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Objective:To establish the first Mini-Formative Evaluation of Radiation Oncology (Mini-FERO) scale in China and evaluate its preliminary application value in the standardized training for radiation oncology resident physicians.Methods:Based on the educational curriculum and examination requirements for the standardized training for radiation oncology resident physicians, as well as the standardized Mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercise (Mini-CEX) scale commonly used in clinical practice, the Mini-Formative Evaluation of Radiation Oncology (Mini-FERO) scale was developed to facilitate the standardized training for resident physicians in the field of radiation oncology. In this prospective study, a randomization method using a random number table was employed to select a cohort of 26 resident physicians who completed their rotations in Department of Radiation Oncology at the Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from March 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021. The Mini-FERO scale was administered in the initial, middle, and final stages during the rotation period. The differences in evaluation scores before and after the assessments were analyzed by paired t-test. Furthermore, participating resident physicians and supervising teachers provided satisfaction ratings, and a comprehensive evaluation of the Mini-FERO scale was conducted. Results:The average scores of the three examinations of 26 resident physicians demonstrated a successive improvement, with individual performance in each assessed category also showing progressive enhancement. The second evaluation exhibited a more pronounced score increase compared to the first evaluation, with a mean improvement of (1.43±1.02) points ( t=7.13, P<0.001); while the third evaluation had a mean improvement of (0.41±0.50) points ( t=4.07, P<0.001) compaired to the second evaluation, with a mean difference of (1.02±1.15) points between the two ( t=4.53, P<0.001). The average time required for the assessments was (34.31±24.46) min. Overall satisfaction ratings from the evaluated resident physicians for the Mini-FERO scale were (8.42±0.85) points, and supervising teachers reported an overall satisfaction rating of (8.45±0.85) points. The satisfaction rate was 96% (25/26). Conclusions:In this study, the Mini-FERO scale was successfully developed and validated in the context of clinical teaching practice for radiation oncology resident physicians. The Mini-FERO scale is proven to be a feasible tool for assessing the gradual improvement of resident physicians throughout their learning process in the field of radiation oncology. Importantly, it offers the advantages of short assessment time, thereby avoiding additional burden on supervising teachers. The adoption of the Mini-FERO scale addresses current limitations of lacking of formative evaluation in the standardized training for radiation oncology resident physicians.
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Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of nimotuzumab in the treatment of advanced head and neck tumors by using meta-analysis.Methods:Randomized controlled trials (RCT) of locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA-HNSCC) treated with nimotuzumab were searched from databases (Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Wanfang Data and CNKI) for meta-analysis. The efficacy evaluation indexes included overall survival, progression-free survival, disease-free survival, objective response rate, and complete response rate. Adverse reactions were analyzed for safety evaluation. The heterogeneity results were evaluated by Chi-square test, the degree of heterogeneity was evaluated by I2, and the literature was statistically analyzed by random effects model. Results:A total of 11 RCT were included, consisting of 1 202 patients (602 in the intervention group and 600 in the control group). Compared with the control group, the overall survival was significantly prolonged, death risk was decreased by 22% ( HR=0.78, 95% CI=0.63-0.95, P=0.014), the progression-free survival was prolonged and the risk of disease progression was declined by 35% ( HR=0.65, 95% CI=0.53-0.81, P<0.01), and the disease-free survival was prolonged and the risk of recurrence was decreased by 29% ( HR=0.71, 95% CI=0.55-0.91, P<0.01), the objective response rate ( RR=1.37, 95% CI=1.20-1.55, P<0.01) and complete response rate ( RR=1.30, 95% CI=1.15-1.46, P<0.01) were significantly improved in the intervention group. In addition, adding nimotuzumab did not increase the incidence of adverse reaction ( RR=0.98, 95% CI=0.93-1.03, P=0.41). Conclusion:Nimotuzumab can significantly prolong long-term survival and improve short-term efficacy with high safety in LA-HNSCC patients.
