3-D conformal HDR brachytherapy as monotherapy for localized prostate cancer. A pilot study

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Martin, T.; Baltas, D.; Kurek, R.; Roeddiger, S.; Kontova, M.; Anagnostopoulos, G.; Skazikis, G.; Zamboglou, N.; Dannenberg, T.; Buhleier, T.; Tunn, U.

2004-01-01

Purpose: pilot study to evaluate feasibility, acute toxicity and conformal quality of three-dimensional (3-D) conformal high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy as monotherapy for localized prostate cancer using intraoperative real-time planning. Patients and methods: between 05/2002 and 05/2003, 52 patients with prostate cancer, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) ≤ 10 ng/ml, Gleason score ≤ 7 and clinical stage ≤ T2a were treated. Median PSA was 6.4 ng/ml and median Gleason score 5. 24/52 patients had stage T1c and 28/52 stage T2a. For transrectal ultrasound-(TRUS-)guided transperineal implantation of flexible plastic needles into the prostate, the real-time HDR planning system SWIFT trademark was used. After implantation, CT-based 3-D postplanning was performed. All patients received one implant for four fractions of HDR brachytherapy in 48 h using a reference dose (D ref ) of 9.5 Gy to a total dose of 38.0 Gy. Dose-volume histograms (DVHs) were analyzed to evaluate the conformal quality of each implant using D 90 , D 10 urethra, and D 10 rectum. Acute toxicity was evaluated using the CTC (common toxicity criteria) scales. Results: median D 90 was 106% of D ref (range: 93-115%), median D 10 urethra 159% of D ref (range: 127-192%), and median D 10 rectum 55% of D ref (range: 35-68%). Median follow-up is currently 8 months. In 2/52 patients acute grade 3 genitourinary toxicity was observed. No gastrointestinal toxicity > grade 1 occurred. Conclusion: 3-D conformal HDR brachytherapy as monotherapy using intraoperative real-time planning is a feasible and highly conformal treatment for localized prostate cancer associated with minimal acute toxicity. Longer follow-up is needed to evaluate late toxicity and biochemical control. (orig.)

Dose escalation using conformal high-dose-rate brachytherapy improves outcome in unfavorable prostate cancer

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Martinez, Alvaro A.; Gustafson, Gary; Gonzalez, Jose; Armour, Elwood; Mitchell, Chris; Edmundson, Gregory; Spencer, William; Stromberg, Jannifer; Huang, Raywin; Vicini, Frank

2002-01-01

Purpose: To overcome radioresistance for patients with unfavorable prostate cancer, a prospective trial of pelvic external beam irradiation (EBRT) interdigitated with dose-escalating conformal high-dose-rate (HDR) prostate brachytherapy was performed. Methods and Materials: Between November 1991 and August 2000, 207 patients were treated with 46 Gy pelvic EBRT and increasing HDR brachytherapy boost doses (5.50-11.5 Gy/fraction) during 5 weeks. The eligibility criteria were pretreatment prostate-specific antigen level ≥10.0 ng/mL, Gleason score ≥7, or clinical Stage T2b or higher. Patients were divided into 2 dose levels, low-dose biologically effective dose 93 Gy (149 patients). No patient received hormones. We used the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology definition for biochemical failure. Results: The median age was 69 years. The mean follow-up for the group was 4.4 years, and for the low and high-dose levels, it was 7.0 and 3.4 years, respectively. The actuarial 5-year biochemical control rate was 74%, and the overall, cause-specific, and disease-free survival rate was 92%, 98%, and 68%, respectively. The 5-year biochemical control rate for the low-dose group was 52%; the rate for the high-dose group was 87% (p<0.001). Improvement occurred in the cause-specific survival in favor of the brachytherapy high-dose level (p=0.014). On multivariate analysis, a low-dose level, higher Gleason score, and higher nadir value were associated with increased biochemical failure. The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Grade 3 gastrointestinal/genitourinary complications ranged from 0.5% to 9%. The actuarial 5-year impotency rate was 51%. Conclusion: Pelvic EBRT interdigitated with transrectal ultrasound-guided real-time conformal HDR prostate brachytherapy boost is both a precise dose delivery system and a very effective treatment for unfavorable prostate cancer. We demonstrated an incremental beneficial effect on biochemical control and cause

Conformal Brachytherapy Boost To External Beam Irradiation For Clinically Localized High Risk Prostate Cancer

