FNA of Meningioma with Rhabdoid Features Presenting as a Lateral Neck Mass.

Primary meningioma at extracranial head and neck sites is uncommon. Since fine needle aspiration (FNA) is often the first line diagnostic modality for the evaluation of masses in the head and neck, extracranial meningiomas can create a significant diagnostic pitfall for FNA. We report a case of meningioma with rhabdoid features and BAP1 loss in a 26-year-old woman, presenting as a large neck mass along the carotid sheath. FNA biopsy of the mass demonstrated a highly cellular specimen with clusters of uniform, epithelioid cells with round to ovoid nuclei and moderate nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio. An extensive immunohistochemical panel performed on cell block sections showed that the tumor cells were weakly EMA positive, progesterone receptor was focally positive, and SSTR2A was diffuse and strongly positive. BAP1 immunohistochemistry showed a diffuse loss of expression in the tumor cells. After the cytologic diagnosis of meningioma, a tissue biopsy was performed, and the diagnosis of meningioma with rhabdoid features and BAP1 loss was confirmed. We also perform a literature review of meningioma cases presenting as a neck mass and evaluated by FNA. Our case highlights the significant diagnostic challenges that can be caused by extracranial meningiomas on FNA and the importance of ancillary studies to avoid diagnostic pitfalls.

Patient-reported Quality of Life After SBRT, LDR, and HDR Brachytherapy for Prostate Cancer: A Comparison of Outcomes.

PURPOSE: We sought to compare changes in patient-reported quality of life (PRQOL) following stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), high dose rate (HDR), and low dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy for prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), Sexual Health Inventory For Men (SHIM), and Expanded Prostate cancer Index Composite Short Form (EPIC-26) were prospectively collected for men with low/intermediate-risk cancer treated at a single institution. We used Generalized Estimating Equations to identify associations between variables and early (3 to 6 mo) or late (1 to 2 y) PRQOL scores. Minimally important differences (MID) were compared with assess clinical relevance. RESULTS: A total of 342 LDR, 159 HDR, and 112 SBRT patients treated from 2001 to 2018 were eligible. Gleason score, PSA, and age were lower among LDR patients compared with HDR/SBRT. Unadjusted baseline IPSS score was similar among all groups. Adjusted IPSS worsened at all time points compared with baseline after LDR/HDR. At early/late time points, rates of IPSS MID after LDR were higher compared to HDR/SBRT. There were no IPSS differences between SBRT and HDR. All modalities showed early and late SHIM worsening. There were no temporal differences in SHIM between SBRT and brachytherapy. There were no differences in EPIC subdomains between HDR and SBRT. Bowel symptoms worsened early after SBRT, whereas urinary irritative/obstructive symptoms worsened late after HDR. Among all domains, MID after SBRT and HDR were similar. CONCLUSIONS: In a cohort of patients treated with modern radiotherapy techniques, HDR and SBRT resulted in clinically meaningful improved urinary PRQOL compared with LDR.

Pelvic Reirradiation Utilizing Pulsed Low-dose Rate Radiation Therapy.

Pulsed low-dose rate radiation therapy has been shown to reduce normal tissue damage while decreasing DNA damage repair in tumor cells. In a cohort of patients treated with palliative or definitive pelvic reirradiation using pulsed low-dose rate radiation therapy, we observed substantial local control and low rates of toxicity.

Long-term quality of life after definitive treatment for prostate cancer: patient-reported outcomes in the second posttreatment decade.

