, 16 patients (3.9%) for lymphovascular invasion, 13 patients (3.2%) for high-grade invasive disease, and 14 patients (3.4%) for nodal involvement. For those patients with occult disease, staging according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer's AJCC Cancer Staging Manual, eighth edition, was pT1 in 341 patients (83.6%), pT2 in 41 (10.0%), and pT3 or pT4 disease in 26 (6.4%). Factors associated with greater odds of occult invasive disease at resection were female sex, Black race, and alveolar ridge, vestibule, and retromolar subsite. With median 66-month follow-up, 5-year OS was 85.9% in patients who proceeded with surgical resection vs 59.7% in patients who did not undergo surgery (difference, 26.2%; 95% CI, 19.0%-33.4%). Conclusions and Relevance: This cohort study assessed the risk of concurrent occult invasion with biopsy-proven CIS of the oral cavity, demonstrating that 28.0% had invasive disease at resection. Reassuringly, even in the setting of occult invasion, high-risk disease features were rare, and 5-year OS was nearly 80% with resection. The findings support the practice of definitive resection if feasible following biopsy demonstrating oral cavity CIS.

Clinical predictors of premature radiotherapy terminations in senior adults with oral cavity and laryngeal carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: The underlying factors that contribute to early radiotherapy (RT) termination are understudied, especially in the era of hypofractionated treatment regimens. In this retrospective investigation, we examined the characteristics and causes of premature RT terminations in senior adults (>70 years old) with oral cavity (OC) and laryngeal carcinomas. METHODS: Hundred and eighty-eight patients treated with RT ± systemic therapy for OC and laryngeal cancer from 2017 to 2022 were identified. Premature termination was defined as completion of less than 95% of the prescribed RT. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine factors predictive of premature termination, and survival was determined using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Twenty patients (10.6%) experienced premature RT terminations. On regression analysis, ECOG score at initiation of RT was the only covariate studied to be independently associated with premature termination (OR 2.00, 95%CI: [1.21, 3.30], p = 0.007). Three-year overall survival (49.1% vs. 77.3%) was significantly reduced in the termination cohort (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: This analysis demonstrated over 1 in 10 patients had premature RT termination, which prognosticated inferior survival outcomes. Poor performance status may highlight patients at risk for premature termination and thus identify good candidates for hypofractionated protocols.

Partial-Length Treatment With Brachytherapy in Patients With Endometrial Cancer With High-Risk Features Is as Effective as Full-Length Vaginal Brachytherapy but With Reduced Toxicity.

PURPOSE: Full-length vaginal (FLV) brachytherapy for patients with endometrial cancer and high-risk features should be considered as per the American Brachytherapy Society to reduce distal vaginal recurrence in patients with endometrial cancers with papillary serous/clear cell histologies, grade 3 status, or extensive lymphovascular invasion. We sought to investigate this patient population and report outcomes of treatment with high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy in women treated with FLV brachytherapy versus partial-length vaginal (PLV) brachytherapy. METHODS AND MATERIALS: With institutional review board approval, we identified patients with endometrial cancer meeting American Brachytherapy Society criteria of high-risk features treated with adjuvant HDR between 2004 and 2010. HDR doses were 21Gy in 3 fractions delivered to either the full-length or partial-length vagina. Acute and late toxicities were evaluated using the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group scale and Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer grading, respectfully. Vaginal recurrences were assessed by physical examination and pap smears. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 23 software. RESULTS: Of 240 patients treated with HDR brachytherapy, 121 were treated with FLV brachytherapy, and 119, with PLV brachytherapy. The median follow-up was 9.5 years (range, 8-11 years) for FLV patients and 8.5 years (range, 7-10 years) for PLV patients; 0% of patients had vaginal recurrences, and 1.4% and 0.9% had proximal vaginal recurrences, respectively (P = .54). All patients treated with FLV brachytherapy developed grade 3 mucositis of the lower vagina/introitus (P < .0001) and had increased analgesics use compared with those treated with PLV brachytherapy (P < .0001). In total, 23% of patients treated with FLV brachytherapy developed grade 3 stenosis of the lower vagina/introitus, in contrast to 0% of patients treated with PLV brachytherapy (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: PLV brachytherapy is as effective as FLV brachytherapy in reducing local recurrence and causes a significantly lower incidence of acute and late toxicities. The results of this study caution radiation oncologists regarding the careful use of FLV brachytherapy in patients with endometrial cancer and high-risk features.

