Successful implementation of online educational lectures of the German Society for Radiation Oncology (DEGRO).

PURPOSE: Modern digital teaching formats have become increasingly important in recent years, in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2021, an online-based webinar series was established by the German Society for Radiation Oncology (DEGRO) and the young DEGRO (yDEGRO) working group. In the monthly 120-minute courses, selected lecturers teach curricular content as preparation for the board certification exam for radiation oncology. METHODS: The evaluation of the 24 courses between 01.2021 and 12.2022 was performed using a standardized questionnaire with 21 items (recording epidemiological characteristics of the participants, didactic quality, content quality). A Likert scale (1-4) was used in combination with binary and open-ended questions. RESULTS: A combined total of 4200 individuals (1952 in 2021 and 2248 in 2022) registered for the courses, and out of those, 934 participants (455 in 2021 and 479 in 2022) later provided evaluations for the respective courses (36% residents, 35% specialists, 21% medical technicians for radiology [MTR], 8% medical physics experts [MPE]). After 2 years, 74% of the DEGRO Academy curriculum topics were covered by the monthly webinars. The overall rating by participants was positive (mean 2021: 1.33 and 2022: 1.25) and exceeded the curriculum offered at each site for 70% of participants. Case-based learning was identified as a particularly well-rated method. CONCLUSION: The DEGRO webinar expands the digital teaching opportunities in radiation oncology. The consistently high number of participants confirms the need for high-quality teaching and underlines the advantages of e­learning methods. Optimization opportunities were identified through reevaluation of feedback from course participants. In its design as a teaching format for a multiprofessional audience, the webinar series could be used as a practice model of online teaching for other disciplines.

S2k Guideline - Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC, neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin) - Update 2022.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC, ICD-O M8247/3) is a rare, malignant, primary skin tumor with epithelial and neuroendocrine differentiation. The tumor cells share many morphologic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural features with cutaneous Merkel cells. Nevertheless, the cell of origin of MCC is unclear. MCC appears clinically as a reddish to purple spherical tumor with a smooth, shiny surface and a soft to turgid, elastic consistency, usually showing rapid growth. Spontaneous and often complete regressions of the tumor are observed. These likely immunologically-mediated regressions explain the cases in which only lymph node or distant metastases are found at the time of initial diagnosis and why the tumor responds very well to immunomodulatory therapies even at advanced stages. Due to its aggressiveness, the usually given indication for sentinel lymph node biopsy, the indication of adjuvant therapies to be evaluated, as well as the complexity of the necessary diagnostics, clinical management should already be determined by an interdisciplinary tumor board at the time of initial diagnosis.

The role of radiotherapy in the updated German S2k guideline for management of Merkel cell carcinoma.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a radiosensitive tumor and the role of radiotherapy in the management of this disease was newly defined in the recently published update of the S2k guideline on Merkel cell carcinoma of the Association of Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (AWMF). While adjuvant radiotherapy of the tumor bed is broadly recommended, irradiation of the regional nodal region can be performed in patients with negative sentinel lymph nodes and high-risk factors. In patients with positive sentinel lymph nodes, it is an alternative to completion lymphadenectomy. The standard dose for adjuvant radiotherapy remains 50 Gy.

Hypofractionation with simultaneous integrated boost after breast-conserving surgery: Long term results of two phase-II trials.

PURPOSE: To analyze long-term results of two multicenter prospective single-arm trials (ARO-2010-01 and ARO-2013-04) investigating adjuvant hypofractionated radiotherapy (HF) with simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) after breast-conserving surgery (BCS). METHODS: Eligible patients had histopathologically confirmed unifocal breast cancer planned for whole breast irradiation plus boost radiotherapy to the tumor bed. In both studies, a total dose of 40 Gy was applied to the whole breast and of 48 Gy to the tumor bed in 16 fractions of 2.5 and 3.0 Gy. Radiotherapy could be given either as three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) or as intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). The primary study objectives were feasibility and security within an observation period of six months. The current investigation focuses on long-term efficacy and toxicities. RESULTS: Between 2011 and 2014, both trials enrolled 300 patients in total. Data from 274 of these patients could be used for the current analysis. The median follow-up time was 60 months and the 5-year disease-free survival 92.1%. Three patients suffered a local recurrence (after 36-72 months) while a regional recurrence occurred in one patient (after 17 months). The 5-year local control rate in the breast was 99.6%. 63.5% of all patients did not report any late radiation-related toxicity, 28.5% reported grade 1 and 7.3% grade 2 toxicities. The highest late toxicity was grade 3 in 2 women (0.7%, telangiectasia and lymphedema of the breast). CONCLUSION: Our analysis demonstrates favorable efficacy and low rates of long-term side effects of HF with SIB after BCS. Randomized controlled phase III trials are ongoing.

