Patient age and donor HLA matching can stratify allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation patients into prognostic groups.

BACKGROUND: Mixed results surround the accuracy of commonly used prognostic risk scores to predict overall survival (OS) and non-relapse mortality (NRM) in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HCT) recipients. We hypothesize that a simple prognostic score performs better than conventional scoring systems. PATIENTS AND METHODS: OS risk factors, HCT-CI, age-HCT-CI, and augmented-HCT-CI were studied in 299 patients who underwent allo-HCT for myeloid and lymphoid malignancies. A scoring system was developed based on results and validated in a different cohort of 455 patients. RESULTS: Two-year OS was 51% (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.45-0.56); 2-year NRM was 34% (95% CI 0.29-0.39). HCT-CI and associated scores were grouped into 0-2 and ≥3. Age and HLA mismatch status were the only risk factors to affect OS in multivariate analysis (p = 0.02 and 0.05, respectively). HCT-CI and associated scores were not informative for OS prediction. The weighted scoring system assigned 0 to 2 points for age < 50, 50-64, or ≥65, respectively, and 0-1 points for no HLA mismatch versus any mismatch (except HLA-DQ). Distinct 2-year OS (62%, 53%, and 38% [p = <0.001]) and NRM (24%, 34%, and 43% [p = 0.02]) groups were characterized. The scoring system was validated in a second independent cohort with similar results on OS and NRM (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A simple scoring system based on recipient's age and mismatch status accurately predict OS and NRM in two distinct cohorts of allo-HCT patients. Its simplicity makes it a helpful tool to aid clinicians and patients in clinical decision-making.

Research biopsies in patients with gynecologic cancers: patient-reported outcomes, perceptions, and preferences.

BACKGROUND: Despite the growing integration of mandatory biopsies for correlative endpoints within oncology clinical trials, there are sparse data on patient-reported outcomes, perceptions, and preferences. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to prospectively assess the impact of research biopsies on the quality of life in patients with gynecologic cancer, evaluate patient-reported outcomes, and determine factors associated with patients' willingness to undergo sequential biopsies. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a prospective study in patients with gynecologic malignancies undergoing research biopsies between 2015 and 2019 at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02334761). Here, we report the results of the paper-based surveys performed before and 1 week after biopsy. Although the questionnaires each assessed the impact of anxiety using a modified version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the postbiopsy questionnaire specifically assessed the likelihood of future biopsies, postbiopsy symptoms, complications, and perceptions. RESULTS: A total of 129 patients were enrolled, of which 91 (70.5%) completed at least 1 questionnaire. These patients had either ovarian (89%; 81 of 91) or endometrial cancer (11%; 10 of 91). Of all biopsies taken, 75% were from the abdomen or pelvis (67 of 89). There was 1 clinician-reported complication, a perihepatic hematoma (1%). Pain during the biopsy and physical discomfort were experienced by 60.3% (41 of 68) and 61.8% (42 of 68), respectively. Embarrassment and loss of dignity were experienced by 13.2% (9 of 68) and 11.8% (8 of 68), respectively. Although the mean Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale score was in the normal range before and after biopsy, there was a significant decline in the total score after the biopsy (prebiopsy, 5.3 [standard deviation, 4.7] vs postbiopsy, 3.7 [standard deviation, 4.5]; P=.005); 84% of subjects (58 of 69) stated that they would definitely or likely consent to another biopsy. There was no impact on patients' willingness for future biopsies based on Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group status, biopsy site, age, number of cores, and pain during the biopsy; however, subjects who reported feeling physically uncomfortable (odds ratio, 0.14; P=.005), embarrassed (odds ratio, 0.03; P=.004) or experienced loss of dignity (odds ratio, 0.05; P=.01) during the biopsy and those who experienced flu-like symptoms (odds ratio, 0.2; P=.018) or felt feverish (odds ratio, 0.2; P=.035) 1 week after biopsy, were less likely to undergo a sequential biopsy. Similarly, those with higher Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale scores before biopsy (odds ratio, 0.83; P=.008) and after biopsy (odds ratio, 0.8; P=.003) were less likely to consent for another biopsy. CONCLUSION: Research biopsies were generally well accepted. Most patients (83%) were willing to undergo serial biopsies if necessary. Addressing the potentially modifiable psychosocial aspects of the procedure may improve the experience with research biopsies for patients with gynecologic cancers.

