Technique for the administration of high-dose-rate brachytherapy to the bile duct using a nasobiliary catheter.

Purpose: Cholangiocarcinoma patients who are potential candidates for liver transplantation may be treated with high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy using a minimally invasive nasobiliary catheter in an effort to escalate the radiotherapy dose to the tumor and maximize local control rates. This work describes the equipment, procedures, and quality assurance (QA) that enables successful administration.

Methods And Materials: This work describes the nasobiliary catheter placement, simulation, treatment planning, treatment delivery, and QA.

Automated construction of an intraoperative high-dose-rate treatment plan library for the Varian brachytherapy treatment planning system.

Purpose: The ability to create treatment plans for intraoperative high-dose-rate (IOHDR) brachytherapy is limited by lack of imaging and time constraints. An automated method for creation of a library of high-dose-rate brachytherapy plans that can be used with standard planar applicators in the intraoperative setting is highly desirable.

Methods And Materials: Nonnegative least squares algebraic methods were used to identify dwell time values for flat, rectangular planar applicators.