Advancing the Role of Proton Therapy for Spine Metastases Through Diagnostic Scan-Based Planning.

Purpose: Many patients with metastatic cancer live years beyond diagnosis, and there remains a need to improve the therapeutic ratio of metastasis-directed radiation for these patients. This study aimed to assess a process for delivering cost-effective palliative proton therapy to the spine using diagnostic scan-based planning (DSBP) and prefabricated treatment delivery devices.

Materials And Methods: We designed and characterized a reusable proton aperture system that adjusts to multiple lengths for spine treatment.

Operational Performance of a Compact Proton Therapy System: A 5-Year Experience.

Purpose: We present an analysis of various operational metrics for a novel compact proton therapy system, including clinical case mix, subsystems utilization, and quality assurance trends in beam delivery parameters over a period of 5 years.

Materials And Methods: Patient-specific data from a total of 850 patients (25,567 fractions) have been collected and analyzed. The patient mix include a variety of simple, intermediate, and complex cases.