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Sample records for dose escalation trial

  1. Dose escalation methods in phase I cancer clinical trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le Tourneau, Christophe; Lee, J Jack; Siu, Lillian L

    2009-05-20

    Phase I clinical trials are an essential step in the development of anticancer drugs. The main goal of these studies is to establish the recommended dose and/or schedule of new drugs or drug combinations for phase II trials. The guiding principle for dose escalation in phase I trials is to avoid exposing too many patients to subtherapeutic doses while preserving safety and maintaining rapid accrual. Here we review dose escalation methods for phase I trials, including the rule-based and model-based dose escalation methods that have been developed to evaluate new anticancer agents. Toxicity has traditionally been the primary endpoint for phase I trials involving cytotoxic agents. However, with the emergence of molecularly targeted anticancer agents, potential alternative endpoints to delineate optimal biological activity, such as plasma drug concentration and target inhibition in tumor or surrogate tissues, have been proposed along with new trial designs. We also describe specific methods for drug combinations as well as methods that use a time-to-event endpoint or both toxicity and efficacy as endpoints. Finally, we present the advantages and drawbacks of the various dose escalation methods and discuss specific applications of the methods in developmental oncotherapeutics.

  2. Dose Escalation Methods in Phase I Cancer Clinical Trials

    OpenAIRE

    Le Tourneau, Christophe; Lee, J. Jack; Siu, Lillian L.

    2009-01-01

    Phase I clinical trials are an essential step in the development of anticancer drugs. The main goal of these studies is to establish the recommended dose and/or schedule of new drugs or drug combinations for phase II trials. The guiding principle for dose escalation in phase I trials is to avoid exposing too many patients to subtherapeutic doses while preserving safety and maintaining rapid accrual. Here we review dose escalation methods for phase I trials, including the rule-based and model-...

  3. A systematic methodology review of phase I radiation dose escalation trials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pijls-Johannesma, Madelon; Mastrigt, Ghislaine van; Hahn, Steve M.; De Ruysscher, Dirk; Baumert, Brigitta G.; Lammering, Guido; Buijsen, Jeroen; Bentzen, Soren M.; Lievens, Yolande; Kramar, Andrew; Lambin, Philippe

    2010-01-01

    Background and purpose: The purpose of this review is to evaluate the methodology used in published phase I radiotherapy (RT) dose escalation trials. A specific emphasis was placed on the frequency of reporting late complications as endpoint. Materials and methods: We performed a systematic literature review using a predefined search strategy to identify all phase I trials reporting on external radiotherapy dose escalation in cancer patients. Results: Fifty-three trials (phase I: n = 36, phase I-II: n = 17) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Of these, 20 used a modified Fibonacci design for the RT dose escalation, but 32 did not specify a design. Late toxicity was variously defined as >3 months (n = 43) or > 6 months (n = 3) after RT, or not defined (n = 7). In only nine studies the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was related to late toxicity, while only half the studies reported the minimum follow-up period for dose escalation (n = 26). Conclusion: In phase I RT trials, late complications are often not taken into account and there is currently no consensus on the methodology used for radiation dose escalation studies. We therefore propose a decision-tree algorithm which depends on the endpoint selected and whether a validated early surrogate endpoint is available, in order to choose the most appropriate study design.

  4. Innovative design for a phase 1 trial with intra-patient dose escalation: The Crotoxin study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacques Medioni

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Crotoxin has a broad antitumor activity but has shown frequent neurotoxic toxicity. To induce tolerance and limit this toxicity, we propose a new design with intra-patient dose escalation. Methods: A new Dose Limiting Toxicity definition was used. The concept of Target Ceiling Dose was introduced. Results: Dose Limiting Toxicity was the inability to dose escalate twice. Target Ceiling Dose was the highest planned dose to be administered to a patient and could change for patients along time. Recommended Dose was defined similarly as in a (3 + 3 conventional design. Conclusion: This innovant design was used and the clinical trial is now closed for inclusions. Results will be presented later. Keywords: Clinical trial, Phase 1, Intra-patient dose escalation, Cancer

  5. Subgroup analysis of patients with localized prostate cancer treated within the Dutch-randomized dose escalation trial

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Mamgani, Abrahim; Heemsbergen, Wilma D.; Levendag, Peter C.; Lebesque, Joos V.

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: To investigate the effect of dose escalation within prognostic risk groups in prostate cancer. Patients and methods: Between 1997 and 2003, 664 patients with localized prostate cancer were randomly assigned to receive 68- or 78-Gy of radiotherapy. Two prognostic models were examined: a risk group model (low-, intermediate-, and high-risk) and PSA-level groupings. High-risk patients with hormonal therapy (HT) were analyzed separately. Outcome variable was freedom from failure (FFF) (clinical failure or PSA nadir + 2 μg/L). Results: In relation to the advantage of high-dose radiotherapy, intermediate-risk patients benefited most from dose escalation. However no significant heterogeneity could be demonstrated between the risk groups. For two types of PSA-level groupings: PSA 8 μg/L, the test for heterogeneity was significant (p = 0.03 and 0.05, respectively). Patients with PSA 8-18 μg/L (n = 297, HR = 0.59) derived the greatest benefit from dose escalation. No heterogeneity could be demonstrated for high-risk patients with and without HT. Conclusion: Intermediate-risk group derived the greatest benefit for dose escalation. However, from this trial no indication was found to exclude low-risk or high-risk patients from high-dose radiotherapy. Patients could be selected for high-dose radiotherapy based on PSA-level groupings: for patients with a PSA < 8 μg/L high-dose radiotherapy is probably not indicated, but should be confirmed in other randomized studies.

  6. A randomised controlled trial of the efficacy and safety of allopurinol dose escalation to achieve target serum urate in people with gout.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stamp, Lisa K; Chapman, Peter T; Barclay, Murray L; Horne, Anne; Frampton, Christopher; Tan, Paul; Drake, Jill; Dalbeth, Nicola

    2017-09-01

    To determine the efficacy and safety of allopurinol dose escalation using a treat-to-target serum urate (SU) approach. A randomised, controlled, parallel-group, comparative clinical trial was undertaken. People with gout receiving at least creatinine clearance (CrCL)-based allopurinol dose for ≥1 month and SU ≥6 mg/dL were recruited. Participants were randomised to continue current dose (control) or allopurinol dose escalation for 12 months. In the dose escalation group, allopurinol was increased monthly until SU was gout. Allopurinol dose escalation is well tolerated. ANZCTR12611000845932; Results. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  7. An accelerated dose escalation with a grass pollen allergoid is safe and well-tolerated: a randomized open label phase II trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaker, A M; Al-Kadah, B; Luther, U; Neumann, U; Wagenmann, M

    2015-01-01

    The number of injections in the dose escalation of subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) is small for some currently used hypoallergenic allergoids, but can still be inconvenient to patients and can impair compliance. The aim of this trial was to compare safety and tolerability of an accelerated to the conventional dose escalation scheme of a grass pollen allergoid. In an open label phase II trial, 122 patients were 1:1 randomized for SCIT using a grass pollen allergoid with an accelerated dose escalation comprising only 4 weekly injections (Group I) or a conventional dose escalation including 7 weekly injections (Group II). Safety determination included the occurrence of local and systemic adverse events. Tolerability was assessed by patients and physicians. Treatment-related adverse events were observed in 22 (36.1 %) patients in Group I and 15 (24.6 %) in Group II. Local reactions were reported by 18 patients in Group I and 11 in Group II. Five Grade 1 systemic reactions (WAO classification) were observed in Group I and 2 in Group II. Grade 2 reactions occurred 3 times in Group I and 2 times in Group II. Tolerability was rated as "good" or "very good" by 53 (86.9 %) patients in Group I and 59 (100 %) in Group II by investigators. Forty-eight patients in Group I (80.0 %) and 54 in Group II (91.5 %) rated tolerability as "good" or "very good". The dose escalation of a grass pollen allergoid can be accelerated with safety and tolerability profiles comparable to the conventional dose escalation.

  8. On-line conformal HDR dose escalation trial in prostate cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martinez, Alvaro; Stromberg, Jannifer; Edmundson, Gregory; Gustafson, Gary; Vicini, Frank; Brabbins, Donald

    1996-01-01

    Purpose: To improve treatment results on prostatic adenocarcinoma, we began the first prospective Phase I/II dose-escalating clinical trial of conformal brachytherapy (CB) and concurrent external beam irradiation. Methods and Materials: Fifty-four patients with T2b-T3c prostatic adenocarcinoma received 172 transperineal conformal high-dose rate (HDR) boost implants. All patients received concomitant external beam pelvic irradiation. Dose escalation of the three HDR fractions were: 5.5 Gy (18 patients), 6 Gy (15 patients), and 6.5 Gy (21 patients). The urethra, anterior rectal wall, and prostate boundaries were identified individually and outlined at 5 mm intervals from the base to the apex of the gland. The CB using real-time ultrasound guidance with interactive online isodose distributions was performed on an outpatient basis. As needles were placed into the prostate, corrections for prostate displacement were recorded and the isodose distributions were recalculated to represent the new relationship between the needles, prostate, and normal structures. Results: Craniocaudal motion of the gland ranged from 0.5-2.0 cm (mean=1.0 cm), whereas lateral displacement was 0.1-0.4 cm. With the interactive online planning system, organ motion was immediately detected, accounted for, and corrected prior to each HDR treatment. The rectal dose has ranged from 45 to 87%, and the urethral dose from 97 to 112% of the prostate dose. Negative prostatic biopsies at 18 months were seen in (30(32)) patients. Biochemical (PSA <1.5 ng/ml) control at 36 months is is 89%. It is significant that operator dependence has been completely removed because the interactive online planning system uniformly guides the physicians. Conclusions: With ultrasound guidance and the interactive online dosimetry system, organ motion is insignificant because it can be corrected during the procedure. Common pitfalls of brachytherapy, including operator dependence and difficulty with reproducibility, have been

  9. Adalimumab dose escalation and dose de-escalation success rate and predictors in a large national cohort of Crohn's patients

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Baert, Filip; Glorieus, Elien; Reenaers, Cathérine; D'Haens, Geert; Peeters, Harald; Franchimont, Dennis; Dewit, Olivier; Caenepeel, Philippe; Louis, Edouard; van Assche, Gert; D'Heygere, F.; George, C.; van Hootegem, P.; Ilegems, S.; Fontaine, F.; Colard, A.; Schoofs, N.; Belaiche, J.; Louis, E.; Reenaers, C.; van Kemseke, C.; Coche, J. C.; Dewit, O.; Rahier, J. F.; de Reuck, M.; Baert, F.; Decaestecker, J.; de Wulf, D.; Amininejad, L.; Franchimont, D.; van Gossum, A.; Du Ville, L.; Hendrickx, K.; Lepoutre, L.; Vandervoort, J.; van der Spek, P.; Sprengers, D.; van de Mierop, F.; Potvin, P.; Bontems, P.; Moreels, T.; van Outryve, M.; Mana, F.; de Looze, D.; de Vos, M.; Peeters, H.; Ferrante, M.; Rutgeerts, P.; van Assche, G.; Vermeire, S.

    2013-01-01

    Adalimumab is efficacious in inducing and maintaining remission in Crohn's disease but dose escalation is needed in 30-40% after 1 year. Attempts for dose de-escalation have not been studied. This study aimed to assess the need for, predictors, and outcome of dose escalation and de-escalation in a

  10. Dose Escalation and Quality of Life in Patients With Localized Prostate Cancer Treated With Radiotherapy: Long-Term Results of the Dutch Randomized Dose-Escalation Trial (CKTO 96-10 Trial)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Mamgani, Abrahim; Putten, Wim L.J. van; Wielen, Gerard J. van der; Levendag, Peter C.; Incrocci, Luca

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: To assess the impact of dose escalation of radiotherapy on quality of life (QoL) in prostate cancer patients. Patients and Methods: Three hundred prostate cancer patients participating in the Dutch randomized trial (CKTO 69-10) comparing 68 Gy with 78 Gy were the subject of this analysis. These patients filled out the SF-36 QoL questionnaire before radiotherapy (baseline) and 6, 12, 24, and 36 months thereafter. Changes in QoL over time of ≥10 points were considered clinically relevant. Repeated-measures regression analyses were applied to estimate and test the QoL changes over time, the differences between the two arms, and for association with a number of covariates. Results: At 3-year follow-up, the summary score physical health was 73.2 for the 68-Gy arm vs. 71.6 for the 78-Gy arm (p = 0.81), and the summary score mental health was 76.7 for the 68-Gy arm vs. 76.1 for the 78-Gy arm (p = 0.97). Statistically significant (p 10 points) was seen for only two scales. None of the tested covariates were significantly correlated with QoL scores. Conclusion: Dose escalation did not result in significant deterioration of QoL in prostate cancer patients. In both randomization arms, statistically significant decreases in QoL scores over time were seen in six scales. The deterioration of QoL was more pronounced in the physical than in the mental health domain and in some scales more in the high- than in the low-dose arm, but the differences between arms were not statistically significant.

  11. Phase I Trial of Pelvic Nodal Dose Escalation With Hypofractionated IMRT for High-Risk Prostate Cancer

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    Adkison, Jarrod B.; McHaffie, Derek R.; Bentzen, Soren M.; Patel, Rakesh R.; Khuntia, Deepak [Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI (United States); Petereit, Daniel G. [Department of Radiation Oncology, John T. Vucurevich Regional Cancer Care Institute, Rapid City Regional Hospital, Rapid City, SD (United States); Hong, Theodore S.; Tome, Wolfgang [Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI (United States); Ritter, Mark A., E-mail: ritter@humonc.wisc.edu [Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: Toxicity concerns have limited pelvic nodal prescriptions to doses that may be suboptimal for controlling microscopic disease. In a prospective trial, we tested whether image-guided intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) can safely deliver escalated nodal doses while treating the prostate with hypofractionated radiotherapy in 5 Vulgar-Fraction-One-Half weeks. Methods and Materials: Pelvic nodal and prostatic image-guided IMRT was delivered to 53 National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) high-risk patients to a nodal dose of 56 Gy in 2-Gy fractions with concomitant treatment of the prostate to 70 Gy in 28 fractions of 2.5 Gy, and 50 of 53 patients received androgen deprivation for a median duration of 12 months. Results: The median follow-up time was 25.4 months (range, 4.2-57.2). No early Grade 3 Radiation Therapy Oncology Group or Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v.3.0 genitourinary (GU) or gastrointestinal (GI) toxicities were seen. The cumulative actuarial incidence of Grade 2 early GU toxicity (primarily alpha blocker initiation) was 38%. The rate was 32% for Grade 2 early GI toxicity. None of the dose-volume descriptors correlated with GU toxicity, and only the volume of bowel receiving {>=}30 Gy correlated with early GI toxicity (p = 0.029). Maximum late Grades 1, 2, and 3 GU toxicities were seen in 30%, 25%, and 2% of patients, respectively. Maximum late Grades 1 and 2 GI toxicities were seen in 30% and 8% (rectal bleeding requiring cautery) of patients, respectively. The estimated 3-year biochemical control (nadir + 2) was 81.2 {+-} 6.6%. No patient manifested pelvic nodal failure, whereas 2 experienced paraaortic nodal failure outside the field. The six other clinical failures were distant only. Conclusions: Pelvic IMRT nodal dose escalation to 56 Gy was delivered concurrently with 70 Gy of hypofractionated prostate radiotherapy in a convenient, resource-efficient, and well-tolerated 28-fraction schedule. Pelvic nodal dose

  12. Escalation to High Dose Defibrotide in Patients with Hepatic Veno-Occlusive Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Triplett, Brandon M.; Kuttab, Hani I.; Kang, Guolian; Leung, Wing

    2015-01-01

    Hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD) is a serious complication of high-dose chemotherapy regimens, such as those utilized in hematopoietic cell transplantation recipients. Defibrotide is considered a safe and effective treatment when dosed at 25 mg/kg/day. However, patients who develop VOD still have increased mortality despite the use of defibrotide. Data are limited on the use of doses above 60 mg/kg/day for persistent VOD. In this prospective clinical trial, 34 patients received escalating doses of defibrotide. For patients with persistent VOD despite doses of 60 mg/kg/day, doses were increased to a maximum of 110 mg/kg/day. There was no observed increase in toxicity until doses rose beyond 100 mg/kg/day. Patients receiving doses between 10–100 mg/kg/day experienced an average of 3 bleeding episodes per 100 days of treatment, while those receiving doses >100 mg/kg/day experienced 13.2 bleeding episodes per 100 days (p=0.008). Moreover, dose reductions due to toxicity were needed at doses of 110 mg/kg/day more often than at lower doses. Defibrotide may be safely escalated to doses well above the current standard without an increase in bleeding risk. However, the efficacy of this dose escalation strategy remains unclear, as outcomes were similar to published cohorts of patients receiving standard doses of defibrotide for VOD. PMID:26278046

  13. The NARLAL2 dose escalation trial: dosimetric implications of inter-fractional changes in organs at risk

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hoffmann, Lone; Knap, Marianne Marquard; Khalil, Azza Ahmed

    2018-01-01

    and an escalated treatment plan. In the escalated arm, mean doses up to 95 Gy/33 fractions (tumour) and 74 Gy/33 fractions (lymph nodes) are delivered to the most 18fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (18FDG PET) active regions. The dose distributions are limited by strict constraints to OARs...

  14. Escalation to High-Dose Defibrotide in Patients with Hepatic Veno-Occlusive Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Triplett, Brandon M; Kuttab, Hani I; Kang, Guolian; Leung, Wing

    2015-12-01

    Hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD) is a serious complication of high-dose chemotherapy regimens, such as those used in hematopoietic cell transplantation recipients. Defibrotide is considered a safe and effective treatment when dosed at 25 mg/kg/day. However, patients who develop VOD still have increased mortality despite the use of defibrotide. Data are limited on the use of doses above 60 mg/kg/day for persistent VOD. In this prospective clinical trial 34 patients received escalating doses of defibrotide. For patients with persistent VOD despite doses of 60 mg/kg/day, doses were increased to a maximum of 110 mg/kg/day. Increased toxicity was not observed until doses rose beyond 100 mg/kg/day. Patients receiving doses between 10 and 100 mg/kg/day experienced an average of 3 bleeding episodes per 100 days of treatment, whereas those receiving doses >100 mg/kg/day experienced 13.2 bleeding episodes per 100 days (P = .008). Moreover, dose reductions due to toxicity were needed at doses of 110 mg/kg/day more often than at lower doses. Defibrotide may be safely escalated to doses well above the current standard without an increase in bleeding risk. However, the efficacy of this dose-escalation strategy remains unclear, because outcomes were similar to published cohorts of patients receiving standard doses of defibrotide for VOD. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Interim report of image-guided conformal high-dose-rate brachytherapy for patients with unfavorable prostate cancer: the William Beaumont Phase II dose-escalating trial

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martinez, Alvaro A.; Kestin, Larry L.; Stromberg, Jannifer S.; Gonzalez, Jose A.; Wallace, Michelle; Gustafson, Gary S.; Edmundson, Gregory K.; Spencer, William; Vicini, Frank A.

    2000-01-01

    Purpose: We analyzed our institution's experience treating patients with unfavorable prostate cancer in a prospective Phase II dose-escalating trial of external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) integrated with conformal high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy boosts. This interim report discusses treatment outcome and prognostic factors using this treatment approach. Methods and Materials: From November 1991 through February 1998, 142 patients with unfavorable prostate cancer were prospectively treated in a dose-escalating trial with pelvic EBRT in combination with outpatient HDR brachytherapy at William Beaumont Hospital. Patients with any of the following characteristics were eligible: pretreatment prostate-specific antigen (PSA) ≥ 10.0 ng/ml, Gleason score ≥ 7, or clinical stage T2b or higher. All patients received pelvic EBRT to a median total dose of 46.0 Gy. Pelvic EBRT was integrated with ultrasound-guided transperineal conformal interstitial iridium-192 HDR implants. From 1991 to 1995, 58 patients underwent three conformal interstitial HDR implants during the first, second, and third weeks of pelvic EBRT. After October 1995, 84 patients received two interstitial implants during the first and third weeks of pelvic EBRT. The dose delivered via interstitial brachytherapy was escalated from 5.50 Gy to 6.50 Gy for each implant in those patients receiving three implants, and subsequently, from 8.25 Gy to 9.50 Gy per fraction in those patients receiving two implants. To improve implant quality and reduce operator dependency, an on-line, image-guided interactive dose optimization program was utilized during each HDR implant. No patient received hormonal therapy unless treatment failure was documented. The median follow-up was 2.1 years (range: 0.2-7.2 years). Biochemical failure was defined according to the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology Consensus Panel definition. Results: The pretreatment PSA level was ≥ 10.0 ng/ml in 51% of patients. The

  16. Strategies for Biologic Image-Guided Dose Escalation: A Review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sovik, Aste; Malinen, Eirik; Olsen, Dag Rune

    2009-01-01

    There is increasing interest in how to incorporate functional and molecular information obtained by noninvasive, three-dimensional tumor imaging into radiotherapy. The key issues are to identify radioresistant regions that can be targeted for dose escalation, and to develop radiation dose prescription and delivery strategies providing optimal treatment for the individual patient. In the present work, we review the proposed strategies for biologic image-guided dose escalation with intensity-modulated radiation therapy. Biologic imaging modalities and the derived images are discussed, as are methods for target volume delineation. Different dose escalation strategies and techniques for treatment delivery and treatment plan evaluation are also addressed. Furthermore, we consider the need for response monitoring during treatment. We conclude with a summary of the current status of biologic image-based dose escalation and of areas where further work is needed for this strategy to become incorporated into clinical practice

  17. Dose escalation for non-small cell lung cancer: Analysis and modelling of published literature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Partridge, Mike; Ramos, Monica; Sardaro, Angela; Brada, Michael

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: To review the published clinical data on non-small cell lung cancer treated with radical radiotherapy to confirm a dose-response relationship as a basis for further dose-escalation trials. Methods: Twenty-four published clinical trials were identified, 16 of which - with 29 different standard, hyper- and hypofractionated treatment schedules - were analysed. Prescription doses were converted to biologically-equivalent dose (BED), with a correction for repopulation. Disease-free survival data were corrected for the stage profile of each cohort to allow better comparison of results. We also analysed moderate (grade II and III) lung and oesophageal acute toxicity related to the corrected BED delivered to the tumour. Results: The clinical data analysed showed good agreement between the observed and modelled disease-free survival at 2 years when compared to the published models of Fenwick (correlation coefficient 0.525, p = 0.003) and Martel (correlation coefficient 0.492, p = 0.007), indicating a clear tumour dose-response. In the normally fractionated treatments (∼2 Gy per fraction), improved disease-free survival was generally observed in the shorter schedules (maximum around 6 weeks). However, the best outcomes were obtained for the hypofractionated schedules. No systematic relationship was seen between prescribed dose and lung or oesophageal acute toxicity, possibly due to dose selection depending on V 20 or MLD in some studies and the diversity of the patients analysed. Conclusions: We have demonstrated a dose-response relationship for NSCLC based on clinical data. The clinical data provide a rational basis for selection of dose escalation schedules to be tested in future randomised trials.

  18. Continual reassessment method for dose escalation clinical trials in oncology: a comparison of prior skeleton approaches using AZD3514 data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    James, Gareth D; Symeonides, Stefan N; Marshall, Jayne; Young, Julia; Clack, Glen

    2016-08-31

    The continual reassessment method (CRM) requires an underlying model of the dose-toxicity relationship ("prior skeleton") and there is limited guidance of what this should be when little is known about this association. In this manuscript the impact of applying the CRM with different prior skeleton approaches and the 3 + 3 method are compared in terms of ability to determine the true maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and number of patients allocated to sub-optimal and toxic doses. Post-hoc dose-escalation analyses on real-life clinical trial data on an early oncology compound (AZD3514), using the 3 + 3 method and CRM using six different prior skeleton approaches. All methods correctly identified the true MTD. The 3 + 3 method allocated six patients to both sub-optimal and toxic doses. All CRM approaches allocated four patients to sub-optimal doses. No patients were allocated to toxic doses from sigmoidal, two from conservative and five from other approaches. Prior skeletons for the CRM for phase 1 clinical trials are proposed in this manuscript and applied to a real clinical trial dataset. Highly accurate initial skeleton estimates may not be essential to determine the true MTD, and, as expected, all CRM methods out-performed the 3 + 3 method. There were differences in performance between skeletons. The choice of skeleton should depend on whether minimizing the number of patients allocated to suboptimal or toxic doses is more important. NCT01162395 , Trial date of first registration: July 13, 2010.

  19. Avelumab for metastatic or locally advanced previously treated solid tumours (JAVELIN Solid Tumor): a phase 1a, multicohort, dose-escalation trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heery, Christopher R; O'Sullivan-Coyne, Geraldine; Madan, Ravi A; Cordes, Lisa; Rajan, Arun; Rauckhorst, Myrna; Lamping, Elizabeth; Oyelakin, Israel; Marté, Jennifer L; Lepone, Lauren M; Donahue, Renee N; Grenga, Italia; Cuillerot, Jean-Marie; Neuteboom, Berend; Heydebreck, Anja von; Chin, Kevin; Schlom, Jeffrey; Gulley, James L

    2017-05-01

    Avelumab (MSB0010718C) is a human IgG1 monoclonal antibody that binds to PD-L1, inhibiting its binding to PD-1, which inactivates T cells. We aimed to establish the safety and pharmacokinetics of avelumab in patients with solid tumours while assessing biological correlatives for future development. This open-label, single-centre, phase 1a, dose-escalation trial (part of the JAVELIN Solid Tumor trial) assessed four doses of avelumab (1 mg/kg, 3 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, and 20 mg/kg), with dose-level cohort expansions to provide additional safety, pharmacokinetics, and target occupancy data. This study used a standard 3 + 3 cohort design and assigned patients sequentially at trial entry according to the 3 + 3 dose-escalation algorithm and depending on the number of dose-limiting toxicities during the first 3-week assessment period (the primary endpoint). Patient eligibility criteria included age 18 years or older, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0-1, metastatic or locally advanced previously treated solid tumours, and adequate end-organ function. Avelumab was given as a 1-h intravenous infusion every 2 weeks. Patients in the dose-limiting toxicity analysis set were assessed for the primary endpoint of dose-limiting toxicity, and all patients enrolled in the dose-escalation part were assessed for the secondary endpoints of safety (treatment-emergent and treatment-related adverse events according to National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0), pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles (immunological effects), best overall response by Response Evaluation Criteria, and antidrug antibody formation. The population for the pharmacokinetic analysis included a subset of patients with rich pharmacokinetic samples from two selected disease-specific expansion cohorts at the same study site who had serum samples obtained at multiple early timepoints. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT

  20. Heterogeneous FDG-guided dose-escalation for locally advanced NSCLC (the NARLAL2 trial): Design and early dosimetric results of a randomized, multi-centre phase-III study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møller, Ditte Sloth; Nielsen, Tine Bjørn; Brink, Carsten

    2017-01-01

    Background and purpose: Local recurrence is frequent in locally advanced NSCLC and is primarily located in FDG-avid parts of tumour and lymph nodes. Aiming at improving local control without increasing toxicity, we designed a multi-centre phase-III trial delivering inhomogeneous dose-escalation d......Background and purpose: Local recurrence is frequent in locally advanced NSCLC and is primarily located in FDG-avid parts of tumour and lymph nodes. Aiming at improving local control without increasing toxicity, we designed a multi-centre phase-III trial delivering inhomogeneous dose...

  1. A Clinical phase I/II trial to investigate preoperative dose-escalated intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT and intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT in patients with retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roeder Falk

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Local control rates in patients with retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcoma (RSTS remain disappointing even after gross total resection, mainly because wide margins are not achievable in the majority of patients. In contrast to extremity sarcoma, postoperative radiation therapy (RT has shown limited efficacy due to its limitations in achievable dose and coverage. Although Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT has been introduced in some centers to overcome the dose limitations and resulted in increased outcome, local failure rates are still high even if considerable treatment related toxicity is accepted. As postoperative administration of RT has some general disadvantages, neoadjuvant approaches could offer benefits in terms of dose escalation, target coverage and reduction of toxicity, especially if highly conformal techniques like intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT are considered. Methods/design The trial is a prospective, one armed, single center phase I/II study investigating a combination of neoadjuvant dose-escalated IMRT (50–56 Gy followed by surgery and IORT (10–12 Gy in patients with at least marginally resectable RSTS. The primary objective is the local control rate after five years. Secondary endpoints are progression-free and overall survival, acute and late toxicity, surgical resectability and patterns of failure. The aim of accrual is 37 patients in the per-protocol population. Discussion The present study evaluates combined neoadjuvant dose-escalated IMRT followed by surgery and IORT concerning its value for improved local control without markedly increased toxicity. Trial registration NCT01566123

  2. Dose escalation of a curcuminoid formulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Crowell James

    2006-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Curcumin is the major yellow pigment extracted from turmeric, a commonly-used spice in India and Southeast Asia that has broad anticarcinogenic and cancer chemopreventive potential. However, few systematic studies of curcumin's pharmacology and toxicology in humans have been performed. Methods A dose escalation study was conducted to determine the maximum tolerated dose and safety of a single dose of standardized powder extract, uniformly milled curcumin (C3 Complex™, Sabinsa Corporation. Healthy volunteers were administered escalating doses from 500 to 12,000 mg. Results Seven of twenty-four subjects (30% experienced only minimal toxicity that did not appear to be dose-related. No curcumin was detected in the serum of subjects administered 500, 1,000, 2,000, 4,000, 6,000 or 8,000 mg. Low levels of curcumin were detected in two subjects administered 10,000 or 12,000 mg. Conclusion The tolerance of curcumin in high single oral doses appears to be excellent. Given that achieving systemic bioavailability of curcumin or its metabolites may not be essential for colorectal cancer chemoprevention, these findings warrant further investigation for its utility as a long-term chemopreventive agent.

  3. A dose-escalation trial with the adaptive radiotherapy process as a delivery system in localized prostate cancer: Analysis of chronic toxicity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brabbins, Donald; Martinez, Alvaro; Yan Di; Lockman, David; Wallace, Michell; Gustafson, Gary; Chen, Peter; Vicini, Frank; Wong, John

    2005-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the validity of the chosen adaptive radiotherapy (ART) dose-volume constraints while testing the hypothesis that toxicity would not be greater at higher tumor dose levels. Materials and methods: In the ART dose escalation/selection trial, treatment was initiated with a generic planning target volume (PTV) formed as a 1-cm expansion of the clinical target volume (CTV). After the first week of therapy, the patient was replanned with a patient-specific PTV, constructed with CT and electronic portal images obtained in the first 4 days of treatment. A new multileaf collimator beam aperture was used. A minimum dose prescribed to the patient-specific PTV, ranging 70.2-79.2 Gy, was determined on the basis of the following rectal and bladder constraints: 82 Gy, 75.6 Gy, 75.6 Gy, and the maximum bladder dose is 85 Gy. A conformal four-field and/or intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) technique was used. Independent reviewers scored toxicities. The worst toxicity score seen was used as per the Common Toxicity Criteria grade scale (version 2). We divided the patients into three separate groups: 70.2-72 Gy, >72-75.6 Gy, and >75.6-79.2 Gy. Toxicities in each group were quantified and compared by the Pearson chi-squared test to validate our dose escalation/selection model. Grades 0, 1, 2, and 3 were censored as none vs. each category and none vs. any. Results: We analyzed patients with follow-up greater than 1 year. The mean duration of follow-up was 29 months (range, 12-46 months). We report on 280 patients, mean age 72 years (range, 51-87 years). Only 60 patients received adjuvant hormones. Mean pretreatment prostate-specific antigen level was 9.3 ng/mL (range, 0.6-120 ng/mL). Mean Gleason score was 6 (range, 3-9). The lowest dose level was given to 49 patients, the intermediate dose to 131 patients, and 100 patients received the highest dose escalation. One hundred eighty-one patients (65%) were treated to a prostate field only and 99 patients (35%) to

  4. Cardiac Toxicity After Radiotherapy for Stage III Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Pooled Analysis of Dose-Escalation Trials Delivering 70 to 90 Gy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eblan, Michael J.; Deal, Allison M.; Lipner, Matthew; Zagar, Timothy M.; Wang, Yue; Mavroidis, Panayiotis; Lee, Carrie B.; Jensen, Brian C.; Rosenman, Julian G.; Socinski, Mark A.; Stinchcombe, Thomas E.; Marks, Lawrence B.

    2017-01-01

    Purpose The significance of radiotherapy (RT) –associated cardiac injury for stage III non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is unclear, but higher heart doses were associated with worse overall survival in the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 0617 study. We assessed the impact of heart dose in patients treated at our institution on several prospective dose-escalation trials. Patients and Methods From 1996 to 2009, 127 patients with stage III NSCLC (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, 0 to 1) received dose-escalated RT to 70 to 90 Gy (median, 74 Gy) in six trials. RT plans and cardiac doses were reviewed. Records were reviewed for the primary end point: symptomatic cardiac events (symptomatic pericardial effusion, acute coronary syndrome, pericarditis, significant arrhythmia, and heart failure). Cardiac risk was assessed by noting baseline coronary artery disease and calculating the WHO/International Society of Hypertension score. Competing risks analysis was used. Results In all, 112 patients were analyzed. Median follow-up for surviving patients was 8.8 years. Twenty-six patients (23%) had one or more events at a median of 26 months to first event (effusion [n = 7], myocardial infarction [n = 5], unstable angina [n = 3], pericarditis [n = 2], arrhythmia [n = 12], and heart failure [n = 1]). Heart doses (eg, heart mean dose; hazard ratio, 1.03/Gy; P = .002,), coronary artery disease (P < .001), and WHO/International Society of Hypertension score (P = .04) were associated with events on univariable analysis. Heart doses remained significant on multivariable analysis that accounted for baseline risk. Two-year competing risk–adjusted event rates for patients with heart mean dose < 10 Gy, 10 to 20 Gy, or ≥ 20 Gy were 4%, 7%, and 21%, respectively. Heart doses were not associated with overall survival. Conclusion Cardiac events were relatively common after high-dose thoracic RT and were independently associated with both heart dose and

  5. Ewing sarcoma localized on spine: a dose escalation study in child

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vogin, G.; Marchesi, V.; Biston, M.C.; Gassa, F.; Amessis, M.; Zefkili, S.; Helfre, S.; De Marzi, L.; Lacroix, F.; Leroy, A.

    2011-01-01

    The authors report the study of dose escalation for the treatment of spinal in two types of Ewing tumours. They used 5 dose levels at the rate of five 1,6 Gy per week. They compare different radiotherapy techniques: three-dimensional conformation radiotherapy, static intensity-modulated conformational radiotherapy, helical tomo-therapy, volume-modulated arc-therapy (VMAT), stereotactic radiotherapy, and proton-therapy (in passive diffusion). It appears that it is possible to safely and efficiently deliver until 70,4 Gy in some Ewing tumours. In child, exclusive radiotherapy might become a local treatment option and would require a clinic trial and comparison with exclusive surgery or post-operative radiotherapy. Short communication

  6. Sexual Function After Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer: Results From a Dose-Escalation Trial

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wielen, Gerard J. van der; Putten, Wim van; Incrocci, Luca

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study is to provide information about sexual function (SF) after three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) for prostate cancer while taking important factors into account that influence SF. Methods and Materials: Between June 1997 and February 2003, a total of 268 patients from a randomized dose-escalation trial comparing 68 Gy and 78 Gy agreed to participate in an additional part of the trial that evaluated SF. Results: At baseline 28% of patients had erectile dysfunction (ED). After 1 year, 27% of the pretreatment potent patients had developed ED. After 2 years this percentage had increased to 36%. After 3 years it almost stabilized at 38%. Satisfaction with sexual life was significantly correlated with ED. After 2 years one third of the pre-treatment potent patients still had considerable to very much sexual desire and found sex (very) important. No significant differences were found between the two dose-arms. Potency aids were used on a regular base by 14% of the patients. Conclusion: By taking adjuvant hormonal therapy (HT), HT during follow-up and potency aids into account, we found a lower percentage of ED after 3D-CRT than reported in previous prospective studies. A large group of patients still had sexual desire, considered sex important and 14% used potency aids after 3D-CRT

  7. Increasing Use of Dose-Escalated External Beam Radiation Therapy for Men With Nonmetastatic Prostate Cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Swisher-McClure, Samuel; Mitra, Nandita; Woo, Kaitlin; Smaldone, Marc; Uzzo, Robert; Bekelman, Justin E.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: To examine recent practice patterns, using a large national cancer registry, to understand the extent to which dose-escalated external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) has been incorporated into routine clinical practice for men with prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study using the National Cancer Data Base, a nationwide oncology outcomes database in the United States. We identified 98,755 men diagnosed with nonmetastatic prostate cancer between 2006 and 2011 who received definitive EBRT and classified patients into National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) risk groups. We defined dose-escalated EBRT as total prescribed dose of ≥75.6 Gy. Using multivariable logistic regression, we examined the association of patient, clinical, and demographic characteristics with the use of dose-escalated EBRT. Results: Overall, 81.6% of men received dose-escalated EBRT during the study period. The use of dose-escalated EBRT did not vary substantially by NCCN risk group. Use of dose-escalated EBRT increased from 70.7% of patients receiving treatment in 2006 to 89.8% of patients receiving treatment in 2011. On multivariable analysis, year of diagnosis and use of intensity modulated radiation therapy were significantly associated with receipt of dose-escalated EBRT. Conclusions: Our study results indicate that dose-escalated EBRT has been widely adopted by radiation oncologists treating prostate cancer in the United States. The proportion of patients receiving dose-escalated EBRT increased nearly 20% between 2006 and 2011. We observed high utilization rates of dose-escalated EBRT within all disease risk groups. Adoption of intensity modulated radiation therapy was strongly associated with use of dose-escalated treatment

  8. Radiobiological Determination of Dose Escalation and Normal Tissue Toxicity in Definitive Chemoradiation Therapy for Esophageal Cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Warren, Samantha, E-mail: Samantha.warren@oncology.ox.ac.uk [Department of Oncology, Gray Institute of Radiation Oncology and Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford (United Kingdom); Partridge, Mike [Department of Oncology, Gray Institute of Radiation Oncology and Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford (United Kingdom); Carrington, Rhys [Velindre Cancer Centre, Velindre Hospital, Cardiff (United Kingdom); Hurt, Chris [Wales Cancer Trials Unit, School of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff (United Kingdom); Crosby, Thomas [Velindre Cancer Centre, Velindre Hospital, Cardiff (United Kingdom); Hawkins, Maria A. [Department of Oncology, Gray Institute of Radiation Oncology and Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford (United Kingdom)

    2014-10-01

    Purpose: This study investigated the trade-off in tumor coverage and organ-at-risk sparing when applying dose escalation for concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CRT) of mid-esophageal cancer, using radiobiological modeling to estimate local control and normal tissue toxicity. Methods and Materials: Twenty-one patients with mid-esophageal cancer were selected from the SCOPE1 database (International Standard Randomised Controlled Trials number 47718479), with a mean planning target volume (PTV) of 327 cm{sup 3}. A boost volume, PTV2 (GTV + 0.5 cm margin), was created. Radiobiological modeling of tumor control probability (TCP) estimated the dose required for a clinically significant (+20%) increase in local control as 62.5 Gy/25 fractions. A RapidArc (RA) plan with a simultaneously integrated boost (SIB) to PTV2 (RA{sub 62.5}) was compared to a standard dose plan of 50 Gy/25 fractions (RA{sub 50}). Dose-volume metrics and estimates of normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) for heart and lungs were compared. Results: Clinically acceptable dose escalation was feasible for 16 of 21 patients, with significant gains (>18%) in tumor control from 38.2% (RA{sub 50}) to 56.3% (RA{sub 62.5}), and only a small increase in predicted toxicity: median heart NTCP 4.4% (RA{sub 50}) versus 5.6% (RA{sub 62.5}) P<.001 and median lung NTCP 6.5% (RA{sub 50}) versus 7.5% (RA{sub 62.5}) P<.001. Conclusions: Dose escalation to the GTV to improve local control is possible when overlap between PTV and organ-at-risk (<8% heart volume and <2.5% lung volume overlap for this study) generates only negligible increase in lung or heart toxicity. These predictions from radiobiological modeling should be tested in future clinical trials.

  9. Pharmacokinetics of Escalating Doses of Oral Psilocybin in Healthy Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Randall T; Nicholas, Christopher R; Cozzi, Nicholas V; Gassman, Michele C; Cooper, Karen M; Muller, Daniel; Thomas, Chantelle D; Hetzel, Scott J; Henriquez, Kelsey M; Ribaudo, Alexandra S; Hutson, Paul R

    2017-12-01

    Psilocybin is a psychedelic tryptamine that has shown promise in recent clinical trials for the treatment of depression and substance use disorders. This open-label study of the pharmacokinetics of psilocybin was performed to describe the pharmacokinetics and safety profile of psilocybin in sequential, escalating oral doses of 0.3, 0.45, and 0.6 mg/kg in 12 healthy adults. Eligible healthy adults received 6-8 h of preparatory counseling in anticipation of the first dose of psilocybin. The escalating oral psilocybin doses were administered at approximately monthly intervals in a controlled setting and subjects were monitored for 24 h. Blood and urine samples were collected over 24 h and assayed by a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) assay for psilocybin and psilocin, the active metabolite. The pharmacokinetics of psilocin were determined using both compartmental (NONMEM) and noncompartmental (WinNonlin) methods. No psilocybin was found in plasma or urine, and renal clearance of intact psilocin accounted for less than 2% of the total clearance. The pharmacokinetics of psilocin were linear within the twofold range of doses, and the elimination half-life of psilocin was 3 h (standard deviation 1.1). An extended elimination phase in some subjects suggests hydrolysis of the psilocin glucuronide metabolite. Variation in psilocin clearance was not predicted by body weight, and no serious adverse events occurred in the subjects studied. The small amount of psilocin renally excreted suggests that no dose reduction is needed for subjects with mild-moderate renal impairment. Simulation of fixed doses using the pharmacokinetic parameters suggest that an oral dose of 25 mg should approximate the drug exposure of a 0.3 mg/kg oral dose of psilocybin. Although doses of 0.6 mg/kg are in excess of likely therapeutic doses, no serious physical or psychological events occurred during or within 30 days of any dose. NCT02163707.

  10. Androgen Suppression Combined with Elective Nodal and Dose Escalated Radiation Therapy (the ASCENDE-RT Trial): An Analysis of Survival Endpoints for a Randomized Trial Comparing a Low-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy Boost to a Dose-Escalated External Beam Boost for High- and Intermediate-risk Prostate Cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morris, W. James, E-mail: jmorris@bccancer.bc.ca [Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); BC Cancer Agency–Vancouver Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); Tyldesley, Scott [Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); BC Cancer Agency–Vancouver Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); Rodda, Sree [Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); Halperin, Ross [Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); BC Cancer Agency–Centre for the Southern Interior, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); Pai, Howard [Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); BC Cancer Agency–Vancouver Island Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); McKenzie, Michael; Duncan, Graeme [Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); BC Cancer Agency–Vancouver Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); Morton, Gerard [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Hamm, Jeremy [Department of Population Oncology, BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); Murray, Nevin [BC Cancer Agency–Vancouver Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada)

    2017-06-01

    Purpose: To report the primary endpoint of biochemical progression-free survival (b-PFS) and secondary survival endpoints from ASCENDE-RT, a randomized trial comparing 2 methods of dose escalation for intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: ASCENDE-RT enrolled 398 men, with a median age of 68 years; 69% (n=276) had high-risk disease. After stratification by risk group, the subjects were randomized to a standard arm with 12 months of androgen deprivation therapy, pelvic irradiation to 46 Gy, followed by a dose-escalated external beam radiation therapy (DE-EBRT) boost to 78 Gy, or an experimental arm that substituted a low-dose-rate prostate brachytherapy (LDR-PB) boost. Of the 398 trial subjects, 200 were assigned to DE-EBRT boost and 198 to LDR-PB boost. The median follow-up was 6.5 years. Results: In an intent-to-treat analysis, men randomized to DE-EBRT were twice as likely to experience biochemical failure (multivariable analysis [MVA] hazard ratio [HR] 2.04; P=.004). The 5-, 7-, and 9-year Kaplan-Meier b-PFS estimates were 89%, 86%, and 83% for the LDR-PB boost versus 84%, 75%, and 62% for the DE-EBRT boost (log-rank P<.001). The LDR-PB boost benefited both intermediate- and high-risk patients. Because the b-PFS curves for the treatment arms diverge sharply after 4 years, the relative advantage of the LDR-PB should increase with longer follow-up. On MVA, the only variables correlated with reduced overall survival were age (MVA HR 1.06/y; P=.004) and biochemical failure (MVA HR 6.30; P<.001). Although biochemical failure was associated with increased mortality and randomization to DE-EBRT doubled the rate of biochemical failure, no significant overall survival difference was observed between the treatment arms (MVA HR 1.13; P=.62). Conclusions: Compared with 78 Gy EBRT, men randomized to the LDR-PB boost were twice as likely to be free of biochemical failure at a median follow-up of 6.5 years.

  11. Late Gastrointestinal Toxicity After Dose-Escalated Conformal Radiotherapy for Early Prostate Cancer: Results From the UK Medical Research Council RT01 Trial (ISRCTN47772397)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Syndikus, Isabel; Morgan, Rachel C.; Sydes, Matthew R.; Graham, John D.; Dearnaley, David P.

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: In men with localized prostate cancer, dose-escalated conformal radiotherapy (CFRT) improves efficacy outcomes at the cost of increased toxicity. We present a detailed analysis to provide further information about the incidence and prevalence of late gastrointestinal side effects. Methods and Materials: The UK Medical Research Council RT01 trial included 843 men with localized prostate cancer, who were treated for 6 months with neoadjuvant radiotherapy and were randomly assigned to either 64-Gy or 74-Gy CFRT. Toxicity was evaluated before CFRT and during long-term follow-up using Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) grading, the Late Effects on Normal Tissue: Subjective, Objective, Management (LENT/SOM) scale, and Royal Marsden Hospital assessment scores. Patients regularly completed Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy--Prostate (FACT-P) and University of California, Los Angeles, Prostate Cancer Index (UCLA-PCI) questionnaires. Results: In the dose-escalated group, the hazard ratio (HR) for rectal bleeding (LENT/SOM grade ≥2) was 1.55 (95% CI, 1.17-2.04); for diarrhea (LENT/SOM grade ≥2), the HR was 1.79 (95% CI, 1.10-2.94); and for proctitis (RTOG grade ≥2), the HR was 1.64 (95% CI, 1.20-2.25). Compared to baseline scores, the prevalence of moderate and severe toxicities generally increased up to 3 years and than lessened. At 5 years, the cumulative incidence of patient-reported severe bowel problems was 6% vs. 8% (standard vs. escalated, respectively) and severe distress was 4% vs. 5%, respectively. Conclusions: There is a statistically significant increased risk of various adverse gastrointestinal events with dose-escalated CFRT. This remains at clinically acceptable levels, and overall prevalence ultimately decreases with duration of follow-up.

  12. Dose-escalated total body irradiation and autologous stem cell transplantation for refractory hematologic malignancy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McAfee, Steven L.; Powell, Simon N.; Colby, Christine; Spitzer, Thomas R.

    2002-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of dose escalation of total body irradiation (TBI) above the previously reported maximally tolerated dose, we have undertaken a Phase I-II trial of dose-escalated TBI with autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) for chemotherapy-refractory lymphoma. Methods and Materials: Nine lymphoma patients with primary refractory disease (PRD) or in resistant relapse (RR) received dose-escalated TBI and PBSCT. The three dose levels of fractionated TBI (200 cGy twice daily) were 1,600 cGy, 1,800 cGy, and 2,000 cGy. Lung blocks were used to reduce the TBI transmission dose by 50%, and the chest wall dose was supplemented to the prescribed dose using electrons. Shielding of the kidneys was performed to keep the maximal renal dose at 1,600 cGy. Three patients, two with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in RR and one with PRD Hodgkin's disease, received 1,600 cGy + PBSCT, three patients (two NHL in RR, one PRD) received 1,800 cGy + PBSCT, and three patients with NHL (two in RR, one PRD) received 2,000 cGy + PBSCT. Results: Toxicities associated with this high-dose TBI regimen included reversible hepatic veno-occlusive disease in 1 patient, Grade 2 mucositis requiring narcotic analgesics in 8 patients, and neurologic toxicities consisting of a symmetrical sensory neuropathy (n=4) and Lhermitte's syndrome (n=1). Interstitial pneumonitis developed in 1 patient who received 1,800 cGy after receiving recombinant α-interferon (with exacerbation after rechallenge with interferon). Six (66%) patients achieved a response. Four (44%) patients achieved complete responses, three of which were of a duration greater than 1 year, and 2 (22%) patients achieved a partial response. One patient remains disease-free more than 5 years posttransplant. Corticosteroid-induced gastritis and postoperative infection resulted in the death of 1 patient in complete response, 429 days posttransplant. Conclusion: TBI in a dose range 1,600-2,000 cGy as

  13. A Clinical phase I/II trial to investigate preoperative dose-escalated intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) in patients with retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roeder, Falk; Hensley, Frank W; Buechler, Markus W; Debus, Juergen; Koch, Moritz; Weitz, Juergen; Bischof, Marc; Schulz-Ertner, Daniela; Nikoghosyan, Anna V; Huber, Peter E; Edler, Lutz; Habl, Gregor; Krempien, Robert; Oertel, Susanne; Saleh-Ebrahimi, Ladan

    2012-01-01

    Local control rates in patients with retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcoma (RSTS) remain disappointing even after gross total resection, mainly because wide margins are not achievable in the majority of patients. In contrast to extremity sarcoma, postoperative radiation therapy (RT) has shown limited efficacy due to its limitations in achievable dose and coverage. Although Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT) has been introduced in some centers to overcome the dose limitations and resulted in increased outcome, local failure rates are still high even if considerable treatment related toxicity is accepted. As postoperative administration of RT has some general disadvantages, neoadjuvant approaches could offer benefits in terms of dose escalation, target coverage and reduction of toxicity, especially if highly conformal techniques like intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) are considered. The trial is a prospective, one armed, single center phase I/II study investigating a combination of neoadjuvant dose-escalated IMRT (50–56 Gy) followed by surgery and IORT (10–12 Gy) in patients with at least marginally resectable RSTS. The primary objective is the local control rate after five years. Secondary endpoints are progression-free and overall survival, acute and late toxicity, surgical resectability and patterns of failure. The aim of accrual is 37 patients in the per-protocol population. The present study evaluates combined neoadjuvant dose-escalated IMRT followed by surgery and IORT concerning its value for improved local control without markedly increased toxicity. NCT01566123

  14. Escalation with Overdose Control Using Ordinal Toxicity Grades for Cancer Phase I Clinical Trials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mourad Tighiouart

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available We extend a Bayesian adaptive phase I clinical trial design known as escalation with overdose control (EWOC by introducing an intermediate grade 2 toxicity when assessing dose-limiting toxicity (DLT. Under the proportional odds model assumption of dose-toxicity relationship, we prove that in the absence of DLT, the dose allocated to the next patient given that the previously treated patient had a maximum of grade 2 toxicity is lower than the dose given to the next patient had the previously treated patient exhibited a grade 0 or 1 toxicity at the most. Further, we prove that the coherence properties of EWOC are preserved. Simulation results show that the safety of the trial is not compromised and the efficiency of the estimate of the maximum tolerated dose (MTD is maintained relative to EWOC treating DLT as a binary outcome and that fewer patients are overdosed using this design when the true MTD is close to the minimum dose.

  15. Dose-Volume Parameters of the Corpora Cavernosa Do Not Correlate With Erectile Dysfunction After External Beam Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer: Results From a Dose-Escalation Trial

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wielen, Gerard J. van der; Hoogeman, Mischa S.; Dohle, Gert R.; Putten, Wim L.J. van; Incrocci, Luca

    2008-01-01

    Purpose: To analyze the correlation between dose-volume parameters of the corpora cavernosa and erectile dysfunction (ED) after external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: Between June 1997 and February 2003, a randomized dose-escalation trial comparing 68 Gy and 78 Gy was conducted. Patients at our institute were asked to participate in an additional part of the trial evaluating sexual function. After exclusion of patients with less than 2 years of follow-up, ED at baseline, or treatment with hormonal therapy, 96 patients were eligible. The proximal corpora cavernosa (crura), the superiormost 1-cm segment of the crura, and the penile bulb were contoured on the planning computed tomography scan and dose-volume parameters were calculated. Results: Two years after EBRT, 35 of the 96 patients had developed ED. No statistically significant correlations between ED 2 years after EBRT and dose-volume parameters of the crura, the superiormost 1-cm segment of the crura, or the penile bulb were found. The few patients using potency aids typically indicated to have ED. Conclusion: No correlation was found between ED after EBRT for prostate cancer and radiation dose to the crura or penile bulb. The present study is the largest study evaluating the correlation between ED and radiation dose to the corpora cavernosa after EBRT for prostate cancer. Until there is clear evidence that sparing the penile bulb or crura will reduce ED after EBRT, we advise to be careful in sparing these structures, especially when this involves reducing treatment margins

  16. Dose Escalation of Total Marrow Irradiation With Concurrent Chemotherapy in Patients With Advanced Acute Leukemia Undergoing Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wong, Jeffrey Y.C., E-mail: jwong@coh.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California (United States); Forman, Stephen; Somlo, George [Department of Hematology/Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California (United States); Rosenthal, Joseph [Department of Hematology/Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California (United States); Department of Pediatrics, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California (United States); Liu An; Schultheiss, Timothy; Radany, Eric [Department of Radiation Oncology, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California (United States); Palmer, Joycelynne [Department of Biostatistics, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California (United States); Stein, Anthony [Department of Hematology/Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: We have demonstrated that toxicities are acceptable with total marrow irradiation (TMI) at 16 Gy without chemotherapy or TMI at 12 Gy and the reduced intensity regimen of fludarabine/melphalan in patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). This article reports results of a study of TMI combined with higher intensity chemotherapy regimens in 2 phase I trials in patients with advanced acute myelogenous leukemia or acute lymphoblastic leukemia (AML/ALL) who would do poorly on standard intent-to-cure HCT regimens. Methods and Materials: Trial 1 consisted of TMI on Days -10 to -6, etoposide (VP16) on Day -5 (60 mg/kg), and cyclophosphamide (CY) on Day -3 (100 mg/kg). TMI dose was 12 (n=3 patients), 13.5 (n=3 patients), and 15 (n=6 patients) Gy at 1.5 Gy twice daily. Trial 2 consisted of busulfan (BU) on Days -12 to -8 (800 {mu}M min), TMI on Days -8 to -4, and VP16 on Day -3 (30 mg/kg). TMI dose was 12 (n=18) and 13.5 (n=2) Gy at 1.5 Gy twice daily. Results: Trial 1 had 12 patients with a median age of 33 years. Six patients had induction failures (IF), and 6 had first relapses (1RL), 9 with leukemia blast involvement of bone marrow ranging from 10%-98%, 5 with circulating blasts (24%-85%), and 2 with chloromas. No dose-limiting toxicities were observed. Eleven patients achieved complete remission at Day 30. With a median follow-up of 14.75 months, 5 patients remained in complete remission from 13.5-37.7 months. Trial 2 had 20 patients with a median age of 41 years. Thirteen patients had IF, and 5 had 1RL, 2 in second relapse, 19 with marrow blasts (3%-100%) and 13 with peripheral blasts (6%-63%). Grade 4 dose-limiting toxicities were seen at 13.5 Gy (stomatitis and hepatotoxicity). Stomatitis was the most frequent toxicity in both trials. Conclusions: TMI dose escalation to 15 Gy is possible when combined with CY/VP16 and is associated with acceptable toxicities and encouraging outcomes. TMI dose escalation is not possible with BU/VP16 due to

  17. Radiation Dose Escalation in Esophageal Cancer Revisited: A Contemporary Analysis of the National Cancer Data Base, 2004 to 2012

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brower, Jeffrey V. [Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin (United States); Chen, Shuai [Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin (United States); Bassetti, Michael F. [Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin (United States); Yu, Menggang [Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin (United States); Harari, Paul M.; Ritter, Mark A. [Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin (United States); Baschnagel, Andrew M., E-mail: baschnagel@humonc.wisc.edu [Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin (United States)

    2016-12-01

    the INT-0123 trial. Furthermore, these data highlight that many radiation oncologists have not embraced the concept that dose escalation does not improve OS. Although local control, not investigated in the present study, might benefit from dose escalation, novel therapies are needed to improve the OS of patients with esophageal cancer.

  18. Radiation dose escalation or longer androgen suppression for locally advanced prostate cancer? Data from the TROG 03.04 RADAR trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Denham, James W; Steigler, Allison; Joseph, David; Lamb, David S; Spry, Nigel A; Duchesne, Gillian; Atkinson, Chris; Matthews, John; Turner, Sandra; Kenny, Lizbeth; Tai, Keen-Hun; Gogna, Nirdosh Kumar; Gill, Suki; Tan, Hendrick; Kearvell, Rachel; Murray, Judy; Ebert, Martin; Haworth, Annette; Kennedy, Angel; Delahunt, Brett; Oldmeadow, Christopher; Holliday, Elizabeth G; Attia, John

    2015-06-01

    The relative effects of radiation dose escalation (RDE) and androgen suppression (AS) duration on local prostatic progression (LP) remain unclear. We addressed this in the TROG 03.04 RADAR trial by incorporating a RDE programme by stratification at randomisation. Men were allocated 6 or 18 months AS±18 months zoledronate (Z). The main endpoint was a composite of clinically diagnosed LP or PSA progression with a PSA doubling time ⩾6 months. Fine and Gray competing risk modelling with adjustment for site clustering produced cumulative incidence estimates at 6.5 years for each RDE group. Composite LP declined coherently in the 66, 70 and 74 Gy external beam dosing groups and was lowest in the high dose rate brachytherapy boost (HDRB) group. At 6.5 years, adjusted cumulative incidences were 22%, 15%, 13% and 7% respectively. Compared to 6 months AS, 18 months AS also significantly reduced LP (pRDE and increasing AS independently reduce LP and increase urethral strictures. The risks and benefits to the individual must be balanced when selecting radiation dose and AS duration. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Radiation dose escalation or longer androgen suppression for locally advanced prostate cancer? Data from the TROG 03.04 RADAR trial

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Denham, James W.; Steigler, Allison; Joseph, David; Lamb, David S.; Spry, Nigel A.; Duchesne, Gillian; Atkinson, Chris; Matthews, John; Turner, Sandra; Kenny, Lizbeth; Tai, Keen-Hun; Gogna, Nirdosh Kumar; Gill, Suki; Tan, Hendrick; Kearvell, Rachel; Murray, Judy; Ebert, Martin; Haworth, Annette; Kennedy, Angel; Delahunt, Brett

    2015-01-01

    Background: The relative effects of radiation dose escalation (RDE) and androgen suppression (AS) duration on local prostatic progression (LP) remain unclear. Methods: We addressed this in the TROG 03.04 RADAR trial by incorporating a RDE programme by stratification at randomisation. Men were allocated 6 or 18 months AS ± 18 months zoledronate (Z). The main endpoint was a composite of clinically diagnosed LP or PSA progression with a PSA doubling time ⩾6 months. Fine and Gray competing risk modelling with adjustment for site clustering produced cumulative incidence estimates at 6.5 years for each RDE group. Results: Composite LP declined coherently in the 66, 70 and 74 Gy external beam dosing groups and was lowest in the high dose rate brachytherapy boost (HDRB) group. At 6.5 years, adjusted cumulative incidences were 22%, 15%, 13% and 7% respectively. Compared to 6 months AS, 18 months AS also significantly reduced LP (p < 0.001). Post-radiation urethral strictures were documented in 45 subjects and increased incrementally in the dosing groups. Crude incidences were 0.8%, 0.9%, 3.8% and 12.7% respectively. Conclusion: RDE and increasing AS independently reduce LP and increase urethral strictures. The risks and benefits to the individual must be balanced when selecting radiation dose and AS duration

  20. SU-E-T-622: Identification and Improvement of Patients Eligible for Dose Escalation with Matched Plans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bush, K; Holcombe, C; Kapp, D; Buyyounouski, M; Hancock, S; Xing, L; Atwood, T; King, M

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: Radiation-therapy dose-escalation beyond 80Gy may improve tumor control rates for patients with localized prostate cancer. Since toxicity remains a concern, treatment planners must achieve dose-escalation while still adhering to dose-constraints for surrounding structures. Patientmatching is a machine-learning technique that identifies prior patients that dosimetrically match DVH parameters of target volumes and critical structures prior to actual treatment planning. We evaluated the feasibility of patient-matching in (1)identifying candidates for safe dose-escalation; and (2)improving DVH parameters for critical structures in actual dose-escalated plans. Methods: We analyzed DVH parameters from 319 historical treatment plans to determine which plans could achieve dose-escalation (8640cGy) without exceeding Zelefsky dose-constraints (rectal and bladder V47Gy<53%, and V75.6Gy<30%, max-point dose to rectum of 8550cGy, max dose to PTV< 9504cGy). We then estimated the percentage of cases that could achieve safe dose-escalation using software that enables patient matching (QuickMatch, Siris Medical, Mountain View, CA). We then replanned a case that had violated DVH constraints with DVH parameters from patient matching, in order to determine whether this previously unacceptable plan could be made eligible with this automated technique. Results: Patient-matching improved the percentage of patients eligible for dose-escalation from 40% to 63% (p=4.7e-4, t-test). Using a commercial optimizer augmented with patient-matching, we demonstrated a case where patient-matching improved the toxicity-profile such that dose-escalation would have been possible; this plan was rapidly achieved using patientmatching software. In this patient, all lower-dose constraints were met with both the denovo and patient-matching plan. In the patient-matching plan, maximum dose to the rectum was 8385cGy, while the denovo plan failed to meet the maximum rectal constraint at 8571c

  1. Risk of Late Toxicity in Men Receiving Dose-Escalated Hypofractionated Intensity Modulated Prostate Radiation Therapy: Results From a Randomized Trial

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hoffman, Karen E., E-mail: khoffman1@mdanderson.org; Voong, K. Ranh; Pugh, Thomas J.; Skinner, Heath; Levy, Lawrence B.; Takiar, Vinita; Choi, Seungtaek; Du, Weiliang; Frank, Steven J.; Johnson, Jennifer; Kanke, James; Kudchadker, Rajat J.; Lee, Andrew K.; Mahmood, Usama; McGuire, Sean E.; Kuban, Deborah A.

    2014-04-01

    Objective: To report late toxicity outcomes from a randomized trial comparing conventional and hypofractionated prostate radiation therapy and to identify dosimetric and clinical parameters associated with late toxicity after hypofractionated treatment. Methods and Materials: Men with localized prostate cancer were enrolled in a trial that randomized men to either conventionally fractionated intensity modulated radiation therapy (CIMRT, 75.6 Gy in 1.8-Gy fractions) or to dose-escalated hypofractionated IMRT (HIMRT, 72 Gy in 2.4-Gy fractions). Late (≥90 days after completion of radiation therapy) genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity were prospectively evaluated and scored according to modified Radiation Therapy Oncology Group criteria. Results: 101 men received CIMRT and 102 men received HIMRT. The median age was 68, and the median follow-up time was 6.0 years. Twenty-eight percent had low-risk, 71% had intermediate-risk, and 1% had high-risk disease. There was no difference in late GU toxicity in men treated with CIMRT and HIMRT. The actuarial 5-year grade ≥2 GU toxicity was 16.5% after CIMRT and 15.8% after HIMRT (P=.97). There was a nonsignificant numeric increase in late GI toxicity in men treated with HIMRT compared with men treated with CIMRT. The actuarial 5-year grade ≥2 GI toxicity was 5.1% after CIMRT and 10.0% after HIMRT (P=.11). In men receiving HIMRT, the proportion of rectum receiving 36.9 Gy, 46.2 Gy, 64.6 Gy, and 73.9 Gy was associated with the development of late GI toxicity (P<.05). The 5-year actuarial grade ≥2 GI toxicity was 27.3% in men with R64.6Gy ≥ 20% but only 6.0% in men with R64.6Gy < 20% (P=.016). Conclusions: Dose-escalated IMRT using a moderate hypofractionation regimen (72 Gy in 2.4-Gy fractions) can be delivered safely with limited grade 2 or 3 late toxicity. Minimizing the proportion of rectum that receives moderate and high dose decreases the risk of late rectal toxicity after this

  2. Risk of Late Toxicity in Men Receiving Dose-Escalated Hypofractionated Intensity Modulated Prostate Radiation Therapy: Results From a Randomized Trial

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoffman, Karen E.; Voong, K. Ranh; Pugh, Thomas J.; Skinner, Heath; Levy, Lawrence B.; Takiar, Vinita; Choi, Seungtaek; Du, Weiliang; Frank, Steven J.; Johnson, Jennifer; Kanke, James; Kudchadker, Rajat J.; Lee, Andrew K.; Mahmood, Usama; McGuire, Sean E.; Kuban, Deborah A.

    2014-01-01

    Objective: To report late toxicity outcomes from a randomized trial comparing conventional and hypofractionated prostate radiation therapy and to identify dosimetric and clinical parameters associated with late toxicity after hypofractionated treatment. Methods and Materials: Men with localized prostate cancer were enrolled in a trial that randomized men to either conventionally fractionated intensity modulated radiation therapy (CIMRT, 75.6 Gy in 1.8-Gy fractions) or to dose-escalated hypofractionated IMRT (HIMRT, 72 Gy in 2.4-Gy fractions). Late (≥90 days after completion of radiation therapy) genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity were prospectively evaluated and scored according to modified Radiation Therapy Oncology Group criteria. Results: 101 men received CIMRT and 102 men received HIMRT. The median age was 68, and the median follow-up time was 6.0 years. Twenty-eight percent had low-risk, 71% had intermediate-risk, and 1% had high-risk disease. There was no difference in late GU toxicity in men treated with CIMRT and HIMRT. The actuarial 5-year grade ≥2 GU toxicity was 16.5% after CIMRT and 15.8% after HIMRT (P=.97). There was a nonsignificant numeric increase in late GI toxicity in men treated with HIMRT compared with men treated with CIMRT. The actuarial 5-year grade ≥2 GI toxicity was 5.1% after CIMRT and 10.0% after HIMRT (P=.11). In men receiving HIMRT, the proportion of rectum receiving 36.9 Gy, 46.2 Gy, 64.6 Gy, and 73.9 Gy was associated with the development of late GI toxicity (P<.05). The 5-year actuarial grade ≥2 GI toxicity was 27.3% in men with R64.6Gy ≥ 20% but only 6.0% in men with R64.6Gy < 20% (P=.016). Conclusions: Dose-escalated IMRT using a moderate hypofractionation regimen (72 Gy in 2.4-Gy fractions) can be delivered safely with limited grade 2 or 3 late toxicity. Minimizing the proportion of rectum that receives moderate and high dose decreases the risk of late rectal toxicity after this

  3. Single-dose, subcutaneous recombinant phenylalanine ammonia lyase conjugated with polyethylene glycol in adult patients with phenylketonuria: an open-label, multicentre, phase 1 dose-escalation trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Longo, Nicola; Harding, Cary O; Burton, Barbara K; Grange, Dorothy K; Vockley, Jerry; Wasserstein, Melissa; Rice, Gregory M; Dorenbaum, Alejandro; Neuenburg, Jutta K; Musson, Donald G; Gu, Zhonghua; Sile, Saba

    2014-07-05

    Phenylketonuria is an inherited disease caused by impaired activity of phenylalanine hydroxylase, the enzyme that converts phenylalanine to tyrosine, leading to accumulation of phenylalanine and subsequent neurocognitive dysfunction. Phenylalanine ammonia lyase is a prokaryotic enzyme that converts phenylalanine to ammonia and trans-cinnamic acid. We aimed to assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetic characteristics, and efficacy of recombinant Anabaena variabilis phenylalanine ammonia lyase (produced in Escherichia coli) conjugated with polyethylene glycol (rAvPAL-PEG) in reducing phenylalanine concentrations in adult patients with phenylketonuria. In this open-label, phase 1, multicentre trial, single subcutaneous injections of rAvPAL-PEG were given in escalating doses (0·001, 0·003, 0·010, 0·030, and 0·100 mg/kg) to adults with phenylketonuria. Participants aged 18 years or older with blood phenylalanine concentrations of 600 μmol/L or higher were recruited from among patients attending metabolic disease clinics in the USA. The primary endpoints were safety and tolerability of rAvPAL-PEG. Secondary endpoints were the pharmacokinetic characteristics of the drug and its effect on concentrations of phenylalanine. Participants and investigators were not masked to assigned dose group. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00925054. 25 participants were recruited from seven centres between May 6, 2008, and April 15, 2009, with five participants assigned to each escalating dose group. All participants were included in the safety population. The most frequently reported adverse events were injection-site reactions and dizziness, which were self-limited and without sequelae. Two participants had serious adverse reactions to intramuscular medroxyprogesterone acetate, a drug that contains polyethylene glycol as an excipient. Three of five participants given the highest dose of rAvPAL-PEG (0·100 mg/kg) developed a generalised skin rash

  4. Antipsychotic dose escalation as a trigger for Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS: literature review and case series report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Langan Julie

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background “Neuroleptic malignant syndrome” (NMS is a potentially fatal idiosyncratic reaction to any medication which affects the central dopaminergic system. Between 0.5% and 1% of patients exposed to antipsychotics develop the condition. Mortality rates may be as high as 55% and many risk factors have been reported. Although rapid escalation of antipsychotic dose is thought to be an important risk factor, to date it has not been the focus of a published case series or scientifically defined. Description We aimed to identify cases of NMS and review risk factors for its development with a particular focus on rapid dose escalation in the 30 days prior to onset. A review of the literature on rapid dose escalation was undertaken and a pragmatic definition of “rapid dose escalation” was made. NMS cases were defined using DSM-IV criteria and systematically identified within a secondary care mental health service. A ratio of titration rate was calculated for each NMS patient and “rapid escalators” and “non rapid escalators” were compared. 13 cases of NMS were identified. A progressive mean dose increase 15 days prior to the confirmed episode of NMS was observed (241.7 mg/day during days 1–15 to 346.9 mg/day during days 16–30 and the mean ratio of dose escalation for NMS patients was 1.4. Rapid dose escalation was seen in 5/13 cases and non rapid escalators had markedly higher daily cumulative antipsychotic dose compared to rapid escalators. Conclusions Rapid dose escalation occurred in less than half of this case series (n = 5, 38.5%, although there is currently no consensus on the precise definition of rapid dose escalation. Cumulative antipsychotic dose – alongside other known risk factors - may also be important in the development of NMS.

  5. Phase 1 Study of Dose Escalation in Hypofractionated Proton Beam Therapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gomez, Daniel R., E-mail: dgomez@mdanderson.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); Gillin, Michael [Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); Liao, Zhongxing [Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); Wei, Caimiao [Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); Lin, Steven H.; Swanick, Cameron; Alvarado, Tina; Komaki, Ritsuko; Cox, James D.; Chang, Joe Y. [Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States)

    2013-07-15

    Background: Many patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cannot undergo concurrent chemotherapy because of comorbidities or poor performance status. Hypofractionated radiation regimens, if tolerable, may provide an option to these patients for effective local control. Methods and Materials: Twenty-five patients were enrolled in a phase 1 dose-escalation trial of proton beam therapy (PBT) from September 2010 through July 2012. Eligible patients had histologically documented lung cancer, thymic tumors, carcinoid tumors, or metastatic thyroid tumors. Concurrent chemotherapy was not allowed, but concurrent treatment with biologic agents was. The dose-escalation schema comprised 15 fractions of 3 Gy(relative biological effectiveness [RBE])/fraction, 3.5 Gy(RBE)/fraction, or 4 Gy(RBE)/fraction. Dose constraints were derived from biologically equivalent doses of standard fractionated treatment. Results: The median follow-up time for patients alive at the time of analysis was 13 months (range, 8-28 months). Fifteen patients received treatment to hilar or mediastinal lymph nodes. Two patients experienced dose-limiting toxicity possibly related to treatment; 1 received 3.5-Gy(RBE) fractions and experienced an in-field tracheoesophageal fistula 9 months after PBT and 1 month after bevacizumab. The other patient received 4-Gy(RBE) fractions and was hospitalized for bacterial pneumonia/radiation pneumonitis 4 months after PBT. Conclusion: Hypofractionated PBT to the thorax delivered over 3 weeks was well tolerated even with significant doses to the lungs and mediastinal structures. Phase 2/3 trials are needed to compare the efficacy of this technique with standard treatment for locally advanced NSCLC.

  6. Phase I dose escalation clinical trial of phenylbutyrate sodium administered twice daily to patients with advanced solid tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camacho, Luis H; Olson, Jon; Tong, William P; Young, Charles W; Spriggs, David R; Malkin, Mark G

    2007-04-01

    Phenylbutyrate (PBA), and its metabolite phenylacetate (PAA), induce growth inhibition and cellular differentiation in multiple tumor models. However, despite their potential anti-cancer properties, several pharmacodynamic aspects remain unknown. We conducted a dose escalating trial to evaluate twice-daily intravenous PBA infusions for two consecutive weeks (Monday through Friday) every month at five dose levels (60-360 mg/kg/day). Twenty-one patients with the following malignancies were treated: colon carcinoma 4, non-small cell lung carcinoma 4; anaplastic astrocytoma 3, glioblastoma multiforme 3, bladder carcinoma 2, sarcoma 2, and ovarian carcinoma, rectal hemangiopericytoma, and pancreatic carcinoma 1 each. Conversion of PBA to PAA and phenylacetylglutamine (PAG) was documented without catabolic saturation. Plasma content of PBA > or =1 mM was documented for only 3 h following each dose at the top two dosages. The therapy was well tolerated overall. Common adverse effects included grade 1 nausea/vomiting, fatigue, and lightheadedness. Dose limiting toxicities were short-term memory loss, sedation, confusion, nausea, and vomiting. Two patients with anaplastic astrocytoma and a patient with glioblastoma remained stable without tumor progression for 5, 7, and 4 months respectively. Administration of PBA in a twice-daily infusion schedule is safe. The maximum tolerated dose is 300 mg/kg/day. Study designs with more convenient treatment schedules and specific molecular correlates may help to further delineate the mechanism of action of this compound. Future studies evaluating PBA's ability to induce histone acetylation and cell differentiation alone or in combination with other anti-neoplastics are recommended.

  7. Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy for Locally Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Dose-Escalation Planning Study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lievens, Yolande; Nulens, An; Gaber, Mousa Amr; Defraene, Gilles; De Wever, Walter; Stroobants, Sigrid; Van den Heuvel, Frank

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the potential for dose escalation with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in positron emission tomography-based radiotherapy planning for locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC). Methods and Materials: For 35 LA-NSCLC patients, three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy and IMRT plans were made to a prescription dose (PD) of 66 Gy in 2-Gy fractions. Dose escalation was performed toward the maximal PD using secondary endpoint constraints for the lung, spinal cord, and heart, with de-escalation according to defined esophageal tolerance. Dose calculation was performed using the Eclipse pencil beam algorithm, and all plans were recalculated using a collapsed cone algorithm. The normal tissue complication probabilities were calculated for the lung (Grade 2 pneumonitis) and esophagus (acute toxicity, grade 2 or greater, and late toxicity). Results: IMRT resulted in statistically significant decreases in the mean lung (p <.0001) and maximal spinal cord (p = .002 and 0005) doses, allowing an average increase in the PD of 8.6-14.2 Gy (p ≤.0001). This advantage was lost after de-escalation within the defined esophageal dose limits. The lung normal tissue complication probabilities were significantly lower for IMRT (p <.0001), even after dose escalation. For esophageal toxicity, IMRT significantly decreased the acute NTCP values at the low dose levels (p = .0009 and p <.0001). After maximal dose escalation, late esophageal tolerance became critical (p <.0001), especially when using IMRT, owing to the parallel increases in the esophageal dose and PD. Conclusion: In LA-NSCLC, IMRT offers the potential to significantly escalate the PD, dependent on the lung and spinal cord tolerance. However, parallel increases in the esophageal dose abolished the advantage, even when using collapsed cone algorithms. This is important to consider in the context of concomitant chemoradiotherapy schedules using IMRT.

  8. ZD0473 pharmacokinetics in Japanese patients: a Phase I dose-escalation study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murakami, H; Tamura, T; Yamada, Y; Yamamoto, N; Ueda, Y; Shimoyama, T; Saijo, N

    2002-12-01

    ZD0473 is new platinum agent that was rationally designed to circumvent platinum resistance and reduce the potential for nephro-and neurotoxicity. This Phase I dose-escalating study investigated the pharmacokinetics, tolerability and efficacy of ZD0473 in Japanese patients with solid, refractory tumours. ZD0473 was administered as a 1-h intravenous infusion every 3 weeks. Nine patients received a total of 16 cycles of ZD0473 (median 1 cycle/patient), with 3 patients treated at each of 3 doses (60, 90, 120 mg/m2). The maximum plasma concentration (C(max)) and the area under the concentration-time curve to infinity (AUC(0-infinity)) increased with dose in a linear fashion for both total platinum and ZD0473 in plasma ultrafiltrate, suggesting that the pharmacokinetics of ZD0473 are linear. Haematological and non-haematological toxicities such as nausea and vomiting were mild (grade 1 or 2) and transient. No clinically significant nephro-, oto- or neurotoxicity was observed. Dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was not observed and the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was not identified. ZD0473 treatment showed evidence of disease stabilisation in 3 patients (33%). In conclusion, ZD0473 appears to have linear pharmacokinetics, and an acceptable tolerability profile at doses up to 120 mg/m2 in Japanese patients with refractory solid malignancies. Following evaluation of the data from all the Western trials, the ZD0473 development programme changed and this Japanese trial was stopped.

  9. De-escalation of tyrosine kinase inhibitor dose in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia with stable major molecular response (DESTINY): an interim analysis of a non-randomised, phase 2 trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Richard E; Polydoros, Fotios; Apperley, Jane F; Milojkovic, Dragana; Pocock, Christopher; Smith, Graeme; Byrne, Jenny L; de Lavallade, Hugues; O'Brien, Stephen G; Coffey, Tony; Foroni, Letizia; Copland, Mhairi

    2017-07-01

    Discontinuation of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy is feasible for some patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia with deep molecular responses; however, patients with stable major molecular response (MMR), but not MR4, have not been studied, nor has the effect of treatment de-escalation rather than outright cessation. We aimed to examine the effects of treatment de-escalation as a prelude to complete cessation, not only in patients with MR4 or greater, but also in those with MMR but not MR4. We did this interim analysis of a non-randomised, phase 2 trial at 20 hospitals in the UK. We recruited patients (aged ≥18 years) with chronic myeloid leukaemia in first chronic phase who had received TKI for 3 years or more and were either in stable MR4 (BCR-ABL1:ABL1 ratio 0·1%) on two consecutive samples. The primary endpoint of this interim analysis was the proportion of patients who lost MMR on de-escalation and regained MMR on TKI resumption. Analyses were by intention to treat. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01804985. Between Dec 16, 2013 and April 10, 2015, we enrolled 174 patients into the MMR cohort (n=49) or the MR4 cohort (n=125). During the 12 months of half-dose therapy, 12 patients (7%) had molecular recurrence, all of whom regained MMR within 4 months of full-dose TKI resumption (median time to recovery 77 days). Recurrence was significantly lower in the MR4 cohort (three [2%; 90% CI 0·2-4·8] of 121 evaluable patients) than in the MMR cohort (nine [19%; 90% CI 9·5-28·0] of 48 evaluable patients; hazard ratio 0·12, 90% CI 0·04-0·37; p=0·0007), but was unrelated to previous TKI or TKI therapy duration. Adverse events (eg, lethargy, diarrhoea, rash, and nausea) improved during the first 3 months of de-escalation, though not thereafter. 16 serious adverse events were reported, including one fatality due to worsening pre-existing peripheral arterial occlusive disease in a patient who had received only imatinib. TKI de-escalation

  10. DOSE-ESCALATED EXTERNAL BEAM RADIOTHERAPY DURING HORMONO-RADIOTHERAPY FOR PROSTATE CANCER

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu. V. Gumenetskaya

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. The introduction of modern technologies of conformal external beam radiotherapy (EBRT into clinical practice for the treatment of prostate cancer requires proper quality assurance measures as well as a careful analysis of both the efficacy and toxicity data of treatments. The purpose of this study was to inves- tigate tolerance and the immediate efficacy of conformal dose-escalated EBRT during hormono-radiotherapy for prostate cancer. material and methods. The study involved 156 prostate cancer patients treated with EBRT. Among them, 30 patients received a total dose of 70 Gy, and in 126 patients the total dose was esca- lated to 72-76 Gy (median total dose - 74.0 Gy. Fifty-nine patients received intensity modulated radiation therapy. Results. The prescribed course of treatment was completed in all the patients with prostate cancer. Acute radiation-induced bladder reactions (RTOG were observed in 50 (32.1 % patients, of whom 48 (30.8 % experienced grade I reactions, and 2 (1.3 % experienced grade II reactions. Eighteen (11.5 % patients had radiation-induced rectum reactions, not above grade I. The development of grade II dysuric phenomena necessitated treatment interruption only in two patients. Of 9 (5.8 % patients who had late bladder complica- tions (RTOG/EORTC, 8 (5.1 % patients developed grade I complications, and one (0.6 % patient developed grade II complications. Of 11 (7.1 % patients who had rectum complications, 8 (5.1 % patients developed grade I complications, and 3 (1.9 % patients developed grade II complications. No patients experienced the increase in toxicity of treatment during dose escalation up to a total dose exceeding 70 Gy. During the follow-up period, only one patient developed recurrent disease. Conclusion. The results of our study suggest acceptable levels of toxicity following a continuous course of dose-escalated EBRT given in conjunction with hormono-radiotherapy to prostate cancer patients. Further

  11. Radiation Dose Escalation in Esophageal Cancer Revisited: A Contemporary Analysis of the National Cancer Data Base, 2004 to 2012

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brower, Jeffrey V.; Chen, Shuai; Bassetti, Michael F.; Yu, Menggang; Harari, Paul M.; Ritter, Mark A.; Baschnagel, Andrew M.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the effect of radiation dose escalation on overall survival (OS) for patients with nonmetastatic esophageal cancer treated with concurrent radiation and chemotherapy. Methods and Materials: Patients diagnosed with stage I to III esophageal cancer treated from 2004 to 2012 were identified from the National Cancer Data Base. Patients who received concurrent radiation and chemotherapy with radiation doses of ≥50 Gy and did not undergo surgery were included. OS was compared using Cox proportional hazards regression and propensity score matching. Results: A total of 6854 patients were included; 3821 (55.7%) received 50 to 50.4 Gy and 3033 (44.3%) received doses >50.4 Gy. Univariate analysis revealed no significant difference in OS between patients receiving 50 to 50.4 Gy and those receiving >50.4 Gy (P=.53). The dose analysis, binned as 50 to 50.4, 51 to 54, 55 to 60, and >60 Gy, revealed no appreciable difference in OS within any group compared with 50 to 50.4 Gy. Subgroup analyses investigating the effect of dose escalation by histologic type and in the setting of intensity modulated radiation therapy also failed to reveal a benefit. Propensity score matching confirmed the absence of a statistically significant difference in OS among the dose levels. The factors associated with improved OS on multivariable analysis included female sex, lower Charlson-Deyo comorbidity score, private insurance, cervical/upper esophagus location, squamous cell histologic type, lower T stage, and node-negative status (P 50.4 Gy did not result in improved OS among patients with stage I to III esophageal cancer treated with definitive concurrent radiation and chemotherapy. These data suggest that despite advanced contemporary treatment techniques, OS for patients with esophageal cancer remains unaltered by escalation of radiation dose >50.4 Gy, consistent with the results of the INT-0123 trial. Furthermore, these data highlight that many radiation

  12. Reply to: Mounting evidence indicates that escalating doses of allopurinol are unnecessary for cardiovascular protection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coburn, Brian W; Michaud, Kaleb; Bergman, Debra A; Mikuls, Ted R

    2018-05-08

    We thank Dr. Bredemeier for his comments regarding our manuscript on allopurinol dose escalation and mortality. He raises important evidence to consider in support of an interesting hypothesis that dose escalation may be unnecessary for allopurinol's cardiovascular (CV) protection and may actually be related to adverse CV outcomes. While we agree that evidence exists suggesting that low doses of allopurinol may be sufficient for CV protection, we believe that the studies cited highlight a number of areas where knowledge gaps remain which preclude any definitive conclusions about the effect of dose escalation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  13. The early toxicity of escalated versus standard dose conformal radiotherapy with neo-adjuvant androgen suppression for patients with localised prostate cancer: Results from the MRC RT01 trial (ISRCTN47772397)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dearnaley, David P.; Sydes, Matthew R.; Langley, Ruth E.; Graham, John D.; Huddart, Robert A.; Syndikus, Isabel; Matthews, John H.L.; Scrase, Christopher D.; Jose, Chakiath C.; Logue, John; Stephens, Richard J.

    2007-01-01

    Background: Five-year disease-free survival rates for localised prostate cancer following standard doses of conventional radical external beam radiotherapy are around 80%. Conformal radiotherapy (CFRT) raises the possibility that radiotherapy doses can be increased and long-term efficacy outcomes improved, with safety an important consideration. Methods: MRC RT01 is a randomised controlled trial of 862 men with localised prostate cancer comparing Standard CFRT (64 Gy/32 f) versus Escalated CFRT (74 Gy/37 f), both administered with neo-adjuvant androgen suppression. Early toxicity was measured using physician-reported instruments (RTOG, LENT/SOM, Royal Marsden Scales) and patient-reported questionnaires (MOS SF-36, UCLA Prostate Cancer Index, FACT-P). Results: Overall early radiotherapy toxicity was similar, apart from increased bladder, bowel and sexual toxicity, in the Escalated Group during a short immediate post-radiotherapy period. Toxicity in both groups had abated by week 12. Using RTOG Acute Toxicity scores, cumulative Grade ≥2 bladder and bowel toxicity was 38% and 30% for Standard Group and 39% and 33% in Escalated Group, respectively. Urinary frequency (Royal Marsden Scale) improved in both groups from pre-androgen suppression to 6 months post-radiotherapy (p < 0.001), but bowel and sexual functioning deteriorated. This pattern was supported by patient-completed assessments. Six months after starting radiotherapy the incidence of RTOG Grade ≥2 side-effects was low (<1%); but there were six reports of rectal ulceration (6 Escalated Group), six haematuria (5 Escalated Group) and eight urethral stricture (6 Escalated Group). Conclusions: The two CFRT schedules with neo-adjuvant androgen suppression have broadly similar early toxicity profiles except for the immediate post-RT period. At 6 months and compared to before hormone therapy, bladder symptoms improved, whereas bowel and sexual symptoms worsened. These assessments of early treatment safety will be

  14. Vorinostat and Concurrent Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Brain Metastases: A Phase 1 Dose Escalation Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Clara Y H; Wakelee, Heather A; Neal, Joel W; Pinder-Schenck, Mary C; Yu, Hsiang-Hsuan Michael; Chang, Steven D; Adler, John R; Modlin, Leslie A; Harsh, Griffith R; Soltys, Scott G

    2017-09-01

    To determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of vorinostat, a histone deacetylase inhibitor, given concurrently with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) brain metastases. Secondary objectives were to determine toxicity, local failure, distant intracranial failure, and overall survival rates. In this multicenter study, patients with 1 to 4 NSCLC brain metastases, each ≤2 cm, were enrolled in a phase 1, 3 + 3 dose escalation trial. Vorinostat dose levels were 200, 300, and 400 mg orally once daily for 14 days. Single-fraction SRS was delivered on day 3. A dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was defined as any Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 3.0 grade 3 to 5 acute nonhematologic adverse event related to vorinostat or SRS occurring within 30 days. From 2009 to 2014, 17 patients were enrolled and 12 patients completed study treatment. Because no DLTs were observed, the MTD was established as 400 mg. Acute adverse events were reported by 10 patients (59%). Five patients discontinued vorinostat early and withdrew from the study. The most common reasons for withdrawal were dyspnea (n=2), nausea (n=1), and fatigue (n=2). With a median follow-up of 12 months (range, 1-64 months), Kaplan-Meier overall survival was 13 months. There were no local failures. One patient (8%) at the 400-mg dose level with a 2.0-cm metastasis developed histologically confirmed grade 4 radiation necrosis 2 months after SRS. The MTD of vorinostat with concurrent SRS was established as 400 mg. Although no DLTs were observed, 5 patients withdrew before completing the treatment course, a result that emphasizes the need for supportive care during vorinostat administration. There were no local failures. A larger, randomized trial may evaluate both the tolerability and potential local control benefit of vorinostat concurrent with SRS for brain metastases. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. A Phase I Dose Escalation Study of Hypofractionated IMRT Field-in-Field Boost for Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma Multiforme

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Monjazeb, Arta M., E-mail: arta.monjazeb@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu [U.C. Davis School of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology, Sacramento, CA (United States); Ayala, Deandra; Jensen, Courtney [Radiation Oncology, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, NC (United States); Case, L. Douglas [Biostatistical Sciences, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, NC (United States); Bourland, J. Daniel; Ellis, Thomas L. [Neurosurgery, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, NC (United States); McMullen, Kevin P.; Chan, Michael D. [Radiation Oncology, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, NC (United States); Tatter, Stephen B. [Neurosurgery, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, NC (United States); Lesser, Glen J. [Hematology Oncology, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, NC (United States); Shaw, Edward G. [Radiation Oncology, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, NC (United States)

    2012-02-01

    Objectives: To describe the results of a Phase I dose escalation trial for newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) using a hypofractionated concurrent intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) boost. Methods: Twenty-one patients were enrolled between April 1999 and August 2003. Radiotherapy consisted of daily fractions of 1.8 Gy with a concurrent boost of 0.7 Gy (total 2.5 Gy daily) to a total dose of 70, 75, or 80 Gy. Concurrent chemotherapy was not permitted. Seven patients were enrolled at each dose and dose limiting toxicities were defined as irreversible Grade 3 or any Grade 4-5 acute neurotoxicity attributable to radiotherapy. Results: All patients experienced Grade 1 or 2 acute toxicities. Acutely, 8 patients experienced Grade 3 and 1 patient experienced Grade 3 and 4 toxicities. Of these, only two reversible cases of otitis media were attributable to radiotherapy. No dose-limiting toxicities were encountered. Only 2 patients experienced Grade 3 delayed toxicity and there was no delayed Grade 4 toxicity. Eleven patients requiring repeat resection or biopsy were found to have viable tumor and radiation changes with no cases of radionecrosis alone. Median overall and progression-free survival for this cohort were 13.6 and 6.5 months, respectively. One- and 2-year survival rates were 57% and 19%. At recurrence, 15 patients received chemotherapy, 9 underwent resection, and 5 received radiotherapy. Conclusions: Using a hypofractionated concurrent IMRT boost, we were able to safely treat patients to 80 Gy without any dose-limiting toxicity. Given that local failure still remains the predominant pattern for GBM patients, a trial of dose escalation with IMRT and temozolomide is warranted.

  16. A Phase I Dose Escalation Study of Hypofractionated IMRT Field-in-Field Boost for Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma Multiforme

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Monjazeb, Arta M.; Ayala, Deandra; Jensen, Courtney; Case, L. Douglas; Bourland, J. Daniel; Ellis, Thomas L.; McMullen, Kevin P.; Chan, Michael D.; Tatter, Stephen B.; Lesser, Glen J.; Shaw, Edward G.

    2012-01-01

    Objectives: To describe the results of a Phase I dose escalation trial for newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) using a hypofractionated concurrent intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) boost. Methods: Twenty-one patients were enrolled between April 1999 and August 2003. Radiotherapy consisted of daily fractions of 1.8 Gy with a concurrent boost of 0.7 Gy (total 2.5 Gy daily) to a total dose of 70, 75, or 80 Gy. Concurrent chemotherapy was not permitted. Seven patients were enrolled at each dose and dose limiting toxicities were defined as irreversible Grade 3 or any Grade 4–5 acute neurotoxicity attributable to radiotherapy. Results: All patients experienced Grade 1 or 2 acute toxicities. Acutely, 8 patients experienced Grade 3 and 1 patient experienced Grade 3 and 4 toxicities. Of these, only two reversible cases of otitis media were attributable to radiotherapy. No dose-limiting toxicities were encountered. Only 2 patients experienced Grade 3 delayed toxicity and there was no delayed Grade 4 toxicity. Eleven patients requiring repeat resection or biopsy were found to have viable tumor and radiation changes with no cases of radionecrosis alone. Median overall and progression-free survival for this cohort were 13.6 and 6.5 months, respectively. One- and 2-year survival rates were 57% and 19%. At recurrence, 15 patients received chemotherapy, 9 underwent resection, and 5 received radiotherapy. Conclusions: Using a hypofractionated concurrent IMRT boost, we were able to safely treat patients to 80 Gy without any dose-limiting toxicity. Given that local failure still remains the predominant pattern for GBM patients, a trial of dose escalation with IMRT and temozolomide is warranted.

  17. Dose De-escalation of Intrapleural Tissue Plasminogen Activator Therapy for Pleural Infection. The Alteplase Dose Assessment for Pleural Infection Therapy Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Popowicz, Natalia; Bintcliffe, Oliver; De Fonseka, Duneesha; Blyth, Kevin G; Smith, Nicola A; Piccolo, Francesco; Martin, Geoffrey; Wong, Donny; Edey, Anthony; Maskell, Nick; Lee, Y C Gary

    2017-06-01

    surgery. Three patients (4.9%) received blood transfusions for gradual pleural blood loss; none were hemodynamically compromised. Pain requiring escalation of analgesia affected 36% of patients; none required cessation of therapy. These pilot data suggest that a starting dose of 5 mg of tPA administered intrapleurally twice daily in combination with 5 mg of DNase for the treatment of pleural infection is safe and effective. This regimen should be tested in future randomized controlled trials.

  18. Inhomogeneous dose escalation increases expected local control for NSCLC patients with lymph node involvement without increased mean lung dose

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Tine B; Hansen, Olfred; Schytte, Tine

    2014-01-01

    in mediastinum, and the thorax wall. The dose was escalated using a TCP model implemented into the planning system. The difference in TCP values between the homogeneous and inhomogeneous plans were evaluated using two different TCP models. RESULTS: Dose escalation was possible for all patients. TCP values based...... to the mediastinum were observed: 2.5 Gy for aorta, 4.4 Gy for the connective tissue, 1.6 Gy for the heart, and 2.6 Gy for trachea + bronchi. CONCLUSION: Increased target doses and TCP values using inhomogeneous dose distributions could be achieved for all patients, regardless of lymph node involvement, tumour stage...

  19. Final toxicity results of a radiation-dose escalation study in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC): Predictors for radiation pneumonitis and fibrosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kong, F.-M.; Hayman, James A.; Griffith, Kent A.; Kalemkerian, Gregory P.; Arenberg, Douglas; Lyons, Susan; Turrisi, Andrew; Lichter, Allen; Fraass, Benedick; Eisbruch, Avraham; Lawrence, Theodore S.; Haken, Randall K. ten

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: We aimed to report the final toxicity results on a radiation-dose escalation trial designed to test a hypothesis that very high doses of radiation could be safely administered to patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by quantifying the dose-volume toxicity relationship of the lung. Methods and Materials: A total of 109 patients with unresectable or medically inoperable NSCLC were enrolled and treated with radiation-dose escalation (on the basis of predicted normal-lung toxicity) either alone or with neoadjuvant chemotherapy by use of 3D conformal techniques. Eighty-four patients (77%) received more than 69 Gy, the trial was stopped after the dose reached 103 Gy. Estimated median follow-up was 110 months. Results: There were 17 (14.6%) Grade 2 to 3 pneumonitis and 15 (13.8%) Grade 2 to 3 fibrosis and no Grade 4 to 5 lung toxicity. Multivariate analyses showed them to be (1) not associated with the dose prescribed to the tumor, and (2) significantly (p < 0.001) associated with lung-dosimetric parameters such as the mean lung dose (MLD), volume of lung that received at least 20 Gy (V20), and the normal-tissue complication probability (NTCP) of the lung. If cutoffs are 30% for V20, 20 Gy for MLD, and 10% for NTCP, these factors have positive predictive values of 50% to 71% and negative predictive value of 85% to 89%. Conclusions: With long-term follow-up for toxicity, we have demonstrated that much higher doses of radiation than are traditionally administered can be safely delivered to a majority of patients with NSCLC. Quantitative lung dose-volume toxicity-based dose escalation can form the basis for individualized high-dose radiation treatment to maximize the therapeutic ratio in these patients

  20. Phase 1 Dose Escalation Study of Accelerated Radiation Therapy With Concurrent Chemotherapy for Locally Advanced Lung Cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kelsey, Chris R., E-mail: christopher.kelsey@duke.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina (United States); Das, Shiva [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (United States); Gu, Lin [Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina (United States); Dunphy, Frank R.; Ready, Neal E. [Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina (United States); Marks, Lawrence B. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (United States)

    2015-12-01

    Purpose: To determine the maximum tolerated dose of radiation therapy (RT) given in an accelerated fashion with concurrent chemotherapy using intensity modulated RT. Methods and Materials: Patients with locally advanced lung cancer (non-small cell and small cell) with good performance status and minimal weight loss received concurrent cisplatin and etoposide with RT. Intensity modulated RT with daily image guidance was used to facilitate esophageal avoidance and delivered using 6 fractions per week (twice daily on Fridays with a 6-hour interval). The dose was escalated from 58 Gy to a planned maximum dose of 74 Gy in 4 Gy increments in a standard 3 + 3 trial design. Dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was defined as acute grade 3-5 nonhematologic toxicity attributed to RT. Results: A total of 24 patients were enrolled, filling all dose cohorts, all completing RT and chemotherapy as prescribed. Dose-limiting toxicity occurred in 1 patient at 58 Gy (grade 3 esophagitis) and 1 patient at 70 Gy (grade 3 esophageal fistula). Both patients with DLTs had large tumors (12 cm and 10 cm, respectively) adjacent to the esophagus. Three additional patients were enrolled at both dose cohorts without further DLT. In the final 74-Gy cohort, no DLTs were observed (0 of 6). Conclusions: Dose escalation and acceleration to 74 Gy with intensity modulated RT and concurrent chemotherapy was tolerable, with a low rate of grade ≥3 acute esophageal reactions.

  1. IDEAL-CRT: A Phase 1/2 Trial of Isotoxic Dose-Escalated Radiation Therapy and Concurrent Chemotherapy in Patients With Stage II/III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Landau, David B., E-mail: david.landau@kcl.ac.uk [Guy' s & St. Thomas' NHS Trust, King' s College London, London (United Kingdom); Hughes, Laura [Cancer Research UK and UCL Cancer Trials Centre, London (United Kingdom); Baker, Angela [Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, Bebington (United Kingdom); Bates, Andrew T. [Southampton General Hospital, Southampton (United Kingdom); Bayne, Michael C. [Poole Hospital, Poole (United Kingdom); Counsell, Nicholas [Cancer Research UK and UCL Cancer Trials Centre, London (United Kingdom); Garcia-Alonso, Angel [North Wales Cancer Centre, Rhyl (United Kingdom); Harden, Susan V. [Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Hicks, Jonathan D. [Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Glasgow (United Kingdom); Hughes, Simon R. [Guy' s & St. Thomas' NHS Trust, King' s College London, London (United Kingdom); Illsley, Marianne C. [Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guilford (United Kingdom); Khan, Iftekhar [Cancer Research UK and UCL Cancer Trials Centre, London (United Kingdom); Laurence, Virginia [Poole Hospital, Poole (United Kingdom); Malik, Zafar; Mayles, Helen; Mayles, William Philip M. [Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, Bebington (United Kingdom); Miles, Elizabeth [Mount Vernon Hospital, Middlesex (United Kingdom); Mohammed, Nazia [Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Glasgow (United Kingdom); Ngai, Yenting [Cancer Research UK and UCL Cancer Trials Centre, London (United Kingdom); Parsons, Emma [Mount Vernon Hospital, Middlesex (United Kingdom); and others

    2016-08-01

    Purpose: To report toxicity and early survival data for IDEAL-CRT, a trial of dose-escalated concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for non-small cell lung cancer. Patients and Methods: Patients received tumor doses of 63 to 73 Gy in 30 once-daily fractions over 6 weeks with 2 concurrent cycles of cisplatin and vinorelbine. They were assigned to 1 of 2 groups according to esophageal dose. In group 1, tumor doses were determined by an experimental constraint on maximum esophageal dose, which was escalated following a 6 + 6 design from 65 Gy through 68 Gy to 71 Gy, allowing an esophageal maximum tolerated dose to be determined from early and late toxicities. Tumor doses for group 2 patients were determined by other tissue constraints, often lung. Overall survival, progression-free survival, tumor response, and toxicity were evaluated for both groups combined. Results: Eight centers recruited 84 patients: 13, 12, and 10, respectively, in the 65-Gy, 68-Gy, and 71-Gy cohorts of group 1; and 49 in group 2. The mean prescribed tumor dose was 67.7 Gy. Five grade 3 esophagitis and 3 grade 3 pneumonitis events were observed across both groups. After 1 fatal esophageal perforation in the 71-Gy cohort, 68 Gy was declared the esophageal maximum tolerated dose. With a median follow-up of 35 months, median overall survival was 36.9 months, and overall survival and progression-free survival were 87.8% and 72.0%, respectively, at 1 year and 68.0% and 48.5% at 2 years. Conclusions: IDEAL-CRT achieved significant treatment intensification with acceptable toxicity and promising survival. The isotoxic design allowed the esophageal maximum tolerated dose to be identified from relatively few patients.

