Pencil Beam Scanning Proton Therapy as Single Vocal Cord Irradiation for Early-Stage Glottic Cancer.

Purpose: Single vocal cord irradiation (SVCI) is a promising technique to maintain excellent oncologic control and potentially improve upon toxicities for treatment of early-stage glottic squamous cell carcinomas. We sought to investigate whether pencil beam scanning (PBS) proton therapy could improve upon the already favorable dose gradients demonstrated with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) SVCI. Patients and Methods: A 64-year-old gentleman was treated in our department with 6X-flattening filter-free VMAT SVCI to 58.08 Gy in 16 fractions for a T1a well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the left true vocal cord and tolerated it well with good local control. Comparative PBS plans were created in Raystation for the Varian ProBeam with clinical target volume (CTVs) generated to mimic the prescription target volume extent of the VMAT planning target volumes when accounting for PBS plan robustness (±3 mm translational shifts, 3.5% density perturbation). A 3-field single-field optimization plan was selected as dosimetrically preferable. Dosimetric variables were compared. Results: Several organs at risk doses improved with PBS, including the maximum and mean dose to ipsilateral carotids, maximum and mean dose to contralateral carotid, maximum dose to the spinal cord, maximum and mean dose to inferior constrictor/cricopharyngeus, maximum and mean dose to the uninvolved vocal cord, and mean dose to the thyroid gland. There are tradeoffs in skin dose depending on location relative to the target-with the highest and lowest isodoses extending more into the skin with the VMAT plan but with the moderate isodose lines covering a wider area with the PBS plan, but we deemed it tolerable regardless. Conclusion: SVCI is a promising strategy for maintaining the oncologic effectiveness of whole-larynx photon radiation while potentially improving upon the historic toxicity profile. The favorable dose distribution with PBS with respect to organs at risk dosimetry for PBS may allow for further improvements upon VMAT SVCI strategies. Clinical implementation of PBS SVCI may be considered.

Cone-Beam CT Images as an Indicator of QACT During Adaptive Proton Therapy of Extremity Sarcomas.

Purpose: Periodic quality assurance CTs (QACTs) are routine in proton beam therapy. In this study, we tested whether the necessity for a QACT could be determined by evaluating the change in beam path length (BPL) on daily cone-beam CT (CBCT). Patients and Methods: In this Institutional Review Board-approved study, we retrospectively analyzed 959 CBCT images from 78 patients with sarcomas treated with proton pencil-beam scanning. Plans on 17 QACTs out of a total of 243 were clinically determined to be replanned for various reasons. Daily CBCTs were retrospectively analyzed by automatic ray-tracing of each beam from the isocenter to the skin surface along the central axis. A script was developed for this purpose. Patterns of change in BPL on CBCT images were compared to those from adaptive planning using weekly QACTs. Results: Sixteen of the 17 adaptive replans showed BPL changes ≥4 mm for at least 1 of the beams on 3 consecutive CBCT sessions. Similarly, 43 of 63 nonadaptively planned patients had BPL changes <4 mm for all of the beams. A new QACT criterium of a BPL change of any beam ≥4 mm on 3 consecutive CBCT sessions resulted in a sensitivity of 94.1% and a specificity of 68.3%. Had the BPL change been used as the QACT predictor, a total of 37 QACTs would have been performed rather than 243 QACTs in clinical practice. Conclusion: The use of BPL changes on CBCT images represented a significant reduction (85%) in total QACT burden while maintaining treatment quality and accuracy. QACT can be performed only when it is needed, but not in a periodic manner. The benefits of reducing QACT frequency include reducing imaging dose and optimizing patient time and staff resources.

