Association Of Radiotherapy And Clinical Oncology Research Articles

Salvage breast conserving surgery and re-irradiation with intraoperative electrons for recurrent breast cancer: a multicentric study on behalf of AIRO (Italian Association of Radiotherapy and clinical Oncology)

AimIntraoperative radiotherapy with electrons (IOERT) may represent a viable choice for partial breast re-irradiation (rePBI) after repeat quadrantectomy for local recurrence (LR) for primary breast cancer (BC) in lieu of mastectomy. Materials and MethodsA database collecting data on rePBI with IOERT from 8 Italian centres was set up in 2016- 2018, providing data on cumulative incidence (CumI) of 2nd LR nd survival with a long follow-up (FU) ResultsFrom 2002 to 2015, 109 patients underwent the conservative retreatment.The median primary BC -1stLR interval was 11.1 years (range: 2.4-27.7). The median 1stLR size was 0.9 cm (range: 0.3-3.0) and 43.6% were Luminal A. Median IOERT dose was 18 Gy (range: 12-21) and median collimator was 4 cm (range: 3-6). Median FU was 11.7 years (interquartile range: 7.7-14.6). The 2ndLR CumI was 12.2% (95% CI: 6.8-19.2) at 5 years and 32.3% at 10 years (95% CI: 22.8-42.2), occurring in the same site as the 1stLR in about half of the cases. HER2 status and collimator size were independent LR predictors. The 5- and 10-year overall survival were 95.2% and 88.3%, respectively, while 5- and 10-year BC specific survival were 98% and 94.5%. The development of a 2ndLR significantly reduced BCSS (HR=9.40, P<0.001). Grade ≥3 fibrosis was 18.9%. Patient-reported cosmesis was good/excellent in 59.7% of the cases. Conclusion2ndLR CumI was within the range of the literature, but higher than expected, opening questions on radiation field extension and fractionation schedule. Since a 2ndLR worsened the outcome, salvage modality must be carefully planned.

Radiation Therapy in Non-Melanoma Skin Cancers: An Italian Survey on Behalf of the Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology

AimsThe National Palliative Care and Interventional Radiotherapy Study Groups of the Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO) carried out a survey whose aim was to obtain a "snapshot" of the real-world practice of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) treatments in Italy. Materials and methodsThe survey was conducted on SurveyMonkey's online interface and was sent via e-mail to our society Radiation Oncologists. ResultsFifty-eight Italian radiation oncologists (ROs), representing 54 centers, answered the survey. Thirteen percent of the ROs declared they treat fewer than 10 NMSC lesions annually, 36% treat between 11 and 20, and 51% treat more than 20 lesions annually. Interventional radiotherapy (IRT) was offered by 25% of the ROs, and every case was reportedly discussed by a multidisciplinary team (71%). Electrons (74%), volumetric modulated arc therapy (V-MAT) (57%), three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) (43%), and IRT (26%) were the main treatment options. With external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), 46 and 53 different RT schedules were treated for curative and palliative intent, respectively; whereas for IRT, there were 21 and 7 for curative and palliative intent, respectively. The most popular EBRT curative options were 50–70.95/22–35 fractions (fx) and 50–70 Gy/16-20fx and for EBRT palliative settings, 30Gy/10fx, and 20–35Gy/5fx. For IRT, the most popular curative options were 32–50Gy/8-10fx and 30–54Gy/3-5fx, whereas 30Gy/6fz was the palliative option. Less than 10 re-RT cases were reported in one year in 42.5%, 11–20 cases in 42.5%, and >20 cases annually in 15%. Electrons (61%), VMAT (49%), and BRT (25%) were the most widely used approaches: 20–40Gy in 10fx and 20–25Gy in 5fx were the recommended fractionations. ConclusionThe survey shows a variegated reality. A national registry with more detailed data could help in undercover its causes.

