Role of microRNA in predictingclinical efficacy of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) has become the standard treatment for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC).However,the response to NCRT varies among LARC patients and a subset of patients show resistance to NCRT.NCRT may delay the timing of surgery and even reduce the overall survival.Therefore,it is of significance to identify biomarkers for predicting the clinical efficacy of NCRT,screen patients who are resistant to NCRT and perform surgery as early as possible,eventually establishing an individualized therapeutic strategy.MicroRNAs are a class of small non-coding RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression,which areinvolved in multiple signaling pathways and DNA damage repair process and affect the radiosensitivity of rectal cancer cells.Many recent studies have evaluated the role of microRNA in predicting the response to NCRT.The purpose of this article is to review the research progress and validate the role of microRNA in predicting the clinical efficacy of NCRT for rectal cancer.

Research progress on treatment strategy for elderly patients with locally advanced rectal cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Rectal cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in China,and the proportion of elderly patients is also increasing.Due to the lack of prospective evidence-based medical research for elderly patients,no consensus on the optimal treatment model has been reached.In this article,relevant researches on the comprehensive treatment strategy of locally advanced rectal cancer in the elderly patients were reviewed,aiming to provide reference for individualized treatment of elderly patients.

Research progress on treatment strategy for elderly patients with locally advanced rectal cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Rectal cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in China, and the proportion of elderly patients is also increasing. Due to the lack of prospective evidence-based medical research for elderly patients, no consensus on the optimal treatment model has been reached. In this article, relevant researches on the comprehensive treatment strategy of locally advanced rectal cancer in the elderly patients were reviewed, aiming to provide reference for individualized treatment of elderly patients.

A meta-analysis of comparing hypofractionated radiotherapy versus conventionally fractionated radiotherapy in post-mastectomy breast cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To compare the efficacy between hypofractionated radiotherapy versus conventionally fractionated radiotherapy in post-mastectomy breast cancer by a meta-analysis.Methods The controlled clinical trials of comparing hypofractionated radiotherapy versus conventionally fractionated radiotherapy in post-mastectomy breast cancer were searched from PubMed,EMbase,Cochrane Library,Wanfang database,VIP,CNKI,and CBM databases.The obtained data were analyzed using RevMan 5.3 and Stata 14.0 software.The differences between two groups were estimated by calculating the odds ratio (OR) with 95％ confidence interval (CI).Results A total of 19 controlled clinical trials involving 2652 post-mastectomy breast cancer patients were selected in this meta-analysis according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria.The meta-analysis results demonstrated that no statistical significance was observed in the tumor-free survival (OR =1.10,95 ％ CI:0.78-1.56,P =0.59),overall survival (OR =1.18,95 ％ CI:0.92-1.53,P =0.19),locoregional recurrence (OR=1.01,95％CI:0.68-1.51,P=0.96),distant metastasis (OR=1.14,95％CI:0.82-1.59,P=0.43),skin toxicity (OR=1.01,95％CI=0.80-2.16,P=0.96),cardiac toxicity (OR=1.17,95％CI:0.71-1.93,P=0.53) and pulmonary toxicity (OR=0.78,95％CI:0.44-1.37,P=0.38) between two groups.Conclusions Hypofractionated radiotherapy and conventionally fractionated radiotherapy post-mastectomy yield similar clinical efficacy,both of which are safe and efficacious radiotherapy patterns.However,the findings remain to be validated by large-scale randomized clinical trials with long-term follow-up of the advanced stage complications.

