Impact of bias field correction on 0.35 T pelvic MR images: evaluation on generative adversarial network-based OARs' auto-segmentation and visual grading assessment.

Purpose: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided radiotherapy enables adaptive treatment plans based on daily anatomical changes and accurate organ visualization. However, the bias field artifact can compromise image quality, affecting diagnostic accuracy and quantitative analyses. This study aims to assess the impact of bias field correction on 0.

Radiomics-enhanced early regression index for predicting treatment response in rectal cancer: a multi-institutional 0.35 T MRI-guided radiotherapy study.

Purpose: The accurate prediction of treatment response in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients undergoing MRI-guided radiotherapy (MRIgRT) is essential for optimising treatment strategies. This multi-institutional study aimed to investigate the potential of radiomics in enhancing the predictive power of a known radiobiological parameter (Early Regression Index, ERI) to evaluate treatment response in LARC patients treated with MRIgRT.

Methods: Patients from three international sites were included and divided into training and validation sets.

Magnetic resonance guided SBRT reirradiation in locally recurrent prostate cancer: a multicentric retrospective analysis.

Aims: Reirradiation of prostate cancer (PC) local recurrences represents an emerging challenge for current radiotherapy. In this context, stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) allows the delivery of high doses, with curative intent. Magnetic Resonance guided Radiation Therapy (MRgRT) has shown promising results in terms of safety, feasibility and efficacy of delivering SBRT thanks to the enhanced soft tissue contrast and the online adaptive workflow.

A deep learning approach to generate synthetic CT in low field MR-guided radiotherapy for lung cases.

Introduction: This study aims to apply a conditional Generative Adversarial Network (cGAN) to generate synthetic Computed Tomography (sCT) from 0.35 Tesla Magnetic Resonance (MR) images of the thorax.

Methods: Sixty patients treated for lung lesions were enrolled and divided into training (32), validation (8), internal (10,T) and external (10,T) test set.

Clinical Validation of a Deep-Learning Segmentation Software in Head and Neck: An Early Analysis in a Developing Radiation Oncology Center.

Background: Organs at risk (OARs) delineation is a crucial step of radiotherapy (RT) treatment planning workflow. Time-consuming and inter-observer variability are main issues in manual OAR delineation, mainly in the head and neck (H & N) district. Deep-learning based auto-segmentation is a promising strategy to improve OARs contouring in radiotherapy departments.

Evaluation of early regression index as response predictor in cervical cancer: A retrospective study on T2 and DWI MR images.

Background And Purpose: Early Regression Index (ERI) is an image-based parameter based on tumor control probability modelling, that reported interesting results in predicting pathological complete response (pCR) after pre-operative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in rectal cancer. This study aims to evaluate this parameter for Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer (LACC), considering not only T2-weighted but also diffusion-weighted (DW) Magnetic Resonance (MR) images, comparing it with other image-based parameters such as tumor volumes and apparent coefficient diffusion (ADC).

Materials And Methods: A total of 88 patients affected by LACC (FIGO IB2-IVA) and treated with CRT were enrolled.

Dosimetric Impact of Inter-Fraction Variability in the Treatment of Breast Cancer: Towards New Criteria to Evaluate the Appropriateness of Online Adaptive Radiotherapy.

Purpose: As a discipline in its infancy, online adaptive RT (ART) needs new ontologies and criteria to evaluate the appropriateness of its use in clinical practice. In this experience, we propose a predictive model able to quantify the dosimetric impact due to daily inter-fraction variability in a standard RT breast treatment, to identify in advance the treatment fractions where patients might benefit from an online ART approach.

Methods: The study was focused on right breast cancer patients treated using standard adjuvant RT on an artificial intelligence (AI)-based linear accelerator.

Fractal-Based Radiomic Approach to Tailor the Chemotherapy Treatment in Rectal Cancer: A Generating Hypothesis Study.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to create a radiomic model able to calculate the probability of 5-year disease-free survival (5yDFS) when oxaliplatin (OXA) is or not administered in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) and treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT), allowing physicians to choose the best chemotherapy (CT) regimen.

Methods: LARC patients with cT3-4 cN0 or cT1-4 cN1-2 were treated according to an nCRT protocol that included concomitant CT schedules with or without OXA and radiotherapy dose of 55 Gy in 25 fractions. Radiomic analysis was performed on the T2-weighted (T2-w) MR images acquired during the initial tumor staging.

Radiation therapy for prostate cancer: What's the best in 2021.

Radiotherapy is highly involved in the management of prostate cancer. Its features and potential applications experienced a radical evolution over last decades, as they are associated to the continuous evolution of available technology and current oncological innovations. Some application of radiotherapy like brachytherapy have been recently enriched by innovative features and multidisciplinary dedications.

Delta Radiomics Analysis for Local Control Prediction in Pancreatic Cancer Patients Treated Using Magnetic Resonance Guided Radiotherapy.

