Impact of MRI-based planning in transperineal interstitial brachytherapy for vaginal-involving tumors.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to analyze patients with vaginal-involving recurrences of gynecological tumors and primary vaginal tumors, treated with transperineal interstitial brachytherapy (P-ISBT). Dosimetric, clinical, and toxicity analysis of these patients was conducted, incorporating MRI in volume definition and dose-volume dosimetry.

Material And Methods: Forty-two patients were retrospectively analyzed.

A single center, inter-observer evaluation of vestibular schwannoma stereotactic radiosurgery and its dosimetric impact.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the inter- and intra-observer variation in contouring vestibular schwannoma (VS) and the organs-at-risk (OAR), and its dosimetric impact in Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT). Three VS typical cases were contoured by four clinicians. The Agreement Volume Index (AVI) appeared to be notably higher in VS than in OARs, such that the dose coverage of VS is fairly robust.

Refining critical structure contouring in STereotactic Arrhythmia Radioablation (STAR): Benchmark results and consensus guidelines from the STOPSTORM.eu consortium.

Background And Purpose: In patients with recurrent ventricular tachycardia (VT), STereotactic Arrhythmia Radioablation (STAR) shows promising results. The STOPSTORM.eu consortium was established to investigate and harmonise STAR treatment in Europe.

Review on Treatment Planning Systems for Cervix Brachytherapy (Interventional Radiotherapy): Some Desirable and Convenient Practical Aspects to Be Implemented from Radiation Oncologist and Medical Physics Perspectives.

Intracavitary brachytherapy (BT, Interventional Radiotherapy, IRT), plays an essential role in the curative intent of locally advanced cervical cancer, for which the conventional approach involves external beam radiotherapy with concurrent chemotherapy followed by BT. This work aims to review the different methodologies used by commercially available treatment planning systems (TPSs) in exclusive magnetic resonance imaging-based (MRI) cervix BT with interstitial component treatments. Practical aspects and improvements to be implemented into the TPSs are discussed.

Evaluation of the impact of EMBRACE II protocol in Spanish centers, with a large cohort of patients using a ranking index.

Purpose: The aim of this paper was to assess development of high-dose-rate (HDR) cervix brachytherapy (BT) implants in three Spanish institutions before and after introduction of EMBRACE II protocol.

Material And Methods: 392 patients from three different institutions, treated between 2009 and 2019 were analyzed. D of high-risk clinical target volume (HR-CTV) and D of organs at risk (OARs) of all patients were collected.

Feasibility and potential advantages using VMAT in SRS metastasis treatments.

Background: Utilization of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for brain metastases (BM) has become the technique of choice as opposed to whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT). The aim of this work is to evaluate the feasibility and potential benefits in terms of normal tissue (NT) and dose escalation of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) in SRS metastasis treatment. A VMAT optimization procedure has therefore been developed for internal dose scaling which minimizes planner dependence.

Low-/high-dose-rate brachytherapy boost in patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer treated with radiotherapy: long-term results from a single institution team experience.

Purpose: To compare brachytherapy (BT) boost of low-dose-rate (LDR) and high-dose-rate (HDR) techniques in patients diagnosed with intermediate-risk prostate cancer.

Material And Methods: Between January 2005 and February 2018, 142 patients (50 LDR and 92 HDR) with intermediate-risk prostate cancer were treated with a BT boost, and retrospectively analyzed. Prescribed dose was 45 Gy with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) plus 100-108 Gy with LDR-BT, and 60 Gy with EBRT plus one fraction of 10 Gy with HDR-BT.

SEOR SBRT-SG survey on SRS/SBRT dose prescription criteria in Spain.

Aim: Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) are essential tools in radiation oncology. In Spain, the use of these techniques continues to grow as older linear accelerators (linacs) are replaced with modern equipment. However, little is known about inter-centre variability in prescription and dose heterogeneity limits.

Recommended procedures and responsibilities for radiosurgery (SRS) and extracranial stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT): report of the SEOR in collaboration with the SEFM.

Today, patient management generally requires a multidisciplinary approach. However, due to the growing knowledge base and increasing complexity of Medicine, clinical practice has become even more specialised. Radiation oncology is not immune to this trend towards subspecialisation, which is particularly evident in ablative radiotherapy techniques that require high dose fractions, such as stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT).

