A dose escalated fiducial marker-based image guided radical radiotherapy in locally advanced prostate cancers: A single institute experience from India.

Purpose: Image guided radiotherapy (IGRT) is one of the most commonly used treatment in LAPC. Dose escalation >74 Gy has shown to improve the biochemical control and freedom from failure rate in LAPC.We started treating LAPC patients with dose escalated IGRT in our institute since 2008.

Consolidation chemoradiation (cCTRT) improves survival in responders to first-line chemotherapy (CT) in locally advanced gallbladder cancer (LA-GBC): A new standard of care?

Introduction: Chemotherapy (CT) is the standard of care in advanced gallbladder cancer (GBC). Should locally advanced GBC (LA-GBC) with response to CT and good performance status (PS) be offered as consolidation chemoradiation (cCTRT) to delay progression and improve survival? There is a scarcity of literature on this approach in the English literature. We present our experience with this approach in LA-GBC.

Cardiac dose reduction using deep inspiratory breath hold (DIBH) in radiation treatment of left sided breast cancer patients with breast conservation surgery and modified radical mastectomy.

Purpose: Deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) reduces heart and pulmonary doses during left-sided breast radiation therapy (RT); however, there is limited information whether the reduction in doses is similar in patients with modified radical MRM (MRM) and breast conservation surgery (BCS). The primary objective was to determine whether DIBH offers greater dosimetric reduction in cardiac doses in patients with MRM as compared to BCS with secondary objectives of documenting time consumed in counseling, simulation and planning such techniques.

Methods: Thirty patients with diagnosis of left sided breast cancer underwent CT simulation both free breathing (FB) and DIBH.

Assessing failure patterns of radical intent radiation strategies in patients with locally advanced carcinoma of the esophagus.

Background: Patterns of failure following definitive CRT (dCRT) are different as compared to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) with increased locoregional failures documented with dCRT.

Aim: To document failure patterns in patients with esophageal carcinoma treated with neoadjuvant and definitive intent radiation strategies.

Methods: Subjects were 123 patients treated with two chemoradiotherapy strategies.

Comparison of set-up errors by breast size on wing board by portal imaging.

Aim: To quantify and compare setup errors between small and large breast patients undergoing intact breast radiotherapy.

Methods: 20 patients were inducted. 10 small/moderate size breast in arm I and 10 large breast in arm II.

Comparative assessment of doses to tumor, rectum, and bladder as evaluated by orthogonal radiographs vs. computer enhanced computed tomography-based intracavitary brachytherapy in cervical cancer.

Purpose: To carry out a comparative assessment of intracavitary brachytherapy (ICBT) doses to tumor, bladder, and rectum based on orthogonal films and contrast enhanced computed tomography (CECT).

Methods And Materials: Fifty-five ICBT procedures with CT/MRI compatible applicator and CECT scans were evaluated. Doses to Point A, International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurement (ICRU) reference points for maximum bladder (B max(ICRU)) and rectum (R max(ICRU)) localized from orthogonal films were compared with CECT delineated tumor, bladder (B max(CECT)), and rectum (R max(CECT)) doses, respectively.

Total reference air kerma: to what extent can it predict intracavitary volume enclosed by isodose surfaces during multiple high-dose rate brachytherapy?

Background: The International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU) report 38 recommends reporting of total reference air kerma (TRAK) and reference ICRU isodose volumes during intracavitary brachytherapy (ICBT) in cancer of the cervix. The present study attempts to estimate the volumes enclosed by isodose surfaces from TRAK and evaluate its utility to represent doses to organs of interest.

Material And Methods: Volumes encompassed by isodose surfaces of 3 Gy, 6 Gy, 9 Gy, and 12 Gy were obtained for 90 high-dose rate (HDR) ICBT procedures.

Safety and efficacy of concurrent cisplatin and radiotherapy in inoperable or metastatic squamous cell esophageal cancer.

Between August 1996 and May 1999, 50 consecutive, previously untreated patients with carcinoma of the esophagus and who were inoperable for various reasons were treated with weekly doses of cisplatin (35 mg/m2, maximum 7 cycles) concurrent with either 66 Gy/33 fractions external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) (n = 42) or 50 Gy/25 fractions EBRT and two insertions of high-dose-rate intraluminal radiotherapy of 6 Gy each, spaced a week apart (n = 8). Eighty-two percent (41/50) of the patients received the stipulated radiotherapy (RT) dose. Seventy-six percent (38/50) received at least 6 cycles of chemotherapy.