Hypofractionated (2.75 Gy per fraction) versus Conventionally Fractionated Primary Radiotherapy for T2N0M0 Carcinoma of the Glottis

Abstract Introduction Radiotherapy provides excellent outcome in early stage glottic cancer; however, the optimal radiotherapy dose fractionation remains unknown. Objective To investigate the outcome of patients with T2N0M0 treated with either hypofractionated (HypoFxn) or conventionally fractionated radical (ConFxn) radiotherapy. Methods According to our institutional protocol, patients with T2N0M0 glottic cancer can be treated either with ConfFxn or HypoFxn radiotherapy, as per clinician's and patient's choice, following shared decision making discussing the advantages and disadvantages of both modalities. A total of 77 patients with T2N0M0 squamous cell carcinoma of glottis treated with either HypoFxn 55Gy in 20 fractions (n = 19) or ConFxn 63 to 65Gy in 30 fractions (n = 58) were included. Results With median follow-up of 3.4 years, there was no significant difference in disease-free survival (median: HypoFxn = 65.2 months, and ConFxn = 75.3 months; p = 0.874), local recurrence free survival rates (median: HypoFxn = 78.8 months vs. ConFxn = 81.2 months; p = 0.274), and overall survival (median: HypoFxn = 65.9 months vs. ConFxn = 67.7 months; p = 0.532). Elective neck irradiation was given to 43 patients, all in the ConFxn group, and this was associated with poorer local control (p = 0.027). The use of radiotherapy modality, three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DRT) versus intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), was not a prognostic factor (p = 0.36). In the HypoFxn group, grade III acute dysphagia requiring nasogastric tube was 16%, compared with 25% in the ConFxn group (p = 0.446). Conclusion HypoFxn radiotherapy provides a comparable treatment outcome with acceptable toxicity. The addition of prophylactic irradiation of the neck lymph nodes has no impact on regional control.

Efficacy and safety of image-guided hypofractionated intensity-modulated radiotherapy combined with contralateral esophageal protection in treatment of unresectable stage Ⅲ non-small cell lung cancer / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective:To explore the efficacy and adverse reactions of image-guided hypofractionated intensity-modulated radiotherapy (Ig-HypoRT) conbined with contralateral esophageal protection in treatment of patients with unresectable stage Ⅲ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Methods:The clinical data of 45 patients with unresectable stage Ⅲ NSCLC who were admitted to Xuzhou Cancer Hospital from January 2016 to January 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients received induction chemotherapy with a platinum-based dual-drug combination regimen, followed by Ig-HypoRT with a total dose of tumor of 60-63 Gy/12- 18 times at 3.5-5.0 Gy/time. Contralateral esophagus was delineated as an organ at risk during radiotherapy, limiting V 45 Gy≤1.8 cc and V 55 Gy ≤0.4 cc. Patients' efficacy, survival and the occurrence of adverse reactions were observed. Results:Among 45 patients, there were 9 cases of complete remission, 31 cases of partial remission, 4 cases of stable disease and 1 case of disease progression, and the effective rate was 88.8% (40/45). The median follow-up time was 34 months, 45 patients had a median overall survival (OS) time of 25.0 months (95% CI 21.7-28.8 months), with 1-, 2-, and 3-year OS rates of 78.9%, 56.8% and 47.7%, respectively; the median progression-free survival (PFS) time was 18.5 months (95% CI 15.0-22.0 months), with 1-, 2- and 3-year PFS rates of 59.8%, 32.6% and 18.6%, respectively. The 3-year local recurrence rate was 9% (4/45). The incidence of grade 1-2 radioactive esophagitis was 80% (36/45); the incidence of grade 1-2 chest pain was 20% (9/45). The incidence of grade 3-4 adverse reactions were 13% (6/45), including 7% (3/45) of grade 3 pulmonary atelectasis, 4% (2/45) of grade 3 radioactive pneumonia, and 2% (1/45) of grade 4 hemoptysis. Conclusions:Ig-HypoRT combined with contralateral esophageal protection for unresectable stage Ⅲ NSCLC can improve survival rate and reduce esophageal adverse reactions of patients.