Proton therapy re-irradiation outcomes and genomic landscape of patients with recurrent head and neck cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Re-irradiation (re-RT) for recurrent head and neck cancer (rHNC) is challenging. We describe clinical outcomes and toxicity of proton therapy (PT) for recurrent HNC, and report genomic alterations associated with patterns of failure. MATERIALS & METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of rHNC patients treated with PT. Outcomes were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate (UVA) and multivariate analyses (MVA) were performed to assess multiple patient factors. Next-generation sequencing and genomic analyses were performed on available samples. RESULTS: Eighty-nine patients treated with PBS-PT for rHNC with a median follow-up of 12 mo (0-71 mo) were included. The 1- and 2-y local control (LC) rates were 80.8 % (95 % CI: 70.8-90.8) and 66.2 % (95 % CI: 50.7-81.7), and 1- and 2-y distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were 41.0 % (95 % CI: 30.0-52.0) and 26.3 % (95 % CI: 15.7-36.9). The median overall survival (OS) was 13 mo (95 % CI: 9.3-16.7). On UVA and MVA, smaller gross tumor volume (GTV) was associated with improved OS (HR 1.002, P = 0.004), DMFS (HR 1.002, P = 0.004), and PFS (HR 1.002, P = 0.014). There were 35 late Gr3 + toxicity events (30.3 %). Patients with higher candidate gene-specific mutation burden (genes with [OR] > 2, P < 0.05) had inferior PFS. TP53, NOTCH4, and ARID1B mutations were associated with inferior DMFS (OR > 2, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: PBS-PT is effective at achieving LC for rHNC with favorable toxicity. Distant metastases are common, and associated with TP53, NOTCH4, and ARID1B mutations. Inclusion of genomic alterations in the clinical decision process may be warranted.

Disease and toxicity outcomes for a modern cohort of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of cutaneous origin involving the parotid gland: Comparison of volumetric modulated arc therapy and pencil beam scanning proton therapy.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to describe outcomes for locally advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) involving the parotid treated with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) versus pencil beam scanning proton beam therapy (PBT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were gathered from 2016 to 2022 from 5 sites of a large academic RT department; included patients were treated with RT and had parotid involvement by: direct extension of a cutaneous primary, parotid regional spread from a previously or contemporaneously resected but geographically separate cutaneous primary, or else primary parotid SCC (with a cutaneous primary ostensibly occult). Acute toxicities were provider-reported (CTCAE v5.0) and graded at each on treatment visit. Statistical analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 12.9 months (1.3 - 72.8); 67 patients were included. Positive margins/extranodal extension were present in 34 cases; gross disease in 17. RT types: 39 (58.2 %) VMAT and 28 (41.8 %) PBT. Concurrent systemic therapy was delivered in 10 (14.9 %) patients. There were 17 treatment failures (25.4 %), median time of 168 days. Pathologically positive neck nodes were associated with locoregional recurrence (p = 0.015). Oral cavity, pharyngeal constrictor, and contralateral parotid doses were all significantly lower for PBT. Median weight change was -3.8 kg (-14.1 - 5.1) for VMAT and -3 kg (-16.8 - 3) for PBT (p = 0.013). Lower rates of ≥ grade 1 xerostomia (p = 0.002) and ≥ grade 1 dysguesia (p < 0.001) were demonstrated with PBT. CONCLUSIONS: Cutaneous SCC involving the parotid can be an aggressive clinical entity despite modern multimodal therapy. PBT offers significantly lower dose to organs at risk compared to VMAT, which seemingly yields diminished acute toxicities.

Imaging and Biomarker Surveillance for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and American Radium Society Appropriate Use Criteria Statement.

Surveillance for survivors of head and neck cancer (HNC) is focused on early detection of recurrent or second primary malignancies. After initial restaging confirms disease-free status, the use of surveillance imaging for asymptomatic patients with HNC is controversial. Our objective was to comprehensively review literature pertaining to imaging and biomarker surveillance of asymptomatic patients treated for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and to convene a multidisciplinary expert panel to provide appropriate use criteria for surveillance in representative clinical scenarios. The evidence base for the appropriate use criteria was gathered through a librarian-mediated search of literature published from 1990 to 2022 focused on surveillance imaging and circulating tumor-specific DNA for nonmetastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma using MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, Web of Science Core Collection, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. The systematic review was reported according to PRISMA guidelines. Using the modified Delphi process, the expert panel voted on appropriate use criteria, providing recommendations for appropriate use of surveillance imaging and human papillomavirus (HPV) circulating tumor DNA. Of 5178 studies identified, 80 met inclusion criteria (5 meta-analyses/systematic reviews, 1 randomized control trial, 1 post hoc analysis, 25 prospective, and 48 retrospective cohort studies [with ≥50 patients]), reporting on 27,525 patients. No large, randomized, prospective trials examined whether asymptomatic patients who receive surveillance imaging or HPV circulating tumor DNA monitoring benefit from earlier detection of recurrence or second primary tumors in terms of disease-specific or quality-of-life outcomes. In the absence of prospective data, surveillance imaging for HNC survivors should rely on individualized recurrence-risk assessment accounting for initial disease staging, HPV disease status, and tobacco use history. There is an emerging surveillance role for circulating tumor biomarkers.

