Survival and prognostic factors in non-small cell lung cancer patients with spinal bone metastases

German radiation oncology's next generation: a web-based survey of young biologists, medical physicists, and physicians-from problems to solutions

BACKGROUND

Radiation science is of utmost significance not only due to its growing importance for clinical use, but also in everyday life such as in radiation protection questions. The expected increase in cancer incidence due to an aging population combined with technical advancements further implicates this importance and results in a higher need for sufficient highly educated and motivated personnel. Thus, factors preventing young scientists and medical personnel from entering or remaining in the field need to be identified.

METHODS

A web-based questionnaire with one general and three occupation-specific questionnaires for physicians, biologists, and medical physicists working in radiation oncology and research was developed and circulated for 6 weeks.

RESULTS

While the overall satisfaction of the 218 participants was quite high, there are some points that still need to be addressed in order to ensure a continuing supply of qualified personnel. Among these were economic pressure, work-life balance, work contracts, protected research time, and a demand for an improved curriculum.

CONCLUSION

Mentoring programs, improved education, and strengthening the value of societies in radiation sciences as well as translational approaches and more flexible working arrangements might ensure a high-quality workforce and thus patient care in the future.

The map of bone metastasis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A real-world study

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to compare the metastatic patterns of synchronous bone metastasis (SBM) and metachronous bone metastasis (MBM) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

METHODS

This study included bone metastases in NPC patients from 2005 to 2016 in a Chinese hospital. Cohort 1 was collected from 2005 to 2010 for discovery, and Cohort 2 from 2011 to 2016 for validation. The chi-squared test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, and Kaplan-Meier technique were used to compare site, time, and survival between cohorts 1 and 2. Prognostic factors were analyzed using univariate or multivariate Cox regression.

RESULTS

Cohort 1 had 112 individuals with SBM and 394 with MBM, and cohort 2 had 328 with SBM and 307 with MBM. The thoracic vertebra was the most frequently affected site of metastasis. Patients with SBM more often had metastasis to the cervical vertebrae compared with patients with MBM (34.5% vs. 22.3%, p < 0.05). Patients with SBM had better overall survival (42.2 months, 95% CI: 33.9-50.7) than patients with MBM (24.9 months, 95% CI: 22.2-28.7). Age at bone metastasis detection, metastasis to other organs, and more bone metastasis locations were associated with worse prognosis. The majority of MBMs occurred at 7 to 18 months after NPC diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

Radiotherapy does not modify the metastatic patterns of NPC bone metastases. Patients with SBM tend to have metastasis to the cervical vertebra, which is close to the nasopharynx. Paying more attention to bone metastases during follow-up in the first 2 years after an NPC diagnosis.

Association between Overall Survival and Activities of Daily Living in Patients with Spinal Bone Metastases

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association between overall survival (OS) and activities of daily living (ADL) in patients with skeletal-related events. In this study, 265 patients whose clinical parameters were available before radiotherapy were investigated. Methods: Age, sex, ADL, pain, the primary site, spinal level of bone metastases, spinal instability, treatment strategy, including chemotherapy or palliative treatment, and OS were investigated. ADL patients with a Barthel index of ≥90 were classified as the high ADL group, while those with a score < 90 were classified as the low ADL group. For OS, patients surviving ≥160 days were classified as the non-poor prognosis group, and those who survived <160 days were classified as the poor prognosis group. Results: Age, sex, ADL, pain, the primary site, and treatment strategy for OS were different between the two groups (p < 0.1). Logistic regression analysis revealed that ADL, the primary site, and treatment strategy were significant predictors of OS (p < 0.05). High ADL, breast cancer, and chemotherapy had a positive effect on OS. Conclusions: It is suggested that improvements may be obtained by performing rehabilitation interventions to maintain and improve ADL, by constructing a system for monitoring spinal bone metastases with images before ADL decreases, and by performing interventions such as changes in treatment methods such as RT or surgery at appropriate times.

Clinical features and prognostic factors in patients with bone metastases from non-small cell lung cancer

Objective

To investigate the clinical features and evaluate the prognostic factors in patients with bone metastases from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

We retrospectively investigated 356 patients with NSCLC with bone metastases from January 2012 to December 2017. The overall survival (OS) and 1-year survival rate were calculated by Kaplan–Meier analysis and compared by univariate analysis using the log-rank test. Multivariate analysis was performed using the Cox proportional hazards model.

