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Breen, William G.

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8039-2398

Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic

Citations 73

7910 Hypopituitarism Incidence Following Proton Beam Radiotherapy for Treatment of Chordomas and Parasellar Meningiomas
Breen, William G. , Harmsen, William S. , Erickson, Dana , Herndon, Justine , Laack, Nadia N.

Journal of the Endocrine Society | October 5, 2024 | Volume: 8 | Issue: Supplement_1 | Pages: No page available

10.1210/jendso/bvae163.1234 Get It

Abstract Disclosure: J. Herndon: None. W.G. Breen: None. N. Laack: None. W.S. Harmsen: None. D.Z. Erickson: None. Background: Treatment of chordomas and parasellar meningiomas includes surgical resection and/or various forms of radiotherapy. Proton beam therapy (PBT) is able to provide higher doses of radiation to the targeted tissues while better sparing surrounding structures, potentially facilitating decreased toxicity. While proton utilization has increased, there is a paucity of data regarding short- and long-term endocrinologic outcomes in these patients. Objective: Determine rate of hypopituitarism in patients with chordomas and parasellar meningiomas undergoing PBT. Methods: A prospectively maintained radiation database including adult patients treated with PBT since 2015 at a tertiary referral center for chordomas and parasellar meningiomas was reviewed. Data collected at baseline included demographic data, tumor diagnosis and pathology, prior history of surgery/radiation, radiation treatment, biochemical hormonal data, and incidence of pituitary insufficiencies (PI). Biochemical pituitary hormonal data and incidence of new PI was recorded at 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years, 5 years, and up to two additional time points up to 10 years post-PBT. Statistical analysis includes descriptive statistics presented as number (%) and median [IQR]. Results: Of 177 patients with sellar/parasellar masses with sufficient endocrine data who underwent PBT, a total of 64 patients (36.2%) were included; 40 (62.5%) with parasellar meningioma and 24 (37.5%) with chordoma. Median age of patients was 49.5 years old [37.7, 63.2], and 44 (68.8%) were female. Median follow-up was 24 months [12, 36]. Prior to PBT, 52 patients (81.3%) were treated surgically, 5 (7.8%) had prior fractionated photon or gamma-knife radiation therapy. At baseline 10 patients (15.6%) exhibited PI in at least one pituitary axis, most commonly secondary hypogonadism (7, 70%). Median PBT total prescribed dose was 54 Gy [50.4, 70.0] in a median of 30 [28, 35] fractions. Cumulative incidence of newly diagnosed PI at follow-up was 4.7% at 6 months, 9.4% at 1 year, 14.1% at 2 years, and 17.2% at 3+ years. No patients with PI at baseline developed new deficiencies. Among the 11 patients (17.2%) who developed new PI, 17 various deficiencies were recorded (range 1-3 per patient), including hypogonadism (8, 47.1%), hypothyroidism (6, 35.3%), and adrenal insufficiency (4, 23.5%). No growth hormone deficiency was clinically diagnosed, however IGF-1 levels decreased from baseline at the follow-up (when available) by a median of -11.8 ng/mL at 6 months (n = 12), -3.0 at 1 year (n = 12), -17.0 at 2 years (n = 7), -30.5 at 3 years (n = 4), -55.0 at 4 years (n = 3), and -37.5 at 5 years (n = 2). Conclusion: Incidence of newly developed PI in chordomas and parasellar meningiomas following PBT for adult patients after median initial follow up of 2 years was low, however extended follow up data are necessary. Presentation: 6/1/2024
Review of Novel Surgical, Radiation, and Systemic Therapies and Clinical Trials in Glioblastoma
Valerius, Allison R. , Webb, Lauren M. , Thomsen, Anna, Lehrer, Eric J. , Breen, William G. , Campian, Jian , Riviere-Cazaux, Cécile , Burns, Terry C. , Sener, Uğur , Burns, Terry C , Sener, Ugur , Webb, Lauren Michelle , Valerius, Allison

International Journal of Molecular Sciences | September 30, 2024 | Volume: 25 | Issue: 19 | Pages: 10570

