High-dose rate iridium-192 brachytherapy and external beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer with or without androgen ablation

Aim: To report the results of our feasibility study incorporating iridium‐192 high‐dose‐rate (HDR) afterloading brachytherapy and external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for the treatment of prostate carcinoma and to assess the role of androgen ablation in conjunction with this treatment option. Methods: From July 2000 to June 2002, 42 patients with clinically localized or locally extensive prostate carcinoma were treated with HDR iridium‐192 brachytherapy and EBRT with or without androgen ablation. The median follow up was 16.5 months. Results: The technique of HDR brachytherapy and EBRT proved to be feasible with acceptable morbidities. Continuous prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) reduction was noted in all patients and no PSA failure was noted during follow up. Within 1 year, the decline of PSA nadir values less than 1 ng/mL was faster in patients with the addition of androgen blockade (P = 0.001). However, within 1 year, PSA nadir values less than 1.0 ng/mL can be achieved in all patients whose initial PSA is less than 20 ng/mL, with or without hormone blockade. Conclusions: The need for hormonal therapy in favorable‐risk brachytherapy patients (PSA < 20 ng/mL) might be less than the need for intermediate‐ or high‐risk patients. The use of hormonal therapy in intermediate‐risk patients (PSA ≥ 20 ng/mL) treated with HDR brachytherapy and pelvic EBRT is appealing, considering the favorable results. High dose rate brachytherapy appears to be an effective treatment for clinically localized and locally extensive prostate cancer, with minimal morbidity.     

Four year clinical statistics of iridium-192 high dose rate brachytherapy

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the efficacy and complications of high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy using iridium-192 (192Ir) combined with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) in patients with prostate cancer. METHODS: Ninety-seven patients underwent 192Ir HDR brachytherapy combined with EBRT at our institution between February 1999 and December 2003. Of these, 84 patients were analysed in the present study. 192Ir was delivered three times over a period of 2 days, 6 Gy per time, for a total dose of 18 Gy. Interstitial application was followed by EBRT at a dose of 44 Gy. Progression was defined as three consecutive prostate-specific antigen (PSA) rises after a nadir according to the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology criteria. The results were classified into those for all patients and for patients who did not undergo adjuvant hormone therapy. RESULTS: The 4-year overall survival of all patients, the nonadjuvant hormone therapy group (NAHT) and the adjuvant hormone therapy group (AHT) was 87.2%, 100%, and 70.1%, respectively. The PSA progression-free survival rate of all patients, NAHT, and AHT was 82.6%, 92.0%, and 66.6%, respectively. Of all patients, the 4-year PSA progression-free survival rates of PSA<20 and PSA>or=20 groups were 100%, and 46.8%, respectively. According to the T stage classification, PSA progression-free survival rates of T1c, T2, T3, and T4 were 100%, 82.8%, 100%, and 12.1%, respectively. Prostate-specific antigen progression-free survival rates of groups with Gleason scores (GS)<7 and GS>or=7 were 92.8% and 60.1%, respectively. Of NAHT, PSA progression-free survival of PSA<20 was 100% vs 46.8% for PSA>or=20, that of T1c was 100% vs 75% for T2, and that of GS<7 was 100% vs 75% for GS>or=7. No significant intraoperative or postoperative complications requiring urgent treatment occurred except cerebellum infarction. CONCLUSIONS: 192Ir HDR brachytherapy combined with EBRT was as effective as radical prostatectomy and had few associated complications.     

