Efficacy Of External Beam Radiotherapy Research Articles

Radiotherapy Combined with a Radiosensitizer for Bacillus Calmette-Guérin–unresponsive Non–muscle-invasive Carcinoma In Situ Bladder Cancer: An Open-label, Single-arm, Multicenter, Phase 2 European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Trial

Radical cystectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection and urinary diversion is the standard of care for patients with bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-unresponsive non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). However, many patients are unwilling or unable to undergo such major surgery associated with high morbidity and a negative impact on quality of life. Chemoradiotherapy is an established treatment option for muscle-invasive bladder cancer. However, it has not been investigated adequately in NMIBC until now. The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) 2235 study (NCT06310369) is designed as a multicenter, prospective, international, phase 2 trial of moderate hypofractionated radiotherapy combined with a radiosensitizer in BCG-unresponsive NMIBC patients with carcinoma in situ (CIS) who are not eligible for or declined to undergo radical cystectomy. Patients who have received nadofaragene firadenovec or TAR-200 are eligible. The primary endpoint is the 6-mo complete response (CR) rate defined by the absence of CIS proven by a control biopsy of the bladder. The secondary endpoints include overall survival, progression-free survival, durability of CR, grade 3–4 adverse events rate, patients’ quality of life, and organ preservation rate. Patient summaryIntravesical instillation of bacillus Calmette-Guérin is the standard treatment of non–muscle-invasive, also coined as superficial, bladder cancer. In case the cancer recurs, even superficially, there is no other proven treatment than a radical cystectomy—the surgical removal of the bladder. Although the surgical technique has improved dramatically over the past few years, it remains contraindicated in patients with severe comorbidities. In addition, because it affects the quality of life, patients may reject this option. This study will assess the efficacy of external beam radiotherapy, a robust alternative to surgery in muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Radiotherapy will be administered 5 d a week for 4 wk. It will be associated with a “radiosensitizer,” an intravenous or oral drug, during the radiotherapy treatment. The study will measure the proportion of patients remaining recurrence free at 6 mo and thereafter. It will also evaluate the safety of the treatment and its impact on quality of life.

Safety and efficacy of external beam radiotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma patients previously treated with yttrium-90 radioembolization.

523 Background: Data on the safety and efficacy of external beam radiation (EBRT) after Yttrium-90 (Y-90) radioembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is limited. We report our experience using EBRT to treat HCC patients who were previously treated with Y-90. Methods: We analyzed 31 HCC patients who received EBRT following Y-90 treatment. Eighteen were treated with photon therapy (40-50 Gy in 5 fractions), and thirteen with proton therapy (42-67.5 Gy in 15 fractions). Twenty-four patients underwent Y-90 segmentectomies, while seven received Y-90 lobar treatment. The median administered Y-90 activity was 44.4 mCi (range 8.3-114.4). Results: Patients had received 1 (n=14), 2 (n=7), or ≥3 (n=10) prior Y-90 treatments. EBRT was administered for various reasons: poor Y-90 response in two patients, technical limitations in 25 patients, and other reasons in four patients. Ten patients had previously received Y-90 within the EBRT area, thirteen outside the EBRT area, and eight in both regions. The median tumor size was 3.8 cm (range 1.6-19.4). Twenty-seven patients had Child-Pugh (CP)-A score, three had CP-B, and one had CP-C baseline liver function. With a median follow-up of 21 months, the 2-year progression-free survival, and overall survival rates were 28%, and 43%, respectively. The 2-year cumulative incidence of local failure was 7%. CP+2 progression was observed in five patients (16%): three had Y-90 delivered outside the EBRT area and two within the EBRT area. Three patients had possible RILD-related deaths. Grade 3+ biliary complications occurred in three patients (10%): one biloma, one liver abscess, and one biliary stricture which resulted in a possible treatment-related death. All three patients had received at least two prior Y-90 treatment overlapping with the area treated with EBRT and had tumors located near the porta hepatis. Conclusions: EBRT for HCC patients previously treated with Y-90 is feasible and offers excellent local control. Hepatic function and biliary toxicities are potential complications and should be weighed against the clinical benefits.