10.3390/ijms251910570 Get It

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant primary brain tumor in adults. Despite an established standard of care including surgical resection, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, GBM unfortunately is associated with a dismal prognosis. Therefore, researchers are extensively evaluating avenues to expand GBM therapy and improve outcomes in patients with GBM. In this review, we provide a broad overview of novel GBM therapies that have recently completed or are actively undergoing study in clinical trials. These therapies expand across medical, surgical, and radiation clinical trials. We additionally review methods for improving clinical trial design in GBM.
Radiotherapy and Systemic Treatment for Leptomeningeal Disease
Frechette, K.M., Breen, William G. , Brown, Paul D. , Sener, Uğur , Webb, Lauren M. , Mahajan, Anita , Lehrer, Eric J. , Frechette, Kelsey M , Sener, Ugur , Webb, Lauren Michelle , Routman, David M. , Laack, Nadia N.

Biomedicines | August 7, 2024 | Volume: 12 | Issue: 8 | Pages: 1792

10.3390/biomedicines12081792 Get It

Leptomeningeal disease (LMD) is a devastating sequelae of metastatic spread that affects approximately 5% of cancer patients. The incidence of LMD is increasing due to advancements in systemic therapy and enhanced detection methods. The purpose of this review is to provide a detailed overview of the evidence in the detection, prognostication, and treatment of LMD. A comprehensive literature search of PUBMED was conducted to identify articles reporting on LMD including existing data and ongoing clinical trials. We found a wide array of treatment options available for LMD including chemotherapy, targeted agents, and immunotherapy as well as several choices for radiotherapy including whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT), stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), and craniospinal irradiation (CSI). Despite treatment, the prognosis for patients with LMD is dismal, typically 2–4 months on average. Novel therapies and combination approaches are actively under investigation with the aim of improving outcomes and quality of life for patients with LMD. Recent prospective data on the use of proton CSI for patients with LMD have demonstrated its potential survival benefit with follow-up investigations underway. There is a need for validated metrics to predict prognosis and improve patient selection for patients with LMD in order to optimize treatment approaches.
Outcomes of patients with R/R B-cell NHL and limited (
Saifi, Omran , Breen, William G. , Rule, William G., Stish, Bradley J. , Bansal, Radhika , Hathcock, Matthew , Johnston, Patrick B. , Ansell, Stephen M. , Khurana, Arushi , Ayala, Ernesto , Kharfan‐Dabaja, Mohamed A. , Peterson, Jennifer , Lester, Scott C. , Bansal, Radhika , Paludo, Jonas , Villasboas, Jose Caetano , Wang, Yucai , Moustafa, Muhamad Alhaj , Murthy, Hemant S , Kharfan-Dabaja, Mohamed A , Hoppe, Bradford S , Peterson, Jennifer L , Rosenthal, Allison , Muñoz, Javier , Lin, Yi , Paludo, Jonas , Villasboas, José C. , Wang, Yucai , Iqbal, Madiha , Moustafa, Muhamad Alhaj , Murthy, Hemant S. , Hoppe, Bradford S.

