Acta oncologica
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Admittance to specialized palliative care (SPC) has been discussed in the literature, but previous studies examined exclusively those admitted, not those with an assessed need for SPC but not admitted. The aim was to investigate whether admittance to SPC for referred adult patients with cancer was related to sex, age, diagnosis, geographic region or referral unit. ⋯ In this first nationwide study of admittance to SPC among patients with a SPC need, we found difference in admittance according to age, diagnosis and region. This indicates that prioritization of the limited resources means that certain subgroups with a documented need have reduced likelihood of admission to SPC.
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Craniospinal irradiation (CSI) is the standard radiation therapy treatment for medulloblastoma. Conventional CSI photon therapy (Photon-CSI) delivers significant dose to surrounding normal tissue (NT). Research into pediatric CSI with proton therapy (Proton-CSI) has increased, with the aim of exploiting the potential to reduce NT dose and associated post-treatment complications. This review aims to compare treatment outcomes of pediatric medulloblastoma patients between Proton- and Photon-CSI treatments. ⋯ Proton-CSI conferred better treatment outcomes than Photon-CSI for pediatric medulloblastoma patients. This review serves to compare the current literature in the absence of long-term data from prospective studies.
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Comparative Study
Risk of major cardiac events following adjuvant proton versus photon radiation therapy for patients with thymic malignancies.
While often managed with surgery alone, patients with thymic malignancies with high-risk features may benefit from adjuvant radiation therapy but are at risk for late toxicities. Previously, the risk of major cardiac events (MCEs) was reported to increase by 7% per one Gray (Gy) to the heart. In this study, we compare dose to organs at risk (OARs) with intensity-modulated (IMRT) versus proton beam therapy (PBT). We hypothesize a decrease risk of predicted MCEs with PBT. ⋯ DS-PBT results in decreased dose to OARs and may reduce the risk of MCEs compared with IMRT. Long-term follow-up is required to assess for clinical benefit from DS-PBT.
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The purpose was to evaluate safety and efficacy of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) following extra-pleural pneumonectomy (EPP) for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). ⋯ IMRT following EPP achieved excellent local control for MPM, that might lead to the long-term survival in selected patients. However, treatment burden including acute and late toxicities should be considered in this treatment approach.
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Comparative Study
Associations between volume changes and spatial dose metrics for the urinary bladder during local versus pelvic irradiation for prostate cancer.
Inter-fractional variation in urinary bladder volumes during the course of radiotherapy (RT) for prostate cancer causes deviations between planned and delivered doses. This study compared planned versus daily cone-beam CT (CBCT)-based spatial bladder dose distributions, for prostate cancer patients receiving local prostate treatment (local treatment) versus prostate including pelvic lymph node irradiation (pelvic treatment). ⋯ Substantial bladder volume changes during the treatment course occurred even though patients were treated under a full bladder/daily image-guided protocol. Larger bladder volumes resulted in less bladder wall spared at the posterior-inferior sector, regardless the treatment received. Contrary, larger bladder volumes meant larger delivered doses to the superior bladder sector for pelvic RT but smaller doses for local treatments.