Multi-institutional Knowledge-Based (KB) plan prediction benchmark models for whole breast irradiation.

Purpose: To train and validate KB prediction models by merging a large multi-institutional cohort of whole breast irradiation (WBI) plans using tangential fields.

Methods: Ten institutions (INST1-INST10, 1481 patients) developed their KB-institutional models for left/right WBI (ten models for right and eight models for left). The transferability of models among centers was assessed based on the overlap of the geometric Principal Component (PC1) of each model when applied to other institutions and/or on the presence of significantly different optimization policies.

Spatially Fractionated Radiation Therapy for Palliation in Patients With Large Cancers: A Retrospective Study.

Purpose: Spatially fractionated radiation therapy (SFRT) is an irradiation technique developed to improve large cancer response. Although preliminary studies report highly positive results, data are still limited. The aim of this retrospective monocentric study was to investigate SFRT safety and activity.

LatticeOpt: An automatic tool for planning optimisation of spatially fractionated stereotactic body radiotherapy.

Purpose: Lattice radiotherapy (LRT) is a three dimensional (3D) implementation of spatially fractionated radiation therapy, based on regular spatial distribution of high dose spheres (vertices) inside the target. Due to tumour shape heterogeneity, finding the best lattice arrangement is not trivial. The aim of this study was to develop the LatticeOpt tool to generate the best lattice structures on clinical cases for treatment planning.

Impact of Preprocessing Parameters in Medical Imaging-Based Radiomic Studies: A Systematic Review.

Background: Lately, radiomic studies featuring the development of a signature to use in prediction models in diagnosis or prognosis outcomes have been increasingly published. While the results are shown to be promising, these studies still have many pitfalls and limitations. One of the main issues of these studies is that radiomic features depend on how the images are preprocessed before their computation.

Refining Treatment Planning in STereotactic Arrhythmia Radioablation: Benchmark Results and Consensus Statement From the STOPSTORM.eu Consortium.

Purpose: STereotactic Arrhythmia Radioablation (STAR) showed promising results in patients with refractory ventricular tachycardia. However, clinical data are scarce and heterogeneous. The STOPSTORM.

CCL18, CHI3L1, ANG2, IL-6 systemic levels are associated with the extent of lung damage and radiomic features in SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Objective And Design: We aimed to identify cytokines whose concentrations are related to lung damage, radiomic features, and clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients.

Material Or Subjects: Two hundred twenty-six patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and chest computed tomography (CT) images were enrolled.

Methods: CCL18, CHI3L1/YKL-40, GAL3, ANG2, IP-10, IL-10, TNFα, IL-6, soluble gp130, soluble IL-6R were quantified in plasma samples using Luminex assays.

Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Processing of Anterior Segment OCT Images in the Diagnosis of Vitreoretinal Lymphoma.

Anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) allows the explore not only the anterior chamber but also the front part of the vitreous cavity. Our cross-sectional single-centre study investigated whether AS-OCT can distinguish between vitreous involvement due to vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL) and vitritis in uveitis. We studied AS-OCT images from 28 patients (11 with biopsy-proven VRL and 17 with differential diagnosis uveitis) using publicly available radiomics software written in MATLAB.

Workload Balancing in Emergency Night Shifts for a Multicenter Diagnostic Imaging Department: a RIS-Integrated Solution.

The purpose of this short report is to illustrate the implementation of a RIS function for balancing radiological activities and workloads between two different teams of radiologists from the same Diagnostic Department during emergency nights and holiday shifts. One group is from the main hospital, Arcispedale S.Maria Nuova di Reggio Emilia, and the other group belongs to the five minor hospitals in the district of Reggio Emilia.

Moderately Hypofractionated Helical Tomotherapy for Prostate Cancer: Ten-year Experience of a Mono-institutional Series of 415 Patients.

Background/aim: Radiotherapy represents an important therapeutic option in the management of prostate cancer (PCa). As helical tomotherapy may improve toxicity outcomes, we aimed to evaluate and report the toxicity and clinical outcomes of localized PCa patients treated with moderately hypofractionated helical tomotherapy.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 415 patients affected by localized PCa and treated with moderately hypofractionated helical tomotherapy in our department from January 2008 to December 2020.

Linac-based stereotactic salvage reirradiation for intraprostatic prostate cancer recurrence: toxicity and outcomes.

Background: The rates of local failure after curative radiotherapy for prostate cancer (PC) remain high despite more accurate locoregional treatments available, with one third of patients experiencing biochemical failure and clinical relapse occurring in 30-47% of cases. Today, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is the treatment of choice in this setting, but with not negligible toxicity and low effects on local disease. Therefore, the treatment of intraprostatic PC recurrence represents a challenge for radiation oncologists.