Phantom development for daily checks in electron intraoperative radiotherapy with a mobile linac.

Purpose: IORT with mobile linear accelerators is a well-established modality where the dose rate and, therefore, the dose per pulse are very high. The constancy of the dosimetric parameters of the accelerator has to be checked daily. The aim of this work is to develop a phantom with embedded detectors to improve both accuracy and efficiency in the daily test of an IORT linac at the surgery room.

100% peer review in radiation oncology: is it feasible?

Purpose: Peer review has been proposed as a strategy to ensure patient safety and plan quality in radiation oncology. Despite its potential benefits, barriers commonly exist to its optimal implementation in daily clinical routine. Our purpose is to analyze peer-review process at our institution.

Impact of real-time, dose-escalated permanent seed implant brachytherapy in intermediate-risk prostate cancer.

Purpose: To retrospectively evaluate biochemical control and toxicity in patients who underwent 125I seed brachytherapy (BT) for intermediate-risk prostate cancer (PCa).

Materials And Methods: Between January 2004-December 2014, 395 patients with intermediate-risk PCa underwent 125I BT. Of these, 117 underwent preoperative planning (PP; 145 Gy) and 278 real-time intraoperative preplanning (IoP; 160 Gy).

Inter-observer and intra-observer variability in reporting vaginal dose points for cervical cancer in high-dose-rate brachytherapy.

Purpose: The ICRU 89 recommends reporting a set of vaginal dose points for cervical cancer treatments in order to quantify the goodness of implant. This vaginal dose reporting method for combined external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy has been adopted by the EMBRACE II study protocol. Large variations in dose between patients and centers have been reported.

Are there enough radiation oncologists to lead the new Spanish radiotherapy?

Aim: Radiation oncology services in Spain are undergoing a process of technical modernization, but-in a context of increasing demand by an ageing population-it is unclear whether there are enough radiation oncologists to staff the newly equipped units. This study aims to assess the number of specialists working in radiation oncology services in Spain relative to current and future needs.

Materials And Methods: In the second half of 2017, the Commission on Infrastructures of the Spanish Society for Radiation Oncology (SEOR) sent a questionnaire on radiation oncology staff to the heads of all 122 public (n = 76, 62%) and private (n = 46, 38%) radiation oncology services in Spain.

Detector for monitoring potential bleeding during electron intraoperative radiotherapy.

Purpose: The aim of this work is to develop a bleeding detector integrated into the acrylic circular applicators for specific mobile linacs. Thus, a bleeding detector has been developed based on a capacitive sensor to be used with plastic applicators, as in the case of LIAC HWL from Sordina IORT Technologies SpA. According to the clinical impact, we have selected 0.

Permanent seed implant brachytherapy in low-risk prostate cancer: Preoperative planning with 145 Gy versus real-time intraoperative planning with 160 Gy.

Aim: The present retrospective study was to compare toxicity and survival outcomes in a group of low-risk PCa patients treated with either the preoperative planning technique (145 Gy) or the real-time IoP technique (160 Gy).

Background: The two most common permanent seed implantation techniques are preoperative planning (PP) with 145 Gy and real-time intraoperative planning (IoP) with 160 Gy. Although IoP has largely replaced PP at many centres in recent years, few studies have directly compared these two techniques.

High-dose-rate brachytherapy boost for prostate cancer: Analysis of dose-volume histogram parameters for predicting late rectal toxicity.

Purpose: To determine the significance of dose-volume histogram parameters for predicting late rectal toxicity (LRT) after single-fraction high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDRBT) boost and external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) in prostate cancer.

Materials And Methods: Three hundred patients with intermediate- or high-risk prostate cancer were included between August 2010 and March 2015. Treatment comprised a single-fraction HDRBT boost of 15.

Novel simple templates for reproducible positioning of skin applicators in brachytherapy.

Purpose: Esteya and Valencia surface applicators are designed to treat skin tumors using brachytherapy. In clinical practice, in order to avoid errors that may affect the treatment outcome, there are two issues that need to be carefully addressed. First, the selected applicator for the treatment should provide adequate margin for the target, and second, the applicator has to be precisely positioned before each treatment fraction.