Blood Advances | July 19, 2024 | Volume: 8 | Issue: 18 | Pages: 4877-4885

10.1182/bloodadvances.2024013647 Get It

Abstract Unirradiated patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) who undergo anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CART) have a predominant localized pattern of relapse, the significance of which is heightened in individuals with limited/localized disease before CART. This study reports on the outcomes of patients with R/R NHL and limited (<5 involved sites) disease bridged with or without radiotherapy. A multicenter retrospective review of 150 patients with R/R NHL who received CART with <5 disease sites before leukapheresis was performed. Bridging treatment, if any, was administered between leukapheresis and CART infusion. Study end points included relapse-free survival (RFS), event-free survival (EFS), and overall survival. Before CART infusion, 48 patients (32%) received bridging radiotherapy (BRT), and 102 (68%) did not. The median follow-up was 21 months. After CART infusion, BRT patients had higher objective response (92% vs 78%; P = .046) and sustained complete response rates (54% vs 33%; P = .015). Local relapse in sites present before CART was lower in the BRT group (21% vs 46%; P = .003). BRT patients had improved 2-year RFS (53% vs 44%; P = .023) and 2-year EFS (37% vs 34%; P = .039) compared with patients who did not receive BRT. The impact of BRT was most prominent in patients who had ≤2 pre-CART involved disease sites, with 2-year RFS of 62% in patients who received BRT compared with 42% in those who did not (P = .002). BRT before CART for patients with limited (<5 involved disease sites) R/R NHL improves response rate, local control, RFS, and EFS without causing significant toxicities.
Neuro-oncology anywhere: A decentralized approach to clinical trials in brain tumors and beyond.
Galloway, Taylor , Flickinger, Lynn M. , Chan, Katrina, Steinmetz, Sue, Breen, William G. , Kizilbash, Sani H. , Campian, Jian , Uhm, Joon H. , Ruff, Michael W. , D’Andre, Stacy D. , Stricker, John L. , Geyer, Susan M. , Alden, Eva , Chan, Katrina , Kizilbash, Sani H , Neth, Bryan J. , Webb, Mason , Burns, Terry C. , Stricker, Nikki H. , Sener, Uğur

Journal of Clinical Oncology | July 3, 2024 | Volume: 42 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: TPS1647-TPS1647

10.1200/jco.2024.42.16_suppl.tps1647 Get It

TPS1647 Background: The majority of patients with primary and secondary central nervous system (CNS) malignancy develop cognitive impairment, fatigue, and mood-related symptoms. Radiotherapy has been shown to contribute to symptom burden often limiting quality of life and functional status. The development of interventions mitigating neurocognitive toxicity requires an accurate assessment of function and symptom burden. Formal neuropsychological evaluation is resource and time intensive, and often challenging to incorporate in routine clinical practice. There is a critical need to accurately assess cognition without causing undue burden to cancer patients while evaluating the efficacy of interventions that can be scaled and implemented at a population level. Methods: To adequately assess the neurocognitive function and related symptoms in patients with CNS malignancy we have designed an open-label decentralized clinical trial that will randomize patients who received intracranial radiation for primary or metastatic brain tumors in a 1:1 allocation to a therapy targeting radiation-related toxicity (metformin shipped to patient home) plus health promotion with a wearable device vs. health promotion with a wearable device alone. Participants will be stratified based on tumor type (glioblastoma vs. other glioma vs. brain metastases vs. meningioma) and age (<70 vs. 70+ years). Participants will be provided a wearable device for monitoring health status. Participants will undergo serial remote cognitive assessments with the Mayo Test Development Through Rapid Iteration, Validation and Expansion platform (Mayo Test Drive). Remote reported symptom collection via patient surveys and remote neurologic examination by telehealth will also be incorporated. Cognitive assessments and symptom surveys will be designed for completion on a smartphone, tablet, or computer device. Health data will be collected from the wearable device, including the number of steps per day and sleep quality/duration. Participants receiving metformin will utilize device apps to report medication adherence and adverse events. Study-related laboratory assessments will be completed remotely and transmitted electronically. This decentralized clinical trial will provide real-world cognitive and quality-of-life data for patients with primary and metastatic brain tumors while providing preliminary data on the effectiveness of device-based health promotion with or without metformin for treating radiation-related cognitive decline. Results gained from this study will guide future trials in neuro-oncology and other fields. This study is expected to open in March 2024.
Clinical features, molecular findings, and clinical outcomes of follicular dendritic cell sarcoma.
Breen, William G. , Zanwar, Saurabh , Ruan, Gordon , Okuno, Scott H. , Garrity, James, Bennani, Nabila Nora, Abeykoon, Jithma P. , Yi, Dongni , Rech, Karen L. , Lester, Scott C. , Robinson, Steven I. , Siontis, Brittany L. , Kimball, Brittany , Ravindran, Aishwarya , Shah, Meera , Goyal, Gaurav , Go, Ronald S.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | June 3, 2024 | Volume: 42 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: e23554-e23554

