The role of radiomics in tongue cancer: A new tool for prognosis prediction.

BACKGROUND: Radiomics represents an emerging field of precision-medicine. Its application in head and neck is still at the beginning. METHODS: Retrospective study about magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based radiomics in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) surgically treated (2010-2019; 79 patients). All preoperative MRIs include different sequences (T1, T2, DWI, ADC). Tumor volume was manually segmented and exported to radiomic-software, to perform feature extraction. Statistically significant variables were included in multivariable analysis and related to survival endpoints. Predictive models were elaborated (clinical, radiomic, clinical-radiomic models) and compared using C-index. RESULTS: In almost all clinical-radiomic models radiomic-score maintained statistical significance. In all cases C-index was higher in clinical-radiomic models than in clinical ones. ADC provided the best fit to the models (C-index 0.98, 0.86, 0.84 in loco-regional recurrence, cause-specific mortality, overall survival, respectively). CONCLUSION: MRI-based radiomics in OTSCC represents a promising noninvasive method of precision medicine, improving prognosis prediction before surgery.

Back to (new) normality-A CODRAL/AIRO-L survey on cancer radiotherapy in Lombardy during Italian COVID-19 phase 2.

BACKGROUND: Italy experienced one of the world's severest COVID-19 outbreak, with Lombardy being the most afflicted region. However, the imposed safety measures allowed to flatten the epidemic curve and hence to ease the restrictions and inaugurate, on the 4th of May 2020, the Italian phase (P) 2 of the pandemic. The present survey study, endorsed by CODRAL and AIRO-L, aimed to assess how radiotherapy (RT) departments in Lombardy have dealt with the recovery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire dealing with the management of pandemic was developed online and sent to all CODRAL Directors on the 10th of June 2020. Answers were collected in full anonymity one week after. RESULTS: All the 33 contacted RT facilities (100%) responded to the survey. Despite the scale of the pandemic, during P1 14 (42.4%) centres managed to safely continue the activity (≤ 10% reduction). During P2, 10 (30.3%) centres fully recovered and 14 (42.4%) reported an increase. Nonetheless, 6 (18.2%) declared no changes and, interestingly, 3 (9.1%) reduced activities. Overall, 21 centres (63.6%) reported suspected or positive cases within healthcare workforce since the beginning of the pandemic. Staff units were quarantined in 19 (57.6%) and 6 (18.2%) centres throughout P1 and P2, respectively. In the two phases, about two thirds centres registered positive or suspected cases amongst patients. CONCLUSION: The study revealed a particular attention to anti-contagion measures and a return to normal or even higher clinical workload in most RT centres in Lombardy, necessary to carry out current and previously deferred treatments.