The diagnostic value of HPV detection in squamous cell carcinoma of cervical lymph node metastasis from an unknown primary site (with report of 6 cases) / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic value of HPV detection in squamous cell carcinoma of the cervical lymph node metastasis from an unknown primary site.Methods:Clinical data of 6 patients who were initially diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervical lymph node metastasis from an unknown primary site and eventually diagnosed with HPV-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma were collected, and the process of diagnosis was analyzed.Results:Upon the initial admission, all patients were diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervical lymph node metastasis with positive p16 expression, positive HPV-16 subtype and negative EBER expression. No obvious primary lesion was found after comprehensive examination. Subsequently, four of them underwent ipsilateral tonsollar blind biopsy ( n=2) and ipsilateral tonsillectomy ( n=2). All these four patients were pathologically diagnosed with tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma. For the other two cases, MRI detected the thickening complicated with enhancement of ipsilateral wall of oropharynx and tongue root after follow-up for D149 and D545 , respectively. Biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil and tongue root, respectively. Conclusion:For patients with HPV-positive squamous cell carcinoma of the cervical lymph node metastasis from an unknown primary site, the possibility that the primary lesion originates from the oropharyngeal site, especially the tonsil and tongue root, should be highly suspected.

The preliminary result of proton and carbon ion therapy for recurrent chordoma and chondrosarcoma of skull base and cervical spine / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To evaluate the short-term tumor control and toxicity of recurrent skull base and cervical spine chordoma and chondrosarcoma in patients treated with pencil beam scanning proton and heavy ion therapy.Methods:Between June 30 th, 2014 and July 30 th, 2018, a total of 45 skull base and cervical spine chordoma ( n=39) and chondrosarcoma ( n=6) patients (28 males and 17 females; mean age at initial presentation of 44 years, range, 14-76 years) were treated in our center for the course of radiotherapy. The median maximum tumor volume was 57 cm 3 (range, 6.6-231.7 cm 3). There were 31 post-operative recurrent patients and 14 post-operative and post-radiated recurrent patients. One patient received proton therapy, 21 patients received combined proton and carbon ion therapy, 23 patients received carbon ion therapy. Results:All patients completed the whole course of the treatment. The median follow-up time was 29 months (range: 8-57 months), the 2-year overall survival (OS), local control (LC), and progression-free survival (PFS) were 82.7%, 85.3%, and 73.8%, respectively. There were no other grade 3-4 acute or late radiation-induced toxicity except one grade 3 acute mucositis. The 2-year OS rates for patients after first-time radiation vs. re-irradiation were 96.2% and 50.3% ( χ2=16.969, P<0.05). Conclusions:The short-term outcomes of pencil beam scanning proton and heavy ion therapy for recurrent skull base and cervical spine chordoma and chondrosarcoma is favorable. Further study is needed for long-term efficacy and safety.

Research advances in the prevention and treatment of radiation-induced dermatitis / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Radiation-induced dermatitis (RD) is one of the most common complications induced by radiotherapy in cancer patients.The incidence and severity of RD are largely associated with the risk factors of patients.RD can severely affect the quality of life,even discontinue the treatment and reduce the tumor control rate in severe patients.Currently,randomized control trials evaluating the preventive measures for acute RD have been rarely conducted.The clinical interventions for acute RD significantly vary.In this article,the pathogenesis,risk factors,clinical manifestations,evaluation,prevention and treatment of RD were investigated.

Preliminary study of pencil beam scanning proton and carbon ion therapy for chordoma and chondrosarcoma of head and neck / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To evaluate the short-term efficacy and adverse events of pencil beam scanning proton and carbon ion therapy in the treatment of chordoma and chondrosarcoma of the head and neck.Methods Between July 2014 and July 31,2017,61 patients with chordoma and chondrosarcoma of the head and neck receiving proton and heavy ion therapy as the first course of radiotherapy were enrolled.Among them,45 patients were diagnosed with chordoma and 16 cases of chondrosarcoma,39 male and 22 female.The median age was 38 years old (range:14-70 years).The median maximum tumor diameter was 4.1 cm (range:0-8.6 cm).The clivus and the cervical spine were the primary tumor sites.Results Eight patients received proton therapy,21 patients were treated with proton combined with carbon ion therapy and 32 patients received carbon ion therapy.All patients successfully completed the planned radiotherapy.The medial follow-up time was 21 months (range:7-47 months).No grade 3-4 acute toxicity was observed.Only one patient suffered from radiation-induced temporal lobe injury.The 2-year progression-free survival (PFS)and overall survival (OS) were 91％ and 100％.Conclusions Pencil beam scanning proton and heavy ion therapy yields relatively favorable short-term outcomes in the treatment of chordoma and chondrosarcoma of the head and neck.Nevertheless,the long-term clinical efficacy and safety remain to be investigated during follow-up.

