Salvage low-dose-rate brachytherapy for locally recurrent prostate cancer after definitive irradiation.

Purpose: The optimal management of locally recurrent prostate cancer after definitive irradiation is still unclear but local salvage treatments are gaining interest. A retrospective, single-institution analysis of clinical outcomes and treatment-related toxicity after salvage I-125 low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy (BT) for locally-recurrent prostate cancer was conducted in a Comprehensive Cancer Center. Patients and methods: A total of 94 patients treated with salvage LDR-BT between 2006 and 2021 were included. The target volume was either the whole-gland +/- a boost on the GTV, the hemigland, or only the GTV. The prescribed dose ranged from 90 to 145 Gy. Toxicity was graded by Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v5.0. Results: Median follow-up was 34 months. Initial radiotherapy was external beam radiotherapy in 73 patients (78 %) with a median dose of 76 Gy and I-125 BT in 21 patients (22 %) with a prescribed dose of 145 Gy. Median PSA at salvage was 3.75 ng/ml with a median interval between first and salvage irradiation of 9.4 years. Salvage brachytherapy was associated with androgen deprivation therapy for 32 % of the patients. Only 4 % of the patients were castrate-resistant. Failure free survival was 82 % at 2 years and 66 % at 3 years. The only factors associated with failure-free survival on multivariate analysis were hormonosensitivity at relapse and European Association of Urology (EAU) prognostic group. Late grade 3 urinary and rectal toxicities occurred in 12 % and 1 % of the patients respectively.No significant difference in toxicity or efficacy was observed between the three implant volume groups. Conclusion: The efficacy and toxicity results are consistent with those in the LDR group of the MASTER meta-analysis. Salvage BT confirms to be an effective and safe option for locally recurrent prostate cancer. A focal approach could be interesting to reduce late severe toxicities, especially urinary.

Long-term clinical outcomes of preoperative brachytherapy in early-stage cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The treatment of early-stage cervical cancer (CC) is primarily based on surgery. Adjuvant (chemo)radiotherapy can be necessary in presence of risk factors for relapse (tumor size, deep stromal invasion, lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI), positive margins, parametrial or lymph node involvement), increasing the risk of treatment toxicity. Preoperative brachytherapy can reduce tumor extension before surgery, potentially limiting the need for adjuvant radiotherapy. This study reports long-term clinical outcomes on efficacy and toxicity of preoperative pulse-dose-rate (PDR) brachytherapy in early-stage CC. METHODS: All patients treated at Institut Curie between 2007 and 2022 for early-stage CC by preoperative brachytherapy were included. A PDR technique was used. Patients underwent hysterectomy associated with nodal staging following brachytherapy. RESULTS: 73 patients were included. The median time from brachytherapy to surgery was 45 days [range: 25-78 days]. With a median follow-up of 51 months [range: 4-185], we reported 3 local (4 %), 1 locoregional (1 %) and 8 metastatic (11 %) relapses. At 10 years, OS was 84.1 % [95 % CI: 70.0-100], DFS 84.3 % [95 % CI:74.6-95.3] and LRFS 92.8 % [95 % CI:84.8-100]. Persistence of a tumor residue, observed in 32 patients (44 %), was a significant risk factor for metastatic relapse (p = 0.02) and was associated with the largest tumor size before brachytherapy (p = 0.04). Five patients (7 %) experienced grade 3 toxicity. One patient (1 %) developed grade 4 toxicity. Ten patients (14 %) received adjuvant radiotherapy, increasing the risk of lymphedema (HR 1.31, 95 % CI [1.11-1.54]; p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: PDR preoperative brachytherapy for early-stage cervical cancer provides high long-term tumor control rates with low toxicity.

Independent 6D quality assurance of stereotactic radiotherapy repositioning on linacs.

PURPOSE: A high level of accuracy while positioning the patient is mandatory for frameless stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT), as large doses in multiple fractions can be delivered near organs at risk. The objective of this study is to propose an end-to-end quality assurance method to verify that submillimetre alignment can be achieved with stereotactic conventional linacs. METHODS: We used a TrueBeam® linear accelerator equipped with a 6DOF robotic couch. The "ISO Cube" phantom was used with a homemade stand designed to generate known translational and rotational offsets. A reference CT scan was performed with straight alignment of the phantom. The procedure introduced 1.6° angular offset for the couch pitch and roll, at various gantry angles. The couch base was also moved between 0° and 270°. We compared the results with the daily machine performance check tests (MPC, Varian). RESULTS: The mean isocentre size, MV and kV imager offsets were found to agree to within 0.1mm, 0.1mm and 0.3mm respectively, and were in close agreement between the methods. For a total four months data collection period, the mean deviation between requested and measured 6DOF couch shifts was 0.6mm and 0.2°. Errors on field size were smaller than 1mm for 97.7% of the 324 data points. CONCLUSION: Results demonstrate that the linac equipped with a 6DOF robotic positioner and CBCT imaging satisfies requirements for SRT. Our methodology, based on a modified Winston-Lutz quality control, allowed us to quantitatively assess end-to-end accuracy of a linac in order to safely deliver SRT.

