Wojciech Majewski

Randomized clinical trial on 7-days-a-week postoperative radiotherapy for high-risk squamous cell head and neck cancer

PURPOSE To evaluate the normal tissue reactions and loco-regional control rates (LRC) in patients treated with 7-days-a-week postoperative continuous irradiation (p-CAIR) compared to conventionally fractionated 5-days-a-week postoperative radiotherapy (CF). MATERIALS/METHODS Between 2001 and 2004, 279 patients with high-risk squamous cell cancer of the larynx (158 pts.) or cancer of the oral cavity/oropharynx (121 pts.) were enrolled. They were stratified according to the primary cancer site (larynx vs. others) and the treating center and randomized to receive 63 Gy in fractions of 1.8 Gy given 5-days-a-week (140 pts: CF) or 7-days-a-week (139 pts: p-CAIR). RESULTS The acute and late toxicity was considered acceptable, although the proportion of patients with confluent mucositis was higher in p-CAIR compared to CF (60.0 vs. 33.3%). The actuarial 3-year LRC were 64 vs. 70% for CF and p-CAIR, respectively, p=0.32. A statistically significant improvement in 3-year LRC in p-CAIR arm appeared in a subset of the patients with cancer of the oropharynx/oral cavity (74% p-CAIR vs. 53% CF, p=0.02). By contrast, there was no improvement in LRC in a subset of the patients with cancer of the larynx (p=0.46). CONCLUSION An improvement in LRC attributable to acceleration of postoperative radiotherapy appeared restricted to the patients with cancer of the oropharynx/oral cavity. In patients with cancer of the larynx acceleration of postoperative radiotherapy did not have any beneficial effect.

Partial-Body Irradiation in Patients with Prostate Cancer Treated with IMRT Has Little Effect on the Composition of Serum Proteome

Partial body irradiation during cancer radiotherapy (RT) induces a response of irradiated tissues that could be observed at the level of serum proteome. Here we aimed to characterize the response to RT in group of patients treated because of prostate cancer. Five consecutive blood samples were collected before, during, and after the end of RT in a group of 126 patients who received definitive treatment with a maximum dose of 76 Gy. Serum peptidome, which was profiled in the 2000–16,000 Da range using MALDI-MS. Serum proteins were identified and quantified using the shotgun LC-MS/MS approach. The majority of changes in serum peptidome were detected between pre-treatment samples and samples collected after 3–4 weeks of RT (~25% of registered peptides changed their abundances significantly), yet the intensity of observed changes was not correlated significantly with the degree of acute radiation toxicity or the volume of irradiated tissues. Furthermore, there were a few serum proteins identified, the abundances of which were different in pre-RT and post-RT samples, including immunity and inflammation-related factors. Observed effects were apparently weaker than in comparable groups of head and neck cancer patients in spite of similar radiation doses and volumes of irradiated tissues in both groups. We concluded that changes observed at the level of serum proteome were low for this cohort of prostate cancer patients, although the specific components involved are associated with immunity and inflammation, and reflect the characteristic acute response of the human body to radiation.

Primary mediastinal seminoma

Background The objective of this study was to evaluate the long term treatment results of patients with primary mediastinal seminoma. Methods Sixteen patients aged 21-46 diagnosed with primary mediastinal seminoma between 1983 and 2014. Mean size of the tumor was 65 cm2. In all patients gonadal involvement was excluded. In 6 patients, metastases to regional lymph nodes were found and none of them presented with distant metastases. HCG was elevated in 6 patients (38%). Eight patients underwent surgery as first-line of the treatment: 7 partial and 1 complete resection of the tumor. Chemotherapy (CTH) and radiotherapy (RTH) were methods of treatment in 14 cases. Tumor was irradiated to total dose of 36.0-50.4 (median 42.5) Gy. In statistical analysis overall survival (OS) was calculated using Kaplan-Meier method. Results During median time of 11 years of the follow-up, complete or partial regression (PR) of the tumor was seen in all patients after primary treatment. Recurrence of the tumor was seen in 3 patients. The 5-, 10- and 15-year local control rates were 75%. One was treated with CTH, other two with RTH. All of them responded with complete regression (CR) of the tumor. Three patients died during the follow-up. All others are alive without disease. The 5-, 10- and 15-year OS was 100%, 91% and 91% respectively. Conclusions Chemoradiotherapy of primary mediastinal seminoma gives satisfactory treatment results with good local control rate. The treatment outcome is comparable to primary testicular seminoma.