Soo Yoon Sung

Stereotactic radiosurgery for brain metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer

Purpose Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has been introduced for small-sized single and oligo-metastases in the brain. The aim of this study is to assess treatment outcome, efficacy, and prognostic variables associated with survival and intracranial recurrence. Materials and Methods This study retrospectively reviewed 123 targets in 64 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with SRS between January 2006 and December 2012. Treatment responses were evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging. Overall survival (OS) and intracranial progression-free survival (IPFS) were determined. Results The median follow-up was 13.9 months. The median OS and IPFS were 14.1 and 8.9 months, respectively. Fifty-seven patients died during the follow-up period. The 5-year local control rate was achieved in 85% of 108 evaluated targets. The 1- and 2-year OS rates were 55% and 28%, respectively. On univariate analysis, primary disease control (p < 0.001), the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (0-1 vs. 2; p = 0.002), recursive partitioning analysis class (1 vs. 2; p = 0.001), and age (<65 vs. ≥65 years; p = 0.036) were significant predictive factors for OS. Primary disease control (p = 0.041) and ECOG status (p = 0.017) were the significant prognostic factors for IPFS. Four patients experienced radiation necrosis. Conclusion SRS is a safe and effective local treatment for brain metastases in patients with NSCLC. Uncontrolled primary lung disease and ECOG status were significant predictors of OS and intracranial failure. SRS might be a tailored treatment option along with careful follow-up of the intracranial and primary lung disease status.

Prognostic value of pretreatment 18 F-FDG PET-CT in radiotherapy for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the predictable value of pretreatment 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (18F-FDG PET-CT) in radiotherapy (RT) for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT). Materials and Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of 36 stage I-IV HCC patients treated with RT. 18F-FDG PET-CT was performed before RT. Treatment target was determined HCC or PVTT lesions by treatment aim. They were irradiated at a median prescription dose of 50 Gy. The response was evaluated within 3 months after completion of RT using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST). Response rate, overall survival (OS), and the pattern of failure (POF) were analyzed. Results The response rate was 61.1%. The statistically significant prognostic factor affecting response in RT field was maximal standardized uptake value (maxSUV) only. The high SUV group (maxSUV ≥ 5.1) showed the better radiologic response than the low SUV group (maxSUV < 5.1). The median OS were 996.0 days in definitive group and 144.0 days in palliative group. Factors affecting OS were the %reduction of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level in the definitive group and Child-Pugh class in the palliative group. To predict the POF, maxSUV based on the cutoff value of 5.1 was the only significant factor in distant metastasis group. Conclusion The results of this study suggest that the maxSUV of 18F-FDG PET-CT may be a prognostic factor for treatment outcome and the POF after RT. A %reduction of AFP level and Child-Pugh class could be used to predict OS in HCC.

Patterns of care for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (KROG 11-06) in South Korea

Purpose To investigate the patterns of care for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in South Korea. Materials and Methods A multi-institutional retrospective study was performed (Korean Radiation Oncology Group [KROG] 11-06) on a total of 1,445 patients from 15 institutions. Results Of the 1,445 patients, more than half were stages III (39.9%) and IV (35.8%). In addition to patterns of care, we also investigated trends over time with the periods 1988-1993, 1994-2002, and 2003-2011. The frequencies of magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography-computed tomography were markedly increased in the third period compared to previous 2 periods. Concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) was performed on 894 patients (61.9%), neoadjuvant chemotherapy on 468 patients (32.4%), and adjuvant chemotherapy on 366 patients (25.3%). Of stage II-IV patients, CCRT performed on 78.8% in 2003-2011 compared to 15.0% in 1988-1993. For patients treated with CCRT, cisplatin was the most commonly used agent in 81.3% of patients. Over the periods of time, commonly used radiotherapy (RT) techniques were changed from 2-dimensional RT (1988-1993, 92.5%) to 3-dimensional RT (2003-2011, 35.5%) or intensity-modulated RT (IMRT; 2003-2011, 56.5%). Median RT doses given to primary tumors, high-risk lymphatics, and low-risk lymphatics were 70.0 Gy, 58.1 Gy, and 48.0 Gy, respectively. Adoption of IMRT increased the dose per fraction and escalated total radiation dose. Conclusion Assessment of the patterns of care for NPC patients in South Korea demonstrated that management for NPC including diagnostic imaging, treatment regimen, RT techniques and dose schedule, advanced in accordance with the international guidelines.

