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Cancers
Special Issues
New Insights into Cancer Radiotherapy
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New Insights into Cancer Radiotherapy

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Therapy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 February 2026 | Viewed by 349

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Michael L. F. Lerch

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, School of Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
Interests: cancer radiation medicine; medical radiation physics; solid state dosimetry in radiation medicine; nanoparticles in cancer radiation medicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cancer radiotherapy is a cornerstone of modern oncology, used in over 50% of the cancer management plans in the treatment of a wide variety of cancers. Involving the use of high-energy radiation, typically X-rays, gamma rays, or charged particles, radiotherapy effectively destroys cancer cells or inhibits their growth viability. Radiotherapy is delivered externally (external beam radiation therapy) or internally (brachytherapy), depending on the cancer type, location, and stage.

The scope of radiotherapy extends from curative treatment to palliative care. It is often used in combination with surgery, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy to improve outcomes. Advances in imaging and treatment planning have enabled highly targeted approaches, such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), and proton therapy, just to name a few, which maximize tumor control while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

Radiotherapy is applicable to a broad range of cancers, including those of the breast, prostate, lung, and brain, as well as the head and neck. It also plays a key role in symptom management, such as reducing pain or bleeding in advanced cancer stages. Ongoing research continues to refine radiotherapy techniques, improve precision, and explore synergies with emerging therapies, reinforcing its critical role in comprehensive cancer management and care.

Prof. Dr. Michael L. F. Lerch
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • radiotherapy
  • X-rays
  • gamma rays
  • external beam radiation therapy
  • brachytherapy
  • palliative care
  • intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT)
  • stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT)
  • proton therapy

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

13 pages, 356 KiB  
Article
Stereotactic Radiotherapy to the Prostate and Pelvic Lymph Nodes for High-Risk and Very High-Risk Prostate Cancer in a Setting with a Hydrogel Spacer: A Toxicity Report
by Elisha Fredman, Roi Tschernichovsky, Danielle Shemesh, Miriam Weinstock-Sabbah, Ruth Dadush Azuz, Roman Radus, Assaf Moore and Dror Limon
Cancers 2025, 17(12), 1970; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17121970 - 13 Jun 2025
Viewed by 230
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Stereotactic radiotherapy (SABR) is a recognized standard treatment modality for localized prostate cancer, though data is limited regarding the risk of increased toxicity when including the elective nodes (ENI) for high-risk disease. Placement of a peri-rectal spacer can decrease the risk [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Stereotactic radiotherapy (SABR) is a recognized standard treatment modality for localized prostate cancer, though data is limited regarding the risk of increased toxicity when including the elective nodes (ENI) for high-risk disease. Placement of a peri-rectal spacer can decrease the risk of toxicity to the rectum when administering high-dose prostate radiotherapy. Herein we present toxicity findings for patients who underwent five-fraction prostate SABR with ENI in a setting with peri-rectal spacing. Methods: Genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity data was analyzed for patients with ≥12 months of follow-up who were treated with curative-intent five-fraction SABR with ENI. A radiopaque hydrogel spacer was placed for all eligible patients. The primary endpoints were the three-month toxicity, which was measured using CTCAEv5, and quality of life (QoL), which was measured using EPIC 26. Secondary endpoints included intermediate-term GU and GI toxicity between 6 and 12 months. Univariable logistic regression was used to assess associations between baseline patient characteristics and the presence of a peri-rectal hydrogel spacer and GU and GI toxicity. Results: Among the 100 patients treated, 69 had grade group 4/5 disease and 40 had evidence of T3a/3b extension. The ENI dose was 25 Gy/5, and 78.9% of the patients received 40 Gy to the prostate, while the remainder were given 36.25–37.5 Gy. A total of 70% underwent placement of a radiopaque hydrogel spacer. GU toxicities of grades 1, 2, and 3 were reported in 28/22/1% of the patients, respectively, at three months; in 18/11/0% at six months; in 11/9/0% at nine months; and in 5/3/0% at twelve months. GI toxicities of grades 1 and 2 were reported in 14/0% of the patients at three months and 8/1% at six months, with all cases resolving by nine months. MCICs in the urinary incontinence, urinary obstructive, and bowel domains were reported in 5%, 18%, and 4% at three months; by twelve months, these values decreased to 2%, 2%, and 0%, respectively. The presence of a hydrogel spacer resulted in reductions in high and intermediate doses to the rectum and had a significant inverse association with short-term GI toxicity (HR: 0.09, CI: 0.27–0.35, p: 0.0004). Conclusions: In this prospective series, five-fraction SABR including ENI was well tolerated, and the presence of a hydrogel spacer was associated with a lower risk of rectal toxicity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Cancer Radiotherapy)
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