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Results for “Chemoradiotherapy”

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PubMed2026

Older adults with resectable gastric cancer undergoing perioperative chemotherapy or preoperative chemoradiotherapy plus perioperative chemotherapy: A secondary analysis of the AGITG TOPGEAR phase III trial.

PURPOSE: To evaluate treatment adherence, adverse events, and survival in older (≥70 years) adults undergoing perioperative treatment for gastric cancer. METHODS: Patients with resectable gastric/gastro-esophageal junction adenocarcinoma (ECOG 0-1) enrolled in the phase III TOPGEAR trial were randomized to perioperative chemotherapy (ECF/ECX or FLOT) alone or perioperative chemotherapy plus preoperative chemoradiotherapy (45 Gy in 25 fractions with concurrent fluoropyrimidine). In this exploratory analysis, treatment completion, grade ≥ 3 adverse events (CTCAE v3.0), surgical outcomes, overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were compared between older and younger adults. RESULTS: Of the 574 patients enrolled, 135 (24%) were ≥ 70 years. Older adults more frequently required preoperative chemotherapy dose reductions, omissions, or delays (chemoradiotherapy: 55% vs 35%, p = 0.004; chemotherapy: 60% vs 48%, p = 0.087). Rates of grade ≥ 3 adverse events were comparable between older and younger patients (chemoradiotherapy: 66% vs 67%, p = 0.874; chemotherapy: 68% vs 59%, p = 0.220), but older adults more often had hematologic toxicity and grade ≥ 3 diarrhea in the chemotherapy group (56% vs 37%, p = 0.006; 21% vs 6%, p < 0.001). Resection rates, grade 3/4 surgical complications, number of removed lymph nodes, and 30-/90-day mortality were similar by age. OS and PFS were comparable across age groups, with numerically favorable outcomes for older adults (OS: HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.58-1.26 [chemoradiotherapy]; HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.51-1.11 [chemotherapy]; PFS: HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.53-1.15 [chemoradiotherapy]; HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.47-1.03 [chemotherapy]). CONCLUSIONS: Older adults with gastric cancer achieved comparable oncologic outcomes to younger patients, despite more frequent treatment modifications and higher hematologic toxicity.

Humans↗

PubMed1975

Graft versus leukemia. VI. Adoptive immunotherapy in combination with chemoradiotherapy for spontaneous leukemia-lymphoma in AKR mice.

A three-step treatment plan incorporating adoptive immunotherapy and chemoradiotherapy was used to treat AKR (H-2k) mice bearing spontaneous leukemia-lymphoma (SLL). 1) Leukemic mice were treated with chemoradiotherapy for immunosuppression and leukemia cytoreduction. 2) To introduce a graft-versus-leukemia reaction against residual malignant cells, the immunosuppressed AKR mice were given immunocompetent cells from H-2 mismatched DBA/2 (H-2d) donors. 3) To "rescue" the AKR hosts from incipient graft-versus-host disease, the mismatched DBA/2 cells were killed with combination chemotherapy, and cells from allogeneic H-2 matched RF (H-2k) donors were administered to restore hematopoiesis. Leukemic AKR mice thus treated had significant prolongation of their median survival time and a higher 60-day survival rate post treatment than did untreated controls, chemoradiotherapy controls, or control mice that received chemoradiotherapy plus cells from syngeneic donors. Therefore, adoptive immunotherapy may be useful as an adjunct to conventional therapy for treatment of SLL in AKR mice.

Amphotericin B↗

PubMed1979

Cell kinetic aspects of chemoradiotherapy in laryngeal and pharyngeal carcinomas.

Chemoradiotherapy is an established method in the therapeutic management of incurable laryngeal and pharyngeal carcinomas or recurrences. On principle two different schedules of chemoradiotherapy are available: (1) the synchronization therapy (irradiation subsequent to a subtoxic dose of 5-fluorouracil) and (2) the combined treatment with bleomycine and X-rays. The results of cell kinetic studies which have fundamentally contributed to our knowledge and understanding of these therapeutic schedules are discussed and the clinical results are demonstrated. The conclusion is drawn that the chemoradiotherapy cannot and shall not substitute the proved methods of surgery and radiotherapy. But in hopeless cases it lengthens the survival time and diminishes the excruciating pain of the tumor patient.

