Stereotactic body radiotherapy in pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Background:Stereotactic body radiotherapy(SBRT)in pancreatic cancer allows high delivery of radiation doses on tumors without affecting surrounding tissue.This review aimed at the SBRT application in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.Data sources:We retrieved articles published in MEDLINE/PubMed from January 2017 to December 2022.Keywords used in the search included:“pancreatic adenocarcinoma”OR“pancreatic cancer”AND“stereotactic ablative radiotherapy(SABR)”OR“stereotactic body radiotherapy(SBRT)”OR“chemoradiotherapy(CRT)”.English language articles with information on technical characteristics,doses and fractionation,indications,recurrence patterns,local control and toxicities of SBRT in pancreatic tumors were included.All articles were assessed for validity and relevant content.Results:Optimal doses and fractionation have not yet been defined.However,SBRT could be the standard treatment in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma in addition to CRT.Furthermore,the combination of SBRT with chemotherapy may have additive or synergic effect on pancreatic adenocarcinoma.Conclusions:SBRT is an effective modality for patients with pancreatic cancer,supported by clinical practice guidelines as it has demonstrated good tolerance and good disease control.SBRT opens a possibility of improving outcomes for these patients,both in neoadjuvant treatment and with radical intent.

Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound for essential tremor:a prospective,single center,single-arm study

The safety and effectiveness of magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound thalamotomy has been broadly established and validated for the treatment of essential tremor.In 2018,the first magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound system in Chinese mainland was installed at the First Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital.This prospective,single center,open-label,single-arm study was part of a worldwide prospective multicenter clinical trial(ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:NCT03253991)conducted to confirm the safety and efficacy of magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound for treating essential tremor in the local population.From 2019 to 2020,10 patients with medication refractory essential tremor were recruited into this open-label,single arm study.The treatment efficacy was determined using the Clinical Rating Scale for Tremor.Safety was evaluated according to the incidence and severity of adverse events.All of the subjects underwent a unilateral thalamotomy targeting the ventral intermediate nucleus.At the baseline assessment,the estimated marginal mean of the Clinical Rating Scale for Tremor total score was 58.3±3.6,and this improved after treatment to 23.1±6.4 at a 12-month follow-up assessment.A total of 50 adverse events were recorded,and 2 were defined as serious.The most common intraoperative adverse events were nausea and headache.The most frequent postoperative adverse events were paresthesia and equilibrium disorder.Most of the adverse events were mild and usually disappeared within a few days.Our findings suggest that magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound for the treatment of essential tremor is effective,with a good safety profile,for patients in Chinese mainland.

Uninvolved liver dose prediction in stereotactic body radiation therapy for liver cancer based on the neural network method

BACKGROUND The quality of a radiotherapy plan often depends on the knowledge and expertise of the plan designers.AIM To predict the uninvolved liver dose in stereotactic body radiotherapy(SBRT)for liver cancer using a neural network-based method.METHODS A total of 114 SBRT plans for liver cancer were used to test the neural network method.Sub-organs of the uninvolved liver were automatically generated.Correlations between the volume of each sub-organ,uninvolved liver dose,and neural network prediction model were established using MATLAB.Of the cases,70%were selected as the training set,15%as the validation set,and 15%as the test set.The regression R-value and mean square error(MSE)were used to evaluate the model.RESULTS The volume of the uninvolved liver was related to the volume of the corresponding sub-organs.For all sets of Rvalues of the prediction model,except for D_(n0)which was 0.7513,all R-values of D_(n10)-D_(n100)and D_(nmean)were>0.8.The MSE of the prediction model was also low.CONCLUSION We developed a neural network-based method to predict the uninvolved liver dose in SBRT for liver cancer.It is simple and easy to use and warrants further promotion and application.

