International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics
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Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. · Oct 2008
Association between tangential beam treatment parameters and cardiac abnormalities after definitive radiation treatment for left-sided breast cancer.
To examine the association between radiation treatment (RT) parameters, cardiac diagnostic test abnormalities, and clinical cardiovascular diagnoses among patients with left-sided breast cancer after breast conservation treatment with tangential beam RT. ⋯ Contemporary RT for early breast cancer may be associated with a small, but potentially avoidable, risk of cardiovascular morbidity that is associated with treatment technique.
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Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. · Oct 2008
Feasibility of using bevacizumab with radiation therapy and temozolomide in newly diagnosed high-grade glioma.
Bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), has shown promise in the treatment of patients with recurrent high-grade glioma. The purpose of this study is to test the feasibility of using bevacizumab with chemoradiation in the primary management of high-grade glioma. ⋯ Use of antiangiogenic therapy with radiation and temozolomide in the primary management of high-grade glioma is feasible. Perfusion imaging with relative cerebral blood volume, perfusion-permeability index, and pVEGFR2 expression may be used as a potential predictor of therapeutic response. Toxicities and patterns of relapse need to be monitored closely.
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Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. · Oct 2008
Evaluation of larynx-sparing techniques with IMRT when treating the head and neck.
Concern exists that widespread implementation of whole-field intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for the treatment of head-and-neck cancer has resulted in increased levels of dysphagia relative to those seen with conventional planning. Other investigators have suggested an alternative junctioned-IMRT (J-IMRT) method, which matches an IMRT plan to a centrally blocked neck field to restrict the laryngeal dose and reduce dysphagia. The effect on target coverage and sparing of organs at risk, including laryngeal sparing, in the optimization was evaluated and compared with that achieved using a J-IMRT technique. ⋯ The benefits of J-IMRT can be achieved with whole-field IMRT if laryngeal sparing is incorporated into the class solution. Inclusion of laryngeal sparing had no effect on other parameters in the plan.
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Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. · Oct 2008
Primary causes of death after permanent prostate brachytherapy.
To evaluate the primary causes of death in low-risk (low-risk), intermediate-risk (intermediate-risk), and high-risk (high-risk) patients undergoing permanent prostate brachytherapy with or without supplemental therapies. ⋯ Although cardiovascular mortality was the predominant cause of death, prostate cancer was responsible for approximately 10% of all deaths. In particular, overall survival was poorest in the high-risk group. Although high-risk patients were most likely to die of prostate cancer, the divergence in overall survival between high-risk and lower-risk patients primarily resulted from an excess of cardiovascular deaths. Changes in lifestyle to improve cardiovascular health may improve overall survival in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer.