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The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the incidence of late complications occurring ?2 years after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for malignant diseases using a T-cell depletion strategy.

BACKGROUND To assess the feasibility, toxicity, and outcome of prostate hemi-irradiation with a high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) boost for patients presumed to harbor dominant intra-prostatic tumors in a single lobe. METHODS After 3D conformal external radiotherapy (3DCRT) to 64–64.4 Gy, 77 patients with non-metastatic locally aggressive prostate cancer have been treated from 2000 to 2004, with HDR-BT using temporary open MRI-guided 192Ir implants, to escalate the dose in the boost region. Twenty patients (26%) had one lobe involvement (i.e., one sided endorectal MRI, rectal examination, and biopsies) and were boosted to one side of the gland only. A dose of 12, 14, and 16 Gy in two fractions was delivered to 5, 6, and 9 patients, respectively. RESULTS After a median follow-up 69 months, no differences in late rectal toxicity were observed between the unilaterally and bilaterally irradiated cohorts. Although, grade 2 late urinary toxicity was worse in the hemi-irradiated group (P = 0.03), severe grade ≥3 late urinary toxicity at 5 years was not different: 10% versus 8.8% in the unilaterally and bilaterally irradiated cohorts, respectively. Grade 4 late urinary toxicity, however, was exclusively observed in patients boosted to both lobes (5/57, 8.8%). Five-year biochemical relapse-free survival was 79.7% versus 70.5% for the unilateral and bilateral boost groups, respectively (P = 0.99). CONCLUSION Prostate hemi-irradiation with a HDR-BT boost to the dominant tumor region may be considered when rectal examination, MRI, and biopsies suggest one lobe involvement. Nevertheless, strict dosimetric optimization is needed in order to further reduce the risk of late severe toxicity. Prostate 71:1309–1316, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

This study was conducted to evaluate quality of life (QOL) and functional outcome in patients with carcinomas of the larynx and hypopharynx treated with accelerated radiotherapy (RT).Between January 1991 and September 1996, 21 patients treated with accelerated concomitant boost RT schedule (69.9 Gy in 5. 5 weeks) for laryngeal (n = 10) or hypopharyngeal (n = 11) carcinomas and who remained free of disease at 1-year minimum follow-up were evaluated. The functional outcome was assessed by the subjective Performance Status Scale for Head and Neck cancer (PSSHN) and general QOL by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core QOL questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30). The median length of follow-up was 37 months (range, 13 to 75).The PSSHN scores were 89, 84, and 86, respectively, for eating in public, understandability of speech and normalcy of diet (100 = normal function). Significantly lower scores for understandability of speech were observed in patients with advanced and laryngeal carcinomas. Normalcy of diet was affected negatively by the severity of xerostomia. All mean functional scale scores of the EORTC QLQ-C30 module were 20% to 25% below the higher score. Most of these scale scores were significantly affected by the severity of xerostomia.Patients treated with concomitant boost RT for laryngeal and hypopharyngeal carcinomas appear to have similar QOL and functional outcome to those reported for patients treated with conventional or hyperfractionated RT. As expected, many QOL scales were affected by the severity of xero- stomia.