Comparative dosimetric analysis of normal brain tissue in patients with Nasopharyngeal carcinoma at different stages after radiation therapy.

Introduction: Radiotherapy (RT) is the main treatment for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). NPC patients at different stages have varying levels of damage to normal brain tissue after RT. No study has yet thoroughly analyzed the variations in radiation dosages in the brain for different stages of NPC patients treated with RT.

A novel EPID-based MLC QA method with log files achieving submillimeter accuracy.

The purpose of this study is to develop an electronic portal imaging device-based multi-leaf collimator calibration procedure using log files. Picket fence fields with 2-14 mm nominal strip widths were performed and normalized by open field. Normalized pixel intensity profiles along the direction of leaf motion for each leaf pair were taken.

A Review of Artificial Intelligence Application for Radiotherapy.

Background And Purpose: Artificial intelligence (AI) is a technique which tries to think like humans and mimic human behaviors. It has been considered as an alternative in a lot of human-dependent steps in radiotherapy (RT), since the human participation is a principal uncertainty source in RT. The aim of this work is to provide a systematic summary of the current literature on AI application for RT, and to clarify its role for RT practice in terms of clinical views.

Single isocenter versus dual isocenter treatment using flattening filter-free and jaw-tracking volumetrically modulated arc therapy for boot-shaped lung cancer: Evaluation of dosimetric and feasibility.

Background: To determine whether a dual-isocenter volumetrically modulated arc therapy (VMAT) technique results in lower normal pulmonary dosage compared to a traditional single isocenter technique for boot-shaped lung cancer.

Methods: A cohort of 15 patients with advanced peripheral or central lung cancer who had metastases in the mediastinum and supraclavicular lymph nodes was randomly selected for this retrospective study. VMAT plans were generated for each patient using two different beam alignment techniques with the 6-MV flattening filter-free (FFF) photon beam: single-isocenter jaw-tracking VMAT based on the Varian TrueBeam linear accelerator (S-TV), and dual-isocenter VMAT based on both TrueBeam (D-TV) and Halcyon linear accelerator (D-HV).

Radiation pneumonia predictive model for radiotherapy in esophageal carcinoma patients.

Background: The machine learning models with dose factors and the deep learning models with dose distribution matrix have been used to building lung toxics models for radiotherapy and achieve promising results. However, few studies have integrated clinical features into deep learning models. This study aimed to explore the role of three-dimension dose distribution and clinical features in predicting radiation pneumonitis (RP) in esophageal cancer patients after radiotherapy and designed a new hybrid deep learning network to predict the incidence of RP.

Improving the registration stability of cone-beam computed tomography with the Sphere-Mask Optical Positioning System: a feasibility study.

Background: Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is an important tool for patient positioning in radiotherapy due to its outstanding advantages. However, the CBCT registration shows errors due to the limitations of the automatic registration algorithm and the nonuniqueness of manual verification results. The purpose of this study was to verify the feasibility of using the Sphere-Mask Optical Positioning System (S-M_OPS) to improve the registration stability of CBCT through clinical trials.

A new target localization method for image-guided radiation therapy of prostate cancer.

In imaged-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), target localization is usually done with rigid-body registration based on anatomy matching. Problems arise when the target volume can only be matched partially due to inter-fractional organ motion and deformation, resulting in deteriorated target coverage and critical structure sparing. A new target localization method is investigated in which the treatment target volume is aligned with the prescription isodose surface.

Dosimetric advantages of robust optimization combined with flattening filter free in treating cancer of the left breast.

Objective: By comparing the target dose distribution with or without the robust optimization, the dosimetric advantages of robust optimization and flattening filter free (FFF) in radiation therapy for postmastectomy cancer of the left breast was explored when part of the chest wall target was moved out in case of respiratory motion.

Materials And Methods: This is a retrospective study. The data of 21 postmastectomy patients with cancer of the left breast from 2019 to 2020 were retrospectively collected.

Setup error assessment based on "Sphere-Mask" Optical Positioning System: Results from a multicenter study.

Background: The setup accuracy plays an extremely important role in the local control of tumors. The purpose of this study is to verify the feasibility of "Sphere-Mask" Optical Positioning System (S-M_OPS) for fast and accurate setup.

Methods: From 2016 to 2021, we used S-M_OPS to supervise 15441 fractions in 1981patients (with the cancer in intracalvarium, nasopharynx, esophagus, lung, liver, abdomen or cervix) undergoing intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), and recorded the data such as registration time and mask deformation.

A model of radiation-induced temporomandibular joint damage in mice.

Purpose: A small animal radiation research platform (SARRP) equipped with a miniature beam system, an image-guided positioning system, and a dose planning system was used to develop and evaluate a mouse model of radiation-induced temporomandibular damage.

Methods: Left jaw disks of adult male C57BL/6 mice and C3H mice were targeted using the SARRP for image-guided irradiation. The total radiation dose was 75 Gy.

Estimating the accumulative dose uncertainty for intracavitary and interstitial brachytherapy.

Background: Image-guided adaptive brachytherapy shows the ability to deliver high doses to tumors while sparing normal tissues. However, interfraction dose delivery introduces uncertainties to high dose estimation, which relates to normal tissue toxicity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the high-dose regions of two applicator approaches in brachytherapy.

Comparing of two dimensional and three dimensional fully convolutional networks for radiotherapy dose prediction in left-sided breast cancer.

Fully convolutional networks were developed for predicting optimal dose distributions for patients with left-sided breast cancer and compared the prediction accuracy between two-dimensional and three-dimensional networks. Sixty cases treated with volumetric modulated arc radiotherapy were analyzed. Among them, 50 cases were randomly chosen to conform the training set, and the remaining 10 were to construct the test set.

