Patient experience and shared decision-making in HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer: A systematic review of qualitative and quantitative evidence.

Introduction: Human papillomavirus (HPV)-related oropharyngeal cancer generally has a good prognosis and can be successfully treated with different modalities (including de-escalation); therefore, shared decision-making regarding treatment has a special role. We aimed to assess how the patients experience this diagnosis in light of optimizing shared decision-making.

Materials And Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus were searched in two systematic reviews (CRD42023484134 and CRD42024501211).

Late Toxicity and Long-Term Quality of Life in Survivors of Cancer of the Major Salivary Glands More Than 5 Years After Diagnosis: A Multi-National Study.

Background: Because salivary gland cancers (SGC) are rare and include different tumor subtypes, data on their long-term quality of life and late toxicities are sparse.

Methods: Multi-national study including SGC survivors more than 5 years after diagnosis. They completed the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality of life core questionnaire together with its head and neck cancer module and reported problems that were most bothering for them.

Toxicities in long-term survivors of head and neck cancer-A multi-national cross-sectional analysis.

Head and neck cancer (HNC) patients may experience toxicities as a result of their treatment modality. While acute toxicities have been well documented, the prevalence of toxicities at long-term follow-up of HNC survivors is less clear. As part of a multi-national, cross-sectional study, HNC survivors at least 5 years post-diagnosis were invited to undergo a toxicity examination.

Defining replicability and evaluating reliability of intra-operative cytological bone margins assessment. A study to strengthen previous findings in advanced oral cancer.

Introduction: Curative intent in advanced oral cavity squamous cell cancer (OCSCC) implies clear resection margins (R0). Controlling resection margin is a pivotal point as R status, which is under the direct control of surgeons, continues to be the most important predictor for survival. However, intra-operative bone resection margin analysis still presents technical challenges preventing its routine clinical application.

Stereotactic Salvage Radiotherapy for Macroscopic Prostate Bed Recurrence After Prostatectomy: STARR (NCT05455736): An Early Analysis from the STARR Trial.

Purpose/objectives: Salvage radiotherapy (SRT) after a radical prostatectomy is a curative approach for patients with biochemical recurrence (BR). However, outcomes are often less favorable when imaging reveals macroscopic local recurrence. In such cases, dose escalation through stereotactic salvage radiotherapy (SSRT) may offer improved disease control.

Systematic review of the tools and outcomes for the assessment of acute radiation dermatitis severity.

Acute radiation dermatitis (ARD) is a common adverse effect experienced by patients undergoing radiation therapy. Effective assessment tools to accurately measure and manage ARD's impact on patients' quality of life and treatment outcomes is needed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diverse tools and outcome measures used in the assessment of ARD.

Chronic skin toxicities in breast cancer survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis of radiotherapy techniques.

Purpose: This study assessed the impact of radiotherapy (RT) techniques on chronic skin reactions and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in breast cancer patients, comparing conventional RT with modern techniques such as intensity-modulated RT (IMRT).

Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in Embase, MEDLINE, and Cochrane CENTRAL from inception to April 26, 2024. Conventional RT, which uses 2D or 3D imaging to shape radiation beams without dynamic intensity modulation, was compared with alternate RT techniques for adjuvant breast cancer treatment.

Perineural invasion and parotid involvement in auricular cutaneous SCC: Which volumes to treat in postoperative radiotherapy?

Introduction: Postoperative radiotherapy is recommended for all patients with cutaneous and non-cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in the presence of clinical and incidental perineural infiltration. Perineural infiltration represents one of the most important adverse prognostic factors and may impact negatively patient outcomes. While guidelines exist for defining radiotherapy treatment volumes in patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and clinical perineural infiltration, there is a notable gap in the literature regarding recommendations for cases with incidental perineural infiltration and parotid involvement.

International consensus on laryngeal preservation strategies in laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer.

This Policy Review summarises an expert Delphi consensus process on larynx-preservation treatments in patients affected by intermediate-to-advanced laryngeal or hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. The experts, who represented all perspectives involved in multidisciplinary management of these patients and included patient representatives, approved 137 consensus statements that cover several relevant areas in the field of larynx-preserving treatments. Statements are grouped in the following topics: granular indications for T2-T3 cancer, indications for T4a cancer, indications for salvage organ-preservation surgery after chemoradiation failure, laryngeal function at baseline, which comorbidities are contraindications and to what extent, organ preservation in older patients: selection criteria, post-treatment surveillance, prognostic and predictive factors, listening to the patient's preferences: tools and implementation, prehabilitation and rehabilitation protocols, and cost-effectiveness of different laryngeal preservation approaches.

