Executive Summary of the American Radium Society Appropriate Use Criteria for Management of Early Glottic Cancer: A Review.

Importance: Stage I squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the glottic larynx carries a favorable prognosis after treatment with endoscopic surgery or radiation therapy (RT). In addition to tumor control, goals of therapy include preservation of voice quality, swallow function, and breathing. Multidisciplinary consensus guidelines are needed to assist clinicians in treatment selection and the appropriate use of both surgical and radiation-based techniques.

Dosimetric analysis of different whole brain radiotherapy treatment planning methods: three types of 3-dimensional versus hippocampal avoidant.

Purpose: Our purpose was to compare four whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) delivery types: opposed lateral (OL) 3-dimensional-conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT), a novel opposed lateral sparing (OLS) 3D-CRT technique, 3D optimized dynamic conformal arcs (optDCA), and hippocampal-avoidant WBRT (HA-WBRT).

Materials And Methods: Ten patients previously undergoing HA-WBRT were retrospectively planned using OL, OLS, and optDCA techniques. OLS technique involved multi-leaf collimator (MLC) modifications to protect the lacrimal and parotid glands.

Clinical outcomes for unresectable anaplastic thyroid cancer treated with radiation: Impacts of radiation intent and the percentage of life spent receiving treatment.

Introduction: Patients with unresectable anaplastic thyroid cancer have poor prognosis and treatment usually includes radiation therapy. Due to the long radiation courses, many patients may spend a significant portion of their remaining lives receiving radiation.

Methods: The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried to identify patients with unresectable anaplastic thyroid cancer who received radiation.

Palliative radiation oncology programs: improving value through high-quality and cost-effective care.

An estimated 40% of all radiation treatments are delivered with non-curative intent, and there is strong evidence that this cohort of patients benefits from the early integration of palliative care services. Palliative radiation oncology programs (PROPs) are teams, processes, or systems that were developed to meet these needs. PROPs address specific issues related to the delivery of palliative radiation therapy (PRT) and try to enhance and improve the quality, cost, timeliness, and value of patient care.

Implications of primary tumor site and fraction size on outcomes of palliative radiation for osseous metastases.

Purpose: This study reviewed palliative radiation therapy (RT) practices and outcomes and compared the percentage of remaining life spent receiving RT (PRLSRT) in patients treated for osseous metastases.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted using the National Cancer Database (2010-2016) to evaluate metastatic patients who received palliative bone RT. Common palliative RT schemes were analyzed to determine treatment patterns and outcomes.

Radiotherapy with cetuximab or durvalumab for locoregionally advanced head and neck cancer in patients with a contraindication to cisplatin (NRG-HN004): an open-label, multicentre, parallel-group, randomised, phase 2/3 trial.

Background: Management of patients with locoregionally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) when cisplatin is contraindicated is controversial. We aimed to assess whether radiotherapy with concurrent and adjuvant durvalumab would improve outcomes compared with radiotherapy with cetuximab.

Methods: NRG-HN004 was designed as an open-label, multicentre, parallel-group, randomised, phase 2/3 trial with safety lead-in conducted at 89 academic and community medical centres in North America.

Personalized precision radiotherapy and its evolving role for human papillomavirus-positive oropharyngeal cancer.

Human papilloma virus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) is a unique entity with increased responsiveness to treatment and excellent oncologic outcomes. The purpose of this narrative review is to highlight how an improved prognosis for HPV (+) tumors and an ever-increasing understanding of the risk factors, risk stratification, and areas of potential spread are shaping management options. Additionally, we aim to detail how advances in treatment technology on both the surgical and radiation fronts are facilitating the delivery of increasingly personalized and precise treatments.

Phase 1 Randomized Trial of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Followed by Nivolumab plus Ipilimumab or Nivolumab Alone in Advanced/Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Purpose: Immunotherapy has emerged as a promising therapeutic option for advanced or unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, survival remains poor with only a subset of patients deriving benefit. This trial investigated the safety and efficacy of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) with immunotherapy in HCC.

