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J Dunst

Publications and source records attributed to J Dunst.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Significance of surgical margin on the prognosis of patients with Ewing's sarcoma. A report from the Cooperative Ewing's Sarcoma Study.

BACKGROUND: There is little information regarding an adequate surgical margin for local control of Ewing's sarcoma. METHODS: Two hundred and forty-four patients (PTS) with Ewing's sarcoma who were registered in the Cooperative Ewing's Sarcoma Studies underwent surgical treatment. Ninety-four PTS underwent definitive surgery (surgery alone), 131 PTS received postoperative irradiation, and 19 PTS received preoperative irradiation. The surgical margins were distributed as follows: radical, 29 PTS; wide, 148 PTS; marginal, 39 PTS; and intralesional, 28 PTS. The impact of the surgical margin on the treatment outcome of PTS was analyzed statistically. RESULTS: The local or combined (local recurrence and systemic metastasis) relapse rate after surgery with or without irradiation was significantly lower compared with that after definitive irradiation (irradiation alone) (7% vs. 31%, P < 0.0001). The local or combined relapse rate after complete resection (radical or wide margin) with or without irradiation was less compared with that after incomplete resection (marginal or intralesional margin) with or without irradiation (5% vs. 12% P = 0.0455). The local or combined relapse rate did not greatly decreased after irradiation after incomplete surgery (from 14% to 12%). In both groups of good (viable tumor cells < 10%) and poor (viable cells > or = 10%) histologic response, the difference in systemic or combined relapse rate between patients undergoing complete and incomplete surgery was not significant. The 10-year overall survival of the PTS for each of the margins was distributed as follows: radical, 58%; wide, 65%; marginal, 61%; and intralesional, 71% (P = not significant). CONCLUSIONS: Surgery in patients with Ewing's sarcoma adds to the safety of local control. Under the current treatment regimen with intensive chemotherapy and irradiation, complete resection of the tumor appears capable of decreasing the risk of local recurrence.

Adolescent

Use of a three-color chromosome in situ suppression technique for the detection of past radiation exposure.

A three-color chromosome in situ suppression technique and classical cytogenetic analysis were compared for the detection of chromosomal aberrations in blood lymphocytes of 27 patients who had undergone radiation therapies from 1 month to 9 years ago. Depending on the respective regimens of therapy, a high variability was found in the aberration data. Aberration rates depended on the interval between exposure and scoring rather than on the locally applied radiation doses, which were rather uniform among most patients. Chromosome in situ suppression was found to be superior to classical cytogenetics with respect not only to the spectrum of detectable aberrations but also to the uncovering of long-term effects of irradiation. Of particular interest were the relative stability of the frequency of radiation-induced reciprocal translocations and the utility of chromosome in situ suppression to uncover complex rearrangements.

Chromosome Aberrations

[The late cardiac sequelae after mantle-field irradiation. The results in Erlangen's patient caseload].

PURPOSE: We have retrospectively evaluated the cardiac function in patients after mantle-irradiation for Hodgkin's disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-three patients, mean age 39.8 +/- 13 years, who had been treated with mantle-irradiation from 1979 through 1984 at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, were examined. All of them were in first remission at 5 to 11 years (mean 8.1 years) after radiotherapy (n = 24) or combined modality treatment (n = 19). Mantle-irradiation had been administered through equally weighted anterioposterior-posterioanterior portals with 5 fractions of 2 Gy per week up to a total mediastinal dose of 41.8 +/- 7 Gy (including boost). The examination program included anamnesis, physical examination, Doppler echocardiography and ergometry. Hundred and twenty-two non-irradiated volunteers and cardiological patients were used as control group. RESULTS: None of the patients suffered from clinical symptoms. Pericardial thickening was present in 26%. The left ventricular end-systolic diameter (31.3 +/- 5.5 mm, normal value 26 to 42 mm) and the thickness of the left ventricular posterior wall (8.1 +/- 1.8 mm, normal value 6 to 11 mm) were within the normal range. The left ventricular ejection fraction was also normal (67.1 +/- 8% in patients versus 67.0 +/- 8% in control subjects). Evaluation of diastolic parameters, however, revealed significant changes. The isovolumic relaxation time was significantly decreased as compared to the control group (38.8 +/- 17 ms versus 50.8 +/- 21 ms, p < 0.05). The same we found for the shortening fraction (33.6 +/- 6% versus 38.1 +/- 6%, p < 0.05). The most significant changes were found after combined modality therapy, especially after radiotherapy and anthracycline-based chemotherapy. 30% of the patients were tachycardic (pulse > 100/min) at rest. At ergometry, the frequency of signs of ischemia (5%), conduction disturbances (2%), and rhythm disturbances (7%) was not elevated. CONCLUSIONS: In this retrospective investigation, patients after mantle irradiation with modern techniques showed only minimal cardiologic abnormalities within the first 10 years after treatment. The most sensitive parameters were the isovolumic relaxation times. The clinical relevance of such findings remains to be defined. Pathophysiologically, our findings (decreased relaxation time plus tachycardia) support the theory that myocardial damage after radiotherapy may result in subsequent increased beta-receptor density as proposed by Schultz-Hector et al. [21] on the basis of experimental data.

