No association between excessive wound complications and preoperative high-dose, hypofractionated, image-guided radiation therapy for spine metastasis.

Object: Radiation therapy is known to impair wound healing. Higher dose per fraction is believed to increase this risk. This study sought to quantify rates of wound complication in patients receiving preoperative conventionally fractionated radiotherapy (XRT) or high-dose hypofractionated image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) for spinal metastasis, and to identify predictors of wound complication.

Quantifying the impact of immediate reconstruction in postmastectomy radiation: a large, dose-volume histogram-based analysis.

Purpose: To assess the impact of immediate breast reconstruction on postmastectomy radiation (PMRT) using dose-volume histogram (DVH) data.

Methods And Materials: Two hundred forty-seven women underwent PMRT at our center, 196 with implant reconstruction and 51 without reconstruction. Patients with reconstruction were treated with tangential photons, and patients without reconstruction were treated with en-face electron fields and customized bolus.

Results of the 2005 to 2008 Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology surveys of chief residents in the United States: didactics and research experience.

Objectives: To analyze the didactics and research experience reported by chief residents during their residency training.

Methods: During the academic years 2005 to 2006, 2006 to 2007, and 2007 to 2008, the Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology (ARRO) conducted a nationwide survey of all radiation oncology chief residents in the United States. Chi-square statistic was used to assess for changes in didactics and research experience over time.

Results of the 2005-2008 Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology survey of chief residents in the United States: clinical training and resident working conditions.

Purpose: To document clinical training and resident working conditions reported by chief residents during their residency.

Methods And Materials: During the academic years 2005 to 2006, 2006 to 2007, and 2007 to 2008, the Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology conducted a nationwide survey of all radiation oncology chief residents in the United States. Chi-square statistics were used to assess changes in clinical training and resident working conditions over time.

Correlation of local failure with measures of dose insufficiency in the high-dose single-fraction treatment of bony metastases.

Purpose: In the setting of high-dose single-fraction image-guided radiotherapy of spine metastases, the delivered dose is hypothesized to be a significant factor in local control. We investigated the dependence of local control on measures of dose insufficiency.

Methods And Materials: The minimum doses received by the hottest 100%, 98%, and 95% (D(min), D(98), and D(95)) of the gross target volume (GTV) were computed for 91 consecutively treated lesions observed in 79 patients.