To build a framework for investigation of the associations between imaging, clinical target volumes (CTVs), and metabolic tumor volumes (MTVs) features for better understanding of the underlying ...information in the CTVs and dependencies between these volumes. High-throughput extraction of imaging and metabolomic quantitative features from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) results in tens of variables per patient. In radiation therapy of GBM the relevant metabolic tumor volumes (MTVs) are related to aberrant levels of N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) and choline (Cho). The corresponding clinical target volumes (CTVs) for radiation therapy are based on contrast-enhanced T1-weighted (CE-T1w) and T2-weighted (T2w)/fluid-attenuated inversion recovery MRI.
Necrotic portions, enhancing lesion, and edema were manually contoured on CE-T1w/T2w images for 17 GBM patients. Clinical target volumes and MTVs for NAA (MTV
) and Cho (MTV
) were constructed. Imaging and metabolic features related to size, shape, and signal intensities of the volumes were extracted. Tumors were also scored categorically for 10 semantic imaging traits by a neuroradiologist. All features were investigated for redundancy. Two-way correlations between imaging and CTVs/MTVs features were visualized as heatmaps. Associations between MTV
and MTV
and imaging features were studied using Spearman correlation.
Forty-eight imaging features were extracted per patient. Half of the imaging traits were replaced with automatically extracted continuous variables. Twenty features were extracted from CTVs and MTVs. A series of semantic imaging traits were replaced with automatically extracted continuous variables. There were multiple (22) significant correlations of imaging measures with CTVs/MTV
, whereas there were only 6 with CTVs/MTV
.
A framework for investigation of codependencies between MRI and magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging radiomic features and CTVs/MTVs has been established. The MTV for NAA was found to be closely associated with MRI volumes, whereas very few imaging features were related to MTV
, indicating that Cho provides additional information to imaging.
To update the incidence of late toxicity of RTOG 9406, a three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) dose escalation trial for prostate cancer.
A total of 1,084 men were registered to this ...Phase I/II trial of 3DCRT (eligible patients, 1,055). The dose for level I was 68.4 Gy; 73.8 Gy for level II; 79.2 Gy for level III; 74 Gy for level IV; and 78 Gy for level V. Patients in levels I to III received 1.8 Gy/fraction, and those in levels IV to V received 2.0 Gy/fraction. Disease group I patients were treated at the prostate only, group 2 patients were treated at the prostate and at the seminal vesicles with a prostate boost, and group 3 patients were treated at the prostate and seminal vesicles. The median follow-up period for surviving patients was 6.1 y (level V) to 12.1 y (level I).
The incidence rates of RTOG grade 3 or less gastrointestinal or genitourinary toxicity were 3%, 4%, 6%, 7%, and 9% in group 1 and 6%, 2%, 6%, 9%, and 12% in group 2 at dose levels of I, II, III, IV, and V, respectively. In group 1, level V patients had a higher probability of grade 2 late or greater gastrointestinal or genitourinary toxicity than those in levels I, II, and III (hazard ratio HR = 1.93, p = 0.0101; HR = 2.29, p = 0.0007; HR = 2.52, p = 0.0002, respectively). In group 2, dose level V patients had a higher probability of grade 2 or greater late gastrointestinal or genitourinary toxicity than those in dose levels II, III, and IV (HR = 2.61, p = 0.0002; HR = 2.22, p = 0.0051; HR = 1.60, p = 0.0276, respectively).
Tolerance to high-dose 3DCRT remains excellent. There is significantly more grade 2 or greater toxicity with a dose of 78 Gy at 2 Gy/fraction than with 68.4 Gy to 79.2 Gy at 1.8 Gy/fraction and with 74 Gy at 2 Gy/fraction.
A randomized phase 3 trial of the treatment of squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck compared induction chemotherapy with docetaxel plus cisplatin and fluorouracil (TPF) with cisplatin and ...fluorouracil (PF), followed by chemoradiotherapy.
We randomly assigned 501 patients (all of whom had stage III or IV disease with no distant metastases and tumors considered to be unresectable or were candidates for organ preservation) to receive either TPF or PF induction chemotherapy, followed by chemoradiotherapy with weekly carboplatin therapy and radiotherapy for 5 days per week. The primary end point was overall survival.