A Longitudinal Metagenomic Comparative Analysis of Oral Microbiome Shifts in Patients Receiving Proton Radiation versus Photon Radiation for Head and Neck Cancer.

Introduction: Due to the radiation-sparing effects on salivary gland acini, changes in the composition of the oral microbiome may be a driver for improved outcomes in patients receiving proton radiation, with potentially worse outcomes in patients exposed to photon radiation therapy. To date, a head-to-head comparison of oral microbiome changes at a metagenomic level with longitudinal sampling has yet to be performed in these patient cohorts. Methods and Materials: To comparatively analyze oral microbiome shifts during head and neck radiation therapy, a prospective pilot cohort study was performed at the Maryland Proton Treatment Center and the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center. A longitudinal metagenomic comparative analysis of oral microbiome shifts was performed at three time points (pre-radiation, during radiation, and immediately post-radiation). Head and neck cancer patients receiving proton radiation (n = 4) were compared to photon radiation (n = 4). Additional control groups included healthy age- and sex-matched controls (n = 5), head and neck cancer patients who never received radiation therapy (n = 8), and patients with oral inflammatory disease (n = 3). Results: Photon therapy patients presented with lower microbial alpha diversity at all timepoints, and there was a trend towards reduced species richness as compared with proton therapy. Healthy controls and proton patients exhibited overall higher and similar diversity. A more dysbiotic state was observed in patients receiving photon therapy as compared to proton therapy, in which oral microbial homeostasis was maintained. Mucositis was observed in 3/4 photon patients and was not observed in any proton patients during radiation therapy. The bacterial de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway and the nitrate reduction V pathway were comparatively higher following photon exposure. These functional changes in bacterial metabolism may suggest that photon exposure produces a more permissive environment for the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria. Conclusion: Oral microbiome dysbiosis in patients receiving photon radiation may be associated with increased mucositis occurrence. Proton radiation therapy for head and neck cancer demonstrates a safer side effect profile in terms of oral complications, oral microbiome dysbiosis, and functional metabolic status.

Is noncoplanar plan more robust to inter-fractional variations than coplanar plan in treating bilateral HN tumors with pencil-beam scanning proton beams?

PURPOSE: Noncoplanar plans (NCPs) are commonly used for proton treatment of bilateral head and neck (HN) malignancies. NCP requires additional verification setup imaging between beams to correct residual errors of robotic couch motion, which increases imaging dose and total treatment time. This study compared the quality and robustness of NCPs with those of coplanar plans (CPs). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Under an IRB-approved study, CPs were created retrospectively for 10 bilateral HN patients previously treated with NCPs maintaining identical beam geometry of the original plan but excluding couch rotations. Plan robustness to the inter-fractional variation (IV) of both plans was evaluated through the Dose Volume Histograms (DVH) of weekly quality assurance CT (QACT) sets (39 total). In addition, delivery efficiency for both plans was compared using total treatment time (TTT) and beam-on time (BOT). RESULTS: No significant differences in plan quality were observed in terms of clinical target volume (CTV) coverage (D95) or organ-at-risk (OAR) doses (p > 0.4 for all CTVs and OARs). No significant advantage of NCPs in the robustness to IV was found over CP, either. Changes in D95 of QA plans showed a linear correlation (slope = 1.006, R2  > 0.99) between NCP and CP for three CTV data points (CTV1, CTV2, and CTV3) in each QA plan (117 data points for 39 QA plans). NCPs showed significantly higher beam delivery time than CPs for TTT (539 ± 50 vs. 897 ± 142 s; p < 0.001); however, no significant differences were observed for BOT. CONCLUSION: NCPs are not more robust to IV than CPs when treating bilateral HN tumors with pencil-beam scanning proton beams. CPs showed plan quality and robustness similar to NCPs while reduced treatment time (∼6 min). This suggests that CPs may be a more efficient planning technique for bilateral HN cancer proton therapy.

Post-treatment PET/CT for p16-positive oropharynx cancer treated with definitive proton therapy.