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Objective:To evaluate the incidence, clinical characteristics and prognosis of second primary malignancies (SPMs) among patients with hypopharyngeal carcinoma (HPC) in real-world analysis.Methods:A total of 594 HPC patients admitted to Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College from 2010 to 2018 were retrospectively analyzed.The incidence and clinical characteristics of HPC patients complicated with SPMs were analyzed. Clinical efficacy was compared among different groups.Results:With a median follow-up time of 66.9 months, SPMs were present in 36.4% (216/594) of HPC patients: 22.2% (132/594) were synchronous and 14.1% (84/594) were metachronous. The upper aerodigestive tract was the most common involved region. Compared with patients without SPMs, patients with synchronous and metachronous carcinoma in situ had similar 5-year overall survival (OS) of 42.2% vs. 44.5% ( P=0.958) and 62.2% vs. 44.5% ( P=0.240), respectively. Patients with synchronous invasive SPMs had a worse 5-year OS of 27.2% vs. 44.5% in their counterparts without SPMs ( P=0.001). Patients with metachronous invasive SPMs had similar 5-year OS of 50.2% vs. 44.5% in their counterparts without SPMs ( P=0.587). SPMs accounted for 42.5% of total death in metachronous invasive SPMs group. Conclusions:Patients with HPC have a high probability of developing SPMs. Moreover, the incidence of complicated with esophageal/gastric carcinoma in situ or metachronous SPMs exerts no effect on prognosis, while the occurrence of synchronous SPMs significantly affectes the prognosis of patients. However, the incidence of SPMs is still one of the main death causes in metachronous invasive SPMs group.
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Objective:This study aimed to evaluate the clinical features and treatment outcomes of the value of response-adapted treatment following radiotherapy and induction chemotherapy follwing subsequent comprehensive therapy in patients with resectable locally advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma. Methods:This cohort study was conducted from September 2010 to September 2020 in our hospital, 231 patients pathologically confirmed stage Ⅲ and ⅣB resectable locally advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma included. For the IC-directed ART strategy, IC is used to select good candidates to receive radical RT or CCRT, and others undergo surgery. He response-adapted strategy was determined based on the primary tumor response, which was evaluated at a dose of 50 Gy. If the response reached complete response or partial response(more than 80% tumor regression), patients received radical RT or CCRT; otherwise, they received surgery, if possible, at 4 to 6 weeks after RT. The end points of the study were OS(overall survival), progression free survival(PFS), locoregional recurrence-free survival(LRRFS) and LDFS. Results:In IC-directed group, 75.0%(57/76) patients reached PR after 2 cycles of induction chemotherapy. While in RT-directed group, 70.3%(109/155) patients reached large PR at dose of 50 Gy. The median interquartile range follow-up period of the whole cohort was 63.8 months. The 5-year OS, PFS, LRRFS and SFL of the whole cohort were 47.9%、39.6%、44.3% and 36.2%, respectively. In evaluations based on the different treatment strategies, the 5-year OS and SFL were 51.3% versus 37.0%(HR 0.67; 95%CI 0.43-1.05; P=0.07) and 27.8% versus 39.8%(HR 0.68; 95%CI 0.46-0.99; P=0.04) between IC-directed and RT-directed groups. In additional, surgery complications did not significantly differ between these two groups. Conclusion:In this cohort study, the response-adapted strategy based on an early RT response facilitated better treatment tailoring, and higher laryngeal preservation compared with IC-directed strategies. This approach could provide a feasible laryngeal preservation strategy in patients with resectable locally advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma.
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Male , Humans , Cohort Studies , Chemoradiotherapy , Carcinoma , Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms/therapy , Induction ChemotherapyABSTRACT
Objective:To analysis the clinical features and prognosis in oropharyngeal carcinoma with secondary primary tumor. Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 468 pathologically confirmed oropharyngeal cancer as the primary tumor patients with p16 status, excluded distant metastasis, and admitted to the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 2010 to December 2020. The clinical features and prognosis of the secondary primary tumor were analyzed. Results:Among 468 patients with oropharyngeal cancer treated at initial diagnosed, 222 cases were P16-negative. With a median follow-up time of 64.3 months, 66 cases developed second primary cancer, with an incidence of 29.3%, among which 63.6%(42/66) were synchronous and 36.4%(24/66) were heterochronous, esophagus was the most commonly involved site. The 5-year OS of p16-negative oropharyngeal carcinoma with synchronous second primary cancer, without second primary cancer and with heterogeneous second primary cancer were 26.3% and 57.3% and 73.2%(P=0.001); The second primary cancer accounted for 11.2%(12/107) of the deaths in the whole group, among them, the heterochronous second primary accounted for 75.0%(9/12). There were 246 patients with p16 positive, with a median follow-up time of 52.4 months, 20 patients developed second primary cancer(8.1%). Among them, 65.0%(13/20) were synchronous and 35.0%(7/20) were heterochronous. Esophagus was the most commonly involved site. The 4-year OS of p16-positive with synchronous, heterochronous and non-second primary cancer group were 51.9%, 80.7% and 83.3%. Secondary primary cancer accounted for 3.8%(2/52) of all deaths in p16 positvie group. Conclusion:The incidence of second primary cancer of p16 positive and negative oropharyngeal carcinoma were different. The esophagus was the most commonly involved site regardless of p16 status. Regardless of p16 status, the survival of patients with synchronous second primary cancer was worse than those without second primary cancer. For p16-negative oropharyngeal carcinoma, the prognosis was better in patients with heterogeneous second primary cancer, the second primary cancer is one of the main causes of death.
