Long-Term Survival and Failure Outcomes of Single-Fraction Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy in Early Stage NSCLC.

Introduction: This study aims to report our 13-year institutional experience with single-fraction stereotactic body radiation therapy (SF-SBRT) for early stage NSCLC.

Methods: A single-institutional retrospective review of patients with biopsy-proven peripheral cT1-2N0M0 NSCLC undergoing definitive SF-SBRT between September 2008 and May 2022 was performed. All patients were treated to 27 Gy with heterogeneity corrections or 30 Gy without.

Brachial Plexopathy After Single-Fraction Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy in Apical Lung Tumors.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate the incidence of brachial plexus injury (BPI) after single-fraction stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to apical lung tumors.

Methods And Materials: A retrospective cohort analysis was performed of all patients treated with single-fraction lung SBRT at our institution from 2007 to 2022. Apical tumors were identified as those with an epicenter located above the arch of the aorta.

Exceeding Radiation Dose to Volume Parameters for the Proximal Airways with Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Is More Likely for Ultracentral Lung Tumors and Associated with Worse Outcome.

The preferred radiotherapeutic approach for central (CLT) and ultracentral (UCLT) lung tumors is unclear. We assessed the toxicity and outcomes of patients with CLT and UCLT who underwent definitive five-fraction stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). We reviewed the charts of patients with either CLT or UCLT managed with SBRT from June 2010-April 2019.

Prior Treatment for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Is Associated With Improved Survival in Patients who Undergo Definitive Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for a Subsequent Lung Malignancy: A Retrospective Multivariate and Matched Pair Analysis.

Background: Despite occurring commonly, the prognoses of second early-stage non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) are not well known.

Methods: The authors retrospectively reviewed the charts of inoperable patients who underwent thoracic stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) from February 2007 to April 2019. Those with previous small cell lung cancers or SBRT treatments for tumors other than NSCLC were excluded.

A pilot study of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) after surgery for stage III non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Standard therapy for stage III non-small cell lung cancer with chemotherapy and conventional radiation has suboptimal outcomes. We hypothesized that a combination of surgery followed by stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) would be a safe alternative.

Methods: Patients with stage IIIA (multistation N2) or IIIB non-small cell lung cancer were enrolled from March 2013 to December 2015.

Therapeutic approaches in the management of locally advanced rectal cancer.

Combined-modality therapy, using radiotherapy and chemotherapy with surgery, has been the traditional therapeutic algorithm for locally advanced rectal cancer. Standard of care in the United States has evolved to include neoadjuvant concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed by surgical excision and adjuvant chemotherapy. This approach has led to a significant improvement in local recurrences (LR), to the point where distant sites are the more common site of failure.

Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for the Treatment of Renal Tumors.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the response of actively growing renal masses to stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). We retrospectively reviewed our institutional review board-approved kidney database and identified 4 patients who underwent SBRT, 15 Gy dose, for their rapidly growing renal masses. Three patients had a decreased tumor size after radiation treatment by 20.

The role of active surveillance in the management of prostate cancer.

In 2010, NCCN incorporated active surveillance (AS) into the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology for Prostate Cancer, and the 2012 update serves as an excellent resource with the most current evidence regarding treatment options for men with all stages of disease. However, the lack of clinical trials that directly compare various treatment modalities or identify the best management, especially for men with low-risk prostate cancer, makes the decision-making process difficult for both patients and physicians. Although general agreement exists on definitions of candidates for AS-men with low-volume and low-grade disease thought to be at low risk for rapid progression-several key issues remain in establishing and supporting the role of AS in the management of prostate cancer, such as optimal timing and appropriate triggers for active treatment.

A prospective trial of volumetric intensity-modulated arc therapy vs conventional intensity modulated radiation therapy in advanced head and neck cancer.

Aim: To prospectively compare volumetric intensity-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and conventional intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in coverage of planning target volumes and avoidance of multiple organs at risk (OARs) in patients undergoing definitive chemoradiotherapy for advanced (stage III or IV) squamous cell cancer of the head and neck.

Methods: Computed tomography scans of 20 patients with advanced tumors of the larynx, naso-, oro- and hypopharynx were prospectively planned using IMRT (7 field) and VMAT using two arcs. Calculated doses to planning target volume (PTV) and OAR were compared between IMRT and VMAT plans.

Theoretical quality assessment of myocardial elastography with in vivo validation.

Myocardial elastography (ME), a radio frequency (RF)-based speckle tracking technique with one-dimensional (1-D) cross correlation and novel recorrelation methods in a 2-D search was proposed to estimate and fully image 2-D transmural deformation field and to detect abnormal cardiac function. A theoretical framework was first developed in order to evaluate the performance of 2-D myocardial elastography based on a previously developed 3-D finite-element model of the canine left ventricle. A normal (control) and an ischemic (left-circumflex, LCx) model, which more completely represented myocardial deformation than a kinematic model, were considered.

Imaging the mechanics and electromechanics of the heart.

The heart is a mechanical pump that is electrically driven. We have previously shown that the contractility of the cardiac muscle can reliably be used in order to assess the extent of ischemia using myocardial elastography. Myocardial elastography estimates displacement and strain during the natural contraction of the myocardium using signal processing techniques on echocardiograms in order to assess the change in mechanical properties as a result of disease.

ECG-gated, mechanical and electromechanical wave imaging of cardiovascular tissues in vivo.

In simplistic terms, the motion of the heart can be summarized as an active contraction and passive relaxation of the myocardium. However, the local motion of cardiovascular tissues over the course of an entire cardiac cycle results from various transient events such as the valves closing/opening, sudden changes in blood pressure and electrical conduction of the myocardium. The transient motion generated by most of these events occurs within a very short time (on the order of 1 ms) and cannot be imaged correctly with conventional imaging systems, due to their limited temporal resolution.

Elastographic imaging of strain distribution in the anterior cruciate ligament and at the ligament-bone insertions.

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) functions as a mechanical stabilizer in the tibiofemoral joint, and is the most commonly injured knee ligament. To improve the clinical outcome of tendon grafts used for ACL reconstructions, our long-term goal is to promote graft-bone integration via the regeneration of the native ligament-bone interface. An understanding of strain distribution at this interface is crucial for functional scaffold design and clinical evaluation.