Effect of pre-transplant JAK1/2 inhibitors and CD34 dose on transplant outcomes in myelofibrosis.

Allogeneic hematopoeitic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) is the only curative treatment for myelofibrosis (MF). We evaluate the impact of various factors on survival outcomes post-transplant in MF. Data of 89 consecutive MF patients (primary 47%) who underwent allo-HCT between 2005 and 2018 was evaluated. Fifty-four percent patients had received JAK1/2 inhibitors (JAKi) pre-HCT. The median CD34 count was 7.1x106 cells/kg. Graft failure was seen in 10% of the patients. Grade 3-4 acute GVHD (aGVHD) and moderate/severe chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD) occurred in 24% and 40% patients, respectively. Two-year overall survival (OS) and relapse free survival (RFS) were 51% and 43%, respectively. Cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) and non-relapse mortality (NRM) at 2 years were 11% and 46%, respectively. Higher CD34 cell dose (≤5 × 106 cells/kg vs 5-9 or ≥9 × 106  cells/kg) and lower pre-HCT ferritin (

Updates on systemic therapy for cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world both in terms of incidence and mortality, more so important in low- and middle-income countries. Surgery and radiotherapy remain the backbone of treatment for non-metastatic cervical cancer, with significant improvement in survival provided by addition of chemotherapy to radiotherapy. Survival as well as quality of life is improved by chemotherapy in metastatic disease. Platinum-based chemotherapy with/without bevacizumab is the mainstay of treatment for metastatic disease and has shown improvement in survival. The right combinations and sequence of treatment modalities and medicines are still evolving. Data regarding the molecular and genomic biology of cervical cancer have revealed multiple potential targets for treatment, and several new agents are presently under evaluation including targeted therapies, immunotherapies and vaccines. This review discusses briefly the current standards, newer updates as well as future prospective approaches in systemic therapies for cervical cancer.

Evaluation of epidermal growth factor receptor mutations based on mutation specific immunohistochemistry in non-small cell lung cancer: A preliminary study.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Studies have shown that immunohistochemical (IHC) staining using epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation specific antibodies, is an easy and cost-effective, screening method compared with molecular techniques. The purpose of present study was to assess the percentage positivity of IHC using EGFR mutation specific antibodies in lung biopsy samples from patients with primary lung adenocarcinoma (ADC). METHODS: Two hundred and six biopsies of primary lung ADC were subjected to EGFR mutation specific antibodies against del E746-A750 and L858R. Detection of EGFR mutation done by high resolution melting analysis (HRM) was used as gold standard. A concordance was established between molecular and IHC results. Frequency of IHC positivity was assessed. RESULTS: Of the 206 patients, 129 were male and 77 were female patients, with a mean age of 54.1 yr. Fifty five (26.6%) patients (36 men; 19 women) showed positivity for IHC of del E746-A750 (33) and L858R (22). HRM results were available in 14 patients which showed EGFR mutations in correspondence with del E746-750 or L858R in 64.2 per cent cases. Positive cases on HRM were further confirmed by DNA sequencing and fragment analysis. Three patients showed exon[20] variation. Two cases were negative for mutation. The genotype of del E746-750 mutation was more common than L858R. A concordance was established between molecular mutation and IHC in 85.7 per cent cases. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: In this preliminary study from India mutation specific IHC was used for assessment of mutation status of EGFR. Although the number tested was small, a good concordance was observed between molecular EGFR mutation and IHC expression. IHC methodology is a potentially useful tool to guide clinicians for personalized treatment in lung ADC, especially where facilities for molecular analysis are not readily available and for use in small biopsies where material is scant for molecular tests.

