Alcohol consumption is a major risk factor for esophageal cancer. In Asia, heavy drinkers are considered to have a higher risk of esophageal cancer than nondrinkers and light drinkers. However, no ...study has shown an association between alcohol reduction and the morbidity of esophageal cancer in Asian heavy drinkers. Therefore, this study investigated the significance of reducing alcohol consumption to prevent esophageal cancer in Asian heavy drinkers by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis. The MEDLINE (PubMed) and ICHUSHI (Japana Centra Revuo Medicina) databases were searched from January 1995 to December 2020. The hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a random-effects model.
I
2
statistics were used to detect heterogeneity. This study included 21 articles in the qualitative synthesis. Light drinkers and heavy drinkers were categorized based on alcohol consumption amount as ≤ 25 ethanol g/day and ≥ 66 ethanol g/day, respectively, as described in many previous studies, and five cohort studies were eligible for this meta-analysis. The HR of esophageal cancer among heavy drinkers versus nondrinkers was 4.18 (95% CI 2.34–7.47,
I
2
= 74%). On the other hand, the HR of esophageal cancer among light drinkers was 1.82 compared with nondrinkers (95% CI 1.57–2.10,
I
2
= 0%). Heavy drinkers have a higher esophageal cancer incidence than light drinkers and nondrinker. It is possible that alcohol reduction may decrease the risk of esophageal cancer in Asian heavy drinkers.
Background/Aim: To evaluate treatment outcomes of carbon-ion radiotherapy for oropharyngeal non-squamous cell carcinoma at four carbon-ion facilities in Japan. Patients and Methods: We ...retrospectively analyzed the cases of 33 patients with oropharyngeal non-squamous cell carcinoma who were treated with carbon-ion radiotherapy between November 2003 and December 2014. Results: The histology included adenoid cystic carcinoma (n=25) and mucosal malignant melanoma (n=4). No patients had T1 tumors; 23 had T4 tumors. The most-commonly prescribed dose was 57.6 Gy (RBE) in 16 fractions. The median follow-up period was 34.8 months (range=4.2-122.8 months). The 3-year local control and overall survival rates were 94.7% and 90.7%, respectively. There were no grade ≥4 acute adverse events. Only one patient experienced a grade ≥4 late adverse event. No patients experienced late adverse events related to swallowing or salivary function. Conclusion: Carbon-ion radiotherapy appears to be a promising treatment option for oropharyngeal non-squamous cell carcinoma.
There are no studies on the risk factors of radiation pneumonitis (RP) after carbon-ion radiotherapy at a dose of 50 Gy (relative biological effectiveness (RBE)) in a single fraction. The objective ...of this study was to identify factors associated with RP after radiotherapy, including dose–volume parameters. Ninety-eight patients without a history of thoracic radiotherapy who underwent treatment for solitary lung tumors between July 2013 and April 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. Treatment was planned using Xio-N. The median follow-up duration was 53 months, and the median clinical target volume was 32.3 mL. Three patients developed grade 2 RP, and one patient developed grade 3 interstitial pneumonitis. None of the patients developed grade 4 or 5 RP. The dose-volume parameters of the normal lung irradiated at least with 5–30 Gy (RBE), and the mean lung dose was significantly lower in patients with grade 0–1 RP than in those with grade 2–3 RP. Pretreatment with higher SP-D and interstitial pneumonitis were significant factors for the occurrence of symptomatic RP. The present study showed a certain standard for single-fraction carbon-ion radiotherapy that does not increase the risk of RP; however, further validation studies are needed.
We examined seasonal variations in offshore and longshore sediment transport along the Shimizu coast, Suruga Bay, Central Japan, facing the Pacific Ocean, and considered the relationship between ...these variations and coastal erosion, based on coastal topographic data and detailed bathymetric data acquired by narrow multi-beam echo soundings in 2004–2007 and analyses of material collected in 2004–2005, combined with wave data in the nearshore zone.