Definitive treatment for prostate cancer includes radical prostatectomy (RP), external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), and brachytherapy (BT). The different side effect profiles of these options are crucial factors for patients and clinicians when deciding between treatments. This study reports long-term health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for patients in their second decade after treatment for prostate cancer. We used a validated survey to assess urinary, bowel, and sexual function and HRQOL in a prospective cohort of patients diagnosed with localized prostate cancer 14-18 years previously. We report and compare the outcomes of patients who were initially treated with RP, EBRT, or BT. Of 230 eligible patients, the response rate was 92% (n = 211) and median follow-up was 14.6 years. Compared to baseline, RP patients had significantly worse urinary incontinence and sexual function, EBRT patients had worse scores in all domains, and BT patients had worse urinary incontinence, urinary irritation/obstruction, and sexual function. When comparing treatment groups, RP patients underwent larger declines in urinary continence than did BT patients, and EBRT and BT patients experienced larger changes in urinary irritation/obstruction. Baseline functional status was significantly associated with long-term function for urinary obstruction and bowel function domains. This is one of the few prospective reports on quality of life for prostate cancer patients beyond 10 years, and adds information about the late consequences of treatment choices. These data may help patients make informed decisions regarding treatment choice based on symptoms they may experience in the decades ahead.

Management and outcomes of clinical stage IIA/B seminoma: Results from the National Cancer Data Base 1998-2012.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE: Disease-specific survival for testicular seminoma approaches 100%, even for those with node-positive disease. We sought to describe modern practice patterns, survival outcomes, and factors associated with postoperative therapy for patients with clinical stage (CS) IIA/B disease. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Data on patients diagnosed with CS IIA/B seminoma from 1998 to 2012 were extracted from the National Cancer Data Base. Demographic, clinical, treatment, and payer characteristics were evaluated using multivariate regression to identify factors associated with receipt of chemotherapy or radiation therapy (RT) within 6 months of orchiectomy. Five-year Kaplan-Meier overall survival (OS) by CS and treatment was calculated. A Cox proportional hazards regression for 5-year OS was performed. RESULTS: A total of 1885 patients were included; 38.5% received chemotherapy and 61.5% received RT. On multivariate analysis, factors associated with receipt of postorchiectomy RT rather than chemotherapy included CS IIA (odds ratio [OR], 3.04; P < .01) and community treatment setting (OR, 1.81-2.76; P < .01). Reduced likelihood of receiving RT was associated with Medicaid insurance (OR, 0.50; P < .01), more recent year of diagnosis (continuous OR, 0.93; P < .01), and primary pathologic tumor 3/4 stage (OR, 0.47; P < .01). On multivariate Cox regression, decreased 5-year OS was associated with receipt of chemotherapy in CS IIA patients (hazard ratio, 13.33; P < .01) but not in CS IIB patients (hazard ratio, 1.39; P = .45). For CS IIA, 5-year OS was 99.4% for orchiectomy and RT versus 91.2% for orchiectomy and chemotherapy (log-rank P < .01). For CS IIB, 5-year OS was 96.1% for orchiectomy and RT versus 92.8% for orchiectomy and chemotherapy (log-rank P = .08). CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with national guideline recommendations, our analysis supports preferred status for RT in CS IIA. In addition, these data also support use of RT for CS IIB. CS, treatment year, primary pathologic tumor stage, insurance, and facility type were associated with type of postoperative therapy. Longer follow-up to account for potential late effects of treatment is needed.

Active surveillance for low-risk prostate cancer: Need for intervention and survival at 10 years.

INTRODUCTION: To describe the need for treatment and cancer-specific and overall survival in a contemporary active surveillance (AS) cohort. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Historical cohort study of men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer between 1997 and 2009 and managed with AS at a tertiary care center. Inclusion criteria were Gleason score ≤ 6 (Gleason score of 7 in select patients),≤ 3/12 cores positive, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level< 20 ng/ml. Survival analyses were conducted using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: A total of 469 men with median age at diagnosis of 68.1 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 62.5-73.4) were followed up for a median of 4.8 years (IQR: 3.4-7.3). Median PSA level at diagnosis was 5.1 ng/ml (IQR: 4.0-6.9), with 94% of them having PSA level<10 ng/ml. Overall, 98.3% (461/469) of patients had a Gleason score of 6 and 1.7% (8/469) had a Gleason score of 3+4 = 7, and 94.0% (441/469) had T1c stage disease. Freedom from treatment was 77% at 5 years and 62% at 10 years. A total of 116 (24.7%) patients received treatment during the course of surveillance. Reasons for treatment included 44.8% (52/116) for pathologic reclassification, 30.2% (35/116) for PSA progression, 12.1% (14/116) for patient preference, 5.2% (6/116) for digital rectal examination progression, and 4.3% (5/116) for metastatic disease. Of the patients treated, 59 (50.1%) received radiation, 26 (22.4%) underwent surgery, 17 (14.7%) received brachytherapy, and 14 (12.1%) received androgen-deprivation therapy. Cancer-specific survival was 100% at 5 and 10 years. Overall survival was 95% at 5 years and 88% at 10 years. CONCLUSION: In a contemporary cohort of men with low-risk prostate cancer, AS allowed avoidance of treatment most of them. Common reasons for change in management were Gleason upgrading and volume progression on prostate rebiopsy.

