Definitive carbon ion radiotherapy for thoracic bone and soft tissue sarcoma.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Radiation Oncology
• Medical Physics

Background:

• Thoracic bone and soft tissue sarcoma (BSTS) is a rare cancer.
• Radiotherapy (RT) is a standard treatment for inoperable cases.
• Carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT) offers potential advantages over traditional photon RT.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical outcomes of CIRT for thoracic BSTS.
• To assess the toxicity profile associated with CIRT in this patient group.
• To provide data on CIRT efficacy for a rare thoracic malignancy.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 33 patients with thoracic BSTS treated with CIRT.
• Doses ranged from 59.5 to 80 Gy (RBE) in 10-23 fractions.
• Outcomes assessed using standard criteria (CTCAE v4.03, RECIST v1.1), with survival analysis via Kaplan-Meier.

Main Results:

• The 3-year local control (LC) rate was 85.2% for the entire cohort.
• Simultaneous integrated boost technology may enhance LC.
• Low toxicity observed, with only one Grade 3 chest wall pain and one brachial plexopathy.

Conclusions:

• CIRT demonstrates safety and effectiveness in managing thoracic BSTS.
• Promising 3-year survival rates were observed for primary tumors.
• Further research with larger cohorts and longer follow-up is recommended.