Involved-site Radiation Therapy is Equally Effective and Less Toxic Than Involved-field Radiation Therapy in Patients Receiving Combined Modality Treatment for Early-stage Unfavorable Hodgkin Lymphoma-An Analysis of the Randomized Phase 3 HD17 Trial of the German Hodgkin Study Group.

PURPOSE: Combined modality treatment with chemotherapy followed by consolidation radiation therapy (RT) provides excellent outcomes for patients with early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma. The international standard of care for consolidation RT, involved-site/involved-node radiation therapy (ISRT/INRT), has never been evaluated in a randomized phase 3 trial against the former standard involved-field radiation therapy (IFRT). METHODS AND MATERIALS: In the multicenter phase 3 GHSG (German Hodgkin Study Group) HD17 trial, patients with early-stage unfavorable Hodgkin lymphoma were randomized between the standard Combined modality treatment group and a positron-emission tomography (PET)-guided group. In the standard group, patients received 2 cycles of escalated bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone (eBEACOPP) and 2 cycles of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) followed by 30 Gy IFRT. In the experimental group, patients received no further therapy if postchemotherapy PET was negative and 30 Gy GHSG INRT, comparable to and therefore termed here ISRT, if PET was positive. Here, we analyze the interim PET-positive patients in a post hoc analysis, and therefore the randomized comparison of IFRT versus INRT/ISRT. RESULTS: A total of 1100 patients were randomized, of which 311 had a positive PET after chemotherapy. Kaplan-Meier estimates of 4-year progression-free survival were 96.8% (95% CI, 91.6%-98.8%) in the IFRT group and 95.4% (95% CI, 89.9%-97.9%; HR, 1.40; 95% CI, 0.44-4.42) in the ISRT group. The pattern of recurrence analyses indicated that none of the cases of disease progression or recurrence in the ISRT group would have been prevented by the use of IFRT. Acute grade 3/4 toxicities occurred in 8.5% of IFRT patients and 2.6% of ISRT patients (P = .03). CONCLUSIONS: For the first time, consolidation INRT/ISRT was randomly compared with IFRT in a phase 3 trial. Regarding progression-free survival, no advantage of IFRT could be demonstrated. In summary, our data confirm the status of INRT/ISRT as the current standard of care.

Impact of FAPI-46/dual-tracer PET/CT imaging on radiotherapeutic management in esophageal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is expressed in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of various cancers. In our analysis, we describe the impact of dual-tracer imaging with Gallium-68-radiolabeled inhibitors of FAP (FAPI-46-PET/CT) and fluorodeoxy-D-glucose (FDG-PET/CT) on the radiotherapeutic management of primary esophageal cancer (EC). METHODS: 32 patients with EC, who are scheduled for chemoradiation, received FDG and FAPI-46 PET/CT on the same day (dual-tracer protocol, 71%) or on two separate days (29%) We compared functional tumor volumes (FTVs), gross tumor volumes (GTVs) and tumor stages before and after PET-imaging. Changes in treatment were categorized as "minor" (adaption of radiation field) or "major" (change of treatment regimen). Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining for FAP was performed in all patients with available tissue. RESULTS: Primary tumor was detected in all FAPI-46/dual-tracer scans and in 30/32 (93%) of FDG scans. Compared to the initial staging CT scan, 12/32 patients (38%) were upstaged in nodal status after the combination of FDG and FAPI-46 PET scans. Two lymph node metastases were only visible in FAPI-46/dual-tracer. New distant metastasis was observed in 2/32 (6%) patients following FAPI-4 -PET/CT. Our findings led to larger RT fields ("minor change") in 5/32 patients (16%) and changed treatment regimen ("major change") in 3/32 patients after FAPI-46/dual-tracer PET/CT. GTVs were larger in FAPI-46/dual-tracer scans compared to FDG-PET/CT (mean 99.0 vs. 80.3 ml, respectively (p < 0.001)) with similar results for nuclear medical FTVs. IHC revealed heterogenous FAP-expression in all specimens (mean H-score: 36.3 (SD 24.6)) without correlation between FAP expression in IHC and FAPI tracer uptake in PET/CT. CONCLUSION: We report first data on the use of PET with FAPI-46 for patients with EC, who are scheduled to receive RT. Tumor uptake was high and not depending on FAP expression in TME. Further, FAPI-46/dual-tracer PET had relevant impact on management in this setting. Our data calls for prospective evaluation of FAPI-46/dual-tracer PET to improve clinical outcomes of EC.

