Operational classification of cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas based on unsupervised clustering of real cases by experts.

BACKGROUND: There is currently no staging system for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) that is adapted to decision-making and universally used. Experts have unconscious ability to simplify the heterogeneity of clinical situations into a few relevant groups to drive their therapeutic decisions. Therefore, we have used unsupervised clustering of real cases by experts to generate an operational classification of cSCCs, an approach that was successful for basal cell carcinomas. OBJECTIVE: To generate a consensual and operational classification of cSCCs. METHOD: Unsupervised independent clustering of 248 cases of cSCCs considered difficult-to-treat. Eighteen international experts from different specialties classified these cases into what they considered homogeneous clusters useful for management, each with freedom regarding clustering criteria. Convergences and divergences between clustering were analysed using a similarity matrix, the K-mean approach and the average silhouette method. Mathematical modelling was used to look for the best consensual clustering. The operability of the derived classification was validated on 23 new practitioners. RESULTS: Despite the high heterogeneity of the clinical cases, a mathematical consensus was observed. It was best represented by a partition into five clusters, which appeared a posteriori to describe different clinical scenarios. Applicability of this classification was shown by a good concordance (94%) in the allocation of cases between the new practitioners and the 18 experts. An additional group of easy-to-treat cSCC was included, resulting in a six-group final classification: easy-to-treat/complex to treat due to tumour and/or patient characteristics/multiple/locally advanced/regional disease/visceral metastases. CONCLUSION: Given the methodology based on the convergence of unguided intuitive clustering of cases by experts, this new classification is relevant for clinical practice. It does not compete with staging systems, but they may complement each other, whether the objective is to select the best therapeutic approach in tumour boards or to design homogeneous groups for trials.

Challenges in the Sustainability of Brachytherapy Service in Contemporary Radiotherapy.

Brachytherapy has a long history of delivering a highly conformal radiation dose to the target volume with sparing of adjacent normal tissue and has an irreplaceable role in certain cancers, such as cervical and prostate cancers. There have been futile attempts to replace brachytherapy with other radiation techniques. Despite that there are multifaceted challenges in preserving this dying art, from establishment, to a trained workforce, to maintenance of the equipment and source replacement costs. Here we focus on the challenges to access brachytherapy, the availability and distribution of care across the globe and appropriate training leading to proper implementation of the procedure. Brachytherapy holds a significant place in the treatment armamentarium of most common cancers, such as cervical, prostate, head and neck and skin cancers. However, there is an uneven distribution of brachytherapy facilities, not only across the globe, but also at a national level, with a larger proportion of facilities concentrated in certain regions, more so in low and low-middle income countries. The regions with the highest incidence of cervical cancer have the least access to brachytherapy facilities. Attempts to bridge the gap are essential and should be focused on uniform distribution and access to care, improving training of the workforce through specialised training programmes, reducing the cost of care, planning to reduce the recurring cost, generating evidence and research guidelines, renewing interest in brachytherapy through rebranding, use of social media and building an attainable long-term roadmap.

Advances in Skin Brachytherapy: Cosmesis and Function Preservation.

Skin brachytherapy represents an excellent alternative treatment for patients with non-melanoma skin cancers. It offers superior conformity of dose distribution with rapid dose fall off, reducing the risk of radiotherapy-related treatment toxicity. A smaller treatment volume in brachytherapy, when compared with external beam radiotherapy, is conducive for hypofractionation, which is an attractive option for decreasing outpatient visits to the cancer centre, especially for elderly and frail patients. Skin brachytherapy is an excellent option to preserve function and cosmesis, especially in skin cancers located in the head and neck region. Electronic brachytherapy, image-guided superficial brachytherapy and 3D printed moulds are all emerging advances in skin brachytherapy.

Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy in Keratinocyte Carcinoma.

Hypofractionated radiation therapy regimens are well suited to the management of keratinocyte carcinomas. Most lesions are small, superficial and not close to critical organs at risk. Fewer visits to the cancer centre are advantageous for the frail and elderly patient population. No difference in cosmesis or local control has been found when comparing hypofractionated with conventionally fractionated radiation therapy schedules, although most of the data in the literature are retrospective, highlighting the need for prospective trials. As keratinocyte carcinomas can present anywhere on the skin surface, a wide variety of techniques may be used to optimise treatment delivery, including external beam radiation with kilovoltage, electron beams and megavoltage photons. Brachytherapy can also be used with radionuclide and electronic-based applicators, surface applicators and interstitial techniques for lesions >5 mm deep. Stereotactic body radiotherapy, or extreme hypofractionation, is an emerging treatment option that delivers an ablative dose to the tumour while minimising dose to organs at risk through precision planning and delivery techniques. Frail elderly patients with medically inoperable disease not suitable for conventionally fractionated radiation therapy may achieve durable locoregional control with dose escalation. Ongoing studies following local control and toxicity are warranted. The aim of this article is to provide clinical oncologists with an overview of hypofractionation for keratinocyte carcinomas.