Patient Experience Performance at a Primary Cancer Center Versus Affiliated Community Facilities.

Purpose: Patient experience tools are used throughout health care to evaluate physician and departmental performance. In radiation medicine, these tools are important in evaluating patient-specific metrics throughout their care journey. This study compared patient experience outcomes from a central tertiary cancer program with network clinics in a health care network. Methods and Materials: Radiation medicine patient experience surveys (Press Ganey, LLC) were collected from a central facility and 5 network locations from January 2017 through June 2021. Surveys were distributed to patients after treatment completion. The study cohort was divided into the central facility and satellites. Questions were converted to a 0 to 100 scale from the Likert scale (1-5). To compare scores between site types, 2-way analysis of variance tests for the significance of sites adjusted for years of operations and adjustments for multiple comparisons (Dunnett's test) were completed on each question. Results: The number of consecutively returned surveys analyzed was 3777; a response rate of 33.3% was observed. The central site conducted 117,583 linear accelerator, 1425 Gamma Knife, 273 stereotactic radiosurgery, and 830 stereotactic body radiation therapy procedures. All satellites combined conducted 76,788 linear accelerator, 131 Gamma Knife, 95 stereotactic radiosurgery, and 355 stereotactic body radiation therapy procedures. The central facility fared better than the satellites on "Convenience of parking" (95.9 vs 87.9; P = .0001) but worse in other domains of care. Conclusions: All sites yielded exemplary patient experience rates. Community clinics scored higher than the main campus. The higher scores at the network sites require a deeper analysis of factors influencing the central facility, as the survey did not account for varying patient volumes and disparities in care complexity across sites. Attributes to satellites include lower patient volumes and easily navigable layouts. These results counter the impression that increased resources at the main campus create a better patient experience relative to network clinics and suggest that high-volume tertiary facilities will require unique initiatives to improve the patient experience.

Efficacy of ketamine mouthwash in the management of oral and pharyngeal toxicity associated with head and neck chemoradiotherapy: protocol for a phase II, Simon's two-stage trial.

INTRODUCTION: Curative intent treatment of head and neck cancer (HNC) is frequently radiation therapy over 7 weeks with concurrent chemotherapy. This regimen is effective but carries a burden of toxicity leading to severe pain and treatment breaks portending inferior outcomes. Conventional palliation methods include opioids, anticonvulsants and local anaesthetics. Breakthrough toxicities are nevertheless ubiquitous and present an urgent unmet need. Ketamine is an inexpensive drug with mechanisms of analgesia outside the opioid pathway including N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonism and a pharmacologically unique property of opioid desensitisation. Systemic ketamine is validated in randomised controlled trials for efficacy in reducing pain and/or opioid burden in the oncologic setting. Literature supports peripherally administered ketamine for pain control without systemic toxicity. These data support our rationale of using ketamine mouthwash to decrease acute toxicity of curative treatment of HNC, the efficacy of which is our aim to elucidate. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a phase II, Simon's two-stage trial. Patients have pathologically confirmed HNC and an intended regimen of 70 Gy of radiation with concurrent cisplatin. The protocol is initiated on diagnosis of grade 3 mucositis and consists of 2 weeks of 4 times daily (QID) ketamine mouthwash use. The primary endpoint is pain response defined as a combination of pain score and opioid use. 23 subjects will be enrolled in stage 1. If statistical criteria are met, 33 subjects will be enrolled in stage 2. Secondary endpoints include daily pain, daily opioid use, dysphagia at baseline and completion, nightly sleep quality, feeding tube placement and any unscheduled treatment breaks. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: All trial data will be stored in an Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved database. The protocol is registered under Northwell IRB registration number #22-0292 and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Investigational New Drug (IND) approval has been granted under IND number 161609. Results are intended to be published in an open-source journal and further data, statistics and source documents are available on request. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05331131.