With a minimum of 2 years of follow-up (> or =3 years for 69% of patients), significantly more patients survived in the TPF group than in the PF group (hazard ratio for death, 0.70; P=0.006). Estimates of overall survival at 3 years were 62% in the TPF group and 48% in the PF group; the median overall survival was 71 months and 30 months, respectively (P=0.006). There was better locoregional control in the TPF group than in the PF group (P=0.04), but the incidence of distant metastases in the two groups did not differ significantly (P=0.14). Rates of neutropenia and febrile neutropenia were higher in the TPF group; chemotherapy was more frequently delayed because of hematologic adverse events in the PF group.
Patients with squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck who received docetaxel plus cisplatin and fluorouracil induction chemotherapy plus chemoradiotherapy had a significantly longer survival than did patients who received cisplatin and fluorouracil induction chemotherapy plus chemoradiotherapy. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00273546 ClinicalTrials.gov.).
From 1990 to 1994, patients with newly diagnosed malignant gliomas were enrolled and randomized between hyperfractionated radiation (HFX) of 72.0 Gy in 60 fractions given twice daily and 60.0 Gy in ...30 fractions given once daily. All patients received 80 mg/m
2
of 1,3 bis(2 chloroethyl)-1 nitrosourea on days 1–3 q8 weeks for 1 year. Patients were stratified by age, KPS, and histology. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS), with secondary endpoints including progression-free survival (PFS) and toxicity. Out of the 712 patients accrued, 694 (97.5%) were analyzable cases (350 HFX, 344 standard arm). There was no significant difference between the arms on overall acute or late treatment-related toxicity. No statistically significant effect for HFX, as compared to standard therapy, was found on either OS, with a median survival time (MST) of 11.3 versus 13.1 months (p = 0.20) or PFS, with a median PFS time of 5.7 versus 6.9 months (p = 0.18). The treatment effect on OS remained insignificant based on the multivariate analysis (hazard ratio 1.16; p = 0.0682). When OS was analyzed by histology subgroup there was also no significant difference between the two arms for patients with glioblastoma multiforme (MST: 10.3 vs. 11.2 months; p = 0.34), anaplastic astrocytoma (MST: 69.8 vs. 50.0 months; p = 0.91) or anaplastic oligodendroglioma (MST: 92.1 vs. 66.5 months; p = 0.33). Though this trial provided many invaluable secondary analyses, there was no trend or indication of a benefit to HFX radiation to 72.0 Gy in any subset of malignant glioma patients.
Comprehensive information on clinical features and long‐term outcomes of primary conjunctival extranodal marginal zone lymphoma (PCEMZL) is scarce. We present a large single‐institution retrospective ...study of 72 patients. The median age was 64 years, and 63.9% were female. Stage I was present in 87.5%. Radiation therapy (RT) alone was the most common treatment (70.8%). Complete response (CR) was 87.5%, and 100% in RT‐treated patients. With a median follow‐up of 6.7 years, relapse/progression and death occurred in 19.4% each, with one relapse within the RT field. The 10‐year progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 68.4% (95% CI 52.8%–79.8%) and 89.4% (95% CI 77.4%–95.2%), respectively. The 10‐year rate for time to progression from diagnosis was 22.5% (95% CI 11.6%–35.7%). The 10‐year PFS and OS of MALT‐IPI 0 versus 1–2 were 83.3% versus 51.3%, (p = .022) and 97.6% versus 76.6%, (p = .0052), respectively. The following characteristics were associated with shorter survival: age > 60 years (PFS: HR = 2.93, 95% CI 1.08–7.95; p = .035, OS: HR = 9.07, 95% CI 1.17–70.26; p = .035) and MALT‐IPI 1–2 (PFS: HR = 2.67, 95% CI 1.12–6.31; p = .027, OS: HR = 6.64, 95% CI 1.45–30.37; p = .015). CR following frontline therapy was associated with longer PFS (HR = 0.13, 95% CI 0.04–0.45; p = .001), but not OS. Using the Fine and Gray regression model with death without relapse/progression as a competing risk, RT and CR after frontline therapy were associated with lower risk of relapse (SHR = 0.34, 95% CI 0.12–0.96 p = .041 and SHR = 0.11, 95% CI 0.03–0.36; p < .001, respectively). Patients with PCEMZL treated with frontline RT exhibit excellent long‐term survival, and the MALT‐IPI score appropriately identifies patients at risk for treatment failure.