Results

A total of 694 sites of bone metastases were determined among the 356 patients. The most common site of bone metastases was the ribs. The median OS was 12.5 months and the 1-year survival was 50.8% in the overall population. Univariate analysis revealed that histological type, number of bone metastases, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS), bisphosphonate therapy, and serum calcium, lactate dehydrogenase, and alkaline phosphatase were significantly correlated with prognosis. Multivariate analysis identified multiple bone metastases, ECOG PS ≥2, lactate dehydrogenase ≥225 U/L, and alkaline phosphatase ≥140 U/L as independent negative prognostic factors.

Conclusion

Multiple bone metastases, high ECOG PS, and high serum alkaline phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase are independent negative prognostic factors for bone metastases from NSCLC.

A narrative review of evolving roles of radiotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: from palliative care to active player

Radiotherapy, along with other loco-regional interventions, is conventionally utilized as a palliative approach to alleviate symptoms and mitigate oncological emergencies in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Thanks to the ongoing improvement of medical treatments in the last decade, such as targeted therapy and immunotherapy, the survival of patients with advanced NSCLC has been considerably prolonged, making it feasible and clinically beneficial for radiotherapy to play a more active role in highly selected subpopulations. In this review, we will focus on the evolving roles of radiotherapy in advanced NSCLC. First of all, among patients who are initially unable to tolerate aggressive treatment due to severe symptoms caused by metastases and/or tumor emergencies, timely radiotherapy could significantly improve their performance status (PS) and general condition, thus giving them a chance for intensive treatment and prolonged survival. The efficacy, potential candidates, and optimal dose-fractionation regimens of radiotherapy in this clinical scenario will be discussed. Additionally, radiotherapy can play a curative role as a concurrent therapy, consolidation therapy, and salvage therapy for patients with oligo-metastatic, oligo-residual, and oligo-progressive disease, respectively. Accumulating evidence from recent clinical trials, basic research, and translational investigations regarding the potentially curative roles of radiotherapy in NSCLC patients with oligo-metastatic disease will be summarized. Moreover, with the advent of various small molecular tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), the treatment efficacy and overall survival of oncogene-addicted NSCLC with brain metastases have been significantly improved, and the clinical value and optimal timing of cranial radiotherapy have become topics of much debate. Finally, synergistic antitumor interactions between radiotherapy and immunotherapy have been repeatedly demonstrated. Thus, the immune sensitizing role of radiotherapy in advanced NSCLC is also highlighted in this review.

Surgical Treatment Outcomes of Spinal Metastases of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: The First Report of 30 Patients from a Single Center

Background

Studies focused on surgical interventions of spinal metastases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (SMNPC) are blank.

Methods

Patients with SMNPC who received surgical treatment in our center between 2005 and 2017 were included. Univariate and multivariate analysis of various clinical characteristics and operation-related data were analyzed to identify the independent factors that affected prognosis. Factors with P values of 0.1 or less were subjected to multivariate Cox regression analysis. P values of 0.05 or less were considered statistically significant.

Results

A total of 30 patients with SMNPC treated with surgery were included. The thoracic spine was the most frequently involved site. The patients in this series achieved good overall survival (OS, 20.26 months) with limited perioperative complications. The univariate analysis suggested that preoperative Karnofsky performance scale, number of spinal metastases, number of visceral metastases, preoperative Frankel score, surgical resection mode and Ki 67 were potential prognostic factors. In the multivariate analyses, number of visceral metastases, preoperative Frankel score and resection mode were found to be independent prognostic factors.

Conclusion

This is the first study focusing on surgical outcomes in SMNPC. The thoracic spine was the most frequently involved site of SMNPC. Preoperative Frankel score, number of visceral metastasis and surgical resection mode were independent prognostic factors for SMNPC. Combined with adjuvant therapies, surgical interventions should be recommended early when necessary.

Clinical outcome for small cell lung cancer patients with bone metastases at the time of diagnosis

Objectives

The characteristics and prognostic factors of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients with bone metastases at first diagnosis have scarcely been reported. This study aimed to analyze the prognostic factors of these patients and to develop a scoring system for survival to provide evidence for clinical treatment decisions.

