Carbon Ion Reirradiation Research Articles

Definitive carbon ion re-irradiation with pencil beam scanning in the treatment of unresectable locally recurrent rectal cancer.

This study aimed to evaluate the oncological outcomes and safety of carbon ion re-irradiation with pencil beam scanning (PBS) delivery technique for previously irradiated and unresectable locally recurrent rectal cancer (LRRC). Between June 2017 and September 2021, 24 patients of unresectable LRRC with prior pelvic photon radiotherapy who underwent carbon ion re-irradiation at our institute were retrospectively analyzed. Carbon ion radiotherapy was delivered by raster scanning with a median relative biological effectiveness-weighted dose of 72Gy in 20 fractions. Weekly CT reviews were carried out, and offline adaptive replanning was performed whenever required. The median follow-up duration was 23.8months (range, 6.2-47.1months). At the last follow-up, two patients had a local disease progression, and 11 patients developed distant metastases. The 1- and 2-year local control, progression-free survival and overall survival rates were 100 and 93.3%, 70.8 and 45.0% and 86.7 and 81.3%, respectively. There were no Grade 3 or higher acute toxicities observed. Three patients developed Grade 3 late toxicities, one each with gastrointestinal toxicity, skin reaction and pelvic infection. In conclusion, definitive carbon ion re-irradiation with PBS provided superior oncologic results with tolerable toxicities and may be served as a curative treatment strategy in unresectable LRRC.

Development of a normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) model using an artificial neural network for radiation-induced necrosis after carbon ion re-irradiation in locally recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma

The aim of the present study was to build a normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) model using an artificial neural network (ANN) for radiation-induced necrosis after carbon ion re-irradiation in locally recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (rNPC), and to determine the predictive parameters applied to the model. A total of 150 patients with rNPC treated at Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center during 2015-2019 were selected to determine the dominant factors causing mucosal necrosis after carbon therapy. An ANN was built to study both dose-volume histogram (DVH) and clinical factors. Simple oversampling and data normalization were used in the training process. Ten-fold cross validation was conducted to prevent overfitting. Of the DVH factors, the prediction accuracy ranged from 58.3-65.2%, whereas planning target volume (PTV) receiving dose more than 25 GyE (PTV.V25) yielded the best prediction accuracy. Of the clinical factors, baseline necrosis, sex, and biologically equivalent dose (BED) of initial treatment could increase the accuracy of PTV.V25 by 0.5%, 0.5%, and 1.5%, respectively. An ANN was built to predict radiation-induced necrosis after re-irradiation in rNPC. The best accuracy and area under receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) were 66.7% and 0.689. The most predictive dosimetric and clinical parameters were PTV.V25 and BED of initial treatment.

Inoperable or incompletely resected craniofacial osteosarcoma treated by particle radiotherapy.

BackgroundTo report survival of craniofacial osteosarcoma patients treated by particle radiotherapy.MethodsBetween January 2010 and December 2021, 51 patients with primary (N = 35) or recurrent (N = 16) inoperable or incompletely resected craniofacial osteosarcoma were treated. In most cases, intracranial infiltration (59%) and macroscopic tumor on MRI/CT (75%) were present. Thirteen had a secondary osteosarcoma (25%). Treatment concepts included combined ion beam radiotherapy (CIBRT, N = 18), protons only (N = 3), carbon ions only (N = 12), IMRT with a carbon ion boost (N = 5), and carbon ion re-irradiation (N = 13). Eighty percent (N = 41) received additionally chemotherapy, most frequently EURAMOS-1 (47%) or EURO-B.O.S.S. (18%).ResultsThe median age was 38, and all patients finished treatment predominantly as outpatients (N = 44). Information on overall survival was available for N = 49 patients. The median follow-up of the survivors was 55 months. For the whole cohort 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) was 82.8%, 60.4%, 55.2%, and 51.7%, respectively. Those treated by CIBRT (N = 17) demonstrated a superior OS with 92.9% after 1 and 2 years and 83.6% after 3 and 5 years. The median clinical target volume (CTV) was 192.7 and 95.2 cc for the primary and boost plan, respectively. CIBRT, primary diagnosis, age ≤40a, and no macroscopic residual tumor were associated with improved survival in univariate analysis (p = 0.006, p = 0.004, p = 0.002, p = 0.026, respectively), while any foregoing resection compared to biopsy was not identified as a prognostic factor. CIBRT and no macroscopic residual tumor were confirmed as independent predictors of OS on multivariate analysis (HR = 0.107, 95% CI = [0.014, 0.797], p = 0.029 and HR = 0.130, 95% CI = [0.023, 0.724], p = 0.020, respectively). No acute toxicity > grade III was observed.ConclusionCIBRT shows promising results for patients with inoperable or incompletely resected craniofacial osteosarcoma.

