Residency training for diagnostic imaging physicists should be expanded to include nuclear medicine physics.

The American Board of Radiology offers certification in three specialties of medical physics: Therapeutic Medical Physics, Diagnostic Medical Physics, and Nuclear Medical Physics. Of these specialties, medical nuclear physics has the fewest active diplomates, only a few hundred. The diagnostic medical physics specialty certification incudes a variety of modalities (ultrasound, radiography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging) yet does not address nuclear medicine imaging or therapy.

A Framework for Patient-Centered Pathways of Care for Radiopharmaceutical Therapy: An ASTRO Consensus Document.

Radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT) is an area of projected growth and importance with several agents in clinical use, new agents in late-phase clinical trials, and many others under testing and development. This article proposes a framework for developing pathways of care that can be broadly applied to all RPTs, representing the current status of RPT. It suggests foundational elements for many pathways of care for patients with cancer and concludes with areas in active development and the future horizon for RPT treatment centers.

Prevention of needle displacement in multifraction high-dose-rate prostate brachytherapy: A prospective volumetric analysis and technical considerations.

Purpose: We conducted a prospective study to evaluate needle displacements between prostate high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy fractions and offer technical recommendations to help prevent displacements from the outset.

Methods And Materials: Planning computed tomography and verification computed tomography scans were obtained at 1-mm slice thickness and prospectively assessed for interfraction needle movement for each fraction of a 2-fraction HDR prostate boost. For both the planning and verification CTs, distances from each needle tip to the centroid of 3 implanted prostate gold seeds were measured.

CyberKnife radiosurgery for trigeminal neuralgia: unanticipated iatrogenic effect following successful treatment.

This case report of 74-year-old man with trigeminal neuralgia is presented to underscore the importance of evaluating the entire treatment plan, especially when delivering large doses where even a low percentage of the prescription dose can contribute a substantial dose to an unintended target. The patient was treated using the CyberKnife stereotactic radiosurgery system utilizing a nonisocentric beam treatment plan with a 5-mm fixed collimator generating 111 beams to deliver 6000 cGy to the 79% isodose line with a maximum dose of 7594 cGy to the target. Two weeks after treatment the patient's trigeminal neuralgia symptoms resolved; however, the patient developed oral mucositis due to the treatment.

Accelerated fractionation head and neck intensity-modulated radiation therapy and concurrent chemotherapy in the community setting: safety and efficacy considerations.

Background: This article reviews our community cancer center's experience treating head and neck cancer primarily with accelerated fractionation intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), with or without concurrent chemotherapy, focusing on acute toxicity and efficacy.

Methods: Fifty-two patients treated with IMRT at the Penrose Cancer Center between 2002 and 2007 constitute the cohort. The majority (75%) received an accelerated, altered fractionation regimen, typically concomitant boost to 7200 cGy.

Factors associated with radiation-induced nausea and vomiting in head and neck cancer patients treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy.

Background And Purpose: To investigate factors associated with radiation-induced nausea and vomiting (RINV) in the setting of head and neck intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).

Materials And Methods: Forty-three patients treated with IMRT for head and neck cancer between 2002 and 2007 comprise the cohort. The majority (79%) were treated with an accelerated altered fractionation scheme, and concurrent chemotherapy was delivered to 23.

Low morbidity following high dose rate brachytherapy in the setting of prior transurethral prostate resection.

Purpose: We reviewed our single institution experience with high dose rate brachytherapy in patients who underwent prior transurethral prostate resection.

Materials And Methods: A total of 28 patients treated with high dose rate brachytherapy for prostate cancer at our institution between 2001 and 2006 were identified as having undergone prior transurethral prostate resection. All patients received high dose rate brachytherapy as a boost before or after conformal external beam radiation therapy to 4,500 cGy.