In 1989 we started an accelerated hyperfractionated schedule of radiotherapy (two 1.6 Gy daily fractions) in standard risk localized Ewing's sarcoma of bone, with the aim at reducing late effects in young patients and at improving disease control through a better integration of treatment modalities. From 1991, the same schedule was used in preoperative radiotherapy of adult soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities: the main purpose was to reduce the time to surgery and to evaluate surgical complications in comparison with a previous experience of hypofractionated radiotherapy (one 3 Gy daily fraction). From 1991 to 1997, 76 patients with Ewing's sarcoma and 24 patients with soft tissue sarcoma were treated at our Institution. Results and complication rates are analyzed in comparison with historical data. In Ewing's sarcoma, a correct evaluation of improvement in local control was difficult because of changing treatment policy (bulky disease was not included in the present series). Late effects, as evaluated in patients with a minimum follow-up of 3 years, occurred with similar incidence, but at higher total dose levels in patients treated with accelerated hyperfractionation. In patients with soft tissue sarcomas, incidence of surgical complications is reduced as compared to historical experience. Major problems of wound healing were seen in association with intraoperative brachitherapy boost.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

MACOP-B regimen followed by involved-field radiation therapy in early-stage aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients: 14-year update results.

A single-center, retrospective study was conducted to evaluate therapeutic results of the MACOP-B third-generation chemotherapy regimen followed by involved-field radiation therapy in a stage I-II aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) patients. From 1986 to 1995, 118 consecutive patients with the diagnosis of aggressive NHL, stage I-IE or II-IIE, with or without bulky disease were treated with MACOP-B regimen followed, when appropriate, by 30-36 Gy involved-field radiation therapy. The complete response (CR) rate was 95% after the combined modality treatment (97% for stage I-IE and 93% for stage II-IIE). Patients with bulky disease had a CR rate of 92%. Treatment was well tolerated and no deaths occurred from acute toxicity. After a median follow-up of 68 months, 24 (21%) patients relapsed. The 14-year projected relapse-free and overall survival rates were 78% and d 69%, respectively. MACOP-B regimen with/without involved-field radiation therapy provides a safe and effective combined modality treatment for early-stage aggressive NHL, with the possibility to definitively cure two thirds of the patients.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Hodgkin's disease: summary of twenty years' experience.

BACKGROUND: A retrospective analysis on HODGKIN'S DISEASE (HD) was finalized to see if changing the management and therapy during the years we improved the cure rate of lymphomas and reduced the incidence of side effects due to therapy. Up to twenty years' experience was based in two major therapeutic periods: the first included patients observed between 1970 and June 1980 and the second between July 1980 and December 1987. Significant differences between the two periods were the reduction of splenectomies as staging procedure, the reduction of radiation dose and extension and the sequential use of MOPP/ABVD instead of MOPP alone. METHODS: The analysis included all patients observed over the twenty years under study by looking to the differences concerning response to therapy, survival, relapse-free survival and major consequences due to therapy, namely death not directly related to lymphoma. 377 pts entered the first period and 193 the second one with a minimum follow-up of 4 years. RESULTS: Significant differences were recorded on CR rate, 80.9% vs 90.5%, respectively (p = 0.0024) and deaths in CR, 15.1% vs 2.6%, respectively (p = 0.000). The overall survival shows a probability of 60% and 83% at 11 years for the first and the second group, respectively (p = 0.000) being the probability of survival of 50% at 20 years for the first group of pts. The probability of being in remission is similarly of 79% and 78%, for the first and second group, respectively. The risk of death in remission accounting all causes not related to lymphoma shows a 17% probability vs 6% at 11 years (p = 0.006) for the first and second group, respectively, being 38% for the former group at 20 years. The most frequent single cause of death in remission was secondary leukemia which was recorded in 14 pts on the group of pts observed between 1970 and 1980, all splenectomized and treated by MOPP and extensive radiotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: The modifications of therapy of HD have produced improvements concerning the prognosis of pts; these improvements are due mainly to the reduction of late side effects such as acute leukemia and second solid tumor, and to the increase of remission rate and cure rate of the lymphoma.

Adolescent↗