Bleomycin↗

PubMed2026

Postoperative chemoradiotherapy in Wilms tumor with concurrent lung and lymph node metastasis.

BACKGROUND: An effective treatment strategy is essential for metastatic Wilms tumor (WT) management. To improve prognostic accuracy, this study examined metastatic patterns and key prognostic factors. METHODS: Children diagnosed with WT from 2010 to 2021 were identified from the SEER database. All patients underwent chemotherapy and surgical resection. Metastatic patterns, metastasis-related predictors, and prognostic factors were evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 1040 patients analyzed, 226 (21.7%) experienced lung metastasis, 31 (3.0%) liver metastasis, 6 (0.6%) bone metastasis, and 220 (21.2%) regional lymph node metastasis. Distant metastasis was associated with a higher incidence of lymph node metastasis (OR = 1.506, 95% CI 1.346-1.685, p < 0.001). Age 3-17 years (OR = 1.933, 95% CI 1.406-2.680, p < 0.001), left-sided (OR = 1.383, 95% CI 1.016-1.890, p = 0.040), bilateral (OR = 2.303, 95% CI 1.215-4.243, p = 0.009), and tumor size ≥135 mm (OR = 2.020, 95% CI 1.481-2.749, p < 0.001) were identified as predictors of metastasis. Both lymph node (p < 0.001) and lung metastasis (p < 0.001) were high-risk factors for WT. Radiotherapy provided long-term survival benefits for the metastatic population (p = 0.027), while postoperative chemotherapy showed better outcomes than preoperative or other strategies (p < 0.001). Further analysis demonstrated that the concurrent lung and lymph node metastasis group benefited more from postoperative chemoradiotherapy, with HRs of 0.226 (p = 0.028) for overall survival and 0.255 (p = 0.048) for cancer-specific survival. CONCLUSION: WT with concurrent lung and lymph node metastasis represents a distinct and aggressive metastatic phenotype associated with a significantly poor prognosis. Postoperative chemoradiotherapy may provide superior survival benefits for this high-risk population.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

The Addition of Concurrent Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors for Chemoradiotherapy With Consolidative Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Unresectable Cancers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Following the success of chemoradiotherapy (CRT) combined with consolidative immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in locally advanced tumors, over 30 ongoing randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are investigating the potential benefits of adding concurrent ICIs. To investigate the differences in efficacy and safety between adding and not adding concurrent ICIs to CRT followed by consolidative ICIs, a literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library, incorporating RCTs comparing CRT combined with consolidative ICIs versus CRT alone, or CRT with both concurrent and consolidative ICIs versus CRT alone. The primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). To reduce potential bias, an additional mirror-design analysis was performed through network meta-analysis. A total of 13 RCTs comprising 6868 patients and 14 cohort studies comprising 4724 patients were included. While patients treated with CRT and consolidative ICIs demonstrated significantly superior OS and PFS to patients treated with CRT alone in RCTs (HR of OS, 0.743, 95% CI, 0.654-0.843; HR of PFS, 0.674, 95% CI, 0.577-0.786), CRT and concurrent-plus-consolidative ICIs did not improve OS and PFS compared with CRT alone (HR of OS, 0.942, 95% CI, 0.782-1.134; HR of PFS, 0.880, 95% CI, 0.752-1.030). Significant differences were detected in OS (p = 0.038) and PFS (p = 0.017) between CRT combined with consolidative ICIs treatment versus CRT combined with concurrent and consolidative ICIs treatment from RCTs. In conclusion, adding concurrent ICIs may dampen the survival benefits of CRT combined with consolidative ICIs. This evidence informs future RCT design strategies.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Oral and gut microbiota profiles in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer with varying responses to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

Recent research has focused on gut bacteria in colorectal cancer, but the influence of other microbiota, including oral and nonbacterial gut microbiota, on treatment efficacy remains insufficiently explored. This study aimed to investigate their relationship with the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Saliva and fecal samples were collected from patients with LARC before treatment. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing was used to profile bacterial, archaeal, eukaryotic, and viral taxonomic groups and to examine oral and gut microbial functions. An artificial intelligence-based prediction model was developed by integrating oral and gut microbiome data with clinical information. Statistical analyses compared diversity and response-associated microbial features between responders and non-responders to nCRT. Response-associated differences were observed in bacterial and nonbacterial taxonomic profiles and in oral and gut microbial functional profiles. In the internal test subset, the integrated analysis yielded an observed AUC of 0.917. Given the small cohort and the exploratory comparison of candidate classifiers, this estimate requires confirmation in larger, independent cohorts. Baseline oral and gut microbiome profiles were associated with response to nCRT. Integrating microbiome and clinical features showed potential for response prediction, but the model remains exploratory and requires validation in larger, independent cohorts before clinical application. Retrospectively registered on 01/08/2026, NCT07346729.

