Advances in Clinical Application of Postoperative Radiotherapy for Breast Cancer

Objective:To explore the clinical value of color Doppler ultrasonography in the diagnosis of breast cancer.Methods:99 cases of breast cancer patients were selected as the research object,retrospective analysis of its clinical treatment data.Results:The group of 99 patients,97 confirmed cases,2 cases were misdiagnosed,the diagnostic accuracy rate was 97.98%.Conclusion:Color Doppler ultrasonography in patients with breast cancer has the advantages of high accuracy,simple operation and noninvasive.It is worthy of promotion.

Changes in acute and late toxicity and patient-reported health-related quality of life following radiotherapy in women with breast cancer:A 1-year longitudinal study

Objective:The objective of this study was to investigate the frequency of acute and late toxicities,as well as changes in the quality of life(QOL)for breast cancer patients following radiotherapy(RT).Materials and Methods:A total of 108 breast cancer women were recruited for this prospective study.Data were collected at various intervals;prior to,and 1,3,6 months,and 1 year after radiation therapy.The primary outcomes were toxicity radiation therapy oncology group/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer(EORTC)criteria.Our secondary outcome was QOL,measured using EORTC QLQ-C30 and Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale.We employed Friedman’s two-way analysis to evaluate the changes in QOL over the course of 1 year.Results:The early toxicities that are most commonly experienced include pharyngeal,skin,and mucous membrane toxicity.Late toxicities frequently involve skin and submucosal toxicity.To measure patient functionality,all functional subscale scores except for the patient’s emotional state increased over time compared to pre-RT.Symptoms of the patients,which were included in the QOL symptom scale,decreased during the follow-up period,except for fatigue;however,changes in pain,insomnia,and loss of appetite did not significantly change.We identified the analogous symptom profiles in Edmonton.Although patients’overall health scores declined in the 1st and 3rd months after radiotherapy(RT),they rebounded at 6 and 12 months.Conclusion:For breast cancer patients,RT did not adversely affect functional capacity or exacerbate symptoms,but persistent fatigue did increase during the observation period.Health-care professionals ought to devise strategies to assist patients with skin toxicity and fatigue.

Clinical Study on the Impact of Long-term Survival Quality in 204 Postoperative Patients with Breast Cancer by Cox Proportional Hazard Models

The aim of study was to evaluate clinical characteristics, social support and the association with the prognosis of breast cancer patients. A total of 204 participants were followed from 2003 until the end of 2008. Information about patients with breast cancer was submitted by investigators. Data were analyzed by Cox’s proportional hazard model. The clinical staging of breast cancer we used was the TNM classification. A 'T' score is based upon the size and/or extent of invasion. The 'N' score indicates the extent of lymph node involvement. Age at diagnose was associated with protective factors (HR=0.972;95%CI (0.834-1.130)), T staging (HR=2.075;95%CI (1.424-3.022)), N staging (HR=1.513;95%CI (1.066-2.148)), were associated with risk factor. Two survival graphs of nodes with negative effects by histology and nodes with positive effects by histology was analyzed by log-rank test, there was statistically significant relationship between two survival graphs (χ2 =136.8467, p <.0001). Age at diagnoses, Clinical stage tumor and node could contribute to the development of breast cancer and disease free survival in Chinese women.

PECS Block Provides Effective Postoperative Pain Management for Breast Cancer Surgery—A Retrospective Study

We investigated the efficacy of ultrasound-guided pectoral nerves (PECS) block for modified radical mastectomy surgery retrospectively. Methods: We measured that pain scores and the use of additional analgesic drugs were recorded in the postoperative care unit within 24 hours after the operation. Postoperative complications (i.e., nausea and vomiting) were noted. Results: Patients who received the PECS block under general anesthesia (PECS group) reported lower visual analog scale pain scores at 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 12, 24 hours after the operation than patients who did not receive PECS block under general anesthesia (control group). Moreover, the use of additional analgesic drugs during the first 24 hours after surgery was lower in the PECS group than in the control group. While in the postoperative care unit, the PECS group had less nausea and vomiting than the control group. Conclusion: The PECS block provides effective postoperative analgesia within the first 24 hours after breast cancer surgery.

