A comparison of the biological effective dose of 50-kV electronic brachytherapy with (192)Ir high-dose-rate brachytherapy for vaginal cuff irradiation.

Purpose: Advantages for electronic brachytherapy (EBT) of the vaginal cuff include decreased physical dose to the bladder and rectum. Here we compare (192)Ir with EBT using biological effective dose (BED) to account for the different radiobiological effectiveness (RBE) predicted for low-energy x-rays.

Methods And Materials: Fifteen data sets from five consecutive postoperative endometrial cancer patients treated with EBT were analyzed.

Toxicity of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for accelerated partial breast irradiation.

Purpose: To assess the incidence and severity of late normal tissue toxicity using three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy to deliver accelerated partial breast irradiation.

Methods And Materials: A total of 60 patients were treated with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for accelerated partial breast irradiation. Treatment planning and delivery were in strict accordance with the technique and specified dose-volume constraints of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project B-39/Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 0413 protocol.

Planning the breast boost: comparison of three techniques and evolution of tumor bed during treatment.

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of two clinical techniques for electron boost planning compared with computed tomography (CT)-based planning. Additionally, we evaluated the tumor bed characteristics at whole breast planning and boost planning.

Methods And Materials: A total of 30 women underwent tumor bed boost planning within 2 weeks of completing whole breast radiotherapy using three planning techniques: scar-based planning, palpation/clinical-based planning, and CT-based planning.

Intensity-modulated radiotherapy of the prostate after cryotherapy: initial experience.

Objectives: To analyze results of intensity-modulated radiotherapy after cryotherapy ablation for adenocarcinoma of the prostate.

Methods: Patients were either treated adjuvantly after targeted cryotherapy or treated for salvage after local failure of standard whole-prostate cryotherapy. Patients were treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy to a minimum dose of 73 Gy (mean dose, >75Gy).

An attempt to independently verify the utility of the Van Nuys Prognostic Index for ductal carcinoma in situ.

Background: The Van Nuys Prognostic Index (VNPI) purports to predict the risk of ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) after excision of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). It is a simple scoring scheme based on a retrospective evaluation of data from a single group of investigators. Various versions of VNPI have been proposed using clinical and pathologic features including tumor size, tumor grade, margin width, and patient age.