Aged↗

PubMed2025

Association of metabolic dysregulation with treatment response in rectal cancer patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore the metabolic changes during neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) by serum metabolomics analysis, and to provide new biomarkers for individualized treatment and efficacy prediction. METHODS: Serum samples from 20 patients with LARC before, during and after NCRT were collected for metabolomic analysis. The metabolites in the serum samples were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Meanwhile, the differences in metabolic profiles at different time points were compared and significantly changed metabolites were screened. RESULTS: The metabolic profiles of patients were significantly altered at different time points of NCRT. Through metabolomic analysis, we identified metabolites that were significantly altered during NCRT and revealed alterations in the associated metabolic pathways. The predictive power of pre-radiotherapy isocitric acid and pro-radiotherapy 3-hydroxy-3-(4'-hydroxy-3'-methoxyphenyl) propionic acid in distinguishing patients sensitive and non-sensitive to NCRT was markedly high, with AUC values of 0.875 and 0.75, respectively. Additional analysis indicated that a combined panel of serum metabolites yielded even higher AUC values, thereby enhancing the accuracy of predicting the efficacy of neoadjuvant NCRT. CONCLUSION: This study revealed metabolic changes and corresponding alterations in metabolic pathways during NCRT in patients with LARC by serum metabolomic analysis. The metabolic disorders may be associated with poor outcomes in patients treated with NCRT for rectal cancer, providing new biomarkers for individualized treatment and prognostic assessment. Further studies and validation will help to gain insight into the mechanism of these metabolic changes and provide more basis for clinical application.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Multidisciplinary mHealth Rehabilitation for Patients With Abdominal Cancer Who Are Receiving Chemoradiotherapy: Randomized Phase II Trial.