  2. Dose escalation using conformal high-dose-rate brachytherapy improves outcome in unfavorable prostate cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez, Alvaro A; Gustafson, Gary; Gonzalez, José; Armour, Elwood; Mitchell, Chris; Edmundson, Gregory; Spencer, William; Stromberg, Jannifer; Huang, Raywin; Vicini, Frank

    2002-06-01

    To overcome radioresistance for patients with unfavorable prostate cancer, a prospective trial of pelvic external beam irradiation (EBRT) interdigitated with dose-escalating conformal high-dose-rate (HDR) prostate brachytherapy was performed. Between November 1991 and August 2000, 207 patients were treated with 46 Gy pelvic EBRT and increasing HDR brachytherapy boost doses (5.50-11.5 Gy/fraction) during 5 weeks. The eligibility criteria were pretreatment prostate-specific antigen level >or=10.0 ng/mL, Gleason score >or=7, or clinical Stage T2b or higher. Patients were divided into 2 dose levels, low-dose biologically effective dose 93 Gy (149 patients). No patient received hormones. We used the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology definition for biochemical failure. The median age was 69 years. The mean follow-up for the group was 4.4 years, and for the low and high-dose levels, it was 7.0 and 3.4 years, respectively. The actuarial 5-year biochemical control rate was 74%, and the overall, cause-specific, and disease-free survival rate was 92%, 98%, and 68%, respectively. The 5-year biochemical control rate for the low-dose group was 52%; the rate for the high-dose group was 87% (p failure. The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Grade 3 gastrointestinal/genitourinary complications ranged from 0.5% to 9%. The actuarial 5-year impotency rate was 51%. Pelvic EBRT interdigitated with transrectal ultrasound-guided real-time conformal HDR prostate brachytherapy boost is both a precise dose delivery system and a very effective treatment for unfavorable prostate cancer. We demonstrated an incremental beneficial effect on biochemical control and cause-specific survival with higher doses. These results, coupled with the low risk of complications, the advantage of not being radioactive after implantation, and the real-time interactive planning, define a new standard for treatment.

  3. Feasibility of extreme dose escalation for glioblastoma multiforme using 4π radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nguyen, Dan; Rwigema, Jean-Claude M; Yu, Victoria Y; Kaprealian, Tania; Kupelian, Patrick; Selch, Michael; Lee, Percy; Low, Daniel A; Sheng, Ke

    2014-01-01

    Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) frequently recurs at the same location after radiotherapy. Further dose escalation using conventional methods is limited by normal tissue tolerance. 4π non-coplanar radiotherapy has recently emerged as a new potential method to deliver highly conformal radiation dose using the C-arm linacs. We aim to study the feasibility of very substantial GBM dose escalation while maintaining normal tissue tolerance using 4π. 11 GBM patients previously treated with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT/RapidArc) on the NovalisTx™ platform to a prescription dose of either 59.4 Gy or 60 Gy were included. All patients were replanned with 30 non-coplanar beams using a 4π radiotherapy platform, which inverse optimizes both beam angles and fluence maps. Four different prescriptions were used including original prescription dose and PTV (4πPTV PD ), 100 Gy to the PTV and GTV (4πPTV 100Gy ), 100 Gy to the GTV only while maintaining prescription dose to the rest of the PTV (4πGTV 100Gy ), and a 5 mm margin expansion plan (4πPTV PD+5mm ). OARs included in the study are the normal brain (brain – PTV), brainstem, chiasm, spinal cord, eyes, lenses, optical nerves, and cochleae. The 4π plans resulted in superior dose gradient indices, as indicated by >20% reduction in the R50, compared to the clinical plans. Among all of the 4π cases, when compared to the clinical plans, the maximum and mean doses were significantly reduced (p < 0.05) by a range of 47.01-98.82% and 51.87-99.47%, respectively, or unchanged (p > 0.05) for all of the non-brain OARs. Both the 4πPTV PD and 4π GTV 100GY plans reduced the mean normal brain mean doses. 4π non-coplanar radiotherapy substantially increases the dose gradient outside of the PTV and better spares critical organs. Dose escalation to 100 Gy to the GTV or additional margin expansion while meeting clinical critical organ dose constraints is feasible. 100 Gy to the PTV result in higher normal brain doses but may

  4. Off-label biologic regimens in psoriasis: a systematic review of efficacy and safety of dose escalation, reduction, and interrupted biologic therapy.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elizabeth A Brezinski

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: While off-label dosing of biologic treatments may be necessary in selected psoriasis patients, no systematic review exists to date that synthesizes the efficacy and safety of these off-label dosing regimens. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate efficacy and safety of off-label dosing regimens (dose escalation, dose reduction, and interrupted treatment with etanercept, adalimumab, infliximab, ustekinumab, and alefacept for psoriasis treatment. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SELECTION: We searched OVID Medline from January 1, 1990 through August 1, 2011 for prospective clinical trials that studied biologic therapy for psoriasis treatment in adults. Individual articles were screened for studies that examined escalated, reduced, or interrupted therapy with etanercept, adalimumab, infliximab, ustekinumab, or alefacept. DATA SYNTHESIS: A total of 23 articles with 12,617 patients matched the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the systematic review. Data were examined for primary and secondary efficacy outcomes and adverse events including infections, malignancies, cardiovascular events, and anti-drug antibodies. The preponderance of data suggests that continuous treatment with anti-TNF agents and anti-IL12/23 agent was necessary for maintenance of disease control. Among non-responders, dose escalation with etanercept, adalimumab, ustekinumab, and alefacept typically resulted in greater efficacy than standard dosing. Dose reduction with etanercept and alefacept resulted in reduced efficacy. Withdrawal of the examined biologics led to an increase in disease activity; efficacy from retreatment did not result in equivalent initial response rates for most biologics. Safety data on off-label dosing regimens are limited. CONCLUSION: Dose escalation in non-responders generally resulted in increased efficacy in the examined biologics used to treat moderate-to-severe psoriasis. Continuous treatment with anti-TNF agents and anti-IL12/23 agent

  5. Long term results of a prospective dose escalation phase-II trial: Interstitial pulsed-dose-rate brachytherapy as boost for intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lettmaier, Sebastian; Lotter, Michael; Kreppner, Stephan; Strnad, Annedore; Fietkau, Rainer; Strnad, Vratislav

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: We reviewed our seven year single institution experience with pulsed dose rate brachytherapy dose escalation study in patients with intermediate and high risk prostate cancer. Materials and methods: We treated a total of 130 patients for intermediate and high risk prostate cancer at our institution between 2000 and 2007 using PDR-brachytherapy as a boost after conformal external beam radiation therapy to 50.4 Gy. The majority of patients had T2 disease (T1c 6%, T2 75%, T3 19%). Seventy three patients had intermediate-risk and 53 patients had high-risk disease according to the D’Amico classification. The dose of the brachytherapy boost was escalated from 25 to 35 Gy – 33 pts. received 25 Gy (total dose 75 Gy), 63 pts. 30 Gy (total dose 80 Gy) and 34 pts. 35 Gy, (total dose 85 Gy) given in one session (dose per pulse was 0.60 Gy or 0.70 Gy/h, 24 h per day, night and day, with a time interval of 1 h between two pulses). PSA-recurrence-free survival according to Kaplan–Meier using the Phoenix definition of biochemical failure was calculated and also late toxicities according to Common Toxicity Criteria scale were assessed. Results: At the time of analysis with a median follow-up of 60 months biochemical control was achieved by 88% of patients – only 16/130 patients (12.3%) developed a biochemical relapse. Biochemical relapse free survival calculated according to Kaplan–Meier for all patients at 5 years was 85.6% (83.9% for intermediate-risk patients and 84.2% for high-risk patients) and at 9 years’ follow up it was 79.0%. Analysing biochemical relapse free survival separately for different boost dose levels, at 5 years it was 97% for the 35 Gy boost dose and 82% for the 25 and 30 Gy dose levels. The side effects of therapy were negligible: There were 18 cases (15%) of grade 1/2 rectal proctitis, one case (0.8%) of grade 3 proctitis, 18 cases (15%) of grade 1/2 cystitis, and no cases (0%) with dysuria grade 3. No patient had a bulbourethral

  6. Preliminary Results of a Phase 1 Dose-Escalation Trial for Early-Stage Breast Cancer Using 5-Fraction Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Partial-Breast Irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rahimi, Asal; Thomas, Kimberly; Spangler, Ann; Rao, Roshni; Leitch, Marilyn; Wooldridge, Rachel; Rivers, Aeisha; Seiler, Stephen; Albuquerque, Kevin; Stevenson, Stella; Goudreau, Sally; Garwood, Dan; Haley, Barbara; Euhus, David; Heinzerling, John; Ding, Chuxiong; Gao, Ang; Ahn, Chul; Timmerman, Robert

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the tolerability of a dose-escalated 5-fraction stereotactic body radiation therapy for partial-breast irradiation (S-PBI) in treating early-stage breast cancer after partial mastectomy; the primary objective was to escalate dose utilizing a robotic stereotactic radiation system treating the lumpectomy cavity without exceeding the maximum tolerated dose. Methods and Materials: Eligible patients included those with ductal carcinoma in situ or invasive nonlobular epithelial histologies and stage 0, I, or II, with tumor size <3 cm. Patients and physicians completed baseline and subsequent cosmesis outcome questionnaires. Starting dose was 30 Gy in 5 fractions and was escalated by 2.5 Gy total for each cohort to 40 Gy. Results: In all, 75 patients were enrolled, with a median age of 62 years. Median follow-up for 5 cohorts was 49.9, 42.5, 25.7, 20.3, and 13.5 months, respectively. Only 3 grade 3 toxicities were experienced. There was 1 dose-limiting toxicity in the overall cohort. Ten patients experienced palpable fat necrosis (4 of which were symptomatic). Physicians scored cosmesis as excellent or good in 95.9%, 100%, 96.7%, and 100% at baseline and 6, 12, and 24 months after S-PBI, whereas patients scored the same periods as 86.5%, 97.1%, 95.1%, and 95.3%, respectively. The disagreement rates between MDs and patients during those periods were 9.4%, 2.9%, 1.6%, and 4.7%, respectively. There have been no recurrences or distant metastases. Conclusion: Dose was escalated to the target dose of 40 Gy in 5 fractions, with the occurrence of only 1 dose-limiting toxicity. Patients felt cosmetic results improved within the first year after surgery and stereotactic body radiation therapy. Our results show minimal toxicity with excellent cosmesis; however, further follow-up is warranted in future studies. This study is the first to show the safety, tolerability, feasibility, and cosmesis results of a 5-fraction dose-escalated S-PBI treatment for

  7. Preliminary Results of a Phase 1 Dose-Escalation Trial for Early-Stage Breast Cancer Using 5-Fraction Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Partial-Breast Irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rahimi, Asal, E-mail: asal.rahimi@utsouthwestern.edu [University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States); Thomas, Kimberly; Spangler, Ann [University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States); Rao, Roshni; Leitch, Marilyn; Wooldridge, Rachel; Rivers, Aeisha [Department of Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States); Seiler, Stephen [Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States); Albuquerque, Kevin; Stevenson, Stella [University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States); Goudreau, Sally [Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States); Garwood, Dan [University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States); Haley, Barbara [Department of Medical Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States); Euhus, David [Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland (United States); Heinzerling, John [Department of Radiation Oncology, Levine Cancer Institute, Charlotte, North Carolina (United States); Ding, Chuxiong [University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States); Gao, Ang; Ahn, Chul [Department of Statistics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States); Timmerman, Robert [University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States)

    2017-05-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the tolerability of a dose-escalated 5-fraction stereotactic body radiation therapy for partial-breast irradiation (S-PBI) in treating early-stage breast cancer after partial mastectomy; the primary objective was to escalate dose utilizing a robotic stereotactic radiation system treating the lumpectomy cavity without exceeding the maximum tolerated dose. Methods and Materials: Eligible patients included those with ductal carcinoma in situ or invasive nonlobular epithelial histologies and stage 0, I, or II, with tumor size <3 cm. Patients and physicians completed baseline and subsequent cosmesis outcome questionnaires. Starting dose was 30 Gy in 5 fractions and was escalated by 2.5 Gy total for each cohort to 40 Gy. Results: In all, 75 patients were enrolled, with a median age of 62 years. Median follow-up for 5 cohorts was 49.9, 42.5, 25.7, 20.3, and 13.5 months, respectively. Only 3 grade 3 toxicities were experienced. There was 1 dose-limiting toxicity in the overall cohort. Ten patients experienced palpable fat necrosis (4 of which were symptomatic). Physicians scored cosmesis as excellent or good in 95.9%, 100%, 96.7%, and 100% at baseline and 6, 12, and 24 months after S-PBI, whereas patients scored the same periods as 86.5%, 97.1%, 95.1%, and 95.3%, respectively. The disagreement rates between MDs and patients during those periods were 9.4%, 2.9%, 1.6%, and 4.7%, respectively. There have been no recurrences or distant metastases. Conclusion: Dose was escalated to the target dose of 40 Gy in 5 fractions, with the occurrence of only 1 dose-limiting toxicity. Patients felt cosmetic results improved within the first year after surgery and stereotactic body radiation therapy. Our results show minimal toxicity with excellent cosmesis; however, further follow-up is warranted in future studies. This study is the first to show the safety, tolerability, feasibility, and cosmesis results of a 5-fraction dose-escalated S-PBI treatment for

  8. SU-E-T-183: Feasibility of Extreme Dose Escalation for Glioblastoma Multiforme Using 4π Radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nguyen, D; Rwigema, J; Yu, V; Kaprealian, T; Kupelian, P; Selch, M; Low, D; Sheng, K

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: GBM recurrence primarily occurs inside or near the high-dose radiation field of original tumor site requiring greater than 100 Gy to significantly improve local control. We utilize 4π non-coplanar radiotherapy to test the feasibility of planning target volume (PTV) margin expansions or extreme dose escalations without incurring additional radiation toxicities. Methods: 11 GBM patients treated with VMAT to a prescription dose of 59.4 Gy or 60 Gy were replanned with 4π. Original VMAT plans were created with 2 to 4 coplanar or non-coplanar arcs using 3 mm hi-res MLC. The 4π optimization, using 5 mm MLC, selected and inverse optimized 30 beams from a candidate pool of 1162 beams evenly distributed through 4π steradians. 4π plans were first compared to clinical plans using the same prescription dose. Two more studies were then performed to respectively escalate the GTV and PTV doses to 100 Gy, followed by a fourth plan expanding the PTV by 5 mm and maintaining the prescription dose. Results: The standard 4π plan significantly reduced (p<0.01) max and mean doses to critical structures by a range of 47.0–98.4% and 61.0–99.2%, respectively. The high dose PTV/high dose GTV/expanded PTV studies showed a reduction (p<0.05) or unchanged* (p>0.05) maximum dose of 72.1%/86.7%/77.1% (chiasm), 7.2%*/27.7%*/30.7% (brainstem), 39.8%*/84.2%/51.9%* (spinal cord), 69.0%/87.0%/66.9% (L eye), 76.2%/88.1%/84.1% (R eye), 95.0%/98.6%/97.5% (L lens), 93.9%/98.8%/97.6% (R lens), 74.3%/88.5%/72.4% (L optical nerve), 80.4%/91.3%/75.7% (R optical nerve), 64.8%/84.2%/44.9%* (L cochlea), and 85.2%/93.0%/78.0% (R cochlea), respectively. V30 and V36 for both brain and (brain - PTV) were reduced for all cases except the high dose PTV plan. PTV dose coverage increased for all 4π plans. Conclusion: Extreme dose escalation or further margin expansion is achievable using 4π, maintaining or reducing OAR doses. This study indicates that clinical trials employing 4π delivery using

  9. Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Recurrent Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck: Results of a Phase I Dose-Escalation Trial

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heron, Dwight E.; Ferris, Robert L.; Karamouzis, Michalis; Andrade, Regiane S.; Deeb, Erin L.; Burton, Steven; Gooding, William E.; Branstetter, Barton F.; Mountz, James M.; Johnson, Jonas T.; Argiris, Athanassios; Grandis, Jennifer R.; Lai, Stephen Y.

    2009-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in previously irradiated patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Patients and Methods: In this Phase I dose-escalation clinical trial, 25 patients were treated in five dose tiers up to 44 Gy, administered in 5 fractions over a 2-week course. Response was assessed according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors and [ 18 F]-fluorodeoxyglucose standardized uptake value change on positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT). Results: No Grade 3/4 or dose-limiting toxicities occurred. Four patients had Grade 1/2 acute toxicities. Four objective responses were observed, for a response rate of 17% (95% confidence interval 2%-33%). The maximum duration of response was 4 months. Twelve patients had stable disease. Median time to disease progression was 4 months, and median overall survival was 6 months. Self-reported quality of life was not significantly affected by treatment. Fluorodeoxyglucose PET was a more sensitive early-measure response to treatment than CT volume changes. Conclusion: Reirradiation up to 44 Gy using SBRT is well tolerated in the acute setting and warrants further evaluation in combination with conventional and targeted therapies.

  10. Dose Escalation and Healthcare Resource Use among Ulcerative Colitis Patients Treated with Adalimumab in English Hospitals: An Analysis of Real-World Data.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christopher M Black

    Full Text Available To describe the real-world use of adalimumab for maintenance treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC and associated healthcare costs in English hospitals.Retrospective cohort study.Analysis of NHS Hospital Episode Statistics linked with pharmacy dispensing data in English hospitals.Adult UC patients receiving ≥240mg during adalimumab treatment induction, subsequently maintained on adalimumab.Frequency and pattern of adalimumab use and dose escalation during maintenance treatment and associated healthcare costs (prescriptions and hospital visits.191 UC patients completed adalimumab treatment induction. 83 (43.46% dose escalated during maintenance treatment by ≥100% (equivalent to weekly dosing (median time to dose escalation: 139 days. 56 patients (67.47% subsequently de-escalated by ≥50% (median time to dose de-escalation: 21 days. Mean all-cause healthcare costs for all patients ≤12 months of index were £13,892. Dose escalators incurred greater mean healthcare costs than non-escalators ≤12 months of index (£14,596 vs. £13,351. Prescriptions accounted for 96.49% of UC-related healthcare costs (£11,090 of £11,494 in all patients.Within the cohort, 43.46% of UC patients escalated their adalimumab dose by ≥100% and incurred greater costs than non-escalators. The apparent underestimation of adalimumab dose escalation in previous studies may have resulted in underestimated costs in healthcare systems.

  11. Effect of Standard vs Dose-Escalated Radiation Therapy for Patients With Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer: The NRG Oncology RTOG 0126 Randomized Clinical Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michalski, Jeff M; Moughan, Jennifer; Purdy, James; Bosch, Walter; Bruner, Deborah W; Bahary, Jean-Paul; Lau, Harold; Duclos, Marie; Parliament, Matthew; Morton, Gerard; Hamstra, Daniel; Seider, Michael; Lock, Michael I; Patel, Malti; Gay, Hiram; Vigneault, Eric; Winter, Kathryn; Sandler, Howard

    2018-03-15

    Optimizing radiation therapy techniques for localized prostate cancer can affect patient outcomes. Dose escalation improves biochemical control, but no prior trials were powered to detect overall survival (OS) differences. To determine whether radiation dose escalation to 79.2 Gy compared with 70.2 Gy would improve OS and other outcomes in prostate cancer. The NRG Oncology/RTOG 0126 randomized clinical trial randomized 1532 patients from 104 North American Radiation Therapy Oncology Group institutions March 2002 through August 2008. Men with stage cT1b to T2b, Gleason score 2 to 6, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of 10 or greater and less than 20 or Gleason score of 7 and PSA less than 15 received 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy or intensity-modulated radiation therapy to 79.2 Gy in 44 fractions or 70.2 Gy in 39 fractions. Time to OS measured from randomization to death due to any cause. American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO)/Phoenix definitions were used for biochemical failure. Acute (≤90 days of treatment start) and late radiation therapy toxic effects (>90 days) were graded using the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria, version 2.0, and the RTOG/European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Late Radiation Morbidity Scoring Scheme, respectively. With a median follow-up of 8.4 (range, 0.02-13.0) years in 1499 patients (median [range] age, 71 [33-87] years; 70% had PSA <10 ng/mL, 84% Gleason score of 7, 57% T1 disease), there was no difference in OS between the 751 men in the 79.2-Gy arm and the 748 men in the 70.2-Gy arm. The 8-year rates of OS were 76% with 79.2 Gy and 75% with 70.2 Gy (hazard ratio [HR], 1.00; 95% CI, 0.83-1.20; P = .98). The 8-year cumulative rates of distant metastases were 4% for the 79.2-Gy arm and 6% for the 70.2-Gy arm (HR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.42-1.01; P = .05). The ASTRO and Phoenix biochemical failure rates at 5 and 8 years were 31% and 20% with 79.2 Gy

  12. Can we avoid dose escalation for intermediate-risk prostate cancer in the setting of short-course neoadjuvant androgen deprivation?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shakespeare TP

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Thomas P Shakespeare,1,2 Shea W Wilcox,1 Noel J Aherne1,2 1Department of Radiation Oncology, North Coast Cancer Institute, 2Faculty of Medicine, Rural Clinical School, The University of New South Wales, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia Background: Both dose-escalated external beam radiotherapy (DE-EBRT and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT improve the outcomes in patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer. Despite this, there are only few reports evaluating DE-EBRT for patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer receiving neoadjuvant ADT, and virtually no studies investigating dose escalation >74 Gy in this setting. We aimed to determine whether DE-EBRT >74 Gy improved the outcomes for patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer who received neoadjuvant ADT. Findings: In our institution, patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer were treated with neoadjuvant ADT and DE-EBRT, with doses sequentially increasing from 74 Gy to 76 Gy and then to 78 Gy between 2006 and 2012. We identified 435 patients treated with DE-EBRT and ADT, with a median follow-up of 70 months. For the 74 Gy, 76 Gy, and 78 Gy groups, five-year biochemical disease-free survival rates were 95.0%, 97.8%, and 95.3%, respectively; metastasis-free survival rates were 99.1%, 100.0%, and 98.6%, respectively; and prostate cancer-specific survival rate was 100% for all three dose levels. There was no significant benefit for dose escalation either on univariate or multivariate analysis for any outcome. Conclusion: There was no benefit for DE-EBRT >74 Gy in our cohort of intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant ADT. Given the higher risks of toxicity associated with dose escalation, it may be feasible to omit dose escalation in this group of patients. Randomized studies evaluating dose de-escalation should be considered. Keywords: radiotherapy, IMRT, dose, dose escalation, dose de-escalation, androgen deprivation therapy

  13. Questionnaire based quality assurance for the RT01 trial of dose escalation in conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer (ISRCTN 47772397)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mayles, W.; Moore, A.Rollo; Aird, Edwin G.A.; Bidmead, A. Margaret; Dearnaley, David P.; Griffiths, Sue E.; Stephens, Richard J.; Warrington, A.P. Jim

    2004-01-01

    Background and purpose: In order to ensure the validity of the outcome of the Medical Research Council's 'RT01 trial' of dose escalation in conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer it was considered important that the quality of treatment delivery should meet an adequate standard across all contributing centres. A questionnaire was therefore devised to ensure that all aspects of the planning and delivery process were adequately covered. Patients and methods: The questionnaire considered each step in the planning and delivery process and drew the attention of the participants to the specific requirements of the trial. Before entering patients into the trial each participating centre had to complete the questionnaire and an outlining exercise (reported elsewhere). Results: It was not practicable to define a detailed universally acceptable protocol for the whole process of delivery of conformal radiotherapy, not least because of the different equipment available for planning and treatment in different centres. The questionnaire identified some areas of difference in practice between centres where there may be a need for the development of a consensus as to best practice, particularly in the area of patient set-up. Occasionally it was necessary to follow up responses to questions that had been misunderstood or inadequately answered, but in most cases these issues proved to be easily resolved. Conclusions: The questionnaire proved to be a useful self-assessment tool as well as enabling the quality assurance group to ensure that the standards of the trial were being met. Subsequent follow-up visits confirmed the usefulness and validity of this self assessment process

  14. Phase I dose escalation safety study of nanoparticulate paclitaxel (CTI 52010) in normal dogs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Axiak, Sandra M; Selting, Kim A; Decedue, Charles J; Henry, Carolyn J; Tate, Deborah; Howell, Jahna; Bilof, K James; Kim, Dae Y

    2011-01-01

    Paclitaxel is highly effective in the treatment of many cancers in humans, but cannot be routinely used in dogs as currently formulated due to the exquisite sensitivity of this species to surfactant-solubilizing agents. CTI 52010 is a formulation of nanoparticulate paclitaxel consisting of drug and normal saline. Our objectives were to determine the maximally tolerated dose, dose-limiting toxicities, and pharmacokinetics of CTI 52010 administered intravenously to normal dogs. Three normal adult hound dogs were evaluated by physical examination, complete blood count, chemistry profile, and urinalysis. Dogs were treated with staggered escalating dosages of CTI 52010 with a 28-day washout. All dogs were treated with a starting dosage of 40 mg/m(2), and subsequent dosages were escalated at 50% (dog 1), 100% (dog 2), or 200% (dog 3) with each cycle, to a maximum of 240 mg/m(2). Dogs were monitored by daily physical assessment and weekly laboratory evaluation. Standard criteria were used to grade adverse events. Plasma was collected at regular intervals to determine pharmacokinetics. Dogs were euthanized humanely, and necropsy was performed one week after the last treatment. The dose-limiting toxicity was grade 4 neutropenia and the maximum tolerated dosage was 120 mg/m(2). Grade 1-2 gastrointestinal toxicity was noted at higher dosages. Upon post mortem evaluation, no evidence of organ (liver, kidney, spleen) toxicity was noted. CTI 52010 was well tolerated when administered intravenously to normal dogs. A starting dosage for a Phase I/II trial in tumor-bearing dogs is 80 mg/m(2).

  15. ASCENDE-RT: An Analysis of Treatment-Related Morbidity for a Randomized Trial Comparing a Low-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy Boost with a Dose-Escalated External Beam Boost for High- and Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodda, Sree; Tyldesley, Scott; Morris, W. James; Keyes, Mira; Halperin, Ross; Pai, Howard; McKenzie, Michael; Duncan, Graeme; Morton, Gerard; Hamm, Jeremy; Murray, Nevin

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: To report the genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) morbidity and erectile dysfunction in a randomized trial comparing 2 methods of dose escalation for high- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: ASCENDE-RT (Androgen Suppression Combined with Elective Nodal and Dose Escalated Radiation Therapy) enrolled 398 men, median age 68 years, who were then randomized to either a standard arm that included 12 months of androgen deprivation therapy and pelvic irradiation to 46 Gy followed by a dose-escalated external beam radiation therapy (DE-EBRT) boost to 78 Gy, or an experimental arm that substituted a low-dose-rate prostate brachytherapy (LDR-PB) boost. At clinic visits, investigators recorded GU and GI morbidity and information on urinary continence, catheter use, and erectile function. Exclusion of 15 who received nonprotocol treatment and correction of 14 crossover events left 195 men who actually received a DE-EBRT boost and 188, an LDR-PB boost. Median follow-up was 6.5 years. Results: The LDR-PB boost increased the risk of needing temporary catheterization and/or requiring incontinence pads. At 5 years the cumulative incidence of grade 3 GU events was 18.4% for LDR-PB, versus 5.2% for DE-EBRT (P<.001). Compared with the cumulative incidence, the 5-year prevalence of grade 3 GU morbidity was substantially lower for both arms (8.6% vs 2.2%, P=.058). The 5-year cumulative incidence of grade 3 GI events was 8.1% for LDR-PB, versus 3.2% for DE-EBRT (P=.124). The 5-year prevalence of grade 3 GI toxicity was lower than the cumulative incidence for both arms (1.0% vs 2.2%, respectively). Among men reporting adequate baseline erections, 45% of LDR-PB patients reported similar erectile function at 5 years, versus 37% after DE-EBRT (P=.30). Conclusions: The incidence of acute and late GU morbidity was higher after LDR-PB boost, and there was a nonsignificant trend for worse GI morbidity. No differences in the frequency of

  16. ASCENDE-RT: An Analysis of Treatment-Related Morbidity for a Randomized Trial Comparing a Low-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy Boost with a Dose-Escalated External Beam Boost for High- and Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rodda, Sree [British Columbia (BC) Cancer Agency, Vancouver Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); Tyldesley, Scott [British Columbia (BC) Cancer Agency, Vancouver Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); Morris, W. James, E-mail: jmorris@bccancer.bc.ca [British Columbia (BC) Cancer Agency, Vancouver Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); Keyes, Mira [British Columbia (BC) Cancer Agency, Vancouver Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); Halperin, Ross [Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); BC Cancer Agency, Centre for the Southern Interior, Kelowna, British Columbia (Canada); Pai, Howard [Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver Island Centre, Victoria, British Columbia (Canada); McKenzie, Michael; Duncan, Graeme [British Columbia (BC) Cancer Agency, Vancouver Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); Morton, Gerard [Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Hamm, Jeremy [Department of Population Oncology, BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); Murray, Nevin [British Columbia (BC) Cancer Agency, Vancouver Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada)

    2017-06-01

    Purpose: To report the genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) morbidity and erectile dysfunction in a randomized trial comparing 2 methods of dose escalation for high- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: ASCENDE-RT (Androgen Suppression Combined with Elective Nodal and Dose Escalated Radiation Therapy) enrolled 398 men, median age 68 years, who were then randomized to either a standard arm that included 12 months of androgen deprivation therapy and pelvic irradiation to 46 Gy followed by a dose-escalated external beam radiation therapy (DE-EBRT) boost to 78 Gy, or an experimental arm that substituted a low-dose-rate prostate brachytherapy (LDR-PB) boost. At clinic visits, investigators recorded GU and GI morbidity and information on urinary continence, catheter use, and erectile function. Exclusion of 15 who received nonprotocol treatment and correction of 14 crossover events left 195 men who actually received a DE-EBRT boost and 188, an LDR-PB boost. Median follow-up was 6.5 years. Results: The LDR-PB boost increased the risk of needing temporary catheterization and/or requiring incontinence pads. At 5 years the cumulative incidence of grade 3 GU events was 18.4% for LDR-PB, versus 5.2% for DE-EBRT (P<.001). Compared with the cumulative incidence, the 5-year prevalence of grade 3 GU morbidity was substantially lower for both arms (8.6% vs 2.2%, P=.058). The 5-year cumulative incidence of grade 3 GI events was 8.1% for LDR-PB, versus 3.2% for DE-EBRT (P=.124). The 5-year prevalence of grade 3 GI toxicity was lower than the cumulative incidence for both arms (1.0% vs 2.2%, respectively). Among men reporting adequate baseline erections, 45% of LDR-PB patients reported similar erectile function at 5 years, versus 37% after DE-EBRT (P=.30). Conclusions: The incidence of acute and late GU morbidity was higher after LDR-PB boost, and there was a nonsignificant trend for worse GI morbidity. No differences in the frequency of

  17. Prognostic Significance of Carbohydrate Antigen 19-9 in Unresectable Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Treated With Dose-Escalated Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy and Concurrent Full-Dose Gemcitabine: Analysis of a Prospective Phase 1/2 Dose Escalation Study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vainshtein, Jeffrey M.; Schipper, Matthew; Zalupski, Mark M.; Lawrence, Theodore S.; Abrams, Ross; Francis, Isaac R.; Khan, Gazala; Leslie, William; Ben-Josef, Edgar

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: Although established in the postresection setting, the prognostic value of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) in unresectable locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) is less clear. We examined the prognostic utility of CA19-9 in patients with unresectable LAPC treated on a prospective trial of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) dose escalation with concurrent gemcitabine. Methods and Materials: Forty-six patients with unresectable LAPC were treated at the University of Michigan on a phase 1/2 trial of IMRT dose escalation with concurrent gemcitabine. CA19-9 was obtained at baseline and during routine follow-up. Cox models were used to assess the effect of baseline factors on freedom from local progression (FFLP), distant progression (FFDP), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Stepwise forward regression was used to build multivariate predictive models for each endpoint. Results: Thirty-eight patients were eligible for the present analysis. On univariate analysis, baseline CA19-9 and age predicted OS, CA19-9 at baseline and 3 months predicted PFS, gross tumor volume (GTV) and black race predicted FFLP, and CA19-9 at 3 months predicted FFDP. On stepwise multivariate regression modeling, baseline CA19-9, age, and female sex predicted OS; baseline CA19-9 and female sex predicted both PFS and FFDP; and GTV predicted FFLP. Patients with baseline CA19-9 ≤90 U/mL had improved OS (median 23.0 vs 11.1 months, HR 2.88, P<.01) and PFS (14.4 vs 7.0 months, HR 3.61, P=.001). CA19-9 progression over 90 U/mL was prognostic for both OS (HR 3.65, P=.001) and PFS (HR 3.04, P=.001), and it was a stronger predictor of death than either local progression (HR 1.46, P=.42) or distant progression (HR 3.31, P=.004). Conclusions: In patients with unresectable LAPC undergoing definitive chemoradiation therapy, baseline CA19-9 was independently prognostic even after established prognostic factors were controlled for, whereas CA19-9 progression

  18. Prognostic Significance of Carbohydrate Antigen 19-9 in Unresectable Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Treated With Dose-Escalated Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy and Concurrent Full-Dose Gemcitabine: Analysis of a Prospective Phase 1/2 Dose Escalation Study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vainshtein, Jeffrey M., E-mail: jvainsh@med.umich.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Schipper, Matthew [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Zalupski, Mark M. [Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Lawrence, Theodore S. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Abrams, Ross [Department of Radiation Oncology, Rush Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois (United States); Francis, Isaac R. [Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Khan, Gazala [Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Leslie, William [Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois (United States); Ben-Josef, Edgar [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States)

    2013-05-01

    Purpose: Although established in the postresection setting, the prognostic value of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) in unresectable locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) is less clear. We examined the prognostic utility of CA19-9 in patients with unresectable LAPC treated on a prospective trial of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) dose escalation with concurrent gemcitabine. Methods and Materials: Forty-six patients with unresectable LAPC were treated at the University of Michigan on a phase 1/2 trial of IMRT dose escalation with concurrent gemcitabine. CA19-9 was obtained at baseline and during routine follow-up. Cox models were used to assess the effect of baseline factors on freedom from local progression (FFLP), distant progression (FFDP), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Stepwise forward regression was used to build multivariate predictive models for each endpoint. Results: Thirty-eight patients were eligible for the present analysis. On univariate analysis, baseline CA19-9 and age predicted OS, CA19-9 at baseline and 3 months predicted PFS, gross tumor volume (GTV) and black race predicted FFLP, and CA19-9 at 3 months predicted FFDP. On stepwise multivariate regression modeling, baseline CA19-9, age, and female sex predicted OS; baseline CA19-9 and female sex predicted both PFS and FFDP; and GTV predicted FFLP. Patients with baseline CA19-9 ≤90 U/mL had improved OS (median 23.0 vs 11.1 months, HR 2.88, P<.01) and PFS (14.4 vs 7.0 months, HR 3.61, P=.001). CA19-9 progression over 90 U/mL was prognostic for both OS (HR 3.65, P=.001) and PFS (HR 3.04, P=.001), and it was a stronger predictor of death than either local progression (HR 1.46, P=.42) or distant progression (HR 3.31, P=.004). Conclusions: In patients with unresectable LAPC undergoing definitive chemoradiation therapy, baseline CA19-9 was independently prognostic even after established prognostic factors were controlled for, whereas CA19-9 progression

  19. Dose escalation of cisplatin with 5-fluorouracil in concurrent chemoradiotherapy for esophageal carcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin Qiang; Gao Xianshu; Qiao Xueying; Zhou Zhiguo; Zhang Jun; Yang Xiangran; Wan Xin

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To define the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) and observe the side effect of escalating cisplatin with 5-fluorouracil in concurrent chemoradiotherapy for esophageal carcinoma in Chinese, with toxicity studied. Methods: Previously untreated fifteen Chinese patients suffering from esophageal carcinoma received conventional fractionation radiotherapy, with 5 daily fractions of 2.0 Gy per week. The total radiation dose was 60 Gy. Concurrent chemotherapy dose escalation was given by the relatively safe and kidney-sparing modified Fibonacci sequence. The starting dose was cisplatin 37.5 mg/m 2 D1 and 5-fluorouracil 500 mg/m 2 D1-5, respectively. This regimen was repeated 4 times every 28 days. Escalation dose was cisplatin 7.5 mg/m 2 and 5- fluorouracil 100 mg/m 2 . Every. cohort contained at least 3 patients. If no dose-limiting toxicity(DLT) was observed, the next dose level was opened for entry. These courses were repeated until DLT appeared. MTD was declared as one dose level below which DLT appeared. Results: DLT was defined as grade 3 radiation-induced esophagitis at the level of cisplatin 60 mg/m2, 5-fluorouracil 700 mg/m 2 . MTD was defined as cisplatin 52.5 mg/m 2 , 5- fiuorouracil 700 mg/m 2 . The major side effect were radiation-induced esophagitis, leucopenia, nausea, vomiting and anorexia. Conclusion: Maximun tolerated dose of cisplatin with 5-fiuorouracil in concurrent ehemoradiotherapy in the Chinese people with esophageal carcinoma were eisplatin 52.5 mg/m2 D1,5-fluorouracil 700 mg/m 2 D1-5, repeated 4 times every 28 days. (authors)

  20. Can we avoid high levels of dose escalation for high-risk prostate cancer in the setting of androgen deprivation?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shakespeare TP

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Thomas P Shakespeare,1,2 Shea W Wilcox,1 Noel J Aherne1,2 1Department of Radiation Oncology, North Coast Cancer Institute, 2Rural Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia Aim: Both dose-escalated external beam radiotherapy (DE-EBRT and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT improve outcomes in patients with high-risk prostate cancer. However, there is little evidence specifically evaluating DE-EBRT for patients with high-risk prostate cancer receiving ADT, particularly for EBRT doses >74 Gy. We aimed to determine whether DE-EBRT >74 Gy improves outcomes for patients with high-risk prostate cancer receiving long-term ADT. Patients and methods: Patients with high-risk prostate cancer were treated on an institutional protocol prescribing 3–6 months neoadjuvant ADT and DE-EBRT, followed by 2 years of adjuvant ADT. Between 2006 and 2012, EBRT doses were escalated from 74 Gy to 76 Gy and then to 78 Gy. We interrogated our electronic medical record to identify these patients and analyzed our results by comparing dose levels. Results: In all, 479 patients were treated with a 68-month median follow-up. The 5-year biochemical disease-free survivals for the 74 Gy, 76 Gy, and 78 Gy groups were 87.8%, 86.9%, and 91.6%, respectively. The metastasis-free survivals were 95.5%, 94.5%, and 93.9%, respectively, and the prostate cancer-specific survivals were 100%, 94.4%, and 98.1%, respectively. Dose escalation had no impact on any outcome in either univariate or multivariate analysis. Conclusion: There was no benefit of DE-EBRT >74 Gy in our cohort of high-risk prostate patients treated with long-term ADT. As dose escalation has higher risks of radiotherapy-induced toxicity, it may be feasible to omit dose escalation beyond 74 Gy in this group of patients. Randomized studies evaluating dose escalation for high-risk patients receiving ADT should be considered. Keywords: radiotherapy, IMRT, dose

  1. Conformal technique dose escalation in prostate cancer: improved cancer control with higher doses in patients with pretreatment PSA {>=} 10 ngm/ml

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hanks, G E; Lee, W R; Hanlon, A L; Kaplan, E; Epstein, B; Schultheiss, T

    1995-07-01

    Gy at 24 mos (75% vs 92%, p=.05). The subgroup PSA {>=}20 ngm/ml shows improved cancer control over 71 Gy (18% vs 67% at 36 mo, p=.003) and 73 Gy (42% vs 69% at 24 mo, p=.02). The median and mean time to failure for the 18 failures in the 10-19.9 ngm/ml group is 14.3 mos and 18.2 mos (range 3.1-46.8 mos) and for the 33 failures in the {>=}20 ngm/ml group 14.5 mos and 13.9 mos (range 2.1-46.0 mos). Conclusions: 1) Patients with pretreatment PSA levels of <10 ngm/ml do not benefit from dose escalation beyond 71 Gy evaluated at 3 yrs. 2) Patients with pretreatment PSA levels of >10 ngm/ml do benefit from dose escalation above 71 and 73 Gy evaluated at 3 yrs. 3) Multimodal treatment of high PSA patients should include irradiating the center of prostate irradiation to dose levels above 71-73 Gy. 4) Longer followup will clarify the effects of dose >75 Gy and show the changes that occur in these results with time. 5) Clinical trials of dose escalation in prostate cancer are validated.

  2. Disulfonated tetraphenyl chlorin (TPCS2a)-induced photochemical internalisation of bleomycin in patients with solid malignancies: a phase 1, dose-escalation, first-in-man trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sultan, Ahmed A; Jerjes, Waseem; Berg, Kristian; Høgset, Anders; Mosse, Charles A; Hamoudi, Rifat; Hamdoon, Zaid; Simeon, Celia; Carnell, Dawn; Forster, Martin; Hopper, Colin

    2016-09-01

    Photochemical internalisation, a novel minimally invasive treatment, has shown promising preclinical results in enhancing and site-directing the effect of anticancer drugs by illumination, which initiates localised chemotherapy release. We assessed the safety and tolerability of a newly developed photosensitiser, disulfonated tetraphenyl chlorin (TPCS2a), in mediating photochemical internalisation of bleomycin in patients with advanced and recurrent solid malignancies. In this phase 1, dose-escalation, first-in-man trial, we recruited patients (aged ≥18 to internalisation were either local, resulting from the local inflammatory process, or systemic, mostly as a result of the skin-photosensitising effect of TPCS2a. The most common grade 3 or worse adverse events were unexpected higher transient pain response (grade 3) localised to the treatment site recorded in nine patients, and respiratory failure (grade 4) noted in two patients. One dose-limiting toxicity was reported in the 1·0 mg/kg cohort (skin photosensitivity [grade 2]). Dose-limiting toxicities were reported in two of three patients at a TPCS2a dose of 1·5 mg/kg (skin photosensitivity [grade 3] and wound infection [grade 3]); thus, the maximum tolerated dose of TPCS2a was 1·0 mg/kg. Administration of TPCS2a was found to be safe and tolerable by all patients. No deaths related to photochemical internalisation treatment occurred. TPCS2a-mediated photochemical internalisation of bleomycin is safe and tolerable. We identified TPCS2a 0·25 mg/kg as the recommended treatment dose for future trials. PCI Biotech. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Can we avoid dose escalation for intermediate-risk prostate cancer in the setting of short-course neoadjuvant androgen deprivation?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shakespeare, Thomas P; Wilcox, Shea W; Aherne, Noel J

    2016-01-01

    Both dose-escalated external beam radiotherapy (DE-EBRT) and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) improve the outcomes in patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer. Despite this, there are only few reports evaluating DE-EBRT for patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer receiving neoadjuvant ADT, and virtually no studies investigating dose escalation >74 Gy in this setting. We aimed to determine whether DE-EBRT >74 Gy improved the outcomes for patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer who received neoadjuvant ADT. In our institution, patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer were treated with neoadjuvant ADT and DE-EBRT, with doses sequentially increasing from 74 Gy to 76 Gy and then to 78 Gy between 2006 and 2012. We identified 435 patients treated with DE-EBRT and ADT, with a median follow-up of 70 months. For the 74 Gy, 76 Gy, and 78 Gy groups, five-year biochemical disease-free survival rates were 95.0%, 97.8%, and 95.3%, respectively; metastasis-free survival rates were 99.1%, 100.0%, and 98.6%, respectively; and prostate cancer-specific survival rate was 100% for all three dose levels. There was no significant benefit for dose escalation either on univariate or multivariate analysis for any outcome. There was no benefit for DE-EBRT >74 Gy in our cohort of intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant ADT. Given the higher risks of toxicity associated with dose escalation, it may be feasible to omit dose escalation in this group of patients. Randomized studies evaluating dose de-escalation should be considered.

  4. Dose escalation to rash for erlotinib plus gemcitabine for metastatic pancreatic cancer: the phase II RACHEL study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Cutsem, E; Li, C-P; Nowara, E; Aprile, G; Moore, M; Federowicz, I; Van Laethem, J-L; Hsu, C; Tham, C K; Stemmer, S M; Lipp, R; Zeaiter, A; Fittipaldo, A; Csutor, Z; Klughammer, B; Meng, X; Ciuleanu, T

    2014-11-25

    This phase II, open-label, randomised study evaluated whether patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer receiving erlotinib/gemcitabine derived survival benefits from increasing the erlotinib dose. After a 4-week run-in period (gemcitabine 1000 mg m(-2) once weekly plus erlotinib 100 mg per day), patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer who developed grade 0/1 rash were randomised to receive gemcitabine plus erlotinib dose escalation (150 mg, increasing by 50 mg every 2 weeks (maximum 250 mg); n=71) or gemcitabine plus standard-dose erlotinib (100 mg per day; n=75). The primary end point was to determine whether overall survival (OS) was improved by increasing the erlotinib dose. Secondary end points included progression-free survival (PFS), incidence of grade ⩾2 rash, and safety. Erlotinib dose escalation induced grade ⩾2 rash in 29 out of 71 (41.4%) patients compared with 7 out of 75 (9.3%) patients on standard dose. Efficacy was not significantly different in the dose-escalation arm compared with the standard-dose arm (OS: median 7.0 vs 8.4 months, respectively, hazard ratio (HR), 1.26, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.88-1.80; P=0.2026; PFS: median 3.5 vs 4.5 months, respectively, HR, 1.09, 95% CI: 0.77-1.54; P=0.6298). Incidence of adverse events was comparable between randomised arms. The erlotinib dose-escalation strategy induced rash in some patients; there was no evidence that the higher dose translated into increased benefit.

  5. Pelvic nodal dose escalation with prostate hypofractionation using conformal avoidance defined (H-CAD) intensity modulated radiation therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hong, Theodore S.; Tome, Wolfgang A.; Jaradat, Hazim; Raisbeck, Bridget M.; Ritter, Mark A.

    2006-01-01

    % of both the PTV 70 (prostate) and PTV 56 (nodes). The EUDs for PTV 70 and PTV 56 were greater than prescription dose for all eight plans. Analysis of bio-effective DVHs demonstrated similar amounts of small bowel receiving >45 Gy for H-CAD and sequential plans, in spite of the significantly higher dose to which H-CAD treated the pelvic nodes. The treatment was well tolerated in the eight treated patients in that no grade 2 or higher acute gastrointestinal toxicities were seen. Prostate hypofractionation with concurrent conformal avoidance-based pelvic IMRT for high risk prostate cancer represents an efficient and promising method for achieving dose escalation both of pelvic lymph nodes and the prostate with modest acute toxicity. Unlike a vascular-guided targeting approach, conformal avoidance has the potential advantage of also encompassing at-risk nodes that are not contained within major nodal chains. A phase II trial to more thoroughly examine this treatment approach is currently underway

  6. Image-guided adaptive radiation therapy (IGART): Radiobiological and dose escalation considerations for localized carcinoma of the prostate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song, William; Schaly, Bryan; Bauman, Glenn; Battista, Jerry; Van Dyk, Jake

    2005-01-01

    The goal of this work was to evaluate the efficacy of various image-guided adaptive radiation therapy (IGART) techniques to deliver and escalate dose to the prostate in the presence of geometric uncertainties. Five prostate patients with 15-16 treatment CT studies each were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were planned with an 18 MV, six-field conformal technique with a 10 mm margin size and an initial prescription of 70 Gy in 35 fractions. The adaptive strategy employed in this work for patient-specific dose escalation was to increase the prescription dose in 2 Gy-per-fraction increments until the rectum normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) reached a level equal to that of the nominal plan NTCP (i.e., iso-NTCP dose escalation). The various target localization techniques simulated were: (1) daily laser-guided alignment to skin tattoo marks that represents treatment without image-guidance, (2) alignment to bony landmarks with daily portal images, and (3) alignment to the clinical target volume (CTV) with daily CT images. Techniques (1) and (3) were resimulated with a reduced margin size of 5 mm to investigate further dose escalation. When delivering the original clinical prescription dose of 70 Gy in 35 fractions, the 'CTV registration' technique yielded the highest tumor control probability (TCP) most frequently, followed by the 'bone registration' and 'tattoo registration' techniques. However, the differences in TCP among the three techniques were minor when the margin size was 10 mm (≤1.1%). Reducing the margin size to 5 mm significantly degraded the TCP values of the 'tattoo registration' technique in two of the five patients, where a large difference was found compared to the other techniques (≤11.8%). The 'CTV registration' technique, however, did maintain similar TCP values compared to their 10 mm margin counterpart. In terms of normal tissue sparing, the technique producing the lowest NTCP varied from patient to patient. Reducing the

  7. Dose escalation using conformal high-dose-rate brachytherapy improves outcome in unfavorable prostate cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martinez, Alvaro A.; Gustafson, Gary; Gonzalez, Jose; Armour, Elwood; Mitchell, Chris; Edmundson, Gregory; Spencer, William; Stromberg, Jannifer; Huang, Raywin; Vicini, Frank

    2002-01-01

    Purpose: To overcome radioresistance for patients with unfavorable prostate cancer, a prospective trial of pelvic external beam irradiation (EBRT) interdigitated with dose-escalating conformal high-dose-rate (HDR) prostate brachytherapy was performed. Methods and Materials: Between November 1991 and August 2000, 207 patients were treated with 46 Gy pelvic EBRT and increasing HDR brachytherapy boost doses (5.50-11.5 Gy/fraction) during 5 weeks. The eligibility criteria were pretreatment prostate-specific antigen level ≥10.0 ng/mL, Gleason score ≥7, or clinical Stage T2b or higher. Patients were divided into 2 dose levels, low-dose biologically effective dose 93 Gy (149 patients). No patient received hormones. We used the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology definition for biochemical failure. Results: The median age was 69 years. The mean follow-up for the group was 4.4 years, and for the low and high-dose levels, it was 7.0 and 3.4 years, respectively. The actuarial 5-year biochemical control rate was 74%, and the overall, cause-specific, and disease-free survival rate was 92%, 98%, and 68%, respectively. The 5-year biochemical control rate for the low-dose group was 52%; the rate for the high-dose group was 87% (p<0.001). Improvement occurred in the cause-specific survival in favor of the brachytherapy high-dose level (p=0.014). On multivariate analysis, a low-dose level, higher Gleason score, and higher nadir value were associated with increased biochemical failure. The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Grade 3 gastrointestinal/genitourinary complications ranged from 0.5% to 9%. The actuarial 5-year impotency rate was 51%. Conclusion: Pelvic EBRT interdigitated with transrectal ultrasound-guided real-time conformal HDR prostate brachytherapy boost is both a precise dose delivery system and a very effective treatment for unfavorable prostate cancer. We demonstrated an incremental beneficial effect on biochemical control and cause

  8. Can we avoid high levels of dose escalation for high-risk prostate cancer in the setting of androgen deprivation?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shakespeare, Thomas P; Wilcox, Shea W; Aherne, Noel J

    2016-01-01

    Both dose-escalated external beam radiotherapy (DE-EBRT) and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) improve outcomes in patients with high-risk prostate cancer. However, there is little evidence specifically evaluating DE-EBRT for patients with high-risk prostate cancer receiving ADT, particularly for EBRT doses >74 Gy. We aimed to determine whether DE-EBRT >74 Gy improves outcomes for patients with high-risk prostate cancer receiving long-term ADT. Patients with high-risk prostate cancer were treated on an institutional protocol prescribing 3-6 months neoadjuvant ADT and DE-EBRT, followed by 2 years of adjuvant ADT. Between 2006 and 2012, EBRT doses were escalated from 74 Gy to 76 Gy and then to 78 Gy. We interrogated our electronic medical record to identify these patients and analyzed our results by comparing dose levels. In all, 479 patients were treated with a 68-month median follow-up. The 5-year biochemical disease-free survivals for the 74 Gy, 76 Gy, and 78 Gy groups were 87.8%, 86.9%, and 91.6%, respectively. The metastasis-free survivals were 95.5%, 94.5%, and 93.9%, respectively, and the prostate cancer-specific survivals were 100%, 94.4%, and 98.1%, respectively. Dose escalation had no impact on any outcome in either univariate or multivariate analysis. There was no benefit of DE-EBRT >74 Gy in our cohort of high-risk prostate patients treated with long-term ADT. As dose escalation has higher risks of radiotherapy-induced toxicity, it may be feasible to omit dose escalation beyond 74 Gy in this group of patients. Randomized studies evaluating dose escalation for high-risk patients receiving ADT should be considered.

  9. A Dosimetric Comparison of Dose Escalation with Simultaneous Integrated Boost for Locally Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wenjuan Yang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Many studies have demonstrated that a higher radiotherapy dose is associated with improved outcomes in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC. We performed a dosimetric planning study to assess the dosimetric feasibility of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT with a simultaneous integrated boost (SIB in locally advanced NSCLC. Methods. We enrolled twenty patients. Five different dose plans were generated for each patient. All plans were prescribed a dose of 60 Gy to the planning tumor volume (PTV. In the three SIB groups, the prescribed dose was 69 Gy, 75 Gy, and 81 Gy in 30 fractions to the internal gross tumor volume (iGTV. Results. The SIB-IMRT plans were associated with a significant increase in the iGTV dose (P < 0.05, without increased normal tissue exposure or prolonged overall treatment time. Significant differences were not observed in the dose to the normal lung in terms of the V5 and V20 among the four IMRT plans. The maximum dose (Dmax in the esophagus moderately increased along with the prescribed dose (P < 0.05. Conclusions. Our results indicated that escalating the dose by SIB-IMRT is dosimetrically feasible; however, systematic evaluations via clinical trials are still warranted. We have designed a further clinical study (which is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02841228.

  10. Phase I, Dose-Escalation, Two-Part Trial of the PARP Inhibitor Talazoparib in Patients with Advanced Germline BRCA1/2 Mutations and Selected Sporadic Cancers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Bono, Johann; Ramanathan, Ramesh K; Mina, Lida; Chugh, Rashmi; Glaspy, John; Rafii, Saeed; Kaye, Stan; Sachdev, Jasgit; Heymach, John; Smith, David C; Henshaw, Joshua W; Herriott, Ashleigh; Patterson, Miranda; Curtin, Nicola J; Byers, Lauren Averett; Wainberg, Zev A

    2017-06-01

    Talazoparib inhibits PARP catalytic activity, trapping PARP1 on damaged DNA and causing cell death in BRCA1/2 -mutated cells. We evaluated talazoparib therapy in this two-part, phase I, first-in-human trial. Antitumor activity, MTD, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of once-daily talazoparib were determined in an open-label, multicenter, dose-escalation study (NCT01286987). The MTD was 1.0 mg/day, with an elimination half-life of 50 hours. Treatment-related adverse events included fatigue (26/71 patients; 37%) and anemia (25/71 patients; 35%). Grade 3 to 4 adverse events included anemia (17/71 patients; 24%) and thrombocytopenia (13/71 patients; 18%). Sustained PARP inhibition was observed at doses ≥0.60 mg/day. At 1.0 mg/day, confirmed responses were observed in 7 of 14 (50%) and 5 of 12 (42%) patients with BRCA mutation-associated breast and ovarian cancers, respectively, and in patients with pancreatic and small cell lung cancer. Talazoparib demonstrated single-agent antitumor activity and was well tolerated in patients at the recommended dose of 1.0 mg/day. Significance: In this clinical trial, we show that talazoparib has single-agent antitumor activity and a tolerable safety profile. At its recommended phase II dose of 1.0 mg/day, confirmed responses were observed in patients with BRCA mutation-associated breast and ovarian cancers and in patients with pancreatic and small cell lung cancer. Cancer Discov; 7(6); 620-9. ©2017 AACR. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 539 . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

  11. Moderate risk-adapted dose escalation with 3D-conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer from 70 to 74 Gy : long-term morbidity and survival from a prospective phase II trial

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bombosch, V. B.

    2015-01-01

    Abstract English Background and Purpose: Evaluation of late side-effects and survival more than 60 months after 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy with moderate, risk adapted dose escalation from 70 to 74 Gy in patients with localized prostate cancer within a prospective Austrian-German phase II multicenter trial. Material and Methods: Between 03/1999 and 07/2002 486 patients were registered in the prospective Austrian-German multicenter phase II trial. 441 (90.7%) patients were evaluated. Patients in the low and intermediate risk group were treated with 70Gy, patients in the high risk group received 74Gy. Additional hormonal-therapy was recommended for intermediate- and high-risk group patients. Gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) late toxicity according to EORTC/RTOG criteria, initial appearance, prevalence and duration of grade >=2 side-effects were investigated. Furthermore bNED (Phoenix/Nadir + 2), overall and disease specific survival were prospectively assessed. Results: Median follow-up was 90 (2-158) months in all 441 patients and 99 (18-158) months in living patients. 154 patients (35%) had a follow-up of longer or equal 120 months. Distribution among risk groups was 26% (low), 51% (intermediate) and 23% (high). HT was administered in 86% of patients prior to RT. Late gastrointestinal side-effects at 5- and 10 years were 29%/32% (70/74Gy) and 30%/35% (70/74Gy) as actuarial rates; p=0.67. Late genitourinary side-effects at 5- and 10 years were 17%/26% (70/74Gy) and 27%/34% (70/74Gy); p=0.12. No more than 15% (GI) and 15% (GU) of patients suffered from side-effects >=2 at any time after the end of therapy (prevalence). The proportion of patients suffering from severe toxicity was low (Grade 3 GI: 2%, GU: 10%). 10 year actuarial bNED rate was 65%, 70% and 58% in the low-, intermediate- and high risk group according to Phoenix (Nadir +2) criteria. Overall and disease specific survival were 67% and 91% in all patients. Conclusion: Dose escalation

  12. Clinical Factors Associated With Dose Escalation of Solifenacin for the Treatment of Overactive Bladder in Real Life Practice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ji-Youn Chun

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available PurposeTo determine the baseline clinical characteristics associated with dose escalation of solifenacin in patients with overactive bladder (OAB.MethodsWe analyzed the data of patients with OAB (micturition frequency ≥8/day and urgency ≥1/day who were treated with solifenacin and followed up for 24 weeks. According to our department protocol, all the patients kept voiding diaries, and OAB symptom scores (OABSS were monitored at baseline and after 4, 12, and 24 weeks of solifenacin treatment.ResultsIn total, 68 patients (mean age, 60.8±10.0 years were recruited. The dose escalation rate by the end of the study was 41.2%, from 23.5% at 4 weeks and 17.6% at 12 weeks. At baseline, the dose escalator group had significantly more OAB wet patients (53.6% vs. 20.0% and higher total OABSS (10.2±2.4 vs. 7.9±3.5, P=0.032 than the nonescalator group. OAB wet (odds ratio [OR], 4.615; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.578-13.499; P<0.05 and total OABSS (OR, 1.398; 95% CI, 1.046-1.869; P<0.05 were found to be independently associated with dose escalation.ConclusionsPatients who have urgency urinary incontinence and high total OABSS have a tendency for dose escalation of solifenacin.

  13. A Phase 1 Study of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Dose Escalation for Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Cancer After Modified FOLFIRINOX (NCT01446458).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaib, Walid L; Hawk, Natalyn; Cassidy, Richard J; Chen, Zhengjia; Zhang, Chao; Brutcher, Edith; Kooby, David; Maithel, Shishir K; Sarmiento, Juan M; Landry, Jerome; El-Rayes, Bassel F

    2016-10-01

    A challenge in borderline resectable pancreatic cancer (BRPC) management is the high rate of positive posterior margins (PM). Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) allows for higher radiation delivery dose with conformity. This study evaluated the maximal tolerated dose with a dose escalation plan level up to 45 Gy using SBRT in BRPC. A single-institution, 3 + 3 phase 1 clinical trial design was used to evaluate 4 dose levels of SBRT delivered in 3 fractions to the planning target volume (PTV) with a simultaneous in-field boost (SIB) to the PM. Dose level (DL) 1 was 30 Gy to the PTV, and for dose levels 2 through 4 (DL2-DL4) the dose was 36 Gy. The SIB dose to the PM was 6, 6, 7.5, and 9 Gy for DL-1, DL-2, DL-3, and DL-4, respectively. All patients received 4 treatments of modified FOLFIRINOX (fluorouracil, leucovorin, irinotecan, oxaliplatin) before SBRT. Thirteen patients with a median age of 64 years were enrolled. The median follow-up time was 18 months. The locations of the cancer were head (n=12) and uncinate/neck (n=1). One patient did not undergo SBRT. There were no grade 3 or 4 toxicities. Five patients did not undergo resection because of disease progression (1 local, 4 distant); 8 had R0 resection in the PM, and 5 of 8 had vessel reconstruction. Two patients had disease downstaged to T1 and T2 from T3 disease. Four patients are still alive, and 3 are disease free. The median overall survival for resected patients was not reached (9.3: not reached). The SBRT dose of 36 Gy with a 9-Gy SIB to the PM (total 45 Gy) delivered in 3 fractions is safe and well tolerated. The dose-limiting toxicity for a 45-Gy dose was not reached, and further dose escalations are needed in future trials. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. A Phase 1 Study of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Dose Escalation for Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Cancer After Modified FOLFIRINOX (NCT01446458)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shaib, Walid L.; Hawk, Natalyn; Cassidy, Richard J.; Chen, Zhengjia; Zhang, Chao; Brutcher, Edith; Kooby, David; Maithel, Shishir K.; Sarmiento, Juan M.; Landry, Jerome; El-Rayes, Bassel F.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: A challenge in borderline resectable pancreatic cancer (BRPC) management is the high rate of positive posterior margins (PM). Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) allows for higher radiation delivery dose with conformity. This study evaluated the maximal tolerated dose with a dose escalation plan level up to 45 Gy using SBRT in BRPC. Methods and Materials: A single-institution, 3 + 3 phase 1 clinical trial design was used to evaluate 4 dose levels of SBRT delivered in 3 fractions to the planning target volume (PTV) with a simultaneous in-field boost (SIB) to the PM. Dose level (DL) 1 was 30 Gy to the PTV, and for dose levels 2 through 4 (DL2-DL4) the dose was 36 Gy. The SIB dose to the PM was 6, 6, 7.5, and 9 Gy for DL-1, DL-2, DL-3, and DL-4, respectively. All patients received 4 treatments of modified FOLFIRINOX (fluorouracil, leucovorin, irinotecan, oxaliplatin) before SBRT. Results: Thirteen patients with a median age of 64 years were enrolled. The median follow-up time was 18 months. The locations of the cancer were head (n=12) and uncinate/neck (n=1). One patient did not undergo SBRT. There were no grade 3 or 4 toxicities. Five patients did not undergo resection because of disease progression (1 local, 4 distant); 8 had R0 resection in the PM, and 5 of 8 had vessel reconstruction. Two patients had disease downstaged to T1 and T2 from T3 disease. Four patients are still alive, and 3 are disease free. The median overall survival for resected patients was not reached (9.3: not reached). Conclusion: The SBRT dose of 36 Gy with a 9-Gy SIB to the PM (total 45 Gy) delivered in 3 fractions is safe and well tolerated. The dose-limiting toxicity for a 45-Gy dose was not reached, and further dose escalations are needed in future trials.

  15. A Phase 1 Study of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Dose Escalation for Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Cancer After Modified FOLFIRINOX (NCT01446458)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shaib, Walid L.; Hawk, Natalyn [Department of Hematology and Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia (United States); Cassidy, Richard J. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia (United States); Chen, Zhengjia; Zhang, Chao [Department of Biostatistics, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia (United States); Brutcher, Edith [Department of Hematology and Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia (United States); Kooby, David; Maithel, Shishir K.; Sarmiento, Juan M. [Department of Surgery, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia (United States); Landry, Jerome [Department of Radiation Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia (United States); El-Rayes, Bassel F., E-mail: bassel.el-rayes@emoryhealthcare.org [Department of Hematology and Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia (United States)

    2016-10-01

    Purpose: A challenge in borderline resectable pancreatic cancer (BRPC) management is the high rate of positive posterior margins (PM). Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) allows for higher radiation delivery dose with conformity. This study evaluated the maximal tolerated dose with a dose escalation plan level up to 45 Gy using SBRT in BRPC. Methods and Materials: A single-institution, 3 + 3 phase 1 clinical trial design was used to evaluate 4 dose levels of SBRT delivered in 3 fractions to the planning target volume (PTV) with a simultaneous in-field boost (SIB) to the PM. Dose level (DL) 1 was 30 Gy to the PTV, and for dose levels 2 through 4 (DL2-DL4) the dose was 36 Gy. The SIB dose to the PM was 6, 6, 7.5, and 9 Gy for DL-1, DL-2, DL-3, and DL-4, respectively. All patients received 4 treatments of modified FOLFIRINOX (fluorouracil, leucovorin, irinotecan, oxaliplatin) before SBRT. Results: Thirteen patients with a median age of 64 years were enrolled. The median follow-up time was 18 months. The locations of the cancer were head (n=12) and uncinate/neck (n=1). One patient did not undergo SBRT. There were no grade 3 or 4 toxicities. Five patients did not undergo resection because of disease progression (1 local, 4 distant); 8 had R0 resection in the PM, and 5 of 8 had vessel reconstruction. Two patients had disease downstaged to T1 and T2 from T3 disease. Four patients are still alive, and 3 are disease free. The median overall survival for resected patients was not reached (9.3: not reached). Conclusion: The SBRT dose of 36 Gy with a 9-Gy SIB to the PM (total 45 Gy) delivered in 3 fractions is safe and well tolerated. The dose-limiting toxicity for a 45-Gy dose was not reached, and further dose escalations are needed in future trials.

  16. Phase I Escalating-Dose Trial of CAR-T Therapy Targeting CEA+ Metastatic Colorectal Cancers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Chengcheng; Wang, Zhe; Yang, Zhi; Wang, Meiling; Li, Shiqi; Li, Yunyan; Zhang, Rui; Xiong, Zhouxing; Wei, Zhihao; Shen, Junjie; Luo, Yongli; Zhang, Qianzhen; Liu, Limei; Qin, Hong; Liu, Wei; Wu, Feng; Chen, Wei; Pan, Feng; Zhang, Xianquan; Bie, Ping; Liang, Houjie; Pecher, Gabriele; Qian, Cheng

    2017-05-03

    Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells have shown promising efficacy in treatment of hematological malignancies, but its applications in solid tumors need further exploration. In this study, we investigated CAR-T therapy targeting carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA)-positive colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with metastases to evaluate its safety and efficacy. Five escalating dose levels (DLs) (1 × 10 5 to 1 × 10 8 /CAR + /kg cells) of CAR-T were applied in 10 CRC patients. Our data showed that severe adverse events related to CAR-T therapy were not observed. Of the 10 patients, 7 patients who experienced progressive disease (PD) in previous treatments had stable disease after CAR-T therapy. Two patients remained with stable disease for more than 30 weeks, and two patients showed tumor shrinkage by positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) and MRI analysis, respectively. Decline of serum CEA level was apparent in most patients even in long-term observation. Furthermore, we observed persistence of CAR-T cells in peripheral blood of patients receiving high doses of CAR-T therapy. Importantly, we observed CAR-T cell proliferation especially in patients after a second CAR-T therapy. Taken together, we demonstrated that CEA CAR-T cell therapy was well tolerated in CEA + CRC patients even in high doses, and some efficacy was observed in most of the treated patients. Copyright © 2017 The American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Isotoxic dose escalation in the treatment of lung cancer by means of heterogeneous dose distributions in the presence of respiratory motion

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baker, Mariwan; Nielsen, Morten; Hansen, Olfred

    2011-01-01

    To test, in the presence of intrafractional respiration movement, a margin recipe valid for a homogeneous and conformal dose distribution and to test whether the use of smaller margins combined with heterogeneous dose distributions allows an isotoxic dose escalation when respiratory motion...

  18. Resolution of methylphenidate osmotic release oral system-induced hair loss in two siblings after dose escalation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ardic, Ulku Akyol; Ercan, Eyup Sabri

    2017-11-01

    This report describes the cases of two siblings who experienced hair loss after treatment with methylphenidate (MPH) osmotic release oral system (OROS). Hair loss was resolved after discontinuation of the drug, but the children re-initiated treatment, after which hair loss again occurred, but they continued the treatment. After dose escalation, the hair loss resolved. This is the first report to describe resolution of OROS-MPH-induced hair loss after dose escalation. © 2017 Japan Pediatric Society.

  19. Does selective pleural irradiation of malignant pleural mesothelioma allow radiation dose escalation. A planning study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Botticella, A.; Defraene, G.; Nackaerts, K.; Deroose, C.; Coolen, J.; Nafteux, P.; Vanstraelen, B.; Joosten, S.; Michiels, L.A.W.; Peeters, S.; Ruysscher, D. de

    2017-01-01

    After lung-sparing radiotherapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), local failure at sites of previous gross disease represents the dominant form of failure. Our aim is to investigate if selective irradiation of the gross pleural disease only can allow dose escalation. In all, 12 consecutive stage I-IV MPM patients (6 left-sided and 6 right-sided) were retrospectively identified and included. A magnetic resonance imaging-based pleural gross tumor volume (GTV) was contoured. Two sets of planning target volumes (PTV) were generated for each patient: (1) a ''selective'' PTV (S-PTV), originating from a 5-mm isotropic expansion from the GTV and (2) an ''elective'' PTV (E-PTV), originating from a 5-mm isotropic expansion from the whole ipsilateral pleural space. Two sets of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) treatment plans were generated: a ''selective'' pleural irradiation plan (SPI plan) and an ''elective'' pleural irradiation plan (EPI plan, planned with a simultaneous integrated boost technique [SIB]). In the SPI plans, the average median dose to the S-PTV was 53.6 Gy (range 41-63.6 Gy). In 4 of 12 patients, it was possible to escalate the dose to the S-PTV to >58 Gy. In the EPI plans, the average median doses to the E-PTV and to the S-PTV were 48.6 Gy (range 38.5-58.7) and 49 Gy (range 38.6-59.5 Gy), respectively. No significant dose escalation was achievable. The omission of the elective irradiation of the whole ipsilateral pleural space allowed dose escalation from 49 Gy to more than 58 Gy in 4 of 12 chemonaive MPM patients. This strategy may form the basis for nonsurgical radical combined modality treatment of MPM. (orig.) [de

  20. A Phase I Dose-Escalation Study (ISIDE-BT-1) of Accelerated IMRT With Temozolomide in Patients With Glioblastoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morganti, Alessio G.; Balducci, Mario; Salvati, Maurizio; Esposito, Vincenzo; Romanelli, Pantaleo; Ferro, Marica; Calista, Franco; Digesu, Cinzia; Macchia, Gabriella; Ianiri, Massimo; Deodato, Francesco; Cilla, Savino; Piermattei, Angelo M.P.; Valentini, Vincenzo; Cellini, Numa; Cantore, Gian Paolo

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: To determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of fractionated intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with temozolomide (TMZ) in patients with glioblastoma. Methods and Materials: A Phase I clinical trial was performed. Eligible patients had surgically resected or biopsy-proven glioblastoma. Patients started TMZ (75 mg/day) during IMRT and continued for 1 year (150-200 mg/day, Days 1-5 every 28 days) or until disease progression. Clinical target volume 1 (CTV1) was the tumor bed ± enhancing lesion with a 10-mm margin; CTV2 was the area of perifocal edema with a 20-mm margin. Planning target volume 1 (PTV1) and PTV2 were defined as the corresponding CTV plus a 5-mm margin. IMRT was delivered in 25 fractions over 5 weeks. Only the dose for PTV1 was escalated (planned dose escalation: 60 Gy, 62.5 Gy, 65 Gy) while maintaining the dose for PTV2 (45 Gy, 1.8 Gy/fraction). Dose limiting toxicities (DLT) were defined as any treatment-related nonhematological adverse effects rated as Grade ≥3 or any hematological toxicity rated as ≥4 by Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) criteria. Results: Nineteen consecutive glioblastoma were treated with step-and-shoot IMRT, planned with the inverse approach (dose to the PTV1: 7 patients, 60 Gy; 6 patients, 62.5 Gy; 6 patients, 65 Gy). Five coplanar beams were used to cover at least 95% of the target volume with the 95% isodose line. Median follow-up time was 23 months (range, 8-40 months). No patient experienced DLT. Grade 1-2 treatment-related neurologic and skin toxicity were common (11 and 19 patients, respectively). No Grade >2 late neurologic toxicities were noted. Conclusion: Accelerated IMRT to a dose of 65 Gy in 25 fractions is well tolerated with TMZ at a daily dose of 75 mg.

  1. Clinical Outcome of Dose-Escalated Image-Guided Radiotherapy for Spinal Metastases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guckenberger, Matthias; Goebel, Joachim; Wilbert, Juergen; Baier, Kurt; Richter, Anne; Sweeney, Reinhart A.; Bratengeier, Klaus; Flentje, Michael

    2009-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the outcomes after dose-escalated radiotherapy (RT) for spinal metastases and paraspinal tumors. Methods and Materials: A total of 14 patients, 12 with spinal metastases and a long life expectancy and 2 with paraspinal tumors, were treated for 16 lesions with intensity-modulated, image-guided RT. A median biologic effective dose of 74 Gy 10 (range, 55-86) in a median of 20 fractions (range, 3-34) was prescribed to the target volume. The spinal canal was treated to 40 Gy in 20 fractions using a second intensity-modulated RT dose level in the case of epidural involvement. Results: After median follow-up of 17 months, one local recurrence was observed, for an actuarial local control rate of 88% after 2 years. Local control was associated with rapid and long-term pain relief. Of 11 patients treated for a solitary spinal metastasis, 6 developed systemic disease progression. The actuarial overall survival rate for metastatic patients was 85% and 63% after 1 and 2 years, respectively. Acute Grade 2-3 skin toxicity was seen in 2 patients with no late toxicity greater than Grade 2. No radiation-induced myelopathy was observed. Conclusion: Dose-escalated irradiation of spinal metastases was safe and resulted in excellent local control. Oligometastatic patients with a long life expectancy and epidural involvement are considered to benefit the most from fractionated RT.

  2. SYSTEMS-2: A randomised phase II study of radiotherapy dose escalation for pain control in malignant pleural mesothelioma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Ashton

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available SYSTEMS-2 is a randomised study of radiotherapy dose escalation for pain control in 112 patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM. Standard palliative (20 Gy/5# or dose escalated treatment (36 Gy/6# will be delivered using advanced radiotherapy techniques and pain responses will be compared at week 5. Data will guide optimal palliative radiotherapy in MPM.

  3. Somatostatin-based radiotherapy with [90Y-DOTA]-TOC in neuroendocrine tumors: long-term outcome of a phase I dose escalation study

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Background We describe the long-term outcome after clinical introduction and dose escalation of somatostatin receptor targeted therapy with [90Y-DOTA]-TOC in patients with metastasized neuroendocrine tumors. Methods In a clinical phase I dose escalation study we treated patients with increasing [90Y-DOTA]-TOC activities. Multivariable Cox regression and competing risk regression were used to compare efficacy and toxicities of the different dosage protocols. Results Overall, 359 patients were recruited; 60 patients were enrolled for low dose (median: 2.4 GBq/cycle, range 0.9-7.8 GBq/cycle), 77 patients were enrolled for intermediate dose (median: 3.3 GBq/cycle, range: 2.0-7.4 GBq/cycle) and 222 patients were enrolled for high dose (median: 6.7 GBq/cycle, range: 3.7-8.1 GBq/cycle) [90Y-DOTA]-TOC treatment. The incidences of hematotoxicities grade 1–4 were 65.0%, 64.9% and 74.8%; the incidences of grade 4/5 kidney toxicities were 8.4%, 6.5% and 14.0%, and the median survival was 39 (range: 1–158) months, 34 (range: 1–118) months and 29 (range: 1–113) months. The high dose protocol was associated with an increased risk of kidney toxicity (Hazard Ratio: 3.12 (1.13-8.59) vs. intermediate dose, p = 0.03) and a shorter overall survival (Hazard Ratio: 2.50 (1.08-5.79) vs. low dose, p = 0.03). Conclusions Increasing [90Y-DOTA]-TOC activities may be associated with increasing hematological toxicities. The dose related hematotoxicity profile of [90Y-DOTA]-TOC could facilitate tailoring [90Y-DOTA]-TOC in patients with preexisting hematotoxicities. The results of the long-term outcome suggest that fractionated [90Y-DOTA]-TOC treatment might allow to reduce renal toxicity and to improve overall survival. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov number:NCT00978211 PMID:23320604

  4. Ewing sarcoma localized on spine: a dose escalation study in child; Sarcome d'Ewing localise au rachis: une etude d'escalade de dose chez l'enfant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vogin, G.; Marchesi, V. [Centre Alexis-Vautrin, Nancy (France); Biston, M.C.; Gassa, F. [Centre Leon-Berard, Lyon (France); Amessis, M.; Zefkili, S.; Helfre, S. [Institut Curie, Paris (France); De Marzi, L.; Lacroix, F.; Leroy, A. [Institut Curie, Orsay (France)

    2011-10-15

    The authors report the study of dose escalation for the treatment of spinal in two types of Ewing tumours. They used 5 dose levels at the rate of five 1,6 Gy per week. They compare different radiotherapy techniques: three-dimensional conformation radiotherapy, static intensity-modulated conformational radiotherapy, helical tomo-therapy, volume-modulated arc-therapy (VMAT), stereotactic radiotherapy, and proton-therapy (in passive diffusion). It appears that it is possible to safely and efficiently deliver until 70,4 Gy in some Ewing tumours. In child, exclusive radiotherapy might become a local treatment option and would require a clinic trial and comparison with exclusive surgery or post-operative radiotherapy. Short communication

  5. SU-C-202-04: Adapting Biologically Optimized Dose Escalation Based On Mid-Treatment PET/CT for Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, P; Kuo, L; Yorke, E; Hu, Y; Lockney, N; Mageras, G; Deasy, J; Rimner, A [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: To develop a biological modeling strategy which incorporates the response observed on the mid-treatment PET/CT into a dose escalation design for adaptive radiotherapy of non-small-cell lung cancer. Method: FDG-PET/CT was acquired midway through standard fractionated treatment and registered to pre-treatment planning PET/CT to evaluate radiation response of lung cancer. Each mid-treatment PET voxel was assigned the median SUV inside a concentric 1cm-diameter sphere to account for registration and imaging uncertainties. For each voxel, the planned radiation dose, pre- and mid-treatment SUVs were used to parameterize the linear-quadratic model, which was then utilized to predict the SUV distribution after the full prescribed dose. Voxels with predicted post-treatment SUV≥2 were identified as the resistant target (response arm). An adaptive simultaneous integrated boost was designed to escalate dose to the resistant target as high as possible, while keeping prescription dose to the original target and lung toxicity intact. In contrast, an adaptive target volume was delineated based only on the intensity of mid-treatment PET/CT (intensity arm), and a similar adaptive boost plan was optimized. The dose escalation capability of the two approaches was compared. Result: Images of three patients were used in this planning study. For one patient, SUV prediction indicated complete response and no necessary dose escalation. For the other two, resistant targets defined in the response arm were multifocal, and on average accounted for 25% of the pre-treatment target, compared to 67% in the intensity arm. The smaller response arm targets led to a 6Gy higher mean target dose in the adaptive escalation design. Conclusion: This pilot study suggests that adaptive dose escalation to a biologically resistant target predicted from a pre- and mid-treatment PET/CT may be more effective than escalation based on the mid-treatment PET/CT alone. More plans and ultimately clinical

  6. Randomised clinical trial: study of escalating doses of NRL001 given in rectal suppositories of different weights.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bell, D; Pediconi, C; Jacobs, A

    2014-03-01

    The application of α-adrenoceptor agonists can improve faecal incontinence symptoms. The aim of this study was to investigate the pharmacokinetic and systemic effects of NRL001 administered as different strengths in 1 or 2 g suppositories. This randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled study included 48 healthy subjects. Group 1 consisted of two cohorts of 12 subjects administered either four single doses of 1 or 2 g rectal suppository with either 5, 7.5 or 10 mg NRL001, or matching placebo. Group 2 consisted of two cohorts of 12 subjects administered either four single doses of 1 or 2 g rectal suppository with either 10, 12.5 or 15 mg NRL001, or matching placebo. Doses were given in an escalating manner with placebo at a random position within the sequence. Tmax was at ~4.5 h post-dose for all NRL001 doses. Median AUC0-tz , AUC0-∞ and Cmax increased with increasing dose for both suppository sizes. The estimate of ratios of geometric means comparing 2 g with 1 g suppository, and regression analysis for dose proportionality, was close to 1 for the variables AUC0-tz , AUC0-∞ and Cmax (P > 0.05). For both suppository sizes, 20-min mean pulse rate was significantly decreased compared with placebo with all doses (P < 0.05). Blood pressure decreased overall. There were 144 adverse events (AEs) and no serious AEs reported during the study. All AEs were mild in severity. The regression analysis concluded that the doses were dose proportional. Colorectal Disease © 2014 The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland.

  7. SU-C-BRB-02: Automatic Planning as a Potential Strategy for Dose Escalation for Pancreas SBRT?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, S; Zheng, D; Ma, R; Lin, C; Zhu, X; Lei, Y; Enke, C; Zhou, S

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) has been suggested to provide high rates of local control for locally advanced pancreatic cancer. However, the close proximity of highly radiosensitive normal tissues usually causes the labor-intensive planning process, and may impede further escalation of the prescription dose. The present study evaluates the potential of an automatic planning system as a dose escalation strategy. Methods: Ten pancreatic cancer patients treated with SBRT were studied retrospectively. SBRT was delivered over 5 consecutive fractions with 6 ∼ 8Gy/fraction. Two plans were generated by Pinnacle Auto-Planning with the original prescription and escalated prescription, respectively. Escalated prescription adds 1 Gy/fraction to the original prescription. Manually-created planning volumes were excluded in the optimization goals in order to assess the planning efficiency and quality simultaneously. Critical organs with closest proximity were used to determine the plan normalization to ensure the OAR sparing. Dosimetric parameters including D100, and conformity index (CI) were assessed. Results: Auto-plans directly generate acceptable plans for 70% of the cases without necessity of further improvement, and two more iterations at most are necessary for the rest of the cases. For the pancreas SBRT plans with the original prescription, autoplans resulted in favorable target coverage and PTV conformity (D100 = 96.3% ± 1.48%; CI = 0.88 ± 0.06). For the plans with the escalated prescriptions, no significant target under-dosage was observed, and PTV conformity remains reasonable (D100 = 93.3% ± 3.8%, and CI = 0.84 ± 0.05). Conclusion: Automatic planning, without substantial human-intervention process, results in reasonable PTV coverage and PTV conformity on the premise of adequate OAR sparing for the pancreas SBRT plans with escalated prescription. The results highlight the potential of autoplanning as a dose escalation strategy for pancreas

  8. SU-C-BRB-02: Automatic Planning as a Potential Strategy for Dose Escalation for Pancreas SBRT?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, S; Zheng, D; Ma, R; Lin, C; Zhu, X; Lei, Y; Enke, C; Zhou, S [University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) has been suggested to provide high rates of local control for locally advanced pancreatic cancer. However, the close proximity of highly radiosensitive normal tissues usually causes the labor-intensive planning process, and may impede further escalation of the prescription dose. The present study evaluates the potential of an automatic planning system as a dose escalation strategy. Methods: Ten pancreatic cancer patients treated with SBRT were studied retrospectively. SBRT was delivered over 5 consecutive fractions with 6 ∼ 8Gy/fraction. Two plans were generated by Pinnacle Auto-Planning with the original prescription and escalated prescription, respectively. Escalated prescription adds 1 Gy/fraction to the original prescription. Manually-created planning volumes were excluded in the optimization goals in order to assess the planning efficiency and quality simultaneously. Critical organs with closest proximity were used to determine the plan normalization to ensure the OAR sparing. Dosimetric parameters including D100, and conformity index (CI) were assessed. Results: Auto-plans directly generate acceptable plans for 70% of the cases without necessity of further improvement, and two more iterations at most are necessary for the rest of the cases. For the pancreas SBRT plans with the original prescription, autoplans resulted in favorable target coverage and PTV conformity (D100 = 96.3% ± 1.48%; CI = 0.88 ± 0.06). For the plans with the escalated prescriptions, no significant target under-dosage was observed, and PTV conformity remains reasonable (D100 = 93.3% ± 3.8%, and CI = 0.84 ± 0.05). Conclusion: Automatic planning, without substantial human-intervention process, results in reasonable PTV coverage and PTV conformity on the premise of adequate OAR sparing for the pancreas SBRT plans with escalated prescription. The results highlight the potential of autoplanning as a dose escalation strategy for pancreas

  9. An individualized radiation dose escalation trial in non-small cell lung cancer based on FDG-PET imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wanet, Marie; Goossens, Samuel; Lee, John Aldo; Janssens, Guillaume; Bol, Anne; Geets, Xavier [Universite Catholique de Louvain, Center of Molecular Imaging, Radiotherapy and Oncology (MIRO), Institut de Recherche Experimentale et Clinique, Brussels (Belgium); Delor, Antoine [Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Department of Radiation Oncology, Brussels (Belgium); Hanin, Francois-Xavier [Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Brussels (Belgium); Ghaye, Benoit [Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Department of Radiology, Brussels (Belgium); Maanen, Aline van [Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Statistical Support Unit, Cancer Centre, Brussels (Belgium); Remouchamps, Vincent; Clermont, Christian [Clinique et Maternite Sainte Elisabeth, Department of Radiation Oncology, CHU UCL Namur (Belgium)

    2017-10-15

    The aim of the study was to assess the feasibility of an individualized 18F fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET)-guided dose escalation boost in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and to assess its impact on local tumor control and toxicity. A total of 13 patients with stage II-III NSCLC were enrolled to receive a dose of 62.5 Gy in 25 fractions to the CT-based planning target volume (PTV; primary tumor and affected lymph nodes). The fraction dose was increased within the individual PET-based PTV (PTV{sub PET}) using intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with a simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) until the predefined organ-at-risk (OAR) threshold was reached. Tumor response was assessed during follow-up by means of repeat FDG-PET/computed tomography. Acute and late toxicity were recorded and classified according to the CTCAE criteria (Version 4.0). Local progression-free survival was determined using the Kaplan-Meier method. The average dose to PTV{sub PET} reached 89.17 Gy for peripheral and 75 Gy for central tumors. After a median follow-up period of 29 months, seven patients were still alive, while six had died (four due to distant progression, two due to grade 5 toxicity). Local progression was seen in two patients in association with further recurrences. One and 2-year local progression free survival rates were 76.9% and 52.8%, respectively. Three cases of acute grade 3 esophagitis were seen. Two patients with central tumors developed late toxicity and died due to severe hemoptysis. These results suggest that a non-uniform and individualized dose escalation based on FDG-PET in IMRT delivery is feasible. The doses reached were higher in patients with peripheral compared to central tumors. This strategy enables good local control to be achieved at acceptable toxicity rates. However, dose escalation in centrally located tumors with direct invasion of mediastinal organs must be performed with great caution in order to avoid severe

  10. Hyperfractionated conformal radiotherapy in locally advanced prostate cancer: results of a dose escalation study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Forman, Jeffrey D.; Duclos, Marie; Shamsa, Falah; Porter, Arthur T.; Orton, Colin

    1996-01-01

    Purpose: This study was initiated to assess the incidence of chronic complications and histologic and biochemical control following hyperfractionated conformal radiotherapy in patients with locally advanced prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: Between October 1991 and October 1994, 49 patients with locally advanced prostate cancer were entered on the first two dose levels of a prospective dose-escalation study using hyperfractionated three dimensional conformal radiotherapy. The first 25 patients received a minimum tumor dose of 78 Gy to the prostate and seminal vesicles in 6 weeks at 1.3 Gy, b.i.d. No increase in chronic toxicity compared with conventional radiotherapy was noted; therefore, an additional 24 patients were treated to a minimum tumor dose of 82.8 Gy to the prostate and seminal vesicles in 7 weeks at 1.15 Gy, b.i.d. Toxicity was scored according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group morbidity grading scale. Efficacy was assessed through scheduled postradiation prostate specific antigen values and ultrasound-guided biopsies. The median follow-up for the entire group was 20 months. Results: The hyperfractionated external radiation was well tolerated with minimal acute morbidity. At 30 months, the actuarial probability of Grade 2 gastrointestinal toxicity was 17%. At 30 months, the actuarial probability of Grade 2 genitourinary toxicity was 16%. There was no statistically significant difference between the two dose levels. No Grade 3 or 4 gastrointestinal or genitourinary toxicity was noted. At 12 months, 84% of patients had a prostate specific antigen ≤ 4; and 53%; ≤ 1 ng/ml. At 12 months, 71% of patients had post radiation biopsies that were either negative (55%) or showed a marked therapeutic effect (16%). Conclusion: The use of hyperfractionated conformal radiotherapy facilitated dose escalation with no increase in chronic toxicity compared to standard doses. The initial tumor response based on prostate specific antigen measurements and

  11. Dose escalated radiotherapy for T1 and T2 nasopharyngeal carcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu, J. J.; Zhang, Q.; Lee, K. M.; Loh, K. S.; Tan, K. S.

    2008-01-01

    Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is most prevalent in the Guangzhou province in southern China, in Hong Kong and in Singapore. It also occurs in Europe and North America, partly due to its epidemiological association with the woodworking and shoe manufacturing industry. Because of its anatomical location, i.e. so close to vital organs at risk, such as the brain stem and eyes, the technique of radiotherapy and dose/fractionation prescription is of extreme importance. This communication describes our experience with dose escalation radiotherapy for stages T1 and T2 of NPC. (author)

  12. Dose Escalation for Prostate Cancer Using the Three-Dimensional Conformal Dynamic Arc Technique: Analysis of 542 Consecutive Patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jereczek-Fossa, Barbara A.; Vavassori, Andrea; Fodor, Cristiana; Santoro, Luigi; Zerini, Dario; Cattani, Federica; Garibaldi, Cristina; Cambria, Raffaella; Fodor, Andrei; Boboc, Genoveva Ionela; Vitolo, Viviana; Ivaldi, Giovanni Battista; Musi, Gennaro; De Cobelli, Ottavio; Orecchia, Roberto

    2008-01-01

    Purpose: To present the results of dose escalation using three-dimensional conformal dynamic arc radiotherapy (3D-ART) for prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: Five hundred and forty two T1-T3N0M0 prostate cancer patients were treated with 3D-ART. Dose escalation (from 76 Gy/38 fractions to 80 Gy/40 fractions) was introduced in September 2003; 32% of patients received 80 Gy. In 366 patients, androgen deprivation was added to 3D-ART. Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer criteria and Houston definition (nadir + 2) were used for toxicity and biochemical failure evaluation, respectively. Median follow-up was 25 months. Results: Acute toxicity included rectal (G1-2 28.9%; G3 0.5%) and urinary events (G1-2 57.9%; G3-4 2.4%). Late toxicity included rectal (G1-2 15.8%; G3-4 3.1%) and urinary events (G1-2 26.9%; G3-4 1.6%). Two-year failure-free survival and overall survival rates were 94.1% and 97.9%, respectively. Poor prognostic group (GS, iPSA, T), transurethral prostate resection, and dose >76 Gy showed significant association to high risk of progression in multivariate analysis (p = 0.014, p = 0.045, and p 0.04, respectively). The negative effect of dose >76 Gy was not observed (p 0.10), when the analysis was limited to 353 patients treated after September 2003 (when dose escalation was introduced). Higher dose was not associated with higher late toxicity. Conclusions: Three-dimensional-ART is a feasible modality allowing for dose escalation (no increase in toxicity has been observed with higher doses). However, the dose increase from 76 to 80 Gy was not associated with better tumor outcome. Further investigation is warranted for better understanding of the dose effect for prostate cancer

  13. Capecitabine based postoperative accelerated chemoradiation of pancreatic carcinoma. A dose-escalation study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morganti, Alessio G.; Picardi, Vincenzo; Ippolito, Edy; Massaccesi, Mariangela; Macchia, Gabriella; Deodato, Francesco; Caravatta, Luciana; Tambaro, Rosa; Mignogna, Samantha; Cellini, Numa; Valentini, Vincenzo; Mattiucci, Gian Carlo; Di Lullo, Liberato; Giglio, Gianfranco; Caprino, Paola; Sofo, Luigi; Ingrosso, Marcello

    2010-01-01

    The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety of escalating up to 55 Gy within five weeks, the dose of external beam radiotherapy to the previous tumor site concurrently with a fixed daily dose of capecitabine, in patients with resected pancreatic cancer. Material and methods. Patients with resected pancreatic carcinoma were eligible for this study. Capecitabine was administered at a daily dose of 1600 mg/m 2 . Regional lymph nodes received a total radiation dose of 45 Gy with 1.8 Gy per fractions. The starting radiation dose to the tumor bed was 50.0 Gy (2.0 Gy/fraction, 25 fractions). Escalation was achieved up to a total dose of 55.0 Gy by increasing the fraction size by 0.2 Gy (2.2 Gy/fraction), while keeping the duration of radiotherapy to five weeks (25 fractions). A concomitant boost technique was used. Dose limiting toxicity (DLT) was defined as any grade>3 hematologic toxicity, grade>2 liver, renal, neurologic, gastrointestinal, or skin toxicity, by RTOG criteria, or any toxicity producing prolonged (> 10 days) radiotherapy interruption. Results and discussion. Twelve patients entered the study (median age: 64 years). In the first cohort (six patients), no patient experienced DLT. Similarly in the second cohort, no DLT occurred. All 12 patients completed the planned regimen of therapy. Nine patients experienced grade 1-2 nausea and/or vomiting. Grade 2 hematological toxicity occurred in four patients. The results of our study indicate that a total radiation dose up to 55.0 Gy/5 weeks can be safely administered to the tumor bed, concurrently with capecitabine (1600 mg/m 2 ) in patients with resected pancreatic carcinoma.

  14. Safety of dose escalation by simultaneous integrated boosting radiation dose within the primary tumor guided by 18FDG-PET/CT for esophageal cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, Wen; Cai, Xu-Wei; Liu, Qi; Zhu, Zheng-Fei; Feng, Wen; Zhang, Qin; Zhang, Ying-Jian; Yao, Zhi-Feng; Fu, Xiao-Long

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: To observe the safety of selective dose boost to the pre-treatment high 18 F-deoxyglucose (FDG) uptake areas of the esophageal GTV. Methods: Patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were treated with escalating radiation dose of 4 levels, with a simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) to the pre-treatment 50% SUVmax area of the primary tumor. Patients received 4 monthly cycles of cisplatin and fluorouracil. Dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was defined as any Grade 3 or higher acute toxicities causing continuous interruption of radiation for over 1 week. Results: From April 2012 to February 2014, dose has been escalated up to LEVEL 4 (70 Gy). All of the 25 patients finished the prescribed dose without DLT, and 10 of them developed Grade 3 acute esophagitis. One patient of LEVEL 2 died of esophageal hemorrhage within 1 month after completion of radiotherapy, which was not definitely correlated with treatment yet. Late toxicities remained under observation. With median follow up of 8.9 months, one-year overall survival and local control was 69.2% and 77.4%, respectively. Conclusions: Dose escalation in esophageal cancer based on 18 FDG-PET/CT has been safely achieved up to 70 Gy using the SIB technique. Acute toxicities were well tolerated, whereas late toxicities and long-term outcomes deserved further observation

  15. Early termination of prostate cancer hyperfractionated dose escalation study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Forman, Jeffrey D; Porter, Arthur T; Kocheril, Paul; Grignon, David; Orton, Colin

    1996-01-01

    Purpose: This study was initiated to determine the maximum tolerable dose of hyperfractionated radiation in patients with locally advanced prostate cancer. Materials and Methods: Forty-nine patients with locally advanced prostate cancer (T3-T4 Nx, 0, 1 M0 and/or Gleason Score ≥ 8) were treated on the first two steps of a prospective dose-escalation study using hyperfractionated conformal radiotherapy. The first 25 patients received a minimum dose of 78Gy to the clinical tumor volume (CTV) including the prostate, seminal vesicle and a 5mm margin at 1.3Gy b.i.d. The second group (24 patients) received a minimum dose to the CTV of 82.8Gy at 1.15Gy b.i.d. Twenty eight patients received neo-adjuvant hormonal therapy in conjunction with their radiation (8 of 25 patients at 78Gy and 20 of 24 patients at 82.8Gy). Toxicity was scored according to the RTOG grading scale. Efficacy was evaluated by PSA levels and ultrasound guided biopsies. Median follow up was 36 and 18 months for the 78Gy and 82.8Gy dose levels, respectively. Results: No grade 3 or 4 gastrointestinal (GI) or genitourinary (GU) toxicity was noted. At 36 months, the actuarial probability of Grade 2 GI and GU toxicity were 16 and 20%, respectively. Twelve to 18 months following radiation, 41 patients (86%) underwent ultrasound guided biopsy. At 78Gy, 60% of 20 patients had a biopsy which was negative or showed a marked therapeutic effect. At 82.8Gy, these combined rates were 95% in the 21 patients who had biopsies. Nine patients (50%) who did not receive neo-adjuvant hormones had positive biopsies. No patient who received neo-adjuvant hormones plus 78Gy (5 patients) or 82.8Gy (18 patients) had a positive biopsy. Conclusion: Proceeding to the next dose level (87.4Gy) was justified by the lack of severe chronic toxicity. However, in view of the high rate of histologic sterilization when hyperfractionated irradiation was given in conjunction with neo-adjuvant hormonal therapy, it was felt to be unethical to

  16. Dose Escalated Liver Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy at the Mean Respiratory Position

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Velec, Michael; Moseley, Joanne L.; Dawson, Laura A.; Brock, Kristy K.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: The dosimetric impact of dose probability based planning target volume (PTV) margins for liver cancer patients receiving stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) was compared with standard PTV based on the internal target volume (ITV). Plan robustness was evaluated by accumulating the treatment dose to ensure delivery of the intended plan. Methods and Materials: Twenty patients planned on exhale CT for 27 to 50 Gy in 6 fractions using an ITV-based PTV and treated free-breathing were retrospectively evaluated. Isotoxic, dose escalated plans were created on midposition computed tomography (CT), representing the mean breathing position, using a dose probability PTV. The delivered doses were accumulated using biomechanical deformable registration of the daily cone beam CT based on liver targeting at the exhale or mean breathing position, for the exhale and midposition CT plans, respectively. Results: The dose probability PTVs were on average 38% smaller than the ITV-based PTV, enabling an average ± standard deviation increase in the planned dose to 95% of the PTV of 4.0 ± 2.8 Gy (9 ± 5%) on the midposition CT (P<.01). For both plans, the delivered minimum gross tumor volume (GTV) doses were greater than the planned nominal prescribed dose in all 20 patients and greater than the planned dose to 95% of the PTV in 18 (90%) patients. Nine patients (45%) had 1 or more GTVs with a delivered minimum dose more than 5 Gy higher with the midposition CT plan using dose probability PTV, compared with the delivered dose with the exhale CT plan using ITV-based PTV. Conclusions: For isotoxic liver SBRT planned and delivered at the mean respiratory, reduced dose probability PTV enables a mean escalation of 4 Gy (9%) in 6 fractions over ITV-based PTV. This may potentially improve local control without increasing the risk of tumor underdosing

  17. Dose escalation of chart in non-small cell lung cancer: is three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy really necessary?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McGibney, Carol; Holmberg, Ola; McClean, Brendan; Williams, Charles; McCrea, Pamela; Sutton, Phil; Armstrong, John

    1999-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate, pre clinically, the potential for dose escalation of continuous, hyperfractionated, accelerated radiation therapy (CHART) for non small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we examined the strategy of omission of elective nodal irradiation with and without the application of three-dimensional conformal radiation technology (3DCRT). Methods and Materials: 2D, conventional therapy plans were designed according to the specifications of CHART for 18 patients with NSCLC (Stages Ib, IIb, IIIa, and IIIb). Further plans were generated with the omission of elective nodal irradiation (ENI) from the treatment portals (2D minus ENI plans [2D-ENI plans]). Both sets were inserted in the patient's planning computed tomographies (CTs). These reconstructed plans were then compared to alternative, three-dimensional treatment plans which had been generated de novo, with the omission of ENI: 3D minus elective nodal irradiation (3D-ENI plans). Dose delivery to the planning target volumes (PTVs) and to the organs at risk were compared between the 3 sets of corresponding plans. The potential for dose escalation of each patient's 2D-ENI and 3D-ENI plan beyond 54 Gy, standard to CHART, was also determined. Results: PTV coverage was suboptimal in the 2D CHART and the 2D-ENI plans. Only in the 3D-ENI plans did 100% of the PTV get ≥95% of the dose prescribed (i.e., 51.5 Gy [51.3-52.2]). Using 3D-ENI plans significantly reduced the dose received by the spinal cord, the mean and median doses to the esophagus and the heart. It did not significantly reduce the lung dose when compared to 2D-ENI plans. Escalation of the dose (minimum ≥1 Gy) with optimal PTV coverage was possible in 55.5% of patients using 3D-ENI, but was possible only in 16.6% when using the 2D-ENI planning strategy. Conclusions: 3DCRT is fundamental to achieving optimal PTV coverage in NSCLC. A policy of omission of elective nodal irradiation alone (and using 2D technology) will not achieve optimal PTV coverage or

  18. An Hourly Dose-Escalation Desensitization Protocol for Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Justin R; Buchmiller, Brett L; Khan, David A

    2015-01-01

    Aspirin desensitization followed by maintenance therapy effectively improves symptom control in patients with aspirin exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD). The majority of current desensitization protocols use 3-hour dosing intervals and often require 2 to 3 days to complete. We evaluated hourly dose escalations in a subset of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis, nasal polyps, and asthma who historically reacted to aspirin within 1 hour or were avoiding aspirin with the goal of developing a safe and efficient desensitization protocol. Fifty-seven aspirin desensitizations were performed under the hourly protocol. All patients had refractory nasal polyposis as an indication for aspirin desensitization. The clinical characteristics of each subject were analyzed in relation to aspects of his or her reactions during the procedure. Ninety-eight percent of study patients were successfully treated under the hourly protocol, including those with a history of severe reactions and intubation. None required further medication than is available in an outpatient allergy clinic. A total of 96% of reactors recorded a bronchial or naso-ocular reaction within 1 hour of the preceding dose. Of the total patients on this protocol, 40% were able to complete the procedure in a single day, and 60% within 2 days. Patients with AERD who have a history of symptoms less than 1 hour after aspirin exposure can be safely desensitized with a 1-hour dose-escalation protocol that can often be completed in a single day. Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Phase I dose escalation safety study of nanoparticulate paclitaxel (CTI 52010 in normal dogs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Axiak SM

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Sandra M Axiak1, Kim A Selting1, Charles J Decedue2, Carolyn J Henry1,3, Deborah Tate1, Jahna Howell2, K James Bilof1, Dae Y Kim4 1Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA; 2CritiTech Inc, Lawrence, KS, USA; 3Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology; 4Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA Background: Paclitaxel is highly effective in the treatment of many cancers in humans, but cannot be routinely used in dogs as currently formulated due to the exquisite sensitivity of this species to surfactant-solubilizing agents. CTI 52010 is a formulation of nanoparticulate paclitaxel consisting of drug and normal saline. Our objectives were to determine the maximally tolerated dose, dose-limiting toxicities, and pharmacokinetics of CTI 52010 administered intravenously to normal dogs. Methods: Three normal adult hound dogs were evaluated by physical examination, complete blood count, chemistry profile, and urinalysis. Dogs were treated with staggered escalating dosages of CTI 52010 with a 28-day washout. All dogs were treated with a starting dosage of 40 mg/m2, and subsequent dosages were escalated at 50% (dog 1, 100% (dog 2, or 200% (dog 3 with each cycle, to a maximum of 240 mg/m2. Dogs were monitored by daily physical assessment and weekly laboratory evaluation. Standard criteria were used to grade adverse events. Plasma was collected at regular intervals to determine pharmacokinetics. Dogs were euthanized humanely, and necropsy was performed one week after the last treatment. Results: The dose-limiting toxicity was grade 4 neutropenia and the maximum tolerated dosage was 120 mg/m2. Grade 1–2 gastrointestinal toxicity was noted at higher dosages. Upon post mortem evaluation, no evidence of organ (liver, kidney, spleen toxicity was noted. Conclusion: CTI 52010 was well tolerated when administered intravenously to normal dogs. A starting

  20. Phase I dose-escalation study of the c-Met tyrosine kinase inhibitor SAR125844 in Asian patients with advanced solid tumors, including patients with MET-amplified gastric cancer

    OpenAIRE

    Shitara, Kohei; Kim, Tae Min; Yokota, Tomoya; Goto, Masahiro; Satoh, Taroh; Ahn, Jin-Hee; Kim, Hyo Song; Assadourian, Sylvie; Gomez, Corinne; Harnois, Marzia; Hamauchi, Satoshi; Kudo, Toshihiro; Doi, Toshihido; Bang, Yung-Jue

    2017-01-01

    SAR125844 is a potent and selective inhibitor of the c-Met kinase receptor. This was an open-label, phase I, multicenter, dose-escalation, and dose-expansion trial of SAR125844 in Asian patients with solid tumors, a subgroup of whom had gastric cancer and MET amplification (NCT01657214). SAR125844 was administered by intravenous infusion (260–570 mg/m2) on days 1, 8, 15, and 22 of each 28-day cycle. Objectives were to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and to evaluate SAR125844 safety...

