Hypofractionated radiotherapy recommendations for localized prostate cancer in Brasil.

OBJECTIVE: Several prospective randomized trials have shown that hypofractionation has the same efficacy and safety as the conventional fractionation in the treatment of localized prostate cancer. There are many benefits of hypofractionation, including a more convenient schedule for the patients and better use of resources, which is especially important in low- and middle-income countries like Brasil. Based on these data, the Brazilian Society of Radiotherapy (Sociedade Brasileira de Radioterapia) organized this consensus to guide and support the use of hypofractionated radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer in Brasil. METHODS: The relevant literature regarding moderate hypofractionation (mHypo) and ultra-hypofractionation (uHypo) was reviewed and discussed by a group of experts from public and private centers of different parts of Brasil. Several key questions concerning clinical indications, outcomes and technological requirements for hypofractionation were discussed and voted. For each question, consensus was reached if there was an agreement of at least 75% of the panel members. RESULTS: The recommendations are described in this article. CONCLUSION: This initiative will assist Brazilian radiation oncologists and medical physicists to safely treat localized prostate cancer patients with hypofractionation.

Hypofractionated radiotherapy recommendations for localized prostate cancer in Brasil

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: Several prospective randomized trials have shown that hypofractionation has the same efficacy and safety as the conventional fractionation in the treatment of localized prostate cancer. There are many benefits of hypofractionation, including a more convenient schedule for the patients and better use of resources, which is especially important in low- and middle-income countries like Brasil. Based on these data, the Brazilian Society of Radiotherapy (Sociedade Brasileira de Radioterapia) organized this consensus to guide and support the use of hypofractionated radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer in Brasil. METHODS: The relevant literature regarding moderate hypofractionation (mHypo) and ultra-hypofractionation (uHypo) was reviewed and discussed by a group of experts from public and private centers of different parts of Brasil. Several key questions concerning clinical indications, outcomes and technological requirements for hypofractionation were discussed and voted. For each question, consensus was reached if there was an agreement of at least 75% of the panel members. RESULTS: The recommendations are described in this article. CONCLUSION: This initiative will assist Brazilian radiation oncologists and medical physicists to safely treat localized prostate cancer patients with hypofractionation.

Evaluation of acute skin toxicity during radiotherapy for breast cancer in elderly patients.

BACKGROUND: For women with early stage breast cancer, the hypofractionation is the standard of care, whereas for women in other situations the standard dose is still recommended. Although the hypofractionation studies included elderly patients (>70 years), many studies excluded this population. The goals of this study are to demonstrate our results in terms of acute skin toxicity in elderly patients, and to show that they can receive the same treatment as young patients. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study searching our database for patients at least 70 years old at the beginning of the treatment for breast cancer. The treatment planning and the medical records were reviewed to check not only the details of the treatment but also the skin reactions developed. The RTOG (Radiation Therapy Oncology Group) was used to take note of the skin toxicity. RESULTS: Two hundred and seventy-six patients treated from June 2015 to May 2019 were included in the final analysis. The vast majority of patients (72.99%) developed only a RTOG grade 1 reaction, the only two patients which presented with RTOG 4 had ulceration of skin, achieving full recovery. Regarding the volume of treatment, the percentages for RTOG 1 were similar for "Breast" and "Breast plus Drainage" (~75%). Patients receiving treatment aiming breast, drainage and boost had the higher percentage of RTOG 4 (6.2%). Patients that received the hypofractionation showed slightly better results than the standard fractionation, with no patient with RTOG 4 and lesser patients with RTOG 2 and 3, RTOG 1 was predominant for all sub-groups analyzed. Mild erythema and dry desquamation are common reactions that usually do not greatly affect the quality of life of the patients. The volume of treatment has an important effect on skin reactions with the number of events increasing considerably at larger volumes. Overall, there is a benefit in favor of hypofractionation in terms of acute skin toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: It can clearly be seen that elderly patients can tolerate the acute side effects of the radiotherapy and they should receive the same treatment as young patients. Larger volumes of treatment increased the toxicity, hence these patients should be more carefully evaluated during the treatment.