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Dattoli, Michael J; Wasserman, Stuart G; Koval, John M; Sorace, Richard A; Cash, Jennifer; Wallner, Kent E

1995-07-01

-rectal fistula. 2 patients required TURP 2-3 months after the implant, 6 underwent TUIP in the immediate post-operative period. One patient developed low volume stress incontinence after he had undergone both TUIP and TURP. Of 45 patients who were sexually potent prior to implant, the actuarial potency rate at 3 years after implantation was 77%. Conclusion: This approach is extremely well tolerated and the results compare favorably to other modalities including 3D conformal EBRT. A higher total dose can be delivered with prostatic brachytherapy and the operator can better correct for prostatic motion/displacement. As expected patients having Gleason score {>=} 7, elevated SPAP or PSA {>=} 20 are at increased risk for failure.

Conformal Brachytherapy Boost To External Beam Irradiation For Clinically Localized High Risk Prostate Cancer

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Dattoli, Michael J.; Wasserman, Stuart G.; Koval, John M.; Sorace, Richard A.; Cash, Jennifer; Wallner, Kent E.

1995-01-01

-rectal fistula. 2 patients required TURP 2-3 months after the implant, 6 underwent TUIP in the immediate post-operative period. One patient developed low volume stress incontinence after he had undergone both TUIP and TURP. Of 45 patients who were sexually potent prior to implant, the actuarial potency rate at 3 years after implantation was 77%. Conclusion: This approach is extremely well tolerated and the results compare favorably to other modalities including 3D conformal EBRT. A higher total dose can be delivered with prostatic brachytherapy and the operator can better correct for prostatic motion/displacement. As expected patients having Gleason score ≥ 7, elevated SPAP or PSA ≥ 20 are at increased risk for failure

Late rectal symptoms and quality of life after conformal radiation therapy for prostate cancer

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Geinitz, Hans; Zimmermann, Frank B.; Thamm, Reinhard; Erber, Caroline; Mueller, Tobias; Keller, Monika; Busch, Raymonde; Molls, Michael

2006-01-01

Background and purpose: This study was carried out in order to analyze the prevalence of late rectal and anal symptoms after conformal radiation therapy for prostate cancer and to assess their association with quality of life. Patients and methods: Two-hundred and forty nine patients were interviewed at 24-111 months after definitive conformal radiation therapy of localized prostate cancer with a median dose of 70 Gy. Rectal symptoms and fecal incontinence were evaluated with standardized questionnaires. Quality of life was assessed with the EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire-C30 and the prostate cancer module PR25. Results: Rectal symptoms were mostly intermittent. Daily symptoms occurred in ≤5% of the patients. Incontinence was mostly mild with only 3% of the patients reporting daily incontinence episodes. Quality of life was comparable to that of the male German general population except that cognitive functioning and diarrhea were worse in the study population and pain was worse in the reference population. Global quality of life was associated with fecal incontinence, fecal urge, tenesmus, therapy for rectal symptoms and hormonal therapy for biochemical/clinical recurrence. Conclusions: Rectal symptoms and fecal incontinence after conformal radiation therapy for prostate cancer are mostly intermittent. Fecal incontinence, fecal urge and tenesmus are associated with lower global quality of life levels

Prostatic biopsy after irradiation therapy for prostatic cancer

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Scardino, P.T.; Wheeler, T.M.

1985-01-01

To determine the prognostic significance of a routine needle biopsy of the prostate performed six to thirty-six months after the completion of definitive radiotherapy, biopsy results were analyzed in 146 patients who had no evidence of disease at the time of biopsy and who received no other therapy before proved recurrence of the tumor. Patients were followed up a mean of 3.9 years after radioactive gold seed implantation and external beam irradiation. The total dose was 8,000 rad. Among 146 patients, 56 (38%) had one or more positive biopsy results within this time interval. The positive biopsy rate correlated with the clinical stage ranging from 17 per cent in Stage B1N to 59 per cent in Stage C1. The risk of developing local recurrence or distant metastases at any given time after irradiation therapy was markedly greater in those patients with a positive biopsy result (p less than 0.0005). Prostatic biopsy is an accurate means of measuring the success of radiotherapy. A positive postirradiation biopsy result carries grave prognostic implications for the patient and indicates that the treatment has failed

Clinical feasibility study for the use of implanted gold seeds in the prostate as reliable positioning markers during megavoltage irradiation

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Dehnad, Homan; Nederveen, Aart J.; Heide, Uulke A. van der; Moorselaar, R. Jeroen A. van; Hofman, Pieter; Lagendijk, Jan J.W.

