Low-dose docetaxel/cisplatin - leucovorin and 46 hour infusional fluorouracil in metastatic gastric carcinoma.

Background: Phase II and III trials of docetaxel, cisplatin and fluorouracil (DCF) have shown superior efficacy versus cisplatin and fluorouracil alone but with high rates of hematologic toxicity in metastatic gastric cancer cases. To reduce toxicity while maintaining the efficacy of DCF, we investigated low dose docetaxel (D), cispatin (C) - leucovorin and fluorouracil (De Gramont regimen).

Patient And Methods: Chemotherapy-naive patients with metastatic gastric cancer (MGC) received D 60 mg/m2 on day 1 and cisplatin 30 mg/m2 on day 1-2 and the De Gramont regimen (Folinic acid 400 mg/m2 on day 1 and 5-FU 2400 mg/m2/46 h continuous infusion) every 3 weeks.

Visfatin may be a novel marker for identifying stages of essential hypertension in advanced age patients.

Objective: Visfatin is a peptide that is secreted from visceral fat. It has been reported to be associated with inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. However, little is known about its function in hypertension.

Vinorelbine in combination with carboplatin followed by single-agent consolidation therapy for unresectable localized or metastatic non-small-cell lung carcinomas.

Background: Adding more than four cycles of the combination regimen increase toxicities. The availability of an intravenous (i.v.

Feasibility of volume-of-interest (VOI) scanning technique in cone beam breast CT--a preliminary study.

This work is to demonstrate that high quality cone beam CT images can be generated for a volume of interest (VOI) and to investigate the exposure reduction effect, dose saving, and scatter reduction with the VOI scanning technique. The VOI scanning technique involves inserting a filtering mask between the x-ray source and the breast during image acquisition. The mask has an opening to allow full x-ray exposure to be delivered to a preselected VOI and a lower, filtered exposure to the region outside the VOI.

Scatter rejection and low-contrast performance of a slot-scan digital chest radiography system with electronic aft-collimation: a chest phantom study.

Anti-scatter grids have been widely used to reject scatter and increase the perceptibility of low-contrast object in chest radiography; however they also attenuate the primary x-rays, resulting in a substantial degradation of primary information. Compensation for this degradation requires the use of higher exposure technique hence higher dose to the patient. A more efficient approach to reject scatter is the slot-scan imaging technique which employs a narrow scanning x-ray fan beam in conjunction with a slit or slot shaped solid state detector or an area detector used with an aft-collimator.

An Accurate Scatter Measurement and Correction Technique for Cone Beam Breast CT Imaging Using Scanning Sampled Measurement (SSM) Technique.

We developed and investigated a scanning sampled measurement (SSM) technique for scatter measurement and correction in cone beam breast CT imaging. A cylindrical polypropylene phantom (water equivalent) was mounted on a rotating table in a stationary gantry experimental cone beam breast CT imaging system. A 2-D array of lead beads, with the beads set apart about ~1 cm from each other and slightly tilted vertically, was placed between the object and x-ray source.

Spatial resolution properties in cone beam CT: a simulation study.

This work is intended to investigate the spatial resolution properties in cone beam CT by estimating the point spread functions (PSFs) in the reconstructed 3D images through simulation. The point objects were modeled as 3D delta functions. Their projections onto the detector plane were analytically derived and blurred with 2D PSFs estimated and used to represent the detector and focal spot blurring effects.

Comparison of two detector systems for cone beam CT small animal imaging - a preliminary study.

To compare two detector systems - one based on the charge-coupled device (CCD) and image amplifier, the other based on a-Si/CsI flat panel, for cone beam computed-tomography (CT) imaging of small animals.A high resolution, high framing rate detector system for the cone beam CT imaging of small animals was developed. The system consists of a 2048x3072x12 bit CCD optically coupled to an image amplifier and an x-ray phosphor screen.

Visibility of microcalcification in cone beam breast CT: effects of X-ray tube voltage and radiation dose.

Mammography is the only technique currently used for detecting microcalcification (MC) clusters, an early indicator of breast cancer. However, mammographic images superimpose a three-dimensional compressed breast image onto two-dimensional projection views, resulting in overlapped anatomical breast structures that may obscure the detection and visualization of MCs. One possible solution to this problem is the use of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) with a flat-panel (FP) digital detector.

An alternate line erasure and readout (ALER) method for implementing slot-scan imaging technique with a flat-panel detector--initial experiences.

This paper describes and demonstrates an electronic collimation method, referred to as the alternate line erasure and readout (ALER) technique, for implementing slot-scan digital radiography technique with an amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin-film transistor (TFT) array based flat-panel detector. An amorphus selenium (a-Se) flat-panel detector was modified to implement the ALER technique for slot-scan imaging. A stepping-motor driven fore-collimator was mounted in front of an X-ray tube to generate a scanning X-ray fan beam.