Total neoadjuvant therapy with short-course radiotherapy Versus long-course neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in Locally Advanced Rectal cancer, Korean trial (TV-LARK trial): study protocol of a multicentre randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: For locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) may enhance tumour response, reduce recurrence, and improve patient compliance compared to upfront surgery. Recent studies have shown that chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by consolidation chemotherapy leads to higher rate of pathologic complete response (pCR) than induction chemotherapy followed by CRT. However, an optimal TNT regimen that maximise the pCR rate and minimise toxicity has not been established. Therefore, the aim of this trial was to investigate whether preoperative short-course radiotherapy followed by chemotherapy with four cycles of CAPOX can double the pCR rate compared to a standard schedule of long-course preoperative CRT in patients with LARC. METHODS: This is a multi-centre, prospective, open label, randomised controlled trial. Patients with clinical primary tumour stage 3 and higher or regional node-involved rectal cancer located within 10 cm from the anal verge were randomly assigned equally to short-course radiotherapy (25 Gy in 5 fractions over 1 week) followed by four cycles of CAPOX (intravenous oxaliplatin [130 mg/m2, once a day] on day 1 and capecitabine [1,000 mg/m2, twice a day] from days 1 to 14) (TNT) or CRT (50.4 Gy in 28 fractions over 5 weeks, concurrently with concomitant oral capecitabine 825 mg/m2 twice a day). After preoperative treatment, total mesorectal excision was performed 2-4 weeks in the TNT group and 6-10 weeks in the CRT group, followed by optional additional adjuvant chemotherapy. The primary endpoint is the pCR rate, and secondary endpoints include disease-related treatment failure, quality of life, and cost-effectiveness. Assuming a pCR rate of 28% and 15% in the TNT and CRT groups, respectively, and one-side alpha error rate of 0.025 and power of 80%, 348 patients will be enrolled considering 10% dropout rate. DISCUSSION: The TV-LARK trial will evaluate the superiority of employed TNT regimen against the standard CRT regimen for patients with LARC. We aimed to identify a TNT regimen that will improve the pCR rate and decrease systemic recurrence in these patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Cris.nih.go.kr ID: KCT0007169 (April 08, 2022). The posted information will be updated as needed to reflect the protocol amendments and study progress.

Standard versus longer interval of radical resection after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer: A 20-year single-center experience & propensity-score matching.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Despite the standard interval of 6-8 weeks between neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) and surgery, it is debated whether an interval of >8 weeks increases the pathologic complete response (pCR) rate. We investigated the interval between nCRT and surgery, and its impact on oncological outcomes and postoperative complications in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients with rectal cancer who underwent total mesorectal excision after long-course nCRT between 2000 and 2020. They were divided into two groups-those who underwent surgery at 6-8 and >8 weeks after nCRT. Surgical outcomes (stoma rate and postoperative complications), pCR, tumor regression grade (TRG), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS) were compared. RESULTS: We selected 770/1153 patients with rectal cancer, including 502 and 268 patients surgically treated at 6-8 and >8 weeks after nCRT, respectively. The pCR rates were similar between the two groups (14.7% vs. 15.3%, p = 0.836), while the TRG was significantly better in the >8 weeks group (p = 0.267). Additionally, the postoperative complications, recurrence, 5-year RFS, and OS rates were not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Although tumor regression increased in the >8 weeks group, the oncological benefits of surgery >8 weeks after nCRT remain uncertain.

Impact of intracavitary brachytherapy technique (2D versus 3D) on outcomes of cervical cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the impact of brachytherapy (BT) technique (two-dimensional [2D] or three-dimensional image-guided [3D]) on outcomes of cervical cancer patients. METHODS: PubMed and EMBASE databases were searched up to April 16, 2019, for studies which evaluated the effect of 3D-BT compared to 2D-BT in cervical cancer. Endpoints included cumulative incidence of severe toxicity, locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRRFS), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Hazard ratios (HRs) were pooled in the meta-analysis using the random-effects model. RESULTS: Six studies of eight cohorts were included in the quantitative synthesis. The pooled HR regarding toxicity was evaluated in five cohorts in three studies, and the HR of 3D-BT compared to 2D-BT was 0.54 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.37-0.77). All six studies were included for the synthesis for LRRFS, and the pooled HR favors 3D-BT (0.61 [95% CI 0.40-0.93]). For PFS, three studies were included for analysis and 3D-BT was superior to 2D-BT (HR = 0.75 [95% CI 0.59-0.96]). Five studies were included for the pooled HR regarding OS, and pooled HR of 3D-BT compared to 2D-BT was 0.65 (95% CI 0.40-1.06). CONCLUSION: 3D-BT might reduce severe toxicity and improve LRRFS and PFS in patients with cervical cancer. 3D-BT should be considered for standard management of cervical cancer, and efforts for adopting this procedure in Korea should be pursued.

