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PURPOSE The volume treated with postoperative radiation therapy (PORT) is a mediator of toxicity, and reduced volumes result in improved quality of life (QOL). In this phase II trial, treatment volumes were reduced by omitting PORT to the pathologically negative (PN0) neck in patients with primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. METHODS Patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma who underwent surgical resection and neck dissection with a PN0 neck and high-risk features mandating PORT to the primary and/or involved neck were eligible. The primary end point was greater than 90% disease control in the unirradiated neck. QOL was evaluated using the MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory and the University of Michigan patient-reported xerostomia questionnaire. RESULTS Seventy-three patients were enrolled, and 72 were evaluable. Median age was 56 years (range, 31 to 81 years); 58 patients were male, and 47 (65%) had a smoking history. Sites included oral cavity (n = 14), oropharynx (n = 37), hypopharynx (n = 4), larynx (n = 16), and unknown primary tumor (n = 1). According to the American Joint Committee on Cancer Staging Manual (7 th edition), 67 patients (93%) had stage III/IV disease, and 71% of tumors involved or crossed midline. No patient had contralateral neck PORT. In 17 patients (24%), only the primary site was treated. At a median follow-up of 53 months, two patients experienced treatment failure of the PN0 unirradiated neck; they also experienced treatment failure locally. Unirradiated neck control was 97% (95% CI, 93.4% to 100.0%). Five-year rates of local control, regional control, progression-free survival, and overall survival were 84%, 93%, 60%, and 64%, respectively. QOL measures were not significantly different from baseline at 12 and 24 months post-PORT ( P > .05). CONCLUSION Eliminating PORT to the PN0 neck resulted in excellent control rates in the unirradiated neck without long-term adverse effects on global QOL.

ObjectiveOptimal timing of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) remains understudied in human papillomavirus (HPV)–related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Objectives are to determine if delays between surgery and radiotherapy, breaks during radiotherapy, disease, or patient factors are associated with recurrence or survival decrements in HPV‐related disease.DesignRetrospective review.SettingAcademic medical center.SubjectsA total of 240 cases of HPV‐positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma from 2000 to 2016.MethodsPatient and tumor characteristics (American Joint Committee on Cancer, eighth edition), delays to radiation initiation, and breaks during radiation were recorded. Overall survival (OS) and recurrence‐free survival (RFS) were analyzed.ResultsRFS and OS were not significantly affected by delays to PORT >6 weeks or by treatment intervals >100 days (surgery to PORT completion). Breaks during PORT significantly imparted an OS detriment (hazard ratio [HR], 2.4; 95% CI, 1.2‐4.8). Advanced‐stage disease was significantly associated with reduced RFS and OS. Subgroup analysis of stage I versus stage II/III disease found that >6 weeks to PORT initiation and treatment intervals >100 days did not significantly decrease RFS or OS in either stage group. Advanced‐stage disease was significantly associated with worsened OS (HR, 6.6; 95% CI, 2.3‐19.1) and RFS (HR, 5.3; 95% CI, 1.5‐18.4). Breaks during PORT significantly reduced RFS (HR, 3.6; 95% CI, 1.2‐10.8) and OS (HR, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.2‐9.0) in the stage II/III subset.ConclusionDelays to radiotherapy initiation and prolonged treatment time did not affect recurrence or survival in HPV‐related oropharyngeal disease. Locoregionally advanced disease was consistently associated with worse outcomes. Breaks during PORT may affect recurrence and survival, although larger studies are needed to confirm this finding.

