Comparison of two different EPID-based solutions performing pretreatment quality assurance: 2D portal dosimetry versus 3D forward projection method.

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to characterize two different EPID-based solutions for pre-treatment VMAT quality assurance, the 2D portal dosimetry and the 3D projection technique. Their ability to catch the main critical delivery errors was studied.

Methods: Measurements were performed with a linac accelerator equipped with EPID aSi1000, Portal Dose Image Prediction (PDIP), and PerFRACTION softwares.

Salvage radiation therapy after radical prostatectomy: survival analysis.

Background: To evaluate the outcome of patients treated with salvage radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy and to investigate the effects of independent predictors on survival.

Methods: From January 2000 to December 2015, 234 patients with biochemical/clinical recurrences after radical prostatectomy were submitted to salvage radiotherapy (SRT). One hundred and fifty-seven patients (67%) received three-dimensional (3D) conformal radiotherapy while 77 patients (33%) were treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) or IMRT/image-guided radiotherapy by tomotherapy.

A pre-treatment quality assurance survey on 384 patients treated with helical intensity-modulated radiotherapy.

The gamma index pass rate (%GP) of 384 helical Tomotherapy pre-patient quality assurance, acquired with ArcCHECK, is presented, analyzed, and correlated to plan characteristics. Average %GP was higher than 90% and correlated strongly with gamma method, irradiated length, pitch, maximum dose to diodes, and dose per fraction.

Erratum to: Tomotherapy PET-guided dose escalation--A dosimetric feasibility study for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Unfortunately, erroneous author affiliations were published in the article "Tomotherapy PET-guided dose escalation – A dosimetric feasibility study for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma". The correct list of author affiliations reads as follows: Angelo Maggio 1, Claudia Cutaia 1, Amalia Di Dia 1, Sara Bresciani 1, Anna Miranti 1, Matteo Poli 1, Elena Delmastro 2, Elisabetta Garibaldi 2, Pietro Gabriele 2 and Michele Stasi 1. 1: Medical Physics Department, Candiolo Cancer Institute – FPO, IRCCS, Turin, Italy.

Tomotherapy PET-guided dose escalation: A dosimetric feasibility study for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate whether a safe escalation of the dose to the pleural cavity and PET/CT-positive areas in patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is possible using helical tomotherapy (HT).

Material And Methods: We selected 12 patients with MPM. Three planning strategies were investigated.

Adjuvant helical IMRT by tomotherapy for bulky adrenocortical carcinoma operated with positive margins: a case report.

Background: Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare tumor in the adult. The main therapy is surgery but in some cases radiotherapy may be needed to control the disease locally.

Methods: A patient with a surgically removed bulky ACC and pathologic finding of a positive margin was treated at our center by adjuvant mitotane and radiotherapy using an intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)/image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) technique by tomotherapy.

Clinical and technical feasibility of ultra-boost irradiation in Dominant Intraprostatic Lesion by Tomotherapy: preliminary experience and revision of literature.

Background: The aim of this paper was to present our experience of dominant intraprostatic lesions (DIL) irradiation up to an EQD2 of 93,2 Gy with helical tomotherapy.

Methods: Between March 2012 and December 2014, 15 staged II-III patients with intermediate-high risk prostate cancer were enrolled in our protocol of DIL dose escalation by Tomotherapy. All patients were submitted to a multiparametric MRI (including DCE and DWI series), in order to visualize DILs.

Radioembolization of hepatic lesions from a radiobiology and dosimetric perspective.

Radioembolization (RE) of liver cancer with (90)Y-microspheres has been applied in the last two decades with notable responses and acceptable toxicity. Two types of microspheres are available, glass and resin, the main difference being the activity/sphere. Generally, administered activities are established by empirical methods and differ for the two types.

Tomotherapy treatment plan quality assurance: the impact of applied criteria on passing rate in gamma index method.

Purpose: Pretreatment patient plan verification with gamma index (GI) metric analysis is standard procedure for intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the variability of the local and global gamma index obtained during standard pretreatment quality assurance (QA) measurements for plans performed with Tomotherapy unit. The QA measurements were performed with a 3D diode array, using variable passing criteria: 3%∕3 mm, 2%∕2 mm, 1%∕1 mm, each with both local and global normalization.

Dose to organs at risk in the upper abdomen in patients treated with extended fields by helical tomotherapy: a dosimetric and clinical preliminary study.

Background: The aim of this work was to determine the technical feasibility and safety of extended-field radiotherapy (EF), performed by Helical TomoTherapy, in patients with positive pelvic and/or para-aortic nodes. Dosimetric data were collected and acute and sub-acute toxicities of the upper abdominal organs at risk (OAR) were evaluated.

Methods: Twenty-nine patients suitable for EF irradiation for local disease and/or nodal disease in the pelvic or para-aortic area were treated.

3D dosimetry in patients with early breast cancer undergoing Intraoperative Avidination for Radionuclide Therapy (IART) combined with external beam radiation therapy.

Purpose: Intraoperative Avidination for Radionuclide Therapy (IART) is a novel targeted radionuclide therapy recently used in patients with early breast cancer. It is a radionuclide approach with (90)Y-biotin combined with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) to release a boost of radiation in the tumour bed. Two previous clinical trials using dosimetry based on the calculation of mean absorbed dose values with the hypothesis of uniform activity distribution (MIRD 16 method) assessed the feasibility and safety of IART.

Intraoperative avidination for radionuclide treatment as a radiotherapy boost in breast cancer: results of a phase II study with (90)Y-labeled biotin.

Purpose: External beam radiotherapy (EBRT) after conservative surgery for early breast cancer requires 5-7 weeks. For elderly patients and those distant from an RT center, attending for EBRT may be difficult or impossible. We investigated local toxicity, cosmetic outcomes, and quality of life in a new breast irradiation technique-intraoperative avidination for radionuclide therapy (IART)-in which avidin is administered to the tumor bed and (90)Y-labelled biotin later administered intravenously to bind the avidin and provide irradiation.

Quantitative analysis of 90Y Bremsstrahlung SPECT-CT images for application to 3D patient-specific dosimetry.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the activity quantification of single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT-CT) (90)Y-Bremsstrahlung images and to validate the S-voxel method.

Methods: An anthropomorphic torso phantom with radioactive inserts ((90)Y) was acquired by SPECT-CT. Constant calibration factors (cps/MBq) for the quantification were evaluated, considering different volume, shape, position inside the phantom, activity concentration and background, and distance from detectors.