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Humans , Carcinoma/diagnosis , Oropharyngeal Neoplasms/diagnosis , Retrospective Studies , Neoplasms, Second Primary/diagnosisABSTRACT
Adaptive radiation therapy (ART) has been proposed as a method to account for changes in head and neck cancer and normal tissues to enhance the therapeutic ratios. Online magnetic resonance-guided radiotherapy (MRgRT) using hybrid MR-Linac systems is a novel innovative application in ART for head and neck cancer. The concept of MR-Linac systems is the ability to acquire MR images for ART and also online imaging during treatment delivery. Daily ART allows to improve the targeting accuracy while avoiding organs at risk for head and neck cancer. Although an increasing number of studies related to clinical application and technical aspect of MRgRT in head and neck cancer have been published, MRgRT for ART of head and neck cancer remains in its infancy. The purpose of this article is to summarize and discuss the rationale, clinical implementation, and prospect of this promising adaptive radiotherapy modality for treating head and neck cancer.
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Objective:To evaluate the psychological pain of patients with head and neck cancer aged ≥60 years old before and after intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).Methods:Distress Thermometer (DT)(Chinese version) was used to investigate the degree and problems of psychological pain before and after IMRT for 85 elderly patients with head and neck cancer. The results before and after IMRT were compared by paired t-test. Relevant factors were identified by Logistic regression analysis. Results:The median age in the cohort was 66 years old (60-85 years old). The incidence rates of psychological pain were 73% and 87% before and after IMRT ( P<0.001). The corresponding incidence rates of severe distress were 6% and 34%( P<0.001). The main distress problems before IMRT were memory loss/attention deficit, worry, oral pain, economic problems, stress, sleep problems, and dry nose. The significantly-increased distress problems after IMRT were oral pain, constipation, eating, nausea, and dry nose. Logistic regression analysis showed gender ( OR=5.520, 95% CI 1.437-21.212, P=0.013), pre-treatment PG-SGA score ( OR=1.220, 95% CI 1.048-1.421, P=0.010) and medical insurance ( OR=0.230, 95% CI 0.053-0.995, P=0.049) were the relevant factors of the severe psychological distress before IMRT. Occupation ( OR=2.286, 95% CI 1.291-4.050, P=0.005) and medical insurance ( OR=0.089, 95% CI 0.029-0.276, P<0.001) were the relevant factors of severe psychological distress after IMRT. Conclusion:The incidence rate of distress is high in elderly patients with head and neck cancer before IMRT, which can be aggravated after IMRT, primarily the treatment-related physical pain problems.
