Local tumor control and symptom relief have been the major advantage of radiotherapy in clinical practice. In the past years, the systemic anti-tumor effect of radiotherapy, also known as the abscopal effect, has been reported with limited studies. With the advent of immunotherapy, the frequency of the abscopal effect has increased in patients who receive sequential treatment with radiotherapy and immunotherapy or patients who receive radiotherapy after acquiring resistance to immunotherapy. A novel cancer treatment modality, such as molecular targeted therapy, has been associated with the immune response within the tumor but its systemic anti-tumor effect, when combined with radiotherapy, is yet to be documented. There have been few studies to date assessing the immunological effects of imatinib on tumors; however, the mechanism of tumor regression or resistance acquisition is poorly understood. We present a 56-year-old male diagnosed with dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) who developed resistance to imatinib after five months of treatment. Following subsequent local radiotherapy to the primary tumor, he had complete clinical remission of the primary and metastatic lesions.

ObjectiveThe majority of patients with cervical cancer in Ghana present with locally advanced disease. In October 2014, high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy was introduced at the National Center for Radiotherapy, Accra after years of using low-dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy. The aim of this study was to compare the treatment outcomes of patients treated with LDR versus HDR brachytherapy.MethodsPatients with cervical cancer treated from January 2008 to December 2017 were reviewed. Those with stage IB–IIIB who received chemoradiation plus brachytherapy were included in the study. Post-operative patients and those with stage IV were excluded. The study end points were local control, disease-free survival, and overall survival at 2 years. Endpoints were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Comparisons between treatment groups were performed using the log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards model.ResultsWe included 284 LDR and 136 HDR brachytherapy patients. For stages IB, IIA, IIB, IIIA and IIIB disease, the 2-year local control for LDR versus HDR brachytherapy was 63% and 61% (p=0.35), 86% and 90% (p=0.68), 86% and 88% (p=0.83), 66% and 60% (p=0.56), and 77% and 40% (p=0.005), respectively. The 2-year disease-free survival for LDR versus HDR brachytherapy was 64% and 61% (p=0.50), 81% and 69% (p=0.18), 81% and 80% (p=0.54), 62% and 33% (p=0.82), and 71% and 30% (p=0.001) for stages IB, IIA, IIB, IIIA, and IIIB, respectively. The 2-year overall survival for LDR versus HDR brachytherapy was 94% and 93% (p=0.92), 98% and 68% (p=0.21), 89% and 88% (p=0.60), and 88% and 82% (p=0.34) for stages IB, IIA, IIB, and IIIB disease, respectively.ConclusionThere was no difference between LDR and HDR brachytherapy in local control and disease-free survival for all stages of disease, except in stage IIIB. These findings highlight the need to refine this brachytherapy technique for this group of patients.

PURPOSE Cervical cancer remains a major health challenge in low- to middle-income countries. We present the experiences of two centers practicing in variable resource environments to determine predictors of improved radiochemotherapy treatment. METHODS AND MATERIALS This comparative review describes cervical cancer presentation and treatment with concurrent chemoradiotherapy with high-dose-rate brachytherapy between 2014 and 2017 at the National Radiotherapy Oncology and Nuclear Medicine Center (NRONMC) in Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana, and Moffitt Cancer Center (MCC), Tampa, FL. RESULTS Median follow-up for this study was 16.9 months. NRONMC patients presented with predominantly stage III disease (42% v 16%; P = .002). MCC patients received para-aortic node irradiation (16%) and interstitial brachytherapy implants (19%). Median treatment duration was longer for NRONMC patients compared with MCC patients (59 v 52 days; P < .0001), and treatment duration ≥ 55 days predicted worse survival on multivariable analysis (MVA; P = .02). Stage ≥ III disease predicted poorer local control on MVA. There was a difference in local control among patients with stage III disease (58% v 91%; P = .03) but not in survival between MCC and NRONMC. No significant difference in local control was observed for stage IB, IIA, and IIB disease. CONCLUSION Although there were significant differences in disease presentation between the two centers, treatment outcomes were similar for patients with early-stage disease. Longer treatment duration and stage ≥ III disease predicted poor outcomes.