John M Watkins

Bismarck Cancer Center

Background The cohort of patients with locally advanced prostate cancer (PC) patients and positive surgical margin(s) at radical prostatectomy (RP) who would benefit from salvage or adjuvant treatment is unclear. This study examines the risk of PSA relapse in a large population of men with PC after margin-positive RP. Methods Utilizing a multi-ins...

Background: Primary management of advanced head/neck cancers involves concurrent chemoradiotherapy . Subsequently, regional and local failures are managed with resection but there have been few reports that describe the morbidity and disease control outcomes of surgical salvage in this setting. Methods: Retrospective analysis describes complication...

Background Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) is commonly employed in limited-stage small-cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC); however, the optimal radiotherapy regimen is still unknown. This 3-institution analysis compares long-term disease control and survival outcomes for once- (QD) versus twice-daily (BID) radiotherapy at contemporary doses. Methods an...

Background and Purpose: Prior investigations have demonstrated an inverse correlation between the interval from resection of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) to radiotherapy (RT) completion (overall treatment time; OTT) and disease control. However, the importance of OTT in human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated HNSCC remains to be dete...

Background High‐dose cisplatin (Cis) is a preferred systemic agent for concurrent chemoradiation (CRT) in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell cancer (LAHNSCC) patients. As some patients are unable to tolerate Cis, this study compares the toxicity and efficacy of weekly cisplatin‐paclitaxel (CP) regimen with Cis. Methods Patients with LAHN...

83 Background: Surgical margin involvement (M+) by PC at RP is associated with suboptimal bRFS; however, the interaction of M+ with coincident high-risk clinicopathologic and treatment factors obscures accurate estimation of recurrence risk. The objective of this study is to determine whether ME permits risk stratification. Methods: Retrospective a...

The clinical impact of lymph node dissection extent remains undetermined in the contemporary setting, as reflected in care pattern variations. Despite some series demonstrating a direct relationship between number of lymph nodes identified and detection of nodal involvement, the correlation between lymph node yield and disease control or survival o...

Management recommendations for differentiated thyroid cancer are evolving. Total thyroidectomy is the backbone of curative-intent therapy, with radioiodine ablation (RAI) of the thyroid remnant routinely performed, in order to facilitate serologic surveillance and reduce recurrence risk. Several single-institution series have identified patient sub...

61Background: In published series of extended pelvic LN dissection (LND), an association between higher number of LNs resected and both higher rate of occult LN disease discovery and long-term bRFS (for pN0) was observed. Despite this, practice patterns of LND extent (and associated number of LNs examined) vary, with the majority being limited to l...

140 Background: Disease control and survival outcomes for LAEC are poor despite multimodality treatment with CRT with or without esophagectomy. Without comparative trial data, oncologists select a chemotherapy regimen based on clinical experience and toxicity profile. The present investigation compares LAEC progression free survival (PFS) and overa...

Background: To investigate outcomes and prognostic factors in patients treated with once daily high-dose (≥60 Gy) radiation therapy (HDRT) and concurrent platinum-based chemotherapy in limited stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC). While we await current phase III trials to determine optimal radiation dose fractionation schemes in LS-SCLC, we rep...

Background The current standard of care for men with muscle-invasive bladder cancer is radical cystoprostatectomy (RCP). One-third of RCP specimens demonstrate incidental prostate cancer, primarily reported in small series with limited follow-up. The aim of this study is to report mature outcomes, including patterns of failure and disease-specific...

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine whether a "high-risk" subpopulation of low-grade (Gleason score ≤6) prostate cancer defined by lower prostate-specific antigen (PSA) relapse-free survival (bRFS) might be identified within a large population of men who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) alone, with mature follow-up. Patient...

552 Background: nCRT is commonly employed in advanced or distal RA, with validated associations between tumor response and disease control; however, the identification of patients likely to respond remains elusive. The present investigation seeks to determine whether absolute CEA levels and changes during treatment are associated with pathologic co...

132 Background: G6PC is associated with low rates of PSA failure (bF) after primary treatment. The present study seeks to determine whether a "high-risk" subpopulation of G6PC with lower PSA relapse-free survival (bRFS) may be identified within a large population of men with mature follow-up who underwent RP for curative-intent. Methods: Patients w...

