MRI scans significantly change target coverage decisions in radical radiotherapy for prostate cancer.

Introduction: Conventional clinical staging for prostate cancer has many limitations. This study evaluates the impact of adding MRI scans to conventional clinical staging for guiding decisions about radiotherapy target coverage.

Methods: This was a retrospective review of 115 patients who were treated between February 2002 and September 2005 with radical radiotherapy for prostate cancer.

Toxicity and Long-Term Outcomes of Dose-Escalated Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy to 74Gy for Localised Prostate Cancer in a Single Australian Centre.

Purpose: To report the toxicity and long-term outcomes of dose-escalated intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for patients with localised prostate cancer.

Methods And Materials: From 2001 to 2005, a total of 125 patients with histologically confirmed T1-3N0M0 prostate cancer were treated with IMRT to 74Gy at the Austin Health Radiation Oncology Centre. The median follow-up was 5.

Assessing the impact of FDG-PET in the management of anal cancer.

Purpose: To assess the utility of FDG-PET in anal cancer for staging and impact on radiotherapy planning (RTP), response and detection of recurrent disease.

Methods And Materials: Fifty histopathological anal cancer patients were reviewed between 1996 and 2006. The median age was 58 years (range 36-85) with 19 males:31females.

Towards individualised radiotherapy for Stage I seminoma.

Background And Purpose: Adjuvant radiotherapy is currently standard treatment of Stage I seminoma (SOS). The use of computerised tomogram (CT) planning is compared with traditional planning for greater treatment individualisation.

Material And Methods: Two plans were generated for each of 10 patients: one using traditional rectangular para-aortic fields, and one using conformal fields.

A randomised phase III study of palliative radiation with concomitant carboplatin for brain metastases from non-small cell carcinoma of the lung.

Purpose: To determine if the addition of carboplatin chemotherapy to whole brain irradiation improves response and survival in patients with brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Patients And Methods: Forty-two patients with brain metastases from NSCLC and performance status ECOG 0-2 were randomised to receive either whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) alone (20Gy in five fractions) or the same radiotherapy plus concomitant carboplatin (70 mg/m(2) intravenously for 5 days).

Results: The median survival was 4.

A randomized trial comparing 35Gy in ten fractions with 60Gy in 30 fractions of cerebral irradiation for glioblastoma multiforme and older patients with anaplastic astrocytoma.

A randomized prospective clinical trial was conducted to compare conventional high dose radiotherapy with hypofractionated, short course radiotherapy in poor prognosis patients with high grade glioma. The primary endpoint was overall survival.

Impact of oedema on implant geometry and dosimetry for temporary high dose rate brachytherapy of the prostate.

The optimal timing of dosimetry for permanent seed prostatic implants remains contentious given the half life of post-implant oedema resolution. The aim of this study was to establish whether prostatic oedematous change over the duration of a temporary high dose rate (HDR) interstitial brachytherapy (BR) boost would result in significant needle displacement, and whether this change in geometry would influence dosimetry. Two CT scans, one for dosimetric purposes on the day of the implant and the second just prior to implant removal, were obtained for four patients receiving transperineal interstitial prostate brachytherapy.