Treatment for paraganglioma with stereotactic radiotherapy

BACKGROUND Paragangliomas(PG)are rare neoplasms of neuroendocrine origin that tend to be highly vascularized,slow-growing,and usually sporadic.To date,common treatment options are surgical resection(SR),with or without radiation therapy(RT),and a watch-and-wait approach.AIM To evaluate the local control and effectiveness of exclusive fractionated stereotactic RT(FSRT)treatment in unresectable PG(uPG).METHODS We retrospectively evaluated patients with uPG(medically inoperable or refused SR)treated with FSRT with a Cyberknife System(Accuray Incorporated,Sunnyvale,California).Toxicity and initial efficacy were evaluated.RESULTS From May 2009 to January 2023,6 patients with a median age of 68(range 20-84)were treated with FSRT.The median delivered dose was 21 Gy(range 20-30 Gy)at a median isodose line of 75.5%(range 70%-76%)in 4 fractions(range 3-5 fractions).The median volume was 13.6 mL(range 12.4-65.24 mL).The median cumulative biological effective dose and equivalent dose in 2-Gy fractions were 70 Gy and 37.10 Gy respectively.Site of origin involved were the timpa-nojugular glomus(4/6),temporal bone,and cervical spine.In 1 of the 6 patients,the follow-up was insufficient;5 of 6 patients showed a 5-year overall survival and 5-year progression-free survival of 100%.We observed negligible toxicities during and after RT.The majority of patients showed stable symptoms during follow-up.Only 1 patient developed spine metastases.CONCLUSION Our preliminary results on this small cohort of patients suggest that FSRT could be an effective and safe alternative to SR.

Unraveling the efficacy network: A network meta-analysis of adjuvant external beam radiation therapy methods after hepatectomy

BACKGROUND Primary liver cancer is a malignant tumor with a high recurrence rate that significantly affects patient prognosis.Postoperative adjuvant external radiation therapy(RT)has been shown to effectively prevent recurrence after liver cancer resection.However,there are multiple RT techniques available,and the differ-ential effects of these techniques in preventing postoperative liver cancer re-currence require further investigation.AIM To assess the advantages and disadvantages of various adjuvant external RT methods after liver resection based on overall survival(OS)and disease-free survival(DFS)and to determine the optimal strategy.METHODS This study involved network meta-analyses and followed the PRISMA guidelines.The data of qualified studies published before July 10,2023,were collected from PubMed,Embase,the Web of Science,and the Cochrane Library.We included relevant studies on postoperative external beam RT after liver resection that had OS and DFS as the primary endpoints.The magnitudes of the effects were determined using risk ratios with 95%confidential intervals.The results were analyzed using R software and STATA software.RESULTS A total of 12 studies,including 1265 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)after liver resection,were included in this study.There was no significant heterogeneity in the direct paired comparisons,and there were no significant differences in the inclusion or exclusion criteria,intervention measures,or outcome indicators,meeting the assumptions of heterogeneity and transitivity.OS analysis revealed that patients who underwent stereotactic body radiotherapy(SBRT)after resection had longer OS than those who underwent intensity modulated radiotherapy(IMRT)or 3-dimensional conformal RT(3D-CRT).DFS analysis revealed that patients who underwent 3D-CRT after resection had the longest DFS.Patients who underwent IMRT after resection had longer OS than those who underwent 3D-CRT and longer DFS than those who underwent SBRT.CONCLUSION HCC patients who undergo liver cancer resection must consider distinct advantages and disadvantages when choosing between SBRT and 3D-CRT.IMRT,a RT technique that is associated with longer OS than 3D-CRT and longer DFS than SBRT,may be a preferred option.

Research Progress in Brain Metastasis of Breast Cancer

The incidence rate of breast cancer is very high.Some patients were diagnosed as stage IV patients at the first diagnosis and had distant metastasis.Bone,lung and liver are the common metastatic sites of breast cancer.Although brain is the least common metastatic site of breast cancer,the incidence of brain metastasis in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients is increasing year by year.After brain metastasis,the disease develops rapidly,and because of the existence of blood cerebrospinal fluid barrier,it is difficult for drugs to reach the focus,and the curative effect is poor,leading to poor prognosis of patients with brain metastasis of breast cancer.Previous studies have also explored the clinical characteristics of brain metastases from breast cancer and the factors affecting prognosis.Different ages,races,histological grades,T stages,N stages,molecular subtypes,and pathological types are the main factors affecting the occurrence and prognosis of brain metastases from breast cancer.Studies on the characteristics,mechanisms,and treatment plans of brain metastases from breast cancer have also been reported at home and abroad.This article reviews the clinical characteristics,pathogenesis and treatment progress of brain metastases from breast cancer,aiming to provide some ideas and basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment and drug research of brain metastases from breast cancer.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy combined with sintilimab in patients with recurrent or oligometastatic hepatocellular carcinoma: A phase Ⅱ clinical trial

