ABSTRACT
Small bowel capsule endoscopy and double-balloon enteroscopy have become new methods for clinical diagnosis of radiation enteritis (RE) , especially for abnormal intestinal tissue. Targeted biopsy or interventional therapy is expected to achieve precision treatment of RE. The screening of molecular markers in biological samples has also become a new direction for RE diagnosis. Fecal microbiota transplantation has become one of the promising treatments for RE. In addition, mechanism studies based on traditional Chinese medicine, targeted cell death, and omics analysis provide rich strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of RE.
ABSTRACT
Cisplatin-based systemic chemotherapy combined with external beam radiation followed by intracavitary brachytherapy (ICBT) has become the standard treatment modality for locally advanced cervical cancer. Benefiting from the improvement in the imaging accuracy of medical imaging equipment and the development of image fusion technology, ICBT has developed into image-guided brachytherapy (IGBT) rather than the mode relying only on single image guidance. Factors such as the selection of a suitable image acquisition technology and the optimization of the multimodal imaging fusion strategy to reduce the dose deviation of IGBT are the key to the success of cervical cancer treatment. Radiotherapy practice is also plagued by these factors. Deep learning-based artificial intelligence technology has emerged in constructing intelligent radiotherapy platforms and solutions and has become an important means of solving the key problems in the multi-modal fusion IGBT for cervical cancer. Moreover, this technology is also a new way to improve the overall diagnosis and treatment level of cervical cancer, reduce the workload of physicians, and popularize the radiotherapy experience in grassroots organizations.
ABSTRACT
Immunotherapy mainly includes simple immunotherapy (immune checkpoint inhibitor, therapeutic human papillomavirus vaccine, adoptive T cell therapy, double immunotherapy, etc.) , immunotherapy combined with other treatments (such as chemotherapy, antiangiogenic therapy, radiotherapy, etc.) . The continuous development of immunotherapy and the improvement of treatment scheme have improved the survival and prognosis of patients, and provided new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of recurrent and metastatic cervical cancer.
ABSTRACT
Objective:To compare the toxicity and prognosis of patients with stage Ⅲ cervical cancer treated using different regimens.Methods:A retrospective analysis was carried out for 194 patients with stage Ⅲ cervical cancer determined according to the revised 2018 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics staging system (16 cases of stage Ⅲ A, 23 cases of stage Ⅲ B, 136 cases of stage Ⅲ C1, and 19 cases of stage Ⅲ C2) admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2010 to December 2020. They were divided into a radical radiotherapy±chemotherapy group (81 cases) and a radical hysterectomy + radiotherapy±chemotherapy group (113 cases) according to different treatment method. The difference in toxicity between the two groups was determined using the χ2 test. The survival curves and progression-free survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the Log rank test was also performed. The differences in toxicity and prognosis were further analyzed in 136 patients with stage Ⅲ C1 cervical cancer result patients in the radical radiotherapy±chemotherapy group were more likely to have hemoglobin decline ( χ2=10.68, P=0.004), rectal mucositis ( χ2=14.41, P=0.001), and vaginal fistula ( χ2=7.16, P=0.012) of grades 3 and 4. Patients in the radical hysterectomy+ radiotherapy±chemotherapy group were more likely to have increased aspartate aminotransferase ( χ2=10.96, P=0.002) and alanine aminotransferase ( χ2=8.49, P=0.010). The differences were statistically significant. The 5-year progression-free survival rate of the radical radiotherapy±chemotherapy group was 58.3%, which was lower than that of the radical hysterectomy + radiotherapy±chemotherapy group (74.5%; χ2=5.33, P=0.021). Among the 136 patients with stage Ⅲ C1 cervical cancer, the ones in the radical radiotherapy±chemotherapy group (34 cases) were more likely to develop rectal mucositis ( χ2=13.25, P=0.003), while the ones in the radical hysterectomy + radiotherapy±chemotherapy group (102 cases) were more likely to have elevated aspartate aminotransferase ( χ2=6.18, P=0.046). The differences were statistically significant. The 5-year survival rates of the radical radiotherapy±chemotherapy group and the radical hysterectomy+ radiotherapy±chemotherapy group were 85.5% and 86.3%, respectively. The difference was not statistically significant ( P=0.893). The 5-year progression-free survival rates of the radical radiotherapy±chemotherapy group and the radical hysterectomy + radiotherapy±chemotherapy group were 65.6% and 77.1%, respectively. The difference was not statistically significant ( P=0.244). Conclusions:For patients with stage Ⅲ cervical cancer, the ones in the radical radiotherapy±chemotherapy group were more likely to progress and have a poorer prognosis compared with the ones in the radical hysterectomy+ radiotherapy±chemotherapy group. For patients with stage Ⅲ C1 cervical cancer, there was no significant difference in the prognosis of patients between the groups. The two treatment method lead to different toxicity, with no obvious advantages and disadvantages. Considering the risks and economic burdens caused by surgery, radical radiotherapy and chemotherapy is recommended for patients with stage Ⅲ C1 cervical cancer.