Materials and Methods

The records of 102 SCLC patients with bone metastasis at the time of diagnosis who were seen in our hospital between May 2010 and May 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. The log-rank test and multivariate Cox regression analysis were used to evaluate potential clinical predictors of survival. A scoring system was developed based on the hazard ratios of significant independent prognostic factors.

Result

The most common site of bone metastases was the spine (64.7%), and 26 patients (25.6%) had a single bone metastasis. The median survival was 10.4 months, and the 2-year survival rate was 10.3%. Age, number of bone metastases, and occurrence of extraosseous distant metastases were significant independent prognostic factors for overall survival. Based on their scores, patients were divided into three groups. The median survival times of the three groups were 6.4 months, 8.5 months and 12.4 months, and the 2-year survival rates were 0%, 2.9%, and 19.3% (p=0.000). Twenty-six patients (25.5%) developed skeletal-related events (SREs), and the most common SREs were radiation to the bone (22.5%) and spinal cord compression (11.8%).

Conclusion

This study includes preliminary clinical data of SCLC patients with bone metastases at the time of diagnosis, and more studies are needed.

[Comparison of the Survival Time in the Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients with Different Organ Metastasis]

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study is to compare the survival time of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with different organ metastasis. Among all cancers, the morbidity and mortality of lung cancer is the highest worldwide, which may caused by local recurrence and distant metastasis, and the location of metastasis may predict the prognosis of patients.

METHODS

A total of 117,542 patients with NSCLC diagnosed between 2010 and 2014 were enrolled from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) databases, and the relationship between distant metastasis and survival time was retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS

Of all the 117,542 patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer, 42,071 (35.8%) patients had different degrees of distant metastasis during their medical history, including 26,932 single organ metastases and 15,139 multiple organ metastases, accounting for 64.0% and 36.0% of the metastatic patients respectively. Compared with patients with no metastasis, whose median survival time was 21 months, the median survival time of patients with metastases was 7 months (lung), 6 months (brain), 5 months (bone), 4 months (liver), and 3 months (multiple organ) respectively, and the difference was significant (P<0.001, except liver vs multiple organ P=0.650); Most patients with NSCLC (88.4%) eventually died of lung cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

Distant metastasis of NSCLC patients indicates poor prognosis. In NSCLC patients with single organ metastasis, the prognosis of lung metastasis is the best, and liver metastasis is the worst, and multiple organ metastasis is worse than single organ metastasis.

Predictors of quality of life and survival following Gamma Knife surgery for lung cancer brain metastases: a prospective study

OBJECTIVE

Lung cancer (LC) patients who develop brain metastases (BMs) have a poor prognosis. Estimations of survival and risk of treatment-related deterioration in quality of life (QOL) are important when deciding on treatment. Although we know of several prognostic factors for LC patients with BMs, the role of QOL has not been established. Authors of this study set out to evaluate changes in QOL following Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) for BMs in LC patients and QOL as a prognostic factor for survival.

METHODS

Forty-four of 48 consecutive LC patients with BMs underwent GKS in the period from May 2010 to September 2011, and their QOL was prospectively assessed before and 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after GKS by using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Brain (FACT-BR) questionnaire. A mixed linear regression model was used to identify potential predictive factors for QOL and to assess the effect of GKS and the disease course on QOL at follow-up.

RESULTS

Mean QOL as measured by the brain cancer subscale (BRCS) of the FACT-BR remained stable from baseline (score 53.0) up to 12 months post-GKS (57.1; p = 0.624). The BRCS score improved for 32 patients (72.3%) with a total BM volume ≤ 5 cm3. Mean improvement in these patients was 0.45 points each month of follow-up, compared to a decline of 0.50 points each month despite GKS treatment in patients with BM volumes > 5 cm3 (p = 0.04). Asymptomatic BMs (p = 0.01), a lower recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) classification (p = 0.04), and a higher Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) score (p < 0.01) at baseline were predictors for a high, stable QOL after GKS. After multivariate analysis, a high KPS score (p < 0.01) remained the only positive predictor of a high, stable QOL post-GKS.