External Beam Radiotherapy for Dysphagia Palliation in Advanced Esophageal Cancer: A Prospective Study

Background: Esophageal cancer is a highly aggressive malignancy often associated with a poor prognosis because of locoregional failure and distant metastases. About 60–70 percent of the patients present at an advanced stage, have a median survival in the range of 6-10 months, and are not amenable to definitive treatment. Dysphagia is the most common complaint, seen in 80%–90% of patients. The priority for managing patients with advanced disease is dysphagia control, which in turn can improve nutritional intake and quality of life. External-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) is one of the major means of palliation. Objective: The primary goal of our study was to assess the efficacy of external beam radiotherapy in alleviating dysphagia in patients with esophageal cancer.Materials and method: This was a single arm prospective clinical study conducted in a tertiary care hospital in northeast India. The study comprised of 57 esophageal cancer patients, ineligible for definitive treatment. The patients received EBRT of 30 Gy in 10 fractions over two weeks. Dysphagia was graded using Modified Takita’s grading system. Patients were followed up at one-month intervals after treatment to assess dysphagia and acute toxicity. Results: Out of 57 patients in the study, subjective dysphagia relief was seen in 82.45%. The median dysphagia score decreased from 3 to 2 at the end of the 3-month post treatment period. (p < .001). In terms of treatment-related toxicity, treatment was well tolerated. No grade 4-5 toxicity was encountered. The most commonly encountered toxicity was radiation esophagitis, which affected 15 patients (26.31%).Conclusion: Radiation significantly improves dysphagia in esophageal cancer patients. It is an effective, non-invasive, and well-tolerated way to treat dysphagia in selected individuals with incurable esophageal cancer.

Radiation Therapy for Painful Bone Metastases: Fractionation, Recalcification, and Symptom Control

Bone is a common site for metastases, which may cause pain and other skeletal-related events (SRE) in patients with advanced cancer. Since the 1980s, prospective clinical trials have demonstrated the high efficacy of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for pain relief from focal, symptomatic lesions. In uncomplicated bone metastases, which include those without pathologic fracture, evidence of cord compression, or prior surgical intervention, improvement or complete pain relief with radiotherapy is as high as 60%, with no difference in efficacy when radiotherapy is delivered in a single or multiple fractions. The ability to treat with a single fraction makes EBRT an attractive therapy even for patients with poor performance status and/or life expectancy. Even in patients with complicated bone metastases (eg cord compression), several randomized trials have demonstrated similar rates of pain relief in addition to improved functional outcomes such as ambulation. In this review, we summarize the role of EBRT for alleviating painful bone metastases and explore its role for other endpoints including functional outcomes, recalcification, and prevention of SREs.

Concurrent capecitabine with external beam radiotherapy versus radiotherapy alone in painful bone metastasis of breast cancer origin

BackgroundIn breast cancer, painful bone metastases are common. Local radiotherapy is the standard treatment of painful bone metastases. Pain control and overall response rateswere low in radiotherapy alone.The objectives of this study were to compare the safety and efficacy of external beam radiotherapy with concurrent capecitabine vs. external beam radiotherapy alone in pain control of painful bone metastases in breast cancer patients. Materials and methodsEighty-four patients with painful bone metastases from breast cancer participated in this prospective study. We randomized the patients into two groups: group A treated with radiotherapy 30 Gy in 10 fractions and group B treated with capecitabine 825 mg/m2 every 12 hrs. concurrently with the same radiotherapy dose. ResultsThere was no statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding early treatment toxicity. Most of the toxicity was gastrointestinal (diarrhea and nausea) and mild (grade I or II). The median pain score decreased from week one, and there was a marked response at week4. The difference in median pain score between both groups was statistically significant with p-value = 0.045. The median analgesic score in both groups was statistically significant with a p-value = 0.032 at week 12. A complete response to pain at week 4 was 19% and 42.9% in groups A and B, respectively. ConclusionConcurrent chemoradiation in painful bone metastases from breast cancer origin was tolerable and safe; it had a higher overall response rate and pain palliation than radiotherapy alone.