ABSTRACT
At present, the clinical judgment of cervical cancer prognosis is mainly based on common pathological factors, such as tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and the depth of interstitial invasion. In recent years, with the advancement of technology, many biomarkers have been proved to be closely related to the diagnosis and prognosis of cervical cancer. Hematological parameters and other medical diseases also affect the survival of cervical cancer patients to some extent.
ABSTRACT
Brain metastases are one of the most common distant metastases in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and the prognosis will be extremely poor. The effect of chemotherapy and operation is limited. As a standard treatment, radiotherapy is widely used in clinical practice. Radiotherapy alone includes whole brain radiotherapy, stereotactic radiotherapy and whole brain radiotherapy combined with stereotactic radiotherapy. With the continuous development of radiotherapy and the progress of gene sequencing, radiotherapy has been combined with targeted drugs, anti-angiogenic drugs and immunodrugs in the treatment of NSCLC brain metastasis, which can improve the survival of patients with NSCLC brain metastasis.
ABSTRACT
Objective:To compare the differences in distribution and prognosis of cervical cancer patients in the 2009 and 2018 editions of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging, and to analyze the prognostic factors of cervical cancer patients.Methods:The clinical data of 524 cervical cancer patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2010 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The cases were staged according to the 2009 and 2018 FIGO staging, and the Kendall τb coefficient was calculated to compare the consistency of the distribution of the two stages. Kaplan-Meier was used for survival analysis, and log-rank test was used to test the difference of prognosis in each stage. Cox-regression was used to analyze the prognostic factors of cervical cancer patients.Results:In the 2009 FIGO edition of staging, 1 case of stage ⅠB1 was reduced to stage ⅠA1 due to the microscopic infiltration depth <5 mm, 51 cases of stage ⅠB1 were raised to stage ⅠB2 due to 2 cm<the maximum diameter of the tumor≤4 cm, and 43 cases of stage ⅠB2 were raised to stage ⅠB3 due to the maximum diameter of the tumor>4 cm. A total of 119 cases raised to stage ⅢC1 due to pelvic lymph node metastasis, and 11 cases raised to stage ⅢC2 due to para-aortic lymph node metastasis. The distribution of cases in the two stages was consistent (τb=0.61, P<0.001). There were statistically significant differences in overall survival (OS) ( χ2=107.13, P<0.001; χ2=93.02, P<0.001; χ2=92.74, P<0.001) and progression-free survival (PFS) ( χ2=91.95, P<0.001; χ2=77.69, P<0.001; χ2=73.27, P<0.001) among patients with different stages of FIGO in 2018 (ⅠA, ⅠB, Ⅱ, ⅢA, ⅢB, ⅢC1, ⅢC2, Ⅳ) and 2009 (ⅠA, ⅠB, Ⅱ, ⅢA, ⅢB, Ⅳ) and patients with different T stages (T 1, T 2, T 3, T 4). There were statistically significant differences in OS ( χ2=20.71, P<0.001) and PFS ( χ2=24.25, P<0.001) in 2018 FIGOⅠB and ⅢC stages, and there was a statistically significant difference in OS between stage ⅢC1 and stage ⅠB2 ( χ2=6.18, P=0.013). Multivariate analysis showed that age ( HR=1.88, 95% CI: 1.08-3.28, P=0.026), pathological type ( HR=2.11, 95% CI: 1.04-4.27, P=0.038), lymph node metastasis ( HR=2.18, 95% CI: 1.34-3.56, P=0.002), parametrial spread ( HR=2.56, 95% CI: 1.52-4.29, P<0.001), maximum tumor diameter ( HR=1.98, 95% CI: 1.18-3.30, P=0.009), squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA) positive after treatment ( HR=4.49, 95% CI: 2.09-9.68, P<0.001) and Hemoglobin (HB) level before treatment ( HR=0.58, 95% CI: 0.35-0.96, P=0.035) were independent risk factors for OS in patients with cervical cancer. According to the 2018 FIGO stage, the 5-year OS rates of patients with stage ⅠB1, ⅠB2, ⅠB3 were 100%, 97.1% and 87.9% respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( χ2=7.79, P=0.020), and there was a statistically significant difference between stage ⅠB1 and ⅠB3 ( χ2=5.55, P=0.019). According to the 2009 FIGO stage, the 5-year OS rates of patients with stage ⅠB1 and ⅠB2 were 95.7% and 84.3% respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( χ2=9.08, P=0.003). For patients with 2018 FIGO stage ⅠB, SCCA positive after treatment ( HR=1 172.50, 95% CI: 10.37-132 554.51, P=0.003) was an independent risk factor for OS, and differentiation degree ( HR=0.09, 95% CI: 0.01-0.81, P=0.032), treatment method ( HR=0.17, 95% CI: 0.04-0.71, P=0.015) and SCCA positive after treatment ( HR=190.68, 95% CI: 14.27-2 547.67, P<0.001) were independent risk factors for PFS. For patients with 2018 FIGO stage ⅠB, stage ( HR=9.56, 95% CI: 2.38-38.32, P=0.001), SCCA positive