Postoperative radiotherapy in resected non-small cell lung cancer:The never-ending story

This manuscript collects in a joint and orderly manner the existing evidence at the present time about postoperative treatment with radiotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer.It also systematically reviews the current evidence,the international recommendations in the most relevant guidelines,the most controversial aspects in clinical and pathological staging,the specific technical aspects of radiotherapy treatment,and also collects all the potential risk factors that have been postulated as significant in the prognosis of these patients,evaluating the possibility of segmenting a particularly sensitive subpopulation with a high risk of relapse on which an adjuvant treatment with radiotherapy could have an impact on their clinical evolution.Finally,currently active trials that aspire to provide more evidence on this topic are reviewed.

Bone marrow-sparing intensity-modulated radiotherapy for postoperative treatment of cervical cancer

Objective： The aim of this study was to compare bone marrow-sparing intensity-modulated radiotherapy （IMRT） with IMRT without entering pelvic bone marrow as a planning constraint in the treatment of cervical cancer after hysterectomy. Methods： For a cohort of 10 patients, bone marrow-sparing IMRT and routine IMRT planning were designed. The prescribed dose was 45 Gy/1.8 Gy/25f, 95% of the planning target volume received this dose. Doses were computed with a commercially available treatment planning system （TPS） using convolution/superimposition （CS） algorithm. Plans were compared according to dose-volume histogram （DVH） analysis in terms of planning target volume （PTV） homogeneity and conformity indices （HI and CI） as well as organs at risk （OARs） dose and volume parameters. Results： Bone marrow-sparing IMRT had an vantages over routine IMRT in terms of CI, but inferior to the latter for HI. Compared with routine IMRT, V5, Vl0, V20, V30, V40 of pelvic bone marrow of bone marrow-sparing IMRT reduced by 1.81%, 8.61%, 31.81%, 29.50%, 28.29%, respectively. No statistically significant differences were observed between bone marrow-sparing IMRT and routine IMRT in terms of small bowel, bladder and rectum. Conclusion： For patients with cervical cancer after hysterectomy, bone marrowsparing IMRT reduced the pelvic bone marrow volume irradiated at all dose levels and might be conducive to preventing the occurrence of acute bone marrow toxicity.

Effect of radical surgery combined with pre- or postoperative radiotherapy in treatment of resectable rectal cancer

Objective： This study was done to compare between the effect of preoperative radiotherapy and postoperative radiotherapy in treatment of resectable rectal carcinoma. The primary endpoints are local recurrence rate, overall survival （OS） and disease free survival （DFS）. The secondary endpoints are to evaluate down-staging, treatment toxicity, and ability to do sphincter preservation, aiming at choosing the optimal treatment modality. Methods： This study included 100 patients with resectable rectal carcinoma who presented to Surgical Gastro Entrology Center and Clinical Oncology and Nuclear Medicine Department, Mansoura University during the period between January 2007 and September 2009. The included patients were randomized in two groups; group h 50 patients received preoperative radiotherapy and group Ih 50 patients received post- operative radiotherapy. Concurrent 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy was given to all patients. Two major types of surgery were done： abdomino-perineal resection with a permanent colostomy and low anterior resection with colorectal or coloanal anastomosis. Results： Preoperative radiotherapy resulted in pathologic complete response in 3 patients. T down-staging occurred in 18 out of 50 patients （36%） with statistically significant difference （P = 0.008）. N down-staging occurred in 10 out of 24 patients. Sphincter preservation was more in group I. Delayed wound healing was the most common postoperative complication in group I with no significant difference. After a median follow up of 18 months, local recurrence rate and distant metastasis were higher in group I1. The 2-year disease free survival was 72% and 60% in group I and II respectively with no statistically significant difference between both groups. Conclusion： This study concluded that preoperative radiotherapy is better than postoperative radiotherapy as regard local control, sphincter preservation with higher disease free survival and overall survival. No difference in treatment toxicity between both groups.

