Tumour volume and radiotherapy prolongation in locally advanced head and neck cancer patients treated with radical IMRT.

AIMS: The relationship of tumour volume, radiotherapy treatment time and other prognostic factors affecting prognosis was evaluated. METHODS: 184 patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer were treated with radical intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and compared retrospectively. RESULTS: In the multivariate analysis the overall survival was dependent on gross tumour volume (GTV), clinical stage (CS), radiotherapy treatment time (RTT) and p16 status. Local control was influenced by GTV, overall RTT and age. DFS was significantly affected by GTV, CS, RTT, p16 status and concomitant chemotherapy (CHT). CONCLUSIONS: The tumour volume and the radiotherapy treatment time were the most significant prognostic factors with the best outcomes in patients with GTV ≤ 55 cc and RTT ≤ 48 days (mean LC 8.1, DFS 7.1 and OS 6.4 years) and worst outcomes with GTV > 55 cc and RTT >48 days (mean LC 4.4, mean DFS 3.2 and mean OS 2.6 years).

Determining priority risk groups for compensation of treatment breaks in radical radiotherapy in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer.

PURPOSE: Prolongation of radiotherapy worsens the results of treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The purpose of this study was to identify the prognostic factors most affected by the prolongation of treatment. METHODS: 184 patients with locally advanced HNSCC were treated with curative chemo-radiation using SIB-IMRT from 2008 to 2016 and the influence of radiotherapy time (RTT) in groups of patients according to prognostic factors was retrospectively evaluated. RESULTS: Median overall survival (OS) was 45 months, median disease-free survival (DFS) was 41 months and median local control (LC) was not reached (mean LRC 68 months). In the multivariate analysis the radiotherapy prolongation negatively affected the LC in stage IV patients, T3/T4, in neck nodes positive disease, in oropharyngeal and oral cavity cancers, after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and in men. The RTT effect on DFS was significant in stage IV patients, patients with neck nodes positive disease and oropharyngeal cancer. RTT prolongation decreased OS within the groups of stage IV and grade 3 tumours. CONCLUSION: Prolonged RTT was associated with worsened OS and LRC, especially in stage IV patients and/or neck node positive disease and/or oropharyngeal cancer and we recommend that these patients should be prioritized in treatment gap compensation in radical radiotherapy for locally advanced HNSCC.

Radiotherapy dose limit for uterus fertility sparing in curative chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer.

AIMS: Curative sphincter sparing radiotherapy is a treatment option for early rectal cancer. There are many methods developed for fertility preservation in young patients treated with pelvic radiotherapy. Pregnancy rates after radiotherapy are dependent on the radiation dose to ovaries and uterus. Data on outcomes of total body irradiation suggest a pregnancy is possible following 12-14 Gy TBI, despite elevated rates of preterm deliveries and other complications. METHODS: We report a case of full-term delivery of twins after curative chemoradiotherapy for anorectal adenocarcinoma T2 N0 M0 with the total dose 58.6 Gy. The patient underwent laparoscopic laterocranial ovarian transposition before radiotherapy. RESULTS: Long term complete remission was achieved after treatment. Although a spontaneous conception was not successful, the patient underwent an in vitro fertilisation procedure with donor eggs and conceived twins 10 years after the radiotherapy treatment. The mean dose to the uterus was 16 Gy and to the uterine cervix 35 Gy. She reached a full-term pregnancy and delivered two healthy babies by caesarean section at a gestational age of 38 weeks, weighing 2420 g and 2220 g. CONCLUSION: This is the first case report of the successful pregnancy following sphincter sparing curative pelvic radiotherapy for rectal cancer. Furthermore it allows us to propose an increased limit dose to the uterus enabling fertility sparing beyond the limits achieved from total body irradiation series with 12-14 Gy and accept 16 Gy as uterine body (35 Gy for uterine cervix) limit for IMRT treatment planning in young patients asking for maintaining fertility potential.