Comparison of carbon ion and photon reirradiation for recurrent glioblastoma

PurposePurpose of this study was to investigate overall survival in recurrent glioblastoma treated with either carbon ion reirradiation or photon reirradiation.Materials and methodsIn this retrospective study we evaluated 78 consecutive patients with recurrent IDH (Isocitrate dehydrogenase)-wildtype glioblastoma (38 patients carbon ion re-radiotherapy, 40 patients photon re-radiotherapy) treated with either carbon ion reirradiation or stereotactic photon reirradiation. 45 Gy (RBE; 15 fractions) carbon ion reirradiation (CIRT) or 39 Gy (13 fractions) photon reirradiation (FSRT) was administered, respectively. Overall survival was investigated with respect to histological, clinical, and epidemiological features. Kaplan–Meier and multivariate Cox statistics were calculated. A propensity score-matched analysis of the FSRT and CIRT groups using variables from a validated prognosis score was carried out.ResultsThe type of reirradiation (CIRT vs. FSRT) significantly influenced overall survival—8.0 months vs. 6.5 months (univariate: p = 0.046)—and remained an independent prognostic factor in multivariate analysis (p = 0.017). Propensity score-adjusted analysis with CIRT versus FSRT as the dependent variable yielded a significant overall survival advantage for the CIRT group (median OS 8.9 versus 7.2 months, p = 0.041, 1‑year survival 29 versus 10%). Adverse events (AE) were evaluated for both subgroups. For the FSRT group no toxicity ≥ grade 4 occurred. For the CIRT subgroup no grade 5 AE occurred, but 1 patient developed a grade 4 radionecrosis. We encountered 4 grade 3 toxicities. One patient developed a zoster at the trunk, 2 progressed in their paresis, and 1 featured progressive dysesthesia.ConclusionIn conclusion, carbon ion treatment is a safe and feasible treatment option for recurrent glioblastoma. Due to the retrospective nature of the study and two different dose levels for CIRT or FSRT, the improved outcome in CIRT reirradiation might be an effect of higher biological impact from carbon ions or a simple dose-escalation effect. This hypothesis needs prospective testing in larger patient cohorts. A prospective phase III randomized trial is in preparation at our center.

Ion therapy guideline (Version 2020)

Ion therapy guideline (Version 2020)

Efficacy and feasibility of re-irradiation using carbon ions for pancreatic cancer that recurs after carbon-ion radiotherapy

Background and purposePatients who receive carbon-ion radiotherapy (C-ion RT) for primary pancreatic cancer may experience locoregional recurrence; however, the treatment options for such patients are limited. We aimed to investigate the feasibility and efficacy of carbon-ion re-irradiation for patients with pancreatic cancer who experienced recurrence after initial C-ion RT. Materials and methodsTwenty-one patients with recurrent pancreatic cancer who underwent repeat C-ion RT between December 2010 and November 2016 at our institute were retrospectively evaluated. The sites of post-initial C-ion RT failure were in-field central in 16 patients (76.2%) and marginal in 5 (23.8%). The median doses of initial and repeat C-ion RT were both 52.8 Gy (relative biological effectiveness [RBE]). Thirteen patients (61.9%) received concurrent chemotherapy with re-irradiation, while 11 (52.4%) received adjuvant chemotherapy. ResultsThe median follow-up period after re-irradiation was 11 months. The 1-year local control, progression-free survival, and overall survival rates were 53.5%, 24.5%, and 48.7%, respectively. Toxicity data was obtained from the patients’ charts. Only 1 patient (4.8%) developed grade 3 acute toxicities and none developed grade ≥3 late toxicities. Univariate analysis indicated that patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy had significantly improved local control rates compared with those who did not; the 1-year local control rates were 80.0% and 0.0%, respectively (P = 0.0469). ConclusionRepeating C-ion RT may be a reasonable option with tolerable toxicity for patients with recurrent pancreatic cancers. Adjuvant chemotherapy appears to improve the local control rate. This is the first study to examine re-irradiation using C-ion for recurrent pancreatic cancer after initial C-ion RT.

