Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40308498›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in oncology2025

Temporal dynamics of lymphocytes in prostate cancer patients treated with proton therapy.

Sarah Salih Al-Hamami, Samuel Kurucz, Vladimír Vondráček, Vladimír Pekar, Michal Andrlík, Kateřina Dědečková, Iva Benešová, Alexandra Haas, Barbora Ondrová, Andrea Pasztorová and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Sarah Salih Al-HamamiDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Proton Therapy Center Czech, Prague, Czechia.
Samuel KuruczDepartment of Medical Physics, Proton Therapy Center Czech, Prague, Czechia.
Vladimír VondráčekDepartment of Medical Physics, Proton Therapy Center Czech, Prague, Czechia.
Vladimír PekarDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Proton Therapy Center Czech, Prague, Czechia.
Michal AndrlíkDepartment of Medical Physics, Proton Therapy Center Czech, Prague, Czechia.
Kateřina DědečkováDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Proton Therapy Center Czech, Prague, Czechia.
Iva BenešováDepartment of Immunology, Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czechia.
Alexandra HaasDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Proton Therapy Center Czech, Prague, Czechia.
Barbora OndrováDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Proton Therapy Center Czech, Prague, Czechia.
Andrea PasztorováDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Proton Therapy Center Czech, Prague, Czechia.
Pavel VítekDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Proton Therapy Center Czech, Prague, Czechia.
Jiří KubešDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Proton Therapy Center Czech, Prague, Czechia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Radiotherapy can be both immunosuppressive and immunostimulatory. Radiation-induced lymphopenia (RIL) is an ongoing challenge in cancer treatment. We investigated weekly changes in the absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) during proton radiotherapy, evaluating the effects of different dosage, fractionation schedules, and pelvic node irradiation (PNI). Prostate cancer patients were prospectively chosen for this study, due to their relatively homogenous treatment plans. Treatment protocols were categorized into three groups: Group A (n=52) received 36.25 Gy/5-fractions, Group B (n=60) underwent 63 Gy/21-fractions and group C (n=69) received 63 Gy/21-fractions plus PNI. To account for individual characteristic differences, a new categorization method was made, according to the change in ALC relative to the baseline. Lymphopenia (ALC < 1000 K/μL) developed in 8%, 17% and 84% of patients in groups A, B, and C, respectively. An initial increase in ALC occurred in 44%, 47% and 28% of groups A, B and C, respectively, and declined with proceeding fractions. Patients with PNI had the most pronounced reduction in their ALC relative to the baseline. Increased dosage and fractionation led to a higher incidence of lymphopenia. Understanding which factors influence ALC in particle therapy is vital for leveraging the immune-enhancing effects of radiotherapy, while minimising its immunosuppressive impacts.

Indexed as

hypofractionationimmunostimulationlymphopeniaprostate cancerproton therapyradiation oncology

Identifiers

PMID40308498
PMCPMC12040820

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.