Stereotactic Radiosurgery With Versus Without Neoadjuvant Endovascular Embolization for Brain Arteriovenous Malformations With Associated Intracranial Aneurysms.

Background And Objectives: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) with neoadjuvant embolization is a treatment strategy for brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), especially for those with large nidal volume or concomitant aneurysms. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of pre-SRS embolization in AVMs with an associated intracranial aneurysm (IA).

Methods: The International Radiosurgery Research Foundation AVM database from 1987 to 2018 was retrospectively reviewed.

Patterns of Care and Data Quality in a National Registry of Black and White Patients with Merkel Cell Carcinoma.

Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC) is a rare cancer most commonly affecting White patients; less is known for Black patients. We aim to report presentation, treatment, and quality of registry data by race with a secondary endpoint of overall survival. We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis between 2006−2017 via the National Cancer Database of Black and White MCC patients with and without known staging information.

Merkel Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, Current State of Treatment and Future Directions.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, cutaneous neuroendocrine malignancy with increasing incidence. The skin of the head and neck is a common subsite for MCC with distinctions in management from other anatomic areas. Given the rapid pace of developments regarding MCC pathogenesis (Merkel cell polyoma virus (MCPyV)-positive or virus-negative, cell of origin), diagnosis, staging and treatment, and up to date recommendations are critical for optimizing outcomes.

Immune Status in Merkel Cell Carcinoma: Relationships With Clinical Factors and Independent Prognostic Value.

Background: Immunosuppression (IS) currently is not considered in staging for Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). An analysis of the National Cancer Database (NCDB) was performed to investigate immune status as an independent predictor of overall survival (OS) for patients with MCC and to describe the relationship between immune status and other prognostic factors.

Methods: The NCDB was queried for patients with a diagnosis of MCC from 2010 to 2016 who had known immune status.

Stereotactic radiosurgery with versus without prior Onyx embolization for brain arteriovenous malformations.

Objective: Investigations of the combined effects of neoadjuvant Onyx embolization and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) on brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) have not accounted for initial angioarchitectural features prior to neuroendovascular intervention. The aim of this retrospective, multicenter matched cohort study is to compare the outcomes of SRS with versus without upfront Onyx embolization for AVMs using de novo characteristics of the preembolized nidus.

Methods: The International Radiosurgery Research Foundation AVM databases from 1987 to 2018 were retrospectively reviewed.

Tumors in the cauda equina: A SEER analysis of tumor types and predictors of outcome.

Caudaequinatumors are histologically diverse. International Classification of Diseases for Oncology (ICD-O3) confers dedicated site code (C72. 1) for cauda equina.

Stereotactic Radiosurgery With Versus Without Embolization for Brain Arteriovenous Malformations.

Background: Prior comparisons of brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) treated using stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) with or without embolization were inherently flawed, due to differences in the pretreatment nidus volumes.

Objective: To compare the outcomes of embolization and SRS, vs SRS alone for AVMs using pre-embolization malformation features.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed International Radiosurgery Research Foundation AVM databases from 1987 to 2018.

Embolization of Brain Arteriovenous Malformations With Versus Without Onyx Before Stereotactic Radiosurgery.

Background: Embolization of brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) using ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (Onyx) embolization may influence the treatment effects of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) differently than other embolysates.

Objective: To compare the outcomes of pre-SRS AVM embolization with vs without Onyx through a multicenter, retrospective matched cohort study.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed International Radiosurgery Research Foundation AVM databases from 1987 to 2018.

The effect of omission of adjuvant radiotherapy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and breast conserving surgery with a pathologic complete response.

Objective(s): Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is a standard of care for locally advanced breast cancers. Adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) after NAC is an area of active research. We hypothesize overall survival (OS) is not altered by omitting RT in women with a pathologic complete response (pCR) to NAC after breast conserving survery (BCS).

Immune status and the efficacy of radiotherapy on overall survival for patients with localized Merkel cell carcinoma: An analysis of the National Cancer Database.

Background: Immunosuppressed (IS) patients with Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) have worse outcomes compared to immunocompetent (IC) patients, and it is unclear if adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) is beneficial for these patients. We sought to determine the effect of immune status on adjuvant RT efficacy regarding overall survival (OS) for patients with localized MCC.

