Megavoltage computed tomography image guidance with helical tomotherapy in patients with vertebral tumors: analysis of factors influencing interobserver variability.

Purpose: To evaluate megavoltage computed tomography (MVCT)-based image guidance with helical tomotherapy in patients with vertebral tumors by analyzing factors influencing interobserver variability, considered as quality criterion of image guidance.

Methods And Materials: Five radiation oncologists retrospectively registered 103 MVCTs in 10 patients to planning kilovoltage CTs by rigid transformations in 4 df. Interobserver variabilities were quantified using the standard deviations (SDs) of the distributions of the correction vector components about the observers' fraction mean.

Intensified high-dose chemoradiotherapy with induction chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer-safety and toxicity results within a prospective trial.

Purpose: To analyze the toxicity profile of an intensified definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) schedule in patients with locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (Stage IIIA N2/selected IIIB) treated within a prospective multicenter trial.

Patients And Methods: After mediastinoscopy and routine staging procedures, three cycles of induction chemotherapy (cisplatin 50 mg/m(2), Days 1 and 8; paclitaxel 175 mg/m(2) Day 1, every 21 days) were planned, followed by concurrent CRT (accelerated-hyperfractionated regimen, 45 Gy, 2 x 1.5 Gy/d, cisplatin 50 mg/m(2), Days 64 and 71, vinorelbine 20 mg/m(2), Days 64 and 71).

Hexadecylphosphocholine does not influence phospholipase D and sphingomyelinase activity in human leukemia cells.

Hexadecylphosphocholine (HePC) is the first representative of the alkylphosphocholines (APC), a new group of biologically active compounds. HePC has pronounced antiproliferative effects on neoplastic cells in vitro and in vivo. The molecular mechanism by which HePC exerts its biological effects is still under investigation.