Strahlentherapie und Onkologie最新文献

Background: Enteric-type adenocarcinoma of the lung (lung-ETAC) is an exceptionally rare variant of lung adenocarcinoma, often presenting diagnostic challenges due to its histological resemblance to colorectal adenocarcinoma. This rarity has hindered the development of standardized treatment protocols, with most management approaches being empirical. Radiotherapy is used infrequently for lung-ETAC, predominantly reserved for palliative care in metastatic cases. Recent studies, however, suggest that lung-ETAC may have a better prognosis than other lung cancer subtypes, thus raising the need to explore alternative therapeutic strategies, including radiotherapy.

Case report: We present the case of a 73-year-old female with stage IIIA lung-ETAC who was treated with curative-intent radiotherapy (60 Gy in 30 fractions) in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy. Despite transient pulmonary complications, the patient exhibited an almost complete response to treatment after 2 months, achieving sustained clinical remission with no further antitumor therapies.

Conclusion: This case underscores the potential role of high-dose radiotherapy as a curative treatment for locally advanced lung-ETAC. Given the limited evidence, further research is needed to better define the role of chemoradiotherapy in the management of this rare histological subtype.

Objectives: This systematic review assessed the efficacy and safety of preoperative stereotactic radiotherapy (PreopSRT) in the treatment of resectable brain metastases (BM).

Methods: A PRISMA systematic review was conducted using Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed. The search terms included "(brain or cerebral) and (metastasis or metastases) and (radiotherapy or radiosurgery or radiation) and (neoadjuvant or preoperative)." Of the 2061 articles identified, 12 studies met the inclusion criteria: patients with resectable BM who received PreopSRT in single or multiple fractions. Literature reviews, protocols, and studies on salvage resections were excluded.

Results: Local control at 6 months ranged from 81.8 to 100%, with over 95% control reported in 4 studies, reaching 100% in 3 series. At 12 months, local control ranged from 49.1 to 95%. Data for 24-month local control were available for only 3 studies, ranging from 73 to 97.1%. Multiple fractions appeared to be more effective. PreopSRT showed a rate of leptomeningeal recurrence between 0 and 17% and a rate of radionecrosis from 3.5 to 10.5% at 1 year.

Conclusion: This PRISMA review highlights the growing interest in preoperative stereotactic radiotherapy, which appears at least as effective and potentially less toxic than postoperative treatment. Phase III trials are needed to confirm its clinical use.

Objective: The study we describe focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of linear accelerator (LINAC) stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in the treatment of cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). This treatment option is gaining interest due to the uncertainties associated with combined radiosurgical and endovascular treatments and the significant technological advancements in SRS. The primary goals of the study are to assess rates of obliteration (successful closure of the AVM) and rebleeding (the recurrence of bleeding posttreatment), as well as to identify factors influencing obliteration rates and to document any adverse effects associated with the procedure.

Materials and methods: The study retrospectively analyzed data from 134 patients treated with LINAC-based SRS for cerebral AVMs. The patients were categorized based on their prior treatments: 50 had undergone partial embolization, 8 had received a combination of embolization and surgery and 1 patient had a surgical intervention. Furthermore, 75 patients had received no prior treatment. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and log-rank tests were employed to calculate actuarial obliteration rates and annual cumulative bleeding rates following SRS treatment.

Results: The study found that obliteration rates after SRS treatment increased over time, with 5‑year obliteration rates of 85.2% for grades I-II, 76.4% for grade III, and 62.1% for grades IV-V. Annual cumulative bleeding rates post-SRS were 1.5% for the first year and 0.7% for the second year. Interestingly, prior embolization did not affect the obliteration rate. The median time to obliteration was 36 months (range 7-162 months). Obliteration rates were significantly better in Spetzler-Martin (SM) grade I-II (85% at 5 years) compared to grade III-V (68% at 5 years, p = 0.01). Age, sex, and pediatric status had no statistically significant influence on AVM response to SRS. No radiation necrosis was observed in our cohort.

Conclusion: This study contributes to the body of evidence supporting the effectiveness of SRS in treating cerebral AVMs and provides valuable insights into factors affecting treatment outcomes. The findings suggest that patients can expect a high chance of successful obliteration of the AVM with minimal adverse effects, making SRS a compelling option for those affected by this condition.

Purpose: This study evaluated survival outcomes and chronic side effects in adult medulloblastoma patients treated with craniospinal irradiation (CSI).

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 30 adult medulloblastoma patients treated with postoperative craniospinal radiotherapy (RT; 30-36 Gy) combined with a posterior fossa/tumor bed boost (54 Gy). Kaplan-Meier methods were used to analyze local control (LC) and survival. Long-term quality of life was assessed using the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) questionnaire and the telephone cognitive evaluation (T-Cog) test.