The Use of Cardiac Stereotactic Radiation Therapy (SBRT) to Manage Ventricular Tachycardia: A Case Report, Review of the Literature and Technical Notes.

Background: among cardiac arrhythmias, ventricular tachycardia (VT) is one that can lead to cardiac death, although significant progress has been made in its treatment, including the use of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) and radiofrequency catheter ablation. Nevertheless, long-term recurrence rates remain in about half of patients and drastically impact the patient's quality of life. Moreover, recurrent ICD shocks are painful and are associated with higher mortality and worsening of heart failure.

Novel Harmonization Method for Multi-Centric Radiomic Studies in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

The purpose of this multi-centric work was to investigate the relationship between radiomic features extracted from pre-treatment computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, and clinical outcomes for stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). One-hundred and seventeen patients who received SBRT for early-stage NSCLC were retrospectively identified from seven Italian centers. The tumor was identified on pre-treatment free-breathing CT and PET images, from which we extracted 3004 quantitative radiomic features.

Knowledge-based multi-institution plan prediction of whole breast irradiation with tangential fields.

Purpose: To quantify inter-institute variability of Knowledge-Based (KB) models for right breast cancer patients treated with tangential fields whole breast irradiation (WBI).

Materials And Methods: Ten institutions set KB models by using RapidPlan (Varian Inc.), following previously shared methodologies.

The Role of Interstitial Brachytherapy for Breast Cancer Treatment: An Overview of Indications, Applications, and Technical Notes.

Breast cancer represents the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the female population, despite continuing advances in treatment options that have significantly accelerated in recent years. Conservative treatments have radically changed the concept of healing, also focusing on the psychological aspect of oncological treatments. In this scenario, radiotherapy plays a key role.

Radiation dose reduction and static image quality assessment using a channelized hotelling observer on an angiography system upgraded with clarity IQ.

The goal of this paper was the comparison of radiation dose and imaging quality before and after the Clarity IQ technology installation in a Philips AlluraXper FD20/20 angiography system using a Channelized Hotelling Observer model (CHO). The core characteristics of the Allura Clarity IQ technology are its real-time noise reduction algorithms (NRT) combined with state-of-the-art hardware; this technology allows to implement acquisition protocols able to significantly reduce patient entrance dose. To measure the system performances in terms of image quality we used a contrast detail phantom in a clinical scatter condition.

Physical characterization of a novel wireless DRX Plus 3543C using both a carbon nano tube (CNT) mobile x-ray system and a traditional x-ray system.

This work aims to characterize the novel DRX Plus 3543C detector in terms of detective quantum efficiency (DQE) using both a mobile x-ray system called Carestream DRX Revolution Nano and a traditional x-ray system (Carestream DRX Evolution). We used the commercial system DRX Revolution Nano, equipped with a new x-ray source based on CNT technology and field emission (FE) as the electron emitter (cathode). An innovative aspect of this device is its intrinsic selection of the focal spot size.

CT protocol optimisation in PET/CT: a systematic review.

Purpose: Currently, no consistent guidelines for CT scans used within PET/CT examinations are available. This systematic review provides an up-to-date overview of studies to answer the following questions: What are the specific CT protocols used in PET/CT? What are the possible purposes of requiring a CT study within a PET/CT scan? Is the CT protocol obtained from a dosimetric optimisation study?

Materials And Method: PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Embase and Scopus were systematically searched for relevant studies in accordance with the PRISMA statement. The literature search was conducted from January 2007 until June 2019.

Texture analysis and multiple-instance learning for the classification of malignant lymphomas.

Background And Objectives: Malignant lymphomas are cancers of the immune system and are characterized by enlarged lymph nodes that typically spread across many different sites. Many different histological subtypes exist, whose diagnosis is typically based on sampling (biopsy) of a single tumor site, whereas total body examinations with computed tomography and positron emission tomography, though not diagnostic, are able to provide a comprehensive picture of the patient. In this work, we exploit a data-driven approach based on multiple-instance learning algorithms and texture analysis features extracted from positron emission tomography, to predict differential diagnosis of the main malignant lymphomas subtypes.

Characterization of GE discovery IGS 740 angiography system by means of channelized Hotelling observer (CHO).

The aim of the study is to use the well-known channelized Hotelling observer model (CHO) to characterize a recently installed angiography system (GE Discovery IGS 740) using sets of images of a contrast-detail phantom acquired with clinical protocols. A Leeds TO10 phantom was used. The phantom has 108 details: 12 diameters (size range: 0.