BACKGROUND: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for abdominal cancer frequently induces muscle loss, weight loss, and malnutrition. OBJECTIVE: This exploratory randomized phase II trial evaluated whether a multidisciplinary, mobile health (mHealth)-based multimodal rehabilitation program could preserve handgrip strength and muscle mass in patients with abdominal cancer undergoing CCRT. METHODS: In this prospective, multicenter, randomized, open-label phase II trial (NCT05325554), 111 eligible patients with abdominal malignancies scheduled for CCRT were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either multidisciplinary mHealth rehabilitation care (MRC; n=57) or standard care (SC; n=54). The MRC program was delivered by a dedicated multidisciplinary team using the AiNST mHealth platform and wearable heart rate monitors. The primary end point was handgrip strength at the end of CCRT (analyzed with analysis of covariance adjusting for baseline). Secondary end points were exploratory and analyzed without multiplicity adjustment; sensitivity analysis using false discovery rate (FDR) correction was performed. RESULTS: Between February 2022 and April 2023, 111 patients were enrolled. Adherence was high (n=93, 83.9% achieved exercise targets). After adjusting for baseline handgrip strength, the MRC group had significantly higher handgrip strength at the end of CCRT than the SC group (adjusted mean difference 4.87 kg, 95% CI 3.36-6.38; P<.001). Exploratory analyses of secondary end points (without multiplicity adjustment) showed that the MRC group also had better preservation of body weight (P=.005), skeletal muscle mass (P<.001), serum albumin (P=.009), prealbumin (P=.02), and lower rates of hematological toxicity (P<.05), as well as improved psychological status (distress thermometer [DT] and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS]) and nutritional scores (Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 [NRS-2002] and Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment [PG-SGA]) at the end of CCRT (all P<.05). All nominally significant secondary end points remained significant after FDR correction (q<.05). These findings are preliminary and should be interpreted with caution due to the open-label design, population heterogeneity, and exploratory secondary analyses. CONCLUSIONS: In this exploratory phase II trial, a multidisciplinary, mHealth-based multimodal rehabilitation program was associated with better preservation of handgrip strength, muscle mass, and nutritional status, as well as lower rates of certain treatment toxicities, compared with SC. However, definitive conclusions are limited by the open-label design, heterogeneity of tumor types, and short follow-up. Larger, blinded phase III trials are needed to confirm these findings.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Natural language processing-based model to predict radiation pneumonitis in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer undergoing chemoradiotherapy: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Radiation pneumonitis (RP) remains a significant treatment-related toxicity in patients with unresectable, locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Most existing predictive models rely on static baseline demographic or dosimetry variables and lack real-time clinical applicability. We developed a novel predictive framework that integrates longitudinal symptom data extracted from clinical notes using natural language processing (NLP) with clinical and dosimetry features to improve early RP prediction. METHODS: We retrospectively identified 227 patients with locally advanced NSCLC treated with definitive CRT at a high-volume cancer center in the United States. We included all patients older than 18 years who were diagnosed between Jan 1, 2006, and Dec 31, 2022 with histologically or cytologically confirmed unresectable Stage 2 or 3 NSCLC and treated with conformal radiotherapy to a minimum dose of ≥45 Gy with or without chemotherapy. Of these, 31 RP events were identified through manual adjudication using radiologic criteria and chart review. NLP was used to extract the temporal relationship of 16 pre-specified symptoms with treatment from over 100,000 clinical notes spanning pre- and during-treatment intervals. We trained and validated machine learning models on combinations of baseline clinical data, radiation dosimetry, and NLP-derived symptom features. Model performance was evaluated using a nested cross-validation framework, with an outer cross-validation loop reserved for performance assessment and an inner cross-validation loop used for model training and integration, and summarized using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and partial AUC (pAUC) at high specificity thresholds. Clinical utility was evaluated using decision curve analysis (DCA). FINDINGS: The best-performing model incorporated longitudinal NLP features and achieved a median AUC of 0.759 (90% confidence interval 0.753-0.766), significantly outperforming baseline models using only dosimetry (AUC 0.613) or clinical variables (AUC 0.635). NLP-based features such as cough trajectory, shortness of breath, and wheezing were among the most important predictors. Inclusion of NLP-derived symptom data improved early identification of high-risk patients, particularly in the clinically relevant high-specificity range (pAUC 0.021 vs. 0.010 for dosimetry alone). DCA showed that the calibrated MLP model provided greater net benefit than default strategies of treating all or no patients across clinically relevant threshold possibilities. INTERPRETATION: In this early work, NLP-based extraction of longitudinal symptoms from routine clinical documentation meaningfully enhances RP prediction in patients undergoing CRT for NSCLC. This approach leverages existing electronic health record infrastructure to deliver real-time, scalable, and interpretable risk estimates, offering a pathway toward potential early intervention and personalized toxicity management. The model and DCA requires external and prospective validation before clinical deployment; as such, future work should focus on this validation and integration into clinical decision support systems. FUNDING: AstraZeneca.

Chemoradiotherapy↗

PubMed2026

Exercise prehabilitation in head and neck cancer patients proposed for definitive chemoradiotherapy: The FIT4TREAT randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) initially scheduled for definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) often experience early functional decline and deterioration in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) even before treatment initiation. Evidence for prehabilitation in this non-surgical setting remains limited. This study evaluated whether exercise prehabilitation (EP) initiated before CRT improves functional capacity compared with usual care (UC). METHODS: FIT4TREAT (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05418842) was a prospective, single-center, randomized clinical trial. Adults with HNC proposed for definitive CRT were randomly assigned (1:1) to EP or UC. EP consisted of supervised combined aerobic and resistance exercise performed three times per week from baseline until radiotherapy initiation. The primary outcome was the six-minute walk distance (6MWD) at the end of the pre-treatment period. Secondary outcomes included muscle strength, lower-limb functionality, body composition, and HRQoL assessed using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-HN43. RESULTS: Between May 2021 and February 2025, 47 patients were enrolled; 40 were included in the primary analysis. After adjustment for baseline 6MWD and the randomization stratification variables, EP resulted in a significantly greater pre-treatment 6MWD than UC (adjusted between-group difference, 28.6 m; 95 % CI, 4.1-53.1; P = 0.023). EP also improved lower-limb functionality (P < 0.001) and was associated with better preservation in the QLQ-C30 summary score (P = 0.008), social functioning (P = 0.038) and body image (P = 0.011). CONCLUSION: EP before definitive CRT improves functional capacity and may help preserve HRQoL in patients with HNC, supporting its potential integration into routine oncology care.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Chemoradiotherapy versus short-course radiotherapy for response-adapted organ preservation in early-stage and intermediate-stage rectal cancer (STAR-TREC): 12-month results of an international, multicentre, open-label, parallel-group, randomised, phase 2/3 trial.