Oligometastatic sarcoma treated with Curative intent Ablative Radiotherapy (OSCAR): A multicenter study on behalf of AIRO (Italian association of Radiotherapy and clinical Oncology)

Background and purposeStereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR) is emerging as a valid alternative to surgery in the oligometastatic setting in soft tissue sarcomas (STS), although robust data are lacking. The aim of this study is to evaluate toxicity and efficacy of SABR in oligometastatic STS. Materials and methodsThis is a retrospective multicenter study including adult patients affected by stage IV STS, treated with SABR for a maximum of 5 cranial or extracranial metastases in up to 3 different organs. SABR was delivered with ablative purposes. Study endpoints were overall survival (OS), local control (LC), distant progression free survival (DPFS), time to polymetastatic progression (TTPP), time to new systemic therapy (TTNS) and toxicity. ResultsFrom 10 Italian RT centers, 138 patients (202 metastases) treated between 2010 and 2022 were enrolled in the study. Treatment was generally well tolerated, no acute or late toxicity ≥ G3 was recorded. Median follow up was 42.5 months. Median OS was 39.7 months. Actuarial OS at 1 and 2 years was 91.5 % and 72.7 %. Actuarial LC at 1 and 2 years was 94.8 % and 88.0 %. Median DPFS was 9.7 months. Actuarial DPFS at 1 and 2 years was 40.8 % and 19.4 %. ConclusionSABR is a safe and effective approach for the treatment of oligometastatic sarcoma. One out of 5 patients is free of progression at 2-years.

Contouring of emerging organs-at-risk (OARS) of the female pelvis and interobserver variability: a study by the Italian association of radiotherapy and clinical oncology (AIRO)

PurposeTo provide straightforward instructions for daily practice in delineating emerging organs-at-risk (OARs) of the female pelvis and to discuss the interobserver variability in a two-step multicenter study. Methods and materialsA contouring atlas with anatomical boundaries for each emerging OAR was realized by radiation oncologists and radiologists who are experts in pelvic imaging, as per their knowledge and clinical practice. These contours were identified as quality benchmarks for the analysis subsequently carried out. Radiation oncologists not involved in setting the custom-built contouring atlas and interested in the treatment of gynecological cancer were invited to participate in this 2-step trial. In the first step all participants were supplied with a selected clinical case of locally advanced cervical cancer and had to identify emerging OARs (Levator ani muscle; Puborectalis muscle; Internal anal sphincter; External anal sphincter; Bladder base and trigone; Bladder neck; Iliac Bone Marrow; Lower Pelvis Bone Marrow; Lumbosacral Bone Marrow) based on their own personal knowledge of pelvic anatomy and experience. The suggested OARs and the contouring process were then presented at a subsequent webinar meeting with a contouring laboratory. Finally, in the second step, after the webinar meeting, each participant who had joined the study but was not involved in setting the benchmark received the custom-built contouring atlas with anatomical boundaries and was requested to delineate again the OARs using the tool provided. The Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) and the Jaccard Similarity Coefficient (JSC) were used to evaluate the spatial overlap accuracy of the different volume delineations and compared with the benchmark; the Hausdorff distance (HD) and the mean distance to agreement (MDA) to explore the distance between contours. All the results were reported as sample mean and standard deviation (SD). ResultsFifteen radiation oncologists from different Institutions joined the study. The participants had a high agreement degree for pelvic bones sub-structures delineation according to DICE (IBM: 0.9 ± 0.02; LPBM: 0.91 ± 0.01). A moderate degree according to DICE was showed for ovaries (Right: 0.61 ± 0.16, Left: 0.72 ± 0.05), vagina (0.575 ± 0.13), bladder sub-structures (0.515 ± 0.08) and EAS (0.605 ± 0.05), whereas a low degree for the other sub-structures of the anal-rectal sphincter complex (LAM: 0.345 ± 0.07, PRM: 0.41 ± 0.10, and IAS: 0.4 ± 0.07). ConclusionThis study found a moderate to low level of agreement in the delineation of the female pelvis emerging OARs, with a high degree of variability among observers. The development of delineation tools should be encouraged to improve the routine contouring of these OARs and increase the quality and consistency of radiotherapy planning.

Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Spine Oligometastases: A Multicentre Retrospective Study From the Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO)

AimTo evaluate the efficacy of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for spine oligometastases. Materials and methodsThis was a multicentre retrospective study of a series of patients who received SBRT for spine oligometastases. The efficacy of SBRT was evaluated in terms of local control as the primary endpoint. Survival outcomes were also analysed to identify predictive factors for clinical outcomes. Toxicity was assessed according to CTCAE v4.0. ResultsBetween March 2018 and July 2022, 183 lesions in 177 patients were analysed. In most patients, SBRT was delivered to a single spine metastasis (82%) for a median total dose of 21 Gy (14–35 Gy) in three fractions (one to five fractions) and a median BED10 = 119 Gy (57.7–152 Gy). Local control rates were 90.3% at 1 year, 84.3% at 2 years and 84.3% at 3 years. Distant progression-free survival rates were 33.1%, 18.5% and 12.4% at 1, 2 and 3 years, with prostate histology (P = 0.023), oligorecurrent disease (P = 0.04) and BED10 > 100 Gy (P = 0.04) found to be predictive on univariate analysis. A further oligometastatic progression was observed in 33 patients (18.6%) treated with a second course of SBRT, reporting at univariate analysis improved overall survival rates (P = 0.01). Polymetastases-free survival rates were 57.8%, 43.4% and 32.4%; concurrent therapy was related to improved outcomes at multivariate analysis (P = 0.009). Overall survival rates were 91.8%, 79.6% and 65.9%, with prostate histology and non-cervical metastases related to better overall survival at multivariate analysis. Pain-flare after SBRT was recorded in 3.3%; five patients underwent surgical decompression after SBRT; there were no grade ≥3 adverse events. ConclusionsIn our experience of only oligometastatic patients, spine SBRT gave excellent results in terms of safety and efficacy. Prostate histology and oligorecurrent disease were predictive factors for improved clinical outcomes; also, patients who experienced a further oligoprogression after SBRT maintained a survival advantage compared with polymetastatic progression. No severe adverse events were reported.

Axillary Management in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Upfront Surgery: Results from a Nationwide Survey on Behalf of the Clinical Oncology Breast Cancer Group (COBCG) and the Breast Cancer Study Group of the Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO).

We assessed the current practice concerning the axillary management of breast cancer (BC) patients undergoing upfront surgery among radiation oncologists (ROs) practising in Italy. An online survey via SurveyMonkey (including 21 questions) was distributed amongst ROs in Italy through personal contacts and the Italian Association for Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO) network from August to September 2022. We particularly focused on the emerging omission of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) in the presence of 1-2 sentinel node-positive patients and the consequent change in the role of regional nodal irradiation (RNI). A total of 101/195 (51% response rate) Italian Radiotherapy Cancer Care Centres answered the survey. With respect to patients with 1-2 sentinel node-positive, the relative proportion of respondents that offer patients ALND a) always, b) only in selected cases, and c) never was 37.6%, 60.4%, and 2.0%, respectively, with no significant geographical (North vs. Centre-South Italy; p = 0.92) or institutional (Academic vs. non-Academic; p = 0.49) differences. Radiation therapy indications varied widely in patients who did not undergo ALND. Among these, about a third of the respondents (17/56, 30.4%) stated that RNI was constantly performed. On the other hand, half of the respondents offered RNI in selected cases, stating that an unfavourable biologic tumour profile and extracapsular nodal extension were considered drivers of their decision. Results of the present survey show the variability of axillary management offered in clinical practice for BC patients undergoing conserving surgery upfront in Italy. Analysis of these attitudes may trigger the modification of some clinical approaches through multidisciplinary collaboration and create the background for future clinical investigations.

Pattern of practice of re-irradiation for ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence in Italy: a survey by the Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO).