[Acute spinal cord compression under systemic therapy - radiotherapy or surgery?] / Akuter Querschnitt unter Systemtherapie ­ Radiotherapie oder OP?

Vertebral bodies are one of the most common metastasis sites found in advanced prostate cancer and have a significant impact on patients' quality of life. Spinal metastases frequently cause severe back pain and in some occasions can lead to secondary complications, with serious neurological deficits and loss of function. The main treatment goals include adequate pain management, controlling tumour growth and restoring spinal stability. Publications on the role of surgery - both conventional and stereotactic radiotherapy, and either as an individual modality or in combination - have been inconclusive. The NOMS score has proven to be useful in making treatment decisions. Existing data show better outcomes in patients with surgical therapy, both when performed in isolation and also combined with radiotherapy, in which some of the cohorts studied including patients with primary cancer other than prostate cancer. Comparative studies that specifically investigate the superiority of specific therapy modalities for metastatic prostate carcinoma are scarce. Similarly, there are limited data on microsurgical interventions for spinal metastases. Radiotherapy alone is crucial in the setting of palliation, especially for pain relief, and its effectiveness has been shown in many studies. The patient's life expectancy plays a crucial role in deciding the most appropriate treatment approach. Given the complexity of the patient population, a multimodal therapy approach is necessary. Current trends in therapy favour greater use of surgical interventions, particularly in the early detection of spinal metastases.

Local Recurrence and Development of Spinal Cord Syndrome during Follow-Up after Surgical Treatment of Metastatic Spine Disease.

BACKGROUND: Surgical decompression (SD), with or without posterior stabilization followed by radiotherapy, is an established treatment for patients with metastatic spinal disease with epidural spinal cord compression (ESCC). This study aims to identify risk factors for occurrence of neurological compromise resulting from local recurrence. METHODS: All patients who received surgical treatment for metastatic spinal disease at our center between 2011 and 2022 were included in this study. Cases were evaluated for tumor entity, surgical technique for decompression (decompression, hemilaminectomy, laminectomy, corpectomy) neurological deficits, grade of ESCC, time interval to radiotherapy, and perioperative complications. RESULTS: A total of 747 patients were included in the final analysis, with a follow-up of 296.8 days (95% CI (263.5, 330.1)). During the follow-up period, 7.5% of the patients developed spinal cord/cauda syndrome (SCS). Multivariate analysis revealed prolonged time (>35 d) to radiation therapy as a solitary risk factor (p < 0.001) for occurrence of SCS during follow-up. CONCLUSION: Surgical treatment of spinal metastatic disease improves patients' quality of life and Frankel grade, but radiation therapy needs to be scheduled within a time frame of a few weeks in order to reduce the risk of tumor-induced neurological compromise.

Efficacy and Toxicity of Robotic Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy of Lung Metastases in Patients With Oligometastatic Disease.

