Skin metastases of vulvar squamous cell carcinoma. Presentation of a rare case.

Skin metastases secondary to vulvar carcinoma is an infrequent clinical entity. The authors describe a case of squamous vulvar carcinoma, which presented with cutaneous involvement as a part of distant spread. After a radical vulvectomy, bilateral inguino-femoral lymphadenectomy, and adjuvant radiotherapy, the patient developed multiple cutaneous metastases in lower extremities. This case was unique in presentation, with skin metastases secondary from vulvar carcinoma, and indicated advance disease and poor prognosis.

Radiation induced pneumonitis following whole breast radiotherapy treatment in early breast cancer patients treated with breast conserving surgery: a single institution study.

BACKGROUND: Hypofractionated Radiotherapy (RT) regimens for breast cancer, although reduce cost and time for patients and health care systems, could have a negative impact on normal underlying lung tissue. We studied and compared lung function and the post-RT radiological changes using High-Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) in early breast cancer patients, treated with 3-Dimentional conformal whole breast radiotherapy (WBRT) using either conventional or hypofractionated regime. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 2008 and 2009, 61 early breast cancer patients (T1-2N0M0) were randomised into two groups .Group A (n=31) received standard radiotherapy with 50Gy/25f/5w plus boost 10Gy/5f/1w to tumour bed. Group B (n=30) received 43.2Gy/16f/22d plus boost 10Gy/5f/1w to tumour bed. Patients of both groups were subjected to dynamic lung testing, using spirometry and gas diffusion tests on Day 0 (D0, before RT), during RT and after completion of RT at 3 and 6 months. HRCT scans were performed in all patients at baseline, and 3,6,12 months after completion of RT. Respiratory symptoms were recorded at 3 and 6 months post completion of RT. Dosimetric factors, such as Central Lung Dose (CLD), lung Volume receiving more 20 Gy (V20), D25 and Mean Lung Dose (MLD) were calculated for all patients. RESULTS: At 3 months after RT, the pulmonary changes were classified at HRCT as follows: 91.8 % were Grade 0, 8.19 % Grade 1, and 0 % Grade 2. At 6 months, 86.98 % were Grade 0, 11.47 % Grade 1, and 1.6 % Grade 2. At 12 months, 88.52 % were Grade 0, 9.19 % Grade 1 and 3.27% Grade 2. Univariate analysis showed strong association between radiation pneumonitis, age and all dosimetric parameters. There was no association between fractionation type and incidence of RN. FEV1, FVC, FEV 25, FEV 50 and DLCO showed no statistically significant reduction in both treatment groups in 3 and 6 months following completion of RT, compared to baseline. Multivariate analysis showed no relation between HRCT findings and other variables (age, smoking, chemotherapy, hormonotherapy, V20). CONCLUSION: Lung toxicity, as assessed with HRCT and PFTs, was minimal in both treatment arms and our results are in consistency with other published data. Hypofractionated RT was a safe modality and well tolerated by the majority of the patients. Longer follow-up is required for robust assessment of incidence of late lung fibrosis in our series.

Conventional versus virtual simulation for radiation treatment planning of prostate cancer: final results.

PURPOSE: Radiotherapy is widely used to treat patients with prostate cancer. Using conventional x-ray simulation is often difficult to accurately localize the extent of the tumor, to cover exactly the lymph nodes at risk and shield the organs at risk. We report on the results of a study comparing target localization with conventional and virtual simulation. METHODS: One hundred prostate cancer patients underwent both conventional and virtual simulation. The conventional simulation films were compared with digitally reconstructed radiographs (DDRs) produced from the computed tomography (CT) data. All patients underwent target localization for radical prostate radiotherapy. The treatment fields were initially marked with a conventional portal film on linear accelerator (LINAC), plain x-ray film and available diagnostic imaging. Each patient then had a CT and these simulated treatment fields were reproduced within the virtual simulation planning system. The treatment fields defined by the clinicians using each modality were compared in terms of field area and implications for target coverage. RESULTS: Virtual simulation showed significantly greater clinical tumor volume coverage and less normal tissue volume irradiated compared with conventional simulation (p <0.001). CONCLUSION: CT localization and virtual simulation allow more accurate definition of the clinical target volume. This could enable a reduction in geographical misses, reducing at the same time treatment-related toxicity.

A comparative study of prophylactic antiemetic treatment in cancer patients receiving radiotherapy.