The Re-irradiation and the Breast Cancer Working Groups of the Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO) conducted a survey to provide an overview of the policies for breast cancer (BC) re-irradiation (re-RT) among the Italian radiotherapy (RT) centers. In October 2021, 183 RT centers were invited to answer a survey: after an initial section about general aspects, the questionnaire focused on radiation oncologists' (ROs) attitude toward re-RT in three different scenarios: ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) treated with second conservative surgery, IBTR treated with mastectomy and inoperable IBTR. Surveyed ROs were also asked to express their interest in being involved in a prospective trials. Seventy-seven/183 (42.0%) centers answered the Survey, only one RO per center was requested to answer. In particular, 86.5% ROs declared to have performed "curative" re-RT for IBTR during the previous two years (2019-2020): 76.7% respondents administered re-RT after second BCS, 50.9% after mastectomy, and 48.1% for inoperable IBTR. Re-RT practice varied widely among centers in terms of treatment volumes, dose and fractionation schedules, techniques and dose-volume constraints for organs at risks (OARs). Forty-six participants (59.7%) expressed their interest in participating in a prospective study investigating BC re-RT. About one out of three RT centers in Italy delivered re-RT for IBTR. Nevertheless, practice of re-RT varied widely among centers highlighting the needs for prospective studies to improve knowledge in this field.

Management of Anal Adenocarcinoma in Italy: National Survey by the Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO) Gastrointestinal Tumors Study Group

Aims: Anal canal adenocarcinoma is a rare neoplasm and there is currently no consensus on optimal management. Indeed, some clinical studies support trimodal therapy

Clinical nutrition in surgical oncology: Young AIOM-AIRO-SICO multidisciplinary national survey on behalf of NutriOnc research group.

Malnutrition is a common condition in cancer patients which is usually associated with functional limitations, as well as increased morbidity and mortality. Based on the support of the young sections of Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM), Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO) and Italian Society of Surgical Oncology (SICO) merged into the NutriOnc Research Group, we performed a multidisciplinary national survey with the aim to define the awareness of nutritional issues among healthcare professionals delivering anticancer care. The questionnaire was organized in four sections, as follows: Knowledge and practices regarding Nutritional Management of cancer patients; Timing of screening and assessment of Nutritional Status; Nutritional Treatment and prescription criteria; Immunonutrition and educational topics. The modules focused on esophagogastric, hepato-bilio-pancreatic and colorectal malignancies. Overall, 215 physicians completed the survey. As regards the management of Nutritional Status of cancer patients, many responders adopted the ERAS program (49.3%), while a consistent number of professionals did not follow a specific validated nutritional care protocol (41.8%), mainly due to lack of educational courses (14.5%) and financial support (15.3%). Nearly all the included institutions had a multidisciplinary team (92%) to finalize the treatment decision-making. Cancer patients routinely underwent nutritional screening according to 57.2% of interviewed physicians. The timing of nutritional assessment was at diagnosis (37.8%), before surgery (25.9%), after surgery (16.7%), before radiochemotherapy (13.5%) and after radiochemotherapy (7%). Most of the responders reported that nutritional status was assessed throughout the duration of cancer treatments (55.6%). An important gap between current delivery and need of nutritional assessment persists. The development of specific and defined care protocols and the adherence to these tools may be the key to improving nutritional support management in clinical practice.

Quality of life changes over time and predictors in a large head and neck patients’ cohort: secondary analysis from an Italian multi-center longitudinal, prospective, observational study—a study of the Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO) head and neck working group

