Diagnostic Performance of Response Assessment FDG-PET/CECT in HNSCC Treated With Definitive Radio(chemo)therapy Using NI-RADS.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the diagnostic performance of response assessment 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/contrast-enhanced computed tomography (FDG-PET/CECT) following definitive radio(chemo)therapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) using Neck Imaging Reporting and Data System (NI-RADS). STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective analysis from a prospectively maintained dataset. SETTING: Tertiary-care comprehensive cancer center in a low-middle-income country. METHODS: Adults with newly diagnosed, biopsy-proven, nonmetastatic HNSCC treated with definitive radio(chemo)therapy were included. Posttreatment response assessment FDG-PET/CECT scans were retrospectively assigned NI-RADS categories (1-3) for the primary site, neck, and both sites combined. Locoregional recurrence occurring within 2-years was defined as the event of interest. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and overall accuracy were calculated. Locoregional control stratified by NI-RADS categories was computed with the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. RESULTS: Posttreatment FDG-PET/CECT scans were available in 190 patients constituting the present study cohort. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and overall accuracy of the NI-RADS template for the primary site was 73.5%, 81.4%, 46.3%, 93.4%, and 80.0%, respectively. Similar metrics for the neck were 72.7%, 87.5%, 43.2%, 96.1%, and 85.8%, respectively. Combining primary site and neck, the corresponding metrics of diagnostic accuracy were 84.4%, 69.7%, 46.3%, 93.5%, and 73.2%, respectively. At a median follow-up of 40 months, Kaplan-Meier estimates of 2-year locoregional control were significantly higher for NI-RADS category 1 (94.2%) compared to NI-RADS category 2 (69.4%) and category 3 (20.4%), respectively (stratified log-rank p < .0001). CONCLUSION: FDG-PET/CECT using the NI-RADS template is associated with good diagnostic performance and prognostic utility in HNSCC treated with definitive radio(chemo)therapy.

Extramural vascular invasion as an independent prognostic marker in locally advanced rectal cancer: propensity score match pair analysis.

BACKGROUND: In rectal cancers, presence of extramural vascular invasion on MRI (mrEMVI) is associated with poor survival. The independent influence of mrEMVI in the presence of other prognostic factors has not been previously analyzed using match pair analysis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Consecutive 92 patients having mrEMVI at presentation treated between January 2016 and December 2018 were matched with 92 patients (1:1) without mrEMVI. Matching parameters were T stage, mesorectal fascia involvement, and tumor differentiation. The presence and absence of mrEMVI were correlated to outcomes. An event was defined as locoregional failure or distant metastasis or poor response to chemoradiation rendering the rectal tumor as inoperable. RESULTS: At 3 years, in the mrEMVI-positive cohort, 59% had an event and in the mrEMVI-negative cohort, 45% had an event (p = 0.026). Local control was 90.2% (12recurrences in 122 who underwent surgery), two recurrences in the mrEMVI-positive cohort and ten patients in the mrEMVI-negative cohort, which missed statistical significance (p = 0.06). Distant metastasis-free survival was significantly worse in the mrEMVI-positive cohort versus the mrEMVI-negative cohort (58.2% vs. 69.4%) (p = 0.022). Similarly, Overall survival was significantly inferior in mrEMVI-positive cohort compared to the mrEMVI-negative cohort (57% vs. 72.4%) (p = 0.02). The multivariate regression analysis confirmed the independent predictive value of mrEMVI.  CONCLUSION: Extramural vascular invasion detected through MRI is an independent risk factor for distant metastasis in the locally advanced carcinoma rectum. Aggressive treatment regimens like total neoadjuvant treatment should be considered in these cases pending randomized control studies.

Drug repurposing as a potential source of innovative therapies in cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Drug repurposing is an alternative development pathway that utilizes the properties of drugs approved for other diseases and builds on available safety and pharmacological data to develop the drug as a potential treatment for other diseases. A literature-based approach was performed to identify drug repurposing opportunities in cervical cancer to inform future research and trials. METHODS: We queried PubMed for each drug included in two databases (ReDO_DB and CDcervix_DB, which include 300+ non-cancer drugs and 200+ cancer drugs not used in cervical cancer, respectively) and manually assessed all abstracts for relevance and activity in cervix cancer, and type of evidence. Subsequently, we also performed a search of clinical trial databases where we generated a list of registered trials in cervical cancer with all drugs from our databases. RESULTS: Of the 534 drugs from both databases, 174 (33%) had at least one relevant abstract or registered trial in cervical cancer. 94 (18%) drugs had at least human data available, and 52 (10%) drugs were evaluated in registered trials. To prioritize drugs to consider for future trials, all 174 drugs were further assessed for strength of scientific rationale, feasibility for integration in cervical cancer standard of care, evidence of radiosensitization, and potential mechanism of action. Out of the 174 drugs, 38 (22%) potential drug candidates were selected. CONCLUSION: This study resulted in a list of candidate drugs for potential evaluation in cervical cancer. Many drugs might warrant additional (pre)clinical investigation, which could be done in a coordinated manner using platform trials.