A comparative study of treatment on portal vein tumor thrombosis in hepatocellular carcinoma with stereotactic radiotherapy versus three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy

Abstract Background: Portal venous tumor thrombosis (PVTT) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a poor prognostic factor, with median survival values ranging from 2 to 4 months, when untreated. Sorafenib has been used as a systemic therapy for advanced HCC patients with PVTT; however, its local effects are limited. We report the results of external beam radiotherapy for PVTT, including stereotactic radiotherapy. Methods: Fifty consecutive HCC patients with PVTT who underwent external beam radiotherapy were investigated at our institution between January 2004 and December 2019. Results: The median age of the patients was 71 years (range: 39–87). The patients were predominantly male (80%) who underwent three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (82%). The Child-Pugh score was class A in 30(60%) patients and class B in 20(40%) patients. The median overall survival (OS) was 12.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.2–18.2) and the 1-year overall survival rate for all patients was 52.3% (95% [CI]: 36.9 - 65.6). A favorable objective response rate was achieved in the stereotactic radiotherapy group (78%) compared to the three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy group (39%). Severe acute adverse events of grade 3 or higher were not observed. Conclusions: The present study demonstrated the feasibility and efficacy of external beam radiotherapy for PVTT in patients with HCC.

Clinical efficacy of external beam radiotherapy complementing incomplete transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma

Purpose External beam radiotherapy (EBRT) has been commonly applied as salvage or a combination locoregional modality after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). This study reports oncologic outcomes and feasibility after application of the two modalities in our center. Methods Forty consecutive patients who underwent EBRT due to incomplete responses of TACE were evaluated. Fourteen patients (35.0%) received stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and the remaining patients received conventionally fractionated radiotherapy (RT). A majority of patients who underwent SBRT received doses of 27 to 48 Gy in 3–4 fractions [median EQD2 (Equivalent dose in 2 Gy per fraction radiotherapy): 57.0 Gy]. Conventionally fractionated RT was performed with a median EQD2 of 47.8 Gy. Results The median follow-up duration was 14.4 months (range: 2.6–83.0 months). A majority (77.5%) of patients were regarded as having Child-Pugh grade A. The median tumor size was 3.4 cm (range: 0.8–20.1 cm). Ten patients (25.0%) had thrombosis at a main portal branch. The 1- and 2-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 82.2% and 42.1% and 55.8% and 32.1%, respectively. The local control rates were 89.1% and 89.1% at 1 and 2 years, respectively. The albumin level was a significant factor affecting OS (p = .002), and the BCLC stage significantly affected PFS (p = .001). Intrahepatic, out-of-field recurrence was the main cause of disease progression (60.0%), and distant metastasis developed in 12 patients (30.0%) during follow-up. Non-classic radiation-induced liver disease was seen in five (12.5%) patients, and two (5%) patients experienced grade ≥3 hepatic toxicities. Conclusions EBRT after incomplete TACE was feasible and yielded favorable oncologic outcomes. However, disease progression related to intrahepatic failure remained a hindrance.

The use of intraoperative radiation therapy in the management of locally recurrent rectal cancer

Locally recurrent rectal cancer (LRRC) is associated with substantial tumor- and treatment-related morbidity. Curative-intent surgical resection is challenging, and when used as a single modality, the results have been poor. Durable local control (LC) and long-term overall survival (OS) may be achieved with combined modality therapy including radiotherapy (RT), chemotherapy, and surgical resection. RT dose escalation utilizing intra-operative RT (IORT), when combined with external beam RT (EBRT), may offer improved LC particularly for those who have undergone sub-total resection. Curative treatment options are still feasible in patients who experience LR following previous pelvic RT, with data supporting the safety and efficacy of EBRT, surgery, and IORT as long as clinicians are cognizant of repeat RT exposure to small bowel. Advancement in patient selection, RT treatment techniques, and systemic therapies offer an interesting opportunity to improve outcomes for patients with LRRC and should be evaluated further in prospective studies.