A meta-analysis of comparing hypofractionated radiotherapy versus conventionally fractionated radiotherapy in post-mastectomy breast cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective@#To compare the efficacy between hypofractionated radiotherapy versus conventionally fractionated radiotherapy in post-mastectomy breast cancer by a meta-analysis.@*Methods@#The controlled clinical trials of comparing hypofractionated radiotherapy versus conventionally fractionated radiotherapy in post-mastectomy breast cancer were searched from PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, Wanfang database, VIP, CNKI, and CBM databases. The obtained data were analyzed using RevMan 5.3 and Stata 14.0 software. The differences between two groups were estimated by calculating the odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI).@*Results@#A total of 19 controlled clinical trials involving 2652 post-mastectomy breast cancer patients were selected in this meta-analysis according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The meta-analysis results demonstrated that no statistical significance was observed in the tumor-free survival (OR=1.10, 95%CI: 0.78-1.56, P=0.59), overall survival (OR=1.18, 95%CI: 0.92-1.53, P=0.19), locoregional recurrence (OR=1.01, 95%CI: 0.68-1.51, P=0.96), distant metastasis (OR=1.14, 95%CI: 0.82-1.59, P=0.43), skin toxicity (OR=1.01, 95%CI=0.80-2.16, P=0.96), cardiac toxicity (OR=1.17, 95%CI: 0.71-1.93, P=0.53) and pulmonary toxicity (OR=0.78, 95%CI: 0.44-1.37, P=0.38) between two groups.@*Conclusions@#Hypofractionated radiotherapy and conventionally fractionated radiotherapy post-mastectomy yield similar clinical efficacy, both of which are safe and efficacious radiotherapy patterns. However, the findings remain to be validated by large-scale randomized clinical trials with long-term follow-up of the advanced stage complications.

Research progress in radiation-induced brachial plexopathy in breast cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Radiotherapy is an important part of the postoperative adjuvant therapy of breast cancer. Radiation-induced brachial plexopathy (RIBP) of postoperative radiotherapy severely reduces the quality of life of breast cancer patients. In this article, the general situation, mechanism, diagnosis, risk factors, treatment and preventive measures of RIBP were reviewed.

Prediction and evaluation value of functional imaging technique in neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy of locally advanced rectal cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

For locally advanced rectal cancer,neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy,followed by surgery and postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy has become a standard treatment mode.Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy can induce the tumors to shrink to different extent.Partial patients can obtain complete remission validated by postoperative pathological examination,which contributes to increasing the probability of radical surgery for rectal cancer patients,reducing the recurrence rate and improving the long-term clinical prognosis.In recent years,the prediction and evaluation of the clinical efficacy of neoadjuvant therapy has captivated widespread attentions from clinicians.In terms of imaging methods,conventional morphological imaging techniques cannot accurately assess the clinical efficacy of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy,whereas DWI-MRI,DCE-MRI,PET-CT and other functional imaging techniques can not only reflect the degree of tumor shrinkage,but also reveal the changes in the functional metabolism of tumors before and after treatment and yield higher accuracy.In this article,recent application of imaging techniques in the evaluation of clinical efficacy of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer was reviewed.

Impact of actual gantry angle on accuracy of intensity-modulated radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To investigate the impact of actual gantry angle on the accuracy of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods A total of 27 patients with NPC were enrolled in this study. IMRT plans were designed with Pinnacle treatment planning system (TPS),and 8 beams with an interval of 30°(within 0°-360°) were selected for each plan. These plans were divided into plan A and plan B according to the beam parameters. In plan A,the minimum sub-field area was 5 cm2 ,the minimum number of sub-field monitor unit ( MU) was 5,and the maximum sub-field number was 80;in plan B,the minimum sub-field area was 8 cm2 ,the minimum number of sub-field MUs was 8,and the maximum sub-field number was 60.The gamma passing rate using the criteria of 3%/3 mm and 2%/2 mm at actual and zero degree gantry angles were calculated using Mapcheck 2 device for dose verification,and were compared with the paired t-test. The relationship between the above differences (Δ value) and the beam angle or the beam parameters was also analyzed. Results In plan A with the criteria of 3%/3 mm, the beams were significantly different (P=0000-0007) except for at angles of 270°,300°,and 300°,and the mean Δ value was 090%;under the criteria of 2%/2 mm,all beams were significantly different ( P=0000-0019) except for at an angle of 300°,and the meanΔvalue was 272%.In plan B with the criteria of 3%/3 mm,the beams showed no significant difference ( P=0052-0639) except for at an angle of 300 ° ,and the mean Δ value was 040%;under the criteria of 2%/2 mm,all beams showed no significant difference ( P>005) except for at angles of 210°,240°,270°,and 300°,and the meanΔvalue was 152%.When the plan B parameters were used, the Δ value was reduced;the results of two verification methods were more consistent,so the accuracy was also improved. Conclusions Compared with the validation method at zero degree gantry angle,the validation method at an actual gantry angle is associated with reduced gamma passing rate because of some factors such as gravity,which is not significantly related to the beam angle,but the beam parameters. In the design of IMRT plans for NPC,the total number of sub-fields should be decreased as far as possible,and the minimum sub-field area and the minimum number of MU should be increased, so as to improve the accuracy of treatment plans.