Magnetic resonance imaging during definitive chemoradiotherapy can predict tumor recurrence and patient survival in locally advanced cervical cancer: A multi-institutional retrospective analysis of KROG 16-01

OBJECTIVE Definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by brachytherapy is a standard treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer. During CRT, marked reduction of cervical tumor is often observed in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The primary aim of this study was to assess the association between tumor response in MRI using FIGO classification and clinical outcomes. METHODS Multi-institutional data were retrospectively reviewed to identify the significance of MR tumor response on tumor recurrence and patient survival. 225 patients with histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix, staged as FIGO Ib2-IVa on initial pelvic MRI, were included. Post-CRT MRI was performed median 35days after the beginning of CRT and before brachytherapy. A median 54Gy of external radiation was given with weekly cisplatin during CRT. RESULTS 112 (49.7%) of the 225 patients showed a positive response in post-CRT MRI and were named the responsive arm. After a median follow-up time of 36.2months, the responsive arm had significantly lower para-aortic recurrence (7.5% vs. 12.4%; p=0.04) and distant metastasis (13.2% vs. 27.6%; p=0.03) rates than did the non-responsive arm. The responsive arm had significantly higher 3-year cause-specific survival rate (94.6% vs. 81.1%, p<0.01) than did the non-responsive arm. In the multivariate analysis, tumor size (hazard ratio, 1.91 and 95% confidence interval, 1.07-3.43; p=0.028) and positive MR response (hazard ratio, 1.75 and 95% confidence interval, 1.06-2.27; p=0.045) were significant factors for recurrence-free survival CONCLUSION: Early tumor response evaluation with MRI using FIGO classification effectively predicted distant tumor metastasis and disease-specific survival in locally advanced cervical cancer.

Lymphovascular Invasion Increases the Risk of Nodal and Distant Recurrence in Node-Negative Stage I–IIA Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Objectives: Despite complete surgical resection, 30–40% of patients with stage I–IIA non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have recurrences. We aimed to elucidate the effect of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) on the prognosis and patterns of recurrence in patients with pathologically confirmed T1–2N0 NSCLC. Methods: We evaluated 381 patients who underwent complete resection and were diagnosed with pathologic T1–2N0 NSCLC between March 2000 and January 2012. Local recurrence, nodal recurrence, and distant metastasis were defined and analyzed. Results: LVI was present in 72 patients (18.9%). The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) for all patients was 69.9%. Patients with LVI showed a significant decrease in 5-year DFS (47.3 vs. 74.4%, p < 0.001). LVI was a significant prognostic predictor in multivariate analysis (p = 0.003). The patients with LVI showed a significantly increased 5-year cumulative incidence of nodal recurrence (22.5 vs. 8.7%, p < 0.001) and distant metastasis (30.4 vs. 14.9%, p = 0.004). However, no difference was shown between the two groups in the 5-year cumulative incidence of local recurrence (p = 0.416). Conclusions: LVI is a negative prognostic factor in patients with stage I–IIA NSCLC. The presence of LVI significantly increases the risk of nodal and distant recurrence.

Treatment outcome and risk analysis for cataract after radiotherapy of localized ocular adnexal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma

Purpose We retrospectively reviewed the results of radiotherapy for localized ocular adnexal MALT lymphoma (OAML) to investigate the risk factors of cataract. Methods Sixty-seven patients with stage IE OAML treated with radiotherapy at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital from 2001 to 2016 were included. Median treatment dose was 30 Gy. Lens protection was done in 52 (76%) patients. Radiation therapy (RT) extent was as follows: superficial (82.1%), tumor mass (4.5%), and entire orbital socket (13.4%). The risk factors for symptomatic cataract were analyzed using the Cox proportional hazard model. Results Median follow-up time was 50.9 months (range, 1.9 to 149.4 months). All patients were alive at the time of analysis. There were 7 recurrences and there was no local recurrence. Median time to recurrence was 40.4 months. There were 14 cases of symptomatic cataract. Dose >30 Gy had hazard ratio of 3.47 for cataract (p = 0.026). Omitting lens protection showed hazard ratio of 4.10 (p = 0.008). conclusions RT achieves excellent local control of ocular MALT lymphoma. Consideration of RT-related factors such as lens protection and radiation dose at the stage of RT planning may reduce the risk of RT-induced cataract after radiotherapy.