A phthalimidoalkanamide derived novel DNMT inhibitor enhanced radiosensitivity of A549 cells by inhibition of homologous recombination of DNA damage.

Purpose To elucidate the radiosensitizing effect and underlying mechanism of a new kind of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitor with biological availability. Methods A novel non-nucleoside compound, designated as MA-17, was recently derived from a phthalimido alkanamide structure. DNMT expressions were confirmed in cultured human lung cancer (A549) and normal astrocyte (NHA) cells, radiosensitivity was measured using clonogenic assay, and assays of cell cycle alteration, apoptosis, DNA damage repair, and differential gene expression were undertaken. Results MA-17 significantly radiosensitized A549 cells with a mean dose enhancement ratio (DER) of 1.43 at the surviving fraction of 0.2 (p < 0.05 by one-tailed ratio paired t-test). MA-17 did not affect normal astrocytes (mean DER0.2, 1.016; p = 0.420). MA-17 demonstrated a mean half-life of 1.0 h in vivo and a relatively even distribution in various tissues. Pretreatment with MA-17 increased sub-G1 fractions and inhibited the repair of DNA double-strand breaks, which are induced by irradiation. We found that MA-17 also down-regulated DNA homologous recombination and the Fanconi anemia pathway (FANCA, BRCA1, and RAD51C) in A549 cells. This bioinformatics finding was confirmed in validation Western blot to evaluate the expression of vital proteins. Conclusions A novel phthalimido alkanamide derivative, a DNMT inhibitor, possessed both biostability and favorable and substantial radiosensitizing effects by augmenting apoptosis or inhibiting DNA damage repair.

Does fluid collection impact radiotherapy outcomes after wide excision of lower extremity soft tissue sarcoma?

BACKGROUND: Fluid collection (FC) of lymph or blood may accumulate at the site of excision after surgery for soft tissue sarcoma, with reported incidence rates from 10% to 36%. The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of FC on local recurrence (LR) and wound complication rates after adjuvant postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) in lower extremity soft tissue sarcoma (LE-STS). METHODS: Eighty-eight patients diagnosed with LE-STS were curatively treated with wide excision and PORT. FC developed in 51.1% of patients. Full FC volumes were included in the irradiation field throughout the full course of PORT for 36 patients (80.0%). A median of 61.2 and 63 Gy was prescribed for patients with and without FC, respectively. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 4.3 years, patients with and without FC had 5-year local control rates of 77.7% and 90.8% (P = 0.105). Eight patients with FC had LR, of which six patients had recurrent tumors at or within 4 cm of the FC wall and three of these patients had out-of-field LR. Wound complication occurred after RT in 3 (6.7%) of 45 patients with FC and 1 (2.3%) of 43 patients without FC. CONCLUSIONS: FC presents a potential risk for increased LR, particularly near the FC wall. Based on reasonable wound complication rates, we suggest the need and feasibility of fully including FC volumes in the irradiation field.

Intensity-modulated radiotherapy versus three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy in rectal cancer treated with neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiation: a meta-analysis and pooled-analysis of acute toxicity.