  1. Expression of Bcl-2, p53, and MDM2 in Localized Prostate Cancer With Respect to the Outcome of Radical Radiotherapy Dose Escalation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vergis, Roy; Corbishley, Catherine M.; Thomas, Karen

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: Established prognostic factors in localized prostate cancer explain only a moderate proportion of variation in outcome. We analyzed tumor expression of apoptotic markers with respect to outcome in men with localized prostate cancer in two randomized controlled trials of radiotherapy dose escalation. Methods and Materials: Between 1995 and 2001, 308 patients with localized prostate cancer received neoadjuvant androgen deprivation and radical radiotherapy at our institution in one of two dose-escalation trials. The biopsy specimens in 201 cases were used to make a biopsy tissue microarray. We evaluated tumor expression of Bcl-2, p53, and MDM2 by immunohistochemistry with respect to outcome. Results: Median follow-up was 7 years, and 5-year freedom from biochemical failure (FFBF) was 70.4% (95% CI, 63.5-76.3%). On univariate analysis, expression of Bcl-2 (p < 0.001) and p53 (p = 0.017), but not MDM2 (p = 0.224), was significantly associated with FFBF. Expression of Bcl-2 remained significantly associated with FFBF (p = 0.001) on multivariate analysis, independently of T stage, Gleason score, initial prostate-specific antigen level, and radiotherapy dose. Seven-year biochemical control was 61% vs. 41% (p = 0.0122) for 74 Gy vs. 64 Gy, respectively, among patients with Bcl-2-positive tumors and 87% vs. 81% (p = 0.423) for 74 Gy vs. 64 Gy, respectively, among patients with Bcl-2-negative tumors. There was no statistically significant interaction between dose and Bcl-2 expression. Conclusions: Bcl-2 expression was a significant, independent determinant of biochemical control after neoadjuvant androgen deprivation and radical radiotherapy for prostate cancer. These data generate the hypothesis that Bcl-2 expression could be used to inform the choice of radiotherapy dose in individual patients.

  2. Radiation Therapy Dose Escalation for Glioblastoma Multiforme in the Era of Temozolomide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Badiyan, Shahed N.; Markovina, Stephanie; Simpson, Joseph R.; Robinson, Clifford G.; DeWees, Todd [Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri (United States); Tran, David D.; Linette, Gerry [Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri (United States); Jalalizadeh, Rohan [Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri (United States); Dacey, Ralph; Rich, Keith M.; Chicoine, Michael R.; Dowling, Joshua L.; Leuthardt, Eric C.; Zipfel, Gregory J.; Kim, Albert H. [Department of Neurosurgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri (United States); Huang, Jiayi, E-mail: jhuang@radonc.wustl.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri (United States)

    2014-11-15

    Purpose: To review clinical outcomes of moderate dose escalation using high-dose radiation therapy (HDRT) in the setting of concurrent temozolomide (TMZ) in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), compared with standard-dose radiation therapy (SDRT). Methods and Materials: Adult patients aged <70 years with biopsy-proven GBM were treated with SDRT (60 Gy at 2 Gy per fraction) or with HDRT (>60 Gy) and TMZ from 2000 to 2012. Biological equivalent dose at 2-Gy fractions was calculated for the HDRT assuming an α/β ratio of 5.6 for GBM. Results: Eighty-one patients received SDRT, and 128 patients received HDRT with a median (range) biological equivalent dose at 2-Gy fractions of 64 Gy (61-76 Gy). Overall median follow-up time was 1.10 years, and for living patients it was 2.97 years. Actuarial 5-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates for patients that received HDRT versus SDRT were 12.4% versus 13.2% (P=.71), and 5.6% versus 4.1% (P=.54), respectively. Age (P=.001) and gross total/near-total resection (GTR/NTR) (P=.001) were significantly associated with PFS on multivariate analysis. Younger age (P<.0001), GTR/NTR (P<.0001), and Karnofsky performance status ≥80 (P=.001) were associated with improved OS. On subset analyses, HDRT failed to improve PFS or OS for those aged <50 years or those who had GTR/NTR. Conclusion: Moderate radiation therapy dose escalation above 60 Gy with concurrent TMZ does not seem to improve clinical outcomes for patients with GBM.

  3. Treatment of Common Cold Patients with the Shi-Cha Capsule: A Multicenter, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Dose-Escalation Trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Jing; Dong, Shou-Jin; She, Bin; Zhang, Rui-Ming; Meng, Mao-Bin; Xu, Yan-Ling; Wan, Li-Ling; Shi, Ke-Hua; Pan, Jun-Hun; Mao, Bing

    2012-01-01

    This study was designed to determine the therapeutic efficacy and safety of the Shi-cha capsule, a Chinese herbal formula, in the treatment of patients with wind-cold type common cold. In our multi-center, prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation trial, patients with wind-cold type common cold received 0.6 g of Shi-cha capsule plus 0.6 g placebo (group A), 1.2 g of Shi-cha capsule (group B), or 1.2 g placebo (group C), three times daily for 3 days and followed up to 10 days. The primary end point was all symptom duration. The secondary end points were main symptom duration, minor symptom duration, the changes in cumulative symptom score, main symptom score, and minor symptom score 4 days after the treatment, as well as adverse events. A total of 377 patients were recruited and 360 met the inclusive criteria; 120 patients constituted each treatment group. Compared with patients in group C, patients in groups A and B had significant improvement in the all symptom duration, main symptom duration, minor symptom duration, as well as change from baseline of cumulative symptom score, main symptom score, and minor symptom score at day 4. The symptom durations and scores showed slight superiority of group B over group A, although these differences were not statistically significant. There were no differences in adverse events. The Shi-cha capsule is efficacious and safe for the treatment of patients with wind-cold type common cold. Larger trials are required to fully assess the benefits and safety of this treatment for common cold. PMID:23346193

  4. Accelerated hyperfractionated hepatic irradiation in the management of patients with liver metastases: Results of the RTOG dose escalating protocol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Russell, A.H.; Clyde, C.; Wasserman, T.H.; Turner, S.S.; Rotman, M.

    1993-01-01

    This study was prepared to address two objectives: (a) to determine whether progressively higher total doses of hepatic irradiation can prolong survival in a selected population of patients with liver metastases and (b) to refine existing concepts of liver tolerance for fractionated external radiation. One hundred seventy-three analyzable patients with computed tomography measurable liver metastases from primary cancers of the gastrointestinal tract were entered on a dose escalating protocol of twice daily hepatic irradiation employing fractions of 1.5 Gy separated by 4 hr or longer. Sequential groups of patients received 27 Gy, 30 Gy, and 33 Gy to the entire liver and were monitored for acute and late toxicities, survival, and cause of death. Dose escalation was implemented following survival of 10 patients at each dose level for a period of 6 months or longer without clinical or biochemical evidence of radiation hepatitis. The use of progressively larger total doses of radiation did not prolong median survival or decrease the frequency with which liver metastases were the cause of death. None of 122 patients entered at the 27 Gy and 30 Gy dose levels revealed clinical or biochemical evidence of radiation induced liver injury. Five of 51 patients entered at the 33 Gy level revealed clinical or biochemical evidence of late liver injury with an actuarial risk of severe (Grade 3) radiation hepatitis of 10.0% at 6 months, resulting in closure of the study to patient entry. The study design could not credibly establish a safe dose for hepatic irradiation, however, it did succeed in determining that 33 Gy in fractions of 1.5 Gy is unsafe, carrying a substantial risk of delayed radiation injury. The absence of apparent late liver injury at the 27 Gy and 30 Gy dose levels suggests that a prior clinical trial of adjuvant hepatic irradiation in patients with resected colon cancer may have employed an insufficient radiation dose (21 Gy) to fully test the question

  5. Somatostatin-based radiotherapy with [90Y-DOTA]-TOC in neuroendocrine tumors: long-term outcome of a phase I dose escalation study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marincek, Nicolas; Jörg, Ann-Catherine; Brunner, Philippe; Schindler, Christian; Koller, Michael T; Rochlitz, Christoph; Müller-Brand, Jan; Maecke, Helmut R; Briel, Matthias; Walter, Martin A

    2013-01-15

    We describe the long-term outcome after clinical introduction and dose escalation of somatostatin receptor targeted therapy with [90Y-DOTA]-TOC in patients with metastasized neuroendocrine tumors. In a clinical phase I dose escalation study we treated patients with increasing [90Y-DOTA]-TOC activities. Multivariable Cox regression and competing risk regression were used to compare efficacy and toxicities of the different dosage protocols. Overall, 359 patients were recruited; 60 patients were enrolled for low dose (median: 2.4 GBq/cycle, range 0.9-7.8 GBq/cycle), 77 patients were enrolled for intermediate dose (median: 3.3 GBq/cycle, range: 2.0-7.4 GBq/cycle) and 222 patients were enrolled for high dose (median: 6.7 GBq/cycle, range: 3.7-8.1 GBq/cycle) [90Y-DOTA]-TOC treatment. The incidences of hematotoxicities grade 1-4 were 65.0%, 64.9% and 74.8%; the incidences of grade 4/5 kidney toxicities were 8.4%, 6.5% and 14.0%, and the median survival was 39 (range: 1-158) months, 34 (range: 1-118) months and 29 (range: 1-113) months. The high dose protocol was associated with an increased risk of kidney toxicity (Hazard Ratio: 3.12 (1.13-8.59) vs. intermediate dose, p = 0.03) and a shorter overall survival (Hazard Ratio: 2.50 (1.08-5.79) vs. low dose, p = 0.03). Increasing [90Y-DOTA]-TOC activities may be associated with increasing hematological toxicities. The dose related hematotoxicity profile of [90Y-DOTA]-TOC could facilitate tailoring [90Y-DOTA]-TOC in patients with preexisting hematotoxicities. The results of the long-term outcome suggest that fractionated [90Y-DOTA]-TOC treatment might allow to reduce renal toxicity and to improve overall survival. (ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT00978211).

  6. Effect of a simple dose-escalation schedule on tramadol tolerability : assessment in the clinical setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tagarro, I; Herrera, J; Barutell, C; Díez, M C; Marín, M; Samper, D; Busquet, C; Rodríguez, M J

    2005-01-01

    To assess the effect of a very simple dose-escalation schedule on tramadol tolerability in clinical practice. This schedule consists of starting treatment with sustained-release tramadol 50mg twice daily, and escalating the dose around 7 days later to 100mg twice daily. Data from 1925 outpatients with non-malignant chronic pain were collected in this multicentre, prospective, comparative, non-randomised, open, observational study. A total of 1071 patients (55.6%) were included in the dose-escalation group (50mg group) and 854 patients (44.4%) in the control group (sustained-release tramadol 100mg twice daily; 100mg group). The proportion of patients who interrupted tramadol treatment due to the occurrence of adverse reactions was significantly lower in the 50mg group (5.6%) than in the 100mg group (12.6%) [p = 0.001]. In line with this, the proportion of patients who experienced at least one adverse reaction was significantly lower in the 50mg group (18.4%) than in the 100mg group (30.4%) [p = 0.001] and, interestingly, the two most frequently reported adverse reactions, nausea and dizziness, were found with a significantly lower frequency in the 50mg group (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that the risk of safety-related treatment cessations was 2.3 times higher in the 100mg group than in the 50mg group, and 2.2 times higher in females than in males. The two treatments were equally effective in reducing pain intensity (p = 0.121), measured as a reduction in pain score obtained by means of a visual analogue scale. The instauration of tramadol treatment, starting with sustained-release 50mg capsules twice daily and escalating the dose some days later to 100mg twice daily, was shown to be an effective and easy way to improve tramadol tolerability in clinical practice, whilst maintaining its analgesic efficacy.

  7. Oral sodium phenylbutyrate in patients with recurrent malignant gliomas: a dose escalation and pharmacologic study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phuphanich, Surasak; Baker, Sharyn D; Grossman, Stuart A; Carson, Kathryn A; Gilbert, Mark R; Fisher, Joy D; Carducci, Michael A

    2005-04-01

    We determined the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), toxicity profile, pharmacokinetic parameters, and preliminary efficacy data of oral sodium phenylbutyrate (PB) in patients with recurrent malignant gliomas. Twenty-three patients with supratentorial recurrent malignant gliomas were enrolled on this dose escalation trial. Four dose levels of PB were studied: 9, 18, 27, and 36 g/day. Data were collected to assess toxicity, response, survival, and pharmacokinetics. All PB doses of 9, 18, and 27 g/day were well tolerated. At 36 g/day, two of four patients developed dose-limiting grade 3 fatigue and somnolence. At the MTD of 27 g/day, one of seven patients developed reversible grade 3 somnolence. Median survival from time of study entry was 5.4 months. One patient had a complete response for five years, and no partial responses were noted, which yielded an overall response rate of 5%. Plasma concentrations of 706, 818, 1225, and 1605 muM were achieved with doses of 9, 18, 27, and 36 g/day, respectively. The mean value for PB clearance in this patient population was 22 liters/h, which is significantly higher than the 16 liters/h reported in patients with other malignancies who were not receiving P450 enzyme-inducing anticonvulsant drugs (P = 0.038). This study defines the MTD and recommended phase 2 dose of PB at 27 g/day for heavily pretreated patients with recurrent gliomas. The pharmacology of PB appears to be affected by concomitant administration of P450-inducing anticonvulsants.

  8. Integrated boost IMRT with FET-PET-adapted local dose escalation in glioblastomas. Results of a prospective phase II study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Piroth, M.D.; Pinkawa, M.; Holy, R.; Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH

    2012-01-01

    Dose escalations above 60 Gy based on MRI have not led to prognostic benefits in glioblastoma patients yet. With positron emission tomography (PET) using [ 18 F]fluorethyl-L-tyrosine (FET), tumor coverage can be optimized with the option of regional dose escalation in the area of viable tumor tissue. In a prospective phase II study (January 2008 to December 2009), 22 patients (median age 55 years) received radiochemotherapy after surgery. The radiotherapy was performed as an MRI and FET-PET-based integrated-boost intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). The prescribed dose was 72 and 60 Gy (single dose 2.4 and 2.0 Gy, respectively) for the FET-PET- and MR-based PTV-FET (72 Gy) and PTV-MR (60 Gy) . FET-PET and MRI were performed routinely for follow-up. Quality of life and cognitive aspects were recorded by the EORTC-QLQ-C30/QLQ Brain20 and Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), while the therapy-related toxicity was recorded using the CTC3.0 and RTOG scores. Median overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were 14.8 and 7.8 months, respectively. All local relapses were detected at least partly within the 95% dose volume of PTV-MR (60 Gy) . No relevant radiotherapy-related side effects were observed (excepted alopecia). In 2 patients, a pseudoprogression was observed in the MRI. Tumor progression could be excluded by FET-PET and was confirmed in further MRI and FET-PET imaging. No significant changes were observed in MMSE scores and in the EORTC QLQ-C30/QLQ-Brain20 questionnaires. Our dose escalation concept with a total dose of 72 Gy, based on FET-PET, did not lead to a survival benefit. Acute and late toxicity were not increased, compared with historical controls and published dose-escalation studies. (orig.)

  9. Integrated boost IMRT with FET-PET-adapted local dose escalation in glioblastomas. Results of a prospective phase II study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Piroth, M.D.; Pinkawa, M.; Holy, R. [RWTH Aachen University Hospital (Germany). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (DE). Juelich-Aachen Research Alliance (JARA) - Section JARA-Brain] (and others)

    2012-04-15

    Dose escalations above 60 Gy based on MRI have not led to prognostic benefits in glioblastoma patients yet. With positron emission tomography (PET) using [{sup 18}F]fluorethyl-L-tyrosine (FET), tumor coverage can be optimized with the option of regional dose escalation in the area of viable tumor tissue. In a prospective phase II study (January 2008 to December 2009), 22 patients (median age 55 years) received radiochemotherapy after surgery. The radiotherapy was performed as an MRI and FET-PET-based integrated-boost intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). The prescribed dose was 72 and 60 Gy (single dose 2.4 and 2.0 Gy, respectively) for the FET-PET- and MR-based PTV-FET{sub (72 Gy)} and PTV-MR{sub (60 Gy)}. FET-PET and MRI were performed routinely for follow-up. Quality of life and cognitive aspects were recorded by the EORTC-QLQ-C30/QLQ Brain20 and Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), while the therapy-related toxicity was recorded using the CTC3.0 and RTOG scores. Median overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were 14.8 and 7.8 months, respectively. All local relapses were detected at least partly within the 95% dose volume of PTV-MR{sub (60 Gy)}. No relevant radiotherapy-related side effects were observed (excepted alopecia). In 2 patients, a pseudoprogression was observed in the MRI. Tumor progression could be excluded by FET-PET and was confirmed in further MRI and FET-PET imaging. No significant changes were observed in MMSE scores and in the EORTC QLQ-C30/QLQ-Brain20 questionnaires. Our dose escalation concept with a total dose of 72 Gy, based on FET-PET, did not lead to a survival benefit. Acute and late toxicity were not increased, compared with historical controls and published dose-escalation studies. (orig.)

  10. Clinical Outcomes With Dose-Escalated Adaptive Radiation Therapy for Urinary Bladder Cancer: A Prospective Study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Murthy, Vedang, E-mail: vmurthy@actrec.gov.in [Department of Radiation Oncology, Tata Memorial Centre, Parel, Mumbai (India); Masodkar, Renuka; Kalyani, Nikhil; Mahantshetty, Umesh [Department of Radiation Oncology, Tata Memorial Centre, Parel, Mumbai (India); Bakshi, Ganesh; Prakash, Gagan [Department of Surgical Oncology, Tata Memorial Centre, Parel, Mumbai (India); Joshi, Amit; Prabhash, Kumar [Department of Medical Oncology, Tata Memorial Centre, Parel, Mumbai (India); Ghonge, Sujata; Shrivastava, Shyamkishore [Department of Radiation Oncology, Tata Memorial Centre, Parel, Mumbai (India)

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess feasibility, clinical outcomes, and toxicity in patients with bladder cancer treated with adaptive, image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) for bladder preservation as a part of trimodality treatment. The role of dose escalation was also studied. Methods and Materials: Forty-four patients with localized bladder cancer were enrolled in a prospective study. They underwent maximal safe resection of bladder tumor and concurrent platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients with large tumors were offered induction chemotherapy. Radiation therapy planning was done using either 3 (n=34) or 6 (n=10) concentrically grown planning target volumes (PTV). Patients received 64 Gy in 32 fractions to the whole bladder and 55 Gy to the pelvic nodes and, if appropriate, a simultaneous integrated boost to the tumor bed to 68 Gy (equivalent dose for 2-Gy fractions assuming α/β of 10 [EQD2]{sub 10} = 68.7 Gy). Daily megavoltage (MV) imaging helped to choose the most appropriate PTV encompassing bladder for the particular day (using plan-of-the-day approach). Results: Most patients (88%) had T2 disease. Sixteen patients (36%) received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. A majority of the patients (73%) received prophylactic nodal irradiation, whereas 55% of the patients received escalated dose to the tumor bed. With a median follow-up of 30 months, the 3-year locoregional control (LRC), disease-free survival, and overall survival (OS) were 78%, 66%, and 67%, respectively. The bladder preservation rate was 83%. LRC (87% vs 68%, respectively, P=.748) and OS (74% vs 60%, respectively, P=.36) rates were better in patients receiving dose escalation. Instances of acute and late Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) grade 3 genitourinary toxicity was seen in 5 (11%) and 2 (4%) patients, respectively. There was no acute or late RTOG grade 3 or higher gastrointestinal toxicity. Conclusions: Adaptive IGRT using plan-of-the-day approach for bladder

  11. Clinical Outcomes With Dose-Escalated Adaptive Radiation Therapy for Urinary Bladder Cancer: A Prospective Study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murthy, Vedang; Masodkar, Renuka; Kalyani, Nikhil; Mahantshetty, Umesh; Bakshi, Ganesh; Prakash, Gagan; Joshi, Amit; Prabhash, Kumar; Ghonge, Sujata; Shrivastava, Shyamkishore

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess feasibility, clinical outcomes, and toxicity in patients with bladder cancer treated with adaptive, image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) for bladder preservation as a part of trimodality treatment. The role of dose escalation was also studied. Methods and Materials: Forty-four patients with localized bladder cancer were enrolled in a prospective study. They underwent maximal safe resection of bladder tumor and concurrent platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients with large tumors were offered induction chemotherapy. Radiation therapy planning was done using either 3 (n=34) or 6 (n=10) concentrically grown planning target volumes (PTV). Patients received 64 Gy in 32 fractions to the whole bladder and 55 Gy to the pelvic nodes and, if appropriate, a simultaneous integrated boost to the tumor bed to 68 Gy (equivalent dose for 2-Gy fractions assuming α/β of 10 [EQD2] 10  = 68.7 Gy). Daily megavoltage (MV) imaging helped to choose the most appropriate PTV encompassing bladder for the particular day (using plan-of-the-day approach). Results: Most patients (88%) had T2 disease. Sixteen patients (36%) received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. A majority of the patients (73%) received prophylactic nodal irradiation, whereas 55% of the patients received escalated dose to the tumor bed. With a median follow-up of 30 months, the 3-year locoregional control (LRC), disease-free survival, and overall survival (OS) were 78%, 66%, and 67%, respectively. The bladder preservation rate was 83%. LRC (87% vs 68%, respectively, P=.748) and OS (74% vs 60%, respectively, P=.36) rates were better in patients receiving dose escalation. Instances of acute and late Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) grade 3 genitourinary toxicity was seen in 5 (11%) and 2 (4%) patients, respectively. There was no acute or late RTOG grade 3 or higher gastrointestinal toxicity. Conclusions: Adaptive IGRT using plan-of-the-day approach for bladder preservation

  12. Optimizing cancer radiotheraphy with 2-deoxy-D-glucose. Dose escalation studies in patients with glioblastoma multiforme

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Singh, D.; Gupta, J.P. [Dharmshila Cancer Hospital, New Delhi (India); Banerji, A.K. [Vidyasagar Inst. of Mental Health and Neurosciences, New Delhi (India); Dwarakanath, B.S.; Tripathi, R.P.; Mathew, T.L.; Ravindranath, T. [Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences, Delhi (India); Jain, V. [Wright State University, Dayton, OH (United States). Kettering Medical Center

    2005-08-01

    Background and purpose: Higher rates of glucose utilization and glycolysis generally correlate with poor prognosis in several types of malignant tumors. Own earlier studies on model systems demonstrated that the nonmetabolizable glucose analog 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) could enhance the efficacy of radiotherapy in a dose-dependent manner by selectively sensitizing cancer cells while protecting normal cells. Phase I/II clinical trials indicated that the combination of 2-DG, at an oral dose of 200 mg/kg body weight (BW), with large fractions of {gamma}-radiation was well tolerated in cerebral glioma patients. Since higher 2-DG doses are expected to improve the therapeutic gain, present studies were undertaken to examine the tolerance and safety of escalating 2-DG dose during combined treatment (2-DG + radiotherapy) in glioblastoma multiforme patients. Patients and methods: Untreated patients with histologically proven glioblastoma multiforme (WHO criteria) were included in the study. Seven weekly fractions of {sup 60}C {gamma}-rays (5 Gy/fraction) were delivered to the tumor volume (presurgical CT/MRI evaluation) plus 3 cm margin. Escalating 2-DG doses (200-250-300 mg/kg BW) were administered orally 30 min before irradiation after overnight fasting. Acute toxicity and tolerance were studied by monitoring the vital parameters and side effects. Late radiation damage and treatment responses were studied radiologically and clinically in surviving patients. Results: Transient side effects similar to hypoglycemia were observed in most of the patients. Tolerance and patient compliance to the combined treatment were very good up to a 2-DG dose of 250 mg/kg BW. However, at the higher dose of 300 mg/kg BW, two out of six patients were very restless and could not complete treatment, though significant changes in the vital parameters were not observed even at this dose. No significant damage to the normal brain tissue was observed during follow-up in seven out of ten patients who

  13. Results of the Phase I Dose-Escalating Study of Motexafin Gadolinium With Standard Radiotherapy in Patients With Glioblastoma Multiforme

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ford, Judith M.; Seiferheld, Wendy; Alger, Jeffrey R.; Wu, Genevieve; Endicott, Thyra J.; Mehta, Minesh; Curran, Walter; Phan, See-Chun

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: Motexafin gadolinium (MGd) is a putative radiation enhancer initially evaluated in patients with brain metastases. This Phase I trial studied the safety and tolerability of a 2-6-week course (10-22 doses) of MGd with radiotherapy for glioblastoma multiforme. Methods and Materials: A total of 33 glioblastoma multiforme patients received one of seven MGd regimens starting at 10 doses of 4 mg/kg/d MGd and escalating to 22 doses of 5.3 mg/kg/d MGd (5 or 10 daily doses then three times per week). The National Cancer Institute Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program toxicity and stopping rules were applied. Results: The maximal tolerated dose was 5.0 mg/kg/d MGd (5 d/wk for 2 weeks, then three times per week) for 22 doses. The dose-limiting toxicity was reversible transaminase elevation. Adverse reactions included rash/pruritus (45%), chills/fever (30%), and self-limiting vesiculobullous rash of the thumb and fingers (42%). The median survival of 17.6 months prompted a case-matched analysis. In the case-matched analysis, the MGd patients had a median survival of 16.1 months (n = 31) compared with the matched Radiation Therapy Oncology Group database patients with a median survival of 11.8 months (hazard ratio, 0.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.20-0.94). Conclusion: The maximal tolerated dose of MGd with radiotherapy for glioblastoma multiforme in this study was 5 mg/kg/d for 22 doses (daily for 2 weeks, then three times weekly). The baseline survival calculations suggest progression to Phase II trials is appropriate, with the addition of MGd to radiotherapy with concurrent and adjuvant temozolomide

  14. Studying the efficacy of escalated dose conformal radiation therapy in prostate carcinoma – Pakistan experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Asad Zamir

    2017-11-01

    Conclusion: Our data were comparable to international studies of dose escalation using 3D and beneficial as compared to conventional radiation therapy delivered by 2D in terms of biochemical failure rate and treatment related toxicity.

  15. SU-G-BRC-12: Isotoxic Dose Escalation for Advanced Lung Cancer: Comparison of Different Boosting Strategiesfor Patients with Recurrent Disease

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shusharina, N; Khan, F; Sharp, G; Choi, N [Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: To determine the dose level and timing of the boost in locally advanced lung cancer patients with confirmed tumor recurrence by comparing different boosting strategies by an impact of dose escalation in improvement of the therapeutic ratio. Methods: We selected eighteen patients with advanced NSCLC and confirmed recurrence. For each patient, a base IMRT plan to 60 Gy prescribed to PTV was created. Then we compared three dose escalation strategies: a uniform escalation to the original PTV, an escalation to a PET-defined target planned sequentially and concurrently. The PET-defined targets were delineated by biologically-weighed regions on a pre-treatment 18F-FDG PET. The maximal achievable dose, without violating the OAR constraints, was identified for each boosting method. The EUD for the target, spinal cord, combined lung, and esophagus was compared for each plan. Results: The average prescribed dose was 70.4±13.9 Gy for the uniform boost, 88.5±15.9 Gy for the sequential boost and 89.1±16.5 Gy for concurrent boost. The size of the boost planning volume was 12.8% (range: 1.4 – 27.9%) of the PTV. The most prescription-limiting dose constraints was the V70 of the esophagus. The EUD within the target increased by 10.6 Gy for the uniform boost, by 31.4 Gy for the sequential boost and by 38.2 for the concurrent boost. The EUD for OARs increased by the following amounts: spinal cord, 3.1 Gy for uniform boost, 2.8 Gy for sequential boost, 5.8 Gy for concurrent boost; combined lung, 1.6 Gy for uniform, 1.1 Gy for sequential, 2.8 Gy for concurrent; esophagus, 4.2 Gy for uniform, 1.3 Gy for sequential, 5.6 Gy for concurrent. Conclusion: Dose escalation to a biologically-weighed gross tumor volume defined on a pre-treatment 18F-FDG PET may provide improved therapeutic ratio without breaching predefined OAR constraints. Sequential boost provides better sparing of OARs as compared with concurrent boost.

  16. SU-G-BRC-12: Isotoxic Dose Escalation for Advanced Lung Cancer: Comparison of Different Boosting Strategiesfor Patients with Recurrent Disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shusharina, N; Khan, F; Sharp, G; Choi, N

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: To determine the dose level and timing of the boost in locally advanced lung cancer patients with confirmed tumor recurrence by comparing different boosting strategies by an impact of dose escalation in improvement of the therapeutic ratio. Methods: We selected eighteen patients with advanced NSCLC and confirmed recurrence. For each patient, a base IMRT plan to 60 Gy prescribed to PTV was created. Then we compared three dose escalation strategies: a uniform escalation to the original PTV, an escalation to a PET-defined target planned sequentially and concurrently. The PET-defined targets were delineated by biologically-weighed regions on a pre-treatment 18F-FDG PET. The maximal achievable dose, without violating the OAR constraints, was identified for each boosting method. The EUD for the target, spinal cord, combined lung, and esophagus was compared for each plan. Results: The average prescribed dose was 70.4±13.9 Gy for the uniform boost, 88.5±15.9 Gy for the sequential boost and 89.1±16.5 Gy for concurrent boost. The size of the boost planning volume was 12.8% (range: 1.4 – 27.9%) of the PTV. The most prescription-limiting dose constraints was the V70 of the esophagus. The EUD within the target increased by 10.6 Gy for the uniform boost, by 31.4 Gy for the sequential boost and by 38.2 for the concurrent boost. The EUD for OARs increased by the following amounts: spinal cord, 3.1 Gy for uniform boost, 2.8 Gy for sequential boost, 5.8 Gy for concurrent boost; combined lung, 1.6 Gy for uniform, 1.1 Gy for sequential, 2.8 Gy for concurrent; esophagus, 4.2 Gy for uniform, 1.3 Gy for sequential, 5.6 Gy for concurrent. Conclusion: Dose escalation to a biologically-weighed gross tumor volume defined on a pre-treatment 18F-FDG PET may provide improved therapeutic ratio without breaching predefined OAR constraints. Sequential boost provides better sparing of OARs as compared with concurrent boost.

  17. Safety, tolerability, and preliminary activity of CUDC-907, a first-in-class, oral, dual inhibitor of HDAC and PI3K, in patients with relapsed or refractory lymphoma or multiple myeloma: an open-label, dose-escalation, phase 1 trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Younes, Anas; Berdeja, Jesus G; Patel, Manish R; Flinn, Ian; Gerecitano, John F; Neelapu, Sattva S; Kelly, Kevin R; Copeland, Amanda R; Akins, Amy; Clancy, Myles S; Gong, Lucy; Wang, Jing; Ma, Anna; Viner, Jaye L; Oki, Yasuhiro

    2016-05-01

    Treatment options for patients with relapsed or refractory lymphoma and multiple myeloma are limited. CUDC-907 is an oral, first-in-class, small molecule that is designed to inhibit both histone deacetylase (HDAC) and PI3K enzymes, which are members of common oncogenic pathways in haematological malignancies. We aimed to assess overall safety and preliminary activity in this dose-escalation study of CUDC-907 monotherapy in patients with relapsed or refractory lymphoma and multiple myeloma. This open-label, first-in-man, phase 1 trial recruited adult patients (aged ≥18 years) with lymphoma or multiple myeloma who were refractory to or had relapsed after two or more previous regimens, from four US cancer centres. CUDC-907 was orally administered in a standard 3 + 3 dose-escalation design at four different dosing schedules, to which participants were sequentially assigned as follows: once daily, intermittently (twice or three times weekly; simultaneous enrolment), and daily for 5 days followed by a 2-day break (5/2), in 21-day cycles. Dosing started at 30 mg for the once-daily schedule and 60 mg for other schedules, escalating in 30 mg increments. Patients continued to receive CUDC-907 until disease progression or until other treatment discontinuation criteria were met. The primary objective was to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended phase 2 dose, assessed in patients who received at least 66% of cycle 1 doses without modification and those who had a dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) in cycle 1 irrespective of dose modification. We assessed safety in all patients who received at least one dose of study drug. This ongoing trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01742988. Between Jan 23, 2013, and July 27, 2015, we enrolled 44 patients, of whom ten were sequentially assigned to CUDC-907 once-daily (MTD 60 mg), 12 to twice-weekly (MTD 150 mg), 15 to three-times-weekly (MTD 150 mg), and seven to the 5/2 dosing schedule (MTD 60 mg). 37

  18. Maximum tolerated dose in a phase I trial on adaptive dose painting by numbers for head and neck cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Madani, Indira; Duprez, Fréderic; Boterberg, Tom; Van de Wiele, Christophe; Bonte, Katrien; Deron, Philippe; De Gersem, Werner; Coghe, Marc; De Neve, Wilfried

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: To determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) in a phase I trial on adaptive dose-painting-by-numbers (DPBN) for non-metastatic head and neck cancer. Materials and methods: Adaptive intensity-modulated radiotherapy was based on voxel intensity of pre-treatment and per-treatment [ 18 F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography ( 18 F-FDG-PET) scans. Dose was escalated to a median total dose of 80.9 Gy in the high-dose clinical target volume (dose level I) and 85.9 Gy in the gross tumor volume (dose level II). The MTD would be reached, if ⩾33% of patients developed any grade ⩾4 toxicity (DLT) up to 3 months follow-up. Results: Between February 2007 and August 2009, seven patients at dose level I and 14 at dose level II were treated. All patients completed treatment without interruption. At a median follow-up for surviving patients of 38 (dose level I) and 22 months (dose level II) there was no grade ⩾4 toxicity during treatment and follow-up but six cases of mucosal ulcers at latency of 4–10 months, of which five (36%) were observed at dose level II. Mucosal ulcers healed spontaneously in four patients. Conclusions: Considering late mucosal ulcers as DLT, the MTD of a median dose of 80.9 Gy has been reached in our trial.

  19. SU-E-T-69: A Radiobiological Investigation of Dose Escalation in Lower Oesophageal Tumours with a Focus On Gastric Toxicity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carrington, R [Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales (United Kingdom); Staffurth, J; Spezi, E; Crosby, T [Velindre Cancer Centre, Cardiff, Wales (United Kingdom); Warren, S; Partridge, M; Hawkins, M [CRUK/MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Oxford (United Kingdom); Gwynne, S [Singleton Hospital, Swansea, Wales (United Kingdom)

    2015-06-15

    The incidence of lower third oesophageal tumours is increasing in most Western populations. With the role of radiotherapy dose escalation being identified as a research priority in improving outcomes, it is important to quantify the increased toxicity that this may pose to sites such as the lower oesophagus. This study therefore aims to investigate the feasibility of lower oesophageal dose escalation with a focus on stomach tissue toxicity.The original 3D-conformal plans (50Gy3D) from 10 patients in the SCOPE1 trial were reviewed and compared to two RapidArc plans created retrospectively to represent the treatment arms of the forthcoming SCOPE2 trial: 50GyRA and 60GyRA (50Gy to PTV1 with a simultaneously integrated boost of 60Gy to PTV2). The stomach was contoured as stomach wall and dose constraints set according to QUANTEC. Normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) was estimated for the stomach wall for an endpoint of gastric bleeding. There was a mean increase of 5.93% in NTCP from 50Gy3D to 60GyRA and a mean increase of 8.15% in NTCP from the 50GyRA to 60GyRA. With NTCP modelling restricted to volumes outside PTV2, there was a mean decrease of 0.92% in NTCP from the 50Gy3D to 60GyRA, and a mean increase of 2.25% from 50GyRA to 60GyRA. There was a strong correlation between the NTCP and Stomach Wall/PTV1 overlap volume for all plans (R=0.80, 0.77 and 0.77 for 60GyRA, 50GyRA and 50Gy3D respectively). There was also a strong correlation between NTCP and the Stomach Wall/PTV2 overlap volume for 60GyRA (R= 0.82).Radiobiological modelling suggests that increasing the prescribed dose to 60Gy may be associated with a significantly increased risk of toxicity to the stomach within the boost volume. It is recommended that stomach toxicity be closely monitored prospectively when treating patients with lower oesophageal tumours in the forthcoming SCOPE 2 trial. Rhys Carrington received a PhD studentship grant from Cancer Research Wales. Grant number: 2445; Dr Warren and

  20. Oral sodium phenylbutyrate in patients with recurrent malignant gliomas: A dose escalation and pharmacologic study1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phuphanich, Surasak; Baker, Sharyn D.; Grossman, Stuart A.; Carson, Kathryn A.; Gilbert, Mark R.; Fisher, Joy D.; Carducci, Michael A.

    2005-01-01

    We determined the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), toxicity profile, pharmacokinetic parameters, and preliminary efficacy data of oral sodium phenylbutyrate (PB) in patients with recurrent malignant gliomas. Twenty-three patients with supratentorial recurrent malignant gliomas were enrolled on this dose escalation trial. Four dose levels of PB were studied: 9, 18, 27, and 36 g/day. Data were collected to assess toxicity, response, survival, and pharmacokinetics. All PB doses of 9, 18, and 27 g/day were well tolerated. At 36 g/day, two of four patients developed dose-limiting grade 3 fatigue and somnolence. At the MTD of 27 g/day, one of seven patients developed reversible grade 3 somnolence. Median survival from time of study entry was 5.4 months. One patient had a complete response for five years, and no partial responses were noted, which yielded an overall response rate of 5%. Plasma concentrations of 706, 818, 1225, and 1605 μM were achieved with doses of 9, 18, 27, and 36 g/day, respectively. The mean value for PB clearance in this patient population was 22 liters/h, which is significantly higher than the 16 liters/h reported in patients with other malignancies who were not receiving P450 enzyme–inducing anticonvulsant drugs (P = 0.038). This study defines the MTD and recommended phase 2 dose of PB at 27 g/day for heavily pretreated patients with recurrent gliomas. The pharmacology of PB appears to be affected by concomitant administration of P450-inducing anticonvulsants. PMID:15831235

  1. Optimizing Collimator Margins for Isotoxically Dose-Escalated Conformal Radiation Therapy of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Warren, Samantha, E-mail: Samantha.warren@oncology.ox.ac.uk [Department of Oncology, Gray Institute of Radiation Oncology and Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford (United Kingdom); Oxford Cancer Centre, Oxford University Hospitals, Oxford (United Kingdom); Panettieri, Vanessa [William Buckland Radiotherapy Centre, Alfred Hospital, Commercial Road, Melbourne (Australia); Panakis, Niki; Bates, Nicholas [Oxford Cancer Centre, Oxford University Hospitals, Oxford (United Kingdom); Lester, Jason F. [Velindre Cancer Centre, Velindre Road, Whitchurch, Cardiff (United Kingdom); Jain, Pooja [Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, Clatterbridge Road, Wirral (United Kingdom); Landau, David B. [Department of Radiotherapy, Guy' s and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London (United Kingdom); Nahum, Alan E.; Mayles, W. Philip M. [Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, Clatterbridge Road, Wirral (United Kingdom); Fenwick, John D. [Department of Oncology, Gray Institute of Radiation Oncology and Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford (United Kingdom); Oxford Cancer Centre, Oxford University Hospitals, Oxford (United Kingdom)

    2014-04-01

    Purpose: Isotoxic dose escalation schedules such as IDEAL-CRT [isotoxic dose escalation and acceleration in lung cancer chemoradiation therapy] (ISRCTN12155469) individualize doses prescribed to lung tumors, generating a fixed modeled risk of radiation pneumonitis. Because the beam penumbra is broadened in lung, the choice of collimator margin is an important element of the optimization of isotoxic conformal radiation therapy for lung cancer. Methods and Materials: Twelve patients with stage I-III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were replanned retrospectively using a range of collimator margins. For each plan, the prescribed dose was calculated according to the IDEAL-CRT isotoxic prescription method, and the absolute dose (D{sub 99}) delivered to 99% of the planning target volume (PTV) was determined. Results: Reducing the multileaf collimator margin from the widely used 7 mm to a value of 2 mm produced gains of 2.1 to 15.6 Gy in absolute PTV D{sub 99}, with a mean gain ± 1 standard error of the mean of 6.2 ± 1.1 Gy (2-sided P<.001). Conclusions: For NSCLC patients treated with conformal radiation therapy and an isotoxic dose prescription, absolute doses in the PTV may be increased by using smaller collimator margins, reductions in relative coverage being offset by increases in prescribed dose.

  2. Dose escalation of radical radiation therapy in non-small-cell lung cancer using positron emission tomography/computed tomography-defined target volumes: Are class solutions obsolete?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Everitt, S.; Schneider-Kolsky, M.; Budd, R.; Yuen, K.; Manus, M Mac

    2008-01-01

    Full text: This study investigated the maximum theoretical radiation dose that could safely be delivered to 20 patients diagnosed with non-small-cell lung cancer. Two three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (RT) class-solution techniques (A and B) and an individualized three-dimensional conformal RT technique (C) were compared at the standard dose of 60 Gy (part I). Dose escalation was then attempted for each technique successfully at 60 Gy, constrained by predetermined limits for lung and spinal canal (part II). Part I and part II data were reanalysed to include oesophageal dose constraints (part III). In part I, 60 Gy was successfully planned using techniques A, B and C in 19 (95%), 18 (90%) and 20 (100%) patients, respectively. The mean escalated dose attainable for part II using techniques A, B and C were 76.4, 74 and 97.8 Gy, respectively (P < 0.0005). One (5%) patient was successfully planned for 120 Gy using techniques A and B, whereas four (20%) were successfully planned using technique C. Following the inclusion of additional constraints applied to the oesophagus in part III, the amount of escalated dose remained the same for all patients who were successfully planned at 60 Gy apart from two patients when technique C was applied. In conclusion, individualized three-dimensional conformal RT facilitated greater dose conformation and higher escalation of dose in most patients. With modern planning tools, simple class solutions are obsolete for conventional dose radical RT in non-small-cell lung cancer. Highly individualized conformal planning is essential for dose escalation.

  3. Limits of dose escalation in lung cancer: a dose-volume histogram analysis comparing coplanar and non-coplanar techniques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Derycke, S; Van Duyse, B; Schelfhout, J; De Neve, W

    1995-12-01

    To evaluate the feasibility of dose escalation in radiotherapy of inoperable lung cancer, a dose-volume histogram analysis was performed comparing standard coplanar (2D) with non-coplanar (3D) beam arrangements on a non-selected group of 20 patients planned by Sherouse`s GRATISTM 3D-planning system. Serial CT-scanning was performed and 2 Target Volumes (Tvs) were defined. Gross Tumor Volume (GTV) defined a high-dose Target Volume (TV-1). GTV plus location of node stations with > 10% probability of invasion (Minet et al.) defined an intermediate-dose Target Volume (TV-2). However, nodal regions which are incompatible with cure were excluded from TV-2. These are ATS-regions 1, 8, 9 and 14 all left and right as well as heterolateral regions. For 3D-planning, Beam`s Eye View selected (by an experienced planner) beam arrangements were optimised using Superdot, a method of target dose-gradient annihilation developed by Sherouse. A second 3D-planning was performed using 4 beam incidences with maximal angular separation. The linac`s isocenter for the optimal arrangement was located at the geometrical center of gravity of a tetraheder, the tetraheder`s comers being the consecutive positions of the virtual source. This ideal beam arrangement was approximated as close as possible, taking into account technical limitations (patient-couch-gantry collisions). Criteria for tolerance were met if no points inside the spinal cord exceeded 50 Gy and if at least 50% of the lung volume received less than 20Gy. If dose regions below 50 Gy were judged acceptable at TV-2, 2D- as well as 3D-plans allow safe escalation to 80 Gy at TV-1. When TV-2 needed to be encompassed by isodose surfaces exceeding 50Gy, 3D-plans were necessary to limit dose at the spinal cord below tolerance. For large TVs dose is limited by lung tolerance for 3D-plans. An analysis (including NTCP-TCP as cost functions) of rival 3D-plans is being performed.

  4. Somatostatin-based radiotherapy with [90Y-DOTA]-TOC in neuroendocrine tumors: long-term outcome of a phase I dose escalation study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marincek Nicolas

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background We describe the long-term outcome after clinical introduction and dose escalation of somatostatin receptor targeted therapy with [90Y-DOTA]-TOC in patients with metastasized neuroendocrine tumors. Methods In a clinical phase I dose escalation study we treated patients with increasing [90Y-DOTA]-TOC activities. Multivariable Cox regression and competing risk regression were used to compare efficacy and toxicities of the different dosage protocols. Results Overall, 359 patients were recruited; 60 patients were enrolled for low dose (median: 2.4 GBq/cycle, range 0.9-7.8 GBq/cycle, 77 patients were enrolled for intermediate dose (median: 3.3 GBq/cycle, range: 2.0-7.4 GBq/cycle and 222 patients were enrolled for high dose (median: 6.7 GBq/cycle, range: 3.7-8.1 GBq/cycle [90Y-DOTA]-TOC treatment. The incidences of hematotoxicities grade 1–4 were 65.0%, 64.9% and 74.8%; the incidences of grade 4/5 kidney toxicities were 8.4%, 6.5% and 14.0%, and the median survival was 39 (range: 1–158 months, 34 (range: 1–118 months and 29 (range: 1–113 months. The high dose protocol was associated with an increased risk of kidney toxicity (Hazard Ratio: 3.12 (1.13-8.59 vs. intermediate dose, p = 0.03 and a shorter overall survival (Hazard Ratio: 2.50 (1.08-5.79 vs. low dose, p = 0.03. Conclusions Increasing [90Y-DOTA]-TOC activities may be associated with increasing hematological toxicities. The dose related hematotoxicity profile of [90Y-DOTA]-TOC could facilitate tailoring [90Y-DOTA]-TOC in patients with preexisting hematotoxicities. The results of the long-term outcome suggest that fractionated [90Y-DOTA]-TOC treatment might allow to reduce renal toxicity and to improve overall survival. (ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT00978211.

  5. Lack of benefit for the addition of androgen deprivation therapy to dose-escalated radiotherapy in the treatment of intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Krauss, Daniel

    2012-02-01

    PURPOSE: Assessment of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) benefits for prostate cancer treated with dose-escalated radiotherapy (RT). METHODS AND MATERIALS: From 1991 to 2004, 1,044 patients with intermediate- (n = 782) or high-risk (n = 262) prostate cancer were treated with dose-escalated RT at William Beaumont Hospital. Patients received external-beam RT (EBRT) alone, brachytherapy (high or low dose rate), or high dose rate brachytherapy plus pelvic EBRT. Intermediate-risk patients had Gleason score 7, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) 10.0-19.9 ng\\/mL, or Stage T2b-T2c. High-risk patients had Gleason score 8-10, PSA >\\/=20, or Stage T3. Patients were additionally divided specifically by Gleason score, presence of palpable disease, and PSA level to further define subgroups benefitting from ADT. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 5 years; 420 patients received ADT + dose-escalated RT, and 624 received dose-escalated RT alone. For all patients, no advantages in any clinical endpoints at 8 years were associated with ADT administration. No differences in any endpoints were associated with ADT administration based on intermediate- vs. high-risk group or RT modality when analyzed separately. Patients with palpable disease plus Gleason >\\/=8 demonstrated improved clinical failure rates and a trend toward improved survival with ADT. Intermediate-risk patients treated with brachytherapy alone had improved biochemical control when ADT was given. CONCLUSION: Benefits of ADT in the setting of dose-escalated RT remain poorly defined. This question must continue to be addressed in prospective study.

  6. Phase I dose-escalation study of the c-Met tyrosine kinase inhibitor SAR125844 in Asian patients with advanced solid tumors, including patients with MET-amplified gastric cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shitara, Kohei; Kim, Tae Min; Yokota, Tomoya; Goto, Masahiro; Satoh, Taroh; Ahn, Jin-Hee; Kim, Hyo Song; Assadourian, Sylvie; Gomez, Corinne; Harnois, Marzia; Hamauchi, Satoshi; Kudo, Toshihiro; Doi, Toshihido; Bang, Yung-Jue

    2017-10-03

    SAR125844 is a potent and selective inhibitor of the c-Met kinase receptor. This was an open-label, phase I, multicenter, dose-escalation, and dose-expansion trial of SAR125844 in Asian patients with solid tumors, a subgroup of whom had gastric cancer and MET amplification (NCT01657214). SAR125844 was administered by intravenous infusion (260-570 mg/m 2 ) on days 1, 8, 15, and 22 of each 28-day cycle. Objectives were to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and to evaluate SAR125844 safety and pharmacokinetic profile. Antitumor activity was also assessed. Of 38 patients enrolled (median age 64.0 years), 22 had gastric cancer, including 14 with MET amplification. In the dose-escalation cohort ( N = 19; unselected population, including three patients with MET -amplification [two with gastric cancer and one with lung cancer]), the MTD was not reached, and the recommended dose was established at 570 mg/m 2 . Most frequent treatment-emergent adverse events (AEs) were nausea (36.8%), vomiting (34.2%), decreased appetite (28.9%), and fatigue or asthenia, constipation, and abdominal pains (each 21.1%); none appeared to be dose-dependent. Grade ≥ 3 AEs were observed in 39.5% of patients and considered drug-related in 7.9%. SAR125844 exposure increased slightly more than expected by dose proportionality; dose had no significant effect on clearance. No objective responses were observed in the dose-escalation cohort, with seven patients (three gastric cancer, two colorectal cancer, one breast cancer, and one with cancer of unknown primary origin) having stable disease. Modest antitumor activity was observed at 570 mg/m 2 in the dose-expansion cohort, comprising patients with MET -amplified tumors ( N = 19). Two gastric cancer patients had partial responses, seven patients had stable disease (six gastric cancer and one kidney cancer), and 10 patients had progressive disease. Single-agent SAR125844 administered up to 570 mg/m 2 has acceptable tolerability and modest

  7. Dose-Escalated Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy Is Feasible and May Improve Locoregional Control and Laryngeal Preservation in Laryngo-Hypopharyngeal Cancers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miah, Aisha B.; Bhide, Shreerang A.; Guerrero-Urbano, M. Teresa; Clark, Catharine; Bidmead, A. Margaret; St Rose, Suzanne; Barbachano, Yolanda; A’Hern, Roger; Tanay, Mary; Hickey, Jennifer; Nicol, Robyn; Newbold, Kate L.; Harrington, Kevin J.; Nutting, Christopher M.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: To determine the safety and outcomes of induction chemotherapy followed by dose-escalated intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with concomitant chemotherapy in locally advanced squamous cell cancer of the larynx and hypopharynx (LA-SCCL/H). Methods and Materials: A sequential cohort Phase I/II trial design was used to evaluate moderate acceleration and dose escalation. Patients with LA-SCCL/H received IMRT at two dose levels (DL): DL1, 63 Gy/28 fractions (Fx) to planning target volume 1 (PTV1) and 51.8 Gy/28 Fx to PTV2; DL2, 67.2 Gy/28 Fx and 56 Gy/28 Fx to PTV1 and PTV2, respectively. Patients received induction cisplatin/5-fluorouracil and concomitant cisplatin. Acute and late toxicities and tumor control rates were recorded. Results: Between September 2002 and January 2008, 60 patients (29 DL1, 31 DL2) with Stage III (41% DL1, 52% DL2) and Stage IV (52% DL1, 48% DL2) disease were recruited. Median (range) follow-up for DL1 was 51.2 (12.1–77.3) months and for DL2 was 36.2 (4.2–63.3) months. Acute Grade 3 (G3) dysphagia was higher in DL2 (87% DL2 vs. 59% DL1), but other toxicities were equivalent. One patient in DL1 required dilatation of a pharyngeal stricture (G3 dysphagia). In DL2, 2 patients developed benign pharyngeal strictures at 1 year. One underwent a laryngo-pharyngectomy and the other a dilatation. No other G3/G4 toxicities were reported. Overall complete response was 79% (DL1) and 84% (DL2). Two-year locoregional progression-free survival rates were 64.2% (95% confidence interval, 43.5–78.9%) in DL1 and 78.4% (58.1–89.7%) in DL2. Two-year laryngeal preservation rates were 88.7% (68.5–96.3%) in DL1 and 96.4% (77.7–99.5%) in DL2. Conclusions: At a mean follow-up of 36 months, dose-escalated chemotherapy–IMRT at DL2 has so far been safe to deliver. In this study, DL2 delivered high rates of locoregional control, progression-free survival, and organ preservation and has been selected as the experimental arm in a Cancer Research UK

  8. Dose-Escalated Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy Is Feasible and May Improve Locoregional Control and Laryngeal Preservation in Laryngo-Hypopharyngeal Cancers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Miah, Aisha B; Bhide, Shreerang A; Guerrero-Urbano, M Teresa [Head and Neck Unit, The Royal Marsden National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust, London (United Kingdom); Institute of Cancer Research, London (United Kingdom); Clark, Catharine; Bidmead, A Margaret [Institute of Cancer Research, London (United Kingdom); Department of Physics, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London (United Kingdom); St Rose, Suzanne; Barbachano, Yolanda; A' Hern, Roger [Department of Statistics, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London (United Kingdom); Tanay, Mary; Hickey, Jennifer; Nicol, Robyn; Newbold, Kate L [Head and Neck Unit, The Royal Marsden National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust, London (United Kingdom); Harrington, Kevin J [Head and Neck Unit, The Royal Marsden National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust, London (United Kingdom); Institute of Cancer Research, London (United Kingdom); Nutting, Christopher M., E-mail: chris.nutting@rmh.nhs.uk [Head and Neck Unit, The Royal Marsden National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust, London (United Kingdom); Institute of Cancer Research, London (United Kingdom)

    2012-02-01

    Purpose: To determine the safety and outcomes of induction chemotherapy followed by dose-escalated intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with concomitant chemotherapy in locally advanced squamous cell cancer of the larynx and hypopharynx (LA-SCCL/H). Methods and Materials: A sequential cohort Phase I/II trial design was used to evaluate moderate acceleration and dose escalation. Patients with LA-SCCL/H received IMRT at two dose levels (DL): DL1, 63 Gy/28 fractions (Fx) to planning target volume 1 (PTV1) and 51.8 Gy/28 Fx to PTV2; DL2, 67.2 Gy/28 Fx and 56 Gy/28 Fx to PTV1 and PTV2, respectively. Patients received induction cisplatin/5-fluorouracil and concomitant cisplatin. Acute and late toxicities and tumor control rates were recorded. Results: Between September 2002 and January 2008, 60 patients (29 DL1, 31 DL2) with Stage III (41% DL1, 52% DL2) and Stage IV (52% DL1, 48% DL2) disease were recruited. Median (range) follow-up for DL1 was 51.2 (12.1-77.3) months and for DL2 was 36.2 (4.2-63.3) months. Acute Grade 3 (G3) dysphagia was higher in DL2 (87% DL2 vs. 59% DL1), but other toxicities were equivalent. One patient in DL1 required dilatation of a pharyngeal stricture (G3 dysphagia). In DL2, 2 patients developed benign pharyngeal strictures at 1 year. One underwent a laryngo-pharyngectomy and the other a dilatation. No other G3/G4 toxicities were reported. Overall complete response was 79% (DL1) and 84% (DL2). Two-year locoregional progression-free survival rates were 64.2% (95% confidence interval, 43.5-78.9%) in DL1 and 78.4% (58.1-89.7%) in DL2. Two-year laryngeal preservation rates were 88.7% (68.5-96.3%) in DL1 and 96.4% (77.7-99.5%) in DL2. Conclusions: At a mean follow-up of 36 months, dose-escalated chemotherapy-IMRT at DL2 has so far been safe to deliver. In this study, DL2 delivered high rates of locoregional control, progression-free survival, and organ preservation and has been selected as the experimental arm in a Cancer Research UK Phase III

  9. Dose-escalated intensity-modulated radiotherapy is feasible and may improve locoregional control and laryngeal preservation in laryngo-hypopharyngeal cancers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miah, Aisha B; Bhide, Shreerang A; Guerrero-Urbano, M Teresa; Clark, Catharine; Bidmead, A Margaret; St Rose, Suzanne; Barbachano, Yolanda; A'hern, Roger; Tanay, Mary; Hickey, Jennifer; Nicol, Robyn; Newbold, Kate L; Harrington, Kevin J; Nutting, Christopher M

    2012-02-01

    To determine the safety and outcomes of induction chemotherapy followed by dose-escalated intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with concomitant chemotherapy in locally advanced squamous cell cancer of the larynx and hypopharynx (LA-SCCL/H). A sequential cohort Phase I/II trial design was used to evaluate moderate acceleration and dose escalation. Patients with LA-SCCL/H received IMRT at two dose levels (DL): DL1, 63 Gy/28 fractions (Fx) to planning target volume 1 (PTV1) and 51.8 Gy/28 Fx to PTV2; DL2, 67.2 Gy/28 Fx and 56 Gy/28 Fx to PTV1 and PTV2, respectively. Patients received induction cisplatin/5-fluorouracil and concomitant cisplatin. Acute and late toxicities and tumor control rates were recorded. Between September 2002 and January 2008, 60 patients (29 DL1, 31 DL2) with Stage III (41% DL1, 52% DL2) and Stage IV (52% DL1, 48% DL2) disease were recruited. Median (range) follow-up for DL1 was 51.2 (12.1-77.3) months and for DL2 was 36.2 (4.2-63.3) months. Acute Grade 3 (G3) dysphagia was higher in DL2 (87% DL2 vs. 59% DL1), but other toxicities were equivalent. One patient in DL1 required dilatation of a pharyngeal stricture (G3 dysphagia). In DL2, 2 patients developed benign pharyngeal strictures at 1 year. One underwent a laryngo-pharyngectomy and the other a dilatation. No other G3/G4 toxicities were reported. Overall complete response was 79% (DL1) and 84% (DL2). Two-year locoregional progression-free survival rates were 64.2% (95% confidence interval, 43.5-78.9%) in DL1 and 78.4% (58.1-89.7%) in DL2. Two-year laryngeal preservation rates were 88.7% (68.5-96.3%) in DL1 and 96.4% (77.7-99.5%) in DL2. At a mean follow-up of 36 months, dose-escalated chemotherapy-IMRT at DL2 has so far been safe to deliver. In this study, DL2 delivered high rates of locoregional control, progression-free survival, and organ preservation and has been selected as the experimental arm in a Cancer Research UK Phase III study. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights

  10. Use of radiobiological indices to guide dose escalation of the prostate cancer patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burman, Chandra; Happersett, Laura; Kutcher, Gerald; Leibel, Steven; Zelefsky, Michael; Fuks, Zvi; Ling, C. Clifton

    1997-01-01

    Purpose: In the radiation treatment of localized prostate carcinoma, a portion of the anterior rectal wall is included in the planning target volume (PTV). Thus, in dose escalation studies, radiation induced rectal complication may limit the dose that can be delivered safely. In this study we investigate the potential of increasing tumor control without increasing rectal complication by limiting the rectal volume receiving the high prescription dose. The evaluation is with the aid of radiobiological indices. Methods and Materials: Two types of 3D conformal treatment plans were performed for a group of ten patients, for prescription doses of 75.6 to 95.0 Gy. Type I plan involved 6 fields (2 lateral, 2 anterior oblique and 2 posterior oblique), with the dose prescribed to the maximum isodose line encompassing the PTV. Type II plan comprised a primary treatment (using the 6 fields of the first plan) of 72 Gy to the PTV, and a boost with 6 posterior obliques to deliver the additional dose, except to the portion of the rectal wall included by the PTV. Based on the composite 3D dose distribution, TCP and rectal NTCP were calculated with the Goitein and Lyman models, respectively, using parameters derived from our clinical experience and from the 1991 NCI Collaborating Work Group publication. Results: In the figure, the calculated values of TCP, NTCP and TCP * [1-NTCP] (or uncomplicated control), averaged over the 10 patients, are plotted against the prescription dose. The dotted and solid lines are for type I (with uniform PTV dose) and type II (with reduction in rectal dose for the boost) plans, respectively, and the error bars represent the range of computed values for the 10 patients. For type I plans, the increase in TCP, from 75% at 75.6 Gy to 98% at 95 Gy, must be balanced against the rise in rectal NTCP to >20%. The TCP for type II plan is slightly less, but with little increase in NTCP with prescription dose. Thus, the uncomplicated control continues to increase

  11. Towards biologically conformal radiation therapy (BCRT): Selective IMRT dose escalation under the guidance of spatial biology distribution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Yong; Xing Lei

    2005-01-01

    It is well known that the spatial biology distribution (e.g., clonogen density, radiosensitivity, tumor proliferation rate, functional importance) in most tumors and sensitive structures is heterogeneous. Recent progress in biological imaging is making the mapping of this distribution increasingly possible. The purpose of this work is to establish a theoretical framework to quantitatively incorporate the spatial biology data into intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) inverse planning. In order to implement this, we first derive a general formula for determining the desired dose to each tumor voxel for a known biology distribution of the tumor based on a linear-quadratic model. The desired target dose distribution is then used as the prescription for inverse planning. An objective function with the voxel-dependent prescription is constructed with incorporation of the nonuniform dose prescription. The functional unit density distribution in a sensitive structure is also considered phenomenologically when constructing the objective function. Two cases with different hypothetical biology distributions are used to illustrate the new inverse planning formalism. For comparison, treatments with a few uniform dose prescriptions and a simultaneous integrated boost are also planned. The biological indices, tumor control probability (TCP) and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP), are calculated for both types of plans and the superiority of the proposed technique over the conventional dose escalation scheme is demonstrated. Our calculations revealed that it is technically feasible to produce deliberately nonuniform dose distributions with consideration of biological information. Compared with the conventional dose escalation schemes, the new technique is capable of generating biologically conformal IMRT plans that significantly improve the TCP while reducing or keeping the NTCPs at their current levels. Biologically conformal radiation therapy (BCRT

  12. Predictors of Rectal Tolerance Observed in a Dose-Escalated Phase 1-2 Trial of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, D.W. Nathan [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States); Cho, L. Chinsoo [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota (United States); Straka, Christopher [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States); Christie, Alana [Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States); Lotan, Yair [Department of Urology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States); Pistenmaa, David [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States); Kavanagh, Brian D. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado (United States); Nanda, Akash [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida Health Cancer Center at Orlando Health, Orlando, Florida (United States); Kueplian, Patrick [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California (United States); Brindle, Jeffrey [Prairie Lakes Hospital, Watertown, South Dakota (United States); Cooley, Susan; Perkins, Alida [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States); Raben, David [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado (United States); Xie, Xian-Jin [Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States); Timmerman, Robert D., E-mail: robert.timmerman@utsouthwestern.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States)

    2014-07-01

    Purpose: To convey the occurrence of isolated cases of severe rectal toxicity at the highest dose level tested in 5-fraction stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for localized prostate cancer; and to rationally test potential causal mechanisms to guide future studies and experiments to aid in mitigating or altogether avoiding such severe bowel injury. Methods and Materials: Clinical and treatment planning data were analyzed from 91 patients enrolled from 2006 to 2011 on a dose-escalation (45, 47.5, and 50 Gy in 5 fractions) phase 1/2 clinical study of SBRT for localized prostate cancer. Results: At the highest dose level, 6.6% of patients treated (6 of 91) developed high-grade rectal toxicity, 5 of whom required colostomy. Grade 3+ delayed rectal toxicity was strongly correlated with volume of rectal wall receiving 50 Gy >3 cm{sup 3} (P<.0001), and treatment of >35% circumference of rectal wall to 39 Gy (P=.003). Grade 2+ acute rectal toxicity was significantly correlated with treatment of >50% circumference of rectal wall to 24 Gy (P=.010). Conclusion: Caution is advised when considering high-dose SBRT for treatment of tumors near bowel structures, including prostate cancer. Threshold dose constraints developed from physiologic principles are defined, and if respected can minimize risk of severe rectal toxicity.

  13. Anuvasan Basti in escalating dose is an alternative for Snehapana before Vamana and Virechana: Trends from a pilot study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Priyadarshani Arvind Kadus

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Oral administration of medicated fats (oil or ghee is termed as Snehapana. It is an essential step before Vamana (therapeutic emesis and Virechana (therapeutic purgation. Ayurveda physicians often experience a poor compliance in 10-15% patients for oral administration of medicated fats especially in escalating doses. Incomplete Snehapana sometimes creates a problem for a physician to prepare the patient for these processes. These inconveniences made us think about effective alternatives to counter drawbacks and improve acceptance of Snehapana. The present study was planned to assess the efficacy of Anuvasana Basti (oil enema in escalating doses as an alternative for Snehapana. Anuvasana Basti of medicated sesame oil with rock salt was administered in 10 patients for three to seven days till they showed signs and symptoms of complete Snehana. The symptoms of Snehana like semisolid or loose stools, feeling exhausted without much exertion, lightness of body and oiliness of skin were observed. Though the Snehana symptoms varied in intensity, they were similar as they are produced after oral administration of fats. This trend suggests Anuvasana Basti in escalating dose is an alternative for Snehapana before administration of Shodhana therapy like Vamana or Virechana.

  14. Anuvasan Basti in escalating dose is an alternative for Snehapana before Vamana and Virechana: Trends from a pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kadus, Priyadarshani Arvind; Vedpathak, Surendra M

    2014-01-01

    Oral administration of medicated fats (oil or ghee) is termed as Snehapana. It is an essential step before Vamana (therapeutic emesis) and Virechana (therapeutic purgation). Ayurveda physicians often experience a poor compliance in 10-15% patients for oral administration of medicated fats especially in escalating doses. Incomplete Snehapana sometimes creates a problem for a physician to prepare the patient for these processes. These inconveniences made us think about effective alternatives to counter drawbacks and improve acceptance of Snehapana. The present study was planned to assess the efficacy of Anuvasana Basti (oil enema) in escalating doses as an alternative for Snehapana. Anuvasana Basti of medicated sesame oil with rock salt was administered in 10 patients for three to seven days till they showed signs and symptoms of complete Snehana. The symptoms of Snehana like semisolid or loose stools, feeling exhausted without much exertion, lightness of body and oiliness of skin were observed. Though the Snehana symptoms varied in intensity, they were similar as they are produced after oral administration of fats. This trend suggests Anuvasana Basti in escalating dose is an alternative for Snehapana before administration of Shodhana therapy like Vamana or Virechana.

  15. Dose escalation with 3D conformal treatment: five year outcomes, treatment optimization, and future directions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hanks, Gerald E.; Hanlon, Alexandra L. M.S.; Schultheiss, Timothy E.; Pinover, Wayne H.; Movsas, Benjamin; Epstein, Barry E.; Hunt, Margie

    1998-01-01

    Purpose: To report the 5-year outcomes of dose escalation with 3D conformal treatment (3DCRT) of prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: Two hundred thirty-two consecutive patients were treated with 3DCRT alone between 6/89 and 10/92 with ICRU reporting point dose that increased from 63 to 79 Gy. The median follow-up was 60 months, and any patient free of clinical or biochemical evidence of disease was termed bNED. Biochemical failure was defined as prostate-specific antigen (PSA) rising on two consecutive recordings and exceeding 1.5 ng/ml. Morbidity was reported by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) scale, the Late Effects Normal Tissue (LENT) scale, and a Fox Chase modification of the latter (FC-LENT). All patients were treated with a four-field technique with a 1 cm clinical target volume (CTV) to planning target volume (PTV) margin to the prostate or prostate boost; the CTV and gross tumor volume (GTV) were the same. Actuarial rates of outcome were calculated by Kaplan-Meier and cumulative incidence methods and compared using the log rank and Gray's test statistic, respectively. Cox regression models were used to establish prognostic factors predictive of the various measures of outcome. Five-year Kaplan-Meier bNED rates were utilized by dose group to estimate logit response models for bNED and late morbidity. Results: PSA 10 ng/ml based on 5-year bNED results. No dose response was observed for patients with pretreatment PSA 10 ng/ml strongly suggests that clinical trials employing radiation should investigate the use of 3DCRT and prostate doses of 76-80 Gy

  16. Dose-Escalation Study for Cardiac Radiosurgery in a Porcine Model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Blanck, Oliver, E-mail: oliver.blanck@uksh.de [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Luebeck and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Luebeck (Germany); CyberKnife Center Northern Germany, Guestrow (Germany); Bode, Frank [Medical Department II, University of Luebeck and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Luebeck (Germany); Gebhard, Maximilian [Institute of Pathology, University of Luebeck and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Luebeck (Germany); Hunold, Peter [Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Luebeck and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Luebeck (Germany); Brandt, Sebastian [Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University of Luebeck and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Luebeck (Germany); Bruder, Ralf [Institute for Robotics and Cognitive Systems, University of Luebeck and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Luebeck (Germany); Grossherr, Martin [Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University of Luebeck and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Luebeck (Germany); Vonthein, Reinhard [Institute of Medical Biometry and Statistics, University of Luebeck and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Luebeck (Germany); Rades, Dirk [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Luebeck and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Luebeck (Germany); Dunst, Juergen [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Luebeck and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Luebeck (Germany); University Copenhagen (Denmark)

    2014-07-01

    Purpose: To perform a proof-of-principle dose-escalation study to radiosurgically induce scarring in cardiac muscle tissue to block veno-atrial electrical connections at the pulmonary vein antrum, similar to catheter ablation. Methods and Materials: Nine mini-pigs underwent pretreatment magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation of heart function and electrophysiology assessment by catheter measurements in the right superior pulmonary vein (RSPV). Immediately after examination, radiosurgery with randomized single-fraction doses of 0 and 17.5-35 Gy in 2.5-Gy steps were delivered to the RSPV antrum (target volume 5-8 cm{sup 3}). MRI and electrophysiology were repeated 6 months after therapy, followed by histopathologic examination. Results: Transmural scarring of cardiac muscle tissue was noted with doses ≥32.5 Gy. However, complete circumferential scarring of the RSPV was not achieved. Logistic regressions showed that extent and intensity of fibrosis significantly increased with dose. The 50% effective dose for intense fibrosis was 31.3 Gy (odds ratio 2.47/Gy, P<.01). Heart function was not affected, as verified by MRI and electrocardiogram evaluation. Adjacent critical structures were not damaged, as verified by pathology, demonstrating the short-term safety of small-volume cardiac radiosurgery with doses up to 35 Gy. Conclusions: Radiosurgery with doses >32.5 Gy in the healthy pig heart can induce circumscribed scars at the RSPV antrum noninvasively, mimicking the effect of catheter ablation. In our study we established a significant dose-response relationship for cardiac radiosurgery. The long-term effects and toxicity of such high radiation doses need further investigation in the pursuit of cardiac radiosurgery for noninvasive treatment of atrial fibrillation.

  17. Vaginal dose de-escalation in image guided adaptive brachytherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mohamed, Sandy; Lindegaard, Jacob Christian; de Leeuw, Astrid A C

    2016-01-01

    Purpose Vaginal stenosis is a major problem following radiotherapy in cervical cancer. We investigated a new dose planning strategy for vaginal dose de-escalation (VDD). Materials and methods Fifty consecutive locally advanced cervical cancer patients without lower or middle vaginal involvement...... at diagnosis from 3 institutions were analysed. External beam radiotherapy was combined with MRI-guided brachytherapy. VDD was obtained by decreasing dwell times in ovoid/ring and increasing dwell times in tandem/needles. The aim was to maintain the target dose (D90 of HR-CTV ⩾ 85 Gy EQD2) while reducing...... bladder and rectum (D2cm3) were reduced by 2 ± 2 Gy and 3 ± 2 Gy, respectively (p

  18. Comparison of doses delivered in clinical trials of neutron capture therapy in the USA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Albritton, J.R.; Binns, P.J.; Riley, K.J.; Coderre, J.A.; Harling, O.K.; Kiger, W.S. III

    2006-01-01

    A combined 81 brain tumor patients have been treated in dose escalation trials of Neutron Capture Therapy (NCT) at Harvard-MIT and Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). Pooling the clinical outcomes from these trials will permit evaluation with more statistical rigor. However, differences in physical and computational dosimetry between the institutions make direct comparison of the clinical dosimetry difficult. This paper describes work performed to normalize the BNL clinical dosimetry to that of Harvard-MIT for combined dose response analysis. This normalization involved analysis of MIT measurements and calculations using the BNL treatment planning system (TPS), BNCT - Rtpe, for two different phantoms. The BNL TPS was calibrated to dose measurements made by MIT at the BMRR in the BNL calibration phantom, a Lucite cube, and then validated by MIT dose measurements at the BMMR in an ellipsoidal water phantom. Treatment plans for all BNL patients were recomputed using the newly determined TPS calibration, yielding reductions in reported mean brain doses of 19% on average in the initial 15 patients and 31% in the latter 38 patients. These reductions in reported doses have clinically significant implications for those relying on reported BNL doses as a basis for initial dose selection in clinical studies. (author)

  19. The potential influence of cell protectors for dose escalation in cancer therapy: an analysis of amifostine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McCumber, Linda M.

    2004-01-01

    The attempt to increase the therapeutic ratio in an effort to improve survival or quality of life is the goal of modern cancer therapy. It is commonly accepted that local and systemic tumor control would increase if the dose intensity of antineoplastic drugs, radiation therapy, or the combination were increased. Radiation dose escalation using intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), accelerated or hypofractionated radiation schemes, and multidrug chemotherapy regimens are being used to try to increase tumor kill while inflicting minimal injury to normal tissue. Modern chemoradiation techniques have led to improved local regional control and increased cure rates, but the potentially severe and debilitating adverse effects of the therapies prevent them from reaching the ultimate goal of curing the disease while leaving the patient with a good quality of life. Cell protectants such as amifostine function by reducing the effects of therapy on normal cells while maintaining tumor sensitivity to the therapy. In various studies, amifostine has been analyzed and appears to be a potentially powerful adjuvant to current cancer therapy. Administering amifostine may allow dose escalation with less or equal risk to surrounding normal tissues. This could improve therapeutic efficacy, survival, and quality of life for cancer patients

  20. Dose escalation by image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy leads to an increase in pain relief for spinal metastases: a comparison study with a regimen of 30 Gy in 10 fractions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Jinlan; Xiao, Jianghong; Peng, Xingchen; Duan, Baofeng; Li, Yan; Ai, Ping; Yao, Min; Chen, Nianyong

    2017-12-22

    Under the existing condition that the optimum radiotherapy regimen for spinal metastases is controversial, this study investigates the benefits of dose escalation by image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IG-IMRT) with 60-66 Gy in 20-30 fractions for spinal metastases. In the dose-escalation group, each D50 of planning gross tumor volume (PGTV) was above 60 Gy and each Dmax of spinal cord planning organ at risk volume (PRV) was below 48 Gy. The median biological effective dose (BED) of Dmax of spinal cord was lower in the dose-escalation group compared with that in the 30-Gy group (69.70 Gy vs. 83.16 Gy, p pain responses were better in the dose-escalation group than those in the 30-Gy group ( p = 0.005 and p = 0.024), and the complete pain relief rates were respectively 73.69% and 34.29% ( p = 0.006), 73.69% and 41.38% ( p = 0.028) in two compared groups. In the dose-escalation group, there is a trend of a longer duration of pain relief, a longer overall survival and a lower incidence of acute radiation toxicities. No late radiation toxicities were observed in both groups. Dosimetric parameters and clinical outcomes, including pain response, duration of pain relief, radiation toxicities and overall survival, were compared among twenty-five metastatic spinal lesions irradiated with the dose-escalation regimen and among forty-four lesions treated with the 30-Gy regimen. Conventionally-fractionated IG-IMRT for spinal metastases could escalate dose to the vertebral lesions while sparing the spinal cord, achieving a better pain relief without increasing radiation complications.

  1. Escalating dose, multiple binge methamphetamine regimen does not impair recognition memory in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Robert E; Kuczenski, Ronald; Segal, David S

    2007-07-01

    Rats exposed to methamphetamine (METH) in an acute high dose "binge" pattern have been reported to exhibit a persistent deficit in a novel object recognition (NOR) task, which may suggest a potential risk for human METH abusers. However, most high dose METH abusers initially use lower doses before progressively increasing the dose, only eventually engaging in multiple daily administrations. To simulate this pattern of METH exposure, we administered progressively increasing doses of METH to rats over a 14 day interval, then treated them with daily METH binges for 11 days. This treatment resulted in a persistent deficit in striatal dopamine (DA) levels of approximately 20%. We then tested them in a NOR task under a variety of conditions. We could not detect a deficit in their performance in the NOR task under any of the testing conditions. These results suggest that mechanisms other than or additional to the decrement in striatal DA associated with an acute METH binge are responsible for the deficit in the NOR task, and that neuroadaptations consequential to prolonged escalating dose METH pretreatment mitigate against these mechanisms.

  2. A Phase I/II Trial of Intensity Modulated Radiation (IMRT) Dose Escalation With Concurrent Fixed-dose Rate Gemcitabine (FDR-G) in Patients With Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ben-Josef, Edgar; Schipper, Mathew; Francis, Isaac R.; Hadley, Scott; Ten-Haken, Randall; Lawrence, Theodore; Normolle, Daniel; Simeone, Diane M.; Sonnenday, Christopher; Abrams, Ross; Leslie, William; Khan, Gazala; Zalupski, Mark M.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: Local failure in unresectable pancreatic cancer may contribute to death. We hypothesized that intensification of local therapy would improve local control and survival. The objectives were to determine the maximum tolerated radiation dose delivered by intensity modulated radiation with fixed-dose rate gemcitabine (FDR-G), freedom from local progression (FFLP), and overall survival (OS). Methods and Materials: Eligibility included pathologic confirmation of adenocarcinoma, radiographically unresectable, performance status of 0-2, absolute neutrophil count of ≥1500/mm 3 , platelets ≥100,000/mm 3 , creatinine 2 /100 min intravenously) was given on days −22 and −15, 1, 8, 22, and 29. Intensity modulated radiation started on day 1. Dose levels were escalated from 50-60 Gy in 25 fractions. Dose-limiting toxicity was defined as gastrointestinal toxicity grade (G) ≥3, neutropenic fever, or deterioration in performance status to ≥3 between day 1 and 126. Dose level was assigned using TITE-CRM (Time-to-Event Continual Reassessment Method) with the target dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) rate set to 0.25. Results: Fifty patients were accrued. DLTs were observed in 11 patients: G3/4 anorexia, nausea, vomiting, and/or dehydration (7); duodenal bleed (3); duodenal perforation (1). The recommended dose is 55 Gy, producing a probability of DLT of 0.24. The 2-year FFLP is 59% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 32-79). Median and 2-year overall survival are 14.8 months (95% CI: 12.6-22.2) and 30% (95% CI 17-45). Twelve patients underwent resection (10 R0, 2 R1) and survived a median of 32 months. Conclusions: High-dose radiation therapy with concurrent FDR-G can be delivered safely. The encouraging efficacy data suggest that outcome may be improved in unresectable patients through intensification of local therapy.

  3. A phase I dose-escalation study of lenalidomide in combination with gemcitabine in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gustav J Ullenhag

    Full Text Available Lenalidomide have both immunomodulatory and anti-angiogenic properties which could confer anti-cancer effects. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of combining lenalidomide with the standard treatment gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer patients with advanced disease.Eligible patients had locally advanced or metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. Patients received lenalidomide days 1-21 orally and gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 intravenously (days 1, 8 and 15, each 28 day cycle. Three cohorts of lenalidomide were examined (Cohort I = 15 mg, Cohort II = 20 mg and Cohort III = 25 mg daily. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD of lenalidomide given in combination with gemcitabine was defined as the highest dose level at which no more than one out of four (25% subjects experiences a dose-limiting toxicity (DLT. Patients should also be able to receive daily low molecular weight heparin (LMWH (e.g. dalteparin 5000 IU s.c. daily as a prophylactic anticoagulant for venous thromboembolic events (VTEs. Twelve patients (n = 4, n = 3 and n = 5 in cohort I, II and III, respectively were enrolled in this study.Median duration of treatment was 11 weeks (range 1-66, and median number of treatment cycles were three (range 1-14. The only DLT was a cardiac failure grade 3 in cohort III. Frequent treatment-related adverse events (AEs (all grades included neutropenia, leucopenia and fatigue (83% each, but there was no febrile neutropenia; thrombocytopenia (75%; dermatological toxicity (75%; diarrhea and nausea (42% each; and neuropathy (42%.This phase I study demonstrates the feasibility of the combination of lenalidomide and gemcitabine as first-line treatment in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. The tolerability profile demonstrated in the dose escalation schedule of lenalidomide suggests the dosing of lenalidomide to be 25 mg daily on days 1-21 with standard dosing of gemcitabine and merits further evaluation in a phase II trial.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT

  4. Dose-Effect Relationship in Chemoradiotherapy for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jakobsen, Anders; Ploen, John; Vuong, Té

    2012-01-01

    PURPOSE: Locally advanced rectal cancer represents a major therapeutic challenge. Preoperative chemoradiation therapy is considered standard, but little is known about the dose-effect relationship. The present study represents a dose-escalation phase III trial comparing 2 doses of radiation...

  5. Focal Radiation Therapy Dose Escalation Improves Overall Survival in Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Patients Receiving Induction Chemotherapy and Consolidative Chemoradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Krishnan, Sunil, E-mail: skrishnan@mdanderson.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, Houston, Texas (United States); Chadha, Awalpreet S. [Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, Houston, Texas (United States); Suh, Yelin [Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas, Houston, Texas (United States); Chen, Hsiang-Chun [Department of Biostatistics, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); Rao, Arvind [Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); Das, Prajnan; Minsky, Bruce D.; Mahmood, Usama; Delclos, Marc E. [Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, Houston, Texas (United States); Sawakuchi, Gabriel O. [Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas, Houston, Texas (United States); Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas, Houston, Texas (United States); Beddar, Sam [Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas, Houston, Texas (United States); Katz, Matthew H.; Fleming, Jason B. [Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); Javle, Milind M.; Varadhachary, Gauri R.; Wolff, Robert A. [Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); Crane, Christopher H. [Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, Houston, Texas (United States)

    2016-03-15

    Purpose: To review outcomes of locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) patients treated with dose-escalated intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with curative intent. Methods and Materials: A total of 200 patients with LAPC were treated with induction chemotherapy followed by chemoradiation between 2006 and 2014. Of these, 47 (24%) having tumors >1 cm from the luminal organs were selected for dose-escalated IMRT (biologically effective dose [BED] >70 Gy) using a simultaneous integrated boost technique, inspiration breath hold, and computed tomographic image guidance. Fractionation was optimized for coverage of gross tumor and luminal organ sparing. A 2- to 5-mm margin around the gross tumor volume was treated using a simultaneous integrated boost with a microscopic dose. Overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), local-regional and distant RFS, and time to local-regional and distant recurrence, calculated from start of chemoradiation, were the outcomes of interest. Results: Median radiation dose was 50.4 Gy (BED = 59.47 Gy) with a concurrent capecitabine-based (86%) regimen. Patients who received BED >70 Gy had a superior OS (17.8 vs 15.0 months, P=.03), which was preserved throughout the follow-up period, with estimated OS rates at 2 years of 36% versus 19% and at 3 years of 31% versus 9% along with improved local-regional RFS (10.2 vs 6.2 months, P=.05) as compared with those receiving BED ≤70 Gy. Degree of gross tumor volume coverage did not seem to affect outcomes. No additional toxicity was observed in the high-dose group. Higher dose (BED) was the only predictor of improved OS on multivariate analysis. Conclusion: Radiation dose escalation during consolidative chemoradiation therapy after induction chemotherapy for LAPC patients improves OS and local-regional RFS.

  6. A dose-escalation study of combretastatin A4-phosphate in healthy dogs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abma, E; Smets, P; Daminet, S; Cornelis, I; De Clercq, K; Ni, Y; Vlerick, L; de Rooster, H

    2018-03-01

    Combretastatin A4-Phosphate (CA4P) is a vascular disrupting agent revealing promising results in cancer treatments for humans. The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and adverse events of CA4P in healthy dogs as a prerequisite to application of CA4P in dogs with cancer. Ten healthy dogs were included. The effects of escalating doses of CA4P on physical, haematological and biochemical parameters, systolic arterial blood pressure, electrocardiogram, echocardiographic variables and general wellbeing were characterised. Three different doses were tested: 50, 75 and 100 mg m -2 . At all 3 CA4P doses, nausea, abdominal discomfort as well as diarrhoea were observed for several hours following administration. Likewise, a low-grade neutropenia was observed in all dogs. Doses of 75 and 100 mg m -2 additionally induced vomiting and elevation of serum cardiac troponine I levels. At 100 mg m -2 , low-grade hypertension and high-grade neurotoxicity were also observed. In healthy dogs, doses up to 75 mg m -2 seem to be well tolerated. The severity of the neurotoxicity observed at 100 mg m -2 , although transient, does not invite to use this dose in canine oncology patients. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. Induction therapy with carboplatin/paclitaxel followed by concurrent carboplatin/paclitaxel and dose-escalating conformal radiotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced, unresectable non-small cell lung cancer: preliminary report of a phase I trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Socinski, M A; Clark, J A; Halle, J; Steagall, A; Kaluzny, B; Rosenman, J G

    1997-08-01

    Locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer is optimally managed with chemotherapy and thoracic irradiation, although the most appropriate strategy is not yet defined. In this phase I trial, we use two 21-day cycles of induction chemotherapy with paclitaxel (Taxol; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, NJ) (225 mg/m2 over 3 hours) and carboplatin (area under the concentration-time curve = 6) followed by concurrent weekly paclitaxel (45 mg/m2/wk x 6) and carboplatin (area under the concentration-time curve = 2/wk x 6) and thoracic irradiation. Patients undergo three-dimensional treatment planning (conformal radiotherapy) to define the cancer target volume precisely. The phase I question being addressed in this study is the maximum tolerated radiation dose given concurrently with low-dose paclitaxel and carboplatin. The initial radiation dose is 60 Gy, with dose escalations to 66 Gy, 70 Gy, and 74 Gy being planned. Ten patients have been entered thus far (eight men and two women). Their median age is 67 years (range, 59 to 78 years), and none of the patients has had greater than 5% pretreatment weight loss. Seven of 10 are evaluable for response to induction carboplatin and paclitaxel, with a response rate of 57% (three partial responses and one minor response). Three patients had stable disease and none of the patients had evidence of progressive disease during induction chemotherapy. Three patients have completed all treatment at 60 Gy and one has completed all treatment at 66 Gy. Three of the four patients have had partial responses (75%), with the remaining patient having stable disease. Toxicity in the concurrent chemoradiotherapy portion of the trial thus far has consisted of grade 3 neutropenia in one patient and grade 4 lymphocytopenia in all four patients. No grade 3 or 4 nonhematologic toxicity has been seen. The trial data are not yet mature enough to report on survival. Accrual and treatment is continuing at the 66 Gy radiation dose level.

  8. Post-nerve-sparing prostatectomy, dose-escalated intensity-modulated radiotherapy: effect on erectile function

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bastasch, Michael D.; Teh, Bin S.; Mai, W.-Y.; Carpenter, L. Steven; Lu, Hsin H.; Chiu, J. Kam; Woo, Shiao Y.; Grant, Walter H.; Miles, Brian J.; Kadmon, Dov; Butler, E. Brian

    2002-01-01

    Purpose: The advent of widespread prostate-specific antigen screening has resulted in more younger, potent men being diagnosed with early-stage, organ-confined prostate cancer amenable to definitive surgery. Nerve-sparing prostatectomy is a relatively new surgical advance in the treatment of prostate cancer. Very few data exist on the effect of postoperative radiotherapy (RT) on erectile function after nerve-sparing prostatectomy. They are based on conventional techniques using moderate doses of radiation, 45-54 Gy. Intensity-modulated RT (IMRT) is becoming more widespread because it allows dose escalation with increased sparing of the surrounding normal tissue. We investigated the effect of postprostatectomy, high-dose IMRT on patients' erectile function. Methods and Materials: A review of patient records found 51 patients treated between April 1998 and December 2000 with IMRT after unilateral or bilateral nerve-sparing prostatectomy. The pathologic disease stage in these patients was T2 in 47.4% and T3 in 52.6%. Postoperatively, 4 patients received hormonal ablation consisting of one injection of Lupron Depot (30 mg) 2 months before RT. The median age was 65 years (range 46-77) at the time of RT. The prescribed dose was 64 Gy (range 60-66). The mean dose was 69.6 Gy (range 64.0-72.3). Erectile function was assessed before and after RT by questionnaires. Sexual potency was defined as erectile rigidity adequate for vaginal penetration. Results: Of the 51 patients, 18 (35.3%) maintained their potency and 33 (64.7%) became impotent after nerve-sparing prostatectomy. Patients who underwent bilateral nerve-sparing prostatectomy had higher rates of postoperative potency than did those who underwent unilateral nerve-sparing surgery (72.2% vs. 27.8%; p=0.025). The follow-up for the entire group was 19.5 months. All 18 patients (100%) who were potent postoperatively remained potent after RT. The median follow-up for the 18 potent patients was 27.2 months, significantly

  9. Dose-Escalated Robotic SBRT for Stage I-II Prostate Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert eMeier

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract: Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT is the precise external delivery of very high-dose radiotherapy to targets in the body, with treatment completed in one to five fractions. SBRT should be an ideal approach for organ-confined prostate cancer because (I dose escalation should yield improved rates of cancer control; (II the unique radiobiology of prostate cancer favors hypofractionation and (III the conformal nature of SBRT minimizes high-dose radiation delivery to immediately adjacent organs, potentially reducing complications. This approach is also more convenient for patients, and is cheaper than intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT. Several external beam platforms are capable of delivering SBRT for early-stage prostate cancer, although most of the mature reported series have employed a robotic non-coplanar platform (i.e., CyberKnife. Several large studies report 5-year biochemical relapse rates which compare favorably to IMRT. Rates of late GU toxicity are similar to those seen with IMRT, and rates of late rectal toxicity may be less than with IMRT and low dose rate (LDR brachytherapy. Patient-reported quality of life (QOL outcomes appear similar to IMRT in the urinary domain. Bowel QOL may be less adversely affected by SBRT than with other radiation modalities. After five years of follow-up, SBRT delivered on a robotic platform is yielding outcomes at least as favorable as IMRT, and may be considered appropriate therapy for stage I-II prostate cancer.

  10. Modelling normal tissue isoeffect distribution in conformal radiotherapy of glioblastoma provides an alternative dose escalation pattern through hypofractionation without reducing the total dose

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mangel, L.; Skriba, Z.; Major, T.; Polgar, C.; Fodor, J.; Somogyi, A.; Nemeth, G.

    2002-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to prove that by using conformal external beam radiotherapy (RT) normal brain structures can be protected even when applying an alternative approach of biological dose escalation: hypofractionation (HOF) without total dose reduction (TDR). Traditional 2-dimensional (2D) and conformal 3-dimensional (3D) treatment plans were prepared for 10 gliomas representing the subanatomical sites of the supratentorial brain. Isoeffect distributions were generated by the biologically effective dose (BED) formula to analyse the effect of conventionally fractionated (CF) and HOF schedules on both the spatial biological dose distribution and biological dose-volume histograms. A comparison was made between 2D-CF (2.0 Gy/day) and 3D-HOF (2.5 Gy/day) regimens, applying the same 60 Gy total doses. Integral biologically effective dose (IBED) and volumes received biologically equivalent to a dose of 54 Gy or more (V-BED54) were calculated for the lower and upper brain stem as organs of risk. The IBED values were lower with the 3D-HOF than with the 2D-CF schedule in each tumour location, means 22.7±17.1 and 40.4±16.9 in Gy, respectively (p<0.0001). The V-BED54 values were also smaller or equal in 90% of the cases favouring the 3D-HOF scheme. The means were 2.7±4.8 ccm for 3D-HOF and 10.7±12.7 ccm for 2D-CF (p=0.0006). Our results suggest that with conformal RT, fraction size can gradually be increased. HOF radiotherapy regimens without TDR shorten the treatment time and seem to be an alternative way of dose escalation in the treatment of glioblastoma

  11. Modelling normal tissue isoeffect distribution in conformal radiotherapy of glioblastoma provides an alternative dose escalation pattern through hypofractionation without reducing the total dose

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mangel, L.; Skriba, Z.; Major, T.; Polgar, C.; Fodor, J.; Somogyi, A.; Nemeth, G. [National Research Inst. for Radiobiology and Radiohygiene, Budapest (Hungary)

    2002-04-01

    The purpose of this study was to prove that by using conformal external beam radiotherapy (RT) normal brain structures can be protected even when applying an alternative approach of biological dose escalation: hypofractionation (HOF) without total dose reduction (TDR). Traditional 2-dimensional (2D) and conformal 3-dimensional (3D) treatment plans were prepared for 10 gliomas representing the subanatomical sites of the supratentorial brain. Isoeffect distributions were generated by the biologically effective dose (BED) formula to analyse the effect of conventionally fractionated (CF) and HOF schedules on both the spatial biological dose distribution and biological dose-volume histograms. A comparison was made between 2D-CF (2.0 Gy/day) and 3D-HOF (2.5 Gy/day) regimens, applying the same 60 Gy total doses. Integral biologically effective dose (IBED) and volumes received biologically equivalent to a dose of 54 Gy or more (V-BED54) were calculated for the lower and upper brain stem as organs of risk. The IBED values were lower with the 3D-HOF than with the 2D-CF schedule in each tumour location, means 22.7{+-}17.1 and 40.4{+-}16.9 in Gy, respectively (p<0.0001). The V-BED54 values were also smaller or equal in 90% of the cases favouring the 3D-HOF scheme. The means were 2.7{+-}4.8 ccm for 3D-HOF and 10.7{+-}12.7 ccm for 2D-CF (p=0.0006). Our results suggest that with conformal RT, fraction size can gradually be increased. HOF radiotherapy regimens without TDR shorten the treatment time and seem to be an alternative way of dose escalation in the treatment of glioblastoma.

  12. Precision Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy in Poor Performing Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Phase 1 Dose Escalation Trial

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Westover, Kenneth D. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States); Loo, Billy W. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, California (United States); Gerber, David E. [Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States); Iyengar, Puneeth; Choy, Hak [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States); Diehn, Maximilian [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, California (United States); Hughes, Randy; Schiller, Joan; Dowell, Jonathan [Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States); Wardak, Zabi [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States); Sher, David [Department of Radiation Oncology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois (United States); Christie, Alana; Xie, Xian-Jin [Department of Clinical Science, Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States); Corona, Irma [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States); Sharma, Akanksha [School of Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States); Wadsworth, Margaret E. [Radiation Oncology of Mississippi, Jackson, Mississippi (United States); Timmerman, Robert, E-mail: Robert.Timmerman@utsouthwestern.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States)

    2015-09-01

    Purpose: Treatment regimens for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) give suboptimal clinical outcomes. Technological advancements such as radiation therapy, the backbone of most treatment regimens, may enable more potent and effective therapies. The objective of this study was to escalate radiation therapy to a tumoricidal hypofractionated dose without exceeding the maximally tolerated dose (MTD) in patients with locally advanced NSCLC. Methods and Materials: Patients with stage II to IV or recurrent NSCLC and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 2 or greater and not candidates for surgical resection, stereotactic radiation, or concurrent chemoradiation were eligible. Highly conformal radiation therapy was given to treat intrathoracic disease in 15 fractions to a total of 50, 55, or 60 Gy. Results: Fifty-five patients were enrolled: 15 at the 50-Gy, 21 at the 55-Gy, and 19 at the 60-Gy dose levels. A 90-day follow-up was completed in each group without exceeding the MTD. With a median follow-up of 12.5 months, there were 93 grade ≥3 adverse events (AEs), including 39 deaths, although most AEs were considered related to factors other than radiation therapy. One patient from the 55- and 60-Gy dose groups developed grade ≥3 esophagitis, and 5, 4, and 4 patients in the respective dose groups experienced grade ≥3 dyspnea, but only 2 of these AEs were considered likely related to therapy. There was no association between fraction size and toxicity (P=.24). The median overall survival was 6 months with no significant differences between dose levels (P=.59). Conclusions: Precision hypofractionated radiation therapy consisting of 60 Gy in 15 fractions for locally advanced NSCLC is generally well tolerated. This treatment regimen could provide patients with poor performance status a potent alternative to chemoradiation. This study has implications for the cost effectiveness of lung cancer therapy. Additional studies of long

  13. Prostate cancer: Doses and volumes of radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hennequin, C.; Rivera, S.; Quero, L.; Latorzeff, I.