Effectiveness and feasibility of external beam radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma with inferior vena cava and/or right atrium involvement: a multicenter trial in Korea (KROG 17-10)

Purpose: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) involving the inferior vena cava (IVC) and/or right atrium (RA) can affect systemic circulation, causing fatal complications. Standard treatment is yet to be established due to its rarity and intractability. We sought to determine the clinical efficacy of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) in HCC treatment.Patients and methods: Our group designed this multicenter trial and recruited patients with HCC and IVC and/or RA involvement. Forty-nine patients from six institutions received EBRT with median dose of 46.7 (range: 35.4–71.5) Gy during 2009–2016. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS), and relevant predictors were evaluated.Results: Median follow-up length was 9.3 (range: 1.1–119) months. Median survival, 1-, and 2- year OS rates were 10.1 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.5–12.7 months), 43.5%, and 30.1%, respectively. Significant factors affecting OS were alpha-fetoprotein level ≥300 ng/mL (risk ratio [RR]: 2.34, p = .025), tumor multiplicity (RR: 2.56, p = .028), and patient volume of institutions (high- vs. middle volume centers) (RR: 3.58, p = .001). Local control rates were 88.7% and 74.5% at 1 and 2 years, respectively. The most common first failure site was the lung (21/49, 42.9%) followed by liver outside the EBRT field (17/49, 34.7%). One case of possible radiation-induced liver disease was noted, with transient alkaline phosphatase elevation.Conclusion: EBRT can yield favorable local control in HCC with IVC and/or RA involvement. Systemic treatment may be more indicated as factors reflecting tumor aggressiveness were significant, and first distant failure is common.

Radiotherapy as a Backbone for Novel Concepts in Cancer Immunotherapy.

Radiation-induced immunogenic cell death has been described to contribute to the efficacy of external beam radiotherapy in local treatment of solid tumors. It is well established that radiation therapy can induce immunogenic cell death in cancer cells under certain conditions. Initial clinical studies combining radiotherapy with immunotherapies suggest a synergistic potential of this approach. Improving our understanding of how radiation reconditions the tumor immune microenvironment should pave the way for designing rational and robust combinations with immunotherapeutic drugs that enhance both local and systemic anti-cancer immune effects. In this review, we summarize irradiation-induced types of immunogenic cell death and their effects on the tumor microenvironment. We discuss preclinical insights on mechanisms and benefits of combining radiotherapy with immunotherapy, focusing on immune checkpoint inhibitors. In addition, we elaborate how these observations were translated into clinical studies and which parameters may be optimized to achieve best results in future clinical trials.

Recent clinical applications of external beam radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma according to guidelines, major trials and meta-analyses.

External beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been widely used due to lack of high-level evidence, despite its potent local therapeutic effect. While clinical evidence has accumulated and meta-analyses of observational studies have provided integrated information to help in clinical decision-making, a recent randomized trial demonstrated the benefit of EBRT in cases of HCC with major vessel invasion. Based on these trends, the efficacy of EBRT has been better recognized, and EBRT has been more frequently recommended in several international treatment guidelines newly updated in 2018. This review examined the key issues of EBRT in the guidelines updated in 2018 as well as recently published noteworthy randomized trials and meta-analyses. Ongoing trials to identify the trends and direction of future research on EBRT for HCC were also reviewed.

Ewing Sarcoma in Nepal Treated With Combined Chemotherapy and Definitive Radiotherapy.