Adjuvant hypofractionated radiotherapy with simultaneous integrated boost after breast-conserving surgery: results of a prospective trial.

PURPOSE: We report results of a multicenter prospective single-arm phase II trial (ARO-2013-04, NCT01948726) of moderately accelerated hypofractionated radiotherapy with a simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) in patients with breast cancer receiving adjuvant radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery. METHODS: The eligibility criteria included unifocal breast cancer with an indication for adjuvant radiotherapy to the whole breast and boost radiotherapy to the tumor bed. The whole breast received a dose of 40 Gy and the tumor bed a total dose of 48 Gy in 16 fractions of 2.5 and 3 Gy, respectively. Radiotherapy could be given either as 3D conformal RT (3D-CRT) or as intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). The study was designed as a prospective single-arm trial to evaluate the acute toxicity of the treatment regimen. The study hypothesis was that the frequency of acute skin reaction grade ≥2 would be 20% or less. RESULTS: From November 2013 through July 2014, 149 patients were recruited from 12 participating centers. Six patients were excluded, leaving 143 patients for analysis. Eighty-four patients (58.7%) were treated with 3D-CRT and 59 (41.3%) with IMRT. Adherence to the treatment protocol was high. The rate of grade ≥2 skin toxicity was 14.7% (95% confidence interval 9.8-21.4%). The most frequent grade 3 toxicity (11%) was hot flashes. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated low toxicity of and high treatment adherence to hypofractionated adjuvant radiotherapy with SIB in a multicenter prospective trial, although the primary hypothesis was not met.

S2k guidelines for Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC, neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin) - update 2018.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC, ICD-O M8247 / 3) is a rare malignant primary skin tumor with epithelial and neuroendocrine differentiation. The neoplastic cells share many morphological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural characteristics with Merkel cells of the skin. The diagnosis of MCC is rarely made on clinical grounds. Histological and immunohistochemical studies are usually required to confirm the clinical suspicion. Given the frequent occurrence of occult lymph node metastasis, sentinel lymph node biopsy should be performed once distant metastasis has been ruled out by cross-sectional imaging. Primary tumors without evidence of organ metastases are treated with complete surgical excision with appropriate surgical margins. Radiation therapy should be considered at all stages of the disease. For advanced MCC that is no longer amenable to curative treatment by surgery or radiation therapy, there is currently no established systemic therapy for which an improvement in recurrence-free survival or overall survival has been demonstrated in a prospective randomized trial. However, immunotherapy using PD-1/PD-L1 blockade seems to be superior to chemotherapy. Various factors warrant that further diagnostic and therapeutic interventions be determined by an interdisciplinary tumor board. These factors include the tumor's aggressiveness, the frequent indication for sentinel lymph node biopsy along with the frequent occurrence in the head and neck region, the potential indication for adjuvant radiation therapy as well as the complexity of the required diagnostic workup.

Supportive Treatments for Patients with Cancer.

BACKGROUND: For the treatment of patients with cancer to be successful and well-tolerated, the complications and side effects of the disease and its treatment must be treated and limited as far as possible. Summarized recommendations based on the constantly increasing evidence in the area of supportive care must be defined, standardized, and communicated. METHODS: We systematically reviewed the literature on the topics of anemia, neutropenia, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, oral mucositis, skin toxicity, and peripheral neurotoxicity induced by cancer treatment, as well as osseous complications, extravasation, and side effects of radiotherapy. Recommendations were approved in a moderated, formalized consensus procedure. RESULTS: In patients suffering from chemotherapy-induced anemia, the administration of agents that stimulate erythropoiesis can be considered. This can potentially improve these patients' quality of life and lessen the frequency of blood transfusions, but it can also lead to thromboembolic complications and arterial hypertension. If only a single individual risk factor is present in a patient whose risk of febrile neutropenia is estimated at 10-20%, there is no obligatory indication for the administration of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor. Antiemetic treatment before carboplatin is given can consist of a neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist along with a setron and dexamethasone. Duloxetine is recommended for the treatment of neuropathic pain. Sensorimotor training is effective in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and can already be given at the same time as the chemotherapy. Women with bony metastases of breast cancer who have been taking zoledronate at four-week intervals for a year should take it at 12-week intervals from then onward in order to lessen the likelihood of osseus complications. There is no evidence for any effective prophylactic treatment of chemotherapy-induced diarrhea. CONCLUSION: Supportive measures are an integral component of all oncological treatments. More research is needed to determine how side effects can be lessened and prevented.

