A Study in Radiotherapy-related Nervous System Complications

BACKGROUND

Radiotherapy is a key component in the management of head and neck tumors and primary or metastatic cancer of the central nervous system. Various radiation treatment methods employ different types of fractionation and conformational protocols designed to deliver focused radiation to target regions to maximize the lethal effect on the neoplasm and minimize the extraneous dose on normal brain tissue and other adjacent organs at risk. The outcomes of these clinical protocols may be complicated by radiation effects on normal brain parenchyma and other nervous system, resulting in a spectrum of phenotypes that range from clinically asymptomatic changes to radiotherapy-related nervous system complications with severe neurological defects, including delayed radiation-induced brain necrosis, myelopathy and nerve injury.

STUDY DESIGN:

Interventions Patients are enrolled and administrated with optimized clinical treatment.

Follow-up examinations

1. Blood, urine and stool examinations, such as biochemical A, coagulation routine, thyroid function, EB virus DNA, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, morning cortisol, urine sodium and potassium, gonadal hormone, growth hormone, glycosylated hemoglobin.

2. Imaging examinations, such as MR, CT, ultrasound. X ray is performed if needed.

3. Other examinations, such as pure tone audiometry, fundus exam, visual exam, VEP, OCTA, visual field exam.

4. Scale assessments about neurological function, radiation injury, common psychiatric disorders, cognitive function, quality of life, drug side effect, sleep and pain, such as LENT/SOMA, WHO-QOL, MoCA, MMSE, Hamilton anxiety scale, Hamilton depression scale, Pain numerical rating scale, Drug side effect scale, ADAS-cog, fatigue self-assessment scale (FSAS), Neuropsychiatric Inventry (NPI) total score, Clinical Dementia Rating Scale, Barthel index, UPDRS, Self-Rating Scale of Sleep (SRSS), NCI-CTCAE, CIBIC-plus and SSA.

5. Blood sample are obtained in order to investigate significant genes, proteins and metabolites involved in the development and progress of radiotherapy-related nervous system complications. Genomics, metabolomics and proteomics are performed to detect potential genes, proteins and metabolites. Stool sample are obtained in order to investigate interactions between the gut microbiota, immune and nervous systems in radiotherapy-related nervous system complications. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and biopsy samples are obtained if needed.