Progress of research on adjuvant radiotherapy for breast cancer / 中国辐射卫生

@#Breast cancer is the most common malignancy and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the world. Breast cancer is a global health problem that poses a heavy burden on patients and their families as well as socioeconomic development. As an important component in the management of breast cancer, radiotherapy plays a vital role in its comprehensive treatment. This review describes advances made toward the application of adjuvant radiotherapy in the treatment of breast cancer.

Clinical Efficiency and Safety of Hypofractionated Thoracic Radiotherapy Combined with EP Chemotherapy on Patients with Limited-stage Small-cell Lung Cancer / 肿瘤防治研究

Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of hypofractionated thoracic radiotherapy combined with EP chemotherapy in the treatment of limited-stage small-cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC). Methods A total of 117 patients with LS-SCLC were enrolled and randomly divided into test group (n=59) and control group (n=58). Patients in the experiment group were given hypofractionated thoracic radiotherapy combined with EP chemotherapy, while patients in the control group were given hyperfractionation radiotherapy combined with EP chemotherapy. Objective response rate (ORR), 2-year overall survival (OS), 2-year progression free survival (PFS), and immune cell level were used to evaluate clinical efficacy. We compared the incidence of side effects between the two groups. Results After the treatment, the ORR of patients in the test group was higher than that in the control group (P > 0.05). The mean OS and PFS of patients in the test group were significantly longer than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The levels of CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+, and NK cells in the test group were significantly higher, whereas the levels of CD8+ were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The incidence of radiation pneumonitis, radiation esophagitis, and severe dermatitis in the test group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion Hypofractionated radiotherapy combined with EP chemotherapy for treatment of LS-SCLC can effectively improve the anticancer efficacy and patient survival, reduce the damage to the body's immune function, and alleviate adverse reaction of radiotherapy.

Accuracy of optical surface-guided hypo-fractionated radiotherapy for intracranial metastasis with open face mask immobilization / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To investigate the feasibility of surface-guided hypo-fractionated radiotherapy for intracranial metastasis with open face mask immobilization.Methods:Nineteen patients treated with hypo- fractionated radiotherapy for intracranial metastasis in our hospital were included. Before the start of treatment, each patient underwent simulation with open face mask immobilization. During the treatment, cone-beam CT(CBCT)images were collected for verification each time. Laser-guided positioning was used for the first time in the treatment, and surface images were captured after six-dimensional position correction as the reference images for subsequent treatment. Subsequent treatment was randomly divided into laser-guided positioning group(LG, 85/F)and optical surface-guided positioning group(SG, 101/F). The six-dimensional error data of patients with two positioning methods were compared and expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Meanwhile, the correlation and consistency between the optical surface error data and the gold standard CBCT error data were compared in the laser-guided fraction. GraphPad Prism 6.0 software was used for data processing and mapping, and SPSS 21.software was used for mean analysis and normality test. Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation, and Bland-Altman plot analysis was used to test the coincidence between two methods.Results:Compared with the laser-guided positioning, the 3D error of optical surface-guided positioning was reduced from(0.35±0.16)cm to(0.14±0.07)cm. The Pearson coefficient of correlation along all three directions was less than 0.01,R 2 was 0.91,0.70 and 0.78 on Lat, Lng and Vrt, and R 2 was 0.75,0.85 and 0.77 on Pitch, Roll and Rtn(all P<0.01), respectively. The measurement results of two methods were positively correlated. The Bland-Altman plot analysis showed that the 95% limits of agreement were within preset 3 mm tolerance([-0.29 cm, 0.19 cm], [-0.25 cm, 0.25 cm], [-0.27 cm, 0.19 cm]), and the 95% limits of agreement were within preset 3° tolerance(Pitch[-1.76°,1.76°], Roll[-1.54°,1.60°], ROT[-2.18°,1.69°]), indicating agreement between two methods. Conclusions:The optical surface-guided positioning can reduce the setup errors in the hypo-fractionated radiotherapy for intracranial metastasis with open face mask immobilization. The optical surface error and CBCT error have good correlation and agreement.