Impact of actual gantry angle on accuracy of intensity-modulated radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To investigate the impact of actual gantry angle on the accuracy of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods A total of 27 patients with NPC were enrolled in this study. IMRT plans were designed with Pinnacle treatment planning system (TPS),and 8 beams with an interval of 30°(within 0°-360°) were selected for each plan. These plans were divided into plan A and plan B according to the beam parameters. In plan A,the minimum sub-field area was 5 cm2 ,the minimum number of sub-field monitor unit ( MU) was 5,and the maximum sub-field number was 80;in plan B,the minimum sub-field area was 8 cm2 ,the minimum number of sub-field MUs was 8,and the maximum sub-field number was 60.The gamma passing rate using the criteria of 3%/3 mm and 2%/2 mm at actual and zero degree gantry angles were calculated using Mapcheck 2 device for dose verification,and were compared with the paired t-test. The relationship between the above differences (Δ value) and the beam angle or the beam parameters was also analyzed. Results In plan A with the criteria of 3%/3 mm, the beams were significantly different (P=0000-0007) except for at angles of 270°,300°,and 300°,and the mean Δ value was 090%;under the criteria of 2%/2 mm,all beams were significantly different ( P=0000-0019) except for at an angle of 300°,and the meanΔvalue was 272%.In plan B with the criteria of 3%/3 mm,the beams showed no significant difference ( P=0052-0639) except for at an angle of 300 ° ,and the mean Δ value was 040%;under the criteria of 2%/2 mm,all beams showed no significant difference ( P>005) except for at angles of 210°,240°,270°,and 300°,and the meanΔvalue was 152%.When the plan B parameters were used, the Δ value was reduced;the results of two verification methods were more consistent,so the accuracy was also improved. Conclusions Compared with the validation method at zero degree gantry angle,the validation method at an actual gantry angle is associated with reduced gamma passing rate because of some factors such as gravity,which is not significantly related to the beam angle,but the beam parameters. In the design of IMRT plans for NPC,the total number of sub-fields should be decreased as far as possible,and the minimum sub-field area and the minimum number of MU should be increased, so as to improve the accuracy of treatment plans.

Recent advances in delineation of clinical target volume in radiotherapy for rectal cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

The delineation of clinical target volume (CTV) is a critical step in planning conformal radiotherapy for rectal cancer.Several guidelines suggest different subvolumes and anatomical boundaries in radiotherapy for rectal cancer, potentially leading to a misunderstanding of CTV definition.This article reviews recent advances in the delineation of CTV in radiotherapy for rectal cancer.

Recent advances in preoperative intensity-modulated radiation therapy ( IMRT) for rectal cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

More than 20 studies published during the past 10 years concerning preoperative radiotherapy in rectal cancer were reviewed carefully. And we evaluated the role of IMRT being routinely used in preoperative treatment of rectal cancer.

Incidence and risk factors for breast cancer-related lymphedema:a retrospective cohort study / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To determine the incidence of breast cancer?related lymphedema ( BCRL) in China and to analyze the associated risk factors. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data and the incidence of BCRL in 281 patients who were newly diagnosed with breast cancer and received surgery. The incidence of BCRL was evaluated using arm circumference measurement and Norman questionnaire. The risk factors for lymphedema were analyzed using chi?square test and logistic regression model. Results In all patients,the incidence rates of BCRL determined by arm circumference measurement and Norman questionnaire were 31?7% and 27?0%, respectively. The multivariate analysis showed that postoperative radiotherapy,a preoperative body mass index no less than 24 kg/m2 ,a large axillary lymph node dissection area,and a large number of positive axillary lymph nodes significantly increased the risk of BCRL (HR=2?87,P=0?042;HR=2?54,P=0?011;HR=1?97,P=0?037;HR=1?06,P=0?023). Moreover, patients with breast cancer and hypertension had 1?74?fold higher risk of BCRL than those with normal blood pressure. Conclusions The incidence of BCRL is still very high. However,most of patients only have mild edema. Postoperative radiotherapy, a large axillary lymph node dissection area, a large number of positive axillary lymph nodes,a high preoperative body mass index,and hypertension are risk factors for BCRL.

