Radiation-based Treatment Research Articles

Thermal-based treatment options for localized prostate cancer

It seems clear that thermal-based therapies of prostate cancer have the potential to completely eradicate the prostate gland. Technical modifications continue to improve our ability to use these modalities more effectively, which can be seen in the ever decreasing morbidity from damage to adjacent structures. These treatments offer potential major advantages over surgery and radiation-based treatment modalities.

Equivalent outcome of patients with clinical Stage IIIA non–small-cell lung cancer treated with concurrent chemoradiation compared with induction chemotherapy followed by surgical resection

Purpose To compare the outcome of induction chemotherapy followed by surgery (C/S) and concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for clinical Stage IIIA non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods and materials Between 1990 and 2000, 107 patients underwent either induction C/S ( n = 55) or concurrent CRT ( n = 52) for clinical Stage IIIA NSCLC at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Patient and tumor characteristics were balanced in the two treatment groups with respect to T and N stage, race, median age, performance status, weight loss, and histologic findings. In the C/S group, induction chemotherapy included two to four cycles of cisplatin-based chemotherapy followed by lobectomy and mediastinal lymph node dissection. Postoperative RT was delivered in 35 patients, with referral for RT made at the discretion of the treating physician. CRT consisted of three cycles of cisplatin-based chemotherapy given every 3 weeks concurrent with RT to 60–63 Gy in 30–35 fractions in 27 patients and 69.6 Gy in 58 fractions (b.i.d.) in 25 patients. Local control, overall disease-free survival, and distant metastasis-free survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The median follow-up duration was 20 months in all patients and 32 months in surviving patients. Results No statistically significant differences were found in the end points measured in the two treatment groups. Specifically, the median survival time was 31 and 27 months and the 5-year overall survival rate was 33% and 30% in the C/S and CRT groups, respectively. Likewise, the 5-year local control (58% vs. 61%), disease-free (24% vs. 23%), and distant metastasis-free (44% vs. 36%) survival rates in the two groups were not significantly different. In the C/S group, postoperative RT significantly improved the 5-year local control rate from 33.8% to 81.5% ( p = 0.007) but did not significantly improve overall survival. Additionally, patients in the C/S group whose disease responded to induction chemotherapy had a significantly improved 5-year overall survival rate (50%) compared with those who had stable or progressive disease (16%, p = 0001). Conclusion Treatment of Stage IIIA NSCLC using either induction C/S or CRT resulted in similar outcomes in terms of local control and median overall, 5-year overall, distant metastasis-free, and disease-free survival. However, patients undergoing induction C/S often needed postoperative RT to achieve local control equivalent to that achieved with concurrent CRT. Advances in radiation-based treatment as reflected in this study have resulted in similar outcomes compared with modern induction C/S. To improve survival, however, newer systemic agents that reduce and control distant metastasis are required.

Remote afterloading for intracavitary and interstitial brachytherapy with californium-252

The authors present their design concept of remote afterloading for 252Cf brachytherapy with respect to characteristic peculiarities of 252Cf and the current worldwide development of remote afterloading devices. The afterloading device has been designed as a stationary radiator comprising three mutually interconnected units: (1) a control and drive unit, consisting of a control computer and a motor-driven Bowden system carrying the 252Cf source; (2) a source housed in a watertight, concrete vessel, which is stored in a strong room situated well beneath the patient’s bed and (3) an afterloading application module installed in the irradiation room. As 252Cf is a nuclide with low specific activity, it was necessary to produce two independent devices for high dose rate intracavitary treatment and for low dose rate intestinal treatment. The sources may be moved arbitrarily during the treatment with a position accuracy of 0.5–1.0 mm within a distance of 520 cm from the source storage position in the strong room to the application position. The technical concept of the present automatic afterloading device for neutron brachytherapy represents one possible option of a range of conceivable design variants, which, while minimizing the technical and economic requirements, provides operating personnel with optimum protection and work safety, thus extending the applicability of high-LET radiation-based treatment methods in clinical practice.

Neoadjuvant Therapy of Esophageal Cancer

Locally advanced esophageal cancer, potentially curable with surgery or radiotherapy-based treatment, has a poor prognosis because of the eventual development of systemic metastatic disease in the majority of patients. Local recurrence of disease after local treatment modalities is equally problematic. The use of systemic chemotherapy in the surgical and radiation-based treatment of esophageal cancer is reviewed, including the approach of preoperative chemotherapy, preoperative concurrent chemotherapy plus radiotherapy, and chemoradiotherapy as definitive treatment without surgery. The use of chemoradiotherapy has clearly been shown to be superior to radiotherapy alone in the nonsurgical management of locoregional esophageal cancer. Recent trials suggest that preoperative chemoradiotherapy may be superior to surgery alone but trials are ongoing to better define the role of combined modality therapy in the surgical management of esophageal cancer.