Bård Mannsåker

Early palliative radiation therapy in patients with newly diagnosed cancer: Reasons, clinical practice, and survival

PURPOSE To analyze indications for early palliative radiation therapy (RT) (ie, start within 1 month from cancer diagnosis), regimens used in clinical practice, rate of treatment completion and treatment in the last 30 days of life, and overall survival. METHODS AND MATERIALS Retrospective uni- and multivariate analyses covering a 4.5-year inclusion period. RESULTS Seventeen percent of all palliative RT courses were administered in the specified time frame (n = 100 patients, 30 Gy in 10 fractions in 49%). Common indications were bone and brain metastases, whereas metastatic spinal cord compression or other emergencies comprised a minority. Only 14% of patients had no distant metastases. Most patients had non-small cell lung cancer (51%), whereas other high-incidence primary tumors such as breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer combined comprised 10%. Failure to complete RT occurred in 6%. Median survival was 3.6 months. A startling high rate of RT in the last 30 days of life was observed (19%). Risk correlated significantly with performance status and extent of metastatic disease. CONCLUSIONS The study population of patients who received early palliative RT is not identical to the general population described in previous studies, which covered the entire disease trajectory. Median survival was relatively short and rate of RT in the last 30 days of life higher than expected. Need for early palliative RT might be caused by large symptom burden and/or contraindication(s) for other management options, and might in many cases also be associated with adverse prognostic features and aggressive disease.

Second Re-irradiation: Clinical Examples of Worthwhile Treatment

Introduction: Improved treatment approaches have resulted in longer survival of patients with certain types of incurable cancer, without eliminating the need for symptom palliation and supportive measures. In this context, re-irradiation is an increasingly important option. Little data exists about a second or repeat re-irradiation. Methods: From a single institution database, patients who received a second re-irradiation with cumulative equivalent doses (equivalent dose in 2-Gy fractions (EQD2) for late effects, alpha/beta-value 3 Gy) of more than 90 Gy and survived for more than six months were identified. Illustrative clinical examples were provided. Results: The examples describe the treatment of sacral bone metastases, recurrent rectal cancer, and pelvic lymph node metastases. The maximum cumulative EQD2 was 142 Gy. Symptomatic responses were obtained without clinically relevant side effects. Conclusion: These three cases illustrate that a second re-irradiation has the potential to provide worthwhile palliative effects without causing overt late toxicity during the remaining life time. In patients who tolerated previous radiotherapy well, further re-irradiation may contribute to the ever-increasing armamentarium of options that increase the survival of patients with incurable cancer and try to prolong the time period where independent living is possible.

The Glasgow prognostic score: Useful information when prescribing palliative radiotherapy

The purpose of the present retrospective study was to investigate whether a score reflecting systemic inflammatory processes [the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS)] provides relevant information for radiation oncologists. GPS is a three-tiered score [0: normal C-reactive protein (CRP) and albumin; 1: one abnormal result; 2: increased CRP and low albumin]. Correlations between disease type and extent, resource utilization, survival and GPS were analyzed in 703 patients. In the subgroup with GPS 2, significantly higher rates of lung, adrenal gland and liver metastases were observed. An increasing GPS score was associated with a higher likelihood of anemia, leukocytosis and thrombocytosis. Comparable findings were made regarding utilization of palliative care resources, need for blood transfusion and intravenous administration of antibiotics. Compared with GPS 0 or 1, more patients with GPS 2 did not complete their prescribed course of radiotherapy. One-third of patients with GPS 2 received treatment during the final month of life. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that GPS was a significant prognostic factor for overall survival (median, 479, 136, and 61 days, for GPS 0, 1 and 2, respectively). In patients with GPS 2 and additional leukocytosis, the median survival was 38 days. In conclusion, GPS provides important prognostic information. This biomarker-based score may be considered for deciding fractionation, and should be validated further.

Contemporary radiooncological management of bone metastases from breast cancer: factors associated with prescription of different fractionation regimens (short or long course) in a rural part of North Norway with long travel distance

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to reduce barriers that prevent implementation of evidence-based recommendations about single-fraction palliative radiotherapy (PRT) and to demonstrate that single-fraction PRT yields similar outcomes as long-course treatment (≥10 fractions) in patients with bone metastases from breast cancer. This retrospective study (2007–2014) included 118 Norwegian female patients. All patients received guideline-conform systemic therapy including bone-targeting agents. Median survival was 12.7 months. Long-course PRT was prescribed in 60% of patients, while 21% had PRT with a single fraction of 8 Gy to at least one target. Reirradiation rate was not significantly higher after 8 Gy (9%, compared to 5% after long-course PRT and 6% after 4 Gy x5). Patients with favorable baseline characteristics such as younger age and good performance status (PS) were significantly more likely to receive long-course PRT. Biological subtype and comorbidity did not correlate with fractionation. Prognosis was influenced by biological subtype, extra-skeletal disease extent, severe anemia and abnormal CRP. The limited need for reirradiation after single fraction PRT might encourage physicians to prescribe this convenient regimen, which would improve resource utilization. Even patients with PS3 had a median survival of 3 months, which indicates that they could experience worthwhile clinical benefit.

Exceptional Responses to Standard Therapy in a Patient with Metastatic HER2-Positive Breast Cancer

Patients with metastatic breast cancer involving the liver and brain often have short overall survival. Here, we report a case of de novo metastatic breast cancer with multiple liver metastases at initial diagnosis in February 2011 in a 35-year-old Caucasian female patient. The histology was poorly differentiated invasive ductal carcinoma (estrogen and progesterone receptor negative, HER2 positive) and the patient was negative for germline BRCA 1 and 2 mutations. Systemic therapy with trastuzumab and docetaxel was given for six months and then switched to trastuzumab only because of peripheral neuropathy. At that time, the patient was in complete clinical remission. She developed brain metastases in September 2012 and received whole-brain radiotherapy, which resulted in complete remission. While on continued trastuzumab, the primary tumor in the breast recurred in May 2016. A mastectomy was performed and afterwards systemic therapy was intensified (trastuzumab, pertuzumab, paclitaxel). At the last follow-up (March 06, 2017) no further recurrence was detected. This case illustrates that standard HER2-directed treatment might provide long-term disease control also in selected patients with unfavorable patterns of spread. The beneficial effect of whole-brain radiotherapy is not necessarily limited to symptom palliation.