2003-01-01

Background and purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of using gold seed implants in the prostate for position verification, using an a-Si flat panel imager as a detector during megavoltage irradiation of prostate carcinoma. This is a study to guarantee positioning accuracy in intensity-modulated radiotherapy. Methods and materials: Ten patients with localized prostate carcinoma (T2-3) received between one and three fiducial gold markers in the prostate. All patients were treated with 3-D conformal radiotherapy with an anterior-posterior (AP) and two lateral wedge fields. The acute gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) toxicities were scored using common toxicity criteria scales (CTC). Using three consecutive CT scans and portal images obtained during the treatment we have studied the occurrence of any change in prostate shape (deformation), seed migration and the magnitude of translations and rotations of the prostate. Results: We observed no acute major complications for prostate irradiation regarding the seed implantation. The maximum acute GU toxicity grade 2 (dysuria and frequency) was observed in seven patients during the treatment. The maximum grade 2 (diarrhoea) was scored in two patients regarding the acute GI toxicities. No significant prostate deformation could be detected in the consecutive CT scans. It appeared that the distances between the markers only slightly changed during treatment (S.D. 0.5 mm). Random prostate translations were (1 S.D.) 2.1, 3.2 and 2.2 mm in the lateral (LR), AP and cranial-caudal (CC) directions, respectively, whereas systematic translations were 3.3, 4.8 and 3.5 mm in the LR, AP and CC directions, respectively. Random prostate rotations were (1 S.D.) 3.6, 1.7 and 1.9 deg. around the LR, AP and CC axis, respectively, whereas systematic rotations were 4.7, 2.0 and 2.7 deg. around the LR, AP and CC axis, respectively. Conclusions: We found that the fiducial gold seeds are a safe and appropriate

Hyperfractionated conformal radiotherapy in locally advanced prostate cancer: results of a dose escalation study

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Forman, Jeffrey D.; Duclos, Marie; Shamsa, Falah; Porter, Arthur T.; Orton, Colin

1996-01-01

Purpose: This study was initiated to assess the incidence of chronic complications and histologic and biochemical control following hyperfractionated conformal radiotherapy in patients with locally advanced prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: Between October 1991 and October 1994, 49 patients with locally advanced prostate cancer were entered on the first two dose levels of a prospective dose-escalation study using hyperfractionated three dimensional conformal radiotherapy. The first 25 patients received a minimum tumor dose of 78 Gy to the prostate and seminal vesicles in 6 weeks at 1.3 Gy, b.i.d. No increase in chronic toxicity compared with conventional radiotherapy was noted; therefore, an additional 24 patients were treated to a minimum tumor dose of 82.8 Gy to the prostate and seminal vesicles in 7 weeks at 1.15 Gy, b.i.d. Toxicity was scored according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group morbidity grading scale. Efficacy was assessed through scheduled postradiation prostate specific antigen values and ultrasound-guided biopsies. The median follow-up for the entire group was 20 months. Results: The hyperfractionated external radiation was well tolerated with minimal acute morbidity. At 30 months, the actuarial probability of Grade 2 gastrointestinal toxicity was 17%. At 30 months, the actuarial probability of Grade 2 genitourinary toxicity was 16%. There was no statistically significant difference between the two dose levels. No Grade 3 or 4 gastrointestinal or genitourinary toxicity was noted. At 12 months, 84% of patients had a prostate specific antigen ≤ 4; and 53%; ≤ 1 ng/ml. At 12 months, 71% of patients had post radiation biopsies that were either negative (55%) or showed a marked therapeutic effect (16%). Conclusion: The use of hyperfractionated conformal radiotherapy facilitated dose escalation with no increase in chronic toxicity compared to standard doses. The initial tumor response based on prostate specific antigen measurements and

Evaluation of homogeneity and dose conformity in IMRT planning in prostate radiotherapy

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Lopes, Juliane S.; Leidens, Matheus; Estacio, Daniela R.; Razera, Ricardo A.Z.; Streck, Elaine E.; Silva, Ana M.M. da