Sediment transport in the study area is divided into two seasonal modes. In winter–spring, a period dominated by the winter monsoon, littoral drift is recognized but offshore-directed sediment transport is minimal. Sediment is deposited around coastal structures during this period; consequently, tombolos are formed from gravelly deposits and offshore banks which represent the bulges of the seafloor (in water depths of 3–7
m) are formed seaward of the structures due to the deposition of sandy sediment. In summer–autumn, when typhoons commonly strike the coast, we observe pronounced longshore and offshore sediment transport. Consequently, the deposits that form tombolos and offshore banks are intensely eroded. The bulk of the eroded sediments are transported into the submarine canyons in the case that a canyon is located close to the coastline and the shelf is narrow. As a result of this transport, sand ridges and depressions are formed from sandy and gravelly deposits, respectively. The amount of erosion (−
34,000
m
3) from the seafloor where most of the active transport occurred in the study area during summer–autumn approximately corresponds to the amount of nourishment (35,000
m
3) recorded throughout the entire study area, corresponding to about 50% of the amount of the sediment carried by longshore transport (70,000
m
3/year). Long-period deep-water waves and high incident waves generated by typhoons during summer–autumn are essential in transporting sediment from the coast to offshore areas; the winter monsoon makes only a minor contribution in this regard. The amount of sediment outflow generated by high-energy waves appears to increase with the accumulation of sediment around offshore breakwaters built in regions with a narrow shelf. Research on offshore-directed sediment transport, as in this study, is important for managing and preserving the nearshore environment (e.g., to examine the budget between supply and outflow), as deposits that flow out into the deep ocean never return to the beach.
Cancer treatment requires a multidisciplinary approach. Therefore, multidisciplinary team meetings (MDTMs) have been widely used to determine the direction of treatment. However, no standard ...provisions exist for conducting MDTMs, and recommendations discussed in MDTMs are sometimes not implemented. This study analyzed the indications for radiotherapy discussed and recommended at MDTMs, identified the rate of radiotherapy recommendations for patients that were not implemented, and clarified the reasons at a single academic center in Japan.
This was a cross-sectional study that analyzed the minutes and electronic medical records of cases discussed at MDTMs held between April 2012-March 2017 at Yamagata University Hospital. We categorized how radiotherapy was initially presented at MDTMs, determined the rate of radiotherapy recommendations made through MDTMs, analyzed whether treatment recommendations were subsequently implemented, and examined the causes of non-implementation. We performed a statistical analysis to assess some clinical factors (sex, age, number of multidisciplinary team meetings, and classification of planned treatment) associated with the non-implementation of radiotherapy recommendations from MDTMs.
A total of 1813 cases were discussed at MDTMs, of which 71% (1293 cases) were presented with treatment plans, including radiotherapy. Further, 66% (1205 cases) were recommended for radiotherapy through the MDTMs. Recommendations from MDTMs were not implemented in 7% (142 cases). The most typical reason for non-implementation was the clinician's opinion (30%), followed by patient preferences (27%) and disease progression (20%). Change in cancer stage and improvement in symptoms were 12% and 4%, respectively. These ratios were similar each year. We could not find the factors associated with the non-implementation of radiotherapy recommendations from MDTMs.
MDTMs had a significant effect on the recommendation of radiotherapy for each patient with a tumor. The primary reason for the non-implementation of decisions made at MDTMs was the opinion of clinicians and the patient's preference. These results were similar to previous studies. We need to establish a monitoring system where patients themselves can decide the treatments based on their choices while using the recommendations from MDTMs.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Head and neck (HN) adenocarcinoma is rare, and to date, there have been no reports of prospective studies. We retrospectively evaluated the efficacy and safety of carbon-ion radiation therapy (C-ion ...RT) for HN adenocarcinoma in institutions in Japan.
HN adenocarcinoma patients with N0M0 or N1M0 disease who were treated with C-ion RT at institutions in Japan between November 2003 and December 2014 were analyzed retrospectively. We enrolled 47 patients (30 male and 17 female patients; median age, 60 years) with HN adenocarcinoma.
