Outcomes and toxicity in patients treated with bimodality or trimodality therapy for esophageal carcinoma with intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).
88 Background: There is not yet a consensus on the efficacy and safety of IMRT for the treatment of patients with esophageal carcinomas. We report on our experience with outcomes and toxicity with IMRT for these patients. Methods: Fifty-five patients with esophageal carcinoma were treated with IMRT at our institution from 12/2008 and 12/2014. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed. All patients received concurrent chemotherapy (majority 5-FU with oxaliplatin). Thirty-one (56%) patients underwent surgery. Fifty (91%) received 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions. Seventy-three percent of cases were adenocarcinoma. Regions include mid-thoracic (15%), lower thoracic (64%), and GE junction (22%). Clinical uT-stages were as follows: T1 (2%), T2 (20%), T3 (69%), and T4a (5%). Clinical N-stages were as follows: N0 (33%), N1 (53%), N2 (13%), and N3 (2%). Results: Median follow-up for all patients was 15 months (1.5 - 64.5) and 25.5 months (1.5 - 64.5) for patients who were alive at follow-up (n = 31). Fifty-one (93%) patients completed RT. Of the 31 patients who underwent surgery, 9 (29%) were found to have a complete pathologic response. Site of first recurrence was local (n = 2, 4%), regional (n = 3, 6%), and distant (n = 14, 26%). At 12 and 24 months, overall survival was 72% and 58%, freedom from recurrence was 78% and 65%, and freedom from distant recurrence was 78% and 68%. On univariate analysis, improved OS was noted with patients who underwent surgery (RR 0.29) or were cN0 (RR 0.27). Twenty eight patients (51%) experienced > / = CTCAE v.4grade 3 acute toxicity; notable were hematologic (n = 14, 25%), esophagitis (n = 6, 11%), acute coronary event (n = 1, 2%), and post-chemoRT pneumonia (n = 1, 2%). Fifteen patients (31%) experienced > grade 3 late toxicity; notable were esophageal stricture (n = 7, 14%), post-op pneumonia (n = 3, 6%), post-CRT pneumonia (n = 2, 4%), and COPD exacerbation (n = 1, 2%). Conclusions: Patient receiving IMRT with concurrent chemotherapy for esophageal carcinomas have good LC rates, with or without surgery. Majority of patients are able to finish treatment with acceptable rates of late toxicity. Patient who underwent surgery or were cN0 had better OS.
Patient distress and survival in palliative radiotherapy.
211 Background: Distress is known to be elevated in patients receiving cancer therapy, such as palliative radiotherapy (PRT). Many patients will experience distress during treatment and it is not always addressed in part due to a lack of guidance regarding the significance of distress. Methods: All RT patients in our clinic are asked to complete a patient reported distress (PRD) survey during treatment course. PRD forms consist of 30 categorical questions that assess distress subscales. Patients have the option to rate each question from 1 (low distress) to 5 (high distress). The survey also includes the National Comprehensive Cancer Network distress thermometer, which allows patients to rate overall distress level from 0 (no distress) to 10 (extreme distress). Patients’ records were retrospectively reviewed to abstract the needed information to assess survivorship. Results: 270 patients were included from 01/18/2012-08/07/2015. Overall PRD was analyzed as a continuous and a categorical variable (low: 0-3, moderate: 4-6, high: 7-10). Continuous and categorical variable PRD did not show a correlation of distress to survival (P = 0.26) and (P = 0.10) respectively. A correlation was noted in moderate distress category (RR: 1.51, P = 0.034), however, this was not noted in high distress category (RR: 1.25, P = 0.33). There was no statistical significant correlation with the adjusted variables. Patients with primary site of gastrointestinal cancer had worst prognosis (RR: 1.34, P: 0.14), while hematological origin had best prognosis (RR: 0.35, P: 0.038).Age had the strongest correlation with survival, as older patients receiving RT had poorer survival (RR: 1.13, P: 0.079). Conclusions: This study suggests that PRD is not predictive of survival in PRT. The primary goal of PRT is to improve quality of life (QoL) by assessing, anticipating and alleviating suffering; not necessarily improve survival. It also demonstrated that the most common stressors were related to reversible short-term side effects of RT such as fatigue and pain rather than long-term stressors related to daily activities and social measures which might affect QoL. It is imperative to explore assessment tools to mitigate suffering and improve strategies to enhance QoL in all medical disciplines.