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Objective:To identify the population who can obtain clinical benefit from concurrent chemoradiotherapy through the survival analysis during concurrent chemoradiotherapy in different subgroups.Methods:All data from a phase Ⅲ randomized controlled clinical trial were collected to compare the efficacy between preoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy and preoperative radiotherapy from 2002 to 2012 in Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. A total of 222 patients received radiation therapy with a median dose of 69.96 Gy (27.56-76.00 Gy). The cisplatin chemotherapy regimen was adopted and the median dose was 250 mg (100-570 mg). In total, 98 patients received intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). The survival analysis was conducted with Kaplan- Meier method and univariate analysis was performed with log-rank test. The multivariate prognostic analysis was conducted with Cox’s regression model. Results:The median follow-up time was 59 months (7-139 months). Among them, 104 patients were assigned in the chemoradiotherapy group and 118 patients in the radiotherapy alone group. The local and regional recurrence rates did not significantly differ between two groups (both P>0.05), while chemoradiotherapy tended to decrease the distant metastasis rate compared with the radiotherapy alone (14.4% vs. 24.6, P=0.058). Univariate analysis showed that concurrent chemoradiotherapy significantly increased the local recurrence-free survival in the early N stage subgroup ( P=0.009), and there was an increasing trend in patients aged≤55 years and female patients ( P=0.052, 0.066). The distant metastasis-free survival was significantly improved in T 4( P=0.048), N 3( P=0.005), non-IMRT treatment ( P=0.001) and hypopharyngeal carcinoma ( P=0.004) subgroups, there was an increasing trend in male ( P=0.064), high-and moderate-grade squamous cell carcinoma ( P=0.076) and non-surgical treatment subgroups ( P=0.063). Multivariate analyses showed that concurrent chemoradiotherapy significantly prolonged the progression-free survival and overall survival in patients aged≤55 years ( P=0.017 and 0.039), women ( P=0.041 and 0.039), high-and moderate-grade squamous cell carcinoma ( P=0.006 and 0.022), N 3 stage ( P=0.001 and 0.017), non-surgical treatment ( P=0.007 and 0.033) and non-IMRT treatment subgroups ( P=0.030 and 0.024), and it significantly increased the progression-free survival in patients with hypopharyngeal carcinoma ( P=0.022). Conclusion:Concurrent chemoradiotherapy can be actively delivered for young age, female, high-and moderate-grade squamous cell carcinoma, N 3 stage, non-surgical treatment and non-IMRT treatment patients.
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Objective To investigate the pattern of lymph node metastasis (LNM) in patients with locally advanced (T3,T4) laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LALSC) and provide reference for the delineation of clinical target volume.Methods Clinical data of 272 patients with LALSC treated in our hospital from 2000 to 2017 were retrospectively analyzed.All patients underwent bilateral neck dissection (at least level Ⅱ-Ⅳ).The LNM ratio of each node level was calculated.The risk factors of LNM were identified by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.Results LNM was found in 156 of 272 patients (57.1%).According to the location of primary lesions,all patients were divided into group A (n=72;unilateral without midline involvement),group B (n=86;unilateral with midline involvement) and group C (n=114;giant or central).In group A,the LNM ratio at ipsilateral level Ⅱ,Ⅲ and Ⅳ was 36.3%,26.4% and 6.9%,whereas 13.9%,8.3% and 1.4% at the contralateral level,respectively.In group B,the LNM ratio at ipsilateral level Ⅱ,Ⅲ and Ⅳ was 1.9%,29.1% and 11.6%,whereas 18.6%,14.0% and 1.2% at the contralateral level,respectively.In group C,the LNM ratio at the left neck level Ⅱ,Ⅲ and Ⅳ was 24.6%,23.7% and 2.6%,whereas 21.9%,26.3% and 6.1% at the right neck,respectively.Bilateral LNM ratio did not significantly differ between group A and group B/C (15.3%,25.0%,P=0.093).Ipsilateral level Ⅲ metastasis (OR=2.929,95%CI 1.041-8.245,P=0.042) and clinical N stage (OR=0.082,95%CI 0.018-0.373,P=0.001) were associated with contralateral LNM.Ipsilateral level Ⅱ(P=0.043) or Ⅲ(P=0.009)metastasis were risk factors of the ipsilateral level Ⅳ metastasis.Conclusions Neck levels Ⅱ and Ⅲ are the high-risk LNM regions,whereaslevels Ⅳ and Ⅴ are the low-risk areas.Ipsilateral level Ⅱor Ⅲ metastases are the risk factors of ipsilateral level Ⅳ and contralateral cervical LNM.Contralateral neck LNM rarely occurs in cN0 stage patients.
