Dosimetric Comparison of Conventional Radiotherapy, Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy, and Proton Beam Therapy for Palliation of Thoracic Spine Metastases Secondary to Breast or Prostate Cancer.

The aim of this planning study was to compare the dosimetric outcomes of Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT), Proton Beam Therapy (PBT), and conventional External Beam Radiation Therapy (cEBRT) in the treatment of thoracic spinal metastases originating from breast or prostate cancer. Our study utilized data from 30 different treatment plans and evaluated target coverage and doses to vital organs at risk (OARs), such as the spinal cord, heart, esophagus, and lungs. The results showed that VMAT and PBT achieved superior target coverage and significantly lower doses to the spinal cord compared to cEBRT (target: median PTV: 75.

Estimated Risk of Radiation-Induced Cancer after Thymoma Treatments with Proton- or X-ray Beams.

We compared the calculated risks of radiation-induced secondary malignant neoplasms (SMNs) for patients treated for thymic tumors with 3D-CRT, IMRT, or single-field uniform dose (SFUD) proton beam therapy (PBT) using the pencil beam scanning (PBS) technique. A cancer-induction model based on the organ equivalent dose (OED) concept was used. For twelve patients, treated with 3D-CRT for thymic tumors, alternative IMRT and SFUD plans were retrospectively prepared.

An in silico planning study comparing doses and estimated risk of toxicity in 3D-CRT, IMRT and proton beam therapy of patients with thymic tumours.

Purpose: To compare the dose distributions produced in patients (pts) treated for thymic tumours with spot-scanning proton beam therapy (PBT) implemented with single-field uniform dose (SFUD), intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and three-dimensional conformal photon-beam based radiotherapy (3D-CRT).

Methods: Twelve pts, treated with 3D-CRT, were included. Alternative IMRT and SFUD plans were constructed.

Quantitative assessment of lung density changes after 3-D radiotherapy for breast cancer.

Our aim was to reduce the rates of clinical and radiological pneumonitis in local-regional radiotherapy (RT) for breast cancer compared to a previous treatment series by applying a pre-planned lung dose volume constraint. 3-D dose planning was performed in 66 women with the aim of not exceeding an ipsilateral V20 of 30%. The patients were followed for short-term signs/symptoms of post-RT pneumonitis and radiological changes on chest CT 4 months after RT.

Efficacy of systemic therapy in advanced pancreatic carcinoma.

With a worldwide incidence of more than 200,000 cases and almost as many deaths, pancreatic carcinoma (PC) remains one of the leading causes of cancer deaths, especially in the Western world. Due to the late onset of symptoms, almost all patients suffer from disseminated disease at the time of diagnosis and only a minority will ever be candidates for radical surgery. Only about one tenth of the operated patients remain disease free.

ROC curves and evaluation of radiation-induced pulmonary toxicity in breast cancer.

Purpose: To study clinical, radiologic, and physiologic pulmonary toxicity in 128 women after adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) for breast cancer in relation to dosimetric factors.

Methods And Material: The patients underwent pulmonary function testing before and 5 months post-RT. Similarly, computer tomography of the chest was repeated 4 months post-RT and changes were scored with a semiquantitative system.

Capecitabine as third line therapy in patients with advanced colorectal cancer.

This study sought to determine whether third line therapy with capecitabine (cap.) could provide any clinical benefit in patients with advanced colorectal cancer who have progressed on 5-Fu combination therapy with both irinotecan and oxaliplatin. Twenty patients who were pretreated with and had progressed on irinotecan+Nordic FLv (5-Fu/leukovorin) and oxaliplatin+c.