Effect of HFRT and CFRT on peripheral blood lymphocytes in patients with breast cancer / 中国辐射卫生

Objective To investigate the effect of different fractionated radiotherapy of hypofractionated radiotherapy (HFRT) and conventional fractionated radiotherapy (CFRT) on peripheral blood lymphocytes in patients with breast cancer. Methods This retrospective analysis enrolled 40 patients with early breast cancer who underwent radiotherapy post breast conserving surgery in Xuzhou Central Hospital from November 2019 to August 2021. The patients were randomly divided into the observation group (HFRT, n = 20) and the control group (CFRT, n = 20). Changes in peripheral blood lymphocyte count (PLC) before and during radiotherapy were compared between the two groups. Results The baseline PLC was comparable between the observation group and the control group (1.53 ± 0.54 vs 1.64 ± 0.56, P > 0.05). In both groups, the PLC declined steadily during radiotherapy, and the incidence of lymphopenia in the observation group was lower than that in the control group (32.5% vs 50.0%, P > 0.05); the PLC nadir was higher in the observation group than in the control group (0.91 ± 0.28 vs 0.55 ± 0.22, P < 0.001). The ratio of the PLC nadir during treatment to baseline was significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group (0.64 ± 0.24 vs 0.38 ± 0.21, P < 0.05). Conclusion Patients with breast cancer receiving HFRT show a lower risk of radiation-induced lymphopenia versus those receiving CFRT.

Feasibility and safety of simultaneous integrated boost in volumetric modulated arc therapy for early breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective:To investigate the feasibility and adverse reactions of simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) in volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for early breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery.Methods:A total of 67 patients with early breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery at Zhongshan People's Hospital from September 2019 to May 2021 were enrolled. All patients received VMAT-SIB to the whole breast and tumor bed. The total breast dose and tumor bed dose were 40.5Gy/15 times every 3 weeks and 48 Gy/15 every 3 weeks respectively. The exposure dose of organs at risk and acute adverse reactions of radiotherapy were evaluated.Results:The average doses of planning target volume of the whole brease (PTV WB) and planning target volume of the boost(PTV BOOST) were (42.0±2.1) Gy and (49.9±0.8) Gy, respectively. The V 95% and V 105% of PTV WB and PTV BOOST were (98.8±1.2)% and (31.4±11.3)%, (99.8±0.6)% and (22.9±10.2)%, respectively. The V 5Gy, V 20Gy, V 30Gy and mean dose (D mean) of ipsilateral lung were (52.4±12.0)%, (15.3±4.5)%, (6.7±2.2)% and (11.0±2.4) Gy respectively. The V 18Gy, V 40Gy and D mean of heart were 3.80% (0.48%,9.60%), 0 (0,0.16%) and (6.7±2.1) Gy respectively. At the end of radiotherapy, 19 patients (29%) of all 67 patients had no acute skin toxicity, 41 patients (61%) showed radiation erythema, 5 patients (7%) had radioactive dry peeling and 2 patients (3%) had wet peeling mainly located in the nipple, areola area and breast folds. None of the patients had grade 3-4 acute skin reactions. Breast swelling and breast pain were found respectively in 9 patients (13%) and 7 patients (10%). No local recurrence or distant metastases were observed during the follow-up period. The 2-year disease-free survival rate was 100%. Conclusions:VMAT combined with SIB is feasible in the treatment of early breast cancer. The adverse reactions of radiotherapy are mild and well tolerated.

Hypofractionated radiotherapy of head and neck cancer: research progress and clinical value in COVID-19 pandemic / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Radiotherapy is an essential part of comprehensive treatment, as well as a radical treatment for head and neck cancer (HNC). The COVID-19 has continued so far, imposing a great impact on cancer care. Since conventional fractionated radiotherapy (CFRT, 2 Gy/F) requires as long as more than six weeks of treatment time, a huge challenge for epidemic control is created for both hospitals and patients. Hypofractionated radiotherapy (Hypo-RT) may be more suitable than CFRT for patients during pandemic by increasing the fraction size, thus reducing fraction number and treatment duration. Early studies have explored the application of Hypo-RT in HNC in palliative setting, which partially proved its safety and effectiveness. Recently, the efforts have been made in definitive treatment using hypofractionated regimen, as well as its combination with systemic treatment and immunotherapy. Indeed, regarding the pandemic of COVID-19, Hypo-RT has been recommended by several expert consensus in the HNC. In this review, relevant research progress was summarized and clinical implication of Hypo-RT in COVID-19 pandemic era was discussed.