GUIDELINE FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF BILE DUCT CANCERS BY THE BRAZILIAN GASTROINTESTINAL TUMOR GROUP.

The Brazilian Gastrointestinal Tumor Group developed guidelines for the surgical and clinical management of patients with billiary cancers. The multidisciplinary panel was composed of experts in the field of radiology, medical oncology, surgical oncology, radiotherapy, endoscopy and pathology. The panel utilized the most recent literature to develop a series of evidence-based recommendations on different treatment and diagnostic strategies for cholangiocarcinomas and gallbladder cancers.

Guideline for the management of bile duct cancers by the brazilian gastrointestinal tumor group

ABSTRACT The Brazilian Gastrointestinal Tumor Group developed guidelines for the surgical and clinical management of patients with billiary cancers. The multidisciplinary panel was composed of experts in the field of radiology, medical oncology, surgical oncology, radiotherapy, endoscopy and pathology. The panel utilized the most recent literature to develop a series of evidence-based recommendations on different treatment and diagnostic strategies for cholangiocarcinomas and gallbladder cancers.

RESUMO O Grupo Brasileiro de Tumores Gastrointestinais desenvolveu diretrizes de tratamento cirúrgico e clínico de pacientes com tumores de vias biliares. O painel multidisciplinar foi composto de especialistas nas áreas radiologia, oncologia, cirurgia, radioterapia, endoscopia e anatomia patológica. O painel utilizou literatura atual para desenvolver recomendações baseadas em evidência científica para as diferentes estratégias terapêuticas e diagnósticas dos colangiocarcinomas e tumores de vesícula biliar.

Measuring relief of dysphagia in locally advanced esophageal carcinoma patients submitted to high-dose-rate brachytherapy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Esophageal neoplasm has a poor prognosis, and palliative care remains an important goal of treatment. The purpose of this study was to assess the ability of high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDRB) to improve dysphagia in 115 patients treated at our institution. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Patients previously submitted to external beam radiotherapy that at least, 1 month after, presented with residual disease and persistent dysphagia, were given HDRB as palliative treatment. Patients with tumors extending to the level of cardia and those with cervical esophageal lesions were also eligible. HDRB consisted of three fractions of 500 cGy given weekly. Dysphagia was assessed using a food texture-based scale classified according to the type of food patients were able to swallow (absent, solid, pasty, or liquid). At the end of treatment, a single-category shift in dysphagia classification was scored as +1 (e.g., liquid to pasty) or -1 (e.g., solid to pasty), and a dual-category shift was scored as +2 (e.g., liquid to solid) or -2 (e.g., absent to pasty). RESULTS: Most patients (51.1%) had improvement of dysphagia, and 55.3% of this group experienced one-point improvement. Procedural complications included stricture (38.2%), bleeding (7%), and fistula (8.7%). In the present study, 13 patients with cervical esophageal lesions underwent HDRB without fistula formation. CONCLUSIONS: Esophageal HDRB effectively reduces dysphagia. Tumor location was not related to development of complications.

Multimodalidade em imagem cardiovascular na caracterização de lesão valvar aórtica pós radioterapia: relato de quatro casos / Multimodality in cardiovascular image in aortic valvar lesion after radiotherapy: report of four case

A eficácia do tratamento de tumores como linfoma Hodgkin e o câncer de mama com o uso da radioterapia reduziu, significativamente, a morbidade e mortalidade desses pacientes. Todavia, com o aumento da sobrevida, as complicações cardiovasculares, entre elas, as lesões valvares começaram a surgir, anos ou até décadas após a radioterapia. O acompanhamento com o ecodopplercardiograma, após a radioterapia, é indispensável como medida de detecção precoce e acompanhamento evolutivo, devido ao seu baixo custo e fácil acesso. O objetivo deste estudo é relatar quatro casos de pacientes que desenvolveram lesão valvar aórtica após radioterapia.

