Ying-Jie Wang

Prospective Study of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Concurrent With Individualized Radiotherapy for Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

PURPOSE To establish the safety profile and efficacy of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) concurrent with individualized radiotherapy (RT) in patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS Between June 2007 and January 2010, 26 patients with Stage III/IV NSCLC were enrolled in this prospective study. These patients were treated with EGFR-TKIs (gefitinib 250 mg or erlotinib 150 mg, oral daily) concurrent with individualized RT with curative intent. The thoracic RT plans were individually designed on the basis of tumor size and normal tissue volume constraints. All patients were assessed for toxicity, and 25 patients were available for efficacy. The primary endpoints were acute toxicity, overall survival, and median survival time. The secondary endpoints included local control rate, time to tumor progression, and progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS Median gross tumor volume, mean lung dose, and lung V20 were 56 cm(3), 8.6 Gy, and 14%, respectively. Median thoracic radiation dose was 70 Gy at a margin of gross tumor volume (range, 42-82 Gy), and median biological equivalent dose was 105 Gy (range, 60-119 Gy). Acute skin, hematologic, esophageal, and pulmonary toxicities were acceptable and manageable. Severe adverse events included neutropenia (Grade 4, 4%) and thrombocytopenia (Grade 4, 8%), esophagitis (Grade 3, 4%), and pneumonitis (Grade 3, 4%). With a median follow-up of 10.2 months, a local control rate of 96% was achieved for thoracic tumor. Median time to progression, median PFS, and median survival time were 6.3, 10.2, and 21.8 months, respectively. The 1- and 2-year PFS rates were both 42%, and 1-, 2-, and 3-year overall survival rates were 57%, 45%, and 30%, respectively. CONCLUSION Concurrent EGFR-TKIs with individualized RT shows a favorable safety profile and promising outcome, therefore serving as a therapeutic option for patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC.

Outcome Study of Cobalt Based Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Patients with Inoperable Stage III Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Aim of this paper is to retrospectively evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of specialized Body Cobalt based system (BCBS) treatment in the senior patients group (.65 years) with Stage III non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). A total of 49 patients (41 males and 8 females) with Stage III NSCLC according to UICC TNM classification (6th edition) were treated using OUR-QGD™ BCBS which was designed and manufactured in China. Post treatment evaluation with follow-up information was collected from April 2001 to December 2006 in our department. Median age of enrolled patients was 71 years old (65-85). Among those patients, 36 patients were pathologically identified with squamous cell carcinoma, and the other 13 patients were confirmed as adenocarcinoma. All patients were immobilized by vacuum based immobilization mold and then performed slow CT scan without any respiration gating devices. The daily radiation prescription dose was defined at 50% isodose line covering primary lesions and metastatic lymph nodes with doses from 2.5 to 6 Gy in 5 fractions per week according to the tumor stage and internally approved treatment protocols by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Median daily dose and total delivery dose of 50% isodose line were 4 Gy and 41 Gy, respectively. In this study group, total of 3 patients received neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Tumor response evaluated 12 weeks after radiation has demonstrated 13 complete responses (26.5%), 21 partial responses (42.9%). The overall survival (OS) rate of 1-year, 2-year and 3-year was 63.3%, 40.8% and 20.4%, respectively. The median and mean survival time was 22 and 24 months. All 49 patients tolerated the treatment well and have completed the planned therapy regiment. Body Cobalt based system treatment of those over 65 years old patients with Stage III NSCLC had reasonable and superior curative effect as well as local control, and at the same time without severe radiation side effects.

Influence of computed tomography contrast agent on radiotherapy dose calculation for pancreatic carcinoma: A dosimetric study based on tomotherapy and volumetric-modulated arc therapy techniques

The main purpose of our investigation was to quantify the dosimetric influence of intravenous contrast agent for pancreatic cancer radiotherapy treatment. This study focused on complex modulated irradiation techniques of tomotherapy (TOMO) and volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) to investigate if novel conformal treatment methods could reduce the influence of contrast agent. In our study, patients with pancreatic cancer were enrolled to have 2 computed tomography (CT) scans in the same position without and with intravenous contrast agent for treatment planning. Then tumors and organ at risks were countered on contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) images. Each patients CECT was assigned a TOMO plan and a VMAT plan. Then these plans were copied onto the non-CECT image and dose distribution was calculated with the same algorithm and structure sets. Finally, the dose distribution and the dose difference were analyzed for the target volume and organs at risk between the 2 sets of images. The statistic dosimetric result showed that for both TOMO and VMAT, no significant dose difference between CECT and non-CECT-based plan was observed. Dose difference was clinically negligible because the average relative percentage dose difference was 1% ± 1% for target volume, except a blurring effect at the higher dose region of the target volume. It implied that intravenous contrast agent will not affect dose calculation for pancreatic cancer radiotherapy significantly. Also the dose deviation based on TOMO showed no statistical difference compared with that on VMAT. For both superposition/conversation algorithm used by TOMO and Monte Carlo algorithm used by VMAT, the dosimetric difference was nonsignificant. A full analysis demonstrated a negligible dose difference of less than 1% between CECT-based plan and non-CECT-based plan. Therefore, contrast-enhanced CT image can be used directly for dose calculation of TOMO and VMAT plans for pancreatic cancer. It is unnecessary to scan twice then make a fusion of CECT and non-CECT, which would result to additional unnecessary radiation dose to patient and decrease work efficiency.