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At least 1,243 records · Page 69

Use of electronic cigarettes in public and private settings in Barcelona (Spain)

Objectives: To describe the prevalence of e-cigarette users who use them in selected indoor public and workplaces, and private venues in Barcelona (Spain) in 2015. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of a sample of e-cigarette users (≥ 18 years) from Barcelona (n = 600). We calculated the proportion of e-cigarette users who used the device in public and private settings (in the last 30 days). We fit multivariate logistic regression models adjusted for sex and age to calculate the odds ratios (OR) with their 95% confidence intervals (CI) of e-cigarette use by socio-demographic factors, dual use and nicotine-containing e-cigarettes. Results: The highest proportion of e-cigarette users who used them in public places was found at restaurants or bars (69.4%) and nightclubs or pubs (55.4%). Also being current conventional tobacco smokers (dual users) was significantly associated with lower use of e-cigarettes in workplaces (OR = 0.61, 95%CI:0.41–0.91), restaurants (OR = 0.66, 95%CI:0.45–0.97) and nightclubs (OR = 0.56, 95%CI:0.37–0.86). Moreover, being a nicotine-containing e-cigarette user was associated with higher odds of using the device in workplaces (OR = 2.01, 95%CI:1.34–3.01), and lower odds of using it in nightclubs (OR = 0.56, 95%CI:0.39–0.82). 96.8% of the included e-cigarette users declared to use the device at home. Being a current tobacco smoker was associated with increased odds of using e-cigarettes at home (OR = 3.17, 95%CI:1.22–8.22). Conclusions: E-cigarette use in private settings and in public settings where their use is not regulated by law is high. Therefore, the public health administration in Spain should consider expanding the prohibition of e-cigarette use to indoor public places and should take into account the possibility of exposure to aerosol from e-cigarettes. - Highlights: • Describe use e-cigarette in indoor public and workplaces. • Describe use e-cigarette in indoor private venues. • E-cigarette use in private settings is high. • Dual users declared a higher use of e-cigarettes. • Expanding the prohibition of e-cigarette use should be considered.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Neurocognitive and physical functioning in the Seveso Women's Health Study

Highlights: • Little research exists on the neurotoxic effects of dioxins in older women. • TCDD was associated with grip strength but not other measures of physical function. • TCDD exposure was not adversely associated with working memory. • This relationship was not modified by menopause nor timing of TCDD exposure around menarche. • TCDD susceptibility may increase as the women age, warranting further research. 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is neurotoxic in animals but few studies have investigated its effects on the human brain. Related dioxin-like compounds have been linked to poorer cognitive and motor function in older adults, with effects more pronounced in women, perhaps due to the loss of neuro-protective estrogen in menopause. On 10 July 1976, a chemical explosion in Seveso, Italy, resulted in one of the highest known residential exposures to TCDD. In 1996, we initiated the Seveso Women's Health Study, a retrospective cohort study of the health of the women who were newborn to 40 years old in 1976. Here, we investigate whether TCDD exposure is associated with physical functioning and working memory more than 20 years later. Individual TCDD concentration (ppt) was measured in archived serum collected soon after the explosion. In 1996 and 2008, we measured physical functioning (n=154) and working memory (n=459), respectively. We examined associations between serum TCDD and motor and cognitive outcomes with multivariate linear regression and semi-parametric estimators. A 10-fold increase in serum TCDD was not associated with walking speed (adjusted β=0.0006 ft/s, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): −0.13, 0.13), upper body mobility (adjusted β=−0.06, 95% CI: −0.36, 0.23), or manual dexterity (adjusted β=0.34, 95% CI: −0.65, 1.33). We observed an inverted U-shaped association in grip strength, with poorer strength in the lowest and highest TCDD exposure levels. There was no association between TCDD and the Wechsler digit and spatial span tests. Neither menopause status at assessment nor developmental timing of exposure modified associations between TCDD and working memory. Our findings, in one of the only studies of TCDD's effects on neuropsychological and physical functioning in women, do not indicate an adverse effect on these domains, with the exception of a U-shaped relationship with grip strength. Given the limited assessment and relative youth of the women at this follow-up, future work examining additional neuropsychological outcomes is warranted.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Relationship between serum trimethylamine N-oxide and exposure to dioxin-like pollutants

