Brachytherapy training survey among radiation oncology residents in Europe.

We aim to investigate the current state of brachytherapy (BT) training among the radiation oncology trainees in Europe. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A 22-question online survey based on the one by the American Association of Radiation Oncology Residents (2017) with added queries pertinent to training in Europe was sent to 1450 residents in two iterations. These included site-specific training, volume of experience, barriers to training, institutional support, and preferences for further education. Responses to individual statements were given on a 1 to 5 Likert-type scale. The answers were reported by junior (≤3 years of training) and senior years of training (year of training 4/5/6 and junior staff). Descriptive statistics were used to describe frequencies. RESULTS: Residents from 21 European countries participated, 445 (31%) responded. 205 (47%) were senior residents. 60% residents consider that performing BT independently at the end of residency is very or somewhat important. Confidence in joining a brachytherapy practice at the end of residency was high or somewhat high in 34% of senior residents. They reported as barriers to achieving independence in BT to be lack of appropriate didactic/procedural training from supervisors (47%) and decreased case load (31%). 68% reported their program lacks a formal BT curriculum and standardized training assessment. CONCLUSIONS: Residents in Europe, feel independent BT practice is very or somewhat important, but do not feel confident they will achieve this goal. To address this gap, efforts are needed to develop and implement a formal and comprehensive BT curriculum with easy access to trained instructors.

Polish Multi-Institutional Study of Children with Ependymoma-Clinical Practice Outcomes in the Light of Prospective Trials.

We performed a multi-institutional analysis of 74 children with ependymoma to evaluate to what extent the clinical outcome of prospective trials could be reproduced in routine practice. The evaluation of factors that correlated with outcome was performed with a log rank test and a Cox proportional-hazard model. Survival was estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method. The majority of patients had brain tumours (89%). All had surgery as primary treatment, with adjuvant radiotherapy (RTH) and chemotherapy (CTH) applied in 78% and 57%, respectively. Median follow-up was 80 months and 18 patients died. Five- and 10-year overall survival (OS) was 83% and 73%. Progression was observed in 32 patients, with local recurrence in 28 cases. The presence of metastases was a negative prognostic factor for OS. Five- and 10-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 55% and 40%, respectively. The best outcome in patients with non-disseminated brain tumours was observed when surgery was followed by RTH (+/-CTH afterwards; p = 0.0001). Children under 3 years old who received RTH in primary therapy had better PFS (p = 0.010). The best outcome of children with ependymoma is observed in patients who received radical surgery followed by RTH, and irradiation should not be omitted in younger patients. The role of CTH remains debatable.

High-Grade Gliomas in Children-A Multi-Institutional Polish Study.

Due to the rarity of high-grade gliomas (HGG) in children, data on this topic are scarce. The study aimed to investigate the long-term results of treatment of children with HGG and to identify factors related to better survival. We performed a retrospective analysis of patients treated for HGG who had the main tumor located outside the brainstem. The evaluation of factors that correlated with better survival was performed with the Cox proportional-hazard model. Survival was estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method. The study group consisted of 82 consecutive patients. All of them underwent surgery as primary treatment. Chemotherapy was applied in 93% of children with one third treated with temozolomide. After or during the systemic treatment, 79% of them received radiotherapy with a median dose of 54 Gy. Median follow-up was 122 months, and during that time, 59 patients died. One-, 2-, 5-, and 10-year overall survival was 78%, 48%, 30% and 17%, respectively. Patients with radical (R0) resection and temozolomide-based chemotherapy had better overall survival. Progression-free survival was better in patients after R0 resection and radical radiotherapy. The best outcome in HGG patients was observed in patients after R0 resection with immediate postoperative temozolomide-based chemotherapy and radical radiotherapy.

Interstitial high-dose-rate brachytherapy as a boost in synchronous prostate and rectal cancer treatment: case report and literature review.

PURPOSE: Prostate and colorectal cancers are the first and the third most popular malignancies in male population, in which some patients may develop these tumors metachronously or synchronously. At present, there are no standard recommendations, and oncologists need to provide an optimal management for two different cancers with an acceptable risk of possible treatment of adverse effects. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This case report presents the treatment of a 61-year-old patient suffering from synchronous prostate and rectal cancer. Both malignancies were locally advanced, histologically proven, and defined as cT2cN0M0 stage prostate and cT3N2M0 stage rectal adenocarcinoma. RESULTS: Multidisciplinary treatment team decided on synchronous radical treatment of both malignancies. The patient was qualified to long-term androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and preoperative chemoradiation, with a total dose of 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions delivered with intensity modulated radiation therapy/image-guided radiation therapy (IMRT/IGRT) to a proper prostatic and rectal gross and nodal clinical target volume (CTV) with concurrent 5-fluorouracil. Additional dose of 15 Gy in a single fraction was delivered to prostate with interstitial HDR brachytherapy within a week after external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). After 8 weeks, the patient underwent sphincter-sparing surgery, with total mesorectal excision. Treatment tolerance was good, and genitourinary toxicity was not observed until now. At present, the patient is 45 months after completion of chemoradiation and surgery. Current prostate specific antigen (PSA) level is < 0.003 ng/ml, with no evidence of locoregional recurrence or distant metastases. Patient completed long-term ADT. CONCLUSIONS: High-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy as a boost seems to be well-tolerated and effective option for delivering proper treatment dose to prostate in case of simultaneous treatment of rectal and prostate cancer.

Does Breast Cancer Increasingly Affect Younger Women?

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed malignant neoplasm among females. The proportion of women diagnosed in the premenopausal period is relatively small. Nevertheless, this is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among young women. The aim of the study was to analyze the incidence rate of breast cancer in a group of young women based on data obtained in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship between 1984 and 2016. A total of 34,251 women with a diagnosis of invasive breast cancer were analyzed. The median age of diagnosis exhibited an upward trend from 57 to 63. The youngest age of breast cancer diagnosis did not decrease. Women up to the age of 24 were sporadically diagnosed. Given the total number of cases, the proportion of women under the age of 39 was approximately 5%, and it did not increase throughout the entire examination period. The major increase in the growth trend during the analyzed period was observed in a group of women aged of 50-69 (regression coefficient: +24.9) and above 70 (regression coefficient +21.2). In a group of women under 40 the regression coefficient was only +4. It seems that breast cancer does not increasingly affect younger women since the risk in this age group remains low. However, an increasing incidence rate of breast cancer is more commonly observed in premenopausal women.