Assessing radiation dose for postoperative radiotherapy in prostate cancer: Real world data

BACKGROUND Approximately 30%of patients with localized prostate cancer(PCa)who undergo radical prostatectomy will develop biochemical recurrence.In these patients,the only potentially curative treatment is postoperative radiotherapy(PORT)with or without hormone therapy.However,the optimal radiotherapy dose is unknown due to the limited data available.AIM To determine whether the postoperative radiotherapy dose influences biochemical failure-free survival(BFFS)in patients with PCa.METHODS Retrospective analysis of patients who underwent radical prostatectomy for PCa followed by PORT-either adjuvant radiotherapy(ART)or salvage radiotherapy(SRT)-between April 2002 and July 2015.From 2002 to 2010,the prescribed radiation dose to the surgical bed was 66-70 Gy in fractions of 2 Gy;from 2010 until July 2015,the prescribed dose was 70-72 Gy.Patients were grouped into three categories according to the total dose administered:66-68 Gy,70 Gy,and 72 Gy.The primary endpoint was BFFS,defined as the post-radiotherapy prostatespecific antigen(PSA)nadir+0.2 ng/mL.Secondary endpoints were overall survival(OS),cancer-specific survival(CSS),and metastasis-free survival(MFS;based on conventional imaging tests).Treatment-related genitourinary(GU)and gastrointestinal(GI)toxicity was evaluated according to Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer criteria.Finally,we aimed to identify potential prognostic factors.BFFS,OS,CSS,and MFS were calculated with the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test.Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were performed to explore between-group differences in survival outcome measures.RESULTS A total of 301 consecutive patients were included.Of these,93(33.6%)received ART and 186(66.4%)SRT;22 patients were excluded due to residual macroscopic disease or local recurrence in the surgical bed.In this subgroup(n=93),43 patients(46.2%)were Gleason score(GS)≤6,44(47.3%)GS 7,and 6(6.5%)GS≥8;clinical stage was cT1 in 51(54.8%),cT2 in 35(39.3%),and cT3 in one patient(1.1%);PSA was<10 ng/mL in 58(63%)patients,10-20 ng/mL in 28(30.6%),and≥20 ng/mL in 6(6.4%)patients.No differences were found in BFFS in this patient subset versus the entire cohort of patients(P=0.66).At a median follow-up of 113 months(range,4-233),5-and 10-year BFFS rates were 78.8%and 73.7%,respectively,with OS rates of 93.3%and 81.4%.The 5-year BFFS rates in three groups were as follows:69.6%(66-68 Gy),80.5%(70 Gy)and 82.6%(72 Gy)(P=0.12):the corresponding 10-year rates were 63.9%,72.9%,and 82.6%(P=0.12),respectively.No significant between-group differences were observed in MFS,CSS,or OS.On the univariate analysis,the following variables were significantly associated with BFFS:PSA at diagnosis;clinical stage(cT1 vs cT2);GS at diagnosis;treatment indication(ART vs SRT);pre-RT PSA levels;and RT dose 66-68 Gy vs.72 Gy(HR:2.05;95%CI:1.02-4.02,P=0.04).On the multivariate analysis,the following variables remained significant:biopsy GS(HR:2.85;95%CI:1.83-4.43,P<0.001);clinical stage(HR:2.31;95%CI:1.47-4.43,P=0.01);and treatment indication(HR:4.11;95%CI:2.06-8.17,P<0.001).Acute grade(G)1 GU toxicity was observed in 11(20.4%),17(19.8%),and 3(8.3%)patients in each group(66-68 Gy,70 Gy and 72 Gy),respectively(P=0.295).Acute G2 toxicity was observed in 2(3.7%),4(4.7%)and 2(5.6%)patients,respectively(P=0.949).Acute G1 GI toxicity was observed in 16(29.6%),23(26.7%)and 2(5.6%)patients in each group,respectively(P=0.011).Acute G2 GI toxicity was observed in 2(3.7%),6(6.9%)and 1(2.8%)patients,respectively(P=0.278).No cases of acute G3 GI toxicity were observed.CONCLUSION The findings of this retrospective study suggest that postoperative radiotherapy dose intensification in PCa is not superior to conventional radiotherapy treatment.

