Clinical oncology : a journal of the Royal College of Radiologists
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Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol) · Mar 2006
Mathematical modelling of survival of glioblastoma patients suggests a role for radiotherapy dose escalation and predicts poorer outcome after delay to start treatment.
The outcome of patients with glioblastoma (GBM) remains extremely poor. We have developed a mathematical model, using pathological and radiation biology concepts, to assess the detrimental effect of delay to start radiotherapy, the possible benefit from dose escalation, and to extract biological data from clinical data. ⋯ Using the model, we have extracted biological information from clinical data. The model could be used to assess the potential benefit, or lack of benefit, from a proposed radiotherapy trial, and to estimate the necessary size. It shows that a single modality is unlikely to achieve a major improvement in long-term survival, although radiotherapy dose escalation should have a role, provided it can be given safely. The model could be extended to include chemotherapy, bio-reductive drugs, or gene therapy.
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Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol) · Mar 2006
Letter Case ReportsBreast cancer in pregnancy: are taxanes safe?
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Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol) · Feb 2006
Results of external-beam radiotherapy alone in invasive cancer of the uterine cervix: a retrospective analysis.
In this retrospective audit, we describe the results of external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) alone in patients with invasive cancer of the cervix treated at our centre. ⋯ Overall outcome of patients in whom ICRT was not given remains less than satisfactory. Response to EBRT emerged as the most important factor to predict all clinical outcomes. To improve upon the dismal results of EBRT alone, we will have to decrease the OTT and consider concurrent chemo-radiation with cisplatin.
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Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol) · Feb 2006
Perioperative allogeneic blood transfusion, the related cytokine response and long-term survival after potentially curative resection of colorectal cancer.
It is still debated whether perioperative blood transfusion alters the incidence of disease recurrence or otherwise affects the prognosis after curative resection of malignant tumours. We conducted a prospective observational study of patients with colorectal cancer to provide data on the effect of blood transfusion and the related perioperative cytokine response on long-term prognosis. ⋯ Blood transfusion and intense surgical stress might synergistically affect the long-term prognosis after curative resection of colorectal cancer. Postoperative exaggerated systemic inductions of IL-6 may indicate the critical situation that could lead to disease recurrence.
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Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol) · Dec 2005
The use of lung dose-volume histograms in predicting post-radiation pneumonitis after non-conventionally fractionated radiotherapy for thoracic carcinoma.
To assess the use of lung dose-volume histogram (DVH) parameters (specifically V20Gy) in the prediction of radiation pneumonitis for non-conventional fraction sizes used in the treatment of lung cancer. ⋯ The 15% grade 2-5 pneumonitis rate we document is at the lower end of the spectrum reported in other studies. This suggests that using published data on limiting V20Gy values to reduce the risk of radiation pneumonitis can be extrapolated to planning treatment with non-conventionally fractionated radiotherapy.