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Background/aim Our study reviewed the results of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and Child-Pugh score 8-11 cirrhosis treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy when liver transplant was not an option. Patients and methods A retrospective review was performed on 15 patients with Child-Pugh class B and C cirrhosis treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy. The median total dose was 35 Gy in 4-5 fractions. None were listed for a liver transplant due to either being outside of the Milan criteria or to medical contraindications. Results The overall survival was 26.7% at 6 months, with a mean survival of 152 days. The mean survival with and without ascites was 3.3 months and 8.3 months, respectively. Conclusion For hepatocellular carcinoma with cirrhosis of Child-Pugh score 8 or more, prognosis after liver stereotactic body radiotherapy was suboptimal. While irradiation achieved local tumor control, progressive cirrhosis was a common cause of death. Patients without ascites at the time of radiotherapy had the best prognosis.

Introduction For women with intact cervical cancer treated by definitive chemoradiotherapy, the adverse impact of treatment prolongation is well-established. We aimed to identify potentially modifiable factors associated with the unwanted increase in the time required to complete the prescribed course of therapy. Methods We retrospectively examined treatment records of 104 consecutive cervical cancer patients receiving chemoradiation for cervical cancer, which included cervical high-dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy performed at a single referral center. Association of factors, including distance to care, driving time, and income level with overall treatment time, was explored. Results Guideline-concordant treatment duration was achieved in 34% of cases. There was no significant correlation between treatment duration and any of the patient-related characteristics assessed in this study. Transitioning of the radiation oncology physician staffing at the brachytherapy center from a private practice non-integrated group to a large integrated group was associated with a decrease in mean overall treatment time, 61 vs. 68 days, p = 0.007. Conclusions We did not identify a modifiable patient-related factor amenable to a financial intervention. Administration of brachytherapy within an integrated system resulted in a shortened duration of the entire course of therapy for intact cervical cancer.

Purpose. To define factors associated with rectal bleeding in patients treated with IG-IMRT followed by Pd-103 seed implant. Methods and Materials. We retrospectively reviewed 61 prostate adenocarcinoma patients from 2002 to 2008. The majority (85.2%) were of NCCN intermediate risk category. All received IG-IMRT to the prostate and seminal vesicles followed by Pd-103 implant delivering a mean D90 of 100.7 Gy. Six patients received 45 Gy to the pelvic nodes and 10 received androgen deprivation. Results. Ten patients (16.4%) developed rectal bleeding: 4 were CTCAE v.3 grade 1, 5 were grade 2, and 1 was grade 3. By univariate analysis, age, stage, Gleason sum, PSA, hormonal therapy, pelvic radiation, postoperative prostate volume, D9, V100, individual source activity, total implanted activity per cm3, and duration of interval before implant did not impact rectal bleeding. Implant R100 was higher in patients with rectal bleeding: on average, 0.885 versus 0.396 cm3, P=.02, odds ratio of 2.26 per .5 cm3 (95% CI, 1.16–4.82). A trend for significance was seen for prostate V200 and total implanted activity. Conclusion. Higher implant R100 was associated with development of rectal bleeding in patients receiving IG-IMRT to 45 Gy followed by Pd-103 implant. Minimizing implant R100 may reduce the rate of rectal bleeding in similar patients.

Purpose: To investigate radiation dose to the heart in 60 patients with left-sided breast cancer who were treated with balloon-based high-dose-rate brachytherapy using MammoSite or Contura applicators. Methods and Materials: We studied 60 consecutive women with breast cancer who were treated with 34 Gy in 10 twice-daily fractions using MammoSite (n = 37) or Contura (n = 23) applicators. The whole heart and the left and right ventricles were retrospectively delineated, and dose–volume histograms were analyzed. Multiple dosimetrics were reported, such as mean dose (Dmean); relative volume receiving 1.7, 5, 10, and 20 Gy (V1.7, V5, V10, and V20, respectively); dose to 1 cc (D1cc); and maximum point dose (Dmax). Biologic metrics, biologically effective dose and generalized equivalent uniform dose were computed. The impact of lumpectomy cavity location on cardiac dose was investigated. Results: The average ± standard deviation of Dmean was 2.45 ± 0.94 Gy (range, 0.56–4.68) and 3.29 ± 1.28 Gy (range, 0.77–6.35) for the heart and the ventricles, respectively. The average whole heart V5 and V10 values were 10.2% and 1.3%, respectively, and the heart Dmax was >20 Gy in 7 of 60 (11.7%) patients and >25 Gy in 3 of 60 (5%) patients. No cardiac tissue received $30 Gy. The V1.7, V5, V10, V20, and Dmean values were all higher for the ventricles than for the whole heart. For balloons located in the upper inner quadrant of the breast, the average whole heart Dmean was highest. The Dmean, biologically effective dose, and generalized equivalent uniform dose values for heart and ventricles decreased with increasing minimal distance from the surface of the balloon. Conclusions: On the basis of these comprehensive cardiac dosimetric data, we recommend that cardiac dose be routinely reported and kept as low as possible in balloon-based high-dose-rate brachytherapy treatment planning for patients with left-sided breast cancer so the correlation with future cardiac toxicity data can be investigated. 2012 Elsevier Inc. Cardiac dose, Heart, High-dose-rate brachytherapy, Balloon, MammoSite, Contura.