BACKGROUND: Stereotactic body radiotherapy is a locally effective treatment for lung metastases in patients with oligometastatic disease, a modern variant of which is robotic (rSBRT). Since it is unclear which factors determine the success of rSBRT, we investigated a cohort of patients with lung metastases treated with rSBRT. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In our retrospective single-center analysis, we included patients with oligometastatic disease of different cancer types who underwent SBRT of lung metastases using an Accuray Cyberknife® device between 2012 and 2019. We evaluated local control rate (LC), progression-free (PFS) and overall (OS) survival, and toxicity. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify independent factors associated with the efficacy and toxicity of rSBRT. RESULTS: A total of 70 lung metastases of 54 patients were evaluated. The 4-year Kaplan-Meier estimate for LC, PFS and OS were 72.0%, 12.4% and 49.7%, respectively. Cox regression showed that LC of metastases of colorectal carcinoma and metastases treated with a biological effective dose at an α/ß-ratio of 10 (BED10) of <100 Gy was significantly worse than for other metastases. Patients suffered from grade I-II pneumonitis in 21.4% of cases treated with rSBRT (grade I: 20.0%; grade II: 1.4%). CONCLUSION: rSBRT is an effective and safe therapy for lung metastases. A BED10 of >100 Gy should be aimed for, especially for potentially radioresistant histologies such as colorectal carcinoma.

Dose-dependent Effects of Unintended Splenic Irradiation After Neoadjuvant Radiochemotherapy for Esophageal Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between radiation exposure to the spleen, dose-dependent organ changes, and their possible influence on clinical and oncological outcome. Furthermore, to provide evidence and sensitivity for considering the spleen as an relevant organ at risk. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 93 patients with carcinoma of the distal esophagus or gastroesophageal junction were selected for this retrospective study. Changes in spleen volume, infections, and oncological outcome were assessed during follow-up using linear and logistic regression models. RESULTS: Spleen volume decreased significantly by a median of 27.5 ml to an absolute value of 178.1 ml (p<0.001) within twelve months. Statistical analyses revealed a significant association of infectious events with worse progression-free survival (PFS) (p=0.002) and overall survival (OS) (p=0.001). With a mean spleen dose <4 Gray, both OS and PFS were also significantly prolonged. CONCLUSION: A decrease in spleen organ volume after neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy was demonstrated with a consecutive increased incidence of infectious events, significantly correlating with worse PFS and OS.

Toxicity of dose-escalated radiotherapy up to 84 Gy for prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: The outcome of radiotherapy (RT) for prostate cancer (PCA) depends on the delivered dose. While the evidence for dose-escalated RT up to 80 gray (Gy) is well established, there have been only few studies examining dose escalation above 80 Gy. We initiated the present study to assess the safety of dose escalation up to 84 Gy. METHODS: In our retrospective analysis, we included patients who received dose-escalated RT for PCA at our institution between 2016 and 2021. We evaluated acute genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity as well as late GU and GI toxicity. RESULTS: A total of 86 patients could be evaluated, of whom 24 patients had received 80 Gy and 62 patients 84 Gy (35 without pelvic and 27 with pelvic radiotherapy). Regarding acute toxicities, no > grade 2 adverse events occurred. Acute GU/GI toxicity of grade 2 occurred in 12.5%/12.5% of patients treated with 80 Gy, in 25.7%/14.3% of patients treated with 84 Gy to the prostate only, and in 51.9%/12.9% of patients treated with 84 Gy and the pelvis included. Late GU/GI toxicity of grade ≥ 2 occurred in 4.2%/8.3% of patients treated with 80 Gy, in 7.1%/3.6% of patients treated with 84 Gy prostate only, and in 18.2%/0% of patients treated with 84 Gy pelvis included (log-rank test p = 0.358). CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that dose-escalated RT for PCA up to 84 Gy is feasible and safe without a significant increase in acute toxicity. Further follow-up is needed to assess late toxicity and survival.

Potential synergy between radiotherapy and CAR T-cells - a multicentric analysis of the role of radiotherapy in the combination of CAR T cell therapy.