    2010-01-01

    Radiotherapy is nowadays a major therapeutic option in prostate cancer. Technological improvements allowed dose escalation without increasing late toxicity. Some randomized trials have shown that dose escalation decreases the biochemical failure rate, without any benefit in survival with the present follow-up. However, some studies indicate that the distant metastases rate is also decreased. Most of these studies have been done without hormonal treatment, and the role of dose escalation in case of long-term androgen deprivation is unknown. The target volume encompassed the whole gland: however, complete or partial focal treatment of the prostate can be done with sophisticated IMRT technique and must be evaluated. Proximal part of the seminal vesicles must be included in the target volumes. The role of nodal irradiation is another debate, but it could be logically proposed for the unfavourable group. (authors)

  14. Tomotherapy PET-guided dose escalation. A dosimetric feasibility study for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maggio, Angelo; Cutaia, Claudia; Di Dia, Amalia; Bresciani, Sara; Miranti, Anna; Poli, Matteo; Stasi, Michele [Candiolo Cancer Institute - FPO, IRCCS, Medical Physics, Turin (Italy); Del Mastro, Elena; Garibaldi, Elisabetta; Gabriele, Pietro [Candiolo Cancer Institute - FPO, IRCCS, Radiotherapy Department, Turin (Italy)

    2016-02-15

    The aim of this study was to investigate whether a safe escalation of the dose to the pleural cavity and PET/CT-positive areas in patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is possible using helical tomotherapy (HT). We selected 12 patients with MPM. Three planning strategies were investigated. In the first strategy (standard treatment), treated comprised a prescribed median dose to the planning target volume (PTV) boost (PTV{sub 1}) of 64.5 Gy (range: 56 Gy/28 fractions to 66 Gy/30 fractions) and 51 Gy (range: 50.4 Gy/28 fractions to 54 Gy/30 fractions) to the pleura PTV (PTV{sub 2}). Thereafter, for each patient, two dose escalation plans were generated prescribing 62.5 and 70 Gy (2.5 and 2.8 Gy/fraction, respectively) to the PTV{sub 1} and 56 Gy (2.24 Gy/fraction) to the PTV{sub 2}, in 25 fractions. Dose-volume histogram (DVH) constraints and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) calculations were used to evaluate the differences between the plans. For all plans, the 95 % PTVs received at least 95 % of the prescribed dose. For all patients, it was possible to perform the dose escalation in accordance with the Quantitative Analysis of Normal Tissue Effects in the Clinic (QUANTEC) constraints for organs at risk (OARs). The average contralateral lung dose was < 8 Gy. NTCP values for OARs did not increase significantly compared with the standard treatment (p > 0.05), except for the ipsilateral lung. For all plans, the lung volume ratio was strongly correlated with the V{sub 20}, V{sub 30}, and V{sub 40} DVHs of the lung (p < 0.0003) and with the lung mean dose (p < 0.0001). The results of this study suggest that by using HT it is possible to safely escalate the dose delivery to at least 62.5 Gy in PET-positive areas while treating the pleural cavity to 56 Gy in 25 fractions without significantly increasing the dose to the surrounding normal organs. (orig.) [German] Ziel war es, zu untersuchen, ob mit der helikalen Tomotherapie (HT) eine

  15. [F-18]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography for targeting radiation dose escalation for patients with glioblastoma multiforme: Clinical outcomes and patterns of failure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Douglas, James G.; Stelzer, Keith J.; Mankoff, David A.; Tralins, Kevin S.; Krohn, Kenneth A.; Muzi, Mark; Silbergeld, Daniel L.; Rostomily, Robert C.; Scharnhorst, Jeffrey B.S.; Spence, Alexander M.

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: [F-18]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) imaging for brain tumors has been shown to identify areas of active disease. Radiation dose escalation in the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme may lead to improved disease control. Based on these premises, we initiated a prospective study of FDG-PET for the treatment planning of radiation dose escalation for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme. Methods and Materials: Forty patients were enrolled. Patients were treated with standard conformal fractionated radiotherapy with volumes defined by MRI imaging. When patients reached a dose of 45-50.4 Gy, they underwent FDG-PET imaging for boost target delineation, for an additional 20 Gy (2 Gy per fraction) to a total dose of 79.4 Gy (n = 30). Results: The estimated 1-year and 2-year overall survival (OS) for the entire group was 70% and 17%, respectively, with a median overall survival of 70 weeks. The estimated 1-year and 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 18% and 3%, respectively, with a median of 24 weeks. No significant improvements in OS or PFS were observed for the study group in comparison to institutional historical controls. Conclusions: Radiation dose escalation to 79.4 Gy based on FDG-PET imaging demonstrated no improvement in OS or PFS. This study establishes the feasibility of integrating PET metabolic imaging into radiotherapy treatment planning

  16. A 12-week dose-escalating study of etelcalcetide (ONO-5163/AMG 416), a novel intravenous calcimimetic, for secondary hyperparathyroidism in Japanese hemodialysis patients
.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yokoyama, Keitaro; Fukagawa, Masafumi; Shigematsu, Takashi; Akiba, Takashi; Fujii, Akifumi; Odani, Motoi; Akizawa, Tadao

    2017-08-01

    To evaluate dose-escalation of etelcalcetide (ONO-5163/AMG 416), a novel, intravenous (IV), long-acting calcium-sensing receptor agonist, for treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) in Japanese hemodialysis patients. In this multicenter study, IV injections of etelcalcetide (3 times a week for 12 weeks) were administered, with dose escalation every 4 weeks depending on changes in serum intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) and corrected calcium (cCa). A total of 24 patients participated in this study. Serum iPTH was reduced in a time- and dose-dependent manner, with reductions (in pg/mL) at 12 weeks of -226.1 ± 125.3, -362.5 ± 161.5, and -412.4 ± 130.2, respectively, for maximum doses of 5, 10, and 15 mg. At the end of the treatment, 50% of patients had serum iPTH levels within the target range (60 - 240 pg/mL). Serum cCa and phosphorus were reduced in parallel with iPTH. Adverse events (AEs) occurred in 20 patients (83.3%). The most frequently observed AEs (> 10%) were either mild or moderate nasopharyngitis (29.2%), decreased serum calcium (16.7%), and vomiting (12.5%). Dose-escalated triweekly etelcalcetide was effective for SHPT in Japanese hemodialysis patients and was satisfactorily tolerated.
.

  17. Is Androgen Deprivation Therapy Necessary in All Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer Patients Treated in the Dose Escalation Era?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Castle, Katherine O.; Hoffman, Karen E.; Levy, Lawrence B.; Lee, Andrew K.; Choi, Seungtaek; Nguyen, Quynh N.; Frank, Steven J.; Pugh, Thomas J.; McGuire, Sean E.; Kuban, Deborah A.

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: The benefit of adding androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) to dose-escalated radiation therapy (RT) for men with intermediate-risk prostate cancer is unclear; therefore, we assessed the impact of adding ADT to dose-escalated RT on freedom from failure (FFF). Methods: Three groups of men treated with intensity modulated RT or 3-dimensional conformal RT (75.6-78 Gy) from 1993-2008 for prostate cancer were categorized as (1) 326 intermediate-risk patients treated with RT alone, (2) 218 intermediate-risk patients treated with RT and ≤6 months of ADT, and (3) 274 low-risk patients treated with definitive RT. Median follow-up was 58 months. Recursive partitioning analysis based on FFF using Gleason score (GS), T stage, and pretreatment PSA concentration was applied to the intermediate-risk patients treated with RT alone. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate 5-year FFF. Results: Based on recursive partitioning analysis, intermediate-risk patients treated with RT alone were divided into 3 prognostic groups: (1) 188 favorable patients: GS 6, ≤T2b or GS 3+4, ≤T1c; (2) 71 marginal patients: GS 3+4, T2a-b; and (3) 68 unfavorable patients: GS 4+3 or T2c disease. Hazard ratios (HR) for recurrence in each group were 1.0, 2.1, and 4.6, respectively. When intermediate-risk patients treated with RT alone were compared to intermediate-risk patients treated with RT and ADT, the greatest benefit from ADT was seen for the unfavorable intermediate-risk patients (FFF, 74% vs 94%, respectively; P=.005). Favorable intermediate-risk patients had no significant benefit from the addition of ADT to RT (FFF, 94% vs 95%, respectively; P=.85), and FFF for favorable intermediate-risk patients treated with RT alone approached that of low-risk patients treated with RT alone (98%). Conclusions: Patients with favorable intermediate-risk prostate cancer did not benefit from the addition of ADT to dose-escalated RT, and their FFF was nearly as good as patients with low-risk disease

  18. Dose escalation without split-course chemoradiation for anal cancer: results of a phase II RTOG study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    John, Madhu; Pajak, Thomas; Kreig, Richard; Pinover, Wayne H.; Myerson, Robert

    1997-01-01

    PURPOSE: An attempt at radiotherapy (RT) dose escalation (from 45 Gy to 59.6 Gy) in a Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) chemoradiation protocol for advanced anal cancers had resulted in an unexpectedly high 1-year colostomy rate (23%) and local failure (The Cancer Journal from Scientific American 2 (4):205-211, 1996). This was felt to be probably secondary to the split course chemoradiation (CR) that was mandated in the protocol. A second phase of this dose escalation study was therefore undertaken without a mandatory split and with an identical RT dose (59.6 Gy) and chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty patients with anal cancers ≥2 cms were treated with a concurrent combination of 59.6 Gy to the pelvis and perineum (1.8 Gy daily, 5 times per week in 33 fractions over 6 (1(2)) weeks) and two cycles of 5 fluorouracil infusion (1000 mg/m 2 over 24 hours for 4 days) and mitomycin C (10 mg/m 2 bolus). A 10 day rest period was allowed only for severe skin reactions. A comparative analysis was made with the 47 patients in the earlier phase of this study who were treated with the identical chemoradiation course but with a mandatory 2-week break at the 36.00 Gy level. RESULTS: Predominant Grade 3 and 4 toxicities in 18 evaluable patients with dermatitis ((14(18)) or 78%), hematologic ((14(18)) or 78%), infection ((3(18)) or 17%) and gastrointestinal ((5(18)) or 28%). There were no fatalities. Nine patients (50%) completed the planned course without a break; 9 others (50%) had their treatments interrupted for a median of 11 days (range 7-19 days) at a median dose of 41.4 Gy (range 32.4 to 48.6 Gy). This compared to (40(47)) patients (85%) who had a 12 day treatment interruption at 36 Gy total dose in a planned break group. One patient had an abdomino-perineal resection (APR) for persistent disease and another for an anal fissure for (2(18)) or 11% 1-year colostomy rate. This was again favorably comparable to 23% 1-year colostomy rate for the earlier group of

  19. Results of a Phase I trial of concurrent chemotherapy and escalating doses of radiation for unresectable non-small-cell lung cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schild, Steven E.; McGinnis, William L.; Graham, David; Hillman, Shauna; Fitch, Tom R.; Northfelt, Donald; Garces, Yolanda I.; Shahidi, Homayoon; Tschetter, Loren K.; Schaefer, Paul L.; Adjei, Alex; Jett, James

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: This trial was performed to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of radiation that can be administered with carboplatin and paclitaxel. Methods and Materials: This trial included 15 patients with unresectable non-small-cell lung cancer. Paclitaxel (50 mg/m 2 ) and carboplatin (area under the curve = 2) were given weekly during radiation therapy (RT). The RT included 2 Gy daily to an initial dose of 70 Gy, and the dose was increased in 4 Gy increments until determining the MTD. The MTD was defined as the highest safely tolerated dose where at most 1 patient of 6 experienced dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) with the next higher dose having at least 2 of 6 patients experiencing DLT. Three-dimensional treatment planning techniques were used without prophylactic nodal RT. Results: Two patients were not evaluable because they did not receive therapy according to the protocol. No DLTs occurred in the 3 patients who received 70 Gy, 1 DLT occurred in the 6 patients who received 74 Gy, and 2 DLTs occurred in the 4 patients who received 78 Gy. The DLTs included Grade 3 pneumonitis (n = 2) and Grade 4 pneumonitis (n = 1). There have been 3 deaths during follow-up ranging from 14 to 38 months (median, 28 months). Conclusions: The MTD of the RT was 74 Gy with weekly carboplatin and paclitaxel. The Phase II portion of this trial is currently under way. The goal is to improve local control and survival with higher doses of RT delivered with this combined modality approach

  20. What does a modified-Fibonacci dose-escalation actually correspond to?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Penel Nicolas

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In most phase I oncology trials, it is often stated that the dose increments follow a “modified-Fibonacci sequence”. This term, however, is vague. Methods To better characterize this sequence, we reviewed 81 phase I trials based on this concept. Results Out of 198 phase I oncology trials, 81 (41% are based on modified-Fibonacci series. Actual incremental ratios varied in a large range from 0.80 to 2.08. The median of actual increments was about 2.00, 1.50, 1.33, 1.33, 1.33, 1.33, 1.30, 1.35…. The “modified Fibonacci-sequence” gathers heterogeneous variation of the genuine sequence, which does not tend to a constant number at higher dose-levels. Conclusion This confusing term should be avoided.

  1. A Phase I/II Trial of Intensity Modulated Radiation (IMRT) Dose Escalation With Concurrent Fixed-dose Rate Gemcitabine (FDR-G) in Patients With Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ben-Josef, Edgar, E-mail: edgar.ben-josef@uphs.upenn.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Schipper, Mathew [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Francis, Isaac R. [Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Hadley, Scott; Ten-Haken, Randall; Lawrence, Theodore; Normolle, Daniel [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Simeone, Diane M.; Sonnenday, Christopher [Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Abrams, Ross [Department of Radiation Oncology, Rush Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois (United States); Leslie, William [Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois (United States); Khan, Gazala; Zalupski, Mark M. [Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States)

    2012-12-01

    Purpose: Local failure in unresectable pancreatic cancer may contribute to death. We hypothesized that intensification of local therapy would improve local control and survival. The objectives were to determine the maximum tolerated radiation dose delivered by intensity modulated radiation with fixed-dose rate gemcitabine (FDR-G), freedom from local progression (FFLP), and overall survival (OS). Methods and Materials: Eligibility included pathologic confirmation of adenocarcinoma, radiographically unresectable, performance status of 0-2, absolute neutrophil count of {>=}1500/mm{sup 3}, platelets {>=}100,000/mm{sup 3}, creatinine <2 mg/dL, bilirubin <3 mg/dL, and alanine aminotransferase/aspartate aminotransferase {<=}2.5 Multiplication-Sign upper limit of normal. FDR-G (1000 mg/m{sup 2}/100 min intravenously) was given on days -22 and -15, 1, 8, 22, and 29. Intensity modulated radiation started on day 1. Dose levels were escalated from 50-60 Gy in 25 fractions. Dose-limiting toxicity was defined as gastrointestinal toxicity grade (G) {>=}3, neutropenic fever, or deterioration in performance status to {>=}3 between day 1 and 126. Dose level was assigned using TITE-CRM (Time-to-Event Continual Reassessment Method) with the target dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) rate set to 0.25. Results: Fifty patients were accrued. DLTs were observed in 11 patients: G3/4 anorexia, nausea, vomiting, and/or dehydration (7); duodenal bleed (3); duodenal perforation (1). The recommended dose is 55 Gy, producing a probability of DLT of 0.24. The 2-year FFLP is 59% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 32-79). Median and 2-year overall survival are 14.8 months (95% CI: 12.6-22.2) and 30% (95% CI 17-45). Twelve patients underwent resection (10 R0, 2 R1) and survived a median of 32 months. Conclusions: High-dose radiation therapy with concurrent FDR-G can be delivered safely. The encouraging efficacy data suggest that outcome may be improved in unresectable patients through intensification of local

  2. Phase 1 dose-escalation study of the antiplacental growth factor monoclonal antibody RO5323441 combined with bevacizumab in patients with recurrent glioblastoma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lassen, Ulrik; Chinot, Olivier L; McBain, Catherine

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: We conducted a phase 1 dose-escalation study of RO5323441, a novel antiplacental growth factor (PlGF) monoclonal antibody, to establish the recommended dose for use with bevacizumab and to investigate the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, safety/tolerability, and preliminary clinica...

  3. Mounting evidence indicates that escalating doses of allopurinol are unnecessary for cardiovascular protection: Comment on Coburn et al.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bredemeier, Markus

    2018-05-09

    We read with interest the study by Coburn et al. (1), a methodologically sound propensity-score matched cohort study evaluating the effect of dose escalation of allopurinol on cardiovascular (CV) and overall mortality. The results indicate that increasing doses carry a higher risk of mortality, but the authors comment that failure in achieving doses up to 600 mg may have contributed to the absence of protective effect. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  4. Efficacy and safety of de-escalation therapy to ertapenem for treatment of infections caused by extended-spectrum-β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae: an open-label randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rattanaumpawan, Pinyo; Werarak, Peerawong; Jitmuang, Anupop; Kiratisin, Pattarachai; Thamlikitkul, Visanu

    2017-03-01

    Carbapenem antibiotics are considered the treatment of choice for serious extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) infections. The study objectives were to evaluate efficacy and safety of de-escalation therapy to ertapenem for treatment of infections caused by extended-spectrum-β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae. We conducted a randomized controlled trial of adult patients with documented ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae infections who had received any group 2 carbapenem for less than 96 h. In the intervention group, the previously-prescribed group 2 carbapenem was de-escalated to ertapenem. In the control group, the group 2 carbapenem was continued. During June 2011-December 2014, 32 patients were randomized to the de-escalation group and 34 to the control group. Most common sites of infection were urinary tract infection (42%). Characteristics of both groups were comparable. By using a 15% predefined margin, ertapenem was non-inferior to control group regarding the clinical cure rate (%Δ = 14.0 [95% confidence interval: -2.4 to 31.1]), the microbiological eradication rate (%Δ = 4.1 [-5.0 to 13.4]), and the superimposed infection rate (%Δ = -16.5 [-38.4 to 5.3]). Patients in the de-escalation group had a significantly lower 28-day mortality rate (9.4% vs. 29.4%; P = .05), a significantly shorter median length of stay (16.5 days [4.0-73.25] vs. 20.0 days [1.0-112.25]; P = .04), and a significantly lower defined daily dose of carbapenem use (12.9 ± 8.9 vs. 18.4 ± 12.6; P = .05). Ertapenem could be safely used as de-escalation therapy for ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae infections, once the susceptibility profiles are known. Future studies are needed to investigate ertapenem efficacy against ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae pneumonia to determine its applicability in life-threatening conditions. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01297842 . Registered on 14 February 2011. First

  5. High-dose radiation improved local tumor control and overall survival in patients with inoperable/unresectable non-small-cell lung cancer: Long-term results of a radiation dose escalation study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kong, F.-M.; Haken, Randall K. ten; Schipper, Matthew J.; Sullivan, Molly A.; Chen, Ming; Lopez, Carlos; Kalemkerian, Gregory P.; Hayman, James A.

    2005-01-01

    Purpose: To determine whether high-dose radiation leads to improved outcomes in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods and Materials: This analysis included 106 patients with newly diagnosed or recurrent Stages I-III NSCLC, treated with 63-103 Gy in 2.1-Gy fractions, using three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) per a dose escalation trial. Targets included the primary tumor and any lymph nodes ≥1 cm, without intentionally including negative nodal regions. Nineteen percent of patients (20/106) received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Patient, tumor, and treatment factors were evaluated for association with outcomes. Estimated median follow-up was 8.5 years. Results: Median survival was 19 months, and 5-year overall survival (OS) was 13%. Multivariate analysis revealed weight loss (p = 0.011) and radiation dose (p = 0.0006) were significant predictors for OS. The 5-year OS was 4%, 22%, and 28% for patients receiving 63-69, 74-84, and 92-103 Gy, respectively. Although presence of nodal disease was negatively associated with locoregional control under univariate analysis, radiation dose was the only significant predictor when multiple variables were included (p = 0.015). The 5-year control rate was 12%, 35%, and 49% for 63-69, 74-84, and 92-103 Gy, respectively. Conclusions: Higher dose radiation is associated with improved outcomes in patients with NSCLC treated in the range of 63-103 Gy

  6. Radioimmunotherapy (RIT) Dose-Escalation Studies in Prostate Cancer Using Anti-PSMA Antibody 177Lu-J591: RIT Alone and RIT in Combination with Docetaxel

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Vallabhajosula, Shankar

    2007-01-01

    Phase I dose escalation studies with 177Lu-DOTA-huJ591 using dose fractionation regimen will be performed in patients with PCa and who have recurrent and/or metastatic disease. The 177Lu dose (20-45 mCi/m2...

  7. Radioimmunotherapy (RIT) Dose-Escalation Studies in Prostate Cancer Using Anti-PSMA Antibody 177Lu-J591: RIT Alone and RIT in Combination With Docetaxel

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Vallabhajosula, Shankar

    2006-01-01

    Phase I dose escalation studies with 177Lu-DOTA-huJ591 using dose fractionation regimen will be performed in patients with PCa and who have recurrent and/or metastatic disease. The 177Lu dose (20-45 mCi/m2...

  8. A phase I study of dose-escalated chemoradiation with accelerated intensity modulated radiotherapy in locally advanced head and neck cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guerrero Urbano, Teresa; Clark, Catharine H.; Hansen, Vibeke N.; Adams, Elizabeth J.; A'Hern, Roger; Miles, Elizabeth A.; McNair, Helen; Bidmead, Margaret; Warrington, Alan P.; Dearnaley, David P.; Harrington, Kevin J.; Nutting, Christopher M.

    2007-01-01

    Background and purpose: Intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) allows the delivery of higher and more homogeneous radiation dose to head and neck tumours. This study aims to determine the safety of dose-escalated chemo-IMRT for larynx preservation in locally advanced head and neck cancer. Methods: Patients with T2-4, N1-3, M0 squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx or hypopharynx were treated with a simultaneous-boost IMRT. Two radiation dose levels (DL) were tested: In DL 1, 63 Gy/28F was delivered to primary tumour and involved nodes and 51.8 Gy/28F to elective nodes. In DL 2, the doses were 67.2 Gy/28F and 56 Gy/28F, respectively, representing a 9% dose escalation for the primary. All patients received 2 cycles of neoadjuvant cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil, and concomitant cisplatin. Acute (NCICTCv.2.0) and late toxicity (RTOG and modified LENTSOM) were collected. Results: Thirty patients were entered, 15 in each dose level. All patients completed the treatment schedule. In DL 1, the incidences of acute G3 toxicities were 27% (pain), 20% (radiation dermatitis), 0% (xerostomia) and 67% required gastrostomy tubes. For DL 2 the corresponding incidences were 40%, 20%, 7%, and 87%. G3 dysphagia and pain persisted longer in DL 2. With regard to mucositis, a prolonged healing time for DL 2 was found, with prevalence of G2 of 58% in week 10. No acute grade 4 toxicity was observed. At 6 months, 1 patient in DL 2 had G3 late toxicity (dysphagia). No dose limiting toxicity was found. Complete response rates were 80% in DL 1, and 87% in DL 2. Conclusion: Moderately accelerated chemo-IMRT is safe and feasible with good compliance and acceptable acute toxicity. Dose escalation was possible without a significant difference in acute toxicity. Longer follow-up is required to determine the incidence of late radiation toxicities, and tumour control rates

  9. Does selective pleural irradiation of malignant pleural mesothelioma allow radiation dose escalation. A planning study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Botticella, A.; Defraene, G. [KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Department of Oncology, Experimental Radiation Oncology, Leuven (Belgium); Nackaerts, K. [KU Leuven - University of Leuven, University Hospitals Leuven, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Leuven (Belgium); Deroose, C. [KU Leuven - University of Leuven, University Hospitals Leuven, Nuclear Medicine, Leuven (Belgium); Coolen, J. [KU Leuven - University of Leuven, University Hospitals Leuven, Radiology Department, Leuven (Belgium); Nafteux, P. [University Hospitals Leuven, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Leuven (Belgium); Vanstraelen, B. [University Hospitals Leuven, Department of Radiation Oncology, Leuven (Belgium); Joosten, S.; Michiels, L.A.W. [Fontys University of Applied Science, Institute Paramedical Studies, Medical Imaging and Radiotherapeutic Techniques, Eindhoven (Netherlands); Peeters, S. [KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Department of Oncology, Experimental Radiation Oncology, Leuven (Belgium); University Hospitals Leuven, Department of Radiation Oncology, Leuven (Belgium); Ruysscher, D. de [KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Department of Oncology, Experimental Radiation Oncology, Leuven (Belgium); Maastricht University Medical Center, GROW - School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Department of Radiation Oncology (MAASTRO Clinic), Maastricht (Netherlands)

    2017-04-15

    After lung-sparing radiotherapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), local failure at sites of previous gross disease represents the dominant form of failure. Our aim is to investigate if selective irradiation of the gross pleural disease only can allow dose escalation. In all, 12 consecutive stage I-IV MPM patients (6 left-sided and 6 right-sided) were retrospectively identified and included. A magnetic resonance imaging-based pleural gross tumor volume (GTV) was contoured. Two sets of planning target volumes (PTV) were generated for each patient: (1) a ''selective'' PTV (S-PTV), originating from a 5-mm isotropic expansion from the GTV and (2) an ''elective'' PTV (E-PTV), originating from a 5-mm isotropic expansion from the whole ipsilateral pleural space. Two sets of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) treatment plans were generated: a ''selective'' pleural irradiation plan (SPI plan) and an ''elective'' pleural irradiation plan (EPI plan, planned with a simultaneous integrated boost technique [SIB]). In the SPI plans, the average median dose to the S-PTV was 53.6 Gy (range 41-63.6 Gy). In 4 of 12 patients, it was possible to escalate the dose to the S-PTV to >58 Gy. In the EPI plans, the average median doses to the E-PTV and to the S-PTV were 48.6 Gy (range 38.5-58.7) and 49 Gy (range 38.6-59.5 Gy), respectively. No significant dose escalation was achievable. The omission of the elective irradiation of the whole ipsilateral pleural space allowed dose escalation from 49 Gy to more than 58 Gy in 4 of 12 chemonaive MPM patients. This strategy may form the basis for nonsurgical radical combined modality treatment of MPM. (orig.) [German] Beim malignen Pleuramesotheliom (MPM) ist nach lungenschonender Radiotherapie das lokale Scheitern an Stellen eines frueheren, sichtbaren Tumors die dominierende Form des Scheiterns. Unser Ziel ist es, zu untersuchen, ob die selektive

  10. PET-guided dose escalation tomotherapy in malignant pleural mesothelioma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fodor, Andrei; Dell' Oca, Italo; Pasetti, Marcella; Di Muzio, Nadia Gisella [San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan (Italy). Dept. of Radiotherapy; Fiorino, Claudio; Broggi, Sara; Cattaneo, Giovanni Mauro; Calandrino, Riccardo [San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan (Italy). Medical Physics; Gianolli, Luigi [San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan (Italy). Dept. of Nuclear Medicine

    2011-11-15

    To test the feasibility of salvage radiotherapy using PET-guided helical tomotherapy in patients with progressive malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). A group of 12 consecutive MPM patients was treated with 56 Gy/25 fractions to the planning target volume (PTV); FDG-PET/CT simulation was always performed to include all positive lymph nodes and MPM infiltrations. Subsequently, a second group of 12 consecutive patients was treated with the same dose to the whole pleura adding a simultaneous integrated boost of 62.5 Gy to the FDG-PET/CT positive areas (BTV). Good dosimetric results were obtained in both groups. No grade 3 (RTOG/EORTC) acute or late toxicities were reported in the first group, while 3 cases of grade 3 late pneumonitis were registered in the second group: the duration of symptoms was 2-10 weeks. Median overall survival was 8 months (1.2-50.5 months) and 20 months (4.3-33.8 months) from the beginning of radiotherapy, for groups I and II, respectively (p = 0.19). A significant impact on local relapse from radiotherapy was seen (median time to local relapse: 8 vs 17 months; 1-year local relapse-free rate: 16% vs 81%, p = 0.003). The results of this pilot study support the planning of a phase III study of combined sequential chemoradiotherapy with dose escalation to BTV in patients not able to undergo resection. (orig.)

  11. WE-G-BRB-02: The Role of Program Project Grants in Study of 3D Conformal Therapy, Dose Escalation and Motion Management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fraass, B.

    2015-01-01

    Over the past 20 years the NIH has funded individual grants, program projects grants, and clinical trials which have been instrumental in advancing patient care. The ways that each grant mechanism lends itself to the different phases of translating research into clinical practice will be described. Major technological innovations, such as IMRT and proton therapy, have been advanced with R01-type and P01-type funding and will be discussed. Similarly, the role of program project grants in identifying and addressing key hypotheses on the potential of 3D conformal therapy, normal tissue-guided dose escalation and motion management will be described. An overview will be provided regarding how these technological innovations have been applied to multi-institutional NIH-sponsored trials. Finally, the panel will discuss regarding which research questions should be funded by the NIH to inspire the next advances in radiation therapy. Learning Objectives: Understand the different funding mechanisms of the NIH Learn about research advances that have led to innovation in delivery Review achievements due to NIH-funded program project grants in radiotherapy over the past 20 years Understand example advances achieved with multi-institutional clinical trials NIH

  12. Learning From Trials on Radiation Dose in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bradley, Jeffrey, E-mail: jbradley@wustl.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri (United States); Hu, Chen [Division of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (United States)

    2016-11-15

    In this issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics, Taylor et al present a meta-analysis of published data supporting 2 findings: (1) radiation dose escalation seems to benefit patients who receive radiation alone for non-small cell lung cancer; and (2) radiation dose escalation has a detrimental effect on overall survival in the setting of concurrent chemotherapy. The latter finding is supported by data but has perplexed the oncology community. Perhaps these findings are not perplexing at all. Perhaps it is simply another lesson in the major principle in radiation oncology, to minimize radiation dose to normal tissues.

  13. Is it beneficial to selectively boost high-risk tumor subvolumes? A comparison of selectively boosting high-risk tumor subvolumes versus homogeneous dose escalation of the entire tumor based on equivalent EUD plans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Yusung; To me, Wolfgang A.

    2008-01-01

    Purpose. To quantify and compare expected local tumor control and expected normal tissue toxicities between selective boosting IMRT and homogeneous dose escalation IMRT for the case of prostate cancer. Methods. Four different selective boosting scenarios and three different high-risk tumor subvolume geometries were designed to compare selective boosting and homogeneous dose escalation IMRT plans delivering the same equivalent uniform dose (EUD) to the entire PTV. For each scenario, differences in tumor control probability between both boosting strategies were calculated for the high-risk tumor subvolume and remaining low-risk PTV, and were visualized using voxel based iso-TCP maps. Differences in expected rectal and bladder complications were quantified using radiobiological indices (generalized EUD (gEUD) and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP)) as well as %-volumes. Results. For all investigated scenarios and high-risk tumor subvolume geometries, selective boosting IMRT improves expected TCP compared to homogeneous dose escalation IMRT, especially when lack of control of the high-risk tumor subvolume could be the cause for tumor recurrence. Employing, selective boosting IMRT significant increases in expected TCP can be achieved for the high-risk tumor subvolumes. The three conventional selective boosting IMRT strategies, employing physical dose objectives, did not show significant improvement in rectal and bladder sparing as compared to their counterpart homogeneous dose escalation plans. However, risk-adaptive optimization, utilizing radiobiological objective functions, resulted in reduction in NTCP for the rectum when compared to its corresponding homogeneous dose escalation plan. Conclusions. Selective boosting is a more effective method than homogeneous dose escalation for achieving optimal treatment outcomes. Furthermore, risk-adaptive optimization increases the therapeutic ratio as compared to conventional selective boosting IMRT

  14. Phase I North Central Cancer Treatment Group Trial-N9923 of escalating doses of twice-daily thoracic radiation therapy with amifostine and with alternating chemotherapy in limited stage small-cell lung cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garces, Yolanda I.; Okuno, Scott H.; Schild, Steven E.; Mandrekar, Sumithra J.; Bot, Brian M.; Martens, John M.; Wender, Donald B.; Soori, Gamini S.; Moore, Dennis F.; Kozelsky, Timothy F.; Jett, James R.

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: The primary goal was to identify the maximum tolerable dose (MTD) of thoracic radiation therapy (TRT) that can be given with chemotherapy and amifostine for patients with limited-stage small-cell lung cancer (LSCLC). Methods and Materials: Treatment began with two cycles of topotecan (1 mg/m 2 ) Days 1 to 5 and paclitaxel (175 mg/m 2 ) Day 5 (every 3 weeks) given before and after TRT. The TRT began at 6 weeks. The TRT was given in 120 cGy fractions b.i.d. and the dose escalation (from 4,800 cGy, dose level 1, to 6,600 cGy, dose level 4) followed the standard 'cohorts of 3' design. The etoposide (E) (50 mg/day) and cisplatin (C) (3 mg/m 2 ) were given i.v. before the morning TRT and amifostine (500 mg/day) was given before the afternoon RT. This was followed by prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI). The dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were defined as Grade ≥4 hematologic, febrile neutropenia, esophagitis, or other nonhematologic toxicity, Grade ≥3 dyspnea, or Grade ≥2 pneumonitis. Results: Fifteen patients were evaluable for the Phase I portion of the trial. No DLTs were seen at dose levels 1 and 2. Two patients on dose level 4 experienced DLTs: 1 patient had a Grade 4 pneumonitis, dyspnea, fatigue, hypokalemia, and anorexia, and 1 patient had a Grade 5 hypoxia attributable to TRT. One of 6 patients on dose level 3 had a DLT, Grade 3 esophagitis. The Grade ≥3 toxicities seen in at least 10% of patients during TRT were esophagitis (53%), leukopenia (33%), dehydration (20%), neutropenia (13%), and fatigue (13%). The median survival was 14.5 months. Conclusion: The MTD of b.i.d. TRT was 6000 cGy (120 cGy b.i.d.) with EP and amifostine

  15. Treating locally advanced lung cancer with a 1.5T MR-Linac - Effects of the magnetic field and irradiation geometry on conventionally fractionated and isotoxic dose-escalated radiotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bainbridge, Hannah E; Menten, Martin J; Fast, Martin F; Nill, Simeon; Oelfke, Uwe; McDonald, Fiona

    2017-11-01

    This study investigates the feasibility and potential benefits of radiotherapy with a 1.5T MR-Linac for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA NSCLC) patients. Ten patients with LA NSCLC were retrospectively re-planned six times: three treatment plans were created according to a protocol for conventionally fractionated radiotherapy and three treatment plans following guidelines for isotoxic target dose escalation. In each case, two plans were designed for the MR-Linac, either with standard (∼7mm) or reduced (∼3mm) planning target volume (PTV) margins, while one conventional linac plan was created with standard margins. Treatment plan quality was evaluated using dose-volume metrics or by quantifying dose escalation potential. All generated treatment plans fulfilled their respective planning constraints. For conventionally fractionated treatments, MR-Linac plans with standard margins had slightly increased skin dose when compared to conventional linac plans. Using reduced margins alleviated this issue and decreased exposure of several other organs-at-risk (OAR). Reduced margins also enabled increased isotoxic target dose escalation. It is feasible to generate treatment plans for LA NSCLC patients on a 1.5T MR-Linac. Margin reduction, facilitated by an envisioned MRI-guided workflow, enables increased OAR sparing and isotoxic target dose escalation for the respective treatment approaches. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. SU-D-202-01: Functional Lung Avoidance and Response-Adaptive Escalation (FLARE) RT: Feasibility of a Precision Radiation Oncology Strategy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bowen, S; Lee, E; Miyaoka, R; Kinahan, P; Sandison, G; Vesselle, H; Rengan, R; Zeng, J; Saini, J; Wong, T

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: NSCLC patient RT is planned without consideration of spatial heterogeneity in lung function or tumor response, which may have contributed to failed uniform dose escalation in a randomized trial. The feasibility of functional lung avoidance and response-adaptive escalation (FLARE) RT to reduce dose to ["9"9"mTc]MAA-SPECT/CT perfused lung while redistributing 74Gy within ["1"8F]FDG-PET/CT biological target volumes was assessed. Methods: Eight Stage IIB–IIIB NSCLC patients underwent FDG-PET/CT and MAA-SPECT/CT treatment planning scans. Perfused lung objectives were derived from scatter/collimator/attenuation-corrected MAA-SPECT uptake relative to ITV-subtracted lung to maintain <20Gy mean lung dose (MLD). Prescriptions included 60Gy to PTV and concomitant boost of 74Gy mean to biological target volumes (BTV=GTV+PET margin) scaled to each BTV voxel by relative FDG-PET SUV. Dose-painting-by-numbers prescriptions were integrated into commercial TPS via previously reported ROI discretization. Dose constraints for lung, heart, cord, and esophagus were defined. FLARE RT plans were optimized with VMAT, proton pencil beam scanning (PBS) with 3%-3mm robust optimization, and combination PBS (avoidance) plus VMAT (escalation). Dosimetric differences were evaluated by Friedman non-parametric paired test with multiple sampling correction. Results: PTV and normal tissue objectives were not violated in 24 FLARE RT plans. Population median of mean BTV dose was 73.7Gy (68.5–75.5Gy), mean FDG-PET peak dose was 89.7Gy (73.5–103Gy), MLD was 12.3Gy (7.5–19.6Gy), and perfused MLD was 4.8Gy (0.9–12.1Gy). VMAT achieved higher dose to the FDG-PET peak subvolume (p=0.01), while PBS delivered lower dose to lung (p<0.001). Voxelwise linear correlation between BTV dose and FDG-PET uptake was higher for VMAT (R=0.93) and PBS+VMAT (R=0.94) compared to PBS alone (R=0.89). Conclusion: FLARE RT is feasible with VMAT and PBS. A combination of PBS for functional lung avoidance and

  17. SU-D-202-01: Functional Lung Avoidance and Response-Adaptive Escalation (FLARE) RT: Feasibility of a Precision Radiation Oncology Strategy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bowen, S; Lee, E; Miyaoka, R; Kinahan, P; Sandison, G; Vesselle, H; Rengan, R; Zeng, J [University of Washington, School of Medicine, Seattle, WA (United States); Saini, J; Wong, T [SCCA Proton Therapy Center, Seattle, WA (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: NSCLC patient RT is planned without consideration of spatial heterogeneity in lung function or tumor response, which may have contributed to failed uniform dose escalation in a randomized trial. The feasibility of functional lung avoidance and response-adaptive escalation (FLARE) RT to reduce dose to [{sup 99m}Tc]MAA-SPECT/CT perfused lung while redistributing 74Gy within [{sup 18}F]FDG-PET/CT biological target volumes was assessed. Methods: Eight Stage IIB–IIIB NSCLC patients underwent FDG-PET/CT and MAA-SPECT/CT treatment planning scans. Perfused lung objectives were derived from scatter/collimator/attenuation-corrected MAA-SPECT uptake relative to ITV-subtracted lung to maintain <20Gy mean lung dose (MLD). Prescriptions included 60Gy to PTV and concomitant boost of 74Gy mean to biological target volumes (BTV=GTV+PET margin) scaled to each BTV voxel by relative FDG-PET SUV. Dose-painting-by-numbers prescriptions were integrated into commercial TPS via previously reported ROI discretization. Dose constraints for lung, heart, cord, and esophagus were defined. FLARE RT plans were optimized with VMAT, proton pencil beam scanning (PBS) with 3%-3mm robust optimization, and combination PBS (avoidance) plus VMAT (escalation). Dosimetric differences were evaluated by Friedman non-parametric paired test with multiple sampling correction. Results: PTV and normal tissue objectives were not violated in 24 FLARE RT plans. Population median of mean BTV dose was 73.7Gy (68.5–75.5Gy), mean FDG-PET peak dose was 89.7Gy (73.5–103Gy), MLD was 12.3Gy (7.5–19.6Gy), and perfused MLD was 4.8Gy (0.9–12.1Gy). VMAT achieved higher dose to the FDG-PET peak subvolume (p=0.01), while PBS delivered lower dose to lung (p<0.001). Voxelwise linear correlation between BTV dose and FDG-PET uptake was higher for VMAT (R=0.93) and PBS+VMAT (R=0.94) compared to PBS alone (R=0.89). Conclusion: FLARE RT is feasible with VMAT and PBS. A combination of PBS for functional lung avoidance

  18. Comparison of escalating, constant, and reduction energy output in ESWL for renal stones: multi-arm prospective randomized study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rabah, Danny M; Mabrouki, Mohamed S; Farhat, Karim H; Seida, Mohamed A; Arafa, Mostafa A; Talic, Riyadh F

    2017-06-01

    This study was designed to find out the optimized energy delivery strategy in Shock Wave Lithotripsy (SWL) that yield to the best stone-free rate (SFR). In this clinical trial, 150 consecutive patients were randomized into three groups: (a) Dose escalation, 1500 SW at 18 kV, followed by 1500 SW at 20 kV then 1500 SW at 22 kV. (b) Constant dose, 4500 SW at 20 kV. All patients undergo plain X-ray film of the urinary tract at day 1, 14, and 90 to assess stone-free rate (SFR) which was defined as no stones or painless fragments less than 4 mm. (c) Dose reduction, 1500 SW at 22 kV, followed by 1500 SW at 20 kV and then 1500 SW at 18 kV. The three treatment groups were comparable in terms of age, sex, stone size and distribution of the kidneys, and the need for Double J stent use. On day 90, the SFR achieved was 82, 90, and 84 % in the escalating, constant, and reduction energy groups, respectively. However, this rate was not statistically significant (x 2  = 1.38, p level = 0.28). At a slow rate of 60 shocks, there was no difference in stone-free rate between different voltages at 1, 14, and 90 days. Our randomized clinical trial showed no statistically significant difference in SFR between the three groups while using the slow SWL rate. Our trial is the first randomized trial comparing the three strategies. As such, a dose adjustment strategy while delivering SWL in slow rate was not recommended.

  19. Dose-Escalated Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Patients With Intermediate- and High-Risk Prostate Cancer: Initial Dosimetry Analysis and Patient Outcomes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kotecha, Rupesh; Djemil, Toufik; Tendulkar, Rahul D.; Reddy, Chandana A.; Thousand, Richard A.; Vassil, Andrew; Stovsky, Mark; Berglund, Ryan K.; Klein, Eric A.; Stephans, Kevin L.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: To report the short-term clinical outcomes and acute and late treatment-related genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) toxicities in patients with intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer treated with dose-escalated stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). Methods and Materials: Between 2011 and 2014, 24 patients with prostate cancer were treated with SBRT to the prostate gland and proximal seminal vesicles. A high-dose avoidance zone (HDAZ) was created by a 3-mm expansion around the rectum, urethra, and bladder. Patients were treated to a minimum dose of 36.25 Gy in 5 fractions, with a simultaneous dose escalation to a dose of 50 Gy to the target volume away from the HDAZ. Acute and late GU and GI toxicity outcomes were measured according to the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events toxicity scale, version 4. Results: The median follow-up was 25 months (range, 18-45 months). Nine patients (38%) experienced an acute grade 2 GU toxicity, which was medically managed, and no patients experienced an acute grade 2 GI toxicity. Two patients (8%) experienced late grade 2 GU toxicity, and 2 patients (8%) experienced late grade 2 GI toxicity. No acute or late grade ≥3 GU or GI toxicities were observed. The 24-month prostate-specific antigen relapse-free survival outcome for all patients was 95.8% (95% confidence interval 75.6%-99.4%), and both biochemical failures occurred in patients with high-risk disease. All patients are currently alive at the time of this analysis and continue to be followed. Conclusions: A heterogeneous prostate SBRT planning technique with differential treatment volumes (low dose: 36.25 Gy; and high dose: 50 Gy) with an HDAZ provides a safe method of dose escalation. Favorable rates of biochemical control and acceptably low rates of acute and long-term GU and GI toxicity can be achieved in patients with intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer treated with SBRT.

  20. Dose-Escalated Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Patients With Intermediate- and High-Risk Prostate Cancer: Initial Dosimetry Analysis and Patient Outcomes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kotecha, Rupesh; Djemil, Toufik; Tendulkar, Rahul D.; Reddy, Chandana A.; Thousand, Richard A.; Vassil, Andrew [Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio (United States); Stovsky, Mark; Berglund, Ryan K.; Klein, Eric A. [Department of Urology, Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio (United States); Stephans, Kevin L., E-mail: stephak@ccf.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio (United States)

    2016-07-01

    Purpose: To report the short-term clinical outcomes and acute and late treatment-related genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) toxicities in patients with intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer treated with dose-escalated stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). Methods and Materials: Between 2011 and 2014, 24 patients with prostate cancer were treated with SBRT to the prostate gland and proximal seminal vesicles. A high-dose avoidance zone (HDAZ) was created by a 3-mm expansion around the rectum, urethra, and bladder. Patients were treated to a minimum dose of 36.25 Gy in 5 fractions, with a simultaneous dose escalation to a dose of 50 Gy to the target volume away from the HDAZ. Acute and late GU and GI toxicity outcomes were measured according to the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events toxicity scale, version 4. Results: The median follow-up was 25 months (range, 18-45 months). Nine patients (38%) experienced an acute grade 2 GU toxicity, which was medically managed, and no patients experienced an acute grade 2 GI toxicity. Two patients (8%) experienced late grade 2 GU toxicity, and 2 patients (8%) experienced late grade 2 GI toxicity. No acute or late grade ≥3 GU or GI toxicities were observed. The 24-month prostate-specific antigen relapse-free survival outcome for all patients was 95.8% (95% confidence interval 75.6%-99.4%), and both biochemical failures occurred in patients with high-risk disease. All patients are currently alive at the time of this analysis and continue to be followed. Conclusions: A heterogeneous prostate SBRT planning technique with differential treatment volumes (low dose: 36.25 Gy; and high dose: 50 Gy) with an HDAZ provides a safe method of dose escalation. Favorable rates of biochemical control and acceptably low rates of acute and long-term GU and GI toxicity can be achieved in patients with intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer treated with SBRT.

  1. Individualized Dose Prescription for Hypofractionation in Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Radiotherapy: An in silico Trial

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hoffmann, Aswin L.; Troost, Esther G.C.; Huizenga, Henk; Kaanders, Johannes H.A.M. [Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Department of Radiation Oncology, Nijmegen (Netherlands); Bussink, Johan, E-mail: j.bussink@rther.umcn.nl [Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Department of Radiation Oncology, Nijmegen (Netherlands)

    2012-08-01

    Purpose: Local tumor control and outcome remain poor in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated by external beam radiotherapy. We investigated the therapeutic gain of individualized dose prescription with dose escalation based on normal tissue dose constraints for various hypofractionation schemes delivered with intensity-modulated radiation therapy. Methods and Materials: For 38 Stage III NSCLC patients, the dose level of an existing curative treatment plan with standard fractionation (66 Gy) was rescaled based on dose constraints for the lung, spinal cord, esophagus, brachial plexus, and heart. The effect on tumor total dose (TTD) and biologic tumor effective dose in 2-Gy fractions (TED) corrected for overall treatment time (OTT) was compared for isotoxic and maximally tolerable schemes given in 15, 20, and 33 fractions. Rescaling was accomplished by altering the dose per fraction and/or the number of fractions while keeping the relative dose distribution of the original treatment plan. Results: For 30 of the 38 patients, dose escalation by individualized hypofractionation yielded therapeutic gain. For the maximally tolerable dose scheme in 33 fractions (MTD{sub 33}), individualized dose escalation resulted in a 2.5-21% gain in TTD. In the isotoxic schemes, the number of fractions could be reduced with a marginal increase in TED. For the maximally tolerable dose schemes, the TED could be escalated up to 36.6%, and for all patients beyond the level of the isotoxic and the MTD{sub 33} schemes (range, 3.3-36.6%). Reduction of the OTT contributed to the therapeutic gain of the shortened schemes. For the maximally tolerable schemes, the maximum esophageal dose was the dominant dose-limiting constraint in most patients. Conclusions: This modeling study showed that individualized dose prescription for hypofractionation in NSCLC radiotherapy, based on scaling of existing treatment plans up to normal tissue dose constraints, enables dose

  2. Improvement in dose escalation using off-line and on-line image feedback in the intensity modulated beam design for prostate cancer treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan, D.; Birkner, M.; Nuesslin, F.; Wong, J.; Martinez, A.

    2001-01-01

    Purpose: To test the capability of dose escalation in the IMRT process where the organ/patient temporal geometric variation, measured using either off-line or on-line treatment CT and portal images, are adapted for the optimal design of intensity modulated beam. Materials and Methods: Retrospective study was performed on five prostate cancer patients with multiple CT scans (14∼17/patient) and daily portal images obtained during the treatment course. These images were used to determine the displacements of each subvolume in the organs of interest caused by the daily patient setup and internal organ motion/deformation. The temporal geometric information was processed in order of treatment time and fed into an inverse planning system. The inverse planning engine was specifically implemented to adapt the design of intensity modulated beam to the temporal subvolume displacement and patient internal density changes. Three image feedback strategies were applied to each patient and evaluated with respect to the capability of safe dose escalation. The first one is off-line image feedback, which designs the beam intensity based on the patient images measured within the first week of treatment. The second is an on-line 'the target of the day' strategy, which designs the beam intensity in daily bases by using 'the image of the day' alone. The last one is also the on-line based. However, it designs the instantaneous beam intensity based on also dose distribution in each organ of interest received prior to the current treatment. For each of the treatment strategies, the minimum dose delivered to the CTV was determined by applying the identical normal tissue constraints of partial dose/volumes. This minimum dose was used to represent the treatment dose for each patient. Results: The off-line strategy appears feasible after 5 days of image feedback. The average treatment dose among the patients can be 10% higher than the one in the conventional IMRT treatment where the inverse

  3. Trigeminal Neuralgia Treated With Stereotactic Radiosurgery: The Effect of Dose Escalation on Pain Control and Treatment Outcomes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kotecha, Rupesh [Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio (United States); Kotecha, Ritesh [MidMichigan Medical Center, Midland, Michigan (United States); Modugula, Sujith [Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio (United States); Murphy, Erin S. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio (United States); Rose Ella Burkhardt Brain Tumor and Neuro-Oncology Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio (United States); Jones, Mark; Kotecha, Rajesh [MidMichigan Medical Center, Midland, Michigan (United States); Reddy, Chandana A. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio (United States); Suh, John H. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio (United States); Rose Ella Burkhardt Brain Tumor and Neuro-Oncology Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio (United States); Barnett, Gene H. [Rose Ella Burkhardt Brain Tumor and Neuro-Oncology Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio (United States); Department of Neurosurgery, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio (United States); Neyman, Gennady [Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio (United States); Rose Ella Burkhardt Brain Tumor and Neuro-Oncology Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio (United States); Machado, Andre; Nagel, Sean [Department of Neurosurgery, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio (United States); Chao, Samuel T., E-mail: chaos@ccf.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio (United States); Rose Ella Burkhardt Brain Tumor and Neuro-Oncology Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio (United States)

    2016-09-01

    Purpose: To analyze the effect of dose escalation on treatment outcome in patients undergoing stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for trigeminal neuralgia (TN). Methods and Materials: A retrospective review was performed of 870 patients who underwent SRS for a diagnosis of TN from 2 institutions. Patients were typically treated using a single 4-mm isocenter placed at the trigeminal nerve dorsal root entry zone. Patients were divided into groups based on treatment doses: ≤82 Gy (352 patients), 83 to 86 Gy (85 patients), and ≥90 Gy (433 patients). Pain response was classified using a categorical scoring system, with fair or poor pain control representing treatment failure. Treatment-related facial numbness was classified using the Barrow Neurological Institute scale. Log-rank tests were performed to test differences in time to pain failure or development of facial numbness for patients treated with different doses. Results: Median age at first pain onset was 63 years, median age at time of SRS was 71 years, and median follow-up was 36.5 months from the time of SRS. A majority of patients (827, 95%) were clinically diagnosed with typical TN. The 4-year rate of excellent to good pain relief was 87% (95% confidence interval 84%-90%). The 4-year rate of pain response was 79%, 82%, and 92% in patients treated to ≤82 Gy, 83 to 86 Gy, and ≥90 Gy, respectively. Patients treated to doses ≤82 Gy had an increased risk of pain failure after SRS, compared with patients treated to ≥90 Gy (hazard ratio 2.0, P=.0007). Rates of treatment-related facial numbness were similar among patients treated to doses ≥83 Gy. Nine patients (1%) were diagnosed with anesthesia dolorosa. Conclusions: Dose escalation for TN to doses >82 Gy is associated with an improvement in response to treatment and duration of pain relief. Patients treated at these doses, however, should be counseled about the increased risk of treatment-related facial numbness.

  4. Trigeminal Neuralgia Treated With Stereotactic Radiosurgery: The Effect of Dose Escalation on Pain Control and Treatment Outcomes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kotecha, Rupesh; Kotecha, Ritesh; Modugula, Sujith; Murphy, Erin S.; Jones, Mark; Kotecha, Rajesh; Reddy, Chandana A.; Suh, John H.; Barnett, Gene H.; Neyman, Gennady; Machado, Andre; Nagel, Sean; Chao, Samuel T.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: To analyze the effect of dose escalation on treatment outcome in patients undergoing stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for trigeminal neuralgia (TN). Methods and Materials: A retrospective review was performed of 870 patients who underwent SRS for a diagnosis of TN from 2 institutions. Patients were typically treated using a single 4-mm isocenter placed at the trigeminal nerve dorsal root entry zone. Patients were divided into groups based on treatment doses: ≤82 Gy (352 patients), 83 to 86 Gy (85 patients), and ≥90 Gy (433 patients). Pain response was classified using a categorical scoring system, with fair or poor pain control representing treatment failure. Treatment-related facial numbness was classified using the Barrow Neurological Institute scale. Log-rank tests were performed to test differences in time to pain failure or development of facial numbness for patients treated with different doses. Results: Median age at first pain onset was 63 years, median age at time of SRS was 71 years, and median follow-up was 36.5 months from the time of SRS. A majority of patients (827, 95%) were clinically diagnosed with typical TN. The 4-year rate of excellent to good pain relief was 87% (95% confidence interval 84%-90%). The 4-year rate of pain response was 79%, 82%, and 92% in patients treated to ≤82 Gy, 83 to 86 Gy, and ≥90 Gy, respectively. Patients treated to doses ≤82 Gy had an increased risk of pain failure after SRS, compared with patients treated to ≥90 Gy (hazard ratio 2.0, P=.0007). Rates of treatment-related facial numbness were similar among patients treated to doses ≥83 Gy. Nine patients (1%) were diagnosed with anesthesia dolorosa. Conclusions: Dose escalation for TN to doses >82 Gy is associated with an improvement in response to treatment and duration of pain relief. Patients treated at these doses, however, should be counseled about the increased risk of treatment-related facial numbness.

  5. COSMIC: A Regimen of Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy Plus Dose-Escalated, Raster-Scanned Carbon Ion Boost for Malignant Salivary Gland Tumors: Results of the Prospective Phase 2 Trial

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jensen, Alexandra D., E-mail: alexdjensen@gmx.de [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg (Germany); Nikoghosyan, Anna V.; Lossner, Karen [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg (Germany); Haberer, Thomas; Jäkel, Oliver [Heidelberg Ion Beam Therapy Centre, Heidelberg (Germany); Münter, Marc W.; Debus, Jürgen [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg (Germany)

    2015-09-01

    Purpose: To investigate the effect of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and dose-escalated carbon ion (C12) therapy in adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) and other malignant salivary gland tumors (MSGTs) of the head and neck. Patients and Methods: COSMIC (combined treatment of malignant salivary gland tumors with intensity modulated radiation therapy and carbon ions) is a prospective phase 2 trial of 24 Gy(RBE) C12 followed by 50 Gy IMRT in patients with pathologically confirmed MSGT. The primary endpoint is mucositis Common Terminology Criteria grade 3; the secondary endpoints are locoregional control (LC), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and toxicity. Toxicity was scored according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 3; treatment response was scored according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors 1.1. Results: Between July 2010 and August 2011, 54 patients were accrued, and 53 were available for evaluation. The median follow-up time was 42 months; patients with microscopically incomplete resections (R1, n=20), gross residual disease (R2, n=17), and inoperable disease (n=16) were included. Eighty-nine percent of patients had ACC, and 57% had T4 tumors. The most common primary sites were paranasal sinus (34%), submandibular gland, and palate. At the completion of radiation therapy, 26% of patients experienced grade 3 mucositis, and 20 patients reported adverse events of the ear (38%). The most common observed late effects were grade 1 xerostomia (49%), hearing impairment (25%, 2% ipsilateral hearing loss), and adverse events of the eye (20%), but no visual impairment or loss of vision. Grade 1 central nervous system necrosis occurred in 6%, and 1 grade 4 ICA hemorrhage without neurologic sequelae. The best response was 54% (complete response/partial remission). At 3 years, the LC, PFS, and OS were 81.9%, 57.9%, and 78.4%, respectively. No difference was found regarding resection status. The

  6. Long-term tolerance and outcomes for dose escalation in early salvage post-prostatectomy radiation therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Safdieh, Joseph; Schwartz, David; Weiner, Joseph; Weiss, Jeffrey P.; Madeb, Isaac; Rotman, Marvin; Schreiber, David; Rineer, Justin

    2014-01-01

    To study the long-term outcomes and tolerance in our patients who received dose escalated radiotherapy in the early salvage post-prostatectomy setting. The medical records of 54 consecutive patients who underwent radical prostatectomy subsequently followed by salvage radiation therapy (SRT) to the prostate bed between 2003-2010 were analyzed. Patients included were required to have a pre-radiation prostate specific antigen level (PSA) of 2 ng/mL or less. The median SRT dose was 70.2 Gy. Biochemical failure after salvage radiation was defined as a PSA level >0.2 ng/mL. Biochemical control and survival endpoints were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were used to identify the potential impact of confounding factors on outcomes. The median pre-SRT PSA was 0.45 ng/mL and the median follow-up time was 71 months. The 4- and 7-year actuarial biochemical control rates were 75.7% and 63.2%, respectively. The actuarial 4- and 7-year distant metastasis-free survival was 93.7% and 87.0%, respectively, and the actuarial 7-year prostate cancer specific survival was 94.9%. Grade 3 late genitourinary toxicity developed in 14 patients (25.9%), while grade 4 late genitourinary toxicity developed in 2 patients (3.7%). Grade 3 late gastrointestinal toxicity developed in 1 patient (1.9%), and grade 4 late gastrointestinal toxicity developed in 1 patient (1.9%). In this series with long-term follow-up, early SRT provided outcomes and toxicity profiles similar to those reported from the three major randomized trials studying adjuvant radiation therapy.

  7. Choline PET based dose-painting in prostate cancer - Modelling of dose effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niyazi, Maximilian; Bartenstein, Peter; Belka, Claus; Ganswindt, Ute

    2010-01-01

    Several randomized trials have documented the value of radiation dose escalation in patients with prostate cancer, especially in patients with intermediate risk profile. Up to now dose escalation is usually applied to the whole prostate. IMRT and related techniques currently allow for dose escalation in sub-volumes of the organ. However, the sensitivity of the imaging modality and the fact that small islands of cancer are often dispersed within the whole organ may limit these approaches with regard to a clear clinical benefit. In order to assess potential effects of a dose escalation in certain sub-volumes based on choline PET imaging a mathematical dose-response model was developed. Based on different assumptions for α/β, γ50, sensitivity and specificity of choline PET, the influence of the whole prostate and simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) dose on tumor control probability (TCP) was calculated. Based on the given heterogeneity of all potential variables certain representative permutations of the parameters were chosen and, subsequently, the influence on TCP was assessed. Using schedules with 74 Gy within the whole prostate and a SIB dose of 90 Gy the TCP increase ranged from 23.1% (high detection rate of choline PET, low whole prostate dose, high γ50/ASTRO definition for tumor control) to 1.4% TCP gain (low sensitivity of PET, high whole prostate dose, CN + 2 definition for tumor control) or even 0% in selected cases. The corresponding initial TCP values without integrated boost ranged from 67.3% to 100%. According to a large data set of intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients the resulting TCP gains ranged from 22.2% to 10.1% (ASTRO definition) or from 13.2% to 6.0% (CN + 2 definition). Although a simplified mathematical model was employed, the presented model allows for an estimation in how far given schedules are relevant for clinical practice. However, the benefit of a SIB based on choline PET seems less than intuitively expected. Only under the

  8. An update on the clinical trial of BNCT at the BMRR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ma, R.; Capala, J.; Chanana, A.D.; Coderre, J.A.; Diaz, A.Z.

    1999-01-01

    Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) was proposed more than six decades ago. It is a binary treatment modality that requires selective delivery of a 10 B-labeled compound to a tumor and slow neutron irradiation of the tumor-bearing tissues. In order to improve the penetration of the neutron beam, an epithermal neutron beam was developed at the Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor (BMRR). This epithermal neutron beam can deliver relatively high thermal neutron fluence at depth without severe skin damage. Boronophenylalanine-fructose (BPA-F), a nontoxic boron carrier, was found to preferentially accumulate in tumor cells following intravenous infusion in patients with GBM. In preclinical BNCT studies in rats bearing 9L gliosarcoma, BPA-mediated BNCT was shown to be more efficacious than photon irradiation. In 1994, improvements in the neutron beam and in the understanding of the radiobiology of BPA-mediated BNCT led to the initiation of BNCT trials for human GBM at BMRR using BPA-F and epithermal neutrons. The primary objective of the phase I/II clinical trial of BPA-mediated BNCT at BMRR is to evaluate the safety of the BPA-F-mediated BNCT using epithermal neutrons in patients with GBM at a series of escalating BNCT doses. An incidental objective is to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of BNCT at each dose level. For each dose escalation group, the average brain dose (ABD) is escalated, as well as the minimum tumor dose. In summary, the BNCT procedure employed in the phase I/II clinical trial of BPA-F-mediated BNCT for GBM at BNL was found to be safe in all patients. The palliation afforded by a single session of BNCT compares favorably with palliation provided by fractionated photon therapy and adjuvant chemotherapy. If no evidence of radiation-induced brain toxicity is found in the current protocol, BNCT radiation dose will be further escalated

  9. Phase I study of continuous MKC-1 in patients with advanced or metastatic solid malignancies using the modified Time-to-Event Continual Reassessment Method (TITE-CRM) dose escalation design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tevaarwerk, Amye; Wilding, George; Eickhoff, Jens; Chappell, Rick; Sidor, Carolyn; Arnott, Jamie; Bailey, Howard; Schelman, William; Liu, Glenn

    2012-06-01

    MKC-1 is an oral cell-cycle inhibitor with broad antitumor activity in preclinical models. Clinical studies demonstrated modest antitumor activity using intermittent dosing schedule, however additional preclinical data suggested continuous dosing could be efficacious with additional effects against the mTor/AKT pathway. The primary objectives were to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and response of continuous MKC-1. Secondary objectives included characterizing the dose limiting toxicities (DLTs) and pharmacokinetics (PK). Patients with solid malignancies were eligible, if they had measurable disease, ECOG PS ≤1, and adequate organ function. Exclusions included brain metastases and inability to receive oral drug. MKC-1 was dosed twice daily, continuously in 28-day cycles. Other medications were eliminated if there were possible drug interactions. Doses were assigned using a TITE-CRM algorithm following enrollment of the first 3 pts. Disease response was assessed every 8 weeks. Between 5/08-9/09, 24 patients enrolled (15 M/9 F, median 58 years, range 44-77). Patients 1-3 received 120 mg/d of MKC-1; patients 4-24 were dosed per the TITE-CRM algorithm: 150 mg [n = 1], 180 [2], 200 [1], 230 [1], 260 [5], 290 [6], 320 [5]. The median time on drug was 8 weeks (range 4-28). The only DLT occurred at 320 mg (grade 3 fatigue). Stable disease occurred at 150 mg/d (28 weeks; RCC) and 320 mg/d (16 weeks; breast, parotid). Escalation halted at 320 mg/d. Day 28 pharmacokinetics indicated absorption and active metabolites. Continuous MKC-1 was well-tolerated; there were no RECIST responses, although clinical benefit occurred in 3/24 pts. Dose escalation stopped at 320 mg/d, and this is the MTD as defined by the CRM dose escalation algorithm; this cumulative dose/cycle exceeds that determined from intermittent dosing studies. A TITE-CRM allowed for rapid dose escalation and was able to account for late toxicities with continuous dosing via a modified algorithm.

  10. A phase 1/2, dose-escalation trial of deferasirox for the treatment of iron overload in HFE-related hereditary hemochromatosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phatak, Pradyumna; Brissot, Pierre; Wurster, Mark; Adams, Paul C; Bonkovsky, Herbert L; Gross, John; Malfertheiner, Peter; McLaren, Gordon D; Niederau, Claus; Piperno, Alberto; Powell, Lawrie W; Russo, Mark W; Stoelzel, Ulrich; Stremmel, Wolfgang; Griffel, Louis; Lynch, Nicola; Zhang, Yiyun; Pietrangelo, Antonello

    2010-11-01

    Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is characterized by increased intestinal iron absorption that may result in iron overload. Although phlebotomy is widely practiced, it is poorly tolerated or contraindicated in patients with anemias, severe heart disease, or poor venous access, and compliance can vary. The once-daily, oral iron chelator, deferasirox (Exjade) may provide an alternative treatment option. Patients with HH carrying the HFE gene who were homozygous for the Cys282Tyr mutation, serum ferritin levels of 300-2000 ng/mL, transferrin saturation ≥ 45%, and no known history of cirrhosis were enrolled in this dose-escalation study to characterize the safety and efficacy of deferasirox, comprising a core and an extension phase (each 24 weeks). Forty-nine patients were enrolled and received starting deferasirox doses of 5 (n = 11), 10 (n = 15), or 15 (n = 23) mg/kg/day. Adverse events were generally dose-dependent, the most common being diarrhea, headache, and nausea (n = 18, n = 10, and n = 8 in the core and n = 1, n = 1, and n = 0 in the extension, respectively). More patients in the 15 mg/kg/day than in the 5 or 10 mg/kg/day cohorts experienced increases in alanine aminotransferase and serum creatinine levels during the 48-week treatment period; six patients had alanine aminotransferase > 3 × baseline and greater than the upper limit of normal range, and eight patients had serum creatinine > 33% above baseline and greater than upper limit of normal on two consecutive occasions. After receiving deferasirox for 48 weeks, median serum ferritin levels decreased by 63.5%, 74.8%, and 74.1% in the 5, 10, and 15 mg/kg/day cohorts, respectively. In all cohorts, median serum ferritin decreased to < 250 ng/mL. Deferasirox doses of 5, 10, and 15 mg/kg/day can reduce iron burden in patients with HH. Based on the safety and efficacy results, starting deferasirox at 10 mg/kg/day appears to be most appropriate for further study in this patient population.

  11. Optimization of tolerability and efficacy of the novel dual amylin and calcitonin receptor agonist KBP-089 through dose escalation and combination with a GLP-1 analog

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gydesen, Sofie; Andreassen, Kim Vietz; Hjuler, Sara Toftegaard

    2017-01-01

    , and the following treatment with 2.5, 10, and 40 µg/kg resulted in an ~15% vehicle-corrected weight loss, a corresponding reduction in adipose tissue (AT), and, in all treatment groups, improved oral glucose tolerance (P weight evenly with no significant...... second day obtained equal weight loss at study end, albeit with an uneven reduction in both food intake and body weight in rats dosed every second day. In a 4-fold dose escalation, KBP-089 induced a transient reduction in food intake at every escalation step, with reducing magnitude over time...... reduction in food intake at either escalation step. KBP-089 (1.25 µg/kg) and liraglutide (50 µg/kg) reduced 24-h food intake by 29% and 37% compared with vehicle, respectively; however, when they were combined, 24-h food intake was reduced by 87%. Chronically, KBP-089 (1.25 µg/kg) and liraglutide (50 µg...

  12. Phase I dose escalating trial of hyperfractionated pre-operative chemoradiation for locally advanced rectal cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Movsas, Benjamin; Hanlon, Alexandra L.; Lanciano, Rachelle; Scher, Richard M.; Weiner, Louis M.; Sigurdson, Elin R.; Hoffman, John P.; Eisenberg, Burton L.; Cooper, Harry S.; Provins, Susan; Coia, Lawrence R.

    1998-01-01

    Purpose: To determine the acute toxicity, post-operative complications, pathologic response and extent of downstaging to high dose pre-operative radiation using a hyperfractionated radiation boost and concurrent chemotherapy in a prospective Phase I trial. Materials and Methods: To be eligible for this study, patients had to have adenocarcinoma of the rectum less than 12 cm from the anal verge with either Stage T4 or T3 but greater than 4 cm or greater than 40% of the bowel circumference. All patients received 45 Gy pelvic radiation (1.8 Gy per fraction). Subsequent radiation was given to the region of the gross tumor with a 2 cm margin. This 'boost' treatment was given at 1.2 Gy twice daily to a total dose of 54.6 Gy for Level I, 57 Gy for Level II, and 61.8 Gy for Level III. 5-FU was given at 1g/m 2 over 24 hours for a four day infusion during the first and sixth weeks of radiation, with the second course concurrent with the hyperfractionated radiation. Surgical resection was carried out 4-6 weeks following completion of chemoradiation (in curative cases) and additional adjuvant chemotherapy consisting of 5-FU and Leucovorin was given for an additional 4 monthly cycles Days 1 through 5 beginning four weeks post surgery. Results: Twenty-seven patients, age 40-82 (median 61), completed the initial course of chemoradiation and are included in the analysis of toxicity. The median follow-up is 27 months (range 8-68). Eleven patients were treated to a dose of 54.6 Gy, nine patients to 57 Gy, and seven patients to 61.8 Gy. Twenty-one patients had T3 tumors, and six patients T4 tumors. Grade III acute toxicity from chemoradiation included proctitis (5 patients), dermatitis (9), diarrhea (five), leukopenia (1), cardiac (1). Grade IV toxicities included one patient with diarrhea (on dose Level I) and one patient (on dose Level III) with cardiac toxicity (unrelated to radiation). Surgical resection consisted of abdominal perineal resection in 16 and low anterior resection

  13. A Phase Ib dose-escalation study to evaluate safety and tolerability of the addition of the aminopeptidase inhibitor tosedostat (CHR-2797) to paclitaxel in patients with advanced solid tumours

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    C.M.L. Herpen (Carla); F.A.L.M. Eskens (Ferry); M.J.A. de Jonge (Maja); I.M.E. Desar (Ingrid); L. Hooftman (Leon); E. Bone (Elisabeth); J.N.H. Timmerbonte (Johanna); J. Verweij (Jaap)

    2010-01-01

    textabstractBackground: This Phase Ib dose-escalating study investigated safety, maximum tolerated dose (MTD), dose-limiting toxicity (DLT), pharmacokinetics (PK) and clinical antitumour activity of tosedostat (CHR-2797), an orally bioavailable aminopeptidase inhibitor, in combination with

  14. A Phase Ib dose-escalation study to evaluate safety and tolerability of the addition of the aminopeptidase inhibitor tosedostat (CHR-2797) to paclitaxel in patients with advanced solid tumours.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Herpen, C.M.L. van; Eskens, F.A.; Jonge, M. de; Desar, I.M.E.; Hooftman, L.; Bone, E.A.; Timmer-Bonte, J.N.H.; Verweij, J.

    2010-01-01

    BACKGROUND: This Phase Ib dose-escalating study investigated safety, maximum tolerated dose (MTD), dose-limiting toxicity (DLT), pharmacokinetics (PK) and clinical antitumour activity of tosedostat (CHR-2797), an orally bioavailable aminopeptidase inhibitor, in combination with paclitaxel. METHODS:

  15. Radiation therapy and concurrent fixed dose amifostine with escalating doses of twice-weekly gemcitabine in advanced pancreatic cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yavuz, A. Aydin; Aydin, Fazil; Yavuz, Melek N.; Ilis, Esra; Ozdemir, Feyyaz

    2001-01-01

    Purpose: To determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) of twice-weekly gemcitabine (TW-G) when administered in conjunction with fixed dose amifostine (A) during external radiotherapy (RT) in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Methods and Materials: Ten patients with previously untreated, locally advanced, or asymptomatic-metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma were enrolled in this study. RT was delivered by using the standard four-field technique (1.8 Gy daily fractions, 45 Gy followed by a boost of 5.4 Gy, in 5-1/2 weeks). The starting dose of TW-G was 60 mg/m 2 (i.v., 30-min infusion), which is equal to the upper limit of previously reported MTD of TW-G when given without A during RT. A was given just before the TW-G, at a fixed dose of 340 mg/m 2 (i.v., rapid infusion). TW-G doses were escalated by 30-mg/m 2 increments in successive cohorts of 3 to 6 additional patients until DLT was observed. Toxicities were graded using the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group and National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria, version 2.0. Results: In general, therapy was well tolerated in patients treated at the first two dose levels of 60 mg/m 2 and 90 mg/m 2 . The DLT of TW-G given in conjunction with A during RT were neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and nausea/vomiting at the dose level of 120 mg/m 2 . Of the 10 patients eligible for a median follow-up of 10 months, 5 remain alive; 1 complete responder, 3 partial responders, and 1 with stable disease. Conclusion: A dose of TW-G at a level of 90 mg/m 2 produced tolerable toxicity and it may possess significant activity when delivered in conjunction with 340 mg/m 2 dose of A during RT of the upper abdomen. Due to the higher MTD of TW-G seen in our study, we consider that the A supplementation may optimize the therapeutic index of TW-G-based chemoradiotherapy protocols in patients with pancreatic carcinoma

  16. Moderate Hypofractionated Protracted Radiation Therapy and Dose Escalation for Prostate Cancer: Do Dose and Overall Treatment Time Matter?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kountouri, Melpomeni; Zilli, Thomas; Rouzaud, Michel; Dubouloz, Angèle [Department of Radiation Oncology, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva (Switzerland); Linero, Dolors; Escudé, Lluís; Jorcano, Sandra [Radiation Oncology, Teknon Oncologic Institute, Barcelona (Spain); Miralbell, Raymond, E-mail: Raymond.Miralbell@hcuge.ch [Department of Radiation Oncology, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva (Switzerland); Radiation Oncology, Teknon Oncologic Institute, Barcelona (Spain)

    2016-02-01

    Purpose: This was a retrospective study of 2 sequential dose escalation regimens of twice-weekly 4 Gy/fractions hypofractionated intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT): 56 Gy and 60 Gy delivered within a protracted overall treatment time (OTT) of 6.5 and 7 weeks, respectively. Methods and Materials: 163 prostate cancer patients with cT1c-T3a disease and nodal involvement risk ≤20% (Roach index) were treated twice weekly to the prostate ± seminal vesicles with 2 sequential dose-escalated IMRT schedules: 56 Gy (14 × 4 Gy, n=81) from 2003 to 2007 and 60 Gy (15 × 4 Gy, n=82) from 2006 to 2010. Patient repositioning was made with bone matching on portal images. Gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) toxicities were scored according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 3.0 grading scale. Results: There were no significant differences regarding the acute GU and GI toxicities in the 2 dose groups. The median follow-up times were 80.2 months (range, 4.5-121 months) and 56.5 months (range, 1.4-91.2 months) for patients treated to 56 and 60 Gy, respectively. The 5-year grade ≥2 late GU toxicity-free survivals with 56 Gy and 60 Gy were 96 ± 2.3% and 78.2 ± 5.1% (P=.001), respectively. The 5-year grade ≥2 late GI toxicity-free survivals with 56 Gy and 60 Gy were 98.6 ± 1.3% and 85.1 ± 4.5% (P=.005), respectively. Patients treated with 56 Gy showed a 5-year biochemical progression-free survival (bPFS) of 80.8 ± 4.7%, worse than patients treated with 60 Gy (93.2 ± 3.9%, P=.007). A trend for a better 5-year distant metastasis-free survival was observed among patients treated in the high-dose group (95.3 ± 2.7% vs 100%, P=.073, respectively). On multivariate analysis, only the 60-Gy group predicted for a better bPFS (P=.016, hazard ratio = 4.58). Conclusions: A single 4-Gy additional fraction in patients treated with a hypofractionated protracted IMRT schedule of 14 × 4 Gy resulted in

  17. A phase I, dose-escalation study of TB-403, a monoclonal antibody directed against PlGF, in patients with advanced solid tumours

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lassen, U; Nielsen, D L; Sørensen, M

    2012-01-01

    BACKGROUND: TB-403 (RO 5323441), a humanised monoclonal antibody, is a novel antiangiogenesis agent directed against placental growth factor. The safety, pharmacokinetics (PK), and antitumour activity of TB-403 were assessed in a phase I, dose-escalation study in patients with advanced solid...

  18. A phase I dose escalation trial of AXP107-11, a novel multi-component crystalline form of genistein, in combination with gemcitabine in chemotherapy-naive patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Löhr, Johannes-Matthias; Karimi, Masoud; Omazic, Brigitta; Kartalis, Nikolaos; Verbeke, Caroline Sabine; Berkenstam, Anders; Frödin, Jan-Erik

    2016-01-01

    AXP107-11 is a novel, multi-component crystalline form of the naturally occurring compound genistein. AXP107-11 has improved physiochemical properties and oral bioavailability compared to the natural form of genistein, and it is possible that combining AXP107-11 with chemotherapy may increase the effect and reduce chemoresistance. The purpose of this dose escalation phase Ib study was to assess the safety, maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and pharmacokinetics (PK) of AXP107-11 in combination with gemcitabine in treatment-naïve patients with inoperable pancreatic carcinoma. AXP107-11 was given orally in escalating doses (400 mg-1600 mg daily) in combination with standard gemcitabine treatment (1000 mg/m(2)/week) for the first seven of eight weeks and thereafter for a maximum of four × four-week treatment cycles. PK, safety, MTD and efficacy of AXP107-11 in combination with gemcitabine were evaluated. Sixteen patients were enrolled and received AXP107-11. The maximum concentration in serum of unconjugated (free) genistein was 1 μM. Neither dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) nor signs of hematological or non-hematological toxicities related to AXP107-11 were observed over a period ranging from 0.7 to 13.2 months. The median overall survival time was 4.9 months (range 1.5-19.5 months). Seven patients (44%) survived longer than six months and 19% were alive at the one-year follow-up. Treatment of pancreatic cancer patients with AXP107-11 in combination with gemcitabine resulted in a favorable PK-profile with high serum levels without signs of either hematological or non-hematological toxicity. Accordingly, we suggest further studies with AXP107-11 in pancreatic cancer patients. Copyright © 2016 IAP and EPC. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. A dose escalation study of concurrent chemoradiation therapy with nedaplatin for cervical cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hatae, Masayuki; Takahashi, Takeshi; Kodama, Shoji

    2005-01-01

    Doses of nedaplatin (CDGP) were established for concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT) for cervical cancer, and a collaborative dose escalation study involving 8 hospitals was conducted to investigate the safety and efficacy of this therapy. Radiotherapy was performed according to the standard treatment described in the Regulations of Cervical Carcinoma Treatment. CDGP at 80 mg/m 2 as Level 1 or at 90 mg/m 2 as Level 2 was administered on Days 1 and 29 of treatment. Dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was observed in 1 of 6 patients receiving 80 mg/m 2 of CDGP and in all 2 patients receiving 90 mg/m 2 of CDGP; therefore, Level 2 was regarded as the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), and Level 1 as the recommended dose. DLT signs consisted of delayed improvement in the leukocyte count in 2 patients and anorexia in 1 patient, suggesting that delayed improvement in the leukocyte count is the main DLT of this combination therapy. The main side effects were digestive disorders such as nausea and anorexia and bone marrow suppression, such as leukopenia, neutropenia, and thrombopenia. Side effects in the Level 1 group were more mild than in the Level 2 group. The efficacy was partial response (PR) or better in all patients. The complete response (CR) rates were 60% (6/10) in the Level 1 group and 50% (1/2) in the Level 2 group; there was no marked difference between the two groups. These results suggest that CCRT involving administration CDGP at 80 mg/m 2 on Days 1 and 29 is safe and effective. (author)

  20. Dose-escalated intensity-modulated radiotherapy and irradiation of subventricular zones in relation to tumor control outcomes of patients with glioblastoma multiforme

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kusumawidjaja G

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Grace Kusumawidjaja,1 Patricia Zhun Hong Gan,1 Whee Sze Ong,2 Achiraya Teyateeti,3 Pittaya Dankulchai,3 Daniel Yat Harn Tan,1 Eu Tiong Chua,1 Kevin Lee Min Chua,1 Chee Kian Tham,4 Fuh Yong Wong,1 Melvin Lee Kiang Chua1,5 1Division of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore; 2Division of Clinical Trials and Epidemiological Sciences, National Cancer Centre, Singapore; 3Department of Radiology, Division of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Thailand; 4Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore; 5Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore Background: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM is the most aggressive primary brain tumor with high relapse rate. In this study, we aimed to determine if dose-escalated (DE radiotherapy improved tumor control and survival in GBM patients. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 49 and 23 newly-diagnosed histology-proven GBM patients, treated with DE radiotherapy delivered in 70 Gy (2.33 Gy per fraction and conventional doses (60 Gy, respectively, between 2007 and 2013. Clinical target volumes for 70 and 60 Gy were defined by 0.5 and 2.0 cm expansion of magnetic resonance imaging T1-gadolinium-enhanced tumor/surgical cavity, respectively. Bilateral subventricular zones (SVZ were contoured on a co-registered pre-treatment magnetic resonance imaging and planning computed tomography dataset as a 5 mm wide structure along the lateral margins of the lateral ventricles. Survival outcomes of both cohorts were compared using log-rank test. Radiation dose to SVZ in the DE cohort was evaluated. Results: Median follow-up was 13.6 and 15.1 months for the DE- and conventionally-treated cohorts, respectively. Median overall survival (OS of patients who received DE radiotherapy was 15.2 months (95% confidence interval [CI] =11.0–18.6, while median OS of the latter cohort was 18.4 months (95% CI =12.5–31.4, P=0.253. Univariate analyses of

  1. Post treatment PSA nadirs support continuing dose escalation study in patients with pretreatment PSA levels >10 ng/ml, but not in those with PSA <10 NG/ML

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herold, D.H.; Hanlon, A.L.; Movsas, B.; Hanks, G.E.

    1996-01-01

    Purpose: We have recently shown that ICRU reporting point radiation doses above 71 Gy are not associated with improved bNED survival in prostate cancer patients with pretreatment PSA level 20 ng/ml we found a strong correlation between dose and nadir values < 1.0 ng/ml (p=.003) as well as for nadir's < 0.5 ng/ml (p=.04). This dose/nadir effect held at several dose levels, but 74 Gy for nadir values < 1.0 ng/ml and 72 Gy for nadir's < 0.5 ng/ml remained the most significant. 32% of these patients achieved a nadir < 1.0ng/ml and 15% < 0.5ng/ml. Conclusions: This analysis provides strong additional support that patients with pretreatment PSA values of < 10 ng/ml do not benefit from dose escalation beyond an ICRU reporting point dose of 71 Gy. For patients with pretreatment PSA's of 10-19.9 ng/ml there is no dose/nadir response evaluated at a nadir of 1.0 ng/ml; however, there is a borderline effect observed at a nadir of 0.5 ng/ml. Patients with pretreatment PSA's of 20 ng/ml or greater clearly benefit from higher doses as evaluated by PSA nadirs of 1.0 ng/ml, and 0.5 ng/ml. These studies support the continued investigation of dose escalation in treating patients with PSA levels over 10 ng/ml, they do not support continued investigation of dose escalation beyond 71 Gy in patients with pretreatment PSA levels < 10 ng/ml. The failure to demonstrate any dose response for the low PSA group and the finding of only a borderline effect for the intermediate PSA group may be influenced by the relatively small number of patients in our series treated to doses < 70 Gy and the fact that none of our patients were treated to doses below 65.98 Gy. The lower limit of acceptible dose has yet to be defined

  2. Dose-escalated simultaneous integrated-boost treatment of prostate cancer patients via helical tomotherapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Geier, M.; Astner, S.T.; Duma, M.N.; Putzhammer, J.; Winkler, C.; Molls, M.; Geinitz, H. [Technische Univ. Muenchen (Germany). Klinik und Poliklinik fuer Strahlentherapie und Radiologische Onkologie; Jacob, V. [Universitaetsklinikum Freiburg (Germany). Klinik fuer Strahlenheilkunde; Nieder, C. [Nordland Hospital, Bodoe (Norway). Dept. of Oncology and Palliative Care; Tromsoe Univ. (Norway). Inst. of Clinical Medicine

    2012-05-15

    The goal of this work was to assess the feasibility of moderately hypofractionated simultaneous integrated-boost intensity-modulated radiotherapy (SIB-IMRT) with helical tomotherapy in patients with localized prostate cancer regarding acute side effects and dose-volume histogram data (DVH data). Acute side effects and DVH data were evaluated of the first 40 intermediate risk prostate cancer patients treated with a definitive daily image-guided SIB-IMRT protocol via helical tomotherapy in our department. The planning target volume including the prostate and the base of the seminal vesicles with safety margins was treated with 70 Gy in 35 fractions. The boost volume containing the prostate and 3 mm safety margins (5 mm craniocaudal) was treated as SIB to a total dose of 76 Gy (2.17 Gy per fraction). Planning constraints for the anterior rectal wall were set in order not to exceed the dose of 76 Gy prescribed to the boost volume. Acute toxicity was evaluated prospectively using a modified CTCAE (Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events) score. SIB-IMRT allowed good rectal sparing, although the full boost dose was permitted to the anterior rectal wall. Median rectum dose was 38 Gy in all patients and the median volumes receiving at least 65 Gy (V65), 70 Gy (V70), and 75 Gy (V75) were 13.5%, 9%, and 3%, respectively. No grade 4 toxicity was observed. Acute grade 3 toxicity was observed in 20% of patients involving nocturia only. Grade 2 acute intestinal and urological side effects occurred in 25% and 57.5%, respectively. No correlation was found between acute toxicity and the DVH data. This institutional SIB-IMRT protocol using daily image guidance as a precondition for smaller safety margins allows dose escalation to the prostate without increasing acute toxicity. (orig.)

  3. Phase I trial of split-dose induction docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil (TPF chemotherapy followed by curative surgery combined with postoperative radiotherapy in patients with locally advanced oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer (TISOC-1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oertel Katrin

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Induction chemotherapy (ICT with docetaxel, cisplatin and fluorouracil (TPF followed by radiotherapy is an effective treatment option for unresectable locally advanced head and neck cancer. This phase I study was designed to investigate the safety and tolerability of a split-dose TPF ICT regimen prior to surgery for locally advanced resectable oral and oropharyngeal cancer. Methods Patients received TPF split on two dosages on day 1 and 8 per cycle for one or three 3-week cycles prior to surgery and postoperative radiotherapy or radiochemotherapy. Docetaxel was escalated in two dose levels, 40 mg/m2 (DL 0 and 30 mg/m2 (DL −1, plus 40 mg/m2 cisplatin and 2000 mg/m2 fluorouracil per week using a 3 +3 dose escalation algorithm. Results Eighteen patients were enrolled and were eligible for toxicity and response. A maximum tolerated dose of 30 mg/m2 docetaxel per week was reached. The most common grade 3+ adverse event was neutropenia during ICT in 10 patients. Surgery reached R0 resection in all cases. Nine patients (50% showed complete pathologic regression. Conclusions A split-dose regime of TPF prior to surgery is feasible, tolerated and merits additional investigation in a phase II study with a dose of 30 mg/m docetaxel per week. Trial registration number NCT01108042 (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier

  4. Retrospective Evaluation Reveals That Long-term Androgen Deprivation Therapy Improves Cause-Specific and Overall Survival in the Setting of Dose-Escalated Radiation for High-Risk Prostate Cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feng, Felix Y.; Blas, Kevin; Olson, Karin; Stenmark, Matthew; Sandler, Howard; Hamstra, Daniel A.

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the role of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and duration for high-risk prostate cancer patients treated with dose-escalated radiation therapy (RT). Methods and Materials: A retrospective analysis of high-risk prostate cancer patients treated with dose-escalated RT (minimum 75 Gy) with or without ADT was performed. The relationship between ADT use and duration with biochemical failure (BF), metastatic failure (MF), prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM), non-prostate cancer death (NPCD), and overall survival (OS) was assessed as a function of pretreatment characteristics, comorbid medical illness, and treatment using Fine and Gray's cumulative incidence methodology. Results: The median follow-up time was 64 months. In men with National Comprehensive Cancer Network defined high-risk prostate cancer treated with dose-escalated RT, on univariate analysis, both metastasis (P<.0001; hazard ratio 0.34; 95% confidence interval 0.18-0.67; cumulative incidence at 60 months 13% vs 35%) and PCSM (P=.015; hazard ratio 0.41; 95% confidence interval 0.2-1.0; cumulative incidence at 60 months 6% vs 11%) were improved with the use of ADT. On multivariate analysis for all high-risk patients, Gleason score was the strongest negative prognostic factor, and long-term ADT (LTAD) improved MF (P=.002), PCSM (P=.034), and OS (P=.001). In men with prostate cancer and Gleason scores 8 to 10, on multivariate analysis after adjustment for other risk features, there was a duration-dependent improvement in BF, metastasis, PCSM, and OS, all favoring LTAD in comparison with STAD or RT alone. Conclusion: For men with high-risk prostate cancer treated with dose-escalated EBRT, this retrospective study suggests that the combination of LTAD and RT provided a significant improvement in clinical outcome, which was especially true for those with Gleason scores of 8 to 10

  5. Dose and Fractionation in Radiation Therapy of Curative Intent for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ramroth, Johanna; Cutter, David J.; Darby, Sarah C. [Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire (United Kingdom); Higgins, Geoff S. [Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire (United Kingdom); McGale, Paul [Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire (United Kingdom); Partridge, Mike [CRUK/MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Oxford, Oxfordshire (United Kingdom); Taylor, Carolyn W., E-mail: carolyn.taylor@ndph.ox.ac.uk [Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire (United Kingdom)

    2016-11-15

    upper dose level was found above which there was no further benefit. These findings support the consideration of further radiation therapy dose escalation trials, making use of modern treatment methods to reduce toxicity.

  6. Dose and Fractionation in Radiation Therapy of Curative Intent for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramroth, Johanna; Cutter, David J.; Darby, Sarah C.; Higgins, Geoff S.; McGale, Paul; Partridge, Mike; Taylor, Carolyn W.

    2016-01-01

    upper dose level was found above which there was no further benefit. These findings support the consideration of further radiation therapy dose escalation trials, making use of modern treatment methods to reduce toxicity.

  7. Deep inspiration breath-hold technique for lung tumors: the potential value of target immobilization and reduced lung density in dose escalation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hanley, J.; Debois, M.M.; Raben, A.; Mageras, G.S.; Lutz, W.R.; Mychalczak, B.; Schwartz, L.H.; Gloeggler, P.J.; Leibel, S.A.; Fuks, Z.; Kutcher, G.J.

    1996-01-01

    Purpose/Objective: Lung tumors are subject to movement due to respiratory motion. Conventionally, a margin is applied to the clinical target volume (CTV) to account for this and other treatment uncertainties. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the dosimetric benefits of a deep inspiration breath-hold (DIBH) technique which has two distinct features - deep inspiration which reduces lung density and breath-hold which immobilizes lung tumors. Both properties can potentially reduce the mass of normal lung tissue in the high dose region, thus improving the possibility of dose escalation. Methods and Materials: To study the efficacy of the DIBH technique, CT scans are acquired for each patient under 4 respiration conditions: free-breathing; DIBH; shallow inspiration breath-hold; shallow expiration breath-hold. The free-breathing and DIBH scans are used to generate treatment plans for comparison of standard and DIBH techniques, while the shallow inspiration and expiration scans provide information on the maximum extent of tumor motion under free-breathing conditions. To acquire the breath-hold scans, the patients are brought to reproducible respiration levels using spirometry and slow vital capacity maneuvers. For the treatment plan comparison free-breathing and DIBH planning target volumes (PTVs) are constructed consisting of the CTV plus a margin for setup error and lung tumor motion. For both plans the margin for setup error is the same while the margin for lung tumor motion differs. The margin for organ motion in free-breathing is determined by the maximum tumor excursions in the shallow inspiration and expiration CT scans. For the DIBH, tumor motion is reduced to the extent to which DIBH can be maintained and the margin for any residual tumor motion is determined from repeat fluoroscopic movies, acquired with the patient monitored using spirometry. Three-dimensional treatment plans, generated using apertures based on the free-breathing and DIBH PTVs, are

  8. Results of a phase I dose escalation study of eltrombopag in patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma receiving doxorubicin and ifosfamide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chawla, Sant P; Staddon, Arthur; Hendifar, Andrew; Messam, Conrad A; Patwardhan, Rita; Kamel, Yasser Mostafa

    2013-01-01

    The objective of this Phase I dose escalation study was to explore the safety and tolerability of eltrombopag, an oral, nonpeptide, thrombopoietin receptor agonist, in patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma (STS) and thrombocytopenia due to treatment with doxorubicin and ifosfamide (AI) combination chemotherapy. Patients aged 18 or older with histologically confirmed, locally advanced or metastatic STS were treated with 1 cycle of AI followed by AI with eltrombopag starting at Cycle 2, using 2 different dosing schedules. The study design included an eltrombopag dose escalation phase starting at 75 mg daily to determine the optimal biological dose (OBD). Eighteen patients were enrolled and 15 received at least 1 dose of chemotherapy; 3 patients withdrew prior to receiving eltrombopag. Seven, 4, and 1 patients received 75 mg, 100 mg, and 150 mg eltrombopag daily, respectively. No dose-limiting toxicities were reported. Due to slow recruitment, the study was closed prior to identifying an OBD. The most common hematologic adverse events (AEs) were thrombocytopenia (80%), neutropenia (73%), and anemia (67%). The most common nonhematologic AEs were fatigue (53%), alanine aminotransferase increased, constipation, and nausea (47% each). Eleven of 12 patients who received eltrombopag completed at least 2 chemotherapy cycles; all had increased platelet counts on Day 1 of Cycle 2 (cycle with eltrombopag) compared to Day 1 of Cycle 1 (cycle without eltrombopag). Although data are limited, safety data were consistent with the known toxicities of AI combination chemotherapy or the side effect profile of eltrombopag seen in other studies. Available data suggest a potential pre- and post-chemotherapy dosing scheme for eltrombopag when administered with AI chemotherapy, and support further investigation of eltrombopag treatment in patients with chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia

  9. Hypoxia imaging with [18F]-FMISO-PET for guided dose escalation with intensity-modulated radiotherapy in head-and-neck cancers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Henriques de Figueiredo, B. [Institut Bergonie, Department of Radiotherapy, Bordeaux (France); INCIA UMR-CNRS 5287, Bordeaux (France); Zacharatou, C. [Institut Bergonie, Department of Radiotherapy, Bordeaux (France); Galland-Girodet, S.; Benech, J. [Hospital Haut-Leveque, Department of Radiotherapy, CHRU Bordeaux (France); Clermont-Gallerande, H. de [Hospital Pellegrin, Department of Nuclear Medicine, CHRU Bordeaux (France); Lamare, F. [INCIA UMR-CNRS 5287, Bordeaux (France); Hospital Haut-Leveque, Department of Radiotherapy, CHRU Bordeaux (France); Hatt, M. [LaTIM INSERM U1101, Brest (France); Digue, L. [Hospital Saint-Andre, Department of Clinical Oncology, CHRU Bordeaux (France); Mones del Pujol, E. de [Department of Oto-rhino-laryngology, CHRU Bordeaux (France); Fernandez, P. [INCIA UMR-CNRS 5287, Bordeaux (France); Hospital Pellegrin, Department of Nuclear Medicine, CHRU Bordeaux (France); University Bordeaux 2, Bordeaux (France)

    2014-09-23

    Positron emission tomography (PET) with [{sup 18}F]-fluoromisonidazole ([{sup 18}F]-FMISO) provides a non-invasive assessment of hypoxia. The aim of this study is to assess the feasibility of a dose escalation with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) guided by [{sup 18}F]-FMISO-PET for head-and-neck cancers (HNC). Ten patients with inoperable stages III-IV HNC underwent [{sup 18}F]-FMISO-PET before radiotherapy. Hypoxic target volumes (HTV) were segmented automatically by using the fuzzy locally adaptive Bayesian method. Retrospectively, two VMAT plans were generated delivering 70 Gy to the gross tumour volume (GTV) defined on computed tomography simulation or 79.8 Gy to the HTV. A dosimetric comparison was performed, based on calculations of tumour control probability (TCP), normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) for the parotid glands and uncomplicated tumour control probability (UTCP). The mean hypoxic fraction, defined as the ratio between the HTV and the GTV, was 0.18. The mean average dose for both parotids was 22.7 Gy and 25.5 Gy without and with dose escalation respectively. FMISO-guided dose escalation led to a mean increase of TCP, NTCP for both parotids and UTCP by 18.1, 4.6 and 8 % respectively. A dose escalation up to 79.8 Gy guided by [{sup 18}F]-FMISO-PET with VMAT seems feasible with improvement of TCP and without excessive increase of NTCP for parotids. (orig.) [German] Die Positronenemissionstomographie (PET) mit [{sup 18}F]-Fluoromisonidazol ([{sup 18}F]-FMISO) ermoeglicht eine nichtinvasive Beurteilung der Hypoxie. Ziel dieser Studie ist es, die Durchfuehrbarkeit einer [{sup 18}F]-FMISO-PET-gefuehrten Dosissteigerung bei volumetrisch modulierter Arc-Therapie (VMAT) von Kopf-Hals-Tumoren (KHT) zu bewerten. Zehn Patienten mit inoperablen KHT der Stadien III-IV erhielten vor der Strahlentherapie eine [{sup 18}F]-FMISO-PET. Hypoxische Zielvolumina (HV) wurden automatisch mit Hilfe des FLAB(Fuzzy Locally Adaptive Bayesian

  10. Phase I dose escalation, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic study of naptumomab estafenatox alone in patients with advanced cancer and with docetaxel in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Borghaei, Hossein; Alpaugh, Katherine; Hedlund, Gunnar

    2009-01-01

    recognizing the tumor-associated antigen 5T4. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), pancreatic cancer (PC), and renal cell cancer (RCC) received 5 daily boluses of ABR-217620 (3-month cycles) in escalating doses to determine the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD; ABR-217620 dose...

  11. Phase I dose escalating trial of hyperfractinated pre-operative chemoradiation for locally advanced rectal cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Movsas, Benjamin; Hanlon, Alexandra L.; Lanciano, Rachelle M.; Scher, Richard M.; Weiner, Louis M.; Sigurdson, Elin R.; Hoffman, John P.; Cooper, Harry S.; Provins, Susan; Coia, Lawrence R.

    1997-01-01

    PURPOSE: To determine the acute toxicity, post-operative complications, pathologic response and extent of downstaging to high dose pre-operative radiation using hyperfractionated radiation boost and concurrent chemotherapy in a prospective Phase I trial. MATERIALS and METHODS: To be eligible for this study, patients had to have adenocarcinoma of the rectum less than 12 cm from the anal verge with either Stage T4 or T3 but greater than 4 cm or greater than 40% of the bowel circumference. Pre-operative T-stage was based on digital rectal examination (DRE), endorectal ultrasound or Helmholtz coil pelvic MRI. All patients received 45 Gy pelvic radiation (1.8 Gy per fraction). Subsequent radiation was given to the region of the gross tumor with a 2 cm margin in all directions with the aid of CT simulation. This 'boost' treatment was given at 1.2 Gy twice daily to a total dose of 54.6 Gy for Level I, 57 Gy for Level II, and 61.8 Gy for Level III. 5-FU was given at 1g/m 2 over 24 hours for a four day infusion during the first and fifth weeks of radiation, with the second course concurrent with the hyperfractionated radiation. Surgical resection was to be carried out four to six weeks following completion of chemoradiation (in curative cases) and additional adjuvant chemotherapy consisting of 5-FU and Leucovorin was to be given for an additional four monthly cycles Days 1 through 5 beginning four weeks post surgery. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients, age 40-82 (median 61), completed the initial course of chemoradiation and are included in the analysis of toxicity. The median follow-up is 24 months (range 8-39). Eleven patients were treated to a dose of 54.6 Gy, nine patients to 57 Gy, and seven patients to 61.8 Gy. Twenty-one patients had T3 tumors, and six patients T4 tumors. Median tumor length was 5 cm, median diameter 4 cm, and circumferential involvement greater than (1(3)) was present in 20 patients. Nine patients had primaries that were fixed or tethered on DRE. Grade

  12. Perineural Invasion Predicts Increased Recurrence, Metastasis, and Death From Prostate Cancer Following Treatment With Dose-Escalated Radiation Therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feng, Felix Y.; Qian Yushen; Stenmark, Matthew H.; Halverson, Schuyler; Blas, Kevin; Vance, Sean; Sandler, Howard M.; Hamstra, Daniel A.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: To assess the prognostic value of perineural invasion (PNI) for patients treated with dose-escalated external-beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: Outcomes were analyzed for 651 men treated for prostate cancer with EBRT to a minimum dose ≥75 Gy. We assessed the impact of PNI as well as pretreatment and treatment-related factors on freedom from biochemical failure (FFBF), freedom from metastasis (FFM), cause-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival. Results: PNI was present in 34% of specimens at biopsy and was significantly associated with higher Gleason score (GS), T stage, and prostate-specific antigen level. On univariate and multivariate analysis, the presence of PNI was associated with worse FFBF (hazard ratio = 1.7, p <0.006), FFM (hazard ratio = 1.8, p <0.03), and CSS (HR = 1.4, p <0.05) compared with absence of PNI; there was no difference in overall survival. Seven-year rates of FFBF, FFM, and CCS were 64% vs. 80%, 84% vs. 92%, and 91% vs. 95% for those patients with and without PNI, respectively. On recursive partitioning analysis, PNI predicted for worse FFM and CSS in patients with GS 8–10, with FFM of 67% vs. 89% (p <0.02), and CSS of 69% vs. 91%, (p <0.04) at 7 years for those with and without PNI, respectively. Conclusions: The presence of PNI in the prostate biopsy predicts worse clinical outcome for patients treated with dose-escalated external-beam radiation therapy. Particularly in patients with GS 8–10 disease, the presence of PNI suggests an increased risk of metastasis and prostate cancer death.