Results: With a median follow-up of 87 months, 10 patients (33.3%) died, 6 due to craniospinal fluid (CSF) recurrence and 4 from distant metastases. The 5‑year local control (LC) and overall survival (OS) rates were 85% and 71%, respectively. Alopecia (64.7%), cognitive decline (41.1%), and ototoxicity (41.1%) were common long-term toxicities, with 5 of 7 ototoxicity cases linked to cisplatin. Secondary tumors occurred in 2 patients. Cognitive impairment was indicated by a mean T‑Cog score of 24, while SF-12 physical and mental health scores were 47.8 and 44.4, both below the cutoff of 50.

Conclusion: Craniospinal RT is a safe and effective treatment for adult patients with medulloblastoma. Future treatment strategies should aim to deintensify therapy by limiting radiation to the local tumor bed in selected low-risk patients and by identifying favorable molecular subgroups for observation after surgery. Advanced techniques and targeted therapies can further reduce toxicity while maintaining strong oncologic outcomes and enhancing quality of life.

Purpose: The goal is to investigate the best time point for assessing radiological complete response after exclusive chemoradiation in locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC). This is a retrospective single-center study.

Materials and methods: Seventy-nine patients with LACC, stage IB3-IVA FIGO 2018 treated between January and December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients received external beam radiotherapy (45 Gy in 25 daily fractions ± simultaneous boost to lymph nodes), and interventional radiotherapy (IRT, 28 Gy/twice/weekly) with concurrent chemotherapy. The radiological complete response evaluation was examined using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at three timepoints: (i) before IRT, at the end of external beam radiotherapy, (ii) 3 months following the completion of IRT and (iii) 6 months after IRT. Seventy-nine patients were included.

Results: At the three timepoints, the complete response rate increased with 21, 53, and 59 patients reporting a complete response at MRI scan, respectively. Seven patients with partial response at the second assessment had complete response 6 months after treatment completion, overall resulting in 80% clinical complete response.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that 6 months following the end of exclusive treatment for LACC patients is the best time to detect complete radiological response (measured by MRI scan) after chemoradiation. Waiting this period of time before conclusively assessing response would allow for the inclusion of patients who have not yet fully responded at 3 months, while avoiding the performance of salvage therapies too early.

Background: Single-fraction stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is an effective treatment option for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who are ineligible for surgery. This study investigates long-term clinical outcomes, prognostic factors, and toxicity associated with high-dose single-fraction SBRT.

Materials and methods: We retrospectively analyzed 110 patients with 116 NSCLC lesions treated with single-fraction SBRT between 2000 and 2023. Histologic subtypes included adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma, and CT-defined suspicious lesions without histological confirmation. Local control (LC), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were assessed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models. Toxicity was evaluated using CTCAE v4.0.

Results: The most common dose was 30 Gy, prescribed in 76.7% of lesions. Among patients who received ≥ 30 Gy, LC at 2, 3, and 5 years was 78%, 74%, and 68%; PFS was 63%, 49%, and 37%; and OS was 84%, 83%, and 60%, respectively. LC and PFS were significantly higher in patients treated with ≥ 30 Gy (p < 0.05). Acute pneumonitis occurred in 2 patients (1.8%), and 22 patients (20.0%) developed late-onset pneumonitis. Pneumonitis incidence was 26.8% in patients planned with 3D-CT, compared to 12.8% with DIBH or 4D-CT. No grade ≥ 3 toxicity was observed.

Conclusion: High-dose (≥ 30 Gy) single-fraction SBRT provides excellent long-term tumor control with minimal toxicity with NSCLC. Advanced motion management techniques were associated with reduced pulmonary toxicity. A ≥ 30 Gy dose significantly improved LC, PFS, and OS. Higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) was associated with worse OS. These findings support the use of high-dose SF-SBRT in selected patients and highlight the need for individualized treatment planning. Prospective validation is warranted.

Purpose: There is no uniformity across various guidelines in defining the modality and frequency of the follow-up, particularly regarding radiological imaging. The objective is to assess the diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based posttreatment surveillance for early-stage (I-II) glottic squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx.

Methods: The follow-up of patients diagnosed with glottic squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, treated with radiotherapy or surgery in curative intent, was analyzed over a period of 2 years posttreatment. MRI diagnostic performance metrics were calculated using clinical and post-MRI endoscopic examinations as the reference standard. MRI sequences included both anatomical and functional imaging, including diffusion-weighted imaging.

Results: In total, 171 eligible MRIs were analyzed in the follow-up. Recurrences were identified with a sensitivity of 75% and a specificity of 99%. However, the positive predictive value of MRI surveillance reflects considerable uncertainty in the diagnosis of recurrences based solely on MRI findings, dropping as low as 21% in sensitivity analyses. Moreover, a notable proportion of MRIs were inconclusive.