AbstractBackgroundLocal‐regional failure (LF) for locally advanced bladder cancer (LABC) after radical cystectomy (RC) is common even with chemotherapy and is associated with high morbidity/mortality. Postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) can reduce LF and may enhance overall survival (OS) but has no defined role. We hypothesized that the addition of PORT would improve OS in LABC in a large nationwide oncology database.MethodsWe identified ≥ pT3pN0‐3M0 LABC patients in the National Cancer Database diagnosed 2004‐2014 who underwent RC ± PORT. OS was calculated using Kaplan‐Meier and Cox proportional hazards regression modeling was used to identify predictors of OS. Propensity matching was performed to match RC patients who received PORT vs those who did not.Results15,124 RC patients were identified with 512 (3.3%) receiving PORT. Median OS was 20.0 months (95% CI, 18.2‐21.8) for PORT vs 20.8 months (95% CI, 20.3‐21.3) for no PORT (P = 0.178). In multivariable analysis, PORT was independently associated with improved OS: hazard ratio 0.87 (95% CI, 0.78‐0.97); P = 0.008. A one‐to‐three propensity match yielded 1,858 patients (24.9% receiving PORT and 75.1% without). In the propensity‐matched cohort, median OS was 19.8 months (95% CI, 18.0‐21.6) for PORT vs 16.9 months (95% CI, 15.6‐18.1) for no PORT (P = 0.030). In the propensity‐matched cohort of urothelial carcinoma patients (N = 1,460), PORT was associated with improved OS for pT4, pN+, and positive margins (P < 0.01 all).ConclusionIn this observational cohort, PORT was associated with improved OS in LABC. While the data should be interpreted cautiously, these results lend support to the use of PORT in selected patients with LABC, regardless of histology. Prospective trials of PORT are warranted.

BackgroundEsophageal carcinoma is the eighth most common cancer in the world. Volumetric‐modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is widely used to treat distal esophageal carcinoma due to high conformality to the target and good sparing of organs at risk (OAR). It is not clear if small‐spot intensity‐modulated proton therapy (IMPT) demonstrates a dosimetric advantage over VMAT. In this study, we compared dosimetric performance of VMAT and small‐spot IMPT for distal esophageal carcinoma in terms of plan quality, plan robustness, and interplay effects.Methods35 distal esophageal carcinoma patients were retrospectively reviewed; 19 patients received small‐spot IMPT and the remaining 16 of them received VMAT. Both plans were generated by delivering prescription doses to clinical target volumes (CTVs) on phase‐averaged 4D‐CT's. The dose‐volume‐histogram (DVH) band method was used to quantify plan robustness. Software was developed to evaluate interplay effects with randomized starting phases for each field per fraction. DVH indices were compared using Wilcoxon rank‐sum test. For fair comparison, all the treatment plans were normalized to have the same CTVhigh D95% in the nominal scenario relative to the prescription dose.ResultsIn the nominal scenario, small‐spot IMPT delivered statistically significantly lower liver Dmean and V30Gy[RBE], lung Dmean, heart Dmean compared with VMAT. CTVhigh dose homogeneity and protection of other OARs were comparable between the two treatments. In terms of plan robustness, the IMPT and VMAT plans were comparable for kidney V18Gy[RBE], liver V30Gy[RBE], stomach V45Gy[RBE], lung Dmean, V5Gy[RBE], and V20Gy[RBE], cord Dmax and , liver Dmean, heart V20Gy[RBE], and V30Gy[RBE], but IMPT was significantly worse for CTVhigh D95%, , and D5%‐D95%, CTVlow D95%, heart Dmean, and V40Gy[RBE], requiring careful and experienced adjustments during the planning process and robustness considerations. The small‐spot IMPT plans still met the standard clinical requirements after interplay effects were considered.ConclusionsSmall‐spot IMPT decreases doses to heart, liver, and total lung compared to VMAT as well as achieves clinically acceptable plan robustness. Our study supports the use of small‐spot IMPT for the treatment of distal esophageal carcinoma.

