COVID-19 vaccines: Global challenges and prospects forum recommendations.

The 11th KAIMRC Annual Research Forum Themed "COVID-19 Vaccine: Global Challenges and Prospects Forum" discussed COVID19 Vaccines. The Forum was a vital event as it provided a hub for leading COVID-19 vaccine scientists, regulators, developers, and distributors to learn about COVID-19 vaccines in development, make decisions about the best vaccines to use, and develop appropriate plans for global distribution and pricing. The COVID-19: Global Efforts for Development, Clinical Trials and Distribution Symposium brought together leading scientists, clinicians, pharma, decision makers, academic institutions and businesses to present and discuss the vaccines that are being currently developed for the COVID19.

Towards ultrasound-guided adaptive radiotherapy for cervical cancer: Evaluation of Elekta's semiautomated uterine segmentation method on 3D ultrasound images.

Purpose: 3D ultrasound (US) images of the uterus may be used to adapt radiotherapy (RT) for cervical cancer patients based on changes in daily anatomy. This requires accurate on-line segmentation of the uterus. The aim of this work was to assess the accuracy of Elekta's "Assisted Gyne Segmentation" (AGS) algorithm in semi-automatically segmenting the uterus on 3D transabdominal ultrasound images by comparison with manual contours.

Evaluation of uterine ultrasound imaging in cervical radiotherapy; a comparison of autoscan and conventional probe.

Objective: In cervical radiotherapy, it is essential that the uterine position is correctly determined prior to treatment delivery. The aim of this study was to evaluate an autoscan ultrasound (A-US) probe, a motorized transducer creating three-dimensional (3D) images by sweeping, by comparing it with a conventional ultrasound (C-US) probe, where manual scanning is required to acquire 3D images.

Methods: Nine healthy volunteers were scanned by seven operators, using the Clarity(®) system (Elekta, Stockholm, Sweden).

Determining intrafractional prostate motion using four dimensional ultrasound system.

Background: In prostate radiotherapy, it is essential that the prostate position is within the planned volume during the treatment delivery. The aim of this study is to investigate whether intrafractional motion of the prostate is of clinical consequence, using a novel 4D autoscan ultrasound probe.

Methods: Ten prostate patients were ultrasound (US) scanned at the time of CT imaging and once a week during their course of radiotherapy treatment in an ethics-approved study, using the transperineal Clarity autoscan system (Clarity®, Elekta Inc.

Prostate displacement during transabdominal ultrasound image-guided radiotherapy assessed by real-time four-dimensional transperineal monitoring.

Background: Transabdominal ultrasound (TAUS) imaging is currently available for localizing the prostate in daily image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT). The aim of this study was to determine the induced prostate displacement during such TAUS imaging. The prostate displacement was monitored using a novel transperineal four-dimensional (4D) US (TPUS) system.

Impact of ultrasound probe pressure on uterine positional displacement in gynecologic cancer patients.

Aim: The aim of this study was to quantify the uterine positional displacement induced by ultrasound probe pressure on a phantom and address the daily uterine motion in a healthy volunteer.

Materials & Methods: The phantom mimics the female pelvic region. The incorporated organs were subjected to displacement.

Isotoxic dose escalation in the treatment of lung cancer by means of heterogeneous dose distributions in the presence of respiratory motion.

Purpose: To test, in the presence of intrafractional respiration movement, a margin recipe valid for a homogeneous and conformal dose distribution and to test whether the use of smaller margins combined with heterogeneous dose distributions allows an isotoxic dose escalation when respiratory motion is considered.

Methods And Materials: Twenty-three Stage II-III non-small-cell lung cancer patients underwent four-dimensional computed tomography scanning. The gross tumor volume and clinical target volume (CTV) were outlined in the mid-ventilation phase.

Evaluation of setup accuracy for NSCLC patients; studying the impact of different types of cone-beam CT matches based on whole thorax, columna vertebralis, and GTV.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the patient setup accuracy by investigating the impact of different types of CBCT matches, performed with 3 (translations only) or 6 (including rotations) degrees-of-freedom (DOF). The purpose is also to calculate and compare CTV to PTV margins based on the various CBCT matches, setups using 2D kV planar imaging or setups using skin markers only (non-IGRT).

Material And Methods: Setup images from 16 NSCLC patients with weekly CBCT and daily 2D kV planar imaging were analyzed retrospectively.