The study of re-irradiation for head and neck cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Nearly 50% patients with head and neck cancer after radiotherapy will recurrence in the previous radiation fields.Salvage surgery is the first choice of treatment.Clinical studies have shown that a small number of patients with recurrent head and neck cancer can benefit from salvage surgery plus postoperative re-irradiation or re-irradiation with or without chemotherapy or targeted therapy,and these patients can achieved tumor control and long-term survival.However, the overall efficacy is not satisfactory, and often accompanied by severe acute and late, and even fatal treatment-related toxicity.Therefore, it is necessary to give full consideration to the condition of recurrent tumor, the first radiotherapy related factors and the patient′s related status before implementation of re-irradiation.The development of radiotherapy technology and comprehensive treatment, including the clinical application of proton and heavy ion and immune therapy, provides the possibility of improving the prognosis and reducing treatment-related toxicity for these patients.

Adjuvant chemoradiotherapy for postoperative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma / 中国癌症杂志

Emerging clinical evidence revealed that postoperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) could improve the clinical outcome for resected head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in high-risk patients. The irradiation targets and doses should be determined by the primary tumor site, clinical stage, pathology reports, and the evaluation of postoperative imaging. Adjuvant concurrent CRT with cisplatin is the current standard treatment for high-risk postoperative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients. However, the effect of concurrent CRT with other chemotherapeutic agents and (or) epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibody in these patients is inconclusive. Human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal cancer has the unique biological characteristics, and the indications and treatment models of postoperative adjuvant CRT for these patients are still unclear. Further study is needed.

Long-term efficacy and adverse effects of intensity-modulated radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

[Abstra ct] Objective To investigate the long-term efficacy and adverse effects of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).Methods A total of 869 patients with biopsy-proven NPC without distant metastasis who underwent the whole course of IMRT from 2009 to 2010 were enrolled.Of all the patients, 84.8%received cisplatin-based chemotherapy.The prescribed dose to the primary lesion in the nasopharynx was 66-70Gy in 30-32 fractions, and the dose to the positive lymph nodes in the neck was 66 Gy in 30-32 fractions.The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival rates, the log-rank test was used for difference analysis and univariate prognostic analysis , and the Cox proportional hazards model was used for multivariate prognostic analysis .Rseu lts The 5-year overall survival( OS ) , local recurrence-free survival, regional recurrence-free survival, distant metastasis-free survival, and disease-free survival ( DFS ) were 84.0%, 89.7%, 94.5%, 85.6%, and 76.3%, respectively.In the patients with locally advanced NPC,concurrent chemotherapy tended to reduce distant metastasis (83.6%vs.75.7%, P=0.050) and improve OS (82.6%vs.77.0 %, P=0.082).Induction chemotherapy tended to improve OS ( 80.7% vs.71.4%, P=0.057 ) , and the induction chemotherapy containing docetaxel or gemcitabine tended to improve OS (83.3%vs.72.2%, P=0.058).The patients who received a boost after the initial radiotherapy had a significantly lower DFS rate than those who did not (52.2%vs.71.1%, P=0.004).The concurrent chemotherapy increased the incidence rates of long-term xerostomia and trismus, while a high dose of cisplatin increased the incidence rates of xerostomia and hearing impairment.Conclusions IMRT for NPC provides satisfactory long-term efficacy.Concurrent chemotherapy combined with IMRT tends to reduce the incidence of distant metastasis, and other values need further investigation.The boost therapy after radiotherapy may be associated with poor prognosis.Chemotherapy increases the incidence of long-term toxicities.

