Breast cancer screening for childhood cancer survivors after craniospinal irradiation with protons versus x-rays: a dosimetric analysis and review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Screening for secondary malignancies is paramount in the pediatric cancer survivorship population, but the risk of secondary breast cancer after craniospinal radiation has not been well characterized previously. The aim of this study was to examine the dose to the breast from craniospinal irradiation (CSI) delivered with x-ray therapy versus proton beam therapy to contribute to understanding the specific screening needs of this population. METHODS: Six female patients who received CSI with double-scattered proton therapy at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia were identified. For each patient, photon and proton beam plans were designed in order to compare the radiation dose to the breast. A comprehensive literature review was also performed. RESULTS: The dose to the breast tissues was near zero after proton therapy to the spine [average maximum and mean proton doses were 0.22 and 0.05 Gy(RBE), respectively]. In contrast, after photon treatment to the spine, average maximum and mean photon doses were 23 and 4 Gy, respectively (P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that early screening for breast cancer may be unnecessary after CSI with proton beam therapy; however, after x-ray therapy, early breast cancer screening should be considered given doses to the breast that approach the Children's Oncology Group-recommended threshold.

Soy-tomato enriched diet reduces inflammation and disease severity in a pre-clinical model of chronic pancreatitis.

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a fibro-inflammatory syndrome in individuals who develop persistent pathological responses to parenchymal injury or stress. Novel therapeutic or dietary interventions that could lessen inflammation in this disease could significantly improve quality of life in patients with CP. Complex dietary foods like soy and tomatoes are composed of active metabolites with anti-inflammatory effects. Data from our group reports that bioactive agents in soy and tomatoes can reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines and suppressive immune populations. Additionally, our team has developed a novel soy-tomato juice currently being studied in healthy individuals with no toxicities, and good compliance and bioavailability. Thus, we hypothesize that administration of a soy-tomato enriched diet can reduce inflammation and severity of CP. C57BL/6 mice were injected intraperitoneally with 50 µg/kg caeurlein (7 hourly injections, twice weekly) for 6 weeks to induce CP. After 4 weeks of caerulein injections, mice were administered a control or a soy-tomato enriched diet for 2 weeks. Disease severity was measured via immunohistochemical analysis of pancreata measuring loss of acini, fibrosis, inflammation, and necrosis. Serum lipase and amylase levels were analyzed at the end of the study. Inflammatory factors in the serum and pancreas, and immune populations in the spleen of mice were analyzed by cytokine multiplex detection, qRT-PCR, and flow cytometry respectively. Infra-red (IR) sensing of mice was used to monitor spontaneous activity and distress of mice. Mice fed a soy-tomato enriched diet had a significantly reduced level of inflammation and severity of CP (p = 0.032) compared to mice administered a control diet with restored serum lipase and amylase levels (p < 0.05). Mice with CP fed a soy-tomato diet had a reduction in inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-5) and suppressive immune populations (myeloid-derived suppressor cells; MDSC) compared to control diet fed mice (p < 0.05). Infra-red sensing to monitor spontaneous activity of mice showed that soy-tomato enriched diet improved total activity and overall health of mice with CP (p = 0.055) and CP mice on a control diet were determined to spend more time at rest (p = 0.053). These pre-clinical results indicate that a soy-tomato enriched diet may be a novel treatment approach to reduce inflammation and pain in patients with CP.