BACKGROUND Stereotactic body radiotherapy(SBRT)and programmed cell death 1 inhibitors have shown potential in treating hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)in retrospective studies.AIM To evaluate the efficacy of combining SBRT with sintilimab for patients with recurrent or oligometastatic HCC.METHODS This trial involved patients with recurrent or oligometastatic HCC intravenously treated with SBRT plus sintilimab every 3 wk for 12 mo or until disease progression.The primary endpoint was progression-free survival(PFS).RESULTS Twenty-five patients were enrolled from August 14,2019,to August 23,2021.The median treatment duration was 10.2(range,0.7-14.6)months.SBRT was delivered at a median dose of 54(range,48-60)Gy in 6(range,6-10)fractions.The median follow-up time was 21.9(range,10.3-39.7)mo,and 32 targeted lesions among 25 patients were evaluated for treatment response according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1.The median PFS was 19.7 mo[95%confidence interval(CI):16.9-NA],with PFS rates of 68%(95%CI:52-89)and 45.3%(95%CI:28-73.4)at 12 and 24 mo,respectively.The median overall survival(OS)was not reached,with OS rates of 91.5%(95%CI:80.8-100.0)and 83.2%(95%CI:66.5-100.0)at 12 and 24 mo,respectively.The 1-and 2-year local control rate were 100%and 90.9%(95%CI:75.4%-100.0%),respectively.The confirmed objective response rate and disease control rate was 96%,and 96%,respectively.Most adverse events were graded as 1 or 2,and grade 3 adverse events were observed in three patients.CONCLUSION SBRT plus sintilimab is an effective,well-tolerated treatment regimen for patients with recurrent or oligometastatic HCC.

Effect of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy on Diverse Organ Lesions in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Receiving Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Objective The combination of stereotactic body radiation therapy(SBRT)and immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)is actively being explored in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer(NSCLC)patients.However,little is known about the optimal fractionation and radiotherapy target lesions in this scenario.This study investigated the effect of SBRT on diverse organ lesions and radiotherapy dose fractionation regimens on the prognosis of advanced NSCLC patients receiving ICIs.Methods The medical records of advanced NSCLC patients consecutively treated with ICIs and SBRT were retrospectively reviewed at our institution from Dec.2015 to Sep.2021.Patients were grouped according to radiation sites.Progression-free survival(PFS)and overall survival(OS)were recorded using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared between different treatment groups using the log-rank(Mantel-Cox)test.Results A total of 124 advanced NSCLC patients receiving ICIs combined with SBRT were identified in this study.Radiation sites included lung lesions(lung group,n=43),bone metastases(bone group,n=24),and brain metastases(brain group,n=57).Compared with the brain group,the mean PFS(mPFS)in the lung group was significantly prolonged by 13.3 months(8.5 months vs.21.8 months,HR=0.51,95%CI:0.28–0.92,P=0.0195),and that in the bone group prolonged by 9.5 months with a 43%reduction in the risk of disease progression(8.5 months vs.18.0 months,HR=0.57,95%CI:0.29–1.13,P=0.1095).The mPFS in the lung group was prolonged by 3.8 months as compared with that in the bone group.The mean OS(mOS)in the lung and bone groups was longer than that of the brain group,and the risk of death decreased by up to 60%in the lung and bone groups as compared with that of the brain group.When SBRT was concurrently given with ICIs,the mPFS in the lung and brain groups were significantly longer than that of the bone group(29.6 months vs.16.5 months vs.12.1 months).When SBRT with 8–12 Gy per fraction was combined with ICIs,the mPFS in the lung group was significantly prolonged as compared with that of the bone and brain groups(25.4 months vs.15.2 months vs.12.0 months).Among patients receiving SBRT on lung lesions and brain metastases,the mPFS in the concurrent group was longer than that of the SBRT→ICIs group(29.6 months vs.11.4 months,P=0.0003 and 12.1 months vs.8.9 months,P=0.2559).Among patients receiving SBRT with<8 Gy and 8–12 Gy per fraction,the mPFS in the concurrent group was also longer than that of the SBRT→ICIs group(20.1 months vs.5.3 months,P=0.0033 and 24.0 months vs.13.4 months,P=0.1311).The disease control rates of the lung,bone,and brain groups were 90.7%,83.3%,and 70.1%,respectively.Conclusion The study demonstrated that the addition of SBRT on lung lesions versus bone and brain metastases to ICIs improved the prognosis in advanced NSCLC patients.This improvement was related to the sequence of radiotherapy combined with ICIs and the radiotherapy fractionation regimens.Dose fractionation regimens of 8–12 Gy per fraction and lung lesions as radiotherapy targets might be the appropriate choice for advanced NSCLC patients receiving ICIs combined with SBRT.