PURPOSETo our knowledge, we conducted the first prospective oncologic clinical trial in Nepal aimed at providing state-of-the-art chemotherapy to patients with Ewing sarcoma. The efficacy of external-beam radiotherapy (RT) as the sole local treatment modality was explored and deemed justified as a result of the lack of available advanced tumor-orthopedic services in Nepal.PATIENTS AND METHODSTwenty patients, 11 female and 9 male patients between the ages of 6 and 37 years, with newly diagnosed Ewing sarcoma were enrolled. Neoadjuvant combination chemotherapy, comprising well-established drug combinations, was administered in five courses before external-beam RT, during which one course of etoposide and ifosfamide was given. After RT, six additional chemotherapy courses were scheduled.RESULTSRT was tolerated well, providing rapid symptom relief and local tumor control, with no pathologic fractures observed among the 15 patients who received such treatment. Eleven patients completed the entire treatment protocol; seven patients were under continued follow-up, with no evidence of disease in six patients at a median follow-up time of 2.3 years (range, 1.3 to 3.1 years) and one patient alive but with a regional recurrence. Four patients experienced metastatic relapse and died as a result of their disease. Three treatment-related deaths linked to toxicity from chemotherapy occurred. Four of the six patients who refused to complete the treatment protocol and were lost to follow-up experienced progressive disease and were assumed dead.CONCLUSIONThis study was feasible with RT as the sole local treatment modality in combination with chemotherapy. As a result of the high number of patients lost to follow-up, no firm conclusions can be drawn, but the majority of the patients who completed treatment obtained durable long-term remissions.

Efficacy of external beam radiotherapy and targeted therapy with vandenanib in patients with inoperable and progressive medullary thyroid cancer

The study objectiveis to evaluate modern-era radiotherapy (external beam radiotherapy, EBRT) and target therapy (TT) outcomes for advanced medullary thyroid cancer (MTC).Materials and methods.Seventy eight consecutive patients with stage IV MTC were evaluated. All of them with relapsing locally advanced or metastatic MTC, 16 had clinically relevant mediastinal involvement, and 59 had distant metastasis; 26 patients received conformal EBRT or intensity-modulated radiotherapy in monomode, 16 patients – conformal EBRT with simultaneous TT with vandenanib, 36 patients – TT in monomode. Median EBRT dose was 60 Gy.Results.Kaplan–Meier estimates of the median overall survival rate was 14 months for radiotherapy in monomode, 48 months – for conformal EBRT + simultaneous TT with vandenanib, 50 months – for TT in monomode. EBRT and TT allows for significantly shorter periods (median 3.8 weeks), to relieve the symptoms of compression-mediated organs and structures of the neck and mediastinum than in the TT (median 10.2 weeks) (p <0.001).Conclusion.EBRT and TT provided durable locoregional disease control with limited morbidity.

Venetoclax Synergizes with Radiotherapy for Treatment of B-cell Lymphomas.

Constitutive B-cell receptor signaling leads to overexpression of the antiapoptotic BCL-2 protein and is implicated in the pathogenesis of many types of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). The BCL-2 small-molecule inhibitor venetoclax shows promising clinical response rates in several lymphomas, but is not curative as monotherapy. Radiotherapy is a rational candidate for combining with BCL-2 inhibition, as DNA damage caused by radiotherapy increases the activity of pro-apoptotic BCL-2 pathway proteins, and lymphomas are exquisitely sensitive to radiation. We tested B-NHL responses to venetoclax combined with either external beam radiotherapy or radioimmunotherapy (RIT), which joins the selectivity of antibody targeting with the effectiveness of irradiation. We first tested cytotoxicity of cesium-137 irradiation plus venetoclax in 14 B-NHL cell lines representing five lymphoma subtypes. Combination treatment synergistically increased cell death in 10 of 14 lines. Lack of synergy was predicted by resistance to single-agent venetoclax and high BCL-XL expression. We then assessed the efficacy of external beam radiotherapy plus venetoclax in murine xenograft models of mantle cell (MCL), germinal-center diffuse large B-cell (GCB-DLBCL), and activated B-cell (ABC-DLBCL) lymphomas. In each model, external beam radiotherapy plus venetoclax synergistically increased mouse survival time, curing up to 10%. We finally combined venetoclax treatment of MCL and ABC-DLBCL xenografts with a pretargeted RIT (PRIT) system directed against the CD20 antigen. Optimal dosing of PRIT plus venetoclax cured 100% of mice with no detectable toxicity. Venetoclax combined with radiotherapy may be a promising treatment for a wide range of lymphomas Cancer Res; 77(14); 3885-93. ©2017 AACR.