PurposeThe present study examined the longitudinal trajectories, through hierarchical modeling, of quality of life among patients with head and neck cancer, specifically symptoms burden, during radiotherapy, and in the follow-up period (1, 3, 6, and 12 months after completion of radiotherapy), through the M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory Head and Neck questionnaire, formed by three factors. Furthermore, analyses were conducted controlling for socio-demographic as well as clinical characteristics.MethodsMulti-level mixed-effects linear regression was used to estimate the association between quality of life and time, age, gender, household, educational level, employment status, ECOG performance status, human papilloma virus (HPV) status, surgery, chemotherapy, alcohol intake, and smoking.ResultsAmong the 166 participants, time resulted to be a predictor of all the three questionnaire factors, namely, general and specific related symptoms and interference with daily life. Moreover, regarding symptom interference with daily activities factor, HPV-positive status played a significant role. Considering only HPV-negative patients, only time predicted patients’ quality of life. Differently, among HPV-positive patients, other variables, such as gender, educational level, alcohol use, surgery, age at diagnosis, employment status, and ECOG status, resulted significant.ConclusionIt was evident that quality of life of patients with head and neck cancer declined during RT, whereas it slowly improved after ending treatment. Our results clarified the role of some socio-demographic and clinical variables, for instance, HPV, which would allow to develop treatments tailored to each patient.

Predictive and prognostic value of inflammatory markers in locally advanced rectal cancer (PILLAR) - A multicentric analysis by the Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO) Gastrointestinal Study Group.

Patients (pts) affected with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) may respond differently to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT). The identification of reliable biomarkers able to predict oncological outcomes could help in the development of risk-adapted treatment strategies. It has been suggested that inflammation parameters may have a role in predicting tumor response to nCRT and survival outcomes and in rectal cancer, but no definitive conclusion can be drawn at present. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the role of baseline inflammatory markers as prognostic and predictive factors in a large multicentric Italian cohort of LARC pts. Patients diagnosed with LARC from January 2002 to December 2019 in 9 Italian centers were retrospectively collected. Patients underwent long-course RT with chemotherapy based on fluoropyrimidine±oxaliplatin followed by surgery. Inflammatory markers were retrieved based on a pre-treatment blood sample including HEI (hemo-eosinophils inflammation index), SII (systemic index of inflammation), NLR (neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio), PLR (platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio) and MLR (monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio). Outcomes of interest were pathological complete response (pCR), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS). 808 pts were analyzed. pCR rate was 22%, 5yOS and 5yDFS were 84.0% and 63.1% respectively. Multivariate analysis identified that a NLR cut-off value >1.2 and SII cut-off value>500 could predict pCR (p=0.05 and 0.009 respectively). In addition to age, extramesorectal nodes and RT dose, MLR>0.18 (p=0.03) and HEI=3 (p=0.05) were independent prognostic factors for DFS. Finally, age, RT dose, MLR with a cut-off >0.35 (p=0.028) and HEI=3 (p=0.045) were independent predictors of OS. Higher values of baseline composite inflammatory markers can serve as predictors of lower pCR rates and worse survival outcomes in LARC patients undergoing nCRT. More reliable data from prospective studies could lead to the integration of these inexpensive and easy-to-derive tools into clinical practice.

Vaginal Toxicity Management in Patients with Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer following Exclusive Chemoradiation-A Nationwide Survey on Knowledge and Attitudes by the Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO) Gynecology Study Group.

Background and Objective: Exclusive radiotherapy, including external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and interventional radiotherapy/brachytherapy (IRT/BT), with concurrent cisplatin-based chemotherapy, represents the standard of care in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC). The emerging topic of vaginal toxicity has become a key endpoint in LACC management, although different approaches and non-standardized procedures were available. Our aim was to analyze a nationwide study of the attitudes of Italian gynecological radiation oncology teams in the management of LACC patients' vaginal toxicities. Methods: A nationwide survey of radiation oncologists specializing in the treatment of gynecological malignancies was performed, using the free SurveyMonkey platform, consisting of 26 items. The questionnaire was proposed by the Italian Association of Radiation Oncologists (AIRO) gynecological working group to all 183 Italian radiation oncology institutions, as per AIRO's website. Results: Fifty-eight questionnaires (31%) were completed and returned. The assessment of acute and late vaginal toxicities was systematic in 32 (55.2%) and 26 (44.8%) centers, respectively. In the case of EBRT, 70.7% of centers, according to the contouring and treatment plan data, did not contour the vagina as an organ at risk (OAR). Vaginal dose constraints were heterogeneous for both EBRT and IRT/BT. Local treatment to prevent vaginal toxicity was prescribed by 60.3% of radiation oncologists, mostly vaginal hyaluronic acid cream, and one center recommended vaginal estrogen preparations. During follow-up visits, vaginal toxicity was considered an issue to be investigated always (n = 31) or in sexually active women only (n = 11). Conclusions: This survey showed that wide variation exists with regard to recording and treating vaginal toxicity after exclusive chemoradiation for cervical cancer, underscoring the need to develop more comprehensive guidelines for contouring e-dose reporting of the vagina, so as to implement clinical approaches for vaginal toxicity.