Analysis of herbs use law and mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine in preventing and treating postoperative complications of breast cancer

Objective:Excavate the compatibility rules of traditional Chinese medicine for preventing and treating postoperative complications of breast cancer,study the potential mechanism of prevention and treatment with traditional Chinese medicine.Methods:Collate and analyze the relevant prescriptions collected from CNKI and the core drug combination and the new formula are obtained by adopting the traditional Chinese medicine inheritance auxiliary system(TCMISSV2.5).Use BATMAN-TCM online analysis tool to analyze KEGG pathways of high frequency drugs and predict the potential signal pathways.Results:Data mining has selected 10 pairs of core herb combinations and 5 new recipes of 133 prescriptions.In the network pharmacology analysis of bai zhu,huang qi,fu ling,the potential signaling pathways of its action are the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway and calcium signaling pathway.Conclusion:Herbs for invigorating spleen and qi and herbs for nourishing blood and activating blood are commonly used to prevent and treat postoperative complications of breast cancer.Core herbs may play their role by interfering with the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway and calcium signaling pathway.

Postoperative UFT-/Tegafur-based Chemotherapy Versus Postoperative Radiotherapy for Early-stage Non-small Cell Lung Cancer:A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis

Background:Both of UFT-/Tegafur-based postoperative chemotherapy and postoperative radiotherapy have made large progress in treatment of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer.While it is unclear that,whether UFT-/Tegafur-based postoperative chemotherapy is superior to postoperative radiotherapy for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer with no direct evidence.Methods:Electronic databases(Pubmed,embase,cochrane library and clinicaltrials.gov)were searched to obtain relevant studies.This systematic review and meta-analysis is reported in accordance with the Preferred Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis(PRISMA)Statement and was registered at International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews(number CRD42018095979).Sensitive analysis was conducted by excluding overweight studies.Funnel plot and egger’s test were performed to conduct publication bias.Results:Twenty-one randomized control trials were included.Our results suggested UFT-/Tegafur-based postoperative chemotherapy could improve overall survival over postoperative radiotherapy[HR=0.69(0.59-0.80),p=0.000].But subgroup analysis about stage showed there was no significant difference between them,no matter of stage I,II and III.As to chemotherapy regime,both UFT-/Tegafur+platinum+vinca alkaloid[HR=0.68(0.56-0.82),p=0.000]and UFT-/Tegafur only[HR=0.66(0.54-0.79),p=0.000]were superior to radiotherapy.Subgroup analysis about radiotherapy delivery method and dose showed,significant improvement of chemotherapy over radiotherapy for Cobalt-60 only[HR=0.54(0.39-0.75),p=0.000],Cobalt-60 and linac[HR=0.69(0.59-0.81),p=0.000]and≥45 Gy[HR=0.64(0.54-0.75),p=0.000],but not for linac only[HR=0.78(0.60-1.03),p=0.081]and≥45 Gy[HR=0.86(0.67-1.11),p=0.241].Conclusion:UFT-/Tegafur-based postoperative chemotherapy was superior to postoperative radiotherapy for improving overall survival of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer,but it is not always so under certain circumstance,such as RT delivery method and radiation dose.Of course,it is imperative to further explore differences in specific stage,such as I A and I B.

Postoperative Radiotherapy and N2 Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Prognosis: A Retrospective Study Based on Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Database

The purpose of this study is to clarify the significance of postoperative radiotherapy for N2 lung cancer.This study aimed to investigate the effect of postoperative radiotherapy on the survival and prognosis of patients with N2 lung cancer.Data from 12,000 patients with N2 lung cancer were extracted from the Surveillance,Epidemiology,and End Results database(2004-2012).Age at disease onset and 5-year survival rates were calculated.Survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method.The univariate log-rank test was performed.Multivariate Cox regression were used to examine factors affecting survival.Patients’median age was 67 years(mean 66.46±10.03).The 5-year survival rate was 12.55%.Univariate analysis revealed age,sex,pathology,and treatment regimen as factors affecting prognosis.In multivariate analysis,when compared to postoperative chemotherapy,postoperative chemoradiotherapy was better associated with survival benefits(hazard ratio[HR]=0.85,95%confidence interval[CI]:0.813-0.898,P<0.001).Propensity score matching revealed that patients who had received postoperative chemoradiotherapy had a better prognosis than did patients who had received postoperative chemotherapy(HR=0.869,95%CI:0.817-0.925,P<0.001).Female patients and patients aged<65 years had a better prognosis than did their counterparts.Patients with adenocarcinoma had a better prognosis than did patients with squamous cell carcinoma.Moreover,prognosis worsened with increasing disease T stage.Patients who had received postoperative chemoradiotherapy had a better prognosis than did patients who had received postoperative chemotherapy.Postoperative radiotherapy was an independent prognostic factor in this patient group.

