ABSTRACT
The incidence of esophageal cancer in elderly patients has been increasing each year because of the aging society. Esopha-geal cancer in elderly patients has become a common clinical disease. Because physiological hypofunction and consequent aging-or treatment-related complications are always observed in elderly patients, it is necessary to consider the applicable treatment strategy and intensity after these patients have undergone a complete evaluation. Radiotherapy is currently one of the most important treat-ment strategies for elderly patients. Here, we review the progress in the use of surgery and radiotherapy combined chemotherapy and other treatments for esophageal cancer in elderly patients.
ABSTRACT
Objective To study the appropriate neck irradiation volume for neck lymph nodenegative nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients by Meta-analysis.Methods The related references published from Jan 1990 to Jun 2013 were searched in Pubmed,Embase,Cochrane and Wangfang Databases.The qualified references for enrollment criteria were screened and the relative data were collected.The OR (Odds ratio) value by fixed effect model was used to evaluate the data for patients who received radiotherapy between the upper neck and whole neck irradiation.The endpoints including 5-year neck local control rate (LCR),neck-in-irradiation LCR,and neck-outsides-irradiation LCR.Results Five qualified references were screened and belonged to respective research.There enrolled 1 333 patients,including 970 patients who received the upper neck irradiation and 363 patients who received the whole neck irradiation,respectively.The forest plots revealed that there were no significant differences for 5-year neck LCR,neckin-irradiation LCR,and neck-outsides-irradiation LCR for patients received radiotherapy between the upper neck and whole neck irradiation.These OR values were 0.89 (95％ CI:0.41-1.94),1.29 (95％ CI:0.58-2.88) and 0.42 (95％ CI:0.07-2.36),respectively.Conclusions The Meta-analysis results suggest that irradiation to the upper neck for neck lymph node-negative nasopharyngeal carcinoma can be appropriate.
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Objective To evaluate the value of L-(methyl-11C)-labeled methionine positron emissions tomography (MET PET) and MRI in target volume delineation for postoperative radiotherapy for brain high grade glioma (HGG).Methods Thirty-seven patients with supratentorial HGG were included.Both MRI and MET PET scan were performed in the same treatment position for all patients.The consistency to determine residual tumor between MRI and MET PET was analyzed.Imaging data of MET PET and MRI were coregistered using the BrainLAB image fusion software.The extension of the volume with high uptake (VMET) on MET PET were compared quantitately with the enhancing area on MRI T1W gadolinium enhancement (VGd) and the hyperintensity area on MRI T2W (VT2).Results Both MET PET and MRI were positive for 19 patients and negative for 7 patients.The consistency between these two scans was 70.3%.MET PET was integrated with MRI in 30 patients with positive MET uptake.VMET were partially or entirely outside VGd in 29 patients and VT2 in 17 patients, whereas VGd and VT2 were partially or entirely outside VMET in all patients.The maximal distance from the margin of VMET to VGd was ≥ 2.0 cm in 50%patients and the corresponding distance of VMET to VT2 was ≥ 1.0 cm in 33% patients.Conclusions The differences are existing between MET PET and MRI in determination and identification of the location and extension of residual tumor for patients with HGG.The integration of MET PET and MRI can accurately delineate radiation target volume.