Methods: This was an observational study of National Cancer Database (NCDB) identifying patients with stage I/II or III MCC with known immune status diagnosed from 2010 to 2014.

Extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma: Prognostic factors, patterns of care, and overall survival.

Background: Extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma is a rare malignancy with scarce data. Treatment paradigms extrapolate from pulmonary small cell carcinoma and single institution studies. We analyzed the epidemiology, patterns of care, prognostic factors, and overall survival (OS) of EPSCC patients.

Stereotactic radiosurgery for central neurocytomas: an international multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Objective: Central neurocytomas (CNs) are uncommon intraventricular tumors, and their rarity renders the risk-to-benefit profile of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) unknown. The aim of this multicenter, retrospective cohort study was to evaluate the outcomes of SRS for CNs and identify predictive factors.

Methods: The authors retrospectively analyzed a cohort of patients with CNs treated with SRS at 10 centers between 1994 and 2018.

Survival impact of prolonged postoperative radiation therapy for patients with glioblastoma treated with combined-modality therapy.

Background: Though conventionally fractionated chemoradiation (CRT) is well tolerated by selected patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM), adverse health-related and nonhealth-related factors can lead to unplanned interruptions in treatment. The effects of prolonged time to completion (TTC) of radiation therapy (RT) on overall survival (OS) for these patients are unclear.

Methods: The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried for all adult patients with newly diagnosed GBM undergoing surgical resection followed by adjuvant CRT with conventionally fractionated RT (6000-6600 cGy in 30-33 fractions) from 2005 to 2012.

Increasing time to postoperative stereotactic radiation therapy for patients with resected brain metastases: investigating clinical outcomes and identifying predictors associated with time to initiation.

We sought to determine the impact of time to initiation (TTI) of post-operative radiosurgery on clinical outcomes for patients with resected brain metastases and to identify predictors associated with TTI. All patients with resected brain metastases treated with postoperative SRS or fractionated stereotactic radiation therapy (fSRT) from 2012 to 2016 at a single institution were reviewed. TTI was defined as the interval from resection to first day of radiosurgery.

Patterns of care and predictors of adjuvant therapies in elderly patients with glioblastoma: An analysis of the National Cancer Data Base.

Background: The objectives of this study were to characterize patterns of care and to identify predictors for adjuvant therapy in elderly patients with glioblastoma in the modern era.

Methods: The National Cancer Data Base was queried for patients aged 70 years and older with glioblastoma diagnosed from January 1, 2004 through December 31, 2012. Multinomial logistic regression was used to identify predictors for receiving adjuvant therapy.

Peri-SRS Administration of Immune Checkpoint Therapy for Melanoma Metastatic to the Brain: Investigating Efficacy and the Effects of Relative Treatment Timing on Lesion Response.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) administered with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and determine the effects of relative treatment timing on lesion response.

Methods: A prospective institutional database of all patients with intact brain metastases treated with SRS from 2008 to 2015 was reviewed for patients diagnosed with malignant melanoma. Lesion response was determined using a modified RECIST v1.

A Dose-Volume Response Model for Brain Metastases Treated With Frameless Single-Fraction Robotic Radiosurgery: Seeking to Better Predict Response to Treatment.

Unlabelled: Purpose/Objective(s): To establish a dose-volume response relationship for brain metastases treated with single-fraction robotic stereotactic radiosurgery and identify predictors of local control.

Materials/methods: We reviewed a prospective institutional database of all patients treated for intact brain metastases with stereotactic radiosurgery alone using the CyberKnife robotic radiosurgery system from 2012 to 2015. Tumor response was determined based on Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors version 1.

Dose-Volume Response Relationship for Brain Metastases Treated with Frameless Single-Fraction Linear Accelerator-Based Stereotactic Radiosurgery.

Background: Our aim was to identify a dose-volume response relationship for brain metastases treated with frameless stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS).

Methods: We reviewed patients who underwent frameless single-fraction linear accelerator SRS for brain metastases between 2007 and 2013 from an institutional database. Proportional hazards modeling was used to identify predictors of outcome.