Role of Lateral Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection Following Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation Therapy in Rectal Cancer: A Multicenter Retrospective Study (KROG 22-09).

Background: Lateral pelvic lymph node (LPLN) metastasis is a poor prognostic factor in rectal cancer, but the optimal management strategy is debated. This multicenter retrospective study investigated the role of LPLN dissection (LPLND), with total mesorectal excision (TME), after neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (nCRT), aiming to identify patients who may benefit from LPLND.

Patients And Methods: A total of 559 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer and LPLN involvement from 2009 to 2018 were included (KROG 22-09).

Nanomechanical Switch toward Electron Turnstile Operation.

Linear control in nanoscale electromechanical systems is often hindered by strong nonlinear interactions and environmental sensitivity. Here, we present a nanomechanical turnstile based on a suspended cantilever with an electron island, enabling mechanically modulated electron transport. The device exhibits resonance-tuned conductance, polarity-dependent switching, and a distinct beating response arising from the linear combination of mechanical and electrical modulations.

Changes in Cancer Care for Patients Aged 80 and Above: A Cohort Study from Samsung Comprehensive Cancer Center in South Korea.

With an estimated 70% of new cancer diagnoses expected to be in older adults within the next decade, cancer care for this population has attracted increasing global attention. Additionally, older patients are less likely to receive optimal cancer treatments. This retrospective cohort study utilized data from the Samsung Medical Center Cancer Registry, which includes patients diagnosed with cancer between 2008 and 2022.

Diamond Molecular Balance: Ultra-Wide Range Nanomechanical Mass Spectrometry from MDa to TDa.

The significance of mass spectrometry lies in its unparalleled ability to accurately identify and quantify molecules in complex samples, providing invaluable insights into molecular structures and interactions. Here, we leverage diamond nanostructures as highly sensitive mass sensors by utilizing a self-excitation mechanism under an electron beam in a conventional scanning electron microscope (SEM). The diamond molecular balance (DMB) exhibits a practical mass resolution of 4.

The dependency of beam-on-time efficiency on respiration period and layer switching time for respiratory gating proton therapy of liver cancer.

Background: Patient's respiratory motion can significantly affect the treatment accuracy and efficiency of radiotherapy, making effective respiratory control essential. One option is respiratory gating therapy, which allows treatment only during specific phases of the respiratory cycle but typically increases treatment time. Therefore, optimizing beam-on-time (BoT) efficiency in respiratory gating therapy is needed.

Predicting 30-day mortality with routine blood tests in patients undergoing palliative radiation therapy: A comparison of logistic regression and gradient boosting models.

Purpose: This study aimed to estimate the 30-day mortality (30D_M) and compare models for 30D_M prediction in patients undergoing palliative radiation therapy (RT).

Materials And Methods: Data from 3,756 patients who underwent palliative RT between 2018 and 2020 at two institutions were retrospectively reviewed. From one institution, 3,315 patients were randomly assigned to the training (N = 2,652) and internal validation (N = 663) cohorts.

Prognostic value of pseudotime from texture parameters of FDG PET/CT in locally advanced rectal cancer with neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

Texture analysis generates image parameters from F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT). Although some parameters correlate with tumor biology and clinical attributes, their types and implications can be complex. To overcome this limitation, pseudotime analysis was applied to texture parameters to estimate changes in individual sample characteristics, and the prognostic significance of the estimated pseudotime of primary tumors was evaluated.

A device-dependent auto-segmentation method based on combined generalized and single-device datasets.

Background: Although generalized-dataset-based auto-segmentation models that consider various computed tomography (CT) scanners have shown great clinical potential, their application to medical images from unseen scanners remains challenging because of device-dependent image features.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the performance of a device-dependent auto-segmentation model based on a combined dataset of a generalized dataset and single CT scanner dataset.

Method: We constructed two training datasets for 21 chest and abdominal organs.

Skeletal Muscle Index Changes on Locoregional Treatment Application After FOLFIRINOX and Survival in Pancreatic Cancer.

Background: Patients with borderline resectable (BR) or locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) require complex management strategies. This study evaluated the prognostic significance of the perichemotherapy skeletal muscle index (SMI) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) in patients with BRPC or LAPC treated with FOLFIRINOX.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 227 patients with BR or LAPC who received at least four cycles of chemotherapy between 2015 and 2020.

Clinical outcomes of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by total mesorectal excision in locally advanced rectal cancer with mesorectal fascia involvement.

Purpose: For the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), research on primary lesions with mesorectal fascia (MRF) involvement is lacking. This study analyzed the clinical outcomes and efficacy of dose-escalated neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) to patients with LARC involving MRF.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 301 patients who were diagnosed with LARC involving MRF and underwent NCRT followed by total mesorectal excision (TME).