BACKGROUND: Total mesorectal excision (TME) is the standard treatment for most early-stage and intermediate-stage rectal cancer but can cause substantial perioperative morbidity, functional impairment, and reduced quality of life. We assessed whether long-course chemoradiotherapy (LCCRT) or short-course radiotherapy (SCRT) could increase organ preservation and reduce surgery, toxicity, and quality-of-life harms without compromising oncological outcomes. METHODS: STAR-TREC is an international, multicentre, open-label, parallel-group, randomised, phase 2/3 trial in five European countries. Eligible patients were aged 16 years or older in the UK or aged 18 years or older elsewhere, had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0-1, and rectal adenocarcinoma (≤40 mm staged as mrT1-T3bN0). In phase 2, participants were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to LCCRT-based organ preservation (LCCRT-OP; 50 Gy in 25 fractions plus oral capecitabine 825 mg/m2 twice daily), SCRT-based organ preservation (SCRT-OP; 25 Gy in five fractions), or primary TME. Phase 2 assessed feasibility, with recruitment at months 12 and 24 as the primary endpoint and feasibility thresholds of four or more and six or more randomisations per month, respectively. Phase 3 adopted a partially randomised patient-preference design, allowing participants to choose either organ preservation or TME. Participants that chose organ preservation were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive LCCRT-OP or SCRT-OP using centralised, computer-generated assignment, with stratification by country and MRI T category (≤T3a vs T3b) using minimisation. The phase 3 primary endpoint was organ-preservation 30 months after treatment initiation, defined as absence of TME, stoma, or local recurrence, which was assessed in the modified intention-to-treat population, which included participants in phase 2 and phase 3. After a planned interim analysis of unmasked phase 2 data, the trial steering committee and independent data monitoring committee recommended reporting a 12-month, modified intention-to-treat analysis of implementation outcomes for participants recruited before Aug 8, 2023. This study is registered with ISRCTN (14240288) and is closed. FINDINGS: Between June 14, 2017, and April 8, 2024, 503 participants were enrolled at 37 sites. Phase 2 enrolled 120 participants, with recruitment rates of three and six participants per month at months 12 and 24, respectively. Overall, 12-month TME-free survival was 60% (47 of 78 participants). After phase 3 recruitment ended, interim analysis of unmasked phase 2 data showed an early TME-free survival benefit with LCCRT versus SCRT (12-month median TME-free survival not reached [95% CI not reached-not reached] vs 7·6 months [95% CI 6·4-not reached]; hazard ratio [HR] 3·7 [95% CI 1·7-8·0]; posterior probability of superiority >99·5%). The trial steering committee and independent data monitoring committee therefore recommended expanded analysis of 426 participants recruited before Aug 8, 2023: 120 from phase 2 and 306 from phase 3. 17 participants withdrew before treatment, leaving 409 in the modified intention-to-treat population: 163 allocated to LCCRT, 168 to SCRT, and 78 to primary TME. 116 (28%) participants were female and 293 (72%) were male. Among participants who opted for organ preservation, 12-month TME-free survival was 78·5% (95% CI 72·4-85·1) with LCCRT and 60·6% (53·6-68·4) with SCRT (HR 1·90 [95% CI 1·29-2·81]). The most common grade 3-4 serious adverse events were gastrointestinal disorders (four [2%] with LCCRT vs six [4%] with SCRT vs six [8%] with TME) and procedural complications (three [2%] with LCCRT vs five [3%] with SCRT vs five [6%] with TME). One participant allocated to primary TME died after an anastomotic leak. INTERPRETATION: These early results support a response-adapted organ-preservation approach, with LCCRT appearing more effective than SCRT at 12 months. Organ-preservation might also reduce treatment-related toxicity compared with primary TME. Longer follow-up is needed for the prespecified 30-month endpoint and definitive functional and oncological outcomes. FUNDING: Cancer Research UK, Stand Up to Cancer, Dutch Cancer Society, Danish Cancer Society, Kom Op Tegen Kanker, Cancerfonden, ALF Region Stockholm, RCC Region Stockholm.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Prognostic Significance of Peri-Treatment Inflammatory Burden Index in Patients with Rectal Cancer Undergoing Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy.