Comprehensive Treatment Uncertainty Analysis and PTV Margin Estimation for Fiducial Tracking in Robotic Liver Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy

Objective This study aims to quantify the uncertainties of CyberKnife Synchrony fiducial tracking for liver stereotactic body radiation therapy(SBRT)cases,and evaluate the required planning target volume(PTV)margins.Methods A total of 11 liver tumor patients with a total of 57 fractions,who underwent SBRT with synchronous fiducial tracking,were enrolled for the present study.The correlation/prediction model error,geometric error,and beam targeting error were quantified to determine the patient-level and fraction-level individual composite treatment uncertainties.The composite uncertainties and multiple margin recipes were compared for scenarios with and without rotation correction during treatment.Results The correlation model error-related uncertainty was 4.3±1.8,1.4±0.5 and 1.8±0.7 mm in the superior-inferior(SI),left-right,and anterior-posterior directions,respectively.These were the primary contributors among all uncertainty sources.The geometric error significantly increased for treatments without rotation correction.The fraction-level composite uncertainties had a long tail distribution.Furthermore,the generally used 5-mm isotropic margin covered all uncertainties in the left-right and anterior-posterior directions,and only 75%of uncertainties in the SI direction.In order to cover 90%of uncertainties in the SI direction,an 8-mm margin would be needed.For scenarios without rotation correction,additional safety margins should be added,especially in the superior-inferior and anterior-posterior directions.Conclusion The present study revealed that the correlation model error contributes to most of the uncertainties in the results.Most patients/fractions can be covered by a 5-mm margin.Patients with large treatment uncertainties might need a patient-specific margin.

Therapeutic Effects of Stereotactic Radiotherapy on 389 Cases of Brain Glioma

Objective： To investigate the treatment effectiveness and side effects of stereotactic radiotherapy for brain glioma. Methods： From Jun. 1995 to Dec. 1998, 389 cases of brain gliomas were treated by stereotactic radiotherapy, among which 151 cases were treated by stereotactic radiosurgery （SRS） and the other 238 cases, by fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy （FSRT）. In the SRS group, the marginal tumor dose was 20 to 30 Gy （median, 2.6 Gy）. One to 6 isocenters （median, 2.48） and 5 to 21 irradiation arcs （median, 8.45） were applied. In the FSRT group, the per-fraction marginal tumor dose was 8 to 12 Gy with 1 to 6 isocenters （median, 2.53）, 6 to 20 irradiation arcs （median, 8.25） and 2-5 fractions delivered everyday or every other day. Results： Three months after treatment, the complete and partial response rates were 13.9% and 45.7% in SRS group respectively. The stable disease rate was 17.2%. The total effective rate was 76.8%. In FSRT group, the complete and partial remission rates were 19.7% and 47.9% respectively. The stable disease rate was 20.6%. The total effective rate was 88.2%. The total effective rate of FSRT group was higher than that in SRS group （X^2=9.874, P=0.020）. The 1-year, 3-year and 5-year survival rate of all patients was 54.3%, 29.3%, 16.5% respectively. The 1-year, 3-year and 5-year survival rate in SRS group and FSRT group was 52.3% vs 26.5%, 11.9% vs 55.5%, and 31.1 vs 19.3% respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups （X^2=2.16, P=0.1417）. The brain edema caused by the main radiation was more severe in the SRS group than in FSRT group （X^2=4.916, P=0.027）. Conclusion： It is effective for brain glioma to be treated by stereotactic radiotherapy. Compared with SRS, the FSRT has the advantage of good effect and less side response.

