Multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) compared to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for estimation of fat-free mass in colorectal cancer patients treated with chemotherapy.

Background: Changes in body composition in cancer patients during chemotherapy are associated with treatment related toxicities or mortalities. Thus, it is relevant to identify accessible, relatively inexpensive, portable and reliable tools for evaluation of body composition in cancer patients during the course of their treatments.

Objective: To examine relationships between single cross-sectional thighs magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), skeletal muscle mass (SM) as reference and multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) fat free mass (FFM) in patients with colorectal cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

Dosimetric assessment of an Atlas based automated segmentation for loco-regional radiation therapy of early breast cancer in the Skagen Trial 1: A multi-institutional study.

The effect of Atlas-based automated segmentation (ABAS) on dose volume histogram (DVH) parameters compared to manual segmentation (MS) in loco-regional radiotherapy (RT) of early breast cancer was investigated in patients included in the Skagen Trial 1. This analysis supports implementation of ABAS in clinical practice and multi-institutional trials.

Internal and external validation of an ESTRO delineation guideline - dependent automated segmentation tool for loco-regional radiation therapy of early breast cancer.

Background And Purpose: To internally and externally validate an atlas based automated segmentation (ABAS) in loco-regional radiation therapy of breast cancer.

Materials And Methods: Structures of 60 patients delineated according to the ESTRO consensus guideline were included in four categorized multi-atlas libraries using MIM Maestro™ software. These libraries were used for auto-segmentation in two different patient groups (50 patients from the local institution and 40 patients from other institutions).

Assessment of volume segmentation in radiotherapy of adolescents; a treatment planning study by the Swedish Workgroup for Paediatric Radiotherapy.

Background And Purpose: The variability in target delineation for similar cases between centres treating paediatric and adolescent patients, and the apparent differences in interpretation of radiotherapy guidelines in the treatment protocols encouraged us to perform a dummy-run study as a part of our quality assurance work. The aim was to identify and quantify differences in the segmentation of target volumes and organs at risk (OARs) and to analyse the treatment plans and dose distributions.

Materials And Methods: Four patient cases were selected: Wilm's tumour, Hodgkin's disease, rhabdomyosarcoma of the prostate and chordoma of the skull base.

Application of constant vs. variable relative biological effectiveness in treatment planning of intensity-modulated proton therapy.

Purpose: To investigate in a simulation study whether using a variable relative biological effectiveness (RBE) in calculation and optimization of intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) instead of using an RBE of 1.1 would result in significant changes in the RBE-weighted dose (RWD) distributions.

Methods And Materials: For 4 patients with head-and-neck tumors, three IMPT plans were prepared respectively.

Expression modes and clinical manifestations of latent membrane protein 1, Ki-67, cyclin-B1, and epidermal growth factor receptor in nonendemic nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Background: We aimed to identify clinical significance of latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1), Ki-67, cyclin-B1, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), in nonendemic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods: The relation between expression of the markers in 45 NPC specimens and clinicopathological and survival variables was statistically analyzed.

Results: LMP1 was present in 33% of the tumors, and its presence was associated with advanced nodal and disease stages.

Intensity-modulated radiotherapy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a comparative treatment planning study of photons and protons.

Background: The aim of this treatment planning study was to investigate the potential advantages of intensity-modulated (IM) proton therapy (IMPT) compared with IM photon therapy (IMRT) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods: Eight NPC patients were chosen. The dose prescriptions in cobalt Gray equivalent (GyE) for gross tumor volumes of the primary tumor (GTV-T), planning target volumes of GTV-T and metastatic (PTV-TN) and elective (PTV-N) lymph node stations were 72.

Long-term treatment results for nasopharyngeal carcinoma: the Sahlgrenska University Hospital experience.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a rare disease in Sweden. For evaluation of the treatment outcomes in our NPC patients, 52 new cases that were referred to our department between 1991 and 2002 were retrospectively analysed. Tumor stage, according to the 1997 AJCC staging system, was I in five, II in ten, III in 12 and IV in 25 patients.