Median survival post-GKS was 5.6 months (95% CI 1.0–10.3). A higher BRCS score (p = 0.01), higher KPS score (p = 0.01), female sex (p = 0.01), and the absence of liver (p = 0.02), adrenal (p = 0.02), and bone metastases (p = 0.03) predicted longer survival in unadjusted models. However, in multivariate analyses, a higher BRCS score (p < 0.01), female sex (p = 0.01), and the absence of bone metastases (p = 0.02) at GKS remained significant predictors. Finally, the BRCS score’s predictive value for survival was compared with the values for the variables behind well-known prognostic indices: age, KPS score, extracranial disease status, and number and volume of BMs. Both BRCS score (p = 0.01) and BM volume (p = 0.05) remained significant predictors for survival in the final model.

CONCLUSIONS

Patient-reported QOL according to the BRCS is a predictor of survival in patients with BMs and may be helpful in deciding on the optimal treatment. Gamma Knife surgery is a safe and effective therapeutic modality that improves QOL for LC patients with a BM volume ≤ 5 cm3 at treatment. Careful follow-up and salvage therapy on demand seem to prevent worsening of QOL due to relapse of BMs.

Prognostic factors in patients with spinal metastasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND CONTEXT

Incidence of symptomatic spinal metastasis has increased owing to improvement in treatment of the disease. One of the key factors that influences decision-making is expected patient survival. To our knowledge, no systematic reviews or meta-analysis have been conducted that review independent prognostic factors in spinal metastases.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to determine independent prognostic factors that affect outcome in patients with metastatic spine disease.

STUDY DESIGN

This is a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of publications for prognostic factors in spinal metastatic disease.

PATIENT SAMPLE

Pooled patient results from cohort and observational studies.

OUTCOME MEASUREMENT

Meta-analysis for poor prognostic factors as determined by hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidential interval (95% CI).

METHODS

We systematically searched relevant publications in PubMed and Embase. The following search terms were used: ("'spinal metastases'" OR "'vertebral metastases'" OR ""spinal metastasis" OR 'vertebral metastases') AND ('"prognostic factors"' OR "'survival'"). Inclusion criteria were prospective and retrospective cohort series that report HR and 95% CI of independent prognostic factors from multivariate analysis. Two reviewers independently assessed all papers. The quality of included papers was assessed by using Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for cohort studies and publication bias was assessed by using funnel plot, Begg test, and Egger test. The prognostic factors that were mentioned in at least three publications were pooled. Meta-analysis was performed using HR and 95% CI as the primary outcomes of interest. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I² method.

RESULTS

A total of 3,959 abstracts (1,382 from PubMed and 2,577 from Embase) were identified through database search and 40 publications were identified through review of cited publications. The reviewers selected a total of 51 studies for qualitative synthesis and 43 studies for meta-analysis. Seventeen poor prognostic factors were identified. These included presence of a neurologic deficit before surgery, non-ambulatory status before radiotherapy (RT), non-ambulatory status before surgery, presence of bone metastases, presence of multiple bone metastases (>2 sites), presence of multiple spinal metastases (>3 sites), development of motor deficit in <7 days before initiating RT, development of motor deficit in <14 days before initiating RT, time interval from cancer diagnosis to RT <15 months, Karnofsky Performance Score (KPS) 10-40, KPS 50-70, KPS<70, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) grade 3-4, male gender, presence of visceral metastases, moderate growth tumor on Tomita score (TS) classification, and rapid growth tumor on TS classification.

CONCLUSIONS

Seventeen independent poor prognostic factors were identified in this study. These can be categorized into cancer-specific and nonspecific prognostic factors. A tumor-based prognostic scoring system that combines all specific and general factors may enhance the accuracy of survival prediction in patients with metastatic spine disease.

Epidermal growth factor receptor mutations should be considered as a prognostic factor for survival of patients with pathological fractures or painful bone metastases from non-small cell lung cancer

Aims

This study aims to assess first, whether mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and Kirsten rat sarcoma (kRAS) genes are associated with overall survival (OS) in patients who present with symptomatic bone metastases from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and secondly, whether mutation status should be incorporated into prognostic models that are used when deciding on the appropriate palliative treatment for symptomatic bone metastases.

Patients and Methods

We studied 139 patients with NSCLC treated between 2007 and 2014 for symptomatic bone metastases and whose mutation status was known. The association between mutation status and overall survival was analysed and the results applied to a recently published prognostic model to determine whether including the mutation status would improve its discriminatory power.