Objective The optimal primary intervention for treatment of clinically localized high-grade prostate cancer remains to be identified. The present investigation compares disease control in patients treated with primary radical prostatectomy (RP) versus radiotherapy (RT). Methods Eligible patients were identified by Gleason 8-10 prostate adenocarcino...

Radiation therapy indications in the postprostatectomy setting are evolving. Several retrospective series have identified a number of "high-risk" pathologic features associated with an elevated risk of disease recurrence after radical prostatectomy. More recently, several randomized phase III trials demonstrated superior biochemical relapse-free su...

An involved surgical margin at prostatectomy has long been associated with elevated risk of prostate cancer recurrence; however, not all patients with an involved margin will relapse, and thus details of the involved margin may provide an opportunity for risk subset stratification. The present investigation seeks to determine whether a difference e...

131 Background: An involved surgical margin at prostatectomy has long been associated with elevated risk of prostate cancer recurrence; however, not all patients with an involved margin will relapse, and thus details of the involved margin may provide an opportunity for risk subset stratification. The present investigation seeks to determine whethe...

105 Background: Though an involved margin at prostatectomy has been associated with elevated rates of PSA relapse, there has been an absence of consensus regarding the risk of relapse specific to the site(s) of margin involvement. Specifically, the apical margin has been sometimes considered "lower risk," based upon historical series. The present s...

Objectives To compare outcomes between prostatectomy (RP) or radiation therapy (RT) approaches for Gleason 7 (GS7) prostate cancer. Methods Patients were retrospectively identified for inclusion by clinically localized disease, GS7, PSA <30 at diagnosis, and follow-up with PSA >12 months. Comparison of demographic, tumor, staging, and outcome vari...

Objective: The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether an association exists between post-operative chemotherapy weight change and breast cancer control and survival, specifically within a high-risk population of women with node-positive breast cancer diagnosed and treated in the contemporary setting. Methods: A retrospective investi...

Purpose To determine whether additional pathology details may provide risk stratification for patients with involved surgical margins at radical prostatectomy (RP). Methods and materials Eligible patients underwent RP between 2003 and 2010. Patients with preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) ≥ 20, follow-up < 12 months, lymph node or semina...

250 Background: Optimal therapy for Gleason score 7 (GS7) prostate cancer (PC) remains to be defined, with consensus guidelines identifying both prostatectomy (RP) and radiation therapy (RT) as acceptable. The present investigation seeks to compare outcomes between these treatment approaches. Methods: Patients were retrospectively identified for in...

215 Background: EPE is an established risk factor for PSA failure following RP; however, often this is identified in the context of other high-risk feature(s). The objective of the current investigation study is to describe the PSA relapse rate for patients with confirmed EPE and identify associated factors for risk stratification. Methods: Retrosp...

PURPOSE To compare disease control outcomes between prostatectomy (RP) and radiotherapy (RT) for patients with high-grade prostate cancer at diagnosis. METHOD AND MATERIALS Retrospective comparative outcome analysis by treatment group. Eligible patients were identified by GS 8-10 prostate adenocarcinoma at biopsy, performed between 2003 and 2010,...

Background and objective The optimal primary intervention for treatment of clinically localized high-grade prostate adenocarcinoma remains to be identified. The present investigation reports disease control and survival outcomes in patients treated with primary radical prostatectomy. Methods Eligible patients were diagnosed with Gleason score 8-10...

There is significant variation in recommendation for percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube placement in patients undergoing definitive chemoradiation therapy (CRT) for locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (LAHNC), with some clinicians globally recommending prophylactic PEG and others waiting until toxicity has occu...

Established risk factors for hematologic cancers include exposure to ionizing radiation, organic solvents, and genetic mutation; however, the potential roles of environmental and sociological factors are not well explored. As North Dakota engages in significant agricultural activity, the present investigation seeks to determine whether an associati...

Chemotherapy has demonstrated ability to generate tumor antigens secondary to induction of apoptosis, against which human leukocyte antigen-compatible, irradiated, related donor mononuclear cells may be administered with immune stimulation to activate antigen presenting and cytotoxic T cells, while minimizing risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD...

