Comparative analysis of the absorbed dose in the heart and anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery (LAD) in patients with left-sided breast cancer who received radiotherapy using 3D-CRT, IMRT and VMAT techniques.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the absorbed dose distributions within the heart and lad in patients with left-sided breast cancer who underwent radiotherapy using 3D-CRT, IMRT and VMAT techniques.

Methods: The treatment plans of 11 patients with left-sided breast cancer were analyzed. All of the patients were irradiated in our facility with DIBH 3D-CRT.

The use of hyaluronic acid hydrogel as a tumour bed marker in breast-conserving therapy.

Purpose: To evaluate usefulness of hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel as a tumour bed marker in breast conserving therapy (BCT). To analyze inter- (Inter-OV) and intraobserver (Intra-OV) variability of contouring boost target volume (CTV) in external beam radiotherapy (EBRT).

Materials And Methods: Thirty-two patients in the HA group and 30 patients in the control group with an early stage breast cancer were included in the study.

The effect of radiotherapy and hormone therapy on osteopontin concentrations in prostate cancer patients.

Purpose: To evaluate and compare plasma osteopontin (OPN, a candidate prostate cancer biomarker) levels in prostate cancer patients receiving radiotherapy or combined radiotherapy or hormone therapy.

Methods: OPN levels were determined by ELISA in 40 prostate cancer patients eligible for radiotherapy (n=18 radiotherapy alone, n=22 combined radiotherapy and hormone therapy) before the start of irradiation, during treatment, and one month after its completion.

Results: OPN levels were significantly higher (p=0.

Visualization of dose distribution in intraoperative electron beam Radiotherapy based on ultrasound images.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a method for dose distribution visualization in the case of Electron Beam Intraoperative Radiotherapy based on the images obtained in the operating room. This cannot be relied on CT images obtained before surgery due to significant tissue deformation.

Methods: The ultrasound scanning is the only method to obtain 3-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of a patient's tissue under operating room conditions.

Stereotypical and Actual Associations of Breast Size with Mating-Relevant Traits.

Breast size varies substantially among women and influences perception of the woman by other people with regard to her attractiveness and other characteristics that are important in social contexts, including mating. The theory of sexual selection predicts that physical criteria of partner selection should be markers of the candidate's desirable properties, mainly biological quality. Few studies, however, have examined whether breast size really signals biological quality or its components and whether observers accurately interpret these signals.

The analysis of the long-term outcomes in elderly women treated for locally advanced cervical cancer.

Purpose: Locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) should be treated with a combination of external irradiation and brachytherapy with concurrent chemotherapy. However, as cervical carcinoma cells can disperse by way of the lymphatic system to either pelvic or para-aortic nodes, planning the extent of radiation requires precise information about the spread of the disease to the lymph nodes, especially to the para-aortic area.

Material And Methods: All of the 75 women included in our study underwent chemoradiotherapy, which started with brachytherapy.

Osteopontin And Angiogenic Factors As New Biomarkers Of Prostate Cancer.

Purpose: The novel biomarkers that would identify patients at risk for relapse and metastatic spread are needed. The aim of this study was the evaluation of serum levels of osteopontin (OPN) and tumor endogenous angiogenic factors such as vascular-endothelial growth factor (VEGF), vascular-endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGF R2), endostatin, angiostatin and thrombospondin 1, in prostate cancer (PC) patients.

Material And Methods: Blood concentrations of the analyzed parameters were determined in 40 prostate cancer patients eligible for radiotherapy as well as in the control group consisted of 25 volunteers.

O-HO PET/CT as a tool for the quantitative assessment of early post-radiotherapy changes of heart perfusion in breast carcinoma patients.

Objective: Studies examining radiation-induced heart toxicity in breast cancer patients are inconclusive. The aim of this study was to prospectively and quantitatively asses myocardial blood flow (MBF) with, for the first time, O-HO PET/CT as a marker of heart damage in irradiated breast cancer patients.

Methods: 15 breast cancer patients receiving intact breast or chest wall irradiation were included in the analysis (six with right-sided and nine with left-sided breast cancer).

Relationship between Glioblastoma Dose Volume Parameters Measured by Dual Time Point Fluoroethylthyrosine-PET and Clinical Outcomes.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is highly invasive. Despite irradiation with wide margins, GBM usually recurs in-field. Recent data have suggested that progression might be promoted by sublethal irradiation.

Evaluation of Brain Edema Formation Defined By MRI After LINAC-based Stereotactic Radiosurgery.

Background: Peri-lesional edema is a serious and well-known complication of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). Here we evaluated edema risk after SRS and assessed its formation and resolution dynamics.

Patients And Methods: 107 patients underwent SRS for heterogeneous diagnoses: 34 (29%) with arteriovenous malformations, 38 (35%) with meningiomas, 16 (15%) with metastatic tumors, 16 (15%) with acoustic neuromas, 3 with (3%) cavernomas, and 2 (2%) each with anaplastic astrocytomas and anaplastic oligoastrocytomas.

Whole breast irradiation vs. APBI using multicatheter brachytherapy in early breast cancer - simulation of treatment costs based on phase 3 trial data.

Purpose: A recent large phase 3 trial demonstrated that the efficacy of accelerated partial-breast irradiation (APBI) in the treatment of early breast cancer is non-inferior to that of whole breast irradiation (WBI) commonly used in this indication. The aim of this study was to compare the costs of treatment with APBI and WBI in a population of patients after conserving surgery for early breast cancer, and to verify if the use of APBI can result in direct savings of a public payer.