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Objective:To compare the effects of comprehensive treatment with different combinations of radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery on the survival of patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA-HNSCC).Methods:From September 2002 to May 2012, 222 patients were enrolled in a randomized controlled clinical trial to compare the clinical efficacy between preoperative radiotherapy and preoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The chemotherapy was performed at the beginning of the radiotherapy, with cisplatin 30 mg/m 2 every week. Conventional radiotherapy or intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) was adopted. Clinical efficacy was evaluated during radiotherapy to 50 Gy in all patients. Whether surgery or original treatment regime was given was determined according to the clinical efficacy. The survival of different therapeutic methods was analyzed by Kaplan- Meier method. Results:The median follow-up time was 59 months (7-139 months). All patients were divided into four groups: radiotherapy group (R group, n=84), concurrent chemo-radiotherapy group (R+ C group, n=67), preoperative radiotherapy group (R+ S group, n=34) and preoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy group (R+ C+ S group, n=37). The 5-year overall survival rates were 32%, 44%, 51%, and 52%, respectively (R+ C+ S group vs. R group, P=0.047). The 5-year progression-free survival rates were 34%, 48%, 49%, and 61%, respectively (R+ C Group vs. R group, P=0.081; R+ C+ S group vs. R group, P=0.035). The 5-yeal distant metastasis-free survival rates were 70%, 85%, 65%, and 73%, respectively (R+ C group vs. R+ S group, P=0.064; R+ C group vs. R+ S group, P=0.016). Conclusions:Compared with radiotherapy alone, comprehensive treatment with different combinations can improve the long-term survival of LA-HNSCC patients. Radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy has a tendency to improve the distant metastasis-free survival rate, The optimal comprehensive treatment modality that improves the overall survival of LA-HNSCC patients remains to be explored.
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Objective:To analyze the incidence and high-risk factors of lymph node metastasis in the retropharyngeal region of hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), aiming to guide the delineation of clinical target area.Methods:Clinical data of patients who were pathologically diagnosed with hypopharyngeal carcinoma from January 2012 to September 2018 in our center were retrospectively analyzed. All patients received head and neck MRI before treatment. The diagnosis of lymph node metastasis and the delineation of primary gross target volume (GTV p) and lymph nodes target volume (GTV nd) were determined by all the radiation oncologists in head and neck group through twice weekly general round discussion. The cut-off points of GTV p and GTV nd were defined by establishing the receiver operating characteristic curve. All patients were divided into the high GTV p, low GTV p and high GTV nd and low GTV nd groups. Chi-square test was used for univariate analysis and logistic regression was utilized for multivariate analysis to analyze the high-risk factors of patients with retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis. Results:A total of 326 patients were included in this study, 295 of whom were diagnosed with cervical lymph node metastasis, accounting for 90.5%. The most common involved area was Level Ⅱ a, followed by Level Ⅲ, Level Ⅱ b, Level IV, Level Ⅶ a (retropharyngeal), Level V a, and Level V b. The incidence of retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis was 21.5%, and the incidence was 53.1% in patients with primary tumor located in the posterior pharyngeal wall. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that patients with tumor originated from the posterior pharyngeal wall ( P=0.002), bilateral cervical lymph node metastasis ( P=0.020), larger GTV p (greater than 47 cm 3, P=0.003), and larger GTV nd (greater than 22 cm 3, P=0.023) were significantly associated with the occurrence of retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis. Conclusions:The incidence of retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis is high in hypopharyngeal carcinoma, especially in patients with primary tumors in the posterior pharyngeal wall, bilateral cervical lymph node metastasis and larger primary burden. Therefore, for patients with these risk factors, it is highly recommended that the clinical target area should be delineated to include the retropharyngeal lymph node drainage area.
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Objective:To investigate the patterns of regional lymphatic spread and the value of elective neck treatment (ENT) in oral mucosal melanoma (OMM).Methods:In this retrospective analysis, 61 OMM patients with no distant metastasis treated in Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences between 1984 and 2016 were recruitred. The regional lymph node distribution of cN+ disease, the value of ENT in cN 0 disease, the failure patterns and prognostic factors were retrospectively analyzed. Results:Overall, 55.7% of the patients were clinical/pathological cN+ . The most frequently involved locations were the level Ⅰ b (76%), followed by level Ⅱ and level Ⅲ. For cN 0 patients, the 5-year regional failure-free survival rate was 91.7% in patients who received at least ipsilateral level Ⅰ b-Ⅲ ENT and 52.4% in patients who did not receive at least ipsilateral level Ⅰ b-Ⅲ ENT ( P=0.036). The regional failure rate was 6% for patients treated with at least ipsilateral leve Ⅰ b-Ⅲ ENT, while in their counterparts who did not receive at least ipsilateral level Ⅰ b-Ⅲ ENT was 46%( P=0.035). For the regional failure pattern, the most frequently failure sites were level Ⅰ b (93%), level Ⅱ(50%) and level Ⅲ(36%). Conclusions:The cervical lymph node metastasis rate is relatively high in OMM patients. The pathway of regional LN spread follows a regular pattern. The most frequently involved regions for clinical/pathological cN+ and regional failure are both level Ⅰ b-Ⅲ. Elective treatment including at least ipsilateral level Ⅰ b-Ⅲ ENT should be recommended for OMM patients with cN 0.