Highlights: • TMAO has been linked to cardiovascular disease risk in human studies and animal models. • TMAO was positively associated with 22 indexes of dioxin-like pollutant exposures in ACHS-II. • Associations with TMAO were significant among females (except at high BMIs) but not among males. • The dioxin TEQ: TMAO association was unaltered by adjustment for independent covariates of TMAO. Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is a diet and gut microbiota-derived metabolite that has been linked to cardiovascular disease risk in human studies and animal models. TMAO levels show wide inter and intra individual variability in humans that can likely be accounted for by multiple factors including diet, the gut microbiota, levels of the TMAO generating liver enzyme Flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 (FMO3) and kidney function. We recently found that dioxin-like (DL) environmental pollutants increased FMO3 expression to elevate circulating diet-derived TMAO in mice, suggesting that exposure to this class of pollutants might also contribute to inter-individual variability in circulating TMAO levels in humans. To begin to explore this possibility we examined the relationship between body burden of DL pollutants (reported by serum lipid concentrations) and serum TMAO levels (n = 340) in the Anniston, AL cohort, which was highly exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). TMAO concentrations in archived serum samples from the Anniston Community Health Survey (ACHS-II) were measured, and associations of TMAO with 28 indices of pollutant body burden, including total dioxins toxic equivalent (TEQ), were quantified. Twenty-three (22 after adjustment for multiple comparisons) of the 28 indices were significantly positively associated with TMAO. Although the design of ACHS-II does not enable quantitative assessment of the contributions of previously known determinants of TMAO variability to this relationship, limited multivariate modeling revealed that total dioxins TEQ was significantly associated with TMAO among females (except at high BMIs) but not among males. Our results from this cross-sectional study indicate that exposure to DL pollutants may contribute to elevated serum TMAO levels. Prospective longitudinal studies will be required to assess the joint relationship between DL pollutant exposures, other determinants of TMAO, and health outcomes.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Exploring the effects of climatic variables on monthly precipitation variation using a continuous wavelet-based multiscale entropy approach

Highlights: • Developed a wavelet transform entropy approach to study precipitation. • Multiscale entropy values were the basis for precipitation regionalization. • Various entropy-based bands were introduced to segregate the CWME values for each cluster. • The relationship between changes of CWME and mean monthly precipitation were investigated. • Central rain gauges of each cluster were used for further analysis. Understanding precipitation on a regional basis is an important component of water resources planning and management. The present study outlines a methodology based on continuous wavelet transform (CWT) and multiscale entropy (CWME), combined with self-organizing map (SOM) and k-means clustering techniques, to measure and analyze the complexity of precipitation. Historical monthly precipitation data from 1960 to 2010 at 31 rain gauges across Iran were preprocessed by CWT. The multi-resolution CWT approach segregated the major features of the original precipitation series by unfolding the structure of the time series which was often ambiguous. The entropy concept was then applied to components obtained from CWT to measure dispersion, uncertainty, disorder, and diversification of subcomponents. Based on different validity indices, k-means clustering captured homogenous areas more accurately, and additional analysis was performed based on the outcome of this approach. The 31 rain gauges in this study were clustered into 6 groups, each one having a unique CWME pattern across different time scales. The results of clustering showed that hydrologic similarity (multiscale variation of precipitation) was not based on geographic contiguity. According to the pattern of entropy across the scales, each cluster was assigned an entropy signature that provided an estimation of the entropy pattern of precipitation data in each cluster. Based on the pattern of mean CWME for each cluster, a characteristic signature was assigned, which provided an estimation of the CWME of a cluster across scales of 1–2, 3–8, and 9–13 months relative to other stations. The validity of the homogeneous clusters demonstrated the usefulness of the proposed approach to regionalize precipitation. Further analysis based on wavelet coherence (WTC) was performed by selecting central rain gauges in each cluster and analyzing against temperature, wind, Multivariate ENSO index (MEI), and East Atlantic (EA) and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), indeces. The results revealed that all climatic features except NAO influenced precipitation in Iran during the 1960–2010 period.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Adipose tissue levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and breast cancer risk in Chinese women: A case–control study

