Autochthonous Human Babesiosis Caused by Babesia venatorum, the Netherlands.

Severe babesiosis with 9.8% parasitemia was diagnosed in a patient in the Netherlands who had previously undergone splenectomy. We confirmed Babesia venatorum using PCR and sequencing. B. venatorum was also the most prevalent species in Ixodes ricinus ticks collected around the patient's home. Our findings warrant awareness for severe babesiosis in similar patients.

Incidence and Risk Assessment of Capsular Contracture in Breast Cancer Patients following Post-Mastectomy Radiotherapy and Implant-Based Reconstruction.

Our study aims to identify the risk factors and dosimetry characteristics associated with capsular contracture. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 118 women with breast cancer who underwent PMRT following an IBR between 2010 and 2022. Patients were treated with PMRT of 50.0-50.4 Gy in 25-28 fractions. Capsular contracture was categorized according to the Baker Classification for Reconstructed Breasts. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 22 months, the incidence of clinically relevant capsular contracture (Baker III-IV) was 22.9%. Overall, capsular contracture (Baker I-IV) occurred in 56 patients (47.5%) after a median of 9 months after PMRT. The rate of reconstruction failure/implant loss was 25.4%. In the univariate analysis, postoperative complications (prolonged pain, prolonged wound healing, seroma and swelling) and regional nodal involvement were associated with higher rates of capsular contracture (p = 0.017, OR: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.2-5.3 and p = 0.031, respectively). None of the analyzed dosimetric factors or the implant position were associated with a higher risk for capsular contracture. CONCLUSION: Postoperative complications and regional nodal involvement were associated with an increased risk of capsular contracture following breast reconstruction and PMRT, while none of the analyzed dosimetric factors were linked to a higher incidence. Additional studies are needed to identify further potential risk factors.

Biodiversity in the Lyme-light: ecological restoration and tick-borne diseases in Europe.

Biodiversity loss and the emergence of zoonotic diseases are two major global challenges. An urgent question is how ecosystems and wildlife communities can be restored whilst minimizing the risk of zoonotic diseases carried by wildlife. Here, we evaluate how current ambitions to restore Europe's natural ecosystems may affect the hazard of diseases vectored by the tick Ixodes ricinus at different scales. We find that effects of restoration efforts on tick abundance are relatively straightforward but that the interacting effects of vertebrate diversity and abundance on pathogen transmission are insufficiently known. Long-term integrated surveillance of wildlife communities, ticks, and their pathogens is needed to understand their interactions and to prevent nature restoration from increasing tick-borne disease (TBD) hazard.

Noninferiority of Local Control and Comparable Toxicity of Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy With Simultaneous Integrated Boost in Breast Cancer: 5-Year Results of the IMRT-MC2 Phase III Trial.

PURPOSE: The IMRT-MC2 trial was conducted to demonstrate the noninferiority of conventionally fractionated intensity modulated radiation therapy with a simultaneous integrated boost to 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy with a sequential boost for adjuvant breast radiation therapy. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A total of 502 patients were randomized between 2011 and 2015 for the prospective, multicenter, phase III trial (NCT01322854). Five-year results of late toxicity (late effects normal tissue task force-subjective, objective, management, and analytical), overall survival, disease-free survival, distant disease-free survival, cosmesis (Harvard scale), and local control (noninferiority margin at hazard ratio [HR] of 3.5) were analyzed after a median follow-up of 62 months. RESULTS: The 5-year local control rate for the intensity modulated radiation therapy with simultaneous integrated boost arm was non-inferior to the control arm (98.7% vs 98.3%, respectively; HR, 0.582; 95% CI, 0.119-2.375; P = .4595). Furthermore, there was no significant difference in overall survival (97.1% vs 98.3%, respectively; HR, 1.235; 95% CI, 0.472-3.413; P = .6697), disease-free survival (95.8% vs 96.1%, respectively; HR, 1.130; 95% CI, 0.487-2.679; P = .7758), and distant disease-free survival (97.0% vs 97.8%, respectively; HR, 1.667; 95% CI, 0.575-5.434; P = .3601). After 5 years, late toxicity evaluation and cosmetic assessment further showed no significant differences between treatment arms. CONCLUSIONS: The 5-year results of the IMRT-MC2 trial provide strong evidence that the application of conventionally fractionated simultaneous integrated boost irradiation for patients with breast cancer is both safe and effective, with noninferior local control compared with 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy with sequential boost.

Methods of Esthetic Assessment after Adjuvant Whole-Breast Radiotherapy in Breast Cancer Patients: Evaluation of the BCCT.core Software and Patients' and Physicians' Assessment from the Randomized IMRT-MC2 Trial.

The present analysis compares the esthetics assessment by the BCCT.core software in relation to patients' and physicians' ratings, based on the IMRT-MC2 trial. Within this trial, breast cancer patients received breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and adjuvant radiotherapy. At the baseline, 6 weeks, and 2 years after radiotherapy, photos of the breasts were assessed by the software and patients' and physicians' assessments were performed. Agreement rates of the assessments and their correlation with breast asymmetry indices were evaluated. The assessments of the software and the physicians were significantly correlated with asymmetry indices. Before and 6 weeks after radiotherapy, the patients' self-assessment was only correlated with the lower breast contour (LBC) and upward nipple retraction (UNR), while after 2 years, there was also a correlation with other indices. Only a slight agreement between the BCCT.core software and the physicians' or patients' assessment was seen, while a moderate and substantial agreement was detected between the physicians' and the patients' assessment after 6 weeks and 2 years, respectively. The BCCT.core software is a reliable tool to measure asymmetries, but may not sufficiently evaluate the esthetic outcome as perceived by patients. It may be more appropriate for a long-term follow-up, when symmetry appears to increase in importance.

