[en] Background and purpose: According to common conviction rectal tumour shrinkage after preoperative radio(chemo)therapy increases the likelihood of anterior resection (AR). In order to verify this belief, we performed a systematic review of randomised trials. Patients and methods: We identified 10 randomised trials encompassing altogether 4596 patients in whom preoperative radio(chemo)therapy resulted in tumour shrinkage in the experimental arm as compared to the control arm. Results: Tumour shrinkage observed in the experimental groups did not result in a statistically significant higher ARs rate in any study when we performed an analysis of all the randomised cases. Subgroups of patients considered to be candidates for abdominoperineal resection before randomisation were identified in three trials. A statistically significantly higher rate of ARs was demonstrated in the experimental arm of the CAO/ARO/AIO 94 study. However, in that study, sphincter preservation was a secondary endpoint and some features of the trial may bias the estimation of the effect. The benefit of sphincter preservation was not confirmed by subgroup analyses performed in the Lyon R90-01 study and in the Polish study, which were originally designed to evaluate the sphincter preservation issue. Conclusion: The body of evidence gathered from randomised trials does not support the concept of a beneficial effect of preoperative radiotherapy on the ARs rate

No abstract available

[en] Purpose. To estimate retrospectively the rate of isolated nodal failures (INF) in NSCLC patients treated with the elective nodal irradiation (ENI) using 3D-conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT). Materials/methods. One hundred and eighty-five patients with I-IIIB stage treated with 3D-CRT in consecutive clinical trials differing in an extent of the ENI were analyzed. According to the extent of the ENI, two groups were distinguished: extended (n=124) and limited (n=61) ENI. INF was defined as regional nodal failure occurring without local progression. Cumulative Incidence of INF (CIINF) was evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis with regard to prognostic factors. Results. With a median follow up of 30 months, the two-year actuarial overall survival was 35%. The two-year CIINF rate was 12%. There were 16 (9%) INF, eight (6%) for extended and eight (13%) for limited ENI. In the univariate analysis bulky mediastinal disease (BMD), left side, higher N stage, and partial response to RT had a significant negative impact on the CIINF. BMD was the only independent predictor of the risk of incidence of the INF (p=0.001). Conclusions. INF is more likely to occur in case of more advanced nodal status

[en] The purpose of the study reported here was to evaluate the potential impact of the tension of pelvic muscles on set-up errors. Twenty-nine consecutive patients with rectal cancer were included. The treatment simulation of the lateral beam in prone position was performed twice-with relaxed and next with maximally tense pelvic muscles. During the second simulation, the couch was moved so as to align the centre of the beam with the actual position of the skin mark tattooed during the first simulation. The bony landmarks on both images of corresponding lateral fields were matched. The beam's centre displacement and the rotation were measured using the beam image taken in relaxed position as a reference. The absolute values were used in calculation of the mean. For the anterior-posterior direction, the mean value of displacements was 15.3 mm, standard deviation (SD) 6.9 mm and the maximal value 37 mm. For the cranial-caudal direction, the mean value was 4.4 mm, SD 4 mm and the maximal value 17 mm. The mean rotation of the pelvis was 5.3 degrees, SD 2.4 degrees and maximal rotation 11 degrees. The majority of displacements were in the posterior (86%) and caudal (55%) directions. The majority of rotations were clockwise (76%). It was shown that pelvic muscle tension was the reason for anal verge displacements and mispositionings of the shielding block. This results in set-up inaccuracy, especially in the anterior-posterior direction, shielding block mispositioning and anal verge displacement

[en] We evaluated the overall survival with respect to prognostic factors in patients with brain metastases (BM) from lung cancer in order to assess the RTOG RPA (Recursive Partitioning Analysis) classification value and to perform intra-classes analyses including pretreatment and treatment-related variables. Between 1986 and 1997, 322 consecutive patients with BM from lung cancer were treated with whole-brain radiotherapy. Patients' distribution according to the RTOG RPA classes was: Class 1 - 13%, Class 2 - 67% and Class 3 - 20%. Prognostic value of the following variables was tested: RTOG RPA classes, performance status, age, extracranial metastases, control of the primary tumour, gender, histology, number of BM and interval from diagnosis to the development of BM. Intra-classes analyses were performed including radiation dose and surgery of BM. Median survival was 4.0 months. Median survival for RTOG RPA classes 1, 2 and 3 were 5.2, 4.0 and 2.5 months, respectively (p=0.003). Extracranial metastases, performance status, control of the primary and RTOG RPA classes were prognostic for survival. Within class 2 higher radiation dose, female, no extracranial metastases and surgery of BM were related to the improved survival. RTOG RPA classes maintain their prognostic significance for patients with BM from lung cancer not participating in clinical trials