Management trends in stage I testicular seminoma: Impact of race, insurance status, and treatment facility.

BACKGROUND: The management of stage I testicular seminoma is evolving rapidly. This study examined modern trends in the management of stage I testicular seminoma and the effects of sociodemographic factors on therapy choice. METHODS: Data from the National Cancer Data Base on 34,067 patients with stage I testicular seminoma who were treated between 1998 and 2011 were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess factors associated with adjuvant management strategies. RESULTS: For patients with stage IA/B testicular seminoma, rates of observation after orchiectomy increased from 23.7% to 54.0%, the receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy increased from 1.5% to 16.0%, and the receipt of radiotherapy decreased from 70.8% to 28.8%. A similar pattern was seen in stage IS testicular seminoma, although these patients were more likely to receive adjuvant radiotherapy/chemotherapy (60.7% vs 44.8% for stage IA/B in 2011, P < .001). For patients with stage IA/B testicular seminoma, observation after orchiectomy was more common in racial minorities (odds ratio [OR] for blacks vs whites, 1.31, P < .001; OR for Hispanics vs whites, 1.39, P < .001) and in the uninsured (OR for uninsured vs privately insured, 1.33, P < .001) and less common at community centers (OR for community centers vs National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers, 0.80, P = .044). In those with stage IA/B testicular seminoma who received adjuvant radiotherapy/chemotherapy, the receipt of chemotherapy was more common at academic centers and for patients with nonprivate insurance. CONCLUSIONS: Postorchiectomy observation in stage I testicular seminoma has increased significantly in recent years, as has the receipt of chemotherapy, whereas the receipt of radiotherapy has declined, particularly at academic centers. Race, insurance status, and facility type are strongly associated with the choice of adjuvant management.

Addressing the growing cancer burden in the wake of the AIDS epidemic in Botswana: The BOTSOGO collaborative partnership.

Botswana has experienced a dramatic increase in HIV-related malignancies over the past decade. The BOTSOGO collaboration sought to establish a sustainable partnership with the Botswana oncology community to improve cancer care. This collaboration is anchored by regular tumor boards and on-site visits that have resulted in the introduction of new approaches to treatment and perceived improvements in care, providing a model for partnership between academic oncology centers and high-burden countries with limited resources.

Medical oncology consultation and minimization of overtreatment in men with low-risk prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: Specialist bias, in which specialists recommend the therapy that they are capable of delivering, is thought to influence the treatment of patients with localized prostate cancer and to contribute to overtreatment of men with limited life expectancy. Consequently, rates of active surveillance, the preferred management modality per the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) for patients with low- and very low-risk disease and a life expectancy of less than 10 and less than 20 years, respectively, are low. We sought to determine whether consultation with a medical oncologist is associated with increased rates of active surveillance in men with low-risk prostate cancer. METHODS: We identified 188 patients with low-risk prostate cancer undergoing active surveillance at one of three referral centers in Boston, MA in 2009. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine whether consultation with a medical oncologist was associated with selection of active surveillance. The data were reanalyzed for patients with low- and very low-risk disease and a life expectancy of less than 10 and less than 20 years, respectively. RESULTS: Consultation with a medical oncologist was associated with increased rates of active surveillance (37% v 21%, P = .01), an association that remained significant on multivariable logistic regression (odds ratio [OR] = 2.70; 95% CI, 1.27 to 5.75; P = .01). When applied to patients with limited life expectancy, this finding remained significant (OR = 4.74; 95% CI, 1.17 to 19.25; P = .03). CONCLUSION: Consultation with a medical oncologist is associated with increased rates of active surveillance, adherence to NCCN guidelines, and minimization of overtreatment in men with early prostate cancer and limited life expectancy.