Management of Anal Adenocarcinoma in Italy: National Survey by the Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO) Gastrointestinal Tumors Study Group

Management of Anal Adenocarcinoma in Italy: National Survey by the Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO) Gastrointestinal Tumors Study Group

Are you planning to be a radiation oncologist? A survey by the young group of the Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (yAIRO).

The Young Section of the Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (yAIRO) circulated an online questionnaire survey among residents currently enrolled within Italian radiotherapy residency schools to investigate the profiles, motivations, knowledge of the radiotherapy discipline, organizations and the needs of younger members. The survey was developed by the yAIRO steering committee and included questions about the demographic characteristics of the residents (Profile A), the background of their clinical experience during the school of medicine and national residency admission test performance (Profile B) and the residents' knowledge of the scientific associations active in the field of radiotherapy (Profile C). Out of 400 residents actually in training, 134 responded to the questionnaire (response rate 33.5%). According to most of the residents, radiotherapy was not adequately studied during the medical school (n. 95; 71%) and an Internship in Radiotherapy was not mandatory (n. 99; 74%). Only a minority of the residents had chosen to complete a master's degree thesis in radiotherapy (n. 12; 9%). A low percentage of the residents stated that they were aware of the Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO), its young section (yAIRO) and the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) when they were in School of Medicine (respectively, 11%, 7% and 13%). The results of the survey require a profound reflection on the current teaching methods of Radiation Oncology in our country, highlighting the need for a better integration in the framework of the School of Medicine core curriculum.

Reirradiation on spine metastases: an Italian survey on behalf of palliative care and reirradiation study groups of Italian association of radiotherapy and clinical oncology (AIRO).

This survey derived from the collaboration between the Palliative Care and Reirradiation Study Groups of the Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO). Its aim was to obtain a real "snapshot" on the treatments of spinal metastases, focusing on reirradiation, among radiation oncologists in Italy. The survey was elaborated on SurveyMonkey's online interface and was sent via e-mail to all Radiation Oncologists of AIRO that were invited to anonymously fill in the electronic form within 60days. The questionnaire was prepared by the AIRO "Palliative care" and "Reirradiation" Study Groups and it consisted of 36 questions, 19 single-choice questions, 10 multiple-choice questions and 6 open questions. The data were analyzed and represented with tables and graphs. The survey shows that palliative radiotherapy remains a field of interest for most ROs in the Italian centers. 3D Conventional Radiation Therapy (3DCRT) alone or in combination with other techniques is the primary choice for patients with a life expectancy of less than 6months. For patients with a life expectancy of more than six months, there is an increased use of new technologies, such as Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT). Factors considered for retreatment are time between first and second treatment, dose delivered to spine metastasis and spinal cord in the first treatment, vertebral stability, symptoms, and/or performance status. The most feared complication are myelopathy followed by vertebral fracture and local recurrence. This explain an increasing focus on patient selection and the use of high technology in the treatment of metastatic patients. Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and image-guided radiotherapy allow the administration of ablative RT doses while sparing the constraints of healthy tissue in spinal metastases. However, there is still an unclear and heterogeneous reality in the reirradiation of spinal metastases. A national registry with the aim of clarifying the most controversial aspects of vertebral metastasis retreatments will enable better management of these patients and design more targeted study designs.