Angioplasty for diabetic patients with failing bypass graft or residual critical ischemia after bypass graft.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of peripheral angioplasty (PTA) in the treatment of diabetic patients with previous peripheral bypass graft and recurrent critical limb ischemia (CLI). METHODS: Between January and December 2006, 293 diabetic patients presenting with critical limb ischemia (CLI) according to the TASC 2000 criteria were admitted to our footcare centre. Among these patients, 32 of them had previously undergone bypass grafting: femoropopliteal in 26 patients, femoroposterior tibial in 3 patients, femoroperoneal in the remaining 3. All these patients underwent angiography and, whenever possible, a concomitant PTA procedure. RESULTS: Six patients presented with stenosis at the distal anastomosis, 2 with stenosis at the proximal anastomosis and in 5 patients both the distal and proximal anastomosis were stenosed. In 12 patients the graft was completely occluded. In 7 patients the graft appeared patent but all the infrapopliteal arteries were occluded. The average time interval between bypass and subsequent hospital admission because of CLI was 6.3+/-4.2 months for patients with patent grafts and 20.5+/-12.0 months for those with failing grafts (p=0.004). A successful PTA was performed in 25 patients (78.1%). In all patients with patent grafts, PTA recanalized one infrapopliteal artery. Recanalization of the graft was obtained in all 13 patients with non-occluded graft. Recanalization of superficial femoral artery occlusion by means of PTA was obtained in 5 out of the 12 patients in whom the graft was completely occluded. Five patients underwent major amputation within 30 days and 3 further patients during the follow-up period. Patients were followed up until December 31 2007, with a mean follow-up of 1.89+/-0.27 years. Restenosis occurred in 7 (28.0%) of the 25 patients in whom a successful PTA was performed. In 5 of these 7 patients, PTA was repeated successfully. In 2 patients in whom a further PTA was not feasible a major amputation was performed. At the end of the follow-up period the cumulative primary patency rate was 72%, the assisted patency rate was 92%. CONCLUSIONS: PTA is an effective method for revascularizing secondary obstructions in patients with graft failure (and no possibility of a redo graft). PTA also is effective in at least one subgenicular artery in patients with diabetes with inadequate run-off after femoropopliteal bypass grafting.

Treatment of peripheral congenital arterio-venous fistulas.

The authors describe their experience in the treatment of peripheral congenital A-V fistulas in 64 cases. Different surgical procedures (skeletation, "en bloc resection") have been performed in 19 patients, embolization in 15 patients. The need for a more radical and definitive procedure has induced the authors, in a recent series of 6 patients, to associate embolization and surgical therapy in the same operative session. The results are encouraging. The technique is reported.

Nitinol stents with polymer-free paclitaxel coating for stenosis of failing infrainguinal bypass grafts.

AIM: This study was designed to investigate the immediate and one-year outcomes of polymer-free paclitaxel coated drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation in a consecutive series of patients presenting with stenosis of infrainguinal bypass grafts. METHODS: Between January 2011 and January 2012, 11 patients with failing infrainguinal bypass grafts were treated in two institutions. Clinical status and Duplex scan parameters were recorded at baseline and over a follow-up period of one year. RESULTS: DES implantation was successfully performed in all patients. Ten patients received a single stent and one patient received two stents. At one year, one patient showed total bypass graft occlusion (9%). In all the remaining patients, Duplex scan examination documented patency of the treated grafts. CONCLUSION: DES implantation in failing infrainguinal bypass grafts can be safely performed and provides satisfactory clinical outcomes. The patency rate of 91% favourably compares with those obtained with other endovascular treatments such as plain balloon or cutting balloon angioplasty.