Objectives To retrospectively compare radiation toxicity in patients treated with concurrent anastrozole and whole breast irradiation versus women treated sequentially with whole breast irradiation followed by hormonal suppression. Methods The records of 249 consecutive estrogen or progesterone receptor positive breast cancer patients treated with breast-conserving surgery and postoperative whole breast irradiation were reviewed. Of total, 57 patients (the concurrent anastrozole group) received concurrent anastrozole prior to and during radiotherapy. In 126 patients (the sequential group), adjuvant hormone suppression therapy (anastrozole, other aromatase inhibitors, or tamoxifen) was administered after the completion of breast irradiation. In 66, women either concurrent tamoxifen was given with radiation or the sequence of hormonal therapy was not known. These women were excluded from the analysis. Results The frequency of acute grade 2 radiation dermatitis (24.6% in the concurrent anastrozole group vs. 20.6% in the sequential group; P = 0.55), grade 3 radiation dermatitis (8.8% vs. 7.1%; P = 0.77) and treatment interruptions due to skin reactions (14.0% vs. 11.2%; P = 0.69) did not differ between groups. The rates of clinically detectable breast fibrosis were not different (24.2% vs. 24.7%; P = 0.97). With a median follow-up of 28 months and 30.8 months, respectively, 1 local failure occurred in the concurrent anastrozole group and 5 in the sequential group. Conclusions Anastrozole, administered concurrently with whole breast irradiation, did not increase acute or late morbidity when compared with sequential administration of radiation and hormonal suppression therapy.

Purpose To assess toxicity outcomes of image-guided intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IG-IMRT) combined with permanent prostate seed implant in a cohort of patients with localized prostate cancer. Methods and Materials A retrospective analysis was performed on 67 patients with the median pretreatment prostate-specific antigen level of 5.4. The Gleason score was less than 7 in 7 patients, 7 in 52 patients, and greater than 7 in 8 patients. The median followup was 28.2 months (range, 12–89.5 months). Treatment consisted of 45 (n = 65) or 50.4 Gy (n = 2) at 1.8 Gy/fraction of IG-IMRT to the prostate and seminal vesicles. Eight patients had simultaneous irradiation of pelvic lymph nodes to 45 (n = 65) or 50.4 Gy (n = 2). After IG-IMRT, patients received transperineal prostate implant boost with either 103Pd (n = 65, the prescribed D90 of 100 Gy) or 125I (n = 2, D90 of 110 Gy). Eleven patients received androgen deprivation therapy with radiotherapy. Results Toxicity higher than Grade 3 was not observed. The combined incidence of acute and late Grade 3 genitourinary toxicity was 6%. The combined incidence of acute and late Grade 3 gastrointestinal toxicity was 3%. At least one episode of gastrointestinal bleeding on followup, which could be attributed to radiation, was recorded in 14.9% of patients. For patients achieving erections before radiation, the 3-year Kaplan–Meier potency preservation rate was 66.5%. Conclusions The early toxicity of the combination of IG-IMRT and low–dose rate brachytherapy boost in this study was favorable.

Purpose: Electron or photon boost immediately following whole-breast irradiation performed after conservation surgery for early-stage breast cancer is the accepted standard of care. This regimen frequently results in Grade III dermatitis, causing discomfort or treatment interruption. Herein, we compare patients treated with whole-breast irradiation followed by boost compared with a cohort with a planned intercurrent radiation boost. Methods and Materials: The records of 650 consecutive breast cancer patients treated at Allegheny General Hospital (AGH) between 2000 and 2008 were reviewed. Selected for this study were 327 patients with T1 or T2 tumors treated with external beam radiotherapy postlumpectomy. One hundred and sixty-nine patients were treated by whole-breast radiotherapy (WBRT) followed by boost at completion. One hundred fifty-eight were treated with a planned intercurrent boost (delivered following 3,600 cGy WBRT). The mean whole breast radiation dose in the conventionally treated group was 5,032 cGy (range, 4500-5400 cGy), and the mean whole breast dose was 5,097 cGy (range, 4860-5040 cGy) in the group treated with a planned intercurrent boost. Results: The occurrence of Grade III dermatitis was significantly reduced in the WBRT/intercurrent boost group compared with the WBRT/boost group (0.6% vs. 8.9%), as was the incidence of treatment interruption (1.9% vs. 14.2%).more » With a median follow-up of 32 months and 27 months, respectively, no significant difference in local control was identified. Conclusions: Patients treated with intercurrent boost developed less Grade III dermatitis and unplanned treatment interruptions with similar local control.« less