Impact of recent clinical trials on meta-analysis of stereotactic body radiation therapy for spine metastases and urgent call for consistent study endpoints.

Pain from spinal metastases can result in significant impact to patients' quality of life. Conventional external beam radiation therapy (cEBRT) has long been shown to be effective in the pain control of patients with spinal metastases. With the advancement in radiation therapy, stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) has been increasingly adopted for the treatment of spinal metastases.

Post-operative radiotherapy for oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma: Review of the data guiding the selection and the delineation of post-operative target volumes.

Background And Purpose: To date, no consensus guidelines have been published that systematically guide delineation of primary and nodal Clinical Target Volumes (CTVs) in patients who require post-operative radiotherapy (PORT) for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). As a result, significant individual, institutional and national variation exists in the way that CTVs are delineated in the post-operative setting, leading to considerable heterogeneity in radiotherapy treatment.

Methods: A multi-disciplinary group of experts was convened by the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO), including radiation oncologists from Europe, North America and Asia, as well as surgery, radiology and pathology representatives.

Improving the multidisciplinary therapeutic management of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: Consensus statements from an Italian expert panel.

Objective: The management of recurrent and/or metastatic (RM) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) poses significant clinical challenges. This study aimed to develop expert consensus statements to improve the multidisciplinary management of RM HNSCC.

Methods: A multidisciplinary team of 39 Italian experts, including medical oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, radiologists, and pathologists, employed the Delphi method to achieve consensus on critical aspects of RM HNSCC management.

Delphi consensus-based recommendations of tools and outcomes for the assessment of radiation dermatitis severity.

Introduction: Acute radiation dermatitis (ARD) is a common side effect experienced during radiation therapy (RT) for cancer. Published clinical trials for ARD use a myriad of assessment tools and outcomes to measure ARD severity, which limits the comparability of clinical trial results. Our study utilized a modified Delphi consensus survey to gather expert opinions on commonly used tools for ARD severity.

Impact of stereotactic body radiotherapy after progression in castrate resistant prostate cancer patients undergoing first line abiraterone treatment. A subgroup analysis from ARTO trial (NCT03449719).

ARTO trial was a phase II randomized trial suggesting the benefit of a concomitant treatment strategy including Abiraterone acetate plus predisone (AAP) and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in oligometastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer (omCRPC). The object of the current analysis is to explore whether the benefit provided by SBRT to AAP is maintained at later stages of disease after oligoprogression METHODS: Patients enrolled in ARTO trial in whom a first progression event was reported were divided in two groups according to the treatment approach received, regardless of the initial randomization. After first progression event, Patients in Group A received SBRT on oligoprogressive disease, while patients in group B received second line systemic treatment.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy for lung-only oligometastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: Long-term clinical outcome and favorable predictive factors.

Background: Oligometastatic disease in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a rare setting. Local ablative therapies are the most adopted strategies although no evidence-based recommendations are currently published. We report on long-term clinical outcomes of a cohort of HNSCC patients treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for lung-only oligometastatic disease.

Recent Advances and Current Challenges in Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Ultra-Central Lung Tumors.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy has been established as a viable treatment option for inoperable early-stage non-small cell lung cancer or secondary lesions mainly in oligoprogressive/oligometastatic scenarios. Treating lesions in the so-called "no flight zone" has always been challenging and conflicting data never cleared how to safely treat these lesions. This is truer considering ultra-central lesions, i.

Upgrading your best chances: postdiagnosis smoking cessation boosts life expectancy of patients with cancer - a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BackgroundTobacco use is linked to increased cancer risk, and people who smoke represent a large proportion of newly diagnosed patients with cancer. The fact that smoking cessation at the time of diagnosis can improve the patient's life expectancy is still not broadly understood. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantify the survival benefits obtainable by quitting smoking on diagnosis.

Deglutition preservation after swallowing (SWOARs)-sparing IMRT in head and neck cancers: definitive results of a multicenter prospective study of the Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO).

Background: To investigate changes of objective instrumental measures and correlate with patient reported outcomes (PROs) of radiation-induced dysphagia (RID) after swallowing organs at risk (SWOARs)-sparing IMRT.

Methods: Patients (pts) underwent Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES), Videofluoroscopy (VFS) and M.D.