Research advances in prevention and treatment of cerebral radiation necrosis / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Cerebral radiation necrosis (CRN) is a serious complication of radiotherapy for intracranial tumors and skull base tumors.Since there lacked effective therapeutic methods in the past,CRN was once considered to be progressive and irreversible.With the development of histopathology and neuroimaging,the development and progression of CRN is gradually clarified,and new therapeutic methods have been developed.In recent years,the scholars at home and abroad have tried to use bevacizumab (a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting vascular endothelial growth factor),nerve growth factor,and ganglioside in the treatment of CRN and have achieved definite therapeutic effects.In some patients,cerebral necrosis was even repaired and reversed.This article reviews the incidence,pathophysiology,treatment,and prognosis of CRN.

Patterns and prognostic value of lymph node metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma based on 2013 updated consensus guidelines of neck node levels / 中国癌症杂志

Background and purpose:In 2013, the ofifcial journal of European Society of Radiotherapy &Oncology (ESTRO) -Radiotherapy & Oncology published the updated version of Consensus Guidelines of Delineation of the neck node levels for head and neck tumors, which contributed to the standardization of description of neck nodal metastasis, as well as reduction of treatment variations from various institutions. This study applied this updated guidelines to analyze the patterns of lymph node metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and explore the prognostic value of the radiologic characteristics of nodes, in order to provide evidence for future revision of N staging system. Methods:A total of 656 patients from Jan. 2009 to Dec. 2010 were retrospectively recruited to analysis. All were pathologically diagnosed as non-metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma, treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy. All patients received a pretreatment MRI scan. We retrospectively reviewed the MRI imaging of 656 patients and mapped the lymph node metastasis using the 2013 International Consensus Guidelines.Results:Median follow-up was 46.9 months. Four-year local recurrence-free survival, nodal recurrence-free survival, distant metastasis-free survival, disease-free survival and overall survival was 91.3%, 95.1%, 87.7%, 78.5% and 92.8%, respectively. The most common metastatic node levels were levelⅡ (76.2%) and levelⅦa (65.1%), followed by levelⅢ (50.4%),Ⅴa(17.5%) andⅣa (11.7%). There was a very low incidence of node skipping (1.0%). Cervical nodal necrosis was observed in 46.4%of patients with positive nodes and extracapsular spread was noted in 74.4% of them. Univariate analysis showed that bilateral nodal involvement, greatest dimension of positive nodes (≥6 cm), central nodal necrosis, T stage and N stage were prognostic factors for disease-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival (P<0.05). Extracapsular spread showed a trend to correlate with poor distant metastasis-free survival (P=0.060). The involvement of lower neck levels (below the caudal border of cricoid cartilage) did not have a signiifcant impact on disease-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival. In multivariate analysis, T stage and greatest dimension of nodes (≥6 cm) were independent prognostic factors for distant metastasis-free survival (P<0.05). T stage, greatest dimension of nodes (≥6 cm) and central nodal necrosis were independent prognostic factors of disease-free survival (P<0.05).Conclusion:This study demonstrates the patterns of lymph node metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma based on 2013 International Consensus Guidelines. Bilateral nodal involvement, greatest dimension of positive nodes and central nodal necrosis had prognostic values on disease-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival. In our study, the involvement of lower neck levels was not proved to be a prognostic factor for disease-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival.

An analysis of efficacy of intensity-modulated radiotherapy with concurrent chemotherapy for stage T1-2 N1 nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To retrospectively analyze the efficacy and toxicity of intensity?modulated radiotherapy ( IMRT) alone and IMRT with concurrent chemotherapy ( CRT) in the treatment of early?stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma ( NPC) using pairwise group comparison. Methods A total of 98 patients with stage T1?2N1M0 NPC were treated with IMRT alone or CRT from 2009 to 2010, and 39 pairs out of them were selected for comparison of efficacy and toxicity. The survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan?Meier method and analyzed using the log?rank test. Results The 3?year follow?up rate was 95%. There were no significant differences in the 3?year overall survival ( OS ) , progression?free survival ( PFS ) , local recurrence?free survival ( LRFS ) , and distant metastasis?free survival ( DMFS ) rates between the IMRT alone group and the CRT group ( 97% vs. 95%, P=0?411;97% vs. 92%, P=0?301;97% vs. 97%, P=0?606;100% vs. 92%, P=0?082) . The incidence rates of leucopenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia were significantly higher in the CRT group than in the IMRT alone group ( P=0?000;P=0?000;P=0?000 ) . There were no significant differences in the incidence rates of grade 3 oral mucositis and hearing loss between the IMRT alone group and the CRT group ( 26% vs. 23%, P= 0?093;41% vs. 62%, P= 0?100 ) . Conclusions CRT fails to increase the OS, PFS, and LRFS rates and reduce the DMFS rate in patients with stage T1?2 N1 NPC. Moreover, CRT results in higher incidence rates of hematotoxicity, grade 3 mucositis, and hearing loss than IMRT alone.

