Surface mold brachytherapy for head and neck non-melanoma skin cancer - local control rates and survival: A retrospective analysis.

Purpose: Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most prevalent cancer worldwide, particularly affecting head and neck region. Surgical excision, especially Moh's microsurgery, is the gold standard for treatment. However, certain patients' factors, such as age, comorbidities, and tumor location, require alternative therapies.

Short Course Brachytherapy in Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer; Safety and Response Rate.

Objective: Overall treatment time (OTT) is an important index for local control in patients with locally advanced‌ cervical cancer treated with definitive chemoradiation (External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT), Brachytherapy (BT) and concomittant chemotherapy). This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency and safety of reducing OTT by shortening the brachytherapy duration to one week in the intervention group copared to three weeks in the control group.

Method: The study was a non-randomized open-label phase II clinical trial, carried out on 49 cervical cancer patients (26 in intervention grouop and 23 in control group) who received EBRT concomitant with Cisplatin, followed by brachytherap in order to deliver 60 Gy  equivalent total doses in 2-Gy fractions (EQD2) to Intermediate Risk-Clinical Tumor Volume (IR-CTV) and 85-90 Gy EQD2 to High Risk-Clinical Tumor Volume (HR-CTV).

Feasibility of using micro silica bead TLDs for in-Vivo dosimetry of CT-based HDR prostate brachytherapy: An experimental and simulation study.

Purpose: Feasibility of silica-based dosimeters for IVD of HDR prostate brachytherapy.

Material And Methods: Plastic dosimeter holders and a water-fillable prostate phantom were built in-house. Interstitial prostate brachytherapy and Monte Carlo simulations were performed.

Hydrogen nanobubbles: A novel approach toward radio-sensitization agents.

Background: Ocular melanoma is a rare kind of eye malignancy that threatens the patient's eyesight. Radiotherapy and surgical removal are the most commonly used therapeutic modalities, and nanomedicine has lately entered this field. Brachytherapy using Ruthenium-106 ( Ru) ophthalmic plaques has been used for decades to treat ocular melanoma, with the applicator placed on the patient's eyes until the prescribed dose reaches the tumor apex.

Validation of an individualized home-made superficial brachytherapy mold applied for deep nonmelanoma skin cancer.

Background: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of brachytherapy (BT) customized mold [Condensation silicone elastomer (Protesil)] and its thickness on the dose distribution pattern of deep nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSC).

Materials And Methods: Four blocks of mold material were constructed in 5, 10, 15, and 20 mm thickness and 100 × 100 mm area by a plastic cast. The high dose rate (HDR) plus treatment planning system (TPS) (Version 3, Eckert & Ziegler BEBIG Gmbh, Berlin, Germany) with a Co source (model: Co0.

H&N and Skin (HNS) GEC-ESTRO Working Group critical review of recommendations regarding prescription depth, bolus thickness and maximum dose in skin superficial brachytherapy with flaps and customized moulds.

The aim of this publication is the assessment of the existing guidelines for non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) superficial brachytherapy (BT) and make a critical review based on the existing literature about the maximum dose prescription depth, bolus thickness and maximum skin surface dose (D) of the published clinical practice. A systematic review of NMSC superficial BT published articles was carried out by the GEC-ESTRO Head & Neck and Skin (HNS) Working Group (WG). 10 members and 2 external reviewers compared the published clinical procedures with the recommendations in the current guidelines and examined the grade of evidence.

3D in vivo dosimetry of HDR gynecological brachytherapy using micro silica bead TLDs.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of defining an in vivo dosimetry (IVD) protocol as a patient-specific quality assurance (PSQA) using the bead thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) for point and 3D IVD during brachytherapy (BT) of gynecological (GYN) cancer using Co high-dose-rate (HDR) source.

Methods: The 3D in vivo absorbed dose verification within the rectum and bladder as organs-at-risk was performed by bead TLDs for 30 GYN cancer patients. For rectal wall dosimetry, 80 TLDs were placed in axial arrangements around a rectal tube covered with a layer of gel.

Ruthenium-106 plaque radiotherapy for uveal melanoma: analysis of tumor dimension and location on anatomical and functional results.

Background: To report the long-term outcomes of Ru-106 plaque radiotherapy in eyes with uveal melanoma (UM) and to assess the effect of tumor thickness and location on final outcomes.

Methods: Medical records of 234 patients undergoing Ru-106 plaque radiotherapy for UM were reviewed, and the visual outcome, globe preservation, and patient survival were evaluated. The results of 2 groups were compared: 1.