This patient case-study represents the introduction of radiotherapy in the management of extra-cranial vascular malformations, a topic with virtually no supported literature before our case study. In those patients refractory to established therapies and facing the inevitability of mutilating amputation, radiotherapy may be a viable option to preserve the limb.

Aims: We retrospectively compared results of surgery alone (SX) or radiotherapy alone (RT) for early stage tonsil and base of tongue cancers. Materials & methods: Outcomes for 386 SX and 362 RT patients from Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database were analyzed using propensity covariate adjusted and inverse probability weighting models. Results: With median follow-up of 71 months, unadjusted overall survival at 5 years was 66.1% for SX versus 50.2% for RT (p < 0.001). Unadjusted cancer-specific survival was 80.9% for SX versus 67.3% for RT (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, treatment modality maintained association with overall survival and cancer-specific survival. Inverse probability weighting-adjusted 5-year overall survival was 75.2% for SX versus 67.4% for RT (p = 0.002). Inverse probability weighting-adjusted cancer-specific survival was 86.0% for SX versus 77.4% for RT (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Explanations for higher survival for SX include comorbidities, superiority of surgery and underascertainment of postoperative radiation in Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results.

In the present article we review on the use of Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) for a small lung nodule that was centrally located in close proximity to the mediastinal structures.An inoperable patient with central, clinical stage IA adenocarcinoma of the right lung was treated with external-beam radiation therapy of 52.5 Gy in 15 factions. A single 360° coplanar arc VMAT plan (360-VMAT) was used for treatment and compared to step-and-shoot Intensity Modulation Radiotherapy (IMRT) and a single 180° ipsilateral partial arc VMAT plan (180-VMAT).Planning Target Volume (PTV) coverage was not different, and 360-VMAT had the highest dose homogeneity. Both 360-VMAT and 180-VMAT reduced esophageal dose compared to IMRT. While IMRT had the lowest lung dose, all 3 plans achieved acceptable sparing of the lung. 180-VMAT had the highest dose conformity. Both 360-VMAT and 180-VMAT improved esophageal sparing compared to IMRT.Use of VMAT in early-stage, centrally located NSCLC is a promising treatment approach and merits additional investigation.

493 Background: Role of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) to the liver for patients with poor hepatic function after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) has not been established. We reviewed results of SBRT for men with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and Child-Pugh (CP) score ≥ 8 cirrhosis after TACE. Methods: Following a median of 3 TACE treatments, five males with severe cirrhosis received SBRT for persistent or progressive HCC in 2011-14. Clinico-pathologic characteristics and treatment details were retrospectively retrieved. Results: Median age at diagnosis was 55 years (range, 48 – 55). Median interval between cancer diagnosis and SBRT was 38 months (range, 3 – 60). All 5 patients experienced decline in CP score after TACE, for a median of drop of 1 point (range, 1 – 3) between the initiation of TACE and referral for radiotherapy. At time of SBRT, 4 had CP class B and 1 class C cirrhosis with median CP score of 9 (range, 8 – 11). There were no distant metastases and one patient had extrahepatic tumor extension. Three of 5 exhibited clinical symptoms of decompensated cirrhosis within 30 days before radiotherapy and one had portal vein thrombosis. Median MELD score at SBRT was 15 (range, 12 – 18). SBRT to a median total dose of 27.5 Gray (range, 27.5 – 30) was delivered in 5 once daily fractions. Median radiotherapy course duration was 9 days (range, 5 – 18). All patients had single radiation therapy targets with median largest tumor dimension of 3.6 cm (range, 2.4 – 6.2). Median planned target volume was 24 cm3(range, 17 – 197). Sorafenib was given prior to SBRT to one patient, concurrently to one, and sequentially after radiotherapy to another. There were no acute complications. Two patients died within 20 days from completion of SBRT. Median follow up for surviving > 20 days was 10 months (range, 5 – 13). None experienced radiographic tumor progression after radiotherapy. Estimated overall survival was 40% at 6 months (95% confidence intervals, 0 – 83.8%). Conclusions: For HCC patients with CP score ≥ 8 following TACE, prognosis after liver SBRT was poor.