铱-192腔内放疗预防尿道狭窄术后复发65例报告

目的探讨铱-192腔内放疗预防尿道狭窄术后复发的有效性及安全性。方法 65例尿道狭窄患者术后随机分为治疗组和对照组,治疗组采用铱-192腔内放疗并与对照组比较,观察疗效。结果随访1年6个月治疗组尿道狭窄复发率12.5%,对照组复发率69.7%,两组对比有统计学差异（P〈0.05）。结论铱-192腔内放疗可以有效预防尿道狭窄术后复发,副作用小,疗效满意。     

Pineal parenchymal tumours and germinomas (the problem of the so-called pinealomas)

Summary The problem of the classification of the tumours of the pineal parenchyma or its germ cells is discussed under special consideration of the possibility of distinguishing two categories of the two cell type (anisomorphous) tumor: the germinoma and the pineocytoma (the pinealoma in the classical concept). The formerly so-called pinealomas and ectopic pinealomas are discussed.

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Zusammenfassung Das Problem der Klassifikation der Tumoren des Pinealisparenchyms oder seiner Keimzellen wird diskutiert unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Möglichkeit, zwei verschiedene Typen bei den Zwei-Zell-Tumoren zu unterscheiden: das Germinom und das (anisomorphe) Pineocytom, das Pinealom der klassischen Literatur. Die früher sogenannten Pinealome und ektopischen Pinealome werden diskutiert.

     

Surgical Treatment of Pineal Region Tumours Through the Occipital Transtentorial Approach: Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Intra-Operative Micro-Endoscopy Combined with Neuronavigation

Summary  Object. To determine the efficacy and accuracy of surgically-assisted systems including endoscopy combined with neuronavigation in the treatment of pineal region tumours through the occipital transtentorial approach, an evaluation of thirty-one patients undergoing surgery was performed over a 10-year period.  Method. The study was performed in 2 parts. The surgical approach to the pineal region was the same in the two parts, but in part 2 a smaller craniotomy window was used. Part 1 (from March 1989 to March 1997) included 15 patients who underwent surgical removal of pineal region tumours without using assisted systems; four out of the fifteen patients had surgery-related complications, including seizure and hemianopsia. Part 2 (from April 1997 to February 1999) included 16 patients who underwent surgical treatment by the same surgical team and with assisted systems; all 16 patients had excellent outcomes, with no complications.  Conclusions. Although this study was the first specifically to examine the efficacy of endoscopy combined with neuronavigation in the treatment of pineal region tumours, our findings suggest that these systems are very useful, safe, and accurate in evaluating the primary tumour and surrounding anatomy as well as in determining operative strategy, such as the location and size of the scalp incision, craniotomy, and the extent of surgical removal. Therefore, we conclude that the addition of endoscopy combined with neuronavigation to standard surgical procedures can improve the outcome of surgical treatment of pineal region tumours.     

Erectile dysfunction is predictive of all-cause mortality in patients with prostate cancer treated with permanent interstitial brachytherapy

Study Type – Prognosis (individual cohort) Level of Evidence 2b What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add? Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in prostate cancer patients. Pretreatment ED is a surrogate for vascular pathology. Aggressive treatment of medical co‐morbidity in prostate cancer patients may positively impact overall survival.

OBJECTIVE

• ? To evaluate the relationship between pre‐treatment erectile function and all‐cause mortality in patients with prostate cancer treated with brachytherapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

• ? In all, 1279 consecutive patients with clinically localized prostate cancer and pre‐implant erectile function assessed by the International Index of Erectile Function‐6 (IIEF‐6) underwent brachytherapy.
• ? Potency was defined as an IIEF‐6 score of ≥13 without pharmacological or mechanical support.
• ? Patients were stratified into IIEF‐6‐score cohorts (≤12, 13–23 and 24–30).
• ? The median follow‐up was 5.0 years.

RESULTS

• ? The 8‐year overall survival (OS) of the study population was 85.1%.
• ? The 8‐year OS for IIEF‐6scores ≤12, 13–23 and 24–30 were 78.0%, 92.8% and 91.4%, respectively (P < 0.001).
• ? Cardiovascular events accounted for a significant portion of deaths in each IIEF‐6 group.
• ? When combined with other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, an IIEF‐6 score of ≤12 had an additive effect on all‐cause mortality (IIEF‐6 score of ≤12 and less than two comorbidities vs two or more comorbidities were 18.2% and 32.1%).

