Interstitial Photodynamic Therapy for Glioblastomas: A Standardized Procedure for Clinical Use.

Glioblastomas (GBMs) are high-grade malignancies with a poor prognosis. The current standard of care for GBM is maximal surgical resection followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Despite all these treatments, the overall survival is still limited, with a median of 15 months.

Is interstitial photodynamic therapy for brain tumors ready for clinical practice? A systematic review.

Background: Interstitial photodynamic therapy (iPDT), inserting optical fibers inside brain tumors, has been proposed for more than 30 years. While a promising therapeutic option, it is still an experimental treatment, with different ways of application, depending on the team performing the technique.

Objective: In this systematic review, we reported the patient selection process, the treatment parameters, the potential adverse events and the oncological outcomes related to iPDT treatment applied to brain tumors.

Investigating the limits of PET/CT imaging at very low true count rates and high random fractions in ion-beam therapy monitoring.

Purpose: External beam radiotherapy with protons and heavier ions enables a tighter conformation of the applied dose to arbitrarily shaped tumor volumes with respect to photons, but is more sensitive to uncertainties in the radiotherapeutic treatment chain. Consequently, an independent verification of the applied treatment is highly desirable. For this purpose, the irradiation-induced β(+)-emitter distribution within the patient is detected shortly after irradiation by a commercial full-ring positron emission tomography/x-ray computed tomography (PET/CT) scanner installed next to the treatment rooms at the Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center (HIT).

Negative-pressure wound therapy and external fixation for infection and hematoma after hallux abducto valgus surgery.

Hematoma refers to the collection or extravasation of blood, usually clotted, in a closed tissue space. It is caused by leakage from local vessels damaged by blunt trauma, local injury, or surgical dissection. In the postoperative phase, a hematoma often results in edema, pain, wound dehiscence, infection, and scarring of the surgical wound.