Background/Objectives: Systemic inflammatory responses influence treatment response and oncological outcomes in patients with cancer. Growing evidence indicates that the inflammatory burden index (IBI) serves as a reliable prognostic indicator across various malignancies. However, the clinical significance of the peri-treatment inflammatory status in patients with rectal cancer (RC) undergoing preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) remains unclear. Methods: We assessed the pre- and post-treatment IBI in 97 patients with RC who received preoperative CRT followed by total mesorectal excision at our institution. Results: Although no significant changes were observed in the pre- or post-CRT IBI and no associations were found with most clinicopathological factors, survival analysis revealed that a high pre-CRT IBI was significantly associated with shorter overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Multivariable analysis revealed that a high pre-CRT IBI and pathological lymph node metastasis remained independent prognostic factors for both outcomes. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that the prognostic value of the peri-treatment IBI differed according to the ypN status, with the pre-CRT IBI showing particularly strong prognostic performance in patients without pathological lymph node metastasis (ypN-). Conclusions: Pre-treatment assessment of the IBI may improve risk stratification in patients with RC undergoing preoperative CRT followed by curative resection.

chemoradiotherapy↗

PubMed2026

Adjuvant apatinib therapy following concurrent chemoradiotherapy in patients with high-risk nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A multicenter, prospective phase 2 study.

PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy and safety of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) combined with apatinib in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC). METHODS: This multicenter, prospective, phase II study enrolled patients with newly histologically confirmed LA-NPC, who were randomly assigned to receive CCRT followed by adjuvant apatinib (investigational arm) or CCRT alone (control arm). The investigational arm received 250 mg/day of oral apatinib administered every 28 days for up to six cycles after CCRT. The primary endpoint was 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) and secondary endpoints of overall survival (OS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) of 3-year, and safety. RESULTS: From July 2018 to September 2020, 44 and 44 patients were randomized into the CCRT-alone and CCRT and apatinib groups, respectively. The median follow-up duration 56 (range: 40.0-58.6) months. The survival outcomes were the 3-year PFS, OS, and DMFS rates in the adjuvant apatinib following CCRT group were significantly higher than those observed in the CCRT-alone group((PFS, 78.6%vs. 54.5%, p = 0.027; OS, 88.1% vs. 75.0%, p = 0.029; DMFS, 85.4%vs. 59.1%, p = 0.009). The 3-year LRFS was similar between the groups. The grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events(TRAEs) were higher in the former group than in the latter. The most common grade 3-4 non-hematology-related adverse events were hypertension (14.3%), hand-foot syndrome (9.5%), increased transaminase levels (7.1%), and headache (7.1%). CONCLUSION: Apatinib significantly improved the treatment effects of CCRT for high-risk LA-NPC patients. Therefore, CCRT and adjuvant apatinib may represent a promising option for this patient population.

Adjuvant therapy↗

PubMed2026

A germline KDM3C polymorphism impairs DNA repair and sensitizes to chemoradiotherapy.

Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is the standard-of-care therapy for many solid malignancies, yet predictive biomarkers of treatment response remain limited. We identified a germline single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in an intrinsically disordered region of the lysine demethylase KDM3C/JMJD1C (p.S464T) that is associated with CRT outcomes in locally advanced rectal cancers (LARC) and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA-HNSCC). In silico modeling with AlphaFold predicted S464T substitution influenced interaction between phosphorylated KDM3C and RNF8 FHA domain. In cellular models, conversion of S464 to T464 increased sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents. S464T substitution impaired damage-induced MDC1-RAP80 signaling and downstream RAP80-BRCA1 colocalization. SNP carrying cells impaired DNA repair causing genotoxic stress that is associated with increased cGAS-cGAMP innate immune signaling and increased apoptosis. Population analyses with the SNP highlighted an increase incidence of UV-induced skin and other cancers, linking inherited variation in the chromatin regulatory gene KDM3C to genome instability, cancer risk, and therapeutic vulnerability.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2026

Daily low-dose carboplatin or weekly carboplatin plus nab-paclitaxel for concurrent chemoradiotherapy in older patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (JCOG1914): A randomized phase 3 trial.

