A Novel Immobilization Method for the Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer Using 3D Printing.

Proper immobilization is critical for the delivery of high-quality radiation therapy. In cases when traditional immobilization is not feasible, 3-dimensional (3D) printing may provide a better-tolerated custom immobilization that is comparably effective. We present the successful treatment of a patient with inoperable oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma who was unable to tolerate traditional immobilization.

Redefining trauma deserts: novel technique to accurately map prehospital transport time.

Background: Prehospital transport time has been directly related to mortality for hemorrhaging trauma patients. 'Trauma deserts' were previously defined as being outside of a 5-mile radial distance of an urban trauma center. We postulated that the true 'desert' should be based on transport time rather than transport distance.

Impact of Routine Surveillance Imaging on Recurrence in Sinonasal Malignancies.

Background/aim: There is significant variation in post-treatment surveillance imaging for sinonasal malignancies. This study examined the utility of surveillance imaging in detecting recurrence in patients treated for sinonasal malignancies.

Patients And Methods: We performed a retrospective review on an IRB-approved dataset of patients with sinonasal malignancies treated at a single institution between 2005 to 2021.

A novel use of 3D-printed template in vaginal HDR brachytherapy.

Purpose: The High-Dose-Rate (HDR) vaginal cylinder treatment is typically designed using the initial CT, while the subsequent implants are verified using rudimentary methods (i.e., visual inspection, ruler measurements, etc.

Hypofractionated radiation in secretory breast cancer: A case report.

Secretory carcinoma is a rare and indolent breast cancer with a lack of established treatment paradigms. We describe a case of a woman who underwent breast conservative therapy in the modern era. A 48 year old woman with a screen-detected left breast cancer was found to have early-stage secretory carcinoma after definitive breast conservation surgery.

Suppression of local type I interferon by gut microbiota-derived butyrate impairs antitumor effects of ionizing radiation.

The antitumor effects of ionizing radiation (IR) are mediated in part through activation of innate and adaptive immunity. Here we report that gut microbiota influences tumor control following IR. Vancomycin decreased the abundance of butyrate-producing gut bacteria and enhanced antitumor responses to IR.

Three-dimensional printing in radiation oncology: A systematic review of the literature.

Purpose/objectives: Three-dimensional (3D) printing is recognized as an effective clinical and educational tool in procedurally intensive specialties. However, it has a nascent role in radiation oncology. The goal of this investigation is to clarify the extent to which 3D printing applications are currently being used in radiation oncology through a systematic review of the literature.

Adjuvant vaginal brachytherapy and chemotherapy versus pelvic radiotherapy in early-stage endometrial cancer: Outcomes by risk factors.

Objective: To report on patterns of care as well as evaluate the two treatment regimens using a large retrospective hospital-based registry to identify possible subgroups of patients who may experience benefit with VBT + CT vs. EBRT.

Methods: Patients from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) were identified who met the inclusion criteria for GOG 249 and were treated with either VBT + CT or WPRT.

Elevated Radiation Therapy Toxicity in the Setting of Germline PTEN Mutation.

Cells that lack PTEN function are radiation sensitive in cell culture-based experimental systems; therefore, patients with Cowden Syndrome (CS) may carry an increased risk for normal tissue injury after radiotherapy. Here we present the first such case of a patient with genetically-confirmed CS who, indeed, experienced greater than expected toxicity following two separate courses of radiotherapy. While a causal relationship between CS and radiation sensitivity remains unclear, this observation suggests the need for further study in larger cohorts of CS patients.

Current recommendations and recent progress in endometrial cancer.

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer in the United States, and its incidence is rising. Although there have been significant recent advances in our understanding of endometrial cancer biology, many aspects of treatment remain mired in controversy, including the role of surgical lymph node assessment and the selection of patients for adjuvant radiation or chemotherapy. For the subset of women with microsatellite-instable, metastatic disease, anti- programmed cell death protein 1 immunotherapy (pembrolizumab) is now approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, and numerous trials are attempting to build on this early success.

Traumatic colon injury in damage control laparotomy-A multicenter trial: Is it safe to do a delayed anastomosis?

Background: Delayed colonic anastomosis after damage control laparotomy (DCL) is an alternative to colostomies during a single laparotomy (SL) in high-risk patients. However, literature suggests increased colonic leak rates up to 27% with DCL, and various reported risk factors. We evaluated our regional experience to determine if delayed colonic anastomosis was associated with worse outcomes.

Socioeconomic factors and parity of access to robotic surgery in a county health system.

Equal access to novel surgical technologies remains a policy concern as hospitals adopt robotic surgery with increasing prevalence. This study sought to determine whether socioeconomic factors influence access to robotic surgery. All laparoscopic and robotic fundoplications and paraesophageal hernia repairs performed by a surgical group over 6 years at a county and two neighboring private hospitals were identified.

Influence of geometric and material properties on artifacts generated by interventional MRI devices: Relevance to PRF-shift thermometry.

Purpose: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is capable of providing valuable real-time feedback during medical procedures, partly due to the excellent soft-tissue contrast available. Several technical hurdles still exist to seamless integration of medical devices with MRI due to incompatibility of most conventional devices with this imaging modality. In this study, the effect of local perturbations in the magnetic field caused by the magnetization of medical devices was examined using finite element analysis modeling.

An MRI-compatible platform for one-dimensional motion management studies in MRI.

Purpose: Abdominal MRI remains challenging because of respiratory motion. Motion compensation strategies are difficult to compare clinically because of the variability across human subjects. The goal of this study was to evaluate a programmable system for one-dimensional motion management MRI research.

Response network analysis of differential gene expression in human epithelial lung cells during avian influenza infections.

Background: The recent emergence of the H5N1 influenza virus from avian reservoirs has raised concern about future influenza strains of high virulence emerging that could easily infect humans. We analyzed differential gene expression of lung epithelial cells to compare the response to H5N1 infection with a more benign infection with Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). These gene expression data are then used as seeds to find important nodes by using a novel combination of the Gene Ontology database and the Human Network of gene interactions.