BackgroundTyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and checkpoint inhibitors have been established as effective treatment for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), but only a minority of patients achieve complete response. Additional strategies are necessary to improve these agents’ efficacy.MethodsPatients with stable disease for at least 4 months on TKI or checkpoint inhibitors were included. Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) was delivered to an organ with comparable lesions, where one lesion was in the treatment target and the other one was intentionally left untreated (control lesion). Response in both lesions was scored using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors V.1.1 criteria 2 months after completion of SBRT. The primary endpoint was the rate of SBRT adverse events, and the secondary endpoints included the rate of reduction in target lesion size.Results17 patients were enrolled (14 men and 3 women, median age: 54.5 years old). SBRT was delivered to the lungs (n=5), bones (n=4), lymph nodes (n=4), liver (n=1), primary renal cell carcinoma (RCC) (n=1) and locally recurrent RCC (n=2). The equivalent dose in 2 Gy with an alpha to beta ratio of 2.6 was 114 Gy. With a median follow-up of 8 months, the cumulative rate of SBRT-related toxicity (grade 1) was 12% (n=2), consisting of oesophagitis and skin erythema. No grade 2 or higher toxicity was detected. Radiographic response in the target lesion was seen in 13 patients (76%), with complete response in 5 (29%) patients and partial response in 8 (47%), including abscopal effect in 1 patient. Control lesions remained stable in 16 patients. The difference between response in the target and control lesions as judged by the mean sizes of these lesions before and at 2 months after SBRT was statistically significant (p<0.01). Fraction size of 10 Gy or greater was associated with complete response (p<0.01).ConclusionExtracranial SBRT in patients with mRCC treated with TKI or checkpoint inhibitors is well tolerated and could be effective.Trial registration number NCT02864615
Radiation oncologists in Russia face a number of unique professional difficulties including lack of standardized training and continuing medical education. To combat this, under the auspices of the Russian Society of Clinical Oncology (RUSSCO), our group has developed a series of ongoing in-person interactive contouring workshops that are held during the major Russian oncology conferences in Moscow, Russia. Since November 2016 during each workshop, we utilized a web-based open-access interactive three-dimensional contouring atlas as part of our didactics. We sought to determine the impact of this resource on radiation oncology practice in Russia. We distributed an IRB-approved web-based survey to 172 practicing radiation oncologists in Russia. We inquired about practice demographics, RUSSCO contouring workshop attendance, and the clinical use of open-access English language interactive contouring atlas (eContour). The survey remained open for 2 months until November 2017. Eighty radiation oncologists completed the survey with a 46.5% response rate. Mean number of years in practice was 13.7. Sixty respondents (75%) attended at least one RUSSCO contouring workshop. Of those who were aware of eContour, 76% were introduced during a RUSSCO contouring workshop, and 81% continue to use it in their daily practice. The greatest obstacles to using the program were language barrier (51%) and internet access (38%). Nearly 90% reported their contouring practices changed since they started using the program, particularly for delineation of clinical target volumes (57%) and/or organs at risk (46%). More than 97% found the clinical pearls/links to cooperative group protocols in the software helpful in their daily practice. The majority used the contouring program several times per month (43%) or several times per week (41%). Face-to-face contouring instruction in combination with open-access web-based interactive contouring resource had a meaningful impact on perceived quality of radiation oncology contours among Russian practitioners and has the potential to have applications worldwide.
Background To our knowledge, there is no clinical data pertaining to COVID-19 outcomes and safety of COVID-19 vaccination in Russian patients with genitourinary (GU) malignancies. Aim of our analysis was to describe the characteristics of the COVID-19 infection course as well as preliminary safety and efficacy of Gam-COVID-Vac vaccine in patients with active GU malignancies. Methods Patients were retrospectively identified at nine cancer centers in different regions. Patients were included if COVID-19 was diagnosed by a polymerase chain reaction. Data from additional patients with GU cancers who had no positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test before vaccination and who received two doses of Gam-COVID-Vac (Sputnik V) between 11 February and 31 August 2021 were collected for safety assessment. Anonymized data were collected through an online registry covering demographics, treatments, and outcomes. Results The Gam-COVID-Vac vaccine was well tolerated; no grade 3–5 toxicities were reported in 112 vaccinated metastatic GU cancer patients. The most common grade 1 adverse events (81%) were injection site reactions (76%), flu-like illness (68%), and asthenia (49%). Five patients experienced grade 2 chills (4.5%) and 3 patients had grade 2 fever (2.7%). With median follow-up of 6.2 months, two COVID-19 cases were confirmed by RT-PCR test in the vaccine group (of 112 participants; 1.8%). Eighty-eight patients with COVID-19 disease were included in the analysis. The average age as of the study enrollment was 66 (range 39–81) and the majority of patients were male with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Thirty-six patients (41%) had evidence of metastatic disease, of these 22 patients were receiving systemic therapy. More than half of patients required hospitalization. Fifty-four patients (61%) experienced complications. Sixteen patients who developed COVID-19 pneumonia required mechanical ventilator support. Sixteen patients (18%) died in a median of 23.5 days after the date of COVID-19 diagnosis was established. The 3-month survival rate was 82%. Clinical and/or radiographic progression of cancer during COVID-19 infection or the subsequent 3 months was observed in 10 patients (11.4%). Conclusion Patients with GU malignancies are at increased risk of mortality from COVID-19 infection when compared to the general population. Vaccination could be safe in GU cancer patients. Trial registration: retrospectively registered.
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