The role of transoralsonography guiding fine-needle aspiration biopsy in the diagnosis of retropharyngeal or parapharyngeal masses identified on the images of treated patients with malignant carcinoma / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To investigate the role of transoralsonography guiding fine?needle aspiration biopsy in the diagnosis of retropharyngeal or parapharyngeal masses identified on the CT, MRI or PET?CT images of treated patients with malignant carcinoma. Methods From 2002 to 2013,this study recruited fifty?five patients with a history of cancer, of which 50 were treated with radiation treatment, including 46 nasopharyngeal carcinoma, 3 esophagus squamous cell carcinoma and1 lung apex carcinoma. There were 4 patients with a history of 1 thyroid papillary carcinoma, 1 buccal mucosa squamous cell carcinoma,1 glottis squamous cell carcinoma and 1 sigmoid colon adenocarcinoma treated with surgery. The rest one patient with nasal olfactory neuroblastoma was treated by postoperative radiation. The enlarged retropharyngeal lymph nodes in 44 cases and parapharyngeal masses in 10 cases were identified on CT or MRI imges. The enlarged retropharyngeal lymph node in the rest case was identified on PET?CT. With transoral ultrasound examination, all lesions were with hypo?intensity echo. Cystic areas were noted on occasion. Biopsy was performed in all cases. Results After cytology examination, carcinoma cells were detected in 37 retropharyngeal lymph nodes, with a detection rate of 82% (37/ 45). In the 10 parapharyngeal masses, carcinoma cells were detected in 3 lesions, with a detection rate of 30%. Conclusions Transor alsonography guiding fine?needle aspiration biopsy can be useful in the cytopathology diagnosis of retropharyngeal or parapharyngeal masses identified on the CT, MRI or PET?CT images of treated patients with malignant carcinoma,which facilitates, early diagnosis and treatment for patients.

Nasal endoscope, MRI, and ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration in the diagnosis of primary head and neck tumor / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the role of multiple diagnostic methods in the head and neck tumor.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and ninety-six patients without definite pathological diagnosis referred from other hospitals were included in this retrospective study. All patients had a biopsy or fine needle aspiration (FNA) of the suspected region after detailed medical history enquiry, physical examination and imaging examination.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All patients had ultrasound-guided FNA except 4 patients who had direct FNA. One hundred and seventy-one patients (87.2%) were confirmed to have tumor cells by pathological diagnosis, among them, 31 patients by biopsy of primary region alone, 106 by FNA, and 34 by both. The positive rate of FNA was 71.4% (140/196) for the whole group, 71.1% (123/173), 66.7% (10/15) and 87.5% (7/8) for retropharyngeal lymph node subgroup, parapharyngeal space subgroup and oropharynx subgroup.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The combined use of endoscope, MRI, and ultrasound-guided FNA is useful for the diagnosis of head and neck tumor.</p>

Recent advances in cancer-associated circulating cell-free nucleic acids / 中国癌症杂志

Circulating cell-free nucleic acids are defined as extracellular DNAs or RNAs in blood with physiological or pathological origins. Previous studies showed that the concentration of cell-free nucleic acids in the blood of cancer patients is significantly higher than in healthy people. Further studies showed that the genetic and epigenetic alterations of circulating cell-free nucleic acids are relevant to cancer development and progression, including mutation, hypermethylation, loss of heterozygosity, change of integrity, and abnormal expression of microRNAs. Detection of circulating cell-free nucleic acids shows promising potential in cancer screening, diagnosis, personalized treatment, and prognosis.