BACKGROUND: To compare the acute gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) toxicity profiles between intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) in rectal cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation (NCRT) using meta-analysis and pooled-analysis from published articles. METHODS: Literature search was performed in PubMed and EMBASE from inception to March 2017. The odd ratios (ORs) were calculated and random effects model was used for meta-analysis. Chi-square or Fisher's exact test was performed for the pooled-analysis. RESULTS: Six studies including a total of 859 patients met the inclusion criteria. Most patients (98.7%) received NCRT. In the meta-analysis, IMRT reduced grade ≥ 2 acute overall GI toxicity, diarrhea and proctitis with ORs of 0.38, 0.32 and 0.60, respectively (all P < 0.05), compared to 3DCRT. IMRT also reduced acute grade ≥ 3 proctitis compared to 3D-CRT (OR, 0.24; P = 0.03). No significant heterogeneity or publication bias was detected. In the pooled-analysis, IMRT reduced the incidence of grade ≥ 2 acute overall GI toxicity, diarrhea, proctitis and GU toxicity (all P < 0.05). Moreover, lower incidence of grade ≥ 3 acute overall GI toxicity, diarrhea and proctitis were observed in the patients treated with IMRT (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: IMRT significantly reduced acute toxicity in locally advanced rectal cancer patients treated with NCRT compared to 3DCRT.

Predictive model for health-related quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease.

This study was conducted to develop and test a prediction model that explains health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Participants were 248 patients with PD enrolled in the neurology clinic of a university hospital in Seoul, Korea. The data were collected through structured questionnaires from March 1 to July 5, 2013. Motor fluctuations, depression, sleep disturbances, fatigue, and activities of daily living had significant direct effects on the quality of life of PD patients. Disease severity, social support, pain, sleep disturbances, fatigue, and activities of daily living had significant indirect effects on patients' quality of life. These predictive variables explained 77.4% of the total variance. The assessment of HRQoL in PD should be considered along with the variables affecting it, including social support. In addition, strategies to enhance social support may be useful for improving the quality of life for patients with PD.

Elective pelvic versus prostate bed-only salvage radiotherapy following radical prostatectomy: A propensity score-matched analysis.

PURPOSE: To compare the impact of elective whole pelvic radiotherapy (WPRT) versus prostate bed-only radiotherapy (PBRT) on biochemical relapse-free survival (bRFS) in prostate cancer patients treated with salvage radiotherapy following radical prostatectomy (RP). PATIENTS AND METHODS: In our database, 163 lymph node-negative prostate cancer patients who had undergone salvage radiotherapy (SRT) for biochemical relapse after RP between September 2004 and April 2012 were identified. PBRT was administered to 134 patients (the PBRT group), while the remaining 29 patients (the WPRT group) received WPRT. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 57 months (range 18-122 months). In the propensity score-matched cohort, the 4-year bRFS of the WPRT group was significantly higher compared to the PBRT group (63.1 vs. 43.4%, p = 0.034). Subgroup analysis showed that the bRFS of patients who had two or more risk factors (seminal vesicle invasion, Roach score for lymph node invasion ≥ 45%, and number of harvested lymph nodes ≤ 5) and were treated with WPRT was significantly improved compared to those who received PBRT (hazard ratio, HR 0.33; 95% confidence interval, CI 0.13-0.83; p = 0.018). CONCLUSION: Elective WPRT for SRT may improve bRFS in patients with unfavorable risk factors. These results need to be confirmed by a prospective randomized trial.

Pattern of care of anaplastic oligodendroglioma and oligoastrocytoma in a Korean population: the Korean Radiation Oncology Group study 13-12.

This study investigated the treatment of anaplastic oligodendroglial tumors across nine Korean institutions. We reviewed the medical records from 381 patients with histologically confirmed anaplastic oligodendroglioma or anaplastic oligoastrocytoma (AOA) from 2000 to 2010. Clinical factors and treatment patterns were analyzed for each year. Post-operative therapy was performed in 354 patients (94.1 %), of which 133 received radiotherapy (RT) alone and 189 received both RT and chemotherapy. RT alone was the preferred treatment toward the end of the study period (29.4 % in 2000-2001 vs. 56.3 % in 2010, P = 0.005). The use of procarbazine, lomustine, and vincristine (PCV) decreased (57.6 % in 2000-2001 vs. 28.6 % in 2010, P = 0.001) and the use of temozolomide (TMZ) increased (0 % in 2000-2001 vs. 61.9 % in 2010, P < 0.001) over the study period. A combination of chemotherapy and RT was used more often than RT alone in young patients (P = 0.036) and patients with a good performance status (P = 0.023). The 1p/19q co-deletion status and O-6-methyguanine-DNA methyltransferase methylation were analyzed since 2004 but were not significant factors for determining whether to administer chemotherapy. Among the patients who received chemotherapy, TMZ was used more often in patients with AOA (P = 0.007) and PCV was used more often in patients with either multiple lesions (P = 0.027) or the 1p/19q co-deletion (P = 0.026). Our results demonstrate that the treatment pattern for oligodendroglial tumors changed significantly across the study period. In particular, TMZ has replaced PCV, and the use of molecular markers as well as RT alone has increased, but a unified protocol remains to be established.

