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Levels of total cyclin E and low-molecular-weight cyclin E in tumor tissue, as measured by Western blot assay, correlate strongly with survival in patients with breast cancer.

The available dose/volume/outcome data for rectal injury were reviewed. The volume of rectum receiving ≥60Gy is consistently associated with the risk of Grade ≥2 rectal toxicity or rectal bleeding. Parameters for the Lyman-Kutcher-Burman normal tissue complication probability model from four clinical series are remarkably consistent, suggesting that high doses are predominant in determining the risk of toxicity. The best overall estimates (95% confidence interval) of the Lyman-Kutcher-Burman model parameters are n = 0.09 (0.04-0.14); m = 0.13 (0.10-0.17); and TD 50 = 76.9 (73.7-80.1) Gy. Most of the models of late radiation toxicity come from three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy dose-escalation studies of early-stage prostate cancer. It is possible that intensity-modulated radiotherapy or proton beam dose distributions require modification of these models because of the inherent differences in low and intermediate dose distributions. KeywordsRectum; Radiation injury; NTCP CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCEApproximately 300,000 patients undergo pelvic radiotherapy (RT) worldwide annually (1). Depending on the techniques and doses used, patients may experience a permanent change in their bowel habits. ENDPOINTSAcute rectal effects occur during or soon after RT and typically include softer or diarrhealike stools, pain, a sense of rectal distention with cramping, and frequency. Occasionally, superficial ulceration causes bleeding that may require endoscopic cauterization, treatment for anemia, or transfusion. Late injuries are usually clinically manifest within 3 to 4 years after RT and may include stricture, diminished rectal compliance, and decreasing storage capacity with resultant small/frequent bowel movements. Injury to the anal musculature can Rectal bleeding is usually self-limited, although some patients require medical management with anti-inflammatory suppositories, antibiotics, endoscopic coagulative therapies, or rarely surgical diversion. In patients with endoscopic rectal abnormalities after RT, the most likely diagnosis is RT effect, and biopsy should not be performed because this may lead to chronic infection, poor healing or ulceration.Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) scoring criteria are commonly used to report toxicity (2). The original system was criticized as being vague, nonquantitative, and unvalidated. It emphasizes rectal bleeding and stool frequency but not fecal incontinence or bowel urgency, both of which impact QOL. Because of its objectivity, the presence of any rectal bleeding has been the sole endpoint reported in some series. Interpreting the rate of RT-induced sequelae is complicated because many symptoms are nonspecific and may be related to conditions such as hemorrhoids or irritable bowel disorders.The Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 3.0 is being used more often in prospective clinical trials (3). It provides more specific descriptions of common toxicities after cancer therapy and is more quantitative than the RTOG scoring criteria. CHALLENGES DEFINI...

Lesion size > or = 4 cm and histologic evidence of perineural invasion and deep invasion beyond subcutaneous structures were the clinical-pathologic factors most significantly associated with disease-specific mortality in skin SCC.