Search

Introduction Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is an effective treatment for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who are either medically inoperable or who decline surgery. SBRT improves tumor control and overall survival (OS) in medically inoperable, early-stage, NSCLC patients. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of two different SBRT doses commonly used and present our institutional experience. Purpose To determine the clinical outcomes between two treatment regiments (50 Gray [Gy] vs. 55 Gy in five fractions) among Stage I NSCLC patients treated with SBRT at a state academic medical center. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of 114 patients with Stage I (T1-2 N0 M0) NSCLC treated at a state academic medical center between October 2009 and April 2019. Survival analyses with treatment regimens of 50 Gy and 55 Gy in five fractions were conducted to detect any improvement in outcomes associated with the higher dose. The primary endpoints of this study included OS, local control (LC), and disease-free survival (DFS). Log-rank test and the Kaplan-Meier method were used to analyze the survival curves of the two treatment doses. The SPSS v.24.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) was used for statistical analyses. Results The 114 early-stage NSCLC patients (median age, 68 years; range 12 to 87 years) had a median follow-up of 25 months (range two to 86 months). The number of males (n = 72; 63.2 %) exceeded the number of females (n = 42; 36.8 %). The majority of patients in this study were Caucasians (n = 68; 59.6 %) and 46 patients were African Americans (40.4 %). Two-thirds of the patients (n = 76; 66.7 %) were treated with 50 Gy in five fractions, and 38 patients (33.3 %) with 55 Gy in five fractions. The one-, two-, and three-year OS and DFS rates were improved in the patients treated with 55 Gy [OS, 81.7 % vs. 72.8 %; 81.7 % vs. 58.9 %; 81.7 % vs. 46.7 % (p = 0.049)], [DFS, 69.7 % vs. 69.7 %; 61.9 % vs. 55.7 %; 61.9 % vs. 52.0 % (p = 0.842)], compared to those treated with 50 Gy. Adenocarcinoma was the most common histology in both groups (51.3 % and 68.4 %). Failure rates were elevated for the 50 Gy regimen [39 (34.2 %) vs. 12 (8.5 %)]. Three year control rates were (66.3 % vs. 96.6 %; p = 0.002) local control; (63.3 % vs. 94.4 %; p = 0.000) regional control; and (65.7 % vs. 97.1 %; p = 0.000) distant control, compared to those treated with 55 Gy. Conclusion Early-stage NSCLC patients treated with SBRT 55 Gy in five fractions did better in terms of local control, overall survival, and disease-free survival rates compared to the 50 Gy in five fractions group.

Cervical cancer remains a major health challenge in the United States (US), especially among the low socioeconomic and African American populations. The demographics of Mississippi constitute a relatively high percentage of this high-risk population. External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) combined with concurrent chemotherapy and followed by brachytherapy is the gold standard of treatment for stage IB3 through IVA cervical cancer. Arguably, brachytherapy is the most important component of this treatment process. Patterns of Care studies (PCS) and other more recent studies have shown that brachytherapy cannot be omitted or replaced by conventional or image-guided EBRT. The last decade has witnessed the expanding use of image-guided brachytherapy (IGBT). Studies have established the superiority of IGBT over point-based brachytherapy. MRI is associated with superior soft tissue definition compared with CT and is emerging as the new standard of care. The Gynaecological Groupe Europeen de Curietherapie and the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology [(GYN) GEC-ESTRO] have recommended that the dose be prescribed to the high-risk clinical target volume (HR-CTV). This volume includes residual tumor present at the time of brachytherapy, the cervix, and any gray areas seen on the scan. The (GYN) GEC-ESTRO has shown that a dose of >8500 cGy delivered in

Background Peer review systems within radiation oncology are important to ensure quality radiation care. Several individualized methods for radiation oncology peer review have been described. However, despite the importance of peer review in radiation oncology barriers may exist to its effective implementation in practice. The purpose of this study was to quantify the rate of plan changes based on our group peer review process as well as the quantify amount of time and resources needed for this process. Methods Data on cases presented in our institutional group consensus peer review conference were prospectively collected. Cases were then retrospectively analyzed to determine the rate of major change (plan rejection) and any change in plans after presentation as well as the median time of presentation. Univariable logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with major change and any change. Results There were 73 cases reviewed over a period of 11 weeks. The rate of major change was 8.2% and the rate of any change was 23.3%. The majority of plans (53.4%) were presented in 6–10 min. Overall, the mean time of presentation was 8 min. On univariable logistic regression, volumetric modulated arc therapy plans were less likely to undergo a plan change but otherwise there were no factors significantly associated with major plan change or any type of change. Conclusion Group consensus peer review allows for a large amount of informative clinical and technical data to be presented per case prior to the initiation of radiation treatment in a thorough yet efficient manner to ensure plan quality and patient safety.

