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עמוד בית
Thu, 10.10.24

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July 2018
Viacheslav Soyfer MD, Benjamin W. Corn MD, Yaron Meir BS, Diana Matceyevsky MD, Nir Honig BS and Natan Shtraus MSc

Background: Family physicians and internal medicine specialists play an essential role in treating cancer patients. Modern technological advances in radiotherapy are not widely appreciated by primary care physicians. Bone metastases are a frequent complication of cancer. Palliative radiation therapy, as a component of modern advances in radiation treatments, should not subject normal bodily structures to excessive doses of irradiation. The sacrum is a common destination site for bone metastases, yet its concave shape along with its proximity to the rectum, intestines, and femoral heads creates treatment-planning challenges.

Objectives: To investigated whether the volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) technique is preferable to more conventional radiation strategies.

Methods: The study comprised 22 patients with sacral metastases who were consecutively treated between 2013 and 2014. Two plans were generated for the comparison: three-dimensional (3D) and VMAT.

Results: The planning target volume (PTV) coverage of the sacrum was identical in VMAT and 3D planning. The median values for the rectal dose for 3D and VMAT were 11.34 ± 5.14 Gy and 7.7 ± 2.76 Gy, respectively. Distal sacral involvement (S4 and S5) was observed in only 2 of 22 cases, while the upper pole of the rectum ended at the level above S3 in just 3 cases.

Conclusions: Radiation therapy continues to be an integral component of the palliative armamentarium against painful metastases. Radiation oncologist, in conjunction with referral physicians, can tailor treatment plans to reflect the needs of a given patient.

December 2006
M. Tokar, D. Bobilev, S. Ariad and D.B. Geffen

Background: Disseminated intravascular coagulation associated with malignant bone marrow involvement has been described as a rare complication of gastric carcinoma and most patients die within 1–4 weeks. Effective chemotherapy of the underlying malignancy may be the only way to control acute DIC[1].

Objectives: To assess the benefit of infusional 5-fluorouracil as the primary treatment of metastatic gastric carcinoma and DIC at diagnosis.

Methods: From February 2001 to January 2005, six women (median age 48 years) with gastric carcinoma who presented with diffuse bone metastases and acute DIC were treated in our department. Diagnosis was based on primary gastric and bone marrow biopsies. DIC was confirmed by laboratory findings. Initial treatment consisted of infusional 5FU[2] 200 mg/m2/day. When the bleeding tendency stopped, cisplatin 60 mg/m2 and epirubicin 50 mg/m2 given every 3 weeks were added.

Results: Within one week of starting the treatment, the clinical and laboratory signs of acute DIC were resolved in five of six patients. Upon clinical improvement, five patients subsequently received epirubicin and cisplatin. Survival, however, was short (mean 15 weeks). All patients died with symptoms of bleeding, showing clinical and laboratory signs of DIC.

Conclusions: Based on our experience, infusional 5FU is an effective regimen with negligible myelosuppression; thus, it may be a good choice as initial therapy for this group of patients. The response induced by protracted 5FU was usually short and lasted for a few weeks only. Therefore, once DIC symptoms are controlled, the addition of newer cytotoxic drugs may be necessary to consolidate the remission.







[1] DIC = disseminated intravascular coagulation

[2] 5FU = 5-fluorouracil





 

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