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Objective@#To investigate the pattern of lymph node metastasis (LNM) in patients with locally advanced (T3, T4) laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LALSC) and provide reference for the delineation of clinical target volume.@*Methods@#Clinical data of 272 patients with LALSC treated in our hospital from 2000 to 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent bilateral neck dissection (at least level Ⅱ-Ⅳ). The LNM ratio of each node level was calculated. The risk factors of LNM were identified by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.@*Results@#LNM was found in 156 of 272 patients (57.1%). According to the location of primary lesions, all patients were divided into group A (n=72; unilateral without midline involvement), group B (n=86; unilateral with midline involvement) and group C (n=114; giant or central). In group A, the LNM ratio at ipsilateral level Ⅱ, Ⅲ and Ⅳ was 36.3%, 26.4% and 6.9%, whereas 13.9%, 8.3% and 1.4% at the contralateral level, respectively. In group B, the LNM ratio at ipsilateral level Ⅱ, Ⅲ and IV was 1.9%, 29.1% and 11.6%, whereas 18.6%, 14.0% and 1.2% at the contralateral level, respectively. In group C, the LNM ratio at the left neck level Ⅱ, Ⅲ and Ⅳ was 24.6%, 23.7% and 2.6%, whereas 21.9%, 26.3% and 6.1% at the right neck, respectively. Bilateral LNM ratio did not significantly differ between group A and group B/C (15.3%, 25.0%, P=0.093). Ipsilateral level Ⅲ metastasis (OR=2.929, 95%CI 1.041-8.245, P=0.042) and clinical N stage (OR=0.082, 95%CI 0.018-0.373, P=0.001) were associated with contralateral LNM. Ipsilateral level Ⅱ(P=0.043) or Ⅲ(P=0.009) metastasis were risk factors of the ipsilateral level Ⅳ metastasis.@*Conclusions@#Neck levels Ⅱ and Ⅲ are the high-risk LNM regions, whereaslevels Ⅳ and V are the low-risk areas. Ipsilateral level Ⅱ or Ⅲ metastases are the risk factors of ipsilateral level Ⅳ and contralateral cervical LNM. Contralateral neck LNM rarely occurs in cN0 stage patients.
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Objective@#To study dose-response relationships of fractionated irradiation induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice according to radiological imaging changes of lung.@*Methods@#A total of 8-10 week old-female C57BL6 mice were randomized into different groups for whole thoracic irradiation. The prescribed doses were 0, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.5 Gy per fraction in a total of 5 fractions. CT imaging was performed at 24 weeks post irradiation. The averaged lung density and volume changes were obtained by the three-dimensional segmentation algorithm, and further analyzed in Boltzmann regression modeling.@*Results@#At the endpoint of 24 weeks, the dose-dependent pulmonary radiological alternations were revealed by coronal view of CT images. Translational analysis of fibrosis-related gene-signatures as well as histological collagen stainings further corroborated the radiological findings. According to Boltzmann modeling, the E50 of radiation-induced lung density changes was found to be (30.80±0.80)Gy (adjusted R2=0.97); whereas the E50 for radiation-induced lung volume reduction was determined as (31.31±7.07)Gy (adjusted R2=0.92). Both outcomes indicated a remarkable enhancement of tolerance to normal lung tissues after exposure with 5-fraction versus single fraction scheme.@*Conclusions@#The radiation-induced lung density and volume changes depend not only on total dose, but also the number and dose of fractions.