Profile of Childhood Cancers From Hospital-Based Cancer Registries in India, 2012-19.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical pattern of childhood and adolescent cancers across India using hospital-based data in the National Cancer Registry Program. METHODS: Records of 60720 cancer cases in the 0-19 year age group for the period 2012-2019 from 96 hospital-based cancer registries were reviewed. Childhood cancers were classified based on the International Classification of Childhood Cancer (ICCC). Descriptive analysis was used to examine the distribution of cancer by five-year age groups, sex and ICCC diagnostic groups and subgroups. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS software and visualised using R software. RESULTS: 3.2% and 4.6% of all cancer cases in India were among children in the 0-14 year and 0-19 year age groups respectively. The male-to-female ratio for all cancers was 1.72 for 0-14 years and 1.73 for 0-19 years. The four leading groups of cancers among 0-14 year olds were leukemia (40%), lymphoma (12%), central nervous system tumor (11%) and bone cancer (8%). The four leading cancers among the 0-19 year age group were leukemia (36%), lymphoma (12%), bone (11%) and central nervous system tumor (10%). CONCLUSION: Cancers in the 0-14 and 0-19 age groups accounted for a considerable proportion of all cancers with significant male preponderance. Such information helps to fine-tune research and planning strategies.

Real-World Data on Treatment Outcome of ALK-Positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer from an Indian Multicentric Cancer Registry.

Lalatendu Moharana The Anaplastic lymphoma kinase inhibitors (ALKi) represent the standard of care for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with EML4-ALK rearrangements. Various ALKi agents are available; however, not all eligible patients receive treatment with them due to various reasons. Given the limited real-world data available in our country, we aimed to assess treatment outcomes through a multicenter collaboration. This retrospective, multi-institutional study was conducted under the Network of Oncology Clinical Trials India and included a total of 67 ALK-positive metastatic lung cancer patients from 10 institutes across India, with a median follow-up of 23 months. In the first line setting, the objective response rate (ORR) with ALKi was 63.6% (crizotinib: 60.7%, ceritinib: 70%, alectinib: 66.6%, p = 0.508), while with chemotherapy, it was 26.1%. The median progression-free survival (mPFS) for the first line ALKi group was significantly higher than that for chemotherapy (19 vs. 9 months, p = 0.00, hazard ratio [HR] = 0.30, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.17-0.54). The mPFS for crizotinib, alectinib, and ceritinib was 17, 22, and 19 months, respectively ( p = 0.48). Patients who received ALKi upfront or after 1 to 3 cycles of chemotherapy or after 4 or more cycles of chemotherapy had mPFS of 16, 22, and 23 months, respectively ( p = 0.47). ALKi showed superior mPFS compared to chemotherapy in the second line (14 vs. 5 months; p = 0.002) and the third line (20 vs. 4 months; p = 0.009). The median overall survival (OS) was significantly better in patients who received ALKi in any line of therapy (44 vs. 14 months, p < 0.001, HR = 0.10, 95% CI: 0.04-0.23). Brain progression was higher among those who did not receive ALKi (69.2 vs. 31.5%). In conclusion, the use of ALKi as first line treatment for ALK-positive metastatic NSCLC patients resulted in improved PFS. PFS and ORR did not significantly differ between patients who received ALKi upfront or after initiating chemotherapy. Notably, patients who received ALKi in second or later lines demonstrated significantly better outcomes compared to those receiving chemotherapy. The use of ALKi in any line of therapy was associated with significantly prolonged OS.

Adolescent and Young Adults with Gastric Cancer (AYA-GC)-The Dilemma of an Under-Represented Group: A Multi-Institutional Analysis from the Indian Subcontinent.

