AimsRadiotherapy with concurrent 5-fluorouracil/mitomycin-C based chemotherapy has been established as definitive standard therapy approach for anal cancer. Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) leads to a precise treatment of the tumor, allowing dose escalation on Gross Tumor Volume (GTV), with a surrounding healthy tissues sparing. Our study assessed the impact of 18-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18FDG-PET/CT) on the radiotherapy contouring process and its contribution to lymphatic spread detection, resulting to a personalization of Clinical Target Volume (CTV) and dose prescription.MethodsThirty-seven patients, with histologically proven squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal (SCCAC) were analyzed. All patients were evaluated with history and physical examination, trans-anal endoscopic ultrasound, pelvis magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) scans of the chest, abdomen and pelvis and planning 18FDG-PET/CT. The GTV and CTV were drawn on CT, MRI and 18FDG-PET/CT fused images.ResultsThirty-four (91%) out of 37 patients presented lymph nodes involvement, in one or more areas, detected on 18FDG-PET/CT and/or MRI. The 18FDG-PET/CT showed positive lymph nodes not detected on MRI imaging (PET+, MRI−) in 14/37 patients (38%). In 14 cases, 18FDG-PET/CT allowed to a dose escalation in the involved nodes. The 18FDG-PET/CT fused images led to change the stage in 5/37(14%) cases: four cases from N0 to N1 (inguinal lymph nodes) and in one case from M0 to M1 (common iliac lymph nodes).ConclusionsThe 18FDG-PET/CT has a potentially relevant impact in staging and target volume delineation/definition in patients affected by anal cancer. In our experience, clinical stage variation occurred in 14% of cases. More investigations are needed to define the role of 18FDG-PET/CT in the target volume delineation of anal cancer.

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Background/Aim: Quality of life (QoL) in early breast cancer (BC) treatment may be affected by acute and late toxicities. This study evaluated the impact of radiotherapy (RT) schedules, treatment-related toxicities, hormone therapy (HT) and age on QoL. Patients and Methods: Ninety-five patients answered the FACT-B 4.0 questionnaire. Acute or late toxicities were recorded at each follow-up visit. Results: The median trend of the QoL subscales was stable during all questionnaires. HT negatively impacted on Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General-Total, functional and emotional wellbeing. No difference was recorded between RT schedules and toxicity. No significant differences for age were detected in QoL. Conclusion: RT seems not to influence QoL of BC patients, in terms of fractionation regimen or RT-related side-effects. Moreover, women having systemic HT experienced a QoL worse than patients treated with RT only. Further and longterm protocols are needed to improve the validity of the tool.Advances in diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer (BC) have led to an increase in cancer survival, resulting in quality of life (QoL) improvement. Breast conserving surgery followed by adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) is the current standard treatment for early BC. Local and systemic treatments could cause skin dyschromia, lymphedema, fatigue, hot flashes, sexual dysfunction, and arthralgia with consequent changes in physical appearance and routine activities. These toxicities may persist for a long time after treatment with a subsequent decline in QoL (1). Studies have shown that in clinical trials QoL represents an important endpoint, whose assessment could contribute to improved treatment and patient's satisfaction (2-5). Under this scenario, the main aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of RT and hormone therapy (HT) on the QoL during the first 2 years after RT. Fractionation schedules (conventional vs. hypofractionation), radiation toxicities and age were also investigated. QoL was evaluated with Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy General Questionnaire and its Breast Cancer Supplement (FACT-B) questionnaire (https://www.facit.org), version 4.0 in Italian language. This tool is deemed as a quick and well validated multi-dimensional self-report questionnaire with subscales measuring physical, social, emotional, and functional wellbeing and contains additional concerns in breast cancer (6). Patients and MethodsThe study was designed as a prospective observational research project and was approved by the Ethics Committee of the "SS Annunziata" Hospital, "G. D'Annunzio" University, Chieti, Italy on 9 th May 2018. All patients were treated in our Radiotherapy Department and provided written informed consent. Medical records of enrolled patients were marked by a pink circle to streamline the identification process during treatment and follow-up.Inclusion criteria were: female patients, age ≥18 years, histologically proven breast cancer, ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive carcinoma stage I-II, bre...

Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) techniques for fractioned stereotactic brain radiotherapy (FSBRT) can achieve highly conformal dose distribution to intracranial lesions. However, they can potentially increase the dose to hippocampus (H) causing neurocognitive toxicity during the first four months after irradiation. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of hippocampal‐sparing (HS) treatment plans in 22 patients with brain metastasis treated with VMAT technique. Firstly, we retrospectively analyzed hippocampal doses in all 22 VMAT original (not hippocampal‐sparing, NHS) plans. Plans with hippocampal dose exceeding constraints (9 out of 22) were re‐planned considering dose constraints on the hippocampus (H) and on hippocampal avoidance zone (HAZ) generated using 5 mm isotropic margin to the hippocampus. Conformity (CI) and homogeneity indexes (HI) on the target and MUs, were maintained as close as possible to the original plans. Mean CINHS and CIHS obtained were: 0.79 ± 0.11 and 0.81 ± 0.10, respectively (P = 0.75); mean HINHS and HIHS were 1.05 ± 0.02 and 1.04 ± 0.01 respectively (P = 0.72). In both sets of plans, the mean MU values were similar: 1033 ± 275 and 1022 ± 234 for NHS and HS respectively. In HS plans, the mean hippocampal dose was decreased by an average of 35%. After replanning, the Dmax (21.3 Gy) for HAZ and H was met by 45% (4/9) and 78% (7/9) of the NHS plans, respectively. The worst results were obtained for cases with target volumes extention closer than 12 mm to H, because of the difficulty to spare hippocampus without compromising target coverage. After replanning D40% constraint value (7.3 Gy) was met by all the 9 NHS plans. In conclusion, this study suggests that an hippocampal‐sparing approach to FSBRT is feasible resulting in a decrease in the dose to the hippocampus without any loss in conformity or increase in treatment time.

Purpose Radical resection (R0) represents the best curative treatment for local recurrence (LR) rectal cancer. Re-irradiation (re-RT) can increase the rate of R0 resection. Currently, there is a lack of guidelines on Re-RT for LR rectal cancer. The Italian Association of Radiation and clinical oncology for gastrointestinal tumors (AIRO-GI) study group released a national survey to investigate the current clinical practice of external beam radiation therapy in these patients. Material and methods In February 2021, the survey was designed and distributed to members of the GI working group. The questionnaire consisted of 40 questions regarding center characteristics, clinical indications, doses, and treatment techniques of re-RT for LR rectal cancer. Results A total of 37 questionnaires were collected. Re-RT was reported as an option for neoadjuvant treatment in resectable and unresectable disease by 55% and 75% of respondents, respectively. Long-course treatment with 30–40 Gy (1.8–2 Gy/die, 1.2 Gy bid) and hypofractionated regimen of 30–35 Gy in 5 fractions were used in most centers. A total dose of 90–100 Gy as EqD2 dose (α/β = 5 Gy) was delivered by 46% of the respondents considering the previous treatment. Modern conformal techniques and daily image-guided radiation therapy protocols were used in 94% of centers. Conclusion Our survey showed that re-RT treatment is performed with advanced technology that allow a good management of LR rectal cancer. Significant variations were observed in terms of dose and fractionation, highlighting the need for a consensus on a common treatment strategy that could be validated in prospective studies.

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Our guide can represent a useful tool for hippocampal delineation in clinical practice and for different anatomic variations due to different head positions. Certainly, it should be validated in practice.

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