Effect of Immunotherapy and Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Sequencing on Local Control and Survival in Patients With Spine Metastases.

Purpose: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is commonly used to treat spinal metastases in combination with immunotherapy (IT). The optimal sequencing of these modalities is unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether sequencing of IT and SBRT was associated with differences in local control (LC), overall survival (OS), and toxicity when treating spine metastases. Methods and Materials: All patients at our institution who received spine SBRT from 2010 to 2019 with systemic therapy data available were reviewed retrospectively. The primary endpoint was LC. Secondary endpoints were toxicity (fracture and radiation myelitis) and OS. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to determine whether IT sequencing (before versus after SBRT) and use of IT were associated with LC or OS. Results: A total of 191 lesions in 128 patients met inclusion criteria with 50 (26%) lesions in 33 (26%) patients who received IT. Fourteen (11%) patients with 24 (13%) lesions received the first IT dose before SBRT, whereas 19 (15%) patients with 26 (14%) lesions received the first dose after SBRT. LC did not differ between lesions treated with IT before SBRT versus after SBRT (1 year 73% versus 81%, log rank = 0.275, P = .600). Fracture risk was not associated with IT timing (χ2 = 0.137, P = .934) or receipt of IT (χ2 = 0.508, P = .476), and no radiation myelitis events occurred. Median OS was 31.8 versus 6.6 months for the IT after SBRT versus IT before SBRT cohorts, respectively (log rank = 13.193, P < .001). On Cox univariate analysis and multivariate analysis, receipt of IT before SBRT and Karnofsky performance status <80 were associated with worse OS. IT treatment versus none was not associated with any difference in LC (log rank = 1.063, P = .303) or OS (log rank = 1.736, P = .188). Conclusions: Sequencing of IT and SBRT was not associated with any difference in LC or toxicity, but delivering IT after SBRT versus before SBRT was associated with improved OS.

Osteoradionecrosis versus Cancer Recurrence: An Unresolved Clinical Dilemma.

INTRODUCTION: Osteoradionecrosis is a rare and debilitating risk of definitive chemoradiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. It is difficult to distinguish between osteoradionecrosis and recurrent or progressive disease, as clinical and radiologic features may be similar. Our aim was to compare the clinical presentation and radiologic features of osteonecrosis with those of recurrent or progressive cancer. METHODS: We conducted a single-center case series of 19 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma diagnosed between 2011 and 2019 who subsequently developed clinical and/or radiological suspicion of osteoradionecrosis. The population was a referred sample from head and neck cancer physicians at Northwell Health Cancer Institute. Clinician notes and imaging reports were reviewed to assign a final diagnosis of either cancer, osteonecrosis, or indeterminate. RESULTS: No differences were found in the clinical presentation or radiologic features between groups. Median time between treatment and development of symptoms was longer in patients with a final diagnosis of osteoradionecrosis than recurrent or progressive disease (5 vs. 3 months), but this difference was not statistically significant. Radiation dose and type were not associated with diagnosis. Mean standard uptake value maximums on positron emission tomography/computed tomography were significantly higher in the cancer group (median 14.8 vs. 9.1, p < 0.0152). At 1 year after first suspicion of osteoradionecrosis, 100% of osteoradionecrosis patients were alive, versus 28.6% of cancer patients. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: There is significant overlap in clinical and radiologic features of osteoradionecrosis and cancer. Standard uptake maximums may be helpful in predicting diagnosis. Occurrence of symptoms within 6 months of completing chemoradiotherapy should raise the concern for malignancy.

Burnout in Radiation Oncology Physician Workforce: The Effect of Mindfulness and Fulfillment.

