Intensity-modulated Radiation Therapy for Anal Cancer: Results From a Multi-Institutional Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objectives: To assess toxicity and efficacy of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for anal cancer.

Methods: Records of 152 patients were reviewed retrospectively from multiple institutions. Data on disease control and toxicity were collected as well as patient and treatment characteristics.

Effects of flattening filter-free and volumetric-modulated arc therapy delivery on treatment efficiency.

Flattening filter-free (FFF) beams are available on an increasing number of commercial linear accelerators. FFF beams have higher dose rates than flattened beams of equivalent energy which can lead to increased efficiency of treatment delivery, especially in conjunction with increased FFF beam energy and arc-based delivery configurations. The purpose of this study is to quantify and assess the implications of improved treatment efficiency for several FFF delivery options on common types of linac applicable radiotherapy.

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for lung malignancies: preliminary toxicity results using a flattening filter-free linear accelerator operating at 2400 monitor units per minute.

Background: Flattening filter-free (FFF) linear accelerators (linacs) are capable of delivering dose rates more than 4-times higher than conventional linacs during SBRT treatments, causing some to speculate whether the higher dose rate leads to increased toxicity owing to radiobiological dose rate effects. Despite wide clinical use of this emerging technology, clinical toxicity data for FFF SBRT are lacking. In this retrospective study, we report the acute and late toxicities observed in our lung radiosurgery experience using a FFF linac operating at 2400 MU/min.

Flattening filter-free linac improves treatment delivery efficiency in stereotactic body radiation therapy.

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) employs precision target tracking and image-guidance techniques to deliver ablative doses of radiation to localized malignancies; however, treatment with conventional photon beams requires lengthy treatment and immobilization times. The use of flattening filter-free (FFF) beams operating at higher dose rates can shorten beam-on time, and we hypothesize that it will shorten overall treatment delivery time. A total of 111 lung and liver SBRT cases treated at our institution from July 2008 to July 2011 were reviewed and 99 cases with complete data were identified.

Plan quality and treatment planning technique for single isocenter cranial radiosurgery with volumetric modulated arc therapy.

Purpose: To demonstrate plan quality and provide a practical, systematic approach to the treatment planning technique for single isocenter cranial radiosurgery with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT; RapidArc, Varian Medical systems, Palo Alto, CA).

Methods And Materials: Fifteen patients with 1 or more brain metastases underwent single isocenter VMAT radiosurgery. All plans were normalized to deliver 100% of the prescription dose to 99%-100% of the target volume.

Dosimetric analysis of imaging changes following pulmonary stereotactic body radiation therapy.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine whether late patterns of pulmonary fibrosis are related to specific radiation doses administered during thoracic stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).

Methods: The records of all patients treated with SBRT for either pulmonary metastases or inoperable primary lung tumours at the University of Alabama at Birmingham from November 2005 to July 2008 were reviewed. Patients selected for analysis had diagnostic chest computed tomography (CT) scans acquired at least 180 days after completion of therapy.

Improved clinical efficiency in CNS stereotactic radiosurgery using a flattening filter free linear accelerator.

Linear accelerator (linac) based CNS stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) requires significant time resources. We hypothesized that CNS SRS using a flattening filter free (FFF) linac would reduce treatment time and improve clinical efficiency. A FFF linac was recently commissioned for CNS radiosurgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.