Results

The median OS was 3.9 months (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.1 to 5.7). Patients with EGFR (15%) or kRAS mutations (34%) had a median OS of 17.3 months (95% CI 12.7 to 22.0) and 1.8 months (95% CI 1.0 to 2.7), respectively. Compared with EGFR-positive patients, EGFR-negative patients had a 2.5 times higher risk of death (95% CI 1.5 to 4.2). Incorporating EGFR mutation status in the prognostic model improved its discriminatory power.

Conclusion

Survival prediction models for patients with symptomatic bone metastases are used to determine the most appropriate (surgical) treatment for painful or fractured lesions. This study shows that NSCLC should not be regarded as a single entity in such models. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2017;99-B:516–21.

Radiation-induced toxicity after image-guided and intensity-modulated radiotherapy versus external beam radiotherapy for patients with spinal bone metastases (IRON-1): a study protocol for a randomized controlled pilot trial

Background

Radiation therapy (RT) of bone metastases provides an important treatment approach in palliative care treatment concepts. As a consequence of treatment, the extent of radiation-induced toxicity is a crucial feature with consequences to a patient’s quality of life. In this context this study aims at reducing the extent of radiation-induced side effects and toxicity by assuming a better sparing of normal tissue with the use of intensity-modulated instead of conventionally delivered external beam radiotherapy.

Methods/design

In this prospective, randomized, single-center trial for patients with spinal bone metastases, RT is performed as either image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy (10x3Gy) or conventionally fractionated external beam radiotherapy (10x3Gy). Afterwards radiation-induced toxicity will be assessed and compared 3 and 6 months after the end of radiation.

Discussion

The aim of this pilot study is the evaluation of achievable benefits, with reduced radiation toxicity being the primary endpoint in the comparison of intensity-modulated radiotherapy versus conventional radiotherapy for patients with spinal bone metastases. Secondarily, bone re-calcification, quality of life, pain relief, spinal instability, and local control will be measured and compared between the two treatment groups.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02832830. Registered on 12 July 2016.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-017-1847-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Survival and prognostic factors in patients with stable and unstable spinal bone metastases from solid tumors: a retrospective analysis of 915 cases

Background

Adequate prediction of survival plays an important role in treatment decisions for patients with spinal bone metastases (SBM). Several prognostic factors are already used in daily clinical practice, but factors related to stability of SBM are still unknown. Therefore, we designed this study to identify these prognostic factors.

Methods

We retrospectively assessed 915 patients from solid tumors with commonly metastased into the bone treated at our department between January 2000 and January 2012. Lung cancer (NSCLC), breast and renal cancer listed in Table 1 are the most common solid tumors with bone metastasis in this study. Prostate carcinoma was excluded due to osteoblastic SBM with no influence for stability. We calculated overall survival (OS) and bone survival (BS; time between first diagnosis of bone metastases until death) with the Kaplan-Meier method and assessed prognostic factors for BS with the log-rank test and a Cox regression model separately for patients with stable and unstable SBM.

Results

Median follow-up was 9.3 months. OS after 6 months, 1, 2, and 5 years was 81, 62, 42, and 25 % in patients with stable SBM and 78, 57, 38, and 22 % in patients with unstable SBM (p = 0.851). BS was 57, 38, 22, and 5 % in the group of stable SBM after 6 months, 1, 2, and 5 years. For patients with unstable SBM BS after 6 months, 1, 2, and 5 years was 59, 39, 19, and 8 % (p = 0.755). In multivariate analysis we found male gender (HR = 1.27 [95 % CI 1.01–1.60], p = 0.04), Karnofsky performance status (KPS) <80 % (HR = 1.27 [95%CI 1.04–1.55], p = 0.02) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC; HR = 2.77 [95%CI 1.99–3.86], p < 0.0001) to be independent prognostic factors for shortened survival in patients with stable SBM. Independent prognostic factors for unstable SBM were age per year (HR = 1.01 [95 % CI 1.0–1.02], p = 0.025), multiple SBM (HR = 1.35 [95 % CI 1.1–1.65], p = 0.003), and NSCLC (HR = 2.0 [95 % CI 1.43–2.80], p < 0.0001). Additionally, not wearing an orthopedic corset (HR = 0.77 [95 % CI 0.62–0.96], p = 0.02) was associated with prolonged BS in patients with unstable SBM and in both groups BS was significantly longer in patients without liver metastases (stable SBM: HR = 0.72 [95 % CI 0.56–0.92], p = 0.008; unstable SBM: HR = 0.71 [95 % CI 0.54–0.92], p = 0.01).