Soumya Surath PandaGastric cancer (GC) is often ignored at a young age, which frequently leads to tragic consequences. The worldwide incidence of GC is increasing at a young age. In view of the limited Indian publication, we sought to characterize clinicopathological parameters and risk factors in the adolescents and young adults (AYA) population. Retrospective data from six centers (which are part of the Network of Oncology Clinical Trials in India) from 2015 to 2020 were collected from patient (18-39 years of age) records. This study was approved by the institutional ethical committee of individual centers. All statistical analyses were performed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS (Version 20). Data interpretation along with the analysis of obtained results was carried out using the following tests: Qualitative data was expressed in terms of frequency/percentage. One-hundred fifty-two AYA GC patients were enrolled. The 31 to 39 years age group was most affected in which 76.3% were females. The majority of patients were nonalcoholic (93.4%), nonsmokers (98.0%), and without a family history (98.0%). The most common (MC) presenting symptom was abdominal pain (67.1%). MC site was antrum (48%). Among esophagogastric junction cancers, the majority were type I and II Siewert classifications (77% [20/26] patients in cardia), MC histology-signet ring cell (67.1%) followed by diffuse-type (65.1%). Most were poorly differentiated (65.1%) and were diagnosed at an advanced stage (III & IV= 54.6%). This is one of our country's first large multicenter studies on GC in the AYA population. There was a higher female prevalence, aggressive tumor behavior and the majority of patients were diagnosed at a more advanced stage. The majority were nonsmokers with a negative family history. Awareness among general people, researchers, clinicians, and policymakers must be improved to better the loss of life years in the younger population.

Clinicopathologic Profile and Treatment Outcomes of Colorectal Cancer in Young Adults: A Multicenter Study From India.

PURPOSE: Colorectal cancer (CRC) in young adults is a rising concern in developing countries such as India. This study investigates clinicopathologic profiles, treatment patterns, and outcomes of CRC in young adults, focusing on adolescent and young adult (AYA) CRC in a low- and middle-income country (LMIC). METHODS: A retrospective registry study from January 2018 to December 2020 involved 126 young adults (age 40 years and younger) with CRC. Patient demographics, clinical features, tumor characteristics, treatment modalities, and survival outcomes were analyzed after obtaining institutional ethics committees' approval. RESULTS: Among 126 AYA patients, 62.70% had colon cancer and 37.30% had rectal cancer. Most patients (67%) were age 30-39 years, with no significant gender predisposition. Females had higher metastatic burden. Abdominal pain with obstruction features was common. Adenocarcinoma (65%) with signet ring differentiation (26%) suggested aggressive behavior. Limited access to molecular testing hindered mutation identification. Capecitabine-based chemotherapy was favored because of logistical constraints. Adjuvant therapy showed comparable recurrence-free survival in young adults and older patients. For localized colon cancer, the 2-year median progression-free survival was 74%, and for localized rectal cancer, it was 18 months. Palliative therapy resulted in a median overall survival of 33 months (95% CI, 18 to 47). Limited access to targeted agents affected treatment options, with only 27.5% of patients with metastatic disease receiving them. Chemotherapy was generally well tolerated, with hematologic side effect being most common. CONCLUSION: This collaborative study in an LMIC offers crucial insights into CRC in AYA patients in India. Differences in disease characteristics, treatment patterns, and limited access to targeted agents highlight the need for further research and resource allocation to improve outcomes in this population.

No Family Should Suffer From Cervical Cancer Twice-The Palliative Care Role in HPV Prevention.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer, caused by human papillomavirus infection, is the source of significant personal and societal burden, and robs more than one hundred thousand Indian women and their families of the chances of a healthy and productive life each year. As outlined by the World Health Organization, the three-pronged approach of screening, vaccination, and reduction in mortality by early treatment presents the possibility of the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem in the next decade.1 Unfortunately, these approaches are all associated with significant barriers in India. OBJECTIVES: Given that the main mandate of palliative care practitioners to prevent and relieve suffering, here we make the case for these practitioners to offer education around vaccination and screening to female relatives of women encountered with cervical cancer. CONCLUSION: Offering prevention strategies for human papillomavirus aligns with the idea of preventing suffering and is within the scope of palliative care clinicians.

Comparison of the Prognostic Ability of the HCT-CI, the Modified EBMT, and the EBMT-ADT Pre-transplant Risk Scores for Acute Leukemia.