Highlights: • Associations between adipose tissue PBDE levels and breast cancer risk were assessed. • Levels of most individual PBDE congeners were higher in breast-cancer cases than controls. • Breast-cancer risk was increased with both 2nd and 3rd tertiles of BDE-47 and BDE-209 levels with a trend. • Breast-cancer risk was also increased with the 3rd tertile of BDE-28, 99, 100, 138, 153, 154, and ∑PBDE levels. • PBDE concentrations are associated with breast-cancer risk in women in Chaoshan, China. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are suspected to be associated with breast cancer risk because of their estrogenic potencies. Epidemiological studies of PBDEs and breast cancer are scarce. Our study aimed to estimate the association between adipose-tissue PBDE concentrations and breast cancer risk. A total of 209 breast cancer cases and 165 controls were recruited from hospitals between January 2014 and May 2016 in Shantou, Chaoshan area, China. Concentrations of 14 PBDE congeners were measured in adipose tissues obtained from the breast for cases and the abdomen/breast for controls during surgery. Demographic and clinicopathologic characteristics were obtained from medical records. Breast cancer risk as well as clinicopathologic characteristics were evaluated by adipose-tissue PBDE level. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for breast cancer risk associated with levels of PBDE congeners were estimated from logistic regression models for all cases and stratified by estrogen receptor (ER) status. Level of total PBDEs (∑PBDE) and most individual PBDE congeners were higher in breast cancer cases than controls (median ∑PBDE, 94.99 vs 73.72 ng/g lipid). In the adjusted univariate model for all cases, breast cancer risk was increased with both 2nd and 3rd tertiles versus the 1st tertile of BDE-47 level (OR 2.05 [95% CI 1.08–3.92]; 5.47 [2.96–10.11]) and BDE-209 level (2.48 [1.30–4.73]; 4.72 [2.52–8.83]) with trend (both P < 0.001) and with the 3rd tertile of BDE-28 level (2.83 [1.63–4.92]), BDE-99 (3.22 [1.85–5.60]), BDE-100 (5.45 [2.90–10.23]), BDE-138 (2.40 [1.37–4.20]), BDE-153 (1.74 [1.02–2.97]), BDE-154 (1.84 [1.05–3.22]), and ∑PBDE levels (1.83 [1.07–3.14]) but decreased with the 3rd tertile of BDE-71 level (0.38 [0.22–0.65]) with trend (all P < 0.01). After stratifying by ER-positive or -negative status, the adjusted results were similar for ER-positive patients except for BDE-153 and BDE-154, with no statistical significance. In the multivariate model for all cases, age, menarche age, BDE-47, 71, 99, 100, 183 and 209 were independent factors associated with breast-cancer risk. ∑PBDE and most individual PBDE congeners investigated were positively associated with breast cancer risk in women from the Chaoshan area, China. PBDE may play a role in the occurrence and development of breast cancer.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Dose-Volume Histogram Predictors of Chronic Gastrointestinal Complications After Radical Hysterectomy and Postoperative Concurrent Nedaplatin-Based Chemoradiation Therapy for Early-Stage Cervical Cancer

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate dose-volume histogram (DVH) predictors for the development of chronic gastrointestinal (GI) complications in cervical cancer patients who underwent radical hysterectomy and postoperative concurrent nedaplatin-based chemoradiation therapy. Methods and Materials: This study analyzed 97 patients who underwent postoperative concurrent chemoradiation therapy. The organs at risk that were contoured were the small bowel loops, large bowel loop, and peritoneal cavity. DVH parameters subjected to analysis included the volumes of these organs receiving more than 15, 30, 40, and 45 Gy (V15-V45) and their mean dose. Associations between DVH parameters or clinical factors and the incidence of grade 2 or higher chronic GI complications were evaluated. Results: Of the clinical factors, smoking and low body mass index (BMI) (<22) were significantly associated with grade 2 or higher chronic GI complications. Also, patients with chronic GI complications had significantly greater V15-V45 volumes and higher mean dose of the small bowel loops compared with those without GI complications. In contrast, no parameters for the large bowel loop or peritoneal cavity were significantly associated with GI complications. Results of the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis led to the conclusion that V15-V45 of the small bowel loops has high accuracy for prediction of GI complications. Among these parameters, V40 gave the highest area under the ROC curve. Finally, multivariate analysis was performed with V40 of the small bowel loops and 2 other clinical parameters that were judged to be potential risk factors for chronic GI complications: BMI and smoking. Of these 3 parameters, V40 of the small bowel loops and smoking emerged as independent predictors of chronic GI complications. Conclusions: DVH parameters of the small bowel loops may serve as predictors of grade 2 or higher chronic GI complications after postoperative concurrent nedaplatin-based chemoradiation therapy for early-stage cervical cancer.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Osteoradionecrosis and Radiation Dose to the Mandible in Patients With Oropharyngeal Cancer