The role of postoperative radiotherapy in eccrine porocarcinoma: a multidisciplinary systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Eccrine porocarcinoma (EPC) is a malignant adnexal tumor accounting for about 0.005% of skin tumors. The standard treatment of EPC is the complete surgical excision of the primary lesion and of the clinically involved lymph nodes. There is limited evidence regarding the role of radiotherapy (RT) in managing EPC after surgery. Therefore, the aim of this multidisciplinary systematic review is to analyze the available evidence about postoperative RT in the curative treatment of EPC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic search strategy was launched trough the main scientific databases including PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane. An additional manual search and a chain citation were performed about potentially relevant papers. The key words used for the search included "eccrine porocarcinoma", "porocarcinoma", "radiotherapy", "radiation therapy", "adjuvant radiotherapy" and "postoperative radiotherapy". RESULTS: A total of 104 publications were identified and 14 papers were included in the final analysis. The only articles found on adjuvant RT in EPC were case reports published between 1996 and 2019. There was a slight female prevalence (57% female/43% male) with a mean age of 65 years (range 37-85). Head-and-neck region was the most frequently involved anatomical site followed by legs. CONCLUSIONS: Adjuvant radiotherapy after surgical removal of EPC could be considered in cases with positive or close margins and in cases with unfavorable histological features. In view of limited literature data and the rarity of EPC the best treatment sequence should always be discussed within the frame of a multidisciplinary setting. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: adjuvant radiotherapy after surgical removal of EPC could be considered in cases with positive or close margins and in cases with unfavorable histological features.

Rapid Access Palliative Radiotherapy Programmes.

One of the greatest successes of radiotherapy has been its ability to palliate symptoms from advanced and metastatic cancers. Unfortunately, patients face barriers to accessing care and the demand for treatment is rising. Rapid access palliative radiotherapy programmes were created in response to these concerns, and over time they have proliferated and succeeded internationally. This narrative review provides an overview of programmes that have published their experiences, and discusses how they have improved access to care, increased evidence-based practice, met the needs of vulnerable populations, advanced the roles of multidisciplinary team members, collaborated across medical specialties, educated trainees and referring physicians, and developed new treatment platforms using advanced technologies.

Current Role of Radiotherapy in Non-melanoma Skin Cancer.

Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) represents the most frequently diagnosed malignancy worldwide, most being cutaneous basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma. The global incidence of NMSC continues to increase as the global population ages. Numerous treatment options are available for NMSC patients, with radiotherapy an efficacious and tissue-preserving non-surgical option. External beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy are modalities with specific indications and advantages in treating NMSC. Where excision is not an option (medically/technically inoperable) or considered less ideal (e.g. cosmetic or functional outcome), radiotherapy offers an excellent alternative. Inoperable elderly and/or co-morbid patients of poor performance status can benefit from short-course hypofractionated radiotherapy, with very acceptable toxicity. Adjuvant radiotherapy in patients with unfavourable pathology can decrease the risk of local and regional recurrence and associated morbidity and mortality. Radiotherapy has advantages and disadvantages and it is important for clinicians to understand these. Managing patients with NMSC is carried out by clinicians from multiple disciplines but it is imperative that they are all aware of the role of radiotherapy in their patients in various clinical settings. Here we aim to discuss the role and indications for recommending radiotherapy in patients with NMSC.

Radiotherapy treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer: a survey of current UK practice and commentary.

OBJECTIVE: In the ongoing absence of available trial data, a national survey was carried out to provide details on radiotherapy treatment strategy for non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC). METHODS: A survey of clinical oncologists treating NMSC was performed. The respondents were asked for basic information on workload as well as a proposed treatment strategy for various clinical scenarios for patients of varying fitness. RESULTS: A total of 43 completed and 20 partially completed surveys were received. There was a wide variation in the workload and additional disease sites that respondents had responsibility for. Kilovoltage radiotherapy was available to 81% of responders. The respondents' approach was affected by the fitness of patients, with longer fractionation regimes proposed for younger, fitter patients and shorter or non-standard fractionations more likely for the infirm elderly. Four daily fractionation regimes (18-20 Gy in 1 fraction, 35 Gy in 5 fractions, 45 Gy in 10 fractions and 55 Gy in 20 fractions) were most commonly suggested. There was a large degree of variation in non-standard fractions proposed with significant potential differences in radiobiological effect. Concern over the use of kilovoltage photons on skin over cartilage was apparent, as was a reluctance to use radiotherapy in areas of increased risk of poor wound healing. CONCLUSION: The survey results largely showed practice to be in line with available published evidence. The variation seen in some areas, such as non-standard fractionation, would benefit from the publication of local outcomes to achieve a more consistent approach. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: This study provides information on national practices and identifies variations, particularly within widespread use of non-standard fractionation.