Roles of microRNAs and their target genes in predicting chemoradiotherapy efficacy of rectal cancer / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in the chemoradiotherapy efficacy of rectal cancer (RC).This study aimed to screen the chemoradiotherapy-associated microRNAs and their target genes of RC through bioinformatics approaches in order to promote the fundamental study of RC chemoradiotherapy.Methods The chemoradiotherapy-associated microRNAs were manually searched through the published papers via PubMed and its target genes were identified by comprehensively analyzing these public data of microRNA-mRNA and gene expression profiles.Both gene ontology (GO) and pathway analysis of the target genes were performed by DAVID and IPA programs,respectively.Results A total of 38 microRNAs were collected from PubMed,and 3 545 putative target genes were inferred from the integrated microRNA-mRNA associations,among them,131 were differentially expressed (DE) (P ＜ 0.05) in the selected gene expression profile (GSE35452).The GO and pathway enrichment analyses indicated that the DE genes were closely involved in the responses of chemoradiotherapy of RC.Conclusions These microRNAs and their regulated DE genes may contribute to the molecular mechanism of the differential efficacy of RC chemoradiotherapy,which may provide a theoretical reference for predicting the response of RC to chemoradiotherapy.

Analysis of efficacy and prognostic factors of postoperative intensity-modulated radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy in rectal cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To explore the efficacy and prognostic factors of postoperative intensity?modulated radiotherapy ( IMRT) with or without chemotherapy in rectal cancer. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 218 patients with rectal cancer, who underwent postoperative IMRT in our hospital from January 2009 to December 2013. The Kaplan?Meier method was used to calculate survival rate;the log?rank test was used for survival difference analysis and univariate prognostic analysis;the Cox regression model was used for multivariate prognostic analysis. Results The follow?up rate was 97. 7%. The 1?and 3?year overall survival rates were 90. 8% and 75. 2%, respectively, the 1?and 3?year disease?free survival rates were 85. 3% and 70. 5%, respectively, and the 1?and 3?year locoregional recurrence?free survival rates were 96. 7% and 88. 1%, respectively. The incidence of grade 3?4 acute adverse reactions was 28. 4%, mainly manifested as leukopenia ( 13. 8%) and diarrhea ( 11. 0%) . Univariate prognostic analysis showed that preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen ( CEA) and CA199 levels, maximum tumor diameter, tumor location, degree of differentiation, depth of tumor invasion, number of lymph node metastases, TNM stage, perineural invasion, surgical procedure, total mesorectal excision, preoperative bowel obstruction, and preoperative anemia were the predictors of survival ( P=0. 006, 0. 000, 0. 000, 0. 017, 0. 000, 0. 016, 0. 000,0. 011,0. 001,0. 006,0. 037 and 0. 010) . Multivariate prognostic analysis showed that preoperative CEA level, tumor location, TNM stage, preoperative bowel obstruction, and preoperative anemia were the predictors of survival ( P=0. 000,0. 000,0. 000,0. 001 and 0. 001) . Conclusions Postoperative IMRT with or without chemotherapy is an effective method for rectal cancer with mild adverse reactions and high compliance. Preoperative CEA level, tumor position, TNM stage, preoperative bowel obstruction, and preoperative anemia are independent prognostic factors for the overall survival.