Research progress on radical hypofractionated radiotherapy for prostate cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Radiotherapy is one of the important treatment strategies for localized prostate cancer. Conventional fractionated external beam radiotherapy is the standard dose-fraction regimen of radical radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer. In recent years, hypofractionated radiotherapy technique has been developed rapidly. The moderately hypofractionated radiotherapy has been considered as an alternative to conventional fractionated radiotherapy in conditional institutions. Increasing evidence has been obtained in the application of ultra-hypofractionated radiotherapy (also known as stereotactic body radiotherapy, SBRT) in patients with low-and intermediate-risk prostate cancer. However, the efficacy and safety of SBRT for high-risk prostate cancer have not been fully demonstrated. In this review, research progressess on the efficacy and safety of radical hypofractionated radiotherapy and the techniques of SBRT for prostate cancer were summarized.

Clinical efficacy of hypofractionated radiotherapy for patients with locally advanced or advanced non-small cell lung cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the survival outcome and toxicity of hypofractionated radiotherapy (45 Gy/15f) in patients with locally advanced/advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who are ineligible for conventional fractionated radiotherapy.Methods:The early efficacy, survival and toxicity of inoperable patients ( n=64) with locally advanced/advanced NSCLC patients admitted to Cancer Hospital of Tianjin Medical University from 2014 to 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Hypofractionated radiotherapy (45 Gy/15f) were performed by using intensity-modulated radiotherapy or volumetric-modulated arc therapy technologies on Pinnacle 9 planning system. Results:The median follow-up time was 26 months. The early efficacy was available in 58 patients: complete response for 2 cases (3%), partial response for 22(38%), stable disease for 28(44%) and progressive disease for 6(9%), respectively. The local control rate was 90%. The median time to progression (TTP) and the median overall survival (OS) for all patients was 8.2 months and 21.0 months, respectively. The 1-, 2-and 3-year TTP rate was 37%, 28%, 14% and the OS rate was 66%, 43% and 27%, respectively. The incidence of esophagitis was 17%( n=11), 19%( n=12) for radiation pneumonitis and 20%( n=13) for myelosuppression. No grade ≥3 esophagitis or pneumonia was found. Conclusion:Hypofractionated radiotherapy (45 Gy/15f) is efficacious and safe for patients with locally advanced/advanced NSCLC, which yields controllable adverse events.

The setup errors of thermoplastic head and shoulder molds with or without vacuum pad in HFSRT for brain metastases in the lung cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To retrospectively analyze the setup errors of thermoplastic head and shoulder molds alone or combined with vacuum pad in hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (HFSRT) for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with brain metastases.Methods:Fifty-four NSCLC patients with brain metastases who received HFSRT from 2017 to 2019 were enrolled in this study. Twenty-four patients were fixed with thermoplastic head and shoulder molds (group A), and 30 patients were fixed with thermoplastic head and shoulder molds plus vacuum pad (group B). The interfraction and intrafraction setup errors were acquired from cone-beam CT online image registration before and after the HFSRT. Optical surface system was applied in monitoring the intrafraction setup errors. The setup errors in each direction between two groups were analyzed by independent samples t-test. Results:For the interfraction setup errors of the whole group, the proportion of the horizontal setup errors of ≥3mm was 7.0% to 15.4% and 7.0% to 12.6% for the rotation setup errors of ≥2°. In group A, the anteroposterior setup error was (1.035±1.180)mm, significantly less than (1.512±0.955)mm in group B ( P=0.009). In group A, the sagittal rotation setup error was 0.665°±0.582°, significantly less than 0.921°±0.682° in group B ( P=0.021). For the intrafraction setup errors of the whole group, the proportion of horizontal setup errors of ≥1mm was 0% to 0.7%, whereas no rotation setup error of ≥1° were observed. In group B, bilateral, anteroposterior and sagittal rotation setup errors were (0.047±0.212)mm, (0.023±0.152)mm and 0.091°±0.090°, significantly less compared with (0.246±0.474)mm, (0.140±0.350)mm and 0.181°±0.210° in group A ( P=0.004, P=0.020, P=0.001), respectively. Optical surface monitoring data were consistent with the obtained results. Conclusions:Thermoplastic head and shoulder molds (with or without vacuum pad) combined with online image registration and six-dimensional robotic couch correction can be applied in HFSRT for brain metastases from NSCLC. The intrafraction setup errors in group B are smaller than those in group A. Optical surface system has certain value in monitoring the intrafractional movement.