after treatment ( HR=126.32, 95% CI: 12.36-1 290.60, P<0.001) and lymph node metastasis ( HR=20.07, 95% CI: 3.63-111.11, P=0.001) were independent risk factors for OS, and differentiation degree ( HR=0.11, 95% CI: 0.02-0.63, P=0.013), treatment method ( HR=0.22, 95% CI: 0.06-0.75, P=0.015) and SCCA positive after treatment ( HR=43.83, 95% CI: 7.94-241.84, P<0.001) were independent risk factors for PFS. According to the 2018 FIGO stage, the 5-year OS rates of patients with stage ⅡA and ⅡB were 95.7% and 75.6% respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( χ2=13.96, P<0.001). The 5-year PFS rates of patients with stage ⅡA and ⅡB were 83.1% and 67.1% respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( χ2=7.61, P=0.006). According to the 2009 FIGO stage, the 5-year OS rates of patients with stage ⅡA and ⅡB were 90.9% and 75.0% respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( χ2=8.85, P=0.003). The 5-year PFS rates of patients with stage ⅡA and ⅡB were 75.7% and 66.7% respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( χ2=4.07, P=0.044). For patients with 2018 FIGO stage Ⅱ, pathological type ( HR=20.28, 95% CI: 2.93-140.32, P=0.002) and stage ( HR=4.35, 95% CI: 1.02-18.55, P=0.047) were independent risks factors for OS. For patients with 2009 FIGO stage Ⅱ, pathological type ( HR=5.82, 95% CI: 1.62-20.94, P=0.007) was an independent risk factor for OS, and pathological type ( HR=3.09, 95% CI: 1.22-7.85, P=0.017) and lymph node metastasis ( HR=2.07, 95% CI: 1.22-3.51, P=0.007) were independent risk factors for PFS. For patients with 2018 FIGO stage Ⅲ, maximum tumor diameter ( HR=3.31, 95% CI: 1.45-7.56, P=0.005) and SCCA positive after treatment ( HR=4.67, 95% CI: 1.22-17.86, P=0.024) were independent risk factors for OS, and pathological type ( HR=4.15, 95% CI: 1.47-11.77, P=0.007) and SCCA positive after treatment ( HR=3.96, 95% CI: 1.45-10.86, P=0.007) were independent risk factors for PFS. Conclusion:The 2018 and 2009 FIGO staging have a good distribution consistency in the cervical cancer patients, and the 2018 FIGO stage ⅠB has more advantages in judging the prognosis, but stage ⅢC cannot accurately judge the prognosis. Lymph node metastasis and maximum tumor diameter are more important prognostic factors.
ABSTRACT
Objective:To explore the impact of preoperative Naples prognostic score (NPS) on the survival prognosis of patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).Methods:From December 2014 to December 2020, a total of 134 patients who underwent radical esophagectomy in Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Taixing People′s Hospital of Yangzhou University were retrospectively analyzed. The NPS was calculated by the median values of preoperative serum albumin, total cholesterol, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR), and then the enrolled patients were divided into NPS 0 group (20 cases), NPS 1 or 2 group (62 cases) and NPS 3 or 4 group (52 cases). Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival rate and survival comparison was performed by log-rank test. The univa-riate and multivariate Cox models were used to analyze the relationship between NPS and survival prognosis.Results:The 1-, 3- and 5-year progression free survival (PFS) rates were 95.0%, 70.0% and 60.0% in the NPS 0 group, 66.1%, 24.2% and 24.2% in the NPS 1 or 2 group, and 48.1%, 3.8% and 1.9% in the NPS 3 or 4 group respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( χ2=31.27, P<0.001). In the NPS 0 group, the 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 100.0%, 80.0% and 70.0% respectively. In the NPS 1 or 2 group, the 1-, 3- and 5-year OS rates were 96.8%, 36.7% and 32.3% respectively, while in the NPS 3 or 4 group, the 1-, 3- and 5-year OS rates were 90.4%, 32.7% and 5.8% respectively, and there was a statistically significant difference ( χ2=29.70, P<0.001). Univariate analysis found that sex, T stage, N stage, TNM stage and NPS were closely related to PFS and OS of patients with thoracic ESCC (all P<0.05). Furthermore, multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that T stage ( HR=1.46, 95% CI: 1.07-2.00, P=0.019), N stage ( HR=1.34, 95% CI: 1.02-1.76, P=0.037) and NPS (set NPS 0 group as the subvariable, NPS 1 or 2 group: HR=3.35, 95% CI: 1.58-7.11, P=0.002; NPS 3 or 4 group: HR=6.15, 95% CI: 2.89-13.11, P=0.001) were independent prognostic factors for PFS. Additionally, T stage ( HR=1.67, 95% CI: 1.01-2.77, P=0.046), N stage ( HR=1.44, 95% CI: 1.00-2.20, P=0.048) and NPS (set NPS 0 group as the subvariable, NPS 1 or 2 group: HR=3.10, 95% CI: 1.31-7.32, P=0.010; NPS 3 or 4 group: HR=5.09, 95% CI: 2.14-12.11, P=0.001) were independent prognostic factors for OS. Conclusion:Preoperative NPS plays an important role in predicting the survival prognosis of patients with thoracic ESCC.
ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the prognostic factors of oligometastatic (OM) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and the safety and effectiveness of early radiotherapy intervention.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted, including 159 OM NSCLC cases (metastatic sites≤5, metastasis organs≤3) admitted to Department of Radiation Oncology in First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2015 to December 2018. Among 159 cases, there were 107 males and 52 females, with the median age of 63 years. 137 cases were administrated via early radiotherapy intervention, and 22 cases via delayed radiotherapy intervention. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to determine the progression-free survival time (PFS)/overall survival time (OS) to ascertain the best cut-off value for local control and prognosis. Survival analysis was calculated by Kaplan-Meier curves, and Log rank test was used for comparison of these curves. Cox proportional hazards regression model was used for multivariate survival analysis.Results:The median follow-up time of 159 cases was 28.2 months. During the follow-up period, there were 16 cases with complete remission (10.1%), 53 cases with partial remission (33.3%), 27 cases with stable disease (17.0%), and 63 cases with progressed disease(39.6%). The local control rates at 3, 6 and 12 months were 83.9%, 59.7% and 41.0%, respectively. The median progression-free survival (PFS) of 159 patients was 8.0 months, the median survival time (OS) was 35.0 months, and 1, 2, and 3-year survival rates were 77.3%, 63.0% and 45.1%, respectively. Adverse reactions related to radiotherapy were relatively mild, mostly grade 1 and 2. PFS/OS= 0.3 is the best cut-off value for determining the patient′s local control and prognosis. The result of univariate analysis showed that gender, number of OM organs, T staging, radiotherapy intervention mode, tumor target volume absorbed dose (DT-GTVnx), PFS/OS were significantly related to median PFS ( χ2=4.175, 16.508, 4.408, 10.300, 6.842, 38.175, P<0.05); gender, pathological type, number of OM organs, initial diagnosis stage, T stage, N stage, lobectomy, radiotherapy intervention mode, tumor target volume (V-GTVnx), tumor load, local control status were significantly related to median OS ( χ2=6.672, 8.330, 21.299, 5.398, 6.874, 6.893, 5.611, 115.206, 4.017, 5.110, 21.299, P< 0.05). The result of multivariate analysis showed that delayed radiotherapy intervention ( HR=3.728, 95% CI 2.099-6.622, P<0.001) was an independent risk factor for PFS in patients with OM NSCLC, and PFS/OS>0.3 ( HR=0.123, 95% CI 0.062-0.246, P<0.001) was an independent protective factor for PFS in patients with OM NSCLC; male ( HR=1.665, 95% CI 1.024-3.043, P=0.033), high tumor burden ( HR=2.113, 95% CI 1.088-4.107, P=0.027), delayed radiotherapy interventions ( HR=15.076, 95% CI 7.925-28.680, P<0.001) were independent risk factors for OS in patients with OM NSCLC. Conclusions:OS of patients with OM NSCLC is significantly prolonged in female, low tumor burden and early radiotherapy intervention. Early radiotherapy intervention significantly improved the prognosis, and radiotherapy-related adverse reactions could be tolerated. These might suggest that local radiotherapy is safe and effective in the treatment of OM NSCLC patients.
ABSTRACT
External-beam radiotherapy is one of the principle treatment options for localized prostate cancer. Conventionally fractionated radiotherapy is widely used in clinical practice. Studies have shown that prostate cancer is highly sensitive to hypofractionated radiotherapy, also known as stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), and increasing radiotherapy dose can significantly improve the local control rate of tumor. A number of recently completed researches have shown that SBRT is as effective as conventionally fractionated radiotherapy. In terms of radiation toxicity, the short-term toxicity of SBRT is more obvious than that of conventionally fractionated radiotherapy, but there is no significant difference in long-term toxicity. SBRT can provide more convenience for patients, and the medical cost is lower, so it has a great clinical application prospect.