Comparison of set-up errors detected by EPID and CBCT using two different immobilization ;techniques for patients with nasopharygeal carcinoma / 中国癌症杂志

Background and purpose: With the development of therapy equipments and technology, the treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC) has entered into the era of precision radiotherapy, and setup errors have become a very important factor affecting treatment effects. The purpose of this study was to analyze the set-up errors detected by the kilovoltage cone beam CT(EPID) and the megavoltage electronic portal imaging device(CBCT) using 2 kinds of different immobilization techniques (pillow+head neck shoulder mask and vacuum bag+head neck shoulder mask) for NPC patients. Methods:A total number of 40 NPC patients were randomly assigned into 2 groups (pillow+head neck shoulder mask group and vacuum bag+neck shoulder mask group). Then each group was further divided into CBCT scan group and EPID group for veriifcation before treatment delivery. We matched the EPID images with the DRRs and acquired the set-up errors in x, y, z axis. Setup errors of CBCT were calculated according to its matched and planned CT images in left-right (x), superior-inferior (y) and anterior-posterior (z) directions. Paired t-test was used to evaluate the differences. Results:In the pillow+head neck shoulder mask group, the set-up errors of CBCT in the x, y, z axis were x (0.67±2.01)mm, y (0.51±1.71)mm and z (0.57±2.04)mm, respectively. The errors of EPID were x (0.69±2.19)mm, y (0.54±2.03)mm and z (0.61±2.11)mm. In the vacuum bag+head neck shoulder mask group, the set-up errors of CBCT in the x, y, z axis were x (0.42±1.81)mm, y (0.33±1.55)mm and z (0.50±1.75)mm, respectively. The errors of EPID were x (0.44±1.87)mm, y (0.43±1.70)mm and z (0.54±1.77)mm. The vacuum bag+head neck shoulder mask ifxed technique was more accurate when compared to the pillow + head neck shoulder mask ifxation method (P<0.05). Conclusion:CBCT and EPID were similar in detecting set-up errors for the NPC patients. However, the vacuum bag+neck shoulder mask ifxed technique was more accurate when compared to the pillow+head neck shoulder mask ifxation method.

The role of 99mTc-MIBI SPECT/CT in predicting response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel-based regimen for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 中国癌症杂志

Background and purpose:Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel was gaining more attention in the treatment for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The prediction of the sensitivity to neoadjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel could enable clinicians to individualize treatment protocols for NPC. Recently we found that 99mTc-MIBI imaging in NPC could predict tumor response to chemotherapy with cisplatin plus 5-FU. However, there was no study to support similar findings in NPC patients receiving chemotherapy containing docetaxel. This study was to evaluate the value of double-phase 99mTc-MIBI SPECT/CT in predicting response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel-based regimen for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Methods:Thirty-one nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients participated in this prospective study. Before treatment, early and delayed single-photon emission computed tomography/compute tomography (SPECT/CT) images were obtained instantly and 2 hours after an intravenous injection of 25-30 mCi 99mTc-MIBI. All patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy consisting of docetaxel, cisplatin plus 5-FU for two cycles. The relationships between efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and the early uptake ratio, late uptake ratio and washout rate of 99mTc-MIBI were evaluated.Results:According to the MRI, the early uptake of 99mTc-MIBI (2.67±0.83) in the lesions which were sensitive to chemotherapy was significantly higher compared with that (1.69±0.46) in the insensitive lesions(P=0.003). The difference of the late uptake between the sensitive(1.46±0.39) and the insensitive (1.06±0.62) was also statistically significant (P=0.026). However, the washout rate of 99mTc-MIBI was not significantly different between the two groups (P=0.23). Through ROC curve analysis, the AUC for early uptake of 99mTc-MIBI and late uptake were 0.84. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 74.2%, 87.5%, 95.8%and 46.7%for early uptake when the cut off value of 1.97 was used. Conclusion:The uptake of 99mTc-MIBI in both early phase and late phase could predict the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel-based regimen.

Phase Ⅱ study of gemcitabine plus cisplatin chemotherapy combined with intensity modulated radiotherapy in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GP)chemotherapy combined with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).Methods71 patients (Stage Ⅲ:41,Stage ⅣA:30) with locoregionally advanced NPC were entered this study.Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was consisted of cisplatin 25 mg/m2 intravenously on d1-3 and gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 in 30 minutes intravenous infusion on days 1 and 8,every 3 weeks for 2 cycles.Adjuvant chemotherapy consisted of 2 cycles of the same GP regimen was given at 28 days after the end of radiotherapy.The prescription doses was 66.0-70.4 Gy to the gross tumor volume,66 Gy to positive neck nodes,60 Gy to the high-risk clinical target volume,54 Gy to the low-risk clinical target volume.ResultsThe overall response rate to neoadjuvant chemotherapy was 91.2％,acute toxicity was mainly grade 1-2 myleosuppression.All patients completed IMRT.The median follow-up duration was 38 months.The 3-year nasopharyngeal local control,regional control,distant metastasis-free survival rate and overall survival rate were 93％,99％,91％,90％,respectively.Severe late toxicities included grade 3 trismus in 1 patient,grade 3 hearing impairment in 2 patients and cranial nerve palsy in 2 patients,respectively.No grade 4 late toxicities were observed.Conclusions The combination of GP chemotherapy and IMRT for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma is well-tolerated,convenient,effective,and warrants further studies of more proper cycles of GP regimen.

