Role of adaptive radiotherapy during concomitant chemoradiotherapy for limited-stage small-cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Tumor shrinkage is frequently observed during conventionally fractionated chemoradiotherapy for limited-stage small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). The specific goals of this study are to evaluate the gross tumor volume (GTV) changes due to treatment-induced tumor reduction during the course of radiotherapy (RT) and to examine its potential use in adaptive radiotherapy (ART) for tumor dose escalation or normal tissue sparing in patients with SCLC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 10 patients with SCLC eligible for chemoradiotherapy underwent computed tomography (CT) scan after Fractions 13 and 23 (at nominal doses of 23.4 Gy and 41.4 Gy, respectively). The GTV was delineated on the repeat CT scans, and two treatment plans were generated with or without adaptation to tumor shrinkage during RT for each patient. Dosimetric and volumetric analyses were performed. RESULTS: The average GTV reduction observed over 13 fractions was 58.5% (range: 13.2%-92.3%; P < 0.001) and over 23 fractions was 70% (range: 36.9%-84.5%; P < 0.001). Compared with the plan without adaptation, ART resulted in mean lung dose relative decreases of 8.7%, mean lung volume receiving ≥20 Gy relative decreases of 5%, mean lung volume receiving ≥5Gy relative decreases of 10%, mean medulla spinalis dose relative decreases of 21 cGy, mean esophagus volume receiving ≥50 Gy relative decreases of 19%, and mean heart volume receiving ≥42 Gy relative decreases of 13%. The benefits of ART were the greatest for tumor volumes ≥30 cm 3 and are directly dependent on GTV reduction during treatment. CONCLUSION: ART for SCLC achieved a significant benefit in terms of organ at risk (OAR) and dose escalation.

Pre-chemoradiotherapy high platelet counts predict jaw osteoradionecrosis in locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients.

INTRODUCTION: This retrospective study aimed to investigate if pretreatment platelet (PLT) levels can predict the risk of osteoradionecrosis of the jaw (ORNJ) in patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC) who received concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). MATERIAL &METHODS: ORNJ instances were identified from LA-NPC patients' pre- and post-CCRT oral exam records. All pretreatment PLT values were acquired on the first day of CCRT. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to determine the optimal PLT cutoff that divides patients into two subgroups with distinctive ORNJ rates. The primary outcome measure was the association between pretreatment PLT values and ORNJ incidence rates. RESULTS: The incidence of ORNJ was 8.8 % among the 240 LA-NPC patients analyzed. The ideal pre-CCRT PLT cutoff which divided the patients into two significantly different ORNJ rate groups was 285,000 cells/µL (PLT ≤ 285,000 cells/µL (N = 175) vs. PLT > 285,000 cells/µL (N = 65)). A comparison of the two PLT groups revealed that the incidence of ORNJ was substantially higher in patients with PLT > 285,000 cells/L than in those with PLT≤285,000 cells/L (26.2% vs. 2.3 %; P < 0.001). The presence of pre-CCRT ≥3 tooth extractions, any post-CCRT tooth extractions, mean mandibular dose ≥ 34.1 Gy, mandibular V57.5 Gy ≥ 34.7 %, and post-CCRT tooth extractions > 9 months after CCRT completion were also associated with significantly increased ORNJ rates. A multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that each characteristic had an independent significance on ORNJ rates after CCRT. CONCLUSION: An affordable and easily accessible novel biomarker, PLT> 285,000 cells/L, may predict substantially higher ORNJ rates after definitive CCRT in individuals with LA-NPC.

Worth of pan-immune-inflammation value in trismus prediction after concurrent chemoradiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinomas.