Outcomes in a multi-institutional cohort of patients treated with intraoperative radiation therapy for advanced or recurrent renal cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S): This study aimed to analyze outcomes in a multi-institutional cohort of patients with advanced or recurrent renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who were treated with intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Between 1985 and 2010, 98 patients received IORT for advanced or locally recurrent RCC at 9 institutions. The median follow-up time for surviving patients was 3.5 years. Overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and disease-free survival (DFS) were estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method. Chained imputation accounted for missing data, and multivariate Cox hazards regression tested significance. RESULTS: IORT was delivered during nephrectomy for advanced disease (28%) or during resection of locally recurrent RCC in the renal fossa (72%). Sixty-nine percent of the patients were male, and the median age was 58 years. At the time of primary resection, the T stages were as follows: 17% T1, 12% T2, 55% T3, and 16% T4. Eighty-seven percent of the patients had a visibly complete resection of tumor. Preoperative or postoperative external beam radiation therapy was administered to 27% and 35% of patients, respectively. The 5-year OS was 37% for advanced disease and 55% for locally recurrent disease. The respective 5-year DSS was 41% and 60%. The respective 5-year DFS was 39% and 52%. Initial nodal involvement (hazard ratio [HR] 2.9-3.6, P<.01), presence of sarcomatoid features (HR 3.7-6.9, P<.05), and higher IORT dose (HR 1.3, P<.001) were statistically significantly associated with decreased survival. Adjuvant systemic therapy was associated with decreased DSS (HR 2.4, P=.03). For locally recurrent tumors, positive margin status (HR 2.6, P=.01) was associated with decreased OS. CONCLUSIONS: We report the largest known cohort of patients with RCC managed by IORT and have identified several factors associated with survival. The outcomes for patients receiving IORT in the setting of local recurrence compare favorably to similar cohorts treated by local resection alone suggesting the potential for improved DFS with IORT.

Models of care and NCCN guideline adherence in very-low-risk prostate cancer.

NCCN Guidelines recommend active surveillance as the primary management option for patients with very-low-risk prostate cancer and an expected survival of less than 20 years, reflecting the favorable prognosis of these men and the lack of perceived benefit of immediate, definitive treatment. The authors hypothesized that care at a multidisciplinary clinic, where multiple physicians have an opportunity to simultaneously review and discuss each case, is associated with increased rates of active surveillance in men with very-low-risk prostate cancer, including those with limited life expectancy. Of 630 patients with low-risk prostate cancer managed at 1 of 3 tertiary care centers in Boston, Massachusetts in 2009, 274 (43.5%) had very-low-risk classification. Patients were either seen by 1 or more individual practitioners in sequential settings or at a multidisciplinary clinic, in which concurrent consultation with 2 or more of the following specialties was obtained: urology, radiation oncology, and medical oncology. Patients seen at a multidisciplinary prostate cancer clinic were more likely to select active surveillance than those seen by individual practitioners (64% vs 30%; P<.001), an association that remained significant on multivariable logistic regression (odds ratio [OR], 4.16; P<.001). When the analysis was limited to patients with an expected survival of less than 20 years, this association remained highly significant (72% vs 34%, P<.001; OR, 5.19; P<.001, respectively). Multidisciplinary care is strongly associated with selection of active surveillance, adherence to NCCN Guidelines and minimization of overtreatment in patients with very-low-risk prostate cancer.

Multidisciplinary care and management selection in prostate cancer.