BACKGROUND: Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) outcomes may be predicted by published risk scores; however, the ideal system has not been identified for acute leukemias. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively examined the Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation-Comorbidity Index (HCT-CI), modified European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (mEBMT), EBMT-Alternating Decision Tree (ADT), and others on 231 patients with acute leukemia. RESULTS: Acute myeloid leukemia was diagnosed in 200 patients, and acute lymphocytic leukemia was diagnosed in 31 patients. For HCT-CI, patients were grouped as 0 to 1, 2 to 3, and > 3. For mEBMT, patients were grouped as 0 to 2, 3, and > 3. For EBMT-ADT, the 100-day mortality was calculated and grouped as ≤ 4.1%, 4.1% to 11.5%, and > 11.5%. Higher HCI-CI demonstrated inferior overall survival (P = .04; c-statistic, 0.57), whereas mEBMT and EBMT-ADT did not stratify well. A new weighted score was developed that assigned 1 point for age ≥ 60 years, acute lymphocytic leukemia diagnosis, mismatch unrelated or haploidentical donor, cardiovascular comorbidity, and pre-transplant diabetes, whereas arrhythmia received 2 points. The new weighted score assigned 0 points to 88 (38%), 1 to 2 points to 121 (52%) and ≥ 3 points to 22 (10%) patients, and demonstrated improved prognostic capability compared with the other scores (P = .0001; c-statistic, 0.61). CONCLUSIONS: The HCT-CI stratifies patients with leukemia for overall survival but is inferior to our single-center score, which is influenced by cardiac comorbidity and arrhythmia. Differences in pre-transplant risk scores may be related to different transplant practices.

Late Effects of Breast Cancer Treatment and Outcome after Corrective Interventions.

Purpose: To study the late toxicities of treatment and its impact on Breast cancer survivors among Indian patients. Materials and Methods: Our study recruited 152 curatively treated non metastatic carcinoma breast patients. The baseline demographic details, disease related and treatment related information were collected. The late effects included breast cancer related lymphedema, shoulder dysfunction, treatment induced bone loss, hypothyroidism, cardiac dysfunction, and chemotherapy induced cognitive dysfunction and Quality of life. Results: The median age was 47 years (range 27 -72 years). The cumulative frequency of BCRL and shoulder dysfunction was 31.57% and 34.86% respectively. The improvement in BCRL with corrective intervention was not statistically significant. The BCRL was significantly associated with shoulder dysfunction. The frequency of loss of bone mineral density was 38.15%. There was statistically significant improvement in bone mineral density with interventions. The cumulative rate of hypothyroidism and cardiac dysfunction was 14.47 % and 2.17% respectively which improved after corrective therapy. We did not find any delayed cognitive dysfunction. There was improvement in global health, physical function, role function, fatigue, Nausea, vomiting, pain scores, insomnia, Loss of appetite, diarrhea and arm symptoms over time with intervention. Conclusion: Our study has shown that nearly half of the survivors were suffering from at least one of the late effects. The intervention helped in improving the loss of bone mineral density, hypothyroidism, cardiac dysfunction and quality of life in Breast cancer survivors.

POEMS Syndrome: Indian Experience From a Tertiary-Care Institute.

INTRODUCTION: POEMS (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy, skin changes) syndrome is a rare multisystem paraneoplastic syndrome characterized by peripheral neuropathy and monoclonal plasmacytosis. Retrospective institutional experiences from the Mayo Clinic as well as Chinese, European, and Japanese series have provided important insights into the characteristics and treatment of this disease, but Indian data are extremely limited. We retrospectively analyzed 49 cases from our institute including 10 patients who underwent autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed clinical and laboratory characteristics, treatment details and outcome of all patients diagnosed with POEMS syndrome between 1993 and 2017. RESULTS: Complete medical records were available for 49 patients with a median age of 44 years. Male/female ratio was 38:11. Twenty patients (40.8%) had Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 4. Before 2012, melphalan/prednisolone was the most common regimen provided, while bortezomib/dexamethasone and lenalidomide/dexamethasone were used later. Hematologic response was available for 40 patients, 15 (37.5%) of whom experienced complete response, 13 (32.5%) partial response, and 11 (27.5%) stable disease. The median modified Rankin score at baseline was 4 (range, 1-5), which improved to 3 (range, 1-5). Ten patients underwent consolidation ASCT after a median of 4 cycles of induction. Median melphalan dose was 140 mg/m2. Engraftment syndrome was observed in 4. After ASCT, all 10 patients experienced hematologic complete response and clinical improvement. CONCLUSION: This retrospective analysis provides important information on the clinical characteristics of POEMS syndrome in Indian patients, which will help the clinician's decision-making process.