Conclusion: MRI demonstrates high specificity and acceptable sensitivity; however, the limited positive predictive value raises concerns regarding its utility as a stand-alone surveillance tool.

Purpose: With increasing use of human epithelial growth factor receptor two (HER2)-targeted therapies, outcomes for numerous breast cancer patients have improved. Nevertheless, patients with HER2-positive tumours face a comparatively heightened risk for developing brain metastases (BM), which are often treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). Radionecrosis represents one of the clinically most significant adverse events of SRS. However, a knowledge gap remains regarding the effects of concurrent use of HER2-targeted therapies with SRS on development of radionecrosis, given conflicting findings in existing studies.

Methods: This systematic review was conducted in May 2024 through a search across electronic databases PubMed/MEDLINE and Cochrane library and was supplemented by citation searching and an artificial intelligence (AI) search.

Results: The literature search yielded 194 articles. After applying eligibility criteria, a total of 13 studies with 3219 patients total were included, with approximately 270 patients in the topic-relevant subgroup. Investigated substances vary in different publications and include HER2 antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), such as trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1), and kinase inhibitors. Four of six studies on ADCs demonstrated a higher risk for radionecrosis with concurrent administration. Two studies on lapatinib found no significant effects, as did as most studies investigating mainly HER2 antibodies. One publication reported an even lower risk for radionecrosis (RN) with concurrent use of HER2/EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs).

Conclusion: While concurrent use of T‑DM1/ADCs seems associated to elevated radionecrosis risk, an ambiguous situation for other substances persists. Heterogenous study designs with varying substances, definitions of concurrent use, and radionecrosis parameters must be considered. Included studies are partly limited by sample size and retrospective study design. Therefore, clinical implications remain difficult to claim; further research on this topic is needed.

Purpose: Single-isocenter multitarget stereotactic radiosurgery (SIMT SRS) offers enhanced clinical efficiency for treating multiple brain metastases. However, it introduces additional uncertainties, such as off-center dose and beam profile inaccuracies, as well as quality assurance (QA) challenges, complicating its implementation. This study aims to evaluate different SIMT SRS approaches.

Methods: We collected and analyzed SIMT SRS protocol and infrastructure parameters from 23 radiotherapy centers across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, encompassing immobilization systems, computed tomography (CT) protocols, linear accelerators, treatment planning systems, beam configurations, imaging techniques, and QA practices. Consensus, deviations, and compliance with current guidelines were assessed. Subsequent studies will include on-site measurements, evaluation of treatment plan quality and delivery accuracy, and correlation of these findings with the analyzed protocols to identify potential links between protocol parameters and clinical outcomes.

Results: There is consensus (at least 80% agreement) for a CT slice thickness of ≤ 1 mm, the need for six-degree-of-freedom patient setup correction, and noncoplanar treatment. There is notable variability for intrafraction imaging (used by 70%), minimum accepted planning target volume diameter (ranging from 2-10 mm), SRS QA, and general plan parameters, such as photon energy and number of treatment fields. There is also high variability in employed linear accelerator models and treatment planning systems.

Conclusion: These findings highlight a lack of standardization in SIMT SRS practices. Combined with future measurements correlating protocols to treatment quality, our study will provide a foundation for recommendations to support the safe and standardized implementation of SIMT SRS.

Purpose: Melanoma brain metastases (MBM) pose significant challenges in management due to their propensity for intralesional haemorrhage. This retrospective analysis aims to evaluate the oncological outcomes and incidence of haemorrhage following stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in patients with MBM.

Methods: Patients who received SRS for MBM between 10/2020 and 01/2023 were included. The primary objective was to analyse the incidence of post-SRS haemorrhage. Secondary objectives included oncological outcomes and radiation necrosis. Descriptive statistics and Kaplan-Meier curves were used. Uni- and multivariate statistics analysed factors influencing the incidence of haemorrhage and local failure.

Results: A total of 69 patients with 250 MBMs were included; 65 metastases (26.0%) showed signs of haemorrhage at the time of SRS. Post-SRS, new or increased haemorrhage occurred in 13.2% of treated metastases, primarily within the first year. The 1‑ and 2‑year local control rates were 76.6% each. The 1‑ and 2‑year distant brain failure rates were 40.6% and 34.1% and median overall survival was 14.3 months. For the haemorrhage endpoint, the presence of initial haemorrhage, biologically effective prescription dose, lesion diameter and the planning target volume margin were statistically significant in univariate analysis, and initial haemorrhage remained significant in multivariate analysis. For local control, significant factors in uni- and multivariate analysis were the status of extracranial disease, post-SRS haemorrhage and the use of anticoagulation.

Conclusion: Stereotactic radiosurgery is an effective treatment for MBM with good local control. The risk of haemorrhage after SRS is low and strongly associated with the presence of pre-SRS haemorrhage. Patients are at risk of developing haemorrhage in new, formerly untreated metastases.