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Frontiers in Oncology 2023This study is aimed to explore risk factors affect the therapy outcomes of adrenal metastases (AM) for stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and guide clinical dose...
PURPOSE
This study is aimed to explore risk factors affect the therapy outcomes of adrenal metastases (AM) for stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and guide clinical dose selection.
METHODS AND MATERIALS
PubMed, Embase and Web of Science were searched in September 22, 2022 in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines (PRISMA). Subgroup analysis and meta-regression were used to search for sources of heterogeneity and identify risky outcomes factors. Publication bias test and sensitivity analysis were also conducted.
RESULTS
Thirty-three studies with full text from 2009 to 2022 about AM with SBRT on 1483 patients were included. Pooled 1- and 2-year local control (LC) and overall survival(OS) were 81.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 75.6%-86.5%), 62.8% (95% CI, 53.8%-71.8%), 67.4% (95%CI, 61.8%-73.1%) and 46.5% (95%CI, 40.4%-52.6%), respectively. Biological effective dose (BED, =10Gy) and dose per fraction affected 1-year LC (Qm=23.89, 15.10; <0.0001, 0.0001). In the range of 60-80Gy (BED), the group of dose per fraction ≥ 9Gy achieved the excellent 1-year LC (< 9Gy: ≥ 9Gy =78%, 91%; χ10.16, = 0.001). Tracking technology significantly affected 1- and 2-year OS (Qm = 5.73, 8.75; = 0.017, 0.003) and high tracking adoption group showed excellent 1- and 2- year OS (78.7% [95%CI, 68.6%- 88.9%]; and 62.9% [95%CI, 53.1%-72.7%]).
CONCLUSION
Increasing the dose per fraction appropriately may help control locally AM lesious. Tracking technology might contribute to improve survival of advanced patients with AM. But these results need prospective studies to verify them.
PubMed: 38045003
DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1193574 -
Frontiers in Oncology 2021Radiotherapy (RT) in the head and neck (H&N) site are undoubtedly the most challenging treatments for patients. Older and frail patients are not always able to tolerate...
OBJECTIVE
Radiotherapy (RT) in the head and neck (H&N) site are undoubtedly the most challenging treatments for patients. Older and frail patients are not always able to tolerate it, and there are still no clear guidelines on the type of treatments to be preferred for them. The recommendations for Risk-Adapted H&N Cancer Radiation Therapy during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic provided by the ASTRO-ESTRO consensus statement achieved a strong agreement about hypofractionated RT (HFRT). A systematic literature review was conducted in order to evaluate the feasibility and safety of HFRT for older patients affected by H&N malignancies.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A systematic database search was performed on PubMed and Embase according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Original studies, case series, and case reports describing the use of HFRT (with at least 2.2 Gy fractions) in patients with mean age ≥65 years were included. The analysis was based on the type of study, number of patients, mean age, tumor site, histology, performance status (PS), RT details, concomitant chemotherapy (CT), and described clinical outcomes. All the reported doses have been calculated in equivalent dose in 2 Gy fractions (EQD2) and biologically effective dose (BED) using α/β = 10 Gy or α/β = 12 Gy.
RESULTS
We selected 17 papers that met the inclusion criteria and divided them in 4 categories: 6 articles analyze HFRT performed twice daily in repeated cycles, 3 once a day in repeated cycles, 4 in alternative days, and the last 4 in consecutive days.
CONCLUSION
HFRT seems to be a good treatment with an acceptable prolonged disease control. In older patients fit for radical treatments, a 55 Gy in 20 fractions regimen can be proposed as a valid alternative to the standard fractionated RT, but there are a multitude of hypofractionated regimens, ranging from single fraction, quad shot, and 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-week schedules that all may be appropriate. The correct regimen for a patient depends on many factors, and it represents the result of a more specific and complex decision.
PubMed: 34868976
DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.761393 -
Frontiers in Pediatrics 2020Given the relatively low rate and limited publicly available data regarding children with SARS-CoV-2 infection, this knowledge gap should be addressed with urgency. This...