The management of prostate cancer is complicated by the multitude of treatment options, the lack of proven superiority of one modality of management, and the presence of physician bias. Care at a multidisciplinary prostate cancer clinic offers patients the relative convenience of consultation with physicians of multiple specialties within the confines of a single visit and appears to serve as a venue in which patients can be counseled regarding the risks and benefits of available therapies in an open and interactive environment. Physician bias may be minimized in such an environment, and patient satisfaction rates are high. Available data suggest that low-risk patients who are seen at a multidisciplinary prostate cancer clinic appear to select active surveillance in greater proportion. However, relatively few studies have investigated the other added value that multidisciplinary clinics provide to the patient or health care system, and therefore, additional studies assessing the impact of multidisciplinary care in the management of patients with prostate cancer are needed.

Nomograms predicting response to therapy and outcomes after bladder-preserving trimodality therapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

PURPOSE: Selective bladder preservation by use of trimodality therapy is an established management strategy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Individual disease features have been associated with response to therapy, likelihood of bladder preservation, and disease-free survival. We developed prognostic nomograms to predict the complete response rate, disease-specific survival, and likelihood of remaining free of recurrent bladder cancer or cystectomy. METHODS AND MATERIALS: From 1986 to 2009, 325 patients were managed with selective bladder preservation at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and had complete data adequate for nomogram development. Treatment consisted of a transurethral resection of bladder tumor followed by split-course chemoradiation. Patients with a complete response at midtreatment cystoscopic assessment completed radiation, whereas those with a lesser response underwent a prompt cystectomy. Prognostic nomograms were constructed predicting complete response (CR), disease-specific survival (DSS), and bladder-intact disease-free survival (BI-DFS). BI-DFS was defined as the absence of local invasive or regional recurrence, distant metastasis, bladder cancer-related death, or radical cystectomy. RESULTS: The final nomograms included information on clinical T stage, presence of hydronephrosis, whether a visibly complete transurethral resection of bladder tumor was performed, age, sex, and tumor grade. The predictive accuracy of these nomograms was assessed. For complete response, the area under the receiving operating characteristic curve was 0.69. The Harrell concordance index was 0.61 for both DSS and BI-DFS. CONCLUSIONS: Our nomograms allow individualized estimates of complete response, DSS, and BI-DFS. They may assist patients and clinicians making important treatment decisions.

Patient-reported outcomes after 3-dimensional conformal, intensity-modulated, or proton beam radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have suggested differing toxicity patterns for patients with prostate cancer who receive treatment with 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT), intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), or proton beam therapy (PBT). METHODS: The authors reviewed patient-reported outcomes data collected prospectively using validated instruments that assessed bowel and urinary quality of life (QOL) for patients with localized prostate cancer who received 3DCRT (n = 123), IMRT (n = 153) or PBT (n = 95). Clinically meaningful differences in mean QOL scores were defined as those exceeding half the standard deviation of the baseline mean value. Changes from baseline were compared within groups at the first post-treatment follow-up (2-3 months from the start of treatment) and at 12 months and 24 months. RESULTS: At the first post-treatment follow-up, patients who received 3DCRT and IMRT, but not those who received PBT, reported a clinically meaningful decrement in bowel QOL. At 12 months and 24 months, all 3 cohorts reported clinically meaningful decrements in bowel QOL. Patients who received IMRT reported clinically meaningful decrements in the domains of urinary irritation/obstruction and incontinence at the first post-treatment follow-up. At 12 months, patients who received PBT, but not those who received IMRT or 3DCRT, reported a clinically meaningful decrement in the urinary irritation/obstruction domain. At 24 months, none of the 3 cohorts reported clinically meaningful changes in urinary QOL. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who received 3DCRT, IMRT, or PBT reported distinct patterns of treatment-related QOL. Although the timing of toxicity varied between the cohorts, patients reported similar modest QOL decrements in the bowel domain and minimal QOL decrements in the urinary domains at 24 months. Prospective randomized trials are needed to further examine these differences.