Patient-Reported Outcomes After Swallowing (SWOARs)-Sparing IMRT in Head and Neck Cancers: Primary Results from a Prospective Study Endorsed by the Head and Neck Study Group (HNSG) of the Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO)

ObjectivesTo prospectively investigate changes in M.D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) scores in patients affected by naso- and oropharynx cancer after definitive radiochemotherapy (ChemoRT) using swallowing organs at risk (SWOARs)-sparing IMRT.MethodsMDADI questionnaires were collected at baseline and at 6 and 12 months after treatment. MDADI scores were categorized as follows: ≥ 80 “optimal,” 80–60 “adequate,” < 60 “poor” deglutition-related quality of life (QoL) group, and dichotomized as “optimal” vs “adequate/poor” for the analysis. A mean MDADI composite (MDADI-C) change of 10 points was considered as minimal clinically important difference (MCID).ResultsSixty-three patients were enrolled of which 47 were considered for the analysis. At baseline, 26 (55%) were “optimal” and 21 (45%) were “adequate/poor.” The mean baseline MDADI-C score was 93.6 dropping to 81 at 6 months (p = 0.013) and slightly rising to 85.5 at 12 months (p = 0.321) for the “optimal” group. Indeed, the mean baseline MDADI-C score was 64.3 rising to 77.5 at 6 months (p = 0.006) and stabilizing at 76 at 12 months (p = 0.999) for the “adequate/poor” group. A statistically significant but not clinically relevant worsening of the MDADI-C score was reported for the “optimal” group, whereas both a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement of the MDADI-C score were reported for the “adequate/poor” group from before to post-treatment.ConclusionOur results suggest a doubly clinical benefit of dose optimization to SWOARs to minimize the RT sequalae in patients with a baseline “optimal” deglutition-related QoL and to recover from cancer dysphagia in those with a baseline “adequate/poor” deglutition-related QoL.

Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) oligometastases: an AIRO (Italian association of radiotherapy and clinical oncology) systematic review.

The aim of this systematic review was to examine efficacy of stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) in patients with oligometastatic thyroid cancer. A systematic search was conducted by means of PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane library. gov was searched for ongoing or recently completed trials, and PROSPERO was searched for ongoing or recently completed systematic reviews. We analyzed only clinical studies as full text carried out on patients with oligometastatic thyroid cancer treated with SRT. Conference papers, surveys, letters, editorials, book chapters, and reviews were excluded. Time of publication was restricted to the years 1990-2021. The number of evaluated patients was 146 (267 lesions), and the median age was 58years. The median 1-year local control (LC) was 82% (range 67.0%-97.1%); the median disease-free survival (DFS) was 12months (range 4-53); the median 1-year overall survival was 72% (range 66.6%-85.0%); the 3-year cancer-specific survival was 75.0%; and the 4-year cancer-specific survival was 37.5%. No grade 3-5 acute toxicity was reported. No late effects were recorded. SRT for oligometastases from thyroid cancer as salvage therapy is well tolerated and yields high rates of LC and prolonged DFS.

A Pattern of Care Report on the Management of Patients with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Anus-A Study by the Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO) Gastrointestinal Tumors Study Group.

Background and objectives: The diagnosis and therapy of squamous cell carcinoma of the anus may vary significantly in daily clinical practice, even if international guidelines are available. Materials and Methods: We conducted a pattern of care survey to assess the management of patients with anal cancer in Italy (38 questions). We analyzed 58 questionnaires. Results: Most of the respondents work in public and/or university hospitals (75.8%) in northern Italy (65.5%). The majority (88.0%) treat less than 20 patients/year. Common examinations for diagnosis and staging are anorectal endoscopy (84.5%), computed tomography scan (86.2%) and pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (96.5%). The most frequently prescribed dose to primary tumor is 50–54 Gy (46.5–58.6%) for early stage disease and 54–59.4 Gy (62.1–32.8%) for locally advanced cases. Elective volumes are prescribed around 45 Gy (94.8%). Most participants use volumetric intensity modulated radiotherapy (89.7%) and a simultaneous integrated boost (84.5%). Concurrent radiotherapy, 5-fluorouracil and mitomycin is considered the standard of care (70.6%). Capecitabine is less frequently used (34.4%). Induction chemotherapy is an option for extensive localized disease (65.5%). Consolidation chemotherapy is rarely used (18.9%). A response evaluation is conducted at 26–30 weeks (63.9%) with a pelvic MRI (91.4%). Follow-up is generally run by the multidisciplinary tumor board (62.1%). Conclusions: Differences were observed for radiotherapy dose prescription, calling for a consensus to harmonize treatment strategies.

