Radiation-based Therapy Research Articles

Long-term clinical outcomes of 420 consecutive prostate cancer patients in a single institute.

This study was undertaken to reveal the trends of prostate cancer and the outcome of treatment modalities for each disease stage in patients in a single institute over a 10-year period. From January 1994 through December 2003, 420 consecutive patients with previously untreated and histologically confirmed prostate cancer were analyzed for annual distributions of disease stages and treatment modalities and for long-term clinical progression-free survival, prostate cancer-specific survival, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) failure-free survival rates for each stage and treatment modality. Annual trends showed that the number of patients, especially those with clinically localized cancer, increased dramatically. The 5-year disease-specific survival rates for patients with clinically localized disease were 100 percent for all treatment modalities, including hormonal therapy alone. Patients with PSA levels less than 10 ng/ml showed an 81 percent 5-year PSA failure-free survival rate with radical prostatectomy. Stage C patients treated by surgery or radiation-based therapy with concomitant hormonal therapy obtained 93 percent and 100 percent cause-specific survival rates, respectively, and those treated by hormonal therapy alone showed a 79 percent rate. The number of patients with localized prostate cancer was increasing in this decade. While long-term hormonal therapy alone was highly efficient in controlling localized prostate cancer, radical therapies in conjunction with neo-adjuvant hormonal therapy produced better survival rates in cases of locally advanced disease.

Extranodal Follicular Lymphoma - a Retrospective Review and Comparison with Localized Nodal Follicular Lymphoma.

Follicular lymphoma arising in an extranodal site is uncommon and its natural history and treatment is poorly characterized in the literature. We retrospectively reviewed a large cohort of patients with stage I and II follicular lymphoma and analyzed the outcomes of patients with extranodal (EN-FL) presentations to identify sites of involvement and treatment outcome, and compared these to patients with nodal follicular lymphoma. From 1967 to 1999, 668 cases of limited stage follicular lymphoma (stage I and II) were treated at the Princess Margaret Hospital. Of these, 157 cases (23.5%) presented in extra-nodal sites. The most common site of presentation was in the head and neck area (42%) followed by gastro-intestinal tract (14.6%) then skin (10.8%). The majority of patients had stage I disease (61.8%). Pathological type was follicular grade I: 22.9%, grade II: 33.1%, and grade III: 43.9%. Treatment consisted of involved field radiation therapy in 72%, combined modality therapy in 22.3% and chemotherapy alone in 3.8%. The treatment changed over time with increased use of combined modality treatment (CMT) [1967–77: 10.5%, vs. 1989–99: 33%] mainly due to the adoption of CMT for follicular grade III lymphoma. Overall complete response rate (CR) to primary treatment was 93%; the CR rate for radiation alone was 97.3%. The cumulative incidence of relapse (RR) was 44% at 10 years. The RR at 10 years was higher for patients age >60 (62% vs. 49%; p =0.059) but did not vary according to stage, tumour bulk, gender or histologic grade. For extranodal lymphoma, the 10-year overall survival (OS) rate was 56% and the 10-year disease free survival (DFS) was 42% and was similar for major sites of presentation.Comparison of Stage I–II Nodal and Extra-nodal Follicular LymphomaNodal Follicular LymphomaExtra-nodal Follicular Lymphoma10 yr Overall Survival61%56% (p=0.97)10 year Disease Free Survival41%42% (p=0.27)10 yr Relapse Rate50%44% (p=0.11)In conclusion, a significant number of patients with localized FL present with extra-nodal disease, involving diverse sites. Patients with EN-FL were more likely to have follicular grade III histology. OS, DFS and RR were similar to nodal follicular lymphoma. These results suggest that the clinical management of stage I and II extra-nodal follicular lymphoma should be the same as for nodal, and that a significant proportion of patients have prolonged DFS with radiation-based therapy.

High risk of subsequent neoplasms continues with extended follow-up of childhood Hodgkin's disease: report from the Late Effects Study Group.