  13. Perineural Invasion Predicts Increased Recurrence, Metastasis, and Death From Prostate Cancer Following Treatment With Dose-Escalated Radiation Therapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Feng, Felix Y. [University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Ann Arbor Veteran Affairs Medical System, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Qian Yushen; Stenmark, Matthew H.; Halverson, Schuyler; Blas, Kevin; Vance, Sean [University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Sandler, Howard M. [Cedars Sinai Medical System, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Hamstra, Daniel A., E-mail: dhamm@med.umich.edu [University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)

    2011-11-15

    Purpose: To assess the prognostic value of perineural invasion (PNI) for patients treated with dose-escalated external-beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: Outcomes were analyzed for 651 men treated for prostate cancer with EBRT to a minimum dose {>=}75 Gy. We assessed the impact of PNI as well as pretreatment and treatment-related factors on freedom from biochemical failure (FFBF), freedom from metastasis (FFM), cause-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival. Results: PNI was present in 34% of specimens at biopsy and was significantly associated with higher Gleason score (GS), T stage, and prostate-specific antigen level. On univariate and multivariate analysis, the presence of PNI was associated with worse FFBF (hazard ratio = 1.7, p <0.006), FFM (hazard ratio = 1.8, p <0.03), and CSS (HR = 1.4, p <0.05) compared with absence of PNI; there was no difference in overall survival. Seven-year rates of FFBF, FFM, and CCS were 64% vs. 80%, 84% vs. 92%, and 91% vs. 95% for those patients with and without PNI, respectively. On recursive partitioning analysis, PNI predicted for worse FFM and CSS in patients with GS 8-10, with FFM of 67% vs. 89% (p <0.02), and CSS of 69% vs. 91%, (p <0.04) at 7 years for those with and without PNI, respectively. Conclusions: The presence of PNI in the prostate biopsy predicts worse clinical outcome for patients treated with dose-escalated external-beam radiation therapy. Particularly in patients with GS 8-10 disease, the presence of PNI suggests an increased risk of metastasis and prostate cancer death.

  14. The role and strategy of IMRT in radiotherapy of pelvic tumors: Dose escalation and critical organ sparing in prostate cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Y.-M.; Shiau, C.-Y.; Lee, M.-L.; Huang, P.-I.; Hsieh, C.-M.; Chen, P.-H.; Lin, Y.-H.; Wang, L.-W.; Yen, S.-H.

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: To investigate the intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) strategy in dose escalation of prostate and pelvic lymph nodes. Methods and Materials: Plan dosimetric data of 10 prostate cancer patients were compared with two-dimensional (2D) or IMRT techniques for pelvis (two-dimensional whole pelvic radiation therapy [2D-WPRT] or IM-WPRT) to receive 50 Gy or 54 Gy and additional prostate boost by three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy or IMRT (3D-PBRT or IM-PBRT) techniques up to 72 Gy or 78 Gy. Dose-volume histograms (DVHs), normal tissue complication probabilities (NTCP) of critical organ, and conformity of target volume in various combinations were calculated. Results: In DVH analysis, the plans with IM-WPRT (54 Gy) and additional boost up to 78 Gy had lower rectal and bladder volume percentage at 50 Gy and 60 Gy, compared with those with 2D-WPRT (50 Gy) and additional boost up to 72 Gy or 78 Gy. Those with IM-WPRT (54 Gy) also had better small bowel sparing at 30 Gy and 50 Gy, compared with those with 2D-WPRT (50 Gy). In NTCP, those with IM-WPRT and total dose of 78 Gy achieved lower complication rates in rectum and small bowel, compared with those of 2D-WPRT with total dose of 72 Gy. In conformity, those with IM-WPRT had better conformity compared with those with 2D-WPRT with significance (p < 0.005). No significant difference in DVHs, NTCP, or conformity was found between IM-PBRT and 3D-PBRT after IM-WPRT. Conclusions: Initial pelvic IMRT is the most important strategy in dose escalation and critical organ sparing. IM-WPRT is recommended for patients requiring WPRT. There is not much benefit for critical organ sparing by IMRT after 2D-WPRT

  15. Impact of whole brain radiation therapy on CSF penetration ability of Icotinib in EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer patients with brain metastases: Results of phase I dose-escalation study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Lin; He, Jiazhuo; Xiong, Weijie; Liu, Yongmei; Xiang, Jing; Yu, Qin; Liang, Maozhi; Zhou, Xiaojuan; Ding, Zhenyu; Huang, Meijuan; Ren, Li; Zhu, Jiang; Li, Lu; Hou, Mei; Ding, Lieming; Tan, Fenlai; Lu, You

    2016-06-01

    Whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT) and epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) are both treatment options for EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with brain metastases. However, the dose-escalation toxicity and efficacy of combination therapy, and the effect of WBRT on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) penetration of EGFR-TKIs are still unclear. EGFR-mutated NSCLC patients with brain metastases were enrolled in this study, and the cohorts were constructed with a 3+3 design. The patients received icotinib with escalating doses (125-625mg, tid), and the concurrent WBRT (37.5Gy/15f/3weeks) started a week later. The CSF penetration rates of icotinib were tested before, immediately after, and 4 weeks after WBRT, respectively. Potential toxicities and benefits from dose-escalation treatment were analyzed. Fifteen patients were included in this study, 3 at each dose level from 125mg-375mg and 6 at 500mg with 3 occurred dose-limiting toxicities. The maximal tolerated dose of icotinib was 375mg tid in this combination therapy. There was a significant correlation between icotinib concentration in the CSF and plasma (R(2)=0.599, Picotinib, from 1.2% to 9.7%, reached a maximum at 375mg (median, 6.1%). There was no significant difference for CSF penetration rates among the three test points (median, 4.1% vs. 2.8% vs. 2.8%, P=0.16). The intracranial objective response rate and median intracranial progression free survival are 80% and 18.9 months. WBRT plus concurrent icotinib is well tolerated in EGFR-mutated NSCLC patients with brain metastases, up to an icotinib dose of 375mg tid. The icotinib CSF concentration seemed to have a potential ceiling effect with the dose escalation, and WBRT seemed to have no significant impact on CSF penetration of icotinib till 4 weeks after the treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. First-in-Man Dose-Escalation Study of the Selective BRAF Inhibitor RG7256 in Patients with BRAF V600-Mutated Advanced Solid Tumors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dienstmann, Rodrigo; Lassen, Ulrik; Cebon, Jonathan

    2016-01-01

    V600-mutated advanced solid tumors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients received RG7256 orally over 8 dose levels from 200 mg once a day (QD) to 2400 mg twice a day (BID) (50-, 100- and 150-mg tablets) using a classic 3 + 3 dose escalation design. RESULTS: In total, 45 patients were enrolled; most (87...... %) had advanced melanoma (94 % BRAF V600E). RG7256 was rapidly absorbed, with limited accumulation and dose-proportional increase in exposure up to 1950 mg BID. The maximal tolerated dose (MTD) was not reached. The most common drug-related adverse events (AEs) were dyspepsia (20 %), dry skin (18 %), rash...

  17. Results of a multicentric in silico clinical trial (ROCOCO): comparing radiotherapy with photons and protons for non-small cell lung cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roelofs, Erik; Engelsman, Martijn; Rasch, Coen; Persoon, Lucas; Qamhiyeh, Sima; de Ruysscher, Dirk; Verhaegen, Frank; Pijls-Johannesma, Madelon; Lambin, Philippe

    2012-01-01

    This multicentric in silico trial compares photon and proton radiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer patients. The hypothesis is that proton radiotherapy decreases the dose and the volume of irradiated normal tissues even when escalating to the maximum tolerable dose of one or more of the organs at risk (OAR). Twenty-five patients, stage IA-IIIB, were prospectively included. On 4D F18-labeled fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography-computed tomography scans, the gross tumor, clinical and planning target volumes, and OAR were delineated. Three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) photon and passive scattered conformal proton therapy (PSPT) plans were created to give 70 Gy to the tumor in 35 fractions. Dose (de-)escalation was performed by rescaling to the maximum tolerable dose. Protons resulted in the lowest dose to the OAR, while keeping the dose to the target at 70 Gy. The integral dose (ID) was higher for 3DCRT (59%) and IMRT (43%) than for PSPT. The mean lung dose reduced from 18.9 Gy for 3DCRT and 16.4 Gy for IMRT to 13.5 Gy for PSPT. For 10 patients, escalation to 87 Gy was possible for all 3 modalities. The mean lung dose and ID were 40 and 65% higher for photons than for protons, respectively. The treatment planning results of the Radiation Oncology Collaborative Comparison trial show a reduction of ID and the dose to the OAR when treating with protons instead of photons, even with dose escalation. This shows that PSPT is able to give a high tumor dose, while keeping the OAR dose lower than with the photon modalities.

  18. The role of androgen deprivation therapy on biochemical failure and distant metastasis in intermediate-risk prostate cancer: effects of radiation dose escalation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ludwig, Michelle S; Kuban, Deborah A; Du, Xianglin L; Lopez, David S; Yamal, Jose-Miguel; Strom, Sara S

    2015-01-01

    To determine whether the effect of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) on the risk of biochemical failure varies at different doses of radiation in patients treated with definitive external beam radiation for intermediate risk prostate cancer (IRPC). This study included 1218 IRPC patients treated with definitive external beam radiation therapy to the prostate and seminal vesicles from June 1987 to January 2009 at our institution. Patient, treatment, and tumor information was collected, including age, race, Gleason score, radiation dose, PSA, T-stage, and months on ADT. The median follow-up was 6 years. A total of 421(34.6%) patients received ADT, 211 (17.3%) patients experienced a biochemical failure, and 38 (3.1%) developed distant metastasis. On univariable analyses, higher PSA, earlier year of diagnosis, higher T-stage, lower doses of radiation, and the lack of ADT were associated with an increased risk of biochemical failure. No difference in biochemical failure was seen among different racial groups or with the use of greater than 6 months of ADT compared with less than 6 months. On multivariate analysis, the use of ADT was associated with a lower risk of biochemical failure than no ADT (HR, 0.599; 95% CI, 0.367-0.978; P < 0.04) and lower risk of distant metastasis (HR, 0.114; 95% CI, 0.014-0.905; P = 0.04). ADT reduced the risk of biochemical failure and distant metastasis in both low- and high dose radiation groups among men with intermediate-risk PCa. Increasing the duration of ADT beyond 6 months did not reduce the risk of biochemical failures. Better understanding the benefit of ADT in the era of dose escalation will require a randomized clinical trial

  19. Toxicity and efficacy of re-irradiation of high-grade glioma in a phase I dose- and volume escalation trial

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møller, Søren; Munck Af Rosenschöld, Per; Costa, Junia

    2017-01-01

    .1-3.5) and the median overall survival was 7.0 months (95%CI: 3.5-10.5). Early side effects were mild and included headache and fatigue. Seven patients were progression-free beyond 10 weeks and were evaluable for late toxicity. Among these patients, three (43%) suffered late adverse events which included radionecrosis......INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of PET and MRI guided re-irradiation of recurrent high-grade glioma (HGG) and to assess the impact of radiotherapy dose, fractionation and irradiated volume. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients with localized, recurrent HGG...... (grades III-IV) and no other treatment options were eligible for a prospective phase I trial. Gross tumor volumes for radiotherapy were defined using T1-contrast enhanced MRI and (18)F-fluoro-ethyl tyrosine PET. Radiotherapy was delivered using volumetric modulated arc therapy with a 2-mm margin. The dose...

  20. An FDA oncology analysis of CD3 bispecific constructs and first-in-human dose selection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saber, Haleh; Del Valle, Pedro; Ricks, Tiffany K; Leighton, John K

    2017-11-01

    We retrospectively examined the nonclinical studies conducted with 17 CD3 bispecific constructs in support of first-in-human (FIH) trials in oncology. We also collected information on the design of dose-finding clinical trials. Sponsors have used different MABEL approaches for FIH dose selection. To better assess acceptable approaches, FIH doses were computed from nonclinical studies and compared to the maximum tolerated doses (MTDs) in patients, to the highest human doses (HHDs) when an MTD was not identified, or to the recommended human dose (RHD) for blinatumomab. We concluded that approaches based on receptor occupancy, highest non-severely toxic dose, or no-observed adverse effect level are not acceptable for selecting the FIH dose as they resulted in doses close to or above the MTDs, HHDs, or the RHD. A FIH dose corresponding to 10%-30% pharmacologic activity (PA) was an acceptable approach. A FIH dose corresponding to 50% PA was acceptable for all except one construct, potentially due to its biological or structural properties. The most common toxicities in animals and patients were those related to cytokine release. Doses were better tolerated when intra-animal or intra-patient dose escalation was used. Exposing naïve patients to an MTD achieved with intra-patient dose escalation design may be unsafe. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  1. Allogeneic marrow transplantation following cyclophosphamide and escalating doses of hyperfractionated total body irradiation in patients with advanced lymphoid malignancies: a phase I/II trial

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Demirer, Taner; Petersen, Finn B.; Appelbaum, Frederick R.; Barnett, Todd A.; Sanders, Jean; Deeg, H. Joachim; Storb, Rainer; Doney, Kristine; Bensinger, William I.; Shannon-Dorcy, Kathleen; Buckner, C. Dean

    1995-01-01

    Purpose: To define the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of unshielded total body irradiation (TBI) delivered from dual 60 C sources at an exposure rate of 0.08 Gy/min and given in thrice daily fractions of 1.2 Gy in patients with advanced lymphoid malignancies. Methods and Materials: Forty-four patients with a median age of 28 (range 6-48) years were entered into a Phase I/II study. All patients received cyclophosphamide (CY), 120 mg/kg administered over 2 days before TBI. Marrow from human leukocyte antigen (HLA) identical siblings was infused following the last dose of TBI. An escalation-deescalation schema designed to not exceed an incidence of 25% of Grade 3-4 regimen-related toxicities (RRTs) was used. The first dose level tested was 13.2 Gy followed by 14.4 Gy. Results: None of the four patients at the dose level of 13.2 Gy developed Grade 3-4 RRT. Two of the first eight patients receiving 14.4 Gy developed Grade 3-4 RRT, establishing this as the MTD. An additional 32 patients were evaluated at the 14.4 Gy level to confirm these initial observations. Of 40 patients receiving 14.4 Gy, 13 (32.5%) developed Grade 3-4 RRTs; 46% in adults and 12% in children. The primary dose limiting toxicity was Grade 3-4 hepatic toxicity, which occurred in 12.5% of patients. Noninfectious Grade 3-4 interstitial pneumonia syndrome occurred in 5% of patients. The actuarial probabilities of event-free survival, relapse, and nonrelapse mortality at 2 years were 0.10, 0.81, and 0.47, respectively, for patients who received 14.4 Gy of TBI. Conclusions: The outcome for patients receiving 14.4 Gy of TBI was not different from previous studies of other CY and TBI regimens in patients with advanced lymphoid malignancies. These data showed that the incidence of Grade 3-4 RRTs in adults was greater than the 25% maximum set as the goal of this study, suggesting that 13.2 Gy is a more appropriate dose of TBI for adults, while 14.4 Gy is an appropriate dose for children

  2. Melatonin for Sleep in Children with Autism: A Controlled Trial Examining Dose, Tolerability, and Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malow, Beth; Adkins, Karen W.; McGrew, Susan G.; Wang, Lily; Goldman, Suzanne E.; Fawkes, Diane; Burnette, Courtney

    2012-01-01

    Supplemental melatonin has shown promise in treating sleep onset insomnia in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Twenty-four children, free of psychotropic medications, completed an open-label dose-escalation study to assess dose-response, tolerability, safety, feasibility of collecting actigraphy data, and ability of outcome measures…

  3. Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy and Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy Combined With Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization for Locally Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Irradiation Dose Escalation Study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ren Zhigang; Zhao Jiandong; Gu Ke; Chen Zhen; Lin Junhua; Xu Zhiyong; Hu Weigang; Zhou Zhenhua; Liu Luming; Jiang Guoliang

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: To determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT)/intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for locally advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods and Materials: Patients were assigned to two subgroups based on tumor diameter: Group 1 had tumors <10 cm; Group II had tumors ≥10 cm. Escalation was achieved by increments of 4.0 Gy for each cohort in both groups. Dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was defined as a grade of ≥3 acute liver or gastrointestinal toxicity or any grade 5 acute toxicity in other organs at risk or radiation-induced liver disease. The dose escalation would be terminated when ≥2 of 8 patients in a cohort experienced DLT. Results: From April 2005 to May 2008, 40 patients were enrolled. In Group I, 11 patients had grade ≤2 acute treatment-related toxicities, and no patient experienced DLT; and in Group II, 10 patients had grade ≤2 acute toxicity, and 1 patient in the group receiving 52 Gy developed radiation-induced liver disease. MTD was 62 Gy for Group I and 52 Gy for Group II. In-field progression-free and local progression-free rates were 100% and 69% at 1 year, and 93% and 44% at 2 years, respectively. Distant metastasis rates were 6% at 1 year and 15% at 2 years. Overall survival rates for 1-year and 2-years were 72% and 62%, respectively. Conclusions: The irradiation dose was safely escalated in hepatocellular carcinoma patients by using 3DCRT/IMRT with an active breathing coordinator. MTD was 62 Gy and 52 Gy for patients with tumor diameters of <10 cm and ≥10 cm, respectively.

  4. Defining a dose-response relationship with radiotherapy for prostate cancer: is more really better?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vicini, Frank A.; Abner, Anthony; Baglan, Kathy L.; Kestin, Larry L.; Martinez, Alvaro A.

    2001-01-01

    Purpose: Data were reviewed addressing the association between radiation therapy (RT) dose and treatment outcome for localized prostate cancer to help clarify the existence of a potential dose-response relationship. Methods and Materials: Articles were identified through the MEDLINE database, CancerLit database, and reference lists of relevant articles. Studies were categorized into four groups based upon the endpoint analyzed, including biochemical control (BC), local control (LC), pathologic control (PC), and cause-specific survival (CSS). The impact of increasing RT dose with each endpoint was recorded. Results: Twenty-two trials involving a total of 11,297 patients were identified. Of the 11 trials addressing the association of RT dose with LC, 9 showed statistically significant improvements. Of the 12 trials that reported BC with RT dose, all showed statistically significant improvements. Two out of 4 studies analyzing PC with increasing dose showed a positive correlation. Finally, 3 out of 9 studies addressing RT dose with CSS showed statistically significant improvements. Despite inconclusive results, patients with poor risk features (e.g., prostate-specific antigen [PSA] ≥10, Gleason score [GS] ≥7, or tumor stage ≥T2b) were most likely to benefit from increasing dose with respect to each endpoint. However, the optimal RT dose and the magnitude of benefit of dose escalation could not be identified. Conclusions: Although RT dose appears to correlate with various measures of treatment outcome, objective, high-quality data addressing this critical issue are still lacking. At the present time, the absolute improvement in outcome due to dose escalation, the subset of patients benefiting most, and the optimal dose remain to be defined

  5. Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Boost After Concurrent Chemoradiation for Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Phase 1 Dose Escalation Study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hepel, Jaroslaw T., E-mail: jhepel@lifespan.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Leonard, Kara Lynne [Department of Radiation Oncology, Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Safran, Howard [Division of Medical Oncology, Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island (United States); Division of Medical Oncology, Miriam Hospital, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island (United States); Ng, Thomas [Division of Thoracic Surgery, Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island (United States); Taber, Angela [Division of Medical Oncology, Miriam Hospital, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island (United States); Khurshid, Humera; Birnbaum, Ariel [Division of Medical Oncology, Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island (United States); Wazer, David E.; DiPetrillo, Thomas [Department of Radiation Oncology, Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts (United States)

    2016-12-01

    Purpose: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) boost to primary and nodal disease after chemoradiation has potential to improve outcomes for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A dose escalation study was initiated to evaluate the maximum tolerated dose (MTD). Methods and Materials: Eligible patients received chemoradiation to a dose of 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions and had primary and nodal volumes appropriate for SBRT boost (<120 cc and <60 cc, respectively). SBRT was delivered in 2 fractions after chemoradiation. Dose was escalated from 16 to 28 Gy in 2 Gy/fraction increments, resulting in 4 dose cohorts. MTD was defined when ≥2 of 6 patients per cohort experienced any treatment-related grade 3 to 5 toxicity within 4 weeks of treatment or the maximum dose was reached. Late toxicity, disease control, and survival were also evaluated. Results: Twelve patients (3 per dose level) underwent treatment. All treatment plans met predetermined dose-volume constraints. The mean age was 64 years. Most patients had stage III disease (92%) and were medically inoperable (92%). The maximum dose level was reached with no grade 3 to 5 acute toxicities. At a median follow-up time of 16 months, 1-year local-regional control (LRC) was 78%. LRC was 50% at <24 Gy and 100% at ≥24 Gy (P=.02). Overall survival at 1 year was 67%. Late toxicity (grade 3-5) was seen in only 1 patient who experienced fatal bronchopulmonary hemorrhage (grade 5). There were no predetermined dose constraints for the proximal bronchial-vascular tree (PBV) in this study. This patient's 4-cc PBV dose was substantially higher than that received by other patients in all 4 cohorts and was associated with the toxicity observed: 20.3 Gy (P<.05) and 73.5 Gy (P=.07) for SBRT boost and total treatment, respectively. Conclusions: SBRT boost to both primary and nodal disease after chemoradiation is feasible and well tolerated. Local control rates are encouraging, especially at doses ≥24

  6. 153Sm-lexidronam for augmentation of chemotherapy-based myeloablative regimes in patients with multiple myeloma and other haematological conditions undergoing bone marrow transplantation: a phase I dose-escalation trial

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Macfarlane, D.J.; Durrant, S.; Gillett, E.A.; Bartlett, M.; Allison, R.; Hicks, R.; Prince, M.

    1999-01-01

    Full text: Total body irradiation (TBI) is a useful conditioning regimen for bone marrow transplantation (BMT), but has unacceptable toxicity in some patients. High doses of bone-seeking radiopharmaceuticals may offer a useful alternative to TBI in BMT patients with marrow-based tumours. Nine patients (5 multiple myeloma [MM], 2 leukaemia, 1 lymphoma, I myelodysplasia) were enrolled in a dose escalation protocol based upon retained skeletal activity. Infused doses have ranged between 18 and 32 GBq of 153 Sm-EDTMP in six patients treated. No adverse effects related to the infusion have been seen. Peripheral blood counts fell from day 7 post-treatment, persisting to the start of cytotoxic conditioning regimen at days 11-14 post-treatment. Five patients have engrafted, with one allogeneic transplant patient dying from acute rejection. Pre-treatment dosimetry was performed by gamma camera and whole-body probe counts. Post-therapy activities were estimated by serial dose meter readings and gamma camera images. The pre-treatment skeletal retention by gamma camera was 1.7-2.4 times the values based on probe data. Retained post-treatment skeletal activity predicted by dosimetry was significantly greater than that actually measured, confirmed in one case by urinary collection. This latter fact is most likely due to the nature of the interaction of 153 Sm-EDTMP with bone at high doses

  7. SU-E-T-256: Radiation Dose Responses for Chemoradiation Therapy of Pancreatic Cancer: An Analysis of Compiled Clinical Data Using Biophysical Models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moraru, I; Tai, A; Erickson, B; Li, X

    2012-06-01

    We have analyzed recent clinical data obtained from chemoradiation of unresectable, locally advanced pancreatic cancer in order to examine possible benefits from radiotherapy (RT) dose escalation as well as to propose possible dose escalated fractionation schemes. A modified linear quadratic (LQ) model was used to fit clinical tumor response data from chemoradiation treatments using different fractionations. Biophysical radiosensitivy parameters, a and α/β, tumor potential doubling time, Td, and delay time for tumor doubling during treatment, Tk, were extracted from the fits and were used to calculate feasible fractionation schemes for dose escalations. Examination of published data from 20 institutions showed no clear indication of improved survival with raised radiation dose. However, an enhancement in tumor response was observed for higher irradiation doses, an important and promising clinical Result with respect to palliation and quality of life. The radiobiological parameter estimates obtained from the analysis are: α/β = 10 ± 3 Gy, a = 0.010 ± 0.003 Gŷ-1, Td = 56 ± 5 days and Tk = 7 ± 2 days. Possible dose escalation schemes are proposed based on the calculation of the biologically equivalent dose (BED) required for a 50% tumor response rate. From the point of view of tumor response, escalation of the administered radiation dose leads to a potential clinical benefit, which when combined with normal tissue complication analyses may Result in improved treatments for certain patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Based on this analysis, a dose escalation trial with 2.25 Gy/fraction up to 69.75 Gy is being initiated for unresectable pancreatic cancer at our institution. Partially supported by MCW Cancer Center Meinerz Foundation. © 2012 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

  8. Dosimetry and preliminary acute toxicity in the first 100 men treated for prostate cancer on a randomized hypofractionation dose escalation trial

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pollack, Alan; Hanlon, Alexandra L.; Horwitz, Eric M.; Feigenberg, Steven J.; Konski, Andre A.; Movsas, Benjamin; Greenberg, Richard E.; Uzzo, Robert G.; Ma, C.-M. Charlie; McNeeley, Shawn W.; Buyyounouski, Mark K.; Price, Robert A.

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: The α/β ratio for prostate cancer is postulated to be between 1 and 3, giving rise to the hypothesis that there may be a therapeutic advantage to hypofractionation. The dosimetry and acute toxicity are described in the first 100 men enrolled in a randomized trial. Patients and Methods: The trial compares 76 Gy in 38 fractions (Arm I) to 70.2 Gy in 26 fractions (Arm II) using intensity modulated radiotherapy. The planning target volume (PTV) margins in Arms I and II were 5 mm and 3 mm posteriorly and 8 mm and 7 mm in all other dimensions. The PTV D95% was at least the prescription dose. Results: The mean PTV doses for Arms I and II were 81.1 and 73.8 Gy. There were no differences in overall maximum acute gastrointestinal (GI) or genitourinary (GU) toxicity acutely. However, there was a slight but significant increase in Arm II GI toxicity during Weeks 2, 3, and 4. In multivariate analyses, only the combined rectal DVH parameter of V65 Gy/V50 Gy was significant for GI toxicity and the bladder volume for GU toxicity. Conclusion: Hypofractionation at 2.7 Gy per fraction to 70.2 Gy was well tolerated acutely using the planning conditions described

  9. The Phase I/II BNCT Trials at the Brookhaven medical research reactor: Critical considerations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Diaz, A.Z.

    2001-01-01

    A phase I/II clinical trial of boronophenylalanine-fructose (BPA-F) mediated boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) for Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) was initiated at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) in 1994. Many critical issues were considered during the design of the first of many sequential dose escalation protocols. These critical issues included patient selection criteria, boron delivery agent, dose limits to the normal brain, dose escalation schemes for both neutron exposure and boron dose, and fractionation. As the clinical protocols progressed and evaluation of the tolerance of the central nervous system (CNS) to BPA-mediated BNCT at the BMRR continued new specifications were adopted. Clinical data reflecting the progression of the protocols will be presented to illustrate the steps taken and the reasons behind their adoption. (author)

  10. Use of ChAd3-EBO-Z Ebola virus vaccine in Malian and US adults, and boosting of Malian adults with MVA-BN-Filo: a phase 1, single-blind, randomised trial, a phase 1b, open-label and double-blind, dose-escalation trial, and a nested, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tapia, Milagritos D; Sow, Samba O; Lyke, Kirsten E; Haidara, Fadima Cheick; Diallo, Fatoumata; Doumbia, Moussa; Traore, Awa; Coulibaly, Flanon; Kodio, Mamoudou; Onwuchekwa, Uma; Sztein, Marcelo B; Wahid, Rezwanul; Campbell, James D; Kieny, Marie-Paule; Moorthy, Vasee; Imoukhuede, Egeruan B; Rampling, Tommy; Roman, Francois; De Ryck, Iris; Bellamy, Abbie R; Dally, Len; Mbaya, Olivier Tshiani; Ploquin, Aurélie; Zhou, Yan; Stanley, Daphne A; Bailer, Robert; Koup, Richard A; Roederer, Mario; Ledgerwood, Julie; Hill, Adrian V S; Ballou, W Ripley; Sullivan, Nancy; Graham, Barney; Levine, Myron M

    2016-01-01

    The 2014 west African Zaire Ebola virus epidemic prompted worldwide partners to accelerate clinical development of replication-defective chimpanzee adenovirus 3 vector vaccine expressing Zaire Ebola virus glycoprotein (ChAd3-EBO-Z). We aimed to investigate the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of ChAd3-EBO-Z in Malian and US adults, and assess the effect of boosting of Malians with modified vaccinia Ankara expressing Zaire Ebola virus glycoprotein and other filovirus antigens (MVA-BN-Filo). In the phase 1, single-blind, randomised trial of ChAd3-EBO-Z in the USA, we recruited adults aged 18-65 years from the University of Maryland medical community and the Baltimore community. In the phase 1b, open-label and double-blind, dose-escalation trial of ChAd3-EBO-Z in Mali, we recruited adults 18-50 years of age from six hospitals and health centres in Bamako (Mali), some of whom were also eligible for a nested, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of MVA-BN-Filo. For randomised segments of the Malian trial and for the US trial, we randomly allocated participants (1:1; block size of six [Malian] or four [US]; ARB produced computer-generated randomisation lists; clinical staff did randomisation) to different single doses of intramuscular immunisation with ChAd3-EBO-Z: Malians received 1 × 10(10) viral particle units (pu), 2·5 × 10(10) pu, 5 × 10(10) pu, or 1 × 10(11) pu; US participants received 1 × 10(10) pu or 1 × 10(11) pu. We randomly allocated Malians in the nested trial (1:1) to receive a single dose of 2 × 10(8) plaque-forming units of MVA-BN-Filo or saline placebo. In the double-blind segments of the Malian trial, investigators, clinical staff, participants, and immunology laboratory staff were masked, but the study pharmacist (MK), vaccine administrator, and study statistician (ARB) were unmasked. In the US trial, investigators were not masked, but participants were. Analyses were per protocol. The primary outcome was safety, measured

  11. Topical administration of regorafenib eye drops: phase I dose-escalation study in healthy volunteers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zimmermann, Torsten; Höchel, Joachim; Becka, Michael; Boettger, Michael K; Rohde, Beate; Schug, Barbara; Kunert, Kathleen S; Donath, Frank

    2018-05-01

    Regorafenib is a multikinase inhibitor under investigation for use in neovascular age-related macular degeneration. In this phase I study, regorafenib eye drops were administered to healthy volunteers to provide information on safety, tolerability and systemic exposure. This was a single-centre, randomized, double-masked, parallel-group, dose-escalation, placebo-controlled study. Subjects received regorafenib eye drops (30 mg ml -1 , 25 μl) as a 0.75 mg single dose (Cohort 1), 0.75 mg twice daily (bid) or thrice daily (tid) over 14 days (Cohorts 2 and 3, respectively), 1.5 mg tid unilaterally for 3 days, then bilaterally for up to 14 days (Cohort 4), or placebo. Plasma samples were taken to estimate systemic exposure. Safety and functional assessments were performed throughout the study. Thirty-six subjects received regorafenib and 12 received placebo. Regorafenib was safe and well tolerated over the dose range. No pathological changes occurred in the anterior, vitreous or posterior eye compartments. Mild eyelid redness, oedema and conjunctival hyperaemia were observed across all regorafenib cohorts; these were comparable with the effects seen with placebo. Predominant symptoms were blurred vision in the active and placebo groups. Systemic safety evaluations showed no clinically relevant findings. Absolute systemic exposure after multiple administrations of regorafenib eye drops at a dose of 0.75 mg was 600-700-fold lower than after multiple oral administration of 160 mg day -1 , the dose approved in cancer indications. These results indicate a favourable safety and tolerability profile of regorafenib eye drops up to 30 mg ml -1 tid for use in clinical studies. © 2018 The Authors. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Pharmacological Society.

  12. Functional Outcomes After De-escalated Chemoradiation Therapy for Human Papillomavirus-Positive Oropharyngeal Cancer: Secondary Analysis of a Phase 2 Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hegde, John V; Shaverdian, Narek; Felix, Carol; Wang, Pin-Chieh; Veruttipong, Darlene; Hsu, Sophia; Riess, Jonathan W; Rao, Shyam D; Daly, Megan E; Chen, Allen M

    2018-03-01

    To analyze functional outcomes for patients treated on a phase 2 trial of de-escalated chemoradiation therapy for human papillomavirus-positive oropharyngeal cancer. Patient eligibility included p16-positive, stage III or IV oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and a Zubrod performance status of 0 to 1. Treatment was induction chemotherapy with paclitaxel, 175 mg/m 2 , and carboplatin, area under the curve (AUC) of 6 mg/ml/min, for 2 cycles every 21 days, followed by concurrent paclitaxel, 30 mg/m 2 , every 7 days with dose-reduced radiation therapy of 54 or 60 Gy. Trends in body weight and body mass index (BMI) were analyzed with gastrostomy tube and narcotic use rates. Functional outcomes were assessed using the University of Washington Quality of Life Scale and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Head and Neck Scale. Forty-five patients were registered, of whom 40 were evaluable. Only 1 patient had a BMI deemed unhealthy at the completion of treatment. For the 15 patients (38%) with a normal BMI (18-25 kg/m 2 ) before treatment, recovery back to baseline occurred at approximately 18 months (average BMI, 23.2 kg/m 2 vs 22.3 kg/m 2 ; P=.09). In 2 patients (5%), gastrostomy tubes were placed during treatment. No patient was enteral feeding tube-dependent at 6 months after treatment. Ninety-five percent of patients tolerated a normal regular diet at last follow-up. De-escalated chemoradiation therapy may improve functional outcomes as indicated by the relatively low incidence of gastrostomy tube placement and long-term dysphagia. In patients with a normal BMI prior to chemoradiation therapy, BMI recovered to baseline levels. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Pharmacogenetic testing for clopidogrel using the rapid INFINITI analyzer: a dose-escalation study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gladding, Patrick; White, Harvey; Voss, Jamie; Ormiston, John; Stewart, Jim; Ruygrok, Peter; Bvaldivia, Badi; Baak, Ruth; White, Catherine; Webster, Mark

    2009-11-01

    Our aim was to assess whether a higher clopidogrel maintenance dose has a greater antiplatelet effect in CYP2C19*2 allele carriers compared with noncarriers. Clopidogrel is a prodrug that is biotransformed by the cytochrome P450 enzymes CYP2C19, 2C9, and 3A4, 2B6, 1A2. The CYPC219*2 loss of function variant has been associated with a reduced antiplatelet response to clopidogrel and a 3-fold risk of stent thrombosis. Forty patients on standard maintenance dosage clopidogrel (75 mg), for 9.4 +/- 9.2 weeks, were enrolled into a dose escalation study. Platelet function was assessed at baseline and after 1 week of 150 mg once daily using the VerifyNow platelet function analyzer (Accumetrics Ltd., San Diego, California). Genomic DNA was hybridized to a BioFilmChip microarray on the INFINITI analyzer (AutoGenomics Inc., Carlsbad, California) and analyzed for the CYP19*2, *4, *17, and CYP2C9*2, *3 polymorphisms. Platelet inhibition increased over 1 week, mean +8.6 +/- 13.5% (p = 0.0003). Carriers of the CYP2C19*2 allele had significantly reduced platelet inhibition at baseline (median 18%, range 0% to 72%) compared with wildtype (wt) (median 59%, range 11% to 95%, p = 0.01) and at 1 week (p = 0.03). CYP2C19*2 allele carriers had an increase in platelet inhibition of (mean +9 +/- 11%, p = 0.03) and reduction in platelet reactivity (mean -26 +/- 38 platelet response unit, p = 0.04) with a higher dose. Together CYP2C19*2 and CYP2C9*3 loss of function carriers had a greater change in platelet inhibition with 150 mg daily than wt/wt (+10.9% vs. +0.7%, p = 0.04). Increasing the dose of clopidogrel in patients with nonresponder polymorphisms can increase antiplatelet response. Personalizing clopidogrel dosing using pharmacogenomics may be an effective method of optimizing treatment.

  14. The Randomized CRM: An Approach to Overcoming the Long-Memory Property of the CRM.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koopmeiners, Joseph S; Wey, Andrew

    2017-01-01

    The primary object of a Phase I clinical trial is to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD). Typically, the MTD is identified using a dose-escalation study, where initial subjects are treated at the lowest dose level and subsequent subjects are treated at progressively higher dose levels until the MTD is identified. The continual reassessment method (CRM) is a popular model-based dose-escalation design, which utilizes a formal model for the relationship between dose and toxicity to guide dose finding. Recently, it was shown that the CRM has a tendency to get "stuck" on a dose level, with little escalation or de-escalation in the late stages of the trial, due to the long-memory property of the CRM. We propose the randomized CRM (rCRM), which introduces random escalation and de-escalation into the standard CRM dose-finding algorithm, as well as a hybrid approach that incorporates escalation and de-escalation only when certain criteria are met. Our simulation results show that both the rCRM and the hybrid approach reduce the trial-to-trial variability in the number of cohorts treated at the MTD but that the hybrid approach has a more favorable tradeoff with respect to the average number treated at the MTD.

  15. Dose-Escalated Hypofractionated Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy in High-Risk Carcinoma of the Prostate: Outcome and Late Toxicity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Thomson

    2012-01-01

    Results. Median followup was 84 months. Five-year overall survival (OS was 83% and biochemical progression-free survival (bPFS was 50% for 57 Gy. Five-year OS was 75% and bPFS 58% for 60 Gy. At 7 years, toxicity by RTOG criteria was acceptable with no grade 3 or above toxicity. Compared with baseline, there was no significant change in urinary symptoms at 2 or 7 years. Bowel symptoms were stable between 2 and 7 years. All patients continued to have significant sexual dysfunction. Conclusion. In high-risk prostate cancer, dose-escalated hypofractionated radiotherapy using IMRT results in encouraging outcomes and acceptable late toxicity.

  16. Methods, safety, and early clinical outcomes of dose escalation using simultaneous integrated and sequential boosts in patients with locally advanced gynecologic malignancies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boyle, John; Craciunescu, Oana; Steffey, Beverly; Cai, Jing; Chino, Junzo

    2014-11-01

    To evaluate the safety of dose escalated radiotherapy using a simultaneous integrated boost technique in patients with locally advanced gynecological malignancies. Thirty-nine women with locally advanced gynecological malignancies were treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy utilizing a simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) technique for gross disease in the para-aortic and/or pelvic nodal basins, sidewall extension, or residual primary disease. Women were treated to 45Gy in 1.8Gy fractions to elective nodal regions. Gross disease was simultaneously treated to 55Gy in 2.2Gy fractions (n=44 sites). An additional sequential boost of 10Gy in 2Gy fractions was delivered if deemed appropriate (n=29 sites). Acute and late toxicity, local control in the treated volumes (LC), overall survival (OS), and distant metastases (DM) were assessed. All were treated with a SIB to a dose of 55Gy. Twenty-four patients were subsequently treated with a sequential boost to a median dose of 65Gy. Median follow-up was 18months. Rates of acute>grade 2 gastrointestinal (GI), genitourinary (GU), and hematologic (heme) toxicities were 2.5%, 0%, and 30%, respectively. There were no grade 4 acute toxicities. At one year, grade 1-2 late GI toxicities were 24.5%. There were no grade 3 or 4 late GI toxicities. Rates of grade 1-2 late GU toxicities were 12.7%. There were no grade 3 or 4 late GU toxicities. Dose escalated radiotherapy using a SIB results in acceptable rates of acute toxicity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Do all patients in the phase I oncology trials need to be hospitalized? Domestic but outstanding issues for globalization of drug development in Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shimomura, Akihiko; Kondo, Shunsuke; Kobayashi, Noriko; Iwasa, Satoru; Kitano, Shigehisa; Tamura, Kenji; Fujiwara, Yutaka; Yamamoto, Noboru

    2017-08-01

    Most trials investigating new drugs around the world, including phase I trials, are conducted in outpatient clinics. However, in Japan, regulatory authority requirements and traditional domestic guidelines often require hospitalization of phase I study participants. Patients participating in single-agent phase I clinical trials at National Cancer Center Hospital between December 1996 and August 2014 were monitored. Toxicity requiring hospitalization is defined as toxicity that needs intensive treatment. Study designs were classified into three types: first-in-human (FIH) study, dose-escalation study (conventional dose-escalation study to determine maximum tolerated dose (MTD) in Japanese patients), and dose-finding study (to assess safety and pharmacokinetic profiles up to the MTD previously determined in the West). A total of 945 patients who participated in a variety of single-agent phase I clinical trials between December 1996 and August 2014 were included in this study. Patients participated in one of three study types: dose-escalation (n = 582, 62%), first-in-human (n = 129, 14%), or dose-finding (n = 234, 25%). A total of 76 study drugs were evaluated as part of this pool of phase I studies. Subdivided by mechanism of action, 20 (26%) were cytotoxic, 50 (66%) were molecularly targeted, and 6 (8%) were immune checkpoint inhibitor. Thirty-six patients (3.8%) had severe toxicities requiring hospitalization during the first cycle. The overall number of toxicities requiring hospitalization and/or grade 4 toxicities during any cycle was 5.0%. The frequency of severe toxicity that needs to be hospitalized was unexpectedly low. The data did not demonstrate the need for hospitalization in the phase I trials, suggesting that phase I trials in Japan could be conducted in outpatient settings.

  18. Phase I dose escalation study of KOS-1584, a novel epothilone, in patients with advanced solid tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lam, Elaine T; Goel, Sanjay; Schaaf, Larry J; Cropp, Gillian F; Hannah, Alison L; Zhou, Yiqing; McCracken, Barbara; Haley, Brandi I; Johnson, Robert G; Mani, Sridhar; Villalona-Calero, Miguel A

    2012-02-01

    First-in-man study of KOS-1584, a second generation epothilone. Patients with advanced solid malignancies received KOS-1584 every 3 weeks until disease progression. Using a modified Fibonacci dose escalation scheme, one patient was enrolled at each dose level until the first instance of grade 2 toxicity. Thereafter, a standard 3 + 3 design was utilized. Sixty-six patients in 14 cohorts were dosed from 0.8 to 48 mg/m(2). Diarrhea, arthralgias, and encephalopathy were dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) at doses ≥36 mg/m(2). At the recommended phase II dose (RP2D), the most common adverse effects were peripheral neuropathy (low grade), fatigue, arthralgias/myalgias, and diarrhea (31, 6%). The incidence of neutropenia was low. The overall clearance, volume of distribution, and half-life of KOS-1584 were 11 ± 6.17 L/h/m(2), 327 ± 161 L/m(2), and 21.9 ± 8.75 h, respectively. The half-life for the seco-metabolite (KOS-1891) was 29.6 ± 13.8 h. KOS-1584 exhibited linear pharmacokinetics. A dose-dependent increase in microtubulin bundle formation was observed at doses ≥27 mg/m(2). Two patients achieved partial responses and 24 patients had stable disease (SD). The RP2D of KOS-1584 is 36 mg/m(2). The lack of severe neurologic toxicity, diarrhea, neutropenia, or hypersensitivity reactions; favorable pharmacokinetic profile; and early evidence of activity support further evaluation.

  19. MOR103, a human monoclonal antibody to granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor, in the treatment of patients with moderate rheumatoid arthritis: results of a phase Ib/IIa randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Behrens, Frank; Tak, Paul P; Østergaard, Mikkel; Stoilov, Rumen; Wiland, Piotr; Huizinga, Thomas W; Berenfus, Vadym Y; Vladeva, Stoyanka; Rech, Juergen; Rubbert-Roth, Andrea; Korkosz, Mariusz; Rekalov, Dmitriy; Zupanets, Igor A; Ejbjerg, Bo J; Geiseler, Jens; Fresenius, Julia; Korolkiewicz, Roman P; Schottelius, Arndt J; Burkhardt, Harald

    2015-01-01

    Objectives To determine the safety, tolerability and signs of efficacy of MOR103, a human monoclonal antibody to granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods Patients with active, moderate RA were enrolled in a randomised, multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation trial of intravenous MOR103 (0.3, 1.0 or 1.5 mg/kg) once a week for 4 weeks, with follow-up to 16 weeks. The primary outcome was safety. Results Of the 96 randomised and treated subjects, 85 completed the trial (n=27, 24, 22 and 23 for pooled placebo and MOR103 0.3, 1.0 and 1.5 mg/kg, respectively). Treatment emergent adverse events (AEs) in the MOR103 groups were mild or moderate in intensity and generally reported at frequencies similar to those in the placebo group. The most common AE was nasopharyngitis. In two cases, AEs were classified as serious because of hospitalisation: paronychia in a placebo subject and pleurisy in a MOR103 0.3 mg/kg subject. Both patients recovered fully. In exploratory efficacy analyses, subjects in the MOR103 1.0 and 1.5 mg/kg groups showed significant improvements in Disease Activity Score-28 scores and joint counts and significantly higher European League Against Rheumatism response rates than subjects receiving placebo. MOR103 1.0 mg/kg was associated with the largest reductions in disease activity parameters. Conclusions MOR103 was well tolerated and showed preliminary evidence of efficacy in patients with active RA. The data support further investigation of this monoclonal antibody to GM-CSF in RA patients and potentially in those with other immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Trial registration number NCT01023256 PMID:24534756

  20. Open-label, dose-escalation, safety, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic study of intravenously administered CNF1010 (17-(allylamino)-17-demethoxygeldanamycin [17-AAG]) in patients with solid tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saif, M W; Erlichman, C; Dragovich, T; Mendelson, D; Toft, D; Burrows, F; Storgard, C; Von Hoff, D

    2013-05-01

    17-(Allylamino)-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) is a benzoquinone ansamycin that binds to and inhibits the Hsp90 family of molecular chaperones leading to the proteasomal degradation of client proteins critical in malignant cell proliferation and survival. We have undertaken a Phase 1 trial of CNF1010, an oil-in-water nanoemulsion of 17-AAG. Patients with advanced solid tumors and adequate organ functions received CNF1010 by 1-h intravenous (IV) infusion, twice a week, 3 out of 4 weeks. Doses were escalated sequentially in single-patient (6 and 12 mg/m(2)/day) and three-to-six-patient (≥25 mg/m(2)/day) cohorts according to a modified Fibonacci's schema. Plasma pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles and biomarkers, including Hsp70 in PBMCs, HER-2 extracellular domain, and IGFBP2 in plasma, were performed. Thirty-five patients were treated at doses ranging from 6 to 225 mg/m(2). A total of 10 DLTs in nine patients (2 events of fatigue, 83 and 175 mg/m(2); shock, abdominal pain, ALT increased, increased transaminases, and pain in extremity at 175 mg/m(2); extremity pain, atrial fibrillation, and metabolic encephalopathy at 225 mg/m(2)) were noted. The PK profile of 17-AAG after the first dose appeared to be linear up to 175 mg/m(2), with a dose-proportional increase in C max and AUC0-inf. Hsp70 induction in PBMCs and inhibition of serum HER-2 neu extracellular domain indicated biological effects of CNF1010 at doses >83 mg/m(2). The maximum tolerated dose was not formally established. Hsp70 induction in PBMCs and inhibition of serum HER-2 neu extracellular domain indicated biological effects. The CNF1010 clinical program is no longer being pursued due to the toxicity profile of the drug and the development of second-generation Hsp90 molecules.

  1. FOLFIRI and regorafenib combination therapy with dose escalation of irinotecan as fourth-line treatment for patients with metastatic colon cancer according to UGT1A1 genotyping

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lu CY

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Chien-Yu Lu,1,2 Yung-Sung Yeh,3–5 Ching-Wen Huang,5,6, Cheng-Jen Ma,4,5 Fang-Jung Yu,1,2 Jaw-Yuan Wang4–10 1Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, 2Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, 3Department of Emergency Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Hsiao-Kang Hospital, 4Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, 5Division of Gastroenterology and General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, 6Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, 7Cancer Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, 8Department of Genomic Medicine, 9Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; 10Center for Biomarkers and Biotech Drugs, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan Abstract: Here we report a case of metastatic colon cancer treated with 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and escalated doses of irinotecan (FOLFIRI combined with regorafenib in the fourth-line setting after uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase (UGT1A1 genotyping analysis. A 66-year-old male was initially diagnosed with Union Internationale Contre le Cancer stage III descending colon cancer and underwent curative surgery. He received postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy; however, liver metastasis developed and a partial hepatectomy was performed thereafter. Unfortunately, pulmonary metastases and recurrent liver tumors were found despite a series of systemic treatments with multiple combinations of cytotoxic and biologic agents. Recently, a novel multikinase inhibitor, regorafenib, was approved for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer refractory to other therapeutic modalities. As further treatment, we combined regorafenib with FOLFIRI, which included dose escalations of irinotecan, after UGT1A1 genotyping analysis. The therapeutic results were promising, with the improvement in liver and pulmonary metastases being

  2. A multicenter dose-escalation study of the analgesic and adverse effects of an oral cannabis extract (Cannador) for postoperative pain management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holdcroft, Anita; Maze, Mervyn; Doré, Caroline; Tebbs, Susan; Thompson, Simon

    2006-05-01

    Cannabinoids have dose-related antinociceptive effects in animals. This clinical study aimed to investigate whether a single oral dose of cannabis plant extract (Cannador; Institute for Clinical Research, IKF, Berlin, Germany) could provide pain relief with minimal side effects for postoperative pain. Patients (aged 18-75 yr) were recruited and consented before surgery if patient-controlled analgesia was planned for provision of postoperative pain relief. Each patient received a single dose of 5, 10, or 15 mg Cannador if he or she had at least moderate pain after stopping patient-controlled analgesia. Starting with 5 mg, dose escalation was based on the number of patients requesting rescue analgesia and adverse effects. Pain relief, pain intensity, and side effects were recorded over 6 h and analyzed using tests for trend with dose. Rescue analgesia was requested by all 11 patients (100%) receiving 5 mg, 15 of 30 patient (50%) receiving 10 mg, and 6 of 24 patients (25%) receiving 15 mg Cannador (log rank test for trend in time to rescue analgesia with dose P analgesics without frequent adverse effects.

  3. A phase I dose escalation study of hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy as salvage therapy for persistent or recurrent malignant glioma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hudes, Richard S.; Corn, Benjamin W.; Werner-Wasik, Maria; Andrews, David; Rosenstock, Jeffrey; Thoron, Louisa; Downes, Beverly; Curran, Walter J.

    1999-01-01

    Purpose: A phase I dose escalation of hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (H-SRT) in recurrent or persistent malignant gliomas as a means of increasing the biologically effective dose and decreasing the high rate of reoperation due to toxicity associated with single-fraction stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and brachytherapy. Materials and Methods: From November 1994 to September 1996, 25 lesions in 20 patients with clinical and/or imaging evidence of malignant glioma persistence or recurrence received salvage H-SRT. Nineteen patients at the time of initial diagnosis had glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and one patient had an anaplastic astrocytoma. All of these patients with tumor persistence or recurrence had received initial fractionated radiation therapy (RT) with a mean and median dose of 60 Gy (44.0-72.0 Gy). The median time from completion of initial RT to H-SRT was 3.1 months (0.7-45.5 months). Salvage H-SRT was delivered using daily 3.0-3.5 Gy fractions (fxs). Three different total dose levels were sequentially evaluated: 24.0 Gy/3.0 Gy fxs (five lesions), 30.0 Gy/3.0 Gy fxs (10 lesions), and 35.0 Gy/3.5 Gy fxs (nine lesions). Median treated tumor volume measured 12.66 cc (0.89-47.5 cc). The median ratio of prescription volume to tumor volume was 2.8 (1.4-5.0). Toxicity was judged by RTOG criteria. Response was determined by clinical neurologic improvement, a decrease in steroid dose without clinical deterioration, and/or radiologic imaging. Results: No grade 3 toxicities were observed and no reoperation due to toxicity was required. At the time of analysis, 13 of 20 patients had died. The median survival time from the completion of H-SRT is 10.5 months with a 1-year survival rate of 20%. Neurological improvement was found in 45% of patients. Decreased steroid requirements occurred in 60% of patients. Minor imaging response was noted in 22% of patients. Using Fisher's exact test, response of any kind correlated strongly to total dose (p = 0.0056). None

  4. Gemcitabine and paclitaxel associated pneumonitis in non-small cell lung cancer: report of a phase I/II dose-escalating study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, A L; Cox, G; Sharma, R A; Steward, W P; Shields, F; Jeyapalan, K; Muller, S; O'Byrne, K J

    2000-12-01

    The aim of this phase I/II dose escalating study was to establish the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of gemcitabine and paclitaxel given in combination in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). 12 patients with stage IIIB and IV NSCLC received paclitaxel administered intravenously over 1 h followed by gemcitabine given over 30 min on days 1, 8 and 15 every 28 days. Pneumonitis was the principal side-effect observed with 4 patients affected. Of these, 1 experienced grade 3 toxicity after one cycle of treatment and the others had grade 2 toxicity. All 4 cases responded to prednisolone. No other significant toxicities were observed. Of the 8 evaluable patients, 3 had a partial response and 2 had minor responses. The study was discontinued due to this dose-limiting toxicity. The combination of paclitaxel and gemcitabine shows promising antitumour activity in NSCLC, however, this treatment schedule may predispose to pneumonitis.

  5. Phase-II trial of fractionated total body radiation in bone marrow transplantation for acute leukemia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gale, R.P.; Opelz, G.; Feig, S.

    1979-01-01

    The addition of low doses of fractionated total body irradiation and a radiosensitizing agent to more conventional doses of total body irradiation was well tolerated but did not improve the antileukemic effect. The DAFT regimen was not associated with a higher incidence of GVHD or interstitial pneumonitis. This observation has led us to consider escalation of the dose of FTBI in our next clinical trial

  6. Continued Benefit to Androgen Deprivation Therapy for Prostate Cancer Patients Treated With Dose-Escalated Radiation Therapy Across Multiple Definitions of High-Risk Disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stenmark, Matthew H.; Blas, Kevin; Halverson, Schuyler; Sandler, Howard M.; Feng, Felix Y.; Hamstra, Daniel A.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: To analyze prognostic factors in patients with high-risk prostate cancer treated with dose-escalated external-beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and androgen deprivation (ADT). Methods and Materials: Between 1998 and 2008 at University of Michigan Medical Center, 718 men were consecutively treated with EBRT to at least 75 Gy. Seven definitions of high-risk prostate cancer, applying to 11–33% of patients, were evaluated. Biochemical failure (BF), salvage ADT use, metastatic progression, and prostate cancer–specific mortality (PCSM) were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards regression. Results: Each high-risk definition was associated with increased BF (hazard ratio [HR] 2.8–3.9, p < 0.0001), salvage ADT use (HR 3.9–6.3, p < 0.0001), metastasis (HR 3.7–6.6, p < 0.0001), and PCSM (HR 3.7–16.2, p < 0.0001). Furthermore, an increasing number of high-risk features predicted worse outcome. Adjuvant ADT yielded significant reductions in both metastases (HR 0.19–0.38, p < 0.001) and PCSM (HR 0.38–0.50, p < 0.05) for all high-risk definitions (with the exception of clinical Stage T3–4 disease) but improved BF only for those with elevated Gleason scores (p < 0.03, HR 0.25–0.48). When treated with ADT and dose-escalated EBRT, patients with Gleason scores 8 to 10, without other high-risk features, had 8-year freedom from BF of 74%, freedom from distant metastases of 93%, and cause-specific survival of 92%, with salvage ADT used in 16% of patients. Conclusion: Adjuvant ADT results in a significant improvement in clinical progression and PCSM across multiple definitions of high-risk disease even with dose-escalated EBRT. There is a subset of patients, characterized by multiple high-risk features or the presence of Gleason Pattern 5, who remain at significant risk for metastasis and PCSM despite current treatment.

  7. Dose escalation with 3-D CRT in prostate cancer: five year dose responses and optimal treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hanks, Gerald; Hanlon, Alexandra; Pinover, Wayne; Hunt, Margie; Movsas, Benjamin; Schultheiss, Timothy

    1997-01-01

    Purpose: To report 5 yr dose responses in prostate cancer patients treated with 3D-CRT and describe optimal treatment based on dose response. Methods: Dose escalation was studied in 233 consecutive patients treated with 3D-CRT between 3/89 and 10/92. All surviving patients have >32 mo follow-up, the median follow-up is 55 mo. Estimated logistic cumulative distribution functions (logit response models) fit to 5 yr actuarial bNED outcome are reported for 3 dose groups in each of 3 pretreatment PSA groupings (10-19.9 ng/ml and 20+ ng/ml); no dose response is observed for patients with pretreatment PSA <10 ng/ml. Logit response models fit to 5 yr actuarial late morbidity rates (grade 2 GI, grade 2 GU, grade 3,4 GI) are also reported for 4 dose groups. Patients are treated with CT planned 4-field conformal technique where the PTV encompasses the CTV by 1.0 cm in all directions including the anterior rectal wall margin. Patients are followed at 6 mo intervals with PSA and DRE, and bNED failure is defined as PSA ≥1.5 ng/ml and rising on two consecutive measures. The Fox Chase modification of the LENT morbidity scale is used for GI morbidity including any blood transfusion and/or more than 2 coagulations as a grade 3 event. GU morbidity follows the RTOG scale. Results: The logit response models based on 5 yr bNED results have slopes of 27% and 18% for pretreatment PSA grouping 10-19.9 ng/ml and 20+ ng/ml, respectively. The 50% bNED response is observed at 71 Gy and 80 Gy respectively, while the 80% bNED response is observed at 76 Gy for the 10-19.9 ng/ml group and estimated at 88 Gy for the 20+ ng/ml group. Logit dose response models for grade 2 GI and grade 2 GU morbidity show markedly different slopes, 23% versus 4%, respectively. The slope for grade 3,4 GI is 12%. The dose response model indicates grade 3,4 GI complication rates at 5 yrs are 8% at 76 Gy and 12% at 80 Gy. Conclusion: Based on 5 yr results, we can draw some conclusions about appropriate dose from these

  8. A phase I open-label dose-escalation study of the anti-HER3 monoclonal antibody LJM716 in patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus or head and neck and HER2-overexpressing breast or gastric cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reynolds, Kerry Lynn; Bedard, Philippe L; Lee, Se-Hoon; Lin, Chia-Chi; Tabernero, Josep; Alsina, Maria; Cohen, Ezra; Baselga, José; Blumenschein, George; Graham, Donna M; Garrido-Laguna, Ignacio; Juric, Dejan; Sharma, Sunil; Salgia, Ravi; Seroutou, Abdelkader; Tian, Xianbin; Fernandez, Rose; Morozov, Alex; Sheng, Qing; Ramkumar, Thiruvamoor; Zubel, Angela; Bang, Yung-Jue

    2017-09-12

    Human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (HER3) is important in maintaining epidermal growth factor receptor-driven cancers and mediating resistance to targeted therapy. A phase I study of anti-HER3 monoclonal antibody LJM716 was conducted with the primary objective to identify the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and/or recommended dose for expansion (RDE), and dosing schedule. Secondary objectives were to characterize safety/tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and preliminary antitumor activity. This open-label, dose-finding study comprised dose escalation, followed by expansion in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck or esophagus, and HER2-overexpressing metastatic breast cancer or gastric cancer. During dose escalation, patients received LJM716 intravenous once weekly (QW) or every two weeks (Q2W), in 28-day cycles. An adaptive Bayesian logistic regression model was used to guide dose escalation and establish the RDE. Exploratory pharmacodynamic tumor studies evaluated modulation of HER3 signaling. Patients received LJM716 3-40 mg/kg QW and 20 mg/kg Q2W (54 patients; 36 patients at 40 mg/kg QW). No dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were reported during dose-escalation. One patient experienced two DLTs (diarrhea, hypokalemia [both grade 3]) in the expansion phase. The RDE was 40 mg/kg QW, providing drug levels above the preclinical minimum effective concentration. One patient with gastric cancer had an unconfirmed partial response; 17/54 patients had stable disease, two lasting >30 weeks. Down-modulation of phospho-HER3 was observed in paired tumor samples. LJM716 was well tolerated; the MTD was not reached, and the RDE was 40 mg/kg QW. Further development of LJM716 is ongoing. Clinicaltrials.gov registry number NCT01598077 (registered on 4 May, 2012).

  9. HER2-Specific Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Modified Virus-Specific T Cells for Progressive Glioblastoma: A Phase 1 Dose-Escalation Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Nabil; Brawley, Vita; Hegde, Meenakshi; Bielamowicz, Kevin; Kalra, Mamta; Landi, Daniel; Robertson, Catherine; Gray, Tara L; Diouf, Oumar; Wakefield, Amanda; Ghazi, Alexia; Gerken, Claudia; Yi, Zhongzhen; Ashoori, Aidin; Wu, Meng-Fen; Liu, Hao; Rooney, Cliona; Dotti, Gianpietro; Gee, Adrian; Su, Jack; Kew, Yvonne; Baskin, David; Zhang, Yi Jonathan; New, Pamela; Grilley, Bambi; Stojakovic, Milica; Hicks, John; Powell, Suzanne Z; Brenner, Malcolm K; Heslop, Helen E; Grossman, Robert; Wels, Winfried S; Gottschalk, Stephen

    2017-08-01

    Glioblastoma is an incurable tumor, and the therapeutic options for patients are limited. To determine whether the systemic administration of HER2-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified virus-specific T cells (VSTs) is safe and whether these cells have antiglioblastoma activity. In this open-label phase 1 dose-escalation study conducted at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, and Texas Children's Hospital, patients with progressive HER2-positive glioblastoma were enrolled between July 25, 2011, and April 21, 2014. The duration of follow-up was 10 weeks to 29 months (median, 8 months). Monotherapy with autologous VSTs specific for cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, or adenovirus and genetically modified to express HER2-CARs with a CD28.ζ-signaling endodomain (HER2-CAR VSTs). Primary end points were feasibility and safety. The key secondary end points were T-cell persistence and their antiglioblastoma activity. A total of 17 patients (8 females and 9 males; 10 patients ≥18 years [median age, 60 years; range, 30-69 years] and 7 patients VSTs (1 × 106/m2 to 1 × 108/m2) without prior lymphodepletion. Infusions were well tolerated, with no dose-limiting toxic effects. HER2-CAR VSTs were detected in the peripheral blood for up to 12 months after the infusion by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Of 16 evaluable patients (9 adults and 7 children), 1 had a partial response for more than 9 months, 7 had stable disease for 8 weeks to 29 months, and 8 progressed after T-cell infusion. Three patients with stable disease are alive without any evidence of progression during 24 to 29 months of follow-up. For the entire study cohort, median overall survival was 11.1 months (95% CI, 4.1-27.2 months) from the first T-cell infusion and 24.5 months (95% CI, 17.2-34.6 months) from diagnosis. Infusion of autologous HER2-CAR VSTs is safe and can be associated with clinical benefit for patients with progressive glioblastoma

  10. Conformal radiotherapy of 450 localized prostate cancers (may 1999 - march 2007): impact of digestive disorders on the quality of life after dose escalation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guerif, S.; Lavigne, B.; Berger, A.

    2007-01-01

    The incidence of digestive toxicity and the impact of quality of life do not depend on dose escalation in our population selected out of the measurement at the end of the treatment. The incidence of rectum hemorrhages does not any impact on the quality of life of patients. The factors linked to digestive toxicity were the 'co morbidities' (cardiopathy, ischemia, diabetes) and a high initial digestive score. (N.C.)

  11. Radiation Therapy Intensification for Solid Tumors: A Systematic Review of Randomized Trials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yamoah, Kosj [Department of Radiation Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL (United States); Showalter, Timothy N. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia (United States); Ohri, Nitin, E-mail: ohri.nitin@gmail.com [Department of Radiation Oncology, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York (United States)

    2015-11-15

    Purpose: To systematically review the outcomes of randomized trials testing radiation therapy (RT) intensification, including both dose escalation and/or the use of altered fractionation, as a strategy to improve disease control for a number of malignancies. Methods and Materials: We performed a literature search to identify randomized trials testing RT intensification for cancers of the central nervous system, head and neck, breast, lung, esophagus, rectum, and prostate. Findings were described qualitatively. Where adequate data were available, pooled estimates for the effect of RT intensification on local control (LC) or overall survival (OS) were obtained using the inverse variance method. Results: In primary central nervous system tumors, esophageal cancer, and rectal cancer, randomized trials have not demonstrated that RT intensification improves clinical outcomes. In breast cancer and prostate cancer, dose escalation has been shown to improve LC or biochemical disease control but not OS. Radiation therapy intensification may improve LC and OS in head and neck and lung cancers, but these benefits have generally been limited to studies that did not incorporate concurrent chemotherapy. Conclusions: In randomized trials, the benefits of RT intensification have largely been restricted to trials in which concurrent chemotherapy was not used. Novel strategies to optimize the incorporation of RT in the multimodality treatment of solid tumors should be explored.

  12. The broken escalator phenomenon. Aftereffect of walking onto a moving platform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reynolds, R F; Bronstein, A M

    2003-08-01

    We investigated the physiological basis of the 'broken escalator phenomenon', namely the sensation that when walking onto an escalator which is stationary one experiences an odd sensation of imbalance, despite full awareness that the escalator is not going to move. The experimental moving surface was provided by a linear motor-powered sled, moving at 1.2 m/s. Sled velocity, trunk position, trunk angular velocity, EMG of the ankle flexors-extensors and foot-contact signals were recorded in 14 normal subjects. The experiments involved, initially, walking onto the stationary sled (condition Before). Then, subjects walked 20 times onto the moving sled (condition Moving), and it was noted that they increased their walking velocity from a baseline of 0.60 m/s to 0.90 m/s. After the moving trials, subjects were unequivocally warned that the platform would no longer move and asked to walk onto the stationary sled again (condition After). It was found that, despite this warning, subjects walked onto the stationary platform inappropriately fast (0.71 m/s), experienced a large overshoot of the trunk and displayed increased leg electromyographic (EMG) activity. Subjects were surprised by their own behaviour and subjectively reported that the 'broken escalator phenomenon', as experienced in urban life, felt similar to the experiment. By the second trial, most movement parameters had returned to baseline values. The findings represent a motor aftereffect of walking onto a moving platform that occurs despite full knowledge of the changing context. As such, it demonstrates dissociation between the declarative and procedural systems in the CNS. Since gait velocity was raised before foot-sled contact, the findings are at least partly explained by open-loop, predictive behaviour. A cautious strategy of limb stiffness was not responsible for the aftereffect, as revealed by no increase in muscle cocontraction. The observed aftereffect is unlike others previously reported in the

  13. Penile bulb dose and impotence after three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer on RTOG 9406: Findings from a prospective, multi-institutional, phase I/II dose-escalation study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roach, Mack; Winter, Kathryn; Michalski, Jeffrey M.; Cox, James D.; Purdy, James A.; Bosch, Walter; Lin Xiao; Shipley, William S.

    2004-01-01

    Purpose: To assess the relationship between the dose to the bulb of the penis and the risk of impotence in men treated on Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 9406. Methods and materials: Men enrolled on a Phase I/II dose-escalation study, RTOG 9406, who were reported to be potent at entry and evaluable (n = 158) were selected for inclusion. Follow-up evaluations were scheduled every 3, 4, and 6 months for the first, second, and the third through fifth years, then annually. At each follow-up visit an assessment of potency status was made. Penile structures were defined by a single observer blinded to the potency status, using Web-based, on-line software. The dosimetry for penile structures was calculated at the Quality Assurance Center at Washington University and provided to RTOG Statistical Headquarters to determine whether there was a relationship between dose and impotence. Results: Patients whose median penile dose was ≥52.5 Gy had a greater risk of impotence compared with those receiving <52.5 Gy (p = 0.039). In a multivariate analysis neither age, the dose to the prostate, nor the use of hormonal therapy correlated with the risk of impotence. Conclusions: Dose to the bulb of the penis seems to be associated with the risk of radiation-induced impotence

  14. SU-C-BRA-01: 18F-NaF PET/CT-Directed Dose Escalation in Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Spine Oligometastases From Prostate Cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, L [Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong (China); University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV (United States); Zhang, W; Li, M; Peng, X; Xie, L; Lin, Z [Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong (China); Kwee, S [The Queen’s Medical Center, Honolulu, HI (United States); Wang, H; Kuang, Y [University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV (United States)

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: To investigate the technical feasibility of SBRT dose painting using {sup 18}F-NaF positron emission tomography (PET) scans guidance in patients with spine oligometastases from prostate cancer. Methods: As a proof of concept, six patients with 14 spine oligometastatic lesions from prostate cancer who had {sup 18}F-NaF PET/CT scan prior to treatment were retrospectively included. GTV{sub reg} was delineated according to the regular tumor boundary shown on PET and/or CT images; and GTV{sub MATV} was contoured based on a net metabolically active tumor volume (MATV) defined by 60% of the SUV{sub max} values on {sup 18}F-NaF PET images. The PTVs (PTV{sub reg} and PTV{sub MATV}) were defined as respective GTVs (plus involved entire vertebral body for PTV{sub reg}) with a 3-mm isotropic expansion margin. Three 1-fraction SBRT plans using VMAT technique along with 10 MV FFF beams (Plan{sub 24Gy}, Plan{sub 24–27Gy}, and Plan{sub 24–30Gy}) were generated for each patient. All plans included a dose of 24 Gy prescribed to PTV{sub reg}. The Plan{sub 24–27Gy} and Plan{sub 24–30Gy} also included a simultaneous boost dose of 27 Gy or 30 Gy prescribed to the PTV{sub MATV}, respectively. The feasibility of 18F-NaF PET-guided SBRT dose escalation was evaluated by its ability to achieve the prescription dose objectives while adhering to organ-at-risk (OAR) dose constraints. The normal tissue complication probabilities (NTCP) calculated by radiological models were also compared between the plans. Results: In all 33 SBRT plans generated, the planning objectives and dose constraints were met without exception. Plan{sub 24–27Gy} and Plan{sub 24–30Gy} had a significantly higher dose in PTV{sub MATV} than Plan{sub 24Gy} (p < 0.05), respectively, while maintaining a similar OAR sparing profile and NTCP values. Conclusion: Using VMAT with FFF beams to incorporate a simultaneous {sup 18}F-NaF PET-guided radiation boost dose up to 30 Gy into a SBRT plan is technically

  15. Case Example of Dose Optimization Using Data From Bortezomib Dose-Finding Clinical Trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Shing M; Backenroth, Daniel; Cheung, Ying Kuen Ken; Hershman, Dawn L; Vulih, Diana; Anderson, Barry; Ivy, Percy; Minasian, Lori

    2016-04-20

    The current dose-finding methodology for estimating the maximum tolerated dose of investigational anticancer agents is based on the cytotoxic chemotherapy paradigm. Molecularly targeted agents (MTAs) have different toxicity profiles, which may lead to more long-lasting mild or moderate toxicities as well as to late-onset and cumulative toxicities. Several approved MTAs have been poorly tolerated during long-term administration, leading to postmarketing dose optimization studies to re-evaluate the optimal treatment dose. Using data from completed bortezomib dose-finding trials, we explore its toxicity profile, optimize its dose, and examine the appropriateness of current designs for identifying an optimal dose. We classified the toxicities captured from 481 patients in 14 bortezomib dose-finding studies conducted through the National Cancer Institute Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, computed the incidence of late-onset toxicities, and compared the incidence of dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) among groups of patients receiving different doses of bortezomib. A total of 13,008 toxicities were captured: 46% of patients' first DLTs and 88% of dose reductions or discontinuations of treatment because of toxicity were observed after the first cycle. Moreover, for the approved dose of 1.3 mg/m(2), the estimated cumulative incidence of DLT was > 50%, and the estimated cumulative incidence of dose reduction or treatment discontinuation because of toxicity was nearly 40%. When considering the entire course of treatment, the approved bortezomib dose exceeds the conventional ceiling DLT rate of 20% to 33%. Retrospective analysis of trial data provides an opportunity for dose optimization of MTAs. Future dose-finding studies of MTAs should take into account late-onset toxicities to ensure that a tolerable dose is identified for future efficacy and comparative trials. © 2016 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.

  16. A Phase I-II dose escalation study of fixed-dose rate gemcitabine, oxaliplatin and capecitabine every two weeks in advanced cholangiocarcinomas

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lassen, Ulrik V; Jensen, Lars Henrik; Sorensen, Morten

    2011-01-01

    (O) and capecitabine (C), and evaluate the safety and efficacy of this regimen in patients with advanced cholangiocarcinoma (CC). Methods. In the Phase I part of the study a dose-escalation schedule of FDR G, O and C, administered every two weeks, was performed in patients with solid tumours...... and no other treatments or advanced CC. In the Phase II part response rate, toxicity, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival was evaluated in patients with newly diagnosed advanced CC. Results. Thirty-six patients entered the Phase I part and G 1 000 mg/m(2) day 1 and 15, O 60 mg/m(2) day 1...... and 15, and C 1 000 mg/m(2) BID day 1-7 and day 15-21 were established as MTD. In the Phase II part, 41 patients with advanced CC were included. Overall response rate was 34% and 51% had stable disease, resulting in a clinical benefit rate of 85%. Grade III and IV adverse events were rare. Median...

  17. Decision regret in men undergoing dose-escalated radiation therapy for prostate cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steer, Anna N; Aherne, Noel J; Gorzynska, Karen; Hoffman, Matthew; Last, Andrew; Hill, Jacques; Shakespeare, Thomas P

    2013-07-15

    Decision regret (DR) is a negative emotion associated with medical treatment decisions, and it is an important patient-centered outcome after therapy for localized prostate cancer. DR has been found to occur in up to 53% of patients treated for localized prostate cancer, and it may vary depending on treatment modality. DR after modern dose-escalated radiation therapy (DE-RT) has not been investigated previously, to our knowledge. Our primary aim was to evaluate DR in a cohort of patients treated with DE-RT. We surveyed 257 consecutive patients with localized prostate cancer who had previously received DE-RT, by means of a validated questionnaire. There were 220 responses (85.6% response rate). Image-guided intensity modulated radiation therapy was given in 85.0% of patients and 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy in 15.0%. Doses received included 73.8 Gy (34.5% patients), 74 Gy (53.6%), and 76 Gy (10.9%). Neoadjuvant androgen deprivation (AD) was given in 51.8% of patients and both neoadjuvant and adjuvant AD in 34.5%. The median follow-up time was 23 months (range, 12-67 months). In all, 3.8% of patients expressed DR for their choice of treatment. When asked whether they would choose DE-RT or AD again, only 0.5% probably or definitely would not choose DE-RT again, compared with 8.4% for AD (P<.01). Few patients treated with modern DE-RT express DR, with regret appearing to be lower than in previously published reports of patients treated with radical prostatectomy or older radiation therapy techniques. Patients experienced more regret with the AD component of treatment than with the radiation therapy component, with implications for informed consent. Further research should investigate regret associated with individual components of modern therapy, including AD, radiation therapy and surgery. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Decision Regret in Men Undergoing Dose-Escalated Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steer, Anna N.; Aherne, Noel J.; Gorzynska, Karen; Hoffman, Matthew; Last, Andrew; Hill, Jacques; Shakespeare, Thomas P.

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: Decision regret (DR) is a negative emotion associated with medical treatment decisions, and it is an important patient-centered outcome after therapy for localized prostate cancer. DR has been found to occur in up to 53% of patients treated for localized prostate cancer, and it may vary depending on treatment modality. DR after modern dose-escalated radiation therapy (DE-RT) has not been investigated previously, to our knowledge. Our primary aim was to evaluate DR in a cohort of patients treated with DE-RT. Methods and Materials: We surveyed 257 consecutive patients with localized prostate cancer who had previously received DE-RT, by means of a validated questionnaire. Results: There were 220 responses (85.6% response rate). Image-guided intensity modulated radiation therapy was given in 85.0% of patients and 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy in 15.0%. Doses received included 73.8 Gy (34.5% patients), 74 Gy (53.6%), and 76 Gy (10.9%). Neoadjuvant androgen deprivation (AD) was given in 51.8% of patients and both neoadjuvant and adjuvant AD in 34.5%. The median follow-up time was 23 months (range, 12-67 months). In all, 3.8% of patients expressed DR for their choice of treatment. When asked whether they would choose DE-RT or AD again, only 0.5% probably or definitely would not choose DE-RT again, compared with 8.4% for AD (P<.01). Conclusion: Few patients treated with modern DE-RT express DR, with regret appearing to be lower than in previously published reports of patients treated with radical prostatectomy or older radiation therapy techniques. Patients experienced more regret with the AD component of treatment than with the radiation therapy component, with implications for informed consent. Further research should investigate regret associated with individual components of modern therapy, including AD, radiation therapy and surgery

  19. Decision Regret in Men Undergoing Dose-Escalated Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Steer, Anna N. [Department of Radiation Oncology, North Coast Cancer Institute, Coffs Harbour (Australia); Aherne, Noel J., E-mail: noel.aherne@ncahs.health.nsw.gov.au [Department of Radiation Oncology, North Coast Cancer Institute, Coffs Harbour (Australia); Rural Clinical School Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Coffs Harbour (Australia); Gorzynska, Karen; Hoffman, Matthew; Last, Andrew; Hill, Jacques [Department of Radiation Oncology, North Coast Cancer Institute, Coffs Harbour (Australia); Shakespeare, Thomas P. [Department of Radiation Oncology, North Coast Cancer Institute, Coffs Harbour (Australia); Rural Clinical School Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Coffs Harbour (Australia)

    2013-07-15

    Purpose: Decision regret (DR) is a negative emotion associated with medical treatment decisions, and it is an important patient-centered outcome after therapy for localized prostate cancer. DR has been found to occur in up to 53% of patients treated for localized prostate cancer, and it may vary depending on treatment modality. DR after modern dose-escalated radiation therapy (DE-RT) has not been investigated previously, to our knowledge. Our primary aim was to evaluate DR in a cohort of patients treated with DE-RT. Methods and Materials: We surveyed 257 consecutive patients with localized prostate cancer who had previously received DE-RT, by means of a validated questionnaire. Results: There were 220 responses (85.6% response rate). Image-guided intensity modulated radiation therapy was given in 85.0% of patients and 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy in 15.0%. Doses received included 73.8 Gy (34.5% patients), 74 Gy (53.6%), and 76 Gy (10.9%). Neoadjuvant androgen deprivation (AD) was given in 51.8% of patients and both neoadjuvant and adjuvant AD in 34.5%. The median follow-up time was 23 months (range, 12-67 months). In all, 3.8% of patients expressed DR for their choice of treatment. When asked whether they would choose DE-RT or AD again, only 0.5% probably or definitely would not choose DE-RT again, compared with 8.4% for AD (P<.01). Conclusion: Few patients treated with modern DE-RT express DR, with regret appearing to be lower than in previously published reports of patients treated with radical prostatectomy or older radiation therapy techniques. Patients experienced more regret with the AD component of treatment than with the radiation therapy component, with implications for informed consent. Further research should investigate regret associated with individual components of modern therapy, including AD, radiation therapy and surgery.

  20. First-In-Human, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized, Dose-Escalation Study of BG00010, a Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Family Member, in Subjects with Unilateral Sciatica.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rolan, Paul E; O'Neill, Gilmore; Versage, Eve; Rana, Jitesh; Tang, Yongqiang; Galluppi, Gerald; Aycardi, Ernesto

    2015-01-01

    To evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of single doses of BG00010 (neublastin, artemin, enovin) in subjects with unilateral sciatica. This was a single-center, blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized Phase 1 sequential-cohort, dose-escalation study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT00961766; funded by Biogen Idec). Adults with unilateral sciatica were enrolled at The Royal Adelaide Hospital, Australia. Four subjects were assigned to each of eleven cohorts (intravenous BG00010 0.3, 1, 3, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, 400, or 800 μg/kg, or subcutaneous BG00010 50 μg/kg) and were randomized 3:1 to receive a single dose of BG00010 or placebo. The primary safety and tolerability assessments were: adverse events; clinical laboratory parameters and vital signs; pain as measured by a Likert rating scale; intra-epidermal nerve fiber density; and longitudinal assessment of quantitative sensory test parameters. Blood, serum, and plasma samples were collected for pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic assessments. Subjects were blinded to treatment assignment throughout the study. The investigator was blinded to treatment assignment until the Data Safety Review Committee review of unblinded data, which occurred after day 28. Beyond the planned enrollment of 44 subjects, four additional subjects were enrolled into to the intravenous BG00010 200 μg/kg cohort after one original subject experienced mild generalized pruritus. Therefore, a total of 48 subjects were enrolled between August 2009 and December 2011; all were included in the safety analyses. BG00010 was generally well tolerated: in primary analyses, the most common treatment-emergent adverse events were changes in temperature perception, pruritus, rash, or headache; no trends were observed in clinical laboratory parameters, vital signs, intra-epidermal nerve fiber density, or quantitative sensory testing. BG00010 was not associated with any clear, dose-dependent trends in Likert pain scores. BG00010 was

  1. Long-term follow-up of a phase I/II trial of dose escalating three-dimensional conformal thoracic radiation therapy with induction and concurrent carboplatin and paclitaxel in unresectable stage IIIA/B non-small cell lung cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stinchcombe, Thomas E; Lee, Carrie B; Moore, Dominic T; Rivera, M Patricia; Halle, Jan; Limentani, Steven; Rosenman, Julian G; Socinski, Mark A

    2008-11-01

    We conducted a modified phase I/II trial investigating the incorporation of three-dimensional conformal thoracic radiation therapy (TCRT) into the treatment paradigm of induction and concurrent carboplatin and paclitaxel in patients with unresectable stage IIIA/B non-small cell lung cancer. Patients received 2 cycles of induction carboplatin (area under the curve of 6) and paclitaxel (225 mg/m) on days 1, and 22. On day 43 concurrent TCRT and weekly x6 of carboplatin (area under the curve = 2) and paclitaxel (45 mg/m) was initiated. The TCRT dose was escalated from 60 to 74 Gy in 4 cohorts (60, 66, 70, and 74 Gy), and the 74 Gy cohort was expanded into a phase II trial. Sixty-two patients were enrolled; the median age 57 years (range, 36-82), 39 were male (63%), 61 (98%) had a performance status of 0 or 1, 28 (45%) had stage IIIA disease, 21 (34%) had >5% weight loss, and the median forced expiratory volume 1 = 2.10 liters (range, 1.02-3.75). With a median follow-up for survivors of approximately 9 years (range, 7-11 years) the median progression-free survival, time to tumor progression, and overall survival (OS) (with 95% confidence intervals) were 10 (8.5-17), 15 (9-50), and 25 months (18-37), respectively. The 5-year progression-free survival and OS rates were 21% (12-32%) and 27% (17-39%), respectively. The 10-year OS rate was 14% (7-25%). The long term survival rate compares favorably to other treatment approaches for stage III non-small cell lung cancer.

  2. SU-E-T-500: Dose Escalation Strategy for Lung Cancer Patients Using a Biologically- Guided Target Definition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shusharina, N; Khan, F; Choi, N; Sharp, G [Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States)

    2014-06-01

    Purpose: Dose escalation strategy for lung cancer patients can lead to late symptoms such as pneumonitis and cardiac injury. We propose a strategy to increase radiation dose for improving local tumor control while simultaneously striving to minimize the injury of organs at risk (OAR). Our strategy is based on defining a small, biologically-guided target volume for receiving additional radiation dose. Methods: 106 patients with lung cancer treated with radiotherapy were selected for patients diagnosed with stage II and III disease. Previous research has shown that 50% of the maximum SUV threshold in FDG-PET imaging is appropriate for delineation of the most aggressive part of a tumor. After PET- and CT-derived targets were contoured, an IMRT treatment plan was designed to deliver 60 Gy to the GTV as delineated on a 4D CT (Plan 1). A second plan was designed with additional dose of 18 Gy to the PET-derived volume (Plan 2). A composite plan was generated by the addition of Plan 1 and Plan 2. Results: Plan 1 was compared to the composite plan and increases in OAR dose were assessed. For seven patients on average, lung V5 was increased by 1.4% and V20 by 4.2% for ipsilateral lung and by 13.5% and 7% for contralateral lung. For total lung, V5 and V20 were increased by 4.5% and 4.8% respectively. Mean lung dose was increased by 9.7% for the total lung. The maximum dose to the spinal cord increased by 16% on average. For the heart, V20 increased by 4.2% and V40 by 5.2%. Conclusion: It seems feasible that an additional 18 Gy of radiation dose can be delivered to FDG PET-derived subvolume of the CT-based GTV of the primary tumor without significant increase in total dose to the critical organs such as lungs, spinal cord and heart.

  3. SU-E-T-500: Dose Escalation Strategy for Lung Cancer Patients Using a Biologically- Guided Target Definition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shusharina, N; Khan, F; Choi, N; Sharp, G

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: Dose escalation strategy for lung cancer patients can lead to late symptoms such as pneumonitis and cardiac injury. We propose a strategy to increase radiation dose for improving local tumor control while simultaneously striving to minimize the injury of organs at risk (OAR). Our strategy is based on defining a small, biologically-guided target volume for receiving additional radiation dose. Methods: 106 patients with lung cancer treated with radiotherapy were selected for patients diagnosed with stage II and III disease. Previous research has shown that 50% of the maximum SUV threshold in FDG-PET imaging is appropriate for delineation of the most aggressive part of a tumor. After PET- and CT-derived targets were contoured, an IMRT treatment plan was designed to deliver 60 Gy to the GTV as delineated on a 4D CT (Plan 1). A second plan was designed with additional dose of 18 Gy to the PET-derived volume (Plan 2). A composite plan was generated by the addition of Plan 1 and Plan 2. Results: Plan 1 was compared to the composite plan and increases in OAR dose were assessed. For seven patients on average, lung V5 was increased by 1.4% and V20 by 4.2% for ipsilateral lung and by 13.5% and 7% for contralateral lung. For total lung, V5 and V20 were increased by 4.5% and 4.8% respectively. Mean lung dose was increased by 9.7% for the total lung. The maximum dose to the spinal cord increased by 16% on average. For the heart, V20 increased by 4.2% and V40 by 5.2%. Conclusion: It seems feasible that an additional 18 Gy of radiation dose can be delivered to FDG PET-derived subvolume of the CT-based GTV of the primary tumor without significant increase in total dose to the critical organs such as lungs, spinal cord and heart

  4. Increase in tumor control and normal tissue complication probabilities in advanced head-and-neck cancer for dose-escalated intensity-modulated photon and proton therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Annika eJakobi

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Introduction:Presently used radio-chemotherapy regimens result in moderate local control rates for patients with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC. Dose escalation (DE may be an option to improve patient outcome, but may also increase the risk of toxicities in healthy tissue. The presented treatment planning study evaluated the feasibility of two DE levels for advanced HNSCC patients, planned with either intensity-modulated photon therapy (IMXT or proton therapy (IMPT.Materials and Methods:For 45 HNSCC patients, IMXT and IMPT treatment plans were created including DE via a simultaneous integrated boost (SIB in the high-risk volume, while maintaining standard fractionation with 2 Gy per fraction in the remaining target volume. Two DE levels for the SIB were compared: 2.3 Gy and 2.6 Gy. Treatment plan evaluation included assessment of tumor control probabilities (TCP and normal tissue complication probabilities (NTCP.Results:An increase of approximately 10% in TCP was estimated between the DE levels. A pronounced high-dose rim surrounding the SIB volume was identified in IMXT treatment. Compared to IMPT, this extra dose slightly increased the TCP values and to a larger extent the NTCP values. For both modalities, the higher DE level led only to a small increase in NTCP values (mean differences < 2% in all models, except for the risk of aspiration, which increased on average by 8% and 6% with IMXT and IMPT, respectively, but showed a considerable patient dependence. Conclusions:Both DE levels appear applicable to patients with IMXT and IMPT since all calculated NTCP values, except for one, increased only little for the higher DE level. The estimated TCP increase is of relevant magnitude. The higher DE schedule needs to be investigated carefully in the setting of a prospective clinical trial, especially regarding toxicities caused by high local doses that lack a sound dose response description, e.g., ulcers.

  5. The Effect of Increasing Doses of Saw Palmetto Fruit Extract on Serum PSA Levels: Analysis of the CAMUS Randomized Trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andriole, Gerald L.; McCullum-Hill, Christie; Sandhu, Gurdarshan S.; Crawford, E. David; Barry, Michael J.; Cantor, Alan

    2014-01-01

    Purpose Saw palmetto extracts are used for treating lower urinary tract symptoms in men despite level I evidence concluding that saw palmetto was ineffective in reducing lower urinary symptoms. We sought to determine whether higher doses of saw palmetto as studied in CAMUS affect serum PSA levels. Materials and Methods The CAMUS trial was a randomized, placebo-controlled double blind multi-centered North American trial conducted between June 5, 2008 and October 10, 2012 in which 369 men >45 years of age with AUA symptom score ≥ 8 and ≤ 24 were randomly assigned to placebo or dose escalation saw palmetto, which consisted of 320mg for first 24 weeks to 640mg for next 24 weeks to 960mg for last 24 weeks of this 72 week trial. Serum PSA levels (Beckman-Coulter) were obtained at baseline and at weeks 24, 48 and 72 and were compared between treatment groups using the pooled t and Fisher's exact tests. Results Serum PSA levels were similar at baseline for the placebo (1.93 ± 1.59 ng/ml) and saw palmetto groups (2.20 ± 1.95, p = 0.16). Changes in PSA levels over the course of the study were similar: placebo group mean change 0.16 ± 1.08 ng/ml and saw palmetto group mean change 0.23 ± 0.83 ng/ml (p value 0.50). Additionally, no differential effect on serum PSA levels was observed between treatment arms when groups were stratified by baseline PSA values. Conclusions Saw palmetto extract does not affect serum PSA levels more than placebo even at relatively high doses. PMID:23253958

  6. The effect of increasing doses of saw palmetto fruit extract on serum prostate specific antigen: analysis of the CAMUS randomized trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andriole, Gerald L; McCullum-Hill, Christie; Sandhu, Gurdarshan S; Crawford, E David; Barry, Michael J; Cantor, Alan

    2013-02-01

    Saw palmetto extracts are used to treat lower urinary tract symptoms in men despite level I evidence that saw palmetto is ineffective in reducing these lower urinary tract symptoms. We determined whether higher doses of saw palmetto as studied in the CAMUS (Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Urologic Symptoms) trial affect serum prostate specific antigen levels. The CAMUS trial was a randomized, placebo controlled, double-blind, multicenter, North American trial conducted between June 5, 2008 and October 10, 2012, in which 369 men older than 45 years with an AUA symptom score of 8 to 24 were randomly assigned to placebo or dose escalation of saw palmetto, which consisted of 320 mg for the first 24 weeks, 640 mg for the next 24 weeks and 960 mg for the last 24 weeks of this 72-week trial. Serum prostate specific antigen levels were obtained at baseline and at weeks 24, 48 and 72, and were compared between treatment groups using the pooled t test and Fisher's exact test. Serum prostate specific antigen was similar at baseline for the placebo (mean ± SD 1.93 ± 1.59 ng/ml) and saw palmetto groups (2.20 ± 1.95, p = 0.16). Changes in prostate specific antigen during the study were similar, with a mean change in the placebo group of 0.16 ± 1.08 ng/ml and 0.23 ± 0.83 ng/ml in the saw palmetto group (p = 0.50). In addition, no differential effect on serum prostate specific antigen was observed between treatment arms when the groups were stratified by baseline prostate specific antigen. Saw palmetto extract does not affect serum prostate specific antigen more than placebo, even at relatively high doses. Copyright © 2013 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. A Phase 2 Trial of Concurrent Chemotherapy and Proton Therapy for Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Results and Reflections Following Early Closure of a Single-Institution Study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hoppe, Bradford S., E-mail: bhoppe@floridaproton.org [University of Florida Health Proton Therapy Institute, Jacksonville, Florida (United States); Henderson, Randal [University of Florida Health Proton Therapy Institute, Jacksonville, Florida (United States); Pham, Dat; Cury, James D.; Bajwa, Abubakr [Department of Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville, Florida (United States); Morris, Christopher G. [University of Florida Health Proton Therapy Institute, Jacksonville, Florida (United States); D' Agostino, Harry [Department of Surgery, University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville, Florida (United States); Flampouri, Stella; Huh, Soon; Li, Zuofeng [University of Florida Health Proton Therapy Institute, Jacksonville, Florida (United States); McCook, Barry [Department of Radiology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville, Florida (United States); Nichols, Romaine C. [University of Florida Health Proton Therapy Institute, Jacksonville, Florida (United States)

    2016-05-01

    Purpose: Proton therapy has been shown to reduce radiation dose to organs at risk (OAR) and could be used to safely escalate the radiation dose. We analyzed outcomes in a group of phase 2 study patients treated with dose-escalated proton therapy with concurrent chemotherapy for stage 3 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods and Materials: From 2009 through 2013, LU02, a phase 2 trial of proton therapy delivering 74 to 80 Gy at 2 Gy/fraction with concurrent chemotherapy for stage 3 NSCLC, was opened to accrual at our institution. Due to slow accrual and competing trials, the study was closed after just 14 patients (stage IIIA, 9 patients; stage IIIB, 5 patients) were accrued over 4 years. During that same time period, 55 additional stage III patients were treated with high-dose proton therapy, including 7 in multi-institutional proton clinical trials, 4 not enrolled due to physician preference, and 44 who were ineligible based on strict entry criteria. An unknown number of patients were ineligible for enrollment due to insurance coverage issues and thus were treated with photon radiation. Median follow-up of surviving patients was 52 months. Results: Two-year overall survival and progression-free survival rates were 57% and 25%, respectively. Median lengths of overall survival and progression-free survival were 33 months and 14 months, respectively. There were no acute grade 3 toxicities related to proton therapy. Late grade 3 gastrointestinal toxicity and pulmonary toxicity each occurred in 1 patient. Conclusions: Dose-escalated proton therapy with concurrent chemotherapy was well tolerated with encouraging results among a small cohort of patients. Unfortunately, single-institution proton studies may be difficult to accrue and consideration for pragmatic and/or multicenter trial design should be considered when developing future proton clinical trials.

  8. A study of the effects of internal organ motion on dose escalation in conformal prostate treatments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Happersett, Laura; Mageras, Gig S.; Zelefsky, Michael J.; Burman, Chandra M.; Leibel, Steven A.; Chui Chen; Fuks, Zvi; Bull, Sarah; Ling, C. Clifton; Kutcher, Gerald J.

    2003-01-01

    Background and purpose: To assess the effect of internal organ motion on the dose distributions and biological indices for the target and non-target organs for three different conformal prostate treatment techniques. Materials and methods: We examined three types of treatment plans in 20 patients: (1) a six field plan, with a prescribed dose of 75.6 Gy; (2) the same six field plan to 72 Gy followed by a boost to 81 Gy; and (3) a five field plan with intensity modulated beams delivering 81 Gy. Treatment plans were designed using an initial CT data set (planning) and applied to three subsequent CT scans (treatment). The treatment CT contours were used to represent patient specific organ displacement; in addition, the dose distribution was convolved with a Gaussian distribution to model random setup error. Dose-volume histograms were calculated using an organ deformation model in which the movement between scans of individual points interior to the organs was tracked and the dose accumulated. The tumor control probability (TCP) for the prostate and proximal half of seminal vesicles (clinical target volume, CTV), normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) for the rectum and the percent volume of bladder wall receiving at least 75 Gy were calculated. Results: The patient averaged increase in the planned TCP between plan types 2 and 1 and types 3 and 1 was 9.8% (range 4.9-12.5%) for both, whereas the corresponding increases in treatment TCP were 9.0% (1.3-16%) and 8.1% (-1.3-13.8%). In all patients, plans 2 and 3 (81 Gy) exhibited equal or higher treatment TCP than plan 1 (75.6 Gy). The maximum treatment NTCP for rectum never exceeded the planning constraint and percent volume of bladder wall receiving at least 75 Gy was similar in the planning and treatment scans for all three plans. Conclusion: For plans that deliver a uniform prescribed dose to the planning target volume (PTV) (plan 1), current margins are adequate. In plans that further escalate the dose to part

  9. Embracing model-based designs for dose-finding trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Love, Sharon B; Brown, Sarah; Weir, Christopher J; Harbron, Chris; Yap, Christina; Gaschler-Markefski, Birgit; Matcham, James; Caffrey, Louise; McKevitt, Christopher; Clive, Sally; Craddock, Charlie; Spicer, James; Cornelius, Victoria

    2017-07-25

    Dose-finding trials are essential to drug development as they establish recommended doses for later-phase testing. We aim to motivate wider use of model-based designs for dose finding, such as the continual reassessment method (CRM). We carried out a literature review of dose-finding designs and conducted a survey to identify perceived barriers to their implementation. We describe the benefits of model-based designs (flexibility, superior operating characteristics, extended scope), their current uptake, and existing resources. The most prominent barriers to implementation of a model-based design were lack of suitable training, chief investigators' preference for algorithm-based designs (e.g., 3+3), and limited resources for study design before funding. We use a real-world example to illustrate how these barriers can be overcome. There is overwhelming evidence for the benefits of CRM. Many leading pharmaceutical companies routinely implement model-based designs. Our analysis identified barriers for academic statisticians and clinical academics in mirroring the progress industry has made in trial design. Unified support from funders, regulators, and journal editors could result in more accurate doses for later-phase testing, and increase the efficiency and success of clinical drug development. We give recommendations for increasing the uptake of model-based designs for dose-finding trials in academia.

  10. Phase I dose-escalation and pharmacokinetic study (TED 11576) of cabazitaxel in Japanese patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukai, Hirofumi; Takahashi, Shunji; Nozawa, Masahiro; Onozawa, Yusuke; Miyazaki, Jun; Ohno, Keiji; Suzuki, Kazuhiro

    2014-04-01

    The purpose of the study is to analyze the pharmacokinetic (PK) profile of cabazitaxel and evaluate its safety and tolerability as a 1-h IV infusion every 3 weeks in Japanese patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Seventeen patients were treated with cabazitaxel at doses of 20 and 25 mg/m(2) for PK analyses. Dose escalation was performed only in the absence of dose-limiting toxicity (DLT). The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was the highest dose at which less than 33 % of the patients developed DLT. Cabazitaxel exhibited a triphasic elimination profile with a long terminal half-life of 116 ± 29.0 or 113 ± 28.0 h after IV infusion of 20 or 25 mg/m(2) cabazitaxel, respectively. The major differences in the PK parameters of cabazitaxel and docetaxel were cabazitaxel's fairly high clearance rate, representing approximately half the hepatic flow, and its large volume of distribution at steady-state conditions. No DLT was observed during Cycle 1. Mild-to-moderate hematological adverse events (AEs), including neutropenia, and other AEs typically associated with taxanes were observed; all AEs were manageable. Cabazitaxel at 25 mg/m(2) every 3 weeks was selected as the MTD in Japanese patients. The PK parameters of cabazitaxel in Japanese CRPC patients were comparable with those previously determined in Caucasian subjects. The safety and tolerability of cabazitaxel were also comparable in both ethnic populations.

  11. Combined management of retroperitoneal sarcoma with dose intensification radiotherapy and resection: Long-term results of a prospective trial.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Smith, Myles J F

    2014-01-07

    Late failure is a challenging problem following resection of retroperitoneal sarcoma (RPS). We investigated the effects of preoperative XRT plus dose escalation with early postoperative brachytherapy (BT) on long-term survival and recurrence in RPS.

  12. Dosing of Intravenous Tocilizumab in a Real-World Setting of Rheumatoid Arthritis: Analyses from the Corrona Registry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pappas, Dimitrios A; John, Ani; Curtis, Jeffrey R; Reed, George W; Karki, Chitra; Magner, Robert; Kremer, Joel M; Shewade, Ashwini; Greenberg, Jeffrey D

    2016-06-01

    In the United States, the recommended starting dose of intravenous tocilizumab (TCZ) is 4 mg/kg every 4 weeks, with an increase to 8 mg/kg based on clinical response for patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis; however, data on how TCZ dose is escalated in real life are missing. The objective of this analysis was to describe patterns of early intravenous TCZ dose escalation in a real-world setting using data from the Corrona registry. All patients enrolled in the comparative effectiveness substudy (CERTAIN) nested within Corrona who initiated TCZ and completed 3- and 6-month study visits were eligible for inclusion. Patients who initiated TCZ 4 mg/kg were categorized into 1 of 2 groups: those who remained on TCZ 4 mg/kg at 3 months (Group 1) and those who escalated to TCZ 8 mg/kg by or at 3 months (Group 2). Changes in clinical disease activity measures were provided. Of the 213 patients who were eligible for analysis, 86 (40.4%) remained on their initial dose of TCZ 4 mg/kg (Group 1) and 110 (51.6%) were escalated to TCZ 8 mg/kg by or at 3 months (Group 2). Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were similar between the 2 groups; except in Group 2, patients were older (58.3 vs. 54.0 years) and a lower proportion was female (75.5% vs. 89.4%) than in Group 1. Significant improvements in disease activity measures were observed at 3 and 6 months in both groups, with the majority of patients in both groups achieving moderate or good European League Against Rheumatism response. Real-world data demonstrated that physicians escalate TCZ dose at varying frequencies. The ability to administer TCZ in varying doses allows physicians to tailor TCZ therapy to disease activity. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT01625650.

  13. Dose escalation by hypo fractionation in localized prostate cancer - a large single institution experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahadevan, A.; Klein, E.; Kupelian, P.