Treatment efficacy of tumors like Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and breast cancer with the use of radiotherapy has significantly reduced morbidity and mortality of these patients. However, with the increase of survival, cardiovascular complication, e.g., valvar lesions has arisen years to decades after the end of radiotherapy. The following with echocardiography after radiotherapy is an essential step in early detection and following, because of low cost and easy access. The aim of this paper is to report four cases of patients that developed aortic valvar lesion after radiotherapy.

Radiation therapy for feline cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma using a hypofractionated protocol.

The objective of this paper was to evaluate the efficacy of a hypofractionated radiation protocol for feline facial squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Twenty-five histologically confirmed SCCs in 15 cats were treated with four fractions of 7.6-10Gy each, with 1 week intervals. The equipment used was a linear accelerator Clinac 2100 delivering electron beam of 4 or 6MeV, and a bolus of 5 or 10mm was used in all lesions. Of the lesions, 44% were staged as T4, 16% as T3, 8% as T2 and 32% as T1. Of the irradiated lesions, 40% had complete response, 12% had partial response and 48% had no response (NR) to the treatment. For T1 tumors, 62.5% had complete remission. Mean overall survival time was 224 days. Owners requested euthanasia of cats having NR to the treatment. Mean disease free time was 271 days. Side effects observed were skin erythema, epilation, ulceration and conjunctivitis, which were graded according to Veterinary Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (VRTOG) toxicity criteria. Response rates found in this study (52%) were lower when compared to other protocols, probably due to technique differences, such as fractionation schedule, bolus thickness and energy penetration depth. However, the hypofractionated radiation protocol was considered safe for feline facial SCC. Modifications of this protocol are being planned with the objective of improving the cure rates in the future.

Retinoblastoma--comparative analysis of external radiotherapy techniques, including an IMRT technique.

PURPOSE: To compare the numerous external radiotherapy (RT) techniques for the treatment of retinoblastoma, as well as an intensity-modulated RT (IMRT) technique. The latter was elaborated to evaluate the potential dose reduction in the surrounding tissue, as well as the potential avoidance of subdosage in the ora serrata retinae. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A 2-year-old patient with unilateral retinoblastoma underwent CT. With the aid of an ophthalmologist, the ocular structures were delimited, and 13 techniques described in published reports were reproduced on three-dimensional planning software and identified according to their authors. A technique with four noncoplanar fields using IMRT was also elaborated. These techniques were compared according to the dose to the ora serrata retinae, lens, orbit (volume that received a dose of >or=20 Gy), vitreous, optic nerve, lacrimal gland (volume that received a dose of >or=34 Gy), and cornea and according to their ease of reproducibility. RESULTS: The techniques that attained the therapeutic dose to the ora serrata retinae were the IMRT technique and the techniques of Haye, Cassady, Cormack, and al-Beteri. The Cormack technique had the lowest volume that received a dose of >or=20 Gy in the orbit, followed by the IMRT technique. The IMRT technique also achieved the lowest volume that received a dose of >or=34 Gy (14%) in the lacrimal gland. The Abramson/McCormick/Blach, Cassady, Reese, and Schipper techniques were the easiest to reproduce and the Chin the most complex. CONCLUSION: Retinoblastoma treatment with IMRT has an advantage over the other techniques, because it allows for the greatest reduction of dose to the orbit and lacrimal gland, while maintaining the therapeutic dose to the ora serrata retinae and vitreous.

Retinopatia associada ao uso de didadosina / Retinopathy associated with the use of didanosine

Os autores descrevem um caso de paciente adulto infectado com o vírus da imunodeficiéncia humana (HIV) que apresentou retinopatia tóxica secundária ao uso da didanosina (DDI). A didanosina é inibidor da transcriptase reversa utilizado no tratamento da síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida (AIDS).A associaçäo da didanosina com retinopatia é bem estabelecida em crianças, porém é bastante rara em adultos.