BACKGROUND: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has improved the limited overall survival (OS) of patients with intensively pretreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). However, the potentially life-threatening toxicities of CAR T-cells and early relapses remain a challenge. As suggested by smaller monocentric analyses, radiotherapy (RT) in combination with CAR T-cells may have an immunomodulatory effect. METHOD/ RESULTS: In this multicentric retrospective analysis, we investigated potentially synergistic effects of RT and CAR T-cells. Of 78 patients from four centers who received CAR T-cell therapy for DLBCL, 37 patients underwent bridging RT or received salvage RT. RTs (median 36 gray) were well tolerated. Therapy response and disease control of CAR T-cell therapy were comparable after bridging RT or bridging systemic therapy. High-grade neurotoxicity tended to occur less frequently after bridging RT. After further disease progression, patients with localized relapses showed better outcomes, compared to those in advanced stage. In the subgroup with localized relapse, patients receiving salvage RT had an increased OS, vs. those without salvage RT (1-year OS rate 89% vs. 38%, p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Our analysis demonstrated that RT in combination with CAR T-cells led neither to high-grade toxicities, nor to a decreased response rate. We observed better outcomes of salvage therapies in patients with localized relapses vs. those with advanced stage relapses. Especially the patients who received salvage RTs for localized relapses seem to benefit more. Further analyses are necessary to clarify whether specific synergistic effects exist, such as an enhanced anti-tumor effect of CAR T-cells from RT sensitizing.

Chemoradiation for elderly patients (≥ 65 years) with esophageal cancer: a retrospective single-center analysis.

BACKGROUND: Present studies on the efficacy and safety of curative chemoradiation therapy (CRT) with esophageal cancer reflect heterogenous results especially in elderly patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicity and efficacy of CRT in patients ≥ 65 years. In a cohort, the focus centered around treatment-related toxicity (CTCAE Grade > 3), overall survival as well as progression free survival, comparing these rates in-between patients older than 70 years to those younger than 70 years. METHODS: A total of 67 patients older than 65 years (34 (50.7%) were older than 70 years) met the inclusion criteria for retrospective analysis (period from January 2013 to October 2017). Treatment consisted of radiotherapy and chemotherapy with carboplatin/paclitaxel or fluorouracil (5-FU)/cisplatin with the intention of neoadjuvant or definite chemoradiation. A sum of 67 patients received CRT (44 (65.6%) patients in neoadjuvant, 23 (34.4%) in definite intent). Of these, 22 and 12 patients were older than 70 years (50% and 52.2% in both treatment groups, respectively). Median age was 71 years and patients had a good physical performance status (ECOG 0: 57.6%, ECOG 1: 27.3%). Median follow-up was 24 months. Most patients had advanced tumour stages (T3 stage: n = 51, 79.7%) and nodal metastasis (N1 stage: n = 54, 88.5%). A subgroup comparison was conducted between patients aged ≤ 70 years and > 70 years. RESULTS: In severe (CTCAE Grade 3-5) toxicities (acute and late), no significant differences were observed between both patient groups (< 70 years vs. > 70 years). 21% had acute grade 3 events, 4 patients (4%) had grade 4 events, and two patients (3%) had one grade 5 event. Late toxicity after CRT was grade 1 in 13 patients (22%), grade 2 in two (3%), grade 3 in two (3%), grade 4 in four (7%), and grade 5 in one (2%). Median overall survival (OS) of all patients was 30 months and median progression-free survival (PFS) was 16 months. No significant differences were seen for OS (32 months vs. 25 months; p = 0.632) and PFS (16 months vs. 12 months; p = 0.696) between older patients treated with curative intent and younger ones. Trimodal therapy significantly prolonged both OS and PFS (p = 0.005; p = 0.018), regardless of age. CONCLUSION: CRT in elderly patients (≥ 65 years) with esophageal cancer is feasible and effective. Numbers for acute and late toxicities can be compared to cohorts of younger patients (< 65 years) with EC who received the same therapies. Age at treatment initiation alone should not be the determining factor. Instead, functional status, risk of treatment-related morbidities, life expectancy and patient´s preferences should factor into the choice of therapy.

Volumetric modulated arc therapy versus intensity-modulated proton therapy in the irradiation of infra diaphragmatic Hodgkin Lymphoma in female patients.