Conclusions

Survival was equal for patients with stable and unstable SBM. However, prognostic factors differed in both groups and stability should therefore be considered in treatment decision-making.

Situation of young radiation oncologists, medical physicists and radiation biologists in German-speaking countries : Results from a web-based survey of the Young DEGRO working group

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The working group "Young DEGRO" (yDEGRO) was established in 2014 by the German Society of Radiation Oncology (DEGRO). We aimed to assess the current situation of young radiation oncologists, medical physicists and radiation biologists.

METHODS

An online survey that included 52 questions or statements was designed to evaluate topics related to training, clinical duties and research opportunities. Using the electronic mailing list of the DEGRO and contact persons at university hospitals in Germany as well as at four hospitals in Switzerland and Austria, young professionals employed in the field of radiation oncology were invited to participate in the survey.

RESULTS

A total of 260 responses were eligible for analysis. Of the respondents 69 % had a professional background in medicine, 23 % in medical physics and 9 % in radiation biology. Median age was 33 years. There was a strong interest in research among the participants; however a clear separation between research, teaching and routine clinical duties was rarely present for radiation oncologists and medical physicists. Likewise, allocated time for research and teaching during regular working hours was often not available. For radiation biologists, a lack of training in clinical and translational research was stated.

CONCLUSION

This survey details the current state of education and research opportunities in young radiation oncologists, medical physicists and radiation biologists. These results will form the basis for the future working program of the yDEGRO.

Prognostic factors for survival of women with unstable spinal bone metastases from breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Bone metastases are an important clinical issue in women with breast cancer. Particularly, unstable spinal bone metastases (SBM) are a major cause of severe morbidity and reduced quality of life (QoL) due to frequent immobilization. Radiotherapy (RT) is the major treatment modality and is capable of promoting re-ossification and improving stability. Since local therapy response is excellent, survival of these patients with unstable SBM is of high clinical importance. We therefore conducted this analysis to assess survival and to determine prognostic factors for bone survival (BS) in women with breast cancer and unstable SBM.

METHODS

A total population of 92 women with unstable SBM from breast cancer who were treated with RT at our department between January 2000 and January 2012 was retrospectively investigated. We calculated overall survival (OS) and BS (time between first diagnosis of bone metastases until death) with the Kaplan-Meier method and assessed prognostic factors for BS with a Cox regression model.

RESULTS

Mean age at first diagnosis of breast cancer was 60.8 years ± SD 12.4 years. OS after 1, 2 and 5 years was 84.8, 66.3 and 50 %, respectively. BS after 1, 2 and 5 years was 62.0, 33.7 and 12 %, respectively. An age > 50 years (p < .001; HR 1.036 [CI 1.015-1.057]), the presence of a single bone metastasis (p = .002; HR 0.469 [CI 0.292-0.753]) and triple negative phenotype (p < .001; HR 1.068 [CI 0.933-1.125]) were identified as independent prognostic factors for BS.

CONCLUSIONS

Our analysis demonstrated a short survival of women with breast cancer and unstable SBM. Age, presence of a solitary SBM and triple-negative phenotype correlated with survival. Our results may have an impact on therapeutic decisions in the future and offer a rationale for future prospective investigations.

M1 stage subdivision and treatment outcome of patients with bone-only metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The current M1 stage in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) does not differentiate patients based on metastatic site and number of metastases. This study aims to subdivide the M1 stage of NPC patients with bone-only metastases and to identify the patients who may benefit from combined chemoradiotherapy (CRT).

METHODS

Between 1998 and 2007, 312 patients diagnosed with bone-only metastasis at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center were enrolled. Various possible subdivisions of M1 stage were considered, including by the time order of metastasis (synchronous vs. metachronous), involvement of specific bone metastatic site, the number of metastatic sites, and the number of metastases. The correlation of the subdivisions of M1 stage with overall survival (OS) was determined by Cox regression.