Given the relatively low rate and limited publicly available data regarding children with SARS-CoV-2 infection, this knowledge gap should be addressed with urgency. This systematic review with meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the epidemiological spectrum and clinical characteristics of children infected with SARS-CoV-2. Relevant international and Chinese public databases were systematically searched to identify all case studies from January 1, 2020 to May 7, 2020. This study consisted of 96 studies involving 7004 cases. The mean age of pediatric cases was 6.48 years (95% CI 52.0-77.5), 90% had household contact, and 66% presented with mild to moderate clinical syndromes. The main symptoms were fever (47%, 95% CI 41-53%) and cough (42%, 95% CI 36-48%). About 23% of children were asymptomatic, 27% had comorbidity, and 29% had a co-infection. The pooled mean incubation period was 9.57 days (95% CI 7.70-11.44). The shedding of SARS-CoV-2 in the upper respiratory tract lasted 11.43 days, and 75% of patients had virus particles in their stool. A total of 34% of the children had neutropenia and 26% had lymphocytosis. Interferon-alpha (81%) was the most commonly used antiviral drug in the children. The discharge and death rates were 79 and 1%. In conclusion, the transmissibility of pediatric COVID-19 should be not ignored because of the relatively long incubation period, shedding duration, and mild clinical syndromes.
PubMed: 33224909
DOI: 10.3389/fped.2020.591132 -
International Journal of Radiation... May 2020To perform a systematic review and pooled meta-analysis of adrenal metastasis stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) outcomes, treatment characteristics, and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
PURPOSE
To perform a systematic review and pooled meta-analysis of adrenal metastasis stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) outcomes, treatment characteristics, and toxicity to define the efficacy and propose guidelines for intervention.
METHODS AND MATERIALS
We performed a comprehensive literature search of the Embase and PubMed databases of studies reporting outcome or toxicity data for photon-based SBRT of adrenal metastases in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We then conducted a meta-analysis to estimate pooled overall response, local control (LC), and overall survival and analyzed these outcomes in the context of dosimetric parameters and toxicity using metaregression.
RESULTS
Thirty-nine studies published between 2009 and 2019 reporting outcomes on 1006 patients were included. The median follow-up was 12 months, and the median biological equivalent dose (BED10, alpha/beta = 10) was 67 Gy. The pooled overall response was 54.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 46.5%-62.5%). The pooled 1- and 2-year rates of LC were 82% (95% CI, 74%-88%) and 63% (95% CI, 50%-74%), respectively, and the pooled 1- and 2-year overall survival rates were 66% (95% CI, 57%-74%) and 42% (95% CI, 31%-53%), respectively. There was a strong positive association between SBRT dose and 1- and 2-year LC (P < .0001, P = .0002) and an association with 2-year OS (P = .03). Based on a metaregression of dose and LC, BED10 of 60 Gy, 80 Gy, and 100 Gy predicted 1-year LC of 70.5%, 84.8%, and 92.9% and 2-year LC of 47.8%, 70.1%, and 85.6%, respectively. The overall rate of grade 3 or higher toxicity was 1.8%.
CONCLUSIONS
SBRT of adrenal metastases provides good 1-year LC with an excellent safety profile, and dose escalation may be associated with improved LC. Prospective studies are needed to validate these findings and determine whether there are subsets of patients for whom adrenal metastasis-directed SBRT may confer a survival advantage.
Topics: Adrenal Gland Neoplasms; Humans; Patient Reported Outcome Measures; Radiosurgery; Safety
PubMed: 32001383
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2020.01.017 -
Frontiers in Oncology 2021We report the first case of hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the lung (HAL) with PIK3CA mutation. In addition, we analyzed data from HAL cases over the past 40 years to study...
OBJECTIVES
We report the first case of hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the lung (HAL) with PIK3CA mutation. In addition, we analyzed data from HAL cases over the past 40 years to study its main treatment methods, prognosis, and the relationship between prognosis and the serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level before treatment.