Comparison of adverse reactions between hypofractionated radiotherapy and conventional radiotherapy after breast conserving surgery based on body membrane fenestration / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To analyze the adverse reactions, cosmetic effects and the improvement in positioning of breast cancer patients who received breast-conserving operation followed by hypofractionated radiotherapy and conventional radiotherapy based on the positioning of body membrane method with windowing method.Methods:From January 2019 to April 2020, 75 patients with breast cancer were randomly divided into two groups: hypofractionated radiotherapy (38 cases) administered with 42.4 Gy/16 fractions (2.65 Gy/fraction), and conventional group (37 cases) with 50 Gy/25 fractions (2.0 Gy/fraction). All of them were located by thermoplastic film, and the upper parts of the thermoplastic film were cut along the root of the breast. The adverse reactions, cosmetic effect and follow-up survival of the two groups were observed.Results:During the follow-up period, there was no recurrence in the two groups within 8 months. The local control rate and the survival rate of all the patients were both 100%. The total incidence of acute skin reaction in the two groups was 36.84% (14/38) in the hypofractionated group and 67.57% (25/37) in the conventional group ( χ2=7.09, P<0.05). The excellent and good rate of cosmetic effect was 89.47% (34/38) in the hypofractionated group and 78.38% (29/37) in the conventional group, but the difference was not statistically significant ( P>0.05). There were not statistically differences in the late skin reaction, leucopenia and thrombocytopenia between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Breast-conserving surgery followed by hypofractionated radiotherapy with the positioning of body membrane windowing localization method is feasible and safe. Also, it can significantly reduce the acute radiation skin reactions. But the long-term effects still need to be confirmed by long-term follow-up.

Palliative head-and-neck radiotherapy with cyclical hypofractionated radiotherapy (Quad Shot): A single-institutional experience

Background: This study aims to report on our institutional experience of palliative radiotherapy (RT) in the locally advanced head and neck by cyclical hypofractionated RT (Quad Shot) which is a short-course palliative regimen with good patient compliance, low rates of acute toxicity, and good response rates. Objectives: The objectives of the study were to review the use of the Quad Shot technique at our institution to quantify the palliative response in locally advanced head-and-neck cancer. Materials and Methods: Between April 2017 and July 2019, 45 patients with biopsy-proven squamous cell carcinoma of the head-and-neck region at the Department of Radiotherapy, Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College, Kolkata, which were deemed to be fit for palliative RT by departmental tumor board were given cyclical hypofractionated palliative RT as 14 Gy in four fractions over 2 days, twice daily, repeated every 4 weeks for a maximum of 3 cycles. Retrospective assessment was done for improvement in pain and dysphagia and also response to treatment. Results: Pain response occurred in 66.7% of the patients. The mean pain scores decreased significantly from pre- to post-treatment, 47.4 to 21.5 (P < 0.0001). The mean initial dysphagia score improved from 21.9 to 38.2 (P = 0.0002). About 60% of patients developed mucositis (≤ Grade 2), while no Grade 3 mucositis was reported. A total of 30 patients had partial response (66.67%) and 6 patients had stable disease. However, a total of nine patients had progressive disease which included those patients that were given fewer courses of Quad Shot. Conclusion: In locally advanced head-and-neck cancer patients particularly with poor performance status or elderly patients who are in dire need of some form of local therapy for symptom control and palliation, the hypofractionated palliative RT regimen (Quad Shot) offers an effective and quick treatment option which is beneficial both clinically and in logistics issue.