2015-01-01

The goal of this study was to evaluate the dose distribution homogeneity and conformity of radiation therapy plans of prostate cancer using IMRT. Data from 34 treatment plans of Hospital Sao Lucas of PUCRS, where those plans were executed, were retrospectively analyzed. All of them were done with 6MV X-rays from a linear accelerator CLINAC IX, and the prescription doses varied between 60 and 74 Gy. Analyses showing the homogeneity and conformity indices for the dose distribution of those plans were made. During these analyses, some comparisons with the traditional radiation therapy planning technic, the 3D-CRT, were discussed. The results showed that there is no correlation between the prescribed dose and the homogeneity and conformity indices, indicating that IMRT works very well even for higher doses. Furthermore, a comparison between the results obtained and the recommendations of ICRU 83 was carried out. It has also been observed that the indices were really close to the ideal values. 82.4% of the cases showed a difference below 5% of the ideal value for the index of conformity, and 88.2% showed a difference below 10% for the homogeneity index. Concluding, it is possible to confirm the quality of the analyzed radiation therapy plans of prostate cancer using IMRT. (author)

Low-dose irradiation for controlling prostate cancer

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Cuttler, J.M.

2003-01-01

Prostate cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer among North American men and the second leading cause of death in those aged 65 and over. The American Cancer Society recommends testing those over age 50 who are expected to live at least 10 years, even though the ability of early detection to decrease prostate cancer mortality has not been demonstrated. So controversy exists about the appropriateness of screening because of the considerable economic and social burden of diagnosing and treating prostate cancer, coupled with the projected large increase in the number of new cases as the population ages. This very important public health issue could be addressed at low cost by total-body low-dose irradiation therapy to stimulate the patient's own defences to prevent and control most cancers, including prostate cancer, with no symptomatic side effects. (author)

External beam radiotherapy of localized prostatic adenocarcinoma. Evaluation of conformal therapy, field number and target margins

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Lennernaes, B.; Rikner, G.; Letocha, H.; Nilsson, S.

1995-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to identify factors of importance in the planning of external beam radiotherapy of prostatic adenocarcinoma. Seven patients with urogenital cancers were planned for external radiotherapy of the prostate. Four different techniques were used, viz. a 4-field box technique and four-, five- or six-field conformal therapy set-ups combined with three different margins (1-3 cm). The evaluations were based on the doses delivered to the rectum and the urinary bladder. A normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) was calculated for each plan using Lyman's dose volume reduction method. The most important factors that resulted in a decrease of the dose delivered to the rectum and the bladder were the use of conformal therapy and smaller margins. Conformal therapy seemed more important for the dose distribution in the urinary bladder. Five- and six-field set-ups were not significantly better than those with four fields. NTCP calculations were in accordance with the evaluation of the dose volume histograms. To conclude, four-field conformal therapy utilizing reduced margins improves the dose distribution to the rectum and the urinary bladder in the radiotherapy of prostatic adenocarcinoma. (orig.)

Pelvic nodal dose escalation with prostate hypofractionation using conformal avoidance defined (H-CAD) intensity modulated radiation therapy

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Hong, Theodore S.; Tome, Wolfgang A.; Jaradat, Hazim; Raisbeck, Bridget M.; Ritter, Mark A.

2006-01-01

The management of prostate cancer patients with a significant risk of pelvic lymph node involvement is controversial. Both whole pelvis radiotherapy and dose escalation to the prostate have been linked to improved outcome in such patients, but it is unclear whether conventional whole pelvis doses of only 45-50 Gy are optimal for ultimate nodal control. The purpose of this study is to examine the dosimetric and clinical feasibility of combining prostate dose escalation via hypofractionation with conformal avoidance-based IMRT (H-CAD) dose escalation to the pelvic lymph nodes. One conformal avoidance and one conventional plan were generated for each of eight patients. Conformal avoidance-based IMRT plans were generated that specifically excluded bowel, rectum, and bladder. The prostate and lower seminal vesicles (PTV 70) were planned to receive 70 Gy in 2.5 Gy/fraction while the pelvic lymph nodes (PTV 56) were to concurrently receive 56 Gy in 2 Gy/fraction. The volume of small bowel receiving >45 Gy was restricted to 300 ml or less. These conformal avoidance plans were delivered using helical tomotherapy or LINAC-based IMRT with daily imaging localization. All patients received neoadjuvant and concurrent androgen deprivation with a planned total of two years. The conventional, sequential plans created for comparison purposes for all patients consisted of a conventional 4-field pelvic box prescribed to 50.4 Gy (1.8 Gy/fraction) followed by an IMRT boost to the prostate of 25.2 Gy (1.8 Gy/fraction) yielding a final prostate dose of 75.6 Gy. For all plans, the prescription dose was to cover the target structure. Equivalent uniform dose (EUD) analyses were performed on all targets and dose-volume histograms (DVH) were displayed in terms of both physical and normalized total dose (NTD), i.e. dose in 2 Gy fraction equivalents. H-CAD IMRT plans were created for and delivered to all eight patients. Analysis of the H-CAD plans demonstrates prescription dose coverage of >95