经皮肝穿胆管内金属支架置入联合伽玛刀立体定向放射治疗肝门部胆管癌

目的探讨经皮肝穿胆管内金属支架置入联合伽玛刀立体定向放射治疗肝门部胆管癌的疗效及安全性。方法 2005年10月—2007年1月对不愿意手术或不能手术治疗的21例肝门部胆管癌患者,给予经皮肝穿胆管内金属支架置入联合伽玛刀立体定向放射治疗。肿瘤边缘剂量4～8Gy/次,隔日1次,总剂量为40～60 Gy,10～20 d完成。结果患者行经皮肝穿胆管内支架置入术后,血总胆红素及直接胆红素水平均有显著下降。治疗后1~3月复查,1例出现再梗阻,其余血胆红素水平基本上接近正常。肿瘤病灶CR 2例,PR 14例,PD 1例,SD 3例,总有效率(CR+PR)为80%。胆道支架植入术中及术后,出现血压下降4例,放疗不良反应以消化道反应多见,均为I^II度。患者中位生存期为14.5月,1、2年生存率分别为47.6%、14.2%。结论经皮肝穿胆管内支架置入术联合伽玛刀立体定向放射治疗是肝门部胆管癌的一种有效方法,并发症及不良反应少。

Current therapeutic strategies for advanced pancreatic cancer: A review for clinicians

Pancreatic cancer(PC) would become the second leading cause of cancer death in the near future, despite representing only 3% of new cancer diagnosis. Survival improvement will come from a better knowledge of risk factors, earlier diagnosis, better integration of locoregional and systemic therapies, as well as the development of more efficacious drugs rising from a deeper understanding of disease biology. For patients with unresectable, non-metastatic disease, combined strategies encompassing primary chemotherapy and radiation seems to be promising. In fit patients, new polychemotherapy regimens can lead to better outcomes in terms of slight but significant survival improvement associated with a positive impact on quality of life. The upfront use of these regimes can also increase the rate of radical resections in borderline resectable and locally advanced PC. Second line treatments showed to positively affect both overall survival and quality of life in fit patients affected by metastatic disease. At present, oxaliplatin-based regimens are the most extensively studied. Nonetheless, other promising drugs are currently under evaluation. Presently, in addition to surgery and conventional radiation therapy, new locoregional treatment techniques are emerging as alternative options in the multimodal approach to patients or diseases not suitable for radical surgery. As of today, in contrast with other types of cancer, targeted therapies failed to show relevant activity either alone or in combination with chemotherapy and, thus, current clinical practice does not include them. Up to now, despite the fact of extremely promising results in different tumors, also immunotherapy is not in the actual therapeutic armamentarium for PC. In the present paper, we provide a comprehensive review of the current state of the art of clinical practice and research in PC aiming to offer a guide for clinicians on the most relevant topics in the management of this disease.

Stereotactic body radiation therapy for non-small cell lung cancer:A review

Stereotactic body radiation therapy(SBRT) is the treatment of choice for medically inoperable patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC). A literature search primarily based on PubMed electronic databases was completed in July 2018. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were determined prior to the search, and only prospective clinical trials were included. Nineteen trials from 2005 to 2018 met the inclusion criteria, reporting the outcomes of 1434 patients with central and peripheral early stage NSCLC. Patient eligibility,prescription dose and delivery, and follow up duration varied widely. Threeyears overall survival ranged from 43% to 95% with loco-regional control of up to 98% at 3 years. Up to 33% of patients failed distantly after SBRT at 3 years. SBRT was generally well tolerated with 10%-30% grade 3-4 toxicities and a few treatment-related deaths. No differences in outcomes were observed between conventionally fractionated radiation therapy and SBRT, central and peripheral lung tumors, or inoperable and operable patients. SBRT remains a reasonable treatment option for medically inoperable and select operable patients with early stage NSCLC. SBRT has shown excellent local and regional control with toxicity rates equivalent to surgery. Decreasing fractionation schedules have been consistently shown to be both safe and effective. Distant failure is common, and chemotherapy may be considered for select patients. However, the survival benefit of additional interventions, such as chemotherapy, for early stage NSCLC treated with SBRT remains unclear.

