Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT Follow Up after Single or Hypofractionated Gamma Knife ICON Radiosurgery for Meningioma Patients.

Ga-DOTATOC represents a useful tool in tumor contouring for radiosurgery planning. We present a case series of patients affected by meningiomas on who we performed Ga-DOTATOC positron emission tomography (PET)/CT pre-operatively, a subgroup of which also underwent a post-operative Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT to evaluate the standardized uptake value (SUV) modification after Gamma Knife ICON treatment in single or hypofractionated fractions. Twenty patients were enrolled/included in this study: ten females and ten males.

A straightforward multiparametric quality control protocol for proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy: Validation and comparison of various 1.5 T and 3 T clinical scanner systems.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to propose and validate across various clinical scanner systems a straightforward multiparametric quality assurance procedure for proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS).

Methods: Eighteen clinical 1.5 T and 3 T scanner systems for MRS, from 16 centres and 3 different manufacturers, were enrolled in the study.

Corrigendum: Clinical and Research Activities at the CATANA Facility of INFN-LNS: From the Conventional Hadrontherapy to the Laser-Driven Approach.

[This corrects the article on p. 223 in vol. 7, PMID: 28971066.

Clinical and Research Activities at the CATANA Facility of INFN-LNS: From the Conventional Hadrontherapy to the Laser-Driven Approach.

The CATANA proton therapy center was the first Italian clinical facility making use of energetic (62 MeV) proton beams for the radioactive treatment of solid tumors. Since the date of the first patient treatment in 2002, 294 patients have been successful treated whose majority was affected by choroidal and iris melanomas. In this paper, we report on the current clinical and physical status of the CATANA facility describing the last dosimetric studies and reporting on the last patient follow-up results.

Multiparametric MRI Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) Accuracy in Diagnosing Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer.

Aim: To evaluate the accuracy of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging apparent diffusion coefficient (mpMRI ADC) in the diagnosis of clinically significant prostate cancer (PCa).

Patients And Methods: From January 2016 to December 2016, 44 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy for PCa and mpMRI lesions suggestive of cancer were retrospectively evaluated at definitive specimen. The accuracy of suspicious mpMRI prostate imaging reporting and data system (PI-RADS ≥3) vs.

Evaluation of erlotinib treatment response in non-small cell lung cancer using metabolic and anatomic criteria.

Background: In this paper the clinical value of PET for early prediction of tumor response to erlotinib in patients with advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after failure of at least one prior chemotherapy regimen is evaluated. The aim was to compare the early metabolic treatment response using European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) 1999 recommendations and PET Response Criteria in Solid Tumors (PERCIST), and the standard treatment response using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST).

Methods: Twenty patients with stage IV NSCLC were enrolled prospectively.

Online beam monitoring in the treatment of ocular pathologies at the INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Sud-Catania.

A detector (MOPI) has been developed for the online monitoring of the beam at the Centro di AdroTerapia e Applicazioni Nucleari Avanzate (CATANA), where shallow tumours of the ocular region are treated with 62 MeV protons. At CATANA the beam is passively spread to match the tumour shape. The uniformity of the delivered dose depends on beam geometrical quantities which are checked before each treatment.

Response of a radioresistant human melanoma cell line along the proton spread-out Bragg peak.

Purpose: To analyse changes of cell inactivation and proliferation under therapeutic irradiation conditions along the proton spread out Bragg peak (SOBP) with particular emphasis on its distal declining edge.

Materials And Methods: HTB140 cells were irradiated at four positions: plateau, middle, distal end and distal declining edge of the 62 MeV proton SOBP. Doses ranged from 2-16 Gy.

Anti-tumour activity of fotemustine and protons in combination with bevacizumab.

Background: Metastatic melanoma is one of the most aggressive tumours and is also very resistant to current therapeutic approaches. The aim of this investigation was the in vitro study of the anti-proliferative effects of fotemustine (FM; 100 and 250 microM), bevacizumab (5 microg/ml) and proton irradiation (12 and 16 Gy) on resistant HTB140 human melanoma cells.

Methods: Viability was estimated by sulphorhodamine B assay, while cell proliferation was analyzed by 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine assay.

Effects of fotemustine or dacarbasine on a melanoma cell line pretreated with therapeutic proton irradiation.

Background: Considering that HTB140 melanoma cells have shown a poor response to either protons or alkylating agents, the effects of a combined use of these agents have been analysed.

Methods: Cells were irradiated in the middle of the therapeutic 62 MeV proton spread out Bragg peak (SOBP). Irradiation doses were 12 or 16 Gy and are those frequently used in proton therapy.

Assessment of the inhibitory effects of different radiation qualities or chemotherapeutic agents on a human melanoma cell line.

The correlation between time dependent viabilities, after applying two radiation qualities and two alkylating agents on HTB140 melanoma cells, has been studied. Irradiations were performed with gamma-rays and 62 MeV protons, close to the Bragg peak maximum, delivering doses of 8-24 Gy. Treatments with fotemustine (FM) and dacarbazine (DTIC) were carried out with concentrations of 0.

Preliminary investigation on the use of the MOSFET dosimeter in proton beams.

Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) device structures can be used to measure ionizing radiation through the mechanism of hole trapping in the oxide layer leading to changing of electrical characteristic of the device. They are a new type of direct reading semiconductor dosimeters. Due to their extremely small physical size, ability to permanently store the accumulated dose, dose-rate independence and their ease of use make them very promising for in vivo dosimetry.

Response of a human melanoma cell line to low and high ionizing radiation.

Effects of single irradiation with gamma rays and protons on human HTB140 melanoma cell growth were compared. Exponentially growing cells were irradiated close to the Bragg peak maximum of the unmodulated 62 MeV protons, as well as with (60)Co gamma rays. Applied doses ranged from 8 to 24 Gy.

Radiobiological analysis of human melanoma cells on the 62 MeV CATANA proton beam.

Purpose: To measure the ability of protons and gamma-rays to effect cell viability and cell survival of human HTB140 melanoma cells.

Materials And Methods: Exponentially growing HTB140 cells were irradiated close to the Bragg peak maximum of the 62 MeV protons or with 60Co gamma-rays with single doses, ranging from 8 - 24 Gy. Cell viability using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was evaluated at 6 h, 24 h, 48 h or 7 days after irradiation and clonogenic survival was assessed at 7 days after irradiation.

Modelled microgravity does not modify the yield of chromosome aberrations induced by high-energy protons in human lymphocytes.

The aim was to evaluate the effect of modelled microgravity on radiation-induced chromosome aberrations (CAs). G0 peripheral blood lymphocytes were exposed to 60 MeV protons or 250 kVp X-rays in the dose range 0-6 Gy, and allowed to repair DNA damage for 24 h under either normal gravity or microgravity modelled by the NASA-designed rotating-wall bioreactor. Cells were then stimulated to proliferate by phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) under normal gravity conditions and prematurely condensed chromosomes were harvested after 48 h.

The use of thermoluminescent detectors for measurements of proton dose distribution.

The aim of this work was to investigate the use of TLD-100 detectors in the field of relative dosimetry in proton eye facilities. These dosemeters, of different sizes, were used to measure transverse and longitudinal distributions of 62 MeV unmodulated proton beams at INFN-LNS in Catania. Comparison with other detectors, such as ionisation chambers, GAF and radiographic film, is extensively discussed.