The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted oncology practices to prioritize patient safety while maintaining necessary treatment delivery. We obtained patient feedback on pandemic-based practices in our radiotherapy department to improve quality of patient care and amend policies as needed. We developed a piloted questionnaire which quantitatively and qualitatively assessed patients’ pandemic-related concerns and satisfaction with specific elements of their care. Adult patients who were treated at our Centre between 23 March and 31 May 2020, had initial consultation via telemedicine, and received at least five outpatient fractions of radiotherapy were invited to complete the survey by telephone or online. Relative frequencies of categorical and ordinal responses were then calculated. Fifty-three (48%) out of 110 eligible patients responded: 32 patients by phone and 21 patients online. Eighteen participants (34%) admitted to feeling anxious about hospital appointments, and only five (9%) reported treatment delays. Forty-eight patients (91%) reported satisfaction with their initial telemedicine appointment. The majority of patients indicated that healthcare workers took appropriate precautions, making them feel safe. Overall, all 53 patients (100%) reported being satisfied with their treatment experience during the pandemic. Patient feedback is needed to provide the highest quality of patient care as we adapt to the current reality.

Background Radiation-induced sarcomas (RISs) are histologically proven sarcomas within or around a previously irradiated site, per Cahan’s criteria. RIS incidence is higher in breast cancer compared to other solid cancers and the prognosis remains poor given limited treatment options. This study aimed to review 20-year experience with RISs at a large tertiary care center. Methodology Using our institutional cancer registry database, we included patients meeting Cahan’s criteria diagnosed between 2000 and 2020. Patient demographics, oncologic treatment, and oncologic outcomes data were collected. Descriptive statistics were used to describe demographic data. Oncologic outcomes were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results A total of 19 patients were identified. The median age at RIS diagnosis was 72 years (range = 39-82 months), and the median latency period for the development of RIS was 112 months (range = 53-300 months). All patients underwent surgery, three patients received systemic therapy, and six patients received re-irradiation as salvage treatment. The median follow-up time was 31 months (range = 6-172 months) from the diagnosis of RIS. Overall, five patients had local recurrence, and one patient developed distant metastases. The median time to progression was seven months (range = 4-14 months). The progression-free survival (95% confidence interval (CI)) at two years was 56.1% (37.4-84.4%). At follow-up two years after the diagnosis of sarcoma, the overall survival (95% CI) was 88.9% (75.5-100%). Conclusions While breast RIS remains rare, when managed in a large tertiary care center, overall survival outcomes appear favorable. A significant proportion of patients recur locally after maximal treatment and require salvage therapy to improve outcomes. These patients should be managed in high-volume centers where multidisciplinary expertise is available.

Purpose: To report the long-term outcomes of the McGill 0913 study and the potential benefits of combining prostate-bed radiotherapy (PBRT), pelvic-lymph-node radiotherapy (PLNRT), and long term ADT (LT-ADT). Materials and Methods: From 2010 to 2016, 46 high-risk prostate cancer patients who experienced biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy (RP) were enrolled in this single-arm phase II clinical trial. The patients were eligible if they had a Gleason score > 8, locally advanced disease (≥pT3), a preoperative PSA of >20 ng/mL, or positive lymph nodes (LN). The patients were treated with a combination of 24 months of ADT, PBRT, and PLNRT. The primary outcome was biochemical progression-free survival (bPFS) and the predefined secondary endpoints included distant-metastasis-free survival (DMFS), overall survival (OS), and toxicity. In this update, we also report the median follow-up of 8.8 years and 10 years OS. Results: At a median follow-up of 8.8 years, 43 patients were eligible for analysis. The median pre-salvage PSA was 0.30 μg/L. Half (51%) of the patients (n = 22) had positive margins, 40% (n = 17) had Gleason scores > 8, 63% (n = 27) had extracapsular extension, 42% (n = 18) had seminal vesicle invasion, and 19% (n = 8) had LN involvement. The 10-year bPFS was 68.3 %. The 10-year DMFS was 72.9%. The 10-year OS was 97%. There were two non-cancer-related deaths. The first patient died of congestive heart failure while the other died of an unknown cause. No new toxicity was observed after the initial report. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that treatment escalation with PBRT, PLNRT, and LT-ADT improves long term outcomes. In view of the recently published SPPORT study, we conclude that this novel approach of treatment intensification in high-risk post-prostatectomy patients is safe and effective, and that it should be offered as the standard of care.