Purpose: To determine the association between radiation doses delivered to the mandible and the occurrence of osteoradionecrosis (ORN). Methods and Materials: We reviewed the records of 402 oropharyngeal cancer patients with stage T1 or T2 disease treated with definitive radiation between January 2000 and October 2008 for the occurrence of ORN. Demographic and treatment variables were compared between patients with ORN and those without. To examine the dosimetric relationship further, a nested case-control comparison was performed. One to 2 ORN-free patients were selected to match each ORN patient by age, sex, radiation type, treatment year, and cancer subsite. Detailed radiation treatment plans for the ORN cases and matched controls were reviewed. Mann-Whitney test and conditional logistic regression were used to compare relative volumes of the mandible exposed to doses ranging from 10 Gy-60 Gy in 10-Gy increments. Results: In 30 patients (7.5%), ORN developed during a median follow-up time of 31 months, including 6 patients with grade 4 ORN that required major surgery. The median time to develop ORN was 8 months (range, 0-71 months). Detailed radiation treatment plans were available for 25 of the 30 ORN patients and 40 matched ORN-free patients. In the matched case-control analysis, there was a statistically significant difference between the volumes of mandible in the 2 groups receiving doses between 50 Gy (V50) and 60 Gy (V60). The most notable difference was seen at V50, with a P value of .02 in the multivariate model after adjustment for the matching variables and dental status (dentate or with extraction). Conclusions: V50 and V60 saw the most significant differences between the ORN group and the comparison group. Minimizing the percent mandibular volume exposed to 50 Gy may reduce ORN risk.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

The Role of Postoperative Radiation Therapy in the Treatment of Meningeal Hemangiopericytoma—Experience From the SEER Database

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of postoperative radiation therapy (RT) on cause-specific survival in patients with meningeal hemangiopericytomas. Methods and Materials: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database from 1990-2008 was queried for cases of surgically resected central nervous system hemangiopericytoma. Patient demographics, tumor location, and extent of resection were included in the analysis as covariates. The Kaplan-Meier product-limit method was used to analyze cause-specific survival. A Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was conducted to determine which factors were associated with cause-specific survival. Results: The mean follow-up time is 7.9 years (95 months). There were 76 patients included in the analysis, of these, 38 (50%) underwent gross total resection (GTR), whereas the other half underwent subtotal resection (STR). Postoperative RT was administered to 42% (16/38) of the patients in the GTR group and 50% (19/38) in the STR group. The 1-year, 10-year, and 20-year cause-specific survival rates were 99%, 75%, and 43%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, postoperative RT was associated with significantly better survival (HR = 0.269, 95% CI 0.084-0.862; P=.027), in particular for patients who underwent STR (HR = 0.088, 95% CI: 0.015-0.528; P<.008). Conclusions: In the absence of large prospective trials, the current clinical decision-making of hemangiopericytoma is mostly based on retrospective data. We recommend that postoperative RT be considered after subtotal resection for patients who could tolerate it. Based on the current literature, the practical approach is to deliver limited field RT to doses of 50-60 Gy while respecting the normal tissue tolerance. Further investigations are clearly needed to determine the optimal therapeutic strategy.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Poor Baseline Pulmonary Function May Not Increase the Risk of Radiation-Induced Lung Toxicity

