Radiat Oncol
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Lymph node status is one prognostic factor in head and neck cancer. The purpose of this study is to investigate the prognostic value of lymph node ratio (LNR) in head and neck cancer patients who received surgery plus postoperative chemoradiotherapy. ⋯ LNR is an important prognosis factor for OS and LFFS in head and neck cancer patients.
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The advent of IMRT and image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) in combination with involved-field radiotherapy (IF-RT) in inoperable non-small-cell lung cancer results in a decreased incidental dose deposition in elective nodal stations. While incidental nodal irradiation is considered a relevant by-product of 3D-CRT to control microscopic disease this planning study analyzed the impact of IMRT on dosimetric parameters and tumor control probabilities (TCP) in elective nodal stations in direct comparison with 3D-CRT. ⋯ In comparison with 3D-CRT, IMRT comes along with a decreased EUD in out-of-field lymph node stations. This translates into a statistically significant decrease in TCP-values. Yet, the combination of IF-RT and IMRT leads to a significantly better sparing of normal tissues and higher total doses whereas the potential therapeutic drawback of decreased incidental irradiation of elective lymph nodes is moderate.
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Elderly patients become more important in oncology. In this group, personalized treatment approaches taking into account survival prognoses and comorbidities play a major role. Predictive instruments are necessary to estimate the survival of elderly cancer patients. The importance of separate instruments for different tumor entities has been recognized. In this study, an instrument was generated to estimate the survival of elderly patients developing metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC) from breast cancer. ⋯ This new instrument contributes to personalized treatment in elderly patients with MSCC from breast cancer by predicting an individual patient's survival prognosis.
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A time factor of radiooncological treatment has been demonstrated for several tumours, most prominently for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and lung cancer. In glioblastoma multiforme studies of the impact of postoperative waiting times before initiation of radio- or radiochemotherapy were inconclusive. Moreover analysis of the impact of overall treatment time of radiochemotherapy as well as overall duration of local treatment from surgery to the end of radiochemotherapy is lacking to date. ⋯ Our data do not indicate a relevant time factor in the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme in a large contemporary single-centre cohort. Although this study was limited by its retrospective nature, its results indicate that short delays of postoperative radiochemotherapy, e.g. for screening of a patient for a clinical trial, may be uncritical.
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There is growing recognition for the consequences of rectal cancer treatment to maintain an adequate functional sphincter in the long-term rather than preserving the anal sphincter itself. This study aims to evaluate long-term effects of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) followed by sphincter-preserving resection on anal sphincter function in relation to quality of life (QoL) among locally advanced rectal cancer patients. ⋯ The high risk of developing functional anal impairment as well as the systematic registration of not only oncological but also functional and QoL related outcomes seem important in rectal cancer patients in the long-term disease follow-up.