DEGRO/DGK guideline for radiotherapy in patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices.

An increasing number of patients undergoing radiotherapy (RT) have cardiac implantable electronic devices [CIEDs, cardiac pacemakers (PMs) and implanted cardioverters/defibrillators (ICDs)]. Ionizing radiation can cause latent and permanent damage to CIEDs, which may result in loss of function in patients with asystole or ventricular fibrillation. Reviewing the current literature, the interdisciplinary German guideline (DEGRO/DGK) was developed reflecting patient risk according to type of CIED, cardiac condition, and estimated radiation dose to the CIED. Planning for RT should consider the CIED specifications as well as patient-related characteristics (pacing-dependent, previous ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation). Antitachyarrhythmia therapy should be suspended in patients with ICDs, who should be under electrocardiographic monitoring with an external defibrillator on stand-by. The beam energy should be limited to 6 (to 10) MV CIEDs should never be located in the beam, and the cumulative scatter radiation dose should be limited to 2 Gy. Personnel must be able to respond adequately in the case of a cardiac emergency and initiate basic life support, while an emergency team capable of advanced life support should be available within 5 min. CIEDs need to be interrogated 1, 3, and 6 months after the last RT due to the risk of latent damage.

The delineation of target volumes for radiotherapy of lung cancer patients.

PURPOSE: Differences in the delineation of the gross target volume (GTV) and planning target volume (PTV) in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer are considerable. The focus of this work is on the analysis of observer-related reasons while controlling for other variables. METHODS: In three consecutive patients, eighteen physicians from fourteen different departments delineated the GTV and PTV in CT-slices using a detailed instruction for target delineation. Differences in the volumes, the delineated anatomic lymph node compartments and differences in every delineated pixel of the contoured volumes in the CT-slices (pixel-by-pixel-analysis) were evaluated for different groups: ten radiation oncologists from ten departments (ROs), four haematologic oncologists and chest physicians from four departments (HOs) and five radiation oncologists from one department (RO1D). RESULTS: Agreement (overlap > or = 70% of the contoured pixels) for the GTV and PTV delineation was found in 16.3% and 23.7% (ROs), 30.4% and 38.6% (HOs) and 32.8% and 35.9% (RO1D), respectively. CONCLUSION: A large interobserver variability in the PTV and much more in the GTV delineation were observed in spite of a detailed instruction for delineation. The variability was smallest for group ROID where due to repeated discussions and uniform teaching a better agreement was achieved.

Long-term radiation sequelae after breast-conserving therapy in women with early-stage breast cancer: an observational study using the LENT-SOMA scoring system.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the long-term toxicity after breast-conserving therapy in women with early-stage breast cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Late toxicity according to the late effects of normal tissue-subjective, objective, management, and analytic (LENT-SOMA) criteria and cosmetic outcome (graded by physicians) were evaluated in 590 of 2943 women with early-stage breast cancer who were irradiated between 1983 and 1995 using the following fractionation schedules: group A, 1983-1987, 2.5 Gy 4x/wk to 60 Gy; group B, 1988-1993, 2.5 Gy 4x/wk to 55 Gy, group C, 1994-1995, 2.0 Gy 5x/wk to 55 Gy. RESULTS: LENT-SOMA Grade 3-4 toxicity was observed as follows: group A (median follow-up 171 months; range 154-222 months), fibrosis 16% (7 of 45), telangiectasia 18% (8 of 45), and atrophy 4% (2 of 45); group B (median follow-up 113 months; range 78-164 months), pain 2% (8 of 345), fibrosis 10% (34 of 345), telangiectasia 10% (33 of 345), arm edema 1% (2 of 345), and atrophy 8% (27 of 345); and group C (median follow-up 75 months, range 51-96 months, n = 200), occurrence of Grade 3-4 late morbidity

Efecto de la Clonidina, Meperidina y magnesio sobre el consumo de Oxígeno (VO2) medido por calorimetría indirecta en el postanestésico / Effects of clonidine, meperidine and magnesium over the oxygen consumption (VO2) mesured by indirect calimetry in the postanesthetic period