Brachytherapy vs. external beam radiotherapy for choroidal melanoma: Survival and patterns-of-care analyses

PurposeNo modern randomized trials exist comparing external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and plaque brachytherapy (BT) for choroidal melanoma, and the optimal treatment modality is currently unknown. This study compares the patterns of care and efficacy of EBRT vs. BT based on data in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Methods and MaterialsThe Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was queried for patients aged 20–79 diagnosed with choroidal melanoma from 2004 to 2011, treated with EBRT or BT; included patients were clinically T1–T4, N0, and M0. Overall survival and cause-specific survival curves were calculated by the Kaplan–Meier method. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed in the survival and patterns-of-care analyses. ResultsA total of 1004 cases (380 EBRT and 624 BT) were included in the survival analysis. There was no difference in the 5-year overall survival (83.3% EBRT vs. 82.5% BT, p = 0.69) and 5-year cause-specific survival (88.3% EBRT vs. 88.3% BT, p = 0.92). In the survival analysis, older age and advanced tumor stage were predictors of increased risk of death. In the patterns-of-care analysis, later year of diagnosis and smaller tumor stage were predictors of BT use. ConclusionsAdvanced tumor stage and older age seem to be independent predictors for risk of death from choroidal melanoma. The use of BT favors smaller tumors and later year of diagnosis. There is no difference in survival between those treated with EBRT or BT, and the utilization of BT is increasing.

Improving external beam radiotherapy by combination with internal irradiation.

The efficacy of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) is dose dependent, but the dose that can be applied to solid tumour lesions is limited by the sensitivity of the surrounding tissue. The combination of EBRT with systemically applied radioimmunotherapy (RIT) is a promising approach to increase efficacy of radiotherapy. Toxicities of both treatment modalities of this combination of internal and external radiotherapy (CIERT) are not additive, as different organs at risk are in target. However, advantages of both single treatments are combined, for example, precise high dose delivery to the bulk tumour via standard EBRT, which can be increased by addition of RIT, and potential targeting of micrometastases by RIT. Eventually, theragnostic radionuclide pairs can be used to predict uptake of the radiotherapeutic drug prior to and during therapy and find individual patients who may benefit from this treatment. This review aims to highlight the outcome of pre-clinical studies on CIERT and resultant questions for translation into the clinic. Few clinical data are available until now and reasons as well as challenges for clinical implementation are discussed.

Single fraction radiotherapy versus multiple fraction radiotherapy for bone metastases in prostate cancer patients: comparative effectiveness.

External beam radiotherapy (EBRT) is an effective treatment for symptomatic bone metastases from a variety of primary malignancies. Previous meta-analyses and systematic reviews have reported on the efficacy of EBRT on bone metastases from multiple primaries. This review is focused on the comparative effectiveness of single fraction radiotherapy versus multiple fraction radiotherapy for bone metastases in prostate cancer patients.

The efficacy of external beam radiotherapy for airway obstruction in lung cancer patients.