ABSTRACT
Objective:To explore the impact of the number of pathological lymph node metastasis areas on the prognosis of patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after radical surgery.Methods:The clinicopathologic data of 153 patients with ESCC treated by radical surgery at the Department of Thoracic Surgery of the Affiliated Taixing People′s Hospital of Yangzhou University from January 2012 to December 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Among these patients, 76 had no adjuvant therapy, and 77 received adjuvant radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy after surgery. According to the lymph node classification criteria of American Thoracic Association and the number of pathological lymph node metastasis areas, the patients were divided into non-regional lymph node metastasis group ( n=68), oligo-regional lymph node metastasis group (1-2 regional lymph node metastasis, n=54) and multi-regional lymph node metastasis group (≥3 regional lymph node metastasis, n=31). Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival rate and survival comparison was performed by log-rank test. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze prognostic factors, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the predictive value of the number of lymph node metastasis areas. Results:The median overall survival (OS) was 37.0 months for the 153 patients, and the 1-, 3- and 5-year OS rates were 97.4%, 51.0% and 30.7% respectively. In the non-regional lymph node metastasis group, the median OS was 46.0 months, and the 1-, 3- and 5-year OS rates were 97.1%, 58.8% and 39.7% separately. In the oligo-regional lymph node metastasis group, the median OS was 39.0 months, and the 1-, 3- and 5-year OS rates were 94.4%, 55.6% and 35.2% respectively. In the multi-regional lymph node metastasis group, the median OS was 26.0 months, and the 1-, 3- and 5-year OS rates were 98.1%, 25.8% and 3.2% separately. There was a statistically significant difference among the three groups ( χ2=18.257, P<0.001). Among the 76 patients without adjuvant treatment, the 1-, 3- and 5-year OS rates were 94.7%, 50.0% and 34.2% in patients with non-regional lymph node metastasis, 90.9%, 36.4% and 9.1% in patients with oligo-regional lymph node metastasis, 97.4%, 18.8% and 0 in patients with multi-regional lymph node metastasis, and there was a statistically significant difference ( χ2=8.201, P=0.017). Among the 77 patients with adjuvant therapy, the 1-, 3- and 5-year OS rates were 97.7%, 66.7% and 46.7% in patients with non-regional lymph node metastasis, 96.9%, 68.8% and 53.1% in patients with oligo-regional lymph node metastasis, 93.3%, 26.7% and 6.7% in patients with multi-regional lymph node metastasis, and there was a statistically significant difference ( χ2=18.083, P<0.001). Univariate analysis showed that age ( HR=1.534, 95% CI: 1.041-2.260, P=0.030), T stage ( HR=1.757, 95% CI: 1.197-2.579, P=0.004), N stage ( HR=1.548, 95% CI: 1.043-2.297, P=0.030), TNM stage ( HR=1.392, 95% CI: 1.114-2.459, P=0.015), adjuvant therapy ( HR=0.545, 95% CI: 0.370-0.803, P=0.002) and number of lymph node metastasis areas (multi-regional lymph node metastasis versus non-regional lymph node metastasis: HR=0.385, 95% CI: 0.238-0.624, P<0.001; multi-regional lymph node metastasis versus oligo-regional lymph node metastasis: HR=0.442, 95% CI: 0.269-0.726, P=0.001) were closely related to OS in patients with ESCC after operation. Multivariate analysis showed that T stage ( HR=1.699, 95% CI: 1.143-2.525, P=0.009), adjuvant therapy ( HR=0.577, 95% CI: 0.386-0.864, P=0.008) and number of lymph node metastasis areas (multi-regional lymph node metastasis versus non-regional lymph node metastasis: HR=0.553, 95% CI: 0.411-0.996, P=0.011; multi-regional lymph node metastasis versus oligo-regional lymph node metastasis: HR=0.550, 95% CI: 0.328-0.924, P=0.024) were independent prognostic factors for OS. The number of lymph node metastasis areas (AUC=0.648, 95% CI: 0.560-0.735, P=0.004) was better than the number of lymph node metastasis (AUC=0.595, 95% CI: 0.497-0.694, P=0.061) in predicting OS of patients with ESCC after radical surgery. Conclusion:The number of postoperative pathological lymph node metastasis areas in thoracic ESCC has important value in predicting survival prognosis, and adjuvant therapy can significantly improve the OS of patients with oligo-regional lymph node metastasis.
ABSTRACT
Objective To effectively use the clinical data generated in daily operation and to realize information networking based on the existing resources of radiotherapy department. To improve quality management efficiency in radiotherapy process. Methods The radiotherapy process and required documents were analyzed. The reporting tool Microsoft Report Builder, which is based on SQL database, was applied to design the patient documents by extracting and analyzing a large number of data generated by Aria, the existing network of our radiotherapy department. PDCA Tools was used to analyze the weak links in the process. Reports with quantitative indices have been designed according to corresponding countermeasures, so as to improve quality control level of the process. Results More than one thousand patients were treated in our department since 2020. All patient documents of radiotherapy can be archived and inquired online after registration only once. 13 daily statistical reports, 5 quarters and 3 annual reports were scheduled according to practical demands. The waiting time before radiotherapy was shortened from 16.2 days to 14.8 days after operating the reporting system 3 months later. The staff could master the treatment progress of patients easily and patients who interrupted the treatment were found in time. Conclusion The reporting tools can realize patient information extraction and networked management effectively in radiotherapy process. Staff efficiency of personnel work and communication was improved. The resource allocation was optimized according to the report data in real time, improving the efficiency and quality of radiotherapy. This method is generally applicable and practical to radiotherapy department.
ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the prognostic value of TCBI in middle-aged and elderly patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) who received radiotherapy.Methods:The clinical data of 191 patients with thoracic ESCC who underwent radiotherapy in the department of Radiation Oncology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2010 to December 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the TCBI value on admission [TCBI=serum triglyceride (mg/dl) × total cholesterol (mg/dl) × body weight (kg)/1 000], patients were divided into TCBI low-value group ( n=79) and TCBI high-value group ( n=112). The relationships between TCBI and clinicopathological characteristics of patients were analyzed. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the overall survival (OS). The log-rank test was adopted to compare the differences in survival between different groups. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to analyze the factors affecting the prognosis of middle-aged and elderly patients with thoracic ESCC. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was applied to verify the accuracy of TCBI for survival prediction. Results:The mean pre-radiotherapy TCBI was 1 082±945 in all patients. The cutoff value of the TCBI was 749. The patients with TCBI<749 served as the TCBI low-value group , and patients with TCBI≥749 served as the TCBI high-value group. TCBI was associated with treatment ( χ2=4.235, P=0.040) and geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI, χ2=8.795, P=0.003). Univariate analysis suggested that male ( HR=2.220, 95% CI: 1.223-4.030, P=0.009), stage N 1-3 ( HR=1.453, 95% CI: 1.023-2.065, P=0.037), GNRI<98 ( HR=1.949, 95% CI: 1.168-3.255, P=0.011) and TCBI<749 ( HR=1.846, 95% CI: 1.298-2.627, P=0.001) were risk factors affecting OS in middle-aged and elderly patients with thoracic ESCC. Besides, postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy ( HR=0.641, 95% CI: 0.449-0.915, P=0.014) was a protective factor. Furthermore, multivariate analysis showed that male ( HR=2.147, 95% CI: 1.173-3.929, P=0.013) and TCBI<749 ( HR=1.664, 95% CI: 1.166-2.376, P=0.005) were independent risk factors for OS. Besides, postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy ( HR=0.630, 95% CI: 0.439-0.903, P=0.012) was an independent protective factor. The area under the curve calculated by the ROC curve was 0.619, the sensitivity was 0.742, and the specificity was 0.496 ( P=0.007), confirming the role of TCBI in the prognostic evaluation. Survival analysis showed that the median OS of patients in the TCBI high-value group was 42 months, and the 1-year and 3-year survival rates were 86.6% and 52.7%, significantly higher than those in the TCBI low-value group (20 months, 68.4% and 29.1% respectively; χ2=12.286, P<0.001). Subgroup analysis showed that among patients with radical radiotherapy, 3-year survival rate in patients with lower TCBI ( n=37) was lower than that in patients with higher values ( n=36) (21.6% vs. 44.4%, χ2=8.505, P=0.004). Conclusion:TCBI is a predictor of OS for middle-aged and elderly patients with thoracic ESCC who received radiotherapy. The lower the TCBI, the poorer the survival prognosis.
ABSTRACT
Objective:To validate the feasibility of a deep learning-based clinical target volume (CTV) auto-segmentation algorithm for cervical cancer in clinical settings.Methods:CT data sets from 535 cervical cancer patients were collected. CTVs were delineated according to RTOG and JCOG guidelines, reviewed by experts, and then used as reference contours for training (definitive 177, post-operative 302) and test (definitive 23, post-operative 33). Four definitive and 6 post-operative cases were randomly selected from the testing cohort to be manually delineated by junior, intermediate, senior doctors, respectively. Dice coefficient (DSC), mean surface distance (MSD) and Hausdorff distance (HD) were used for test and comparison between auto-segmentation and RO delineation. Meantime, auto-segmentation time and manual delineation time were recorded.Results:Auto-segmentation models of dCTV 1, dCTV 2 and pCTV 1 were trained with VB-Net and showed good agreement with reference contours in the testing cohorts (DSC, 0.88, 0.70, 0.86 mm; MSD, 1.32, 2.42, 1.15 mm; HD, 21.6, 22.4, 20.8 mm). For dCTV 1, the difference between auto-segmentation and all three groups of doctors was not significant ( P>0.05). For dCTV 2 and pCTV 1, auto-segmentation was better than the junior and intermediate doctors (both P<0.05). Auto-segmentation time consumption was considerably shorter than that of manual delineation. Conclusions:Deep learning-based CTV auto-segmentation algorithm for cervical cancer achieves comparable accuracy to manual delineation of senior doctors. Clinical application of the algorithm can contribute to shortening doctors′ manual delineation time and improving clinical efficiency. Furthermore, it may serve as a guide for junior doctors to improve the consistency and accuracy of cervical cancer CTV delineation in clinical practice.
ABSTRACT
The standard treatments of glioblastoma include surgery,postoperative radiotherapy and concurrent and adjuvant temozolomide-based chemotherapy.Radiotherapy is directly related to the overall survival rate.Nevertheless,the standard delineation of target volume during radiotherapy remains controversial.In this article,different standpoints upon the range of delineation of tumor volume were analyzed and the recurrence pattern of glioblastoma after radiotherapy was summarized.Besides,the technical causes of the failure to accurately delineate the tumor outline were identified.It is of significance to deliver individualized delineation of target volume by referring to the clinical and pathological characteristics of each patient.Finally,the application prospect of radiotherapy in the treatment of glioblastoma was discussed in this article,aiming to enhance the accuracy of target volume delineation during radiotherapy and maximize the clinical benefits to the patients.