The aim of this study is to investigate the role of Delta Radiomics analysis in the prediction of one-year local control (1yLC) in patients affected by locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) and treated using Magnetic Resonance guided Radiotherapy (MRgRT). A total of 35 patients from two institutions were enrolled: A 0.35 Tesla T2*/T1 MR image was acquired for each case during simulation and on each treatment fraction.

Predicting Radiotherapy Impact on Late Bladder Toxicity in Prostate Cancer Patients: An Observational Study.

Background And Purpose: The aim of our study was to elaborate a suitable model on bladder late toxicity in prostate cancer (PC) patients treated by radiotherapy with volumetric technique.

Materials And Methods: PC patients treated between September 2010 and April 2017 were included in the analysis. An observational study was performed collecting late toxicity data of any grade, according to RTOG and CTCAE 4.

MRI-guided stereotactic radiation therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: a feasible and safe innovative treatment approach.

Purpose: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in early stages benefits from local ablative treatments such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA) or transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). In this context, radiotherapy (RT) has shown promising results but has not been thoroughly evaluated. Magnetic resonance-guided RT (MRgRT) may represent a paradigm shifting improvement in stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for liver tumors.

Quantitative analysis of MRI-guided radiotherapy treatment process time for tumor real-time gating efficiency.

Purpose: Magnetic Resonance-guided radiotherapy (MRgRT) systems allow continuous monitoring of therapy volumes during treatment delivery and personalized respiratory gating approaches. Treatment length may therefore be significantly affected by patient's compliance and breathing control. We quantitatively analyzed treatment process time efficiency (T ) using data obtained from real-world patient treatment logs to optimize MRgRT delivery settings.

A deep learning approach to generate synthetic CT in low field MR-guided adaptive radiotherapy for abdominal and pelvic cases.

Purpose: Artificial intelligence (AI) can play a significant role in Magnetic Resonance guided Radiotherapy (MRgRT), especially to speed up the online adaptive workflow. The aim of this study is to set up a Deep Learning (DL) approach able to generate synthetic computed tomography (sCT) images from low field MR images in pelvis and abdomen.

Methods: A conditional Generative Adversarial Network (cGAN) was used for sCT generation: a total of 120 patients treated on pelvic and abdominal sites were enrolled and divided in training (80) and test sets (40).

BIT-ART: Multicentric Comparison of HDR-brachytherapy, Intensity-modulated Radiotherapy and Tomotherapy for Advanced Radiotherapy in Prostate Cancer.

Background/aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate acute and late genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity in patients with high- or intermediate-risk prostate cancer.

Patients And Methods: We evaluated data of patients from three Radiation Oncology Departments (Rome, Lübeck and Perugia). Patients treated in Rome underwent exclusive intensity-modulated-radiotherapy (IMRT) or IMRT plus high-dose-rate interventional radiotherapy (HDR-IRT).

Tailored postoperative treatment of prostate cancer: final results of a phase I/II trial.

Backgroud: The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) trial 22,911 reported 74% 5-year biochemical disease-free survival (bDFS) in patients with prostate carcinoma treated with radical prostatectomy (RP) followed by postoperative radiotherapy (RT). This study aimed to improve these outcomes by using a combined-intensified-modulated-adjuvant treatment, including RT and hormone therapy (HT) after RP.

Materials And Methods: This phase I/II trial treatment was designed to improve 5-year bDFS from ~ 75 to 90%.

Perioperative HDR brachytherapy for reirradiation in head and neck recurrences: single-institution experience and systematic review.

Aim: The aim of our study was to evaluate the outcomes of patients reirradiated with high-dose-rate (HDR) intensity-modulated brachytherapy (IMBT) for recurrent head and neck cancer and to perform a systematic review of the literature.

Materials And Methods: Patients treated with prior radiation doses >65 Gy were considered. After resection of macroscopic disease, catheters were fixed to the tumor bed.

Reducing heart dose during left breast cancer radiotherapy: comparison among 3 radiation techniques.

Purpose: Breast cancer survivors have a high risk of cardiac death as a consequence of heart irradiation during left breast tangential radiotherapy (RT). This study compares the cardiac dose delivered by standard 3D conformal tangential RT (CRT) to that delivered by prospective-gating RT (PGRT) or 5-field intensity-modulated RT (IMRT).

Methods: Patients with early left breast cancer, referred for adjuvant RT to our institution, were enrolled in this study.

[Air quality assessment in an urban-industrial area: the Taranto case study].

Object: The chemical-physical characterization of suspended particulate matter and particulate deposition, heavy metals and benzo[a]pyrene, found in the town of Taranto and the nearby industrial area (steelworks, cement production, refinery).

Design: Atmospheric deposition Bulks, air of High Volume (HV) samplers equipped with PM10 probe and total suspended particulate matter samplers were used.

Setting: 4 sites of monitoring in different urban areas: two of them close to the cokery, one near the school, and the last one in the town of Statte (Taranto).