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OBJECTIVES: Small cell carcinoma of the vagina (SmCCV) is an extremely rare disease. Evidence-based data and specific guidelines are lacking. We conducted the first systematic review of case reports to provide the most overall picture of SmCCV. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Literature search in PubMed and Scopus was performed using the terms "small cell carcinoma" and "vagina." English-language case reports of primary SmCCV up to January 2022 were included. RESULTS: Twenty-nine articles describing 44 cases met our inclusion criteria. We report a new case of our hospital. The global median overall survival (mOS) was 12.00 months (95% CI = 9.31-14.69). The mOS was not reached for stage I, and it was 12.00, 12.00, 9.00, and 8.00 months for stages II, III, IVA, and IVB, respectively (statistically significant differences between stage I and stages II, III, or IVA [log rank p = .003-.017]). Thirty-five cases received local treatments (77.8%). The mOS of patients treated with surgery ± complementary chemotherapy, radiotherapy ± complementary chemotherapy, chemoradiation ± complementary chemotherapy, and surgery + radiotherapy ± complementary chemotherapy were 11.00, 12.00, 17.00, and 29.00 months, respectively. The use of adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy (64.5%, mostly platinum + etoposide) showed longer mOS (77.00 vs 15.00 months). Four of 5 tested cases presented human papillomavirus infection, 3 of them presenting type 18. CONCLUSIONS: Small cell carcinoma of the vagina shows dismal prognosis. Multimodal local management plus complementary chemotherapy seems to achieve better outcomes. Human papillomavirus could be related to the development of SmCCV. A diagnostic-therapeutic algorithm is proposed.
Subject(s)
Carcinoma , Neoadjuvant Therapy , Female , Humans , Algorithms , Neoplasm Staging , Prognosis , VaginaABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: This study aims to assess the effects of non-adherence to external beam radiation therapy in cancer patients receiving treatment with a curative. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study collected health records data for all cancer patients treated with external beam radiotherapy with curative intent in 2016 in Catalonia, Spain. Adherence was defined as having received at least 90% of the total dose prescribed. A logistic regression model was used to assess factors related to non-adherence, and its association with one-year survival was evaluated using Cox regression. RESULTS: The final sample included 8721 patients (mean age 63.6 years): breast cancer was the most common tumour site (38.1%), followed by prostate and colon/rectum. Treatment interruptions prolonged the total duration of therapy in 70.7% of the patients, and 1.0% were non-adherent. Non-adherence was associated with advanced age, female gender, and some localization of primary tumour (head and neck, urinary bladder, and haematological cancers). The risk of death in non-adherent patients was higher than in adherent patients (hazard ratio [HR] 1.63, 95% confidence interval 0.97-2.74), after adjusting for the potential confounding effect of age, gender, tumour site and comorbidity. CONCLUSION: Non-adherence to radiotherapy, as measured by the received dose, is very low in our setting, and it may have an impact on one-year survival.
Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms , Prostate , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Proportional Hazards Models , Retrospective Studies , SpainABSTRACT
Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the most common indolent lymphoma, and it most frequently presents in an advanced stage. Therapeutic considerations for advanced stage are different from those of localized-stage FL, in which radiotherapy (RT) is generally recommended. However, the available evidence suffers from shortcomings that are relatively specific to this clinical entity due to its rarity and long survival with all available treatment modalities, including that most of the existing evidence originated at a time when diagnostic classifications, staging procedures and radiotherapeutic standards were different from those available today and when anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies were not available. Available treatment modalities include observation, systemic therapy only, RT only and RT in combination with systemic therapy. We review the evidence available with each of them and the data from present-day clinical practice studies as well as briefly discuss what diagnostic and therapeutic developments may take place in the next few years.
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BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Radiation oncology guidelines favour hypofractionated whole-breast radiotherapy (HWBRT) over more conventional schemes in the conservative treatment of breast cancer, but its adoption still varies in clinical practice. This study assessed the patterns of HWBRT adoption in Catalonia (Spain). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We used a mixed-methods approach based on an explanatory sequential design, first collecting and analysing quantitative data on HWBRT use (>2.5Gy per fraction) in 11 public radiotherapy centres (2005-2015) and then performing 25 semi-structured interviews with all department heads and reference radiation oncologist/s. RESULTS: Of the 34,859 patients fulfiling the study criteria over the study period, just 12% were hypofractionated, reaching a percentage of 29% in 2015 (p<0.001). Our analysis showed a narrowing age gap between patients receiving conventional fractionation and hypofractionation in centres leading adoption. However, there were important differences in clinicians' interpretation of evidence (e.g. regarding the perceived risk of long-term toxicity) and selection of patients for specific indications, both within and between departments. CONCLUSIONS: Differences observed in the rate of adoption of HWBRT could not be tackled only using a rational, evidence-based approach. Factors related to the management of radiotherapy departments play a major role in the diffusion of therapeutic strategies.
Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Radiation Dose Hypofractionation , Aged , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Spain , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Objetivos: A raíz de una incidencia de sobredosis detectada en el servicio de radioterapia, se puso en marcha un proyecto de análisis y eliminación de riesgos para aumentar la seguridad de los pacientes.Material y método: Se aplicó el análisis modal de fallos y efectos (AMFE), un instrumento analítico aplicado en varios hospitales de Estados Unidos. Como exige la metodología, se cuantificaron los riesgos de cada modo de fallo en una escala de 1:1.000 utilizando el índice NPR (número de priorización del riesgo). En una primera fase de mejora, se definió el nivel de actuación como NPR > 100. Se detectaron varios riesgos en los protocolos actuales y se eliminaron todos ellos mediante redefinición de circuitos, controles y verificaciones adicionales, listas de comprobación y auditorias internas, entre otros. Posteriormente, se introdujo un sistema de gestión de la calidad según ISO9001, se definió una serie de indicadores y la dirección se implicó realizando revisiones mensuales de los resultados. Resultados: Se implantaron 100 acciones de mejora. El índice de riesgo calculado después de haber tomado las acciones bajó significativamente y aumentó la seguridad. Las mejoras realizadas aseguran el mantenimiento del grado de seguridad logrado. Conclusiones: La experiencia muestra que se puede identificar objetivamente los riesgos de cada paso que damos y destinar los escasos recursos de que disponemos a los procesos o actividades donde el riesgo es mayor, mediante mejoras metodológicas de nuestros protocolos de trabajo
Objectives: As a result of an adverse event detected at the Radiotherapy Treatment Unit, a safety improvement project was undertaken to analyze and eliminate risks and thus increase patient safety. Material and method: Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), ananalytical tool used in many US hospitals, was applied. As required by FMEA, risks of potential failure modes were quantified on a scale of 1 to 1000, using the Risk Priority Number (RPN). In the first improvement phase, an RPN value greater than 100 was consideredto be the limit above which corrective actions should be taken. Several potential failure modes were detected in existing treatment protocols and all the causes of potential failure modes were eliminatedthrough corrective actions that included redefinition of treatment protocols, the creation of new records for existing controls and the addition of new controls, checklists, and internal audits, amongother measures. Subsequently, a quality management system based on ISO9001 was introduced. Process indicators were defined to measure treatment quality, and the results were analyzed on a monthly basis with top management participation.Results: A total of 100 improvement actions were taken. The RPN values calculated after the implementation of the actions were significantly lower, increasing patient safety. The actions taken ensure the maintenance of the achieved safety levels. Conclusions: The experience shows that the risks present in all steps taken can be objectively identified. Through improved procedures, the limited resources available can be allocated to those processes or activities that pose maximum risk