Optimizing the Care of Malignant Bowel Obstruction in Patients With Advanced Gynecologic Cancer.

PURPOSE: Malignant bowel obstruction (MBO) is a common and distressing complication in women with advanced gynecologic cancer. A pilot, interprofessional MBO program was launched in 2016 at a large Canadian tertiary cancer center to integrate these patients' complex care needs across multiple disciplines and support women with MBO. METHOD: Retrospective analysis to evaluate the outcomes of women with advanced gynecologic cancer who were admitted to hospital because of MBO, before (2014 to 2016: baseline group) and after (2016 to 2018) implementation of the MBO program. RESULTS: Of the 169 women evaluated, 106 and 63 were in the baseline group and MBO program group, respectively. Most had ovarian cancer (n = 124; 73%) and had small-bowel obstruction (n = 131; 78%). There was a significantly shorter cumulative hospital length of stay (LOSsum) within the first 60 days of MBO diagnosis in the MBO program group compared with the baseline group (13 v 22 days, respectively; adjusted P = .006). The median overall survival for women treated in the MBO program was also significantly longer compared with the baseline group (243 v 99 days, respectively; adjusted P = .002). Using the interprofessional MBO care platform, a greater proportion of patients received palliative chemotherapy (83% v 56%) and less surgery (11% v 21%) in the MBO program group than in the baseline group, respectively. A subgroup of women (n = 11) received total parenteral nutrition for longer than 6 months. CONCLUSION: Implementation of a comprehensive, interprofessional MBO program significantly affects patient care and may improve outcomes. Unique to this MBO program is an integrated outpatient model of care and education that empowers patients to recognize MBO symptoms for early intervention.

Composite lymphoma with coexistence of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and anaplastic large cell lymphoma: Diagnostic pitfalls.

Composite lymphoma is a rare tumor composed of two or more distinct lymphomas in the same topographic site or tissue. Several combinations of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), T-cell NHL, and Hodgkin lymphoma can occur with different prognoses and treatments. The coexistence of a B-cell NHL and a T-cell NHL is unusual. The exact etiology of composite lymphoma is unknown; however, few mechanisms have been proposed to explain its pathogenesis. The chemotherapeutic protocols are heterogeneous but are essentially targeted against the high-grade component. Most of the cases show worse outcome with a median survival of 12 months. In this article, we report a case of composite lymphoma which was initially diagnosed as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and the presence of CD3-positive atypical cells in the bone marrow urged us to re-evaluate the lymph node biopsy following which a focus of Alk-1-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma was identified.

Palliation of Dysphagia in Carcinoma Esophagus.

Esophageal carcinoma has a special place in gastrointestinal carcinomas because it contains two main types, namely, squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Carcinoma esophagus patients require some form of palliation because of locally advanced stage or distant metastasis, where it cannot be subjected to curable treatment with surgery and chemoradiation. Many modalities of palliation of dysphagia are available, but the procedure with least morbidity, mortality, and long-term palliation of dysphagia needs to be chosen for the patient. This study aims to discuss the recent trends in palliation of dysphagia with promising results and the most suitable therapy for palliation of dysphagia in a given patient. A total of 64 articles that were published between years 2005 and 2015 on various modes of palliation of dysphagia in carcinoma esophagus were studied, which were mainly randomized and prospective studies. Through this study, we conclude that stents are the first choice of therapy for palliation, which is safe and cost-effective, and they can be combined with either radiotherapy or chemotherapy for long-term palliation of dysphagia with good quality of life. Radiotherapy can be used as a second-line treatment modality.