Primary sites included the nasal and paranasal sinus in 21 patients, orbit in 11, salivary grand in 7, oral cavity and pharynx in 6, and acoustic organ in 2. Thirty-two patients had T4 tumors, 6 had T3, and 6 had T2. Forty-five patients received a diagnosis of N0 disease, whereas 2 had N1 disease. The median total dose of C-ion RT and the number of fractions were 64.0 Gy (relative biological effectiveness) and 16 fractions, respectively. The median follow-up period was 51 months (range, 6-118 months). The 2- and 5-year overall survival rates were 87.9% and 60.4%, respectively, and the 2- and 5-year local control rates were 83.3% and 79.3%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that operability (patients with operable tumors) (P=.045) and fractionation (16 fractions) (P=.010) were significant independent prognostic factors for better overall survival. No grade 5 late morbidities were observed. Grade 4 late morbidities were observed in 4 patients, and all of these grade 4 morbidities were visual impairments. All 4 patients with grade 4 visual impairment had T4 tumors in the nasopharynx or paranasal sinuses, which implied inoperable tumors with orbital or brain invasion.
C-ion RT resulted in excellent local control. C-ion RT could become a curative treatment option for HN adenocarcinoma with acceptable toxicities.
Abstract Background and purpose The outcome of stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with conventional radiotherapy is inferior to that of patients treated surgically. We aimed ...to evaluate the clinical outcome of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in the treatment of stage I NSCLC. Materials and methods We performed SBRT for 31 stage I NSCLC patients. Of these, 20 were medically inoperable, and 11 refused surgery. Nineteen tumours were T1-stage masses, and 12 tumours were T2. Median tumour size was 25 mm. SBRT was administered as 45 Gy/3 fractions; however, when the tumour was close to an organ at risk, 60 Gy/8 fractions were used. These doses were prescribed at the centre of the tumours. Results The median duration of observation for all patients was 32 months (range, 4–87 months). In 9 of the 31 cases, local recurrence was observed. The 3-year local control rates of T1 and T2 tumours were 77.9% and 40.0%, respectively. The 3-year overall and cause-specific survival rates were 71.7% and 83.5%, respectively. Although the symptoms improved with medical treatment, 5 patients developed acute pulmonary toxicity ⩾grade 2. Conclusions SBRT is safe and effective for stage I NSCLC patients. However, a more intensive treatment regimen should be considered for T2 tumours.
•Carbon-ion re-irradiation for pancreatic cancer; feasibility and efficacy.•Adjuvant chemotherapy improve local control of re-irradiation using carbon ions.•Carbon-ion radiotherapy for recurrent ...pancreatic cancer; reasonable option.
Patients who receive carbon-ion radiotherapy (C-ion RT) for primary pancreatic cancer may experience locoregional recurrence; however, the treatment options for such patients are limited. We aimed to investigate the feasibility and efficacy of carbon-ion re-irradiation for patients with pancreatic cancer who experienced recurrence after initial C-ion RT.
Twenty-one patients with recurrent pancreatic cancer who underwent repeat C-ion RT between December 2010 and November 2016 at our institute were retrospectively evaluated. The sites of post-initial C-ion RT failure were in-field central in 16 patients (76.2%) and marginal in 5 (23.8%). The median doses of initial and repeat C-ion RT were both 52.8 Gy (relative biological effectiveness RBE). Thirteen patients (61.9%) received concurrent chemotherapy with re-irradiation, while 11 (52.4%) received adjuvant chemotherapy.
The median follow-up period after re-irradiation was 11 months. The 1-year local control, progression-free survival, and overall survival rates were 53.5%, 24.5%, and 48.7%, respectively. Toxicity data was obtained from the patients’ charts. Only 1 patient (4.8%) developed grade 3 acute toxicities and none developed grade ≥3 late toxicities. Univariate analysis indicated that patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy had significantly improved local control rates compared with those who did not; the 1-year local control rates were 80.0% and 0.0%, respectively (P = 0.0469).