CONCLUSIONS

• ? A pre‐implant IIEF‐6score of ≤12 was associated with a higher incidence of all‐cause mortality.
• ? Pre‐treatment erectile dysfunction is a surrogate for underlying vascular pathology, probably explaining the lower OS in this subset of patients.
• ? Aggressive treatment of medical co‐morbidity is warranted to impactOS.

     

Long-term results of interstitial brachytherapy (LDR-Brachytherapy) in the treatment of patients with prostate cancer

Permanent interstitial brachytherapy represents the most conformal form of radiation therapy of the prostate and the number of patients with prostate cancers treated with permanent radioactive implants is increasing world wide. In the meanwhile long-term data on tumor control and treatment morbidity become available. Biochemical and clinical tumor control appears to be as effective as after radical prostatectomy or external beam radiation therapy in early prostate cancer. The risk of postreatment urinary incontinence and bowel dysfunction is low and erectile function can be preserved in the majority of patients. However, prostate brachytherapy requires a careful selection of patients as pretreatment factors predict for long-term outcome. The need for combined modality approaches in intermediate and high-risk patients remains controversely discussed. The continous refinement of intraoperative planning techniques and the elucidation of the etiology of urinary, sexual, and bowel dysfunction should result in further improvements in biochemical outcomes and decreased morbidity. Improved and standardized postimplantation evaluation will make outcome data more reliable and comparable.     

Validation and comparison of the two Kattan nomograms in patients with prostate cancer treated with (125) iodine brachytherapy

Study Type – Clinical (prospective trial) Level of Evidence 2b What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? In clinical practice, we know that it is necessary to identify new biomarkers that can better detect prostate cancer (PC), at the same time as reducing the number of unnecessary biopsies. Recently, studies have suggested that the most relevant clinical scenario in which the prostate cancer antigen 3 (PCA3) score could be used comprises patients with a previous negative prostate biopsy and persistently elevated PSA levels. At the same time, although multiparametric MRI is not currently used as a first approach for diagnosing PC, it can be useful for directing targeted biopsies, especially in those patients with elevated PSA levels and a previous negative TRUS‐guided biopsy. Considering all of these aspects, the present study aimed to evaluate the role of multiparametric MRI as an additional diagnostic tool for improving the accuracy of the urinary PCA3 test in patients with increased PSA levels and a previous negative prostate biopsy. Our hypothesis is that the potential value of the PCA3 test as a biomarker for PC diagnosis could be improved by the use of multiparametric MRI in directing prostate biopsy. In the present study, we show that, in cases with a previous negative biopsy and persistently elevated PSA levels submitted to multiparametric MRI to direct biopsies, the sensitivity of the PCA3 test significantly improved (79% vs 68%). However, further larger randomized studies on this combination using a new biomarker and a new imaging modality for PC diagnosis are expected.

OBJECTIVE

• ? To evaluate the role of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as an additional diagnostic tool for improving the accuracy of the urinary prostate cancer antigen 3 (PCA3) test in patients with an increase in prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) levels and a previous negative prostate biopsy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

• ? The present study comprised a prospective randomized study on patients with a previous negative transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS)‐guided prostate biopsy and elevated PSA levels.
• ? In total, 180 cases were analyzed, and all were submitted to PCA3 assay.
• ? Patients in group A were submitted to a second random TRUS‐guided prostate biopsy, whereas patients in group B were submitted to a multiparametric MRI examination and then to a second TRUS‐guided prostate biopsy.