METHODS
We report a 66-year-old male case who was diagnosed with locally advanced HAL with PIK3CA mutation and carried out a systematic literature search for HAL cases documented between 1981 and 2020. General patient information including case characteristics was extracted and summarized. The median OS (mOS) of HAL patients was determined using the KM survival curve. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to evaluate the effect of tumor size, location, and serum AFP value before treatment and radical surgery (RS) on the prognosis of patients.
RESULTS
A total of 46 studies including 51 HAL patients was included in our review. Our study revealed that 52.9% of tumors were located in the upper lobe of the right lung. The proportion of serum AFP-positive patients before treatment, early-stage patients (TNM stage I and II), and patients who had received surgery were 69.2%, 34.1%, and 40%, respectively. The mOS of HAL patients was 16.0 months. The 2-year and 5-year survival rates of the patients were 35.3% and 8.0%, respectively. In the subgroup analysis, the 2-year survival rate for patients who received RS was 62.5%, while for patients who were unable to undergo RS, it was only 12.5% ( = 0.009). The Cox proportional hazards regression model indicated that RS can significantly improve the prognosis of HAL patients ( = 0.011), although the location and size of tumor as well as the serum AFP value before treatment had no significant effect on their prognosis ( = 0.82, = 0.96, = 0.25).
CONCLUSIONS
HAL patients have a poor prognosis, and the survival benefits for patients receiving chemoradiotherapy or chemotherapy alone appear to be limited. We demonstrate statistically for the first time that pretreatment serum AFP values are not related to the prognosis of HAL patients and RS can significantly improve patient prognosis.
PubMed: 34422656
DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.702216 -
Advances in Radiation Oncology 2020Reirradiation (re-RT) using external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) is a novel salvage strategy for local failure in prostate cancer. We performed a systematic review...
PURPOSE
Reirradiation (re-RT) using external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) is a novel salvage strategy for local failure in prostate cancer. We performed a systematic review describing oncologic and toxicity outcomes for salvage EBRT/stereotactic radiation therapy (SBRT) re-RT.
METHODS AND MATERIALS
A International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews registered (#141466) systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression was conducted using preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines. PubMed and EMBASE were searched from inception through September 2019. Outcome measures included local control (LC), biochemical relapse free survival (BRFS), and ≥grade 3 genitourinary (GU)/gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity. EBRT and SBRT data were collected separately. Meta-regression explored disease and toxicity outcomes as a function of equivalent dose in 2 Gy fractions (EQD2), length of follow-up, and partial versus whole prostate reirradiation.
RESULTS
Nineteen studies representing 13 cohorts were included (428 patients). Weighted mean follow-up was 26.1 months. Median re-RT EQD2 was 77.1 Gy (α/β = 1.5), with 92% of patients receiving SBRT, 52.1% of patients receiving partial prostate re-RT, and 30.1% of patients receiving androgen deprivation therapy with re-RT. LC was 83.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 75.5%-90.9%) and BRFS was 59.3% (47.9%-70.7%). Reported late toxicity ≥grade 3 was 3.4% (95% CI, 1.0%-5.8%) for GU and 2.0% (95% CI, 0.1%-4.0%) for GI. Meta-regression found higher LC, BRFS, and reported GU/GI toxicity with increasing EQD2, with partial prostate re-RT associated with less reported GU/GI toxicity and no detriment to LC and BRFS.
CONCLUSIONS
Salvage re-RT using EBRT, particularly with SBRT, is an emerging technique to treat isolated local failure of prostate cancer. With short-term follow-up, LC, BRFS, and reported toxicities appear reasonable, although further follow-up is required before definitive statements on late toxicities can be made. Our review is limited by incomplete reporting of androgen deprivation therapy use in the primary literature. Further prospective studies and longer follow-up are needed before considering re-RT as standard practice.
PubMed: 33083660
DOI: 10.1016/j.adro.2020.04.022 -
Frontiers in Oncology 2024Portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) is a common complication and an obstacle to treatment, with a high recurrence rate and poor prognosis. There is still no global...