Radiotherapy as an alternative treatment option for primary central nervous system lymphoma patients who are noncandidates for chemotherapy

The standard treatment for primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma is based on chemotherapy. However, there are patients who are not indicated for chemotherapy and when left untreated, the expected functional outcomes for these patients are devastating since the disease causes various neurologic symptoms. Therefore, we assessed the effects of radiotherapy as an alternative therapy in primary CNS lymphoma. Thirty-two patients were diagnosed with primary CNS lymphoma and treated with radiotherapy alone. Patients received whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) to a median dose of 30 Gy (range, 14.4–50 Gy) and the median total radiotherapy dose was 50 Gy (range, 30–54 Gy). The status on neurologic symptoms before and after radiotherapy was inquired during the regular follow-ups. The progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates for the enrolled patients were calculated. The median follow-up time was 21 months. All but one of the patients presented with neurologic symptoms. The most common symptoms were hemiparesis and headache. After radiotherapy, these symptoms were relieved in 27 patients (84.4%). The median PFS and OS rates were 15.8 and 16.3 months, respectively. Twenty patients (62.5%) experienced recurrent disease at follow up and among them, fifteen patients (46.9%) had intracranial recurrence. The median intracranial PFS was 19.3 months. Untreated primary CNS lymphoma causes neurologic deficits and the survival after only supportive care is poor. Therefore, when chemotherapy is unfeasible, an alternative treatment should be applied and radiotherapy can be a practical option.

Accelerated whole breast irradiation in early breast cancer patients with adverse prognostic features

Purpose Accelerated whole breast irradiation (AWBI) and conventional whole breast irradiation (CWBI) were compared to determine whether AWBI is as effective as CWBI in patients with early breast cancer and adverse prognostic features. Patients and methods We included 330 patients who underwent breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and post-operative radiation therapy (RT) using AWBI for pT1-2 and pN0-1a breast cancer from 2007 to 2010. These patients were matched with 330 patients who received CWBI according to stage, age (±3 years), and the year of BCS. AWBI of 39 Gy and CWBI of 50.4 Gy were given in 13 and 28 fractions, respectively. Results Median follow-up time was 81.9 months. There were no statistically significant differences between the AWBI and CWBI groups in terms of age, stage, tumor grade, or molecular subtype. More patients with Ki-67 index ≥ 14% were present in the AWBI group (AWBI 47.0% vs. CWBI 10.3%; P<0.01). The 5-year ipsilateral breast tumor relapse (IBTR) rates for the AWBI and CWBI groups were 0.8% and 1.8%, respectively (P=0.54). High tumor grade was a statistically significant risk factor for IBTR (5-year IBTR rate: 2.9%; P=0.01). Ki-67 ≥ 14% was marginally related to IBTR (5-year IBTR rate: 2.2%; P=0.07). There were no statistically significant differences in the hazard ratios between the AWBI and CWBI groups according to any of the risk factors. There were no acute grade 3 toxicities in the AWBI group. There were no late grade 3 toxicities in either group. Conclusions AWBI is comparable to CWBI in early breast cancer with adverse prognostic features.

Identifying the optimal criteria of radiotherapeutic parameters for patients with unresectable locally advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

The purpose of this study is to identify the optimal criteria of the radiotherapeutic parameters in patients with unresectable locally advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). 103 patients were enrolled in this study. All patients received RT delivered using the TomoTherapy Hi-Art system between March 2006 and February 2012. We evaluated the planning target volume (PTV), total dose (Gy10), and NTNL-VBED20 (non-target normal liver volume receiving more than a biologically effective dose of 20 Gy8) as significant radiotherapeutic parameters associated with hepatic function deterioration and local progression-free survival (PFS). A PTV of 279 cm3 or 304 cm3, a total dose of 60 Gy10, and a NTNL-VBED20 of 40.8% were identified as the optimal cut-off values of radiotherapeutic parameters to prevent hepatic function deterioration and prolong local PFS. Based on these findings, patients were divided in a favorable and an unfavorable prognosis group. The differences in median local PFS, overall survival, and incidence of deteriorated hepatic function between the two groups were 11.2 months, 11.1 months, and 71.7%, respectively (p < 0.001 in each case). In conclusion, we suggest that the optimal criteria of the radiotherapeutic parameters for patients with unresectable locally advanced HCC are: PTV ≤ 279 cm3, total dose > 60 Gy10, and NTNL-VBED20 ≤ 40.8%.