The role of stereotactic body radiation therapy and its integration with systemic therapies in metastatic kidney cancer: a multicenter study on behalf of the AIRO (Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology) genitourinary study group.

Although systemic therapy represents the standard of care for polymetastatic kidney cancer, stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) may play a relevant role in the oligometastatic setting. We conducted a multicenter study including oligometastatic kidney cancer treated with SBRT. We retrospectively analyzed 207 patients who underwent 245 SBRT treatments on 385 lesions, including 165 (42.9%) oligorecurrent (OR) and 220 (57.1%) oligoprogressive (OP) lesions. Most common sites were lung (30.9%) for OR group, and bone (32.7%) for OP group. Among 78 (31.8%) patients receiving concomitant systemic therapy, sunitinib (61.5%) and pazopanib (15.4%) were the most common for OR patients, while sunitinib (49.2%) and nivolumab (20.0%) for OP patients. End points were local control (LC), progression free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), time to next systemic therapy (TTNS) and toxicity. Median follow-up was 18.6months. 1, 2 and 3-year LC rates were 89.4%, 80.1% and 76.6% in OR patients, and 82.7%, 76.9% and 64.3% in those with OP, respectively. LC for OP group was influenced by clear cell histology (p = 0.000), total number of lesions (p = 0.004), systemic therapy during SBRT (p = 0.012), and SBRT dose (p = 0.012). Median PFS was 37.9months. 1, 2- and 3-year OS was 92.7%, 86.4% and 81.8%, respectively. Median TTNS was 15.8months for OR patients, and 13.9months for OP patients. No grade 3 or higher toxicities were reported for both groups. SBRT may be considered an effective safe option in the multidisciplinary management of both OR and OP metastases from kidney cancer.

Attitudes, practices and perspectives on imaging strategies in prostate cancer: a national cross-sectional survey involving expert radiation oncologists on behalf of AIRO (Italian association of radiotherapy and clinical oncology) GU group.

Although high sensitive imaging modalities such as MRI and PSMA PET/CT are becoming available for prostate cancer (PCa), the clinical benefit of an earlier detection of subclinical disease remains yet undetermined. Given these uncertainties, univocal recommendations are often lacking. The present survey was therefore developed by the Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO) to collect the opinion of expert radiation oncologists and delineate a representation of current clinical practice in our country. A nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted in Italy by administering an anonymous questionnaire to experienced radiation oncologists, representative of the genitourinary (GU) tumor board at their Institution, using the cloud-based platform SurveyMonkey®. For each question, a consensus was achieved when ≥ 75% of the responders agreed on the same response. Thirty nine AIRO members from different Italian centers who were deemed experts in GU field accessed the proposed survey and completed all sections. Explored topics included staging of organ-confined disease, management of biochemical and local recurrence, imaging in the metastatic setting, imaging following metastasis-directed therapy (MDT), and future considerations. Response rate for single item of the questionnaire ranged between 51.2% and 100%. Expert GU AIRO members agree that advanced molecular and functional imaging are expanding their role in local and distant staging of PCa, as well as in the oncologic management and in the assessment of treatment response. However, many controversial issues still exist on the best timing for a diagnostic evaluation and the most appropriate imaging to aim at this purpose.