Objectives: Stereotactic radiation surgery (SRS) and hypofractionated stereotactic radiation surgery (HF-SRS) have become an alternative to external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) in the adjuvant treatment of meningiomas. The purpose of this study was to identify national treatment patterns and survival outcomes for meningiomas on the basis of radiation treatment modality in the adjuvant setting. Methods and materials: The National Cancer Database was queried for patients with meningioma diagnosed between 2010 and 2012. World Health Organization grade I disease with subtotal resection and all cases of grade II disease regardless of the extent of the resection were included. Logistic regression was used to determine factors that were associated with receipt of SRS/HF-SRS compared with EBRT. Cox regression was used to determine covariables associated with differences in overall survival (OS). Results: A total of 802 patients met the inclusion criteria of which 173 patients received SRS/HF-SRS (22%) and 629 patients (78%) received EBRT. The 3-year OS rate was 97.3% for the SRS/HF-SRS group and 93.4% for the EBRT group (P = .018). On subgroup analysis by grade, for grade I the 3-year OS rate was 98.3% for the SRS/HF-SRS group versus 96.7% for the EBRT group (P = .117). For grade II disease, the 3-year OS rate was 94.4% in the SRS/HF-SRS group versus 92.4% in the EBRT group (P = .199). On multivariable analysis, World Health Organization grade II histology (odds ratio [OR]: 0.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.21-0.56; P

Objective Primary sarcoma of the cervix is rare and is associated with worse outcomes as compared to other histologies. The purpose of this study was to identify national treatment patterns and outcomes based on histological subtype using the National Cancer Database (NCDB). Methods The NCDB was queried for patients with cervical cancer from 2004–2015. Clinico-demographic treatment details were obtained and compared between patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), adenocarcinoma, and sarcoma of the cervix. Multivariable Cox regression and the Kaplan-Meier method was used to examine survival. Results 107,177 patients met inclusion criteria including 81,245 (75.8%) women with SCC, 24,562 (22.9%) women with adenocarcinoma, and 1,370 (1.3%) women with sarcoma. Of the patients with cervical sarcoma, 680 (49.6%) patients had carcinosarcoma or malignant mixed Müllerian tumor, 255 (18.6%) patients had leiomyosarcoma, 197 (14.4%) patients had adenosarcoma, 28 (2.0%) patients had endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS), 85 (6.2%) patients had rhabdomyosarcoma, and 125 (9.1%) patients had sarcoma not otherwise specified (NOS). Patients with sarcoma were older and more likely to be treated primarily with surgery. On multivariable Cox regression, sarcoma had decreased overall survival (OS) as compared to patients with SCC (hazard ratio=2.17; 95% CI=1.99–2.37; p

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has proposed alternate payment models to improve the efficiency and decrease the redundancy of health care. Bundled payments or episode-based care is one example. Herein, we report on the successful implementation of a quality improvement project in which changing the clinical workflow for postoperative radiation treatment to the hip to prevent heterotopic ossification improved the efficiency of patient care and decreased cost by eliminating redundant imaging through multidisciplinary participation. This project is a model for interdisciplinary collaboration to improve patient care and reduce unnecessary health care spending in the era of bundled payment/episodes of care program implementation.

Background. Pneumocephalus is a rare phenomenon that can occur as a complication after operations involving the thoracic discs, following thoracotomy for tumor resection, and after an intracranial operation or cranial trauma. This complication frequently occurs when a tumor is located in the costovertebral angle and an operative intervention creates a tear in the dura resulting in a pleural-dural fistula. Case Presentation. We describe the case of a 58-year-old man with an inoperable superior sulcus tumor who developed pneumocephalus after the initiation of chemoradiation secondary to a pleural-dural fistula. Conclusions. Although a rare occurrence, pneumocephalus should be considered when patients with tumors in the superior sulcus treated with radiation develop neurologic symptoms characteristic of increased intracranial pressure.

Objective: To evaluate patterns of patient management in an academic Radiation Oncology department between 3/17/20 and 5/8/20 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Background: As a response to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, our Radiation Oncology department instituted a number of measures to limit spread of the disease to our patients and staff. This included prospectively evaluating all new referrals for radiation treatment and determining an appropriate course of action, which if appropriate included delaying the start of radiation, hypofractionation, or using other modalities of treatment prior to start of radiation. Methods: We analyzed data for 82 patients between 3/17/20-5/8/20 to evaluate patterns of management. The chi-squared test was used to evaluate the descriptive characteristics of the study population, with P values ≤ 0.05 considered statistically significant. One sample t-test was used to compare the statistical mean difference between sample variables. Data were analyzed using SPSS 24.0 software (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA). Results: The data set comprised 38% Caucasians and 59% African Americans. An age breakdown revealed 12.3% below age 30, 42% between ages 30-60, and 45.7% over age of 60. When the data were analyzed by gender, we noted a significant difference by site of treatment (p=0.005) and whether immediate treatment was required or not (p=0.029). This likely reflects gender-driven differences in cancer site with patients diagnosed with prostate cancer getting LHRH agonist therapy prior to start of radiation. Hypofractionated radiation schedules were used in 2 patients with cord compression early during the study period compared to 3 patients who received standard fractionation later, and one person elected to go straight to hospice care (p=0.002). Of patients for heterotopic ossification prophylaxis, 3/14 declined radiation and one was over the weight limit of the radiation table (p=0.000). 41% of patients were inpatients. No patients developed COVID-19 during our study period. Conclusion: A prospective evaluation of new patient referrals may have helped mitigate the spread of COVID-19 at our Radiation Oncology facility. This is one of several prospective measures that our department took to protect patients and staff. Citation Format: Sanjay Joseph, Mary Nittala, Paul Roberts, Maurice King, Hiba Ahmed, Ashley Albert, Toms Thomas, Robert Allbright, Satyaseelan Packianathan, Eswarkumar Mundra, Srinivasan Vijayakumar. Prospective planning of radiation treatment at new patient conference during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The University of Mississippi Medical Center experience [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Meeting: COVID-19 and Cancer; 2020 Jul 20-22. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2020;26(18_Suppl):Abstract nr PO-034.