Purpose: Poor pulmonary function (PF) is often considered a contraindication to definitive radiation therapy for lung cancer. This study investigated whether baseline PF was associated with radiation-induced lung toxicity (RILT) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving conformal radiation therapy (CRT). Methods and Materials: NSCLC patients treated with CRT and tested for PF at baseline were eligible. Baseline predicted values of forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and diffusion capacity of lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) were analyzed. Additional factors included age, gender, smoking status, Karnofsky performance status, coexisting chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), tumor location, histology, concurrent chemotherapy, radiation dose, and mean lung dose (MLD) were evaluated for RILT. The primary endpoint was symptomatic RILT (SRILT), including grade ≥2 radiation pneumonitis and fibrosis. Results: There was a total of 260 patients, and SRILT occurred in 58 (22.3%) of them. Mean FEV1 values for SRILT and non-SRILT patients were 71.7% and 65.9% (P=.077). Under univariate analysis, risk of SRILT increased with MLD (P=.008), the absence of COPD (P=.047), and FEV1 (P=.077). Age (65 split) and MLD were significantly associated with SRILT in multivariate analysis. The addition of FEV1 and age with the MLD-based model slightly improved the predictability of SRILT (area under curve from 0.63-0.70, P=.088). Conclusions: Poor baseline PF does not increase the risk of SRILT, and combining FEV1, age, and MLD may improve the predictive ability.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for the Treatment of Cystic Cerebral Metastases

Purpose: To assess the role of Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) in the treatment of nonsurgical cystic brain metastasis, and to determine predictors of response to GKRS. Methods: We reviewed a prospectively maintained database of brain metastases patients treated at our institution between 2006 and 2010. All lesions with a cystic component were identified, and volumetric analysis was done to measure percentage of cystic volume on day of treatment and consecutive follow-up MRI scans. Clinical, radiologic, and dosimetry parameters were reviewed to establish the overall response of cystic metastases to GKRS as well as identify potential predictive factors of response. Results: A total of 111 lesions in 73 patients were analyzed; 57% of lesions received prior whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT). Lung carcinoma was the primary cancer in 51% of patients, 10% breast, 10% colorectal, 4% melanoma, and 26% other. Fifty-seven percent of the patients were recursive partitioning analysis class 1, the remainder class 2. Mean target volume was 3.3 mL (range, 0.1-23 mL). Median prescription dose was 21 Gy (range, 15-24 Gy). Local control rates were 91%, 63%, and 37% at 6, 12, and 18 months, respectively. Local control was improved in lung primary and worse in patients with prior WBRT (univariate). Only lung primary predicted local control in multivariate analysis, whereas age and tumor volume did not. Lesions with a large cystic component did not show a poorer response compared with those with a small cystic component. Conclusions: This study supports the use of GKRS in the management of nonsurgical cystic metastases, despite a traditionally perceived poorer response. Our local control rates are comparable to a matched cohort of noncystic brain metastases, and therefore the presence of a large cystic component should not deter the use of GKRS. Predictors of response included tumor subtype. Prior WBRT decreased effectiveness of SRS for local control rates.

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Short-term Androgen-Deprivation Therapy Improves Prostate Cancer-Specific Mortality in Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer Patients Undergoing Dose-Escalated External Beam Radiation Therapy

Purpose: We investigated the benefit of short-term androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) in patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer (PC) receiving dose-escalated external beam radiation therapy. Methods and Materials: The present retrospective study comprised 710 intermediate-risk PC patients receiving external beam radiation therapy with doses of ≥81 Gy at a single institution from 1992 to 2005, including 357 patients receiving neoadjuvant and concurrent ADT. Prostate-specific antigen recurrence-free survival (PSA-RFS) and distant metastasis (DM) were compared using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards models. PC-specific mortality (PCSM) was assessed using competing-risks analysis. Results: The median follow-up was 7.9 years. Despite being more likely to have higher PSA levels, Gleason score 4 + 3 = 7, multiple National Comprehensive Cancer Network intermediate-risk factors, and older age (P≤.001 for all comparisons), patients receiving ADT had improved PSA-RFS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.598; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.435-0.841; P=.003), DM (HR, 0.424; 95% CI, 0.219-0.819; P=.011), and PCSM (HR, 0.380; 95% CI, 0.157-0.921; P=.032) on univariate analysis. Using multivariate analysis, ADT was an even stronger predictor of improved PSA-RFS (adjusted HR [AHR], 0.516; 95% CI, 0.360-0.739; P<.001), DM (AHR, 0.347; 95% CI, 0.176-0.685; P=.002), and PCSM (AHR, 0.297; 95% CI, 0.128-0.685; P=.004). Gleason score 4 + 3 = 7 and ≥50% positive biopsy cores were other independent predictors of PCSM. Conclusions: Short-term ADT improves PSA-RFS, DM, and PCSM in patients with intermediate-risk PC undergoing dose-escalated external beam radiation therapy.