PURPOSE: To investigate the role of infra diaphragmatic intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) compared to volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for female Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) patients and to estimate the risk of secondary cancer and ovarian failure. METHODS: A comparative treatment planning study was performed on 14 patients, and the results were compared according to conventional dose-volume metrics. In addition, estimates of the excess absolute risk (EAR) of secondary cancer induction were determined for the bowel, the bladder and the rectum. For the ovaries, the risk of ovarian failure was estimated. RESULTS: The dosimetric findings demonstrate the equivalence between VMAT and IMPT in terms of target coverage. A statistically significant reduction of the mean and near-to-maximum doses was proven for the organs at risk. The EAR ratio estimated for IMPT to VMAT was 0.51 ± 0.32, 0.32 ± 0.35 and 0.05 ± 0.11 for the bowel, bladder and rectum, respectively. Concerning the risk of ovarian failure for the chronologic age ranging from 18 to 46 years, the expected net loss in fertility years ranged from 4.8 to 3.0 years for protons and 12.0 to 5.7 years for photons. CONCLUSION: This in-silico study confirmed the beneficial role of IMPT from a dosimetric point of view. Mathematical models suggested that the use of protons might be further advantageous due to the expected reduction of the risk of secondary cancer induction and its milder impact on the reduction of fertility.

The Role of Age and Comorbidities in Esophagogastric Cancer Chemoradiation of the Frail Elderly (>70 Years): An Analysis from a Tertiary High Volume-Center

Elderly patients > 70 years of age with esophageal cancer (EC) represent a challenging group as frailty and comorbidities need to be considered. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the efficacy and side effects of curative chemoradiation therapy (CRT) with regard to basic geriatric screening in elderly patients in order to elucidate prognostic factors. Thirty-four elderly patients > 70 years with EC treated at our cancer center between May 2014 and October 2018 fulfilled the selection criteria for this retrospective analysis. Treatment consisted of intravenous infusion of carboplatin/paclitaxel or fluorouracil (5-FU)/cisplatin with the intention of neoadjuvant or definite chemoradiation. Clinicopathological data including performance status (ECOG), (age-adjusted) Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), Frailty-scale by Fried, Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form, body mass index, C-reactive protein to albumin ratio, and treatment-related toxicity (CTCAE) were assessed. Data were analyzed as predictors of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). All patients (ten female, 24 male) received combined CRT (22 patients in neoadjuvant, 12 patients in definite intent). Median age was 75 years and the ECOG index between 0 and 1 (52.9% vs. 35.3%); four patients were rated as ECOG 3 (11.8%). Median follow-up was 24 months. Tumors were mainly located in the lower esophagus or esophagogastric-junction with an T3 stage (n = 25; 75.8%) and N1 stage (n = 28; 90.3%). 15 patients (44.1%) had SCC, 19 patients (55.9%) AC. 26 of the patients (76.5%) were scored as prefrail and 50% were in risk for malnutrition (n = 17). In relation to the BMI, ten patients (29.4%) were ranked as overweight, and 15 patients were presented in a healthy state of weight (44.1%). Grade 3 acute toxicity (or higher) occured in nine cases (26.5%). Most of the patients did not show any late toxicities (66.7%). Trimodal therapy provides a significant prolonged OS (p = 0.049) regardless of age, but without impact on PFS. Our analysis suggests that chemoradiation therapy is feasible for elderly patients (>70 years) with tolerable toxicity. Trimodal therapy of EC shows a positive effect on OS and PFS. Further studies are needed to elucidate benefitting subgroups within the elderly. In addition to age, treatment decisions should be based on performance status, nutritional condition and multidisciplinary validated geriatric screening tools.

Involved-Field Radiation Therapy Prevents Recurrences in the Early Stages of Hodgkin Lymphoma in PET-Negative Patients After ABVD Chemotherapy: Relapse Analysis of GHSG Phase 3 HD16 Trial.