RESULTS

The median OS was 23.4 months. Patients with more than three metastatic sites had significantly poorer OS than patients with three or fewer metastatic sites (16.2 vs. 32.4 months; p < .001). Metastasis to the spine was significantly associated with unfavorable OS (20.4 vs. 37.9 months; p < .001). Multivariate analysis showed that number of metastatic sites (more than three vs. three or fewer), spine involvement (present vs. absent), and treatment modality (CRT vs. chemotherapy or radiotherapy only) were independent prognostic factors for OS. In stratified analysis, compared with chemotherapy or radiotherapy alone, combined chemoradiotherapy could significantly benefit the patients with single bone metastasis (hazard ratio: 0.21; 95% confidence interval: 0.09-0.50).

CONCLUSION

Metastasis to the spine and having more than three bone metastatic sites are independent unfavorable predictors for OS in NPC patients with bone-only metastasis. Combined chemoradiotherapy should be considered for patients with single bone metastasis.

FDG-PET Predicts Pain Response and Local Control in Palliative Radiotherapy With or Without Systemic Treatment in Patients With Bone Metastasis From Non-small-cell Lung Cancer

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic value of the maximal standardized uptake value (SUVmax) from serial positron emission tomography scans in patients with bone metastases from non-small-cell lung cancer. The results showed that the pre-RT SUVmax predicted the initial pain severity and local control. Moreover, the change in the SUVmax after palliative radiotherapy predicted the pain response and local control rate.

INTRODUCTION

We sought to evaluate the value of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET) in predicting the pain severity, pain response, and in-field tumor control after palliative radiotherapy (RT) in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) bone metastases.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The present retrospective, institutional review board-approved study involved 74 patients with NSCLC and 185 bone metastatic lesions. All patients had undergone PET-computed tomography (CT) scans before and after RT. The pain scores were determined using a numerical rating scale, and the maximal standardized uptake value (SUVmax) at each location was recorded. The pain scores and responses to RT were compared using the pre-RT SUVmax and SUVmax changes after RT. Cox regression analyses were performed to identify the prognostic factors for in-field progression-free survival (PFS) and in-field event-free survival (EFS).

RESULTS

The pre-RT SUVmax correlated with the initial pain scores (r = 0.885, P < .001), and the decrease in the SUVmax after RT was associated with the pain response to RT (P = .001). During the follow-up period, 47.03% and 38.92% of the lesions showed in-field tumor radiographic progression and in-field events, respectively. The Cox regression analyses showed that a higher pre-RT SUVmax (≥ 8.2) was an independent prognostic factor of worse in-field PFS and worse in-field EFS (hazard ratio [HR] 1.42 and 1.46; P = .044 and P = .005, respectively) and that a greater SUVmax decrease (≥ 28.3%) after RT was an independent prognostic factor of better in-field PFS and better in-field EFS (HR 0.59 and 0.60, respectively; P < .001 for both).

CONCLUSION

In patients with NSCLC osseous metastasis treated with palliative RT, the pre-RT SUVmax predicted the initial pain severity and local control. Moreover, the change in the SUVmax after RT predicted the pain response and local control.

Clinicopathologic characteristics and survival of patients with bone metastasis in Yazd, Iran: a cross-sectional retrospective study

To evaluate the clinico-pathological and survival characteristics in patients with bone metastasis. This cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with bone metastasis who referred to Shahid Ramezanzadeh radiation oncology center. For all of the patients studied, demographic and survival information was recorded. SPSS was used to analyze the data. In this study, 89 men (53.3%) and 78 women (46.7%) with bone metastasis were examined. Most of the patients were in the 66 to 87 age range. Breast cancer was the most common type of cancer in women and prostate cancer was the commonest in men. In most patients, pain was the first manifestation of the disease, and the spine has been most frequently involved areas. The disease was diagnosed by isotope bone scan in the most cases. The mean survival was 31.1 months for patients with breast cancer, 12.9 months for patients with prostate cancer, 13.7 months for patients with lung cancer and the overall survival was 22.5. There was only a meaningful correlation between sex, type of cancer, radiation dose, and survival in patients. We found that age was more effective than the variable of cancer type in survival of patients with bone metastasis. The prognosis of patients with bone metastasis in our center is fair. There was a significant correlation between sex, type of cancer, radiation dose, and survival. Cox proportional hazards model showed that age was a predictor of death.