Effect of chronic forced swimming stress on whole brain radiation induced cognitive dysfunction and related mechanism / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective To explore whether chronic forced swimming stress could improve whole brain radiation induced cognitive dysfunction and possible mechanism. Methods Thirty-nine one month old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into sham control group ( C ) , swimming group ( C-S ) , radiation group( R) , and radiation plus swimming group( R-S) . Radiation groups were given a single dose of 20 Gy on whole-brain. Rats in the swimming groups were trained with swimming of 15 min/d, 5 d/w. Rat behavior was performed 3 months after radiation in an order of free activity in an open field and the Morris water maze test including the place navigation and spatial probe tests. Then, the protein expressions of BDNF, P-ERK, T-ERK, P-CREB and T-CREB in the rat hippocampus tissue were assayed by Western blot. Results On the day 2, in the place navigation test of Morris water maze, the latency of swimming group was significantly shorter than that of sham group, the latency of sham group was significantly shorter than that of radiation group, and the latency of radiation swimming group was significantly shorter than that of radiation group(P0?05). Western blot assay showed that the expressions of BDNF and its downstream signals including P-ERK and P-CREB were markedly reduced by radiation ( P < 0?05 ) , but this reduction was attenuated by the chronic forced swimming stress. Conclusion The chronic forced swimming stress could improve whole brain radiation induced cognitive dysfunction by up-regulating the expressions of BDNF and its downstream signal molecules of P-ERK and P-CREB in hippocampus.

Comparison of rationality and prognostic value between clinical staging and pathological staging for esophageal cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To investigate the rationality and prognostic value of the Criteria for clinical staging of esophageal cancer treated by non-surgical methods (Draft) by comparison with the criteria for postoperative pathological staging.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 162 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent radical resection at the Second Hospital of Soochow University from December 2008 to July 2012.Preoperative clinical staging and postoperative pathological staging were performed,and the Kappa statistic was used to evaluate the agreement between the two staging systems.The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate overall survival (OS) rates,and the log-rank test was used for survival difference analysis and univariate analysis.Results The coincidence rates of T,N,and TNM stages were 67.9％,57.4％,and 67.9％,respectively,and the agreements were moderate,poor,and moderate,with Kappa values of 0.544,0.302,and 0.509.The follow-up rate was 93.2％.The 1-,2-,and 3-year sample sizes were 127,66 and 27,respectively.The 1-,2-,and 3-year OS rates were 82.6％,56.2％,and 37.7％,respectively.There were no significant differences in OS between patients with preoperative T1 and T2 stages and between patients with preoperative N0 and N1 stages (P =0.086,0.101),but significant differences were observed between patients with different T stages,N stages,or TNM stages (P =0.000-0.028).This was in line with the prognostic results based on the postoperative pathological staging.Conclusions The clinical staging criteria (draft) have moderate agreement with the criteria for postoperative pathological staging and have good prognostic value,but they require further refinement and improvement.

Risk factors for breast cancer-related upper extremity lymphedema:a meta-analysis / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To systematically evaluate the risk factors for upper extremity lymphedema after breast cancer treatment and the strength of their associations.Methods PubMed,Ovid,EMbase,and the Cochrane Library were searched to identify clinical trials published up to December 2012.The quality of included studies was assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale;data analysis was performed by Stata 10.0 and RevMan 5.2;the strength of associations between risk factors and breast cancer-related upper extremity lymphedema was described as odds ratio (OR) and 95％ confidence intervals (CI).Results Twenty-two studies involving 10106 patients were included in the meta-analysis.The risk factors for upper extremity lymphedema after breast cancer treatment mainly included axillary lymph node dissection (OR =2.72,95％ CI=1.06-6.99,P=0.038),hypertension (OR=1.84,95％ CI=1.38-2.44,P=0.000),body mass index (OR =1.68,95％ CI=1.22-2.32,P =0.001),and radiotherapy (OR =1.65,95％ CI =1.20-2.25,P =0.002),while no significant associations were found for such factors as chemotherapy,age,number of positive lymph nodes,and number of dissected lymph nodes.Conclusions The incidence of upper extremity lymphedema is high among patients with breast cancer after treatment,and axillary lymph node dissection,hypertension,body mass index,and radiotherapy are the main risk factors for lymphedema after breast cancer treatment.