Utility of radiotherapy for treatment of basal cell carcinoma: a review.

Radiotherapy is an available treatment for management of basal cell carcinoma (BCC). This study aims to analyse the published literature about radiotherapy in treatment of BCC. A focus of this study will be to compare the dosing regimens adopted in these studies. A search of the Medline database was conducted from 1984 to August 2013. Search terms used were 'basal cell carcinoma', 'radiotherapy', 'epithelial skin cancer' and 'external irradiation'. Fourteen studies on the use of radiotherapy for BCC were included. Seven studies included only cases of BCC, while six studies also included patients treated for squamous cell carcinoma. The overall cure rates ranged from 79·2% to 100%. More than 90% of the patients reported good or excellent aesthetic outcome from radiotherapy (three studies). There was a wide variation in the total dose and dose per fraction of radiotherapy used. Nine studies utilized dosing regimens within the recommended guidelines of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. There are a limited number of high-quality prospective studies of radiotherapy for BCC. Based on the available evidence, radiotherapy provides a high rate of local control with low rates of complications that are comparable with surgery.

Anaesthesia for radiation therapy - Gliwice experience.

General anaesthesia is rarely applied during fractionated radiotherapy with the exception of unco-operative patients. We performed a retrospective study to inform our current practice in anaesthesia procedures for radiotherapy application in children, brachytherapy and intraoperative radiation. The records of anaesthetized radiotherapy patients between January 2000 and September 2005 were analyzed. We analysed demographic data, type and localisation of neoplasm , radiotherapy data, type of anaesthesia and anaesthesia - related complications. In order to provide safe and efficient anaesthesia outside the Department of Anaesthesiology, we designed a mobile anaesthesia workstation. In total we performed 739 anaesthesia procedures: 267 in 16 children, 321 in 284 brachytherapy patients, and 151 as a part of intraoperative radiotherapy. Children age ranged from 2 - 8 years (median 4.6). All were given midazolam and atropine, then thiopental or ketamine. Neither muscle relaxants, nor propofol were used. Brachytherapy patients underwent: spinal block in 190 cases, general anaesthesia in 115, and deep sedation in 16 cases. General anaesthesia was inducted by propofol, followed by etomidate, thiopental and fentanyl. For spinal block the patients were given hyperbaric bupivacaine and fentanyl. Deep sedation was performed with midazolam and fentanyl, and thiopental or propofol when needed. Intraoperative radiotherapy was applied immediately after breast conserving surgery. No serious complications in all 739 anaesthesia procedures occurred. In conclusion we demonstrated the feasibility and safety of anaesthesia applied in our radiotherapy patients. The custom designed mobile anaesthesia workstation allowed us to provide safe and efficient anaesthesia in any place outside the Department of Anaesthesiology.

Efficacy and toxicity of MDR versus HDR brachytherapy for primary vaginal cancer.

The retrospective analysis includes a group of 50 patients with primary, invasive vaginal cancer treated with brachytherapy in the period of 1982-1993. Over 80% cases were squamous cell carcinoma. There were 14 patients in stage I according to FIGO classification and 20%, 36%, and 16% of patients in stage II, III and IV, respectively. Twenty one patients (42%) received MDR brachytherapy using Cs137 source, the remaining 29 (58%) were treated with HDR using Co60 or Ir192 sources. Among 50 patients 31 (62%) received also external beam irradiation. An overall 5-year actuarial disease-free survival was 40%, and it was 78.6% (11/14), 40% (4/10), 27.8% (5/18), 0% (0/8) for stage I, II, III and IV, respectively. For MDR or HDR5-year disease-free survival was 38% and 41%, respectively. No influence of dose rate on survival has been found (p=0.7). Local failure occurred in 20 patients (40%). Recurrences appeared in 10 patients (20%). Late complications rate was 0% and 17% for MDR and HDR, respectively. Effectiveness of brachytherapy MDR and HDR was similar, whereas serious late complications developed more often after HDR brachytherapy.

Influence of previous treatment on palliative effect of HDR brachytherapy in advanced esophageal cancer.

General effectiveness and influence of previous treatment on value of palliative HDR brachytherapy were assessed in 35 patients with advanced esophageal cancer treated from 1992 till 1997 with brachytherapy HDR (BT). Twelve of them were treated only with BT, II received previously chemoradiotherapy (CHTT), 12 teleradiotherapy (TT). BT appeared to be effective method of palliation. No significant differences in effectiveness of BT in analyzed groups were observed. Sever complications were observed in 9 cases (26%), and that in patients treated previously. Brachytherapy seems to be efficient after previous treatment, however, in this case, the risk of complications increases.