PURPOSE: The HD16 trial of the German Hodgkin Study Group (NCT00736320) demonstrated that radiation therapy in early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma without risk factors cannot be safely omitted, and therefore combined modality therapy (CMT) remains the standard treatment. To demonstrate the local effect of consolidating involved-field radiation therapy (IF-RT), we performed an analysis of the recurrence pattern of positron emission tomography (PET)-negative HD16 patients. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Between 2009 and 2015, 1150 patients with early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma without risk factors were randomly assigned to PET guided to 20 Gy IF-RT after 2 cycles of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine chemotherapy in the HD16 study of the German Hodgkin Study Group. The study was designed as a prospective randomized controlled trial. We correlated the localization of recurrence with the panel-based IF-RT plan, which was drawn up for all patients prospectively, blinded to treatment allocation. Accordingly, we were able to identify recurrences that occurred at least in part inside or outside of the (potential) radiation field (in-field and out-field, respectively). RESULTS: There were 328 and 300 PET-negative patients assigned to CMT and PET-guided treatment (ie, chemotherapy alone), respectively. Within a median 47-month follow-up, disease progression or recurrence was documented for 15 and 29 patients treated with and without IF-RT, respectively. Relapse localization was unknown in 1 CMT patient. Without IF-RT, 5-year incidence of in-field relapses was 10.5% (95% confidence interval, 6.5-14.6) compared with 2.4% (0.5-4.3) with CMT (P = .0008). There were no relevant differences in out-field recurrences (5-year incidence 4.1% [1.7-6.6] vs 6.6% [3.0-10.3], P = .54). There was no grade 4 toxicity observed during IF-RT, and incidence of second primary malignancies was similar in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: PET-negative patients of the HD16 study showed no significant toxicity after 20 Gy IF-RT, and we demonstrated that omission of IF-RT resulted in more, particularly local, recurrences. Therefore, consolidation IF-RT should still be considered as standard therapy in this setting.

Involved Site Radiotherapy Extends Time to Premature Menopause in Infra-Diaphragmatic Female Hodgkin Lymphoma Patients - An Analysis of GHSG HD14- and HD17-Patients.

INTRODUCTION: Consolidation radiotherapy in intermediate stage Hodgkin´s lymphoma (HL) has been the standard of care for many years as involved field radiotherapy (IFRT) after chemotherapy. It included initially involved region(s). Based on randomized studies, radiation volumes could be reduced and involved site radiation therapy (ISRT) became the new standard. ISRT includes the initially affected lymph nodes. In young adults suffering from HL, infertility and hypogonadism are major concerns. With regard to these questions, we analyzed the influence of modern radiotherapy concepts such as consolidating ISRT in infradiaphragmatic involvement of HL after polychemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Five hundred twelve patients treated within German Hodgkin Study Group (GHSG) HD14 and HD17 trials were evaluated. We analyzed log-adjusted follicle-stimulating-hormone (FSH)- and luteinizing-hormone (LH)-levels of HD14-patients with infradiaphragmatic radiotherapy (IDRT) in comparison with HD14-patients, who had a supradiaphragmatic radiotherapy (SDRT). In a second step, we compared IFRT with ISRT of female HD17 patients regarding the effects on ovarian function and premature menopause. RESULTS: We analyzed FSH- and LH-levels of 258 female and 241 male patients, all treated with IFRT. Of these 499 patients, 478 patients had SDRT and 21 patients had IDRT. In a multiple regression model, we could show that log-adjusted FSH (p=0.0006) and LH values (p=0.0127) were significantly higher after IDRT than after SDRT. The effect of IDRT on gonadal function was comparable to two cycles of escalated bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone (BEACOPPesc). We compared the effect of IFRT with ISRT in thirteen female HD17 patients with infradiaphragmatic (ID) involvement. The mean ovarian dose after ISRT was significantly lower than after IFRT. The calculated proportion of surviving non-growing follicles (NGFs) increased significantly from 11.87% to 24.48% in ISRT compared to IFRT, resulting in a significantly longer calculated time to menopause. The younger the age at therapy, the greater the absolute time gain until menopause. CONCLUSION: Infradiaphragmatic IFRT impairs gonadal function to a similar extent as two cycles of BEACOPPesc. In comparison, the use of ISRT target volume definition significantly reduced radiation dose to the ovaries and significantly extends the time interval from treatment to premature menopause.