Reduciendo el impacto de COVID-19 sobre la radioterapia oncológica en países en desarrollo: revisión rápida y consenso de expertos / Reducing the impact of COVID-19 on radiation oncology units of developing countries: a rapid review and expert consensus

OBJETIVO: Establecer recomendaciones para la toma de decisiones de manejo en radioterapia durante la pandemia de COVID-19, adaptadas a un país con recursos de salud limitados. MÉTODOS: A través de una revisión rápida de la literatura se buscaron publicaciones que describieran medidas para reducir el riesgo de infección por COVID-19, así como también pautas de manejo para reducir la carga de trabajo en las unidades de radioterapia. Se incluyeron en el alcance de esta revisión las siguientes patologías: tumores ginecológicos, cáncer de mama, tumores gastrointestinales, tumores genitourinarios, tumores de cabeza y cuello, cáncer de piel, tumores del sistema nervioso central y linfomas. Un grupo de expertos discutió en línea los datos extraídos y redactó las recomendaciones. Mediante un método Delphi modificado, se evaluó el consenso entre 14 radio-oncólogos certificados. Se evaluó la calidad de la evidencia que sustentó las recomendaciones sobre esquemas de tratamiento. RESULTADOS: Se incluyeron un total de 57 documentos. De 25 trabajos se extrajeron las estrategias para reducir el riesgo de infección. De los restantes, se obtuvieron las recomendaciones para cada patología. Las recomendaciones están orientadas a establecer escenarios específicos donde se pueden omitir, diferir, priorizar y acortar los tratamientos. En el ítem de acortar se recomiendan esquemas de tratamiento para cada patología, priorizando los esquemas hipofraccionados cuando fue posible. CONCLUSIÓN: Se plantean estrategias para la gestión de los servicios de radioterapia con el objetivo de garantizar que los tratamientos de alta calidad para pacientes oncológicos sigan entregándose, pese a la crisis sanitaria ocasionada por COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: To generate recommendations on the management of radiotherapeutic treatments during the pandemic, adapted to a country with limited health resources. METHODS: We did a rapid review of the literature, searching for papers that describe any measures to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection, as well as management guidelines to reduce the workload, in radiotherapy units. The following conditions were included in the scope of this review: gynecological tumors, breast cancer, gastrointestinal tumors, genitourinary tumors, head and neck tumors, skin cancer, tumors of the central nervous system, and lymphomas. An expert group discussed online the extracted data and drafted the recommendations. Using a modified Delphi method, the consensus was reached among 14 certificated radio-oncologists. The quality of the evidence that supported the recommendations on treatment schedules was assessed. RESULTS: A total of 57 documents were included. Of these, 25 provided strategies to reduce the risk of infection. Recommendations for each condiction were extracted from the remaining documents. The recommendations aim to establish specific parameters where treatments can be omitted, deferred, prioritized, and shortened. Treatment schemes are recommended for each condition, prioritizing hypo-fractionated schemes whenever possible. CONCLUSIONS: We propose strategies for the management of radiotherapy services to guarantee the continuity of high-quality treatments despite the health crisis caused by COVID-19.

Conventional Radiotherapy with Hypofractionated Radiotherapy in Post-Mastectomy Breast Cancer Patients: A Prospective Comparative Study

Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy, toxicity, and feasibility of hypofractionated radiotherapy in post-mastectomybreast cancer patients compared with conventional radiotherapy.Materials and Methods: A total of 80 post-mastectomy breast cancer patients were randomized into two groups for adjuvantradiotherapy. Control group of 40 patients received conventional radiotherapy of 50 GY in 5 weeks. Study group of 40 patientsreceived hypofractionated radiotherapy of 42.72 GY in 3.1 weeks.Results: The statistical analysis of the study was performed in terms of tolerability, radiation toxicities, and feasibility of thehypofractionated radiotherapy over conventional radiotherapy. There was found to be no significant difference between thetwo groups.Conclusion: In breast cancer patients after post-mastectomy, hypofractionated radiotherapy in comparison to conventionalradiotherapy finds comparable outcomes without any significant difference in radiation-induced toxicities.

