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Purpose: MRI-only adaptive brachytherapy (MRI-ABT) is the state-of-the-art for treating locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) in combination with concurrent chemoradiotherapy. We aimed to evaluate the pattern of pelvic recurrence after the treatment., Material and Methods: A total of one hundred LACC patients were treated between January 2017 and December 2023 with concurrent chemoradiotherapy of 45 Gy in 25 fractions ± boost to lymphadenopathy (up to a maximum dose of 60 Gy in 25 fractions) with concurrent weekly cisplatin chemotherapy at the dose of 40 mg/m 2 /week, and MR-ABT., Results: At a median follow-up of 30.2 months, there were 2 local recurrences (2%) and 9 regional pelvic recurrences (9%). The median time to local/regional recurrence was 11 months (range 6-21). For all stages, the 3-year local control was 97.66%, and the 3-year pelvic control was 89.45%. Twenty-four patients died during follow-up; the 3-year overall survival was 75.11%, and the 3-year disease-free survival was 70.97%., Conclusion: MRI-ABT combined with external beam radiotherapy and concurrent chemotherapy for LACC demonstrates excellent local and regional pelvic control. Most local/regional recurrences occur inside or at the edge of the external-beam irradiated field. Recurrences inside the field of brachytherapy are rare. Distant recurrences are the predominant cause of death in LACC patients treated with definitive CRT and MRI-ABT., (Copyright © 2024 American Brachytherapy Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The optimal radiotherapy technique for cardiac sparing in left-sided early breast cancer (EBC) is not clear. In this context, the aim of our dosimetric study was to compare cardiac and lung doses according to the type of radiotherapy - whole breast irradiation (WBI), external partial breast irradiation (PBI), and multicatheter interstitial brachytherapy-accelerated partial breast irradiation (MIB-APBI). The dosimetric results with the WBI and PBI were calculated with and without DIBH., Materials and Methods: Dosimetric study of 23 patients treated with WBI, PBI, with and without DIBH, or MIB-APBI. The prescribed dose was 40 Gy in 15 fractions for WBI and PBI and 34 Gy in 10 fractions (bid) for MIB-APBI. Doses to the organs-at-risk (OAR) - heart, left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), left ventricle (LV), and left lung - were recalculated to the equivalent dose in 2-Gy fractions (EQD2)., Results: The addition of DIBH significantly reduced EQD2 doses to all OARs (except for the left lung maximal dose) in WBI and PBI. MHD values were 0.72 Gy for DIBH-WBI, 1.01 Gy for MIB-APBI and 0.24 Gy for DIBH-PBI. There were no significant differences in cardiac doses between WBI with DIBH and PBI without DIBH. DIBH-PBI resulted in significantly lower mean doses to all OARs (except for maximum lung dose) compared to MIB-APBI. Conclusions: These results show that the use of DIBH significantly reduces cardiac doses in patients with left EBC. Partial irradiation techniques (PBI, MIB-APBI) significantly reduced cardiac doses due to the smaller clinical target volume. The best results were obtained with DIBH-PBI., Competing Interests: Conflict of interests: Authors declare no conflict of interests., (© 2024 Greater Poland Cancer Centre.)

The role of postmastectomy radiotherapy and regional nodal irradiation after radical mastectomy is defined in high-risk patients with locally advanced tumors, positive margins, and unfavorable biology. The benefit of postmastectomy radiotherapy in intermediate-risk patients (T3N0 tumors) remains a matter of controversy. It has been demonstrated that radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery lowers the locoregional recurrence rate compared with surgery alone and improves the overall survival rate. In patients with four or more positive lymph nodes or extracapsular extension, regional lymph node irradiation is indicated regardless of the surgery type (breast-conserving surgery or mastectomy). Despite the consensus that patients with more than three positive lymph nodes should be treated with radiotherapy, there is controversy regarding the recommendations for patients with one to three involved lymph nodes. In patients with N0 disease with negative findings on axillary surgery, there is a trend to administer regional lymph node irradiation in patients with a high risk of recurrence. In patients treated with neoadjuvant systemic therapy and mastectomy, adjuvant radiotherapy should be administered in cases of clinical stage III and/or ≥ypN1. In patients treated with neoadjuvant systemic therapy and breast-conserving surgery, postoperative radiotherapy is indicated irrespective of pathological response.