    2003-01-01

    . Hypofractionation is an effective method to dose escalate in localized prostate cancer. Longer follow-up is needed to further substantiate these results

  14. Phase I study of vorinostat in combination with isotretinoin in patients with refractory/recurrent neuroblastoma: A new approaches to Neuroblastoma Therapy (NANT) trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinto, Navin; DuBois, Steven G; Marachelian, Araz; Diede, Scott J; Taraseviciute, Agne; Glade Bender, Julia L; Tsao-Wei, Denice; Groshen, Susan G; Reid, Joel M; Haas-Kogan, Daphne A; Reynolds, C Patrick; Kang, Min H; Irwin, Meredith S; Macy, Margaret E; Villablanca, Judith G; Matthay, Katherine K; Park, Julie R

    2018-03-30

    Vorinostat combined with retinoids produces additive antitumor effects in preclinical studies of neuroblastoma. Higher systemic exposures of vorinostat than achieved in pediatric phase I trials with continuous daily dosing are necessary for in vivo increased histone acetylation and cytotoxic activity. We conducted a phase I trial in children with relapsed/refractory neuroblastoma to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of vorinostat on an interrupted schedule, escalating beyond the previously identified pediatric MTD. Isotretinoin (cis-13-retinoic acid) 80 mg/m 2 /dose was administered by mouth twice daily on days 1-14 in combination with escalating doses of daily vorinostat up to 430 mg/m 2 /dose (days 1-4; 8-11) in each 28-day cycle using the standard 3 + 3 design. Vorinostat pharmacokinetic testing and histone acetylation assays were performed. Twenty-nine patients with refractory or relapsed neuroblastoma were enrolled and 28 were evaluable for dose escalation decisions. Median number of cycles completed was two (range 1-15); 11 patients received four or more cycles. Three patients experienced cycle 1 dose-limiting toxicities. A total of 18 patients experienced grade 3/4 toxicities related to study therapy. The maximum intended dose of vorinostat (430 mg/m 2 /day, days 1-4; 8-11) was tolerable and led to increased histone acetylation in surrogate tissues when compared to lower doses of vorinostat (P = 0.009). No objective responses were seen. Increased dose vorinostat (430 mg/m 2 /day) on an interrupted schedule is tolerable in combination with isotretinoin. This dose led to increased vorinostat exposures and demonstrated increased histone acetylation. Prolonged stable disease in patients with minimal residual disease warrants further investigation. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. Dose escalation of the hypoxic cell sensitizer etanidazole combined with ifosfamide, carboplatin, etoposide, and autologous hematopoietic stem cell support.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elias, A D; Wheeler, C; Ayash, L J; Schwartz, G; Ibrahim, J; Mills, L; McCauley, M; Coleman, N; Warren, D; Schnipper, L; Antman, K H; Teicher, B A; Frei, E

    1998-06-01

    Multiple mechanisms of drug resistance contribute to treatment failure. Although high-dose therapy attempts to overwhelm these defenses pharmacologically, this approach is only successful in a fraction of treated patients. Many drug resistance mechanisms are shared between malignant and normal cells, but the expression of various drug resistance mechanisms associated with hypoxia is largely confined to tumor tissue. Thus, reversal of this mechanism is likely to provide a therapeutic advantage to the host. This study was designed to define the dose-limiting toxicities and maximum tolerated dose of etanidazole when it is given concurrently with high-dose ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide (ICE), with hematopoietic stem cell support. The maximum tolerated doses of high-dose ICE were administered concurrently with dose escalations of etanidazole, a hypoxic cell sensitizer. All agents were given by 96-h continuous i.v. infusion beginning on day -7. Mesna uroprotection was provided. Autologous marrow and cytokine mobilized peripheral blood progenitor cells were reinfused on day 0. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor was administered following reinfusion until the granulocytes recovered to > 1000/microliter. Fifty-five adults with advanced malignancies were enrolled in cohorts of five to nine patients. Four dose levels of etanidazole between 3 and 5.5 g/m2/day (12, 16, 20, and 22 g/m2 total doses) and two doses of carboplatin (1600 and 1800 mg/m2 total doses) were evaluated. Seven patients died of organ toxicity (13%); two each from veno-occlusive disease of liver and sepsis; and one each from sudden death, renal failure, and refractory thrombocytopenic hemorrhage. Five deaths occurred at the top dose level. One additional patient suffered a witnessed cardiorespiratory arrest from ventricular fibrillation and was resuscitated. Dose-dependent and largely reversible peripheral neuropathy was observed consisting of two syndromes: severe cramping myalgic/neuralgic pain

  16. Short-term Androgen-Deprivation Therapy Improves Prostate Cancer-Specific Mortality in Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer Patients Undergoing Dose-Escalated External Beam Radiation Therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zumsteg, Zachary S.; Spratt, Daniel E.; Pei, Xin; Yamada, Yoshiya; Kalikstein, Abraham; Kuk, Deborah; Zhang, Zhigang; Zelefsky, Michael J.

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: We investigated the benefit of short-term androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) in patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer (PC) receiving dose-escalated external beam radiation therapy. Methods and Materials: The present retrospective study comprised 710 intermediate-risk PC patients receiving external beam radiation therapy with doses of ≥81 Gy at a single institution from 1992 to 2005, including 357 patients receiving neoadjuvant and concurrent ADT. Prostate-specific antigen recurrence-free survival (PSA-RFS) and distant metastasis (DM) were compared using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards models. PC-specific mortality (PCSM) was assessed using competing-risks analysis. Results: The median follow-up was 7.9 years. Despite being more likely to have higher PSA levels, Gleason score 4 + 3 = 7, multiple National Comprehensive Cancer Network intermediate-risk factors, and older age (P≤.001 for all comparisons), patients receiving ADT had improved PSA-RFS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.598; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.435-0.841; P=.003), DM (HR, 0.424; 95% CI, 0.219-0.819; P=.011), and PCSM (HR, 0.380; 95% CI, 0.157-0.921; P=.032) on univariate analysis. Using multivariate analysis, ADT was an even stronger predictor of improved PSA-RFS (adjusted HR [AHR], 0.516; 95% CI, 0.360-0.739; P<.001), DM (AHR, 0.347; 95% CI, 0.176-0.685; P=.002), and PCSM (AHR, 0.297; 95% CI, 0.128-0.685; P=.004). Gleason score 4 + 3 = 7 and ≥50% positive biopsy cores were other independent predictors of PCSM. Conclusions: Short-term ADT improves PSA-RFS, DM, and PCSM in patients with intermediate-risk PC undergoing dose-escalated external beam radiation therapy

  17. A double-blind, randomized controlled trial to compare the effect of biannual peripheral magnetic resonance imaging, radiography and standard of care disease progression monitoring on pharmacotherapeutic escalation in rheumatoid and undifferentiated inflammatory arthritis: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background Permanent joint damage is a major consequence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the most common and destructive form of inflammatory arthritis. In aggressive disease, joint damage can occur within 6 months from symptom onset. Early, intensive treatment with conventional and biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) can delay the onset and progression of joint damage. The primary objective of the study is to investigate the value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or radiography (X-ray) over standard of care as tools to guide DMARD treatment decision-making by rheumatologists for the care of RA. Methods A double-blind, randomized controlled trial has been designed. Rheumatoid and undifferentiated inflammatory arthritis patients will undergo an MRI and X-ray assessment every 6 months. Baseline adaptive randomization will be used to allocate participants to MRI, X-ray, or sham-intervention groups on a background of standard of care. Prognostic markers, treating physician, and baseline DMARD therapy will be used as intervention allocation parameters. The outcome measures in rheumatology RA MRI score and the van der Heijde-modified Sharp score will be used to evaluate the MRI and X-ray images, respectively. Radiologists will score anonymized images for all patients regardless of intervention allocation. Disease progression will be determined based on the study-specific, inter-rater smallest detectable difference. Allocation-dependent, intervention-concealed reports of positive or negative disease progression will be reported to the treating rheumatologist. Negative reports will be delivered for the sham-intervention group. Study-based radiology clinical reports will be provided to the treating rheumatologists for extra-study X-ray requisitions to limit patient radiation exposure as part of diagnostic imaging standard of care. DMARD treatment dose escalation and therapy changes will be measured to evaluate the primary objective. A sample size of

  18. Safety, efficacy and pharmacokinetics of neratinib (HKI-272) in Japanese patients with advanced solid tumors: a Phase 1 dose-escalation study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ito, Yoshinori; Suenaga, Mitsukuni; Hatake, Kiyohiko; Takahashi, Shunji; Yokoyama, Masahiro; Onozawa, Yusuke; Yamazaki, Kentaro; Hironaka, Shuichi; Hashigami, Kiyoshi; Hasegawa, Hirotaka; Takenaka, Nobuko; Boku, Narikazu

    2012-04-01

    Neratinib (HKI-272), a potent, irreversible, small-molecule, orally administered, pan-ErbB inhibitor that blocks signal transduction via inhibition of three epidermal growth factor receptors [ErbB1, ErbB2 (Her2) and ErbB4], is being developed for the treatment of solid tumors, including breast cancer. This Phase 1 dose-escalation study assessed the safety, tolerability, maximum-tolerated dose, antitumor activity and pharmacokinetics of neratinib in Japanese patients with advanced solid tumors. Patients received neratinib 80, 160, 240 or 320 mg orally; each patient enrolled in only one dose cohort. Patients received a single dose in week 1, followed by daily continuous doses. Blood samples collected were on days 1 and 21 for pharmacokinetic analyses. Twenty-one patients were enrolled (3 breast cancer; 17 colorectal cancer; 1 gastric cancer). Neratinib-related adverse events (all grades) included diarrhea (20 patients), fatigue (14 patients), nausea and abdominal pain (9 patients each) and anorexia (8 patients). Grade ≥3 neratinib-related adverse events in two or more patients were diarrhea and anorexia (two patients each). Dose-limiting toxicities were diarrhea and anorexia (two patients, 320 mg dose). The maximum-tolerated dose and recommended dose was neratinib 240 mg once daily. Of 21 evaluable patients, 2 with breast cancer had partial response, 3 had stable disease ≥24 weeks, 7 had stable disease ≥16 weeks and 9 had progressive disease. Pharmacokinetic analyses indicated that neratinib exposures increased with dose. The safety, efficacy and pharmacokinetic profiles of neratinib are consistent with those reported for non-Japanese patients and warrant further investigation of neratinib in Japanese patients with solid tumors.

  19. Radiotherapy boost dose-escalation for invasive breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery: 2093 Patients treated with a prospective margin-directed policy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Livi, Lorenzo; Meattini, Icro; Franceschini, Davide; Saieva, Calogero; Meacci, Fiammetta; Marrazzo, Livia; Gerlain, Elena; Desideri, Isacco; Scotti, Vieri; Nori, Jacopo; Sanchez, Luis Jose; Orzalesi, Lorenzo; Bonomo, Pierluigi; Greto, Daniela; Bianchi, Simonetta; Biti, Giampaolo

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: To investigate the outcome of invasive early breast cancer patients that underwent breast-conserving surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy (RT), treated with a prospective margin-directed institutional policy for RT boost dose, based on final margins status (FMS). Methods and materials: A total of 2093 patients were treated between 2000 and 2008. 10 Gy boost was prescribed in case of FMS > 5 mm; 16 Gy boost with FMS between 2 and 5 mm; 20 Gy boost in case of FMS 5 mm. At multivariate analysis, higher nuclear grade (p = 0.045), triple negative subtype (p = 0.036) and higher T-stage (p = 0.02) resulted as the independent predictors of LR occurrence. Conclusions: Our experience showed that a margin-directed policy of RT boost dose-escalation seems to reduce the negative impact of FMS on LR, but it is not able to overcome the unfavorable effect of higher nuclear grade, higher T stage and triple negative subtype

  20. The Acute Effect of Methylphenidate in Brazilian Male Children and Adolescents with ADHD: A Randomized Clinical Trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szobot, C. M.; Ketzer, C.; Parente, M. A.; Biederman, J.; Rohde, L. A.

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the acute efficacy of methylphenidate (MPH) in Brazilian male children and adolescents with ADHD. Method: In a 4-day, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, fix dose escalating, parallel-group trial, 36 ADHD children and adolescents were allocated to two groups: MPH (n = 19) and placebo (n = 17). Participants were…

  1. Whole Brain Irradiation With Hippocampal Sparing and Dose Escalation on Multiple Brain Metastases: A Planning Study on Treatment Concepts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prokic, Vesna; Wiedenmann, Nicole; Fels, Franziska; Schmucker, Marianne; Nieder, Carsten; Grosu, Anca-Ligia

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: To develop a new treatment planning strategy in patients with multiple brain metastases. The goal was to perform whole brain irradiation (WBI) with hippocampal sparing and dose escalation on multiple brain metastases. Two treatment concepts were investigated: simultaneously integrated boost (SIB) and WBI followed by stereotactic fractionated radiation therapy sequential concept (SC). Methods and Materials: Treatment plans for both concepts were calculated for 10 patients with 2-8 brain metastases using volumetric modulated arc therapy. In the SIB concept, the prescribed dose was 30 Gy in 12 fractions to the whole brain and 51 Gy in 12 fractions to individual brain metastases. In the SC concept, the prescription was 30 Gy in 12 fractions to the whole brain followed by 18 Gy in 2 fractions to brain metastases. All plans were optimized for dose coverage of whole brain and lesions, simultaneously minimizing dose to the hippocampus. The treatment plans were evaluated on target coverage, homogeneity, and minimal dose to the hippocampus and organs at risk. Results: The SIB concept enabled more successful sparing of the hippocampus; the mean dose to the hippocampus was 7.55 ± 0.62 Gy and 6.29 ± 0.62 Gy, respectively, when 5-mm and 10-mm avoidance regions around the hippocampus were used, normalized to 2-Gy fractions. In the SC concept, the mean dose to hippocampus was 9.8 ± 1.75 Gy. The mean dose to the whole brain (excluding metastases) was 33.2 ± 0.7 Gy and 32.7 ± 0.96 Gy, respectively, in the SIB concept, for 5-mm and 10-mm hippocampus avoidance regions, and 37.23 ± 1.42 Gy in SC. Conclusions: Both concepts, SIB and SC, were able to achieve adequate whole brain coverage and radiosurgery-equivalent dose distributions to individual brain metastases. The SIB technique achieved better sparing of the hippocampus, especially when a10-mm hippocampal avoidance region was used.

  2. Hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy with concomitant integrated boost of 70-75 Gy in 5 weeks for advanced head and neck cancer. A phase I dose escalation study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cvek, J.; Skacelikova, E.; Otahal, B.; Halamka, M.; Feltl, D. [University Hospital Ostrava (Czech Republic). Dept. of Oncology; Kubes, J. [University Hospital Bulovka, Prague (Czech Republic). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; Kominek, P. [University Hospital Ostrava (Czech Republic). Dept. of Otolaryngology

    2012-08-15

    Background and purpose: The present study was performed to evaluate the feasibility of a new, 5-week regimen of 70-75 Gy hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy with concomitant integrated boost (HARTCIB) for locally advanced, inoperable head and neck cancer. Methods and materials: A total of 39 patients with very advanced, stage IV nonmetastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (median gross tumor volume 72 ml) were included in this phase I dose escalation study. A total of 50 fractions intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) were administered twice daily over 5 weeks. Prescribed total dose/dose per fraction for planning target volume (PTV{sub tumor}) were 70 Gy in 1.4 Gy fractions, 72.5 Gy in 1.45 Gy fractions, and 75 Gy in 1.5 Gy fractions for 10, 13, and 16 patients, respectively. Uninvolved lymphatic nodes (PTV{sub uninvolved}) were irradiated with 55 Gy in 1.1 Gy fractions using the concomitant integrated boost. Results: Acute toxicity was evaluated according to the RTOG/EORTC scale; the incidence of grade 3 mucositis was 51% in the oral cavity/pharynx and 0% in skin and the recovery time was {<=} 9 weeks for all patients. Late toxicity was evaluated in patients in complete remission according to the RTOG/EORTC scale. No grade 3/4 late toxicity was observed. The 1-year locoregional progression-free survival was 50% and overall survival was 55%. Conclusion: HARTCIB (75 Gy in 5 weeks) is feasible for patients deemed unsuitable for chemoradiation. Acute toxicity was lower than predicted from radiobiological models; duration of dysphagia and confluent mucositis were particularly short. Better conformity of radiotherapy allows the use of more intensive altered fractionation schedules compared with older studies. These results suggest that further dose escalation might be possible when highly conformal techniques (e.g., stereotactic radiotherapy) are used.

  3. MOR103, a human monoclonal antibody to granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, in the treatment of patients with moderate rheumatoid arthritis: results of a phase Ib/IIa randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Behrens, Frank; Tak, Paul P; Østergaard, Mikkel; Stoilov, Rumen; Wiland, Piotr; Huizinga, Thomas W; Berenfus, Vadym Y; Vladeva, Stoyanka; Rech, Juergen; Rubbert-Roth, Andrea; Korkosz, Mariusz; Rekalov, Dmitriy; Zupanets, Igor A; Ejbjerg, Bo J; Geiseler, Jens; Fresenius, Julia; Korolkiewicz, Roman P; Schottelius, Arndt J; Burkhardt, Harald

    2015-06-01

    To determine the safety, tolerability and signs of efficacy of MOR103, a human monoclonal antibody to granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Patients with active, moderate RA were enrolled in a randomised, multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation trial of intravenous MOR103 (0.3, 1.0 or 1.5 mg/kg) once a week for 4 weeks, with follow-up to 16 weeks. The primary outcome was safety. Of the 96 randomised and treated subjects, 85 completed the trial (n=27, 24, 22 and 23 for pooled placebo and MOR103 0.3, 1.0 and 1.5 mg/kg, respectively). Treatment emergent adverse events (AEs) in the MOR103 groups were mild or moderate in intensity and generally reported at frequencies similar to those in the placebo group. The most common AE was nasopharyngitis. In two cases, AEs were classified as serious because of hospitalisation: paronychia in a placebo subject and pleurisy in a MOR103 0.3 mg/kg subject. Both patients recovered fully. In exploratory efficacy analyses, subjects in the MOR103 1.0 and 1.5 mg/kg groups showed significant improvements in Disease Activity Score-28 scores and joint counts and significantly higher European League Against Rheumatism response rates than subjects receiving placebo. MOR103 1.0 mg/kg was associated with the largest reductions in disease activity parameters. MOR103 was well tolerated and showed preliminary evidence of efficacy in patients with active RA. The data support further investigation of this monoclonal antibody to GM-CSF in RA patients and potentially in those with other immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. NCT01023256. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  4. E4 - Energy efficient elevators and escalators. Elevators and escalators in Germany from an energy perspective

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hirzel, Simon; Fleiter, Tobias; Rosende, Daniel

    2010-01-31

    This report aims to provide a brief introduction to the German elevator and escalator market, and gives an aggregated view of current and future developments focusing on energy consumption and energy-related emissions. This update report of January 2010 is an extended version of a report published in April 2009 before the final results from a monitoring campaign carried out within the project were available. During this campaign, 81 installations (74 elevators and 7 escalators) were monitored in terms of energy consumption. In the first section, the structure of the installed German elevator and escalator capacity is presented. The estimates1 were provided courtesy of the two main associations representing elevators and escalators in Germany: the VDMA (Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau - German Engineering Federation) and the VFA-Interlift e.V. -Verband fuer Aufzugstechnik (Association for Lift Technology). This section is followed by a short description of the German construction sector and its implications for elevators and escalators. The third section describes German electricity production in terms of its environmental impact with the main focus on the carbon dioxide emissions of the national power plants. Then the energy consumption of elevators and escalators in Germany is analyzed, comparing the results to total energy production in Germany.2 The final section summarizes the different aspects and derives indications about the future development of the total energy consumption of elevators and escalators in Germany. (orig.)

  5. Treatment of advanced pancreatic carcinoma with 90Y-Clivatuzumab Tetraxetan: a phase I single-dose escalation trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gulec, Seza A; Cohen, Steven J; Pennington, Kenneth L; Zuckier, Lionel S; Hauke, Ralph J; Horne, Heather; Wegener, William A; Teoh, Nick; Gold, David V; Sharkey, Robert M; Goldenberg, David M

    2011-06-15

    Humanized antibody hPAM4 specifically binds a mucin glycoprotein expressed in pancreatic adenocarcinomas. This phase I study evaluated a single dose of (90)Y-clivatuzumab tetraxetan ((90)Y-labeled hPAM4) in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Twenty-one patients (4 stage III; 17 stage IV) received (111)In-hPAM4 for imaging and serum sampling before (90)Y-hPAM4. Study procedures evaluated adverse events, safety laboratories, computed tomography (CT) scans, biomarkers, pharmacokinetics, radiation dosimetry, and immunogenicity (HAHA). (111)In-hPAM4 showed normal biodistribution with radiation dose estimates to red marrow and solid organs acceptable for radioimmunotherapy and with tumor targeting in 12 patients. One patient withdrew before (90)Y-hPAM4; otherwise, 20 patients received (90)Y doses of 15 (n = 7), 20 (n = 9), and 25 mCi/m(2) (n = 4). Treatment was well tolerated; the only significant drug-related toxicities were (NCI CTC v.3) grade 3 to 4 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia increasing with (90)Y dose. There were no bleeding events or serious infections, and most cytopenias recovered to grade 1 within 12 weeks. Three patients at 25 mCi/m(2) encountered dose-limiting toxicity with grade 4 cytopenias more than 7 days, establishing 20 mCi/m(2) as the maximal tolerated (90)Y dose. Two patients developed HAHA of uncertain clinical significance. Most patients progressed rapidly and with CA19-9 levels increasing within 1 month of therapy, but 7 remained progression-free by CT for 1.5 to 5.6 months, including 3 achieving transient partial responses (32%-52% tumor diameter shrinkage). (90)Y-Clivatuzumab tetraxetan was well tolerated with manageable hematologic toxicity at the maximal tolerated (90)Y dose, and is a potential new therapeutic for advanced pancreatic cancer. ©2011 AACR.

  6. Potential Use of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography–Based Quantitative Imaging Features for Guiding Dose Escalation in Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fried, David V.; Mawlawi, Osama; Zhang, Lifei; Fave, Xenia; Zhou, Shouhao; Ibbott, Geoffrey; Liao, Zhongxing; Court, Laurence E.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: To determine whether previously identified quantitative image features (QIFs) based on 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) (co-occurrence matrix energy and solidity) are able to isolate subgroups of patients who would receive a benefit or detriment from dose escalation in terms of overall survival (OS) or progression-free survival (PFS). Methods and Materials: Subgroups of a previously analyzed 225 patient cohort were generated with the use of 5-percentile increment cutoff values of disease solidity and primary tumor co-occurrence matrix energy. The subgroups were analyzed with a log-rank test to determine whether there was a difference in OS and PFS between patients treated with 60 to 70 Gy and those receiving 74 Gy. Results: In the entire patient cohort, there was no statistical difference in terms of OS or PFS between patients receiving 74 Gy and those receiving 60 to 70 Gy. It was qualitatively observed that as disease solidity and primary co-occurrence matrix energy increased, patients receiving 74 Gy had an improved OS and PFS compared with those receiving 60 to 70 Gy. The opposite trend (detriment of receiving 74 Gy) was also observed regarding low values of disease solidity and primary co-occurrence matrix energy. Conclusions: FDG-PET–based QIFs were found to be capable of isolating subgroups of patients who received a benefit or detriment from dose escalation.

  7. Radiation oncology: what can we achieve by optimized dose delivery?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lawrence, T.

    2003-01-01

    Spectacular technical advances have marked the last twenty years in radiation oncology. This revolution began with CT-based planning which was followed by 3D conformal therapy. The latter approach produced two important capabilities. The most obvious was that tumors could be viewed in their true location with respect to normal tissues and treated with beams that were not in the axial plane. A second equally important advance was the development of 3D planning tools such as dose volume histograms. These tools permitted quantitative comparison of treatment plans and have supported the development of models relating normal tissue irradiation to the risk of complication. The '3D hypothesis' - that 3D treatment planning would permit higher doses of radiation to be safely delivered-has been proven. Dose escalation studies have been successfully conducted in the lung (= 100 Gy), liver (= 90 Gy), brain (= 90 Gy), and prostate (= 78 Gy). Prospective phase II and phase III trials suggest improved outcome using these higher doses for tumors in the liver and prostate compared to doses considered acceptable in the 2D era. The next technical revolution is underway, with advances in '4D' radiotherapy (accounting fully for organ motion) and in intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to further improve the conformality and accuracy of treatment. Proton therapy will improve dose distributions still further. These improved dose distributions can be combined with more accurate tumor delineation provided by functional imaging to offer the potential for additional dose escalation without toxicity and for improved tumor control. These developments permit us to ask if we are approaching the limits of dose optimization and how (if?) research in radiation delivery should proceed

  8. Pre-operative combined 5-FU, low dose leucovorin, and sequential radiation therapy for unresectable rectal cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Minsky, B.D.; Cohen, A.M.; Kemeny, N.; Enker, W.E.; Kelsen, D.P.; Schwartz, G.; Saltz, L.; Dougherty, J.; Frankel, J.; Wiseberg, J.

    1993-01-01

    The authors performed a Phase 1 trial to determine the maximum tolerated dose of combined pre-operative radiation (5040 cGy) and 2 cycles (bolus daily x 5) of 5-FU and low dose LV (20 mg/m2), followed by surgery and 10 cycles of post-operative LV/5-FU in patients with unresectable primary or recurrent rectal cancer. Twelve patients were entered. The initial dose of 5-FU was 325 mg/m2. 5-FU was to be escalated while the LV remained constant at 20 mg/m2. Chemotherapy began on day 1 and radiation on day 8. The post-operative chemotherapy was not dose escalated; 5-FU: 425 mg/m2 and LV: 20 mg/m2. The median follow-up was 14 months (7--16 months). Following pre-operative therapy, the resectability rate with negative margins was 91% and the pathologic complete response rate was 9%. For the combined modality segment (preoperative) the incidence of any grade 3+ toxicity was diarrhea: 17%, dysuria: 8%, mucositis: 8%, and erythema: 8%. The median nadir counts were WBC: 3.1, HGB: 8.8, and PLT: 153000. The maximum tolerated dose of 5-FU for pre-operative combined LV/5-FU/RT was 325 mg/m2 with no escalation possible. Therefore, the recommended dose was less than 325 mg/m2. Since adequate doses of 5-FU to treat systemic disease could not be delivered until at least 3 months (cycle 3) following the start of therapy, the authors do not recommend that this 5-FU, low dose LV, and sequential radiation therapy regimen be used as presently designed. However, given the 91% resectability rate they remain encouraged with this approach. 31 refs., 1 fig., 2 tabs

  9. Validation of treatment escalation as a definition of atopic eczema flares.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kim S Thomas

    Full Text Available Atopic eczema (AE is a chronic disease with flares and remissions. Long-term control of AE flares has been identified as a core outcome domain for AE trials. However, it is unclear how flares should be defined and measured.To validate two concepts of AE flares based on daily reports of topical medication use: (i escalation of treatment and (ii days of topical anti-inflammatory medication use (topical corticosteroids and/or calcineurin inhibitors.Data from two published AE studies (studies A (n=336 and B (n=60 were analysed separately. Validity and feasibility of flare definitions were assessed using daily global bother (scale 0 to 10 as the reference standard. Intra-class correlations were reported for continuous variables, and odds ratios and area under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC curve for binary outcome measures.Good agreement was found between both AE flare definitions and change in global bother: area under the ROC curve for treatment escalation of 0.70 and 0.73 in studies A and B respectively, and area under the ROC curve of 0.69 for topical anti-inflammatory medication use (Study A only. Significant positive relationships were found between validated severity scales (POEM, SASSAD, TIS and the duration of AE flares occurring in the previous week - POEM and SASSAD rose by half a point for each unit increase in number of days in flare. Smaller increases were observed on the TIS scale. Completeness of daily diaries was 95% for Study A and 60% for Study B over 16 weeks.Both definitions were good proxy indicators of AE flares. We found no evidence that 'escalation of treatment' was a better measure of AE flares than 'use of topical anti-inflammatory medications'. Capturing disease flares in AE trials through daily recording of medication use is feasible and appears to be a good indicator of long-term control.Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN71423189 (Study A.

  10. Randomized Trial of 2 Versus 1 Dose of Measles Vaccine

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brønd, Marie; Martins, Cesario L; Byberg, Stine

    2018-01-01

    Background: Two doses of measles vaccine (MV) might reduce the nonmeasles mortality rate more than 1 dose of MV does. The effect of 2 versus 1 dose on morbidity has not been examined. Within a randomized trial of the effect of 2 doses versus 1 dose of MV on mortality in Guinea-Bissau, we investig...

  11. Escalation of Commitment in the Surgical ICU.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braxton, Carla C; Robinson, Celia N; Awad, Samir S

    2017-04-01

    Escalation of commitment is a business term that describes the continued investment of resources into a project even after there is objective evidence of the project's impending failure. Escalation of commitment may be a contributor to high healthcare costs associated with critically ill patients as it has been shown that, despite almost certain futility, most ICU costs are incurred in the last week of life. Our objective was to determine if escalation of commitment occurs in healthcare settings, specifically in the surgical ICU. We hypothesize that factors previously identified in business and organizational psychology literature including self-justification, accountability, sunk costs, and cognitive dissonance result in escalation of commitment behavior in the surgical ICU setting resulting in increased utilization of resources and cost. A descriptive case study that illustrates common ICU narratives in which escalation of commitment can occur. In addition, we describe factors that are thought to contribute to escalation of commitment behaviors. Escalation of commitment behavior was observed with self-justification, accountability, and cognitive dissonance accounting for the majority of the behavior. Unlike in business decisions, sunk costs was not as evident. In addition, modulating factors such as personality, individual experience, culture, and gender were identified as contributors to escalation of commitment. Escalation of commitment occurs in the surgical ICU, resulting in significant expenditure of resources despite a predicted and often known poor outcome. Recognition of this phenomenon may lead to actions aimed at more rational decision making and may contribute to lowering healthcare costs. Investigation of objective measures that can help aid decision making in the surgical ICU is warranted.

  12. Cost escalation in nuclear power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Montomery, W.D.; Quirk, J.P.

    1978-01-01

    This report is concerned with the escalation of capital costs of nuclear central station power plants between the early 1960s and the present. The report presents an historical overview of the development of the nuclear power industry and cost escalation in the industry, using existing data on orders and capital costs. New data are presented on regulatory delays in the licensing process, derived from a concurrent study being carried on in the Social Science group at Caltech. The conclusions of the study are that nuclear capital costs have escalated more rapidly than the GNP deflator or the construction industry price index. Prior to 1970, cost increases are related to bottleneck problems in the nuclear construction and supplying industries and the regulatory process; intervenors play only a minor role in cost escalation. After 1970, generic changes introduced into the licensing process by intervenors (including environmental impact reviews, antitrust reviews, more stringent safety standards) dominate the cost escalation picture, with bottlenecks of secondary importance. Recent increases in the time from application for a construction permit to commercial operation are related not only to intervenor actions, but also to suspensions, cancellations or postponements of construction by utilities due to unfavorable demand or financing conditions

  13. A Population-Based Clinical Trial of Irinotecan and Carboplatin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Derick Lau

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. Phase I trials of anticancer drugs are commonly conducted using the method of modified Fibonacci. We have developed a population-based design for phase I trials of combining anticancer drugs such as irinotecan and carboplatin. Patients and Methods. Intrapatient dose escalation of irinotecan and carboplatin was performed according to a predetermined schema to reach individual dose-limiting toxicity (DLT in 50 patients with solid tumors refractory to previous chemotherapy. The individual toxicity-limiting dose levels were analyzed for normal distribution using the method of Ryan-Joiner and subsequently used to determine a population-based maximum tolerated dose (pMTD. For comparison, a simulation study was performed using the method of modified Fibonacci. Results. The most common dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs included neutropenia (58%, thrombocytopenia (16%, and diarrhea (8%. The frequency of individual toxicity-limiting dose levels of 50 patients approximated a normal distribution. The dose levels associated with individual limiting toxicities ranged from level 1 (irinotecan 100 mg/m2 and carboplatin AUC = 4 mg/mL x min to level 8 (irinotecan 350 mg/m2 and carboplatin AUC = 6. The pMTD was determined to be dose level 3 (150 mg/m2 for irinotecan and AUC = 5 for carboplatin. In contrast, the MTD was determined to be dose level 4 (200 mg/m2 for irinotecan and AUC 5 for carboplatin by modified-Fibonacci simulation. Conclusions. The population-based design of phase I trial allows optimization of dose intensity and derivation of a pMTD. The pMTD has been applied in phase II trial of irinotecan and carboplatin in patients with small-cell lung cancer.

  14. Gemcitabine Plus Radiation Therapy for High-Grade Glioma: Long-Term Results of a Phase 1 Dose-Escalation Study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Michelle M., E-mail: michekim@med.umich.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Camelo-Piragua, Sandra [Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Schipper, Matthew; Tao, Yebin [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Normolle, Daniel [Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (United States); Junck, Larry; Mammoser, Aaron [Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Betz, Bryan L. [Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Cao, Yue [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Kim, Christopher J. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Heth, Jason; Sagher, Oren [Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Lawrence, Theodore S. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Tsien, Christina I. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri (United States)

    2016-02-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the tolerability and efficacy of gemcitabine plus radiation therapy (RT) in this phase 1 study of patients with newly diagnosed malignant glioma (HGG). Patients and Methods: Between 2004 and 2012, 29 adults with HGG were enrolled. After any extent of resection, RT (60 Gy over 6 weeks) was given concurrent with escalating doses of weekly gemcitabine. Using a time-to-event continual reassessment method, 5 dose levels were evaluated starting at 500 mg/m{sup 2} during the last 2 weeks of RT and advanced stepwise into earlier weeks. The primary objective was to determine the recommended phase 2 dose of gemcitabine plus RT. Secondary objectives included progression-free survival, overall survival (OS), and long-term toxicity. Results: Median follow-up was 38.1 months (range, 8.9-117.5 months); 24 patients were evaluable for toxicity. After 2005 when standard practice changed, patients with World Health Organization grade 4 tumors were no longer enrolled. Median progression-free survival for 22 patients with grade 3 tumors was 26.0 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 15.6-inestimable), and OS was 48.5 months (95% CI 26.8-inestimable). In 4 IDH mutated, 1p/19q codeleted patients, no failures occurred, with all but 1 alive at time of last follow-up. Seven with IDH mutated, non-codeleted tumors with ATRX loss had intermediate OS of 73.5 months (95% CI 32.8-inestimable). Six nonmutated, non-codeleted patients had a median OS of 26.5 months (95% CI 25.4-inestimable). The recommended phase 2 dose of gemcitabine plus RT was 750 mg/m{sup 2}/wk given the last 4 weeks of RT. Dose reductions were most commonly due to grade 3 neutropenia; no grade 4 or 5 toxicities were seen. Conclusions: Gemcitabine concurrent with RT is well-tolerated and yields promising outcomes, including in patients with adverse molecular features. It is a candidate for further study, particularly for poor-prognosis patient subgroups with HGG.

  15. Acute gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and dermatological toxicity during dose-escalated 3D-conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) using an intrarectal balloon for prostate gland localization and immobilization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Woel, Rosemonde; Beard, Clair; Chen, Ming-Hui; Hurwitz, Mark; Loffredo, Marian; McMahon, Elizabeth; Ching, Jane; Lopes, Lynn; D'Amico, Anthony V.

    2005-01-01

    Purpose: We determined the acute gastrointestinal (GI), genitourinary (GU), and dermatologic (D) toxicity during dose-escalated three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT). A modified intrarectal balloon (Medrad) was used for prostate gland localization and immobilization. Methods: Forty-six men with clinical category T1c to T3a, and at least one high-risk feature (PSA >10, Gleason ≥7, or MRI evidence of extracapsular extension or seminal vesical invasion) comprised the study cohort. Treatment consisted of hormonal therapy and 4-field 3DCRT using an intrarectal balloon for the initial 15 of 40 treatments. Planning treatment volume dose was 72 Gy (95% normalization). A Mantel-Haenzel Chi-square test compared the distribution of GU, GI, and D symptoms at baseline and at end of treatment (EOT). Results: There was no significant difference between the 2 time points in the proportion of patients with bowel symptoms (p = 0.73), tenesmus (p = 0.27), nocturia (p = 1.00), or GU urgency (p = 0.40). However, there was a significant decrease in GU frequency (70% vs. 50%, p = 0.46) as a result of medical interventions and a significant increase in hemorrhoidal irritation (4% vs. 20%, p = 0.02) and anal cutaneous skin reaction (0% vs. 70%, p < 0.001). By 3 months after EOT compared to baseline, there was no significant difference in the proportion of patients experiencing hemorrhoidal bleeding (4% vs. 8%, p = 0.52), requiring intervention for hemorrhoidal symptoms (7% vs. 5%, p = 0.8), or experiencing persistent anal cutaneous skin reaction (0% vs. 3%, p = 0.31). Conclusion: Dose-escalated 3DCRT using an intrarectal balloon for prostate localization and immobilization was well tolerated. Acute GU, GI, and D symptoms resolved with standard dietary or medical interventions by the EOT or shortly thereafter

  16. Open-label, dose escalation phase I study in healthy volunteers to evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetics of a human monoclonal antibody to Clostridium difficile toxin A.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Claribel P; Tummala, Sanjeev; Molrine, Deborah; Davidson, Lisa; Farrell, Richard J; Lembo, Anthony; Hibberd, Patricia L; Lowy, Israel; Kelly, Ciaran P

    2008-06-25

    Recent data suggest that Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea is becoming more severe and difficult to treat. Antibody responses to C. difficile toxin A are protective against symptomatic disease and recurrence. We examined the safety and pharmacokinetics (pk) of a novel neutralizing human monoclonal antibody against C. difficile toxin A (CDA1) in healthy adults. Five cohorts with 6 subjects each received a single intravenous infusion of CDA1 at escalating doses of 0.3, 1, 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg. Safety evaluations took place on days 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 28, and 56 post-infusion. Samples for pk analysis were obtained before and after infusion, and at each safety evaluation. Serum CDA1 antibody concentrations and human anti-human antibody (HAHA) titers were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. A noncompartmental model was used for pk analysis. Thirty subjects were enrolled. The median age was 27.5 yrs. There were no serious adverse events (AE) related to CDA1. Twenty-one of the 48 reported non-serious adverse events were possibly related to CDA1, and included transient blood pressure changes requiring no treatment, nasal congestion, headache, abdominal cramps, nausea, and self-limited diarrhea. Serum CDA1 concentrations increased with escalating doses: mean C(max) ranged from 6.82 microg/ml for the 0.3 mg/kg cohort to 511 microg/ml for the 20 mg/kg cohort. The geometric mean values of the half-life of CDA1 ranged between 25.3 and 31.8 days, and the volume of distribution approximated serum. No subject formed detectable HAHA titers. Administration of CDA1 as a single intravenous infusion was safe and well tolerated. C(max) increased proportionally with increasing doses. A randomized study of CDA1 in patients with C. difficile associated diarrhea is underway.

  17. Efficacy, safety and tolerability of escitalopram in doses up to 50 mg in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD: an open-label, pilot study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Crawford Gordon M

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Escitalopram is licensed for use at doses up to 20 mg but is used clinically at higher doses. There is limited published data at higher doses and none in the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD. Methods This open-label, pilot study was designed to investigate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of escitalopram in doses up to 50 mg in MDD. It was conducted in 60 primary care patients with MDD who had not responded to adequate treatment with citalopram. Patients were treated with escalating doses of escitalopram up to 50 mg for up to 32 weeks until they achieved remission (Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale [MADRS] ≤8 or failed to tolerate the dose. Results Forty-two patients (70% completed the study. Twenty-one patients (35% achieved remission with 8 of the 21 patients (38% needing the 50 mg dose to achieve remission. Median time to remission was 24 weeks and median dose in remission was 30 mg. No significant safety issues were identified although tolerability appeared to decline above a dose of 40 mg with 26% of patients unable to tolerate 50 mg. Twelve (20% patients had adverse events leading to discontinuation. The most common adverse events were headache (35%, nausea, diarrhoea and nasopharyngitis (all 25%. Minor mean weight gain was found during the study, which did not appear to be dose-related. Half of the patients who completed the study chose to continue treatment with escitalopram rather than taper down the dose at 32 weeks. Conclusions Dose escalation with escitalopram above 20 mg may have a useful role in the management of patients with MDD, although further studies are needed to confirm this finding. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00785434

  18. Modern dose-finding designs for cancer phase I trials drug combinations and molecularly targeted agents

    CERN Document Server

    Hirakawa, Akihiro; Daimon, Takashi; Matsui, Shigeyuki

    2018-01-01

    This book deals with advanced methods for adaptive phase I dose-finding clinical trials for combination of two agents and molecularly targeted agents (MTAs) in oncology. It provides not only methodological aspects of the dose-finding methods, but also software implementations and practical considerations in applying these complex methods to real cancer clinical trials. Thus, the book aims to furnish researchers in biostatistics and statistical science with a good summary of recent developments of adaptive dose-finding methods as well as providing practitioners in biostatistics and clinical investigators with advanced materials for designing, conducting, monitoring, and analyzing adaptive dose-finding trials. The topics in the book are mainly related to cancer clinical trials, but many of those topics are potentially applicable or can be extended to trials for other diseases. The focus is mainly on model-based dose-finding methods for two kinds of phase I trials. One is clinical trials with combinations of tw...

  19. Improved treatment satisfaction and convenience with deferasirox in iron-overloaded patients with beta-Thalassemia: Results from the ESCALATOR Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taher, Ali; Al Jefri, Abdullah; Elalfy, Mohsen Saleh; Al Zir, Kusai; Daar, Shahina; Rofail, Diana; Baladi, Jean François; Habr, Dany; Kriemler-Krahn, Ulrike; El-Beshlawy, Amal

    2010-01-01

    Patient-reported outcomes of once-daily oral deferasirox (Exjade) in iron-overloaded patients with beta-thalassemia not achieving successful chelation with prior deferoxamine and/or deferiprone were investigated in a prospective, open-label, 1-year, multicenter study in the Middle East (ESCALATOR). The initial dose of deferasirox was 20 mg/kg/day, with subsequent dose adjustments. At baseline and the end of study (EOS), patients (n = 237) completed a 5-point rating scale for treatment satisfaction and convenience, and recorded time lost to treatment. At EOS, 90.7% of patients were 'satisfied'/'very satisfied' with their iron chelation therapy (ICT) versus 23.2% at baseline. 92.8% (EOS) versus 21.5% (baseline) of patients considered their therapy to be 'convenient'/'very convenient'. Time lost to therapy for daily activities was substantially reduced (3.2 +/- 8.6 [mean +/- SD; EOS] vs. 30.1 +/- 44.2 [baseline] h/month). Patients reported greater satisfaction and convenience, and lower impact on daily activities, with deferasirox than with previous ICT. This may help improve adherence to lifelong ICT in iron-overloaded beta-thalassemia patients. 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  20. Long-term outcomes from dose-escalated image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy with androgen deprivation: encouraging results for intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wilcox SW

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Shea W Wilcox,1,4 Noel J Aherne,2,4 Linus C Benjamin,1 Bosco Wu,1 Thomaz de Campos Silva,3 Craig S McLachlan,4 Michael J McKay,3,5 Andrew J Last,1 Thomas P Shakespeare1–4 1North Coast Cancer Institute, Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia; 2North Coast Cancer Institute, Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia; 3North Coast Cancer Institute, Lismore, NSW, Australia; 4The University of New South Wales, Rural Clinical School, Sydney, NSW, Australia; 5The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia Purpose: Dose-escalated (DE radiotherapy in the setting of localized prostate cancer has been shown to improve biochemical disease-free survival (bDFS in several studies. In the same group of patients, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT has been shown to confer a survival benefit when combined with radiotherapy doses of up to 70 Gy; however, there is currently little long-term data on patients who have received high-dose intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT with ADT. We report the long-term outcomes in a large cohort of patients treated with the combination of DE image-guided IMRT (IG-IMRT and ADT. Methods and materials: Patients with localized prostate cancer were identified from a centralized database across an integrated cancer center. All patients received DE IG-IMRT, combined with ADT, and had a minimum follow up of 12 months post-radiotherapy. All relapse and toxicity data were collected prospectively. Actuarial bDFS, metastasis-free survival, prostate cancer-specific survival, and multivariate analyses were calculated using the SPSS v20.0 statistical package. Results: Seven hundred and eighty-two eligible patients were identified with a median follow up of 46 months. Overall, 4.3% of patients relapsed, 2.0% developed distant metastases, and 0.6% died from metastatic prostate cancer. At 5-years, bDFS was 88%, metastasis-free survival was 95%, and prostate cancer-specific survival was 98%. Five-year grade 2 genitourinary and gastrointestinal toxicity was 2

  1. Probabilistic escalation modelling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Korneliussen, G.; Eknes, M.L.; Haugen, K.; Selmer-Olsen, S. [Det Norske Veritas, Oslo (Norway)

    1997-12-31

    This paper describes how structural reliability methods may successfully be applied within quantitative risk assessment (QRA) as an alternative to traditional event tree analysis. The emphasis is on fire escalation in hydrocarbon production and processing facilities. This choice was made due to potential improvements over current QRA practice associated with both the probabilistic approach and more detailed modelling of the dynamics of escalating events. The physical phenomena important for the events of interest are explicitly modelled as functions of time. Uncertainties are represented through probability distributions. The uncertainty modelling enables the analysis to be simple when possible and detailed when necessary. The methodology features several advantages compared with traditional risk calculations based on event trees. (Author)

  2. Treatment Assignment Guesses by Study Participants in a Double-Blind Dose Escalation Clinical Trial of Saw Palmetto

    OpenAIRE

    Lee, Jeannette Y.; Moore, Page; Kusek, John; Barry, Michael

    2014-01-01

    Objectives: This report assesses participant perception of treatment assignment in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of saw palmetto for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BCM).

  3. The impact of radiation dose and fractionation on the risk factor of radiation pneumonitis on four radiation therapy oncology group (RTOG) lung cancer trials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roach, Mack; Pajak, Thomas F; Byhardt, Roger; Graham, Mary L; Asbell, Sucha O; Russell, Anthony H; Fu, Karen K; Urtasun, Raul C; Herskovic, Arnold M; Cox, James D

    1997-01-01

    Purpose/Objective: To assess the relationship between total dose of radiation delivered, the fractionation scheme used, age, and Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) on the risk of moderate to severe (≥ Grade 2) radiation pneumonitis in patients treated with radiotherapy alone for lung cancer on four RTOG Trials. Materials and Methods: Between February of 1984 and April of 1989, 1701 patients with clinically localized (I-IIIb) lung cancer were entered on clinical trials employing radiotherapy alone. Twelve hundred and forty-seven patients were entered on RTOG 8311 or 8407 (phase I/II trials) and 454 patients were entered on RTOG 8321 or 8403 (phase III trials). RTOG 8403 and 8321 patients received once-a-day irradiation to 60 Gy. Patients treated on RTOG 8407 were treated with a concomitant boost technique in a non-randomized fashion to 64.8, 69.6, 74.4 or 79.2 Gy. Patients treated on RTOG 8407 were treated with a concomitant boost technique in a non-randomized fashion to 63 Gy or 70.2 Gy. All patients were assessed for the incidence of Grade 2-5, radiation pneumonitis. One hundred and seven (6%) of patients were either ineligible or canceled (n=60), or were excluded because of incomplete data (n=47). The factors evaluated included total dose of radiation, the fractionation scheme, age and pre-treatment KPS. Patients treated to doses ≥ 72 Gy were considered to have received high doses (72.0 - 81.6 Gy), while the remaining patients treated to doses < 72 Gy (57.6 - 71.9 Gy) were considered to have received standard dose radiation. For the this analysis, information regarding field size and baseline pulmonary function was not available. Results: Age, sex, stage distribution, and the percentage of patients with a KPS ≥90 were similar among the patients treated on these four studies. Patients receiving hyperfractionated radiotherapy to doses ≥ 72 Gy experienced a higher incidence of radiation pneumonitis ≥ Grade 2, than patients treated with standard doses < 72

  4. Soviet declaratory policy regarding the controllability of escalation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prewitt, J.L.

    1991-01-01

    Three variables were examined for their affect on Soviet views regarding the controllability of escalation. The first was bureaucratic affiliation. It was hypothesized that individuals affiliated with groups which directly controlled weapons would be more likely to support the controllability of escalation than those who were members of groups which did not control weapons. This hypothesis could not be rejected. The second variable was a commentator's rank. It was hypothesized that rank would act in two ways: (1) ideas regarding controlled escalation would appear at lower ranks first; and (2) unique views would be produced by specialized ranks within groups. The rank hypothesis could not be rejected. Certain escalation themes appeared to be presented first by military and civilian writers before being presented by the political leadership. The third variable, image of the West, did not appear to function as theorized. It was hypothesized that hard images of the West would be associated with the rejection of controlled escalation, whereas soft images would be associated with positions suggesting that escalation was controlled through joint US-Soviet cooperation

  5. Tolerance of the human spinal cord to single dose radiosurgery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ryu, S.; Zhu, G.; Yin, F.-F.; Ajlouni, M.; Kim, J.H.

    2003-01-01

    Tolerance of the spinal cord to the single dose of radiation is not well defined. Although there are cases of human spinal cord tolerance from re-irradiation to the same cord level, the information about the tolerance of human spinal cord to single large dose of radiosurgery is not available. We carried out spinal radiosurgery to treat spinal metastasis and studied the single dose tolerance of the human spinal cord in an ongoing dose escalation paradigm. A total of 39 patients with 48 lesions of spinal metastasis were treated with single dose radiosurgery at Henry Ford Hospital. The radiosurgery dose was escalated from 8 Gy to 16 Gy at 2 Gy increment. The radiation dose was prescribed to periphery of the spinal tumor. The radiation dose to the spinal cord was estimated by computerized dosimetry. The median follow-up time was 10 months (range 6-18 months) from the radiosurgery. The endpoint of the study was to demonstrate the efficacy of the spinal radiosurgery and to determine the tolerance of human spinal cord to single dose radiosurgery. The dose to the spinal cord was generally less than 50 % of the prescribed radiation dose. The volume of the spinal cord that received higher than this dose was less than 20 % of the anterior portion of the spinal cord. Maximum single dose of 8 Gy was delivered to the anterior 20 % of the spinal cord in this dose escalation study. The dose volume histogram will be presented. There was no acute or subacute radiation toxicity detected clinically and radiologically during the maximum follow-up of 20 months. Further dose escalation is in progress. The single tolerance dose of the human spinal cord appears to be at least 8 Gy when it was given to the 20 % of the cord volume, although the duration of follow up is not long enough to detect severe late cord toxicity. This study offers a valuable radiobiological basis of the normal spinal cord tolerance, and opens spinal radiosurgery as a safe treatment for spinal metastasis

  6. Maintenance and Safety Practices of Escalator in Commercial Buildings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Afida Isnaini Janipha, Nurul; Nur Aina Syed Alwee, Sharifah; Ariff, Raihan Mohd; Ismail, Faridah

    2018-02-01

    The escalator is very crucial to transport a person from one place to another. Nevertheless, there are many cases recorded the accidents in relation to escalator. These may occur due to lack of maintenance which leads to systems breakdown, poor safety practices, wear and tear, users’ negligence and others. Thus, proper maintenance systems need to be improvised to prevent and reduce escalator accident in future. This research was aimed to determine the escalator maintenance activities and safety practices in a commercial building. Three case studies were selected within Selangor area. Semi-structured interviews were conducted for collecting data from these three case studies. To achieve the aim of this research, the study was carried out on the maintenance activities, safety practices and cost related to escalator maintenance. As one of the important means of access in building, it is very crucial to increase effectiveness of escalator particularly in commercial building. It is expected that readers will get clear information on the maintenance activities and safety practices of escalator in commercial building.

  7. Prevention and reversal of social stress-escalated cocaine self-administration in mice by intra-VTA CRFR1 antagonism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Xiao; DeBold, Joseph F; Miczek, Klaus A

    2017-09-01

    A history of brief intermittent social defeat stress can escalate cocaine self-administration and induce long-term adaptations in the mesolimbic dopamine system. Extra-hypothalamic corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) has been shown to be closely associated with stress-induced escalation of drug use. How repeated stress modulates CRF release in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the roles of CRF receptors during different phases of stress-induced cocaine self-administration remain to be defined. The current study examines the roles of CRF and CRF receptor 1 (CRFR1) in escalated intravenous cocaine self-administration after exposure to social defeat stress in mice. First, CRFR1 antagonist (CP 376,395, 15 mg/kg, i.p.) given 30 min prior to each social defeat episode prevented later escalated cocaine self-administration. When CP 376,395 (5 and 15 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered 10 days after the last episode of social stress, the escalation of cocaine intake was dose-dependently reversed. Moreover, socially defeated mice showed increased CRF release in the VTA compared to controls. To further explore the role of CRFR1, CP 376,395 (0.5 and 1 μg/0.2 μl) was infused directly into the VTA before the cocaine self-administration session. Intra-VTA antagonism of CRFR1 was sufficient to reverse social defeat stress-escalated cocaine self-administration. These findings suggest that CRF and CRFR1 exert multiple roles in the response to social stress that are relevant to escalated cocaine self-administration.

  8. Gut microbiota and tacrolimus dosing in kidney transplantation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John R Lee

    Full Text Available Tacrolimus dosing to establish therapeutic levels in recipients of organ transplants is a challenging task because of much interpatient and intrapatient variability in drug absorption, metabolism, and disposition. In view of the reported impact of gut microbial species on drug metabolism, we investigated the relationship between the gut microbiota and tacrolimus dosing requirements in this pilot study of adult kidney transplant recipients. Serial fecal specimens were collected during the first month of transplantation from 19 kidney transplant recipients who either required a 50% increase from initial tacrolimus dosing during the first month of transplantation (Dose Escalation Group, n=5 or did not require such an increase (Dose Stable Group, n=14. We characterized bacterial composition in the fecal specimens by deep sequencing of the PCR amplified 16S rRNA V4-V5 region and we investigated the hypothesis that gut microbial composition is associated with tacrolimus dosing requirements. Initial tacrolimus dosing was similar in the Dose Escalation Group and in the Stable Group (4.2 ± 1.1 mg/day vs. 3.8 ± 0.8 mg/day, respectively, P=0.61, two-way between-group ANOVA using contrasts but became higher in the Dose Escalation Group than in the Dose Stable Group by the end of the first transplantation month (9.6 ± 2.4 mg/day vs. 3.3 ± 1.5 mg/day, respectively, P<0.001. Our systematic characterization of the gut microbial composition identified that fecal Faecalibacterium prausnitzii abundance in the first week of transplantation was 11.8% in the Dose Escalation Group and 0.8% in the Dose Stable Group (P=0.002, Wilcoxon Rank Sum test, P<0.05 after Benjamini-Hochberg correction for multiple hypotheses. Fecal Faecalibacterium prausnitzii abundance in the first week of transplantation was positively correlated with future tacrolimus dosing at 1 month (R=0.57, P=0.01 and had a coefficient ± standard error of 1.0 ± 0.6 (P=0.08 after multivariable linear

  9. Sodium phenylbutyrate in Huntington's disease: a dose-finding study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hogarth, Penelope; Lovrecic, Luca; Krainc, Dimitri

    2007-10-15

    Transcriptional dysregulation in Huntington's disease (HD) is mediated in part by aberrant patterns of histone acetylation. We performed a dose-finding study in human HD of sodium phenylbutyrate (SPB), a histone deacetylase inhibitor that ameliorates the HD phenotype in animal models. We used a dose-escalation/de-escalation design, using prespecified toxicity criteria and standard clinical and laboratory safety measures. The maximum tolerated dose was 15 g/day. At higher doses, toxicity included vomiting, lightheadedness, confusion, and gait instability. We saw no significant laboratory or electrocardiographic abnormalities. Gene expression changes in blood suggested an inverse dose-response. In conclusion, SPB at 12 to 15 g/day appears to be safe and well-tolerated in human HD. 2007 Movement Disorder Society

  10. Using generalized equivalent uniform dose atlases to combine and analyze prospective dosimetric and radiation pneumonitis data from 2 non-small cell lung cancer dose escalation protocols.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Fan; Yorke, Ellen D; Belderbos, José S A; Borst, Gerben R; Rosenzweig, Kenneth E; Lebesque, Joos V; Jackson, Andrew

    2013-01-01

    To demonstrate the use of generalized equivalent uniform dose (gEUD) atlas for data pooling in radiation pneumonitis (RP) modeling, to determine the dependence of RP on gEUD, to study the consistency between data sets, and to verify the increased statistical power of the combination. Patients enrolled in prospective phase I/II dose escalation studies of radiation therapy of non-small cell lung cancer at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) (78 pts) and the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) (86 pts) were included; 10 (13%) and 14 (17%) experienced RP requiring steroids (RPS) within 6 months after treatment. gEUD was calculated from dose-volume histograms. Atlases for each data set were created using 1-Gy steps from exact gEUDs and RPS data. The Lyman-Kutcher-Burman model was fit to the atlas and exact gEUD data. Heterogeneity and inconsistency statistics for the fitted parameters were computed. gEUD maps of the probability of RPS rate≥20% were plotted. The 2 data sets were homogeneous and consistent. The best fit values of the volume effect parameter a were small, with upper 95% confidence limit around 1.0 in the joint data. The likelihood profiles around the best fit a values were flat in all cases, making determination of the best fit a weak. All confidence intervals (CIs) were narrower in the joint than in the individual data sets. The minimum P value for correlations of gEUD with RPS in the joint data was .002, compared with P=.01 and .05 for MSKCC and NKI data sets, respectively. gEUD maps showed that at small a, RPS risk increases with gEUD. The atlas can be used to combine gEUD and RPS information from different institutions and model gEUD dependence of RPS. RPS has a large volume effect with the mean dose model barely included in the 95% CI. Data pooling increased statistical power. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. A Randomized, Double-Blind Placebo Controlled Trial of Balapiravir, a Polymerase Inhibitor, in Adult Dengue Patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Nguyet Minh; Tran, Chau Nguyen Bich; Phung, Lam Khanh; Duong, Kien Thi Hue; Huynh, Huy le Anh; Farrar, Jeremy; Nguyen, Quyen Than Ha; Tran, Hien Tinh; Nguyen, Chau Van Vinh; Merson, Laura; Hoang, Long Truong; Hibberd, Martin L.; Aw, Pauline P. K.; Wilm, Andreas; Nagarajan, Niranjan; Nguyen, Dung Thi; Pham, Mai Phuong; Nguyen, Truong Thanh; Javanbakht, Hassan; Klumpp, Klaus; Hammond, Janet; Petric, Rosemary; Wolbers, Marcel; Nguyen, Chinh Tran; Simmons, Cameron P.

    2013-01-01

    Background. Dengue is the most common arboviral infection of humans. There are currently no specific treatments for dengue. Balapiravir is a prodrug of a nucleoside analogue (called R1479) and an inhibitor of hepatitis C virus replication in vivo. Methods. We conducted in vitro experiments to determine the potency of balapiravir against dengue viruses and then an exploratory, dose-escalating, randomized placebo-controlled trial in adult male patients with dengue with treatment. Conclusions. Although this trial, the first of its kind in dengue, does not support balapiravir as a candidate drug, it does establish a framework for antiviral treatment trials in dengue and provides the field with a clinically evaluated benchmark molecule. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT01096576. PMID:22807519

  12. De-escalating and escalating treatments for early-stage breast cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Curigliano, G; Burstein, H J; P Winer, E

    2017-01-01

    The 15th St. Gallen International Breast Cancer Conference 2017 in Vienna, Austria reviewed substantial new evidence on loco-regional and systemic therapies for early breast cancer. Treatments were assessed in light of their intensity, duration and side-effects, seeking where appropriate to escal...

  13. Combining dosimetry and toxicity: analysis of two UK phase III clinical trials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gulliford, Sarah L

    2014-01-01

    There are many advantages to performing a clinical trial when implementing a novel radiotherapy technique. The clinical trials framework enables the safety and efficacy of the 'experimental arm' to be tested and ensures practical support, rigorous quality control and data monitoring for participating centres. In addition to the clinical and follow-up data collected from patients within the trial, it is also possible to collect 3-D dosimetric information from the corresponding radiotherapy treatment plans. Analysing the combination of dosimetric, clinical and follow-up data enhances the understanding of the relationship between the dose delivered to both the target and normal tissue structures and reported outcomes and toxicity. Aspects of the collection, collation and analysis of data from two UK multicentre Phase III radiotherapy trials are presented here. MRC-RT01 dose-escalation prostate radiotherapy trial ISRCTN47772397 was one of the first UK multi-centre radiotherapy trials to collect 3-D dosimetric data. A number of different analysis methodologies were implemented to investigate the relationship between the dose distribution to the rectum and specific rectal toxicities. More recently data was collected from the PARSPORT trial (Parotid Sparing IMRT vs conventional head and neck radiotherapy) ISRCTN48243537. In addition to the planned analysis, dosimetric analysis was employed to investigate an unexpected finding that acute fatigue was more prevalent in the IMRT arm of the trial. It can be challenging to collect 3-D dosimetric information from multicentre radiotherapy trials. However, analysing the relationship between dosimetric and toxicity data provides invaluable information which can influence the next generation of radiotherapy techniques.

  14. A phase-I trial of pre‐operative, margin intensive, stereotactic body radiation therapy for pancreatic cancer: the ‘SPARC’ trial protocol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holyoake, Daniel L. P.; Ward, Elizabeth; Grose, Derek; McIntosh, David; Sebag-Montefiore, David; Radhakrishna, Ganesh; Patel, Neel; Silva, Michael; Mukherjee, Somnath; Strauss, Victoria Y.; Odondi, Lang’o; Fokas, Emmanouil; Melcher, Alan; Hawkins, Maria A.

    2016-01-01

    Standard therapy for borderline-resectable pancreatic cancer in the UK is surgery with adjuvant chemotherapy, but rates of resection with clear margins are unsatisfactory and overall survival remains poor. Meta-analysis of single-arm studies shows the potential of neo-adjuvant chemo-radiotherapy but the relative radio-resistance of pancreatic cancer means the efficacy of conventional dose schedules is limited. Stereotactic radiotherapy achieves sufficient accuracy and precision to enable pre-operative margin-intensive dose escalation with the goal of increasing rates of clear resection margins and local disease control. SPARC is a “rolling-six” design single-arm study to establish the maximum tolerated dose for margin-intensive stereotactic radiotherapy before resection of pancreatic cancer at high risk of positive resection margins. Eligible patients will have histologically or cytologically proven pancreatic cancer defined as borderline-resectable per National Comprehensive Cancer Network criteria or operable tumour in contact with vessels increasing the risk of positive margin. Up to 24 patients will be recruited from up to 5 treating centres and a ‘rolling-six’ design is utilised to minimise delays and facilitate ongoing recruitment during dose-escalation. Radiotherapy will be delivered in 5 daily fractions and surgery, if appropriate, will take place 5–6 weeks after radiotherapy. The margin-intense radiotherapy concept includes a systematic method to define the target volume for a simultaneous integrated boost in the region of tumour-vessel infiltration, and up to 4 radiotherapy dose levels will be investigated. Maximum tolerated dose is defined as the highest dose at which no more than 1 of 6 patients or 0 of 3 patients experience a dose limiting toxicity. Secondary endpoints include resection rate, resection margin status, response rate, overall survival and progression free survival at 12 and 24 months. Translational work will involve exploratory

  15. Clinical Trials in Pediatrics and Neonatology: Reasons for Ups and Downs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. A. Mosikian

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The predictability of results of pediatric clinical trials is often limited for a number of reasons. Among the main ones is the imperfect functioning of organ due to immature ontogeny of enzyme and organ systems in children, and the presence of special subpopulations of full-term newborns and preterm neonates sometimes being in a critical condition. The main task of a present-day pediatric investigational plan is to develop drugs and to elaborate doses that are «specifically designed», not simply «suitable» for neonates. Other reasons for limited predictability are as follows: adult data extrapolation constraint due to children’s anatomic and physiological features, the lack of clinical trial subjects resulting in inability to select an optimal dose by its escalation, the absence of consensus on the ethical aspect of pediatric clinical trials, the etiopathogenetic difference of some diseases and conditions depending on subject’s age, and prevalence of placebo-effect in children. Nowadays it is supposed to be very important to publish all, even failed, pediatric trials to improve the accuracy of pharmacological effects modeling in different subpopulations.

  16. Failure of fluconazole in treating cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania guyanensis in the Brazilian Amazon: An open, nonrandomized phase 2 trial.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valeska Albuquerque Francesconi

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The treatment of Leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania (Viannia guyanensis is based on a weak strength of evidence from very few clinical trials and some case series reports. Current treatment guidelines recommend pentamidine isethionate or meglumine antimoniate (Glucantime as the first-line choices. Both are parenteral drugs with a low therapeutic indexes leading to a high risk of undesired effects. Imidazole derivatives interfere with the production of leishmanial ergosterol, an essential component of their membrane structure. One drug that has been studied in different clinical presentations of Leishmania is fluconazole, a hydrophilic bis-triazole, which is easily absorbed through the oral route with a low toxicity profile and is considered safe for children. This drug is readily available in poor countries with a reasonable cost making it a potential option for treating leishmaniasis.An adaptive nonrandomized clinical trial with sequential groups with dose escalation of oral fluconazole was designed to treat adult men with localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL in Manaus, Brazil. Eligible participants were patients with LCL with confirmed Leishmania guyanensis infection.Twenty adult male patients were treated with 450 mg of fluconazole daily for 30 days. One patient (5% was cured within 30 days of treatment. Of the 19 failures (95%, 13 developed a worsening of ulcers and six evolved lymphatic spreading of the disease. Planned dose escalation was suspended after the disappointing failure rate during the first stage of the trial.Oral fluconazole, at the dose of 450mg per day, was not efficacious against LCL caused by Leishmania guyanensis in adult men.Brazilian Clinical Trial Registration (ReBec-RBR-8w292w; UTN number-1158-2421.

  17. The Percent of Positive Biopsy Cores Improves Prediction of Prostate Cancer-Specific Death in Patients Treated With Dose-Escalated Radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qian Yushen; Feng, Felix Y.; Halverson, Schuyler; Blas, Kevin; Sandler, Howard M.; Hamstra, Daniel A.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: To examine the prognostic utility of the percentage of positive cores (PPC) at the time of prostate biopsy for patients treated with dose-escalated external beam radiation therapy. Methods and Materials: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients treated at University of Michigan Medical Center to at least 75 Gy. Patients were stratified according to PPC by quartile, and freedom from biochemical failure (nadir + 2 ng/mL), freedom from metastasis (FFM), cause-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS) were assessed by log-rank test. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the optimal cut point for PPC stratification. Finally, Cox proportional hazards multivariate regression was used to assess the impact of PPC on clinical outcome when adjusting for National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) risk group and androgen deprivation therapy. Results: PPC information was available for 651 patients. Increasing-risk features including T stage, prostate-specific antigen, Gleason score, and NCCN risk group were all directly correlated with increasing PPC. On log-rank evaluation, all clinical endpoints, except for OS, were associated with PPC by quartile, with worse clinical outcomes as PPC increased, with the greatest impact seen in the highest quartile (>66.7% of cores positive). ROC curve analysis confirmed that a cut point using two-thirds positive cores was most closely associated with CSS (p = 0.002; area under ROC curve, 0.71). On univariate analysis, stratifying patients according to PPC less than or equal to 66.7% vs. PPC greater than 66.7% was prognostic for freedom from biochemical failure (p = 0.0001), FFM (p = 0.0002), and CSS (p = 0.0003) and marginally prognostic for OS (p = 0.055). On multivariate analysis, after adjustment for NCCN risk group and androgen deprivation therapy use, PPC greater than 66.7% increased the risk for biochemical failure (p = 0.0001; hazard ratio [HR], 2.1 [95% confidence

  18. IMRT dose fractionation for head and neck cancer: Variation in current approaches will make standardisation difficult

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ho, Kean F. (Academic Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Univ. of Manchester, Manchester (United Kingdom)); Fowler, Jack F. (Dept. of Human Oncology and Medical Physics, Univ. of Wisconsin, Wisconsin (United States)); Sykes, Andrew J.; Yap, Beng K.; Lee, Lip W.; Slevin, Nick J. (Dept. of Clinical Oncology, Christie Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester (United Kingdom))

    2009-04-15

    Introduction. Altered fractionation has demonstrated clinical benefits compared to the conventional 2 Gy/day standard of 70 Gy. When using synchronous chemotherapy, there is uncertainty about optimum fractionation. IMRT with its potential for Simultaneous Integrated Boost (SIB) adds further to this uncertainty. This survey will examine international practice of IMRT fractionation and suggest possible reasons for diversity in approach. Material and methods. Fourteen international cancer centres were surveyed for IMRT dose/fractionation practised in each centre. Results. Twelve different types of dose fractionation were reported. Conventional 70-72 Gy (daily 2 Gy/fraction) was used in 3/14 centres with concurrent chemotherapy while 11/14 centres used altered fractionation. Two centres used >1 schedule. Reported schedules and number of centres included 6 fractions/week DAHANCA regime (3), modest hypofractionation (=2.2 Gy/fraction) (3), dose-escalated hypofractionation (=2.3 Gy/fraction) (4), hyperfractionation (1), continuous acceleration (1) and concomitant boost (1). Reasons for dose fractionation variability include (i) dose escalation; (ii) total irradiated volume; (iii) number of target volumes; (iv) synchronous systemic treatment; (v) shorter overall treatment time; (vi) resources availability; (vii) longer time on treatment couch; (viii) variable GTV margins; (ix) confidence in treatment setup; (x) late tissue toxicity and (xi) use of lower neck anterior fields. Conclusions. This variability in IMRT fractionation makes any meaningful comparison of treatment results difficult. Some standardization is needed particularly for design of multi-centre randomized clinical trials.

  19. Dose escalation study of carbon ion radiotherapy for locally advanced carcinoma of the uterine cervix

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kato, Shingo; Ohno, Tatsuya; Tsujii, Hirohiko; Nakano, Takashi; Mizoe, Jun-etsu; Kamada, Tadashi; Miyamoto, Tadaaki; Tsuji, Hiroshi; Kato, Hirotoshi; Yamada, Shigeru; Kandatsu, Susumu; Yoshikawa, Kyosan; Ezawa, Hidefumi; Suzuki, Michiya

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the toxicity and efficacy of carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT) for locally advanced cervical cancer by two phase I/II clinical trials. Methods and Materials: Between June 1995 and January 2000, 44 patients were treated with CIRT. Thirty patients had Stage IIIB disease, and 14 patients had Stage IVA disease. Median tumor size was 6.5 cm (range, 4.2-11.0 cm). The treatment consisted of 16 fractions of whole pelvic irradiation and 8 fractions of local boost. In the first study, the total dose ranged from 52.8 to 72.0 gray equivalents (GyE) (2.2-3.0 GyE per fraction). In the second study, the whole pelvic dose was fixed at 44.8 GyE, and an additional 24.0 or 28.0 GyE was given to the cervical tumor (total dose, 68.8 or 72.8 GyE). Results: No patient developed severe acute toxicity. In contrast, 8 patients developed major late gastrointestinal complications. The doses resulting in major complications were ≥60 GyE. All patients with major complications were surgically salvaged. The 5-year local control rate for patients in the first and second studies was 45% and 79%, respectively. When treated with ≥62.4 GyE, the local control was favorable even for the patients with stage IVA disease (69%) or for those with tumors ≥6.0 cm (64%). Conclusions: In CIRT for advanced cervical cancer, the dose to the intestines should be limited to <60 GyE to avoid major complications. Although the number of patients in this study was small, the results support continued investigation to confirm therapeutic efficacy

  20. Dose painting based on tumor uptake of Cu-ATSM and FDG: a comparative study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clausen, Malene Martini; Hansen, Anders Elias; Lundemann, Michael; Hollensen, Christian; Pommer, Tobias; Munck af Rosenschöld, Per; Kristensen, Annemarie Thuri; Kjær, Andreas; McEvoy, Fintan J; Engelholm, Svend Aage

    2014-01-01

    Hypoxia and increased glycolytic activity of tumors are associated with poor prognosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in radiotherapy (RT) dose painting based on the uptake of 2-deoxy-2-[ 18 F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and the proposed hypoxia tracer, copper(II)diacetyl-bis(N 4 )-methylsemithiocarbazone (Cu-ATSM) using spontaneous clinical canine tumor models. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography scans of five spontaneous canine sarcomas and carcinomas were obtained; FDG on day 1 and 64 Cu-ATSM on day 2 and 3 (approx. 3 and 24 hours pi.). Sub-volumes for dose escalation were defined by a threshold-based method for both tracers and five dose escalation levels were formed in each sub-volume. Volumetric modulated arc therapy plans were optimized based on the dose escalation regions for each scan for a total of three dose plans for each dog. The prescription dose for the GTV was 45 Gy (100%) and it was linearly escalated to a maximum of 150%. The correlations between dose painting plans were analyzed with construction of dose distribution density maps and quality volume histograms (QVH). Correlation between high-dose regions was investigated with Dice correlation coefficients. Comparison of dose plans revealed varying degree of correlation between cases. Some cases displayed a separation of high-dose regions in the comparison of FDG vs. 64 Cu-ATSM dose plans at both time points. Among the Dice correlation coefficients, the high dose regions showed the lowest degree of agreement, indicating potential benefit of using multiple tracers for dose painting. QVH analysis revealed that FDG-based dose painting plans adequately covered approximately 50% of the hypoxic regions. Radiotherapy plans optimized with the current approach for cut-off values and dose region definitions based on FDG, 64 Cu-ATSM 3 h and 24 h uptake in canine tumors had different localization of the regional dose escalation levels. This indicates that 64 Cu-ATSM at two

  1. Strategy Escalation: An emerging paradigm for safe clinical development of T cell gene therapies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Junghans Richard

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Gene therapy techniques are being applied to modify T cells with chimeric antigen receptors (CARs for therapeutic ends. The versatility of this platform has spawned multiple options for their application with new permutations in strategies continually being invented, a testimony to the creative energies of many investigators. The field is rapidly expanding with immense potential for impact against diverse cancers. But this rapid expansion, like the Big Bang, comes with a somewhat chaotic evolution of its therapeutic universe that can also be dangerous, as seen by recently publicized deaths. Time-honored methods for new drug testing embodied in Dose Escalation that were suitable for traditional inert agents are now inadequate for these novel "living drugs". In the following, I propose an approach to escalating risk for patient exposures with these new immuno-gene therapy agents, termed Strategy Escalation, that accounts for the molecular and biological features of the modified cells and the methods of their administration. This proposal is offered not as a prescriptive but as a discussion framework that investigators may wish to consider in configuring their intended clinical applications.

  2. Assessment of maximum tolerated dose of a new herbal drug, Semelil (ANGIPARSTM in patients with diabetic foot ulcer: A Phase I clinical trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heshmat R

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Background and the purpose of the study: In many cases of diabetic foot ulcer (DFU management, wound healing is incomplete, and wound closure and epithelial junctional integrity are rarely achieved. Our aim was to evaluate the maximum tolerated dose (MTD and dose-limiting toxicity (DLT of Semelil (ANGIPARSTM, a new herbal compound for wound treatment in a Phase I clinical trial.Methods: In this open label study, six male diabetic patients with a mean age of 57±7.6 years were treated with escalating intravenous doses of Semelil, which started at 2 cc/day to 13.5 cc/day for 28 days. Patients were assessed with a full physical exam; variables which analyzed included age, past history of diabetes and its duration, blood pressure, body temperature, weight, characteristics of DFU, Na, K, liver function test, Complete Blood Count and Differential(CBC & diff, serum amylase, HbA1c, PT, PTT, proteinuria, hematuria, and side effects were recorded. All the measurements were taken at the beginning of treatment, the end of week 2 and week 4. We also evaluated Semelil's side effects at the end of weeks 4 and 8 after ending therapy.Results and major conclusions: Up to the drug dose of 10 cc/day foot ulcer dramatically improved. We did not observe any clinical or laboratory side effects at this or lower dose levels in diabetic patients. With daily dose of 13.5 cc of Semelil we observed phlebitis at the infusion site, which was the only side effect. Therefore, in this study we determined the MTD of Semelil at 10 cc/day, and the only DLT was phlebitis in injection vein. The recommended dose of Semelil I.V. administration for Phase II studies was 4 cc/day.

  3. Prostate Dose Escalation by a Innovative Inverse Planning-Driven IMRT

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Xing, Lei

    2008-01-01

    ...) Developed a voxel-specific penalty scheme for TRV-based inverse planning; (iv) Established a cine-EPID image retrospective dose reconstruction in IMRT dose delivery for adaptive planning and IMRT dose verification. These works are both timely and important and should lead to widespread impact on prostate cancer management.

  4. [18F]fluoroethylcholine-PET/CT imaging for radiation treatment planning of recurrent and primary prostate cancer with dose escalation to PET/CT-positive lymph nodes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wahl Andreas

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background At present there is no consensus on irradiation treatment volumes for intermediate to high-risk primary cancers or recurrent disease. Conventional imaging modalities, such as CT, MRI and transrectal ultrasound, are considered suboptimal for treatment decisions. Choline-PET/CT might be considered as the imaging modality in radiooncology to select and delineate clinical target volumes extending the prostate gland or prostate fossa. In conjunction with intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT and imaged guided radiotherapy (IGRT, it might offer the opportunity of dose escalation to selected sites while avoiding unnecessary irradiation of healthy tissues. Methods Twenty-six patients with primary (n = 7 or recurrent (n = 19 prostate cancer received Choline-PET/CT planned 3D conformal or intensity modulated radiotherapy. The median age of the patients was 65 yrs (range 45 to 78 yrs. PET/CT-scans with F18-fluoroethylcholine (FEC were performed on a combined PET/CT-scanner equipped for radiation therapy planning. The majority of patients had intermediate to high risk prostate cancer. All patients received 3D conformal or intensity modulated and imaged guided radiotherapy with megavoltage cone beam CT. The median dose to primary tumours was 75.6 Gy and to FEC-positive recurrent lymph nodal sites 66,6 Gy. The median follow-up time was 28.8 months. Results The mean SUVmax in primary cancer was 5,97 in the prostate gland and 3,2 in pelvic lymph nodes. Patients with recurrent cancer had a mean SUVmax of 4,38. Two patients had negative PET/CT scans. At 28 months the overall survival rate is 94%. Biochemical relapse free survival is 83% for primary cancer and 49% for recurrent tumours. Distant disease free survival is 100% and 75% for primary and recurrent cancer, respectively. Acute normal tissue toxicity was mild in 85% and moderate (grade 2 in 15%. No or mild late side effects were observed in the majority of patients (84%. One patient had

  5. PET/CT. Dose-escalated image fusion?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brix, G.; Beyer, T.

    2005-01-01

    Clinical studies demonstrate a gain in diagnostic accuracy by employing combined PET/CT instead of separate CT and PET imaging. However, whole-body PET/CT examinations result in a comparatively high radiation burden to patients and thus require a proper justification and optimization to avoid repeated exposure or over-exposure of patients. This review article summarizes relevant data concerning radiation exposure of patients resulting from the different components of a combined PET/CT examination and presents different imaging strategies that can help to balance the diagnostic needs and the radiation protection requirements. In addition various dose reduction measures are discussed, some of which can be adopted from CT practice, while others mandate modifications to the existing hard- and software of PET/CT systems. (orig.)

  6. 29 CFR 1917.116 - Elevators and escalators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 7 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Elevators and escalators. 1917.116 Section 1917.116 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (CONTINUED) MARINE TERMINALS Terminal Facilities § 1917.116 Elevators and escalators. (a) “Elevator” means a permanent hoisting and lowering...

  7. Energy efficient elevators and escalators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Patrao, Carlos; Fong, Joao; Almeida, Anibal de (Dep. Electrical Engineering, Univ. of Coimbra, Coimbra (Portugal)); Rivet, Luc

    2009-07-01

    Elevators and escalators are the crucial element that makes it practical to live and work several floors above ground - more than 4,3 million units are installed in Europe. Due to ageing of the European population the installation of elevators in single family houses is experiencing a significant growth, as well as equipping existing buildings. Elevators use about 4% of the electricity in tertiary sector buildings. High untapped saving potentials exist with respect to energy-efficient technologies, investment decisions and behavioural approaches, in these sectors. This paper presents preliminary results from the IEE project E4, whose overall objective is the improvement of the energy performance of elevators and escalators, in tertiary sector buildings and in multi family residential buildings. The project is characterizing people conveyors electricity consumption in the tertiary sector and in residential buildings in the EU. The installed park is characterised by a survey among elevators national associations in each country. An assessment of the barriers has been made in the first phase of the project and will be presented. Monitoring campaigns in elevators and escalators are being conducted in each country according to a common developed methodology. More than fifty elevators and escalators will be audited. This will allow the collection of load curves (start up, travel up and down, travel full and empty), including the characterization of standby consumption. Standby consumption of an elevator can represent up to 80% of the total energy consumed per year, and can be drastically reduced. This paper presents the preliminary results of the first ten audits performed in Portugal by Isr-UC.

  8. Phase I/II trial of single-fraction high-dose-rate brachytherapy-boosted hypofractionated intensity-modulated radiation therapy for localized adenocarcinoma of the prostate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Myers, Michael A; Hagan, Michael P; Todor, Dorin; Gilbert, Lynn; Mukhopadhyay, Nitai; Randolf, Jessica; Heimiller, Jeffrey; Anscher, Mitchell S

    2012-01-01

    A Phase I/II protocol was conducted to examine the toxicity and efficacy of the combination of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with a single-fraction high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy implant. From 2001 through 2006, 26 consecutive patients were treated on the trial. The primary objective was to demonstrate a high rate of completion without experiencing a treatment-limiting toxicity. Eligibility was limited to patients with T stage ≤2b, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) ≤20, and Gleason score ≤7. Treatment began with a single HDR fraction of 6Gy to the entire prostate and 9Gy to the peripheral zone, followed by IMRT optimized to deliver in 28 fractions with a normalized total dose of 70Gy. Patients received 50.4Gy to the pelvic lymph node. The prostate dose (IMRT and HDR) resulted in an average biologic equivalent dose >128Gy (α/β=3). Patients whose pretreatment PSA was ≥10ng/mL, Gleason score 7, or stage ≥T2b received short-term androgen ablation. Median followup was 53 months (9-68 months). There were no biochemical failures by either the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology or the Phoenix definitions. The median nadir PSA was 0.32ng/mL. All the 26 patients completed the treatment as prescribed. The rate of Grade 3 late genitourinary toxicity was 3.8% consisting of a urethral stricture. There was no other Grade 3 or 4 genitourinary or gastrointestinal toxicities. Single-fraction HDR-boosted IMRT is a safe effective method of dose escalation for localized prostate cancer. Copyright © 2012 American Brachytherapy Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Standards, options and recommends for the external radiotherapy of patients reached by prostate carcinoma: evaluation of dose effect

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pommier, P.; Fervers, B.; Villers, A.; Bataillard, A.

    2002-01-01

    The 'Standards, Options and Recommendations' (SOR) collaborative project was initiated in 1993 by the Federation of the French Cancer Centres (FNCLCC), with the 20 French Regional Cancer Centres (FNCCLCC), with the 20 French Regional Cancer Centres, several French public university and general hospitals, as well as private clinics and medical specialty societies. Its main objective is the development of serviceable clinical practice guidelines in order to improve the quality of health care and the outcome of cancer patients. The methodology is based on a literature review, followed by critical appraisal by a multidisciplinary group of experts. Draft guidelines for the radiotherapy of prostate cancer using the methodology developed by the Standards, Options and Recommendations project. The FNCLCC and the French Urology Association (AFU) designated the multidisciplinary group of experts. Available data were collected by a search of Medline and lists selected by experts in the group A first draft of the guidelines was written, they validated by independent reviewers. The main recommendations are: a minimal dose of 70 Gy; patients with intermediate prognosis are the ones who benefit most from the dose escalation effect over 74 Gy, provided they receive exclusive radiation therapy; whenever possible, patients should be included in controlled trials designed to assess the effects of dose escalation and hormonotherapy. (author)

  10. Efficacy of Single-Dose and Triple-Dose Albendazole and Mebendazole against Soil-Transmitted Helminths and Taenia spp.: A Randomized Controlled Trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steinmann, Peter; Utzinger, Jürg; Du, Zun-Wei; Jiang, Jin-Yong; Chen, Jia-Xu; Hattendorf, Jan; Zhou, Hui; Zhou, Xiao-Nong

    2011-01-01

    Background The control of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections currently relies on the large-scale administration of single-dose oral albendazole or mebendazole. However, these treatment regimens have limited efficacy against hookworm and Trichuris trichiura in terms of cure rates (CR), whereas fecal egg reduction rates (ERR) are generally high for all common STH species. We compared the efficacy of single-dose versus triple-dose treatment against hookworm and other STHs in a community-based randomized controlled trial in the People's Republic of China. Methodology/Principal findings The hookworm CR and fecal ERR were assessed in 314 individuals aged ≥5 years who submitted two stool samples before and 3–4 weeks after administration of single-dose oral albendazole (400 mg) or mebendazole (500 mg) or triple-dose albendazole (3×400 mg over 3 consecutive days) or mebendazole (3×500 mg over 3 consecutive days). Efficacy against T. trichiura, Ascaris lumbricoides, and Taenia spp. was also assessed. Albendazole cured significantly more hookworm infections than mebendazole in both treatment regimens (single dose: respective CRs 69% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 55–81%) and 29% (95% CI: 20–45%); triple dose: respective CRs 92% (95% CI: 81–98%) and 54% (95% CI: 46–71%)). ERRs followed the same pattern (single dose: 97% versus 84%; triple dose: 99.7% versus 96%). Triple-dose regimens outperformed single doses against T. trichiura; three doses of mebendazole – the most efficacious treatment tested – cured 71% (95% CI: 57–82%). Both single and triple doses of either drug were highly efficacious against A. lumbricoides (CR: 93–97%; ERR: all >99.9%). Triple dose regimens cured all Taenia spp. infections, whereas single dose applications cured only half of them. Conclusions/Significance Single-dose oral albendazole is more efficacious against hookworm than mebendazole. To achieve high CRs against both hookworm and T. trichiura, triple-dose regimens are

  11. Strategy of Using Intratreatment Hypoxia Imaging to Selectively and Safely Guide Radiation Dose De-escalation Concurrent With Chemotherapy for Locoregionally Advanced Human Papillomavirus–Related Oropharyngeal Carcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Nancy; Schoder, Heiko; Beattie, Brad; Lanning, Ryan; Riaz, Nadeem; McBride, Sean; Katabi, Nora; Li, Duan; Yarusi, Brett; Chan, Susie; Mitrani, Lindsey; Zhang, Zhigang; Pfister, David G.; Sherman, Eric; Baxi, Shrujal; Boyle, Jay; Morris, Luc G.T.; Ganly, Ian; Wong, Richard; Humm, John

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: To report a small substudy of an ongoing large, multi-arm study using functional imaging to assess pre-/intratreatment hypoxia for all head and neck cancer, in which we hypothesized that pre- and early-treatment hypoxia assessment using functional positron emission tomography (PET) imaging may help select which human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive (HPV"+) oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) patients can safely receive radiation de-escalation without jeopardizing treatment outcomes. Methods and Materials: Patients with HPV"+ oropharyngeal carcinoma were enrolled on an institutional review board–approved prospective study of which de-escalation based on imaging response was done for node(s) only. Pretreatment "1"8F-fluorodeoxyglucose and dynamic "1"8F-FMISO (fluoromisonidazole) positron emission tomography (PET) scans were performed. For patients with pretreatment hypoxia on"1"8F-FMISO PET (defined as a >1.2 tumor to muscle standard uptake value ratio), a repeat scan was done 1 week after chemoradiation. Patients without pretreatment hypoxia or with resolution of hypoxia on repeat scan received a 10-Gy dose reduction to metastatic lymph node(s). The 2-year local, regional, distant metastasis–free, and overall survival rates were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier product-limit method. A subset of patients had biopsy of a hypoxic node done under image guidance. Results: Thirty-three HPV"+ OPC patients were enrolled in this pilot study. One hundred percent showed pretreatment hypoxia (at primary site and/or node[s]), and among these, 48% resolved (at primary site and/or node[s]); 30% met criteria and received 10-Gy reduction to the lymph node(s). At the median follow-up of 32 months (range, 21-61 months), the 2-year locoregional control rate was 100%. One patient failed distantly with persistence of hypoxia on "1"8F-FMISO PET. The 2-year distant metastasis–free rate was 97%. The 2-year OS rate was 100%. Hypoxia on imaging was confirmed pathologically

  12. Strategy of Using Intratreatment Hypoxia Imaging to Selectively and Safely Guide Radiation Dose De-escalation Concurrent With Chemotherapy for Locoregionally Advanced Human Papillomavirus–Related Oropharyngeal Carcinoma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Nancy, E-mail: leen2@mskcc.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Schoder, Heiko [Molecular Imaging and Therapy Service, Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Beattie, Brad [Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Lanning, Ryan; Riaz, Nadeem; McBride, Sean [Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Katabi, Nora [Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Li, Duan [Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Yarusi, Brett; Chan, Susie; Mitrani, Lindsey [Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Zhang, Zhigang [Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Pfister, David G.; Sherman, Eric; Baxi, Shrujal [Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Boyle, Jay; Morris, Luc G.T.; Ganly, Ian; Wong, Richard [Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Humm, John [Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States)

    2016-09-01

    Purpose: To report a small substudy of an ongoing large, multi-arm study using functional imaging to assess pre-/intratreatment hypoxia for all head and neck cancer, in which we hypothesized that pre- and early-treatment hypoxia assessment using functional positron emission tomography (PET) imaging may help select which human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive (HPV{sup +}) oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) patients can safely receive radiation de-escalation without jeopardizing treatment outcomes. Methods and Materials: Patients with HPV{sup +} oropharyngeal carcinoma were enrolled on an institutional review board–approved prospective study of which de-escalation based on imaging response was done for node(s) only. Pretreatment {sup 18}F-fluorodeoxyglucose and dynamic {sup 18}F-FMISO (fluoromisonidazole) positron emission tomography (PET) scans were performed. For patients with pretreatment hypoxia on{sup 18}F-FMISO PET (defined as a >1.2 tumor to muscle standard uptake value ratio), a repeat scan was done 1 week after chemoradiation. Patients without pretreatment hypoxia or with resolution of hypoxia on repeat scan received a 10-Gy dose reduction to metastatic lymph node(s). The 2-year local, regional, distant metastasis–free, and overall survival rates were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier product-limit method. A subset of patients had biopsy of a hypoxic node done under image guidance. Results: Thirty-three HPV{sup +} OPC patients were enrolled in this pilot study. One hundred percent showed pretreatment hypoxia (at primary site and/or node[s]), and among these, 48% resolved (at primary site and/or node[s]); 30% met criteria and received 10-Gy reduction to the lymph node(s). At the median follow-up of 32 months (range, 21-61 months), the 2-year locoregional control rate was 100%. One patient failed distantly with persistence of hypoxia on {sup 18}F-FMISO PET. The 2-year distant metastasis–free rate was 97%. The 2-year OS rate was 100%. Hypoxia on imaging was

  13. Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Bounce After Dose-Escalated External Beam Radiation Therapy Is an Independent Predictor of PSA Recurrence, Metastasis, and Survival in Prostate Adenocarcinoma Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romesser, Paul B; Pei, Xin; Shi, Weiji; Zhang, Zhigang; Kollmeier, Marisa; McBride, Sean M; Zelefsky, Michael J

    2018-01-01

    To evaluate the difference in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) recurrence-free, distant metastasis-free, overall, and cancer-specific survival between PSA bounce (PSA-B) and non-bounce patients treated with dose-escalated external beam radiation therapy (DE-EBRT). During 1990-2010, 1898 prostate adenocarcinoma patients were treated with DE-EBRT to ≥75 Gy with ≥5 years follow-up. Patients receiving neoadjuvant/concurrent androgen-deprivation therapy (n=1035) or with fewer than 4 PSA values obtained 6 months or more after post-EBRT completion (n=87) were excluded. The evaluable 776 patients were treated (median, 81.0 Gy). Prostate-specific antigen bounce was defined as a ≥0.2-ng/mL increase above the interval PSA nadir, followed by a decrease to nadir or below. Prostate-specific antigen relapse was defined as post-radiation therapy PSA nadir + 2 ng/mL. Median follow-up was 9.2 years (interquartile range, 6.9-11.3 years). One hundred twenty-three patients (15.9%) experienced PSA-B after DE-EBRT at a median of 24.6 months (interquartile range, 16.1-38.5 months). On multivariate analysis, younger age (P=.001), lower Gleason score (P=.0003), and higher radiation therapy dose (P=.0002) independently predicted PSA-B. Prostate-specific antigen bounce was independently associated with decreased risk for PSA relapse (hazard ratio [HR] 0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.33-0.85; P=.008), distant metastatic disease (HR 0.34; 95% CI 0.12-0.94; P=.04), and all-cause mortality (HR 0.53; 95% CI 0.29-0.96; P=.04) on multivariate Cox analysis. Because all 50 prostate cancer-specific deaths in patients without PSA-B were in the non-bounce cohort, competing-risks analysis was not applicable. A nonparametric competing-risks test demonstrated that patients with PSA-B had superior cancer-specific survival compared with patients without PSA-B (P=.004). Patients treated with dose-escalated radiation therapy for prostate adenocarcinoma who experience posttreatment PSA-B have

  14. Biased information processing in the escalation paradigm: information search and information evaluation as potential mediators of escalating commitment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schultze, Thomas; Pfeiffer, Felix; Schulz-Hardt, Stefan

    2012-01-01

    Escalation of commitment denotes decision makers' increased reinvestment of resources in a losing course of action. Despite the relevance of this topic, little is known about how information is processed in escalation situations, that is, whether decision makers who receive negative outcome feedback on their initial decision search for and/or process information biasedly and whether these biases contribute to escalating commitment. Contrary to a widely cited study by E. J. Conlon and J. M. Parks (1987), in 3 experiments, the authors found that biases do not occur on the level of information search. Neither in a direct replication and extension of the original study with largely increased test power (Experiment 1) nor under methodologically improved conditions (Experiments 2 and 3) did decision makers responsible for failure differ from nonresponsible decision makers with regards to information search, and no selective search for information supporting the initial decision or voting for further reinvestment was observed. However, Experiments 3 and 4 show that the evaluation of the previously sought information is biased among participants who were responsible for initiating the course of action. Mediation analyses show that this evaluation bias in favor of reinvestment partially mediated the responsibility effect on escalation of commitment.

  15. Adaptive designs for dose-finding in non-cancer phase II trials: influence of early unexpected outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Resche-Rigon, Matthieu; Zohar, Sarah; Chevret, Sylvie

    2008-01-01

    In non-cancer phase II trials, dose-finding trials are usually carried out using fixed designs, in which several doses including a placebo are randomly distributed to patients. However, in certain vulnerable populations, such as neonates or infants, there is an heightened requirement for safety, precluding randomization. To estimate the minimum effective dose of a new drug from a non-cancer phase II trial, we propose the use of adaptive designs like the Continual Reassessment Method (CRM). This approach estimates the dose closest to some target response, and has been shown to be unbiased and efficient in cancer phase I trials. Based on a motivating example, we point out the individual influence of first outliers in this setting. A weighted version of the CRM is proposed as a theoretical benchmark to control for these outliers. Using simulations, we illustrate how this approach provides further insight into the behavior of the CRM. When dealing with low targets like a 10% failure rate, the CRM appears unable to rapidly overcome an early unexpected outcome. This behavior persisted despite changing the inference (Bayesian or likelihood), underlying dose-response model (though slightly improved using the power model), and the number of patients enrolled at each dose level. The choices for initial guesses of failure rates, the vague prior for the model parameter, and the log-log shape of weights can appear somewhat arbitrary. In phase II dose-finding studies in which failure targets are below 20%, the CRM appears quite sensitive to first unexpected outcomes. Using a power model for dose-response improves some behavior if the trial is started at the first dose level and includes at least three to five patients at the starting dose before applying the CRM allocation rule.

  16. E4 - Energy efficient elevators and escalators. Barriers to and strategies for promoting energy-efficient lift and escalator technologies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Duetschke, Elisabeth; Hirzel, Simon

    2010-02-25

    According to prior findings of the E4 project, considerable savings potential exists both for lifts and escalators that could be realized if appropriate technology is implemented. However, energy-efficient technology is slowly diffusing the market - a phenomenon that could be explained by barriers present in the market. A barrier is defined as a mechanism that inhibits a decision or behavior that appears to be both energy-efficient and economically efficient and thereby prevents investment in energy-efficient technologies. This document has two aims. First, it will identify influential barriers in the European lift and escalator market. This analysis is based on the literature as well as a study including interviews as well as group discussions with relevant stakeholders. Second, strategies and measures to overcome the barriers identified in the first step are outlined. Major barriers to the penetration of energy-efficient technologies identified in this paper include a lack of monitoring energy consumption of installations and a lack of awareness of as well as knowledge about energy-efficient technology. Thus, installations and components are usually chosen without a (comprehensive) assessment of their energy consumption and without considering life-cycle approaches. On top of this, split incentives are a regularly occurring barrier. Various stakeholders are influential in the decisionmaking process about an installation or its components. However, those who will later pay for the energy consumption often are not involved in this process. Moreover, it is important to keep in mind that the number of new lifts and escalators installed each year is relatively low compared to the existing stock. Thus, it is very important to discuss enhancement of energy efficiency also for the existing stock. Based on our analyses, several recommendations are developed in this paper that could contribute to a market transformation in the lift and escalator market. First of all, a

  17. A phase I/II trial of intensity modulated radiation (IMRT) dose escalation with concurrent fixed-dose rate gemcitabine (FDR-G) in patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben-Josef, Edgar; Schipper, Mathew; Francis, Isaac R; Hadley, Scott; Ten-Haken, Randall; Lawrence, Theodore; Normolle, Daniel; Simeone, Diane M; Sonnenday, Christopher; Abrams, Ross; Leslie, William; Khan, Gazala; Zalupski, Mark M

    2012-12-01

    Local failure in unresectable pancreatic cancer may contribute to death. We hypothesized that intensification of local therapy would improve local control and survival. The objectives were to determine the maximum tolerated radiation dose delivered by intensity modulated radiation with fixed-dose rate gemcitabine (FDR-G), freedom from local progression (FFLP), and overall survival (OS). Eligibility included pathologic confirmation of adenocarcinoma, radiographically unresectable, performance status of 0-2, absolute neutrophil count of ≥ 1,500/mm(3), platelets ≥ 100,000/mm(3), creatinine CRM (Time-to-Event Continual Reassessment Method) with the target dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) rate set to 0.25. Fifty patients were accrued. DLTs were observed in 11 patients: G3/4 anorexia, nausea, vomiting, and/or dehydration (7); duodenal bleed (3); duodenal perforation (1). The recommended dose is 55 Gy, producing a probability of DLT of 0.24. The 2-year FFLP is 59% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 32-79). Median and 2-year overall survival are 14.8 months (95% CI: 12.6-22.2) and 30% (95% CI 17-45). Twelve patients underwent resection (10 R0, 2 R1) and survived a median of 32 months. High-dose radiation therapy with concurrent FDR-G can be delivered safely. The encouraging efficacy data suggest that outcome may be improved in unresectable patients through intensification of local therapy. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Verbal De-escalation of the Agitated Patient: Consensus Statement of the American Association for Emergency Psychiatry Project BETA De-escalation Workgroup.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richmond, Janet S; Berlin, Jon S; Fishkind, Avrim B; Holloman, Garland H; Zeller, Scott L; Wilson, Michael P; Rifai, Muhamad Aly; Ng, Anthony T

    2012-02-01

    Agitation is an acute behavioral emergency requiring immediate intervention. Traditional methods of treating agitated patients, ie, routine restraints and involuntary medication, have been replaced with a much greater emphasis on a noncoercive approach. Experienced practitioners have found that if such interventions are undertaken with genuine commitment, successful outcomes can occur far more often than previously thought possible. In the new paradigm, a 3-step approach is used. First, the patient is verbally engaged; then a collaborative relationship is established; and, finally, the patient is verbally de-escalated out of the agitated state. Verbal de-escalation is usually the key to engaging the patient and helping him become an active partner in his evaluation and treatment; although, we also recognize that in some cases nonverbal approaches, such as voluntary medication and environment planning, are also important. When working with an agitated patient, there are 4 main objectives: (1) ensure the safety of the patient, staff, and others in the area; (2) help the patient manage his emotions and distress and maintain or regain control of his behavior; (3) avoid the use of restraint when at all possible; and (4) avoid coercive interventions that escalate agitation. The authors detail the proper foundations for appropriate training for de-escalation and provide intervention guidelines, using the "10 domains of de-escalation."

  19. Phase 1 trial of malaria transmission blocking vaccine candidates Pfs25 and Pvs25 formulated with montanide ISA 51.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yimin Wu

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available Pfs25 and Pvs25, surface proteins of mosquito stage of the malaria parasites P. falciparum and P. vivax, respectively, are leading candidates for vaccines preventing malaria transmission by mosquitoes. This single blinded, dose escalating, controlled Phase 1 study assessed the safety and immunogenicity of recombinant Pfs25 and Pvs25 formulated with Montanide ISA 51, a water-in-oil emulsion.The trial was conducted at The Johns Hopkins Center for Immunization Research, Washington DC, USA, between May 16, 2005-April 30, 2007. The trial was designed to enroll 72 healthy male and non-pregnant female volunteers into 1 group to receive adjuvant control and 6 groups to receive escalating doses of the vaccines. Due to unexpected reactogenicity, the vaccination was halted and only 36 volunteers were enrolled into 4 groups: 3 groups of 10 volunteers each were immunized with 5 microg of Pfs25/ISA 51, 5 microg of Pvs25/ISA 51, or 20 microg of Pvs25/ISA 51, respectively. A fourth group of 6 volunteers received adjuvant control (PBS/ISA 51. Frequent local reactogenicity was observed. Systemic adverse events included two cases of erythema nodosum considered to be probably related to the combination of the antigen and the adjuvant. Significant antibody responses were detected in volunteers who completed the lowest scheduled doses of Pfs25/ISA 51. Serum anti-Pfs25 levels correlated with transmission blocking activity.It is feasible to induce transmission blocking immunity in humans using the Pfs25/ISA 51 vaccine, but these vaccines are unexpectedly reactogenic for further development. This is the first report that the formulation is associated with systemic adverse events including erythema nodosum.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00295581.

