Quantifying the reproducibility of heart position during treatment and corresponding delivered heart dose in voluntary deep inhalation breath hold for left breast cancer patients treated with external beam radiotherapy.

Purpose: Voluntary deep inhalation breath hold (VDIBH) reduces heart dose during left breast irradiation. We present results of the first study performed to quantify reproducibility of breath hold using bony anatomy, heart position, and heart dose for VDIBH patients at treatment table.

Methods And Materials: Data from 10 left breast cancer patients undergoing VDIBH whole-breast irradiation were analyzed.

Outcomes of patients with head-and-neck cancer of unknown primary origin treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy.

Purpose: To analyze survival, failure patterns, and toxicity in patients with head-and-neck carcinoma of unknown primary origin (HNCUP) treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).

Methods And Materials: Records from 27 patients with HNCUP treated during the period 2002-2008 with IMRT were reviewed retrospectively. Nodal staging ranged from N1 to N3.

Primary nasopharyngeal interdigitating dendritic cell tumor presentation and response to radiation therapy.

We report the case of a primary nasopharyngeal interdigitating dendritic cell tumor (IDDCT). A 25-year old male presented with bilateral decreased hearing, double vision, and ataxia. Flexible nasopharyngoscopy reviewed a large mass obstructing and filling the entire nasopharynx.

Helical tomotherapy-based STAT stereotactic body radiation therapy: Dosimetric evaluation for a real-time SBRT treatment planning and delivery program.

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) treatments have high-dose gradients and even slight patient misalignment from the simulation to treatment could lead to target underdosing or organ at risk (OAR) overdosing. Daily real-time SBRT treatment planning could minimize the risk of geographic miss. As an initial step toward determining the clinical feasibility of developing real-time SBRT treatment planning, we determined the calculation time of helical TomoTherapy-based STAT radiation therapy (RT) treatment plans for simple liver, lung, and spine SBRT treatments to assess whether the planning process was fast enough for practical clinical implementation.

Clinical nodal staging of T1-2 tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma stratified by p16 status and implications for ipsilateral neck irradiation.

Background And Purpose: Previous studies have reported <5% incidence of contralateral nodal metastasis in patients with T1-2 tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma. We analyzed the nodal staging of T1-2 tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma stratified for p16 status, a marker of human papillomavirus positivity.

Materials And Methods: Clinical and radiographic nodal staging and p16 status of 41 T1-2 tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma patients who were treated between January 2002 and June 2009 were retrospectively analyzed.

Intensity-modulated radiotherapy outcomes for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients stratified by p16 status.

Background: Patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) were stratified by p16 status, neck dissection, and chemotherapy to correlate these factors with outcomes.

Methods: A total of 112 patients with OPSCC treated with IMRT from 2002 to 2008 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients received RT to 66-70 Gray.

Survey on human papillomavirus/p16 screening use in oropharyngeal carcinoma patients in the United States.

Background: Patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal carcinoma (OC) have better prognosis than patients with HPV-negative OC. The objective of the current study was to assess how different practices across the United States treat patients with OC with respect to screening for HPV DNA or p16.

Methods: Five hundred forty-two randomly selected radiation oncologists were sent an 11-question survey by email regarding the use of HPV/p16 screening in OC.

Predicting residual neck disease in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma treated with radiation therapy: utility of p16 status.

Objective: To identify factors that predict complete response of cervical nodal disease to radiation therapy (RT) in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OP-SCCA).

Design: Histologic analysis of prospectively collected specimens and retrospective medical chart review.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Calculation and prediction of the effect of respiratory motion on whole breast radiation therapy dose distributions.

The standard treatment technique used for whole-breast irradiation can result in undesirable dose distributions in the treatment site, leading to skin reaction/fibrosis and pulmonary and cardiac toxicities. Hence, the technique has evolved from conventional wedged technique (CWT) to segment intensity-modulated radiation therapy (SIMRT) and beamlet IMRT (IMRT). However, these newer techniques feature more highly modulated dose distributions that may be affected by respiration.

Role of androgen ablation with low-dose-rate brachytherapy in the treatment of prostate cancer.

Background: Androgen ablation is often used in addition to low-dose-rate brachytherapy in the treatment of prostate cancer, particularly for disease with adverse features. We report a single-institution experience and analysis of the role of androgen ablation with brachytherapy in patients with prostate cancer.

Methods: A cohort of 189 consecutive patients receiving low-dose-rate brachytherapy for prostate cancer at our institution who had demographic, disease and treatment information and a minimum of 2 years of follow-up available, constituted the analysis study group.