Objectives: Given emerging data suggesting that uncertainty in the relative biologic effectiveness at the distal end of the Bragg peak results in increased mucosal injury in patients with oropharynx cancer receiving adjuvant proton therapy, we evaluated the results of post-treatment positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) in patients with p16-positive oropharynx cancer (p16+OPC) treated with definitive intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT). Material and Methods: A retrospective cohort study of patients with p16+OPC treated with definitive IMPT between 2016 and 2022 was performed at a single institution. Patients with PET/CT scans within 6 months following completion of IMPT were included in the study. Positive post-treatment scans were defined by a maximum standard uptake values (SUVmax) >4.0 or a <65% reduction in SUVmax in either the primary tumor or lymph node. The Fisher's exact test was used to evaluate factors associated with positive post-treatment PET/ CT values. Results: Sixty-two patients were included for analysis. Median follow-up was 21 months (range: 3-71 months) with a median time to post-treatment PET/CT of 3 months (range: 2-6 months). Median post-treatment SUVmax of the primary disease and nodal disease was 0 (mean: 0.8, range: 0-7.7) and 0 (mean: 0.7, range: 0-9.5), respectively. Median post-treatment percent reduction in SUVmax for the primary site and lymph node was 100% (mean: 94%, range: 31.3-100%) and 100% (mean: 89%, range: 23-100%), respectively. Eleven patients had a positive post-treatment PET/CT with one biopsy-proven recurrence. Negative and positive predictive values (NPV and PPV) were 98% and 9.1%, respectively. There were no factors associated with positive post-treatment PET/CT. Conclusion: Similar to patients treated with photon-based radiation therapy, post-treatment PET/CT has a high NPV for patients with p16+OPC treated with definitive proton therapy and should be used to guide patient management. Additional patients and more events are needed to confirm the PPV of a post-treatment PET/CT in this favorable patient cohort.

Histology Specific Molecular Biomarkers: Ushering in a New Era of Precision Radiation Oncology.

Histopathology and clinical staging have historically formed the backbone for allocation of treatment decisions in oncology. Although this has provided an extremely practical and fruitful approach for decades, it has long been evident that these data alone do not adequately capture the heterogeneity and breadth of disease trajectories experienced by patients. As efficient and affordable DNA and RNA sequencing have become available, the ability to provide precision therapy has become within grasp. This has been realized with systemic oncologic therapy, as targeted therapies have demonstrated immense promise for subsets of patients with oncogene-driver mutations. Further, several studies have evaluated predictive biomarkers for response to systemic therapy within a variety of malignancies. Within radiation oncology, the use of genomics/transcriptomics to guide the use, dose, and fractionation of radiation therapy is rapidly evolving but still in its infancy. The genomic adjusted radiation dose/radiation sensitivity index is one such early and exciting effort to provide genomically guided radiation dosing with a pan-cancer approach. In addition to this broad method, a histology specific approach to precision radiation therapy is also underway. Herein we review select literature surrounding the use of histology specific, molecular biomarkers to allow for precision radiotherapy with the greatest emphasis on commercially available and prospectively validated biomarkers.

Regionalization of Head and Neck Oncology Tumor Boards: Perspectives of Collaborating Physicians.

Objectives: To survey academic and community physician preferences regarding the virtual multidisciplinary tumor board (MTB) for further improvement and expansion. Study Design: This anonymous 14-question survey was sent to individuals that participated in the head and neck virtual MTBs. The survey was sent via email beginning August 3, 2021, through October 5, 2021. Setting: The University of Maryland Medical Center and regional practices in the state of Maryland. Methods: Survey responses were recorded and presented as percentages. Subset analysis was performed to obtain frequency distributions by facility and provider type. Results: There were 50 survey responses obtained with a response rate of 56%. Survey participants included 11 surgeons (22%), 19 radiation oncologists (38%), and 8 medical oncologists (16%), amongst others. More than 96% of participants found the virtual MTB to be useful when discussing complex cases and impactful to future patient care. A majority of respondents perceived a reduction in time to adjuvant care (64%). Community and academic physician responses strongly agreed that the virtual MTB improved communication (82% vs 73%), provided patient-specific information for cancer care (82% vs 73%), and improved access to other specialties (66% vs 64%). Academic physicians, more so than community physicians, strongly agreed that the virtual MTB improves access to clinical trial enrollment (64% vs 29%) and can be useful in obtaining CME (64% vs 55%). Conclusion: Academic and community physicians view the virtual MTB favorably. This platform can be adapted regionally and further expanded to improve communication between physicians and improve multidisciplinary care for patients.