Role of hypofractionated palliative radiotherapy in patients with stage four head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma

Background: Large number of patients with head-and-neck cancer presents with factors such as advanced disease, poor general condition, and associated comorbidities due to which radical treatment is not recommended in these patients. In this scenario, the aim of the present study is to assess the role and feasibility of hypofractionated palliative radiotherapy in these patients. Subjects and Methods: This study was conducted on patients with histopathologically proven cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the head-and-neck region who were surgically unresectable. The quality of life (QOL) was assessed before and after 1 month of radiotherapy using University of Washington Quality of Life questionnaire version 4. All patients received 40 Gy in 10 fractions, twice weekly by two lateral fields covering primary and secondary disease. Response evaluation criteria in solid tumor criteria were used to assess the tumor response. Toxicity was assessed weekly using radiation therapy oncology group criteria. Results: A total of 50 patients were enrolled in this study, out of which 46 completed the planned treatment of 40 Gy in 10 fractions. Common complaints were distressing pain at the primary site (42%), neck swelling (30%), difficult in swallowing (18%), and change in voice (10%). Statistically significant improvements were observed in overall QOL (26.9 ± 9.63 to 55.65 ± 19.28) and none of them experienced Grade IV mucositis or skin toxicity. Good objective response was seen in 82.6% and 84.7% of patients at primary and nodal sites, respectively. Conclusions: This hypofractionated palliative radiotherapy regimen is a good treatment option in patients with Stage IV head-and-neck cancer, who are not fit for treatment with curative intent.

Clinical efficacy and safety of hypofractionated three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy in the treatment of recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of the hypofractionated three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy in the treatment of recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma.Methods Clinical data of 153 patients with recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma admitted to our hospital from 2008 to 2013 undergoing hypofractionated three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3 Gy for each time,5 times a week,a total dose of 51-60 Gy,17-20 times/4 weeks) were retrospectively analyzed.The short-and long-term radiation-induced injury,Karnofsky performance score (KPS),short-and long-term clinical efficacy were evaluated.Results For the short-term radiation-induced injury,the incidence of oral mucosa and fatigue significantly differed before and after treatment (both P＜0.05).Regarding the long-term radiation-induced injury,the incidence of dry mouth (95.4％) and deafness (51.0％),difficulty in opening mouth (79.1％),maxillofacial fibrosis (33.3％) and radiation-induced encephalopathy (15.0％) significantly differed before and following treatment (all P＜ 0.05).The actual long-term radiation-induced injury included dry mouth (91.5％),deafness (50.9％),difficulty in opening mouth (76.5％),maxillofacial fibrosis (32.0％) and radiation-induced encephalopathy (14.4％).The number of patients with changes in the KPS scores significantly differed between the end of treatment and 3 months after treatment (P＜0.05).The local control rates were 29.4％,68.6％,79.1％,83.7％ and 86.9％ at 1-,3-,6-,9-and 12-month after corresponding treatment,respectively.The local control rate significantly differed between 1 and 3 months,and between 3 and 6 months after treatment (both P＜0.05).The 1-,2-,3-,4-and 5-year survival rates were calculated as 96.1％,80.4％,68.5％,57.9％ and 51.1％,respectively.Conclusions Hypofractionated three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy is an efficacious and safe treatment of recurrent nasopharyngeal nasopharyngeal carcinoma,which yields relatively high short-and long-term clinical efficacy,high local control rate and well tolerance by the patients.