Repeating C-ion RT may be a reasonable option with tolerable toxicity for patients with recurrent pancreatic cancers. Adjuvant chemotherapy appears to improve the local control rate. This is the first study to examine re-irradiation using C-ion for recurrent pancreatic cancer after initial C-ion RT.
Small cell carcinoma of the bladder is extremely rare, accounting for <1% of all malignant tumours in the urinary tract. Thus, no standard therapy modality for this malignancy has been established. ...This study aimed to retrospectively analyse the clinical outcomes associated with definitive radiotherapy for small cell carcinoma of the bladder. A questionnaire-based survey of patients with pathologically proven small cell carcinoma of the bladder treated with definitive radiation therapy between 1990 and 2010 was conducted by the Japanese Radiation Oncology Study Group. The clinical records of 12 eligible patients were collected from nine institutions. The median age of the patients was 70.5 years (range: 44-87 years), and the median follow-up period was 27.3 months (range: 3.3-117.8 months). The median prescribed dose was 60 Gy (range: 50.0-61.0 Gy), and a median of 2.0 Gy (range: 1.2-2.0 Gy) was administered per fraction. Systemic chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy was performed in eight cases (66.7%). The 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 50.0% and 33.3%, respectively. And the 3- and 5-year local control rates were 66.7% and 55.6%, respectively. Chemotherapy significantly improved overall survival and relapse-free survival (P = 0.006 and 0.001, respectively). No serious adverse events occurred in the observation period. All patients who achieved local control maintained functional bladders. In conclusion, radiotherapy is a potential local treatment option and has an important role in maintaining quality of life. Systemic chemotherapy combined with local radiotherapy seems to be effective in improving survival.
Background
Although esophagectomy is the standard treatment for resectable esophageal cancer, chemoradiotherapy or radiotherapy alone is also selected for some cases. However, there have been very ...few detailed studies conducted on a large scale on the efficacy of these treatments in Japan.
Methods
Of the patients enrolled in the Comprehensive Registry of Esophageal Cancer in Japan by the Japan Esophageal Society for the 2015–2017 surveys (patients treated between 2009 and 2011), the data of 388 patients treated by definitive radiotherapy alone (RTx) and 1964 patients treated by definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRTx) were analyzed.
Results
The median age of the patients was 78 years in the RTx group and 69 years in the CRTx group; thus, the proportion of elderly patients was significantly higher in the RTx group than in the CRTx group (
p
< 0.0001). With regard to the rates of treatment by the two modalities according to the depth of invasion, extent of lymph node metastasis, and disease stage, the treatment rate by CRTx increased more significantly than that by RTx as the disease progressed (
p
< 0.0001). With regard to the distribution of the total irradiation dose, 11.4% and 2.3% of patients in the RTx and CRTx groups, respectively, received a dose of 67 Gy or more; thus, the RTx group received significantly higher total irradiation doses (
p
< 0.0001). In the RTx group, the 5-year overall survival rate was 23.2%, and the rates in patients with cStage 0–I, II, III, and IV disease were 41.8%,18.5%, 9.3%, and 13.9%, respectively. In the patients of the RTx group showing complete response (CR), the 5-year overall survival rate was 46.6% and the rates in patients with cStage 0–I, II, III, and IV disease were 54.8%, 39.6%, 32.4%, and 38.9%, respectively. In the CRTx group, the 5-year overall survival rate was 30.6% and the rates in patients with cStage 0–I, II, III, and IV disease were 57.8%, 47.8%, 23.4%, and 13.0%, respectively. In the patients of the CRTx group showing CR, the 5-year overall survival rate was 59.2% and the rates in patients with cStage 0–I, II, III, and IV disease were 67.9%, 59.5%, 56.5%, and 39.6%, respectively.
Conclusion
This study revealed the current status of treatment of esophageal cancer in Japan, and we think that we have been able to establish the grounds for explaining to patients with esophageal cancer and their families the treatment decisions made for them in daily clinical practice.