Quality of life after simultaneously integrated boost with intensity-modulated versus conventional radiotherapy with sequential boost for adjuvant treatment of breast cancer: 2-year results of the multicenter randomized IMRT-MC2 trial.

BACKGROUND: We recently published 2-year results of the prospective, randomized IMRT-MC2 trial, showing non-inferior local control and cosmesis in breast cancer patients after conventionally fractionated intensity-modulated radiotherapy with simultaneously integrated boost (IMRT-SIB), compared to 3D-conformal radiotherapy with sequential boost (3D-CRT-seqB). Here, we report on 2-year quality of life results. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 502 patients were enrolled and randomized to IMRT-SIB (50.4 Gy in 1.8 Gy fractions with a 64.4 Gy SIB to the tumor bed) or to 3D-CRT-seqB (50.4 Gy in 1.8 Gy fractions, followed by a sequential boost of 16 Gy in 2 Gy fractions). For quality of life (QoL) assessment, patients completed the QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR23 questionnaires at baseline, 6 weeks and 2 years after radiotherapy. RESULTS: Significant differences between treatment arms were seen 6 weeks after radiotherapy for pain (22.3 points for IMRT vs. 27.0 points for 3D-CRT-seqB; p = 0.033) and arm symptoms (18.1 points for IMRT vs. 23.6 points for 3D-CRT-seqB; p = 0.013), both favoring IMRT-SIB. Compared to baseline values, both arms showed significant improvement in global score (IMRT: p = 0.009; 3D-CRT: p = 0.001) after 2 years, with slight deterioration on the role (IMRT: p = 0.008; 3-D-CRT: p = 0.001) and social functioning (IMRT: p = 0.013, 3D-CRT: p = 0.001) as well as the future perspectives scale (IMRT: p = 0.003; 3D-CRT: p = 0.0034). CONCLUSION: This is the first randomized phase III trial demonstrating that IMRT-SIB was associated with slightly superior QoL compared to 3-D-CRT-seqB. These findings further support the clinical implementation of SIB in adjuvant breast cancer treatment.

Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation: A New Standard of Care?

BACKGROUND: Breast-conserving therapy including lumpectomy and adjuvant whole breast irradiation (WBI) has become the standard therapy for early-stage breast cancer (EBC). Without WBI, the recurrence rate is significantly increased. However, when selecting patients at a low a priori risk of local recurrence only a small breast-cancer-specific mortality benefit, but no overall survival improvement, was detected for WBI. As most recurrences occur close to the lumpectomy cavity, accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) delivered exclusively to a limited volume of tissue around the initial lumpectomy site, has gained increased attention and is now discussed as an alternative to WBI for selected EBC patients. SUMMARY: Numerous techniques for APBI (interstitial brachytherapy, external beam-based APBI, intraoperative radiotherapy, MR-guided radiotherapy) allow treatment delivery in a shorter period of time, and radiation oncologists expect to further reduce side effects by using these new techniques, with improvements in cosmetics and quality of life. In this review, we aim to describe the existing evidence for the feasibility and effectiveness of different APBI techniques used in modern radiotherapy. KEY MESSAGES: APBI has provided outcomes similar to WBI combined with potentially reduced toxicity. While appropriate patient selection persists to be crucial for acceptable recurrence rates, the precise definition of patients suitable for APBI remains a matter of discussion. As long-term data are often still lacking, special attention should be paid to late side effects and long-term outcomes. Decision-making on appropriate treatment techniques should take into account not only local control rates, but also the impact on the patient's quality of life.

Adjuvant Radiation Therapy for Male Breast Cancer-A Rare Indication?

Due to its rarity, there are no randomized trials investigating the outcome of adjuvant radiotherapy in MBC. This study reports on patient and tumor characteristics of 41 consecutive MBC patients treated between 1990 and 2018 and on clinical outcomes after surgical resection of tumors and adjuvant radiotherapy of the chest wall or breast. Local control (LC), locoregional control (LRC), overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and toxicity were evaluated. After a median follow-up of 80 months (95% CI: 14.6-213.8 months) there was only one recurrence, in a patient's locoregional lymph nodes 17 months after start of radiotherapy, resulting in an LC rate of 100% at 5 years and a 5-year LRC rate of 97.4% (standard deviation (SD): 0.025). Five-year DFS and OS rates were 64.6% (SD: 0.085) and 57.2% (SD: 0.082), respectively. Adjuvant radiotherapy was tolerated well without high-grade (CTCAE grade > II) adverse events. After tumor resection and adjuvant radiotherapy, LC and LRC rates in MBC patients are excellent and comparable to results found for female breast cancer (FBC) patients. However, as patients are often diagnosed with locally advanced, higher-risk tumors, distant recurrences remain the major failure pattern.