Purpose: Mindfulness, defined as awareness of the moment while acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and sensations, is the aim of mindfulness meditation. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between burnout, mindfulness, fulfillment, and other personal characteristics in radiation oncology (RO) residents/attendings compared with other specialties. Methods and Materials: From December 2019 to February 2020, residents and attendings in multiple specialties at a single tertiary care academic institution were sent surveys, including the mindfulness attention awareness scale, Stanford professional fulfillment index, and a personal questionnaire. A Pearson correlation was conducted on the relationship between mindfulness, fulfillment, disengagement, and exhaustion. To determine risk factors for burnout (overall burnout ≥ 1.33), a univariate analysis was conducted to yield odds ratios (ORs) on debt, specialty, income, sleep, exercise, marital status, number of children, work hours, mindfulness (mindfulness attention awareness scale ≥ 4), fulfillment (professional fulfillment ≥ 3), and time with family/friends. Significant factors on univariate analysis were entered into multivariate analysis. Results: There were 180 surveys completed by 60 residents and attendings across 17 specialties. Eighteen (30%) respondents were in RO. Mindfulness positively correlated with fulfillment (P < .001, r = 0.534), negatively correlated with exhaustion (P < .001, r = -0.578), and negatively correlated with disengagement (P < .001, r = -0.483). Univariate analysis for factors associated with burnout was significant for mindfulness (OR = 0.065, P < .001), RO versus other specialty (OR = 0.024, P = .044), working >60 h/wk (OR = 5.091, P = .018), spending >10 h/wk with family or friends (OR = 0.120, P = .001), and fulfillment (OR = 0.103, P < .001). Multivariate analysis showed mindfulness and fulfillment to significantly decrease odds of burnout. Conclusions: RO physicians experienced less burnout than physicians in other specialties at our institution. Mindfulness, professional fulfillment, moderate work hours, and spending time with loved ones protected against burnout. Further study of interventions to promote mindfulness and fulfillment may help us understand how best to improve the mental and emotional health of RO physicians.

A Retrospective Analysis of Three Focused Attention Meditation Techniques: Mantra, Breath, and External-Point Meditation.

Objective The goal of this study is to compare the effectiveness of three different meditation techniques (two internal focus techniques and one external focus technique) using a low-cost portable electroencephalography (EEG) device, namely, MUSE, for an objective comparison. Methods This is an IRB-approved retrospective study. All participants in the study were healthy adults. Each study participant (n = 34) was instructed to participate in three meditation sessions: mantra (internal), breath (internal), and external point. The MUSE brain-sensing headband (EEG) was used to document the "total time spent in the calm state" and the "total time spent in the calm or neutral state" (outcomes) in each three-minute session to conduct separate analyses for the meditation type. Separate generalized linear models (GLM) with unstructured covariance structures were used to examine the association between each outcome and the explanatory variable (meditation type). For all models, if there was a significant association between the outcome and the explanatory variable, pairwise comparisons were carried out using the Tukey-Kramer correction. Results The median time (in seconds) spent in the calm state while practicing mantra meditation was 131.5 (IQR: 94-168), while practicing breath meditation was 150 (IQR: 113-164), and while practicing external-point meditation was 100 (IQR: 62-126). Upon analysis, there was a significant association between the meditation type and the time spent in the calm state (p-value = 0.0006). Conclusion This is the first study comparing "internal" versus "external" meditation techniques using an objective measure. Our study shows the breath and mantra technique as superior to the external-point technique as regards time spent in the calm state. Additional research is needed using a combination of "EEG" and patient-reported surveys to compare various meditative practices. The findings from this study can help incorporate specific meditation practices in future mindfulness-based studies that are focused on healthcare settings and on impacting clinical outcomes, such as survival or disease outcomes.