Radiation pneumonitis after stereotactic radiation therapy for lung cancer

Stereotactic body radiation therapy(SBRT)has a locacontrol rate of 95%at 2 years for non-small cell lungcancer(NSCLC)and should improve the prognosis oinoperable patients,elderly patients,and patients withsignificant comorbidities who have early-stage NSCLCThe safety of SBRT is being confirmed in internationalmulti-institutional PhaseⅡtrials for peripheral lungcancer in both inoperable and operable patients,bureports so far have found that SBRT is a safe and effective treatment for early-stage NSCLC and early metastatic lung cancer.Radiation pneumonitis(RP)is oneof the most common toxicities of SBRT.Although mospost-treatment RP is Grade 1 or 2 and either asymptomatic or manageable,a few cases are severe,symptomatic,and there is a risk for mortality.The reportedrates of symptomatic RP after SBRT range from 9%to28%.Being able to predict the risk of RP after SBRT isextremely useful in treatment planning.A dose-effecrelationship has been demonstrated,but suggesteddose-volume factors like mean lung dose,lung V20and/or lung V2.5 differed among the reports.We foundthat patients who present with an interstitial pneumo-nitis shadow on computed tomography scan and high levels of serum Krebs von den Lungen-6 and surfactant protein D have a high rate of severe radiation pneumo-nitis after SBRT.At our institution,lung cancer patients with these risk factors have not received SBRT since 2006,and our rate of severe RP after SBRT has de-creased significantly since then.

Management of oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients:Current controversies and future directions

Oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)describes an intermediate stage of NSCLC between localized and widely-disseminated disease.This stage of NSCLC is characterized by a limited number of metastases and a more indolent tumor biology.Currently,the management of oligometastatic NSCLC involves radical treatment(radiotherapy or surgery)that targets the metastatic lesions and the primary tumor to achieve disease control.This approach offers the potential to achieve prolonged survival in patients who,in the past,would have only received palliative measures.The optimal therapeutic strategies for the different scenarios of oligometastatic disease(intracranial vs extracranial disease,synchronous vs metachronous)remain undefined.Given the lack of head-to-head studies comparing radiotherapy to surgery in these patients,the decision to apply surgery or radiotherapy(with or without systemic treatment)must be based on prognostic factors that allow us to classify patients.This classification will allow us to select the most appropriate therapeutic strategy on an individualized basis.In the future,the molecular or microRNA profiles will likely improve the treatment selection process.The objective of the present article is to review the most relevant scientific evidence on the management of patients with oligometastatic NSCLC,focusing on the role of radiotherapy and surgery.We also discuss areas of controversy and future directions.

Role of modern radiotherapy in managing patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the most common type of primary liver cancer.Several treatment options are available for managing HCC patients,classified roughly as local,local-regional,and systemic therapies.The high postmonotherapy recurrence rate of HCC urges the need for the use of combined modalities to increase tumor control and patient survival.Different international guidelines offer treatment recommendations based on different points of view and classification systems.Radiotherapy(RT)is a well-known local-regional treatment modality for managing many types of cancers,including HCC.However,only some of these treatment guidelines include RT,and the role of combined modalities is rarely mentioned.Hence,the present study reviewed clinical evidence for the use of different combined modalities in managing HCC,focusing on modern RT's role.Modern RT has an increased utility in managing HCC patients,mainly due to two driving forces.First,technological advancement(e.g.,stereotactic body radiotherapy and advanced proton-beam therapy)enables precise delivery of radiation to increase tumor control and reduce side effects in the surrounding normal tissue.Second,the boom in developing target therapies and checkpoint-blockade immunotherapy prolongs overall survival in HCC patients,re-emphasizing the importance of local tumor control.Remarkably,RT combines with systemic therapies to generate the systemic therapy augmented by radiotherapy effect,a benefit now being actively investigated.

Role of stereotactic body radiation therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma

The integration of new technologies has raised an interest in liver tumor radiotherapy,with literature evolving to support its efficacy.These advances,particularly stereotactic body radiation therapy(SBRT),have been critical in improving local control or potential cure in liver lesions not amenable to first-line surgical resection or radiofrequency ablation.Active investigation of SBRT,particularly for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),has recently started,yielding promising local control rates.In addition,data suggest a possibility that SBRT can be an alternative option for HCC unfit for other local therapies.However,information on optimal treatment indications,doses,and methods remains limited.In HCC,significant differences in patient characteristics and treatment availability exist by country.In addition,the prognosis of HCC is greatly influenced by underlying liver dysfunction and treatment itself in addition to tumor stage.Since they are closely linked to treatment approach,it is important to understand these differences in interpreting outcomes from various reports.Further studies are required to validate and maximize the efficacy of SBRT by a large,multi-institutional setting.