4DCT-based treatment plan, 4DCBCT-guided patient setup, and real-time tracking of target motion are essential for accurate stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) of small mobile tumors. However, there is lack of correlation between 4DCT-4DCBCT data in phases of regular respiration cycles and the real-time monitored irregular respiration motion data. We are now proposing a real-time 4D video technique to synchronize respiration patterns in 4DCT, 4DCBCT, and real-time target motion during the dose delivery. Results of feasibility studies with sequential surface images on several patients and volunteers demonstrated the capability of detecting the breathing patterns by the movements of the frontal surfaces of the thorax and abdomen. The deep breathing concurs with larger thorax surface shifts of > 5-mm or tilt angles of > 2-degrees and longer respiratory cycles with periods of >6- seconds. Normal breathing usually has small thorax surface shifts of < 2-mm and angles of < 2-degrees but wide ranges of abdomen surface shifts from 2 to 30-mm and angles from 1 to 5 degrees. At free breathing conditions, we also find that patient respiration cycles and abdomen surface movements are frequently changed with time. More importantly, the personal respiration patterns are predictable with the dynamic volumetric curves determined by the abdomen and thorax surface movements. The surface movements and changes of surface covered volume can be correlated with dynamic volumetric changes in 4DCT and 4DCBCT scans. Thus, the 4D video technique is potentially useful for real-time tracking of small mobile targets in SBRT through synchronization with 4DCT or 4DCBCT.

Purpose Retrospective analysis of patients with invasive endometrial neoplasia who were treated with external beam radiation therapy followed by stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) boost because of the inability to undergo surgery or brachytherapy. Methods and Materials We identified 11 women with stage I-III endometrial cancer with a median age of 78 years that were not candidates for hysterectomy or intracavitary brachytherapy secondary to comorbidities (91%) or refusal (9%). Eight patients were American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage I (3 stage IA, 5 stage IB), and 3 patients were AJCC stage III. Patients were treated to a median of 4500 cGy at 180 cGy per fraction followed by SBRT boost (600 cGy per fraction × 5). Results The most common side effect was acute grade 1 gastrointestinal toxicity in 73% of patients, with no late toxicities observed. With a median follow-up of 10 months since SBRT, 5 patients (45%) experienced locoregional disease progression, with 3 patients (27%) succumbing to their malignancy. At 12 and 18 months from SBRT, the overall freedom from progression was 68% and 41%, respectively. Overall freedom from progression (FFP) was 100% for all patients with AJCC stage IA endometrial carcinoma, whereas it was 33% for stage IB at 18 months. The overall FFP was 100% for International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology grade 1 disease. The estimated overall survival was 57% at 18 months from diagnosis. Conclusion In this study, SBRT boost to the intact uterus was feasible, with encouragingly low rates of acute and late toxicity, and favorable disease control in patients with early-stage disease. Additional studies are needed to provide better insight into the best management of these clinically challenging cases.

Purpose: Fat necrosis is a well-described and relatively common complication arising from post-lumpectomy irradiation of the breast, most commonly breast brachytherapy. We wish to assess the clinical significance of fat necrosis resulting from post-lumpectomy breast irradiation. Methods: We reviewed the literature to determine the overall incidence and significance of fat necrosis to determine whether or not fat necrosis poses a significant clinical problem. Results: Fat necrosis occurs in up to one-quarter of patients following post-lumpectomy breast irradiation. Only rarely is invasive intervention required however, it does significantly degrade the quality of all modalities of breast imaging. Conclusions: Fat necrosis is a common complication of radiotherapy which rarely requires therapeutic intervention. However, post-therapeutic clinical imaging such as mammography, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging are affected which may result in additional diagnostic procedures up to and including biopsy.

