Low-dose radiation therapy for hand osteoarthritis: shaking hands again?

BACKGROUND: Hand osteoarthritis (HOA) is one of the most common causes of pain and functional disability in western countries and there is still no definitive cure. Low-dose radiation therapy (LDRT) has anti-inflammatory properties that have shown to be effective in the symptomatic relief of various degenerative musculoskeletal disorders. We designed a clinical protocol using LDRT for symptomatic HOA and present results and tolerance in the first 100 patients included. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between April 2015 and March 2021, 100 patients with a median age of 60 were treated. Fifty-seven patients suffering from proximal/distal interphalangeal joint pain, 40 patients with thumb arthritis, 2 patients with radiocarpal joint affection and 1 patient with metacarpophalangeal joint pain were enrolled. LDRT comprised of 6 fractions of 0.5-1 Gy on every other day up to a total dose of 3-6 Gy. Clinical response was evaluated according to the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain level and the von Pannewitz score (VPS) for joint functionality. Any patients not achieving subjective adequate pain relief after 8 weeks of treatment were offered a second identical LDRT course. RESULTS: With a median follow-up of 10.5 months (range 7.55-12.45), 94% reported an improvement in the pain, with a significant reduction in the VAS level after 3, 6 and 12 months (p < 0.001). Sixty-three patients needed a second course of treatment at a median time interval of 12 weeks (range 9-14). The mean VAS score before treatment was 8 (range 3-10). After treatment, it was 5 (range 1-10). After 3, 6 and 12 months, the mean VAS scores were 4 (range 0-9), 3 (range 0-9) and 3.5 (range 0-9), respectively. Seventy patients reported functionality improvements after LDRT according to the von Pannewitz score. No acute or late complications were observed. CONCLUSION: LDRT appears to be safe and useful for HOA and is associated with good rates of pain relief and functionality improvements. However, further studies are necessary to confirm these promising results.

Moderate hypofractionated post-prostatectomy radiation therapy is feasible and well tolerated: experience from a single tertiary cancer centre.

PURPOSE: Conventional post-prostatectomy radiation therapy comprises 6.5-8 weeks of treatment, therefore, hypofractionated and shortened schemes arouse increasing interest. We describe our experience regarding feasibility and clinical outcome of a post-prostatectomy moderate hypofractionated image-guided radiotherapy schedule MATERIALS AND METHODS: From Oct 2015-Mar 2020, 113 patients, median age of 62 years-old (range 45-76) and prostate adenocarcinoma of low risk (30%), intermediate risk (49%) and high risk (21%) were included for adjuvant (34%) or salvage radiation therapy (66%) after radical prostatectomy (RP). All patients underwent radiotherapy with image-guided IMRT/VMAT to a total dose of 62.5 Gy in 2.5 Gy/fraction in 25 fractions. Sixteen patients (14%) received concomitant androgen deprivation therapy. RESULTS: With a median follow-up of 29 months (range 3-60 months) all patients but three are alive. Eleven patients (10%) developed exclusive biochemical relapse while 19 patients (17%) presented macroscopically visible relapse: prostatectomy bed in two patients (2%), pelvic lymph nodes in 13 patients (11.5%) and distant metastases in four patients (4%). The 3 years actuarial rates for OS, bFRS, and DMFS were 99.1, 91.1 and 91.2%, respectively. Acute and late tolerance was satisfactory. Maximal acute genitourinary (AGU) toxicity was G2 in 8% of patients; maximal acute gastrointestinal (AGI) toxicity was G2 in 3.5% of patients; maximal late genitourinary (LGU) toxicity was G3 in 1% of patients and maximal late gastrointestinal (LGI) toxicity was G2 in 2% of patients. There were no cases of severe acute or late toxicity. No relationship was found between acute or late GI/GU adverse effects and dosimetric parameters, age, presence of comorbidities or concomitant treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Hypofractionated radiotherapy (62.5 Gy in 25 2.5 Gy fractions) is feasible and well tolerated with low complication rates allowing for a moderate dose-escalation that offers encouraging clinical results for biochemical control and survival in patients with prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy.

A prospective observational study of the clinical and pathological impact of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) as a neoadjuvant strategy of chemoradiation in pancreatic cancer.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S): To improve the curative resection rates and prognoses, a variety of neoadjuvant (NA) strategies have been explored in PDAC. In our institution, non-metastatic PDACs have been treated with a NA intent with induction multiagent chemotherapy and SBRT. The primary endpoint was to increase R0 resection rate. The secondary endpoints were the analysis of the clinical tolerance, the pathological response, the local control (LC) and the OS. MATERIALS/METHODS: All consecutive patients with non-metastatic PDAC underwent SBRT as part of the NA strategy were included. A total dose of 40-62 Gy were delivered in 5-10 fractions. Surgery was performed after SBRT and restaging. RESULTS: Since February 2014 to December 2018, 45 patients were enrolled. Thirty-two patients underwent surgery (71.1%), 10 out of 15 were initially unresectable disease patients (66.75%). R0 resection rate was 93% (30 patients) and pN0 status was achieved in 20 patients (60.6%). Tumour regression grade (TRG): 12 patients with complete response or marked response (TRG 0-1: 37.5%), 16 patients with moderate response (TRG 2: 50%) and four patients with poor response (TRG 3: 12.5%). The median follow-up was 16.2 m (range 6.6-59.6 m) since diagnosis. The LC rate achieved was very high (95.5%). Actuarial 12 and 24 m OS was 67.4% and 35.9% respectively. No grade 3 or higher toxicity related to SBRT was observed. CONCLUSION: The results are encouraging, suggesting that SBRT has a significant role in the management of these patients and further studies will be necessary to prove these findings.

Retrospective study assessing the role of MRI in the diagnostic procedures for early breast carcinoma: a correlation of new foci in the MRI with tumor pathological features.

BACKGROUND: Use of breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect breast cancer has generated significant debate. We analyze the role of breast MRI in the detection of additional disease and the need to perform additional biopsies in early breast carcinoma patients. In addition, we correlate the detection of new foci with tumor pathological features. METHODS: Early breast carcinoma patients that had undergone an MRI as well as a mammography as diagnostic procedures were included in the study. The following pathologic features were studied: carcinoma type, histological grade, estrogen receptors (ER), progesterone receptors (PR), HER2 and Ki67. Univariate analysis was conducted to ascertain significant correlation among detection of new foci and each of the tumor pathological features. RESULTS: Data from 98 patients have been analyzed: median age 49 years (range 35-79); carcinoma type: (a) infiltrative ductal carcinoma (n = 73, 74 %), (b) infiltrative lobular cancer (n = 12, 12 %), (c) ductal carcinoma in situ (n = 6, 6 %); amplified HER2 (n = 18, 18 %); grade III (n = 33, 33 %); Ki67 ≥ 25 % (n = 33, 33.67 %); positive ER and PR (n = 79, 80 %); triple negative tumors (n = 8, 8 %). MRI detected additional disease in 38 cases (39.58 %), and 20 led to an additional biopsy (20.4 %). Thirty-eight patients (39 %) underwent mastectomy. We found a statistically significant correlation between new foci in MRI and high Ki67 ≥ 25 % (p < 0.005). No other statistically significant correlation was established. CONCLUSION: MRI detected additional disease in 39 % cases, requiring an additional biopsy 20 %. Tumors with high proliferative index were significantly correlated with the detection of new foci in MRI.