Publications by authors named "Ayaka Nagao"
Background: To analyze in a prospective study the long-term safety and efficacy of 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) to deliver accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) for Japanese women with early breast cancer.
Methods: Breast cancer patients with pathological tumor size ≤ 3 cm, age ≥ 20 years, lumpectomy with at least a 5 mm margin, and ≤ 3 positive axillary nodes were eligible. APBI was delivered by 3D-CRT at a dose of 38.
Background: To protect the rectum and bladder from high dose exposure, the Japanese guidelines for managing uterine cervical carcinoma recommend pelvic irradiation with central shielding (CS). Conversely, the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) and the American Brachytherapy Society (ABS) guidelines recommend delivering ≥85 Gy to high-risk clinical target volume D (CTV D). In this study, we investigated whether a gel spacer can enable the safe delivery of the ESTRO/ABS-recommended doses to the target while observing dose constraints for the OARs without using CS in external beam radiation therapy (EBRT).
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- The study investigates the use of high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy for treating recurrent gynecologic cancer in Japan, analyzing patient data from multiple centers to assess its clinical effectiveness.
- A total of 165 patients were treated from 2000 to 2018, with outcomes showing varied survival and control rates depending on the type of cancer and timing of reirradiation.
- The findings suggest that HDR brachytherapy can be effective for recurrent cases, particularly when there's a longer gap before reirradiation, but also highlight a significant rate of severe complications in some patients.
Article Synopsis
- * A 73-year-old woman with cervical cancer received targeted radiation treatment, where traditional methods fell short due to the proximity of her sigmoid colon, necessitating the injection of hydrogel into the meso-sigmoid.
- * Results showed that using the hydrogel spacer successfully decreased the radiation dose to the sigmoid colon while still effectively targeting the high-risk areas of cancer, suggesting it as a viable technique for similar cases.
Article Synopsis
- Radiation therapy can cause late adverse events due to difficulties in adhering to dose constraints for normal tissue, with spacers potentially reducing radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissues during gynecologic brachytherapy.
- Variability in tissue resistance affects the placement of spacers, with different tissues offering unique characteristics that can be utilized in surgical procedures, such as pelvic organ prolapse surgery and radical hysterectomies.
- Effective spacer injection can improve patient safety and therapy effectiveness, requiring precision and proper anatomical understanding during administration.
Article Synopsis
- This study presents the first case of using a linear accelerator-based boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) system to treat a patient with cutaneous malignant melanoma in a clinical trial that started in November 2019.
- A patient with a localized melanoma who opted out of surgery and chemotherapy received BNCT after being administered boronophenylalanine (BPA), leading to a gradual improvement in their condition over 12 months.
- While the patient experienced some mild side effects, there were no serious adverse events, indicating that accelerator-based BNCT could be a promising new treatment option for this type of cancer.
Article Synopsis
- The study focused on tracking the movements of the uterus during radiation treatment in patients with cervical cancer, using MR imaging to analyze changes in uterus and cervix positioning as well as bladder and rectal volume effects.
- Findings indicated that the uterus moved more than the cervix and was more closely linked to bladder movements, which could affect treatment dosage.
- The research underlines the importance of adjusting treatment plans in real-time for moving organs, suggesting that personalized planning is necessary to ensure effective radiation delivery, though this can lead to longer treatment times.
Coenzyme Q (CoQ) is important not only as an essential lipid for the mitochondrial electron transport system, but also as an antioxidant. CoQ levels decrease during aging and in various diseases. Orally administered CoQ is not readily taken up in the brain, so it is necessary to develop a method to increase the amount of CoQ in neurons.
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