Long‐term outcomes of patients with conjunctival extranodal marginal zone lymphoma. Left: Photograph showing clinical presentation of primary conjunctival extranodal marginal zone lymphoma (EMZL) with salmon patch lesion in the bulbar conjunctiva. Right: Kaplan‐Meier progression‐free and overall survival curves of patients with conjunctival EMZL.
Dural lymphoma (DL) is a rare type of primary CNS lymphoma arising from the dura mater. The optimal treatment is uncertain. A retrospective review was performed on 26 DL patients. Seventeen patients ...underwent resection and nine had a biopsy. Twenty three patients could be assessed for a response to treatment after surgery. Thirteen received focal radiotherapy (RT), six whole brain RT (WBRT), three chemotherapy alone and one chemotherapy followed by WBRT. Twenty two achieved complete response (CR) and one a partial response (PR). Four patients relapsed (two local and two systemic). Median follow up was 64 months, with median progression free survival (PFS) and OS not reached. Three year PFS was 89% (95% CI 0.64-0.97). All patients are alive at last follow-up, demonstrating that DL is an indolent tumor with long survival. CR is achievable with focal therapy in the majority of cases, but there is a risk for relapses and long-term follow-up is recommended.
Primary vitreoretinal lymphoma (PVRL) is a subset of primary CNS lymphoma that presents as isolated ocular disease without brain involvement. Although ocular radiotherapy (RT) is an effective ...treatment for PVRL, the optimal treatment is uncertain. PVRL may later involve the brain in 56%‐85% of patients. We report on 12 PVRL patients treated with a combination of bilateral RT and a systemic chemotherapy (CT) regimen containing high‐dose methotrexate (M). Ten received RT (30‐40 Gy) followed by CT, one received RT, and one was treated with intravitreal M; all achieved a complete response (CR). Three patients had tumor recurrence in the brain and received CT and one patient relapsed in the eye with a second recurrence in the brain. Three patients achieved CR‐2 remain alive and one died of dementia. One died from recurrent CNS disease. With a median follow of 68 months (range, 17‐154 months), median progression‐free and overall survival have not been reached. Bilateral RT followed by M‐based CT is an effective treatment for reducing CNS progression and prolonging survival.
Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and computed tomography (CT) are used almost exclusively in radiation therapy planning of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), despite their well-recognized limitations. MR ...spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) can identify biochemical patterns associated with normal brain and tumor, predominantly by observation of choline (Cho) and N-acetylaspartate (NAA) distributions. In this study, volumetric 3-dimensional MRSI was used to map these compounds over a wide region of the brain and to evaluate metabolite-defined treatment targets (metabolic tumor volumes MTV).
Volumetric MRSI with effective voxel size of ∼1.0 mL and standard clinical MR images were obtained from 19 GBM patients. Gross tumor volumes and edema were manually outlined, and clinical target volumes (CTVs) receiving 46 and 60 Gy were defined (CTV46 and CTV60, respectively). MTVCho and MTVNAA were constructed based on volumes with high Cho and low NAA relative to values estimated from normal-appearing tissue.
The MRSI coverage of the brain was between 70% and 76%. The MTVNAA were almost entirely contained within the edema, and the correlation between the 2 volumes was significant (r=0.68, P=.001). In contrast, a considerable fraction of MTVCho was outside of the edema (median, 33%) and for some patients it was also outside of the CTV46 and CTV60. These untreated volumes were greater than 10% for 7 patients (37%) in the study, and on average more than one-third (34.3%) of the MTVCho for these patients were outside of CTV60.
This study demonstrates the potential usefulness of whole-brain MRSI for radiation therapy planning of GBM and revealed that areas of metabolically active tumor are not covered by standard RT volumes. The described integration of MTV into the RT system will pave the way to future clinical trials investigating outcomes in patients treated based on metabolic information.
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