Preliminary Study of Chemoradiotherapy Using Modified Docetaxel, Cis-diaminodichloroplatinum, and 5-Fluorouracil for Sinonasal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Objective To examine the safety and efficacy of concomitant chemoradiotherapy using a modified TPF regimen (docetaxel + cisplatin + 5-fluorouracil) in patients with advanced sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma (SNSCC). Study Design Retrospective study. Setting Tertiary center (university hospital). Methods Seven patients with previously untreated T3-T4 SNSCC were enrolled. They underwent radiotherapy once daily (total dose, 70 Gy) with 2 courses of concomitant 120-hour infusion of 5-fluorouracil (600 mg/m2/d), docetaxel (50 mg/m2, day 2), and cisplatin (60 mg/m2, day 2) Results Grade 4 leukopenia, grade 4 neutropenia, and grade 3 lymphopenia were observed in 1, 3, and 4 patients, respectively. Grade 4 creatinine elevation was observed in 1 patient. However, other grade 3 or 4 adverse events were not common. Complete response was obtained in all patients. At 60 months there was 85.7% disease-free survival and 100% overall. Conclusion Concomitant chemoradiotherapy with a modified TPF regimen may be feasible and effective in patients with advanced SNSCC.

Prevention and management of acute esophageal toxicity during concomitant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced lung cancer

Background: Standard treatment for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) is concomitant chemoradiotherapy. The survival benefit of combined treatment is partially counterbalanced by an increased rate of acute esophageal toxicity. Several pharmaceutical products are available for prevention and management of esophagitis, including Faringel Plus. Aim: To assess the incidence and the grade, identify the correlations with clinical, dosimetric, and therapeutic variables, and analyse the role of Faringel Plus as a pharmaceutical preventive measure against acute esophageal toxicity. Methods: Patients with LA-NSCLC treated with concomitant radiochemotherapy were retrospectively reviewed. Acute esophagitis and dysphagia were graded according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0. Clinical, dosimetric, and therapeutic correlations were investigated using χ2 test. Results: Among the 23 analysed patients, 18 (78.3%) and 1 (4.3%) developed G2 and G3 esophagitis, respectively; G1–2 dysphagia were reported in 11 cases (47.8%). No statistically significant correlation between the variables considered and acute esophageal toxicity was identified. In the group of patients who received Faringel Plus as preventive treatment (10 subjects, 43.5%), dysphagia presentation time was significantly longer ( p = 0.038); esophagitis onset time was longer and symptoms duration was shorter. Faringel Plus allowed a reduction in the use of analgesic drugs. Conclusions: Acute mild esophageal toxicity was confirmed to be a common side effect in this setting. No clinical-dosimetric parameter has been demonstrated to be effective in predicting acute esophageal toxicity. The use of Faringel Plus appears effective as a therapeutic and prophylactic tool to manage acute esophageal toxicity.

Interaction of Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy in Altering the Morphology of Subcortical Structures in Patients With Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Neuroimaging studies have found significant structural alterations of the cerebral cortex in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) following radiotherapy (RT) or concomitant chemoradiotherapy (CCRT), while their effects on the morphology of subcortical structures remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the subcortical morphological alterations between three groups: 56 untreated NPC patients (pre-RT group), 37 RT-treated NPC patients (post-RT group), and 108 CCRT-treated NPC patients (post-CCRT group). Using FSL-FIRST, we found that, compared with the pre-RT group, the post-CCRT group exhibited morphological atrophy in the bilateral thalamus, bilateral putamen, left pallidum, and left caudate and morphological inflation in the left caudate, while the post-RT group only exhibited morphological atrophy in the bilateral thalamus. We also found a significant negative correlation between the maximum dosage of RT for temporal lobes and the morphological changes of the bilateral thalamus in treated NPC patients. These results indicated that there may be an interaction between RT and CT that can cause subcortical damage.

Clinical outcome and side effects of concomitant chemoradiotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced inoperable non-small cell lung cancer: Our experiences

Background/Aim. About 1.8 million new lung cancer cases are diagnosed in the world every year, and about 1.6 million cases are with fatal outcome. Despite improvements in treatment in previous decades, the survival of patients with lung cancer is still poor. The five-year survival rate is about 50% for patients with localized disease, 20% for patients with regionally advanced disease, 2% for patients with metastatic disease, and about 14% for all stages. The median survival of patients with untreated NSCLC in the advanced stage is four to five months and the annual survival rate is only 10%. The main goal of the research is to obtain and analyze the results of treatment with concomitant chemotherapy in terms of its efficacy and toxicity in selected patients with locally advanced inoperable non-small cell lung cancer. Methods. The study included data analysis of 31 patients of both sexes who were diagnosed and pathohistologically verified with NSCLC in inoperable stage III and were referred by the Council for Malignant Lung Diseases to the Radiotherapy Department of the Military Medical Academy for concomitant chemoradiotherapy treatment. Upon expiry of the three-month period from the performed radiation treatment, the tumor resonance was assessed on the basis of MSCT examination of the chest and upper abdomen according to RECIST 1.1 criteria (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors). According to the same criteria, progression-free survival (PFS) was also assessed every three months during the first two years, then every 6 months or until the onset of disease symptoms, as well as overall survival (OS). Result. The median progression-free survival is 13 months, and the median overall survival is 20 months. During and immediately after RT, 9 (29%) patients had a grade 2 or higher adverse event. Conclusion. The use of concomitant chemoradiotherapy in patients in the third stage of locally advanced inoperable non-small cell lung cancer provides a good opportunity for a favorable therapeutic outcome, with an acceptable degree of acute and late toxicity, and represents the standard therapeutic approach for selected patients in this stage of the disease.