Comprehensive Commissioning and Clinical Implementation of GammaTiles STaRT for Intracranial Brain Cancer.

Purpose: To validate the dose calculation accuracy and dose distribution of GammaTiles for brain tumors, and to suggest a surgically targeted radiation therapy (STaRT) workflow for planning, delivery, radiation safety documentation, and posttreatment validation.

Methods And Materials: Novel surgically targeted radiation therapy, GammaTiles, uses Cs-131 radiation isotopes embedded in collagen-based tiles that can be resorbed after surgery. GammaTile target delineation and dose calculation were performed on MIM Symphony software.

Implementation of Photon Treatment Back-up Workflow at a High-Volume Proton Center: Safety, Quality, and Patient Considerations.

Purpose: A successful proton beam therapy (PBT) center relies heavily on the proper function and maintenance of a proton beam therapy machine. However, when a PBT machine is non-operational, a proton facility is hindered with delays that can potentially lead to inferior treatment outcome due to treatment interruption. This article reports a viable solution for a photon back-up plan in a proton down event.

Implementation and experimental evaluation of Mega-voltage fan-beam CT using a linear accelerator.

Background: Mega-voltage fan-beam Computed Tomography (MV-FBCT) holds potential in accurate determination of relative electron density (RED) and proton stopping power ratio (SPR) but is not widely available.

Objective: To demonstrate the feasibility of MV-FBCT using a medical linear accelerator (LINAC) with a 2.5 MV imaging beam, an electronic portal imaging device (EPID) and multileaf collimators (MLCs).

Three-Dimensionally Printed On-Skin Radiation Shields Using High-Density Filament.

Purpose: Custom-fabricated lead shields are often used for superficial radiation treatments to reduce radiation doses to adjacent healthy tissue. However, the process for fabricating these lead shields is time consuming, labor intensive, and uncomfortable for patients. Alternatively, patient-specific shields can be 3-dimensionally (3D) printed from a high-density bronze-based filament to address these concerns.

Assessment of Polyethylene Glycol Hydrogel Spacer and Its Effect on Rectal Radiation Dose in Prostate Cancer Patients Receiving Proton Beam Radiation Therapy.

Purpose: To assess the efficacy of placing a polyethylene glycol (PEG) spacing hydrogel in patients undergoing proton beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer. This study also aims to assess the effect on rectal radiation dose of prostate-rectum separation in various anatomic planes.

Methods And Materials: Seventy-two consecutive prostate cancer patients undergoing conventionally fractionated pencil beam scanning proton radiation therapy with and without hydrogel placement were compared.

Improvements in treatment planning calculations motivated by tightening IMRT QA tolerances.

Implementing tighter intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) quality assurance (QA) tolerances initially resulted in high numbers of marginal or failing QA results and motivated a number of improvements to our calculational processes. This work details those improvements and their effect on results. One hundred eighty IMRT plans analyzed previously were collected and new gamma criteria were applied and compared to the original results.

An improvement in IMRT QA results and beam matching in linacs using statistical process control.

The purpose of this study is to apply the principles of statistical process control (SPC) in the context of patient specific intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) QA to set clinic-specific action limits and evaluate the impact of changes to the multileaf collimator (MLC) calibrations on IMRT QA results. Ten months of IMRT QA data with 247 patient QAs collected on three beam-matched linacs were retrospectively analyzed with a focus on the gamma pass rate (GPR) and the average ratio between the measured and planned doses. Initial control charts and action limits were calculated.