Mapping patterns of nodal metastases in seminoma: rethinking radiotherapy fields.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To analyze the location of metastatic lymph nodes in seminoma patients relative to vascular and bony anatomy and conventional radiation fields. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional scans of 90 seminoma patients with infradiaphragmatic adenopathy were analyzed. The position of each node respective to vascular anatomy was transferred to a standardized template. Conventional radiation fields were overlaid on the template and locations of metastatic nodes were assessed. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-five nodes were radiographically positive. Eighty-four percent, 9%, and 7% of nodes were located in the para-aortic, common iliac, and pelvic regions, respectively. Ninety-nine percent of nodes were within a 2.5 cm lateral and 2.1cm anterior expansion of the aorta inferior to T12/L1. No radiographically positive nodes were identified within the renal hilum or superior to L1 in left-sided seminomas. For right-sided seminomas, no radiographically positive nodes were superior to L2. Three percent of all radiographically positive nodes would have been located outside of conventional and modified fields. CONCLUSIONS: Infradiaphragmatic nodal metastases from a contemporary cohort of seminoma patients localized to a smaller area than is targeted by conventional radiation fields. Modified treatment fields based on vascular, rather than bony, anatomy are smaller and may allow for a significant decrease in normal tissue irradiation and toxicity.

Physician evaluation of internet health information on proton therapy for prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: Many patients considering prostate cancer (PCa) treatment options report seeking proton beam therapy (PBT) based in part on information readily available on the Internet. There is, however, potential for considerable variation in Internet health information (IHI). We thus evaluated the characteristics, quality, and accuracy of IHI on PBT for PCa. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We undertook a qualitative research study using snowball-purposive sampling in which we evaluated the top 50 Google search results for "proton prostate cancer." Quality was evaluated on a 5-point scale using the validated 15-question DISCERN instrument. Accuracy was evaluated by comparing IHI with the best available evidence. RESULTS: Thirty-seven IHI websites were included in the final sample. These websites most frequently were patient information/support resources (46%), were focused exclusively on PBT (51%), and had a commercial affiliation (38%). There was a significant difference in quality according to the type of IHI. Substantial inaccuracies were noted in the study sample compared with best available or contextual evidence. CONCLUSIONS: There are shortcomings in quality and accuracy in consumer-oriented IHI on PBT for PCa. Providers must be prepared to educate patients how to critically evaluate IHI related to PBT for PCa to best inform their treatment decisions.

Multidisciplinary care and pursuit of active surveillance in low-risk prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: Multidisciplinary clinics offer a unique approach to the management of patients with cancer. Yet, limited data exist to show that such clinics affect management. The purpose of this study was to determine whether consultation at a multidisciplinary clinic is associated with selection of active surveillance in patients with low-risk prostate cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study comprised 701 men with low-risk prostate cancer managed at three tertiary care centers in Boston, MA in 2009. Patients either obtained consultation at a multidisciplinary prostate cancer clinic, at which they were seen by a combination of urologic, radiation, and medical oncologists in a concurrent setting, or they were seen by individual practitioners in sequential settings. The primary outcome was selection of active surveillance. RESULTS: Crude rates of selection of active surveillance in patients seen at a multidisciplinary clinic were double that of patients seen by individual practitioners (43% v 22%), whereas the proportion of men treated with prostatectomy or radiation decreased by approximately 30% (P < .001). On multivariate logistic regression, older age (odds ratio [OR], 1.09; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.12; P < .001), unmarried status (OR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.01 to 2.72; P = .04), increased Charlson comorbidity index (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.77; P = .02), fewer positive cores (OR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.90 to 0.94; P < .001), and consultation at a multidisciplinary clinic (OR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.13 to 4.10; P = .02) were significantly associated with pursuit of active surveillance. CONCLUSION: Multidisciplinary care is associated with increased selection of active surveillance in men with low-risk prostate cancer. This finding may have an important clinical, social, and economic impact.