Recent advances in breast cancer radiotherapy:Evolution or revolution,or how to decrease cardiac toxicity?

Radiation therapy has a major role in the management of breast cancers.However,there is no consensus on how to irradiate and on volume definitions,and there are strong differences in strategies according to different centers and physicians.New treatment protocols and techniques have been used with the principal purpose of decreasing lung and heart toxicity and adapting radiation treatment to patients' anatomy.There is evidence that indicates internal mammary chain radiotherapy should be used carefully and that high quality techniques should be used for decreasing the dose delivered to the heart.This review of the literature presents the state of the art on breast cancer radiotherapy,with special focus on the indications,techniques,and potential toxicity.

Current role of modern radiotherapy techniques in the management of breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common type of malignancy in females. Advances in systemic therapies and radiotherapy(RT) provided long survival rates in breast cancer patients. RT has a major role in the management of breast cancer. During the past 15 years several developments took place in the field of imaging and irradiation techniques, intensity modulated RT, hypofractionation and partial-breast irradiation. Currently, improvements in the RT technology allow us a subsequent decrease in the treatment-related complications such as fibrosis and long-term cardiac toxicity while improving the loco-regional control rates and cosmetic results. Thus, it is crucial that modern radiotherapy techniques should be carried out with maximum care and efficiency. Several randomized trials provided evidence for the feasibility of modern radiotherapy techniques in the management of breast cancer. However, the role of modern radiotherapy techniques in the management of breast cancer will continue to be defined by the mature results of randomized trials. Current review will provide an up-to-date evidence based data on the role of modern radiotherapy techniques in the management of breast cancer.

Hypofractionated radiotherapy in the treatment of early breast cancer

Radiotherapy(RT) after tumorectomy in early breast cancer patients is an established treatment modality which conventionally takes 6-7 wk to complete.Shorter RT schedules have been tested in large multicentre randomized trials and have shown equivalent results to that of standard RT(50 Gy in 25 fractions) in terms of local tumor control,patient survival and late post-radiation effects.Some of those trials have now completed 10 years of follow-up with encouraging results for treatments of 3-4 wk and a total RT dose to the breast of 40-42.5 Gy with or without boost.A reduction of 50% in treatment time makes those RT schedules attractive for both patients and health care providers and would have a significant impact on daily RT practice around the world,as it would accelerate patient turnover and save health care resources.However,in hypofractionated RT,a higher(than the conventional 1.8-2 Gy) dose per fraction is given and should be managed with caution as it could result in a higher rate of late postradiation effects in breast,heart,lungs and the brachial plexus.It is therefore advisable that both possible dose inhomogeneity and normal tissue protection should be taken into account and the appropriate technology such as three-dimensional/intensity modulated radiation therapy employed in clinical practice,when hypofractionation is used.

Helical tomotherapy and volumetric modulated arc therapy:New therapeutic arms in the breast cancer radiotherapy

AIM To analyse clinical and dosimetric results of helical tomotherapy(HT) and volumetric modulated arc therapy(VMAT) in complex adjuvant breast and nodes irradiation.METHODS Seventy-three patients were included(31 HT and 42 VMAT). Dose were 63.8 Gy(HT) and 63.2 Gy(VMAT) in the tumour bed, 52.2 Gy in the breast, 50.4 Gy in supraclavicular nodes(SCN) and internal mammary chain(IMC) with HT and 52.2 Gy and 49.3 Gy in IMC and SCN with VMAT in 29 fractions. Margins to particle tracking velocimetry were greater in the VMAT cohort(7 mm vs 5 mm).RESULTS For the HT cohort, the coverage of clinical target volumes was as follows: Tumour bed: 99.4% ± 2.4%; breast: 98.4% ± 4.3%; SCN: 99.5% ± 1.2%; IMC:96.5% ± 13.9%. For the VMAT cohort, the coverage was as follows: Tumour bed: 99.7% ± 0.5%, breast: 99.3% ± 0.7%; SCN: 99.6% ± 1.4%; IMC: 99.3% ± 3%. For ipsilateral lung, Dmean and V20 were 13.6 ± 1.2 Gy, 21.1% ± 5%(HT) and 13.6 ± 1.4 Gy, 20.1% ± 3.2%(VMAT). Dmean and V30 of the heart were 7.4 ± 1.4 Gy, 1% ± 1%(HT) and 10.3 ± 4.2 Gy, 2.5% ± 3.9%(VMAT). For controlateral breast Dmean was 3.6 ± 0.2 Gy(HT) and 4.6 ± 0.9 Gy(VMAT). Acute skin toxicity grade 3 was 5% in the two cohorts.CONCLUSION HT and VMAT in complex adjuvant breast irradiation allow a good coverage of target volumes with an acceptable acute tolerance. A longer follow-up is needed to assess the impact of low doses to healthy tissues.