A multicenter study of anaplastic oligodendroglioma: the Korean Radiation Oncology Group Study 13-12.

Although some existing evidence supports the addition of chemotherapy (CT) to radiation therapy (RT) for anaplastic oligodendroglioma treatment, controversy about both the criteria for suitable candidates and the optimal treatment schedule remains. We reviewed data from 376 newly diagnosed anaplastic oliogodendroglial tumor patients from nine Korean institutes were reviewed from 2000 to 2010. Total tumor removal was performed in 146 patients. More than 85% of the entire patients received postoperative RT, and 59% received CT. Approximately 50% (n = 189) received CT in addition to RT and 9% (n = 32) received CT only. A multivariate analysis revealed that younger age, frontal lobe location of the tumor, gross total removal, 1p/19q codeletion, and initial RT were associated with longer progression-free and overall survival rates. No difference was observed in outcomes from the treatment that included either temozolomide or PCV (procarbazine, lomustine, and vincristine) in addition to RT regardless of the 1p/19q deletion status. A clear improvement in progression-free and overall survival was observed for RT and combined CT/RT in compared with CT only. Postoperative RT appears to improve survival for entire group thus total removal and 1p/19q codeletion may not be sufficient criteria to omit RT as a treatment option. These results suggest that RT should continue to be offered as the standard treatment option for patients with anaplastic oligodendroglial tumors.

Anger, anger expression, cardiovascular risk factors, and gastrointestinal symptoms by hwa-byung symptoms in Korean adult women.

PURPOSE: This study explored relationships of anger and anger expression to cardiovascular (CV) risk factors and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in Korean women based on hwa-byung (HB) symptoms. METHODS: A descriptive, comparative design was used. One-hundred four women who are from 20 to 65years old were recruited. Based on the HB score, 22 women indicated for HB and the rest were classified as normal. Data collection was done with several questionnaires including HB symptom scale, state-trait anger expression inventory, and GI symptom questionnaire and clinical information. RESULTS: Women with HB demonstrated significantly higher levels of trait anger and dysfunctional anger expression such as anger suppression and anger expression than normal group. Although blood pressure was higher in women with HB, the differences were not significant. Self-report of GI symptoms were significantly more in women with HB, however no significant difference was found in gastroscopy results. CONCLUSIONS: Women with HB were younger and might lack of sufficient social support. This study suggests relationship of anger and anger expression to functional GI symptoms. Characteristics of women with HB should be considered in developing intervention programs for healthy coping. Future studies need more women with HB for better comparison.

Immunohistochemical analysis of cyclooxygenase-2 and brain fatty acid binding protein expression in grades I-II meningiomas: correlation with tumor grade and clinical outcome after radiotherapy.

This study was done to evaluate the association of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and brain fatty acid binding protein (BFABP) with tumor grade and outcome of grades I-II meningiomas treated with radiotherapy. From 1996 to 2008, 40 patients with intracranial grades I-II meningiomas were treated with radiotherapy. Immunohistochemical staining for COX-2 and BFABP were performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues. COX-2 expression was significantly associated with BFABP status and both COX-2 (P < 0.01) and BFABP (P = 0.01) expression were stronger in the grade II meningiomas than in grade I tumors. Among the clinicopathologic factors, age and COX-2 status were prognostic in progression-free survival. Patients with moderate or strong COX-2 expression had worse outcome than those with negative or weak COX-2 expression (P = 0.03) after controlling for potential confounders. Our results suggest that the molecular biomarker COX-2 has prognostic significance in intracranial grades I-II meningiomas following radiotherapy.