ABSTRACT
Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of pre-treatment inflammatory markers on the therapeutic effect and survival outcome in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) who received chemoradiotherapy (CRT) or radiotherapy (RT) alone.Methods A total of 107 patients who were diagnosed with ESCC were retrospectively analysed.They were treated with radical radiotherapy alone or concurrent chemoradiotherapy in the Affiliated Taixing People's Hospital of Yangzhou University between January 2013 and December 2014.According to the median values of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR),platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and CRP/Alb ratio before treatment,the patients were divided into NLR＜3.06 group (54 cases) and NLR≥3.06 group (53 cases),PLR＜145.26 group (54 cases) and PLR≥ 145.26 (53 cases),CRP/Alb＜0.13 group (52 cases) and CRP/Alb≥0.13 (55 cases),respectively.The relationships between the response to treatment and these markers were analysed by univariate and multivariate logistic analyses.The Kaplan-Meier method and logrank test were adopted to calculate and compare associations of the progression-free survival (PFS) rates with these blood markers.Cox proportional hazards models were used for the univariate and multivariate analyses.Results The therapeutic effects of chemoradiotherapy,NLR＜3.06,PLR＜ 145.26 and CRP/ Alb＜ 0.13 were better than those of radiotherapy alone,NLR≥ 3.06,PLR≥ 145.26 and CRP/Alb ≥ 0.13,respectively,and the differences were statistically significant (HR=2.118,4.138,2.297,3.784,P＜0.05).Further analysis showed that chemoradiotherapy (HR =1.342,95％ CI 1.023 ～ 2.467,P＜ 0.05) and CRP/Alb ratio＜ 0.13 (HR =7.004,95％ CI 2.088 ～ 23.496,P＜0.05) were independent risk factors for good tumour response.In addition,TNM stage,treatment modality,NLR,PLR and CRP/Alb ratio were significantly associated with PFS by the univariate analysis (P＜0.05 for all).Furthermore,the multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression model analysis showed that only TNM stage (HR =1.326,95％ CI 1.070-1.833 P＜0.05),treatment modality (HR =0.400,95％ CI 0.230-0.694,P＜0.05) and CRP/Alb ratio (HR=3.518,95％ CI 1.975-6.266,P＜ 0.05) were considered independent prognostic factors for PFS.And according to TNM staging and treatment subgroup analysis,CRP/Alb＜0.13 had better progression-free survival time than CRP/Alb≥ 0.13 ESCC patients.Finally,the ROC curve also confirmed that CRP/Alb was superior to NLR and PLR in predicting short-term efficacy and progression-free survival in ESCC patients receiving chemoradiotherapy.Conclusions Our study demonstrated that CRP/Alb ratio was promising as a predictive marker for the therapeutic effect and survival outcome in ESCC patients receiving CRT or RT alone.
ABSTRACT
Objective@#To evaluate preoperative nutritional status and inflammatory status by Nutritional Risk Screening-2002 (NRS-2002) and hematologic inflammatory markers in patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), and to explore their effects on long-term survival prognosis.@*Methods@#A total of 113 patients with thoracic ESCC treated by radical resection were grouped for further analysis according to preoperative NRS-2002 score, systemic inflammation score (SIS) and the combination of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (CNP) score. The progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) between groups were compared. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to determine the independent prognostic factors of patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and the interaction analysis of statistically significant factors was carried out.@*Results@#The median PFS was 21 months for all the patients. The 1-year, 3-year and 5-year PFS rates were 69.0%, 25.7% and 23.1%, respectively. Correspondingly, the median OS was 36 months, and the 1-year, 3-year and 5-year OS rates were 95.6%, 46.2% and 29.2%, respectively. Cox univariate analysis showed that T stage, N stage, TNM stage, SIS, CNP score and NRS-2002 score were significantly associated with PFS and OS (all P<0.05), and sex was associated with PFS (P=0.032) in patients with thoracic ESCC. Furthermore, cox multivariate analysis showed that TNM stage (HR=1.570, P=0.039), NRS-2002 score (HR=2.706, P<0.001) and CNP score (HR=1.463, P=0.011) were independent prognosis factors of PFS in patients with thoracic ESCC. In cox model interaction analysis, there was a positive interaction between NRS-2002 score and CNP score (RR=2.789, P<0.001).@*Conclusion@#Preoperative NRS-2002 score combined with CNP score are risk factors for prognosis of patients with thoracic ESCC, which can be used as prognostic indicators.