BACKGROUND: Daily low-dose carboplatin with concurrent thoracic radiotherapy is the standard treatment for older patients with unresectable locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) in Japan. METHODS: This open-label phase 3 trial was conducted at 38 institutions in Japan. Patients aged ≥ 75 years with LA-NSCLC were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive daily carboplatin (30 mg/m2) or weekly carboplatin (area under the curve, 2 mg·min/mL) plus nab-paclitaxel (30 mg/m2) with thoracic radiotherapy. Durvalumab maintenance therapy was recommended after treatment completion. The primary endpoint was overall survival, which was used to assess the non-inferiority of weekly carboplatin plus nab-paclitaxel compared to daily low-dose carboplatin. RESULTS: From December 2020 to March 2024, 124 patients were enrolled (carboplatin arm, 61 and carboplatin plus nab-paclitaxel arm, 63). In the planned interim analysis, the Bayesian predictive probability indicating the non-inferiority of carboplatin plus nab-paclitaxel compared with carboplatin in the final analysis was 8.0%, leading to early study termination for futility. The median overall survival was not estimable in the carboplatin arm; the estimated value in the carboplatin plus nab-paclitaxel arm was 26.1 months (hazard ratio, 1.56; 95% confidence interval, 0.79-3.11; p = 0.200). Two treatment-related and seven non-cancer-related deaths occurred in the carboplatin plus nab-paclitaxel arm. Patients in the carboplatin arm had better quality of life than those in the carboplatin plus nab-paclitaxel arm at 6 weeks (odds ratio, 0.39; 95% confidence interval, 0.18-0.81; p = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: Daily low-dose carboplatin with concurrent thoracic radiotherapy remains the standard treatment for older patients with unresectable LA-NSCLC in Japan.

Humans↗

PubMed2025

Mutagenic Impact and Evolutionary Influence of Chemoradiotherapy in Hematologic Malignancies.

UNLABELLED: Ionizing radiotherapy (RT) is a widely used treatment strategy for malignancies. In solid tumors, RT-induced double-strand breaks lead to the accumulation of insertion-deletions (indels; ID), and their repair by nonhomologous end joining has been linked to the ID8 mutational signature in surviving cells. However, the extent of RT-induced mutagenesis in hematologic malignancies and its impact on their mutational profiles and interplay with commonly used chemotherapies has not yet been explored. In this study, we interrogated 580 whole-genome sequence (WGS) samples from patients with large B-cell lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and myeloid neoplasms and identified ID8 only in relapsed disease. Yet ID8 was detected after exposure to both RT and mutagenic chemotherapy (i.e., platinum and melphalan). Using WGS of single-cell colonies derived from treated lymphoma cells, we revealed a dose-response relationship between RT and platinum and ID8. Finally, using ID8 as a genomic barcode, we demonstrate that a single RT-surviving cell may seed distant relapse. SIGNIFICANCE: RT and the ID8 indel signature are related, but their genomic impact on hematologic malignancies is unclear. Leveraging WGS, we linked ID8 to both RT and mutagenic chemotherapy and validated that platinum can induce ID8. We used ID8 as a genomic barcode to reveal that RT-resistant cells may seed systemic relapse.

Humans↗

PubMed1978

Preliminary results of chemoradiotherapy followed (or not ) by active immunotherapy of stage III and IV lymphosarcoma and reticulosarcoma: correlation of the results with WHO categorization.

One hundred and one patients with advanced (stage III and IV) LS and RS at the first presentation of the disease or on relapse were treated with a regimen combining initial chemotherapy, complementary radiotherapy on "icebergs," supplementary chemotherapy, and finally, active immunotherapy. The overall complete remission rate was about 79% for LS and 73% for RS. About 50% of the patients were still in remission for both diseases after 2 years; 60% with LS were still alive after 2 years and 44% with Rs. This study shows the useful prognostic value of the WHO classification for LS and RS: the prognosis of prolymphocytic (centrofollicular) LS is far better than that of the lymphoblastic type, which is itself better than that of the very poor prognostic immunoblastic type. The prognosis of RS is intermediate between that of the best prognostic type and that of the poorest prognostic type of LS.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1976

Bone marrow transplantation in acute leukemia using intensive chemoradiotherapy (SCARI--UCLA).

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ABO Blood-Group System↗