Long-term disease-free survival following salvage brachytherapy for recurrent pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma: Two case reports and review of relevant literature.

Purpose: Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common pediatric soft-tissue sarcoma, mostly involving the genitourinary (GU) tract, head and neck, and extremities. This study reports the long-term outcome of two infants with recurrent GU-RMS who underwent combination therapy with chemotherapy (ChT) and salvage brachytherapy (BT).

Methods And Materials: An 18-month-old girl with vaginal bleeding and a 7-month-old boy with urinary retention presented with a diagnosis of vaginal, and bladder/prostate embryonal RMS, respectively.

Safety and efficacy of salvage high-dose rate brachytherapy for prostate-bed recurrences following radical prostatectomy and external beam radiotherapy.

Purpose: This retrospective study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of salvage HDR brachytherapy in second local recurrences of prostate cancer after applying radical prostatectomy (RP) and post-operative external beam radiotherapy (EBRT).

Materials And Methodology: Fifteen patients with locally recurrent prostate cancer after RP and EBRT were salvaged with HDR brachytherapy. Patients had no nodal or distant metastasis evidence on imaging findings, including whole body bone scan, CT scan, and MRI or PSMA PET scan.

Radiosensitization of Glioma Cells by Temozolomide (TMZ): A Colony Formation Assay.

Background: Glioblastoma is one of the most radioresistant cancers. It is suggested that combination of radiotherapy with other cancer treatment modalities may increase control of tumor. Temozolomide (TMZ) is one of the most known drugs for glioblastoma.

A comparison between 2D and 3D planning of high-dose-rate vaginal cuff brachytherapy in patients with stage I-II endometrial cancer using cobalt-60.

Purpose: Post-surgery radiation can reduce the risk of loco-regional relapse in high-intermediate-risk endometrial cancer. High-dose-rate vaginal cuff brachytherapy (HDR-BRT) is an acceptable method of radiation in majority of endometrial cancer cases. Although 2D planning is frequently used for treatment based on physical examination without any imaging, measurement of the dose received by organs-at-risk (OARs) is not possible.

Dose to pelvic lymph nodes during brachytherapy of locally advanced cervical cancer with 60Co HDR source.

Purpose: This study investigated the correlation between the prescription dose and dose to the Manchester and International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements-report 38 (ICRU-38) lymphatic trapezoid points during high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy of locally advanced cervical cancer with (Cobalt-60) 60Co .

Methods And Materials: A retrospective study was designed for; patients with locally advanced cervical cancer, treated by external beam radiotherapy and concurrent weekly Cisplatin-based chemotherapy, had no extended parametrial invasion and was treated by tandem-ovoid set, from 2017 to 2020. Groupe Européen de Curiethérapie-European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (GEC-ESTRO) based target's volume, ICRU-89 revised version of Manchester points A and B, and ICRU-38 lymph node surrogate points were determined, and their dose was recorded.

Novel method of combined photon beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy for treatment of extensive advanced scalp squamous cell carcinoma.

Radiotherapy of extensive malignant scalp lesions has always been a challenge for radiation oncologists considering the proximity of critical structures. We treated a 39-year-old patient with extensive scalp squamous cell carcinoma with application of adjuvant concurrent chemoradiation and external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), followed by high-dose-rate (HDR) surface brachytherapy boost using an exclusively designed mould, and assessed the radiation dose reaching planning target volume, brain, and optic structures. Comparison between conventional planning with sole EBRT and combined treatment planning with EBRT and brachytherapy, assured the use of the latter treatment to avoid high radiation doses from reaching critical organs at risk without compromising the required dose for planning target volume.

An in silico study on the effect of host tissue at brachytherapy dose enhancement by gold nanoparticles.

Purpose: Iridium-192 brachytherapy dose enhancement by gold nanoparticles was investigated in five different tumor tissues to observe the tissue-related differences as an effective environmental factor in the applications of nanoparticles as radio-enhancer agents.

Methods And Materials: The brachytherapy high-dose-rate source of BEBIG Ir-192, a tumor volume with five different tissues including water, Plexiglas, soft tissue, adipose, and bone with and without a uniform distribution of gold nanoparticles were mimicked by MCNPX Monte Carlo simulation code using lattice feature. Dose enhancement factors in the tumor volume were measured separately regarding the types of tissue, and a previous study using GEometry ANd Tracking 4 simulation was used for result validation.

