Feasibility of IMRT to cover pelvic nodes while escalating the dose to the prostate gland: dosimetric data on 35 consecutive patients.

Utilizing available dosimetric and acute toxicity data, we confirm the feasibility of intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) to include treatment of the pelvic nodes (PN) while escalating the dose to the prostate. Data were obtained from 35 consecutive patients with prostate cancer with > or =15% risk of PN involvement. Patients received an initial boost to the prostate, delivering 16 Gy over 8 fractions using a 6-field conformal technique, followed by an 8-field coplanar inverse planning IMRT technique delivering an additional 60 Gy over 30 fractions to the prostate (76 Gy total) and 54 Gy over 30 fractions to the seminal vesicles (SV) and PN.

Dosimetric predictors of laryngeal edema.

Purpose: To investigate dosimetric predictors of laryngeal edema after radiotherapy (RT).

Methods And Materials: A total of 66 patients were selected who had squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck with grossly uninvolved larynx at the time of RT, no prior major surgical operation except for neck dissection and tonsillectomy, treatment planning data available for analysis, and at least one fiberoptic examination of the larynx within 2 years from RT performed by a single observer. Both the biologically equivalent mean dose at 2 Gy per fraction and the cumulative biologic dose-volume histogram of the larynx were extracted for each patient.