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Objective@#To analyze the clinical features, diagnosis and prognosis of patients with primary lymphoepithelial carcinoma of the parotid gland.@*Methods@#Clinical data of 13 patients diagnosed with lymphoepithelial carcinoma of the parotid gland in our hospital from 2009 to 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. The median follow-up time was 38.5 months. All patients received radiotherapy after operation.@*Results@#Of 13 patients, 9 cases were male and 4 female. The median age was 33 years. At the initial diagnosis, 9 cases had primary lesions limited to the parotid gland, and 4 cases of lymph node metastases located in Ⅰb and Ⅱ regions of the neck. According to UICC2010 staging, 1 case was classified as stage Ⅰ, 1 as stage Ⅱ, 6 as stage Ⅲ and 5 as stage Ⅳ, respectively. Eleven surgically pathological specimens were tested with EBER in-situ, and 10 cases were positive for EBER. No patient died in the whole group. The 3-year overall survival rate was 100%. The 3-year progression-free survival rate was 76%. The 3-year local control rate was 92%. The 3-year metastasis-free survival rate was 84%.@*Conclusions@#The incidence of lymphoepithelial carcinoma of the parotid gland is relatively low. The pathological features are associated with EB virus. It is prone to present with cervical lymph node metastasis. The possibility of lymph node metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma to the parotid gland should be excluded before treatment. At present, surgery combined with postoperative radiotherapy is the main treatment. The overall survival is favorable. Local recurrence and distant metastasis are the main causes of treatment failure.
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Objective@#To explore the correlation between microdamage in white matter and radiotherapy dose at early stage after radiotherapy (RT) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).@*Methods@#Thirty-three patients who were initially diagnosed with NPC were recruited and received diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) scan and neuro-cognitive scale test within 1 week before RT and the first day after RT. DTI-related characteristic parameters including fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (λ‖), and radial diffusivity (λ⊥) were calculated based on whole-brain voxel analysis method. Paired t-test was conducted to evaluate statistical significance between pre-RT and post-RT groups. In the subgroup analysis, all the subjects were divided into 3 groups according to the average dose of temporal lobe, and each group was set with an equal dose interval range. The DTI-related parameters of whole brain pre-RT and post-RT in each group were statistically compared. All the statistical results were corrected by FDR with a threshold of P<0.05 and clusters>100.@*Results@#FA, MD, λ‖ and λ⊥in the post-RT group significantly differed compared with those in the pre-RT group (P<0.05). The values of FA, MD, λ‖ and λ⊥were 0.455±0.016, (9.893±0.403)×10-4, (13.441±0.412)×10-4 and (8.231±0.429)×10-4, respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that the extent and degree of λ‖ and λ⊥ changes were exacerbated with the increase of the average dose of temporal lobe after RT. Particularly in high-dose group, the average dose range was 25-35 Gy and the extent of regions with significant changes was significantly larger than those in the medium-dose (15-25 Gy) and low-dose groups (5-15 Gy)(P<0.05).@*Conclusions@#DTI can be utilized to detect" normal" brain tissue microdamage in NPC patients at early stage after RT. The average radiation dose of temporal lobe may be one of the reasons for the severity of cerebral microdamage. In the future, DTI technique may be useful for guiding exposure dose of organs at risk during RT planning and to evaluate the cohort with a high risk of cerebral microdamage at early stage after RT, thereby protecting normal cerebral tissues to the maximum extent.
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Objective To study dose-response relationships of fractionated irradiation induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice according to radiological imaging changes of lung. Methods A total of 8-10 week old-female C57BL6 mice were randomized into different groups for whole thoracic irradiation. The prescribed doses were 0, 2. 0, 4. 0, 6. 0, 7. 0, 8. 5 Gy per fraction in a total of 5 fractions. CT imaging was performed at 24 weeks post irradiation. The averaged lung density and volume changes were obtained by the three-dimensional segmentation algorithm, and further analyzed in Boltzmann regression modeling. Results At the endpoint of 24 weeks, the dose-dependent pulmonary radiological alternations were revealed by coronal view of CT images. Translational analysis of fibrosis-related gene-signatures as well as histological collagen stainings further corroborated the radiological findings. According to Boltzmann modeling, the E50 of radiation-induced lung density changes was found to be (30.80±0.80)Gy (adjusted R2 =0.97);whereas the E50 for radiation-induced lung volume reduction was determined as ( 31. 31 ± 7. 07 ) Gy(adjusted R2=0. 92). Both outcomes indicated a remarkable enhancement of tolerance to normal lung tissues after exposure with 5-fraction versus single fraction scheme. Conclusions The radiation-induced lung density and volume changes depend not only on total dose, but also the number and dose of fractions.