Carbon ion reirradiation compared to intensity-modulated re-radiotherapy for recurrent head and neck cancer (CARE): a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundIntensity-modulated re-radiotherapy (reIMRT) has been established as a standard local treatment option in patients with non-resectable, recurrent head and neck cancer (rHNC). However, the clinical outcome is unfavorable and severe toxicities (≥grade III) occurred in 30–40% of patients. The primary aim of the current trial is to investigate carbon ion reirradiation (reCIRT) compared to reIMRT in patients with rHNC regarding safety/toxicity as well as local control, overall survival (OS), and quality of life (QoL).MethodsThe present trial will be performed as a single center, two-armed, prospective phase II study. A maximum of 72 patients will be treated with either reIMRT or reCIRT to evaluate severe (≥grade III) treatment-related toxicities (randomization ratio 1:1). The primary target value is to generate less than 35% acute/subacute severe toxicity (≥grade III), according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v5.0, within 6 months after study treatment. The total dose of reirradiation will range between 51 and 60 Gy or Gy (RBE), depending primarily on the radiotherapy interval and the cumulative dose to organs at risk. Individual dose prescription will be at the discretion of the treating radiation oncologist. The local and distant progression-free survival 12 months after reirradiation, the OS, and the QoL are the secondary endpoints of the trial. Explorative trial objectives are the longitudinal investigation of clinical patient-related parameters, tumor parameters on radiological imaging, and blood-based tumor analytics.DiscussionRecent retrospective studies suggested that reCIRT could represent a feasible and effective treatment modality for rHNC. This current randomized prospective trial is the first to investigate the toxicity and clinical outcome of reCIRT compared to reIMRT in patients with rHNC.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov; NCT04185974; December 4th 2019.

Preliminary study of intensity-modulated carbon ion reirradiation for locoregionally recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma after definitive IMRT——Clinical experience from Shanghai Proton Heavy Ion Hospital

Objective To evaluate the short-term efficacy and toxicities of intensity-modulated carbon ion radiotherapy (IMCT) for patients with locoregionally recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma after intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Methods A total of 112 patients with locoregionally recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma undergoing salvaging IMCT between May 2015 and February 2018were enrolled in the study. All patients previously received one course of definitive X-ray IMRT. Among them, 10 patients (9%) were diagnosed with stage Ⅰ, 26 patients (23%) with stage Ⅱ, 41 patients (37%) with stage Ⅲ and 35 patients (31%) with stage Ⅳnasopharyngeal carcinoma, respectively. The median age of the cohort was 48 years (range, 17-70 years) old. The median dose to the gross tumor volume (GTV) was 60 GyE (range, 50-69 GyE). Results With a median follow-up time of 20 months (range, 5-45 months), 20 patients died and 42 patients developed local recurrence. The 2-year overall survival (OS) and local progression-free survival (LPFS) rates were 85% and 52%. Both univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated that stage Ⅳ disease was associated with significantly worse OS. No predictors were found for LPFS. No acute toxicity of grade 3 or higher was observed during reirradiation. Severe (grade 3 or above) late toxicities included xerostomia (n=1), hearing impairment (n=2), temporal lobe injury (n=1) and mucosal necrosis (n=19). Conclusions IMCT is an efficacious and safe treatment for patients with locoregionally recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma with acceptable toxicity profile. Long-term follow-up is necessary to further evaluate the long-term efficacy and late toxicities. Key words: Nasopharyngeal neoplasm/intensity-modulated carbon ion radiotherapy; Second-course radiotherapy; Treatment outcome

Dose-Limiting Organs at Risk in Carbon Ion Re-Irradiation of Head and Neck Malignancies: An Individual Risk-Benefit Tradeoff.