Pentixafor PET/CT for imaging of chemokine receptor 4 expression in esophageal cancer - a first clinical approach.

BACKGROUND: Expression of CXCR4, a chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor that plays a central role in tumor growth and metastasis of circulating tumor cells, has been described in a variety of solid tumors. A high expression of CXCR4 has a prognostic significance with regard to overall and progression-free survival and offers a starting point for targeted therapies. In this context, [68]Ga-Pentixafor-Positron Emission Tomography/Computer Tomography (PET/CT) offers promising possibility of imaging the CXCR4 expression profile. We set out to compare a [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET/CT and a [68Ga]Pentixafor-PET/CT in (re-)staging and radiation planning of patients with localized esophageal cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective analysis, ten patients, with adeno- or squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus (n = 3 and n = 7, respectively), which were scheduled for radio (chemo) therapy, were imaged using both Pentixafor and FDG PET/CT examinations. All lesions were visually rated as Pentixafor and FDG positive or negative. For both tracers, SUVmax was measured all lesions and compared to background. Additionally, immunohistochemistry of CXCR4 was obtained in patients undergoing surgery. RESULTS: FDG-positive tumor-suspicious lesions were detected in all patients and a total of 26 lesions were counted. The lesion-based analysis brought equal status in 14 lesions which were positive for both tracers while five lesions were FDG positive and Pentixafor negative and seven lesions were FDG negative, but Pentixafor positive. Histopathologic correlation was available in seven patients. The CXCR4 expression of four non-pretreated tumour lesion samples was confirmed immunohistochemically. CONCLUSION: Our data shows that additional PET/CT imaging with Pentixafor for imaging the CXCR4 chemokine receptor is feasible but heterogeneous in both newly diagnosed and pretreated recurrent esophageal cancer. In addition, the Pentixafor PET/CT may serve as complementary tool for radiation field expansion in radiooncology.

Addition of Radiotherapy to Immunotherapy: Effects on Outcome of Different Subgroups Using a Propensity Score Matching.

Immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) has been established as successful modality in cancer treatment. Combination concepts are used to optimize treatment outcome, but may also induce higher toxicity rates than monotherapy. Several rationales support the combination of radiotherapy (RT) with ICI as radioimmunotherapy (RIT), but it is still unknown in which clinical situation RIT would be most beneficial. Therefore, we have conducted a retrospective matched-pair analysis of 201 patients with advanced-stage cancers and formed two groups treated with programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitors only (PD1i) or in combination with local RT (RIT) at our center between 2013 and 2017. We collected baseline characteristics, programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) status, mutational status, PD-1 inhibitor and RT treatment details, and side effects according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v.5.0. Patients received pembrolizumab (n = 93) or nivolumab (n = 108), 153 with additional RT. For overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), there was no significant difference between both groups. After propensity score matching (PSM), we analyzed 96 patients, 67 with additional and 29 without RT. We matched for different covariates that could have a possible influence on the treatment outcome. The RIT group displayed a trend towards a longer OS until the PD1i group reached a survival plateau. PD-L1-positive patients, smokers, patients with a BMI ≤ 25, and patients without malignant melanoma showed a longer OS when treated with RIT. Our data show that some subgroups may benefit more from RIT than others. Suitable biomarkers as well as the optimal timing and dosage must be established in order to achieve the best effect on cancer treatment outcome.

Volumetric assessment of mediastinal lymphoma masses in Hodgkin lymphoma.

