A Convenient and Effective Preoxygenation Technique for Prolonging Deep Inspiration Breath-Hold Duration With a Venturi Mask With a 50% Oxygen Concentration.

Purpose: Voluntary deep inspiration breath-hold (DIBH) is commonly used in radiation therapy (RT), but the short duration of a single breath-hold, estimated to be around 20 to 40 seconds, is a limitation. This prospective study aimed to assess the feasibility and safety of using a simple preoxygenation technique with a Venturi mask to prolong voluntary DIBH.

Methods And Materials: The study included 33 healthy volunteers and 21 RT patients.

Alternating Expiration and Inspiration Breath-Hold Spares the Chest Wall During Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Peripheral Lung Malignancies.

Purpose: The proximity of tumors to the chest wall brings additional risks of chest wall pain during stereotactic body radiation therapy. Herein, we dosimetrically compared alternated breath-hold (ABH) plans with single BH plans and determined the common characteristics of eligible patients who may obtain better chest wall sparing using this technique.

Methods And Materials: Twenty patients with lung lesions adjacent to the chest wall were enrolled and received respiratory training.

Protective Role of Shenmai Injection on Radiation-Induced Heart Injury.

Radiation-induced heart injury (RIHI) limits the dose delivery of radiotherapy for thoracic cancer. Shenmai injection (SMI) is reported to have potential cytoprotective properties and is commonly used in cardiovascular diseases. So, we aimed to investigate the potential protective effects of SMI treatment on RIHI.

Immobilization-assisted abdominal deep inspiration breath-hold in post-mastectomy radiotherapy of left-sided breast cancer with internal mammary chain coverage.

Background: Whether to prophylactically irradiate the ipsilateral internal mammary chain (IMC) in post-mastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) remains controversial because of equivocal clinical benefits against the added toxicities. Our previous study revealed that the cardiac dose was decreased during left-sided breast radiotherapy with abdominal deep inspiration breath-hold (aDIBH) as compared with free-breathing (FB) and thoracic deep inspiration breath-hold (tDIBH). Here we present the dosimetric advantage of aDIBH for patients undergoing PMRT with IMC coverage.

Comparison of computed tomography- and magnetic resonance imaging-based target delineation for cervical cancer brachytherapy.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to compare and assess the accuracy of computed tomography (CT)-based target delineation with that of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based on high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) for patients with cervical cancer.

Material And Methods: Data of 20 patients with locally advanced cervical cancer were collected and evaluated. Dimensions, conformity, and dose parameters of high-risk clinical target volume (CTV) as well as D, D, and D of organs at risk (OARs) based on MRI were compared with those based on CT.

Potential of Gd-EOB-DTPA as an imaging biomarker for liver injury estimation after radiation therapy.

Background: Hepatic radiation injury severely restricts irradiation treatment for liver carcinoma. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical application of gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA)-enhanced MRI (EOB-MRI) in the assessment of liver function after external radiation therapy and to determine the relationship between focal liver reaction (FLR) and liver function.

Methods: A total of 47 patients with liver malignancies who underwent external beam radiation therapy were enrolled.

Abdominal DIBH reduces the cardiac dose even further: a prospective analysis.

Background: Deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) can be performed using different breathing maneuvers, such as DIBH with a thoracic breathing maneuver (T-DIBH) and DIBH with an abdominal breathing maneuver (A-DIBH). Dosimetric benefits of A-DIBH were investigated in the treatment of left-sided breast cancer radiotherapy (RT) with both 3-Dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) techniques.

Methods: Twenty-two patients with left-sided breast cancer were enrolled in this study.