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Objective To analyze the clinical features,diagnosis and prognosis of patients with primary lymphoepithelial carcinoma of the parotid gland.Methods Clinical data of 13 patients diagnosed with lymphoepithelial carcinoma of the parotid gland in our hospital from 2009 to 2017 were retrospectively analyzed.The median follow-up time was 38.5 months.All patients received radiotherapy after operation.Results Of 13 patients,9 cases were male and 4 female.The median age was 33 years.At the initial diagnosis,9 cases had primary lesions limited to the parotid gland,and 4 cases of lymph node metastases located in Ⅰb and Ⅱ regions of the neck.According to UICC2010 staging,1 case was classified as stage Ⅰ,Ⅰ as stage Ⅱ,6 as stage Ⅲ and 5 as stage Ⅳ,respectively.Eleven surgically pathological specimens were tested with EBER in-situ,and 10 cases were positive for EBER.No patient died in the whole group.The 3-year overall survival rate was 100%.The 3-year progression-free survival rate was 76%.The 3-year local control rate was 92%.The 3-year metastasis-free survival rate was 84%.Conclusions The incidence of lymphoepithelial carcinoma of the parotid gland is relatively low.The pathological features are associated with EB virus.It is prone to present with cervical lymph node metastasis.The possibility of lymph node metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma to the parotid gland should be excluded before treatment.At present,surgery combined with postoperative radiotherapy is the main treatment.The overall survival is favorable.Local recurrence and distant metastasis are the main causes of treatment failure.
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Objective It has been confirmed that Epstein-Barr virus ( EBV) is associated with the occurrence and development of the nasopharyngeal carcinoma ( NPC ) . We investigated the clinical significance of plasma concentrations of EBV-DNA in patients with NPC. Methods Since October,2013 to December,2016,471 patients were analyzed. The significantly associated between EBV-DNA before treatment and staging, tumor burden was analyzed. The survival rate of EBV-DNA before and after treatment was calculated. Results The median copies of pretreatment plasma EBV-DNA in patients is 137 copies,( range 0-494000) ,which is correlated with T stage,N stage,M stage,clinical stage and tumor burden load and that is statistically significant. Overall survival ( OS,P=0. 007) ,progression-free survival ( PFS,P=0. 011) and distant metastasis-free survival ( DMFS,P=0. 003) were significantly lower among patients with pretreatment plasma EBV-DNA more than 1300 copies/ml. Patients with detectable plasma EBV-DNA had significantly worse OS (P=0. 016),PFS (P=0. 000) and DMFS (P=0. 000) than patients with undetectable EBV-DNA after treatment. Cox multivariate analyze suggests that T stage and EBV-DNA after treatment were independent prognostic factors for OS,however the plasma EBV-DNA after treatment ( P=0. 006,0. 001) and N stage ( P=0. 037,0. 017) were independent prognostic factors for PFS and DMFS. Conclusions The plasma EBV-DNA level was significantly correlated with staging and tumor load before treatment in patients with NPC,and the prognosis of patients with higher copies before treatment could be worse. The plasma EBV-DNA after treatment is predictive for OS,PFS and DMFS.
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Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy,failure pattern and prognostic factors of the malignant mucosal melanoma of the head and neck ( MMHN) in a single center. Methods The treatment pattern,clinical efficacy, failure pattern and prognostic factors of 194 M0MMHN patients admitted to our institution from 1982 to 2017 were retrospectively analyzed.Results The 5-year overall survival (OS),local recurrence-free survival ( LRFS ), regional recurrence-free survival ( RRFS ) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were 41. 4%,57. 8%,76. 5% and 46. 5%,respectively. The failure rate was calculated as 74. 6%(141/189).Among them,40% (56/141) had distant metastasis as the first pattern of treatment failure,37%(52/141) had local relapse,15%(21/141) had regional relapse,5%(7/141) had concurrent distant metastasis and local/regional relapse and 3% ( 5/141) had concurrent local and regional relapse. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that surgical margins (P=0. 001) and adjuvant radiotherapy (P=0. 000) were the independent prognostic factors for LRFS. Conclusions Surgery combined with radiotherapy can yield relatively high LRFS in the comprehensive treatment of MMHN.Distant metastasis is the major failure pattern.