Advances in regional nodal management of early-stage breast cancer

With the continuous improvement of systemic treatment, reasonable local regional control of early-stage breast cancer can be translated into survival benefits. The optimization of regional nodal management in patients with limited sentinel lymph node(SLN) metastasis needs to be weighed by surgical complications, regional recurrence risk, and lymph node status, as well as other escalating treatment(systemic/radiotherapy) that may result from deescalating surgery. With the effective support and supplementation of systemic therapy and radiotherapy, the management of axillary surgery is developing in a de-escalating trend. The widespread application of neoadjuvant therapy has contributed to optimizing the management of patients with clinically node-negative/imaging nodepositive disease. In clinical practice, it is necessary to consider the residual tumor burden of regional lymph nodes when formulating the optimal irradiation fields in patients with limited positive SLN without axillary lymph node dissection. The combined application of genomic tests and American College of Surgeons Oncology Group Z0011/AMAROS criteria could provide patients with a better strategy of dual de-escalation treatment, which includes the de-escalation of both axillary surgery and systemic treatment. In the era of sentinel lymph node biopsy(SLNB), the regional nodal management of breast cancer should adhere to the concept of “updating ideas, making bold assumptions, and carefully seeking proof”, make full use of the benefits of systemic therapy and radiotherapy to reduce the scope of surgery and complications, and expand the “net benefit” of efficacy and quality of life. This review discusses the optimization of regional nodal management in the era of SLNB, in order to provide reference information for clinicians.

Dosimetric risk factors for radiation esophagitis in patients with breast cancer following regional nodal radiation

BACKGROUND Radiation esophagitis(RE)is one of the most common clinical symptoms of regional lymph node radiotherapy for breast cancer.However,there are fewer studies focusing on RE caused by hypofractionated radiotherapy(HFRT).AIM To analyze the clinical and dosimetric factors that contribute to the development of RE in patients with breast cancer treated with HFRT of regional lymph nodes.METHODS Between January and December 2022,we retrospectively analysed 64 patients with breast cancer who met our inclusion criteria underwent regional nodal intensity-modulated radiotherapy at a radiotherapy dose of 43.5 Gy/15F.RESULTS Of the 64 patients in this study,24(37.5%)did not develop RE,29(45.3%)developed grade 1 RE(G1RE),11(17.2%)developed grade 2 RE(G2RE),and none developed grade 3 RE or higher.Our univariable logistic regression analysis found G2RE to be significantly correlated with the maximum dose,mean dose,relative volume 20-40,and absolute volume(AV)20-40.Our stepwise linear regression analyses found AV30 and AV35 to be significantly associated with G2RE(P<0.001).The optimal threshold for AV30 was 2.39 mL[area under the curve(AUC):0.996;sensitivity:90.9%;specificity:91.1%].The optimal threshold for AV35 was 0.71 mL(AUC:0.932;sensitivity:90.9%;specificity:83.9%).CONCLUSION AV30 and AV35 were significantly associated with G2RE.The thresholds for AV30 and AV35 should be limited to 2.39 mL and 0.71 mL,respectively.