Development of a novel and low-cost anthropomorphic pelvis phantom for 3D dosimetry in radiotherapy.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to construct a low-cost, anthropomorphic, and 3D-printed pelvis phantom and evaluate the feasibility of its use to perform 3D dosimetry with commercially available bead thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs).

Material And Methods: A novel anthropomorphic female phantom was developed with all relevant pelvic organs to position the bead TLDs. Organs were 3D-printed using acrylonitrile butadiene styrene.

Ru-106 plaque radiotherapy for vasoproliferative tumors of retina: a 15-year single-center experience.

Purpose: This study evaluates the outcomes of ruthenium-106 (Ru-106) plaque brachytherapy for vasoproliferative tumors (VPTs) of the ocular fundus in a single referral ocular oncology center.

Methods: The clinical charts of all patients diagnosed with VPT who underwent plaque radiotherapy from 2002 to 2017 were reviewed. Clinical features, types of treatment, outcomes and complications were evaluated.

Evaluation of deformable image registration algorithm for determination of accumulated dose for brachytherapy of cervical cancer patients.

Purpose: This study was designed to assess the dose accumulation (DA) of bladder and rectum between brachytherapy fractions using hybrid-based deformable image registration (DIR) and compare it with the simple summation (SS) approach of GEC-ESTRO in cervical cancer patients.

Material And Methods: Patients ( = 137) with cervical cancer treated with 3D conformal radiotherapy and three fractions of high-dose-rate brachytherapy were selected. CT images were acquired to delineate organs at risk and targets according to GEC-ESTRO recommendations.

High-dose-rate brachytherapy in treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer of head and neck region: preliminary results of a prospective single institution study.

Purpose: Skin cancers are the most common human malignancy with increasing incidence. Currently, surgery is standard of care treatment for non-melanoma skin cancers. However, brachytherapy is a growing modality in the management of skin cancers.

Artificial neural network based gynaecological image-guided adaptive brachytherapy treatment planning correction of intra-fractional organs at risk dose variation.

Purpose: Intra-fractional organs at risk (OARs) deformations can lead to dose variation during image-guided adaptive brachytherapy (IGABT). The aim of this study was to modify the final accepted brachytherapy treatment plan to dosimetrically compensate for these intra-fractional organs-applicators position variations and, at the same time, fulfilling the dosimetric criteria.

Material And Methods: Thirty patients with locally advanced cervical cancer, after external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) of 45-50 Gy over five to six weeks with concomitant weekly chemotherapy, and qualified for intracavitary high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy with tandem-ovoid applicators were selected for this study.

Adjuvant high-dose-rate brachytherapy in the management of oral cavity cancers: 5 years of experience in Iran.

Purpose: Brachytherapy is a cost-effective method for the management of oral cavity cancers in low to middle income countries. We aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy (HDR-IBT) in patients with oral cavity cancer.

Material And Methods: From 2009 to 2013, 78 patients (49 combined external beam radiotherapy [EBRT] plus IBT and 29 IBT monotherapy) with oral cavity cancers had been treated in our center.

RUTHENIUM-106 BRACHYTHERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF CIRCUMSCRIBED CHOROIDAL HEMANGIOMA.

Purpose: To examine the efficacy and safety of Ruthenium-106 plaque radiotherapy in the treatment of circumscribed choroidal hemangioma.

Methods: Twenty-one eyes of 21 patients diagnosed with symptomatic circumscribed choroidal hemangioma who underwent Ruthenium-106 plaque radiotherapy were included in the study. Clinical response, ancillary tests finding improvement, and major side effects were evaluated.

Dose distribution verification for GYN brachytherapy using EBT Gafchromic film and TG-43 calculation.

Aim: Verification of dose distributions for gynecological (GYN) brachytherapy implants using EBT Gafchromic film.

Background: One major challenge in brachytherapy is to verify the accuracy of dose distributions calculated by a treatment planning system.

Materials And Methods: A new phantom was designed and fabricated using 90 slabs of 18 cm × 16 cm × 0.

Optimum organ volume ranges for organs at risk dose in cervical cancer intracavitary brachytherapy.

Purpose: To analyze the optimum organ filling point for organs at risk (OARs) dose in cervical cancer high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy.

Material And Methods: In a retrospective study, 32 locally advanced cervical cancer patients (97 insertions) who were treated with 3D conformal external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and concurrent chemotherapy during 2010-2013 were included. Rotterdam HDR tandem-ovoid applicators were used and computed tomography (CT) scanning was performed after each insertion.