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Proposed Lymph Node Staging System Using the International Consensus Guidelines for Lymph Node Levels Is Predictive for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients From Endemic Areas Treated With Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy

Purpose: To propose a lymph node (N) staging system for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) based on the International Consensus Guidelines for lymph node (LN) levels and MRI-determined nodal variables. Methods and Materials: The MRI scans and medical records of 749 NPC patients receiving intensity modulated radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy were retrospectively reviewed. The prognostic significance of nodal level, laterality, maximal axial diameter, extracapsular spread, necrosis, and Union for International Cancer Control/American Joint Committee on Cancer (UICC/AJCC) size criteria were analyzed. Results: Nodal level and laterality were the only independent prognostic factors for distant failure and disease failure in multivariate analysis. Compared with unilateral levels Ib, II, III, and/or Va involvement (hazard ratio [HR] 1), retropharyngeal lymph node involvement alone had a similar prognostic value (HR 0.71; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.43-1.17; P=.17), whereas bilateral levels Ib, II, III, and/or Va involvement (HR 1.65; 95% CI 1.06-2.58; P=.03) and levels IV, Vb, and/or supraclavicular fossa involvement (HR 3.47; 95% CI 1.92-6.29; P<.01) both significantly increased the HR for distant failure. Thus we propose that the N category criteria could be revised as follows: N0, no regional LN metastasis; N1, retropharyngeal lymph node involvement, and/or unilateral levels Ib, II, III, and/or Va involvement; N2, bilateral levels Ib, II, III, and/or Va involvement; N3, levels IV, Vb, and/or supraclavicular fossa involvement. Compared with the 7th edition of the UICC/AJCC criteria, the proposed N staging system provides a more satisfactory distinction between the HRs for regional failure, distant failure, and disease failure in each N category. Conclusions: The proposed N staging system defined by the International Consensus Guidelines and laterality is predictive and practical. However, because of no measurements of the maximal nodal diameter on MRI slices, the prognostic significance of LN size needs further evaluation.

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Clinical Outcomes of Biological Effective Dose-Based Fractionated Stereotactic Radiation Therapy for Metastatic Brain Tumors From Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of fractionated stereotactic radiation therapy (FSRT) based on biological effective dose (BED), a novel approach to deliver a fixed BED irrespective of dose fractionation, for brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods and Materials: Between March 2005 and March 2009 we treated 299 patients with 1 to 5 lesions from NSCLC (573 total brain metastases) with FSRT using Novalis. The dose fractionation schedules were individually determined to deliver a peripheral BED10 (α/β ratio = 10) of approximately 80 Gy{sub 10}. The median number of fractions was 3 (range, 2-10), the median peripheral BED10 was 83.2 Gy (range, 19.1-89.6 Gy). Patients were followed up with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies performed at 1- to 2-month intervals. The local tumor control rate and overall local progression-free and intracranial relapse-free survival were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: Local control rates for all 573 lesions at 6 and 12 months were 96.3% and 94.5%, respectively. By multivariate analysis the tumor diameter was the only factor predictive of the local control rate (P=.001). The median overall survival, local progression-free survival, and intracranial relapse-free survival were 17.1, 14.9, and 4.4 months, respectively. The overall survival, local progression-free survival, and intracranial relapse-free survival rates at 6 and 12 months were 78.5% and 63.3%, 74.3% and 57.8%, and 41.0% and 21.8%, respectively. Six patients (2%) manifested progressive radiation injury to the brain even during therapy with corticosteroids; they underwent hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and follow-up MRI showed improvement. Conclusions: This study showed that BED-based FSRT for brain metastases from NSCLC is a promising strategy that may yield excellent outcomes with acceptable toxicity. Criteria must be established to determine the optimal dose fractionation for individual patients.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Role of Brachytherapy in the Boost Management of Anal Carcinoma With Node Involvement (CORS-03 Study)