ABSTRACT
Objective To compare the prognostic factors and adverse effects of elderly patients with esophageal cancer between radiotherapy alone and concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Methods A total of 479 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma aged 70 years or older were analyzed retrospectively at our institute, from January 2008 to December 2017. The patients were divided into radiotherapy alone group ( 359 cases ) and concurrent chemoradiotherapy group ( 120 cases ) . After Propensity Score Matching ( PSM) , data from matched patients with 102 cases in each group was analyzed. The overall survival (OS) rates, the prognostic factors and adverse effects were assessed. Results The 1, 3, 5-year of OS in radiotherapy alone group after PSM were 77. 4％, 40. 1％, 22. 7％, respectively, and median overall survival time (mOS) was 26. 9 months (95％ CI:18. 7 - 35. 2 months). The chemoradiotherapy group after PSM were 79. 5％, 47. 6％, 35. 7％ and 35. 6 months (95％ CI:23. 2-48.0 months), respectively, while there was no significant difference between the groups (P >0. 05). Subgroup analysis showed that the 1, 3, 5-year of OS and mOS of the patients aged 70 -75 years in radiotherapy alone group were 79. 4％, 41. 0％, 26. 2％ and 29. 2 months, respectively. The patients aged 70-75 years in chemoradiotherapy group were 86. 5％, 56. 1％, 47. 6％ and 48. 9 months, respectively. There was statistically significance between the groups after PSM(χ2 =4. 746, P<0. 05). The univariate prognostic analysis showed that the age, T stage, N stage, clinical stage, short-term efficacy and performance status were influencing factors for OS (χ2 =6. 714-42. 900, P<0. 05). The clinical stage and short-term efficacy were independent prognostic factors for OS (χ2 =5. 007 -9. 181, P<0. 05). In addition , the risk of non-tumor related death of the patients aged 75 years or older in the chemoradiotherapy group was higher than those in the radiotherapy alone group(χ2 =5. 630, P<0. 05). The prevalence of toxicities (≥grade 3) including bone marrow suppression, radiation esophagitis and radiation pneumonia in the chemoradiotherapy group were higher than that in the radiotherapy alone group (χ2 =4. 701 -28. 318, P<0. 05). Conclusions Concurrent chemoradiotherapy, compared with radiotherapy alone, may improve the prognosis of patients aged 70-75 years with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the feasibility and safety of integrated intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) technology applied in craniospinal irradiation in a supine position. Methods The patients were fixed in a supine position using thermoplastic mask and vacuum mat. Three isocenters with a fixed interval of 20-25 cm were adopted according to the height of patients. A total of 13 beams with a length of 2-3 cm in the overlapping region were included in the treatment plan. Fixed jaw technique was employed and overall calculation was performed by the inverse optimization method. The γ-passing rate and absolute point dose verification were performed for three isocenters and two overlapping regions. Cone-beam CT (CBCT) images were scanned for three isocenters before treatment. The setup error of each isocenter in the x,y and z directions of the same coordinate system was recorded and overall analysis was conducted. Results Among 28 patients,the γ-passing rate (%) of three isocenters and two overlapping regions was 99. 36%, 99. 60%,99. 75%,94. 77% and 95. 09%,whereas the absolute point dose verification error was 1. 56%,-1. 56%,0. 52%,-0. 76% and -1. 68%,respectively. Twenty-eight patients received 162 groups of IGRT with 486 setup errors from the CBCT images. The average deviation in the x, y and z direction for three isocenters (neck,chest and abdomen) was 0. 17 mm,0. 10 mm,0. 02 mm,0. 06 mm,0. 04 mm,0. 46 mm, 0. 19 mm, 0. 26 mm and 0. 41 mm, respectively. Conclusions The integrated IMRT techniques for craniospinal irradiation in a supine position is feasible and safe,which is worthy of clinical application.
ABSTRACT
Objective To observe the long-term prognosis and analyze the predictive factors of esophageal cancer patients treated with three-dimensional radiotherapy.Methods A total of 373 patients with esophageal squamous carcinoma who received three-dimensional radiotherapy were retrospectively enrolled in this study.Among these,231 cases received three dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) and the other 142 received intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT);202 cases received radiotherapy alone,and the other 171 received chemoradiotherapy;249 cases received involved-field irradiation(IFI),and the other 124 received elective nodal irradiation(ENI);60 cases received a total radiation dose of 50-60 Gy,and the other 313 received 60-70 Gy.Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).The Logrank single factor analysis and Cox multivariate analysis were used to evaluate predictive factors of PFS and OS.Results The 1-,3-,5-year OS and PFS were 69.4％,33.7％,22.9％ and 63.8％,32.8％,22.4％,respectively.The median OS and PFS were 22.7 months (95％ CI 18.6-25.4 months) and 19.2 months (95％ CI 16.7-21.3 months) respectively.Univariate analysis showed that age,gender,tumor location,three-dimensional technology (3D-CRT vs.IMRT),chemotherapy,prophylactic irradiation to lymphatic drainage area and irradiation dose did not influence OS and PFS (P ＞ 0.05).T-stage,N-stage,TNM-stage and gross tumor volume (GTV) were significantly correlated to OS and PFS (x2 =5.836-14.526,P ＜ 0.05).The multivariate analysis showed that N-stage and GTV were independent predictive factors of OS and PFS (x2 =5.345-12.216,P ＜0.05).The OS and PFS of patients with two fields of lymph node metastases were worse than those with only one lymph node field metastasis (x2 =4.467,4.169,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions The long-term efficacy for esophageal cancer patients could be significantly improved through 3D-CRT technology.N-stage and tumor volume were independent prognostic factors of OS and DFS.The number of lymph node metastasis field is significantly related to prognosis.