Texture parameters derived from T2w images of rectal cancer have the potential to act as imaging biomarkers of tumoral response to neoadjuvant CRT.

Bone metastases represent an important complication of malignant tumours. Despite improvement in surgical techniques and advances in systemic therapies, management of patients with bone metastatic disease remains a powerful cornerstone for the radiation oncologist. The primary goal of radiation therapy is to provide pain relief, preserving patients quality of life.

BackgroundWomen with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers are at substantially elevated risk of developing ovarian cancer. The aim of the meta-analysis is to clarify the role of risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) to reduce ovarian cancer risk and mortality in women with BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 mutation carriers.MethodsPubmed, Medline and Scopus were searched to select English-language articles. Two investigators independently extracted characteristics and results of selected studies. Articles were included only if prospective and if absolute numbers of ovarian cancer and death events were available or derivable from the test. Pooled hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated using fixed effects model.ResultsMeta-analysis of 3 prospective studies demonstrated a significant risk reduction of ovarian cancer with RRSO in BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 mutation carriers, as well as benefit in all-causes mortality incidence.ConclusionsIt may be justified to recommend RRSO to reduce ovarian cancer risk and all-causes mortality in women with a mutation in BRCA 1 and BRCA 2.

• Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI-MRI) is being increasingly used in oncology. • PSA analysis does not distinguish prostate cancer recurrence from distant metastasis. • DWI-MR can diagnose local prostate cancer recurrence after radical prostatectomy. • DWI-MR is almost comparable to DCE-MRI in detecting local recurrence.

Italy experienced one of the world's deadliest COVID-19 outbreaks and healthcare systems had to instantly reorganise activity. The Italian Radiation Oncology Departments adapted numerous solutions to minimize the disruptions. Information technologies, treatment prioritization and implementation of hypofractionation and protection procedures allowed balancing between cancer patient care and patient/healthcare workers safety.

Background: Oropharyngeal mucositis occurs in virtually all patients with head and neck cancer receiving radiochemotherapy. The manipulation of the oral cavity microbiota represents an intriguing and challenging target. Patients and Methods: A total of 75 patients were enrolled to receive Lactobacillus brevis CD2 lozenges or oral care regimen with sodium bicarbonate mouthwashes. The primary endpoint was the incidence of grade 3 or 4 oropharyngeal mucositis during radiotherapy treatment. Results: There was no statistical difference in the incidence of grade 3-4 oropharyngeal mucositis between the intervention and control groups (40.6% vs. 41.6% respectively, p=0.974). The incidence of pain, dysphagia, body weight loss and quality of life were not different between the experimental and standard arm. Conclusion: Our study was not able to demonstrate the efficacy of L. brevis CD2 lozenges in preventing radiation-induced mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer. Although modulating homeostasis of the salivary microbiota in the oral cavity seems attractive, it clearly needs further study.Acute radiation-related toxicities represent a clinicallyrelevant problem during curative radiotherapy (RT) for patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). Among different side-effects, oropharyngeal mucositis (OM) remains one of the most important issues for patients with HNC, with a negative impact on their quality of life (QoL), and also on locoregional control due to the need for treatment breaks that extend the planned treatment time (1-6).The development of OM is complex and begins from clonogenic death of basal stem cells due to DNA strand breaks caused by reactive oxygen species (7). Through the complex activation of several transcription factors, it seems to end with the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines that promote and amplify cellular damage to the oral mucosa (8). Despite recent improvements in our understanding of these processes, preventive and therapeutic management of OM is still a debated and open question. A large number of 1935 This article is freely accessible online.Correspondence to:

Pre-treatment kurtosis derived from T2w images and Ve from pMRI have the potential to act as imaging biomarkers of rectal cancer response to neoadjuvant CRT.

We have previously reported that the MEK/ERK pathway sustains in vitro and in vivo transformed phenotype and radioresistance of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS) cell lines. Furthermore, we found that aberrant MEK/ERK signaling activation promotes c-Myc oncoprotein accumulation. In this study, the role of c-Myc in sustaining the ERMS transformed and radioresistant phenotype is characterized. RD and TE671 cell lines conditionally expressing MadMyc chimera protein, c-Myc-dominant negative and shRNA directed to c-Myc were used. Targeting c-Myc counteracted in vitro ERMS adherence and in suspension, growth motility and the expression of pro-angiogenic factors. c-Myc depletion decreased MMP-9, MMP-2, u-PA gelatinolytic activity, neural cell adhesion molecule sialylation status, HIF-1α, VEGF and increased TSP-1 protein expression levels. Rapid but not sustained targeting c-Myc radiosensitized ERMS cells by radiation-induced apoptosis, DNA damage and impairing the expression of DNA repair proteins RAD51 and DNA-PKcs, thereby silencing affected ERMS radioresistance. c-Myc sustains ERMS transformed phenotype and radioresistance by protecting cancer cells from radiation-induced apoptosis and DNA damage, while promoting radiation-induced DNA repair. This data suggest that c-Myc targeting can be tested as a promising treatment in cancer therapy.