Dose-volume analysis for respiratory toxicity in intrathoracic esophageal cancer patients treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy using extended fields.

Purpose: We evaluated the relationship between dosimetric parameters (DPs) and the incidence of radiation pneumonitis (RP) and investigated the feasibility of a proposed treatment planning technique with the potential of reducing RP in esophageal cancer patients treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy using extended fields.

Patients And Methods: A total of 149 patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer were prospectively enrolled for extended-field radiotherapy (EFRT) to three-field regional lymphatics between September 2004 and June 2009. We retrospectively reviewed 86 consecutive patients who were treated with a total dose of 50.

Strategy of radiation therapy for bone metastases and MSCC in breast cancer patients.

Bone metastasis is a common event in advanced cancers such as prostate, breast, lung, and renal cancers. Radiation therapy has been widely used for bone metastasis. However, it remains a challenging therapy because no radiation therapeutic guidelines, including radiation dose, radiation field, and fractionation, for patients with bone metastasis have been established.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for operable stage I non-small-cell lung cancer: can SBRT be comparable to surgery?

Purpose: To review treatment outcomes for stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in medically operable patients with Stage I non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), using a Japanese multi-institutional database.

Patients And Methods: Between 1995 and 2004, a total of 87 patients with Stage I NSCLC (median age, 74 years; T1N0M0, n=65; T2N0M0, n=22) who were medically operable but refused surgery were treated using SBRT alone in 14 institutions. Stereotactic three-dimensional treatment was performed using noncoplanar dynamic arcs or multiple static ports.

Cesium implant for tongue carcinoma with a thickness of 1.5 cm or more: cases successfully treated with a Modified Manchester System.

Purpose: Deciding on treatment carcinoma of the tongue when the tumor has a thickness of 1.5 cm or more is difficult. Surgery often requires wide resection and re-construction, leading to considerable functional impairment.

Three-dimensional intrafractional motion of breast during tangential breast irradiation monitored with high-sampling frequency using a real-time tumor-tracking radiotherapy system.

Purpose: To evaluate the three-dimensional intrafraction motion of the breast during tangential breast irradiation using a real-time tracking radiotherapy (RT) system with a high-sampling frequency.

Methods And Materials: A total of 17 patients with breast cancer who had received breast conservation RT were included in this study. A 2.

Steep dose-response relationship for stage I non-small-cell lung cancer using hypofractionated high-dose irradiation by real-time tumor-tracking radiotherapy.

Purpose: To investigate the clinical outcomes of patients with pathologically proven, peripherally located, Stage I non-small-cell lung cancer who had undergone stereotactic body radiotherapy using real-time tumor tracking radiotherapy during the developmental period.

Methods And Materials: A total of 41 patients (25 with Stage T1 and 16 with Stage T2) were admitted to the study between February 2000 and June 2005. A 5-mm planning target volume margin was added to the clinical target volume determined with computed tomography at the end of the expiratory phase.

Hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (HypoFXSRT) for stage I non-small cell lung cancer: updated results of 257 patients in a Japanese multi-institutional study.

Introduction: Hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (HypoFXSRT) has recently been used for the treatment of small lung tumors. We retrospectively analyzed the treatment outcome of HypoFXSRT for stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated in a Japanese multi-institutional study.

Methods: This is a retrospective study to review 257 patients with stage I NSCLC (median age, 74 years: 164 T1N0M0, 93 T2N0M0) were treated with HypoFXSRT alone at 14 institutions.

Contrast-enhanced FLAIR imaging in combination with pre- and postcontrast magnetization transfer T1-weighted imaging: usefulness in the evaluation of brain metastases.

Purpose: To assess whether the use of postcontrast fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) imaging in combination with pre- and postcontrast magnetization transfer (MT) T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) can increase diagnostic confidence in the evaluation of brain metastases.

Materials And Methods: Brain MR images from 41 patients with suspected brain metastases were reviewed. Two radiologists viewed pre- and postcontrast MT-T1W images for the presence of metastatic tumors and rated the possible enhanced lesions using a five-point confidence scale (session 1).

Characteristics of patients who developed radiation pneumonitis requiring steroid therapy after stereotactic irradiation for lung tumors.

Background: To find possible risk factors for symptomatic radiation pneumonitis (RP) after stereotactic irradiation (STI) for peripheral non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), pre-treatment pulmonary function test and dose volume statistics in patients who developed RP requiring steroid intake were retrospectively compared with statistics of those who did not develop RP.

Materials And Methods: From 1996 to 2002, 156 patients with Stage I NSCLC received STI at 5 hospitals in Japan. Of those patients, 12 were medicated with steroids for RP after treatment (RP group).

Speed and amplitude of lung tumor motion precisely detected in four-dimensional setup and in real-time tumor-tracking radiotherapy.

Background: To reduce the uncertainty of registration for lung tumors, we have developed a four-dimensional (4D) setup system using a real-time tumor-tracking radiotherapy system.

Methods And Materials: During treatment planning and daily setup in the treatment room, the trajectory of the internal fiducial marker was recorded for 1 to 2 min at the rate of 30 times per second by the real-time tumor-tracking radiotherapy system. To maximize gating efficiency, the patient's position on the treatment couch was adjusted using the 4D setup system with fine on-line remote control of the treatment couch.

The effect of tumor location and respiratory function on tumor movement estimated by real-time tracking radiotherapy (RTRT) system.

Purpose: The effects of tumor location and pulmonary function on the motion of fiducial markers near lung tumors were evaluated to deduce simple guidelines for determining the internal margin in radiotherapy without fiducial markers.

Methods And Materials: Pooled data collected by a real-time tumor-tracking radiotherapy system on 42 markers in 39 patients were analyzed. The pulmonary functions of all patients were assessed before radiotherapy.

Insertion and fixation of fiducial markers for setup and tracking of lung tumors in radiotherapy.

Purpose: Internal 1.5-mm fiducial markers were used in real-time tumor-tracking radiotherapy (RT) for lung cancer. The fixation rate of the markers using the bronchial insertion technique, reliability of the setup using markers around the target volume, dislocation of the markers after real-time tumor-tracking RT, and long-term toxicity of marker insertion were investigated.