Rationale for Utilization of Hydrogel Rectal Spacers in Dose Escalated SBRT for the Treatment of Unfavorable Risk Prostate Cancer.

In this review we outline the current evidence for the use of hydrogel rectal spacers in the treatment paradigm for prostate cancer with external beam radiation therapy. We review their development, summarize clinical evidence, risk of adverse events, best practices for placement, treatment planning considerations and finally we outline a framework and rationale for the utilization of rectal spacers when treating unfavorable risk prostate cancer with dose escalated Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT).

Repeat Thoracic Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) for Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer: Long-Term Outcomes, Toxicity, and Dosimetric Considerations.

Purpose: Lung reirradiation for nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is common for either recurrent disease or new primary cancer. Dose volume tolerance of the lung after multiple courses of radiation therapy (RT) is unknown. We review our experience with lung reirradiation for patients with NSCLC in a single community setting using stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to report lung cumulative doses, survival, and toxicity.

Definitive hypofractionated radiation therapy for early stage breast cancer: Dosimetric feasibility of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy and proton beam therapy for intact breast tumors.

Purpose: Few definitive treatment options exist for elderly patients diagnosed with early stage breast cancer who are medically inoperable or refuse surgery. Historical data suggest very poor local control with hormone therapy alone. We examined the dosimetric feasibility of hypofractionated radiation therapy using stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) and proton beam therapy (PBT) as a means of definitive treatment for early stage breast cancer.

Stereotactic Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation for Early-Stage Breast Cancer: Rationale, Feasibility, and Early Experience Using the CyberKnife Radiosurgery Delivery Platform.

Purpose: The efficacy of accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) utilizing brachytherapy or conventional external beam radiation has been studied in early-stage breast cancer treated with breast-conserving surgery. Data regarding stereotactic treatment approaches are emerging. The CyberKnife linear accelerator enables excellent dose conformality to target structures while adjusting for target and patient motion.

Four-dimensional computed tomography prediction of inter- and intrafractional upper gastrointestinal tumor motion during fractionated stereotactic body radiation therapy.

Purpose: Respiratory-induced tumor motion of upper gastrointestinal (GI) tumors during radiation therapy is often assessed using a single 4-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT) and presumed to be representative during fractionated treatment regimens. The purpose of this study was to examine the intra- and interfraction correlations of tumor motion between pretreatment 4D-CT and real-time fiducial-based motion tracking in patients treated with fractionated stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for upper GI malignancies.

Methods And Materials: Fourteen patients with upper GI tumors underwent fractionated SBRT using the CyberKnife radiosurgical system with Synchrony respiratory motion management.

Late urinary toxicity modeling after stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in the definitive treatment of localized prostate cancer.

Background: Late urinary symptom flare has been shown to occur in a small subset of men treated with ultra- hypofractionated stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for prostate cancer. The purpose of this study was to use normal tissue complication probability modeling in an effort to derive SBRT specific dosimetric predictor's of late urinary flare.

Material And Methods: Two hundred and sixteen men were treated for localized prostate cancer using ultra- hypofractionated SBRT.

Prostate specific antigen kinetics following robotic stereotactic body radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer.

Background: Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) has emerged as an effective treatment for localized prostate cancer. However, prostate specific antigen (PSA) kinetics after prostate SBRT have not been well characterized. The purpose of this study was to analyze the trend in PSA decline following robotic SBRT from a prospective cohort of patients.

Potency preservation following stereotactic body radiation therapy for prostate cancer.

Background: Erectile dysfunction after prostate radiation therapy remains an ongoing challenge and critical quality of life issue. Given the higher dose of radiation per fraction using stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) there is concern that post-SBRT impotency would be higher than conventional radiation therapy approaches. This study sought to evaluate potency preservation and sexual function following SBRT for prostate cancer.

Open versus laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair.

Background: The literature reports the efficacy of the laparoscopic approach to paraesophageal hiatal hernia repair. However, its adoption as the preferred surgical approach and the risks associated with paraesophageal hiatal hernia repair have not been reviewed in a large database.

Method: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample dataset was queried from 1998 to 2005 for patients who underwent repair of a complicated (the entire stomach moves into the chest cavity) versus uncomplicated (only the upper part of the stomach protrudes into the chest) paraesophageal hiatal hernia via the laparoscopic, open abdominal, or open thoracic approach.