Retreatment of Recurrent or Second Primary Head and Neck Cancer After Prior Radiation: Executive Summary of the American Radium Society Appropriate Use Criteria.

Retreatment of recurrent or second primary head and neck cancers occurring in a previously irradiated field is complex. Few guidelines exist to support practice. We performed an updated literature search of peer-reviewed journals in a systematic fashion.

Palliative radiation for bone metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma: practice patterns and the amount of remaining life spent receiving treatment.

Background: Palliative radiation therapy (RT) for bone metastases (BMs) is a common practice. Wide variation exists in clinically used dose schema despite numerous studies demonstrating palliative equipoise between single and multifraction courses. We hypothesize that fraction scheme for palliating BMs for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) significantly affects how patients spend their remaining time.

Dosimetry Comparison of Palliative Radiation Plans Generated From Available Diagnostic CT Images Versus Dedicated CT Simulation for Inpatients.

Introduction The morbidity sequelae of advanced cancer are often irreversible. Early palliative radiation can prevent, delay, and even improve these consequences. Treatment may be delayed due to a packed computed tomography (CT) simulation schedule or other logistics, including the cost and burden of arranging ambulance transportation when radiation centers are off-site.

The impact of socioeconomic and geographic factors on access to transoral robotic/endoscopic surgery for early stage oropharyngeal malignancy.

Objective: To evaluate the role of social and geographic factors on the likelihood of receiving transoral robotic surgery (TORS) or non-robotic transoral endoscopic surgery treatment in early stage oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC).

Materials And Methods: The National Cancer Database was queried to form a cohort of patients with T1-T2 N0-N1 M0 OPSCC (AJCC v.7) who underwent treatment from 2010 to 2016.

The influence of breast cancer subtype on survival after palliative radiation for osseous metastases.

Background: Among patients with osseous metastases, breast cancer (BC) patients typically have the best prognosis. In the palliative setting, BC is often considered a single disease, but based on receptor status there are four distinct subtypes: luminal A (LA), luminal B (LB), triple negative (TN), and HER2-enriched (HER2). We hypothesize that survival and palliative outcomes following palliative RT for osseous metastases correlate with breast cancer subtype (BCS).

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy improves survival compared with concurrent chemoradiation alone in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients with N3 disease.

Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) trials in endemic regions of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) found improved survival, but studies are lacking in nonendemic regions. We assessed whether adding NAC to concurrent chemoradiation (CRT) improves overall survival (OS), especially in high-risk nonendemic patients.

Methods: Definitively treated NPC patients (n = 5424) from the National Cancer Database were analyzed for predictors of NAC and NAC effects on OS with multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis (multivariate analysis [MVA]).

The Dosimetric Impact of Interfractional Organ-at-Risk Movement During Liver Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy.

Purpose: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is an effective therapy for treating liver malignancies. However, little is known about interfractional dose variations to adjacent organs at risk (OARs). We examine the effects of interfractional organ movement and setup variation on dose delivered to OARs in patients receiving liver SBRT.

Stereotactic body radiation therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: Practice patterns, dose selection and factors impacting survival.

Background: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is an emerging option for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) without consensus regarding optimal dose schemas. This analysis identifies practice patterns and factors that influence dose selection and overall survival, with particular emphasis on dose and tumor size.

Materials/methods: Query of the National Cancer Database (NCDB) identified patients with unresectable, nonmetastatic HCC who received SBRT from 2004 to 2013.

Technical Note: Enhancing soft tissue contrast and radiation-induced image changes with dual-energy CT for radiation therapy.

Purpose: The purpose of this work is to investigate the use of low-energy monoenergetic decompositions obtained from dual-energy CT (DECT) to enhance image contrast and the detection of radiation-induced changes of CT textures in pancreatic cancer.

Methods: The DECT data acquired for 10 consecutive pancreatic cancer patients during routine nongated CT-guided radiation therapy (RT) using an in-room CT (Definition AS Open, Siemens Healthcare, Malvern, PA) were analyzed. With a sequential DE protocol, the scanner rapidly performs two helical acquisitions, the first at a tube voltage of 80 kVp and the second at a tube voltage of 140 kVp.