Prognostic Significance of Bulky Nodal Disease in Anal Cancer Management: A Multi-institutional Study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the prognostic significance of bulky nodal involvement in patients with anal squamous cell carcinoma treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed medical records of patients diagnosed with anal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent definitive chemoradiotherapy at three medical centers between 2004 and 2021. Exclusion criteria included distant metastasis at diagnosis, 2D radiotherapy, and salvage treatment for local relapse. Bulky N+ was defined as nodes with a long diameter of 2 cm or greater. RESULTS: A total of 104 patients were included, comprising 51 with N0, 46 with non-bulky N+, and seven with bulky N+. The median follow-up duration was 54.0 months (range, 6.4 to 162.2 months). Estimated 5-year progression-free survival (PFS), loco-regional recurrence-free survival (LRRFS), and overall survival (OS) rates for patients with bulky N+ were 42.9%, 42.9%, and 47.6%, respectively. Bulky N+ was significantly associated with inferior PFS, LRRFS, and OS compared to patients without or with non-bulky N+, even after multivariate analysis. We proposed a new staging system incorporating bulky N+ as N2 category, with estimated 5-year LRRFS, PFS, and OS rates of 81.1%, 80.6%, and 86.2% for stage I, 67.7%, 60.9%, and 93.3% for stage II, and 42.9%, 42.9%, and 47.6% for stage III disease, enhancing the predictability of prognosis. CONCLUSION: Patients with bulky nodal disease treated with standard chemoradiotherapy experienced poor survival outcomes, indicating the potential necessity for further treatment intensification.

Assessment of lymph node area coverage with total marrow irradiation and implementation of total marrow and lymphoid irradiation using automated deep learning-based segmentation.

BACKGROUND: Total marrow irradiation (TMI) and total marrow and lymphoid irradiation (TMLI) have the advantages. However, delineating target lesions according to TMI and TMLI plans is labor-intensive and time-consuming. In addition, although the delineation of target lesions between TMI and TMLI differs, the clinical distinction is not clear, and the lymph node (LN) area coverage during TMI remains uncertain. Accordingly, this study calculates the LN area coverage according to the TMI plan. Further, a deep learning-based model for delineating LN areas is trained and evaluated. METHODS: Whole-body regional LN areas were manually contoured in patients treated according to a TMI plan. The dose coverage of the delineated LN areas in the TMI plan was estimated. To train the deep learning model for automatic segmentation, additional whole-body computed tomography data were obtained from other patients. The patients and data were divided into training/validation and test groups and models were developed using the "nnU-NET" framework. The trained models were evaluated using Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), precision, recall, and Hausdorff distance 95 (HD95). The time required to contour and trim predicted results manually using the deep learning model was measured and compared. RESULTS: The dose coverage for LN areas by TMI plan had V100% (the percentage of volume receiving 100% of the prescribed dose), V95%, and V90% median values of 46.0%, 62.1%, and 73.5%, respectively. The lowest V100% values were identified in the inguinal (14.7%), external iliac (21.8%), and para-aortic (42.8%) LNs. The median values of DSC, precision, recall, and HD95 of the trained model were 0.79, 0.83, 0.76, and 2.63, respectively. The time for manual contouring and simply modified predicted contouring were statistically significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: The dose coverage in the inguinal, external iliac, and para-aortic LN areas was suboptimal when treatment is administered according to the TMI plan. This research demonstrates that the automatic delineation of LN areas using deep learning can facilitate the implementation of TMLI.

Prognostic Evaluation and Survival Prediction for Combined Hepatocellular-Cholangiocarcinoma Following Hepatectomy.

