Response to Central Boost Radiation Therapy in Unresectable Retroperitoneal Sarcoma: A Case Series

Purpose: Optimal treatment of retroperitoneal sarcoma (RPS) remains undefined. Here, we report the feasibility of using high-dose boost radiation (3-4 Gy) to the central part of the tumor in patients with unresectable RPS. Methods and Materials: Five patients with unresectable RPS were treated with...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Danielle N. Burner, BS, Peter G. Hendrickson, MD, PhD, Diana M. Cardona, MD, Dan G. Blazer, III, MD, James B. Mullins, CMD, David G. Kirsch, MD, PhD
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-02-01
Series:Advances in Radiation Oncology
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452109424002525
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850242749321707520
author Danielle N. Burner, BS
Peter G. Hendrickson, MD, PhD
Diana M. Cardona, MD
Dan G. Blazer, III, MD
James B. Mullins, CMD
David G. Kirsch, MD, PhD
author_facet Danielle N. Burner, BS
Peter G. Hendrickson, MD, PhD
Diana M. Cardona, MD
Dan G. Blazer, III, MD
James B. Mullins, CMD
David G. Kirsch, MD, PhD
author_sort Danielle N. Burner, BS
collection DOAJ
description Purpose: Optimal treatment of retroperitoneal sarcoma (RPS) remains undefined. Here, we report the feasibility of using high-dose boost radiation (3-4 Gy) to the central part of the tumor in patients with unresectable RPS. Methods and Materials: Five patients with unresectable RPS were treated with radiation therapy using a central boost technique with intensity modulated radiation therapy. On average, doses of 25 Gy to 45 Gy were delivered to the outer part of the tumor (planning target volume 1), while the central part of the tumor (planning target volume 2) received a 56 Gy to 75 Gy physical dose, which translates to a 62.67 Gy to 87.5 Gy equivalent dose in 2 Gy fractions (EQD2). To minimize radiation toxicity to the adjacent bowel and other organs, we used sequential, interdigitated, or simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) techniques. Results: In this case series of variable RPS histology, the median survival postradiation therapy was 30 months. Three of the 5 patients had clinically stable local disease on follow-up scans, and none of the patients experienced clinically significant toxicity. Conclusions: In summary, in this small case series of 5 patients, treatment was tolerated well, and excellent local responses were observed regardless of the timing of the central boost. Given the high rates of metastatic disease that developed in responding patients, effective systemic therapy will likely be needed for unresectable RPS treated with aggressive radiation therapy to the central part of the tumor.
format Article
id doaj-art-c362136a7dd14b3d9beb004b17bfdcaa
institution OA Journals
issn 2452-1094
language English
publishDate 2025-02-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Advances in Radiation Oncology
spelling doaj-art-c362136a7dd14b3d9beb004b17bfdcaa2025-08-20T02:00:12ZengElsevierAdvances in Radiation Oncology2452-10942025-02-0110210168910.1016/j.adro.2024.101689Response to Central Boost Radiation Therapy in Unresectable Retroperitoneal Sarcoma: A Case SeriesDanielle N. Burner, BS0Peter G. Hendrickson, MD, PhD1Diana M. Cardona, MD2Dan G. Blazer, III, MD3James B. Mullins, CMD4David G. Kirsch, MD, PhD5Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North CarolinaDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North CarolinaDepartment of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North CarolinaDepartment of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North CarolinaDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North CarolinaDepartment of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina; Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina; Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Corresponding author: David G. Kirsch, MD, PhDPurpose: Optimal treatment of retroperitoneal sarcoma (RPS) remains undefined. Here, we report the feasibility of using high-dose boost radiation (3-4 Gy) to the central part of the tumor in patients with unresectable RPS. Methods and Materials: Five patients with unresectable RPS were treated with radiation therapy using a central boost technique with intensity modulated radiation therapy. On average, doses of 25 Gy to 45 Gy were delivered to the outer part of the tumor (planning target volume 1), while the central part of the tumor (planning target volume 2) received a 56 Gy to 75 Gy physical dose, which translates to a 62.67 Gy to 87.5 Gy equivalent dose in 2 Gy fractions (EQD2). To minimize radiation toxicity to the adjacent bowel and other organs, we used sequential, interdigitated, or simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) techniques. Results: In this case series of variable RPS histology, the median survival postradiation therapy was 30 months. Three of the 5 patients had clinically stable local disease on follow-up scans, and none of the patients experienced clinically significant toxicity. Conclusions: In summary, in this small case series of 5 patients, treatment was tolerated well, and excellent local responses were observed regardless of the timing of the central boost. Given the high rates of metastatic disease that developed in responding patients, effective systemic therapy will likely be needed for unresectable RPS treated with aggressive radiation therapy to the central part of the tumor.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452109424002525
spellingShingle Danielle N. Burner, BS
Peter G. Hendrickson, MD, PhD
Diana M. Cardona, MD
Dan G. Blazer, III, MD
James B. Mullins, CMD
David G. Kirsch, MD, PhD
Response to Central Boost Radiation Therapy in Unresectable Retroperitoneal Sarcoma: A Case Series
Advances in Radiation Oncology
title Response to Central Boost Radiation Therapy in Unresectable Retroperitoneal Sarcoma: A Case Series
title_full Response to Central Boost Radiation Therapy in Unresectable Retroperitoneal Sarcoma: A Case Series
title_fullStr Response to Central Boost Radiation Therapy in Unresectable Retroperitoneal Sarcoma: A Case Series
title_full_unstemmed Response to Central Boost Radiation Therapy in Unresectable Retroperitoneal Sarcoma: A Case Series
title_short Response to Central Boost Radiation Therapy in Unresectable Retroperitoneal Sarcoma: A Case Series
title_sort response to central boost radiation therapy in unresectable retroperitoneal sarcoma a case series
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452109424002525
work_keys_str_mv AT daniellenburnerbs responsetocentralboostradiationtherapyinunresectableretroperitonealsarcomaacaseseries
AT peterghendricksonmdphd responsetocentralboostradiationtherapyinunresectableretroperitonealsarcomaacaseseries
AT dianamcardonamd responsetocentralboostradiationtherapyinunresectableretroperitonealsarcomaacaseseries
AT dangblazeriiimd responsetocentralboostradiationtherapyinunresectableretroperitonealsarcomaacaseseries
AT jamesbmullinscmd responsetocentralboostradiationtherapyinunresectableretroperitonealsarcomaacaseseries
AT davidgkirschmdphd responsetocentralboostradiationtherapyinunresectableretroperitonealsarcomaacaseseries