Adjuvant chemotherapy and acute toxicity in hypofractionated radiotherapy for early breast cancer

AIM: To evaluate the effect of chemotherapy to the acute toxicity of a hypofractionated radiotherapy(HFRT) schedule for breast cancer. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 116 breast cancer patients with T1, 2N0 Mx. The patients received3-D conformal radiotherapy with a total physical dose of 50.54 Gy or 53.2 Gy in 19 or 20 fractions according to stage, over 23-24 d. The last three to four fractions were delivered as a sequential tumor boost. All patients were monitored for acute skin toxicity according to the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Radiation Therapy Oncology Group criteria. The maximum monitored value was taken as the final grading score. Multivariate analysis was performed for the contribution of age, chemotherapy and 19 vs 20 fractions to the radiation acute skin toxicity.RESULTS: The acute radiation induced skin toxicity was as following: grade Ⅰ 27.6%, grade Ⅱ 7.8% and grade Ⅲ 2.6%. No significant correlation was noted between toxicity grading and chemotherapy(P = 0.154, χ2 test). The mean values of acute toxicity score in terms of chemotherapy or not, were 0.64 and 0.46 respectively(P = 0.109, Mann Whitney test). No significant correlation was also noted between acute skin toxicity and radiotherapy fractions(P = 0.47, χ2test). According to univariate analysis, only chemotherapy contributed significantly to the development of acute skin toxicity but with a critical value of P = 0.05. However, in multivariate analysis, chemotherapy lost its statistical significance. None of the patients during the 2-years of follow-up presented any locoregional relapse.CONCLUSION: There is no clear evidence that chemotherapy has an impact to acute skin toxicity after an HFRT schedule. A randomized trial is needed for definite conclusions.

Intensity-modulated radiotherapy for breast cancer:a systematic review

Objective:The aim of this study was to assess the long-term effect of breast conservation with breast intensitymodulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for early-stage breast cancers.Methods:Pub Med,EMBASE,Cochrane Library,Chinese Biomedical Literature Database were searched to identify relevant original published trails,and the references of eligible studies were manually screened.Randomized controlled trails reported in any language,comparing breast IMRT with conventional radiotherapy (RT) in patients with early-stage breast cancer were eligible for inclusion.Two investigators independently assessed the quality of included trials and extracted data.The RevMan 5.0 software was used for statistical analysis.Results:Four trials involving 1440 patients were included.The results showed that in the IMRT group,the occurrence of acute moist dermatitis,the edema of the mammary gland and the occurrence of hyperpigmentation were lower than those of RT group,the pooled risk ratio value and 95% confidence interval were 0.28 (0.17-0.48),0.03 (0.00-0.21) and 0.06 (0.02-0.15) respectively.The use of IMRT did not correlate with pain and quality of life,but the presence of moist desquamation did significantly correlate with pain and reduced quality of life.Conclusion:The currently available evidence showed that IMRT significantly reduces the occurrence of moist acute dermatitis anywhere in the breast and alleviates the suffering of patients and improves the quality of life of patients.Future large-scale,high-quality,double-blind trials are needed.

Psychosomatic symptoms affect radiotherapy setup errors in early breast cancer patients

Objective: To examine the trajectory of psychosomatic symptoms and to explore the impact of psychosomatic symptoms on setup error in patients undergoing breast cancer radiotherapy.Methods: A total of 102 patients with early breast cancer who received initial radiotherapy were consecutively recruited. The M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory(MDASI) and three different anxiety scales, i.e., the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale(SAS), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory(STAI), and Anxiety Sensitivity Index(ASI), were used in this study. The radiotherapy setup errors were measured in millimetres by comparing the real-time isocratic verification film during radiotherapy with the digitally reconstructed radiograph(DRR). Patients completed the assessment at three time points: before the initial radiotherapy(T1), before the middle radiotherapy(T2), and before the last radiotherapy(T3).Results: The SAS and STAI-State scores of breast cancer patients at T1 were significantly higher than those at T2 and T3(F=24.44, P<0.001;F=30.25, P<0.001). The core symptoms of MDASI were positively correlated with anxiety severity. The setup errors of patients with high SAS scores were greater than those of patients with low anxiety levels at T1(Z=-2.01, P=0.044). We also found that higher SAS scores were associated with a higher risk of radiotherapy setup errors at T1(B=0.458, P<0.05).Conclusions: This study seeks to identify treatment-related psychosomatic symptoms and mitigate their impact on patients and treatment. Patients with early breast cancer experienced the highest level of anxiety before the initial radiotherapy, and then, anxiety levels declined. Patients with high somatic symptoms of anxiety may have a higher risk of radiotherapy setup errors.