Multi-Institutional Study Validates Safety of Intraoperative Cesium-131 Brachytherapy for Treatment of Recurrent Head and Neck Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Surgery is the primary treatment for resectable, non-metastatic recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). We explore the safety and oncologic benefit of intraoperative Cesium-131 (Cs-131) brachytherapy combined with salvage local and/or regional surgical resection. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Findings were reported from a single arm multi-institutional prospective phase 1/2 trial involving surgery plus Cs-131 (surgery + Cs-131) treatment. The results of two retrospective cohorts-surgery alone and surgery plus intensity modulated radiation therapy (surgery + ReIMRT)-were also described. Included patients had recurrent HNSCC and radiation history. Safety, tumor re-occurrence, and survival were evaluated. RESULTS: Forty-nine patients were enrolled in the surgery + Cs-131 prospective study. Grade 1 to 3 adverse events (AEs) occurred in 18 patients (37%), and grade 4 AEs occurred in 2 patients. Postoperative percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tubes were needed in 10 surgery + Cs-131 patients (20%), and wound and vascular complications were observed in 12 patients (24%). No cases of osteoradionecrosis were reported in the surgery + Cs-131 cohort. We found a 49% 2-year disease-free survival at the site of treatment with a substantial number of patients (31%) developing metastatic disease, which led to a 31% overall survival at 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with local/regional recurrent HNSCC status-post radiation, surgery + Cs-131 demonstrated acceptable safety with compelling oncologic outcomes, as compared to historic control cohorts. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifiers NCT02794675 and NCT02467738.

Automated health chats for symptom management of head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To report the early experience using an automated chatbot (Chats)for patient-reported outcomes (PRO) and symptom self-managementinhead and neck cancer (HNC) patients undergoing radiation treatment (RT). METHODS: Patients aged ≥ 18 yearsdiagnosed with HNC who were scheduled to begin RT were given the option to use Chats from June 2018 to June 2019. Enrolled patients received chat notifications two days before weekly on-treatment visitsand every 1-4 weeks after RT for an additional 4 months. After the first in-person follow-up visit, participants completed an electronic usability and satisfaction questionnaire. RESULTS: Of 95 patients who agreed to participate, 84 were eligible for analysis.Participantswere significantly younger than patients who declined participation (mean age 61.3 vs 68.3 years;p-value < 0.001). Patient engagement with Chats was highest at 67% during the first month and declined over time (p-value = 0.004). Concordance between PRO and clinician-reported outcomes (CRO) was fair, ranging from 0.10 to 0.43 (Cohen κ statistics). The most commonly under-reported symptoms were salivary duct inflammation (53%), xerostomia (41%), and mucositis (37%). 89% (39 of 44) of patients who completed surveys found Chats easy to use, and 61% reported that Chats helped with symptom self-management and reduced the need to call the care team. CONCLUSIONS: These early results suggest that an interactive chatbot is feasible and provides support for HNC patients during and after RT. Chats identified discordance between PRO and CRO. Further study is required to measure benefits of Chats in a larger population.

Patterns of alcohol use among early head and neck cancer survivors: A cross-sectional survey study using the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT).

OBJECTIVE: Alcohol use among survivors of head and neck cancer (HNC) negatively impacts patient outcomes and is an important risk factor for recurrent and second primary tumors. Despite recommendations from several cancer societies, alcohol consumption remains a common problem in this population. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) Self-Report questionnaire. Patients with HNC completed surveys at pre-treatment and follow-up appointments every 3-6 months for at least 2-years after treatment. RESULTS: 796 surveys were available for analysis. Most participants were male (75.7%) and had either oropharyngeal (34.5%) or laryngeal (16.7%) cancer. The percentage of alcohol drinkers decreased from 56.1% at pre-treatment to 40.4% at 0-3 months post-treatment, but then increased and surpassed baseline levels by 24 + months post-treatment (64.4%, p = 0.0079). Concurrently, moderate drinkers (AUDIT = 1 - 3) decreased from 34.2% at pre-treatment to 25.2% at 0-3 months post-treatment, but then increased and surpassed baseline levels at 24 + months post-treatment (39.7%, p = 0.0129). Trends among heavy (AUDIT > 3), and heaviest (AUDIT > 6) drinkers were similar, but not statistically significant. At 24 + months post-therapy, we observed a statistically significant increase in female users (39.1% to 63.2%, p = 0.0213) and moderate drinkers < 55 years old (43.4% to 61.9%, p = 0.0184). CONCLUSION: Alcohol consumption in survivors of HNC transiently decreases in the immediate months after treatment, but then increases and remains largely stable by 24 months. This pattern is particularly concerning and highlights the need for timely interventions.