Background: Carbon ion re-irradiation (CIR) was evaluated to investigate treatment planning and the consequences of individual risk-benefit evaluations concerning dose-limiting organs at risk (OAR). Methods: A total of 115 consecutive patients with recurrent head and neck cancer (HNC) were analyzed after initial radiotherapy and CIR at the same anatomical site. Toxicities were evaluated in line with the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events 4.03. Results: The median maximum cumulative equivalent doses applied in fractions of 2 Gy (EQD2) to the brainstem, optic chiasm, ipsilateral optic nerve, and spinal cord were 56.8 Gy (range 0.94–103.9), 51.4 Gy (range 0–120.3 Gy), 63.6 Gy (range 0–146.1 Gy), and 28.8 Gy (range 0.2–87.7 Gy). The median follow up after CIR was 24.0 months (range 2.5–72.0 months). The cumulative rates of acute and late severe (≥grade III) side effects after CIR were 1.8% and 14.3%. Conclusion: In recurrent HNC, an individual risk-benefit tradeoff is frequently inevitable due to unfavorable location of tumors in close proximity to vital OAR. There are uncertainties about the dose tolerance of OAR after CIR, which warrant increased awareness about the potential treatment toxicity and further studies on heavy ion re-irradiation.

Rare entities in head-and-neck cancer: salvage re-irradiation with carbon ions

BackgroundThe objective of this investigation is to evaluate the outcomes and toxicity of carbon-ion re-irradiation (CIR) in patients with rare head and neck cancers (HNC). There is a paucity of data regarding treatment approaches in this patient cohort, which we aim to address in this work.MethodsThirty-two (n = 32) consecutive patients with uncommon HNC treated between 2010 and 2017 were retrospectively analyzed in terms of clinical outcomes, patterns of failure, and toxicity.ResultsMucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) was the most common histology (22%). Patients received a median cumulative dose equivalent in 2 Gy fractions (EQD2) after CIR of 128.6 Gy (range, 105.8–146.5 Gy). The local and distant control rates 1 year after CIR were 66 and 72%. No serious acute or late toxicity (≥ grade 3) after CIR was observed.ConclusionsCIR may represent an effective and safe treatment alternative to palliative systemic therapies in these rare indications.

Carbon Ion Reirradiation for Recurrent Head and Neck Cancer: A Single-Institutional Experience

This study aimed to assess the feasibility of carbon ion reirradiation (CIR) for recurrent head and neck cancer (HNC). This retrospective study included 229 patients with recurrent HNC who were treated with CIR between 2010 and 2017. We assessed progression-free survival, overall survival, pattern of failure, and toxicity. Of the primary tumors, 54.1% were adenoid cystic carcinomas, 26.2% were squamous cell carcinomas, 8.3% were adenocarcinomas, and 11.4% were other tumor entities. The median radiation therapy interval was 3.9 years (range, 0.3-46.5 years), and patients received a median dose of 51 Gy (relative biological effectiveness [RBE]; range, 30-66 Gy [RBE]) in 3 Gy (RBE) fractions. The median cumulative lifetime dose after CIR was 132.8 Gy (range, 88.8-155.0 Gy). The median local progression-free survival after CIR was 24.2 months (95% confidence interval, 19.4-29.0 months), and the median overall survival was 26.1 months (95% confidence interval, 21.9-30.3 months). Serious acute toxicity (grade ≥3) after CIR included laryngeal edema, grade 4 (n = 2; 0.9%); dysphagia, grade 3 (n = 3; 1.3%); fistula, grade 3 (n = 1; 0.4%); and impaired hearing, grade 3 (n = 1; 0.4%). Late toxicities of grades 3 or higher (n = 18; 14.5%) included central nervous system necrosis, grades 4/3 (n = 1; 0.8%/n = 5; 4.0%); optic nerve disorder, grades 4/3 (n = 2; 1.6%/n = 2; 1.6%); impaired hearing, grade 3 (n = 5; 4.0%), osteonecrosis, grade 3 (n = 1; 0.8%); and carotid blowout, grade 4 (n = 1; 0.8%). In patients with locally recurrent HNC, CIR was a feasible, effective treatment with acceptable toxicity and good local control. Thus, CIR represented a valuable alternative to surgical salvage and palliative chemotherapy in selected patients.

Carbon ion reirradiaton for patients with malignant gliomas: Toxicity and first results of the prospective dose-escalation phase I/II CINDERELLA trial.

