Clinical implementation of combined modulated electron and photon beams with conventional MLC for accelerated partial breast irradiation.

Purpose: To report the clinical implementation of a novel external beam radiotherapy technique for accelerated partial breast irradiation treatments based on combined electron and photon modulated beams radiotherapy (MERT+IMRT) with conventional MLC.

Materials And Methods: A group of patients was selected to test the viability of the technique. The prescribed dose was 38.

Assessment of the quality of very high-energy electron radiotherapy planning.

Background And Purpose: To assess the quality of very-high energy electron (VHEE) scanning pencil beam radiation therapy in relation to state-of-the-art volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and to determine the extent of its application.

Material And Methods: We planned five clinical cases with VHEE scanning pencil beams of 100 and 120MeV, equally distributed in a coplanar arrangement around the patient. The clinical cases included acoustic neuroma, and liver, lung, esophagus, and anal cancer cases.

Treatment planning for radiotherapy with very high-energy electron beams and comparison of VHEE and VMAT plans.

Purpose: The aim of this work was to develop a treatment planning workflow for rapid radiotherapy delivered with very high-energy electron (VHEE) scanning pencil beams of 60-120 MeV and to study VHEE plans as a function of VHEE treatment parameters. Additionally, VHEE plans were compared to clinical state-of-the-art volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) photon plans for three cases.

Methods: VHEE radiotherapy treatment planning was performed by linking EGSnrc Monte Carlo (MC) dose calculations with inverse treatment planning in a research version of RayStation.

Comparison of film measurements and Monte Carlo simulations of dose delivered with very high-energy electron beams in a polystyrene phantom.

Purpose: To measure radiation dose in a water-equivalent medium from very high-energy electron (VHEE) beams and make comparisons to Monte Carlo (MC) simulation results.

Methods: Dose in a polystyrene phantom delivered by an experimental VHEE beam line was measured with Gafchromic films for three 50 MeV and two 70 MeV Gaussian beams of 4.0-6.

Combined modulated electron and photon beams planned by a Monte-Carlo-based optimization procedure for accelerated partial breast irradiation.

The purpose of this study was to present a Monte-Carlo (MC)-based optimization procedure to improve conventional treatment plans for accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) using modulated electron beams alone or combined with modulated photon beams, to be delivered by a single collimation device, i.e. a photon multi-leaf collimator (xMLC) already installed in a standard hospital.

Intensity- and energy-modulated electron radiotherapy by means of an xMLC for head and neck shallow tumors.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the feasibility of delivering intensity- and energy-modulated electron radiation treatment (MERT) by a photon multileaf collimator (xMLC) and to evaluate the improvements obtained in shallow head and neck (HN) tumors. Four HN patient cases covering different clinical situations were planned by MERT, which used an in-house treatment planning system that utilized Monte Carlo dose calculation. The cases included one oronasal, two parotid and one middle ear tumors.

Modulated electron radiotherapy treatment planning using a photon multileaf collimator for post-mastectomized chest walls.

Background And Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of using a photon MLC (xMLC) for modulated electron radiotherapy treatment (MERT) as an alternative to conventional post-mastectomy chest wall (CW) irradiation. A Monte Carlo (MC) based planning system was developed to overcome the inaccuracy of the 'pencil beam' algorithm. MC techniques are known to accurately calculate the dose distributions of electron beams, allowing the explicit simulation of electron interactions within the MLC.