The role of Magnetic resonance sialography in evaluating radiation-induced xerostomia for patients with early stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To investigate the value of magnetic resonance sialography (MRS) as a noninvasive tool in evaluating major salivary gland function before and after radiotherapy (RT) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients.Methods From August 2009 to June 2010,patients with stage Ⅰ and Ⅱa (AJCC/UICC 2002) nasopharyngeal carcinoma were enrolled.All the patients were treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy alone.MRS with salivary stimulation was performed in patients before and after RT on a 3.0T MR scanner.An MRS categorical scoring system was used to compare the visibility of ducts pre-RT and post-RT.The relationship between MRS score and EORTC Core QOL and EORTC Head and Neck QOL was analyzed.Spearman rank correlation test was performed to analyze the non-stimulated and stimulated MRS findings and the clinical severity of xerostomia.Results All 10 enrolled patients completed planned treatment.The mean dose of the parotid glands and submandibular glands were (37.99 + 3.70) Gy and (55.65 + 2.99) Gy,respectively.Good-quality MRS images were obtained.The visibility scores of both the parotid and submandibular ducts were increased after secretion stimulation.Irradiation decreased the visualization of the salivary ducts and attenuated the response to secretion stimulation.There were specific correlations between post-RT secretion response of the parotid gland and EORTC QLQ scales ( global QOL scale in QLQ-C30 ( rs =0.636,P =0.048 ) and xerostomia scale in QLQ H&N35 ( rs =- 0.694,P =0.026) ).Conclusions MRS can be used as a non-invasive way to evaluated of the functional changes of major salivary glands before and after RT and as a promising approach for investigating radiation-induced xerostomia.

Comparing treatment outcomes of different chemotherapy sequences during radio-chemotherapy for stage N3 nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective Nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients with stage N3 disease are prone to develop distant metastasis even treated with standard concurrent chemoradiotherapy(CRT).The aim of this study is to compare the ettlcacy of difierent chemotherapy sequences in these patients.Methotis All patients with histologically proven,carcinoma of the nasopharynx treated between July 1999 and November 2003 were restaged according to the AJCC 2002 stage classification system.A total of 114 patients had AJCC N3 diseases were analyzed retrospectively.Patients were treated by conventional RT technique using 6 MV photons or 60 Coγ-ray with 1.8-2.0 Gy per fraction,5 fractions a week,to a planned dose of 70 Gy.The prophylactic irradiation dose of the neck wss 54-60 Gy.Any positive lymph node was boosted to a total dose of 60-68 Gy.All patients received cisplatin-based chemotherapy of difierent sequences but 9 patients RT alone.CRT regimen was delivered in 37 patients,neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NACT)+CRT regimen in 53 patients and CRT+adjuvant chemotherapy(AC)regimen in 15 patients.Results The prophylactic irradiation dose of the neck wss 54-60 Gy.Any positive lymph node was boosted to a total dose of 60-68 Gy.All patients received cisplatin-based chemotherapy of difierent sequences but 9 patients received RT alone.CRT regimen was delivered in 37 patients,neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NACT)+CRT regimen in 53 patients and CRT+adjuvant chemotherapy(AC)regimen in 15 patients.Results The median follow up time was 54 months(3-117months).The 5-year overall survival rate was 59.1%in whole groups,and with 17%,51%,68%and 71%in RT,CRT,NACT+CRT and CRT+AC group,respectively(X2=15.44,P=0.001).The 5-year relapse-free survival rates were 83%,77%,88%and 93%in RT,CRT,NACT+CRT and CRT+AC group,respectively(X2=2.34,P=0.505).The 5-year metastasis-free survival rates were 17%,54%,72%and 80%in RT,CRT,NACT+CRT and CRT+AC group,respectively(X2=19.28,P=0.000).Conclusions The NACT+CRT and CRT+AC regimens were more effective than CRT alone for N3 disease in the current study.Large prospective,randomized clinieal studies are warranted.