Investigation of early radiation response by evaluating the capability of 18F-FLT uptake in human colorectal cancer HCT116 cells / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective To evaluate the capability of 18 F-FLT uptake and investigate the early radiation response of human colorectal cancer cells HCT116 exposed to 6 MV X-rays.Methods 3.7 kBq 18F-FLT was added to HCT116 cells with different cell numbers (1.0 × 105-1.5 × 106) and cultured with different times (36,60,84 h).The 18F-FLT uptake rate was measured with a γ-counter after exposed to different does of 6 MV X-rays (0,2,4,6,8 Gy) after 24,48,and 72 h of irradiation.Then the cell uptake inhibition rate,cell proliferation,and cell cycle phase were measured.Results The uptake rate of 18F-FLT in HCT116 was (18.97 ± 1.16)％.The 18F-FLT uptake inhibition rates at 24 h after different does of irradiation (2,4,6,8 Gy) were (32.10±0.02)％,(54.46 ±0.04)％,(62.74 ±0.04)％,and (65.81 ±4.81)％,respectively,which was positively correlated with radiation dose.Conclusions The 18F-FLT uptake rate of human colorectal cancer HCT116 cells could be used to evaluate the early radiation response.

A randomized multicentre study of chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced (inoperable) rectal cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced (inoperable) rectal cancer. Methods Seventy-six patients with locally advanced (T_4) or recurrent rectal cancer were randomized into two groups of concurrent chemoradiotherapy with either oxaliplatin plus 5-FU (oxaliplatin 130 mg/m~2, day 1,5-FU 350 mg/m~2, day 1 -5 ,LV 200 mg/m~2, day 1 -5, 4 weeks per cycle) or capecitabine (1650 mg/m~2, day 1 -14, 3 weeks per cycle) alone. All patients received pelvic three-dimensional conforrnal radiotherapy (3 DCRT) of 46 -50 Gy in 23 -25 fractions, with a boost of 14 -18 Gy in 7 -9 fractions. Results The median follow-up time was 19 months. The overall response rate was 64% in the oxaliplatin/5-FU group comparing with 58% in the capecitabine group (χ~2 = 0. 08 ,P =0. 772), with the median survival time of 22 months and 18 months (u = 17.71, P = 0. 077), respectively. The overall survival in the two groups was 68% and 63% at 1 year, and 21% and 19% at 2 years, respectively (χ~2 = 0. 97, P = 0. 326). There were no treatment-related deaths or grade 4 toxicities. Neutrocytopenia (39. 5% vs 77.7%, z = -3.97,P =0. 0001), diarrhea (47.4% vs 88.9%, z = -4. 78, P = 0. 0001), nausea and vomiting (68.4% vs 97.2%, z = -3. 17, P = 0. 0001), and neurotoxicity (5.3% vs 66.7%, z= -6.56, P= 0.0001) were more common in the oxaliplatin/5-FU group. Conclusions Concurrent chemoradiotherapy is well-tolerated and effective in patients with locally advanced (inoperable) rectal cancer.

Survey on changes of breast cancer radiotherapy in four hospitals within southeast coastal region of China / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective To explore the changes and the tendency of breast cancer radiotherapy in China within the past decade.Methods A survey on breast cancer radiotherapy in 1 999 and 2006 was conducted in 4 hospitals located within the southeast coastal region of China,including patients'clinical characteristics,the purpose of radiotherapy and its techniques.Results The percentage of breast conservative treatment(BCT)increased from 3%in 1999 to 13%in 2006.For radiotherapy techniques in 2006 compared with 1999,the growth trend was found in use of breast immobilization devices(80% vs.46%),treatment planning system(70% vs.23%),and CT simulation(14%vs.0).The frequency was increased in the chest wall irradiation after masteetomy(90%vs.67%),but decreased in internal mammary region(30%vs.76%)and axilla(37%vs.69%)treatment.There were no differences in total dose and fractionation prescription.Conclusions BCT was performed more frequently,but postmastectomy radiotherapy was still essential option in China at present.Although some advanced techniques were applied frequently in clinical practice.Simulation,treatment planning,and irradiation target design were urgent for improvement and standardization.