Purpose: This study aimed to assess prognostic factors associated with combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-CCA) and to predict 5-year survival based on these factors. Materials and Methods: Patients who underwent definitive hepatectomy from 2006 to 2022 at a single institution was retrospectively analyzed. Inclusion criteria involved a pathologically confirmed diagnosis of cHCC-CCA. Results: A total of 80 patients with diagnosed cHCC-CCA were included in the analysis. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 15.6 months, while distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), hepatic progression-free survival (HPFS), and overall survival (OS) were 50.8, 21.5, and 85.1 months, respectively. In 52 cases of recurrence, intrahepatic recurrence was the most common initial recurrence (34/52), with distant metastasis in 17 cases. Factors associated with poor DMFS included tumor necrosis, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), perineural invasion and histologic compact type. Postoperative CA19-9, tumor necrosis, LVI, and close/positive margin were associated with poor overall survival. LVI emerged as a key factor affecting both DMFS and OS, with a 5-year OS of 93.3% for patients without LVI compared to 35.8% with LVI. Based on these factors, a nomogram predicting 3-year and 5-year DMFS and OS was developed, demonstrating high concordance with actual survival in the cohort (Harrell C-index 0.809 for OS, 0.801 for DMFS, respectively). Conclusion: The prognosis of cHCC-CCA is notably poor when combined with lymphovascular invasion. Given the significant impact of adverse features, accurate outcome prediction is crucial. Moreover, consideration of adjuvant therapy may be warranted for patients exhibiting poor survival and increased risk of local recurrence or distant metastasis.

Safety and Efficacy of Neoadjuvant SABR in Pancreatic Cancer: Effect of Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided Respiratory-Gated Adaptive Radiation Therapy.

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of neoadjuvant SABR using magnetic resonance imaging-guided respiratory-gated adaptive radiation therapy (MRgRg-ART) in pancreatic cancer. Methods and Materials: We performed a single-institution retrospective review in patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent neoadjuvant SABR followed by surgical resection. After neoadjuvant chemotherapy, those considered resectable by the multidisciplinary team received SABR over 5 consecutive days using MRgRg-ART. Factors associated with severe postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo grade ≥III) and prognostic factors for overall survival were analyzed. Results: Sixty-two patients were included in the analysis, with a median follow-up of 10.3 months. The median prescribed dose to the planning target volume was 50 Gy. Fifty-two (85.3%) patients underwent R0 resection, and 11 (18.0%) experienced severe postoperative complications. No factors were associated with the incidence of severe postoperative complications. There were 3 cases of locoregional recurrence, resulting in a 12-month local control rate of 93.1%. Elevated postoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9 was significantly associated with poor overall survival in the multivariate analysis (P = .037). Conclusions: Neoadjuvant SABR with 50 Gy using MRgRg-ART delivered to pancreatic cancer resulted in a notable survival outcome with acceptable toxicities. Further studies are warranted to investigate the long-term effects of this method.

The role of adjuvant radiotherapy in atypical meningioma.

The object of this study was to analyze treatment outcomes and to identify the prognostic factors, with a focus on the role of adjuvant radiotherapy (ART), predicting disease progression in atypical meningiomas. From 1997 to 2011, 83 patients with meningioma were included in this study. All patients were histologically confirmed as atypical meningioma and were treated with surgical resection with or without ART. As primary therapy, 27 patients received surgical resection followed by ART, and 56 received no adjuvant therapy. Of 83 evaluable patients, 55 (66.3 %) patients underwent complete resection. The median ART dose was 61.2 Gy and their median age was 52 years. The 5- and 10-year actuarial overall survival rates were 90.2 and 62.0 %, and the 5- and 10-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates were both 48.0 %, with a median follow-up of 43.0 months. Addition of ART (p = 0.016) and complete tumor resection (p = 0.002) were associated with superior PFS. When stratified to four groups according to resection status and ART, the groups of patient with incomplete resection without ART showed significantly worse PFS compared to other three groups (p < 0.001). In conclusion, surgical resection followed by ART led to lower local tumor progression in patients with atypical meningioma defined by the updated 2000/2007 WHO classification. Our results may contribute to the routine use of ART, especially after incomplete resection, until the outcomes of ongoing prospective trials are available.

Plasma Cell-Free DNA in Uterine Cervical Cancer: Therapeutic Monitoring and Prognostic Values after Radical Radiotherapy.

