AIMS: To report the local control and complication rates of orthovoltage radiotherapy in the management of medial canthal basal cell carcinoma (BCC). METHODS: The medical records of all patients treated with medial canthal BCC between 1998 and 2010, with orthovoltage...
Radiation Therapy
Outcome of patients treated with a single-fraction dose of palliative radiation for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
PURPOSE: Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) is a radiosensitive tumor. Presently, treatment with radiation is given in multiple fractions. The current literature lacks data that support single-fraction treatment for CTCL. This retrospective review assesses the clinical...
Clinical variants, stages, and management of basal cell carcinoma
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common paraneoplastic disease among human neoplasms. The tumor affects mainly photoexposed areas, most often in the head and seldom appears on genitalia and perigenital region. BCC progresses slowly and metastases are found in...
Efficacy, cosmesis and skin toxicity in a hypofractionated irradiation schedule for cutaneous basal cell carcinoma of the head and neck area
Aim To evaluate efficacy and acute and chronic toxicity of a hypofractionated irradiation schedule in elderly patients with basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the skin. Materials and methods Between February 2005 and November 2011, 42 retrospectively selected patients...
MicroRNA-31 modulates tumour sensitivity to radiation in oesophageal adenocarcinoma.
Chemoradiation therapy (CRT) prior to surgery is increasingly the standard of care for locally advanced oesophageal cancer. Radiation therapy is important for local tumour control; however, tumour resistance to radiation is a substantial clinical problem. The mechanism(s) of radioresistance are still poorly understood, however, mounting evidence supports a role for microRNA (miRNA) in modulating key cellular pathways mediating response to radiation. Global miRNA profiling of an established isogenic model of radioresistance in oesophageal adenocarcinoma demonstrated a significant downregulation of miR-31 in radioresistant cells, both basally and in response to radiation. Ectopic re-expression of miR-31 significantly re-sensitised radioresistant cells to radiation. miR-31 was demonstrated to alter the expression of 13 genes involved in DNA repair, which is a critical cellular defence against radiation-induced DNA damage. In oesophageal tumours, miR-31 expression was significantly reduced in patients demonstrating poor histomorphologic response to neoadjuvant CRT, whilst expression of the miR-31-regulated DNA repair genes was significantly increased. Our data suggest a possible mechanism for resistance to CRT, potentially via enhanced DNA repair. This study demonstrates, for the first time, a role for miR-31 in modulating radioresistance and highlights the need for further study investigating the potential role of miR-31 as both a predictive marker of response and a novel therapeutic agent with which to enhance the efficacy of radiation therapy.
Niamh Lynam-Lennon, John V Reynolds, Laure Marignol, Orla M Sheils, Graham P Pidgeon and Stephen G Maher
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Cutting Edge in Medical Management of Cutaneous Oncology
Traditional chemotherapy has resulted in only a modest response, if any, for the 3 most common cutaneous malignancies of basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Recent advances in understanding of the defects in the pathways driving tumorigenesis...
Disease Management for Chronic Skin Cancer
The worldwide incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) has risen dramatically over the last decades. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is by far the most common type of skin cancer. NMSC needs to be regarded as a chronic disease that has enormous implications for health...
Radiotherapy for prevention and therapy of gynecomastia due to antiandrogen treatment in prostate cancer patients: a patterns-of-care study.
BACKGROUND: Gynecomastia is a frequent side effect of antiandrogen therapy for prostate cancer and may compromise quality of life. Although it has been successfully treated with radiotherapy (RT) for decades, the priority of RT as a preferred treatment option has...
5-Year Review of a Unique Multidisciplinary Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Clinic
BACKGROUND: A multidisciplinary nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) clinic is held weekly at our center, where all new patients are jointly assessed by dermatology/dermatopathology, radiation oncology, and plastic surgery. A new patient database was established in 2004....