  20. Balancing Caution and Greed: Neurometric Responses to Decision-Making under Escalating Risk

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Meder, David; Haagensen, Brian Numelin; Morville, Tobias

    Introduction: Across a diversity of environments from foraging to financial investment, agents face escalating potential reward and risk (the first being the motivation for accepting the second) and need to retrieve relevant information from the environment in order to update which action to take......-probability reflects a context of increasing decision-conflict given the current sum, the prediction error signal the current gain given the stake put at risk at the previous trial. A high prediction error reflects a salient event, namely a better-than-expected outcome on top of a high stake, requiring a deliberate...

  1. F-18-FDG-PET Confined Radiotherapy of Locally Advanced NSCLC With Concomitant Chemotherapy: Results of the PET-PLAN Pilot Trial

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fleckenstein, Jochen [Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Saarland University Medical School, Homburg (Germany); Hellwig, Dirk [Department of Nuclear Medicine, Saarland University Medical School, Homburg (Germany); Kremp, Stephanie [Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Saarland University Medical School, Homburg (Germany); Grgic, Aleksandar [Department of Nuclear Medicine, Saarland University Medical School, Homburg (Germany); Groeschel, Andreas [Department of Internal Medicine V, Saarland University Medical School, Homburg (Germany); Kirsch, Carl-Martin [Department of Nuclear Medicine, Saarland University Medical School, Homburg (Germany); Nestle, Ursula [Department of Nuclear Medicine, Saarland University Medical School, Homburg (Germany); Clinic for Radiotherapy, University Hospital, Freiburg (Germany); Ruebe, Christian, E-mail: christian.ruebe@uks.eu [Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Saarland University Medical School, Homburg (Germany)

    2011-11-15

    Purpose: The integration of fluoro-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) in the process of radiotherapy (RT) planning of locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may improve diagnostic accuracy and minimize interobserver variability compared with target volume definition solely based on computed tomography. Furthermore, irradiating only FDG-PET-positive findings and omitting elective nodal regions may allow dose escalation by treating smaller volumes. The aim of this prospective pilot trial was to evaluate the therapeutic safety of FDG-PET-based RT treatment planning with an autocontour-derived delineation of the primary tumor. Methods and Materials: Eligible patients had Stages II-III inoperable NSCLC, and simultaneous, platinum-based radiochemotherapy was indicated. FDG-PET and computed tomography acquisitions in RT treatment planning position were coregistered. The clinical target volume (CTV) included the FDG-PET-defined primary tumor, which was autodelineated with a source-to-background algorithm, plus FDG-PET-positive lymph node stations. Limited by dose restrictions for normal tissues, prescribed total doses were in the range of 66.6 to 73.8 Gy. The primary endpoint was the rate of out-of-field isolated nodal recurrences (INR). Results: As per intent to treat, 32 patients received radiochemotherapy. In 15 of these patients, dose escalation above 66.6 Gy was achieved. No Grade 4 toxicities occurred. After a median follow-up time of 27.2 months, the estimated median survival time was 19.3 months. During the observation period, one INR was observed in 23 evaluable patients. Conclusions: FDG-PET-confined target volume definition in radiochemotherapy of NSCLC, based on a contrast-oriented source-to-background algorithm, was associated with a low risk of INR. It might provide improved tumor control because of dose escalation.

  2. Poor Safety and Tolerability Hamper Reaching a Potentially Therapeutic Dose in the Use of Thalidomide for Alzheimer's Disease: Results from a Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Decourt, Boris; Drumm-Gurnee, Denise; Wilson, Jeffrey; Jacobson, Sandra; Belden, Christine; Sirrel, Sherye; Ahmadi, Michael; Shill, Holly; Powell, Jessica; Walker, Aaron; Gonzales, Amanda; Macias, Mimi; Sabbagh, Marwan N

    2017-01-01

    To date there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease (AD). After amyloid beta immunotherapies have failed to meet primary endpoints of slowing cognitive decline in AD subjects, the inhibition of the beta-secretase BACE1 appears as a promising therapeutic approach. Pre-clinical data obtained in APP23 mice suggested that the anti-cancer drug thalidomide decreases brainBACE1 and Aβ levels. This prompted us to develop an NIH-supported Phase IIa clinical trial to test the potential of thalidomide for AD. We hypothesized that thalidomide can decrease or stabilize brain amyloid deposits, which would result in slower cognitive decline in drug- versus placebo-treated subjects. This was a 24-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group study with escalating dose regimen of thalidomide with a target dose of 400mg daily in patients with mild to moderate AD. The primary outcome measures were tolerability and cognitive performance assessed by a battery of tests. A total of 185 subjects have been pre-screened, out of which25 were randomized. Mean age of the sample at baseline was 73.64 (±7.20) years; mean education was 14.24 (±2.3) years; mean MMSE score was 21.00 (±5.32); and mean GDS score was 2.76 (±2.28).Among the 25 participants, 14 (56%) terminated early due to adverse events, dramatically decreasing the power of the study. In addition, those who completed the study (44%) never reached the estimated therapeutic dose of 400 mg/day thalidomide because of reported adverse events. The cognitive data showed no difference between the treated and placebo groups at the end of the trial. This study demonstrates AD patients have poor tolerability for thalidomide, and are unable to reach a therapeutic dose felt to be sufficient to have effects on BACE1. Because of poor tolerability, this study failed to demonstrate a beneficial effect on cognition. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  3. Phase 1/2 Trial of 5-Fraction Stereotactic Radiosurgery With 5-mm Margins With Concurrent and Adjuvant Temozolomide in Newly Diagnosed Supratentorial Glioblastoma: Health-Related Quality of Life Results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pollom, Erqi L.; Fujimoto, Dylann; Wynne, Jacob; Seiger, Kira; Modlin, Leslie A.; Jacobs, Lisa R.; Azoulay, Melissa; Eyben, Rie von; Tupper, Laurie; Gibbs, Iris C.; Hancock, Steven L.; Li, Gordon; Chang, Steven D.; Adler, John R.; Harsh, Griffith R.; Harraher, Ciara; Nagpal, Seema; Thomas, Reena P.; Recht, Lawrence D.; Choi, Clara Y.H.

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: We report a longitudinal assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with glioblastoma (GBM) treated on a prospective dose escalation trial of 5-fraction stereotactic radiosurgery (25-40 Gy in 5 fractions) with concurrent and adjuvant temozolomide. Methods: HRQOL was assessed using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality of life questionnaire core-30 (QLQ-C30) general, the EORTC quality of life questionnaire-brain cancer specific module (QLQ-BN20), and the M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory–Brain Tumor (MDASI-BT). Questionnaires were completed at baseline and at every follow-up visit after completion of radiosurgery. Changes from baseline for 9 predefined HRQOL measures (global quality of life, physical functioning, social functioning, emotional functioning, motor dysfunction, communication deficit, fatigue, insomnia, and future uncertainty) were calculated at every time point. Results: With a median follow-up time of 10.4 months (range, 0.4-52 months), 139 total HRQOL questionnaires were completed by the 30 patients on trial. Compliance with HRQOL assessment was 76% at 12 months. Communication deficit significantly worsened over time, with a decline of 1.7 points per month (P=.008). No significant changes over time were detected in the other 8 scales of our primary analysis, including global quality of life. Although 8 patients (27%) experienced adverse radiation effects (ARE) on this dose escalation trial, it was not associated with a statistically significant decline in any of the primary HRQOL scales. Disease progression was associated with communication deficit, with patients experiencing an average worsening of 13.9 points per month after progression compared with 0.7 points per month before progression (P=.01). Conclusion: On this 5-fraction dose escalation protocol for newly diagnosed GBM, overall HRQOL remained stable and appears similar to historical controls of 30 fractions of

  4. Phase 1/2 Trial of 5-Fraction Stereotactic Radiosurgery With 5-mm Margins With Concurrent and Adjuvant Temozolomide in Newly Diagnosed Supratentorial Glioblastoma: Health-Related Quality of Life Results

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pollom, Erqi L.; Fujimoto, Dylann; Wynne, Jacob; Seiger, Kira; Modlin, Leslie A.; Jacobs, Lisa R. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California (United States); Azoulay, Melissa [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec (Canada); Eyben, Rie von; Tupper, Laurie; Gibbs, Iris C.; Hancock, Steven L. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California (United States); Li, Gordon; Chang, Steven D.; Adler, John R.; Harsh, Griffith R.; Harraher, Ciara [Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California (United States); Nagpal, Seema; Thomas, Reena P.; Recht, Lawrence D. [Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California (United States); Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California (United States); Choi, Clara Y.H. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, San Jose, California (United States); and others

    2017-05-01

    Purpose: We report a longitudinal assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with glioblastoma (GBM) treated on a prospective dose escalation trial of 5-fraction stereotactic radiosurgery (25-40 Gy in 5 fractions) with concurrent and adjuvant temozolomide. Methods: HRQOL was assessed using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality of life questionnaire core-30 (QLQ-C30) general, the EORTC quality of life questionnaire-brain cancer specific module (QLQ-BN20), and the M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory–Brain Tumor (MDASI-BT). Questionnaires were completed at baseline and at every follow-up visit after completion of radiosurgery. Changes from baseline for 9 predefined HRQOL measures (global quality of life, physical functioning, social functioning, emotional functioning, motor dysfunction, communication deficit, fatigue, insomnia, and future uncertainty) were calculated at every time point. Results: With a median follow-up time of 10.4 months (range, 0.4-52 months), 139 total HRQOL questionnaires were completed by the 30 patients on trial. Compliance with HRQOL assessment was 76% at 12 months. Communication deficit significantly worsened over time, with a decline of 1.7 points per month (P=.008). No significant changes over time were detected in the other 8 scales of our primary analysis, including global quality of life. Although 8 patients (27%) experienced adverse radiation effects (ARE) on this dose escalation trial, it was not associated with a statistically significant decline in any of the primary HRQOL scales. Disease progression was associated with communication deficit, with patients experiencing an average worsening of 13.9 points per month after progression compared with 0.7 points per month before progression (P=.01). Conclusion: On this 5-fraction dose escalation protocol for newly diagnosed GBM, overall HRQOL remained stable and appears similar to historical controls of 30 fractions of

  5. Safety and toxicity of saw palmetto in the CAMUS trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avins, Andrew L; Lee, Jeannette Y; Meyers, Catherine M; Barry, Michael J

    2013-04-01

    Extracts of the saw palmetto berry are used by many men in the United States as self-treatment for lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia. While the most recent data from double-blind clinical trials do not support efficacy superior to that of placebo, there are sparse data on saw palmetto toxicity. A total of 369 patients were randomized in the CAMUS (Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Urological Symptoms) trial, of whom 357 were included in this modified intent to treat analysis. Participants were randomized to 320, 640 and 960 mg daily of an ethanolic saw palmetto extract or to an identical-appearing placebo in an escalating manner at 6-month intervals for a total of 18 months of followup. Adverse event assessments, vital signs, and blood and urine laboratory tests were obtained at regular intervals. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups in the rates of serious or nonserious adverse events, changes in vital signs, digital prostate examination findings or study withdrawal rates. Overall, there were no significant intergroup differences in laboratory test abnormalities, while differences in individual laboratory tests were rare and small in magnitude. No evidence of significant dose-response phenomena was identified. The saw palmetto extract used in the CAMUS trial showed no evidence of toxicity at doses up to 3 times the usual clinical dose during an 18-month period. Copyright © 2013 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Research design considerations for single-dose analgesic clinical trials in acute pain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cooper, Stephen A; Desjardins, Paul J; Turk, Dennis C

    2016-01-01

    This article summarizes the results of a meeting convened by the Initiative on Methods, Measurement, and Pain Assessment in Clinical Trials (IMMPACT) on key considerations and best practices governing the design of acute pain clinical trials. We discuss the role of early phase clinical trials......, including pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) trials, and the value of including both placebo and active standards of comparison in acute pain trials. This article focuses on single-dose and short-duration trials with emphasis on the perioperative and study design factors that influence assay...... sensitivity. Recommendations are presented on assessment measures, study designs, and operational factors. Although most of the methodological advances have come from studies of postoperative pain after dental impaction, bunionectomy, and other surgeries, the design considerations discussed are applicable...

  7. Optimal dose selection accounting for patient subpopulations in a randomized Phase II trial to maximize the success probability of a subsequent Phase III trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takahashi, Fumihiro; Morita, Satoshi

    2018-02-08

    Phase II clinical trials are conducted to determine the optimal dose of the study drug for use in Phase III clinical trials while also balancing efficacy and safety. In conducting these trials, it may be important to consider subpopulations of patients grouped by background factors such as drug metabolism and kidney and liver function. Determining the optimal dose, as well as maximizing the effectiveness of the study drug by analyzing patient subpopulations, requires a complex decision-making process. In extreme cases, drug development has to be terminated due to inadequate efficacy or severe toxicity. Such a decision may be based on a particular subpopulation. We propose a Bayesian utility approach (BUART) to randomized Phase II clinical trials which uses a first-order bivariate normal dynamic linear model for efficacy and safety in order to determine the optimal dose and study population in a subsequent Phase III clinical trial. We carried out a simulation study under a wide range of clinical scenarios to evaluate the performance of the proposed method in comparison with a conventional method separately analyzing efficacy and safety in each patient population. The proposed method showed more favorable operating characteristics in determining the optimal population and dose.

  8. Comparative trials in registration files of cardiovascular drugs : Comparator drugs and dosing schemes.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wieringa, NF; Vos, R; de Graeff, PA

    Registration files of 13 cardiovascular drugs were analysed with respect to the number of double-blind phase-III clinical trials, the use of placebo and active comparator drugs and their dosing schemes. Half of the 146 double-blind trials used active comparator drugs. The majority of files included

  9. Planning ahead: Improving escalation plans before the weekend.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zarkali, Angeliki; Black, Duncan; Smee, Elizabeth; Deshraj, Anshul; Smallwood, Nicholas

    2014-01-01

    Handover is the system by which responsibility for patient care is transferred between healthcare professionals. A significant aspect of handover is the existence of an escalation plan for each patient in case of deterioration over the weekend. According to the Royal College of Physicians, all patients should have a clear escalation plan documented in the notes before a weekend, since parent medical teams (Consultant team in charge of care) are best placed to make these decisions. If left to on-call teams, at a time of deterioration over a weekend, they might not have all available information, the patient might be unable to be involved in the decisions, and the family might not be consulted. With this is mind, we decided to analyse the existing handover process in a medium sized district general hospital, with the aim of improving the process and the documentation of escalation plans. The results from our retrospective analysis of the system in place revealed a significant lack of documentation of escalation plans in the medical notes. Three sample wards were selected to analyse the current handover system and test proposed measures before hospital-wide implementation. After trialling of a physical handover meeting in addition to the existing intranet system and a proforma for the Friday ward round, the documentation of escalation plans in the patients' notes improved from 9.1% to 41.1%. Based on these results, as well as formal feedback from junior doctors and informal feedback from other staff, the physical handover meeting and Friday ward round proforma will be implemented throughout the Trust. Our interventions led to an improvement in the documentation of escalation plans in our hospital, thus saving precious time in the event of a patient's deterioration. This also ensures that families and patients are involved in the decision making process and kept informed, and reduces the burden for the weekend on-call teams.

  10. Radiation dose responses for chemoradiation therapy of pancreatic cancer: an analysis of compiled clinical data using biophysical models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moraru, Ion C; Tai, An; Erickson, Beth; Li, X Allen

    2014-01-01

    We analyzed recent clinical data obtained from chemoradiation of unresectable, locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) in order to examine possible benefits from radiation therapy dose escalation. A modified linear quadratic model was used to fit clinical tumor response and survival data of chemoradiation treatments for LAPC reported from 20 institutions. Biophysical radiosensitivity parameters were extracted from the fits. Examination of the clinical data demonstrated an enhancement in tumor response with higher irradiation dose, an important clinical result for palliation and quality of life. Little indication of improvement in 1-year survival with increased radiation dose was observed. Possible dose escalation schemes are proposed based on calculations of the biologically effective dose required for a 50% tumor response rate. Based on the evaluation of tumor response data, the escalation of radiation dose presents potential clinical benefits which when combined with normal tissue complication analyses may result in improved treatment outcome for locally advanced pancreatic cancer patients. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Radiation Oncology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Safety and Immunogenicity of EBA-175 RII-NG Malaria Vaccine Administered Intramuscularly in Semi-Immune Adults: A Phase 1, Double-Blinded Placebo Controlled Dosage Escalation Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koram, Kwadwo A; Adu, Bright; Ocran, Josephine; Karikari, Yaa S; Adu-Amankwah, Susan; Ntiri, Michael; Abuaku, Benjamin; Dodoo, Daniel; Gyan, Ben; Kronmann, Karl C; Nkrumah, Francis

    2016-01-01

    The erythrocyte binding antigen region II (EBA-175 RII) is a Plasmodium falciparum ligand that mediates erythrocyte invasion and is considered an important malaria vaccine candidate. A phase Ia trial in malaria naïve adults living in the United States found the recombinant non-glycosylated vaccine antigen, EBA-175 RII-NG adjuvanted with aluminium phosphate to be safe, immunogenic and capable of inducing biologically active antibodies that can inhibit parasite growth in vitro. The aim of the current study was to assess the safety and immunogenicity of this vaccine in malaria exposed semi-immune healthy adults living in a malaria endemic country, Ghana. In this double-blinded, placebo controlled, dose escalation phase I trial, eighteen subjects per group received ascending dose concentrations (5 μg, 20 μg or 80 μg) of the vaccine intramuscularly at 0, 1 and 6 months, while 6 subjects received placebo (normal saline). The primary end point was the number of subjects experiencing Grade 3 systemic or local adverse events within 14 days post-vaccination. Serious adverse events were assessed throughout the study period. Blood samples for immunological analyses were collected at days 0, 14, 28, 42, 180 and 194. A total of 52 subjects received three doses of the vaccine in the respective groups. No serious adverse events were reported. The majority of all adverse events reported were mild to moderate in severity, with local pain and tenderness being the most common. All adverse events, irrespective of severity, resolved without any sequelae. Subjects who received any of the EBA-175 RII-NG doses had high immunoglobulin G levels which moderately inhibited P. falciparum growth in vitro, compared to those in the placebo group. In conclusion, the EBA-175 RII-NG vaccine was safe, well tolerated and immunogenic in malaria semi-immune Ghanaian adults. Its further development is recommended. ClinicalTrials.gov. Identifier: NCT01026246.

  12. Safety and Immunogenicity of EBA-175 RII-NG Malaria Vaccine Administered Intramuscularly in Semi-Immune Adults: A Phase 1, Double-Blinded Placebo Controlled Dosage Escalation Study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kwadwo A Koram

    Full Text Available The erythrocyte binding antigen region II (EBA-175 RII is a Plasmodium falciparum ligand that mediates erythrocyte invasion and is considered an important malaria vaccine candidate. A phase Ia trial in malaria naïve adults living in the United States found the recombinant non-glycosylated vaccine antigen, EBA-175 RII-NG adjuvanted with aluminium phosphate to be safe, immunogenic and capable of inducing biologically active antibodies that can inhibit parasite growth in vitro. The aim of the current study was to assess the safety and immunogenicity of this vaccine in malaria exposed semi-immune healthy adults living in a malaria endemic country, Ghana. In this double-blinded, placebo controlled, dose escalation phase I trial, eighteen subjects per group received ascending dose concentrations (5 μg, 20 μg or 80 μg of the vaccine intramuscularly at 0, 1 and 6 months, while 6 subjects received placebo (normal saline. The primary end point was the number of subjects experiencing Grade 3 systemic or local adverse events within 14 days post-vaccination. Serious adverse events were assessed throughout the study period. Blood samples for immunological analyses were collected at days 0, 14, 28, 42, 180 and 194. A total of 52 subjects received three doses of the vaccine in the respective groups. No serious adverse events were reported. The majority of all adverse events reported were mild to moderate in severity, with local pain and tenderness being the most common. All adverse events, irrespective of severity, resolved without any sequelae. Subjects who received any of the EBA-175 RII-NG doses had high immunoglobulin G levels which moderately inhibited P. falciparum growth in vitro, compared to those in the placebo group. In conclusion, the EBA-175 RII-NG vaccine was safe, well tolerated and immunogenic in malaria semi-immune Ghanaian adults. Its further development is recommended.ClinicalTrials.gov. Identifier: NCT01026246.

  13. Re-distribution of brachytherapy dose using a differential dose prescription adapted to risk of local failure in low-risk prostate cancer patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rylander, Susanne; Polders, Daniel; Steggerda, Marcel J

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We investigated the application of a differential target- and dose prescription concept for low-dose-rate prostate brachytherapy (LDR-BT), involving a re-distribution of dose according to risk of local failure and treatment-related morbidity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Our study......- and dose prescription concept of prescribing a lower dose to the whole gland and an escalated dose to the GTV using LDR-BT seed planning was technically feasible and resulted in a significant dose-reduction to urethra and bladder neck....

  14. Escalation and propagation of thermal detonation in the corium-water systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Melikhov, O.I.; Melikhov, V.I.; Sokolin, A.V.

    2001-01-01

    The thermal detonation taking into account micro-interaction processes model has been applied to study thermal detonation wave escalation and propagation in the corium-water mixture. Transient escalation stage and subsequent steady-state propagation stage of the thermal detonation have been calculated. The essential decrease of the escalation length in comparison with the previous results calculated without micro-interaction concept has been obtained. (authors)

  15. Safety and tolerability of transcranial direct current stimulation to stroke patients - A phase I current escalation study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chhatbar, Pratik Y; Chen, Rong; Deardorff, Rachael; Dellenbach, Blair; Kautz, Steven A; George, Mark S; Feng, Wuwei

    A prior meta-analysis revealed that higher doses of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have a better post-stroke upper-extremity motor recovery. While this finding suggests that currents greater than the typically used 2 mA may be more efficacious, the safety and tolerability of higher currents have not been assessed in stroke patients. We aim to assess the safety and tolerability of single session of up to 4 mA in stroke patients. We adapted a traditional 3 + 3 study design with a current escalation schedule of 1»2»2.5»3»3.5»4 mA for this tDCS safety study. We administered one 30-min session of bihemispheric montage tDCS and simultaneous customary occupational therapy to patients with first-ever ischemic stroke. We assessed safety with pre-defined stopping rules and investigated tolerability through a questionnaire. Additionally, we monitored body resistance and skin temperature in real-time at the electrode contact site. Eighteen patients completed the study. The current was escalated to 4 mA without meeting the pre-defined stopping rules or causing any major safety concern. 50% of patients experienced transient skin redness without injury. No rise in temperature (range 26°C-35 °C) was noted and skin barrier function remained intact (i.e. body resistance >1 kΩ). Our phase I safety study supports that single session of bihemispheric tDCS with current up to 4 mA is safe and tolerable in stroke patients. A phase II study to further test the safety and preliminary efficacy with multi-session tDCS at 4 mA (as compared with lower current and sham stimulation) is a logical next step. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02763826. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Destined to die but not to wage war: how existential threat can contribute to escalation or de-escalation of violent intergroup conflict.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jonas, Eva; Fritsche, Immo

    2013-10-01

    War means threat to people's lives. Research derived from terror management theory (TMT) illustrates that the awareness of death leads people to defend cultural ingroups and their worldviews to attain a sense of symbolic immortality and thereby buffer existential anxiety. This can result in hostile effects of mortality salience (MS), such as derogation of outgroup members, prejudice, stereotyping, aggression, and racism, which, in turn, can lead to the escalation of violent intergroup conflict and, thus, the escalation of war. Yet, escalation of destructive conflict following MS is not automatic. Instead, research on TMT suggests that MS does not necessarily result in conflict and intolerance but can also foster positive tendencies, such as intergroup fairness or approval of pacifism, depending on how existential threat is perceived, whether the need for symbolic self-transcendence is satisfied, which social norms are salient, and how social situations are interpreted. In the present article, we review current TMT research with the aim of reconciling the seemingly contradictory findings of hostile and peaceful reactions to reminders of death. We present a terror management model of escalation and de-escalation of violent intergroup conflicts, which takes into account the interaction between threat salience and features of the social situation. We also discuss possible intervention strategies to override detrimental consequences of existential threat and argue that war is not the inevitable consequence of threat. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved

  17. Development of a pharmacokinetic‐guided dose individualization strategy for hydroxyurea treatment in children with sickle cell anaemia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Min; McGann, Patrick T.; Mizuno, Tomoyuki; Ware, Russell E.

    2016-01-01

    AIMS Hydroxyurea has emerged as the primary disease‐modifying therapy for patients with sickle cell anaemia (SCA). The laboratory and clinical benefits of hydroxyurea are optimal at maximum tolerated dose (MTD), but the current empirical dose escalation process often takes up to 12 months. The purpose of this study was to develop a pharmacokinetic‐guided dosing strategy to reduce the time required to reach hydroxyurea MTD in children with SCA. Methods Pharmacokinetic (PK) data from the HUSTLE trial (NCT00305175) were used to develop a population PK model using non‐linear mixed effects modelling (nonmem 7.2). A D‐optimal sampling strategy was developed to estimate individual PK and hydroxyurea exposure (area under the concentration–time curve (AUC)). The initial AUC target was derived from HUSTLE clinical data and defined as the mean AUC at MTD. Results PK profiles were best described by a one compartment with Michaelis–Menten elimination and a transit absorption model. Body weight and cystatin C were identified as significant predictors of hydroxyurea clearance. The following clinically feasible sampling times are included in a new prospective protocol: pre‐dose (baseline), 15–20 min, 50–60 min and 3 h after an initial 20 mg kg–1 oral dose. The mean target AUC(0,∞) for initial dose titration was 115 mg l–1 h. Conclusion We developed a PK model‐based individualized dosing strategy for the prospective Therapeutic Response Evaluation and Adherence Trial (TREAT, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02286154). This approach has the potential to optimize the dose titration of hydroxyurea therapy for children with SCA, such that the clinical benefits at MTD are achieved more quickly. PMID:26615061

  18. Development of a pharmacokinetic-guided dose individualization strategy for hydroxyurea treatment in children with sickle cell anaemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Min; McGann, Patrick T; Mizuno, Tomoyuki; Ware, Russell E; Vinks, Alexander A

    2016-04-01

    Hydroxyurea has emerged as the primary disease-modifying therapy for patients with sickle cell anaemia (SCA). The laboratory and clinical benefits of hydroxyurea are optimal at maximum tolerated dose (MTD), but the current empirical dose escalation process often takes up to 12 months. The purpose of this study was to develop a pharmacokinetic-guided dosing strategy to reduce the time required to reach hydroxyurea MTD in children with SCA. Pharmacokinetic (PK) data from the HUSTLE trial (NCT00305175) were used to develop a population PK model using non-linear mixed effects modelling (nonmem 7.2). A D-optimal sampling strategy was developed to estimate individual PK and hydroxyurea exposure (area under the concentration-time curve (AUC)). The initial AUC target was derived from HUSTLE clinical data and defined as the mean AUC at MTD. PK profiles were best described by a one compartment with Michaelis-Menten elimination and a transit absorption model. Body weight and cystatin C were identified as significant predictors of hydroxyurea clearance. The following clinically feasible sampling times are included in a new prospective protocol: pre-dose (baseline), 15-20 min, 50-60 min and 3 h after an initial 20 mg kg(-1) oral dose. The mean target AUC(0,∞) for initial dose titration was 115 mg l(-1)  h. We developed a PK model-based individualized dosing strategy for the prospective Therapeutic Response Evaluation and Adherence Trial (TREAT, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02286154). This approach has the potential to optimize the dose titration of hydroxyurea therapy for children with SCA, such that the clinical benefits at MTD are achieved more quickly. © 2015 The British Pharmacological Society.

  19. Preliminary clinical results from the EORTC 11961 trial at the petten irradiation facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sauerwein, W.; Hideghety, K.; Vries, M.J. de

    2000-01-01

    Based on the pre-clinical work of the European Collaboration on Boron Neutron Capture Therapy a study protocol was prepared in 1995 to initiate Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) in patients at the High Flux Reactor (HFR) in Petten. Bio-distribution and pharmacokinetics data of the boron drug Na 2 B 12 H 11 SH (BSH) as well as the radiobiological effects of BNCT with BSH in healthy brain tissue of dogs were considered in designing the strategy for this clinical Phase I trial. The primary goal of the radiation dose escalation study is the investigation of possible adverse events due to BNCT; i.e. to establish the dose limiting toxicity and the maximal tolerated radiation dose. The treatment is delivered in 4 fractions at a defined average boron concentration in blood. After an observation period of at least 6 months, the dose is increased by 10% for the next cohort. The preliminary results of the first cohort are presented here. The evaluated dose level can be considered to be safe. (author)

  20. Radiation dose and late failures in prostate cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morgan, Peter B.; Hanlon, Alexandra L.; Horwitz, Eric M.; Buyyounouski, Mark K.; Uzzo, Robert G.; Pollack, Alan

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: To quantify the impact of radiation dose escalation on the timing of biochemical failure (BF) and distant metastasis (DM) for prostate cancer treated with radiotherapy (RT) alone. Methods: The data from 667 men with clinically localized intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer treated with three-dimensional conformal RT alone were retrospectively analyzed. The interval hazard rates of DM and BF, using the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) and Phoenix (nadir + 2) definitions, were determined. The median follow-up was 77 months. Results: Multivariate analysis showed that increasing radiation dose was independently associated with decreased ASTRO BF (p < 0.0001), nadir + 2 BF (p = 0.001), and DM (p = 0.006). The preponderance (85%) of ASTRO BF occurred at ≤4 years after RT, and nadir + 2 BF was more evenly spread throughout Years 1-10, with 55% of BF in ≤4 years. Radiation dose escalation caused a shift in the BF from earlier to later years. The interval hazard function for DM appeared to be biphasic (early and late peaks) overall and for the <74-Gy group. In patients receiving ≥74 Gy, a reduction occurred in the risk of DM in the early and late waves, although the late wave appeared reduced to a greater degree. Conclusion: The ASTRO definition of BF systematically underestimated late BF because of backdating. Radiation dose escalation diminished and delayed BF; the delay suggested that local persistence may still be present in some patients. For DM, a greater radiation dose reduced the early and late waves, suggesting that persistence of local disease contributed to both

  1. Design of clinical trials Phase I and II with radiopharmaceuticals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giannone, C.A.; Soroa, V.E.

    2015-01-01

    We presented some usual designs for clinical studies in Phase I and Phase II. For Phase I we considered the 3 + 3 Classic design, designs with accelerated titration and those with dose escalation schemes with overdose control (EWOC). For Phase II designs with efficacy outcomes are presented. The design proposed by Fleming is discussed as well as those with inclusion of patients in two stages: Gehan’s design and the Optimal two–stage Simon’s design. We also discussed the design of combined endpoints of efficacy and safety of Bryant and Day with an application example of therapeutically Lu-177. Finally some proposals for phase II trials with control group are considered. (authors) [es

  2. Low-Dose versus Standard-Dose Intravenous Immunoglobulin to Prevent Fetal Intracranial Hemorrhage in Fetal and Neonatal Alloimmune Thrombocytopenia: A Randomized Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paridaans, Noortje P; Kamphuis, Marije M; Taune Wikman, Agneta; Tiblad, Eleonor; Van den Akker, Eline S; Lopriore, Enrico; Challis, Daniel; Westgren, Magnus; Oepkes, Dick

    2015-01-01

    Pregnancies at risk of fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FNAIT) are commonly treated using weekly intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) at 1 g/kg maternal weight. IVIG is an expensive multidonor human blood product with dose-related side effects. Our aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of IVIG at a lower dose, i.e., 0.5 g/kg. This was a randomized controlled multicenter trial conducted in Sweden, the Netherlands and Australia. Pregnant women with human platelet antigen alloantibodies and an affected previous child without intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) were enrolled. The participants were randomized to IVIG at 0.5 or 1 g/kg per week. The analyses were per intention to treat. The primary outcome was fetal or neonatal ICH. Secondary outcomes were platelet count at birth, maternal and neonatal IgG levels, neonatal treatment and bleeding other than ICH. A total of 23 women were randomized into two groups (low dose: n = 12; standard dose: n = 11). The trial was stopped early due to poor recruitment. No ICH occurred. The median newborn platelet count was 81 × 10(9)/l (range 8-269) in the 0.5 g/kg group versus 110 × 10(9)/l (range 11-279) in the 1 g/kg group (p = 0.644). The risk of adverse outcomes in FNAIT pregnancies treated with IVIG at 0.5 g/kg is very low, similar to that using 1 g/kg, although our uncompleted trial lacked the power to conclusively prove the noninferiority of using the low dose.

  3. High dose rate versus low dose rate brachytherapy for oral cancer--a meta-analysis of clinical trials.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhenxing Liu

    Full Text Available To compare the efficacy and safety of high dose rate (HDR and low dose rate (LDR brachytherapy in treating early-stage oral cancer.A systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases, restricted to English language up to June 1, 2012, was performed to identify potentially relevant studies.Only randomized controlled trials (RCT and controlled trials that compared HDR to LDR brachytherapy in treatment of early-stage oral cancer (stages I, II and III were of interest.Two investigators independently extracted data from retrieved studies and controversies were solved by discussion. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.1. One RCT and five controlled trials (607 patients: 447 for LDR and 160 for HDR met the inclusion criteria. The odds ratio showed no statistically significant difference between LDR group and HDR group in terms of local recurrence (OR = 1.12, CI 95% 0.62-2.01, overall mortality (OR = 1.01, CI 95% 0.61-1.66 and Grade 3/4 complications (OR = 0.86, CI 95% 0.52-1.42.This meta-analysis indicated that HDR brachytherapy was a comparable alternative to LDR brachytherapy in treatment of oral cancer. HDR brachytherapy might become a routine choice for early-stage oral cancer in the future.

  4. Preoperative Single-Fraction Partial Breast Radiation Therapy: A Novel Phase 1, Dose-Escalation Protocol With Radiation Response Biomarkers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Horton, Janet K., E-mail: janet.horton@duke.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina (United States); Blitzblau, Rachel C.; Yoo, Sua [Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina (United States); Geradts, Joseph [Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina (United States); Chang, Zheng [Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina (United States); Baker, Jay A. [Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina (United States); Georgiade, Gregory S. [Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina (United States); Chen, Wei [Department of Bioinformatics: Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina (United States); Siamakpour-Reihani, Sharareh; Wang, Chunhao [Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina (United States); Broadwater, Gloria [Department of Biostatistics: Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina (United States); Groth, Jeff [Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina (United States); Palta, Manisha; Dewhirst, Mark [Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina (United States); Barry, William T. [Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina (United States); Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Duffy, Eileen A. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina (United States); and others

    2015-07-15

    Purpose: Women with biologically favorable early-stage breast cancer are increasingly treated with accelerated partial breast radiation (PBI). However, treatment-related morbidities have been linked to the large postoperative treatment volumes required for external beam PBI. Relative to external beam delivery, alternative PBI techniques require equipment that is not universally available. To address these issues, we designed a phase 1 trial utilizing widely available technology to 1) evaluate the safety of a single radiation treatment delivered preoperatively to the small-volume, intact breast tumor and 2) identify imaging and genomic markers of radiation response. Methods and Materials: Women aged ≥55 years with clinically node-negative, estrogen receptor–positive, and/or progesterone receptor–positive HER2−, T1 invasive carcinomas, or low- to intermediate-grade in situ disease ≤2 cm were enrolled (n=32). Intensity modulated radiation therapy was used to deliver 15 Gy (n=8), 18 Gy (n=8), or 21 Gy (n=16) to the tumor with a 1.5-cm margin. Lumpectomy was performed within 10 days. Paired pre- and postradiation magnetic resonance images and patient tumor samples were analyzed. Results: No dose-limiting toxicity was observed. At a median follow-up of 23 months, there have been no recurrences. Physician-rated cosmetic outcomes were good/excellent, and chronic toxicities were grade 1 to 2 (fibrosis, hyperpigmentation) in patients receiving preoperative radiation only. Evidence of dose-dependent changes in vascular permeability, cell density, and expression of genes regulating immunity and cell death were seen in response to radiation. Conclusions: Preoperative single-dose radiation therapy to intact breast tumors is well tolerated. Radiation response is marked by early indicators of cell death in this biologically favorable patient cohort. This study represents a first step toward a novel partial breast radiation approach. Preoperative radiation should

  5. Preoperative Single-Fraction Partial Breast Radiation Therapy: A Novel Phase 1, Dose-Escalation Protocol With Radiation Response Biomarkers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horton, Janet K.; Blitzblau, Rachel C.; Yoo, Sua; Geradts, Joseph; Chang, Zheng; Baker, Jay A.; Georgiade, Gregory S.; Chen, Wei; Siamakpour-Reihani, Sharareh; Wang, Chunhao; Broadwater, Gloria; Groth, Jeff; Palta, Manisha; Dewhirst, Mark; Barry, William T.; Duffy, Eileen A.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: Women with biologically favorable early-stage breast cancer are increasingly treated with accelerated partial breast radiation (PBI). However, treatment-related morbidities have been linked to the large postoperative treatment volumes required for external beam PBI. Relative to external beam delivery, alternative PBI techniques require equipment that is not universally available. To address these issues, we designed a phase 1 trial utilizing widely available technology to 1) evaluate the safety of a single radiation treatment delivered preoperatively to the small-volume, intact breast tumor and 2) identify imaging and genomic markers of radiation response. Methods and Materials: Women aged ≥55 years with clinically node-negative, estrogen receptor–positive, and/or progesterone receptor–positive HER2−, T1 invasive carcinomas, or low- to intermediate-grade in situ disease ≤2 cm were enrolled (n=32). Intensity modulated radiation therapy was used to deliver 15 Gy (n=8), 18 Gy (n=8), or 21 Gy (n=16) to the tumor with a 1.5-cm margin. Lumpectomy was performed within 10 days. Paired pre- and postradiation magnetic resonance images and patient tumor samples were analyzed. Results: No dose-limiting toxicity was observed. At a median follow-up of 23 months, there have been no recurrences. Physician-rated cosmetic outcomes were good/excellent, and chronic toxicities were grade 1 to 2 (fibrosis, hyperpigmentation) in patients receiving preoperative radiation only. Evidence of dose-dependent changes in vascular permeability, cell density, and expression of genes regulating immunity and cell death were seen in response to radiation. Conclusions: Preoperative single-dose radiation therapy to intact breast tumors is well tolerated. Radiation response is marked by early indicators of cell death in this biologically favorable patient cohort. This study represents a first step toward a novel partial breast radiation approach. Preoperative radiation should

  6. BNCT clinical trials of skin melanoma patients in Argentina

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roth, Berta M.; Bonomi, Marcelo R.; Gonzalez, Sara J.

    2006-01-01

    The clinical outcome of six skin melanoma BNCT irradiations is presented. Three patients (A, B and C), with multiple subcutaneous skin metastases progressed to chemotherapy were infused with ∼14 g/m 2 of boronophenylalanine ( 10 BPA)-fructose and irradiated in the hyperthermal neutron beam of the RA-6 reactor. Patient A received two one fraction irradiations in different areas of the leg, B received one fraction and C was irradiated in three consecutive fields at the calf, heel and foot sole. The maximum prescribed dose to normal skin ranged from 16.5 to 24 Gy-Eq. With a minimum follow-up of 10 months there was a G1 acute epithelitis in A and B and a G3 in C. No late toxicity was observed. Due to the in-field tumor-growth-delay and the absence of severe acute and/or late toxicity observed during the follow-up period, a dose-escalation trial is ongoing. (author)

  7. Phase 1 Clinical Trial of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Concomitant With Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bondiau, Pierre-Yves; Courdi, Adel; Bahadoran, Phillipe; Chamorey, Emmanuel; Queille-Roussel, Catherine; Lallement, Michel; Birtwisle-Peyrottes, Isabelle; Chapellier, Claire; Pacquelet-Cheli, Sandrine; Ferrero, Jean-Marc

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) allows stereotactic irradiation of thoracic tumors. It may have a real impact on patients who may not otherwise qualify for breast-conserving surgery. We conducted a phase 1 trial that tested 5 dose levels of SBRT concomitant with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) before to surgery. The purpose of the current dose escalation study was to determine the maximum tolerable dose of SBRT in the treatment of breast cancer. Methods and Materials: To define toxicity, we performed dermatologic examinations that included clinical examinations by 2 separate physicians and technical evaluations using colorimetry, dermoscopy, and skin ultrasonography. Dermatologic examinations were performed before NACT, 36 and 56 days after the beginning of NACT, and before surgery. Surgery was performed 4 to 8 weeks after the last chemotherapy session. Efficacy, the primary endpoint, was determined by the pathologic complete response (pCR) rate. Results: Maximum tolerable dose was not reached. Only 1 case of dose-limiting toxicity was reported (grade 3 dermatologic toxicity), and SBRT was overall well tolerated. The pCR rate was 36%, with none being observed at the first 2 dose levels, and the highest rate being obtained at dose level 3 (25.5 Gy delivered in 3 fractions). Furthermore, the breast-conserving surgery rate was up to 92% compared with an 8% total mastectomy rate. No surgical complications were reported. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that SBRT can be safely combined with NACT. Regarding the efficacy endpoints, this trial showed promising results in terms of pCR rate (36%) and breast-conserving rate (92%). The findings provide a strong rationale for extending the study into a phase 2 trial. In view of the absence of correlation between dose and pCR, and given that the data from dose level 3 met the statistical requirements, a dose of 25.5 Gy in 3 fractions should be used for the phase 2 trial

  8. Phase 1 Clinical Trial of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Concomitant With Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bondiau, Pierre-Yves, E-mail: pierre-yves.bondiau@nice.unicancer.fr [Department of Radiotherapy, Centre Antoine Lacassagne, Nice (France); Courdi, Adel [Department of Radiotherapy, Centre Antoine Lacassagne, Nice (France); Bahadoran, Phillipe [Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Nice, Nice (France); Chamorey, Emmanuel [Department of Radiotherapy, Centre Antoine Lacassagne, Nice (France); Queille-Roussel, Catherine [Centre de Pharmacologie Clinique Appliquée à la Dermatologie, Nice (France); Lallement, Michel; Birtwisle-Peyrottes, Isabelle; Chapellier, Claire; Pacquelet-Cheli, Sandrine; Ferrero, Jean-Marc [Department of Radiotherapy, Centre Antoine Lacassagne, Nice (France)

    2013-04-01

    Purpose: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) allows stereotactic irradiation of thoracic tumors. It may have a real impact on patients who may not otherwise qualify for breast-conserving surgery. We conducted a phase 1 trial that tested 5 dose levels of SBRT concomitant with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) before to surgery. The purpose of the current dose escalation study was to determine the maximum tolerable dose of SBRT in the treatment of breast cancer. Methods and Materials: To define toxicity, we performed dermatologic examinations that included clinical examinations by 2 separate physicians and technical evaluations using colorimetry, dermoscopy, and skin ultrasonography. Dermatologic examinations were performed before NACT, 36 and 56 days after the beginning of NACT, and before surgery. Surgery was performed 4 to 8 weeks after the last chemotherapy session. Efficacy, the primary endpoint, was determined by the pathologic complete response (pCR) rate. Results: Maximum tolerable dose was not reached. Only 1 case of dose-limiting toxicity was reported (grade 3 dermatologic toxicity), and SBRT was overall well tolerated. The pCR rate was 36%, with none being observed at the first 2 dose levels, and the highest rate being obtained at dose level 3 (25.5 Gy delivered in 3 fractions). Furthermore, the breast-conserving surgery rate was up to 92% compared with an 8% total mastectomy rate. No surgical complications were reported. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that SBRT can be safely combined with NACT. Regarding the efficacy endpoints, this trial showed promising results in terms of pCR rate (36%) and breast-conserving rate (92%). The findings provide a strong rationale for extending the study into a phase 2 trial. In view of the absence of correlation between dose and pCR, and given that the data from dose level 3 met the statistical requirements, a dose of 25.5 Gy in 3 fractions should be used for the phase 2 trial.

  9. Long-term outcomes from dose-escalated image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy with androgen deprivation: encouraging results for intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilcox, Shea W; Aherne, Noel J; Benjamin, Linus C; Wu, Bosco; de Campos Silva, Thomaz; McLachlan, Craig S; McKay, Michael J; Last, Andrew J; Shakespeare, Thomas P

    2014-01-01

    Dose-escalated (DE) radiotherapy in the setting of localized prostate cancer has been shown to improve biochemical disease-free survival (bDFS) in several studies. In the same group of patients, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has been shown to confer a survival benefit when combined with radiotherapy doses of up to 70 Gy; however, there is currently little long-term data on patients who have received high-dose intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with ADT. We report the long-term outcomes in a large cohort of patients treated with the combination of DE image-guided IMRT (IG-IMRT) and ADT. Patients with localized prostate cancer were identified from a centralized database across an integrated cancer center. All patients received DE IG-IMRT, combined with ADT, and had a minimum follow up of 12 months post-radiotherapy. All relapse and toxicity data were collected prospectively. Actuarial bDFS, metastasis-free survival, prostate cancer-specific survival, and multivariate analyses were calculated using the SPSS v20.0 statistical package. Seven hundred and eighty-two eligible patients were identified with a median follow up of 46 months. Overall, 4.3% of patients relapsed, 2.0% developed distant metastases, and 0.6% died from metastatic prostate cancer. At 5-years, bDFS was 88%, metastasis-free survival was 95%, and prostate cancer-specific survival was 98%. Five-year grade 2 genitourinary and gastrointestinal toxicity was 2.1% and 3.4%, respectively. No grade 3 or 4 late toxicities were reported. Pretreatment prostate specific antigen (P=0.001) and Gleason score (P=0.03) were significant in predicting biochemical failure on multivariate analysis. There is a high probability of tumor control with DE IG-IMRT combined with androgen deprivation, and this is a technique with a low probability of significant late toxicity. Our long term results corroborate the safety and efficacy of treating with IG-IMRT to high doses and compares favorably with published series for

  10. Interest of positron emission tomography with [{sup 18}F]-fluoro-misonidazole within the frame of a dose escalation for glioblastomas; Interet de la tomographie par emission de positrons au [{sup 18}F]-fluoromisonidazole dans le cadre d'une escalade de dose pour les glioblastomes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huchet, A.; Benech, J.; Maire, J.P.; Trouette, R.; Galland-Girodet, S. [Service de radiotherapie, CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux (France); Lamare, F.; Mella, C.; Clermont, H. de; Fernandez, P. [Service de medecine nucleaire, CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux (France); Loiseau, H. [Service de neurochirurgie, CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux (France)

    2011-10-15

    Eleven patients suffering from an unresectable glioblastoma have been treated by positron emission tomography (PET) with [{sup 18}F]-FMiso and submitted to a MRI before treatment. Gross target volumes (GTV) have been determined, as well as hypoxic fraction within the tumours. A complication probability calculation has been performed. It appears that the PET-[{sup 18}F]-FMiso allows a smaller volume than MRI to be defined. A Normal Tissue Complication Probability (NTCP) modelling shows that this volume limits the complication risk increase due to dose escalation. Intensity modulation allows a better taking into account of these potential benefits of this biological target volume definition. Short communication

  11. Safety, dose, and timing of reteplase in treating occluded central venous catheters in children with cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terrill, Kelly R; Lemons, Richard S; Goldsby, Robert E

    2003-11-01

    Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator, alteplase, began to be commonly used to restore the patency of occluded central venous catheters (CVCs) as urokinase production was halted in the late 1990s. However, alteplase often requires an extended dwell time to restore patency to occluded CVCs. In adults, reteplase, a newer thrombolytic agent, has been reported to restore patency to CVCs in 30 minutes. The authors prospectively evaluated the safety and efficacy of reteplase in restoring patency to occluded CVCs in children with cancer. This was a dose escalation trial. The dose of reteplase was initiated at 0.1 units and increased by increments of 0.1 units to a maximum dose of 0.4 units. Each dose was tested on at least three participants. Time to patency after reteplase administration was recorded by nurses caring for the patients. Attempts to access the line occurred every 15 minutes for 1 hour. CVCs that remained occluded after 1 hour were treated with alteplase. Reteplase was administered to 15 clotted CVCs. Twelve of the 15 were cleared with an average dwell time of 38 minutes. The time to patency did not appear to correlate with the dose. No adverse events were reported. Reteplase can restore patency to occluded CVCs in a pediatric population. Reteplase appears to have comparable efficacy with alteplase, but reteplase may require shorter dwell times. A prospective, randomized, clinical trial is warranted to determine whether reteplase is as effective as alteplase in restoring patency to occluded CVCs.

  12. Escalator: An Autonomous Scheduling Scheme for Convergecast in TSCH.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, Sukho; Hwang, DongYeop; Kim, Ki-Hyung; Kim, Kangseok

    2018-04-16

    Time Slotted Channel Hopping (TSCH) is widely used in the industrial wireless sensor networks due to its high reliability and energy efficiency. Various timeslot and channel scheduling schemes have been proposed for achieving high reliability and energy efficiency for TSCH networks. Recently proposed autonomous scheduling schemes provide flexible timeslot scheduling based on the routing topology, but do not take into account the network traffic and packet forwarding delays. In this paper, we propose an autonomous scheduling scheme for convergecast in TSCH networks with RPL as a routing protocol, named Escalator. Escalator generates a consecutive timeslot schedule along the packet forwarding path to minimize the packet transmission delay. The schedule is generated autonomously by utilizing only the local routing topology information without any additional signaling with other nodes. The generated schedule is guaranteed to be conflict-free, in that all nodes in the network could transmit packets to the sink in every slotframe cycle. We implement Escalator and evaluate its performance with existing autonomous scheduling schemes through a testbed and simulation. Experimental results show that the proposed Escalator has lower end-to-end delay and higher packet delivery ratio compared to the existing schemes regardless of the network topology.

  13. Evidence for single-dose protection by the bivalent HPV vaccine-Review of the Costa Rica HPV vaccine trial and future research studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kreimer, Aimée R; Herrero, Rolando; Sampson, Joshua N; Porras, Carolina; Lowy, Douglas R; Schiller, John T; Schiffman, Mark; Rodriguez, Ana Cecilia; Chanock, Stephen; Jimenez, Silvia; Schussler, John; Gail, Mitchell H; Safaeian, Mahboobeh; Kemp, Troy J; Cortes, Bernal; Pinto, Ligia A; Hildesheim, Allan; Gonzalez, Paula

    2018-01-20

    The Costa Rica Vaccine Trial (CVT), a phase III randomized clinical trial, provided the initial data that one dose of the HPV vaccine could provide durable protection against HPV infection. Although the study design was to administer all participants three doses of HPV or control vaccine, 20% of women did not receive the three-dose regimens, mostly due to involuntary reasons unrelated to vaccination. In 2011, we reported that a single dose of the bivalent HPV vaccine could be as efficacious as three doses of the vaccine using the endpoint of persistent HPV infection accumulated over the first four years of the trial; findings independently confirmed in the GSK-sponsored PATRICIA trial. Antibody levels after one dose, although lower than levels elicited by three doses, were 9-times higher than levels elicited by natural infection. Importantly, levels remained essentially constant over at least seven years, suggesting that the observed protection provided by a single dose might be durable. Much work has been done to assure these non-randomized findings are valid. Yet, the group of recipients who received one dose of the bivalent HPV vaccine in the CVT and PATRICIA trials was small and not randomly selected nor blinded to the number of doses received. The next phase of research is to conduct a formal randomized, controlled trial to evaluate the protection afforded by a single dose of HPV vaccine. Complementary studies are in progress to bridge our findings to other populations, and to further document the long-term durability of antibody response following a single dose. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  14. Managing Conflict: Examining Recent PLA Writings on Escalation Control

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-02-01

    Cleared for Public Release Managing Conflict: Examining Recent PLA Writings on Escalation Control Alison A. Kaufman, Daniel...ANSI Std. Z39.18 i Abstract This study examines how people in China’s People’s Liberation Army ( PLA ) think about and discuss...escalation control in their public writings. It draws on over two dozen PLA writings, most issued since 2008, to explore the current state of PLA

  15. Agricultural Terrorism (Agroterror) and Escalation Theory

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Gooding, Aeneas R

    2007-01-01

    ... credibility terrorist groups must demonstrate a continued ability to conduct operations and inflict significant numbers of casualties on their enemy, maintaining a consistent, if not escalating, level of violence. This thesis uses E...

  16. Moderate- vs high-dose methadone in the treatment of opioid dependence: a randomized trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strain, E C; Bigelow, G E; Liebson, I A; Stitzer, M L

    1999-03-17

    Methadone hydrochloride treatment is the most common pharmacological intervention for opioid dependence, and recent interest has focused on expanding methadone treatment availability beyond traditional specially licensed clinics. However, despite recommendations regarding effective dosing of methadone, controlled clinical trials of higher-dose methadone have not been conducted. To compare the relative clinical efficacy of moderate- vs high-dose methadone in the treatment of opioid dependence. A 40-week randomized, double-blind clinical trial starting in June 1992 and ending in October 1995. Outpatient substance abuse treatment research clinic at the Johns Hopkins University Bayview Campus, Baltimore, Md. One hundred ninety-two eligible clinic patients. Daily oral methadone hydrochloride in the dose range of 40 to 50 mg (n = 97) or 80 to 100 mg (n = 95), with concurrent substance abuse counseling. Opioid-positive urinalysis results and retention in treatment. By intent-to-treat analysis through week 30 patients in the high-dose group had significantly lower rates of opioid-positive urine samples compared with patients in the moderate-dose group (53.0% [95% confidence interval [CI], 46.9%-59.2%] vs 61.9% [95% CI, 55.9%-68.0%]; P = .047. These differences persisted during withdrawal from methadone. Through day 210 no significant difference was evident between dose groups in treatment retention (high-dose group mean retention, 159 days; moderate-dose group mean retention, 157 days). Nineteen (33%) of 57 patients in the high-dose group and 11 (20%) of 54 patients in the moderate-dose group completed detoxification. Both moderate- and high-dose methadone treatment resulted in decreased illicit opioid use during methadone maintenance and detoxification. The high-dose group had significantly greater decreases in illicit opioid use.

  17. The influence of toxicity constraints in models of chemotherapeutic protocol escalation

    KAUST Repository

    Boston, E. A. J.

    2011-04-06

    The prospect of exploiting mathematical and computational models to gain insight into the influence of scheduling on cancer chemotherapeutic effectiveness is increasingly being considered. However, the question of whether such models are robust to the inclusion of additional tumour biology is relatively unexplored. In this paper, we consider a common strategy for improving protocol scheduling that has foundations in mathematical modelling, namely the concept of dose densification, whereby rest phases between drug administrations are reduced. To maintain a manageable scope in our studies, we focus on a single cell cycle phase-specific agent with uncomplicated pharmacokinetics, as motivated by 5-Fluorouracil-based adjuvant treatments of liver micrometastases. In particular, we explore predictions of the effectiveness of dose densification and other escalations of the protocol scheduling when the influence of toxicity constraints, cell cycle phase specificity and the evolution of drug resistance are all represented within the modelling. For our specific focus, we observe that the cell cycle and toxicity should not simply be neglected in modelling studies. Our explorations also reveal the prediction that dose densification is often, but not universally, effective. Furthermore, adjustments in the duration of drug administrations are predicted to be important, especially when dose densification in isolation does not yield improvements in protocol outcomes. © The author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications. All rights reserved.

  18. A phase I trial of sorafenib combined with cisplatin/etoposide or carboplatin/pemetrexed in refractory solid tumor patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davies, Janine M; Dhruva, Nirav S; Walko, Christine M; Socinski, Mark A; Bernard, Stephen; Hayes, D Neil; Kim, William Y; Ivanova, Anastasia; Keller, Kimberly; Hilbun, Layla R; Chiu, Michael; Dees, E Claire; Stinchcombe, Thomas E

    2011-02-01

    Sorafenib has demonstrated single agent activity in non-small cell (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Carboplatin/pemetrexed (CbP) and cisplatin/etoposide (PE) are commonly used in the treatment of these diseases. A phase I trial escalating doses of sorafenib in combination with fixed doses of PE (Arm A) or CbP (Arm B) was performed using a 3-patient cohort design to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and dose-limiting toxicities (DLT); DLT were assessed in the first cycle. The trial was subsequently amended with closure of Arm B and to include Arm C with a reduced dose of carboplatin. Between 9/2007 and 9/2008, 20 pts were treated on the trial; median age 62 (range 42-73), male/female ratio 12/8, PS 0/1 ratio 6/14, and median number of prior therapies 2 (range 1-4). The most common tumor types were NSCLC and SCLC. On Arm A at dose level 0 (sorafenib 200 mg BID), 2 of 4 patients experienced DLT; 2 patients were enrolled at dose level -1 (sorafenib 200 mg QD) without DLT, but this arm was closed due to slow accrual. On Arm B, 2 of 3 patients experienced DLT at dose level 0 (sorafenib 200 mg BID). On Arm C at dose level 0 (sorafenib 200 mg BID), 1 of 6 patients experienced DLT, and at dose level +1 (sorafenib 400 mg BID) 2 of 5 patients experienced a DLT. The MTD of sorafenib was 200 mg BID continuously in combination with carboplatin (AUC of 5) and pemetrexed 500 mg/m² every 3 weeks. However, only 6 patients were treated at this dose level, and the results should be interpreted cautiously. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Phase I (or phase II) dose-ranging clinical trials: proposal of a two-stage Bayesian design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zohar, Sarah; Chevret, Sylvie

    2003-02-01

    We propose a new design for phase I (or phase II) dose-ranging clinical trials aiming at determining a dose of an experimental treatment to satisfy safety (respectively efficacy) requirements, at treating a sufficiently large number of patients to estimate the toxicity (respectively failure) probability of the dose level with a given reliability, and at stopping the trial early if it is likely that no dose is safe (respectively efficacious). A two-stage design was derived from the Continual Reassessment Method (CRM), with implementation of Bayesian criteria to generate stopping rules. A simulation study was conducted to compare the operating characteristics of the proposed two-stage design to those reached by the traditional CRM. Finally, two applications to real data sets are provided.

  20. Safety and immunogenicity in man of a cell culture derived trivalent live attenuated seasonal influenza vaccine: a Phase I dose escalating study in healthy volunteers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heldens, Jacco; Hulskotte, Ellen; Voeten, Theo; Breedveld, Belinda; Verweij, Pierre; van Duijnhoven, Wilbert; Rudenko, Larissa; van Damme, Pierre; van den Bosch, Han

    2014-09-03

    Live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) offers the promise of inducing a variety of immune responses thereby conferring protection to circulating field strains. LAIVs are based on cold adapted and temperature sensitive phenotypes of master donor viruses (MDVs) containing the surface glycoprotein genes of seasonal influenza strains. Two types of MDV lineages have been described, the Ann Arbor lineages and the A/Leningrad/17 and B/USSR/60 lineages. Here the safety and immunogenicity of a Madin Darby Canine Kidney - cell culture based, intranasal LAIV derived from A/Leningrad/17 and B/USSR, was evaluated in healthy influenza non-naive volunteers 18-50 years of age. In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled design, single escalating doses of 1×10(5), 1×10(6), or 1×10(7) tissue culture infectious dose 50% (TCID50) of vaccine containing each of the three influenza virus re-assortants recommended by the World Health Organization for the 2008-2009 season were administered intranasally. A statistically significant geometric mean increase in hemagglutination inhibition titer was reached for influenza strain A/H3N2 after immunization with all doses of LAIV. For the A/H1N1 and B strains, the GMI in HI titer did not increase for any of the doses. Virus neutralization antibody titers showed a similar response pattern. A dose-response effect could not be demonstrated for any of the strains, neither for the HI antibody nor for the VN antibody responses. No influenza like symptoms, no nasal congestions, no rhinorrhea, or other influenza related upper respiratory tract symptoms were observed. In addition, no difference in the incidence or nature of adverse events was found between vaccine and placebo treated subjects. Overall, the results indicated that the LAIV for nasal administration is immunogenic (i.e. able to provoke an immune response) and safe both from the perspective of the attenuated virus and the MDCK cell line from which it was derived, and it warrants

  1. E4 - Energy efficient elevators and escalators. Monitoring campaign - Germany

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hirzel, Simon; Boege, Christian

    2009-12-15

    A monitoring campaign was carried out within the E4 project as a contribution to improving the understanding of energy consumption and energy efficiency of elevators and escalators in Europe. The aim of this campaign is to broaden the empirical base on the energy consumption of elevators and escalators, to provide publicly available monitoring data and to find hints on system configurations using little energy. Originally, 50 installations were planned to be monitored within the project. In the end, 74 elevators and 7 escalators, i.e. a total of 81 installations, were analyzed in the four countries under study: Portugal, Poland, Italy and Germany. The aim of this document is to summarize the results of the German monitoring campaign with its 14 installations (13 elevators, 1 escalator) and to provide interested readers with some additional information on the campaign. This document has six parts: Second, after the introductory section, some general information on the monitoring methodology is provided as a background for understanding and interpreting the subsequent results. In the third part, information on the monitored elevator installations and their characteristics is given. Part four is concerned with presenting and discussing the results of the monitoring campaign for the elevators while part five shortly presents the results for the monitored escalator. Finally, some conclusions are found in the last part. (orig.)

  2. Escalation research: Providing new frontiers for applying behavior analysis to organizational behavior

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goltz, Sonia M.

    2000-01-01

    Decision fiascoes such as escalation of commitment, the tendency of decision makers to “throw good money after bad,” can have serious consequences for organizations and are therefore of great interest in applied research. This paper discusses the use of behavior analysis in organizational behavior research on escalation. Among the most significant aspects of behavior-analytic research on escalation is that it has indicated that both the patterns of outcomes that decision makers have experienced for past decisions and the patterns of responses that they make are critical for understanding escalation. This research has also stimulated the refinement of methods by researchers to better assess decision making and the role reinforcement plays in it. Finally, behavior-analytic escalation research has not only indicated the utility of reinforcement principles for predicting more complex human behavior but has also suggested some additional areas for future exploration of decision making using behavior analysis. PMID:22478347

  3. A Phase I clinical trial of lodenafil carbonate, a new phosphodiesterase Type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor, in healthy male volunteers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendes, Gustavo D; dos Santos Filho, Hilton Oliveira; dos Santos Pereira, Alberto; Mendes, Fabiana D; Ilha, Jaime O; Alkharfy, Khalid M; De Nucci, Gilberto

    2012-12-01

    Lodenafil carbonate is a new phosphodiesterase Type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor used in treatment of erectile dysfunction. The present study was conducted to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of lodenafil carbonate after administering ascending (1 - 100 mg) single oral doses to healthy male volunteers (n = 33). The study was an open label, dose-escalation, Phase I clinical trial involving the administration of single oral doses of lodenafil carbonate. Lodenafil carbonate was administered sequentially, escalating in single doses of 1 mg - 100 mg with a washout period of at least 1 week between each dose. The progression to the next dose was allowed after clinical and laboratory exams, Ambulatory Monitoring of Arterial Pressure (AMAP) without relevant clinical modifications and adverse events without clinical relevancy. Blood samples were collected at pre-dose, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.25, 1.5, 1.75, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 20 and 24 h post-dosing. Plasma samples for measurement of lodenafil carbonate and lodenafil were analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. No serious adverse events were observed, and none of the subjects discontinued the study due to intolerance. The AMAP measurements, clinical and laboratory exams and ECG revealed no significant changes even at higher doses. Lodenafil carbonate was not detected in any samples, indicating that it acts as a prodrug. The mean lodenafil pharmacokinetic parameters for tmax and t1/2 were 1.6 ( ± 0.4) h and 3.3 ( ± 1.1) h, respectively. This study demonstrated that lodenafil carbonate was well tolerated and showed a good safety profile in healthy male volunteers.

  4. ATG-Fresenius treatment and low-dose tacrolimus: results of a randomized controlled trial in liver transplantation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benítez, C E; Puig-Pey, I; López, M; Martínez-Llordella, M; Lozano, J J; Bohne, F; Londoño, M C; García-Valdecasas, J C; Bruguera, M; Navasa, M; Rimola, A; Sánchez-Fueyo, A

    2010-10-01

    We report the results of a prospective randomized controlled trial in liver transplantation assessing the efficacy and safety of antithymocyte globulin (ATG-Fresenius) plus tacrolimus monotherapy at gradually decreasing doses. Patients were randomized to either: (a) standard-dose tacrolimus plus steroids;or (b) peritransplant ATG-Fresenius plus reduced-dose tacrolimus monotherapy followed by weaning of tacrolimus starting 3 months after transplantation. The primary end-point was the achievement of very low-dose tacrolimus (every-other-day or once daily dose with Fresenius group but no benefits in terms of improved renal function, lower metabolic complications or increased prevalence of tolerance-related biomarkers were observed. In conclusion, the use of ATG-Fresenius and tacrolimus at gradually decreasing doses was associated with a high rate of rejection, did not allow for the administration of very low doses of tacrolimus and failed to provide detectable clinical benefits. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00436722. © 2010 The Authors Journal compilation © 2010 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

  5. European Collaboration on Low-dose Aspirin in Polycythemia Vera (ECLAP): a randomized trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landolfi, R; Marchioli, R

    1997-01-01

    Thrombotic complications characterize the clinical course of polycythemia vera (PV) and represent the main cause of morbidity and mortality. However, uncertainty still exists as to the benefit/risk ratio of aspirin prophylaxis in this setting. In vivo platelet biosynthesis of thromboxane A2 is enhanced and can be suppressed by low-dose aspirin in PV, thus providing a rationale for assessing the efficacy and safety of a low-dose aspirin regimen in these patients. The Gruppo Italiano Studio Policitemia Vera has recently performed a pilot study on 112 patients randomized to receive aspirin, 40 mg daily, or placebo and followed for 16 +/- 6 months (mean +/- SD). This study showed that low-dose aspirin is well tolerated in PV patients, and that a large-scale efficacy trial is feasible in this setting. In this article we report the protocol of the European Collaboration on Low-dose Aspirin in Polycythemia Vera (ECLAP) study, which is a randomized trial designed to assess the risk/benefit ratio of low-dose aspirin in PV. To estimate the size and the follow-up duration required for the ECLAP trial, a retrospective analysis of the clinical epidemiology of a large PV population has recently been completed by the Gruppo Italiano Studio Policitemia Vera. On this basis, approximately 3500 patients will be enrolled in the ECLAP study with a follow-up of 3 to 4 years. The uncertainty principle will be used as the main eligibility criterion: Polycythemic patients of any age, having no clear indication for or contraindication to aspirin treatment, will be randomized in a double-blind fashion to receive oral aspirin (100 mg daily) or placebo. According to current therapeutic recommendations, the basic treatment of randomized patients should be aimed at maintaining the hematocrit value 50. Randomization will be stratified by participating center. The study is funded by the European Union BIOMED 2 program.

  6. Systematic overview of preoperative (neoadjuvant) chemoradiotherapy trials in oesophageal cancer: Evidence of a radiation and chemotherapy dose response

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Geh, J. Ian; Bond, Simon J.; Bentzen, Soren M.; Glynne-Jones, Robert

    2006-01-01

    Background and purpose: Numerous trials have shown that pathological complete response (pCR) following preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and surgery for oesophageal cancer is associated with improved survival. However, different radiotherapy doses and fractionations and chemotherapy drugs, doses and scheduling were used, which may account for the differences in observed pCR and survival rates. A dose-response relationship may exist between radiotherapy and chemotherapy dose and pCR. Patients and methods: Trials using a single radiotherapy and chemotherapy regimen (5FU, cisplatin or mitomycin C-based) and providing information on patient numbers, age, resection and pCR rates were eligible. The endpoint used was pCR and the covariates analysed were prescribed radiotherapy dose, radiotherapy dosexdose per fraction, radiotherapy treatment time, prescribed chemotherapy (5FU, cisplatin and mitomycin C) dose and median age of patients within the trial. The model used was a multivariate logistic regression. Results: Twenty-six trials were included (1335 patients) in which 311 patients (24%) achieved pCR. The probability of pCR improved with increasing dose of radiotherapy (P=0.006), 5FU (P=0.003) and cisplatin (P=0.018). Increasing radiotherapy treatment time (P=0.035) and increasing median age (P=0.019) reduced the probability of pCR. The estimated α/β ratio of oesophageal cancer was 4.9 Gy (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.5-17 Gy) and the estimated radiotherapy dose lost per day was 0.59 Gy (95% CI 0.18-0.99 Gy). One gram per square metre of 5FU was estimated to be equivalent to 1.9 Gy (95% CI 0.8-5.2 Gy) of radiation and 100 mg/m 2 of cisplatin was estimated to be equivalent to 7.2 Gy (95% CI 2.1-28 Gy). Mitomycin C dose did not appear to influence pCR rates (P=0.60). Conclusions: There was evidence of a dose-response relationship between increasing protocol prescribed radiotherapy, 5FU and cisplatin dose and pCR. Additional significant factors were radiotherapy

  7. Escalator: An Autonomous Scheduling Scheme for Convergecast in TSCH

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sukho Oh

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Time Slotted Channel Hopping (TSCH is widely used in the industrial wireless sensor networks due to its high reliability and energy efficiency. Various timeslot and channel scheduling schemes have been proposed for achieving high reliability and energy efficiency for TSCH networks. Recently proposed autonomous scheduling schemes provide flexible timeslot scheduling based on the routing topology, but do not take into account the network traffic and packet forwarding delays. In this paper, we propose an autonomous scheduling scheme for convergecast in TSCH networks with RPL as a routing protocol, named Escalator. Escalator generates a consecutive timeslot schedule along the packet forwarding path to minimize the packet transmission delay. The schedule is generated autonomously by utilizing only the local routing topology information without any additional signaling with other nodes. The generated schedule is guaranteed to be conflict-free, in that all nodes in the network could transmit packets to the sink in every slotframe cycle. We implement Escalator and evaluate its performance with existing autonomous scheduling schemes through a testbed and simulation. Experimental results show that the proposed Escalator has lower end-to-end delay and higher packet delivery ratio compared to the existing schemes regardless of the network topology.

  8. A phase I clinical trial of adoptive transfer of folate receptor-alpha redirected autologous T cells for recurrent ovarian cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kandalaft Lana E

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Purpose In spite of increased rates of complete response to initial chemotherapy, most patients with advanced ovarian cancer relapse and succumb to progressive disease. Rationale Genetically reprogrammed, patient-derived chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-T lymphocytes with the ability to recognize predefined surface antigens with high specificity in a non-MHC restricted manner have shown increasing anti-tumor efficacy in preclinical and clinical studies. Folate receptor-α (FRα is an ovarian cancer-specific tumor target; however, it is expressed at low levels in certain organs with risk for toxicity. Design Here we propose a phase I study testing the feasibility, safety and preliminary activity of FRα-redirected CAR-T cells bearing the CD137 (4-1BB costimulatory domain, administered after lymphodepletion for the treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer. A novel trial design is proposed that maximizes safety features. Innovation This design involves an initial accelerated dose escalation phase of FR-α CAR-T cells followed by a standard 3 + 3 escalation phase. A split-dose approach is proposed to mitigate acute adverse events. Furthermore, infusion of bulk untransduced autologous peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL is proposed two days after CAR-T cell infusion at the lower dose levels of CAR-T cells, to suppress excessive expansion of CAR-T cells in vivo and mitigate toxicity.

  9. Deterrence Adrift Mapping Conflict and Escalation in South Asia

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-06-21

    will paralyze India’s political leadership from authorizing Cold Start in the first place , or at the very least, force India to drastically curb its...Pakistan believes that its willingness to escalate will either deter New Delhi from cross-border adventurism in the first place or achieve some...difficulty calibrating a limited ground offensive in a way that does not precipitate an escalation spiral. In es- sence , India’s quandary reflects one of

  10. Smoking habits in the randomised Danish Lung Cancer Screening Trial with low-dose CT

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ashraf, Haseem; Saghir, Zaigham; Dirksen, Asger

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND: We present the final results of the effect of lung cancer screening with low-dose CT on the smoking habits of participants in a 5-year screening trial. METHODS: The Danish Lung Cancer Screening Trial (DLCST) was a 5-year screening trial that enrolled 4104 subjects; 2052 were randomised...... to annual low-dose CT (CT group) and 2052 received no intervention (control group). Participants were current and ex-smokers (≥4 weeks abstinence from smoking) with a tobacco consumption of ≥20 pack years. Smoking habits were determined annually. Missing values for smoking status at the final screening...... round were handled using two different models. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in annual smoking status between the CT group and control group. Overall the ex-smoker rates (CT + control group) significantly increased from 24% (baseline) to 37% at year 5 of screening (p

  11. Conflict escalation in paediatric services: findings from a qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forbat, Liz; Teuten, Bea; Barclay, Sarah

    2015-08-01

    To explore clinician and family experiences of conflict in paediatric services, in order to map the trajectory of conflict escalation. Qualitative interview study, employing extreme-case sampling. Interviews were analysed using an iterative thematic approach to identify common themes regarding the experience and escalation of conflict. Thirty-eight health professionals and eight parents. All participants had direct experience of conflict, including physical assault and court proceedings, at the interface of acute and palliative care. Two teaching hospitals, one district general hospital and two paediatric hospices in England, in 2011. Conflicts escalate in a predictable manner. Clearly identifiable behaviours by both clinicians and parents are defined as mild, moderate and severe. Mild describes features like the insensitive use of language and a history of unresolved conflict. Moderate involves a deterioration of trust, and a breakdown of communication and relationships. Severe marks disintegration of working relationships, characterised by behavioural changes including aggression, and a shift in focus from the child's best interests to the conflict itself. Though conflicts may remain at one level, those which escalated tended to move sequentially from one level to the next. Understanding how conflicts escalate provides clinicians with a practical, evidence-based framework to identify the warning signs of conflict in paediatrics. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  12. Dose- and time-dependent pharmacokinetics of apigenin trimethyl ether.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elhennawy, Mai Gamal; Lin, Hai-Shu

    2018-06-15

    Apigenin trimethyl ether (5,7,4'-trimethoxyflavone, ATE), one of the key polymethoxyflavones present in black ginger (rhizome of Kaempferia parviflora) possesses various health-promoting activities. To optimize its medicinal application, the pharmacokinetics of ATE was assessed in Sprague-Dawley rats with emphases to identify the impacts from dose and repeated dosing on its major pharmacokinetic parameters. Plasma ATE levels were monitored by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method. Upon single intravenous administration (2 mg/kg), plasma levels of ATE declined through an apparent first-order process while dose-escalation to 4 and 8 mg/kg led to its non-linear disposition, which could be described by the Michaelis-Menten model. Similarly, dose-dependent oral pharmacokinetics was confirmed and when the dose was escalated from 5 to 15 and 45 mg/kg, much longer mean residence time (MRT 0→last ), higher dose-normalized maximal plasma concentration (C max /Dose) and exposure (AUC/Dose) were observed at 15 and/or 45 mg/kg. One-week daily oral administration of ATE at 15 mg/kg caused its accelerated elimination and the plasma exposure (AUC) after intravenous (2 mg/kg) and oral administration (15 mg/kg) dropped ~40 and 60%, respectively. As ATE displayed both dose- and time-dependent pharmacokinetics, caution is needed in the medicinal applications of ATE and/or black ginger. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Personalized versus standardized dosing strategies for the treatment of childhood amblyopia: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moseley, Merrick J; Wallace, Michael P; Stephens, David A; Fielder, Alistair R; Smith, Laura C; Stewart, Catherine E

    2015-04-25

    Amblyopia is the commonest visual disorder of childhood in Western societies, affecting, predominantly, spatial visual function. Treatment typically requires a period of refractive correction ('optical treatment') followed by occlusion: covering the nonamblyopic eye with a fabric patch for varying daily durations. Recent studies have provided insight into the optimal amount of patching ('dose'), leading to the adoption of standardized dosing strategies, which, though an advance on previous ad-hoc regimens, take little account of individual patient characteristics. This trial compares the effectiveness of a standardized dosing strategy (that is, a fixed daily occlusion dose based on disease severity) with a personalized dosing strategy (derived from known treatment dose-response functions), in which an initially prescribed occlusion dose is modulated, in a systematic manner, dependent on treatment compliance. A total of 120 children aged between 3 and 8 years of age diagnosed with amblyopia in association with either anisometropia or strabismus, or both, will be randomized to receive either a standardized or a personalized occlusion dose regimen. To avoid confounding by the known benefits of refractive correction, participants will not be randomized until they have completed an optical treatment phase. The primary study objective is to determine whether, at trial endpoint, participants receiving a personalized dosing strategy require fewer hours of occlusion than those in receipt of a standardized dosing strategy. Secondary objectives are to quantify the relationship between observed changes in visual acuity (logMAR, logarithm of the Minimum Angle of Resolution) with age, amblyopia type, and severity of amblyopic visual acuity deficit. This is the first randomized controlled trial of occlusion therapy for amblyopia to compare a treatment arm representative of current best practice with an arm representative of an entirely novel treatment regimen based on statistical

  14. Phase 1 Trials of rVSV Ebola Vaccine in Africa and Europe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agnandji, Selidji T; Huttner, Angela; Zinser, Madeleine E; Njuguna, Patricia; Dahlke, Christine; Fernandes, José F; Yerly, Sabine; Dayer, Julie-Anne; Kraehling, Verena; Kasonta, Rahel; Adegnika, Akim A; Altfeld, Marcus; Auderset, Floriane; Bache, Emmanuel B; Biedenkopf, Nadine; Borregaard, Saskia; Brosnahan, Jessica S; Burrow, Rebekah; Combescure, Christophe; Desmeules, Jules; Eickmann, Markus; Fehling, Sarah K; Finckh, Axel; Goncalves, Ana Rita; Grobusch, Martin P; Hooper, Jay; Jambrecina, Alen; Kabwende, Anita L; Kaya, Gürkan; Kimani, Domtila; Lell, Bertrand; Lemaître, Barbara; Lohse, Ansgar W; Massinga-Loembe, Marguerite; Matthey, Alain; Mordmüller, Benjamin; Nolting, Anne; Ogwang, Caroline; Ramharter, Michael; Schmidt-Chanasit, Jonas; Schmiedel, Stefan; Silvera, Peter; Stahl, Felix R; Staines, Henry M; Strecker, Thomas; Stubbe, Hans C; Tsofa, Benjamin; Zaki, Sherif; Fast, Patricia; Moorthy, Vasee; Kaiser, Laurent; Krishna, Sanjeev; Becker, Stephan; Kieny, Marie-Paule; Bejon, Philip; Kremsner, Peter G; Addo, Marylyn M; Siegrist, Claire-Anne

    2016-04-28

    The replication-competent recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV)-based vaccine expressing a Zaire ebolavirus (ZEBOV) glycoprotein was selected for rapid safety and immunogenicity testing before its use in West Africa. We performed three open-label, dose-escalation phase 1 trials and one randomized, double-blind, controlled phase 1 trial to assess the safety, side-effect profile, and immunogenicity of rVSV-ZEBOV at various doses in 158 healthy adults in Europe and Africa. All participants were injected with doses of vaccine ranging from 300,000 to 50 million plaque-forming units (PFU) or placebo. No serious vaccine-related adverse events were reported. Mild-to-moderate early-onset reactogenicity was frequent but transient (median, 1 day). Fever was observed in up to 30% of vaccinees. Vaccine viremia was detected within 3 days in 123 of the 130 participants (95%) receiving 3 million PFU or more; rVSV was not detected in saliva or urine. In the second week after injection, arthritis affecting one to four joints developed in 11 of 51 participants (22%) in Geneva, with pain lasting a median of 8 days (interquartile range, 4 to 87); 2 self-limited cases occurred in 60 participants (3%) in Hamburg, Germany, and Kilifi, Kenya. The virus was identified in one synovial-fluid aspirate and in skin vesicles of 2 other vaccinees, showing peripheral viral replication in the second week after immunization. ZEBOV-glycoprotein-specific antibody responses were detected in all the participants, with similar glycoprotein-binding antibody titers but significantly higher neutralizing antibody titers at higher doses. Glycoprotein-binding antibody titers were sustained through 180 days in all participants. In these studies, rVSV-ZEBOV was reactogenic but immunogenic after a single dose and warrants further evaluation for safety and efficacy. (Funded by the Wellcome Trust and others; ClinicalTrials.gov numbers, NCT02283099, NCT02287480, and NCT02296983; Pan African Clinical Trials

  15. Radiation Therapy for Bone Metastases from Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Effect of Radiation Dose Escalation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Tae Gyu; Park, Hee Chul; Lim, Do Hoon

    2011-01-01

    To evaluate the extent of pain response and objective response to palliative radiotherapy (RT) for bone metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma according to RT dose. From January 2007 to June 2010, palliative RT was conducted for 103 patients (223 sites) with bone metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma. Treatment sites were divided into the high RT dose and low RT dose groups by biologically effective dose (BED) of 39 Gy10. Pain responses were evaluated using the numeric rating scale. Pain scores before and after RT were compared and categorized into 'Decreased', 'No change' and 'increased'. Radiological objective responses were categorized into complete response, partial response, stable disease and progression using modified RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors) criteria; the factors predicting patients' survival were analyzed. The median follow-up period was 6 months (range, 0 to 46 months), and the radiologic responses existed in 67 RT sites (66.3%) and 44 sites (89.8%) in the high and low RT dose group, respectively. A dose-response relationship was found in relation to RT dose (p=0.02). Pain responses were 75% and 65% in the high and low RT dose groups, respectively. However, no statistical difference in pain response was found between the two groups (p=0.24). There were no differences in the toxicity profiles between the high and low RT dose groups. Median survival from the time of bone metastases diagnosis was 11 months (range, 0 to 46 months). The Child-Pugh classification at the time of palliative RT was the only significant predictive factor for patient survival after RT. Median survival time was 14 months under Child-Pugh A and 2 months under Child-Pugh B and C. The rate of radiologic objective response was higher in the high RT dose group. Palliative RT with a high dose would provide an improvement in patient quality of life through enhanced tumor response, especially in patients with proper liver function.

  16. Doses and fractionation schemes to be employed in clinical trials of high-LET radiations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fowler, J.F.

    1979-01-01

    An improvement in local tumour control of 20% would require 2 x 130 cases in order that nine trials out of ten should show the difference at a significant level. If the improvement is 30% only 2 x 55 patients are required. However, the detection of increased normal tissue complications requires larger number of patients than this, e.g. 2 x 150 if the increase is from 5% to 15%. The use of two dose levels on the neutron side in a clinical trial would enable definitive data to be obtained in, say, 6 years with 300 patients, instead of 10 years with 400 patients if only one dose level were used. (author)

  17. Low or High Fractionation Dose {beta}-Radiotherapy for Pterygium? A Randomized Clinical Trial

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Viani, Gustavo Arruda, E-mail: gusviani@gmail.com [Department of Radiation Oncology, Marilia Medicine School, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); De Fendi, Ligia Issa; Fonseca, Ellen Carrara [Department of Ophthalmology, Marilia Medicine School, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Stefano, Eduardo Jose [Department of Radiation Oncology, Marilia Medicine School, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2012-02-01

    Purpose: Postoperative adjuvant treatment using {beta}-radiotherapy (RT) is a proven technique for reducing the recurrence of pterygium. A randomized trial was conducted to determine whether a low fractionation dose of 2 Gy within 10 fractions would provide local control similar to that after a high fractionation dose of 5 Gy within 7 fractions for surgically resected pterygium. Methods: A randomized trial was conducted in 200 patients (216 pterygia) between February 2006 and July 2007. Only patients with fresh pterygium resected using a bare sclera method and given RT within 3 days were included. Postoperative RT was delivered using a strontium-90 eye applicator. The pterygia were randomly treated using either 5 Gy within 7 fractions (Group 1) or 2 Gy within 10 fractions (Group 2). The local control rate was calculated from the date of surgery. Results: Of the 216 pterygia included, 112 were allocated to Group 1 and 104 to Group 2. The 3-year local control rate for Groups 1 and 2 was 93.8% and 92.3%, respectively (p = .616). A statistically significant difference for cosmetic effect (p = .034), photophobia (p = .02), irritation (p = .001), and scleromalacia (p = .017) was noted in favor of Group 2. Conclusions: No better local control rate for postoperative pterygium was obtained using high-dose fractionation vs. low-dose fractionation. However, a low-dose fractionation schedule produced better cosmetic effects and resulted in fewer symptoms than high-dose fractionation. Moreover, pterygia can be safely treated in terms of local recurrence using RT schedules with a biologic effective dose of 24-52.5 Gy{sub 10.}.

  18. Conflict escalation in paediatric services: findings from a qualitative study

    OpenAIRE

    Forbat, Liz; Teuten, Bea; Barclay, Sarah

    2015-01-01

    Objective To explore clinician and family experiences of conflict in paediatric services, in order to map the trajectory of conflict escalation. Design Qualitative interview study, employing extreme-case sampling. Interviews were analysed using an iterative thematic approach to identify common themes regarding the experience and escalation of conflict. Participants Thirty-eight health professionals and eight parents. All participants had direct experience of conflict, including physical assau...

  19. Dose painting based on tumor uptake of Cu-ATSM and FDG

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Clausen, Malene Martini; Hansen, Anders Elias; Lundemann, Michael

    2014-01-01

    definitions based on FDG, 64Cu-ATSM 3 h and 24 h uptake in canine tumors had different localization of the regional dose escalation levels. This indicates that 64Cu-ATSM at two different time-points and FDG provide different biological information that has to be taken into account when using the dose painting...

  20. Study protocol of a phase IB/II clinical trial of metformin and chloroquine in patients with IDH1-mutated or IDH2-mutated solid tumours.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molenaar, Remco J; Coelen, Robert J S; Khurshed, Mohammed; Roos, Eva; Caan, Matthan W A; van Linde, Myra E; Kouwenhoven, Mathilde; Bramer, Jos A M; Bovée, Judith V M G; Mathôt, Ron A; Klümpen, Heinz-Josef; van Laarhoven, Hanneke W M; van Noorden, Cornelis J F; Vandertop, W Peter; Gelderblom, Hans; van Gulik, Thomas M; Wilmink, Johanna W

    2017-06-10

    High-grade chondrosarcoma, high-grade glioma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma are aggressive types of cancer with a dismal outcome. This is due to the lack of effective treatment options, emphasising the need for novel therapies. Mutations in the genes IDH1 and IDH2 (isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2) occur in 60% of chondrosarcoma, 80% of WHO grade II-IV glioma and 20% of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. IDH1/2 -mutated cancer cells produce the oncometabolite D -2-hydroxyglutarate ( D -2HG) and are metabolically vulnerable to treatment with the oral antidiabetic metformin and the oral antimalarial drug chloroquine. We describe a dose-finding phase Ib/II clinical trial, in which patients with IDH1/2 -mutated chondrosarcoma, glioma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma are treated with a combination of metformin and chloroquine. Dose escalation is performed according to a 3+3 dose-escalation scheme. The primary objective is to determine the maximum tolerated dose to establish the recommended dose for a phase II clinical trial. Secondary objectives of the study include (1) determination of pharmacokinetics and toxic effects of the study therapy, for which metformin and chloroquine serum levels will be determined over time; (2) investigation of tumour responses to metformin plus chloroquine in IDH1/2 -mutated cancers using CT/MRI scans; and (3) whether tumour responses can be measured by non-invasive D -2HG measurements (mass spectrometry and magnetic resonance spectroscopy) of tumour tissue, serum, urine, and/or bile or next-generation sequencing of circulating tumour DNA (liquid biopsies). This study may open a novel treatment avenue for IDH1/2 -mutated high-grade chondrosarcoma, glioma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma by repurposing the combination of two inexpensive drugs that are already approved for other indications. This study has been approved by the medical-ethical review committee of the Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The report

  1. Gastrointestinal Dose-Histogram Effects in the Context of Dose-Volume–Constrained Prostate Radiation Therapy: Analysis of Data From the RADAR Prostate Radiation Therapy Trial

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ebert, Martin A., E-mail: Martin.Ebert@health.wa.gov.au [Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia (Australia); School of Physics, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia (Australia); Foo, Kerwyn [Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales (Australia); Haworth, Annette [Department of Physical Sciences, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Victoria (Australia); Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia); Gulliford, Sarah L. [Joint Department of Physics, Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden National Health Service Foundation Trust, Sutton, Surrey (United Kingdom); Kennedy, Angel [Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia (Australia); Joseph, David J. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia (Australia); School of Surgery, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia (Australia); Denham, James W. [School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales (Australia)

    2015-03-01

    Purpose: To use a high-quality multicenter trial dataset to determine dose-volume effects for gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity following radiation therapy for prostate carcinoma. Influential dose-volume histogram regions were to be determined as functions of dose, anatomical location, toxicity, and clinical endpoint. Methods and Materials: Planning datasets for 754 participants in the TROG 03.04 RADAR trial were available, with Late Effects of Normal Tissues (LENT) Subjective, Objective, Management, and Analytic (SOMA) toxicity assessment to a median of 72 months. A rank sum method was used to define dose-volume cut-points as near-continuous functions of dose to 3 GI anatomical regions, together with a comprehensive assessment of significance. Univariate and multivariate ordinal regression was used to assess the importance of cut-points at each dose. Results: Dose ranges providing significant cut-points tended to be consistent with those showing significant univariate regression odds-ratios (representing the probability of a unitary increase in toxicity grade per percent relative volume). Ranges of significant cut-points for rectal bleeding validated previously published results. Separation of the lower GI anatomy into complete anorectum, rectum, and anal canal showed the impact of mid-low doses to the anal canal on urgency and tenesmus, completeness of evacuation and stool frequency, and mid-high doses to the anorectum on bleeding and stool frequency. Derived multivariate models emphasized the importance of the high-dose region of the anorectum and rectum for rectal bleeding and mid- to low-dose regions for diarrhea and urgency and tenesmus, and low-to-mid doses to the anal canal for stool frequency, diarrhea, evacuation, and bleeding. Conclusions: Results confirm anatomical dependence of specific GI toxicities. They provide an atlas summarizing dose-histogram effects and derived constraints as functions of anatomical region, dose, toxicity, and endpoint for

  2. Gastrointestinal Dose-Histogram Effects in the Context of Dose-Volume–Constrained Prostate Radiation Therapy: Analysis of Data From the RADAR Prostate Radiation Therapy Trial

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ebert, Martin A.; Foo, Kerwyn; Haworth, Annette; Gulliford, Sarah L.; Kennedy, Angel; Joseph, David J.; Denham, James W.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: To use a high-quality multicenter trial dataset to determine dose-volume effects for gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity following radiation therapy for prostate carcinoma. Influential dose-volume histogram regions were to be determined as functions of dose, anatomical location, toxicity, and clinical endpoint. Methods and Materials: Planning datasets for 754 participants in the TROG 03.04 RADAR trial were available, with Late Effects of Normal Tissues (LENT) Subjective, Objective, Management, and Analytic (SOMA) toxicity assessment to a median of 72 months. A rank sum method was used to define dose-volume cut-points as near-continuous functions of dose to 3 GI anatomical regions, together with a comprehensive assessment of significance. Univariate and multivariate ordinal regression was used to assess the importance of cut-points at each dose. Results: Dose ranges providing significant cut-points tended to be consistent with those showing significant univariate regression odds-ratios (representing the probability of a unitary increase in toxicity grade per percent relative volume). Ranges of significant cut-points for rectal bleeding validated previously published results. Separation of the lower GI anatomy into complete anorectum, rectum, and anal canal showed the impact of mid-low doses to the anal canal on urgency and tenesmus, completeness of evacuation and stool frequency, and mid-high doses to the anorectum on bleeding and stool frequency. Derived multivariate models emphasized the importance of the high-dose region of the anorectum and rectum for rectal bleeding and mid- to low-dose regions for diarrhea and urgency and tenesmus, and low-to-mid doses to the anal canal for stool frequency, diarrhea, evacuation, and bleeding. Conclusions: Results confirm anatomical dependence of specific GI toxicities. They provide an atlas summarizing dose-histogram effects and derived constraints as functions of anatomical region, dose, toxicity, and endpoint for

  3. Safety and pharmacokinetics of the Fc-modified HIV-1 human monoclonal antibody VRC01LS: A Phase 1 open-label clinical trial in healthy adults

    OpenAIRE

    Gaudinski, Martin R.; Coates, Emily E.; Houser, Katherine V.; Chen, Grace L.; Yamshchikov, Galina; Saunders, Jamie G.; Holman, LaSonji A.; Gordon, Ingelise; Plummer, Sarah; Hendel, Cynthia S.; Conan-Cibotti, Michelle; Lorenzo, Margarita Gomez; Sitar, Sandra; Carlton, Kevin; Laurencot, Carolyn

    2018-01-01

    Background VRC01 is a human broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibody (bnMAb) against the CD4-binding site of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) that is currently being evaluated in a Phase IIb adult HIV-1 prevention efficacy trial. VRC01LS is a modified version of VRC01, designed for extended serum half-life by increased binding affinity to the neonatal Fc receptor. Methods and findings This Phase I dose-escalation study of VRC01LS in HIV-negative healthy adults was conducted by the Vaccin...

  4. WE-G-BRB-04: Leveraging Innovation to Design Future Clinical Trials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Michalski, J.

    2015-01-01

    Over the past 20 years the NIH has funded individual grants, program projects grants, and clinical trials which have been instrumental in advancing patient care. The ways that each grant mechanism lends itself to the different phases of translating research into clinical practice will be described. Major technological innovations, such as IMRT and proton therapy, have been advanced with R01-type and P01-type funding and will be discussed. Similarly, the role of program project grants in identifying and addressing key hypotheses on the potential of 3D conformal therapy, normal tissue-guided dose escalation and motion management will be described. An overview will be provided regarding how these technological innovations have been applied to multi-institutional NIH-sponsored trials. Finally, the panel will discuss regarding which research questions should be funded by the NIH to inspire the next advances in radiation therapy. Learning Objectives: Understand the different funding mechanisms of the NIH Learn about research advances that have led to innovation in delivery Review achievements due to NIH-funded program project grants in radiotherapy over the past 20 years Understand example advances achieved with multi-institutional clinical trials NIH

  5. A Comparison of Escalating versus Fixed Reinforcement Schedules on Undergraduate Quiz Taking

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahoney, Amanda

    2017-01-01

    Drug abstinence studies indicate that escalating reinforcement schedules maintain abstinence for longer periods than fixed reinforcement schedules. The current study evaluated whether escalating reinforcement schedules would maintain more quiz taking than fixed reinforcement schedules. During baseline and for the control group, bonus points were…

  6. Evaluating the relationship between erectile dysfunction and dose received by the penile bulb: Using data from a randomised controlled trial of conformal radiotherapy in prostate cancer (MRC RT01, ISRCTN47772397)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mangar, Stephen A.; Sydes, Matthew R.; Tucker, Helen L.

    2006-01-01

    Aim: To evaluate the relationship between erectile function and the radiation dose to the penile bulb and other proximal penile structures in men receiving conformal radiotherapy (CFRT) for prostate cancer (PCa). Methods: The Medical Research Council (MRC) RT01 trial randomised 843 men who had localised PCa to receive either 64 or 74 Gy after 3-6 months neoadjuvant hormonal treatment. Fifty-one men were selected who were potent prior to hormonal treatment, having completed both pre-hormone and 2-year post-CFRT Quality of Life assessments, and on whom dose volume data were available for analysis. The men were divided into three groups according to 2-year follow-up: potent, reduced potency, and impotent. The bulb of the penis together with the crura, were outlined on restored treatment plans. Dose-volume histograms were generated and compared between the three groups. An ordered logistic regression model was used to calculate the odds ratio of a range of dose-volume parameters to the penile bulb and effect on erectile dysfunction. The dose to the penile bulb was correlated to the dose received by the crura. Results: Of the 51 patients, 12 remained potent, 22 had reduced potency, and 17 were impotent at 2 years. No differences were seen in mean dose to the penile bulb by allocated treatment (t test = 1.61, p = 0.11). The mean doses to the penile bulb received by the potent, reduced potency, and impotent groups were 45.5 Gy (SD 17.1), 48 Gy (SD 16.1), and 59.2 Gy (SD 13.8), respectively. There was a strong correlation between the mean dose received by the penile bulb and dose to the crura (r = 0.82, p < 0.0001). 83.3% of impotent patients received a D90 ≥50 Gy to the penile bulb compared with 29.4% of patients who maintained potency at 2 years (p 0.006). Conclusion: There is evidence from this study to suggest a dose volume effect on the penile bulb and erectile dysfunction. A D90 ≥50 Gy is associated with a significant risk of erectile dysfunction and this should

  7. High-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy as a Monotherapy for Favorable-Risk Prostate Cancer: A Phase II Trial

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barkati, Maroie; Williams, Scott G.; Foroudi, Farshad; Tai, Keen Hun; Chander, Sarat; Dyk, Sylvia van; See, Andrew; Duchesne, Gillian M.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: There are multiple treatment options for favorable-risk prostate cancer. High-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy as a monotherapy is appealing, but its use is still investigational. A Phase II trial was undertaken to explore the value of such treatment in low-to-intermediate risk prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: This was a single-institution, prospective study. Eligible patients had low-risk prostate cancer features but also Gleason scores of 7 (51% of patients) and stage T2b to T2c cancer. Treatment with HDR brachytherapy with a single implant was administered over 2 days. One of four fractionation schedules was used in a dose escalation study design: 3 fractions of 10, 10.5, 11, or 11.5 Gy. Patients were assessed with the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 2.0 for urinary toxicity, the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer scoring schema for rectal toxicity, and the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) questionnaire to measure patient-reported health-related quality of life. Biochemical failure was defined as a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) nadir plus 2 ng/ml. Results: Between 2003 and 2008, 79 patients were enrolled. With a median follow-up of 39.5 months, biochemical relapse occurred in 7 patients. Three- and 5-year actuarial biochemical control rates were 88.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 78.0-96.2%) and 85.1% (95% CI, 72.5-94.5%), respectively. Acute grade 3 urinary toxicity was seen in only 1 patient. There was no instance of acute grade 3 rectal toxicity. Rates of late grade 3 rectal toxicity, dysuria, hematuria, urinary retention, and urinary incontinence were 0%, 10.3%, 1.3%, 9.0%, and 0%, respectively. No grade 4 or greater toxicity was recorded. Among the four (urinary, bowel, sexual, and hormonal) domains assessed with the EPIC questionnaire, only the sexual domain did not recover with time. Conclusions: HDR brachytherapy as a monotherapy for favorable

  8. High-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy as a Monotherapy for Favorable-Risk Prostate Cancer: A Phase II Trial

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barkati, Maroie [Division of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne (Australia); Williams, Scott G., E-mail: scott.williams@petermac.org [Division of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne (Australia); Department of Pathology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne (Australia); Foroudi, Farshad; Tai, Keen Hun; Chander, Sarat [Division of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne (Australia); Department of Pathology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne (Australia); Dyk, Sylvia van [Division of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne (Australia); See, Andrew [Ballarat Austin Radiation Oncology Centre, Ballarat (Australia); Duchesne, Gillian M. [Division of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne (Australia); Department of Pathology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne (Australia)

    2012-04-01

    Purpose: There are multiple treatment options for favorable-risk prostate cancer. High-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy as a monotherapy is appealing, but its use is still investigational. A Phase II trial was undertaken to explore the value of such treatment in low-to-intermediate risk prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: This was a single-institution, prospective study. Eligible patients had low-risk prostate cancer features but also Gleason scores of 7 (51% of patients) and stage T2b to T2c cancer. Treatment with HDR brachytherapy with a single implant was administered over 2 days. One of four fractionation schedules was used in a dose escalation study design: 3 fractions of 10, 10.5, 11, or 11.5 Gy. Patients were assessed with the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 2.0 for urinary toxicity, the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer scoring schema for rectal toxicity, and the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) questionnaire to measure patient-reported health-related quality of life. Biochemical failure was defined as a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) nadir plus 2 ng/ml. Results: Between 2003 and 2008, 79 patients were enrolled. With a median follow-up of 39.5 months, biochemical relapse occurred in 7 patients. Three- and 5-year actuarial biochemical control rates were 88.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 78.0-96.2%) and 85.1% (95% CI, 72.5-94.5%), respectively. Acute grade 3 urinary toxicity was seen in only 1 patient. There was no instance of acute grade 3 rectal toxicity. Rates of late grade 3 rectal toxicity, dysuria, hematuria, urinary retention, and urinary incontinence were 0%, 10.3%, 1.3%, 9.0%, and 0%, respectively. No grade 4 or greater toxicity was recorded. Among the four (urinary, bowel, sexual, and hormonal) domains assessed with the EPIC questionnaire, only the sexual domain did not recover with time. Conclusions: HDR brachytherapy as a monotherapy for favorable

  9. The benefit of low dose prophylaxis in the treatment of hemophilia: a focus on China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Runhui; Luke, Koon Hung

    2017-11-01

    Currently full dose prophylaxis is the standard of care in the treatment of hemophilia (World Federation of Hemophilia). However, the high costs prevent the use of standard or intermediate dose prophylaxis in China and other developing countries. Low dose prophylaxis would be a viable alternative treatment. At present global research data on the use of low dose prophylaxis is limited. Areas covered: Since 2007, China has been developing low dose prophylaxis as a high priority (90 % of moderate and severe hemophilia boys suffer joint disease by age 6 - 9). 11 studies were successfully conducted and published results showing evidence of the benefits of low dose prophylaxis to reduce joint bleeding. This new knowledge has been implemented into clinical practice in China. However the long-term outcome of arthropathy remains unclear and obstacles in execution exist. Expert commentary: In 2016, the first phenotype-based individualized prophylaxis study using four escalating low dose regimens on severe Chinese hemophilia A boys (China Individualized Prophylaxis Study (CHIP China)) launched. Using the previously published and imminent CHIP data, the goal for China is to establish an effective escalating low dose prophylaxis protocol for use in China as a standard of care.