2059 Background: The prospective phase I/II CINDERELLA trial investigates toxicity and effectiveness of a dose escalated reirradiation with carbon ions in patients with recurrent gliomas. Methods: Following a dose escalating protocol, 52 patients with WHO°II-IV gliomas were irradiated with carbon ions with doses of 3 Gy (RBE) in 10 – 16 fractions in 7 dose leels. Median age was 42 years (range: 28 - 69) with 19 female and 33 male participants. Forty-one patients were diagnosed with WHO°III/IV gliomas and 11 patients with WHO°II gliomas. At the time of reirradiation, all patients showed contrast-enhancing recurrences. MRI-based treatment planning encompassed the contrast enhancing lesion (GTV) with additional safety margins of 5 mm (CTV) and 3 mm (PTV). Clinical follow-up visits including contrast-enhanced MRI were scheduled every two months. We used RANO-criteria for diagnosis of progression. Survival rates were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier estimator. Relevant prognostic factors were determined with log rank-test, and toxicity was classified according to CTCAE v4.0. Results: Median time between first irradiation and reirradiation was 9 months (range: 7 – 228). PTV size was 12 – 310 ml. During follow-up ≥°3 toxicities were not observed. Follow-up MRI suggested radiation necrosis in 4 patients. Median overall survival was 352 days and was not influenced by age, gender or radiation dose. A significant trend for improved survival rates was seen in patients with small target volumes (480 days [PTV < 75ml] vs. 322 days [PTV > 75ml], p = 0.06) and initial low grade histology (497 days [WHO °II] vs. 322 days [WHO°III/IV], p = 0.069). During follow-up, 45 patients had local progression, while clinical deterioration was not seen. Median local progression-free survival was 138 days. Twenty-eight patients received chemo-/immunotherapy after reirradiation. Of those, 14 patients were treated with bevacizumab. Progression after reirradiation did not influence overall survival significantly. Conclusions: Carbon ion re-irradiation with 10-16 fractions of 3 Gy for patients with recurrent gliomas is safe; no dose limiting toxicities were observed. Median overall survival with approximately one year is high in comparison to other treatment options. It remains unclear if RANO-criteria is securing the diagnosis of therapy failure after carbon ion reirradiation. Further randomized controlled trials must be awaited to evaluate the effectiveness of reirradiation of carbon ions compared to other treatment options. Clinical trial information: NCT01166308.

EP-1220 Initial Clinical Experience of Carbon Ion Re-Irradiation of Recurrent High-Grade Glioma

EP-1220 Initial Clinical Experience of Carbon Ion Re-Irradiation of Recurrent High-Grade Glioma

EP-1155 Rare entities in head-and-neck cancer: A single institutional experience of carbon-ion reirradiation

EP-1155 Rare entities in head-and-neck cancer: A single institutional experience of carbon-ion reirradiation

OC-009 Carbon-ion reirradiation for recurrent Head and Neck cancer: A single-institutional experience

OC-009 Carbon-ion reirradiation for recurrent Head and Neck cancer: A single-institutional experience

Carbon-ion re-irradiation for recurrences after initial treatment of stage I non-small cell lung cancer with carbon-ion radiotherapy

PurposeTo investigate carbon-ion radiotherapy (CIRT) for in-field recurrence of stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) initially treated with CIRT. Materials and methodsFrom January 2007 to March 2014, patients initially treated for stage I NSCLC with CIRT and relapsed in-field were candidates. Overall survival (OS) rate, local control (LC) rate, progressive free survival (PFS) rate, dose to the lungs and skin, and adverse effects were analyzed. ResultsTwenty-nine patients were eligible. Median age at re-irradiation was 74years (range 53–90). Median observation period from the first day of re-irradiation was 29months (4–88months). Median prescribed dose was 46.0Gy (RBE) as initial treatment and 66.0Gy (RBE) in 12 fractions as re-irradiation. Two-year OS, LC, and PFS rates after re-irradiation were 69.0% (95% CI: 50.3–83.0), 66.9% (95% CI: 47.5–81.9), and 51.7% (95% CI: 34.1–68.9). Median skin maximum dose was 53.8Gy (RBE) (range 4.4–103.1) and median of mean lung dose was 7.3Gy (RBE) (range 2.6–14.0). There were no severer than grade 2 adverse effects except one (3.4%) grade 3 bacterial pneumonia, which was not considered radiation-induced. ConclusionCIRT for stage I NSCLC local recurrence is an acceptable definitive re-treatment.