Relationship between different surgical methods,hemorrhage position,hemorrhage volume,surgical timing,and treatment outcome of hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage

BACKGROUND:The present study aimed to explore the relationship between surgical methods,hemorrhage position,hemorrhage volume,surgical timing and treatment outcome of hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage(HICH).METHODS:A total of 1 310 patients,who had been admitted to six hospitals from January 2004 to January 2008,were divided into six groups according to different surgical methods:craniotomy through bone fl ap(group A),craniotomy through a small bone window(group B),stereotactic drilling drainage(group C1 and group C2),neuron-endoscopy operation(group D) and external ventricular drainage(group E) in consideration of hemorrhage position,hemorrhage volume and clinical practice. A retrospective analysis was made of surgical timing and curative effect of the surgical methods.RESULTS:The effectiveness rate of the methods was 74.12% for 1 310 patients after onemonth follow-up. In this series,the disability rate was 44.82% 3–6 months after the operation. Among the 1 310 patients,241(18.40%) patients died after the operation. If hematoma volume was >80 mL and the operation was performed within 3 hours,the mortality rate of group A was signifi cantly lower than that of groups B,C,D,and E(P<0.05). If hematoma volume was 50–80 mL and the operation was performed within 6–12 hours,the mortality rate of groups B and D was lower than that of groups A,C and E(P<0.05). If hematoma volume was 20–50 mL and the operation was performed within 6–24 hours,the mortality rate of group C was lower than that of groups A,B and D(P<0.05).CONCLUSIONS:Craniotomy through a bone f lap is suitable for patients with a large hematoma and hernia of the brain. Stereotactic drilling drainage is suggested for patients with hematoma volume less than 80 mL. The curative effect of HICH individualized treatment would be improved via the suitable selection of operation time and surgical method according to the position and volume of hemorrhage.

Oligometastatic disease, the curative challenge in radiation oncology

The concept of oligometastatic disease was first described by Hellman and Weichselbaum in 1995. The mere insight of this concept led to the hypothesis that this disease may be cured using local ablative weapons. Surgery has already demonstrated this hypothesis. Surgery limitations, either technical or due to refusalor associated comorbidity, have led to implement alternative ablative options such as stereotactic body radiation therapy(SBRT). SBRT evolved from(stereotactic radiosurgery) because of the need to irradiate extracranial lesions and has been shown to be safe and effective. SBRT achieves local control rates ranging from 70%-90%, but highly variable survival rates depending on the group analyzed. Series with heterogeneous metastatic sites and tumor origin have reported 20% survival rates at 2-3 years, similar to those achieved with surgery. Despite its excellent results, SBRT still faces significant clinical challenges. Its optimal integration with systemic treatment is unknown, and response assessment is very difficult. However, the greatest challenge lies in selection of patients most likely to remain oligometastatic, those who will most benefit from the technique. Biomarkers, molecular signatures, that accurately predict the biological behavior of malignancy are needed. The expression profile of specific mi RNAs has been shown to have a potential in this regard.

Management of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplant

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) is the leading cause of deaths in patients with hepatitis B or C, and its incidence has increased considerably over the past decade and is still on the rise. Liver transplantation(LT) provides the best chance of cure for patients with HCC and liver cirrhosis. With the implementation of the MELD exception system for patients with HCC waitlisted for LT, the number of recipients of LT is increasing, so is the number of patients who have recurrence of HCC after LT. Treatments for intrahepatic recurrence after transplantation and after other kinds of surgery are more or less the same, but long-term cure of posttransplant recurrence is rarely seen as it is a "systemic" disease. Nonetheless, surgicalresection has been shown to be effective in prolonging patient survival despite the technical difficulty in resecting graft livers. Besides surgical resection, different kinds of treatment are also in use, including transarterial chemoembolization, radiofrequency ablation, highintensity focused ultrasound ablation, and stereotactic body radiation therapy. Targeted therapy and modulation of immunosuppressants are also adopted to treat the deadly disease.