Purpose: We reviewed the use of Vaginal multi‐channel cylinder applicator (VCMC) in adjuvant HDR brachytherapy with the goal of reducing dose to OAR while completely covering the entire proximal vaginal cuff. Methods: Two patients underwent total hysterectomy for endometrial carcinoma and received combined 5 fractions of Ir‐192 HDR brachytherapy to the vaginal cuff as a portion of their postoperative regimens. Treatment was delivered using a commercially available Nucletron CT/MR compatible VCMC. The dwell time distribution for multiple lumens was optimized to maintain at least 95% of CTV within 95% of isodose line (V95 > 95%) while keeping dose to all OAR as low as possible. For comparison, plans were created using the central channel only simulating single‐channel (SC) cylinder treatments. Related samples Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to test for statistical significance. Results: Average CTV V200 was 39.7 ± 1.5 % of prescribed dose for VCMC plans vs. 32.5 ± 0.5 % for SC (p=0.04). Average CTV V150, V95, and V90 were 58.4 ± 2.0 %, 98.1 ± 1.0 %, and 99.4 ± 0.5 % for VCMC and 51.1 ± 0.3 % (p=0.04), 96.5 ± 0.6 % (p=0.04) and 98.8 ± 0.4 % (p=0.08) for SC. Average maximum point vaginal surface dose as a percentage of prescribed dose was similar: 294.5 ± 62.4 % for VCMC and 295.9 ± 79.7 % for SC. We also calculated the average D0.1cc, D1cc, D2cc and D10cc for bladder, rectum, sigmoid, and small bowel. Conclusion: Use of VCMC reduced D0.1cc, D1cc and D2cc for the rectum; however bladder D0.1cc and D10cc were lower for SC. While CTV V200 and V150 were higher for VCMC, maximum dose to vaginal surface was similar. Additional dosimetric and clinical studies of VCMC use are necessary.

Purpose: To measure the lung nodule motion using 4D CBCT, to quantify any potential influences on the motion trajectory, and to derive an analytical approximation for motion trajectory in order to synchronize with external real‐time respiratory motion tracking. Methods: GTV from fast CT and ITV from CT‐PET obtained from rigid or deformable co‐registration with simulation CT are used for SBRT planning. Pretreatment 4D CBCT with ten phases are automatically registered according to the GTV mask. The nodule motion trajectory is quantified by the center, amplitudes, swiping area, major and minor axes in the principal plane (PP), and the PP normal vector. The setup errors and motion margins are assessed by the trajectory center and amplitude, respectively. Detected motion in the PP is analytically approximated by an ellipse with time parameter and the trajactory shape or axes and orentation may be correlated with the lung volume, nodule location, abdominal compression, and restriction force from the neighboring chest wall or other rigid tissue. Those variables in seventy‐two 4D CBCT scans from 34 patients are retrospectively analyzed. Results: After 4D CBCT‐guided setup adjustments of 10±8 mm, the remaining setup errors in any directions increase from 1±1 mm for upper and middle lobes to 1± 2 mm for the lower lobes while the average motion margins in the lateral, longitudinal, and posterior‐anterior directions increase from (1, 2, 1) to (1, 6, 1) mm. No significant difference is observed between the left and right lungs and between the groups with and without abdominal compression. Importantly, most motion trajectories can be analytically approximated and its PP is predicable with the local force. Conclusion: The clinical measurements and detail analysis validate the geometric accuracy and precision of current SBRT and our analytical approximation is potentially useful for synchronization with real‐time respiratory motion tracking for future gated SBRT.

Objectives: Retrospective analysis of patients with recurrences at or closely adjacent to the site of prior lung stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) who received repeat SBRT. Materials and Methods: Nine patients with non-small cell lung cancer (n = 8) or oligometastatic colonic adenocarcinoma (n = 1) were treated with image-guided lung SBRT to a median of 60 Gy (range, 30-60) in a median of 3 fractions (3-5). Patients developed in-field relapse (n = 3) or recurrence adjacent (≤3.5 cm away) to the previous tumor location (n = 6) and received 2 nd lung SBRT to a median of 60 Gy. Results: Median follow-up after 2 nd SBRT was 22 months (4-40). All completed prescribed course of repeat SBRT and acute toxicity was limited. There was no grade >3 late toxicity. 3 (33.3%) patients developed Grade 3 late reactions: 2 pulmonary and 1 chest wall pain. Late pulmonary toxicity included 2 (22.2%) patients with Grade 3 and 3 (33.3%) with Grade 2. One patient (11.1%) had late Grade 3 and 1 (11.1%) Grade 2 chest wall pain. 1 (11.1%) developed Grade 2 late brachial plexopathy. No myelopathy was observed. Two patients developed progression of tumors treated by 2 nd SBRT. Local recurrence free survival and overall survival was 75% and 68.6%, respectively at 2 years. Relative volume of ipsilateral lung receiving 5 Gy (V5) and V10 were lower for 2 nd SBRT. Conclusion: Repeat image-guided SBRT for patients with small peripheral recurrences was feasible and severe toxicity was not observed. Additional studies are needed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of lung reirradiation using 2 nd SBRT.