Purpose: To assess retrospectively the clinical outcome in anal cancer patients, with lymph node involvement, treated with split-course radiation therapy and receiving a boost through external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) or brachytherapy (BCT). Methods and Materials: From 2000 to 2005, among 229 patients with invasive nonmetastatic anal squamous cell carcinoma, a selected group of 99 patients, with lymph node involvement, was studied. Tumor staging reported was T1 in 4 patients, T2 in 16 patients, T3 in 49 patients, T4 in 16 patients, and T unknown in 14 patients and as N1 in 67 patients and N2/N3 in 32 patients. Patients underwent a first course of EBRT (mean dose, 45.1 Gy) followed by a boost (mean dose, 18 Gy) using EBRT (50 patients) or BCT (49 patients). All characteristics of patients and tumors were well balanced between the BCT and EBRT groups. Prognostic factors of cumulative rate of local recurrence (CRLR), cumulative rate of distant (including nodal) recurrence (CRDR), colostomy-free survival (CFS) rate, and overall survival (OS) rate were analyzed for the overall population and according to the nodal status classification. Results: The median follow-up was 71.5 months. The 5-year CRLR, CRDR, CFS rate, and OS rate were 21%, 19%, 63%, and 74.4%, respectively. In the overall population, the type of node involvement (N1 vs N2/N3) was the unique independent prognostic factor for CRLR. In N1 patients, by use of multivariate analysis, BCT boost was the unique prognostic factor for CRLR (4% for BCT vs 31% for EBRT; hazard ratio, 0.08; P=.042). No studied factors were significantly associated with CRDR, CFS, and OS. No difference with regard to boost technique and any other factor studied was observed in N2/N3 patients for any kind of recurrence. Conclusion: In anal cancer, even in the case of initial perirectal node invasion, BCT boost is superior to EBRT boost for CRLR, without an influence on OS, suggesting that N1 status should not be a contraindication to use of a BCT boost technique, as well as emphasizing the important of investigating the benefit of BCT boost in prospective randomized trials.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Local Recurrence After Uveal Melanoma Proton Beam Therapy: Recurrence Types and Prognostic Consequences

Purpose: To study the prognosis of the different types of uveal melanoma recurrences treated by proton beam therapy (PBT). Methods and Materials: This retrospective study analyzed 61 cases of uveal melanoma local recurrences on a total of 1102 patients treated by PBT between June 1991 and December 2010. Survival rates have been determined by using Kaplan-Meier curves. Prognostic factors have been evaluated by using log-rank test or Cox model. Results: Our local recurrence rate was 6.1% at 5 years. These recurrences were divided into 25 patients with marginal recurrences, 18 global recurrences, 12 distant recurrences, and 6 extrascleral extensions. Five factors have been identified as statistically significant risk factors of local recurrence in the univariate analysis: large tumoral diameter, small tumoral volume, low ratio of tumoral volume over eyeball volume, iris root involvement, and safety margin inferior to 1 mm. In the local recurrence-free population, the overall survival rate was 68.7% at 10 years and the specific survival rate was 83.6% at 10 years. In the local recurrence population, the overall survival rate was 43.1% at 10 years and the specific survival rate was 55% at 10 years. The multivariate analysis of death risk factors has shown a better prognosis for marginal recurrences. Conclusion: Survival rate of marginal recurrences is superior to that of the other recurrences. The type of recurrence is a clinical prognostic value to take into account. The influence of local recurrence retreatment by proton beam therapy should be evaluated by novel studies.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Functional Promoter Variant rs2868371 of HSPB1 Is Associated With Risk of Radiation Pneumonitis After Chemoradiation for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Purpose: To date, no biomarkers have been found to predict, before treatment, which patients will develop radiation pneumonitis (RP), a potentially fatal toxicity, after chemoradiation for lung cancer. We investigated potential associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in HSPB1 and risk of RP after chemoradiation for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods and Materials: Subjects were patients with NSCLC treated with chemoradiation at 1 institution. The training data set comprised 146 patients treated from 1999 to July 2004; the validation data set was 125 patients treated from August 2004 to March 2010. We genotyped 2 functional SNPs of HSPB1 (rs2868370 and rs2868371) from all patients. We used Kaplan-Meier analysis to assess the risk of grade ≥2 or ≥3 RP in both data sets and a parametric log-logistic survival model to evaluate the association of HSPB1 genotypes with that risk. Results: Grade ≥3 RP was experienced by 13% of those with CG/GG and 29% of those with CC genotype of HSPB1 rs2868371 in the training data set (P=.028); corresponding rates in the validation data set were 2% CG/GG and 14% CC (P=.02). Univariate and multivariate analysis confirmed the association of CC of HSPB1 rs2868371 with higher risk of grade ≥3 RP than CG/GG after adjustment for sex, age, performance status, and lung mean dose. This association was validated both in the validation data set and with Harrell's C statistic. Conclusions: The CC genotype of HSPB1 rs2868371 was associated with severe RP after chemoradiation for NSCLC.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Prognostic Importance of Gleason 7 Disease Among Patients Treated With External Beam Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer: Results of a Detailed Biopsy Core Analysis