PurposeThe objective of this study was to evaluate external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) in lung cancer patients who suffer from airway obstruction.Materials and MethodsMedical data of 95 patients with a lung mass that obstructed the airway and received EBRT for it were analyzed. Fifty-nine patients (62.1%) had non-small cell lung cancer and 36 patients (37.9%) had small cell lung cancer. Radiotherapy was given at 8 to 45 Gy (median, 30 Gy) in 1 to 15 fractions (median, 10 fractions). The response to EBRT was assessed through changes in radiographic findings and/or subjective symptoms between before and after EBRT. The median follow-up duration was 124 days. The primary end point was the airway-obstruction resolving rate after EBRT. The secondary end points were patient survival and toxic effects of EBRT.ResultsImprovement of airway obstruction after EBRT on chest X-ray was achieved in 75 of 95 patients (78.9%). The median time for resolving the radiologic findings and/or symptoms of airway obstruction after EBRT was 7 days (range, 1 to 76 days). The 1-year survival rate was significantly higher in responders than non-responders (12.5% vs. 0.0%, p < 0.001). The biologically effective dose of ≥ 39 Gyα/β=10 (p < 0.01) and the longest obstructive lesion of < 6 cm (p=0.04) were significantly associated with a good response to EBRT in resolving the airway obstruction. No one had grade 3 or higher acute and chronic toxicities.ConclusionEBRT is an effective treatment in relieving airway obstruction without severe toxicities in lung cancer patients.

Recent Developments in Androgen Deprivation Therapy for Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer

Locally advanced prostate cancer (LAPC) is often managed with a combination of external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Clinical protocols combining ADT and EBRT for the treatment of LAPC were developed based on clinical trials that used conventional-dose EBRT (~70 Gy) and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) analog monotherapy. However, dose-escalated EBRT (&gt;74 Gy) is in widespread clinical use and potent second-generation agents targeting the androgen axis have recently received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. These and other recent developments challenge the current standard of care for LAPC. Determining the optimal duration and potency of ADT in combination with dose-escalated EBRT in LAPC is an active area of clinical research seeking to balance the side-effect profile of ADT with its well-established therapeutic benefits. Prospective randomized clinical trials incorporating dose-escalated EBRT and second-generation androgen axis inhibitors are necessary to clarify the role of ADT in this new arena. Further, since biochemical response to neoadjuvant ADT predicts for efficacy of EBRT, new trials should seek to achieve maximal androgen suppression prior to EBRT to increase clinical benefit. Last, recent clinical and preclinical research efforts hold significant promise and seek to provide better predictive markers and expand the therapeutic target spectrum in prostate cancer.

The efficacy of external beam radiotherapy and stereotactic body radiotherapy for painful spinal metastases from renal cell carcinoma

PurposePalliative radiotherapy is routinely used to treat painful spinal metastases from renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Conventionally planned external beam radiotherapy (CRT) has been standard, with high-dose stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) becoming increasingly common given the radioresistant nature of RCC. We compared the efficacy and durability of pain relief produced by these 2 modalities. Methods and MaterialsPatients with painful spinal metastases from RCC treated from 2002-2010 were included. Response was defined similar to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 0631 protocol: complete response (CR) being resolution of pain without increased narcotics; partial response (PR) included patients with an incomplete reduction in pain without increased narcotics. Patients who experienced a CR or PR were coded as having pain relief, while those with persistent pain or additional narcotics requirements were coded as failures. Achievement of pain relief was analyzed using competing risk analysis with death as the competing event. Time to pain relief was plotted using cumulative incidence analysis. ResultsA total of 110 patients (34 CRT; 76 SBRT) were included. Median follow-up was 4.3 months (range, 0.2-38). Median Karnofsky performance score was higher for patients treated with SBRT compared with CRT (80 vs 70; P = .0004). Overall pain response rates were 68% for CRT and 62% for SBRT, with respective CR and PR rates of 12% and 56% for CRT, and 33% and 29% for SBRT (P = .01). Median time to pain relief was 0.6 weeks for CRT versus 1.2 weeks for SBRT (P = .29). For patients who achieved pain relief (n = 79), median duration was 1.7 months for CRT versus 4.8 months for SBRT (P = .095). On univariate analysis no factors were significantly related to pain relief. ConclusionsCRT was not statistically different than SBRT for pain relief in symptomatic spine metastases from RCC and should be used as first line treatment. The appropriate use of SBRT in this population merits prospective study.