Prospective preference assessment of patients' willingness to participate in a randomized controlled trial of intensity-modulated radiotherapy versus proton therapy for localized prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: To investigate patients' willingness to participate (WTP) in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with proton beam therapy (PBT) for prostate cancer (PCa). METHODS AND MATERIALS: We undertook a qualitative research study in which we prospectively enrolled patients with clinically localized PCa. We used purposive sampling to ensure a diverse sample based on age, race, travel distance, and physician. Patients participated in a semi-structured interview in which they reviewed a description of a hypothetical RCT, were asked open-ended and focused follow-up questions regarding their motivations for and concerns about enrollment, and completed a questionnaire assessing characteristics such as demographics and prior knowledge of IMRT or PBT. Patients' stated WTP was assessed using a 6-point Likert scale. RESULTS: Forty-six eligible patients (33 white, 13 black) were enrolled from the practices of eight physicians. We identified 21 factors that impacted patients' WTP, which largely centered on five major themes: altruism/desire to compare treatments, randomization, deference to physician opinion, financial incentives, and time demands/scheduling. Most patients (27 of 46, 59%) stated they would either "definitely" or "probably" participate. Seventeen percent (8 of 46) stated they would "definitely not" or "probably not" enroll, most of whom (6 of 8) preferred PBT before their physician visit. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial proportion of patients indicated high WTP in a RCT comparing IMRT and PBT for PCa.

Adjuvant radiation therapy for early stage seminoma: proton versus photon planning comparison and modeling of second cancer risk.

PURPOSE: Given concerns of excess malignancies following adjuvant radiation for seminoma, we evaluated photon and proton beam therapy (PBT) treatment plans to assess dose distributions to organs at risk and model rates of second cancers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten stage I seminoma patients who were treated with conventional para-aortic AP-PA photon radiation to 25.5 Gy at Massachusetts General Hospital had PBT plans generated (AP-PA, PA alone). Dose differences to critical organs were examined. Risks of second primary malignancies were calculated. RESULTS: PBT plans were superior to photons in limiting dose to organs at risk. PBT decreased dose by 46% (8.2 Gy) and 64% (10.2 Gy) to the stomach and large bowel, respectively (p<0.01). Notably, PBT was found to avert 300 excess second cancers among 10,000 men treated at a median age of 39 and surviving to 75 (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the use of protons provided a favorable dose distribution with an ability to limit unnecessary exposure to critical normal structures in the treatment of early-stage seminoma. It is expected that this will translate into decreased acute toxicity and reduced risk of second cancers, for which prospective studies are warranted.

Long-term quality of life outcome after proton beam monotherapy for localized prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVES: High-dose external radiation for localized prostate cancer results in favorable clinical outcomes and low toxicity rates. Here, we report long-term quality of life (QOL) outcome for men treated with conformal protons. METHODS: QOL questionnaires were sent at specified intervals to 95 men who received proton radiation. Of these, 87 men reported 3- and/or 12-month outcomes, whereas 73 also reported long-term outcomes (minimum 2 years). Symptom scores were calculated at baseline, 3 months, 12 months, and long-term follow-up. Generalized estimating equation models were constructed to assess longitudinal outcomes while accounting for correlation among repeated measures in an individual patient. Men were stratified into functional groups from their baseline questionnaires (normal, intermediate, or poor function) for each symptom domain. Long-term QOL changes were assessed overall and within functional groups using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. RESULTS: Statistically significant changes in all four symptom scores were observed in the longitudinal analysis. For the 73 men reporting long-term outcomes, there were significant change scores for incontinence (ID), bowel (BD) and sexual dysfunction (SD), but not obstructive/irritative voiding dysfunction (OID). When stratified by baseline functional category, only men with normal function had increased scores for ID and BD. For SD, there were significant changes in men with both normal and intermediate function, but not poor function. CONCLUSIONS: Patient reported outcomes are sensitive indicators of treatment-related morbidity. These results quantitate the long-term consequences of proton monotherapy for prostate cancer. Analysis by baseline functional category provides an individualized prediction of long-term QOL scores. High dose proton radiation was associated with small increases in bowel dysfunction and incontinence, with more pronounced changes in sexual dysfunction.