RESULTS

• ? At the second biopsy, a histological diagnosis of prostate cancer was found in 26 of 84 cases (30.9%) in group A and in 29 of 84 cases (34.5%) in group B.
• ? In group A, the sensitivity and specificity of the PCA3 score were 68.0% and 74.5% respectively (positive predictive value of 53.1%, negative predictive value of 84.6% and accuracy of 72.6%).
• ? In group B, the sensitivity and specificity of the PCA3 score were 79.3% and 72.7%, respectively (positive predictive value of 60.5%, negative predictive value of 86.9% and accuracy of 75.0%).
• ? For the PCA3 score, the area under the receiver‐operator characteristic curve was 0.825 (95% confidence interval, 0.726–0.899) in group A and 0.857 (95% confidence interval, 0.763–0.924) in group B (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

• ? In patients with a previous negative biopsy and persistently elevated PSA levels, the use of multiparametric MRI for indicating sites suitable for rebiopsy can significantly improve the sensitivity of the PCA3 test in the diagnosis of prostate cancer.

     

32P-磷酸铬-聚L-乳酸缓释粒子近距离放射治疗前列腺癌合并淋巴结转移

目的 观察32P-磷酸铬-聚L-乳酸(32P-CP-PLLA)缓释粒子植入对裸鼠前列腺癌实体瘤和区域淋巴结转移灶的治疗作用.方法 建立裸鼠原位前列腺癌及淋巴结转移模型,4周后分别进行高、中、低剂量(剂量分别为3.7、7.4、14.8 MBq)32P-CP-PLLA缓释粒子瘤体局部植入,观察(1)不同剂量32P-CP-PLLA缓释粒子的体内生物学分布;(2)上述缓释粒子对瘤体和淋巴结病理形态学影响以及抑瘤率;(3)观察血WBC和PLT变化,研究其血液不良反应.结果 SPECT显示32P-CP-PLLA缓释粒子植入后主要聚集在瘤体局部和区域淋巴结,形态学检查显示实体瘤和区域淋巴结转移灶瘤组织呈出血、坏死性改变;抑瘤率与给药剂量正相关,给药剂量为3.7、7.4、14.8 MBq,抑瘤率分别为:(70.16±5.48)%、(80.18±5.84)%、(84.97±4.79)%,无明显骨髓抑制反应.结论 32P-CP-PLLA缓释粒子瘤体局部植入对前列腺癌肿瘤组织和区域性淋巴结转移灶具有杀伤作用.     

3D打印模板引导放射性125I粒子组织间植入治疗胰腺癌中国专家共识(2023年版)

放射性¹²⁵I粒子植入已用于治疗胰腺癌,但胰腺复杂的解剖结构限制了其发展。3D打印技术可通过构建高精度术前模型或术中模板而使放射性粒子植入符合个体化要求,已用于制备放射性¹²⁵I粒子组织间植入模板,提高了治疗胰腺癌效果。为进一步规范3D打印模板引导放射性¹²⁵I粒子组织间植入治疗胰腺癌,经国内多位专家讨论后制定本共识,供临床参考。     

膀胱水扩张加肝素灌注治疗女性间质性膀胱炎10例报告

目的观察膀胱水扩张加肝素灌注治疗间质性膀胱炎（IC）的疗效。方法该组10例IC患者均为女性。平均年龄36岁。平均病程30个月。所有患者在麻醉下行膀胱镜检加水扩张,次日均使用肝素钠10^5u加入无菌生理盐水20mL膀胱灌注,完成治疗后以O’Leary-Sant间质性膀胱炎症状评分（ICSI）、每日排尿次数及最大膀胱容量作为疗效评判标准,观察治疗前后患者各项指标情况。结果10例患者按照疗程治疗后随访4-12个月,平均7.5个月,症状缓解4例,症状显著缓解或消失6例;O’Leary-Sant ICSI治疗前为（12.5±4.9）分,平均治疗7个月后降为（6.5±2.3）分（P〈0.01）;治疗前患者平均排尿次数为（14.9±2.6）次／d,完成治疗后患者排尿次数减少至（7.8±2.8）次／d（P〈0.01）;膀胱最大容量治疗前为（73±10）mL,治疗后为（260±56）mL（P〈0.01）。治疗期间发生轻微肉眼血尿2例。结论膀胱水扩张联合肝素膀胱灌注治疗可有效缓解间质性膀胱炎患者症状,提高生活质量,是一种有效的治疗方法。     