Guidelines for Palliative Treatment of Spinal Metastases: Choosing Between Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy and Conventional Fractionation.

Symptomatic spinal metastasis is a frequent complication of cancer that had been treated, until relatively recently, with primitive techniques to modest radiation dose levels, with a baseline assumption of limited survival and poor patient performance in that setting. In the era of targeted and personalized therapies, many patients are living longer and more functionally and are able to manage their disease on the model of chronic illness. Given these developments, an attractive option is the use of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to deliver high biologically effective doses of radiation conformally to maximize the palliative gains of treatment. However, randomized data to guide practice are scarce. We review the extant literature and present an algorithmic approach to selecting patients with metastatic disease for palliative spinal SBRT favoring the results of available randomized studies and remaining within the safety constraints supported by evidence from randomized trials.

Dental radiation dosimetric maps from intensity-modulated radiation therapy planning for head and neck cancers.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to create dental radiation maps to calculate the mean dose to individual teeth, maxilla and mandible using intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). METHODS: Eighteen common clinical settings were chosen. Radiation plans were extracted, and each tooth was contoured at its junction with the gingiva and labeled based on the Universal/American numbering system. RESULTS: All patients were treated with prescribed doses of 50-70 Gy in 1.66-2 Gy/fraction. Patients receiving mean doses >50 Gy to the teeth, mandible, and maxilla included those with advanced tumors of the oral cavity and gross lymphadenopathy of level 1b. CONCLUSION: We believe this to be the first study generating dosimetric maps of estimated doses to each tooth and each third of the mandible and the maxilla for common examples of head and neck cancer faced by radiation oncologists. Adoption of these dental maps may help improve clinical workflow efficiency.

Biochemical Control and Toxicity Outcomes of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Versus Low-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy in the Treatment of Low- and Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer.

PURPOSE: Low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) have both shown acceptable outcomes in the treatment of low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer. Minimal data have been published directly comparing rates of biochemical control and toxicity with these 2 modalities. We hypothesize that LDR and SBRT will provide similar rates of biochemical control. METHODS AND MATERIALS: All low- and intermediate-risk patients with prostate cancer treated definitively with SBRT or LDR between 2010 and 2018 were captured. Phoenix definition was used for biochemical failure. Independent t tests were used to compare baseline characteristics, and repeated measure analysis of variance test was used to compare American Urologic Association (AUA) and the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) scores between treatment arms over time. Biochemical control was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Differences in acute and late toxicity were assessed via Pearson χ2. RESULTS: In the study, 219 and 118 patients were treated with LDR and SBRT. Median follow-up was 4.3 years (interquartile range, 3.1-6.1). All patients treated with LDR received 125.0 Gy in a single fraction. SBRT consisted of 42.5 Gy in 5 fractions. Five-year biochemical control for LDR versus SBRT was 91.6% versus 97.6% (P = .108). LDR patients had a larger increase in mean AUA scores at 1 month (17.2 vs 10.3, P < .001) and 3 months posttreatment (14.0 vs 9.7, P < .001), and in mean EPIC scores at 1 month (15.7 vs 13.8, P < .001). There was no significant difference between LDR and SBRT in late grade 3 genitourinary toxicity (0.9% vs 2.5%, P = .238); however, LDR had lower rates of late grade 3 gastrointestinal toxicity (0.0% vs 2.5%, P = .018). CONCLUSIONS: Our data show similar biochemical control and genitourinary toxicity rates at 5 years for both SBRT and LDR, with slightly higher gastrointestinal toxicity with SBRT and higher AUA and EPIC scores with LDR.

Treating COVID-19 Positive Cancer Patients With Radiation Therapy: A Case Report From Epicenter of the Pandemic.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (SARS-Cov-2 or COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in unprecedented clinical challenges across the globe. Outcomes of patients with this infection are likely dependent on underlying comorbidities that predict worse outcome in older patients. However, it is unknown whether COVID-19 infected cancer patients receiving radiation therapy (RT) have any different outcome than non-infected patients. We present the first series from our center of COVID-19 infected patients who received RT for malignancy, their outcome, and toxicities.