Management of Metastatic Apocrine Hidradenocarcinoma with Chemotherapy and Radiation
Hidradenocarcinoma is a rare aggressive form of cutaneous adnexal skin carcinoma originating from the sweat gland. Due to its low incidence, prognostic and treatment strategies are still being explored both for primary and advanced disease. This tumor most often presents as either solid or cystic appearing subcutaneous nodules, which may be associated with pruritus or ulceration. To date the mainstay of treatment for local disease has been surgical excision; however, the paucity of historical data available has shown that these tumors often behave aggressively with high rates of local recurrence, metastasis, and poor overall outcomes. There are few case reports describing the utility of radiation therapy in the treatment of hidradenocarcinoma. Herein, we present a case of metastatic apocrine hidradenocarcinoma in a 32-year-old Caucasian male. The patient initially underwent excisional biopsy which confirmed the diagnosis of poorly differentiated, highly infiltrative, apocrine hidradenocarcinoma. He received systemic chemotherapy for metastatic disease, followed by radiation therapy to areas of grossly palpable adenopathy. Prior to radiation therapy the patient had an enlarged hypermetabolic conglomerate of lymph nodes in the right axilla, and borderline enlarged low activity nodes within the left axilla. He received 3 cycles of chemotherapy followed by tamoxifen and radiation therapy (50.4 Gy in 28 fractions) to areas of progressive disease in the bilateral axilla, lower neck, and axillary skin. Following treatment, the patient had complete resolution of skin nodules and improvement of his pruritus. While the role of radiation therapy in the treatment of hidradenocarcinoma has not been well established, this case report demonstrated the potential benefit of external beam radiotherapy in the management of this rare disease.
Palliative Radiation for Leukemic Arthropathy from Human T-Cell Lymphoma Virus-associated Adult T-Cell Leukemia Lymphoma
Human T-cell lymphoma virus (HTLV)-associated adult T-cell leukemia lymphoma is a rare cancer in the United States, but there are several areas around the world where the virus is endemic. HTLV-associated adult T-cell leukemia lymphoma has been associated with leukemic arthropathy. We present a patient with HTLV-associated adult T-cell leukemia lymphoma with leukemic arthropathy. Although non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and chemotherapy are often used for treatment, we describe the successful use of radiation therapy in the palliative relief of symptoms from leukemic arthropathy.
Proposed prognostic scoring system evaluating risk factors for biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer after salvage radiation therapy
Objective To update a previously proposed prognostic scoring system that predicts risk of biochemical recurrence ( BCR ) after salvage radiation therapy ( SRT ) for recurrent prostate cancer when using additional patients and a PSA value of 0.2 ng/ mL and rising as the definition of BCR . Patients and Methods We included 577 patients who received SRT for a rising PSA after radical prostatectomy in this retrospective cohort study. Clinical, pathological, and SRT characteristics were evaluated for association with BCR using relative risks ( RR s) from multivariable Cox regression models. Results With a median follow‐up of 5.5 years after SRT , 354 patients (61%) experienced BCR . At 5 years after SRT , 40% of patients were free of BCR . Independent associations with BCR were identified for the PSA level before SRT ( RR [doubling]: 1.25, P < 0.001), pathological tumour stage ( RR [T3a vs T2] 1.21, P = 0.19; RR [T3b/T4 vs T2] 2.09, P < 0.001; overall P < 0.001), Gleason score ( RR [7 vs <7] 1.63, P < 0.001; RR [8–10 vs <7] 2.28, P < 0.001; overall P < 0.001), and surgical margin status ( RR [positive vs negative] 0.71, P = 0.003). We combined these four variables to create a prognostic scoring system that predicted BCR risk with a c ‐index of 0.66. Scores ranged from 0 to 7, and 5‐year freedom from BCR for different levels of the score was as follows: Score = 0–1: 66%, Score = 2: 46%, Score = 3: 28%, Score = 4: 19%, and Score = 5–7: 15%. Conclusion We developed a scoring system that provides an estimation of the risk of BCR after SRT . These findings will be useful for patients and physicians in decision making for radiation therapy in the salvage setting.
