A feasibility study of percutaneous Radiofrequency Ablation followed by Radiotherapy in the management of painful osteolytic bone metastases.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) followed by Radiotherapy (RT) (RFA-RT) produces better palliation in terms of pain than RT alone in patients with osteolytic bone metastases. METHODS: Patients with solitary bone metastases and a pain score of least 5 or more on the VAS scale were selected. Fifteen patients were treated with RFA-RT (20 Gy delivered in 5 fractions of 4 Gy over 1 week) and were compared with a matched group (30 subjects) treated by RT. RESULTS: A complete response in terms of pain relief at 12 weeks was documented in 16.6% (5/30) and 53.3% (8/15) of the subjects treated by RT or RFA-RT, respectively (p = 0.027). The overall response rate at 12 weeks was 93.3% (14 patients) in the group treated by RFA-RT and 59.9% (18 patients) in the group treated by RT (p = 0.048). Although recurrent pain was documented more frequently after RT (26.6%) than after RFA-RT (6.7%) the difference did not reach statistical significance. The morbidity related to RT did not significantly differ when this treatment was associated with RFA. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that RFA-RT is safe and more effective than RT. The findings described here should serve as a framework around which to design future clinical trials.

The impact of conventional or hypofractionated radiotherapy on voice quality and oncological outcome in patients with early glottic cancer.

The hypothesis being tested in this study is that hypofractionated radiotherapy is well tolerated and not lower in terms of oncological outcome than conventional radiotherapy. Forty patients with histologically proven glottic cancer were included in the analysis. Twenty-two were treated by hypofractionated radiotherapy (3D-HFRT) (25 fractions of 2.4 Gy delivered daily to a total dose of 60 Gy). This group was retrospectively compared to 18 subjects who met the same inclusion criteria and who were treated with conventional radiotherapy (3D-CRT) (33 fractions of 2 Gy delivered daily to a total dose of 66 Gy). One year after RT treatment in 10 patients (5 in the arm-1 and 5 in the arm-2) mild dysphonia persisted. The other patients achieved a complete recovery of the overall quality of voice with no significant difference documented between the two groups. At 3 years the local control rate was 100% for the patients treated with hypofractionated radiotherapy and 96% for the patients treated with conventional regimen. The statistical analysis did not show any significant difference in local control between the two groups (p=0.45). No significant acute and late toxicity was documented in both groups. Subjects with early glottic cancer seem to experience comparable levels of morbidity irrespective whether they were treated by hypofractionated or conventional conformal therapy without any worsening of the tumor local control. Thus, we provide clinical evidence to justify trends already emerging toward hypofractionated regimens in early glottic cancer.

Subjective and objective measures of late genitourinary morbidity following hypofractionated radiotherapy in men with prostate cancer.

To value the late genitourinary (GU) morbidity in men treated with a hypofractionated radiotherapy regimen for prostate cancer. Patients with intermediate risk factors according to D'Amico's criteria were selected. The hypofractionated schedule consisted of 15 fractions of 3.63 Gy delivered three times per week for a total dose of 54.3 Gy. Significant changes in storage-symptoms were not found. A significant transient worsening in the score of late effects of normal tissue late effects normal tissue task force (LENT)-subjective, objective, management, analytic (SOMA) urinary-function domain was observed at 12 months with subsequent improvement at 28 months. The assessment of voiding-symptoms and maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax) showed that no significant difference was measurable at 12 and 28 months. For PVR, a transient increase at 12 months with a subsequent decrease at 28 months was measured. No significant increase in alpha-blockers usage and in the percentage of men with pathological nonintubated uroflowmetry (NIF) was observed at 12 and 28 months. Finally, patients did not perceive any clinical worsening in their quality of life (QoL) as attested by the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS)-QoL. Our study seems to suggest that our hypofractionated radiotherapy schedule for the treatment of prostate cancer is safe in terms of late urinary morbidity. Further study will be required to confirm our results.

