Current practices of craniospinal irradiation techniques in Turkey: a comprehensive dosimetric analysis.

Objective: This study evaluates various craniospinal irradiation (CSI) techniques used in Turkish centers to understand their advantages, disadvantages and overall effectiveness, with a focus on enhancing dose distribution.

Methods: Anonymized CT scans of adult and pediatric patients, alongside target volumes and organ-at-risk (OAR) structures, were shared with 25 local radiotherapy centers. They were tasked to develop optimal treatment plans delivering 36 Gy in 20 fractions with 95% PTV coverage, while minimizing OAR exposure.

Multi-centre evaluation of variation in cumulative dose assessment in reirradiation scenarios.

Background And Purpose: Safe reirradiation relies on assessment of cumulative doses to organs at risk (OARs) across multiple treatments. Different clinical pathways can result in inconsistent estimates. Here, we quantified the consistency of cumulative dose to OARs across multi-centre clinical pathways.

Quantifying the influences of radiation therapy on deformability of human red blood cells by dual-beam optical tweezers.

Radiation therapy is widely used as a treatment tool for malignancies. However, radiation-related complications are still unavoidable risks for off-target cells. Little is known about radiation therapy's possible effects on mechanical features of the off-target cells such as human red blood cells (RBCs).

Effect of Multileaf Collimator Leaf Position Error Determined by Picket Fence Test on Gamma Index Value in Patient-Specific Quality Assurance of Volumetric-Modulated Arc Therapy Plans.

Aim The correlation between the MLC QA (IBA Dosimetry, Germany) results of the picket fence test created with intentional errors and the patient's quality assurance (QA) evaluation was investigated to assess the impact of multileaf collimator (MLC) positioning error on patient QA. Materials and methods The picket fence, including error-free and intentional MLC errors, defined in Bank In, Bank Out, and Bank Both were analyzed using MLC QA. The QA of 15 plans consisting of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), and conventionally fractionated volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) acquired with electronic portal imaging devices (EPID) was evaluated in the presence of error-free and MLC errors.

Acoustic diagnosis of elastic properties of human tooth by 320 MHz scanning acoustic microscopy after radiotherapy treatment for head and neck cancer.

Background: On the elastic profiles of human teeth after radiotherapy for head and neck cancers, generation of dental complications, which may bring several side effects preventing the quality of life, has not well clarified. Thus, we aimed to show the applicability of using 320 MHz Scanning Acoustic Microscopy (SAM) in the evaluation of the tooth damage acoustically at the micrometer level following radiation therapy, and also in the determination of the safe dose limits to impede severe dental damage.

Methods: This prospective study was performed by SAM employed at 320 MHz by an azimuthal resolution of 4.

Comparison of Multiple Treatment Planning Techniques for High-Grade Glioma Tumors Near to Critical Organs.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to compare 6 treatment planning methods (5-beam coplanar intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), 7-beam coplanar IMRT, 7-beam noncoplanar IMRT, 2 full arc coplanar volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), 2 half partial arc coplanar VMAT, and 2 half partial arc noncoplanar VMAT) for high-grade gliomas with planning target volumes (PTVs) overlapping the optic pathway and/or brainstem.

Patients And Methods: 27 previously-treated patients with high-grade gliomas were replanned for treatment with IMRT5, IMRT7, IMRT7-non, VMAT2f, VMAT2h, and VMAT2h-non. In order to perform a comparative study of the treatment outcomes, 3 tumor localizations (right-sided, left-sided, and central tumors) were selected.

Alterations in cellular metabolism triggered by or inactivation cause imbalanced dNTP pools and increased mutagenesis.

Eukaryotic DNA replication fidelity relies on the concerted action of DNA polymerase nucleotide selectivity, proofreading activity, and DNA mismatch repair (MMR). Nucleotide selectivity and proofreading are affected by the balance and concentration of deoxyribonucleotide (dNTP) pools, which are strictly regulated by ribonucleotide reductase (RNR). Mutations preventing DNA polymerase proofreading activity or MMR function cause mutator phenotypes and consequently increased cancer susceptibility.

Re-Irradiation of Locoregional NSCLC Recurrence Using Robotic Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy.

Background: We evaluated the efficacy, toxicity, and dose responses of re-irradiation with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in patients with recurrent non- small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after previous irradiation.

Patients And Methods: 28 patients were included. Previous median radiation doses were 54 and 66 Gy.

Intravascular Placement of Metallic Coils as Lung Tumor Markers for CyberKnife Stereotactic Radiation Therapy.

Objective: To present our experience with placing endovascular coils in pulmonary arteries used as a fiducial marker for CyberKnife therapy and to describe the technical details and complications of the procedure.

Materials And Methods: Between June 2005 and September 2013, 163 patients with primary or secondary lung malignancies, referred for fiducial placement for stereotactic radiosurgery, were retrospectively reviewed. Fourteen patients (9 men, 5 women; mean age, 70 years) with a history of pneumonectomy (n = 3), lobectomy (n = 3) or with severe cardiopulmonary co-morbidity (n = 8) underwent coil (fiducial marker) placement.

A microfluidic microbial fuel cell array that supports long-term multiplexed analyses of electricigens.

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are green energy technologies that exploit microbial metabolism to generate electricity. The widespread implementation of MFC technologies has been stymied by their high cost and limited power. MFC arrays in which device configurations or microbial consortia can be screened have generated significant interest because of their potential for defining aspects that will improve performance featuring high throughput characteristics.

Comparison of dose distributions and organs at risk (OAR) doses in conventional tangential technique (CTT) and IMRT plans with different numbers of beam in left-sided breast cancer.

Aim: Our aim was to improve dose distribution to the left breast and to determine the dose received by the ipsilateral lung, heart, contralateral lung and contralateral breast during primary left-sided breast irradiation by using intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) techniques compared to conventional tangential techniques (CTT). At the same time, different beams of IMRT plans were compared to each other in respect to CI, HI and organs at risk (OAR) dose.

Background: Conventional early breast cancer treatment consists of lumpectomy followed by whole breast radiation therapy.

Dosimetric and physical comparison of IMRT and CyberKnife plans in the treatment of localized prostate cancer.

Aim: The aim of our study was the dosimetric and physical evaluation of the CK and IMRT treatment plans for 16 patients with localized prostate cancer.

Background: Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is one of the recent technical advances in radiotherapy. The prostate is a well suited site to be treated with IMRT.