High Grade Leiomyosarcoma Mimicking a Recurrent Angiomyxoma in the Perineum
Perineal leiomyosarcoma is an extremely rare and aggressive cancer with a high metastatic potential and no defined standard treatment. There are only a few (six) reported cases in the literature. We report the case of a 67-year-old woman with a perineal leiomyosarcoma arising at the same site of a previously resected superficial angiomyxoma. Initially, she was treated for a presumptive recurrence of angiomyxoma. As she did not respond to medical therapy, she underwent repeat surgical excision. Pathology revealed a high grade leiomyosarcoma, histologically strikingly distinct from the initial diagnosis. She received adjuvant local radiation therapy, and remains without evidence of recurrent disease 36 months after completion of all therapy. This is the first reported case of a high grade perineal leiomyosarcoma originating at the same site as a resected benign superficial angiomyxoma. Our case emphasizes the necessity of a prompt histological diagnosis in cases of presumed recurrent perineal angiomyxoma.
Use of Flattening Filter Free Photon Beams for Off-axis Targets in Conformal Arc Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy
Background. Previous reports have shown a positive association between serum calcium level and prostate cancer mortality. However, there is no data regarding whether higher serum calcium levels are associated with increased risk of biochemical recurrence (BCR) following salvage radiation therapy (SRT) for prostate cancer. Herein, we evaluate the association between pretreatment serum calcium levels and BCR in a cohort of men who underwent SRT. Methods. We evaluated 165 patients who underwent SRT at our institution. Median dose was 65.0 Gy (range: 54.0–72.4 Gy). We considered serum calcium as both a continuous variable and a 3-level categorical variable (low [≤9.0 mg/dL], moderate [>9.0 mg/dL and ≤9.35 mg/dL], and high [>9.35 mg/dL]) based on sample tertiles. Results. We observed no evidence of a linear association between serum calcium and BCR (relative risk (RR): 0.96, P=0.76). Compared to men with low calcium, there was no significantly increased risk of BCR for men with moderate (RR: 0.94, P=0.79) or high (RR: 1.08, P=0.76) serum calcium levels. Adjustment for clinical, pathological, and SRT characteristics in multivariable analyses did not alter these findings. Conclusion. Our results provide evidence that pretreatment serum calcium is unlikely to be a useful tool in predicting BCR risk following SRT.
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast represents a complex, heterogeneous pathologic condition in which malignant epithelial cells are confined within the ducts of the breast without evidence of invasion. The increased use of screening mammography has led to a significant shift in the diagnosis of DCIS, accounting for approximately 27% of all newly diagnosed cases of breast cancer in 2011, with an overall increase in incidence. As the incidence of DCIS increases, the treatment options continue to evolve. Consistent pathologic evaluation is crucial in optimizing treatment recommendations. Surgical treatment options include breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and mastectomy. Postoperative radiation therapy in combination with breast-conserving surgery is considered the standard of care with demonstrated decrease in local recurrence with the addition of radiation therapy. The role of endocrine therapy is currently being evaluated. The optimization of diagnostic imaging, treatment with regard to pathological risk assessment, and the role of partial breast irradiation continue to evolve.