Use of Radiation Therapy for the Treatment of Breast Cancer in 2019 Versus 2020.

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted medical care. Little is known about how radiation therapy (RT) ordering behavior changed during the pandemic. This study examined (1) whether there was a change in the rate at which orders for lumpectomy were followed by orders for RT and (2) whether there was a change in the percentage of RT orders for hypofractionated (HF) RT rather than conventionally fractionated (CF) RT.

Initial outcomes analysis for large multicenter integrated cancer network implementation of intensity modulated radiation therapy for breast cancer.

To analyze the initial clinical outcomes for breast cancer patients treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in a large integrated cancer center network. A total of 495 patients with breast cancer received IMRT following breast conserving surgery among nine cancer centers. Seven community cancer centers span a 100-mile radial distance from the two central academic sites.

What do patients want from their radiation oncologist? Initial results from a prospective trial.

Purpose: To assess patients' initial physician preferences using a newly developed instrument.

Methods And Materials: A total of 182 patients with a primary diagnosis of prostate, breast, or lung cancer referred for consultation to the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Department of Radiation Oncology enrolled in our institutional review board-approved protocol. All patients completed patient preference instrument surveys before meeting their radiation oncologist.

Does breast size affect the scatter dose to the ipsilateral lung, heart, or contralateral breast in primary breast irradiation using intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)?

Purpose: To evaluate the relationship between the primary breast volume and dose received by the ipsilateral lung, heart (for left-breast cancers), and contralateral breast during primary breast irradiation using intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).

Methods And Materials: Sixty-five patients with breast carcinoma were treated using 6-MV photons with IMRT technique using the Eclipse Planning System following breast conserving surgery. All patients had a treatment planning CT scan.

Stereotactic radiosurgery for four or more intracranial metastases.

Purpose: To evaluate the outcomes after a single stereotactic radiosurgery procedure for the care of patients with 4 or more intracranial metastases.

Methods And Materials: Two hundred five patients with primary malignancies, including non-small-cell lung carcinoma (42%), breast carcinoma (23%), melanoma (17%), renal cell carcinoma (6%), colon cancer (3%), and others (10%) underwent gamma knife radiosurgery for 4 or more intracranial metastases at one time. The median number of brain metastases was 5 (range, 4-18) with a median total treatment volume of 6.

Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) reduces the dose to the contralateral breast when compared to conventional tangential fields for primary breast irradiation.

Purpose: To determine the dose received by the contralateral breast during primary breast irradiation using IMRT compared to conventional tangential field techniques.

Methods And Materials: Between March 2003 and March 2004, 83 patients with breast carcinoma were treated using 6, 10, or mixed 6/18 MV photons (65 with tangential IMRT technique and 18 with 3-dimensional technique using tangential fields with wedges) for primary breast irradiation following breast-conserving surgery. Paired thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) were placed on each patient's contralateral breast, 4 and 8 cm from the center of the medial border of the tangential field.

CyberKnife Frameless Radiosurgery for the treatment of extracranial benign tumors.

Limited data exists for the use of radiosurgery for benign extracranial tumors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, toxicity, and local control of patients with benign extracranial lesions treated with the CyberKnife Frameless Radiosurgery System. From September 2001 thru January 2004, 59 benign tumors in 44 patients were treated using the CyberKnife a frameless image-guided radiosurgery system.

Perineural invasion of squamous cell carcinoma of the lip with occult involvement of the infra-orbital nerve detected by PET-CT and treated with MRI-based IMRT: a case report.

A 51 year old male with a history of right facial numbness developed progressive upper lip swelling for one year, but an MRI of the head was unremarkable. A wide local excision of the upper lip was performed and pathology revealed a 1.7 cm mass, poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma with perineural invasion.

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) reduces the dose to the contralateral breast when compared to conventional tangential fields for primary breast irradiation: initial report.

Purpose: This study was designed to compare the dose received by the contralateral breast during primary breast irradiation using intensity-modulated radiotherapy with the dose received via conventional tangential field techniques.

Methods/materials: Between March 2003 and March 2004, 44 patients with breast carcinoma were treated using 6-, 10-, or mixed 6/18-MV photons(36 with tangential intensity-modulated radiotherapy technique and eight with three-dimensional technique using tangential fields with wedges) for primary breast irradiation after breast-conserving surgery. Paired thermoluminescent dosimeters were placed on each patient's contralateral breast, 4 cm from the center of the medial border of the tangential field.

Analysis of tumor control and toxicity in patients who have survived at least one year after radiosurgery for brain metastases.

Purpose: To better evaluate tumor control and toxicity from radiosurgery for brain metastases, we analyzed these outcomes in patients who had survived at least 1 year after radiosurgery.

Methods And Materials: We evaluated the results of gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for 208 brain metastases in 137 patients who were followed for a median of 18 months (range 12-122) after radiosurgery. The median patient age was 53 years (range 3-83).