PURPOSE: In the present study, we aimed to establish a liquid biopsy-based monitoring method using peripheral blood cell-free DNA (cfDNA) for patients with cervical cancer who underwent radical radiotherapy (RT). Materials and Methods: Twenty-five patients with cervical cancer were prospectively recruited and treated with external beam RT and brachytherapy. In all patients, except one, chemotherapy was administered concurrently during RT. Whole peripheral blood samples were obtained at least twice from each patient. We performed next-generation sequencing (NGS) for the target-captured libraries (67 oncogenes and human papillomavirus [HPV] type 16/18) using 64 plasma cfDNA samples from the 25 participants. The ratio of HPV cfDNA and the variant allele frequency (VAF) in cfDNA was calculated, and their dynamic changes were monitored. The median follow-up duration was 25.4 months. RESULTS: In total, we identified 21,866 cfDNA variants. ARID1A and frameshift variants occupied the largest portion of altered genes and HIGH-grade variant types, respectively. In most cases, tumor shrinkage was followed by a decrease in the HPV ratio; however, an increase in HPV ratio indicated distant metastasis, despite the reduced tumor size. The initial HPV ratio reflecting the tumor burden was likely associated with treatment outcomes (p = 0.16). We did not determine a role for serial changes in the VAF in cfDNA. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the HPV cfDNA ratio, calculated after targeted NGS, may be valuable for monitoring and predicting treatment responses. Accordingly, further validation of these findings is warranted.

Plasma Circulating Cell-free DNA in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Treated With Radiation Therapy.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Although radiation therapy (RT) is an effective and safe treatment when administered locally for various stages of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), adequate biomarkers that are predictive of therapeutic efficacy have not been identified. We evaluated the clinical utility of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) to predict treatment response of patients with HCC treated with RT. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We prospectively recruited 37 patients diagnosed with HCC between March 2019 and May 2020. All patients were treated with RT as salvage therapy. Whole peripheral blood was collected twice, one before RT (baseline; V1) and another aliquot one week after the end of RT (V2). We determined whether cfDNA genomic copy number variations (CNVs) could predict treatment outcome. An I-score was calculated from the plasma cfDNA that reflected CNVs of cfDNA, which is evidence of genomic instability. RESULTS: The I-score at V1 exhibited a strong correlation with the planning target volume (PTV) (coefficient=0.65) and was a predictive marker for progression-free survival (PFS). In particular, a mean I-score value at V1 of ≥6.3 had a significant positive correlation with PFS (p=0.017). Compared with patients who had a complete response (CR) following RT, non-CR patients had a higher mean I-score value at V2 ≥6.2 (p=0.034). Furthermore, I-score values at V1 and V2 and the delta I-score ratio were significantly associated with a pre-RT alpha-fetoprotein level ≥200 among non-CR patients. CONCLUSION: I-score values calculated from plasma cfDNA represent a potential biomarker for predicting treatment outcomes in patients with advanced HCC receiving RT.

Image-Guided Versus Conventional Brachytherapy for Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer: Experience of Single Institution with the Same Practitioner and Time Period.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare treatment outcomes and toxicity profile between imaged-guided brachytherapy (IGBT) versus conventional brachytherapy (CBT) performed by the same practitioner during the same time period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records of 104 eligible patients who underwent brachytherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer were retrospectively reviewed. Fifty patients (48.1%) underwent IGBT, and 54 (51.9%) patients underwent CBT. All patients underwent concurrent chemoradiation with cisplatin. High-dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy with dose prescription of 25-30 Gy in 4-6 fractions was performed for all patients. Late lower gastrointestinal (GI) and urinary toxicities occurred more than 3 months after the end of brachytherapy were included for comparative and dosimetric analyses. RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 18.33 months (range, 3.25 to 38.43 months). There were no differences in oncologic outcomes between the two groups. The IGBT group had lower rate of actuarial grade ≥ 3 toxicity than the CBT group (2-year, 4.5% vs. 25.7%; p=0.030). Cumulative equieffective D2cc of sigmoid colon was significantly correlated with grade ≥ 2 lower GI toxicity (p=0.033), while equieffective D2cc of rectum (p=0.055) and bladder (p=0.069) showed marginal significance with corresponding grade ≥ 2 toxicities in the IGBT group. Half of grade ≥ 3 lower GI toxicities impacted GI tract above the rectum. Optimal thresholds of cumulative D2cc of sigmoid colon and rectum were 69.7 Gy and 70.8 Gy, respectively, for grade ≥ 2 lower GI toxicity. CONCLUSION: IGBT showed superior toxicity profile to CBT. Evaluating the dose to the GI tract above rectum by IGBT might prevent some toxicities.