Publications by authors named "Paul Heckman"
Multiple trials have shown that dose-escalation of radiation for prostate cancer provides a biochemical progression-free survival benefit (bPFS); however, rectal constraints are often limiting. In this dosimetric study, we hypothesized that a well-placed rectal hydrogel (RH) would permit improved dose-escalation and target coverage. We selected patients with good-quality RH and created plans with and without RH, prescribing 70 Gy in 28 fractions to the prostate and proximal seminal vesicles (PSV), and a peripheral zone (PZ) boost to 84 Gy, 98 Gy, or 112 Gy.
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- The study investigates the effectiveness of hydrogel spacers (HS) in reducing radiation exposure to the rectum for prostate cancer patients receiving combination-brachytherapy (CBT).
- A comparison between 30 patients with HS and 30 without HS showed that those with HS had significantly lower radiation doses to the rectum, which suggests that HS use enhances dosimetric outcomes.
- The findings suggest that thicker HS (≥1 cm) are more effective in minimizing rectal radiation exposure, highlighting the importance of proper placement for achieving better outcomes in radiation therapy.
The prevalence of hip prostheses is increasing. Prostate radiation delivery in the setting of hip prostheses is complicated by both imaging artifacts that interfere with volume delineation and dosimetric effects that must be addressed in the planning process. We hypothesized that with specialized planning, any photon-based definitive prostate radiotherapy approach may be utilized in patients with bilateral hip prostheses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLA's BEST reflects on how its values-based program-delivery design positively affects youth development.
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