30-Second Takeaway
- Immunotherapy and biologics are entering chemoradiation backbones but lack definitive phase 3 data for routine use.
- Tumor location, volume, and functional pathways still dominate patterns of failure and toxicity despite systemic intensification.
- Structured motion-management training and emerging adaptive control strategies can refine dose delivery and workflow efficiency.
Week ending April 11, 2026
Targeted combinations, functional sparing, and adaptive delivery are reshaping how radiation oncologists individualize therapy
Pembrolizumab added to gemcitabine-based hypofractionated TMT yields promising bladder-intact control in MIBC
This multicenter phase 2 trial tested pembrolizumab plus gemcitabine-based hypofractionated trimodality therapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Patients received one pembrolizumab dose, maximal TURBT, then definitive bladder RT with concurrent low-dose gemcitabine and pembrolizumab. Two-year bladder-intact disease-free survival was 60%, with 2-year metastasis-free and overall survival of 81% and 83%, respectively. Grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 25% of patients, indicating nontrivial but manageable toxicity.
Dual CXCL12 and VEGF inhibition with RT shows encouraging outcomes in MGMT-unmethylated GBM
This expanded phase 1/2 GLORIA trial evaluated RT plus the CXCL12-neutralizing aptamer NOX-A12 and bevacizumab in newly diagnosed, MGMT-unmethylated glioblastoma. Six patients in the expansion arm received RT with NOX-A12 and bevacizumab, with safety as the primary endpoint. The regimen was well tolerated, with no treatment-related deaths and imaging evidence of abrogated tumor perfusion and delayed regrowth. Median progression-free and overall survival were 9.1 and 19.9 months, significantly better than RT plus NOX-A12 alone in post-hoc analysis.
Lower lobe location and weight loss predict worse outcomes after cCRT for LA-NSCLC
This pooled analysis included 1165 patients with locally advanced NSCLC treated on randomized concurrent chemoradiotherapy trials. Three- and five-year progression-free survival were 19.7% and 14.3%, with median PFS 9.7 months and median overall survival 25.7 months. LASSO and Cox models identified lower lobe tumor location and ≥5% pre-treatment weight loss as independent predictors of shorter PFS. Lower lobe tumors had more pneumonitis, including higher grade ≥3 rates, and more in-field recurrences than non–lower lobe tumors.
Female sexual dysfunction and vaginal toxicity are frequent and persistent after modern RT for anal cancer
This systematic review examined prevalence, risk factors, and interventions for female sexual dysfunction after curative-intent RT for anal cancer. Across 32 prevalence studies using IMRT or VMAT, female sexual dysfunction rates ranged widely from 0.9% to 85%. Dyspareunia, vaginal stenosis, and dryness were common and often long-term, with dryness reported in up to 98% of patients. Higher vaginal doses were generally associated with worse sexual and vaginal outcomes, although reported dose thresholds varied.
References
Numbered in order of appearance. Click any reference to view details.
Additional Reads
Optional additional studies from this edition.