To evaluate whether Point A asymmetry in low dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy is associated with local control (LC), disease-free survival (DFS) and/or overall survival (OS). A retrospective analysis of disease control and survival outcomes was conducted for patients who underwent LDR brachytherapy for advanced cervical cancer. Institutional protocol...

Background: Primary management of advanced head/neck cancers involves concurrent chemoradiotherapy . Subsequently, regional and local failures are managed with resection but there have been few reports that describe the morbidity and disease control outcomes of surgical salvage in this setting. Methods: Retrospective analysis describes complicat...

Management of medically inoperable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been historically challenging, with poor rates of local control and disease-specific survival. Nearly all published series of standard fractionation radiotherapy have utilised doses <70 Gy. The present investigation describes disease control and survival outcomes for a large...

Cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy is standard treatment for locally advanced esophageal and gastroesophageal cancers; however, the optimal chemotherapy regimen remains to be defined. Retrospective single institution analysis of toxicities, response rates and survival outcomes in patients with cT3-4 or N1/M1a esophageal squamous cell or adenocarcino...

The American Society for Radiation Oncology published a Consensus Statement for accelerated partial breast irradiation identifying three groups: Suitable, Cautionary, and Unsuitable. The objective of this study was to compare oncologic outcomes in women treated with MammoSite brachytherapy (MB) vs. whole breast irradiation (WBI) after stratificatio...

Major randomised trials have employed elective nodal irradiation as part of combined modality therapy for limited-stage small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). The present investigation describes patterns of failure, disease control, and survival outcomes for involved-field radiotherapy with concurrent chemotherapy, without elective irradiation of uninvolve...

Multicatheter brachytherapy can be applied as a monotherapy or in combination with external beam radiotherapy as an adjuvant treatment for soft tissue sarcoma. Successful application of brachytherapy in the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma requires implementation of multiple imaging modalities during preoperative and postoperative planning. Preoper...

The aim of this study was to compare toxicities, disease control, survival outcomes, and patterns of failure between groups of limited-stage small-cell lung cancer patients treated with once-daily versus twice-daily radiotherapy and concurrent chemotherapy. This single-institution retrospective analysis included a comparison of two of radiotherapy...

Total lymphoid irradiation is employed in the preparative regimens for allogeneic bone marrow and solid organ transplantation, solid organ transplant rejection, and chronic graft-versus-host disease. Linear accelerator-based radiotherapy, typically involving opposed anteroposterior and posteroanterior beams, has been commonly used; however, extende...

Purpose/Objectives: To compare disease control, patterns of failure and survival between patients treated with MammoSite brachytherapy (MB) or Whole Breast radiotherapy (WB). Materials/Methods: Individual patient data was identified from a quality assurance database. Inclusion criteria: (1) tumor size 18 months or any patient with recurrence or dea...

Tandem placement as part of low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy boost for cervical cancer may be complicated by uterine perforation. The objective of this study was to describe a 10-year experience of using intraoperative ultrasound guidance in an attempt to minimize the risk of uterine perforation. Operative and inpatient records were reviewed to id...

This report describes estimated 4-year tumor bed and ipsilateral breast recurrence-free intervals, event-free survival, disease-specific survival, and overall survival in a cohort of MammoSite brachytherapy (MBT) patients with mature follow-up treated at a single institution over a 6-year period. An analysis of MBT cases was performed by using a pr...

To compare toxicities, disease control, and survival outcomes for patients treated with either cisplatin/irinotecan versus carboplatin/paclitaxel concurrent chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced esophageal cancer. Single-institution retrospective comparison between treatment groups: the cisplatin/irinotecan group was treated with 2 cycles of induc...

To describe outcomes associated with high-dose radiotherapy with and without temozolomide for high grade central nervous system (CNS) neoplasms. Retrospective chart review of 60 patients diagnosed with malignant glioma treated with > or =70 Gy radiotherapy. Median age at diagnosis was 52 years, and 52 patients had astrocytomas (38 glioblastomas). M...

: Reirradiation of locoregionally recurrent, previously irradiated head/neck cancer may be considered in situations of unresectability, medical inoperability, or adverse pathologic features found at salvage resection. : Retrospective cohort analysis of toxicity and survival outcomes in locoregionally recurrent, previously irradiated patients with h...

CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2008 Abstracts Abstract #5145 Purpose : To describe 4-year local and ipsilateral breast recurrence-free intervals, overall freedom from disease failure, and disease-specific and overall survivals in a cohort of MammoSite Brachytherapy (MBT) patients with mature follow-up, treated at a single institu...

The optimal concurrent chemoradiotherapy regimen for definitive treatment of locoregionally advanced head and neck cancer remains to be determined. The present investigation reports toxicities, disease control, patterns of failure, and survival outcomes in a large mature cohort of patients treated with low-dose weekly platinum-based concurrent chem...

To describe incidence and identify factors associated with development of severe acute esophagitis during hyperfractionated radiotherapy with concurrent chemotherapy (BID-CRT) in patients with limited-stage small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). Retrospective cohort analysis of patient-, tumor-, and treatment-related variables was performed to identify fac...

Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) is a rare histiocytic disorder most often characterized by painless cervical lymphadenopathy, but it may also present with orbital disease. The clinical course of RDD is variable; it can be either relapsing-remitting or progressive, and the outcome relates to clinical location and treatment response. Orbital RDD can have...

Primary uterine papillary serous (PS) and clear cell (CC) carcinoma are aggressive histologies characterized by elevated risk of loco-regional recurrence and disease-specific mortality following hysterectomy. The impact of adjuvant radiotherapy remains to be elucidated. The present study is a single institution, retrospective cohort comparison to d...

Describe the incidence and identify risk factors for seroma development after MammoSite breast brachytherapy (MBT). MBT patient data were prospectively recorded into a quality assurance database. Departmental and electronic records were reviewed to extract patient-, treatment-, and outcome-specific data. Stepwise logistic regression analysis was pe...

To investigate the association between initial body mass index (BMI) and chemoradiation therapy (CRT) outcomes in head and neck cancer patients. Retrospective study of 72 patients with American Joint Committee on Cancer stage III or IV squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx, hypopharynx, or larynx treated with primary concurrent CRT with curativ...

Painful splenomegaly has a clinical presentation that is often associated with myeloproliferative disorders, such as acute or chronic lymphoblastic or myelogenous leukemia. In these situations low-dose radiotherapy is effective in reducing the splenomegaly and relieving pain. The potential benefit of radiotherapy for cardiogenic splenomegaly is les...

High-risk, early-stage endometrial cancer is optimally treated by hysterectomy followed by adjuvant radiotherapy. In 1%-9% of cases, the patient is medically unfit or personally unwilling to undergo primary surgery, and definitive radiotherapy may be offered as an alternative definitive therapy. Although several series have reported excellent intra...

PURPOSE Determine the effect of adjuvant RT on pelvic recurrence and disease-free survival in patients with resected uterine PS or CC carcinomas. METHOD AND MATERIALS Patients with diagnosis of primary uterine PS or CC carcinoma were identified from institutional cancer registry search. Electronic and departmental records were reviewed to identify...

PURPOSE Describe toxicity and survival outcomes of cohort of HNCa patients treated with BID-SC ReRT and concurrent chemotherapy. METHOD AND MATERIALS Departmental records were reviewed for patients with history of prior head/neck RT who underwent ReRT for HNCa in BID-SC fractionation with concurrent chemotherapy at MUSC. BID-SC was defined as twic...

PURPOSE Describe toxicity, outcomes, and prognostic factors associated with HD-CRT in treatment of high grade CNS neoplasms. METHOD AND MATERIALS Between 8/1998 and 12/2005, 60 patients underwent HD-CRT treatment planning to total dose >7000 cGy. Patient-, tumor-, and treatment-specific data were recorded and analyzed for predictors of survival R...

Objectives: To describe acute toxic effects and locoregional control for patients with head and neck cancer (HNCa) treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).

Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is a safe procedure for a variety of periampullary conditions. Retrospective review of a prospectively collected database. Academic tertiary care hospital. A total of 516 consecutive patients who underwent PD. Patient outcomes and survival factors. Pathological examination demonstrated 57% periampullary cancers, 22% chr...