El periodo postanestésico se caracteriza por múltiples cambios hemodinámicos y cambios en la temperatura corporal. Estas alteraciones aumentan el consumo de oxígeno, en pacientes con enfermedad coronaria o reserva ventilatoria limitada puede ser no tolerado. En este estudio se valoró el efecto de la clonidina (grupo A, 2 µg/kg), meperidina (grupo B 0.5 mg/kg) y el sulfato de magnesio (grupo C 30 mg/kg), sobre el consumo de oxígeno en el postanestésico medido a través de calorimetría indirecta. Se observó que la clonidina disminuyó más el consumo de oxígeno (p=0.002), con menos efectos secundarios indeseables que la meperidina (p=0.003) aunque la meperidina resultó ser más eficaz que el sulfato de magnesio (p=0.021)

Cambios electrocardiográficos perioperatorios en pacientes ancianos sometidos a cirugía de cadera, comparando anestesia general versus Epidural / Perioperative electrocardiographic changes in the elderly patient's following hip surgery. A study comparing general anesthesia versus regional anesthesia

Los ancianos son sometidos a cirugía en mayor proporción que el resto de la población, con una mayor morbi-mortalidad perioperatoria por la alta incidencia de enfermedades coexistentes. Se presenta patología cardiaca hasta en un 50 a 65 por ciento de los pacientes, siendo la principal causa de muerte posterior a anestesia y cirugía. Las arritmias son comunes, encontrándose hasta en un 60 a 80 por ciento de las anestesias. El electrocardiograma ambulatorio o Holter es un método diagnóstico útil para alteraciones de conducción y cambios en el segmento ST. Objetivo: observar los cambios electrocardiográficos perioperatorios en pacientes ancianos, sometidos a cirugía de cadera, comparando anestesia general y anestesia regional. Material y métodos: se estudiaron 21 pacientes ASA I-III sometidos a cirugía de cadera, electiva o de urgencia a los cuales se les colocó un Holter 2 o 3 horas antes de la cirugía, hasta las 7 de la mañana del día siguiente. Se separaron en dos grupos: 1) anestesia epidural y 2) anestesia general. Posteriormente, se hizo una división entre cardiópatas y otras enfermedades. Se analizaron los datos obtenidos en el Holter comparando ambos grupos de anestesia con ambos grupos de patologías por medio de la Pb. U de Mann Whitney considerando como significativa p < 0.051. Las variables paramétricas se contrastaron con la t de Student (p ó 0.05). Resultados: no hubo diferencia significativa en cuanto a la edad, promedio de estancia hospitalaria, tiempo de cirugía y anestesia y sangrado. La presión arterial media fue menor en el grupo 1 (p = 0.001) y la saturación de oxígeno fue mayor en el grupo 2 (p = 0.011). Se contrastaron los hallazgos del Holter en cardiópatas y otras patologías, sin diferencia significativa; mientras que cuando se separaron estos 2, sólo se encontró que la bradicardia se presentó con mayor frecuencia en el grupo 2 (p = 0.041). Conclusión: los cambios electrocardiográficos encontrados en ancianos no son estadísticamante significativos, cuando se compara anestesia general vs epidural

Valoración del dolor postoperatorio con aplicación local pre y postincisional de bupivacaína / Postoperative pain evaluation with the pre and postincisional application of local bupivacaine

El anestesiólogo también debe decidir acerca del manejo en el dolor posoperatorio. Existen diferentes vías y sustancias neurohumorales involucradas en la percepción del dolor. El objetivo del estudio fue el de comprobar que la infiltración local con bupivacaína, previa a la incisión quirúrgica, es de mayor beneficio para el control del dolor postoperatorio que la infiltración posterior. Material y métodos: estudio prospectivo de 20 pacientes divididos en 2 grupos: I) infiltración preincisional con bupivacaína al 0.5 por ciento y II) infiltración postincisional. Técnica anestésica inhalatoria, sin otros analgésicos. Evaluación del dolor mediante la escala numérica y comparación de ambos grupos con la prueba U Mann-Whitney con p< 0.05. Resultados: en el grupo I, en la sala de recuperación, el valor promedio de la escla numérica de dolor fue de 14, mientras que en el grupo II fue de 73 (p< 0.05), con uso más temprano y mayor cantidad de analgésico suplementario en este último grupo (0.9 veces más). Conclusión: la infiltración local preincisional de bupivacaína al 0.5 por ciento es superior a la postincisional para disminuir la intensidad del dolor postoperatorio, principalmente en recuperación; además, disminuyen los requerimientos analgésicos