Publications by authors named "C Della Biancia"
Assessing Radiology and Radiation Therapy Needs for Cancer Care in Low-and-Middle-Income Countries: Insight From a Global Survey of Departmental and Institutional Leaders.
Adv Radiat Oncol
November 2024
Purpose: The global cancer burden and mortality rates are increasing, with significant disparities in access to care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study aimed to identify radiology and radiation therapy needs in LMICs from the perspective of departmental and institutional leaders.
Methods And Materials: A survey was developed and conducted by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine Global Needs Assessment Committee and the American Association of Physicists in Medicine International Council.
Objective: To investigate the feasibility of standardizing RT simulation CT scanner protocols between vendors using target-based image quality (IQ) metrics.
Method And Materials: A systematic assessment process in phantom was developed to standardize clinical scan protocols for scanners from different vendors following these steps: (a) images were acquired by varying CTDI and using an iterative reconstruction (IR) method (IR: iDose and model-based iterative reconstruction [IMR] of CT-Philips Big Bore scanner, SAFIRE of CT-Siemens biograph PETCT scanner), (b) CT exams were classified into body and brain protocols, (c) the rescaled noise power spectrum (NPS) was calculated, (d) quantified the IQ change due to varied CTDI and IR, and (e) matched the IR strength level. IQ metrics included noise and texture from NPS, contrast, and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), low contrast detectability (d').
Purpose: To improve the setup reproducibility of neck curvature using real-time optical surface imaging (OSI) guidance on 2 regions of interest (ROIs) to infer cervical spine (c-spine) curvature for surface-guided radiotherapy (SGRT) of head-and-neck (HN) and c-spine cancer.
Methods: A novel SGRT setup approach was designed to reproduce neck curvature with 2 ROIs: upper-chest ROI and open-face ROI. It was hypothesized that the neck curvature could be reproduced if both ROIs were aligned within ±3 mm/2˚ tolerance.
Article Synopsis
- Recent studies show that stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) can effectively treat renal cell carcinoma (RCC), a type of kidney cancer once thought to be resistant to radiation.
- The article emphasizes the importance of practical guidelines for patient selection and treatment planning, particularly for complex cases like solitary kidneys or large tumors.
- The guide, supported by the Radiosurgery Society, includes case studies and discusses key aspects such as tumor size, radiation dosages, and advanced imaging techniques for assessing treatment response.
Purpose: To address a gap in radiation oncology education in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), we sought to evaluate the effectiveness and generalizability of a refined curriculum on intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) offered to existing radiation therapy (RT) clinics across Africa and Latin America (LATAM) at no cost.
Methods: A curriculum was created based on prior needs assessments and adapted for participating medical physicists, radiation oncologists, radiation therapists, and trainees in LMICs. English-speaking and Spanish-speaking teams of volunteer educators delivered 27 hour-long sessions 1-2 times weekly for 4 months using video conferencing to African and LATAM cohorts, respectively.