Multi-institutional study of clinical outcomes of patients with head and neck cancer presenting with cN3 disease.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate disease control, toxicities, and variables associated with clinical outcomes for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and clinical N3 disease (HNSCC N3) treated with definitive chemoradiation therapy. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of patients with HNSCC N3 treated at two high-volume academic centers between 1996 and 2019. RESULTS: We identified 85 patients with a median follow-up of 2.8 years. Five-year overall survival, regional control, and freedom from distant metastases rates were 38%, 80%, and 80%, respectively. Severe complications were identified in 19% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Favorable regional control is achievable with definitive chemoradiation therapy for patients with HNSCC N3 disease. Distant metastases are a common pattern of failure and should be a focus of prospective study.

Gross tumor volume margin and local control in p16-positive oropharynx cancer patients treated with intensity modulated proton therapy.

BACKGROUND: To determine if the extent of high-dose gross tumor volume (GTV) to clinical target volume (CTV) expansion is associated with local control in patients with p16-positive oropharynx cancer (p16+ OPC) treated with definitive intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT). METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with p16+ OPC treated with IMPT at a single institution between 2016 and 2021. Patients with a pre-treatment PET-CT and restaging PET-CT within 4 months following completion of IMPT were analyzed. RESULTS: Sixty patients were included for analysis with a median follow-up of 17 months. The median GTV to CTV expansion was 5 mm (IQR: 2 mm). Thirty-three percent of patients (20 of 60) did not have a GTV to CTV expansion. There was one local failure within the expansion group (3%). CONCLUSION: Excellent local control was achieved using IMPT for p16+ OPC independent of GTV expansion. IMPT with minimal target expansions represent a potential harm-minimization technique for p16-positive oropharynx cancer.

Interstitial Brachytherapy for Lip Cancer: Technical Aspects to Individualize Treatment Approach and Optimize Outcomes.

Primary radiation therapy using interstitial brachytherapy (IBT) provides excellent local tumor control for early-stage squamous cell carcinoma of the lip. Technical aspects of treatment are important to optimize outcomes. In this report, we discuss patient selection criteria, procedural details, and dosimetric considerations for performing IBT for cancers of the lip. Catheters are inserted across the length of tumor entering and exiting approximately 5 mm beyond the palpable tumor extent. A custom mouthpiece is fabricated to facilitate normal tissue sparing. Patients undergo computed tomography imaging, the gross tumor volume is contoured based on physical examination and computed tomography findings, and an individualized brachytherapy plan is generated with the goals of achieving gross tumor volume D90% ≥ 90% and minimizing V150%. Ten patients with primary (n = 8) or recurrent (n = 2) cancers of the lip who received high-dose-rate lip IBT using 2.0- to 2.5-week treatment regimens are described (median prescription: 47.6 Gy in 14 fractions of 3.4 Gy). Local tumor control was 100%. There were no cases of acute grade ≥4 or late grade ≥2 toxicity, and cosmesis scores were graded as good to excellent in all patients. IBT represents an excellent treatment option for patients with lip squamous cell carcinoma. With careful attention to technical considerations furthered described in the present report, high rates of tumor control, low rates of toxicity, and favorable esthetic and functional outcomes can be achieved with IBT for lip cancer.

Patterns of failure for hypopharynx cancer patients treated with limited high-dose radiotherapy treatment volumes.