Strategies to evaluate the impact of rectal volume on prostate motion during three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer

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Ana Paula Diniz Fortuna Poli

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Objective: To evaluate the rectal volume influence on prostate motion during three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT for prostate cancer. Materials and Methods: Fifty-one patients with prostate cancer underwent a series of three computed tomography scans including an initial planning scan and two subsequent scans during 3D-CRT. The organs of interest were outlined. The prostate contour was compared with the initial CT images considering the anterior, posterior, superior, inferior and lateral edges of the organ. Variations in the anterior limits and volume of the rectum were assessed and correlated with prostate motion in the anteroposterior direction. Results: The maximum range of prostate motion was observed in the superoinferior direction, followed by the anteroposterior direction. A significant correlation was observed between prostate motion and rectal volume variation ( p = 0.037. A baseline rectal volume superior to 70 cm3 had a significant influence on the prostate motion in the anteroposterior direction ( p = 0.045. Conclusion: The present study showed a significant interfraction motion of the prostate during 3D-CRT with greatest variations in the superoinferior and anteroposterior directions, and that a large rectal volume influences the prostate motion with a cutoff value of 70 cm3. Therefore, the treatment of patients with a rectal volume > 70 cm3 should be re-planned with appropriate rectal preparation.

Three-dimensional (3D) real-time conformal brachytherapy - a novel solution for prostate cancer treatment Part I. Rationale and method

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Fijalkowski, M.; Bialas, B.; Maciejewski, B.; Bystrzycka, J.; Slosarek, K.

2005-01-01

Recently, the system for conformal real-time high-dose-rate brachytherapy has been developed and dedicated in general for the treatment of prostate cancer. The aim of this paper is to present the 3D-conformal real-time brachytherapy technique introduced to clinical practice at the Institute of Oncology in Gliwice. Equipment and technique of 3D-conformal real time brachytherapy (3D-CBRT) is presented in detail and compared with conventional high-dose-rate brachytherapy. Step-by-step procedures of treatment planning are described, including own modifications. The 3D-CBRT offers the following advantages: (1) on-line continuous visualization of the prostate and acquisition of the series of NS images during the entire procedure of planning and treatment; (2) high precision of definition and contouring the target volume and the healthy organs at risk (urethra, rectum, bladder) based on 3D transrectal continuous ultrasound images; (3) interactive on-line dose optimization with real-time corrections of the dose-volume histograms (DVHs) till optimal dose distribution is achieved; (4) possibility to overcome internal prostate motion and set-up inaccuracies by stable positioning of the prostate with needles fixed to the template; (5) significant shortening of overall treatment time; (6) cost reduction - the treatment can be provided as an outpatient procedure. The 3D- real time CBRT can be advertised as an ideal conformal boost dose technique integrated or interdigitated with pelvic conformal external beam radiotherapy or as a monotherapy for prostate cancer. (author)

3D conformal radiation therapy and hormonal therapy for localized prostate cancer: Is age a limiting factor?

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Faure, A.; Negrea, T.; Lechevallier, E.; Coulange, C.; Murraciole, X.; Jouvea, E.; Sambuca, R.; Cowen, D.

