Helical tomotherapy versus conventional radiation to deliver abdominopelvic radiation.

While whole abdominopelvic radiation (APRT) provided satisfactory radiation dosimetry for the treatment of cancers with peritoneal dissemination, APRT was abandoned due to unsatisfactory tumor control from necessary radiation shielding of vital organs. Our goal was to develop a helical tomotherapy (TOMO) abdominopelvic radiation technique improving target tissue coverage while dose-limiting vital organs, especially hematopoietic bone marrow. This study reports our clinical development of a TOMO abdominopelvic radiation technique for treatment of patients with advanced stage ovarian cancer.

Analysis of variation in calibration curves for Kodak XV radiographic film using model-based parameters.

Film calibration is time-consuming work when dose accuracy is essential while working in a range of photon scatter environments. This study uses the single-target single-hit model of film response to fit the calibration curves as a function of calibration method, processor condition, field size and depth. Kodak XV film was irradiated perpendicular to the beam axis in a solid water phantom.

Dose discrepancies in the buildup region and their impact on dose calculations for IMRT fields.

Purpose: Dose accuracy in the buildup region for radiotherapy treatment planning suffers from challenges in both measurement and calculation. This study investigates the dosimetry in the buildup region at normal and oblique incidences for open and IMRT fields and assesses the quality of the treatment planning calculations.

Methods: This study was divided into three parts.

Radiographic film dosimetry for IMRT fields in the nearsurface buildup region.

Radiographic film dosimetry provides fast, convenient 2-D dose distributions, but is challenged by the dependence of film response on scatter conditions (i.e., energy dependence).

Comparison of helical tomotherapy versus conventional radiation to deliver craniospinal radiation.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether helical tomotherapy would better dose-limit growing vertebral ring apophyses during craniospinal radiation as compared to conventional techniques. Four pediatric patients with M0 medulloblastoma received tomotherapy craniospinal radiation (23.4 Gy, 1.