Combined clinical and research training in medical physics in a multi-institutional setting: 13-year experience of Harvard Medical Physics Residency Program.

Purpose: This manuscript describes the structure, management and outcomes of a multi-institutional clinical and research medical physics residency program (Harvard Medical Physics Residency Program, or HMPRP) to provide potentially useful information to the centers considering a multi-institutional approach for their training programs.

Methods: Data from the program documents and public records was used to describe HMPRP and obtain statistics about participating faculty, enrolled residents, and graduates. Challenges associated with forming and managing a multi-institutional program and developed solutions for effective coordination between several clinical centers are described.

Imaging primary lung cancers in mice to study radiation biology.

Purpose: To image a genetically engineered mouse model of non-small-cell lung cancer with micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) to measure tumor response to radiation therapy.

Methods And Materials: The Cre-loxP system was used to generate primary lung cancers in mice with mutation in K-ras alone or in combination with p53 mutation. Mice were serially imaged by micro-CT, and tumor volumes were determined.

An effective preoperative three-dimensional radiotherapy target volume for extremity soft tissue sarcoma and the effect of margin width on local control.

Purpose: There is little information on the appropriate three-dimensional (3D) preoperative radiotherapy (XRT) volume for extremity soft-tissue sarcomas (STS). We retrospectively analyzed the pattern of local failure (LF) to help elucidate optimal field design.

Methods And Materials: We analyzed the 56 patients who underwent computed tomography-planned XRT for Stage I to III extremity STS between June 2000 and December 2006.

Inter- and intramouse heterogeneity of radiation response for a growing paired organ.

An intensive search for predictive markers of individual radiation response of apparently normal tissues in cancer patients is in progress at the genetic and epigenetic levels. However, the relative impact of variability at these levels is not clear. Experimental results obtained in inbred rodents, which have significantly reduced genetic heterogeneity relative to a population of human patients, may help to clarify this issue.