Background Glioblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in human adults. Despite several improvements in resective as well as adjuvant therapy over the last decades, its overall prognosis remains poor. As a means of improving patient outcome, the possibility of enhancing radiation response by using radiosensitizing agents has been tested in an array of studies. Methods A comprehensive review of clinical trials involving radiation therapy in combination with radiosensitizing agents on patients diagnosed with glioblastoma was performed in the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s PubMed database. Results A total of 96 papers addressing this matter were published between 1976 and 2021, of which 63 matched the subject of this paper. All papers were reviewed, and their findings discussed in the context of their underlining mechanisms of radiosensitization. Conclusion In the history of glioblastoma treatment, several approaches of optimizing radiation-effectiveness using radiosensitizers have been made. Even though several different strategies and agents have been explored, clear evidence of improved patient outcome is still missing. Tissue-selectiveness and penetration of the blood–brain barrier seem to be major roadblocks; nevertheless, modern strategies try to circumvent these obstacles, using novel sensitizers based on preclinical data or alternative ways of delivery.
Purpose Mediastinal radiotherapy (RT), especially when combined with bleomycin, may result in substantial pulmonary morbidity and mortality. The use of modern RT techniques like intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) is gaining interest to spare organs at risk. Methods We evaluated 27 patients who underwent RT for Hodgkin’s lymphoma between 2009 and 2013 at our institution. For each patient, three different treatment plans for a 30-Gy involved-field RT (IFRT) were created (anterior-posterior-posterior-anterior setup [APPA], 5‑field IMRT, and 7‑field IMRT) and analyzed concerning their inherent “normal tissue complication probability” (NTCP) for pneumonitis and secondary pulmonary malignancy. Results The comparison of different radiation techniques showed a significant difference in favor of standard APPA (p < 0.01). The risk of lung toxicity was significantly higher in plans using 7‑field IMRT than in plans using 5‑field IMRT. The absolute juxtaposition showed an increase in risk for radiation pneumonitis of 1% for plans using 5‑field IMRT over APPA according to QUANTEC (Quantitative Analyses of Normal Tissue Effects in the Clinic) parameters (Burman: 0.15%) and 2.6% when using 7‑field IMRT over APPA (Burman: 0.7%) as well as 1.6% when using 7‑field IMRT over 5‑field IMRT (Burman: 0.6%). Further analysis showed an increase in risk for secondary pulmonary malignancies to be statistically significant (p < 0.01); mean induction probability for pulmonary malignoma was 0.1% higher in plans using 5‑field IMRT than APPA and 0.19% higher in plans using 7‑field IMRT than APPA as well as 0.09% higher in plans using 7‑field IMRT than 5‑field IMRT. During a median follow-up period of 65 months (95% confidence interval: 53.8–76.2 months), only one patient developed radiation-induced pneumonitis. No secondary pulmonary malignancies have been detected to date. Conclusion Radiation-induced lung toxicity is rare after treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma but may be influenced significantly by the RT technique used. In this study, APPA RT plans demonstrated a decrease in potential radiation pneumonitis and pulmonary malignancies. Biological planning using NTCP may have the potential to define personalized RT strategies
Purpose Modern medical education demands innovative, competence-orientated concepts. The forced digital transfer of teaching due to the coronavirus pandemic also affected radiation oncology (RO). The following analysis investigates whether the attractivity of RO teaching at our faculty could be maintained during the pandemic and which possibilities exist to involve students (in active learning). The latter aspect is further elaborated on a broader scale by a systemic review of the literature on competence-orientated digital education. Methods Evaluation results and participation rates of clinical lectures in radiation oncology (RO) were analyzed between the winter semester 2018/2019 and the summer semester 2021. A systemic review of the literature on digital education in RO for medical students was conducted. Results Concerning evaluation results, a significant improvement for the 7th and 9th semesters was observed in comparison between the pre-pandemic and pandemic semesters (p = 0.046 and p = 0.05, respectively). Overall participation rates did not differ. However, the number of students attending > 75% of classes in the respective semester increased significantly between the pre-pandemic and pandemic period (median values: 38 vs. 79%, p = 0.046; 44 vs. 73%, p = 0.05; 45 vs. 64%, p = 0.05; 41 vs. 77%, p = 0.05; 41 vs. 71%, p = 0.05, for the 6th to 10th semester, respectively). Conclusion The analysis demonstrates the possibility of efficient digital transfer of a core curriculum in RO to the digital era, with a more continuous participation of students. This transfer may enable amelioration of teaching quality and the introduction of innovative and interactive concepts in accordance with the literature.
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