Predicting response to immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer- from bench to bedside.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy is first-line treatment for many advanced non-small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC) patients. Predicting response could help guide selection of intensified or alternative anti-cancer regimens. We hypothesized that radiomics and laboratory variables predictive of ICI response in a murine model would also predict response in aNSCLC patients.

Abscopal effect observed in visceral and osseous metastases after liver SBRT in combination with nivolumab and relatlimab for sinonasal mucosal melanoma-a case report.

Background: Primary sinonasal mucosal melanoma (SNMM) is a rare, aggressive histology usually diagnosed at advanced stages and associated with poor prognosis. Evidence regarding etiology, diagnosis, and treatment mainly derives from case reports, retrospective series, and national databases. In the treatment of metastatic melanoma, anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 checkpoint blockade increased 5-year overall survival from ~10% (prior to 2011) to ~50% (between 2011 and 2016).

Toward prediction of abscopal effect in radioimmunotherapy: Pre-clinical investigation.

Purpose: Immunotherapy (IT) and radiotherapy (RT) can act synergistically, enhancing antitumor response beyond what either treatment can achieve separately. Anecdotal reports suggest that these results are in part due to the induction of an abscopal effect on non-irradiated lesions. Systematic data on incidence of the abscopal effect are scarce, while the existence and the identification of predictive signatures or this phenomenon are lacking.

Longitudinal fan-beam computed tomography dataset for head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma patients.

Purpose: To describe in detail a dataset consisting of longitudinal fan-beam computed tomography (CT) imaging to visualize anatomical changes in head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients throughout radiotherapy (RT) treatment course.

Acquisition And Validation Methods: This dataset consists of CT images from 31 HNSCC patients who underwent volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). Patients had three CT scans acquired throughout the duration of the radiation treatment course.

Integral dose based inverse optimization objective function promises lower toxicity in head-and-neck.

Purpose: The voxels in a CT data sets contain density information. Besides its use in dose calculation density has no other application in modern radiotherapy treatment planning. This work introduces the use of density information by integral dose minimization in radiotherapy treatment planning for head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Automated inverse optimization facilitates lower doses to normal tissue in pancreatic stereotactic body radiotherapy.

Purpose: Inverse planning is trial-and-error iterative process. This work introduces a fully automated inverse optimization approach, where the treatment plan is closely tailored to the unique patient anatomy. The auto-optimization is applied to pancreatic stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT).

Integral Dose-Based Inverse Optimization May Reduce Side Effects in Radiotherapy of Prostate Carcinoma.

Purpose: The purpose of this work is to apply a novel inverse optimization approach, based on utilization of quantitative imaging information in the optimization function, to prostate carcinoma.

Materials And Methods: This new inverse optimization algorithm relies upon quantitative information derived from computed tomography (CT) imaging studies. The Hounsfield numbers of the CT voxels are converted to physical density, which in turn is used to calculate voxel mass and the corresponding integral dose, by summation over the product of dose and mass in each dose voxel.

New approach in lung cancer radiotherapy offers better normal tissue sparing.

Purpose: Medical images are more than pictures. They contain additional quantitative information which can be interrogated, quantified, and utilized. Besides anatomical information computed tomography (CT) imaging data provide electron density information.

Mathematical Formulation of DMH-Based Inverse Optimization.

Purpose: To introduce the concept of dose-mass-based inverse optimization for radiotherapy applications.

Materials And Methods: Mathematical derivation of the dose-mass-based formalism is presented. This mathematical representation is compared to the most commonly used dose-volume-based formulation used in inverse optimization.

Mathematical formulation of energy minimization - based inverse optimization.

Purpose: To introduce the concept of energy minimization-based inverse optimization for external beam radiotherapy.

Materials And Methods: Mathematical formulation of energy minimization-based inverse optimization is presented. This mathematical representation is compared to the most commonly used dose-volume based formulation used in inverse optimization.

The effect of gantry spacing resolution on plan quality in a single modulated arc optimization.

Volumetric-modulated arc technique (VMAT) is an efficient form of IMRT delivery. It is advantageous over conventional IMRT in terms of treatment delivery time. This study investigates the relation between the number of segments and plan quality in VMAT optimization for a single modulated arc.

Biological optimization in volumetric modulated arc radiotherapy for prostate carcinoma.

Purpose: To investigate the potential benefits achievable with biological optimization for modulated volumetric arc (VMAT) treatments of prostate carcinoma.

Methods And Materials: Fifteen prostate patient plans were studied retrospectively. For each case, planning target volume, rectum, and bladder were considered.

Lung dose for minimally moving thoracic lesions treated with respiration gating.

Purpose: To evaluate incidental doses to benign lung tissue for patients with minimally moving lung lesions treated with respiratory gating.

Methods And Materials: Seventeen lung patient plans were studied retrospectively. Tumor motion was less than 5 mm in all cases.

Quantification of the skin sparing effect achievable with high-energy photon beams when carbon fiber tables are used.

Purpose: To quantify the skin doses resulting from the use of carbon fiber couches (CFCs) for patient support.

Materials And Methods: BrainLab's CFC was evaluated for five prostate patients and five lung patients. For each patient PTV, organs at risk (OARs), and a 0.