Best-practice guidelines recommend single-fraction (SFRT) instead of multi-fraction radiation therapy (MFRT) for uncomplicated symptomatic bone metastases. SFRT is comparable to MFRT in relieving pain, convenient for patients, and cost-effective. Patterns of practice in Canada reveal that SFRT is underused, with significant variability across the country. We audited SFRT use and studied factors that may influence treatment decisions at a large academic tertiary care center in Quebec, Canada. Patients who received radiotherapy for uncomplicated bone metastases between February 2014 and March 2015 were reviewed. Age, gender, primary histology, site of metastases and performance status were identified as potential factors affecting fractionation. These were explored by Fisher's test on univariate analysis and logistic regression for multivariate analysis. Retreatment rates were analyzed with cumulative incidence and compared with Gray's test. 254 radiotherapy courses were administered to 165 patients, 85.4% of which were delivered using a single fraction of 8 Gy. Patients age less than 70 years and those with breast histology were more likely to receive MFRT (p = 0.04; p = 0.0046). Performance status (ECOG) was a significant predictor of fractionation because of high correlations between young age, breast histology, and ECOG status (p = 0.03). Follow-up was too short in 40% of patients to derive definitive conclusions on retreatment. In accordance with current guidelines, our audit confirms that use of SFRT in patients with uncomplicated bone metastases at our center is high. We identified that patient age, primary histology, and performance status influenced fractionation. Incorporation of this quality indicator into our performance dashboard will allow assessment of retreatment differences and other criteria that may also influence treatment choice.

Introduction: Sarcomas of the breast comprise less than 1% of breast malignancies. Angiosarcomas are aggressive tumors that arise in the breast more than other sites, radiation-associated angiosarcomas (RAA) account for 0.05 - 0.2% of breast malignancies. Primary angiosarcomas are mostly diagnosed in women between 30-50 years of age while RAA occur after a prolonged latency following radiation therapy. This study aims to evaluate the management and subsequent outcomes of breast angiosarcomas (BAS) at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), a large tertiary care center, from 2000-2020. Methods: Using our institutional cancer registry database, we identified patients with histologically confirmed BAS diagnosed between 2000- 2020. Data was collected retrospectively including demographics, operative and oncologic interventions, and outcomes. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the characteristics of the study population. Kaplan Meier curves were used to describe progression-free survival probability, overall survival, and corresponding 95% confidence intervals. Results: A total of 14 patients were identified including 3 (21.4%) with primary BAS and 11 (78.6%) with radiation-associated angiosarcoma (RAA). The mean age of RAA patients at presentation was 71.4 years (range 59-82), and 44 years for the primary BAS (range: 28-53). The mean latency period in developing RAA was 8.0 years (range 4.4-13.3). Treatment of primary angiosarcomas included surgery in all 3 patients, radiotherapy (RT) in 2 and chemotherapy in one who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed by total mastectomy. Treatment of RAA (n=11) included surgery (100%), radiotherapy (18%), chemotherapy (9%). Total mastectomy was performed in ten (91%) patients, one of whom received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and two adjuvant RT. Partial mastectomy (PM) was performed in one patient. After a median follow-up time of 32.5 months (range 0-172), following initial treatment, five patients (35.7%) experienced local recurrence, two of whom had had positive margins after initial surgery. Salvage treatments included wide excision (100%), adjuvant RT in two patients (66.6%) and chemotherapy at time of development of distant metastasis in one. In the primary angiosarcoma population, after accounting for one patient that was lost to follow-up, none experienced recurrence or death. Overall survival probability in the whole study population and in the secondary RAA group was 100% at 36 months. The PFS at 24 months was 51.3% (95% CI: 29.6-88.8%) for the whole population and 41.6% (95% CI: 19.9-86.8%) in the RAA group. In the RAA group, out of the five patients that recurred locally, one patient developed a third malignancy (endometrial) and three patients are currently alive. Conclusion: Overall, our 20-year single center experience confirms the rare nature of BAS. Despite a favorable overall survival rate, local recurrence remains a significant challenge. Our results underscore the importance of optimal salvage therapies such as wide surgical excisions, RT, and chemotherapy that in our series lead to better-than-expected overall survival. Given the rarity of BAS, patients should be managed in large tertiary care centers where multidisciplinary management and clinical expertise can guide salvage approaches. Citation Format: Marwan Tolba, Vanessa Di Lalla, Farzin Khosrow-Khavar, Ayesha Baig, Carolyn Freeman, Valerie Panet-Raymond. Long-term outcomes of primary and secondary angiosarcomas of the breast: A 20-year single-center experience [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-19-11.