{
  "abstract": "Background/Objectives: Tumours abutting or involving the brachial plexus can cause pain and neurological deficits. We evaluated six-fraction ultra-hypofractionated radiotherapy with a simultaneous integrated boost (uhRT-SIB) in a predominantly palliative cohort. Methods: We retrospectively analysed consecutive patients treated from April 2022 to June 2026, with a data cut-off of 7 July 2026. Image-guided VMAT delivered 33 Gy and 24 Gy to the high- and lower-dose planning target volumes, respectively. Outcomes included the best documented CTCAE-based symptom response, study-defined volumetric response (>30% GTV reduction), freedom from local progression (FFLP), overall survival (OS), and neurological findings in routine clinical records. Results: Forty-four patients with 45 lesions were treated; 29/45 lesions (64.4%) contacted the plexus. The median observed follow-up was 7.8 months (range 0.6-40.6). Symptoms improved by at least one grade in 16/19 evaluable symptomatic patients (84.2%, 95% CI 62.4-94.5%). The median times to first documented benefit and best symptom grade among responders were 9 and 23 days. The first-scan volumetric response occurred in 24/30 evaluable lesions (80.0%, 95% CI 62.7-90.5%). Six- and 12-month FFLP were 84.7% (95% CI 63.9-94.0%) and 73.7% (95% CI 49.7-87.6%), respectively. The median OS was 9.6 months. No clinical diagnosis of radiation-induced brachial plexopathy was documented; neurological assessment was not standardised. Conclusions: In this predominantly palliative cohort, six-fraction uhRT-SIB was associated with symptom improvement in 84.2% of evaluable symptomatic patients, study-defined volumetric response in 80.0% of evaluable lesions, and 12-month FFLP of 73.7%. No clinical diagnosis of radiation-induced brachial plexopathy was documented during routine follow-up, although the assessment of late neurological toxicity was limited.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Radiation Oncology, University Teaching Hospital Luzern, Spitalstrasse, 6004 Luzern, Switzerland.",
    "Medical Physics, Radiotherapy Hirslanden, Witellikerstrasse 40, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 6,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Maximilian Sturz",
      "orcid": "0009-0009-7505-7240"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Gabriela Studer",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8780-7701"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Christoph Glanzmann"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Sergejs Unterkirhers",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-3996-7043"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Philippe Logaritsch"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Olga Unterkirhere",
      "orcid": "0009-0000-8746-3814"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0vaw88cgsfpps.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3390/cancers18193189",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13664325",
  "id": "0vaw88cgsfpps",
  "issns": [
    "2072-6694"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42882883",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "3108|Advanced Radiotherapy Techniques"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7215709963",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13664325?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13664325",
  "pmid": "42882883",
  "published": "2026-10-02",
  "publisher": "MDPI AG",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0vaw88cgsfpps.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:00Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42882883",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42882883"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:58Z",
      "native_id": "10.3390/cancers18193189",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/18/19/3189"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "openalex:3108|Advanced Radiotherapy Techniques",
      "subfield": "applied-instrumentation"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Six-Fraction Ultra-Hypofractionated Radiotherapy for Tumours Adjacent to or Involving the Brachial Plexus: A Retrospective Cohort Study.",
  "title_text": "Six-Fraction Ultra-Hypofractionated Radiotherapy for Tumours Adjacent to or Involving the Brachial Plexus: A Retrospective Cohort Study.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:19:58Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0vaw88cgsfpps",
  "venue": "Cancers",
  "versions": []
}