10.1200/jco.2024.42.16_suppl.e23554 Get It

e23554 Background: Follicular dendritic cell sarcoma (FDCS) is a low-grade neoplasm arising from follicular dendritic cells. Its diagnosis is challenging due to its extreme rarity, and the optimal management remains unknown. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of FDCS patients (pts) seen at Mayo Clinic, MN since 2018. Time to event analyses were done from the time of diagnosis. Results: Ten pts with FDCS were identified (Table). The median age was 60 years (range, 38-76) and 5 were males. Abdominal pain was the most common presenting symptom (30%) followed by constitutional symptoms, shortness of breath, and vision change. In 3 pts, the diagnosis was incidental. The 2 most common primary locations were abdomen/pelvis (50%) and mediastinum (30%). Six pts (60%) presented with advanced disease and 3 (30%) had Castleman’s disease. Most (60%) had advanced disease. Six pts had Epstein-Barr virus in situ hybridization and all tested negative. Seven pts had next generation sequencing and 5 (83%) had genetic alterations detected with CDKN2A/B alterations being most frequent (3 pts, all with advanced disease). The median follow up was 4.3 years (range, 0.2-13.3). In the 4 patients with localized disease, 3 underwent complete surgical excision resulting in complete remissions (CRs). The one who received radiation had a partial remission (PR). The median time to progression after 1st line treatment was 4 months (all with advanced disease). All 3 pts who died had advanced disease and 2 had CDKN2A/B alterations. Conclusions: In FDCS, localized diseases managed by surgical excision with or without radiation can achieve long term remissions. Advanced diseases generally do not respond to multimodality therapy including immunotherapy but can have disease stabilization with variable survival. CDKN2A/B mutations were common and potentially associated with a worse outcome. Better understanding of the impact of the FDCS mutational landscape on prognosis may provide novel approaches to therapy. [Table: see text]
Comprehensive Bridging Radiotherapy for Limited Pre-CART Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Breen, William G. , Rule, William G., Lin, Yi , Munoz, Javier, Kharfan‐Dabaja, Mohamed A. , Peterson, Jennifer , Saifi, Omran , Munoz, Javier

JAMA Oncology | May 9, 2024 | Volume: 10 | Issue: 7 | Pages: 979

10.1001/jamaoncol.2024.1113 Get It

This cohort study examines the role of comprehensive bridging radiotherapy in the setting of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Establishing the minimal clinically important difference of the Brief Fatigue Inventory for brain or CNS cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy
Breen, William G. , Leavitt, Todd, Bogan, Aaron, Mahajan, Anita , Brown, Paul D. , Yan, Elizabeth , Vora, Sujay A., Merrell, Kenneth W. , Ashman, Jonathan B. , Peterson, Jennifer , Leenstra, James L. , Wilson, Zachary C, Laughlin, Brady, Gunn, Heather J., Laughlin, Brady S. , Gunn, Heather , Zaniletti, Isabella , Wilson, Zachary C., Laack, Nadia N. , DeWees, T.A.

Neuro-Oncology Practice | April 27, 2024 | Volume: 11 | Issue: 5 | Pages: 633-639

10.1093/nop/npae034 Get It

Abstract Background Minimal clinically important differences (MCIDs) quantify the clinical relevance of quality of life results at the individual patient and group level. The aim of this study was to estimate the MCID for the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) and the Worst and Usual Fatigue items in patients with brain or CNS cancer undergoing curative radiotherapy. Methods Data from a multi-site prospective registry was used. The MCID was calculated using distribution-based and anchor-based approaches. For the anchor-based approach, the fatigue item from the PROMIS-10 served as the anchor to determine if a patient improved, deteriorated, or had no change from baseline to end of treatment (EOT). We compared the unadjusted means on the BFI for the 3 groups to calculate the MCID. For the distribution-based approaches, we calculated the MCID as 0.5 SD of the scores and as 1.96 times the standard error of measurement. Results Three-hundred and fifty nine patients with brain or CNS tumors undergoing curative radiotherapy filled out the 9-item BFI at baseline and EOT. The MCID for the BFI was 1.33 (ranging from 0.99 to 1.70 across the approaches), 1.51 (ranging from 1.16 to 2.02) and 1.76 (ranging from 1.38 to 2.14) for the usual and worst fatigue items, respectively. Conclusions This study provides the MCID ranges for the BFI and Worst and Usual fatigue items, which will allow clinically meaningful conclusions to be drawn from BFI scores. These results can be used to select optimal treatments for patients with brain or CNS cancer or to interpret BFI scores from clinical trials.
Integration of Telemedicine Consultation Into a Tertiary Radiation Oncology Department: Predictors of Use, Treatment Yield, and Effects on Patient Population
Sharifzadeh, Yasamin , Breen, William G. , Harmsen, William S. , Amundson, A., Garda, Allison E. , Waddle, Mark R. , Merrell, Kenneth W. , Hallemeier, Christopher L. , Laack, Nadia N. , Kollengode, Anantha, Corbin, Kimberly S. , Amundson, Adam C., Routman, David M , Waddle, Mark R , Merrell, Kenneth W , Hallemeier, Christopher Leigh , Laack, Nadia N Issa , Sharifzadeh, Yasamin , Routman, David M.

JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics | April 17, 2024 | Volume: No volume available | Issue: 8 | Pages: No page available

10.1200/cci.23.00239 Get It

PURPOSE The COVID-19 pandemic led to rapid expansion of telemedicine. The implications of telemedicine have not been rigorously studied in radiation oncology, a procedural specialty. This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of in-person patients (IPPs) and virtual patients (VPs) who presented to a large cancer center before and during the pandemic and to understand variables affecting likelihood of receiving radiotherapy (yield) at our institution. METHODS A total of 17,915 patients presenting for new consultation between 2019 and 2021 were included, stratified by prepandemic and pandemic periods starting March 24, 2020. Telemedicine visits included video and telephone calls. Area deprivation indices (ADIs) were also compared. RESULTS The overall population was 56% male and 93% White with mean age of 63 years. During the pandemic, VPs accounted for 21% of visits, were on average younger than their in-person (IP) counterparts (63.3 years IP v 62.4 VP), and lived further away from clinic (215 miles IP v 402 VP). Among treated VPs, living closer to clinic was associated with higher yield (odds ratio [OR], 0.95; P < .001). This was also seen among IPPs who received treatment (OR, 0.96; P < .001); however, the average distance from clinic was significantly lower for IPPs than VPs (205 miles IP v 349 VP). Specialized radiotherapy (proton and brachytherapy) was used more in VPs. IPPs had higher ADI than VPs. Among VPs, those treated had higher ADI ( P < .001). CONCLUSION Patient characteristics and yield were significantly different between IPPs and VPs. Telemedicine increased reach to patients further away from clinic, including from rural or health care–deprived areas, allowing access to specialized radiation oncology care. Telemedicine has the potential to increase the reach of other technical and procedural specialties.
Hypofractionated Stereotactic Radiosurgery in the Management of Brain Metastases
Lehrer, Eric J. , Breen, William G. , Singh, Raj , Brown, Paul D. , Sheehan, Jason P. , Palmer, Joshua D. , Trifiletti, Daniel M.

Neurosurgery | March 21, 2024 | Volume: 95 | Issue: 2 | Pages: 253-258

10.1227/neu.0000000000002897 Get It

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is an important weapon in the management of brain metastases. Single-fraction SRS is associated with local control rates ranging from approximately 70% to 100%, which are largely dependent on lesion and postoperative cavity size. The rates of local control and improved neurocognitive outcomes compared with conventional whole-brain radiation therapy have led to increased adoption of SRS in these settings. However, when treating larger targets and/or targets located in eloquent locations, the risk of normal tissue toxicity and adverse radiation effects within healthy brain tissue becomes significantly higher. Thus, hypofractionated SRS has become a widely adopted approach, which allows for the delivery of ablative doses of radiation while also minimizing the risk of toxicity. This approach has been studied in multiple retrospective reports in both the postoperative and intact settings. While there are no reported randomized data to date, there are trials underway evaluating this paradigm. In this article, we review the role of hypofractionated SRS in the management of brain metastases and emerging data that will serve to validate this treatment approach. Pertinent articles and references were obtained from a comprehensive search of PubMed/MEDLINE and clinicaltrials.gov.