Does Laminectomy Affect Spino-Pelvic Balance in Lumbar Spinal Stenosis? A Study Based on the EOS X-Ray Imaging System.

Purpose: Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a degenerative disorder causing the forward bending of the trunk and pelvic retroversion with the consequent loss of lumbar lordosis; surgical treatment is intended to enlarge the canal and foramina and decompress the nerve roots. The purpose of our study is to determine whether and to what extent facet-sparing laminectomy affects the spino-pelvic balance.

Methods: The spino-pelvic balance of 26 patients was analysed before and after surgery through the EOS X-ray Imaging System.

Cone beam CT pre- and post-daily treatment for assessing geometrical and dosimetric intrafraction variability during radiotherapy of prostate cancer.

The purpose of this study was to quantify the relationship between treatment time and dose uncertainty due to intrafraction organ motion in prostate cancer radiotherapy (RT). Ten consecutive patients with prostate cancer treated by radical RT by volumetric modulated arc therapy (RapidArc) were considered. For each patient, pre- and post-treatment cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) was performed in 10 fractions.

Collimator angle influence on dose distribution optimization for vertebral metastases using volumetric modulated arc therapy.

Purpose: The cylindrical symmetry of vertebrae favors the use of volumetric modulated are therapy in generating a dose "hole" on the center of the vertebrae limiting the dose to the spinal cord. The authors have evaluated if collimator angle is a significant parameter for dose distribution optimization in vertebral metastases.

Methods: Three patients with one-three vertebrae involved were considered.

Volumetric modulation arc radiotherapy compared with static gantry intensity-modulated radiotherapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma tumor: a feasibility study.

Purpose: A planning study was performed to evaluate RapidArc (RA), a volumetric modulated arc technique, on malignant pleural mesothelioma. The benchmark was conventional fixed-field intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).

Methods And Materials: The computed tomography data sets of 6 patients were included.

Applying failure mode effects and criticality analysis in radiotherapy: lessons learned and perspectives of enhancement.

Introduction: The radiation oncology process along with its unique therapeutic properties is also potentially dangerous for the patient, and thus it should be delivered under a systematic risk control. To this aim incident reporting and analysis are not sufficient for assuring patient safety and proactive risk assessment should also be implemented. The paper accounts for some methodological solutions, lessons learned and opportunities for improvement, starting from the systematic application of the failure mode effects and criticality analysis (FMECA) technique to the radiotherapy process of an Italian hospital.

Re-irradiation of metastatic spinal cord compression: a feasibility study by volumetric-modulated arc radiotherapy for in-field recurrence creating a dosimetric hole on the central canal.

When local recurrences arise within an irradiated region involving metastatic spinal cord compression, the dose limit to the spinal cord reduces the chance to re-treat the patient by 3D-conformational RT technique. The possibility of using volumetric modulated arc RT by RapidArc was evaluated for dose sparing at spinal cord level and preserving target coverage. A clinically satisfactory PTV coverage and dose sparing to the spinal cord were obtained.

Critical appraisal of volumetric modulated arc therapy in stereotactic body radiation therapy for metastases to abdominal lymph nodes.

Purpose: A planning study was performed comparing volumetric modulated arcs, RapidArc (RA), fixed beam IMRT (IM), and conformal radiotherapy (CRT) with multiple static fields or short conformal arcs in a series of patients treated with hypofractionated stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for solitary or oligo-metastases from different tumors to abdominal lymph nodes.

Methods And Materials: Fourteen patients were included in the study. Dose prescription was set to 45 Gy (mean dose to clinical target volume [CTV]) in six fractions of 7.

Hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy and radiosurgery for the treatment of patients with radioresistant brain metastases.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of different radiotherapy treatment modalities in radioresistant brain metastasis.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 78 patients with brain metastases from melanoma, sarcoma, or renal cell carcinoma primary tumours who underwent radiosurgery (20 Gy) and/or hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (6x4 Gy or 7x4 Gy) with or without whole-brain radiotherapy at our Center.

Results: The actuarial median survival times for melanoma, renal cell carcinoma and sarcoma were 23, 22 and 7 months respectively, with a significant correlation to recursive partitioning analysis class.

Is the alpha-beta ratio of prostate cancer really low? A prospective, non-randomized trial comparing standard and hyperfractionated conformal radiation therapy.

Background And Purpose: The objectives of the current study were to compare genito-urinary (GU) and gastro-intestinal (GI) toxicities as well as biochemical control (bRFS) in prostate cancer, utilizing conventional (2.0 Gy daily) (STD) or hyperfractionated (HFX) conformal irradiation (CRT). HFX (1.