Centralized Quality Assurance of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for the Veterans Affairs Cooperative Studies Program Study Number 2005: A Phase 3 Randomized Trial of Lung Cancer Surgery or Stereotactic Radiotherapy for Operable Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (VALOR).

Purpose: The phase 3 Veterans Affairs Lung Cancer Surgery Or Stereotactic Radiotherapy study implemented centralized quality assurance (QA) to mitigate risks of protocol deviations. This report summarizes the quality and compliance of the first 100 participants treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in this study.

Methods And Materials: A centralized QA program was developed to credential and monitor study sites to ensure standard-of-care lung SBRT treatments are delivered to participants.

Moderately Hypofractionated Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy With Simultaneous Integrated Boost for Prostate Cancer: Five-Year Toxicity Results From a Prospective Phase I/II Trial.

Background: In this phase I/II trial, 5-year physician-assessed toxicity and patient reported quality of life data is reported for patients undergoing moderately hypofractionated intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for prostate cancer using a simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) and pelvic lymph node (LN) coverage.

Materials And Methods: Patients with T1-T2 localized prostate cancer were prospectively enrolled, receiving risk group based coverage of prostate ± seminal vesicles (SVs) ± pelvic lymph nodes (LNs). Low risk (LR) received 69.

[A woman with a painful swelling in the breast].

Background: A hibernoma is a rare benign lipomatous tumour, consisting of brown and white fat cells. In general, a hibernoma is an asymptomatic swelling that increases slowly in size, but it can sometimes cause pain.

Case Despription: A 62-year-old woman presented at the breast clinic with a painful swelling in the right breast that was increasing in size.

Novel 'chemical cocktails' in inland waters are a consequence of the freshwater salinization syndrome.

Widespread changes in water temperatures, salinity, alkalinity and pH have been documented in inland waters in North America, which influence ion exchange, weathering rates, chemical solubility and contaminant toxicity. Increasing major ion concentrations from pollution, human-accelerated weathering and saltwater intrusion contribute to multiple ecological stressors such as changing ionic strength and pH and mobilization of chemical mixtures resulting in the freshwater salinization syndrome (FSS). Here, we explore novel combinations of elements, which are transported together as chemical mixtures containing salts, nutrients and metals as a consequence of FSS.