The large mediastinal mass (LMM) at initial staging represents a risk factor in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and is measured by X-ray. Depending on location of the LMM, different results can occur regardless of the initial lymphoma volume. To assess this risk factor more accurately, we evaluated the method of volumetry in 77 patients of HD13/14 study of the German Hodgkin Study Group. Furthermore, volume calculations based on three or only one diameter, were performed to simplify volume assessment. Inter-rater reliability was good for all methods. The 3-diameter measurement produced larger volumes than volumetric assessment with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.93, which could be improved to 0.95 by multiplying volumes with a correction factor of 0.86. The 1-dimensional measurement strongly overestimated the volume with an ICC of 0.7. In conclusion, the simplified volume estimation based on 3 largest diameters provides a reliable concept for the staging of HL patients.

Predictive and prognostic value of tumor volume and its changes during radical radiotherapy of stage III non-small cell lung cancer : A systematic review.

PURPOSE: Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) includes heterogeneous presentation of the disease including lymph node involvement and large tumour volumes with infiltration of the mediastinum, heart or spine. In the treatment of stage III NSCLC an interdisciplinary approach including radiotherapy is considered standard of care with acceptable toxicity and improved clinical outcome concerning local control. Furthermore, gross tumour volume (GTV) changes during definitive radiotherapy would allow for adaptive replanning which offers normal tissue sparing and dose escalation. METHODS: A literature review was conducted to describe the predictive value of GTV changes during definitive radiotherapy especially focussing on overall survival. The literature search was conducted in a two-step review process using PubMed®/Medline® with the key words "stage III non-small cell lung cancer" and "radiotherapy" and "tumour volume" and "prognostic factors". RESULTS: After final consideration 17, 14 and 9 studies with a total of 2516, 784 and 639 patients on predictive impact of GTV, GTV changes and its impact on overall survival, respectively, for definitive radiotherapy for stage III NSCLC were included in this review. Initial GTV is an important prognostic factor for overall survival in several studies, but the time of evaluation and the value of histology need to be further investigated. GTV changes during RT differ widely, optimal timing for re-evaluation of GTV and their predictive value for prognosis needs to be clarified. The prognostic value of GTV changes is unclear due to varying study qualities, re-evaluation time and conflicting results. CONCLUSION: The main findings were that the clinical impact of GTV changes during definitive radiotherapy is still unclear due to heterogeneous study designs with varying quality. Several potential confounding variables were found and need to be considered for future studies to evaluate GTV changes during definitive radiotherapy with respect to treatment outcome.

Gonadal function and fertility in survivors after Hodgkin lymphoma treatment within the German Hodgkin Study Group HD13 to HD15 trials.

PURPOSE: To optimize fertility advice in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) before therapy and during survivorship, information on the impact of chemotherapy is needed. Therefore, we analyzed gonadal functions in survivors of HL. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Women younger than age 40 and men younger than 50 years at diagnosis in ongoing remission at least 1 year after therapy within the German Hodgkin Study Group HD13 to HD15 trials for early- and advanced-stage HL were included. Hormone parameters, menstrual cycle, symptoms of hypogonadism, and offspring were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 1,323 (55%) of 2,412 contacted female and male survivors were evaluable for the current analysis (mean follow-up, 46 and 48 months, respectively). Follicle-stimulating hormone, anti-Müllerian hormone, and inhibin B levels correlated significantly with therapy intensity (P < .001). Low birth rates were observed in survivors after advanced-stage treatment within the observation time (women, 6.5%; men, 3.3%). Regular menstrual cycle was reported by more than 90% of female survivors of early-stage HL (recovery time mostly ≤ 12 months). After six to eight cycles of bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone, menstrual activity was strongly related to age (< v ≥ 30 years: 82% v 45%, respectively; P < .001; prolonged recovery time). Thirty-four percent of women age ≥ 30 years suffered severe menopausal symptoms (three- to four-fold more frequently than expected). In contrast, male survivors had mean levels of testosterone within the normal range and reported no increased symptoms of hypogonadism. CONCLUSION: The present analysis in a large group of survivors of HL provides well-grounded information on gonadal toxicity of currently used treatment regimens and allows risk-adapted fertility preservation and comprehensive support during therapy and follow-up.