PURPOSE: Optimal radiotherapy treatment volumes for patients with locally advanced hypopharynx squamous cell carcinoma should ensure maximal tumor coverage with minimal inclusion of normal surrounding structures. Here we evaluated the effectiveness of a direct 3-mm high-dose gross tumor volume to planning target volume expansion on clinical outcomes for hypopharynx cancers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with hypopharynx carcinoma treated between 2004 and 2018 with primary radiotherapy using a direct high-dose gross tumor volume to planning target volume expansion and with or without concurrent systemic therapy. Diagnostic imaging of recurrences was co-registered with the planning CT. Spatial and volumetric analyses of contoured recurrences were compared with planned isodose lines. Failures were initially defined as in field, marginal, elective nodal, and out of field. Each failure was further classified as central high-dose, peripheral high-dose, central intermediate/low-dose, peripheral intermediate/low-dose, and extraneous. Clinical outcomes were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier estimation. RESULTS: Thirty-six patients were identified. At a median follow-up at 52.4 months, estimated 5-year overall survival was 59.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 36.3%-74.1%), 5-year local and nodal control was 71.7% (95% CI, 47.1%-86.3%) and 69.9% (95% CI, 57.0%-82.6%), respectively. The most common failure was in the high-dose primary target volume. The gastrostomy tube retention rate at 1 year among patients without recurrence was 13.0% (95% CI, 3.2%-29.7%). CONCLUSION: Minimal high-dose target volume expansions for hypopharynx cancers were associated with favorable locoregional control. This approach may enable therapy intensification to improve clinical outcomes.

Evaluation of intrafraction couch shifts for proton treatment delivery in head-and-neck cancer patients: Toward optimal imaging frequency.

PURPOSE: Treatment planning for head-and-neck (H&N) cancer, in particular oropharynx, nasopharynx, and paranasal sinus cases, at our center requires noncoplanar proton beams due to the complexity of the anatomy and target location. Targeting accuracy for all beams is carefully evaluated by using image guidance before delivering proton beam therapy (PBT). In this study, we analyzed couch shifts to evaluate whether imaging is required before delivering each field with different couch angles. METHODS: After the Institutional Review Board approval, a retrospective analysis was performed on data from 28 H&N patients treated with PBT. Each plan was made with two-to-three noncoplanar and two-to-three coplanar fields. Cone-beam computed tomography and orthogonal kilovoltage (kV) images were acquired for setup and before delivering each field, respectively. The Cartesian (longitudinal, vertical, and lateral) and angular (pitch and roll) shifts for each field were recorded from the treatment summary on the first two fractions and every subsequent fifth fraction. A net magnitude of the three-dimensional (3D) shift in Cartesian coordinates was calculated, and a 3D vector was created from the 6 degrees of freedom coordinates for transforming couch shifts in the system coordinate to the beam's-eye view. RESULTS: A total of 3219 Cartesian and 2146 angular shift values were recorded for 28 patients. Of the Cartesian shifts, 2069 were zero (64.3%), and 1150 (35.7%) were nonzero (range, -7 to 11 mm). Of the angular shifts, 1034 (48.2%) were zero, and 1112 (51.8%) were nonzero (range, -3.0° to 3.2°). For 17 patients, the couch shifts increased toward the end of the treatment course. We also found that patients with higher body mass index (BMI) presented increased net couch shifts (p < 0.001). With BMI < 27, all overall net shift averages were <2 mm, and overall maximum net shifts were <6 mm. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm the need for orthogonal kV imaging before delivering each field of H&N PBT at our center, where a couch rotation is involved.

Human Papillomavirus Impact on Temporal Treatment Trends in Oropharyngeal Carcinoma: 2010-2016.

INTRODUCTION: The study objective was to identify practice patterns in oropharyngeal cancer management from 2010 to 2016 among human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated and non-HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous-cell carcinoma (OPSCC) patients. METHODS: The National Cancer Database was utilized to identify OPSCC patients from 2010 to 2016. Frequency distributions and multivariable analyses were generated to identify practice patterns and predictors of treatment modality. RESULTS: A total of 35,956 patients with nonmetastatic OPSCC were included. HPV status was not associated with a treatment modality preference. At academic centers, the proportion of HPV-associated OPSCC patients versus non-HPV-associated OPSCC patients undergoing surgical management was similar (35.7%; 35.9%). Community cancer programs treated patients less often surgically but with no significant treatment preference based on HPV status. Within each facility type, HPV status was not a predictor of surgical or nonsurgical management. CONCLUSION: HPV association does not appear to significantly influence treatment modality preference among OPSCC patients. The proportion of OPSCC patients undergoing surgical treatment declined from 2010 to 2016.