2011-01-01

No study on side effects had showed that conformal radiation therapy for prostate cancer is more harmful in patients older than 70 years to patients younger. The aim of this study was to evaluate acute and late toxicities of conformal radiotherapy, with high dose for localized prostate cancer in patients older than 70 years and compared to patients younger than 70 years. Between 1996 and 2009, 104 patients were treated with radiation therapy and hormonal therapy for localized cancer prostate. Median follow-up was 105 months (9 300). Acute (occurred at ≤ three months) and late side effects of 55 patients older than 70 years (median age: 75 [71 92]) were graded according to the CTCAE 3.0 criteria and compared to the younger population. Median dose to the prostate was 75.6 Gy (67 80) in both groups. There were no significant differences in acute and late side effects between age groups. For patients above 70 years, the incidence of grade II or higher acute and late side effects were respectively 27 and 22% for urologic symptoms and 13 and 16% for rectal symptoms. The frequency of grade III late symptoms was low and ranged between 0 and 6% for the evaluated symptoms, irrespective of age group. Older patients had a better biochemical recurrence-free survival than younger patients (86 versus 77% at four years, P ≡ ns). High dose 3D conformal radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer was well tolerated in patients older than 70 years. Age is not a limiting factor for conformal radiation therapy and hormonotherapy for older patients. (authors)

Conformal radiotherapy to 76 Gy in localized prostate cancer. Therapeutic modalities and preliminary results

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Pontvert, D.; Mammar, H.; Flam, T.; Debre, B.; Thiounn, N.; Gaboriaud, G.; Jourdan-Da Silvae, N.; Beuzeboc, P.

2008-01-01

Purpose: to describe therapeutic modalities for localized prostate cancer treated by conformal radiation to 76 Gy with or without androgen ablation. To evaluate the preliminary results in terms of survival, biological control and toxicity. Patients and method: between January 1998 and June 2001, 321 patients with localized prostate cancer were irradiated at Institut Curie. Tumors were stratified into the three Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center prognostic groups (1998) for analysis: favorable risk group (F.G.) 23%, intermediate risk group (I.G.) 36.5%, unfavorable risk group (U.G.) 40.5%. Androgen deprivation, mainly neo-adjuvant, less or equal to one year was prescribed to 93.8% of patients (72.6% less or equal to six months). Planning target volume prescription doses were: prostate: 76 Gy, seminal vesicles: 56 to 76 Gy, and pelvic lymph nodes: 44 Gy to 16.8% of patients. Results: the five-year actuarial overall survival was 94% (95% I.C.: 90-97%). The median post-therapeutic follow-up was 36 months (nine to 60 months). The 48-month actuarial rates of biochemical control for the three prognostic groups were statistically different according to both the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology consensus (A.S.T.R.O. 1997) and the Fox Chase Cancer Center definitions of biochemical failure (F.C.C.C. 2000) with respectively 87 and 94% for F.G., 78 and 84% for I.G., 54 and 58% for U.G. (P < 10-6 and P < 10-8). At time of our analysis, late post-treatment rectal and bladder bleedings were 17,4 and 13,6%, respectively. According to a 1-4 scale adapted from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center criteria: rectal bleedings were grade 1 (9.6%), grade 2 (6.2%) and grade 3 (1.6%). Bladder bleedings were grade 2 (13%) and grade 3 (0.6%). Analysis of rectal bleeding risk factors showed significant correlations with pelvic lymph nodes irradiation for grade 2 and 3, (P = 0.02), and for all grades, a correlation with smaller rectal wall volumes (P = 0.03), and greater

Conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer: contribution of pelvic immobilization and new fiducial markers

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Garcia, R.; Oozeer, R.; Le Thanh, H.; Chauvet, B.; Toy, B.J.; Reboul, F.

1997-01-01

To reduce errors in the positioning of patients treated with external conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer, we evaluated both the use of an immobilization device and new fiducial markers. The immobilization device consisted of an individual mold made of polyurethane foam. Two sets of skin markers located on the anterior tibial surfaces were used to identify the pelvic isocenter. The patient's position was evaluated by orthogonal port film which were then compared with the original simulation film. Results are presented with respect to orthogonal axes. Comparison with classic procedures without immobilization showed that use of the mold and new fiducial markers led to a decrease in set-up errors which were less than 5 mm. With the use of an immobilization device and optimized techniques for patients' positioning, conformal radiotherapy of prostate cancer is more accurate. (authors)

Anal wall sparing effect of an endorectal balloon in 3D conformal and intensity-modulated prostate radiotherapy.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smeenk, R.J.; Lin, E.N.J.T. van; Kollenburg, P. van; Kunze-Busch, M.C.; Kaanders, J.H.A.M.

