Are active dwell positions always necessary in the ring/ovoids channel of the cervical applicator in the intracavitary-interstitial brachytherapy of cervical cancer?

Purpose: To compare dosimetric parameters of brachytherapy (BT) treatment plans made with or without active source positions of the ring/ovoid (R/O) applicator in locally advanced cervical cancer patients.

Material And Methods: Sixty patients with cervical cancer without vaginal involvement were selected for the study, who received intra-cavitary/interstitial BT. For each patient, two plans with and without active source dwell positions in R/O were created, using the same dose-volume constraints.

Comparative analysis of image-guided adaptive interstitial brachytherapy and intensity-modulated arc therapy versus conventional treatment techniques in cervical cancer using biological dose summation.

Purpose: To compare image-guided adaptive interstitial brachytherapy (BT) and intensity-modulated arc therapy (IMAT) with conventional treatment techniques in cervical cancer using an alternative biological dose summation method.

Material And Methods: Initially, 21 interstitial BT and IMAT plans of patients with cervical cancer were included and additional plans were created (inverse optimized interstitial, optimized intracavitary, non-optimized intracavitary BT plans, and conformal external beam radiotherapy [EBRT]). The most exposed volume of critical organs in BT were identified manually on EBRT CT images.