Fully convolutional network-based multi-output model for automatic segmentation of organs at risk in thorax.

Purpose: To propose a multi-output fully convolutional network (MOFCN) to segment bilateral lung, heart and spinal cord in the planning thoracic computed tomography (CT) slices automatically and simultaneously.

Methods: The MOFCN includes two components: one main backbone and three branches. The main backbone extracts the features about lung, heart and spinal cord.

Dosimetric evaluation of image-guided radiation therapy for prostate cancer.

The aim of this study was to investigate the dosimetric accuracy of imaged-guided radiation therapy for prostate patients using the in-room computed tomography (CT) target localization technique. A Siemens CT-on-rails system was used for patient setup and target localization for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) of prostate cancer. Fifteen previously treated prostate patients were included in this retrospective study.

Automatic Planning for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Based on Progressive Optimization in RayStation Treatment Planning System.

Objective: To evaluate and quantify the planning performance of automatic planning (AP) with manual planning (MP) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the RayStation treatment planning system (TPS).

Methods: A progressive and effective design method for AP of nasopharyngeal carcinoma was realized through automated scripts in this study. A total of 30 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma with initial treatment was enrolled.

Approach and assessment of automated stereotactic radiotherapy planning for early stage non-small-cell lung cancer.

Background: Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) are standard physical technologies of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) that are used for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The treatment plan quality depends on the experience of the planner and is limited by planning time. An automated planning process can save time and ensure a high-quality plan.

Choice of immobilization of stereotactic body radiotherapy in lung tumor patient by BMI.

Background: An accurate, reproducible, and comfortable immobilization device is essential for stereotactic radiotherapy (SBRT) in patients with lung cancer. This study compared thermoplastic masks (TMP) and vacuum cushion (VCS) system to assess the differences in interfraction and intrafraction setup accuracy and the impact of body mass index (BMI) with respect to the immobilization choice.

Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on patients treated with lung SBRT between 2012 and 2015 at the Zhejiang cancer hospital.

Efficacy and Safety of Chemotherapy Combined with Stereotactic Radiotherapy in the Treatment of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of chemotherapy (CT) combined with stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) in the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 329 NPC patients without any previous treatment were included in this study between January 2009 and November 2013. These patients were divided into three groups: CT group (n=114), SRT group (n=109), and CT + SRT group (n=106).

In Vivo and In Vitro Effects of ATM/ATR Signaling Pathway on Proliferation, Apoptosis, and Radiosensitivity of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells.

Aim: The study investigated the ability of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM)/Rad3-related (ATR) signaling pathway to influence the proliferation, apoptosis, and radiosensitivity of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells.

Materials And Methods: NPC tissues and corresponding adjacent normal tissues were collected from 143 NPC patients. The NPC CNE2 cells were assigned into a control group, X-ray group, CGK-733 group, and X-ray+CGK-733 group.

Numb Gene Enhances Radiation Sensitivity of Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer Stem Cells.

Objective: To study the effects of Numb gene expression on radiation sensitivity of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) stem cells.

Materials And Methods: The side population (SP) cells A549-SP were transfected with pcDNA3.1 (pcDNA3.

The effect of lymphadenectomy on survival and recurrence in patients with ovarian cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Our objective was to perform a meta-analysis examining the effectiveness of lymphadenectomy in patients with ovarian cancer.

Methods: PubMed and CENTRAL databases were searched on 15 November 2015 using the terms 'lymphadenectomy', 'ovarian cancer', 'dissection', 'para-aortic', 'pelvic' and survival. Prospective and retrospective studies comparing the outcomes of surgery with or without lymphadenectomy were included.

Margin evaluation of translational and rotational set-up errors in intensity modulated radiotherapy for cervical cancer.

A clinical target volume (CTV) to planning target volume (PTV) margin recipes was routinely used to ensure dose was actually delivered to target for all (most) patients. Currently used margin recipes were associated with only translational set-up errors in radiotherapy. However, when set-up errors extended to six-degree (6D) scope (three translational and three rotational set-up errors), margin recipe should be re-evaluated.

The prognostic role of FIGO stage in patients with vulvar cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To perform a meta-analysis examining the survival of patients with vulvar cancer based on the 2009 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system.

Methods: Medline, PubMed, and Cochrane databases were searched until 20 March 2015 for prospective or retrospective studies using the terms vulvar cancer, prognostic/prognosis, survival, recurrence, lymph nodes (LNs), inguinal lymphadenectomy/excision, and staging. The primary outcome was 5 year overall survival (OS), and secondary outcomes were 5 year disease-free survival (DFS) and progression-free survival (PFS).

[Radiotherapy Techniques and Radiation Pneumonitis: A Lot To A Little Or A Little To A Lot?].

Radiotherapy is one of the main treatment for patients with lung cancer. Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) and intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) are widely used to deliver radiation. Here, we focus on the correlations between dose distribution in lung and radiation pneumonitis according to the analysis about radiotherapy for lung cancer: A lot to a little or a little to a lot, which is the main cause of radiation pneumonitis?

Neuroimaging and clinical characteristics of brain metastases from esophageal carcinoma in Chinese patients.

Objective: The objective was to describe the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical characteristics of brain metastases from esophageal carcinoma diagnosed in patients from the Zhejiang Province of China, in order to provide a useful reference for the future diagnosis and treatment of similar patients.

Materials And Methods: Medical data were obtained for 31 patients who received treatment for brain metastases from esophageal carcinoma at the Zhejiang Provincial Cancer Hospital between January 1998 and July 2013. For this retrospective analysis, the primary tumors were pathologically confirmed.