AbstractBackgroundPrognosis among patients with differentiated thyroid cancer is widely variable. Better understanding of biologic subtypes is necessary to stratify patients and improve outcomes.MethodsIn patients diagnosed with classic histology papillary thyroid cancer treated from 1973 to 2009, BRAF V600E mutation status was determined on surgical tumor specimens by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. A tissue microarray (TMA) was constructed from tumor specimens in triplicate and stained by immunohistochemistry for RET, phospho‐MEK, MAPK(dpERK), PPARγ, and phospho‐AKT(pAKT). Stained slides were scored independently and blindly by two investigators and compared to tumor and patient characteristics and outcomes.ResultsA total of 231 patients had archived formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded tumor tissue available and were included on the TMA. Mean age at diagnosis was 44 years (range 6‐82 years); proportion of patients with female sex was (72%); 2015 American Thyroid Association (ATA) risk stratification was low (26%), intermediate (32%), and high (42%). BRAF V600E mutation was found in 74% of specimens, and IHC was scored as positive for RET (61%), MAPK (dpERK) (14%), PPARγ (27%), and pAKT (39%). Positive RET staining was associated with a lower risk of recurrence (HR = 0.46, 95% CI 0.22‐0.96). No other molecular biomarkers were independent predictors of recurrence on univariable analysis. On RPA, patients with RET‐negative and either MAPK(dpERK)‐positive or pAKT‐positive tumors were identified to have a high risk of recurrence (HR = 5.4, 95%CI 2.5‐11.7). This profile remained associated with recurrence in a multivariable model including ATA risk stratification (HR = 2.8, 95% CI 1.3‐6.0).ConclusionCharacterization of molecular pathways involved in cPTC tumorigenesis may add further risk stratification for recurrence beyond the 2015 ATA risk categories alone.

The majority of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) cases comprise classic papillary (C-PTC) and follicular variant (FV-PTC) histologic sub-types. Historically, clinical equivalency was assumed, but recent data suggest C-PTC may have poorer outcomes. However, large single-institution series with long-term outcomes of C-PTC and FV-PTC, using modern pathologic criteria for FV-PTC, are needed. Our objective was to compare prevalence and impact of clinicopathologic factors, including BRAF mutation status, on long-term outcomes of C-PTC and FV-PTC. We hypothesized that patients with C-PTC would have higher risk disease features and worse survival outcomes. This retrospective study included 1293 patients treated at a single, US academic institution between 1943 and 2009 with mean follow-up of 8.6 years. All patients underwent either partial or total thyroidectomy and had invasive C-PTC or FV-PTC per modern pathology criteria. Primary study measurements included differences in recurrence-free survival (RFS), disease-specific survival (DSS) and associations with clinicopathologic factors including the BRAF mutation. Compared to FV-PTC, C-PTC was associated with multiple features of high-risk disease ( P < 0.05) and significantly reduced RFS and DSS. Survival differences were consistent across univariate, multivariate and Kaplan–Meier analyses. BRAF mutations were more common in C-PTC ( P = 0.002). However, on Kaplan–Meier analysis, mutational status did not significantly impact RFS or DSS for patients with either histologic sub-type. C-PTC therefore indicates higher-risk disease and predicts for significantly poorer long-term outcomes when compared to FV-PTC. The nature of this difference in outcome is not explained by traditional histopathologic findings or by the BRAF mutation.

AbstractBackgroundThis study evaluates the prognostic significance of 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose‐positron emission tomography ([F‐18]FDG‐PET)‐derived metabolic tumor volume (MTV) in human papillomavirus (HPV)‐associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCCs) in the context of AJCC 8th edition staging.MethodsWe performed a retrospective study of HPV‐associated OPSCCs treated with postoperative or definitive radiation. The prognostic significance of pretreatment MTV for freedom from recurrence (FFR), freedom from distant metastasis (FFDM), and overall survival (OS) was determined using Kaplan‐Meier analysis. Multivariate analysis (MVA) was performed using Cox regression.ResultsIn this 153‐patient cohort, stratifying by the optimum MTV (24 cm3) was prognostic for FFR (P = .0002), FFDM (P = .001), and OS (P < .0001). Metabolic tumor volume (MTV) was prognostic of FFR in AJCC 8th edition stage I/II (P = .03), and stage III patients (P = .04). On multivariate analysis only MTV was a significant factor for OS.ConclusionMetabolic tumor volume (MTV) is a significant prognostic factor in HPV‐associated OPSCCs, independent of AJCC 8th edition stage.