Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Liver Lesions. A Single-institution Experience.

AIM: To evaluate survival and toxicity in a cohort of patients treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for unresectable intrahepatic malignancies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 2007 to 2014, 23 patients with 34 lesions (three primary and 31 metastatic liver tumors) were treated with SBRT. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 9 months (range=1-76) for all patients. Local control was reached in 27 out of 34 (79%) treated lesions, with 1 and 2 years rates of 93% and 73%, respectively. The progression-free survival at 1-year and 2-year was 50% and 25%, respectively. Median overall survival was 16 months (95% confidence interval=8-24 months), with 1-year and 2-year rates of 58% and 41%, respectively. Toxicity was very low consisting mainly of grade 1 and 2 events. CONCLUSION: SBRT provides good local control for both primary and metastatic liver lesions, with minimal toxicity.

Anti-Helicobacter pylori therapy in primary MALT lymphoma of rectum.

Primary rectal MALT lymphoma is a very rare entity among extranodal MALT lymphomas and its therapeutic management has not been standardized. Different approaches including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy have been proposed in the last decades. There have been reports on complete responses after anti-Helicobacter pylori therapy, also in patients without serological or histological evidence of Helicobacter pylori infection. In our patient we obtained a complete response with anti-Helicobacter pylori therapy and a disease-free survival of 34 months. Endoscopic ultrasound was useful for diagnosis and follow-up. Although the mechanisms that determined this response remain a matter of debate, anti-Helicobacter pylori therapy can be considered as first-line therapy in stage IE, nonbulky primary rectal MALT lymphoma. Endoscopic ultrasound could play a relevant role in the management of this rare condition.