The clinical study of carotid stenosis after radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 中国癌症杂志

Background and purpose:Radiotherapy is the main method to manage head and neck tumors.About half of the patients with malignant tumor in head and neck could obtain long term survival through radiotherapy or other therapy combined with radiotherapy.However,it is necessary to clinically detect whether carotid stenosis is a major sequela of head and neck irradiation,especially in long term survivors such as patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.We analyzed this injury and the degree of carotid stenosis,and its related factors to provide information to reduce and delay the incidence of this injury.Methods:We analyzed the degree of arterial stenosis of the nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients who received radiotherapy and had survived more than three years in Cancer Hospital Fudan University,compared with newly diagnosed as nasopharyngeal carcinoma before radiotherapy.The degree of carotid artery injury was observed and the clinical factors which affect its occurrence and development.All patients were low differentiated squamous cell carcinoma confirmed by pathology.All patients were examined with color doppler ultrasound to detect the carotid artery.The main end points were the diameter of carotid artery,the peak systolic and end diastolic velocities.Results:Arterial stenosis was more common in the reserch group than the control group(80% vs 20%,P＜0.001).The common and internal carotid arteries were most commonly involved(70% vs 20%,P＜0.001;6313% vs 10%,P＜0.001),followed by the external carotid artery(30% vs 3.3%,P=0.015).Significant stenosis was only found in the research group,common carotid arteries 36.7%,internal carotid arteries 23.3%,external carotid arteries10%.Conclusion:This study showed that radiation could cause significant carotid stenosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients who had received radiotherapy more than 3 years previously.Carotid stenosis developed more frequently in the common carotid artery and intemal carotid artery on the side that had received radiotherapy.

Analysis of response and prognostic factors in the pelvic recurrent rectal cancer after radical surgery / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To investigate the distribution of pelvic recurrence in rectal cancer after radical resection and analyze the outcome and prognostic factors of pelvic recurrent rectal cancer treated with radiotherapy. Methods Ninety-three patients with pelvic recurrent rectal cancer who received radiotherapy from August 2000 to August 2006 were retrospectively analyzed. Of them, 21 patients received pelvic radiation alone;56 received pelvic radiation plus chemotherapy and 16 received pelvic radiation plus surgery and/or chemotherapy. Radiotherapy was delivered with 60Coγor 6/15 MV X ray to a median dose of 59. 4Gy (range,20-74 Gy). Conventional fractionation was used in 90 patients. Chemotherapy was given to 68patients with a median number of 3 cycles ( range, 1 - 8 cycles). Concurrent chemo-radiation with 5-FU based regimen was given to 42 patients. After radiotherapy, 16 patients underwent surgical resection, with 7R0 resection and 9 palliative resection. Results The entire cohort included 132 recurrent sites. The most common recurrent sites were peri-rectal region ( 31.8% ), pre-sacral region ( 30. 3% ) and internal iliac nodal region (20. 2% ). The follow-up rate was 92% for the entire cohort, 39 and 4 patients had minimum follow-up time of 2 and 5 years respectively. Overall clinical response ( complete and partial symptomatic relief) was achieved in 83% of the patients after radiation therapy. The 2-and 5-year local progression-free survival rates were 49% and 22% respectively, and the 2-and 5-year overall survival rates were 46% and 14% respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that treatment modality was the independent prognostic factor for local progression-free survival. Patients treated with radiation plus surgery and/or chemotherapy had better local progression-free survival than those treated with radiation plus chemotherapy or radiation alone.Recurrent tumors larger than 5 cm in diameter, disease-free interval less than 2 years and distant metastasis after radiotherapy were independent unfavorable prognostic factors for overall survival. Conclusions Perirectal region, pre-sacral region and internal iliac nodal region were the most common pelvic recurrent sites in rectal cancer. Radiotherapy is an effective palliative approach for patients with pelvic recurrent rectal cancer.Radiotherapy plus surgery and/or chemotherapy was associated with better local progression-free survival,and recurrent tumors lager than 5 cm in diameter, disease-free interval less than 2 years and distant metastasis after radiotherapy were unfavorable prognostic factors for overall survival of pelvic recurrent rectal caner.