Early and five-year amputation and survival rate of diabetic patients with critical limb ischemia: data of a cohort study of 564 patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the early and late major amputation and survival rates and related risk factors in diabetic patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI). DESIGN: Retrospective study. METHODS: Revascularization feasibility, major amputation, survival rate and related risk factors were recorded in 564 diabetic patients consecutively hospitalized for CLI from 1999 to 2003 and followed until June 2005. RESULTS: Peripheral angioplasty (PTA) was carried out in 420 (74.5%), bypass graft (BPG) in 117 (20.7%) patients. In 27 (4.8%) patients both PTA and BPG were not possible. Twenty-three above-the-ankle amputations (4.1%) were performed at 30 days: 6 in PTA patients, 3 in BPG patients, 14 in non revascularized patients. In the follow-up of 558 patients (98.9%), 62 repeated PTAs and 9 new BPGs, 32 new major amputations (16 in PTA patients, 14 in BPG patients and 2 in non-revascularized patients) were performed. Major amputation was associated with absence of revascularization (OR 35.9, p < 0.001, CI 12.9-99.7), occlusion of each of the three crural arteries (OR 8.20, p = 0.022, CI 1.35-49.6), wound infection (OR 2.1, p = 0.004 CI 1.3-3.6), dialysis (OR 4.7, p = 0.001 CI 1.9-11.7) increase in TcPO2 after revascularization (OR 0.80, p < 0.001 CI 0.74-0.87). One hundred seventy three patients died during follow-up and this was associated with age (HR 1.05, p < 0.001 CI 1.03-1.07), history of cardiac disease (HR 2.16, p < 0.001 CI 1.53-3.06), dialysis (HR 3.52, p < 0.001 CI 2.08-5.97), absence of revascularization (HR 1.68, p < 0.001, CI 1.29-2.19) and impaired ejection fraction (HR 1.08, p < 0.001, CI 1.05-1.09). CONCLUSIONS: In diabetic patients with CLI the revascularization is feasible in most cases and allows a low rate of early major amputation. This rate is higher in the follow-up period. Major amputation is very high in patients where revascularization is not feasible while the high mortality rate is due to the serious comorbidities observed in these patients.

Peripheral angioplasty as the first-choice revascularization procedure in diabetic patients with critical limb ischemia: prospective study of 993 consecutive patients hospitalized and followed between 1999 and 2003.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of peripheral angioplasty (PTA) as the first-choice revascularisation procedure in diabetic patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI). DESIGN: Prospective study. METHODS: PTA was employed as first choice revascularisation in a consecutive series of diabetic patients hospitalized for CLI between January 1999 and December 2003. RESULTS: PTA was successful performed in 993 patients. Seventeen (1.7%) major amputations were carried out. One death and 33 non-fatal complications were observed. Mean follow-up was 26+/-15 months. Clinical restenosis was observed in 87 patients. The 5 years primary patency was 88%, 95% CI 86-91%. During follow-up 119 (12.0%) patients died at a rate of 6.7% per year. CONCLUSIONS: PTA as the first choice revascularisation procedure is feasible, safe and effective for limb salvage in a high percentage of diabetic patients. Clinical restenosis was an infrequent event and PTA could successfully be repeated in most cases.

Incompetent perforating veins subfascial ligation as an important adjunct to venous surgery of the lower extremities: evaluation of surgical results.

The role of incompetent perforating veins in chronic venous disease is well established. The determination of hemodynamic alterations and perforating veins location is evaluated by physical examination, phlebography and ultrasonography. All patients with perforating veins failure underwent surgical treatment. From 1971 to 1982, 6000 patients with lower limbs primary varicose veins underwent surgical treatment: 510 more patients were hospitalized for post-thrombotic disease. In 6% of patients suffering from primary varicose veins, in 18% with recurrent varicose veins and in 76% with secondary veins (8.1% of all patients), subfascial ligation of incompetent perforating veins was associated with complete vein stripping. Incompetent perforating vein ligation alone was performed in 0.6% of cases. The technique is based on subfacial ligation of perforating veins through a small skin incision (2.3 cm). This procedure allows a fast healing of surgical wounds and a good esthetical result. The subfacial ligation allows a complete cure of the disease in primary varicose veins and avoids the main causes of recurrence. Moreover in the post-thrombotic disease treated by this procedure, symptoms and trophic lesions are markedly decreased and a dramatic reduction in the ulceration rate, 62.5% to 15% at ten year follow-up, is achieved.

[Personality structure in children with cystic fibrosis studied using Rorschach test]. / La strutturazione della personalità nei bambini con fibrosi cistica studiata col test di Rorschach.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The recent positive evolution in the development of cystic fibrosis, resulting in the current prospect of survival, has led to the formation of a new population of chronic patients. The characteristics of the disease and treatment (hereditary, early onset, affecting the alimentary tract and airways) may interfere with personality structuring processes. The aim of the study was to identify the psychopathological risk. METHODS: The study was performed using the Rorschach test in a population of children with cystic fibrosis monitored by the Pneumology Division of the Ospedale Infantile Regina Margherita in Turin: 20 children aged between 7 and 13 years old were included in the study, most of whom had been diagnosed before the age of 2. The analysis of tests was focused on the use of thought, interior resources, instincts and interpersonal relations. A study of the contents was also made using a self-representational grid. RESULTS: The results obtained highlight an inhibitory attitude which cannot be attributed to intellectual insufficiency, but rather to the failed attempt to invest in the intellectual sphere, typical of this age range, owing to the intensity of anguish. Children with cystic fibrosis appear to be at an earlier stage of development, marked by emotive coarctation and the use of adult-type defensive methods, tending towards rationalisation. CONCLUSIONS: Oh the basis of this study, it is possible to detect a danger of disharmonious organisation in the personality structuring process of these children. The hospital must therefore offer adequate psychological support for their psychic evolution.