Preliminary clinical study on treatment of prostate cancer with Cyber-Knife / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of ultra-hypofractionated stereotactic body radiotherapy in the treatment of prostate cancer.Methods A total of 26 patients with prostate cancer treated with Cyber-Knife from May 2010 to May 2018 were analyzed retrospectively.The median age of the patients was 69 years old (range,57 to 87).Ultra-hypofractionated radiotherapy was delivered in five fractions of 7.0-7.5 Gy for a total dose of 35.0-37.5 Gy.Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) was administered in combination with the Cyber-Knife.The primary endpoints were radiation toxicity,PSA-response,local control and symptom alleviation,while the secondary endpoints were progression-free survival and overall survival.Results No graded ≥ 3 acute and late radiation toxicities occurred during follow-up.The acute toxicity of Grades 1 and 2 was 38.4％ and 19.2％,while the late toxicity of Grades 1 and 2 was 30.8％ and 3.8％,respectively.At a median follow-up of 22.44 months,for patients with localized stage,PSA level was decreased significantly after radiotherapy (Z =2.900,2.794,2.510,2.090,P＜0.05).However,there was no statistically significant difference for the metastatic group (P＞ 0.05).Conclusions Ultra-hypofractionated stereotactic body radiotherapy is a safe and effective treatment for patients with prostate cancer.

Progress of hypofractionated radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery / 中国肿瘤临床

Breast-conserving surgery plus adjuvant whole-breast irradiationmay reduce the risk of local tumors and improve living con-ditions of patients. Conventional whole-breast radiotherapy confers good tumor control and esthetic effects with lower toxicity. How-ever, treatment periods of 5-7 weeks are inconvenient for patients and may lead to the wastage of medical resources. Thus, increasing-ly more individuals tend to choose a short-term radiotherapy mode, such as hypofractionated radiotherapy or partial breast irradia-tion. Many published reports suggest that short-term radiotherapy is safe and effective, similar to conventional fractionation, with comparable tumor control and fewer side effects than noted with conventional fractionation. Therefore, in contrast to conventional whole-breast radiotherapy, short-time radiotherapy shows remarkable advantages in shortening the total treatment duration, reduc-ing medical costs, saving medical resources, and improving the quality of life of patients.

Helical tomotherapy using simultaneously integrated boost and simultaneous integrated protection technique for unresectable biliary tract cancer / 中华外科杂志

Objective@#To evaluate the safety and efficacy of helical tomotherapy using simultaneously integrated boost and simultaneous integrated protection technique in the treatment of unresectable biliary tract cancers.@*Methods@#The data of 23 patients with unresectable biliary tract cancer who received tomotherapy-based hypofractionated radiotherapy at Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Drum Tower Hospital,the Affiliated Drum Tower Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University between February 2015 and October 2017 were analyzed. There were 10 males and 13 females, aged from 40 to 85 years(median:58 years). Pathological type included intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas(n=11), gallbladder cancers(n=6),extrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas(n=6). The irradiated sites covered primary tumors and areas of local invasion,including metastatic lymph nodes which were confined to the abdominal or retroperitoneal space. Dose escalation was achieved using simultaneously integrated boost(SIB) technique, and simultaneous integrated protection(SIP)technique was used to protect gastrointestinal tracts and other adjacent organs. Cox regression modal and Kaplan-Meier analysis were used to analyze the associations between patients′ characteristics and overall survival(OS).@*Results@#The median total radiation dose was 54 Gy(range: 28-72 Gy)and median biologically effective dose(BED)was 74.4 Gy(range: 37.8-115.2 Gy).The median planning target volume(PTV)was 445.79 cm3(range:126.02-950.12 cm3). Based on the various PTV,patients received 2.4-6.0 Gy/fraction with 8-28 fractions. The local control rate was 65.2% and the median OS was 11.3 months(range:2.1-31.9 months).The most common cause of death was out-field failure and only 3 patients died of in-field failures. The longest survival was 31.9 months. BED≥70 Gy significantly improved OS,compared to BED<70 Gy(16.8 months vs.5.1 months)(HR=0.146, 95%CI:0.028-0.762, P=0.022). No patients developed grade ≥4 toxicities.@*Conclusions@#Helical tomotherapy-based hypofractionated radiotherapy is effective and well tolerated for patients with unresectable biliary tract cancer. The dose escalation with higher BED could improve the survival for such patients.