PURPOSE: Gastrointestinal side effects can often complicate radiotherapy (RT) in cancer patients. This work presents results of a retrospective open label study aiming to evaluate the optimum prophylactic treatment for nausea and vomiting in patients receiving fractionated radical or palliative RT. METHODS: 576 cancer patients were allocated in 5 treatment groups: 120 patients received tropisetron, 129 tropisetron plus dexamethasone, 101 metochlopramide, 119 dexamethasone, and 107 received metochlopramide plus dexamethasone. To determine the optimum antiemetic prophylactic treatment, nausea and vomiting were evaluated at baseline, 24 and 72 h after the initiation of RT, and at the end of every week during RT. Adverse effects, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS), and the intensity of nausea and vomiting were recorded. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences in incidence and intensity of nausea and vomiting were found among the 5 antiemetic treatment groups from the 1st till the 5th week of the RT. Tropisetron + dexamethasone group had significantly reduced odds for nausea and vomiting, and significantly less severe nausea and vomiting than any other treatment group. Factors significantly associated with increased ECOG PS were palliative RT, dose fraction >3Gy, field size >200 cm(2), and treatment with metochlopramide, metochlopramide+dexamethasone and dexamethasone. CONCLUSION: Patients receiving prophylactic antiemetic treatment with tropisetron+dexamethasone completed RT with lower intensity of nausea and vomiting and lower ECOG PS scores compared to groups that received other antiemetic treatments.

Comparison of conventional and virtual simulation for radiation treatment planning of prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: radiotherapy is widely used to treat patients with prostate cancer. Using conventional x-ray simulation is often difficult to accurately localize the extent of the tumor, to cover exactly the lymph nodes at risk and shield the organs at risk. We report the initial results of a study conducted to compare target localization with conventional and virtual simulation. METHODS: fifty patients with prostate cancer underwent target localization for radical prostate radiotherapy using conventional and virtual simulation. The treatment fields were initially marked with a conventional portal film on LINAC, plain x-ray film and available diagnostic imaging. Each patient then had a computed tomography (CT) and these simulated treatment fields were reproduced within the virtual simulation planning system. The treatment fields defined by the clinicians using each modality were compared in terms of field area and implications for target coverage. RESULTS: there was significantly greater clinical tumor volume coverage using virtual simulation compared with conventional simulation and less normal tissue volume irradiated (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: CT localization and virtual simulation allow for more accurate definition of the clinical target volume. This could enable a reduction in geographical misses, while also reducing treatment-related toxicity.

Rhenium-186-HEDP palliative treatment in disseminated bone metastases due to prostate cancer.

Prostate carcinoma is the most commonly associated with osseous metastases malignancy in males. The lesions, being usually of a mixed sclerotic/lytic variety and less often of the pure sclerotic type, need to be treated by a bone seeking radioactive element with an as low as possible radiobiological burden on the surrounding (peritumoral) tissues. Rhenium-186-HEDP was used to treat these osseous metastatic lesions due to its bone seeking kinetics attractive radiochemical properties. Of a total of 16 prostate cancer patients. 3 experiment loss of pain, 8 experienced obvious and 2 some improvement. No change was observed in 3 patients. Ten patients manifested a flare syndrome increasing pain approximately 2 to 6 days, after Re-186-HEDP i.v. application. Six patients showed a definite and 9 a slight decrease in platelet levels and absolute number of polymorphonuclear white blood cells, up to fourth week following treatment. One patient underwent a whole blood transfusion and in 2 peripheral neuropathy was observed lasting about 9 to 12 days. Re-186-HEDP appears to be a promising new metal ion complex for the palliation of painful bone metastases in prostate cancer. Compared to Sr-89 therapy, it shows a longer analgetic efficacy and has the advantage of emitting gamma rays, a fact which facilitates dosimetric calculations.

Palliative therapy using rhenium-186-HEDP in painful breast osseous metastases.

The efficacy and toxicity of treatment with 1400 +/- 100 MBq of Re-186-HEDP were evaluated in women with osseous metastatic breast cancer. The follow-up period was fourteen weeks. The efficacy of treatment was assessed by a) a pain and performance questionnaire that patients were asked to complete daily and b) a CT scan comparison of a randomly preselected osseous lesion before and 30 weeks after Re-186-HEDP i.v. application. The response to treatment was also evaluated by using the Kamofsky Index. Two out of fourteen women (14%) experienced loss of pain, 6 experienced obvious and 2 some improvement. No change was observed in 4 patients. Five patients manifested a flare response to treatment, with increase in pain within the first, 4 to 5 days after Re-186-HEDP administration. Five patients showed a decrease in platelet levels and absolute number of polymorphonuclear blood transfusion; no neurologic side effects were observed. Re-186-HEDP appears to be a useful new radiopharmaceutical for pain palliation induced by osseous metastases due to breast cancer. Compared to Sr-89 chloride efficacy, it provides longer-lasting analgesia, and when needed it can be reinjected with less risk due to its improved physico- and radiochemical properties.