Purpose: Low-dose-rate brachytherapy (LDR-BT) is a well-established treatment for lip cancer. High-dose-rate (HDR)-BT is a promising alternative to LDR-BT, but data are limited. In this context, we retrospectively evaluated treatment outcomes in a series of patients who underwent HDR-BT for lip carcinoma between 2003 and 2021., Materials and Methods: A total of 32 patients were included in this study, with a median age of 73.5 years (range, 61 - 88). The indications for HDR-BT were as follows: primary treatment (n = 17), adjuvant treatment (n = 3), and recurrent disease after surgery (n = 12). The prescribed dose was 18 fractions of 3 Gy administered twice daily., Results: At a median followup of 45 months (range, 12 -232), the 5-year local recurrence-free interval was 96.9% (95% CI: 90.9-100%), the disease-free interval was 85% (95% CI: 70.9-99.1), and 5-year overall survival was 64.7% (95% CI: 44.7-84.8). Eleven patients died, all on age related comorbidities. Acute toxicity manifested as G1 dry desquamation in 6 patients (18.8%), G2 erythema in 10 patients (31.2%) and G3 confluent moist desquamation in 16 patients (50%). Late complications included G1 fibrosis (100% of cases). G1 and G2 depigmentation was observed in 8 (25%) and 6 (18%) patients, G1 telangiectasia occurred in 5 patients (16%)., Conclusions: These data support the use of HDR-BT for lip cancer. The dose and fractionation schedule used in this study (18 fractions x 3 Gy twice daily) seems to be effective and safe., (Copyright © 2023 American Brachytherapy Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Modern radiotherapy techniques are designed to permit reduced irradiation of healthy tissue, resulting in a diminished risk of adverse effects and shortened recovery times. Several randomized studies have demonstrated the benefits of increased dosage to the tumor bed area in combination with whole breast irradiation (WBI). Conventional WBI treatment following breast-conserving procedures, which required 5-7 weeks of daily treatments, has been reduced to 3-4 weeks when using hyperfractionated regimens. The dosage administration improves local control, albeit with poorer cosmesis. The method of accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) shortens the treatment period whilst reducing the irradiated volume. APBI can be delivered using intraoperative radiation, brachytherapy, or external beam radiotherapy. Currently available data support the use of external beam partial breast irradiation in selected patients. Modern radiotherapy techniques make it possible to achieve favorable cosmesis in most patients undergoing immediate breast reconstruction surgery, and studies confirm that current methods of external beam radiation allow an acceptable coverage of target volumes both in the reconstructed breast and in the regional lymphatic nodes.

Background: Low-dose-rate brachytherapy is an effective organ-sparing treatment for patients with early-stage penile cancer. However, only limited data are available on the role of high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) in this clinical setting., Methods: Between 2002 and 2020, 31 patients with early penile cancer were treated at our center with interstitial HDR BT at a dose of 18 × 3 Gy twice daily. A breast brachytherapy template was used for the fixation of stainless hollow needles., Results: The median follow-up was 117.5 months (range, 5-210). Eight patients (25.8%) developed a recurrence; of these, seven were salvaged by partial amputation. Six patients died of internal comorbidities or a second cancer. The probability of local control at 5 and 10 years was 80.7% (95% CI: 63.7-97.7%) and 68.3% (95% CI: 44.0-92.6%), respectively. Cause-specific survival was 100%. Only one case of radiation-induced necrosis was observed. The probability of penile sparing at 5 and 10 years was 80.6% (95% CI: 63.45-97.7%) and 62.1% (95% CI: 34.8-89.4%), respectively., Conclusions: These results show that HDR-BT for penile cancer can achieve results comparable to LDR-BT with organ sparing. Despite the relatively large patient cohort-the second largest reported to date in this clinical setting-prospective data from larger samples are needed to confirm the role of HDR-BT in penile cancer.

Purpose: To quantify mean heart dose (MHD) and doses to the left anterior descending artery (LAD) and left ventricle (LV) in a retrospective series of patients who underwent perioperative accelerated partial breast irradiation with multicatheter interstitial brachytherapy (MIB-APBI)., Methods: Sixty-eight patients with low-risk left breast cancer were treated with MIB-APBI at our institution between 2012 and 2017. Interstitial tubes were inserted during the tumorectomy and sentinel node biopsy and APBI was started 6 days later. The prescribed dose was 34 Gy in 10 fractions (twice a day) to the clinical target volume (CTV). The heart, LAD, and LV were contoured and the distance between each structure and the CTV was measured. The MHD, mean and maximum LAD doses (LAD mean/max), and mean LV doses (LV mean) were calculated and corrected to biologically equivalent doses in 2‑Gy fractionation (EQD2). We also evaluated the impact of the distance between the cardiac structures and the CTV and of the volume receiving the prescribed dose (V100) and high-dose volume (V150) on heart dosimetry., Results: Mean EQD2 for MHD, LAD mean/max, and mean LV were 0.9 ± 0.4 Gy (range 0.3-2.2), 1.6 ± 1.1 Gy (range, 0.4-5.6), 2.6 ± 1.9 Gy (range, 0.7-9.2), and 1.3 ± 0.6 Gy (range, 0.5-3.4), respectively. MHD, LAD mean/max, and LV mean significantly correlated with the distance between the CTV and these structures, but all doses were below the recommended limits (German Society of Radiation Oncology; DEGRO). The MHD and LV mean were significantly dependent on V100., Conclusion: Perioperative MIB-APBI resulted in low cardiac doses in our study. This finding provides further support for the value of this technique in well-selected patients with early-stage left breast cancer.