[en] Aim: Current guidelines do not recommend the use of elective nodal irradiation for NSCLC, for several reasons. One of these is that PET-CT provides adequate nodal staging. We compared the published rates of elective nodal failures (ENFs) defined as regional failures that occur without local recurrence irrespectively of distant metastases status in patients who did or did not undergo PET-CT for staging. Methods: Reports of the occurrence of ENFs were considered. Only studies that used involved fields and specified the number of ENFs in patients with and without PET-CT use were included. A chi-squared test was used for the comparison of the risk of ENF in patients staged with and without PET. Results: Forty-eight studies were included; 2158 and 1487 patients with and without PET-CT performed before radiotherapy were identified. The proportion of patients treated with SBRT was higher in the group with PET-CT (71%) than it was in the group without PET-CT (20%; p < .001). There were 136 (6.3%) and 98 (6.6%) ENFs in patients with and without PET-CT, respectively (p = .74). Conclusion: The failure to reduce ENF by PET-CT was demonstrated. These data should be regarded in the context of the adequacy of reporting the rate of ENF and recognized value of PET-CT in NSCLC treatment

[en] Purpose. To estimate the doses of incidental irradiation in particular lymph node stations (LNS) in different extents of elective nodal irradiation (ENI) in 3D-conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods. Doses of radiotherapy were estimated for particular LNS delineated according to the recommendations of the Univ. of Michigan in 220 patients treated using 3D-CRT with different (extended, limited and omitted) extents of ENI. Minimum doses and volumes of LNS receiving 40 Gy or more (V40) were compared for omitted vs. limited+extended ENI and limited vs. extended ENI. Results. For omission of the ENI the minimum doses and V40 for particular LNS were significantly lower than for patients treated with ENI. For the limited ENI group, the minimum doses for LNS 5, 6 lower parts of 3A and 3P (not included in the elective area) did not differ significantly from doses given to respective LNS for extended ENI group. When the V40 values for extended and limited ENI were compared, no significant differences were seen for any LNS, except for group 1/2R, 1/2L. Conclusions. Incidental irradiation of untreated LNS seems play a part in case of limited ENI, but not in cases without ENI. For subclinical disease the delineation of uninvolved LNS 5, 6, and lower parts of 3A, 3P may be not necessary, because these stations receive the substantial part of irradiation incidentally, if LNS 4R, 4L, 7, and ipsilateral hilum are included in the elective area while this is not case for stations 1 and 2

[en] Purpose: To evaluate the dose-response relationship for a wide range of doses lower than 50 Gy delivered to the hilar and mediastinal lymph node stations from incidental irradiation in 220 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy. The endpoint was isolated nodal recurrence (INR) in stations that were initially negative. Methods and Materials: The individual responses of 2596 nodal stations were analyzed. Different fractionation schedules were used in different patients. Total prescribed tumor doses ranged from 52 Gy to 74 Gy given over 16-56 days. There were 1198 nodal stations (46%) within and 1398 stations beyond the elective nodal irradiation (ENI) volumes. The INR incidence was estimated for six dose levels ranging from 5 ± 5 Gy to ≥56 Gy. Results: There were a total of 25 INRs in 17 patients (8%). The incidence of INR within the electively treated volumes was 0.58%, compared with 1.28% in nodal stations beyond the ENI. Almost 80% of the INRs occurred during 10 months of follow-up. A strong dose-response relationship was seen for the lower 'incidental' doses, most of which were less than 50 Gy. As the dose increased from 5 ± 5 Gy to 40 ± 5 Gy, the rate of freedom from INR increased from 12% to 76% (p = 0.005). Conclusions: There is evidence of a dose-response relationship between a reduction in the rate of INR and doses lower than 50 Gy. This suggests that incidental irradiation can eradicate at least some subclinical metastases in regional lymph nodes.

[en] Short-course radiotherapy (25 Gy in five fractions) was recently shown in a randomized phase III trial to be non-inferior to 40 Gy in 15 fractions in elderly and/or frail patients with glioblastoma multiforme. This study compared the cost-effectiveness of the two regimens.

[en] Purpose: Elective nodal irradiation (ENI) is not recommended in PET–CT-based radiotherapy for NSCLC despite a low level of evidence to support such guidelines. The aim of this investigation is to find out whether omitting ENI is safe. Materials and methods: Sixty-seven patients treated within a frame of a previously published prospective trial of the value of PET–CT were included in the analysis. Seventeen (25%) patients received ENI due to higher initial nodal involvement and in the remaining 50 patients (75%) with N0-N1 or single N2 disease ENI was omitted. Isolated nodal failure (INF) was recorded if relapse occurred in the initially uninvolved regional lymph node without previous or simultaneous local recurrence regardless of the status of distant metastases. Results: With a median follow-up of 32 months, the estimated 3-year overall survival was 42%, local progression-free interval was 55%, and distant metastases-free interval was 62%. Three patients developed INF; all had ENI omitted from treatment, giving a final result of three INFs in 50 (6%) patients treated without ENI. In this group of patients, the 3-year cause-specific cumulative incidence of INF was 6.4% (95% confidence interval: 0–17%). Conclusions: The omission of ENI appears to be not as safe as suggested by current recommendations.