OBJECTIVE: Radiation-induced trismus (RIT), one of the rare but serious side effects of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (C-CRT), is difficult to predict with high accuracy. We aimed to examine whether the pretreatment pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV) measures predict RIT in patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC) receiving C-CRT. METHODS: Data of patients with LA-NPC who underwent C-CRT and had maximum mouth openings (MMO) > 35 mm were reviewed. Any MMO of 35 mm or less after C-CRT was considered RIT. All PIV values were computed using the complete blood count test results: PIV = (Platelets × Monocytes × Neutrophils) ÷ Lymphocytes. The receiver operating characteristic analysis was employed to dissect a possible association between pre-treatment PIV readings and RIT status. Confounding variables were tested for their independent relationship with the RIT rates using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The research comprised 223 participants, and RIT was diagnosed in 46 (20.6%) at a median time from C-CRT to RIT of 10 months (range: 5-18 months). Pre-C-CRT PIV levels and RIT rates were analyzed using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, with 830 being the optimal cutoff (area under the curve: 92.1%; sensitivity: 87.5%; specificity: 85.5%; Youden index: 0.730). RIT was significantly more prevalent in the PIV > 830 cohort than its PIV ≤ 830 counterpart (60.3% vs. 5%; hazard ratio 5.79; P < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that advanced T-stage (P = 0.004), masticatory apparatus dose V58Gy≥%32 (P = 0.003), and PIV > 830 (P < 0.001) were independently linked with significantly elevated rates of RIT. CONCLUSION: The presence of elevated pre-C-CRT PIV is a unique biological marker that independently predicts increased RIT rates in LA-NPC undergoing C-CRT.

The Prognostic Value of the Novel Global Immune-Nutrition-Inflammation Index (GINI) in Stage IIIC Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated with Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: We sought to determine the prognostic value of the newly developed Global Immune-Nutrition-Inflammation Index (GINI) in patients with stage IIIC non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who underwent definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). METHODS: This study was conducted on a cohort of 802 newly diagnosed stage IIIC NSCLC patients who underwent CCRT. The novel GINI created first here was defined as follows: GINI = [C-reactive protein × Platelets × Monocytes × Neutrophils] ÷ [Albumin × Lymphocytes]. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the optimal pre-CCRT GINI cut-off value that substantially interacts with the locoregional progression-free (LRPFS), progression-free (PFS), and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: The optimal pre-CCRT GINI cutoff was 1562 (AUC: 76.1%; sensitivity: 72.4%; specificity: 68.2%; Youden index: 0.406). Patients presenting with a GINI ≥ 1562 had substantially shorter median LRPFS (13.3 vs. 18.4 months; p < 0.001), PFS (10.2 vs. 14.3 months; p < 0.001), and OS (19.1 vs. 37.8 months; p < 0.001) durations than those with a GINI < 1562. Results of the multivariate analysis revealed that the pre-CCRT GINI ≥ 1562 (vs. <1562), T4 tumor (vs. T3), and receiving only 1 cycle of concurrent chemotherapy (vs. 2-3 cycles) were the factors independently associated with poorer LRPS (p < 0.05 for each), PFS (p < 0.05 for each), and OS (p < 0.05 for each). CONCLUSION: The newly developed GINI index efficiently divided the stage IIIC NSCLSC patients into two subgroups with substantially different median and long-term survival outcomes.

Clinical prognostic factors of adjuvant radiation therapy for low-grade gliomas: results of 10 years survival.

OBJECTIVE: Low-grade gliomas compose 5-20% of all glial tumors. The prognosis of the disease can be anticipated by specific clinical factors determined during diagnosis. For this purpose, our study investigated the clinical prognostic factors for low-grade gliomas. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with histopathologically confirmed low-grade glioma, followed by Akdeniz University and Süleyman Demirel University School of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology between 1999 and 2013 were included in the study. The examination of survival by single variable analyses were performed by log rank test. For the multivariate analysis, independent factors for the prediction of survival by using possible factors determined by previous analyses were examined by using Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: Fifty-five patients were included in the study. The mean follow-up period was determined as 60 ± 57 (4.5-168.1) months. Five-year overall survival was determined as 69% and 10-year overall survival was determined as 40%. When the potential prognostic factors were studied in Cox regression model, pre-radiotherapy age below 40 and gross-total excision were determined as good prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that the aggressive surgical resection provided a better survival advantage both in single variable analyses and multivariate analyses. Consequently, although the low number of patients was the most important limitation in our study, we consider that patient age and extent of resection are the most important clinical prognostic factors in low-grade gliomas.