Radiation Oncology

8-variable model predicts grade ≥2 radiation esophagitis after concurrent CRT for unresectable stage III NSCLC

In 1,288 patients from 8 trials, grade ≥2 esophagitis occurred in 15% and grade ≥3 in 2.0% during concurrent chemoradiotherapy. An LASSO-derived model using eight baseline factors achieved a c-statistic of 0.85 for predicting grade ≥2 esophagitis. Grade ≥2 esophagitis did not affect PFS or OS, whereas grade ≥3 esophagitis associated with worse PFS only. The model can guide anticipatory supportive care and toxicity counseling for unresectable stage III NSCLC patients. 1

Reduced-dose (36 Gy) preoperative RT yields durable local control in myxoid liposarcoma

Ninety patients received 36 Gy preoperative RT and surgery with median follow-up 66 months and 5-year local recurrence-free survival 97.4%. Five-year overall survival was 88.5% and progression-free survival 81.0% after the reduced-dose regimen. Wound complications occurred in 21%, with 16% requiring intervention; late grade ≥3 toxicity was uncommon. These phase 2, nonrandomized results support discussing 36 Gy as a reasonable preoperative option for localized myxoid liposarcoma. 2

Baseline testosterone modifies mortality benefit of docetaxel added to RT+ADT in high-risk prostate cancer

In discovery (n=255) and validation (n=563) cohorts, adding docetaxel to RT+ADT reduced all-cause mortality only in men with normal baseline testosterone. A significant treatment-by-testosterone interaction was present in both cohorts (p=.048 and p=.042). The predictive signal was strongest for patients with PSA >20, T3/4 disease, or Gleason 9–10. Baseline testosterone may inform selection for docetaxel but requires prospective validation before guideline adoption. 3