Adult

[Surgery versus radiotherapy in Ewing's sarcoma with good prognosis. Analysis of the CESS-86 data].

PURPOSE: The evaluation of radiotherapy and surgery as exclusive local treatment in comparably selected subgroups of patients with Ewing's sarcoma on the basis of the CESS 86-data. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In the German multicenter Ewing's sarcoma study CESS 86, treatment consisted of four 9-week-courses of VACA- or VAIA-chemotherapy plus local therapy. VACA (vincristine, actinomycin D, cyclophosphamide, adriamycin) was given in low-risk extremity tumors with a tumor volume below 100 cm3. High-risk patients with central lesions or a tumor volume > 100 cm3 received VAIA (ifosfamide instead of cyclophosphamide). Local therapy started after one complete chemotherapy course in week 10. Based on an individual decision in each patient, local therapy was either radical surgery or resection plus postoperative irradiation with 45 Gy or definitive radiotherapy with 60 Gy. Because of poor results with radiotherapy in a preceding study, it was intended to restrict irradiation to patients with small lesions. RESULTS: Hundred and seventy-seven protocol patients were recruited from January 1986 through June 1991 and 176 received local therapy: 39 underwent radical surgery, 44 received definitive radiotherapy and 93 were treated with resection and postoperative irradiation. The median tumor volume was higher in patients with radiotherapy as compared to combined local treatment or radical surgery, 156 cm3 versus 140 cm3 versus 102 cm3. The overall 5-year survival after radiotherapy and surgery was nearly identical, 63% versus 67% for the whole group 75% versus 65% in tumors < 100 cm3 volume and 65% versus 67% in tumors with 100 cm3 to 600 cm3 volume, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: With regard to tumor volume, the most important single prognostic factor in Ewing's sarcoma, irradiated patients were poorer selected than surgically treated patients despite the fact that a selection of good-risk patients for radiotherapy was intended. The nearly identical survival figures after surgery and radiotherapy suggest that radiotherapy is as effective as surgery if selection of patients is comparable.

Adult

[The role of radiotherapy in the local treatment of Ewing's sarcoma].

Therapy of Ewing's sarcoma consists of adequate local treatment for control of the primary tumor (surgery or radiotherapy or a combination of both) and systemic therapy. Tumors with favorable prognosis (small tumor volume, good response to chemotherapy) may be managed by a single local modality. In tumors with poor prognosis, combined local treatment (surgery plus radiotherapy) seems to improve local control and survival. As an innovative approach, preoperative radiotherapy for high-risk tumors is investigated in the EICESS-92-study.

Adolescent

Radiation therapy in Ewing's sarcoma: an update of the CESS 86 trial.

PURPOSE: We present an update analysis of the multiinstitutional Ewing's sarcoma study CESS 86. METHODS AND MATERIALS: From January 1986 through June 1991, 177 patients with localized Ewing's sarcoma of bone, aged 25 years or less, were recruited. Chemotherapy consisted of four 9-week courses of vincristine, actinomycin D, cyclophosphamide, and adriamycin (VACA) in low-risk (extremity tumors < 100 cm3), or vincristine, actinomycin D, ifosfamide, and adriamycin (VAIA) in high-risk tumors (central tumors and extremity tumors > or = 100 cm3). Local therapy was an individual decision in each patient and was either radical surgery (amputation, wide resection) or resection plus postoperative irradiation with 45 Gy or definitive radiotherapy with 60 Gy (45 Gy plus boost). Irradiated patients were randomized concerning the type of fractionation in either conventional fractionation (once daily 1.8-2.0 Gy, break of chemotherapy) or hyperfractionated split-course irradiation simultaneously with the VACA/VAIA chemotherapy (twice daily 1.6 Gy, break of 12 days after 22.4 Gy and 44.8 Gy, total dose and treatment time as for conventional fractionation). For quality assurance in radiotherapy, a central treatment planning program was part of the protocol. RESULTS: Forty-four patients (25%) received definitive radiotherapy; 39 (22%) had surgery, and 93 (53%) had resection plus postoperative irradiation. The overall 5-year survival was 69%. Thirty-one percent of the patients relapsed, 30% after radiotherapy, 26% after radical surgery, and 34% after combined local treatment. The better local control after radical surgery (100%) and resection plus radiotherapy (95%) as compared to definitive radiotherapy (86%) was not associated with an improvement in relapse-free or overall survival because of a higher frequency of distant metastases after surgery (26% vs. 29% vs. 16%). In irradiated patients, hyperfractionated split-course irradiation and conventional fractionation yielded the same results (5-year overall survival of definitively irradiated patients 63% after conventional fractionation and 65% after hyperfractionation; relapse-free survival 53% vs. 58%; local control 76% vs. 86%, not significant). The six local failures after radiotherapy did not correlate with tumor size or response to chemotherapy. Radiation treatment quality (target volume, technique, dosage) was evaluated retrospectively and was scored as unacceptable in only 1 out of 44 patients (2%) with definitive radiotherapy. Grade 3-4 complications developed in 4 out of 44 (9%) patients after definitive radiotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Under the given selection criteria for local therapy, radiation therapy yielded relapse-free and overall survival figures comparable to radical surgery. Hyperfractionated split-course irradiation simultaneously with multidrug chemotherapy did not significantly improve local control or survival.

Adolescent