Radiation therapy for oncological emergencies.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Radiation therapy holds a fundamental role in oncological emergencies such as superior vena cava syndrome, spinal cord compression and endocranial hypertension. The purpose of our study was, by comparing schedules of treatment, to confirm the efficacy of hypofractionated radiation therapy. METHODS: From January 1994 to December 1998, 43 patients with superior vena cava syndrome, 37 patients with metastatic spinal cord compression and 108 patients with endocranial hypertension secondary to metastasis were treated at our institution. In the group of patients with superior vena cava syndrome, radiotherapy schedules were: 4 Gy x 5 to a total dose of 20 Gy (23 patients) and 3 Gy x 10 to a total dose of 30 Gy (20 patients). In the group of patients with spinal cord compression, radiation schedules were: 3 Gy x 10 to a total dose of 30 Gy (15 patients); 4 Gy x 5 to a total dose of 20 Gy (12 patients); a single fraction of 8 Gy in 10 cases, repeated after 1 week in 7 responder cases to a total dose of 16 Gy. 5 out of 37 patients were underwent to laminectomy plus stabilization of the spine and post-operative radiotherapy. In the group of patients with endocranial hypertension, radiotherapy schedules were: 6 Gy x 2 to a total dose of 12 Gy (53 patients), repeated after 4 weeks in 34 responder patients and 3 Gy x 10 to a total dose of 30 Gy (55 patients). RESULTS: The patients with superior vena cava syndrome, revaluated after 4 weeks at the end of treatment, obtained a partial remission of symptomatology in 73.9% with 20 Gy and in 75% with 30 Gy. The patients with spinal cord compression obtained symptomatic relief in 73.3% with 30 Gy, in 66.6% with 20 Gy and in 70% of cases treated with 8 Gy. The patients with endocranial hypertension obtained symptomatic relief in 64.1% with 12 Gy and in 63.3% with 30 Gy. CONCLUSION: Histology, pretreatment and performance status were important prognostic factors for the response to therapy. Our results demonstrated no significant difference among different schedules of radiotherapy and confirmed the importance of radiotherapy for oncological emergencies: it improves the quality of life and, in responding patients, is associated with a longer survival time.

Hypofractionated radiation therapy for inoperable advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Inoperable advanced stage lung cancer is usually treated by radiation therapy. Although a minority of patients may achieve prolonged survival with aggressive therapeutic approaches, most patients present with adverse prognostic factors that do not allow curative treatment. For these cases palliation of symptoms becomes the main treatment purpose, and short treatment schedules are commonly employed. METHODS: Fifty-two inoperable patients with stage IIIB or IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were treated with a hypofractionated schedule of radiotherapy. Initially all patients received 20 Gy in five fractions, and approximately one month after irradiation completion patients underwent clinical and radiological evaluation. Those that achieved a >50% reduction in tumor load and respiratory symptoms were submitted to a second similar short course of radiotherapy. RESULTS: Thirty-three (63%) patients received only one course of radiotherapy. After the first evaluation, 19 patients (37%), all stage IIIB, fulfilled the criteria to receive a total dose of 40 Gy. Survival rates at one and two years were 33% and 0%, respectively, in the group of patients that received 20 Gy, and 52% and 21% respectively, in the group treated with 40 Gy. Two-year survival rates were 10% for stage IIIB and 0% for stage IV patients. Among the patients that were irradiated with a dose of 20 Gy, a subjective reduction of dyspnea and cough and remission of hemoptysis were observed in 97%, 82% and 80% cases, respectively. Complete remission of dyspnea and coughing was observed in 17 (89%) and 14 (74%) patients treated with two irradiation courses. Only mild toxicity was recorded. CONCLUSIONS: Our treatment schedule achieved symptom control in the majority of patients. Early evaluation after 20 Gy allowed selection of responsive patients that could benefit from more prolonged treatment.