BackgroundThe evolution of radiotherapy over recent decades has reintroduced the hypofractionation for many tumor sites with similar outcomes to those of conventional fractionated radiotherapy. The use of hypofractionation in locally advanced head and neck cancer (LAHNC) has been already used, however, its use has been restricted to only a few countries. The aim of this trial was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of moderate hypofractionated radiotherapy (HYP-RT) with concomitant cisplatin (CDDP).MethodsThis single-arm trial was designed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of HYP-RT with concomitant CDDP in LAHNC. Stage III and IV patients withnonmetastatic disease were enrolled. Patients were submitted to intensity modulatedradiation therapy, which comprised 55 Gy/20 fractions to the gross tumor and44–48 Gy/20 fractions to the areas of subclinical disease. Concomitant CDDPconsisted of 4 weekly cycles of 35 mg/m2. The primary endpoints were the treatment completion rate and acute toxicity.ResultsTwenty patients were enrolled from January 2015 to September 2016, and 12 (60%) were classified as unresectable. All patients completed the total dose of radiotherapy, and 19 patients (95%) received at least 3 of 4 cycles of chemotherapy. The median overall treatment time was 29 days (27–34). Grade 4 toxicity was reported twice (1 fatigue and 1 lymphopenia). The rates of grade 3 dermatitis and mucositis were 30% and 40%, respectively, with spontaneous resolution. Nasogastric tubes were offered to 15 patients (75%) during treatment; 4 patients (20%) needed feeding tubes after 2 months, and only 1 patient needed a feeding tube after 12 months.ConclusionHYP-RT with concomitant CDDP was considered feasible for LAHNC, and the rate of acute toxicity was comparable to that of standard concomitant chemoradiation. A feeding tube was necessary for most patients during treatment. Further investigation of this strategy is warranted.Trial registrationClinicalTrials, NCT03194061. Registered 21 Jun 2017 – Retrospectively registered.

This recommendation consensus for hypofractionated whole-breast radiotherapy (RT) was organized by the Brazilian Society of Radiotherapy (SBRT) considering the optimal scenario for indication and safety in the technology applied. All controversies and contraindication matters (hypofractionated RT in patients who underwent chemotherapy [CT], hypofractionated RT in lymphatic drainage, hypofractionated RT after mastectomy with or without immediate reconstruction, boost during surgery, hypofractionated RT in patients under 50 years old, hypofractionated RT in large breasts, hypofractionated RT in histology of carcinoma in situ [DCIS]) was discussed during a meeting in person, and a consensus was reached when there was an agreement of at least 75% among panel members. The grade for recommendation was also suggested according to the level of scientific evidence available, qualified as weak, medium, or strong. Thus, this consensus will aid Brazilian radiotherapy experts regarding indications and particularities of this technique as a viable and safe alternative for the national reality.

Anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN) is associated with HPV infection and can be detected by cytological screening. While conventional exfoliative cytology (CC) is a low-cost and nonaggressive method, liquid-based cytology (LBC) tends to give clearer readings. Although studies of the efficacy of anal cancer screening methods would be of great importance for groups at high risk for AIN, few such studies have been conducted. The aim of the present study was to assess the concordance of CC and LBC in diagnosing anal pre-neoplastic lesions, and to compare cytological results with anoscopy, histopathological, and molecular biology findings. Comparative study involving 33 HIV-positive patients, who underwent anoscopy and biopsy of suspected lesions. Concordance between the two cytology methods was calculated, as were the associations between cytology results and findings from other screening methods. A total of 54.5% of cases were considered AIN-negative by CC and LBC, and concordance between the two methods was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Anoscopy was negative in 15 of the 18 CC- and LBC-negative cases. CC identified 75% of patients with positive biopsy, while LBC identified 85.71% of these patients. Molecular biology results showed that patients with LSIL tested positive for the highest number of HPV subtypes. The associations between positive biopsy and high grade HPV, HPV 16, and multiple HPV infections were not statistically significant. Conventional and liquid-based cytology are equally effective in screening for anal preneoplastic lesions.