Material And Methods: The hereby presented cost analysis was based on the results of GEC-ESTRO trial.

Pre-irradiation tumour volumes defined by MRI and dual time-point FET-PET for the prediction of glioblastoma multiforme recurrence: A prospective study.

Background And Purpose: The diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is suboptimal. We analysed pre-treatment MRI- and dual time-point 18F-fluoroethylthyrosine-PET (FET-PET)-based target volumes and GBM recurrence patterns following radiotherapy with temozolomide.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-four patients with primary GBM were treated according to MRI-based treatment volumes (GTVRM).

Cylindrical spreading due to downwind refraction.

Downwind propagation is analyzed for a low level jet (LLJ). The LLJ is characterized by a wind speed maximum (at least 10-20 m/s with peak speeds up to 30 m/s) a few hundred meters above the ground. Close to an elevated point source, such as a wind turbine or an aircraft, spherical spreading results in a 6 dB decrease in sound level per doubling of the distance.

Transition from Paris dosimetry system to 3D image-guided planning in interstitial breast brachytherapy.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate our first experience with 3D image-guided breast brachytherapy and to compare dose distribution parameters between Paris dosimetry system (PDS) and image-based plans.

Material And Methods: First 49 breast cancer patients treated with 3D high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy as a boost were selected for the study. Every patient underwent computed tomography, and the planning target volume (PTV) and organs at risk (OAR) were outlined.

Dose estimation for different skin models in interstitial breast brachytherapy.

Purpose: Skin is a major organ at risk in breast-conserving therapy (BCT). The American Brachytherapy Society (ABS) recommendations require monitoring of maximum dose received, however, there is no unambiguous way of skin contouring provided. The purpose of this study was to compare the doses received by the skin in different models.

Three-dimensional dosimetry of the full and empty bladder in high dose rate vaginal cuff brachytherapy.

Objectives: The objectives of the study were to assess the bladder doses during vaginal cuff brachytherapy and to examine the effect of bladder filling on normal tissue dosimetry by means of computed tomography.

Materials And Methods: A total number of 45 women were enrolled in a prospective clinical trial. Patients were treated with the application of a single-line source vaginal cylinder.

Measurement of primary tumor volume by PET-CT to evaluate risk of mediastinal nodal involvement in NSCLC patients with clinically negative N2 lymph nodes.

Aim: The study aimed to determine a prognostic value of primary tumor volume measured on the basis of integrated positron emission tomography-computerized tomography (PET-CT) in terms of mediastinal nodal metastases (N2) prediction in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with PET-CT N2 negative lymph nodes.

Methods: The records of 70 potentially operable NSCLC patients treated with surgical resection were analyzed. All patients underwent diagnostic, preoperative PET-CT, which was the basis for tumor volume calculations as well as the evaluation of N2 nodes status.

Preliminary results of linac-based radiosurgery in arteriovenous malformations and cerebral tumours in the Oncology Centre in Bydgoszcz.

Aim Of The Study: Efficacy of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in the treatment in cerebral AVM's, mennigiomas, metastases, acoustic neuromas and recurrent anaplastic gliomas is well documented. The object of this work was the analysis of the results of the treatment of AVM and selected cerebral lesions with linear accelerator-based stereotactic radiosurgery.

Material And Methods: THE LESIONS INCLUDED: 12 AVMs, 2 cavernomas, 27 meningiomas, 16 metastases, 5 acoustic neuromas, 16 gliomas in 78 patients.

Oxidative stress markers in prostate cancer patients after HDR brachytherapy combined with external beam radiation.

Assessment of oxidative stress markers was perfomed in prostate cancer (PCa) patients subjected to high-dose brachytherapy (HDR) with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). Sixty men with PCa were subjected to combined two-fraction treatment with HDR (tot. 20 Gy) and EBRT (46 Gy).

Indications for postoperative radiotherapy in patients with prostate cancer after surgery with positive surgical margins.

Aim Of The Study: Prostate cancer is the second most prevalent cancer among men in Poland. The main methods of radical treatment are radical prostatectomy and radiotherapy. In patients who have been correctly qualified for surgery, a positive surgical margin is always an unexpected and undesirable factor.

Labeling of microvessel density, lymphatic vessel density and potential role of proangiogenic and lymphangiogenic factors as a predictive/prognostic factors after radiotherapy in patients with cervical cancer.

Introduction: Angiogenesis, formation of a new blood vessel from the existing vascular network, is essential for tumor growth, progression and metastasis. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been identified to be one of the most important factors of angiogenesis. VEGF-C, a novel member of the family, is a relatively specific lymphangiogenic growth factor.

Time-dependent changes of plasma concentrations of angiopoietins, vascular endothelial growth factor, and soluble forms of their receptors in nonsmall cell lung cancer patients following surgical resection.

Even when patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer undergo surgical resection at an early stage, recurrent disease often impairs the clinical outcome. There are numerous causes potentially responsible for a relapse of the disease, one of them being extensive angiogenesis. The balance of at least two systems, VEGF VEGFR and Ang Tie, regulates vessel formation.

Influence of surgical resection on plasma endoglin (CD105) level in non‑small cell lung cancer patients.

Background And Aim: Endoglin is a proliferation-associated antigen on endothelial cells and essential for angiogenesis. Soluble endoglin (s‑endoglin), formed by proteolytic cleavage of ectodomain of membrane receptor could be an indicator of tumor‑activated endothelium. The aim of present study was to analyze changes of s‑endoglin level in plasma of lung cancer patients following surgical resection and to estimate the correlation of s‑endoglin with other soluble receptors, sTie2 and sVEGF R1.