CPT-11 and concomitant hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy induce efficient local control in rectal cancer patients: results from a phase II

in British Journal of Cancer (2006), 95

Patients with rectal cancer are at high risk of disease recurrence despite neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy with 5-Fluorouracil (5FU), a <br />regimen that is now widely applied. In order to develop a ... [more ▼]

Patients with rectal cancer are at high risk of disease recurrence despite neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy with 5-Fluorouracil (5FU), a <br />regimen that is now widely applied. In order to develop a regimen with increased antitumour activity, we previously established the <br />recommended dose of neoadjuvant CPT-11 (three times weekly 90 mgm 2) concomitant to hyperfractionated accelerated <br />radiotherapy (HART) followed by surgery within 1 week. Thirty-three patients (20 men) with a locally advanced adenocarcinoma of <br />the rectum were enrolled in this prospective phase II trial (1 cT2, 29 cT3, 3 cT4 and 21 cNþ). Median age was 60 years (range 43– <br />75 years). All patients received all three injections of CPT-11 and all but two patients completed radiotherapy as planned. Surgery <br />with total mesorectal excision (TME) was performed within 1 week (range 2–15 days). The preoperative chemoradiotherapy was <br />overall well tolerated, 24% of the patients experienced grade 3 diarrhoea that was easily manageable. At a median follow-up of 2 <br />years no local recurrence occurred, however, nine patients developed distant metastases. The 2-year disease-free survival was 66% <br />(95% confidence interval 0.48–0.83). Neoadjuvant CPT-11 and HART allow for excellent local control; however, distant relapse <br />remains a concern in this patient population. [less ▲]

Radiothérapie externe accélérée postopératoire des carcinomes épidermoïdes localement évolués de la sphère ORL : étude prospective de phase II

in Bulletin du Cancer. Radiothérapie : Journal de la Société Française du Cancer : Organe de la Société Française de Radiothérapie Oncologique (2003), 7

Abstract Purpose. – To assess the feasibility and efficacy of accelerated postoperative radiation therapy (RT) in patients with squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Patients and methods ... [more ▼]

Abstract Purpose. – To assess the feasibility and efficacy of accelerated postoperative radiation therapy (RT) in patients with squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Patients and methods. – Between December 1997 and July 2001, 68 patients (male to female ratio: 52/16; median age: 60-years (range: 43–81) with pT1-pT4 and/or pN0-pN3 SCCHN (24 oropharynx, 19 oral cavity, 13 hypopharynx, 5 larynx, 3 unknown primary, 2 maxillary sinus, and 2 salivary gland) were included in this prospective study. Postoperative RT was indicated because extracapsular infiltration (ECI) * Auteur correspondant. Adresse e-mail : abderrahim.zouhair@chuv.hospvd.ch (A. Zouhair). Cancer/Radiothérapie 7 (2003) 231–236 www.elsevier.com/locate/canrad © 2003 Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS. Tous droits réservés. doi:10.1016/S1278-3218(03)00041-6 was observed in 20 (29%), positive surgical margins (PSM) in 20 (29%) or both in 23 patients (34%). Treatment consisted of external beam RT 66 Gy in 5 weeks and 3 days. Median follow-up was 15 months. Results. – According to CTC 2.0, acute morbidity was acceptable: grade 3 mucositis was observed in 15 (22%) patients, grade 3 dysphagia in 19 (28%) patients, grade 3 skin erythema in 21 (31%) patients with a median weight loss of 3.1 kg (range: 0–16). No grade 4 toxicity was observed. Median time to relapse was 13 months; we observed only three (4%) local and four (6%) regional relapses, whereas eight (12%) patients developed distant metastases without any evidence of locoregional recurrence. The 2 years overall-, disease-free survival, and actuarial locoregional control rates were 85, 73 and 83% respectively. Conclusion. – The reduction of the overall treatment time using postoperative accelerated RT with weekly concomitant boost (six fractions per week) is feasible with local control rates comparable to that of published data. Acute RT-related morbidity is acceptable. [less ▲]

Radiation therapy alone or combined surgery and radiation therapy in squamous-cell carcinoma of the penis?

in European Journal of Cancer (2001), 37

Abstract To assess the prognostic factors and the outcome in patients with squamous-cell carcinoma of the penis, a retrospective review of 41 consecutive patients with non-metastatic invasive carcinoma of ... [more ▼]

Abstract To assess the prognostic factors and the outcome in patients with squamous-cell carcinoma of the penis, a retrospective review of 41 consecutive patients with non-metastatic invasive carcinoma of the penis, treated between 1962 and 1994, was performed. The median age was 59 years (range: 35±76 years). According to the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) 1997 classi®cation, there were 12 (29%) T1, 24 (59%) T2, 4 (10%) T3 and 1 TX (2%) tumours. The N-classi®cation was distributed as follows: 29 (71%) patients with N0, 8 (20%) with N1, 3 (7%) with N2 and 1 (2%) with N3. Forty-four per cent (n=18) of the patients underwent surgery: partial penectomy with (n=4) or without (n=12) lymph node dissection, or total penectomy with (n=1) or without (n=1) lymph node dissection. 23 patients were treated with radiation therapy alone, and all but 4 of the patients who were operated upon received postoperative radiation therapy (n=14). The median follow-up period was 70 months (range 20±331 months). In a median period of 12 months (range 5±139 months), 63% (n=26) of the patients relapsed (local in 18, locoregional in 2, regional in 3 and distant in 3). Local failure (stump in the operated patients, and the tumour bed in those treated with primary radiation therapy) was observed in 4 out of 16 (25%) patients treated with partial penectomy postoperative radiotherapy versus 14 out of 23 (61%) treated with primary radiotherapy (P=0.06). 15 (83%) out of 18 local failures were successfully salvaged with surgery. In all patients, 5- and 10-year survival rates were 57% (95% con®dence interval (CI), 41±73%) and 38% (95% CI, 21± 55%), respectively. The 5-year local and locoregional rates were 57% (95% CI, 41±73%) and 48% (95% CI, 32±64%), respectively. In patients treated with primary radiotherapy, 5- and 10-year probabilities of surviving with penis preservation were 36% (95% CI, 22±50%) and 18% (95% CI, 2±34%), respectively. In multivariate analyses, survival was signi®cantly in¯uenced by the N-classi®- cation, and surgery was the only independent factor predicting the locoregional control. We conclude that, in patients with squa- mous-cell carcinoma of the penis, local control is better in patients treated with surgery. However, there seems to be no di erence in terms of survival between patients treated by surgery and those treated by primary radiotherapy salvage surgery, with 39% having organ preservation. [less ▲]

Prognostic factors in urothelial renal pelvis and ureter tumours: a multicentre Rare Cancer Network study

in International Journal of Radiation, Oncology, Biology, Physics (1999), 35(5), 738743

To assess the prognostic factors in patients with transitional-cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis and/or ureter, a series of 138 patients with transitional-cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis and/or ureter ... [more ▼]

To assess the prognostic factors in patients with transitional-cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis and/or ureter, a series of 138 patients with transitional-cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis and/or ureter was collected in a retrospective multicentre study. 12 patients with distant metastases were excluded from the statistical evaluation. All but 3 patients underwent radical surgery: nephroureterectomy (n=71), nephroureterectomy and lymphadenectomy (n=20), nephroureterectomy and partial bladder resection or transurethral resection (n=20), nephrectomy (n=10), and ureterectomy (n=5). Sixty-one per cent (n=77) of the tumours were located in the renal pelvis, and 21% (n=27) in the ureter (both in 22 [17%]). Following surgery, residual tumour was still present in 33 patients (16 microscopic and 17 macroscopic). Postoperative radiotherapy was given to 45 (36%) patients. The median follow-up period was 39 months. In a median period of 9 months, 66% of the patients relapsed (34 local, 7 locoregional, 16 regional, and 24 distant). The 5- and 10-year survival were 29% and 19%, respectively, in all patients. In univariate analyses, statistically significant factors influencing the outcome were Karnofsky index, pT-classification, pN-classification, tumour localisation, grade, and residual tumour after surgery. Multivariate analysis revealed that independent prognostic factors influencing outcome were pT-classification, the existence of residual tumour, and tumour localisation. In patients with urothelial renal pelvis and/or ureter tumours, a radical surgical attitude is mandatory; and the presence of tumour in the ureter is associated with a poorer prognosis. [less ▲]

Radiothérapie externe ou anti-inflammatoire non-stéroïdien pour la prévention des ossifications hétérotopiques après prothèse totale de hanche?

in Schweizerische Medizinische Wochenschrift (1999), 129(9), 370-376

External radiotherapy or non-steroid antiinflammatory drugs for prevention of heterotopic ossification following total hip replacement Heterotopic ossification (HO) is defined as the development of ... [more ▼]

External radiotherapy or non-steroid antiinflammatory drugs for prevention of heterotopic ossification following total hip replacement Heterotopic ossification (HO) is defined as the development of abnormal ossification in soft tissues. HO is a common disease after total hip replacement. Many therapeutic modalities have been proposed to prevent HO. The most commonly used modalities are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) or ionizing radiation administered just before or immediately after total hip replacement. As far as external radiation therapy is concerned, there are several published randomized studies aimed at investigating its efficacy and timing related to surgery, and at comparing ionizing irradiation to NSAID. In this article we review the published data in order to define guidelines which could be used in daily practice for the choice of prophylactic treatment against HO. [less ▲]

Focalized external radiotherapy for resected solitary brain metastasis: the dogma stands

in Radiotherapy & Oncology (1998), 47

Abstract Purpose: To investigate whether whole brain irradiation might be replaced by focalized irradiation after resection of a single brain metastasis in patients where extracranial tumor control is ... [more ▼]

Abstract Purpose: To investigate whether whole brain irradiation might be replaced by focalized irradiation after resection of a single brain metastasis in patients where extracranial tumor control is deemed to be obtained. Patients and methods: Twelve patients were introduced in a phase I/II prospective study of conformal postoperative external irradiation after resection of a solitary brain metastasis. The radiation treatment consisted of 50.4 Gy (1.8 Gy per fraction, five fractions per week). The planning target volume consisted of the tumor bed and a 2 cm safety margin. All treatments were optimized with head immobilization, dedicated tomodensitometry and computer assisted three-dimensional treatment planning. Results: The median survival was 7.2 months (range 2.4–50.4 months). Eleven of the 12 patients died. Eight of the 12 patients presented intracranial recurrence and seven died as a consequence of intracranial tumor progression. Conclusions: Focalized external irradiation cannot serve as a reasonable alternative to whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) even for patients with apparently one single resected brain metastasis. The dogma of ‘one metastasis=multiple metastases' seems to be confirmed. [less ▲]