  10. Safety and Toxicity of Saw palmetto in the Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Urological Symptoms (CAMUS) Trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avins, Andrew L.; Lee, Jeannette Y.; Meyers, Catherine M.; Barry, Michael J.

    2013-01-01

    Purpose Extracts of the saw palmetto berry are used by many men in the U.S. as self-treatment for lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia. While the most recent data from double-blind clinical trials do not support efficacy superior to that of placebo, there are few data on the toxicity of saw palmetto. Materials and Methods 369 patients were randomized in the Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Urological Symptoms (CAMUS) trial; 357 participants are included in this modified intention-to-treat analysis. Participants were randomized to 320mg, 640mg, and 960mg daily of an ethanolic saw palmetto extract or an identical-appearing placebo, in an escalating manner at 6-month intervals, for a total of 18 months follow-up. Adverse-event assessments, vital signs, and blood and urine laboratory tests were obtained at regular intervals. Results There were no statistically significant differences between groups in rates of serious or non-serious adverse events, changes in vital signs, digital prostate exam findings, or study withdrawal rates. Overall, there were no significant inter-group differences in the occurrence of laboratory-test abnormalities; differences in individual laboratory tests were uncommon and small in magnitude. No evidence of significant dose-response phenomena were identified. Conclusions The saw palmetto extract used in the CAMUS trial showed no evidence of toxicity at doses up to three times the usual clinical dose over a period of 18 months. PMID:23063633

  11. Fractionated radiosurgery for painful spinal metastases: DOSIS - a phase II trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guckenberger Matthias

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background One third of all cancer patients will develop bone metastases and the vertebral column is involved in approximately 70% of these patients. Conventional radiotherapy with of 1–10 fractions and total doses of 8-30 Gy is the current standard for painful vertebral metastases; however, the median pain response is short with 3–6 months and local tumor control is limited with these rather low irradiation doses. Recent advances in radiotherapy technology – intensity modulated radiotherapy for generation of highly conformal dose distributions and image-guidance for precise treatment delivery – have made dose-escalated radiosurgery of spinal metastases possible and early results of pain and local tumor control are promising. The current study will investigate efficacy and safety of radiosurgery for painful vertebral metastases and three characteristics will distinguish this study. 1 A prognostic score for overall survival will be used for selection of patients with longer life expectancy to allow for analysis of long-term efficacy and safety. 2 Fractionated radiosurgery will be performed with the number of treatment fractions adjusted to either good (10 fractions or intermediate (5 fractions life expectancy. Fractionation will allow inclusion of tumors immediately abutting the spinal cord due to higher biological effective doses at the tumor - spinal cord interface compared to single fraction treatment. 3 Dose intensification will be performed in the involved parts of the vertebrae only, while uninvolved parts are treated with conventional doses using the simultaneous integrated boost concept. Methods / Design It is the study hypothesis that hypo-fractionated image-guided radiosurgery significantly improves pain relief compared to historic data of conventionally fractionated radiotherapy. Primary endpoint is pain response 3 months after radiosurgery, which is defined as pain reduction of ≥ 2 points at the treated

  12. Metronomic treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer with daily oral vinorelbine – a Phase I trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guetz S

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Sylvia Guetz,1,* Amanda Tufman,2,* Joachim von Pawel,3 Achim Rittmeyer,4 Astrid Borgmeier,2 Pierre Ferré,5 Birgit Edlich,6 Rudolf Maria Huber2 1Ev. Diakonissenkrankenhaus Leipzig, Leipzig, 2University Hospital Munich and Thoracic Oncology Centre Munich, Member of the German Center for Lung Research, Comprehensive Pneumology Center Munich (DZL CPC-M, Munich, 3Asklepios Fachkliniken Muenchen-Gauting, Gauting, 4Lungenfachklinik Immenhausen, Immenhausen, Germany; 5Pierre Fabre Pharmaceuticals, Oncology Research and Development Center, Toulouse, France; 6Pierre Fabre Pharma GmbH, Freiburg, Germany *These authors contributed equally to this work Micro-abstract: In a Phase I dose-finding study of metronomic daily oral vinorelbine in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, a recommended dose was established for this therapeutic approach. In addition, this trial revealed promising efficacy data and an acceptable tolerability profile. The observed vinorelbine blood concentrations suggest continuous anti-angiogenic coverage. Introduction: We present a Phase I dose-finding study investigating metronomic daily oral vinorelbine (Navelbine® Oral, NVBo in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC. Patients and methods: Patients with stage III/IV NSCLC received daily NVBo at fixed dose levels of 20–50 mg/d for 21 days of each 4-week cycle. Primary end point was the maximum tolerated dose. Secondary end points included tumor response, time to progression (TTP, overall survival (OS and tolerability. Results: Twenty-seven patients with advanced NSCLC were enrolled. Most of them were extensively pretreated. Daily NVBo was well tolerated up to 30 mg/d. At 40 mg/d, two of five patients experienced dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs. Three of six patients had DLTs at the 50 mg/d level. The recommended dose was established at 30 mg/d in cycle 1, with escalation to 40 mg/d in cycle 2, if tolerated. Pharmacokinetic analyses showed continuous blood exposure over 21

  13. Emergency Department Escalation in Theory and Practice: A Mixed-Methods Study Using a Model of Organizational Resilience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Back, Jonathan; Ross, Alastair J; Duncan, Myanna D; Jaye, Peter; Henderson, Katherine; Anderson, Janet E

    2017-11-01

    Escalation policies are used by emergency departments (EDs) when responding to an increase in demand (eg, a sudden inflow of patients) or a reduction in capacity (eg, a lack of beds to admit patients). The policies aim to maintain the ability to deliver patient care, without compromising safety, by modifying "normal" processes. The study objective is to examine escalation policies in theory and practice. This was a mixed-method study involving a conceptual analysis of National Health Service escalation policies (n=12) and associated escalation actions (n=92), as well as a detailed ethnographic study of escalation in situ during a 16-month period in a large UK ED (n=30 observations). The conceptual analysis of National Health Service escalation policies found that their use requires the ability to dynamically reconfigure resources (staff and equipment), change work flow, and relocate patients. In practice, it was discovered that when the ED is under pressure, these prerequisites cannot always be attained. Instead, escalation processes were adapted to manage pressures informally. This adaptive need ("work as done") was found to be incompletely specified in policies ("work as imagined"). Formal escalation actions and their implementation in practice differed and varied in their effectiveness. Monitoring how escalation works in practice is essential in understanding whether and how escalation policies help to manage workload. Copyright © 2017 American College of Emergency Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. A randomized controlled trial of vitamin D dosing strategies after acute hip fracture: No advantage of loading doses over daily supplementation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farrauto Leonardo

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background There remains uncertainty regarding the appropriate therapeutic management of hip fracture patients. The primary aim of our study was to examine whether large loading doses in addition to daily vitamin D offered any advantage over a simple daily low-dose vitamin D regimen for increasing vitamin D levels. Methods In this randomized controlled study, patients over age 50 with an acute fragility hip fracture were enrolled from two hospital sites in Ontario, Canada. Participants were randomized to one of three loading dose groups: placebo; 50,000 IU vitamin D2; or 100,000 IU D2. Following a placebo/loading dose, all patients received a daily tablet of 1,000 IU vitamin D3 for 90 days. Serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-OHD was measured at baseline, discharge from acute care (approximately 4-weeks, and 3-months. Results Sixty-five patients were enrolled in the study (44% male. An immediate rise in 25-OHD occurred in the 100,000 group, however there were no significant differences in 25-OHD between the placebo, 50,000 and 100,000 loading dose groups after 4-weeks (69.3, 84.5, 75.6 nmol/L, p = 0.15 and 3-months (86.7, 84.2, 73.3 nmol/L, p = 0.09, respectively. At the end of the study, approximately 75% of the placebo and 50,000 groups had reached the target therapeutic range (75 nmol/L, and 44% of the 100,000 group. Conclusions In correcting vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency in elderly patients with hip fracture, our findings suggest that starting with a lower daily dose of Vitamin D3 achieved similar results as providing an additional large loading dose of Vitamin D2. At the end of the study, all three groups were equally effective in attaining improvement in 25-OHD levels. Given that a daily dose of 1,000 IU vitamin D3 (with or without a loading dose resulted in at least 25% of patients having suboptimal vitamin D status, patients with acute hip fracture may benefit from a higher daily dose of vitamin D. Trial registration Clinical

  15. Is Intermediate Radiation Dose Escalation With Concurrent Chemotherapy for Stage III Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer Beneficial? A Multi-Institutional Propensity Score Matched Analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rodrigues, George, E-mail: george.rodrigues@lhsc.on.ca [London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario (Canada); Oberije, Cary [MAASTRO Clinic, Maastricht (Netherlands); Senan, Suresh [VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Tsujino, Kayoko [Hyogo Cancer Center, Akashi (Japan); Wiersma, Terry [MAASTRO Clinic, Maastricht (Netherlands); Moreno-Jimenez, Marta [Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona (Spain); Kim, Tae Hyun [National Cancer Center, Goyang-si, Gy eonggi (Korea, Republic of); Marks, Lawrence B. [University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (United States); Rengan, Ramesh [University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (United States); De Petris, Luigi [Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm (Sweden); Ramella, Sara [Campus Bio-Medico University, Rome (Italy); DeRuyck, Kim [Ghent University, Ghent (Belgium); De Dios, Núria Rodriguez [Universidad Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona (Spain); Warner, Andrew [London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario (Canada); Bradley, Jeffrey D. [Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri (United States); Palma, David A. [London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario (Canada)

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: The clinical benefits and risks of dose escalation (DE) for stage III non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain uncertain despite the results from Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) protocol 0617. There is significant heterogeneity of practice, with many clinicians prescribing intermediate dose levels between the 0617 study arms of 60 and 74 Gy. This study investigated whether this strategy is associated with any survival benefits/risks by analyzing a large multi-institutional database. Methods and Materials: An individual patient database of stage III NSCLC patients treated with radical intent concurrent chemoradiation therapy was created (13 institutions, n=1274 patients). Patients were divided into 2 groups based on tumor Biological Effective Dose at 10 Gy (BED 10): those receiving standard dose (SD; n=552), consisting of 72Gy ≤ BED 10 ≤ 76.8 Gy (eg 60-64 Gy/30-32 fractions [fr]), and those receiving intermediate dose (ID; n=497), consisting of 76.8Gy < BED 10 < 100.8 Gy (eg >64 Gy/32 fr and <74 Gy/37 fr), with lower-dose patients (n=225) excluded from consideration. Patients were then matched using propensity scores, leading to 2 matched groups of 196 patients. Outcomes were compared using various statistics including interquartile range (IQR), Kaplan-Meier curves, and adjusted Cox regression analysis. Results: Matched groups were found to be balanced except for N stage (more N3 disease in SD), median treatment year (SD in 2003; ID in 2007), platinum and taxane chemotherapy (SD in 28%; ID in 39%), and median follow-up (SD were 89 months; ID were 40 months). Median dose fractionation was 60 Gy/30 fr in SD (BED 10 IQR: 72.0-75.5 Gy) and 66 Gy/33 fr (BED 10 IQR: 78.6-79.2 Gy) in ID. Survival curves for SD and ID matched cohorts were statistically similar (P=.27); however, a nonstatistically significant trend toward better survival for ID was observed after 15 months (median survival SD: 19.3 months; ID: 21.0

  16. Audience reactions to peace journalism: How supporters and critics of the Israeli policy process escalation and de-escalation oriented media frames

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephanie Thiel

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available This paper reports on an experiment that uses the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a natural laboratory for studying how recipients make sense of escalation vs. de-escalation oriented news articles. The results of the study indicate that media frames and individual frames have both a direct effect and complex interaction effects on participants’ text understanding. Particularly the effect of media war frames diminishes if they are incongruent with participants’ individual frames, and the propaganda function of reports about violence and human casualties can be neutralized if framed according to a peace frame. If participants had a priori positioned themselves in favor of the perpetrator, they may produce reactance, however.

  17. Clinical practice in BNCT to the brain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakagawa, Y.

    2001-01-01

    Our concept of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is to selectively destroy tumour cells using the high LET particles yielded from the 10B(n,α)7Li reactions. The effort of clinical investigators has concentrated on how to escalate the radiation dose at the target point. BNCT in Japan combines thermal neutrons and BSH (Na 2 B 12 H 11 SH). The radiation dose is determined by the neutron fluence at the target point and the boron concentration in the tumour tissue. According to the recent analysis, the ratio of boron concentration (BSH) in tumour tissue and blood is nearly stable at around 1.2 to 1.69. Escalation of the radiation dose was carried out by means of improving the penetration of the thermal neutron beam. Since 1968, 175 patients with glioblastoma (n=83), anaplastic astrocytoma (n=44), low grade astrocytoma (n=16) or other types of tumour (n=32) were treated by BNCT at 5 reactors (HTR n=13, JRR-3 n=1, MulTR n=98, KUR n=30, JRR-2 n=33). The retrospective analysis revealed that the important factors related to the clinical results and QOL of the patients were minimum tumour volume radiation dose, more than 18Gy of physical dose and maximum vascular radiation dose (less than 15Gy) in the normal cortex. We have planned several trials to escalate the target radiation dose. One trial makes use of a cavity in the cortex following debulking surgery of the tumour tissue to improve neutron penetration. The other trial is introduction of epithermal neutron. KUR and JRR-4 were reconstructed and developed to be able to irradiate using epithermal neutrons. The new combination of surgical procedure and irradiation using epithermal neutrons should remarkably improve the target volume dose compared to the radiation dose treated by thermal neutrons. (author)

  18. Efficacy of praziquantel against Schistosoma mekongi and Opisthorchis viverrini: a randomized, single-blinded dose-comparison trial.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leonore Lovis

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Schistosomiasis and opisthorchiasis are of public health importance in Southeast Asia. Praziquantel (PZQ is the drug of choice for morbidity control but few dose comparisons have been made. METHODOLOGY: Ninety-three schoolchildren were enrolled in an area of Lao PDR where Schistosoma mekongi and Opisthorchis viverrini coexist for a PZQ dose-comparison trial. Prevalence and intensity of infections were determined by a rigorous diagnostic effort (3 stool specimens, each examined with triplicate Kato-Katz before and 28-30 days after treatment. Ninety children with full baseline data were randomized to receive PZQ: the 40 mg/kg standard single dose (n = 45 or a 75 mg/kg total dose (50 mg/kg+25 mg/kg, 4 hours apart; n = 45. Adverse events were assessed at 3 and 24 hours posttreatment. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Baseline infection prevalence of S. mekongi and O. viverrini were 87.8% and 98.9%, respectively. S. mekongi cure rates were 75.0% (95% confidence interval (CI: 56.6-88.5% and 80.8% (95% CI: 60.6-93.4% for 40 mg/kg and 75 mg/kg PZQ, respectively (P = 0.60. O. viverrini cure rates were significantly different at 71.4% (95% CI: 53.4-84.4% and 96.6% (95% CI: not defined, respectively (P = 0.009. Egg reduction rates (ERRs against O. viverrini were very high for both doses (>99%, but slightly lower for S. mekongi at 40 mg/kg (96.4% vs. 98.1% and not influenced by increasing diagnostic effort. O. viverrini cure rates would have been overestimated and no statistical difference between doses found if efficacy was based on a minimum sampling effort (single Kato-Katz before and after treatment. Adverse events were common (96%, mainly mild with no significant differences between the two treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Cure rate from the 75 mg/kg PZQ dose was more efficacious than 40 mg/kg against O. viverrini but not against S. mekongi infections, while ERRs were similar for both doses. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Controlled-Trials

  19. Fractionated radiosurgery for painful spinal metastases: DOSIS - a phase II trial

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guckenberger, Matthias; Hawkins, Maria; Flentje, Michael; Sweeney, Reinhart A

    2012-01-01

    One third of all cancer patients will develop bone metastases and the vertebral column is involved in approximately 70% of these patients. Conventional radiotherapy with of 1–10 fractions and total doses of 8-30 Gy is the current standard for painful vertebral metastases; however, the median pain response is short with 3–6 months and local tumor control is limited with these rather low irradiation doses. Recent advances in radiotherapy technology – intensity modulated radiotherapy for generation of highly conformal dose distributions and image-guidance for precise treatment delivery – have made dose-escalated radiosurgery of spinal metastases possible and early results of pain and local tumor control are promising. The current study will investigate efficacy and safety of radiosurgery for painful vertebral metastases and three characteristics will distinguish this study. 1) A prognostic score for overall survival will be used for selection of patients with longer life expectancy to allow for analysis of long-term efficacy and safety. 2) Fractionated radiosurgery will be performed with the number of treatment fractions adjusted to either good (10 fractions) or intermediate (5 fractions) life expectancy. Fractionation will allow inclusion of tumors immediately abutting the spinal cord due to higher biological effective doses at the tumor - spinal cord interface compared to single fraction treatment. 3) Dose intensification will be performed in the involved parts of the vertebrae only, while uninvolved parts are treated with conventional doses using the simultaneous integrated boost concept. It is the study hypothesis that hypo-fractionated image-guided radiosurgery significantly improves pain relief compared to historic data of conventionally fractionated radiotherapy. Primary endpoint is pain response 3 months after radiosurgery, which is defined as pain reduction of ≥ 2 points at the treated vertebral site on the 0 to 10 Visual Analogue Scale. 60 patients

  20. Regulatory T Cell Responses in Participants with Type 1 Diabetes after a Single Dose of Interleukin-2: A Non-Randomised, Open Label, Adaptive Dose-Finding Trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Todd, John A.; Porter, Linsey; Smyth, Deborah J.; Rainbow, Daniel B.; Ferreira, Ricardo C.; Yang, Jennie H.; Bell, Charles J. M.; Schuilenburg, Helen; Challis, Ben; Clarke, Pamela; Coleman, Gillian; Dawson, Sarah; Goymer, Donna; Kennet, Jane; Brown, Judy; Greatorex, Jane; Goodfellow, Ian; Evans, Mark; Mander, Adrian P.; Bond, Simon; Wicker, Linda S.

    2016-01-01

    Background Interleukin-2 (IL-2) has an essential role in the expansion and function of CD4+ regulatory T cells (Tregs). Tregs reduce tissue damage by limiting the immune response following infection and regulate autoreactive CD4+ effector T cells (Teffs) to prevent autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes (T1D). Genetic susceptibility to T1D causes alterations in the IL-2 pathway, a finding that supports Tregs as a cellular therapeutic target. Aldesleukin (Proleukin; recombinant human IL-2), which is administered at high doses to activate the immune system in cancer immunotherapy, is now being repositioned to treat inflammatory and autoimmune disorders at lower doses by targeting Tregs. Methods and Findings To define the aldesleukin dose response for Tregs and to find doses that increase Tregs physiologically for treatment of T1D, a statistical and systematic approach was taken by analysing the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of single doses of subcutaneous aldesleukin in the Adaptive Study of IL-2 Dose on Regulatory T Cells in Type 1 Diabetes (DILT1D), a single centre, non-randomised, open label, adaptive dose-finding trial with 40 adult participants with recently diagnosed T1D. The primary endpoint was the maximum percentage increase in Tregs (defined as CD3+CD4+CD25highCD127low) from the baseline frequency in each participant measured over the 7 d following treatment. There was an initial learning phase with five pairs of participants, each pair receiving one of five pre-assigned single doses from 0.04 × 106 to 1.5 × 106 IU/m2, in order to model the dose-response curve. Results from each participant were then incorporated into interim statistical modelling to target the two doses most likely to induce 10% and 20% increases in Treg frequencies. Primary analysis of the evaluable population (n = 39) found that the optimal doses of aldesleukin to induce 10% and 20% increases in Tregs were 0.101 × 106 IU/m2 (standard error [SE] = 0.078, 95% CI = −0

  1. 17DD yellow fever vaccine: a double blind, randomized clinical trial of immunogenicity and safety on a dose-response study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martins, Reinaldo M; Maia, Maria de Lourdes S; Farias, Roberto Henrique G; Camacho, Luiz Antonio B; Freire, Marcos S; Galler, Ricardo; Yamamura, Anna Maya Yoshida; Almeida, Luiz Fernando C; Lima, Sheila Maria B; Nogueira, Rita Maria R; Sá, Gloria Regina S; Hokama, Darcy A; de Carvalho, Ricardo; Freire, Ricardo Aguiar V; Pereira Filho, Edson; Leal, Maria da Luz Fernandes; Homma, Akira

    2013-04-01

    To verify if the Bio-Manguinhos 17DD yellow fever vaccine (17DD-YFV) used in lower doses is as immunogenic and safe as the current formulation. Doses from 27,476 IU to 587 IU induced similar seroconversion rates and neutralizing antibodies geometric mean titers (GMTs). Immunity of those who seroconverted to YF was maintained for 10 mo. Reactogenicity was low for all groups. Young and healthy adult males (n = 900) were recruited and randomized into 6 groups, to receive de-escalating doses of 17DD-YFV, from 27,476 IU to 31 IU. Blood samples were collected before vaccination (for neutralization tests to yellow fever, serology for dengue and clinical chemistry), 3 to 7 d after vaccination (for viremia and clinical chemistry) and 30 d after vaccination (for new yellow fever serology and clinical chemistry). Adverse events diaries were filled out by volunteers during 10 d after vaccination. Volunteers were retested for yellow fever and dengue antibodies 10 mo later. Seropositivity for dengue was found in 87.6% of volunteers before vaccination, but this had no significant influence on conclusions. In young healthy adults Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz yellow fever vaccine can be used in much lower doses than usual. INTERNATIONAL REGISTER: ISRCTN 38082350.

  2. When Action-Inaction Framing Leads to Higher Escalation of Commitment: A New Inaction-Effect Perspective on the Sunk-Cost Fallacy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feldman, Gilad; Wong, Kin Fai Ellick

    2018-04-01

    Escalation of commitment to a failing course of action occurs in the presence of (a) sunk costs, (b) negative feedback that things are deviating from expectations, and (c) a decision between escalation and de-escalation. Most of the literature to date has focused on sunk costs, yet we offer a new perspective on the classic escalation-of-commitment phenomenon by focusing on the impact of negative feedback. On the basis of the inaction-effect bias, we theorized that negative feedback results in the tendency to take action, regardless of what that action may be. In four experiments, we demonstrated that people facing escalation-decision situations were indeed action oriented and that framing escalation as action and de-escalation as inaction resulted in a stronger tendency to escalate than framing de-escalation as action and escalation as inaction (mini-meta-analysis effect d = 0.37, 95% confidence interval = [0.21, 0.53]).

  3. Effect of Increasing Doses of Saw Palmetto on Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms: A Randomized Trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barry, Michael J.; Meleth, Sreelatha; Lee, Jeannette Y.; Kreder, Karl J.; Avins, Andrew L.; Nickel, J. Curtis; Roehrborn, Claus G.; Crawford, E. David; Foster, Harris E.; Kaplan, Steven A.; McCullough, Andrew; Andriole, Gerald L.; Naslund, Michael J.; Williams, O. Dale; Kusek, John W.; Meyers, Catherine M.; Betz, Joseph M.; Cantor, Alan; McVary, Kevin T.

    2012-01-01

    Context Saw palmetto fruit extracts are widely used for treating lower urinary tract symptoms attributed to benign prostatic hyperplasia. However, recent clinical trials have questioned their efficacy, at least at standard doses (320 mg daily). Objective To determine the effect of a saw palmetto extract at up to three times the standard dose on lower urinary tract symptoms attributed to benign prostatic hyperplasia. Design Multicenter placebo-controlled randomized trial conducted from June, 2008 through October, 2010. Setting Eleven North American clinical sites. Participants Were men at least 45 years old, with a peak urinary flow rate ≥ 4 ml/sec, an AUA Symptom Index (AUASI) score ≥ 8 and ≤ 24, and no exclusions. Interventions One, two, and then three 320 mg daily doses of saw palmetto extract or placebo, with dose increases at 24 and 48 weeks. Main Outcome Measures Primary outcome was the difference in AUASI score from baseline to 72 weeks. Secondary outcomes were measures of urinary bother; nocturia; uroflow; postvoid residual; prostate-specific antigen; participants’ global assessments; and indices of sexual function, continence, sleep quality, and prostatitis symptoms. Results From baseline to 72 weeks, mean AUASI scores decreased from 14.4 to 12.2 points with saw palmetto and from 14.7 to 11.7 points with placebo. The group mean difference in AUASI score change from baseline to 72 weeks between the saw palmetto and placebo groups was 0.79 points favoring placebo (bound of the 95% confidence interval most favorable to saw palmetto was 1.77 points, one-sided P=0.91). Saw palmetto was no more effective than placebo for any secondary outcome. No attributable side effects were identified. Conclusions Increasing doses of a saw palmetto fruit extract did not reduce lower urinary tract symptoms more than placebo. (CAMUS study number NCT00603304 http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov) PMID:21954478

  4. A Randomized, Double-Blind Pilot Study of Dose Comparison of Ramosetron to Prevent Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ka-Rham Kim

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. This study was conducted to determine the optimal dose titration of ramosetron to prevent the Rhodes Index of Nausea, Vomiting, and Retching (RINVR. Methods. Patients treated with folic acid, 5-fluorouracil, and oxaliplatin were randomized into three groups (0.3 mg, 0.45 mg, and 0.6 mg ramosetron before chemotherapy. The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics using RINVR were evaluated. Results. Seventeen, 15, and 18 patients received ramosetron at doses of 0.3 mg, 0.45 mg, and 0.6 mg, respectively. Tmax (h, Cmax (ng/mL, and AUClast (ng·h/mL were associated with dose escalation significantly, showing a reverse correlation with the RINVR during chemotherapy. Acute CINV was observed in four patients (22.2%, two patients (14.3%, and one (5.6% patient and a delayed CINV on day 7 was found in eight (47%, three (21.4%, and five (27.8% patients in each group. The complete response rate was increased with dose escalation (35.3%, 50.0%, and 72.2% in each group and also showed the tendency for decreasing moderate-to-severe CINV. Conclusions. This study shows a trend regarding the dose-response relationship for ramosetron to prevent CINV, including delayed emesis. It suggested that dose escalation should be considered in patients with CINV in a subsequent cycle of chemotherapy, and an individual approach using RINVR could be useful to monitor CINV.

  5. Prostate Dose Escalation by a Innovative Inverse Planning-Driven IMRT

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-11-01

    sessions for the parotid gland, optic track, and the temporal lobe when they were in extreme proximity with the PTV. The comparisons of the dose...gross target volume; L = left; OC = optic chiasm; ON = optic nerve; PARO = parotid gland; pCT = planning computed tomography; PTV = planning target...chiasm/nerves, optic lens, left parotid , larynx and spinal cord. The mandible and right parotid were not used because these structures significantly

  6. In-depth investigation of escalator riding accidents in heavy capacity MRT stations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chi, Chia-Fen; Chang, Tin-Chang; Tsou, Chi-Lin

    2006-07-01

    In 2000, the accident rate for escalator riding was about 0.815 accidents per million passenger trips through Taipei Metro Rapid Transit (MRT) heavy capacity stations. In order to reduce the probability and severity of escalator riding accidents and enhance the safety of passengers, the Drury and Brill model [Drury, C.G., Brill, M., 1983. Human factors in consumer product accident investigation. Hum. Factors 25 (3), 329-342] for in-depth investigation was adopted to analyze the 194 escalator riding accidents in terms of victim, task, product and environment. Prevention measures have been developed based on the major causes of accidents and other related contributing factors. The results from the analysis indicated that the majority of the escalator riding accidents was caused by passengers' carrying out other tasks (38 cases, including carrying luggage 24 cases, looking after accompany persons 9 cases, and 5 others), loss of balance (26 cases, 13.4%), not holding the handrail (20 cases, 10.3%), unhealthy passengers (18 cases, 9.3%), followed by people struck by other passenger (16 cases, 8.2%). For female passengers aged 15-64 years, their rushing for trains accidents could have been prevented by wearing safer footwear or by appropriate signing being provided indicating the location and traveling direction of escalators. Female passengers aged 65 years and above whose accidents were caused by loss of balance, should be encouraged to take the elevator instead. To prevent entrapment injuries, following a stricter design code can be most effective. Further in-depth accident investigation is suggested to cover the activity of the victim prior to the accident, any involved product, the location of the accident on the escalator, any medical treatment, what went wrong, opinion of the respondent on the causes of the accident, and personal characteristics of the passengers. Also, management must trade off productivity and safety appropriately to prevent "Organizational

  7. Lithium carbonate in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: lack of efficacy in a dose-finding trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiò, A; Borghero, G; Calvo, A; Capasso, M; Caponnetto, C; Corbo, M; Giannini, F; Logroscino, G; Mandrioli, J; Marcello, N; Mazzini, L; Moglia, C; Monsurrò, M R; Mora, G; Patti, F; Perini, M; Pietrini, V; Pisano, F; Pupillo, E; Sabatelli, M; Salvi, F; Silani, V; Simone, I L; Sorarù, G; Tola, M R; Volanti, P; Beghi, E

    2010-08-17

    A neuroprotective effect of lithium in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has been recently reported. We performed a multicenter trial with lithium carbonate to assess its tolerability, safety, and efficacy in patients with ALS, comparing 2 different target blood levels (0.4-0.8 mEq/L, therapeutic group [TG], vs 0.2-0.4 mEq/L, subtherapeutic group [STG]). The study was a multicenter, single-blind, randomized, dose-finding trial, conducted from May 2008 to November 2009 in 21 Italian ALS centers. The trial was registered with the public database of the Italian Agency for Drugs (http://oss-sper-clin.agenziafarmaco.it/) (EudraCT number 2008-001094-15). As of October 2009, a total of 171 patients had been enrolled, 87 randomized to the TG and 84 to the STG. The interim data analysis, performed per protocol, showed that 117 patients (68.4%) discontinued the study because of death/tracheotomy/severe disability, adverse events (AEs)/serious AEs (SAEs), or lack of efficacy. The Data Monitoring Committee recommended stopping the trial on November 2, 2009. Lithium was not well-tolerated in this cohort of patients with ALS, even at subtherapeutic doses. The 2 doses were equivalent in terms of survival/severe disability and functional data. The relatively high frequency of AEs/SAEs and the reduced tolerability of lithium raised serious doubts about its safety in ALS. The study provides Class II evidence that therapeutic (0.4-0.8 mEq/L) vs subtherapeutic (0.2-0.4 mEq/L) lithium carbonate did not differ in the primary outcome of efficacy (survival/loss of autonomy) in ALS. Both target levels led to dropouts in more than 30% of participants due to patient-perceived lack of efficacy and AEs.

  8. Phase I dose escalation pharmacokinetic assessment of intravenous humanized anti-MUC1 antibody AS1402 in patients with advanced breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pegram, Mark D; Borges, Virginia F; Ibrahim, Nuhad; Fuloria, Jyotsna; Shapiro, Charles; Perez, Susan; Wang, Karen; Schaedli Stark, Franziska; Courtenay Luck, Nigel

    2009-01-01

    . Repeated iv administration of AS1402 was well tolerated, with a maximum tolerated dose (MTD) exceeding 16 mg/kg, the highest dose administered in this study. The half-life and exposure of AS1402 were such that weekly dosing could achieve plasma concentrations corresponding to the maximal ADCC activity observed in vitro. A phase II study is ongoing to evaluate the clinical activity of AS1402 in patients with advanced breast cancer. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00096057.

  9. A randomized phase II dose-response exercise trial among colon cancer survivors: Purpose, study design, methods, and recruitment results.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Justin C; Troxel, Andrea B; Ky, Bonnie; Damjanov, Nevena; Zemel, Babette S; Rickels, Michael R; Rhim, Andrew D; Rustgi, Anil K; Courneya, Kerry S; Schmitz, Kathryn H

    2016-03-01

    Observational studies indicate that higher volumes of physical activity are associated with improved disease outcomes among colon cancer survivors. The aim of this report is to describe the purpose, study design, methods, and recruitment results of the courage trial, a National Cancer Institute (NCI) sponsored, phase II, randomized, dose-response exercise trial among colon cancer survivors. The primary objective of the courage trial is to quantify the feasibility, safety, and physiologic effects of low-dose (150 min·week(-1)) and high-dose (300 min·week(-1)) moderate-intensity aerobic exercise compared to usual-care control group over six months. The exercise groups are provided with in-home treadmills and heart rate monitors. Between January and July 2015, 1433 letters were mailed using a population-based state cancer registry; 126 colon cancer survivors inquired about participation, and 39 were randomized onto the study protocol. Age was associated with inquiry about study participation (Pclinical, or geographic characteristics were associated with study inquiry or randomization. The final trial participant was randomized in August 2015. Six month endpoint data collection was completed in February 2016. The recruitment of colon cancer survivors into an exercise trial is feasible. The findings from this trial will inform key design aspects for future phase 2 and phase 3 randomized controlled trials to examine the efficacy of exercise to improve clinical outcomes among colon cancer survivors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Analysis of complications in a prospective randomized trial comparing two brachytherapy low dose rates in cervical carcinoma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1994-07-30

    The analysis of complications in a prospective randomized trial comparing two preoperative brachytherapy low-dose rates in early stage cervical cancer is presented. The objective of this trial was to determine the benefits, if any, of the higher-dose rate within the therapeutic aresenal for this patient population, in terms of survival, local control, and complications. Overall survival, 85% at 2 years and local control, 93% at 2 years, were similarly distributed between the two groups. Regardless of their nature and severity, 139 and 175 complications were observed among 63% and 75% of patients, in the 0.4 and 0.8 Gy/h dose rate groups respectively. Gynecologic and urinary complications were the most frequent (38% and 28% of all complications), followed by vascular (15%), digestive (10%), nervous (5%), and cutaneous (5%). A total of 14 and 17 severe complications (Grade 3) were observed in 7% and 13% of patients, respectively in the 0.4 and 0.8 Gy/h dose rate groups (p = 0.12) Nonparametric survival methods used to compare the time to the first complication did not show a significant difference between the two groups: 62% and 72% at 2 years (p = 0.27). When the first complication and its evolution were considered (early complications), the prevalence of complications was not significantly different between the two groups: 28% vs. 34% at 2 years (p = 0.31). In this prospective trial, patients were regularly followed-up and complications of varying nature and severity were observed in succession during follow-up. When successive complications and their evolution were taken into account, the prevalence of complications was significantly greater in the higher-dose rate group: 30% vs 45% at 2 years (p = 0.03). The results of this trial showed that long-term effects of treatment, when represented by prevalence of complications over time, were more frequent in the higher dose rate group. 33 refs., 3 figs., 5 tabs.

  11. Change in Visual Field Progression Following Treatment Escalation in Primary Open-angle Glaucoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aptel, Florent; Bron, Alain M; Lachkar, Yves; Schweitzer, Cédric

    2017-10-01

    To evaluate the effect of treatment escalation on the rate of visual field progression in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Multicenter database study. We reviewed the electronic records of 171 patients with POAG under medical hypotensive treatment who underwent 5 consecutive visits 6 months apart before and after medical treatment escalation or additive laser trabeculoplasty. We calculated the rate of visual field progression (mean deviation change per year) before and after treatment escalation. The mean duration of follow-up was 5.1±0.5 years and the mean number of visual field examinations was 10.2±0.2. In 139 eyes with medical treatment escalation, the rate of progression was significantly reduced [from -0.57 to -0.29 dB/y; P=0.022; intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction 11.1%]. In detail, the rate of progression was significantly reduced after escalation from mono to dual therapy, dual to triple therapy, and from mono to triple therapy (-0.35 to -0.24 dB/y, P=0.018; -1.01 to -0.48 dB/y, P=0.038; -1.04 to -0.35 dB/y, P=0.020, respectively). In 32 eyes with additive laser trabeculoplasty, the rate of progression was significantly reduced (-0.60 to -0.24 dB/y; P=0.014; IOP reduction 9.4%). Medical treatment escalation or additive laser trabeculoplasty significantly reduced the rate of visual field progression in POAG. Larger IOP reduction has a greater probability of reducing glaucoma progression.

  12. The support-control continuum: An investigation of staff perspectives on factors influencing the success or failure of de-escalation techniques for the management of violence and aggression in mental health settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Price, Owen; Baker, John; Bee, Penny; Lovell, Karina

    2018-01-01

    De-escalation techniques are recommended to manage violence and aggression in mental health settings yet restrictive practices continue to be frequently used. Barriers and enablers to the implementation and effectiveness of de-escalation techniques in practice are not well understood. To obtain staff descriptions of de-escalation techniques currently used in mental health settings and explore factors perceived to influence their implementation and effectiveness. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews and Framework Analysis. Five in-patient wards including three male psychiatric intensive care units, one female acute ward and one male acute ward in three UK Mental Health NHS Trusts. 20 ward-based clinical staff. Individual semi-structured interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using a qualitative data analysis software package. Participants described 14 techniques used in response to escalated aggression applied on a continuum between support and control. Techniques along the support-control continuum could be classified in three groups: 'support' (e.g. problem-solving, distraction, reassurance) 'non-physical control' (e.g. reprimands, deterrents, instruction) and 'physical control' (e.g. physical restraint and seclusion). Charting the reasoning staff provided for technique selection against the described behavioural outcome enabled a preliminary understanding of staff, patient and environmental influences on de-escalation success or failure. Importantly, the more coercive 'non-physical control' techniques are currently conceptualised by staff as a feature of de-escalation techniques, yet, there was evidence of a link between these and increased aggression/use of restrictive practices. Risk was not a consistent factor in decisions to adopt more controlling techniques. Moral judgements regarding the function of the aggression; trial-and-error; ingrained local custom (especially around instruction to low stimulus areas); knowledge of

  13. Single Dose Versus 3 Doses of Intramuscular Benzathine Penicillin for Early Syphilis in HIV: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrade, Roberto; Rodriguez-Barradas, Maria C; Yasukawa, Kosuke; Villarreal, Erick; Ross, Michael; Serpa, Jose A

    2017-03-15

    Patients coinfected with syphilis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may have a slower decrease in rapid plasma reagin (RPR) titers. Currently a single dose of 2.4 million units of intramuscular benzathine penicillin G (BPG) is recommended for the treatment of early syphilis. Some observational studies have suggested that this regimen may lead to high failure rates in coinfected patients. We conducted an open-label randomized clinical trial to compare the efficacy of single-dose and 3-dose regimens of BPG for the treatment of early syphilis in HIV-infected individuals. RPR titers were monitored every 3 months. Treatment success was defined as a decrease in RPR titers of ≥2 dilutions (4-fold) during a 12-month follow-up period. Sixty-four patients were included. In the intention-to-treat analysis, treatment success rates were 80% (28 of 35 subjects) and 93% (27 of 29 subjects) in the single-dose and 3-dose regimens, respectively (absolute difference, 13% [95% confidence interval {CI}, -5% to 30%; P = .17). In the per-protocol analysis, success rates were 93% (27 of 29) and 100% in the single-dose and 3-dose regimens, respectively (absolute difference, 7% [95% CI, -7% to 22%]; P = .49). CD4 T-cell count, RPR titer and syphilis stage did not affect treatment results. When compared with a single dose of BPG, a 3-dose regimen did not improve syphilis serological outcomes. Our results support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation of a single dose of BPG in HIV-infected patients with early syphilis. NCT02611765. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

  14. Elephant invasion and escalated depletion of environmental ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    For decades, elephants' invasion is known to be associated with severe environmental consequences leading to escalated depletion o environmental resources (plants, water, wildlife and soil). This paper examined the effects of elephants' activity on the environmental resources inHong and Gombi Local Government areas ...

  15. Report on waste burial charges: Escalation of decommissioning waste disposal costs at low-level waste burial facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1988-07-01

    One of the requirements placed upon nuclear power reactor licensees by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is for the licensees to periodically adjust the estimate of the cost of decommissioning their plant, in dollars of the current year, as part of the process to provide reasonable assurance that adequate funds for decommissioning will be available when needed. This report, which is scheduled to be revised annually, contains the development of a formula for escalating decommissioning cost estimates that is acceptable to the NRC, and contains values for the escalation of radioactive waste burial costs, by site and by year. The licensees may use the formula, the coefficients, and the burial escalation factors from this report in their escalation analysis, or may use an escalation rate at least equal to the escalation approach presented herein. 4 refs., 2 tabs

  16. Medium doses of daily vitamin D decrease falls and higher doses of daily vitamin D3 increase falls: A randomized clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Lynette M; Gallagher, J Christopher; Suiter, Corinna

    2017-10-01

    Falls are a serious health problem in the aging population. Because low levels of vitamin D have been associated with increased fall rates, many trials have been performed with vitamin D; two meta-analyses showed either a small effect or no effect of vitamin D on falls. We conducted a study of the effect of vitamin D on serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) and data on falls was collected as a secondary outcome. In a 12-month double blind randomized placebo trial, elderly women, mean age 66 years, were randomized to one of seven daily oral doses of vitamin D or placebo. The main inclusion criterion for study was a baseline serum 25OHDvitamin D on falls followed a U-shaped curve whether analyzed by dose or serum 25OHD levels. There was no decrease in falls on low vitamin D doses 400, 800 IU, a significant decrease on medium doses 1600, 2400,3200 IU (p=0.020) and no decrease on high doses 4000, 4800 IU compared to placebo (p=0.55). When compared to 12-month serum 25OHD quintiles, the faller rate was 60% in the lowest quintile <25ng/ml (<50nmol/L), 21% in the low middle quintile 32-38ng/ml (80-95nmo/L), 72% in the high middle quintile 38-46ng/ml (95-115nmo/L) and 45% in the highest quintile 46-66ng/ml (115-165nmol/L). In the subgroup with a fall history, fall rates were 68% on low dose, 27% on medium doses and 100% on higher doses. Fall rates on high doses were increased compared to medium doses (Odds Ratio 5.6.95% CI: 2.1-14.8). In summary, the maximum decrease in falls corresponds to a 12- month serum 25OHD of 32-38ng/ml (80-95nmol/L) and faller rates increase as serum 25OHD exceed 40-45ng/ml (100-112.5nmol/L). The Tolerable upper limit (TUL) recently increased in 2010 from 2000 to 4000 IU/day may need to be reduced in elderly women especially in those with a fall history. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Dialysis dose in acute kidney injury: no time for therapeutic nihilism--a critical appraisal of the Acute Renal Failure Trial Network study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ronco, Claudio; Cruz, Dinna; Oudemans van Straaten, Helen; Honore, Patrick; House, Andrew; Bin, Du; Gibney, Noel

    2008-01-01

    The optimal dialysis dose for acute kidney injury is a matter of great controversy. Clinical trials, predominantly single-center studies, have shown conflicting results. The Acute Renal Failure Trial Network (ATN) Study was designed to compare clinical outcomes between patients allocated to an intensive dose versus a less-intensive dose of renal replacement therapy. Recently, the results of this large randomized controlled multicenter study were published. The present article will discuss certain aspects of this trial: the overall design, the baseline patient characteristics, and comparison of the results with earlier studies. Finally, the article will address the implications of the ATN Study results for clinical practice.

  18. Dose-Weighted Adjusted Mantel-Haenszel Tests for Numeric Scaled Strata in a Randomized Trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gansky, Stuart A.; Cheng, Nancy F.; Koch, Gary G.

    2011-01-01

    A recent three-arm parallel groups randomized clinical prevention trial had a protocol deviation causing participants to have fewer active doses of an in-office treatment than planned. The original statistical analysis plan stipulated a minimal assumption randomization-based extended Mantel-Haenszel (EMH) trend test of the high frequency, low frequency, and zero frequency treatment groups and a binary outcome. Thus a dose-weighted adjusted EMH (DWAEMH) test was developed with an extra set of weights corresponding to the number of active doses actually available, in the spirit of a pattern mixture model. The method can easily be implemented using standard statistical software. A set of Monte Carlo simulations using a logistic model was undertaken with (and without) actual dose-response effects through 1000 replicates for empirical power estimates (and 2100 for empirical size). Results showed size was maintained and power was improved for DWAEMH versus EMH and logistic regression Wald tests in the presence of a dose effect and treatment by dose interaction. PMID:21709814

  19. Persistent escalation of alcohol consumption by mice exposed to brief episodes of social defeat stress: suppression by CRF-R1 antagonism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newman, Emily L; Albrechet-Souza, Lucas; Andrew, Peter M; Auld, John G; Burk, Kelly C; Hwa, Lara S; Zhang, Eric Y; DeBold, Joseph F; Miczek, Klaus A

    2018-06-01

    Episodic bouts of social stress can precede the initiation, escalation, or relapse to disordered alcohol intake. Social stress may engender neuroadaptations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and in extrahypothalamic stress circuitry to promote the escalation of alcohol intake. We aimed to (1) confirm a pattern of escalated drinking in socially defeated mice and to (2) test drugs that target distinct aspects of the HPA axis and extrahypothalamic neural substrates for their effectiveness in reducing murine, stress-escalated drinking. Male C57BL/6J (B6) mice were socially defeated by resident Swiss-derived males for ten consecutive days receiving 30 bites/day. Ten days after the final defeat, cohorts of B6 mice received continuous or intermittent access to 20% EtOH (w/v) and water. After 4 weeks of drinking, mice were injected with weekly, systemic doses of the CRF-R1 antagonist, CP376395; the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, mifepristone; the 11-beta-hydroxylase inhibitor, metyrapone; or the 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor, finasteride. Prior to drug treatments, defeated mice reliably consumed more EtOH than non-defeated controls, and mice given alcohol intermittently consumed more EtOH than those with continuous access. CP376395 (17-30 mg/kg) reduced continuous, but not intermittent EtOH intake (g/kg) in socially defeated mice. Mifepristone (100 mg/kg), however, increased drinking by defeated mice with intermittent access to alcohol while reducing drinking during continuous access. When administered finasteride (100 mg/kg) or metyrapone (50 mg/kg), all mice reduced their EtOH intake while increasing their water consumption. Mice with a history of episodic social defeat stress were selectively sensitive to the effects of CRF-R1 antagonism, suggesting that CRF-R1 may be a potential target for treating alcohol use disorders in individuals who escalate their drinking after exposure to repeated bouts of psychosocial stress. Future studies will clarify

  20. Low-dose priming before vaccination with the phase I chloroform-methanol residue vaccine against Q fever enhances humoral and cellular immune responses to Coxiella burnetii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waag, David M; England, Marilyn J; Bolt, Christopher R; Williams, Jim C

    2008-10-01

    Although the phase I Coxiella burnetii cellular vaccine is completely efficacious in humans, adverse local and systemic reactions may develop if immune individuals are inadvertently vaccinated. The phase I chloroform-methanol residue (CMRI) vaccine was developed as a potentially safer alternative. Human volunteers with no evidence of previous exposure to C. burnetii received a subcutaneous vaccination with the CMRI vaccine in phase I studies under protocol IND 3516 to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine. This clinical trial tested escalating doses of the CMRI vaccine, ranging from 0.3 to 60 microg, followed by a booster dose of 30 microg, in a placebo-controlled study. Although priming doses of the CMRI vaccine did not induce a specific antibody detectable by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, booster vaccination stimulated the production of significant levels of anti-C. burnetii antibody. Peripheral blood cells (PBCs) of vaccinees responded to C. burnetii cellular antigen in vitro in a vaccine dose-dependent manner. After the booster dose, PBCs were activated by recall antigen in vitro, regardless of the priming dose. These findings suggest that vaccination with the CMRI vaccine can effectively prime the immune system to mount significant anamnestic responses after infection.

  1. Bitemporal v. high-dose right unilateral electroconvulsive therapy for depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kolshus, E; Jelovac, A; McLoughlin, D M

    2017-02-01

    Brief-pulse electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the most acutely effective treatment for severe depression though concerns persist about cognitive side-effects. While bitemporal electrode placement is the most commonly used form worldwide, right unilateral ECT causes less cognitive side-effects though historically it has been deemed less effective. Several randomized trials have now compared high-dose (>5× seizure threshold) unilateral ECT with moderate-dose (1.0-2.5× seizure threshold) bitemporal ECT to investigate if it is as effective as bitemporal ECT but still has less cognitive side-effects. We aimed to systematically review these trials and meta-analyse clinical and cognitive outcomes where appropriate. We searched PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and EMBASE for randomized trials comparing these forms of ECT using the terms 'electroconvulsive' OR 'electroshock' AND 'trial'. Seven trials (n = 792) met inclusion criteria. Bitemporal ECT did not differ from high-dose unilateral ECT on depression rating change scores [Hedges's g = -0.03, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.17 to 0.11], remission (RR 1.06, 95% CI 0.93-1.20), or relapse at 12 months (RR 1.42, 95% CI 0.90-2.23). There was an advantage for unilateral ECT on reorientation time after individual ECT sessions (mean difference in minutes = -8.28, 95% CI -12.86 to -3.70) and retrograde autobiographical memory (Hedges's g = -0.46, 95% CI -0.87 to -0.04) after completing an ECT course. There were no differences for general cognition, category fluency and delayed visual and verbal memory. High-dose unilateral ECT does not differ from moderate-dose bitemporal ECT in antidepressant efficacy but has some cognitive advantages.

  2. SU-G-BRA-12: Development of An Intra-Fractional Motion Tracking and Dose Reconstruction System for Adaptive Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy in High-Risk Prostate Cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rezaeian, N Hassan; Chi, Y; Tian, Z; Jiang, S; Hannan, R; Jia, X [UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: A clinical trial on stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for high-risk prostate cancer is undergoing at our institution. In addition to escalating dose to the prostate, we have increased dose to intra-prostatic lesions. Intra-fractional prostate motion deteriorates well planned radiation dose, especially for the small intra-prostatic lesions. To solve this problem, we have developed a motion tracking and 4D dose-reconstruction system to facilitate adaptive re-planning. Methods: Patients in the clinical trial were treated with VMAT using four arcs and 10 FFF beam. KV triggered x-ray projections were taken every 3 sec during delivery to acquire 2D projections of 3D anatomy at the direction orthogonal to the therapeutic beam. Each patient had three implanted prostate markers. Our developed system first determined 2D projection locations of these markers and then 3D prostate translation and rotation via 2D/3D registration of the markers. Using delivery log files, our GPU-based Monte Carlo tool (goMC) reconstructed dose corresponding to each triggered image. The calculated 4D dose distributions were further aggregated to yield the delivered dose. Results: We first tested each module in our system. MC dose engine were commissioned to our treatment planning system with dose difference of <0.5%. For motion tracking, 1789 kV projections from 7 patients were acquired. The 2D marker location error was <1 mm. For 3D motion tracking, root mean square (RMS) errors along LR, AP, and CC directions were 0.26mm, 0.36mm, and 0.01mm respectively in simulation studies and 1.99mm, 1.37mm, and 0.22mm in phantom studies. We also tested the entire system workflow. Our system was able to reconstruct delivered dose. Conclusion: We have developed a functional intra-fractional motion tracking and 4D dose re-construction system to support our clinical trial on adaptive high-risk prostate cancer SBRT. Comprehensive evaluations have shown the capability and accuracy of our system.

  3. The Effect of Image Compatibility and Escalation of Commitment on Decision Performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Harris K. Turino

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available This study aims at empirically examining the extent to which Image Theory, initially developed as a theoretical basis for selecting a strategy or a decision, can be a theoretical basis for predicting a decision performance in two opposite frames: positive and negative. Image compatibility are employed to operationalize such a theory and the decision under study is progress decision represented by escalation of commitment. Thus, this study also empirically examines the connection between image compatibility and escalation of commitment as well as escalation of commitment as a mediator of the relationship between image compatibility and decision performance. The research context is Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX that suffered from crisis in the past year (negative frame yet has been recovered recently (positive frame. The respondents are 229 individual investors in IDX. They are involved in day-to-day decision making (progress decision making with regard to their investment portofolio. The results of this study show that high image compatibility tends to lead to better decision performance in both frames. However, image compatibility may only positively affect the escalation of commitment in positive frame

  4. Understanding the Emotional Aspects of Escalation of Commitment: The Role of Negative Affect

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Kin Fai Ellick; Yik, Michelle; Kwong, Jessica Y. Y.

    2006-01-01

    Despite the importance of understanding the emotional aspects of organizational decision making, prior research has paid scant attention to the role of emotion in escalation of commitment. This article attempts to fill this gap by examining the relationship between negative affect and escalation of commitment. Results showed that regardless of…

  5. Escalation scenarios initiated by gas explosions on offshore installations. Probabilistic cause and consequence modelling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eknes, Monika Loeland

    1996-12-31

    This Dr. ing. thesis deals with escalation scenarios initiated by gas explosions on offshore installations. Gas explosions is one of the major hazards to such installations. The objectives were to estimate the probability of ignition and frequency of gas explosions for gas leaks on top sides of offshore installations, and to estimate the response and resistance of components that could result in escalation if they failed. Main fields considered cover risk analysis methodology, gas explosions, simplified escalation models, evaluation of structural consequences, case studies, and guidelines. 107 refs., 33 figs., 33 tabs.

  6. Dose-tailoring of FEC adjuvant chemotherapy based on leukopenia is feasible and well tolerated. Toxicity and dose intensity in the Scandinavian Breast Group phase 3 adjuvant Trial SBG 2000-1

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Edlund, Per; Ahlgren, Johan; Bjerre, Karsten

    2011-01-01

    The SBG 2000-1 trial is a randomised study that investigates if dose-tailored adjuvant FEC therapy based on the individual's leukocyte nadir value can improve outcome. The study has included 1535 women with medium and high-risk breast cancer.......The SBG 2000-1 trial is a randomised study that investigates if dose-tailored adjuvant FEC therapy based on the individual's leukocyte nadir value can improve outcome. The study has included 1535 women with medium and high-risk breast cancer....

  7. Relevance of Changes in Serum Creatinine During a Heart Failure Trial of Decongestive Strategies: Insights From the DOSE Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brisco, Meredith A; Zile, Michael R; Hanberg, Jennifer S; Wilson, F Perry; Parikh, Chirag R; Coca, Steven G; Tang, W H Wilson; Testani, Jeffrey M

    2016-10-01

    Worsening renal function (WRF) is a common endpoint in decompensated heart failure clinical trials because of associations between WRF and adverse outcomes. However, WRF has not universally been identified as a poor prognostic sign, challenging the validity of WRF as a surrogate endpoint. Our aim was to describe the associations between changes in creatinine and adverse outcomes in a clinical trial of decongestive therapies. We investigated the association between changes in creatinine and the composite endpoint of death, rehospitalization or emergency room visit within 60 days in 301 patients in the Diuretic Optimization Strategies Evaluation (DOSE) trial. WRF was defined as an increase in creatinine >0.3 mg/dL and improvement in renal function (IRF) as a decrease >0.3 mg/dL. When examining linear changes in creatinine from baseline to 72 hours (the coprimary endpoint of DOSE), increasing creatinine was associated with lower risk for the composite outcome (HR = 0.81 per 0.3 mg/dL increase, 95% CI 0.67-0.98, P = .026). Compared with patients with stable renal function (n = 219), WRF (n = 54) was not associated with the composite endpoint (HR = 1.17, 95% CI = 0.77-1.78, P = .47). However, compared with stable renal function, there was a strong relationship between IRF (n = 28) and the composite endpoint (HR = 2.52, 95% CI = 1.57-4.03, P creatinine, was paradoxically associated with improved outcomes. This was driven by absence of risk attributable to WRF and a strong risk associated with IRF. These results argue against using changes in serum creatinine as a surrogate endpoint in trials of decongestive strategies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Intraarterial 192Ir high-dose-rate brachytherapy for prophylaxis of restenosis after femoropopliteal percutaneous transluminal angioplasty: the prospective randomized Vienna-2-trial radiotherapy parameters and risk factors analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pokrajac, Boris; Poetter, Richard; Maca, Thomas; Fellner, Claudia; Mittlboeck, Martina; Ahmadi, Ramazanali; Seitz, Wolfgang; Minar, Erich

    2000-01-01

    Purpose: The aim of the Vienna-2-trial was to compare the restenosis rate of femoropopliteal arteries after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) with or without intraarterial high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy (BT) using an 192 Ir source. Materials and Methods: A prospective, randomized trial was conducted from 11/96 to 8/98. A total of 113 patients (63 men, 50 women), with a mean age of 71 years (range, 43-89 years) were included. Inclusion criteria were (1) claudication or critical limb ischemia, (2) de-novo stenosis of 5 cm or more, (3) restenosis after former PTA of any length, and (4) no stent implantation. Patients were randomized after successful PTA for BT vs. no further treatment. A well-balanced patient distribution was achieved for the criteria used for stratification, as there were 'de-novo stenosis vs. restenosis after former PTA', 'stenosis vs. occlusion', 'claudication vs. critical limb ischemia' and above these for 'diabetes vs. nondiabetes'. PTA length was not well balanced between the treatment arms: a PTA length of 4-10 cm was seen in 19 patients in the PTA alone group and in 11 patients in the PTA+BT group, whereas a PTA length of greater than10 cm was seen in 35 patients and 42 patients, respectively. A dose of 12 Gy was prescribed in 3-mm distance from the source axis. According to AAPM recommendations, the dose was 6.8 Gy in 5-mm distance (vessel radius + 2 mm). Primary endpoint of the study was femoropopliteal patency after 6 months. Results: PTA and additional BT were feasible and well tolerated by all 57 pts in this treatment arm. No acute, subacute, and late adverse side effects related to BT were seen after a mean follow up of 12 months (6-24 months) in 107 patients (PTA n = 54; PTA+ BT n = 53). Crude restenosis rate at 6 months was in the PTA arm 54% vs. 28% in the PTA + BT arm (χ 2 test; p 10 cm) showed significant decrease of the restenosis rate, if BT was added. Significant reduction was not achieved in diabetes patients

  9. Phase I trial with BMS-275183, a novel oral taxane with promising antitumor activity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Broker, LE; de Vos, FYFL; van Groeningen, CJ; Kuenen, BC; Gall, HE; Woo, MH; Voi, M; Gietema, JA; deVries, EGE; Giaccone, G

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: BMS-275183 is an orally administered C-4 methyl carbonate analogue of paclitaxel. We did a dose-escalating phase I study to investigate its safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and possible antitumor activity. Experimental Design: A cycle consisted of four weekly doses of BMS-275183. The

  10. Dose study of the multikinase inhibitor, LY2457546, in patients with relapsed acute myeloid leukemia to assess safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wacheck, Volker; Lahn, Michael; Dickinson, Gemma; Füreder, Wolfgang; Meyer, Renata; Herndlhofer, Susanne; Füreder, Thorsten; Dorfner, Georg; Pillay, Sada; André, Valérie; Burkholder, Timothy P; Akunda, Jacqueline K; Flye-Blakemore, Leann; Van Bockstaele, Dirk; Schlenk, Richard F; Sperr, Wolfgang R; Valent, Peter

    2011-01-01

    Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a life-threatening malignancy with limited treatment options in chemotherapy-refractory patients. A first-in-human dose study was designed to investigate a safe and biologically effective dose range for LY2457546, a novel multikinase inhibitor, in patients with relapsed AML. In this nonrandomized, open-label, dose escalation Phase I study, LY2457546 was administered orally once a day. Safety, pharmacokinetics, changes in phosphorylation of target kinases in AML blasts, and risk of drug–drug interactions (DDI) were assessed. Five patients were treated at the starting and predicted minimal biologically effective dose of 50 mg/day. The most commonly observed adverse events were febrile neutropenia, epistaxis, petechiae, and headache. The majority of adverse events (81%) were Grade 1 or 2. One patient had generalized muscle weakness (Grade 3), which was deemed to be a dose-limiting toxicity. Notably, the pharmacokinetic profile of LY2457546 showed virtually no elimination of LY2457546 within 24 hours, and thus prevented further dose escalation. No significant DDI were observed. Ex vivo flow cytometry studies showed downregulation of the phosphoproteins, pcKIT, pFLT3, and pS6, in AML blasts after LY2457546 administration. No medically relevant responses were observed in the five treated patients. No biologically effective dose could be established for LY2457546 in chemotherapy-resistant AML patients. Lack of drug clearance prevented safe dose escalation, and the study was terminated early. Future efforts should be made to develop derivatives with a more favorable pharmacokinetic profile

  11. Dose study of the multikinase inhibitor, LY2457546, in patients with relapsed acute myeloid leukemia to assess safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wacheck V

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Volker Wacheck1, Michael Lahn2, Gemma Dickinson3, Wolfgang Füreder4, Renata Meyer4, Susanne Herndlhofer4, Thorsten Füreder1, Georg Dorfner5, Sada Pillay2, Valérie André6, Timothy P Burkholder7, Jacqueline K Akunda8, Leann Flye-Blakemore9, Dirk Van Bockstaele9, Richard F Schlenk10, Wolfgang R Sperr4, Peter Valent4,111Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel, Vienna, Austria; 2Early Oncology Clinical Investigation, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA; 3Department of Pharmacokinetics, Eli Lilly and Company, Erl Wood Research Centre, Windlesham, Surrey, UK; 4Department of Internal Medicine I, Division of Hematology and Hemostaseology, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel, Vienna, Austria; 5Eli Lilly GesmbH, Medical Department, Vienna, Austria; 6Department of Statistics, Eli Lilly and Company, Erl Wood Research Centre, Surrey, UK; 7Discovery Chemistry Research and Technology, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA; 8Nonclinical Toxicology, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA; 9Flow Cytometry and Cell Analysis, Esoterix Clinical Trials Services, Mechelen, Belgium; 10Universitätsklinikum Ulm, Klinik für Innere Medizin III, Ulm, Germany; 11Ludwig Boltzmann Cluster Oncology, Vienna, AustriaBackground: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML is a life-threatening malignancy with limited treatment options in chemotherapy-refractory patients. A first-in-human dose study was designed to investigate a safe and biologically effective dose range for LY2457546, a novel multikinase inhibitor, in patients with relapsed AML.Methods: In this nonrandomized, open-label, dose escalation Phase I study, LY2457546 was administered orally once a day. Safety, pharmacokinetics, changes in phosphorylation of target kinases in AML blasts, and risk of drug–drug interactions (DDI were assessed.Results: Five patients were treated at the starting and predicted minimal biologically effective dose of 50 mg

  12. First clinical results from the EORTC phase I Trial ''postoperative treatment of glioblastoma with BNCT at the Petten irradiation facility''

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sauerwein, W.; Hideghety, K.; Rassow, J.; Devries, M.J.; Goetz, C.; Paquis, P.; Grochulla, F.; Wolbers, J.G.; Haselsberger, K.; Turowski, B.; Moss, R.L.; Stecher-Rasmussen, F.; Touw, D.; Wiestler, O.D.; Frankhauser, H.; Gabel, D.

    2001-01-01

    Based on the pre-clinical work of the European Collaboration on Boron Neutron Capture Therapy a study protocol was prepared in 1995 to initiate Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) in patients at the High Flux Reactor (HFR) in Petten. Bio-distribution and pharmacokinetics data of the boron drug Na 2 B 12 H 11 SH (BSH) as well as the radiobiological effects of BNCT with BSH in healthy brain tissue of dogs were considered in designing the strategy for this clinical Phase I trial. The primary goal of the radiation dose escalation study is the investigation of possible adverse events due to BNCT; i.e. to establish the dose limiting toxicity and the maximal tolerated dose. The treatment is delivered in 4 fractions at a defined average boron concentration in blood. Cohorts of 10 patients are treated per dose group. The starting dose was set at 80% of the dose at which neurological symptoms occurred in preclinical dog experiments following a single fraction. After an observation period of at least 6 months, the dose is increased by 10% for the next cohort if less then three severe side effects related to the treatment occurred. The results of the first cohort are presented here. The evaluated dose level can be considered safe. (author)

  13. First clinical results from the EORTC phase I Trial ''postoperative treatment of glioblastoma with BNCT at the Petten irradiation facility''

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sauerwein, W; Hideghety, K; Rassow, J [Department of Radiotherapy, University of Essen (Germany); Devries, M J [NDDO Oncology, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Goetz, C [Neurochirurgische Klinik, Klinikum Grosshadern Muenchen, Munich (Germany); Paquis, P [Dept. de Neurochirurgie, Hopital Pasteur, Nice (France); Grochulla, F [Klinik fuer Neurochirurgie, Zentralkrankenhaus Bremen (Germany); Wolbers, J G [Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital ' ' Vrije Universiteit' ' , Amsterdam (Netherlands); Haselsberger, K [Klinik fuer Neurochirurgie, Karl-Franzens-Universitaet, Graz (Austria); Turowski, B [Institut fuer Neuroradiologie, Johann-Wolfgang-von-Goethe-Universitaet, Frankfurt (Germany); Moss, R L [HFR Unit, Joint Research Centre, European Commission, Petten (Netherlands); Stecher-Rasmussen, F [Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group NRG, Petten (Netherlands); Touw, D [Pharmacy, University/Academic Hospital ' ' Vrije Universiteit' ' , Amsterdam (Netherlands); Wiestler, O D [Department of Neuropathology, German Brain Tumour Reference Centre, Universitaetsklinikum Bonn (Germany); Frankhauser, H [Service de Neurochirurgie CHUV, Lausanne (Switzerland); Gabel, D [Chemistry Department, University of Bremen (Germany)

    2001-05-01

    Based on the pre-clinical work of the European Collaboration on Boron Neutron Capture Therapy a study protocol was prepared in 1995 to initiate Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) in patients at the High Flux Reactor (HFR) in Petten. Bio-distribution and pharmacokinetics data of the boron drug Na{sub 2}B{sub 12}H{sub 11}SH (BSH) as well as the radiobiological effects of BNCT with BSH in healthy brain tissue of dogs were considered in designing the strategy for this clinical Phase I trial. The primary goal of the radiation dose escalation study is the investigation of possible adverse events due to BNCT; i.e. to establish the dose limiting toxicity and the maximal tolerated dose. The treatment is delivered in 4 fractions at a defined average boron concentration in blood. Cohorts of 10 patients are treated per dose group. The starting dose was set at 80% of the dose at which neurological symptoms occurred in preclinical dog experiments following a single fraction. After an observation period of at least 6 months, the dose is increased by 10% for the next cohort if less then three severe side effects related to the treatment occurred. The results of the first cohort are presented here. The evaluated dose level can be considered safe. (author)

  14. Phylogenetic escalation and decline of plant defense strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agrawal, Anurag A.; Fishbein, Mark

    2008-01-01

    As the basal resource in most food webs, plants have evolved myriad strategies to battle consumption by herbivores. Over the past 50 years, plant defense theories have been formulated to explain the remarkable variation in abundance, distribution, and diversity of secondary chemistry and other defensive traits. For example, classic theories of enemy-driven evolutionary dynamics have hypothesized that defensive traits escalate through the diversification process. Despite the fact that macroevolutionary patterns are an explicit part of defense theories, phylogenetic analyses have not been previously attempted to disentangle specific predictions concerning (i) investment in resistance traits, (ii) recovery after damage, and (iii) plant growth rate. We constructed a molecular phylogeny of 38 species of milkweed and tested four major predictions of defense theory using maximum-likelihood methods. We did not find support for the growth-rate hypothesis. Our key finding was a pattern of phyletic decline in the three most potent resistance traits (cardenolides, latex, and trichomes) and an escalation of regrowth ability. Our neontological approach complements more common paleontological approaches to discover directional trends in the evolution of life and points to the importance of natural enemies in the macroevolution of species. The finding of macroevolutionary escalating regowth ability and declining resistance provides a window into the ongoing coevolutionary dynamics between plants and herbivores and suggests a revision of classic plant defense theory. Where plants are primarily consumed by specialist herbivores, regrowth (or tolerance) may be favored over resistance traits during the diversification process. PMID:18645183

  15. Two experiments focusing on de-escalation oriented coverage of post-war conflicts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wilhelm Kempf

    2005-10-01

    Full Text Available War coverage has a strong bias towards the promotion of conflict escalation and - though less pronounced - this bias often survives in post-war coverage as well. Even after the end of war, only a minority of journalists frame conflict in a firmly de-escalation oriented way. Do they have a chance to reach the public? Will their reports be respected by the audience as more balanced and unbiased? Will they have an impact on the audience's mental models of the conflict? Or will the audience continue to cling to its prejudices and reject news articles which do not affirm the enemy images that emerged during wartime? The present paper investigates these questions by means of two experimental studies. In the first experiment, news articles on three events in former Yugoslavia after the fall of Milosevic were presented to a total of n = 128 subjects, representative of the readership of the German quality press: (1 violent conflicts in Southern Serbia (December 2000, (2 the extradition of Milosevic to The Hague (June, 2001 and (3 the treaty between Serbia and Montenegro (March 2003. For each of the events, four different types of articles were used: moderately escalation oriented articles from prestigious German newspapers (Die Welt, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Süddeutsche Zeitung and three variants of these articles, (a with increased escalation-oriented framing, (b with moderate de-escalation oriented framing and (c with more strongly de-escalation oriented framing of the events. Each subject was asked to read one article on each of the three events in chronological order and after each article (a to narrate the reported events in their own words and (b to fill out a questionnaire designed to measure the acceptance of the articles as unbiased, well-balanced, interesting, etc. The subjects' mental models of the reported events were inferred from their narratives by means of quantitative content analysis. The second experiment measured the

  16. Motion-Compensated Estimation of Delivered Dose during External BeamRadiation Therapy: Implementation in Philips’ Pinnacle3 Treatment Planning System

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bharat, S.; Parikh, P.; Noel, C.; Meltsner, M.; Bzdusek, K.; Kaus, M.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: Recent research efforts investigating dose escalation techniques for three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D CRT) andintensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) have demonstrated great benefit when high-dose hypofractionated treatment schemes are implemented16,21. The use of

  17. A Co-operative Inquiry Into Generating, Describing, and Transforming Knowledge About De-escalation Practices in Mental Health Settings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Berring, Lene Lauge; Hummelvoll, J. K.; Pedersen, Liselotte

    2016-01-01

    De-escalation is concerned with managing violent behaviour without resorting to coercive measures. Co-operative Inquiry provided the conceptual basis for generating knowledge regarding de-escalation practices in acute mental health care settings. The research included service users and staff memb...... transforming violence management. Neighbouring mental health communities’ involvement strengthened the transformation process and assisted in validating the research results. © 2016, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.......De-escalation is concerned with managing violent behaviour without resorting to coercive measures. Co-operative Inquiry provided the conceptual basis for generating knowledge regarding de-escalation practices in acute mental health care settings. The research included service users and staff...... members as co-researchers and knowledge was generated in dynamic research cycles around an extended epistemology of knowing: experiential, presentational, propositional, and practical. Through this process, co-researchers became de-escalation learners, implementing de-escalation practices while...

  18. Clonidine Extended-Release Tablets for Pediatric Patients with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jain, Rakesh; Segal, Scott; Kollins, Scott H.; Khayrallah, Moise

    2011-01-01

    Objective: This study examined the efficacy and safety of clonidine hydrochloride extended-release tablets (CLON-XR) in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Method: This 8-week, placebo-controlled, fixed-dose trial, including 3 weeks of dose escalation, of patients 6 to 17 years old with ADHD evaluated the…

  19. Out-of-pile bundle temperature escalation under severe fuel damage conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hagen, S.; Peck, S.O.

    1983-08-01

    This report provides an overview of the test conduct, results, and posttest appearance of bundle test ESBU-1. The purpose of the test was to investigate fuel rod temperature escalation due to the exothermal zircaloy/steam reaction in a bundle geometry. The 3x3 bundle was surrounded by a zircaloy shroud and 6 mm of fiber ceramic insulation. The center rod escalated to a maximum of 2,250 0 C. Runoff of the melt apparently limited the escalation. Posttest visual examination of the bundle showed that cladding from every rod had melted, liquefied some fuel, flowed down the rod, and frozen in a solid mass that substantially blocked all flow channels. A large amount of powdery rubble, probably fuel that fractured during cooldown, was found on top of the blockage. Metallographic, EMP, and SEM examinations showed that the melt had dissolved both fuel and oxidized cladding, and had itself been oxidized by steam. (orig.) [de

  20. Dialysis dose in acute kidney injury: no time for therapeutic nihilism – a critical appraisal of the Acute Renal Failure Trial Network study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ronco, Claudio; Cruz, Dinna; van Straaten, Helen Oudemans; Honore, Patrick; House, Andrew; Bin, Du; Gibney, Noel

    2008-01-01

    The optimal dialysis dose for acute kidney injury is a matter of great controversy. Clinical trials, predominantly single-center studies, have shown conflicting results. The Acute Renal Failure Trial Network (ATN) Study was designed to compare clinical outcomes between patients allocated to an intensive dose versus a less-intensive dose of renal replacement therapy. Recently, the results of this large randomized controlled multicenter study were published. The present article will discuss certain aspects of this trial: the overall design, the baseline patient characteristics, and comparison of the results with earlier studies. Finally, the article will address the implications of the ATN Study results for clinical practice. PMID:18983695

  1. A blinded, randomized, controlled trial of three doses of high-dose insulin in poison-induced cardiogenic shock.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cole, J B; Stellpflug, S J; Ellsworth, H; Anderson, C P; Adams, A B; Engebretsen, K M; Holger, J S

    2013-05-01

    High dose insulin (HDI) has proven superior to glucagon and catecholamines in the treatment of poison-induced cardiogenic shock (PICS) in previous animal studies. Standard recommendations for dosing of insulin vary and the optimal dose of HDI in PICS has not been established. Our hypothesis was a dose of 10 U/kg/hr of HDI would be superior to 1 U/kg/hr with cardiac output (CO) as our primary outcome measure in pigs with propranolol-induced PICS. This was a blinded, prospective, randomized trial with 4 arms consisting of 4 pigs in each arm. The arms were as follows: placebo (P), 1 U/kg/hr (HDI-1), 5 U/kg/hr (HDI-5), and 10 U/kg/hr (HDI-10). Cardiogenic shock was induced with a bolus of 0.5 mg/kg of propranolol followed by an infusion of 0.25 mg/kg/min until the point of toxicity, defined as 0.75 x (HR x MAP) was reached. At this point the propranolol infusion was decreased to 0.125 mg/kg/min and a 20 mL/kg bolus of normal saline (NS) was administered. The protocol was continued for 6 hours or until the animals died. 2 pigs died in the P arm, 1 pig died each in the HDI-1 and HDI-5 arms, and all pigs lived in the HDI-10 arm. There was a statistically significant difference in dose by time interaction on CO of 1.13 L/min over the 6 hr study period (p = < 0.001). There was also a statistically significant difference in dose by time interaction on MAP, HR, and systemic vascular resistance (SVR). No statistically significant difference was found between any of the arms regarding glucose utilization. HDI was statistically and clinically significantly superior to placebo in this propranolol model of PICS. Furthermore a dose response over time was found where CO increased corresponding to increases in doses of HDI.

  2. An Intelligent System for Aggression De-escalation Training

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bosse, T.; Gerritsen, C.; de Man, J.

    2016-01-01

    Artificial Intelligence techniques are increasingly being used to develop smart training applications for professionals in various domains. This paper presents an intelligent training system that enables professionals in the public domain to practice their aggression de-escalation skills. The system

  3. A phase I trial of a new antiemetic drug--clebopride malate--in cisplatin-treated patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bleiberg, H; Piccart, M; Lips, S; Panzer, J M; N'Koua Mbon, J B

    1992-02-01

    Clebopride, a new benzamide derivative, has, in common with the other members of this group, antidopaminergic activity. In animals, its therapeutic ratio is superior to that of metoclopramide at doses free of side effects associated with hyperprolactinemia and extrapyramidal symptoms. The present study was designed to define the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) in patients with advanced histologically-proven cancer, treated with cisplatin at a dose of greater than 50 mg/m2. Most of them were pretreated and refractory to standard antiemetics. Clebopride was started at a dosage of 0.10 mg/kg in a group of 6 patients and escalated by 0.2 mg at each dose level. A total of 30 patients were included. Side effects include somnolence, diarrhea and extrapyramidal-like symptoms. The latter occurred at almost all dose levels in 14% of the cycles and limited continuation of the study. Activity in this group of patients was encouraging but, considering the rate of extrapyramidal symptoms, further dose escalation is not indicated and activity at lower, nontoxic levels should be investigated.

  4. High-Dose Vitamin D3 during Tuberculosis Treatment in Mongolia. A Randomized Controlled Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganmaa, Davaasambuu; Munkhzul, Baatar; Fawzi, Wafaie; Spiegelman, Donna; Willett, Walter C; Bayasgalan, Purev; Baasansuren, Erkhembayar; Buyankhishig, Burneebaatar; Oyun-Erdene, Sereeter; Jolliffe, David A; Xenakis, Theodoros; Bromage, Sabri; Bloom, Barry R; Martineau, Adrian R

    2017-09-01

    Existing trials of adjunctive vitamin D in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) are variously limited by small sample sizes, inadequate dosing regimens, and high baseline vitamin D status among participants. Comprehensive analyses of the effects of genetic variation in the vitamin D pathway on response to vitamin D supplementation are lacking. To determine the effect of high-dose vitamin D 3 on response to antimicrobial therapy for PTB and to evaluate the influence of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in vitamin D pathway genes on response to adjunctive vitamin D 3 . We conducted a clinical trial in 390 adults with PTB in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, who were randomized to receive four biweekly doses of 3.5 mg (140,000 IU) vitamin D 3 (n = 190) or placebo (n = 200) during intensive-phase antituberculosis treatment. The intervention elevated 8-week serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations (154.5 nmol/L vs. 15.2 nmol/L in active vs. placebo arms, respectively; 95% confidence interval for difference, 125.9-154.7 nmol/L; P vitamin D 3 accelerated sputum culture conversion in patients with one or more minor alleles for SNPs in genes encoding the vitamin D receptor (rs4334089, rs11568820) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D 1α-hydroxylase (CYP27B1: rs4646536) (adjusted hazard ratio ≥ 1.47; P for interaction ≤ 0.02). Vitamin D 3 did not influence time to sputum culture conversion in the study population overall. Effects of the intervention were modified by SNPs in VDR and CYP27B1. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01657656).

  5. Water and Wastewater Annual Price Escalation Rates for Selected Cities across the United States

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None, None

    2017-10-27

    Pacific Northwest National Laboratory conducted this study for the Federal Energy Management Program to identify trends in annual water and wastewater price escalation rates across the United States. This study can be used to inform the selection of an appropriate escalation rates for inclusion in LCCA.

  6. Low dose aspirin in the prevention of recurrent spontaneous preterm labour - the APRIL study: a multicenter randomized placebo controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Visser, Laura; de Boer, Marjon A; de Groot, Christianne J M; Nijman, Tobias A J; Hemels, Marieke A C; Bloemenkamp, Kitty W M; Bosmans, Judith E; Kok, Marjolein; van Laar, Judith O; Sueters, Marieke; Scheepers, Hubertina; van Drongelen, Joris; Franssen, Maureen T M; Sikkema, J Marko; Duvekot, Hans J J; Bekker, Mireille N; van der Post, Joris A M; Naaktgeboren, Christiana; Mol, Ben W J; Oudijk, Martijn A

    2017-07-14

    Preterm birth (birth before 37 weeks of gestation) is a major problem in obstetrics and affects an estimated 15 million pregnancies worldwide annually. A history of previous preterm birth is the strongest risk factor for preterm birth, and recurrent spontaneous preterm birth affects more than 2.5 million pregnancies each year. A recent meta-analysis showed possible benefits of the use of low dose aspirin in the prevention of recurrent spontaneous preterm birth. We will assess the (cost-)effectiveness of low dose aspirin in comparison with placebo in the prevention of recurrent spontaneous preterm birth in a randomized clinical trial. Women with a singleton pregnancy and a history of spontaneous preterm birth in a singleton pregnancy (22-37 weeks of gestation) will be asked to participate in a multicenter, randomized, double blinded, placebo controlled trial. Women will be randomized to low dose aspirin (80 mg once daily) or placebo, initiated from 8 to 16 weeks up to maximal 36 weeks of gestation. The primary outcome measure will be preterm birth, defined as birth at a gestational age (GA) aspirin is effective in preventing preterm birth, we expect that there will be cost savings, because of the low costs of aspirin. To evaluate this, a cost-effectiveness analysis will be performed comparing preventive treatment with aspirin with placebo. This trial will provide evidence as to whether or not low dose aspirin is (cost-) effective in reducing recurrence of spontaneous preterm birth. Clinical trial registration number of the Dutch Trial Register: NTR 5675 . EudraCT-registration number: 2015-003220-31.

  7. Phase I dose-escalation study to examine the safety and tolerability of LY2603618, a checkpoint 1 kinase inhibitor, administered 1 day after pemetrexed 500 mg/m(2) every 21 days in patients with cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiss, Glen J; Donehower, Ross C; Iyengar, Tara; Ramanathan, Ramesh K; Lewandowski, Karen; Westin, Eric; Hurt, Karla; Hynes, Scott M; Anthony, Stephen P; McKane, Scott

    2013-02-01

    This phase I study aims at assessing the safety and tolerability of LY2603618, a selective inhibitor of Checkpoint Kinase 1, in combination with pemetrexed and determining the maximum tolerable dose and the pharmacokinetic parameters. This was an open-label, multicenter, dose-escalation study in patients with advanced solid tumors. Increasing doses of LY2603618 (40-195 mg/m(2)) were combined with 500 mg/m(2) of pemetrexed. LY2603618 was administered on Days 1 and 9 and pemetrexed on Day 8 in a 28-day cycle. For all subsequent 21-day cycles, pemetrexed was administered on Day 1 and LY2603618 on Day 2. Antitumor activity was evaluated as per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors 1.0. A total of 31 patients were enrolled into six cohorts (three at 40 mg/m(2) over 4.5-hour infusion, 1-hour infusion in subsequent cohorts: three each at 40 mg/m(2), 70 mg/m(2), and 195 mg/m(2); 13 at 105 mg/m(2); six at 150 mg/m(2)). Four patients experienced a dose-limiting toxicity: diarrhea (105 mg/m(2)); reversible infusion-related reaction (150 mg/m(2)); thrombocytopenia (195 mg/m(2)); and fatigue (195 mg/m(2)). The maximum tolerated dose was defined as 150 mg/m(2). The pharmacokinetic data demonstrated that the exposure of LY2603618 increased in a dose-dependent manner, displayed a suitable half-life for maintaining required human exposures while minimizing the intra- and inter-cycle accumulation, and was unaffected by the pemetrexed administration. The pharmacokinetic-defined biologically efficacious dose was achieved at doses ≥105 mg/m(2). LY2603618 administered approximately 24 h after pemetrexed showed acceptable safety and pharmacokinetic profiles.

  8. Advantage of dose fractionation in monoclonal antibody-targeted radioimmunotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schlom, J.; Molinolo, A.; Simpson, J.F.; Siler, K.; Roselli, M.; Hinkle, G.; Houchens, D.P.; Colcher, D.

    1990-01-01

    Monoclonal antibody (MAb) B72.3 IgG was radiolabeled with 131I and administered to female athymic NCr-nu mice bearing the LS-174T human colon adenocarcinoma xenograft to determine if fractionation of MAb dose had any advantage in tumor therapy. In the LS-174T xenograft, only approximately 30%-60% of tumor cells express the B72.3-reactive TAG-72 antigen. The LS-174T xenograft was used to reflect the heterogeneity of the TAG-72 antigen often seen in biopsy specimens from patients. In contrast to a single 600-muCi dose of 131I-B72.3 IgG where 60% of the animals died from toxic effects, two 300-muCi doses of 131I-B72.3 IgG reduced or eliminated tumor growth in 90% of mice, with only 10% of the animals dying from toxic effects. Dose fractionation even permitted escalation of the dose to three doses of 300 muCi of 131I-B72.3 IgG, resulting in even more extensive tumor reduction or elimination and minimal toxic effects. The use of an isotype-matched control MAb revealed a nonspecific component to tumor growth retardation, but the use of the specific B72.3 IgG demonstrated a much greater therapeutic effect. Tumors that had escaped MAb therapy were analyzed for expression of the B72.3-reactive TAG-72 antigen with the use of the immunoperoxidase method; they were shown to have the same antigenic phenotype as the untreated tumors. We verified tumor elimination by killing the test animals after a 7-week observation period and performing histologic examination of tumor sites. We also monitored toxic effects by histologic examination of numerous organs. These studies thus demonstrate the advantage of dose fractionation of a radiolabeled MAb for tumor therapy. We anticipate that the concept of dose fractionation can be practically applied in radioimmunotherapeutic clinical trials with the development and use of recombinant-chimeric MAbs and modified constructs

  9. Treatment assignment guesses by study participants in a double-blind dose escalation clinical trial of saw palmetto.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jeannette Y; Moore, Page; Kusek, John; Barry, Michael

    2014-01-01

    This report assesses participant perception of treatment assignment in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of saw palmetto for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BCM). Participants randomized to receive saw palmetto were instructed to take one 320 mg gelcap daily for the first 24 weeks, two 320 mg gelcaps daily for the second 24 weeks, and three 320 mg gelcaps daily for the third 24 weeks. Study participants assigned to placebo were instructed to take the same number of matching placebo gelcaps in each time period. At 24, 48, and 72 weeks postrandomization, the American Urological Association Symptom Index (AUA-SI) was administered and participants were asked to guess their treatment assignment. The study was conducted at 11 clinical centers in North America. Study participants were men, 45 years and older, with moderate to low severe BPH symptoms, randomized to saw palmetto (N=151) or placebo (N=155). Treatment arms were compared with respect to the distribution of participant guesses of treatment assignment. For participants assigned to saw palmetto, 22.5%, 24.7%, and 29.8% correctly thought they were taking saw palmetto, and 37.3%, 40.0%, and 44.4% incorrectly thought they were on placebo at 24, 48, and 72 weeks, respectively. For placebo participants, 21.8%, 27.4%, and 25.2% incorrectly thought they were on saw palmetto, and 41.6%, 39.9%, and 42.6% correctly thought they were on placebo at 24, 48, and 72 weeks, respectively. The treatment arms did not vary with respect to the distributions of participants who guessed they were on saw palmetto (p=0.823) or placebo (p=0.893). Participants who experienced an improvement in AUA-SI were 2.16 times more likely to think they were on saw palmetto. Blinding of treatment assignment was successful in this study. Improvement in BPH-related symptoms was associated with the perception that participants were taking saw palmetto.

  10. Learning to make collective decisions: the impact of confidence escalation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahmoodi, Ali; Bang, Dan; Ahmadabadi, Majid Nili; Bahrami, Bahador

    2013-01-01

    Little is known about how people learn to take into account others' opinions in joint decisions. To address this question, we combined computational and empirical approaches. Human dyads made individual and joint visual perceptual decision and rated their confidence in those decisions (data previously published). We trained a reinforcement (temporal difference) learning agent to get the participants' confidence level and learn to arrive at a dyadic decision by finding the policy that either maximized the accuracy of the model decisions or maximally conformed to the empirical dyadic decisions. When confidences were shared visually without verbal interaction, RL agents successfully captured social learning. When participants exchanged confidences visually and interacted verbally, no collective benefit was achieved and the model failed to predict the dyadic behaviour. Behaviourally, dyad members' confidence increased progressively and verbal interaction accelerated this escalation. The success of the model in drawing collective benefit from dyad members was inversely related to confidence escalation rate. The findings show an automated learning agent can, in principle, combine individual opinions and achieve collective benefit but the same agent cannot discount the escalation suggesting that one cognitive component of collective decision making in human may involve discounting of overconfidence arising from interactions.

  11. Low dose intranasal oxytocin delivered with Breath Powered device dampens amygdala response to emotional stimuli: A peripheral effect-controlled within-subjects randomized dose-response fMRI trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quintana, Daniel S; Westlye, Lars T; Alnæs, Dag; Rustan, Øyvind G; Kaufmann, Tobias; Smerud, Knut T; Mahmoud, Ramy A; Djupesland, Per G; Andreassen, Ole A

    2016-07-01

    It is unclear if and how exogenous oxytocin (OT) reaches the brain to improve social behavior and cognition and what is the optimal dose for OT response. To better understand the delivery routes of intranasal OT administration to the brain and the dose-response, we compared amygdala response to facial stimuli by means of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in four treatment conditions, including two different doses of intranasal OT using a novel Breath Powered device, intravenous (IV) OT, which provided similar concentrations of blood plasma OT, and placebo. We adopted a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, crossover design, with 16 healthy male adults administering a single-dose of these four treatments. We observed a treatment effect on right amygdala activation during the processing of angry and happy face stimuli, with pairwise comparisons revealing reduced activation after the 8IU low dose intranasal treatment compared to placebo. These data suggest the dampening of amygdala activity in response to emotional stimuli occurs via direct intranasal delivery pathways rather than across the blood-brain barrier via systemically circulating OT. This trial is registered at the U.S. National Institutes of Health clinical trial registry (www.clinicaltrials.gov; NCT01983514) and as EudraCT no. 2013-001608-12. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Central image archiving and managements system for multicenter clinical studies: Lessons from low-dose CT for appendicitis trial

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ko, You Sun; Lee, Kyong Joon; Lee, Kyoung Ho [Dept. of Radiology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam (Korea, Republic of); and others

    2017-03-15

    This special report aimed to document our experiences in implementing the Central Imaging Archiving and Management System (CIAMS) for a multicenter clinical trial, Low-dose CT for Appendicitis Trial (LOCAT), supported by the Korean Society of Radiology and Radiology Imaging Network of Korea for Clinical Research. LOCAT was a randomized controlled trial to determine whether low-dose CT is non-inferior to standard-dose CT with respect to the negative appendectomy rate in patients aged from 15 to 44 years. Site investigators downloaded the CT images from the site picture archiving and communication system servers, and uploaded the anonymized images to the primary server. CIAMS administrators inspected the images routed to the secondary server by a cross-check against image submission worksheets provided by the site investigators. The secondary server was automatically synchronized to the tertiary backup server. Up to June 2016, 2715 patients from 20 sites participated in LOCAT for 30 months. A total of 2539 patients' images (93.5%, 2539/2715) were uploaded to the primary server, 2193 patients' worksheets (80.8%, 2193/2715) were submitted, and 2163 patients' data (79.7%, 2163/2715) were finally monitored. No data error occurred.

  13. Elevator and Escalator Safety Education for Older Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanks, Roma Stovall

    1996-01-01

    In eight focus groups in five cities, older adults identified their concerns about safety on elevators and escalators, often related to misunderstanding of the equipment. Their preferences for delivery of safety information included video/television, pamphlets, discussions, and posters. Educational interventions and modifications for disabilities…

  14. Hydroxyurea Therapy for Children With Sickle Cell Anemia in Sub-Saharan Africa: Rationale and Design of the REACH Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGann, Patrick T; Tshilolo, Léon; Santos, Brigida; Tomlinson, George A; Stuber, Susan; Latham, Teresa; Aygun, Banu; Obaro, Stephen K; Olupot-Olupot, Peter; Williams, Thomas N; Odame, Isaac; Ware, Russell E

    2016-01-01

    Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is an inherited hematological disorder that causes a large but neglected global health burden, particularly in Africa. Hydroxyurea represents the only available disease-modifying therapy for SCA, and has proven safety and efficacy in high-resource countries. In sub-Saharan Africa, there is minimal use of hydroxyurea, due to lack of data, absence of evidence-based guidelines, and inexperience among healthcare providers. A partnership was established between investigators in North America and sub-Saharan Africa, to develop a prospective multicenter research protocol designed to provide data on the safety, feasibility, and benefits of hydroxyurea for children with SCA. The Realizing Effectiveness Across Continents with Hydroxyurea (REACH, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01966731) trial is a prospective, phase I/II open-label dose escalation study of hydroxyurea that will treat a total of 600 children age 1-10 years with SCA: 150 at each of four different clinical sites within sub-Saharan Africa (Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, and Uganda). The primary study endpoint will be severe hematological toxicities that occur during the fixed-dose treatment phase. REACH has an adaptive statistical design that allows for careful assessment of toxicities to accurately identify a safe hydroxyurea dose. REACH will provide data that address critical gaps in knowledge for the treatment of SCA in sub-Saharan Africa. By developing local expertise with the use of hydroxyurea and helping to establish treatment guidelines, the REACH trial results will have the potential to transform care for children with SCA in Africa. © 2015 The Authors. Pediatric Blood & Cancer Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. Post-trial apomorphine at an autoreceptor dose level can eliminate apomorphine conditioning and sensitization: support for the critical role of dopamine in re-consolidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carrera, Marinete Pinheiro; Carey, Robert J; Cruz Dias, Flávia Regina; dos Santos Sampaio, Maria de Fátima; de Matos, Liana Wermelinger

    2013-01-01

    Re-exposure to conditioned drug stimuli triggers re-consolidation processes. In the present study post-trial apomorphine treatments were administered in order to interact with the re-consolidation of an apomorphine conditioned/sensitized locomotor response. A low (0.05 mg/kg) and a high (2.0mg/kg) dose were used to inhibit or to enhance dopamine activity, respectively. Initially, groups received 5 daily apomorphine (2.0mg/kg)/vehicle treatments either paired or unpaired to open-field placement. The paired treatments generated a progressive locomotor response. Subsequently, all groups received a 5 min non-drug test for conditioning and a conditioned locomotor response was observed in the paired group. The groups received another apomorphine (2.0mg/kg)/vehicle treatment as a re-induction treatment. At this stage the post-trial protocol was initiated. One set of paired, unpaired and vehicle groups were given a low dose of apomorphine (0.05 mg/kg) post-trial; another set received a high dose of apomorphine (2.0mg/kg) post-trial. The remaining group set received vehicle post-trial. The low dose post-trial treatment eliminated the conditioned and sensitized locomotor response and the high dose post-trial treatment enhanced the conditioned and sensitized locomotor response. The efficacy of the post-trial apomorphine treatments to modify the conditioned and the sensitized response after a brief non-drug exposure to test cues supports the proposition that exteroceptive cues control conditioning and sensitization and that the interoceptive drug cues make little or no associational contribution to apomorphine conditioning and sensitization. In addition, the findings point to the importance of dopamine activation in both the acquisition and re-consolidation of conditioning processes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Targeted simplification versus antipseudomonal broad-spectrum beta-lactams in patients with bloodstream infections due to Enterobacteriaceae (SIMPLIFY): a study protocol for a multicentre, open-label, phase III randomised, controlled, non-inferiority clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    López-Cortés, Luis Eduardo; Rosso-Fernández, Clara; Núñez-Núñez, María; Lavín-Alconero, Lucía; Bravo-Ferrer, José; Barriga, Ángel; Delgado, Mercedes; Lupión, Carmen; Retamar, Pilar; Rodríguez-Baño, Jesús

    2017-06-09

    Within the context of antimicrobial stewardship programmes, de-escalation of antimicrobial therapy is one of the proposed strategies for reducing the unnecessary use of broad-spectrum antibiotics (BSA). The empirical treatment of nosocomial and some healthcare-associated bloodstream infections (BSI) frequently includes a beta-lactam with antipseudomonal activity as monotherapy or in combination with other drugs, so there is a great opportunity to optimise the empirical therapy based on microbiological data. De-escalation is assumed as standard of care for experts in infectious diseases. However, it is less frequent than it would desirable. The SIMPLIFY trial is a multicentre, open-label, non-inferiority phase III randomised controlled clinical trial, designed as a pragmatic 'real-practice' trial. The aim of this trial is to demonstrate the non-inferiority of de-escalation from an empirical beta-lactam with antipseudomonal activity to a targeted narrow-spectrum antimicrobial in patients with BSI due to Enterobacteriaceae . The primary outcome is clinical cure, which will be assessed at the test of cure visit. It will be conducted at 19 Spanish public and university hospitals. Each participating centre has obtained the approval of the ethics review committee, the agreement of the directors of the institutions and authorisation from the Spanish Regulatory Agency (Agencia Española del Medicamento y Productos Sanitarios). Data will be presented at international conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals. Strategies to reduce the use of BSA should be a priority. Most of the studies that support de-escalation are observational, retrospective and heterogeneous. A recent Cochrane review stated that well-designed clinical trials should be conducted to assess the safety and efficacy of de-escalation. The European Union Clinical Trials Register: EudraCT number 2015-004219-19. Clinical trials.gov: NCT02795949. Protocol version: V.2.0, dated 16 May 2016. All items from

  17. The radiobiology of boron neutron capture therapy: Are ''photon-equivalent'' doses really photon-equivalent?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coderre, J.A.; Diaz, A.Z.; Ma, R.

    2001-01-01

    Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) produces a mixture of radiation dose components. The high-linear energy transfer (LET) particles are more damaging in tissue than equal doses of low-LET radiation. Each of the high-LET components can multiplied by an experimentally determined factor to adjust for the increased biological effectiveness and the resulting sum expressed in photon-equivalent units (Gy-Eq). BNCT doses in photon-equivalent units are based on a number of assumptions. It may be possible to test the validity of these assumptions and the accuracy of the calculated BNCT doses by 1) comparing the effects of BNCT in other animal or biological models where the effects of photon radiation are known, or 2) if there are endpoints reached in the BNCT dose escalation clinical trials that can be related to the known response to photons of the tissue in question. The calculated Gy-Eq BNCT doses delivered to dogs and to humans with BPA and the epithermal neutron beam of the Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor were compared to expected responses to photon irradiation. The data indicate that Gy-Eq doses in brain may be underestimated. Doses to skin are consistent with the expected response to photons. Gy-Eq doses to tumor are significantly overestimated. A model system of cells in culture irradiated at various depths in a lucite phantom using the epithermal beam is under development. Preliminary data indicate that this approach can be used to detect differences in the relative biological effectiveness of the beam. The rat 9L gliosarcoma cell survival data was converted to photon-equivalent doses using the same factors assumed in the clinical studies. The results superimposed on the survival curve derived from irradiation with Cs-137 photons indicating the potential utility of this model system. (author)

  18. Safety evaluation of combination toceranib phosphate (Palladia®) and piroxicam in tumour-bearing dogs (excluding mast cell tumours): a phase I dose-finding study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chon, E; McCartan, L; Kubicek, L N; Vail, D M

    2012-09-01

    Toceranib phosphate and piroxicam have individually demonstrated antineoplastic activity. Additionally, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory therapy is often warranted in aged cancer-bearing dogs for management of osteoarthritis comorbidity. As concurrent use may be warranted for a given individual and the adverse event (AE) profile for each can be overlapping (gastrointestinal), a phase I trial was performed in tumour-bearing (non-mast cell) dogs to establish the safety of the combination using a standard 3+3 cohort design. Five dose-escalating cohorts, up to and including approved label dosage for toceranib and standard dosage for piroxicam, were completed without observing a frequency of dose-limiting AEs necessitating cohort closure. Therefore, the combination of standard dosages of both drugs (toceranib, 3.25 mg kg(-1), every other day; piroxicam, 0.3 mg kg(-1) daily) is generally safe. Several antitumour responses were observed. As with single-agent toceranib, label-indicated treatment holidays and dose reductions (e.g. 2.5-2.75 mg kg(-1)) may occasionally be required owing to gastrointestinal events. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  19. Evaluation of dose reduction versus standard dosing for maintenance of remission in patients with spondyloarthritis and clinical remission with anti-TNF (REDES-TNF): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pontes, Caridad; Gratacós, Jordi; Torres, Ferran; Avendaño, Cristina; Sanz, Jesús; Vallano, Antoni; Juanola, Xavier; de Miguel, Eugenio; Sanmartí, Raimon; Calvo, Gonzalo

    2015-08-20

    Dose reduction schedules of tumor necrosis factor antagonists (anti-TNF) as maintenance therapy in patients with spondyloarthritis are used empirically in clinical practice, despite the lack of clinical trials providing evidence for this practice. To address this issue the Spanish Society of Rheumatology (SER) and Spanish Society of Clinical Pharmacology (SEFC) designed a 3-year multicenter, randomized, open-label, controlled clinical trial (2 years for inclusion and 1 year of follow-up). The study is expected to include 190 patients with axial spondyloarthritis on stable maintenance treatment (≥4 months) with any anti-TNF agent at doses recommended in the summary of product characteristics. Patients will be randomized to either a dose reduction arm or maintenance of the dosing regimen as per the official labelling recommendations. Randomization will be stratified according to the anti-TNF agent received before study inclusion. Patient follow-up, visit schedule, and examinations will be maintained as per normal clinical practice recommendations according to SER guidelines. The study aims to test the hypothesis of noninferiority of the dose reduction strategy compared with standard treatment. The first patients were recruited in July 2012, and study completion is scheduled for the end of April 2015. The REDES-TNF study is a pragmatic clinical trial that aims to provide evidence to support a medical decision now made empirically. The study results may help inform clinical decisions relevant to both patients and healthcare decision makers. EudraCT 2011-005871-18 (21 December 2011).

  20. Manifestation of conflict escalation in natural resource management

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yasmi, Y.; Schanz, H.; Salim, A.

    2006-01-01

    Conflict escalation is one of the important aspects to be understood for constructive conflict management. It has been widely discussed in many fields of social study, in particular as it relates inter-individual conflicts. However, this is not the case for natural resource management (NRM). This