Dose Accumulation for Multicourse Gynecological Reirradiation: A Methodological Narrative and Clinical Examples.

PURPOSE: Reirradiation (re-RT) is a suitable and potentially curative treatment option for in-field locoregional recurrences in gynecological malignancies. Lack of clear guidelines on prescription, dose-response relationship, and clinical outcomes limits its clinical use. This clinical narrative describes the methodology for integration of deformable image registration (DIR) for cumulative dose assessment in the setting of re-RT for gynecologic malignancies, using the tools available within a commercial treatment planning system. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Four patients who received re-RT for locoregional recurrence or second cancer within previously irradiated areas for a gynecologic primary were identified. Patient-specific DIR for deformable dose mapping and accumulation was retrospectively performed using intensity-based algorithm provided by the Varian Medical Systems Velocity AI version 4.1. Cumulative equivalent doses in 2 Gy fractions (EQD2) delivered to overlapping targets and organs at risk were generated and compared with the physically summated doses. For both approaches, brachytherapy (BT) component was physically summated in cases where the BT applicator caused significant anatomic distortion. RESULTS: The mean maximum cumulative overlapping target dose was 119.4 Gy10 (range, 84.7 Gy10-144.9 Gy10). The mean cumulative doses received by 2 cm3 of bladder, rectum, sigmoid, and bowel were 114.6 Gy3 (101.1-133.4 Gy3), 98.7 Gy3 (67-136.2 Gy3), 92.5 Gy3 (70.4-107 Gy3), and 89.9 Gy3 (81.1-102.8 Gy3), respectively. In the setting of in-field nodal recurrence, DIR-based dose summation was associated with lower cumulative organs at risk doses than those estimated with physical summation, except in one case with a higher bowel dose. In cases where re-RT was given for local recurrence/second primary, variation in sigmoid doses was observed between the 2 dose-summation strategies across all 3 cases, but it was inconsistent with bladder, rectum, or the bowel. CONCLUSIONS: DIR-based dose accumulation can be used to guide re-RT planning and can provide clinically relevant information, especially in cases with nodal recurrences. Registration of BT data sets remain challenging and requires an individualized assessment when applying these algorithms to clinical practice.

Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on Gynecological Cancer Radiation During Complete Nationwide Lockdown: Observations and Reflections From Tertiary Care Institute in India.

PURPOSE: To report real-world compliance to radiation in gynecologic cancers during the complete lockdown phase of COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS AND MATERIALS: From March 23, 2020, until June 30, 2020, complete lockdown was imposed in India. During this period there was restructuring of cancer care and radiation oncology department due to operational policies prevalent in the institution, and the care for gynecological cancer was based on the evolving international recommendations. Institutional review board approval was obtained to audit patterns of care during the complete lockdown phase. Descriptive variables were used to report on patient characteristics, compliance, delays, toxicity, and observed deviations in recommended care. RESULTS: During the lockdown period spanning 100 days, treatment of 270 and telephonic follow-up of 1103 patients with gynecological cancer was undertaken. Of 270 new patients, due to travel restrictions, 90 patients were referred to the facilities in vicinity of their residence. Of the remaining 180 patients, 138 were planned for complete treatment at our institution and 42 were referred to our center for brachytherapy. Of 138 patients, only 106 (76%) completed the planned external radiation. Twenty-four (26%) patients completed full course of concurrent chemotherapy, 11 (12%) received chemotherapy dose reduction, and 57 (62%) received no concurrent chemotherapy. Treatment delay of up to 3 weeks was noted in 8.6% patients due to COVID-19 infection. No grade 4 to 5 acute sequelae were observed. No excess adverse effects were observed in high-risk population. Low rate of symptom burden was observed among 1103 patients on telephonic follow-up. With 100 (9.6%) patients reporting symptoms, among these, 54% (54 of 100) had complete resolution of symptoms within 4 weeks of teleconsultation, and 10% had disease progression. CONCLUSIONS: Low compliance with planned treatment was observed for radiation and concurrent chemotherapy due to lockdown and fear of contracting COVID-19 and will likely lead to increased risk of cancer-related mortality. Rapid restructuring of care is needed to prevent the same as COVID-19 pandemic further evolves.