The role of radiotherapy in elderly women with early-stage breast cancer treated with breast conserving surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the impact of adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) on ipsilateral breast recurrence (IBR) and overall survival (OS) in patients older than 69 years with early-stage breast cancer. METHODS: From January 2007 to June 2015, we analyzed retrospectively 137 women with estrogen receptor-positive T1-2 invasive breast cancer, with negative axillary lymph nodes, dividing them into 2 subgroups: 70 to 79 years and older than 79 years. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 43.2 months, the 3-year IBR-free survival in patients treated with surgery plus RT was 98.8% and 92.1% in patients treated with surgery alone, with a significant difference (p = .01). Radiotherapy did not impact overall survival (p = .10). A higher percentage of patients aged between 70 and 79 years received RT after conservative surgery if compared with the older subgroup (p < .01). CONCLUSIONS: In elderly women, adjuvant RT reduced the IBR, but did not improve OS.

Concurrent chemoradiation with volumetric modulated Arc therapy of patients treated for anal cancer-acute toxicity and treatment outcome.

BACKGROUND: to report the acute toxicity and clinical results in patients with anal cancer treated with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) concomitant with chemotherapy. METHODS: A cohort of 21 patients with histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal was treated with VMAT and chemotherapy. Dose prescription was 39.6 Gy, 1.8 Gy/ fraction for the elective nodal PTV, the macroscopic (tumor and involved lymph nodes) PTV doses were 14.4 Gy up to a total dose of 54 Gy in 4 patients and 19.8 up to 59.4 Gy in 15 patients. One patient received a boost dose of 18 Gy up to a total dose of 57.6 Gy and another one was treated with 36 Gy and boost of 19.8 Gy up to a total dose of 55.8 Gy. Chemotherapy with MMC and 5-FU/Capecitabine was administered concomitantly. End points were local control (LC), disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Median follow-up time was 35.5 months. Two year OS was 91%, DFS was 73% and LRC was 81%. Acute dermatological toxicity G3 was recorded in one patient, ten patients (47.6%) experienced a G2 skin toxicity, while G1 toxicity was registered in eight patients (38%). One patient developed Grade 3 acute gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity, two patients (9.5%) experienced grade 2 acute GI toxicity and ten patients (47.6%) G1 toxicity. Acute genitourinary toxicity G1 was recorded in ten patients (47.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Our results support VMAT as standard radiotherapy technique in the treatment of patients with anal cancer.

Cervix carcinoma and incidental finding of medullary thyroid carcinoma by 18F-FDG PET/CT--clinical case.

Thyroid nodules are encountered in clinical practice during the diagnostic procedures or patients' follow-up due to other diseases quite far from the thyroid gland with prevalence 4-50% in general population, depending on age, diagnostic method and race. The prevalence of thyroid nodules increases with age and their clarification should be done for their adequate treatment. An 18F-FDG PET/CT was done with a PET/CT scanner (Philips Gemini TF), consisting of dedicated lutetium orthosilicate full ring PET scanner and 16 slice CT. The PET/CT scan of the whole-body revealed on the CT portion a hypodense nodular lesion in the left lobe of the thyroid gland with increased uptake of 18F-FDG on the PET with SUVmax 10.3 and demonstrated a complete response to the induction therapy of the main oncological disease of the patient--squamous cell carcinoma. This clinical case demonstrates that whole-body 18F-FDG-PET/CT has an increasingly important role in the early evaluation of thyroid cancer as a second independent malignant localization. Focal thyroid lesion with high risk of thyroid malignancy was incidentally found on 18F-FDG PET/CT.

Primary mucosal sinonasal melanoma-Case report and review of the literature. The role of complex treatment-surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy.

AIM: The place of adjuvant radiotherapy in the treatment of sinonasal melanoma. BACKGROUND: Sinonasal mucosal melanoma is a rare disease with poor prognosis and requires a complex treatment. Elective neck dissection in patients with N0 and adjuvant radiotherapy has been a source of controversy. High late regional recurrence rates rise questions about elective irradiation of the neck nodes in patients with N0 stage disease. METHODS: We present our two years' follow up in a case of locally advanced sinonasal melanoma and literature review of the treatment options for mucosal melanoma. RESULTS: In locally advanced sinonasal melanoma treated with surgical resection, postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy we had local tumor control. Two years later, a regional contralateral recurrence without distant metastasis occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Literature data for frequent neck lymph nodes recurrences justify elective neck dissection. Postoperative elective neck radiotherapy for patients with locally advanced sinonasal melanoma and clinically N0 appears to decrease the rate of late regional recurrences.