Purpose: To analyze the effect of primary Gleason (pG) grade among a large cohort of Gleason 7 prostate cancer patients treated with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT). Methods and Materials: From May 1989 to January 2011, 1190 Gleason 7 patients with localized prostate cancer were treated with EBRT at a single institution. Of these patients, 613 had a Gleason 7 with a minimum of a sextant biopsy with nonfragmented cores and full biopsy core details available, including number of cores of cancer involved, percentage individual core involvement, location of disease, bilaterality, and presence of perineural invasion. Median follow-up was 6 years (range, 1-16 years). The prognostic implication for the following outcomes was analyzed: biochemical recurrence-free survival (bRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM). Results: The 8-year bRFS rate for pG3 versus pG4 was 77.6% versus 61.3% (P<.0001), DMFS was 96.8% versus 84.3% (P<.0001), and PCSM was 3.7% versus 8.1% (P=.002). On multivariate analysis, pG4 predicted for significantly worse outcome in all parameters. Location of disease (apex, base, mid-gland), perineural involvement, maximum individual core involvement, and the number of Gleason 3+3, 3+4, or 4+3 cores did not predict for distant metastases. Conclusions: Primary Gleason grade 4 independently predicts for worse bRFS, DMFS, and PCSM among Gleason 7 patients. Using complete core information can allow clinicians to utilize pG grade as a prognostic factor, despite not having the full pathologic details from a prostatectomy specimen. Future staging and risk grouping should investigate the incorporation of primary Gleason grade when complete biopsy core information is used.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Age and Comorbid Illness Are Associated With Late Rectal Toxicity Following Dose-Escalated Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer

Purpose: To assess the impacts of patient age and comorbid illness on rectal toxicity following external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for prostate cancer and to assess the Qualitative Analysis of Normal Tissue Effects in the Clinic (QUANTEC) normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) model in this context. Methods and Materials: Rectal toxicity was analyzed in 718 men previously treated for prostate cancer with EBRT (≥75 Gy). Comorbid illness was scored using the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCMI), and the NTCP was evaluated with the QUANTEC model. The influence of clinical and treatment-related parameters on rectal toxicity was assessed by Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards models. Results: The cumulative incidence of rectal toxicity grade ≥2 was 9.5% and 11.6% at 3 and 5 years and 3.3% and 3.9% at 3 and 5 years for grade ≥3 toxicity, respectively. Each year of age predicted an increasing relative risk of grade ≥2 (P<.03; hazard ratio [HR], 1.04 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01-1.06]) and ≥3 rectal toxicity (P<.0001; HR, 1.14 [95% CI,1.07-1.22]). Increasing CCMI predicted rectal toxicity where a history of either myocardial infarction (MI) (P<.0001; HR, 5.1 [95% CI, 1.9-13.7]) or congestive heart failure (CHF) (P<.0006; HR, 5.4 [95% CI, 0.6-47.5]) predicted grade ≥3 rectal toxicity, with lesser correlation with grade ≥2 toxicity (P<.02 for MI, and P<.09 for CHF). An age comorbidity model to predict rectal toxicity was developed and confirmed in a validation cohort. The use of anticoagulants increased toxicity independent of age and comorbidity. NTCP was prognostic for grade ≥3 (P=.015) but not grade ≥2 (P=.49) toxicity. On multivariate analysis, age, MI, CHF, and an NTCP >20% all correlated with late rectal toxicity. Conclusions: Patient age and a history of MI or CHF significantly impact rectal toxicity following EBRT for the treatment of prostate cancer, even after controlling for NTCP.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