Proton Beam Radiotherapy as a Curative Alternative to Radiofrequency Ablation for Newly Diagnosed Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background/aim: This study aimed to compare the oncological outcomes of proton beam radiotherapy (PBT) with those of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for newly diagnosed hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Patients And Methods: This study included 323 patients who underwent PBT (n=40) or RFA (n=283) as a curative treatment for previously untreated HCC between October 2016 and June 2021. The primary endpoints were local progression and toxicity.

A meta-analysis comparing efficacy and safety between proton beam therapy versus carbon ion radiotherapy.

Background: This study aimed to compare the outcomes of proton beam therapy (PBT) and carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT) by a systematic review and meta-analysis of the existing clinical evidence.

Methods: A systematic literature search was performed to identify studies comparing the clinical outcomes of PBT and CIRT. The included studies were required to report oncological outcomes (local control [LC], progression-free survival [PFS], or overall survival [OS]) or adverse events.

Impact and optimal timing of local therapy addition in borderline resectable or locally advanced pancreatic cancer after FOLFIRINOX chemotherapy.

Background: To evaluate the efficacy and optimal timing of local treatment in patients with borderline resectable (BR) or locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) treated with upfront FOLFIRINOX.

Method: Between 2015 and 2020, 258 patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) were analysed. Treatment outcomes were compared between systemic treatment group (ST) and multimodality treatment groups (MT) using Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank test.

Defining Minimum Treatment Parameters of Ablative Radiation Therapy in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Expert Consensus.

Purpose: External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) is a highly effective treatment in select patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer system does not recommend the use of EBRT in HCC due to a lack of sufficient evidence and intends to perform an individual patient level meta-analysis of ablative EBRT in this population. However, there are many types of EBRT described in the literature with no formal definition of what constitutes "ablative.

Impact of Intrahepatic External Beam Radiotherapy in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Treated with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors.

Introduction: We aimed to investigate whether concurrent use of intrahepatic external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) is a viable option for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy.

Methods: A total of 453 patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage C (BCLC C) HCC, who started first-line treatment with TKI with intrahepatic EBRT (TKI + RT, = 97) or TKI without intrahepatic EBRT (TKI, = 356) were analyzed. The overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were compared in the overall cohort, patients who received at least 8 weeks of TKI treatment and a propensity score-matched cohort.

The Current Evidence of Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), an advanced RT technique, is a considerable treatment option for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the distinguishing features of IMRT for HCC have not yet been clearly defined. A systematic review was performed according to the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.

Nomogram for predicting overall survival in patients with large (>5 cm) hepatocellular carcinoma based on real-world practice.

Background/aim: Patients with large (>5 cm) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have limited treatment options, thus necessitating the identification of prognostic factors and the development of predictive tools. This study aimed to identify prognostic factors and to construct a nomogram to predict survival outcomes in patients with large HCC.

Methods: A cohort of 438 patients, who were diagnosed with large HCC at a tertiary hospital between 2015 and 2018, was analyzed.

External validation of subclassification system and progression pattern analysis in hepatocelluar carcinoma with macroscopic vascular invasion.

Background And Purpose: The present study aimed to validate the performance of a previously proposed subclassification model to predict prognosis after combined transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and external beam radiotherapy (RT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with macrovascular invasion (MVI) in an independent cohort that received the same first-line treatment for the patients with the similar disease extent characteristics, and analyzed the progression patterns as well as progression-free survival (PFS).

Materials And Methods: This study was conducted using prospectively collected data from the XXXXX HCC registry for newly diagnosed, previously untreated HCC between 2005 and 2018. Finally, 417 patients who satisfied the eligibility criteria were included and analyzed.

FLASH dose rate calculation based on log files in proton pencil beam scanning therapy.

Background: In radiation therapy, irradiating healthy normal tissues in the beam trajectories is inevitable. This unnecessary dose means that patients undergoing treatment risk developing side effects. Recently, FLASH radiotherapy delivering ultra-high-dose-rate beams has been re-examined because of its normal-tissue-sparing effect.

Radiotherapy trend in elderly hepatocellular carcinoma: retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed between 2005 and 2017.

Purpose: To report the trends of radiotherapy in the management of elderly patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients who entered HCC registry of Samsung Medical Center between 2005 and 2017. Patients who were 75 years or older at the time of registration were defined as elderly.

Bloch theorem dictated wave chaos in microcavity crystals.

Universality class of wave chaos emerges in many areas of science, such as molecular dynamics, optics, and network theory. In this work, we generalize the wave chaos theory to cavity lattice systems by discovering the intrinsic coupling of the crystal momentum to the internal cavity dynamics. The cavity-momentum locking substitutes the role of the deformed boundary shape in the ordinary single microcavity problem, providing a new platform for the in situ study of microcavity light dynamics.