Total mesorectal excision quality (TMEq) is a prognostic factor associated with local recurrence in rectal adenocarcinoma. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) reduces the risk of tumor recurrence, but may compromise TMEq. The time between NCRT and surgery (TTS) and how it influences TMEq and tumor control were evaluated. In prospective registry, 236 patients after NCRT and TME were analyzed. NCRT involved radiotherapy with 45 Gy to the pelvis, plus tumor boost dose 5.4 Gy with concurrent 5-fluorouracil infusion. NCRT was followed by TME after 9 weeks on average (median 9.4 ± SD 2.5). TMEq was parametrically analyzed by standard three-grade system. With median follow-up of 47.5 months, 3-year overall survival (OS) was 83.8%, disease-free survival (DFS) was 77.7%, and 6.4% was the rate of local recurrence (LR). TTS was not associated with OS, DFS, or LR. TMEq was found to be associated with LR in univariate analysis, but not in multivariate, where pathological tumor stage and resection margins remained dominant predictors. TMEq was negatively influenced by inferior location of the tumor, longer TTS, higher tumor and nodal stage, presence of tumor perforation, perineural invasion, and close/positive resection margins. Nonetheless, TTS remained a strong predictor of TMEq in multivariate analyses. TTS was proven to be an independent predictor of TMEq. With longer TTS, fewer complete TME with intact mesorectal plane were observed. However, TTS was not associated with survival deterioration or tumor recurrence. These were negatively influenced by other factors interfering with TMEq, especially by pathological tumor stage and resection margins.

Background: Interstitial low dose rate brachyther-apy is established organ spar-ing treatment of T1- T2 penile carcinoma. Experience with high-dose rate brachyther-apy is limited in this indication., Materials and Methods: Twenty-six patients with early penile carcinoma were treated by high-dose rate brachyther-apy at dose 18 × 3 Gy per fraction twice daily between 2002- 2018 at the Department of Oncology and Radiother-apy, University Hospital in Hradec Kralove. Breast interstitial brachyther-apy template was used for fixation and precise geometry reconstruction of stainless hollow needles., Results: Median follow up was 85 months (range 7- 200 months). Acute reaction usually consisted of grade 2 mucositis that dissolved dur-ing 8 weeks after the treatment. Local recurrence occurred in 6 patients, 5 of them were successfully treated with partial amputation. One patient had a nodal recurrence successfully salvaged by lymphadenectomy. One patient developed necrosis of the glans requir-ing partial amputation. Currently, there are 24 patients alive without signs of dis-ease. One patient died of cardiac comorbidity, one died of duplicate lung cancer. Nineteen patients have a preserved penis (73%), 18 of them sexually active before treatment report satisfactory intercourse., Conclusion: Hyperfractionated interstitial high-dose rate brachyther-apy with 18 × 3 Gy per fraction twice daily is a promis-ing method in selected patients with penile carcinoma and deserves further evaluation in a larger prospective study. Key words penile neoplasms -  conservative treatment -  brachyther-apy This work was supported by programm Progres Q40. The authors declare they have no potential conflicts of interest concerning drugs, products, or services used in the study. The Editorial Board declares that the manuscript met the ICMJE recommendation for biomedical papers. Submitted: 8. 1. 2019 Accepted: 15. 1. 2019.

Purpose: To assess the feasibility of high-dose-rate perioperative multicatheter interstitial brachytherapy to deliver accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) in selected patients with early breast cancer., Methods and Materials: Perioperative multicatheter interstitial brachytherapy for APBI has been used at our department since 2012 for patients with low-risk breast cancer. Interstitial catheters were inserted perioperatively via hollow needles immediately following tumorectomy with sentinel node biopsy. APBI started on Day 6 after surgery. The prescribed dose was 34 Gy (10 fractions of 3.4 Gy bid). Hormonal therapy was prescribed in all cases., Results: Between June 2012 and December 2017, 125 patients were scheduled for APBI. Of these, APBI was not performed in 12 patients (9.6%) due to adverse prognostic factors identified on the definitive biopsy. We observed wound dehiscence in 2/113 cases (1.8%), inflammatory complications requiring antibiotics in 7/113 cases (6.2%), transient Grade I radiodermatitis in 6/113 patients (4.4%), and seroma which resolved spontaneously in 3/113 patients (2.7%). With median followup of 39 months (range 3.3-75.3) no relapses were observed. No late complications in Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Grade 3 or higher were documented. Cosmetic outcome in patients with followup > 2 years was excellent or good in 92%., Conclusion: Our preliminary results show that the perioperative multicatheter interstitial high-dose-rate brachytherapy for APBI in selected patients with early breast cancer is feasible. This treatment schedule reduces treatment duration, spares the patients of repeated anesthesia, and enables precise application of the afterloading tubes under direct visual control., (Copyright © 2018 American Brachytherapy Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)