An experimental validation of a filtering approach for prompt gamma prediction in a research proton treatment planning system.

Prompt gamma (PG) radiation generated from nuclear reactions between protons and tissue nuclei can be employed for range verification in proton therapy. A typical clinical workflow for PG range verification compares the detected PG profile with a predicted one. Recently, a novel analytical PG prediction algorithm based on the so-called filtering formalism has been proposed and implemented in a research version of RayStation (RaySearch Laboratories AB), which is a widely adopted treatment planning system.

The association between pre-diagnostic levels of psychological distress and adverse effects after radical prostatectomy.

Objectives: To prospectively analyse the associations between pre-diagnostic levels of anxiety and depression and patient-reported urinary and sexual adverse effects after radical prostatectomy in a population-based setting.

Patients And Methods: In three Norwegian county hospitals, men referred with a suspicion of prostate cancer were asked to fill out a patient-reported outcome measurement (PROM) questionnaire prior to prostate biopsy. Those who later underwent radical prostatectomy were stratified into three distress groups according to their Hopkins Symptom Checklist 5-score.

Atomic structure and water arrangement on K-feldspar microcline (001).

The properties of clouds, such as their reflectivity or their likelihood to precipitate, depend on whether the cloud droplets are liquid or frozen. Thus, understanding the ice nucleation mechanisms is essential for the development of reliable climate models. Most ice nucleation in the atmosphere is heterogeneous, , caused by ice nucleating particles such as mineral dusts or organic aerosols.

Investigation of surface orientation dependent sputtering of Ag.

Sputtering of metal surfaces can be both a beneficial phenomenon, for instance in the coating industry, or an undesired side-effect, for instant materials subjected to irradiation. While the average sputtering yields are well known in common metals, recent studies have shown that the yields can depend on the crystallographic orientation of the surface much stronger than commonly appreciated. In this study, we investigate by computational means, molecular dynamics, the sputtering of single crystalline Ag surfaces under various incoming energies.

CBCT-Based Dose Monitoring and Adaptive Planning Triggers in Head and Neck PBS Proton Therapy.

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)-derived synthetic CTs to monitor the daily dose and trigger a plan review for adaptive proton therapy (APT) in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients.

Methods: For 84 HNC patients treated with proton pencil-beam scanning (PBS), same-day CBCT and verification CT (vfCT) pairs were retrospectively collected. The ground truth CT (gtCT) was created by deforming the vfCT to the same-day CBCT, and it was then used as a dosimetric baseline and for establishing plan review trigger recommendations.

An optimized framework for cone-beam computed tomography-based online evaluation for proton therapy.

Background: Clinical evidence has demonstrated that proton therapy can achieve comparable tumor control probabilities compared to conventional photon therapy but with the added benefit of sparing healthy tissues. However, proton therapy is sensitive to inter-fractional anatomy changes. Online pre-fraction evaluation can effectively verify proton dose before delivery to patients, but there is a lack of guidelines for implementing this workflow.

Clinical evaluation of synthetic computed tomography methods in adaptive proton therapy of lung cancer patients.

Background And Purpose: Efficient workflows for adaptive proton therapy are of high importance. This study evaluated the possibility to replace repeat-CTs (reCTs) with synthetic CTs (sCTs), created based on cone-beam CTs (CBCTs), for flagging the need of plan adaptations in intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) treatment of lung cancer patients.

Materials And Methods: Forty-two IMPT patients were retrospectively included.

Fear of Recurrence in Prostate Cancer Patients: A Cross-sectional Study After Radical Prostatectomy or Active Surveillance.

Background: Fear of recurrence (FoR) is a distressing consequence of cancer. Little is known about the prevalence of FoR in different treatment groups and factors associated with FoR among prostate cancer (PCa) survivors.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of high FoR among PCa survivors after radical prostatectomy (RP) or under active surveillance (AS) and to explore clinical and psychological factors potentially associated with FoR.

Work status and work ability after radical prostatectomy or active surveillance for prostate cancer.

Being able to work is important for health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and little is known about work life after radical treatment for prostate cancer (PCa). The aim was to investigate work status (WS) and work ability (WA) after radical prostatectomy (RP) or active surveillance (AS) for PCa, and to identify factors associated with reduced WA. This is a retrospective cross-sectional study of 606 men treated with RP ( = 442) or AS ( = 164) at two Norwegian general hospitals.

Psychometric properties of the expanded prostate cancer index composite - 26 instrument in a cohort of radical prostatectomy patients: theoretical and practical examinations.

Background: Recently, the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite 26-item version (EPIC-26) was recommended for the assessment of adverse effects after the treatment of prostate cancer without clear reasons. This decision encouraged us to review the questionnaire development from the UCLA Prostate Cancer Index (UCLA-PCI) to the EPIC-16 CP with a focus on psychometric properties. We also reviewed PubMed for papers concerning such properties of the EPIC-26 since 2012 (latest review in 2011).

Early outcome of orchiopexy and analysis of predictive factors: a retrospective study from 2001 to 2010 in a Norwegian regional hospital.

Objective: The primary aim of this study was to retrospectively analyse surgical treatment for undescended testes at the Department of Urology, Telemark Hospital, Norway, and to examine whether international standards were met regarding age at surgery and outcome. The secondary aim was to identify factors that predicted an unsuccessful outcome.

Material And Methods: The department's medical records from 2001 to 2010 were searched, and selected variables were registered and analysed.