BACKGROUND
Portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) is a common complication and an obstacle to treatment, with a high recurrence rate and poor prognosis. There is still no global consensus or standard guidelines on the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with PVTT. Increasing evidence suggests that more aggressive treatment modalities, including transarterial chemoembolization, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and various combination therapies, may improve the prognosis and prolong the survival of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC) patients with PVTT. We aim to comprehensively review and compare the efficacy and safety of these advanced options for aHCC with PVTT.
METHODS
A comprehensive literature search was conducted on PubMed and EMBASE for phase II or III randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating multimodality treatments for aHCC with PVTT. Kaplan-Meier curves for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival were constructed to retrieve individual patient-level data to strengthen the comparison of the benefits of all multimodality treatments of interest. Each study was pooled in a fixed-effects network meta-analysis (NMA). We also conducted subgroup analyses using risk ratios extracted from each study, including viral etiology, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels, macrovascular invasion or portal vein tumor thrombosis, and extrahepatic spread. Multimodality treatments were ranked using SUCRA scores.
RESULTS
We identified 15 randomized controlled trials with 16 multimodality regimens that met the inclusion criteria. Among them, 5,236 patients with OS results and 5,160 patients with PFS results were included in the analysis. The hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy of fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (HAIC-FO) showed OS and PFS benefits over all the other therapies. In terms of OS, HAIC-FO, nivolumab, and TACE+Len were superior to sorafenib, lenvatinib, and donatinib monotherapies, as well as HAIC-FO+Sor. In terms of PFS, TACE+Len showed better benefits than lenvatinib, donatinib, and tremelimumab+durvalumab. A low heterogeneity ( < 50%) and consistency were observed. The SUCRA score for OS ranked HAIC-FO+sorafenib as the best treatment option among all multimodality treatments in hepatitis B, MVI, or PVTT with EHS and AFP 400 μg/L subgroups.
CONCLUSION
HAIC-FO and HAIC-FO+sorafenib are statistically better options for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma with PVTT among the multimodality treatments, and their effective and safe implementation may provide the best outcomes for HCC-PVTT patients.
PubMed: 38434681
DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1344798 -
Cureus Jun 2024Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory disorder affecting the colon, and typically, during the disease course, the condition may exacerbate, relapse, and remit. One... (Review)
Review
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory disorder affecting the colon, and typically, during the disease course, the condition may exacerbate, relapse, and remit. One of the most successful lines for inducing and maintaining clinical remission in subjects with UC is biological therapy with anti-tumor necrosis factor α (anti-TNF) agents, including adalimumab (ADA) and infliximab (IFX). This meta-analysis is an attempt to obtain complementary information driven by real-world experience (RWE) concerning the efficacy and safety of two of the most popular anti-TNFs in treating UC. This is a systematic review and meta-analysis of RWE studies comparing ADA and IFX as naïve anti-TNF agents for the treatment of subjects with UC. Studies were obtained by searching Scopus, Google Scholar, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, and the PubMed Central databases. Patients treated with IFX showed significantly higher induction responses. No statistically significant difference was found in the comparison of response in the maintenance treatment period. Higher overall adverse events were related to IFX treatment, with serious adverse events that were nonsignificantly higher in the ADA-treated group. In conclusion, IFX demonstrated significantly higher induction responses compared to ADA in patients with moderate-to-severe UC. IFX was associated with higher overall adverse events, whereas serious adverse events were non-significantly higher in the ADA-treated group. IFX may be favored as a first-line agent for its induction efficacy, and the choice between IFX and ADA should be individualized based on comprehensive clinical evaluation.
PubMed: 38835557
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.61547 -
SAGE Open Medicine 2020In this study, we evaluated the use and the contribution of radiopharmaceuticals to the field of lung neoplasms imaging using positron emission tomography/computed... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
In this study, we evaluated the use and the contribution of radiopharmaceuticals to the field of lung neoplasms imaging using positron emission tomography/computed tomography.