~(32)P-磷酸铬-聚L-乳酸缓释粒子近距离治疗裸鼠前列腺癌的实验研究

目的:探讨32P-磷酸铬-聚L-乳酸(32P-CP-PLLA)缓释粒子局部植入对裸鼠前列腺癌的治疗作用。方法:建立裸鼠前列腺癌皮下移植瘤模型,然后将裸鼠进行如下分组,A、B、C为高、中、低剂量(14.8、7.4、3.7MBq)32P-CP-PLLA缓释粒子组,D、E、F为同等活度125I粒子组(14.8、7.4、3.7MBq),G为空白对照组,每组6只,植入粒子后观察:①32P缓释粒子和125I粒子对瘤体的病理形态学以及抑瘤率的影响;②外周血计数白细胞(WBC)和血小板(PLT)变化,观察血液毒性反应。结果:治疗21d后处死裸鼠,病理形态学显示实体瘤组织呈出血、坏死性改变,抑瘤率与给药剂量呈正相关,给药剂量为3.7、7.4、14.8MBq时,21d时各组抑瘤率[(65.72±6.95)%、(77.58±4.32)%、(82.64±4.03)%]、白细胞计数[(1.72±0.37)×109/L、(1.23±0.27)×109/L、(0.86±0.25)×109/L]、血小板计数[(1.18±0.11)×1011/L、(0.97±0.10)×1011/L、(0.72±0.11)×1011/L]、体重[(18.60±0.66)g、(17.60±0.39)g、(16.90±0.68)g]与相应各剂量的125I粒子组(3.7、7.4、14.8MBq)的抑瘤率[(35.61±5.61)%、(43.30±6.94)%、(69.01±4.98)%]、以及125I粒子组和空白对照组的白细胞计数[(1.45±0.40)×109/L、(0.51±0.24)×109/L、(0.37±0.26)×109/L、(3.96±0.26)×109/L]、血小板计数[(0.97±0.15)×1011/L、(0.76±0.16)×1011/L、(0.64±0.12)×1011/L、(2.89±0.21)×1011/L]、体重[(17.86±0.60)g、(15.56±0.39)g、(14.61±0.65)g、(19.95±0.73)g]比较差异有统计学意义(P均<0.01)。结论:32P-CP-PLLA缓释粒子瘤体植入治疗前列腺癌为一种安全、简便、有效的核素介入疗法。     

Prognosis of intracranial germ cell tumours: Effectiveness of chemotherapy with cisplatin and etoposide (CDDP and VP-16)

Summary A co-operative study for patients with intracranial germ cell tumours was performed to analyze their prognosis and the effectiveness of Cisplatin/Etoposide (CDDP/VP-16) chemotherapy.A total of 46 patients; 30 primary and 16 recurrent cases were registered from 15 participating neurosurgical institutions in Japan. Based on histological criteria and tumour markers, they were classified into three groups; germinoma, germinoma with syncytiotro-phoblastic giant cell (STGC), and non-germinomatous malignant tumour.Sixteen patients were treated with CDDP/VP-16 chemotherapy alone and the other 30 patients were treated by a combination of surgery and/or radiation in addition to chemotherapy. Eleven out of 13 patients (85%) with germinoma showed a complete (n=10) or partial (n=1) response to CDDP/VP-16 chemotherapy even if their tumours were recurrent and there was evidence of CSF dissemination. For the germinoma with STGC and non-germinomatous malignant tumour, a high response rate; 100% for the former and 78% for the latter, could also be achieved in both the primary and the recurrent cases except in those cases of immature teratoma. Their survival times were still different between them. Two-year survival was 50% in germinoma with STGC and 48% in non-germinoma, while it was 88% in germinoma cases.