Patient safety is improved with an incident learning system-Clinical evidence in brachytherapy.

Background And Purpose: Health leaders have advocated for incident learning systems (ILSs) to prevent errors, but there is limited evidence demonstrating that ILSs improve cancer patient safety. Herein, we report a long-term retrospective review of ILS reports for the brachytherapy practice at a large academic institution.

Material And Methods: Over a nine-year period, the brachytherapy practice was encouraged to report all standard operating procedure deviations, including low risk deviations.

Experimental cardiac radiation exposure induces ventricular diastolic dysfunction with preserved ejection fraction.

Breast cancer radiotherapy increases the risk of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Cardiomyocytes are highly radioresistant, but radiation specifically affects coronary microvascular endothelial cells, with subsequent microvascular inflammation and rarefaction. The effects of radiation on left ventricular (LV) diastolic function are poorly characterized.

Radiation dose to the surgeon during plaque brachytherapy.

Purpose: To evaluate the radiation dose to a surgeon's hands during I eye plaque procedures.

Methods: Sixteen consecutive patients with uveal melanomas were scheduled for eye plaque brachytherapy. The same surgeon wore thermoluminescent dosimeters on the dominant index finger and thumb while placing and removing the eye plaque to measure radiation dose.

Sodium iodide symporter (NIS)-mediated radiovirotherapy for pancreatic cancer.

Objective: We have previously shown the therapeutic efficacy of an engineered oncolytic measles virus expressing the sodium iodide symporter reporter gene (MV-NIS) in mice with human pancreatic cancer xenografts. The goal of this study was to determine the synergy between MV-NIS-induced oncolysis and NIS-mediated (131)I radiotherapy in this tumor model.

Materials And Methods: Subcutaneous human BxPC-3 pancreatic tumors were injected twice with MV-NIS.

The use of imbricated sutures in radioactive plaque brachytherapy surgery.

This paper describes a new technique to suture the radioactive plaque to sclera. The radioactive plaque is conventionally sutured to the sclera using 5/0 nylon sutures. The imbricated suture technique involves using a 1/0 silk or 2/0 mersilene suture imbricated with the 5/0 nylon suture when the nylon suture is tied and cut.

Non-invasive monitoring of BMP-2 retention and bone formation in composites for bone tissue engineering using SPECT/CT and scintillation probes.

Non-invasive imaging can provide essential information for the optimization of new drug delivery-based bone regeneration strategies to repair damaged or impaired bone tissue. This study investigates the applicability of nuclear medicine and radiological techniques to monitor growth factor retention profiles and subsequent effects on bone formation. Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2, 6.

Quantitative molecular imaging of viral therapy for pancreatic cancer using an engineered measles virus expressing the sodium-iodide symporter reporter gene.

Objective: Our objectives were to, first, determine the oncolytic potential of an engineered measles virus expressing the sodium-iodide symporter gene (MV-NIS) for intratumoral (i.t.) therapy of pancreatic cancer and, second, evaluate NIS as a reporter gene for in vivo monitoring and quantitation of MV-NIS delivery, viral spread, and gene expression in this tumor model.

Non-invasive screening method for simultaneous evaluation of in vivo growth factor release profiles from multiple ectopic bone tissue engineering implants.

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a screening method based on scintillation probes for the simultaneous evaluation of in vivo growth factor release profiles of multiple implants in the same animal. First, we characterized the scintillation probes in a series of in vitro experiments to optimize the accuracy of the measurement setup. The scintillation probes were found to have a strong geometric dependence and experience saturation effects at high activities.

Retention of in vitro and in vivo BMP-2 bioactivities in sustained delivery vehicles for bone tissue engineering.

In this study, we investigated the in vitro and in vivo biological activities of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) released from four sustained delivery vehicles for bone regeneration. BMP-2 was incorporated into (1) a gelatin hydrogel, (2) poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres embedded in a gelatin hydrogel, (3) microspheres embedded in a poly(propylene fumarate) (PPF) scaffold and (4) microspheres embedded in a PPF scaffold surrounded by a gelatin hydrogel. A fraction of the incorporated BMP-2 was radiolabeled with (125)I to determine its in vitro and in vivo release profiles.

Radioiodide imaging and radiovirotherapy of multiple myeloma using VSV(Delta51)-NIS, an attenuated vesicular stomatitis virus encoding the sodium iodide symporter gene.

Multiple myeloma is a radiosensitive malignancy that is currently incurable. Here, we generated a novel recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus [VSV(Delta51)-NIS] that has a deletion of methionine 51 in the matrix protein and expresses the human sodium iodide symporter (NIS) gene. VSV(Delta51)-NIS showed specific oncolytic activity against myeloma cell lines and primary myeloma cells and was able to replicate to high titers in myeloma cells in vitro.

Small animal absorbed radiation dose from serial micro-computed tomography imaging.

Purpose: To determine the radiation dose to mouse cancer xenografts from serial micro-computed tomography (CT) examinations.

Procedures: A nude mouse with a 15-mm subcutaneous pancreatic cancer xenograft in the rightflank was used. Radiation exposure to the subcutaneous tumor and the mouse pancreas (to simulate an orthotopic pancreatic tumor model) was measured using lithium fluoride thermoluminescent dosimeters.

In vivo quantitation of intratumoral radioisotope uptake using micro-single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography.

Purpose: This study was undertaken to determine the ability of micro-single photon emission computed tomography (micro-SPECT)/computed tomography (CT) to accurately quantitate intratumoral radioisotope uptake in vivo and to compare these measurements with planar imaging and micro-SPECT imaging alone.

Procedures: Human pancreatic cancer xenografts were established in 10 mice. Intratumoral radioisotope uptake was achieved via intratumoral injection of an attenuated measles virus vector expressing the NIS gene (MV-NIS).

CT fluoroscopy-guided biopsy of the lung or upper abdomen with a breath-hold monitoring and feedback system: a prospective randomized controlled clinical trial.

Purpose: To prospectively determine the clinical effectiveness of a breath-hold monitoring and feedback system in computed tomographic (CT) fluoroscopy-guided biopsies in which respiratory motion is a problem.

Materials And Methods: Institutional review board approval and oral and written informed consent were obtained. This study was HIPAA compliant.

A preclinical large animal model of adenovirus-mediated expression of the sodium-iodide symporter for radioiodide imaging and therapy of locally recurrent prostate cancer.

The sodium-iodide symporter (NIS) is primarily a thyroid protein, providing for the accumulation of iodide for biosynthesis of thyroid hormones. Native NIS expression has made possible the use of radioactive iodide to image and treat thyroid disease successfully. The current study, using adult male beagle dogs, was carried out in preparation for a Phase I clinical trial of adenovirus-mediated NIS gene (approved symbol SLC5A5) therapy for prostate cancer.

Intermittent-mode CT fluoroscopy-guided biopsy of the lung or upper abdomen with breath-hold monitoring and feedback: system development and feasibility.

A bellows-based breath-hold monitoring and feedback system was developed and evaluated for use in intermittent-mode computed tomographic (CT) fluoroscopy-guided biopsy procedures in the lung or upper abdomen. The bellows system is described, and its feasibility is demonstrated in studies with a respiratory phantom and human volunteers. Results are reported for seven patients who underwent bellows-assisted biopsy.