METHODS
We conducted review of the current literature at PubMed/MEDLINE until February 2020. The search language was English.
RESULTS
The most widely used radiopharmaceuticals are the following:Experimental/pre-clinical approaches: (18)F-Misonidazole (18F-MISO) under clinical development, D(18)F-Fluoro-Methyl-Tyrosine (18F-FMT), 18F-FAMT (L-[3-18F] (18)F-Fluorothymidine (18F-FLT)), (18)F-Fluoro-Azomycin-Arabinoside (18F-FAZA), (68)Ga-Neomannosylated-Human-Serum-Albumin (68Ga-MSA) (23), (68)Ga-Tetraazacyclododecane (68Ga-DOTA) (as theranostic agent), (11)C-Methionine (11C-MET), 18F-FPDOPA, αβ integrin, Ga-RGD, Cu-DOTA-RGD, F-Alfatide, Folate Radio tracers, and immuno-positron emission tomography radiopharmaceutical agents.Clinically approved procedures/radiopharmaceuticals agents: (18)F-Fluoro-Deoxy-Glucose (18F-FDG), (18)F-sodium fluoride (18F-NaF) (bone metastases), and (68)Ga-Tetraazacyclododecane (68Ga-DOTA). The quantitative determination and the change in radiopharmaceutical uptake parameters such as standard uptake value, metabolic tumor volume, total lesion glycolysis, FAZA tumor to muscle ratio, standard uptake value tumor to liver ratio, standard uptake value tumor to spleen ratio, standard uptake value maximum ratio, and the degree of hypoxia have prognostic and predictive (concerning the therapeutic outcome) value. They have been associated with the assessment of overall survival and disease free survival. With the positron emission tomography/computed tomography radiopharmaceuticals, the sensitivity and the specificity of the method have increased.
CONCLUSION
In terms of lung cancer, positron emission tomography/computed tomography may have clinical application and utility (a) in personalizing treatment, (b) as a biomarker for the estimation of overall survival, disease free survival, and (c) apply a cost-effective patient approach because it reveals focuses of the disease, which are not found with the other imaging methods.
PubMed: 33062275
DOI: 10.1177/2050312120961594 -
World Journal of Urology Nov 2023Doses delivered to the urethra have been associated with an increased risk to develop long-term urinary toxicity in patients undergoing stereotactic body radiotherapy...
PURPOSE
Doses delivered to the urethra have been associated with an increased risk to develop long-term urinary toxicity in patients undergoing stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for prostate cancer (PCa). Aim of the present systematic review is to report on the role of urethra-sparing SBRT (US-SBRT) techniques for prostate cancer, with a focus on outcome and urinary toxicity.
METHOD
A systematic review of the literature was performed on the PubMed database on May 2023. Based on the urethra-sparing technique, 13 studies were selected for the analysis and classified in the two following categories: "urethra-steering" SBRT (restriction of hotspots to the urethra) and "urethra dose-reduction" SBRT (dose reduction to urethra below the prescribed dose).
RESULTS
By limiting the urethra D to 90GyEQD2 (α/β = 3 Gy) with urethra-steering SBRT techniques, late genitourinary (GU) grade 2 toxicity remains mild, ranging between 12.1% and 14%. With dose-reduction strategies decreasing the urethral dose below 70 GyEQD2, the risk of late GU toxicity was further reduced (< 8% at 5 years), while maintaining biochemical relapse-free survival rates up to 93% at 5 years.
CONCLUSION
US-SBRT techniques limiting maximum doses to urethra below a 90Gy (α/β = 3 Gy) threshold result in a low rate of acute and late grade ≥ 2 GU toxicity. A better understanding of clinical factors and anatomical substructures involved in the development of GU toxicity, as well as the development and use of adapted dose constraints, is expected to further reduce the long-term GU toxicity of prostate cancer patients treated with SBRT.
Topics: Male; Humans; Urethra; Radiosurgery; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Prostatic Neoplasms; Urogenital System
PubMed: 37668718
DOI: 10.1007/s00345-023-04579-6