Do refined consensus guidelines improve the uniformity of clinical target volume delineation for rectal cancer? Results of a national review project.

In a previous national central review project, 74% of the rectal cancer clinical target volumes (CTVs) needed a modification. In a follow-up initiative, we evaluated whether the use of refined international consensus guidelines improves the uniformity of CTV delineation in clinical practice.

Hypofractionated intensity modulated irradiation for localized prostate cancer, results from a phase I/II feasibility study.

Background: To assess acute (primary endpoint) and late toxicity, quality of life (QOL), biochemical or clinical failure (secondary endpoints) of a hypofractionated IMRT schedule for prostate cancer (PC).

Methods: 38 men with localized PC received 66 Gy (2.64 Gy) to prostate,2 Gy to seminal vesicles (50 Gy total) using IMRT.

Prognostic influence of retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis in squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx.

Purpose: To investigate the impact of involvement of retropharyngeal lymph nodes on the prognosis of squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx.

Methods And Materials: The pretreatment computed tomographic scans of 208 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx were reviewed for the presence of metastatic retropharyngeal lymph nodes. All patients were treated at the Leuven department between 1984 and 2003: by radiotherapy alone in 84.

Retropharyngeal nodes in squamous cell carcinoma of oropharynx: incidence, localization, and implications for target volume.

Purpose: To investigate the incidence and anatomic localization of retropharyngeal (RP) nodal involvement in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx.

Methods And Materials: The CT studies of 208 patients presenting with oropharyngeal carcinoma were retrospectively analyzed. The location of the nodal neck disease was registered according to recent consensus guidelines for target volume delineation, and special attention was given to the RP nodes.

Dose-response relationships within the parotid gland after radiotherapy for head and neck cancer.

Background And Purpose: To determine the salivary function, after parotid-sparing radiotherapy (RT), of different regions within the parotid gland and to evaluate dose-function relationships within the parotid glands and between patients.

Patients And Methods: Sixteen head and neck cancer patients, irradiated between September 1999 and November 2000 using a conformal parotid-sparing technique, were included in this study. Before RT and 7 months after RT (range 6-10 months), a salivary gland scintigraphy was performed in all patients combined with a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).

Recurrences after conformal parotid-sparing radiotherapy for head and neck cancer.

Background And Purpose: Evaluation of loco-regional failure patterns and survival after parotid-sparing three-dimensional conformal and intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for head and neck cancer.

Patients And Methods: From June 1999 to July 2002, seventy-two patients with lateralised head and neck tumours, excluding nasopharyngeal tumours and patients with bilateral or contralateral neck disease, were irradiated with a parotid-sparing technique. Three-dimensional conformal planning was used in 68 patients, 4 patients were treated with dynamic IMRT.

Respiration-induced movement of the upper abdominal organs: a pitfall for the three-dimensional conformal radiation treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Respiration-induced movement of the upper abdominal organs (pancreas, liver and kidneys) was assessed in 12 subjects using dynamic magnetic resonance imaging. The movement of each organ in the cranio-caudal, the lateral and the anterior-posterior direction was deduced from the movement of the center of gravity on two-dimensional images. This center of gravity was computed from the volume delineated on sequential 8-mm slices of both sagittal and coronal dynamic series.