We present an update of a previously reported Late Effects Study Group cohort of 1,380 children with Hodgkin's disease (HD) diagnosed between 1955 and 1986 in patients aged 16 years or younger. We describe the pattern and incidence of subsequent neoplasms (SNs) occurring with extended follow-up. Median age at diagnosis of HD was 11.7 years (range, 0.3 to 16.9 years) and at last follow-up was 27.8 years. Median length of follow-up was 17.0 years. An additional 103 SNs were ascertained (total SNs = 212). The cohort was at an 18.5-fold increased risk of developing SNs compared with the general population (standardized incidence ratio [SIR], 18.5, 95% CI, 15.6 to 21.7). The cumulative incidence of any second malignancy was 10.6% at 20 years, increasing to 26.3% at 30 years; and of solid malignancies was 7.3% at 20 years, increasing to 23.5% at 30 years. Breast cancer was the most common solid malignancy (SIR, 56.7). Other commonly occurring solid malignancies included thyroid cancer (SIR, 36.4), bone tumors (SIR, 37.1), and colorectal (SIR, 36.4), lung (SIR, 27.3), and gastric cancers (SIR, 63.9). Risk factors for solid tumors included young age at HD and radiation-based therapy. Thirty-two patients developed third neoplasms, with the cumulative incidence approaching 21% at 10 years from diagnosis of second malignancy. Additional follow-up of this large cohort of HD survivors documents an increasing occurrence of known radiation-associated solid tumors, (breast and thyroid cancers), as well as emergence of epithelial neoplasms common in adults, (colon and lung cancers) at a younger age than expected in the general population, necessitating ongoing surveillance of this high risk population.

The inhibitors of apoptosis: there is more to life than Bcl2.

The inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) genes constitute a highly conserved family found in organisms as diverse as insects and mammals. These genes encode proteins that directly bind and inhibit caspases, and thus play a critical role in deciding cell fate. The IAPs are in turn regulated by endogenous proteins (second mitochondrial activator of caspases and Omi) that are released from the mitochondria during apoptosis. Overexpression of the IAPs, particularly the X-chromosome-linked IAP, has been shown to be protective in a variety of experimental animal models of human neurodegenerative diseases. Furthermore, overexpression of one or more of the IAPs in cancer cell lines and primary tumor samples appears to be a frequent event. IAP gene amplification and translocation events provide genetic evidence that further strengthens the case for classifying the IAPs as oncogenes. Therapeutic strategies that interfere with IAP expression or function are under investigation as an adjuvant to conventional chemotherapy- and radiation-based cancer therapy. This paper reviews the structure and function of the IAP family members and their inhibitors, and surveys the available evidence for IAP dysregulation in cancer.

Phase I study of combined radiation, hyperthermia andintra-arterial carboplatin for local recurrence of cervical cancer

Patients with cervical cancer who develop pelvic recurrence after primary surgery are usually treated with radiation-based therapy. However, their prognoses are dismal. We conducted a phase I study of combined radiation, hyperthermia and intra-arterial (IA) carboplatin for local recurrence of cervical cancer. Patients with local recurrence of cervical cancer without extrapelvic recurrence were included in this study. Carboplatin was given as a 5-min IA infusion without hydration just before pelvic radiation every day. External pelvic irradiation (1.8 Gy/day for 28 days) was performed according to local standard schedules. After 20 Gy had been administered, hyperthermia was performed once a week with a radio frequency heating system for four cycles. Fifteen patients were entered through the four dose levels of carboplatin. The maximum tolerated dose was determined to be 25 mg/m(2 )and the dose-limiting toxicities were leukocytopenia, neutrocytopenia and diarrhea. Grade 3/4 leukocytopenia and diarrhea were observed in nine (60%) and three (20%) of 15 patients. Tumor responses included five complete responses and nine partial responses, and the overall response rate was 93.3% (14 of 15) (95% confidence interval 59.4% to 100%). Tumor reductions were observed only at 20 Gy in 10 cases of 14 responders (71.4%). The combination therapy of radiation, hyperthermia and IA carboplatin is safe and well-tolerated for locally recurrent cervical cancer.