Prospective Study of PET/MRI Tumor Response During Chemoradiotherapy for Patients With Low-risk and Intermediate-risk p16-positive Oropharynx Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine tumor response with positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during chemoradiotherapy as a predictor of outcome in patients with p16-positive oropharynx cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with p16-positive oropharynx cancer were treated with chemoradiotherapy. Low-risk (LR) disease was defined as T1-T3 and N0-2b and ≤10 pack-years and intermediate-risk (IR) disease as T4 or N2c-3 or >10 pack-years. Patients underwent a PET/MRI scan pretreatment and at fraction 10. Change in value of imaging means were analyzed by analysis of variance. K-means clustering with Euclidean distance functions were used for patient clustering. Silhouette width was used to determine the optimal number of clusters. Linear regression was performed on all radiographic metrics using patient and disease characteristics. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients were enrolled with 7 LR and 11 IR patients available for analysis. Pretreatment imaging characteristics between LR and IR patients were similar. Patients with LR disease exhibited a larger reduction in maximum standardized uptake value (SUV) compared with IR patients (P<0.05). Cluster analysis defined 2 cohorts that exhibited a similar intratreatment response. Cluster 1 contained 7 of 7 LR patients and 8 of 11 IR patients. Cluster 2 contained 3 of 11 IR patients. Cluster 2 exhibited significant differences compared with cluster 1 in the change in primary tumor peak SUV and largest lymph node median SUV. CONCLUSIONS: We identified that IR p16-positive oropharynx cancers exhibit heterogeneity in their PET/MRI response to chemoradiotherapy. These data support further study of intratreatment imaging response as a potential mechanism to identify patients with IR oropharynx cancer suitable for treatment deintensification.

Imaging of Complications of Chemoradiation.

Chemoradiation for head and neck cancer is associated with a variety of early and late complications. Toxicities may affect the aero-digestive tract (mucositis, salivary gland injury), regional osseous and cartilaginous structures (osteoradionecrosis (ORN) and chondronecrosis), vasculature (progressive radiation vasculopathy and carotid blow out syndromes), and neural structures (optic neuritis, myelitis, and brain injury). These may be difficult to distinguish from tumor recurrence on imaging, and may necessitate the use of advanced MRI and molecular imaging techniques to reach the correct diagnosis. Secondary radiation-induced malignancies include thyroid cancer and a variety of sarcomas that may manifest several years after treatment. Checkpoint inhibitors can cause a variety of adverse immune events, including autoimmune hypophysitis and encephalitis.

Defining high-risk elective contralateral neck radiation volumes for oropharynx cancer.

BACKGROUND: To define the location of the initial contralateral lymph node (LN) metastasis in patients with oropharynx cancer. METHODS: The location of the LN centroids from patients with oropharynx cancer and a single radiographically positive contralateral LN was defined. A clinical target volume (CTV) inclusive of all LN centroids was created, and its impact on dose to organs at risk was assessed. RESULTS: We identified 55 patients of which 49/55 had a single contralateral LN in level IIA, 4/55 in level III, 1/55 in level IIB, and 1/55 in the retropharynx. Mean radiation dose to the contralateral parotid gland was 15.1 and 21.0 Gy, (p <0.001) using the modeled high-risk elective CTV and a consensus CTV, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We present a systematic approach for identifying the contralateral nodal regions at highest risk of harboring subclinical disease in patients with oropharynx cancer that warrants prospective clinical study.

Impact of the Novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic on Head and Neck Cancer Care.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to assess the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on head and neck oncologic care at a tertiary care facility. STUDY DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study conducted between March 18, 2020, and May 20, 2020. The primary planned outcome was the rate of treatment modifications during the study period. Secondary outcome measures were tumor conference volume, operative volume, and outpatient patient procedure and clinic volumes. SETTING: This single-center study was conducted at a tertiary care academic hospital in a large metropolitan area. METHODS: The study included a consecutive sample of adult subjects who were presented at a head and neck interdepartmental tumor conference during the study period. Patients were compared to historical controls based on review of operative data, outpatient procedures, and clinic volumes. RESULTS: In total, 117 patients were presented during the review period in 2020, compared to 69 in 2019. There was an 8.4% treatment modification rate among cases presented at the tumor conference. There was a 61.3% (347 from 898) reduction in outpatient clinic visits and a 63.4% (84 from 230) reduction in procedural volume compared to the prior year. Similarly, the operative volume decreased by 27.0% (224 from 307) compared to the previous year. CONCLUSION: Restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in limited treatment modifications. Transition to virtual tumor board format observed an increase in case presentations. While there were reductions in operative volume, there was a larger proportion of surgical cases for malignancy, reflecting the prioritization of oncologic care during the pandemic.