An easy tool to predict survival in patients receiving radiation therapy for painful bone metastases

PURPOSE

Patients with bone metastases have a widely varying survival. A reliable estimation of survival is needed for appropriate treatment strategies. Our goal was to assess the value of simple prognostic factors, namely, patient and tumor characteristics, Karnofsky performance status (KPS), and patient-reported scores of pain and quality of life, to predict survival in patients with painful bone metastases.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

In the Dutch Bone Metastasis Study, 1157 patients were treated with radiation therapy for painful bone metastases. At randomization, physicians determined the KPS; patients rated general health on a visual analogue scale (VAS-gh), valuation of life on a verbal rating scale (VRS-vl) and pain intensity. To assess the predictive value of the variables, we used multivariate Cox proportional hazard analyses and C-statistics for discriminative value. Of the final model, calibration was assessed. External validation was performed on a dataset of 934 patients who were treated with radiation therapy for vertebral metastases.

RESULTS

Patients had mainly breast (39%), prostate (23%), or lung cancer (25%). After a maximum of 142 weeks' follow-up, 74% of patients had died. The best predictive model included sex, primary tumor, visceral metastases, KPS, VAS-gh, and VRS-vl (C-statistic = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.70-0.74). A reduced model, with only KPS and primary tumor, showed comparable discriminative capacity (C-statistic = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.69-0.72). External validation showed a C-statistic of 0.72 (95% CI = 0.70-0.73). Calibration of the derivation and the validation dataset showed underestimation of survival.

CONCLUSION

In predicting survival in patients with painful bone metastases, KPS combined with primary tumor was comparable to a more complex model. Considering the amount of variables in complex models and the additional burden on patients, the simple model is preferred for daily use. In addition, a risk table for survival is provided.

Stability of spinal bone metastases in breast cancer after radiotherapy: a retrospective analysis of 157 cases

PURPOSE

This retrospective analysis was performed to evaluate osteolytic bone lesions of breast cancer in the thoracic and lumbar spine after radiotherapy (RT) in terms of stability using a validated scoring system.

METHODS

The stability of 157 osteolytic metastases, treated from January 2000 to January 2012, in 115 patients with breast cancer was evaluated retrospectively using the Taneichi score. Predictive factors for stability were analyzed and survival rates were calculated.

RESULTS

Eighty-five (54%) lesions were classified as unstable prior to RT. After 3 and 6 months, 109 (70%) and 124 (79%) lesions, respectively, were classified as stable. Thirty fractures were detected prior to RT, and after RT seven cases (4.5%) with pathologic fractures were found within 6 months. None of the examined predictive factors showed significant correlation with stability 6 months after RT. After a median follow-up of 16.7 months, Kaplan-Meier estimates revealed an overall survival of 83% after 5 years.

CONCLUSION

The majority of patients showed an improved or unchanged stability of the involved vertebral bodies after 6 months. The patients showed only minor cancer-related morbidity during follow-up and reached comparably high survival rates.

Quality of life, fatigue and local response of patients with unstable spinal bone metastases under radiation therapy--a prospective trial

Background

To evaluate the local response according to stability after radiotherapy (RT) with a special focus on quality-of-life (QoL), fatigue, pain and emotional distress in patients with unstable spinal bone metastases.

Methods

In this prospective trial, 30 patients were treated from September 2011 until March 2013. The stability of osteolytic metastases in the thoracic and lumbar spine was evaluated on the basis of the Taneichi-score after three and six months. EORTC QLQ-BM22, EORTC QLQ-FA13, and QSC-R10 were assessed at baseline, and three months after RT.

Results

After 3 months, 25% (n = 6) and after 6 months 33.3% (n = 8) were classified as stable. QoL, fatigue, and emotional distress showed no difference over the course. The pain response 3 months after RT showed a significant difference (p < 0.001). Pathological fractures occurred in 8.3% of the patients (n = 2) within six months following RT.

Conclusions

Our trial demonstrated that RT can improve stability in one third of patients over a 6-months period with unstable spinal metastases. Importantly, for these patients pain relief was detected but RT had no impact on QoL, fatigue, and emotional distress.

Trial registration

Clinical trial identifier NCT01409720.