Announcements

The project aimed at elaborating possible cancer types, being an indication for carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT). As such, clinical studies, analysing the use of CIRT for specific cancer types, were identified through a systematic literature search and were reviewed and reported in this project.

Furthermore, a systematic review on the effectiveness (mortality, morbidity) and safety of CIRT for 54 oncologic indications in 12 regions (i.e., skull base, eye, brain, ear-nose-throat, lung, gastrointestinal, bone and soft tissue, prostate, breast, kidney, nervous system, hematologic cancer) was conducted.

Irreversible electroporation (IRE, NanoKnife®) is a type of focal therapy which has been suggested as an alternative to radical treatment. It typically uses 3 to 5 electrodes which deliver short repetitive electrical pulses to destroy the cancer cells. Stereotactic radiotherapy (stereotactic body radiation therapy or SBRT) is a type of external radiation in which a higher radiation dose is delivered in a reduced number of fractions as is the case with conventional or moderately fractionated radiation therapy. Proton therapy (PT) is a further type of external radiation therapy which uses high doses of ionizing rays directed at the tumour.  There is at present inadequate and insufficient evidence to show that IRE, SBRT and PT have either a positive impact on survival and quality of life or the ability to prevent or delay prostatectomy.

The intention of the present MRI report, part 3, is to identify methods for the identification of inappropriate care. In addition, relations between MRI of lower extremities and subsequent (surgical) interventions are evaluated.

Part I: Predictors, theories and models to explain and recommend courses of action to avoid discontinuation of therapy

The project dealt in two parts with dropouts in psychotherapies. The first part of the report focused on definitions, parameters for describing psychotherapy dropouts and explanatory models. In addition, dropout predictors were identified at a meta-level, which were further empirically recorded in the second report part by an "Overview of systematic reviews". In this context, evidence synthesis (including 14 systematic reviews/meta-analyses) showed that a (young) age of psychotherapy patients and certain mental disorders (such as personality disorders) can represent relevant risk factors for an unplanned termination of psychotherapy. Dropout predictors, which are more likely to be attributed to psychotherapists, are currently only partially researched. With regard to suitable prevention strategies, eight measures were proposed in the report which, among other things, aimed at organisational aspects (e.g. clarification of therapy goals, possibilities and limits of psychotherapy) and interpersonal factors (e.g. strengthening the therapeutic alliance between patient and psychotherapist).

Since several years, numerous new non-invasive prenatal tests (NIPTs) have been available to identify common chromosomal anomalies. Most NIPTs are available for trisomies 21, 18 and 13 and sex chromosome aneuploidies, but many laboratories have expanded their range of analysis to include other trisomies and common microdeletions. The main advantage of NIPT compared to the conventional screening approach is the ease of implementation and non-invasiveness of the assay, as well as the potential reduction in false-positive [FP] results. An introduction of non-invasive genetic testing has ethical, social and organizational implications that need to be considered.