Objective Adjuvant hysterectomy following chemoradiation (CRT) is a treatment option used worldwide for early-stage cervical cancer but the benefit of hysterectomy in this setting is unclear. An analysis of the National Cancer Database (NCDB) was performed to identify patterns of care and determine the survival impact of adjuvant hysterectomy. Methods The NCDB was queried for patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IB2 to IIA2 cervical cancer diagnosed from 2010-2014 who underwent preoperative concurrent chemoradiation followed by hysterectomy (CRT+S) or definitive CRT. Overall survival (OS) curves were generated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared via the log-rank test. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression and Cox regression were used to determine covariables associated with utilization and OS. Results There were 1,546 patients who met the study criteria, of which 1,407 (91.0%) received concurrent CRT alone and 139 (9.0%) received CRT+S. Four-year OS for the CRT+S group was 82.2% and 74.9% for the CRT group (p=0.036). On subgroup analysis by lymph node status, the 4-year OS for patients without positive pelvic or para-aortic lymph nodes was 84.9% in the CRT+S group vs. 77.8% in the CRT group (p=0.072). On multivariable Cox regression, there was no difference in survival based on treatment group (hazard ratio=0.63; 95% confidence interval=0.06-1.04; p=0.069). Conclusion We found from this hospital database that completion hysterectomy is used infrequently and did not result in a significant survival difference when accounting for other factors.

Purpose To compare the short-term toxicity and dosimetry of tandem and ring (TR), and tandem and ovoid (TO) applicators in treatment of gynecologic malignancy. Material and methods Following pelvic external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), a total of 52 computed tomography-based plans from 13 patients with cervical cancer (FIGO IB2-IIIB) were evaluated for HDR brachytherapy. Prescription was 7 Gy to the ICRU point A for four weekly fractions. Gastrointestinal and genitourinary toxicities were evaluated. Clinical target volume (CTV) and organs at risk were delineated on CT scans. Bladder, rectum, and sigmoid mean doses and D2cc were calculated. Treatment time and irradiated tissue volume were compared. Percent of CTV receiving 100% (CTV100%) of the prescribed dose as well as the percent of the prescription dose covering 90% of the CTV (D90) were evaluated. Results Gastrointestinal and genitourinary toxicities were not different between TO and TR applicators. No significant differences in the dose to the right and left point A, or the left point B were observed. TO delivered a higher dose to right point B. Organs at risk doses were similar between the two applicators, except mean rectal dose was lower for TO applicator. Overall, TO treats a larger tissue volume than TR. Mean treatment time was shorter for TR. Tumor coverage (D90 and CTV100%) was equivalent between TO and TR applicators. Conclusion Although TO treats a larger tissue volume than TR, short-term toxicities and tumor coverage are similar. Long-term clinical outcomes will be elucidated with longer follow up period.

Purpose To compare the short-term toxicity and dosimetry of tandem and ring (TR), and tandem and ovoid (TO) applicators in treatment of gynecologic malignancy. Material and methods Following pelvic external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), a total of 52 computed tomography-based plans from 13 patients with cervical cancer (FIGO IB2-IIIB) were evaluated for HDR brachytherapy. Prescription was 7 Gy to the ICRU point A for four weekly fractions. Gastrointestinal and genitourinary toxicities were evaluated. Clinical target volume (CTV) and organs at risk were delineated on CT scans. Bladder, rectum, and sigmoid mean doses and D2cc were calculated. Treatment time and irradiated tissue volume were compared. Percent of CTV receiving 100% (CTV100%) of the prescribed dose as well as the percent of the prescription dose covering 90% of the CTV (D90) were evaluated. Results Gastrointestinal and genitourinary toxicities were not different between TO and TR applicators. No significant differences in the dose to the right and left point A, or the left point B were observed. TO delivered a higher dose to right point B. Organs at risk doses were similar between the two applicators, except mean rectal dose was lower for TO applicator. Overall, TO treats a larger tissue volume than TR. Mean treatment time was shorter for TR. Tumor coverage (D90 and CTV100%) was equivalent between TO and TR applicators. Conclusion Although TO treats a larger tissue volume than TR, short-term toxicities and tumor coverage are similar. Long-term clinical outcomes will be elucidated with longer follow up period.