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To investigate the anal wall (Awall) sparing effect of an endorectal balloon (ERB) in 3D conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 24 patients with localized prostate carcinoma, two planning

Is There a Role for Pelvic Irradiation in Localized Prostate Adenocarcinoma? Update of the Long-Term Survival Results of the GETUG-01 Randomized Study

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Pommier, Pascal, E-mail: Pascal.pommier@lyon.unicancer.fr [Department of Radiation Oncology, Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon (France); Chabaud, Sylvie [Department of Clinical Research and Innovation, Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon (France); Lagrange, Jean-Leon [Department of Radiation Oncology, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire H. Mondor, Créteil (France); Richaud, Pierre [Department of Radiation Oncology, Institut Bergognié, Bordeaux (France); Le Prise, Elisabeth [Department of Radiation Oncology, Centre Eugène Marquis, Rennes (France); Wagner, Jean-Philippe [Department of Radiation Oncology, Institut Andrée Dutreix, Dunkerque (France); Azria, David [Department of Radiation Oncology, Institut de Cancérologie de Montpellier, Montpellier (France); Beckendorf, Veronique [Department of Radiation Oncology, Institut de Cancérologie de Lorraine, Nancy (France); Suchaud, Jean-Philippe [Department of Radiation Oncology, Centre Hospitalier de Roanne, Roanne (France); Bernier, Valerie [Department of Radiation Oncology, Centre Oscar Lambret, Lille (France); Perol, David [Department of Clinical Research and Innovation, Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon (France); Carrie, Christian [Department of Radiation Oncology, Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon (France)

2016-11-15

Purpose: To report the long-term results of the French Genitourinary Study Group (GETUG)-01 study in terms of event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) and assess the potential interaction between hormonotherapy and pelvic nodes irradiation. Patients and Methods: Between December 1998 and June 2004, 446 patients with T1b-T3, N0pNx, M0 prostate carcinoma were randomly assigned to either pelvic nodes and prostate or prostate-only radiation therapy. Patients were stratified into 2 groups: “low risk” (T1-T2 and Gleason score 6 and prostate-specific antigen <3× the upper normal limit of the laboratory) (92 patients) versus “high risk” (T3 or Gleason score >6 or prostate-specific antigen >3× the upper normal limit of the laboratory). Short-term 6-month neoadjuvant and concomitant hormonal therapy was allowed only for high-risk patients. Radiation therapy was delivered with a 3-dimensional conformal technique, using a 4-field technique for the pelvic volume (46 Gy). The total dose recommended to the prostate moved from 66 Gy to 70 Gy during the course of the study. Criteria for EFS included biologic prostate-specific antigen recurrences and/or a local or metastatic progression. Results: With a median follow-up of 11.4 years, the 10-year OS and EFS were similar in the 2 treatment arms. A higher but nonsignificant EFS was observed in the low-risk subgroup in favor of pelvic nodes radiation therapy (77.2% vs 62.5%; P=.18). A post hoc subgroup analysis showed a significant benefit of pelvic irradiation when the risk of lymph node involvement was <15% (Roach formula). This benefit seemed to be limited to patients who did not receive hormonal therapy. Conclusion: Pelvic nodes irradiation did not statistically improve EFS or OS in the whole population but may be beneficial in selected low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients treated with exclusive radiation therapy.

Local control and survival after external irradiation for adenocarcinoma of the prostate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rangala, N.; Cox, J.D.; Byhardt, R.W.; Wilson, J.F.; Greenberg, M.; Conceicao, A.L.D.

1982-01-01

From 1966 through 1978, 128 patients with biopsy-proven adenocarcinoma of the prostate underwent external irradiation to the entire pelvis followed by additional irradiation with a field that encompassed the entire prostate with generous margins. Local recurrence was diagnosed when palpable regrowth occurred and was confirmed by biopsy. Eighteen patients (14%) had local recurrence. Actuarial (life table) local recurrence rates, however, were 24% for both for Stage B and C patients. Actuarial five year survival was 100% for the 10 Stage A patients, 91% for the 25 Stage B, and 78% for the 93 Stage C patients. Actuarial five year disease-free survival was 59% for Stage B and 69% for Stage C patients. Local recurrence was affected by the total dose to the whole pelvis and the dose at the center of the prostate. Disease-free survival was influenced by differentiation. High dose external irradiation to the prostate and regional lymph nodes offers the greatest probability of long-term disease-free survival for patients with localized disease. Late bowel complications were seen in 14 patients (11%), two of whom required colostomies. Late urinary tract complications were observed in five patients (4%)

The comparison of 5-field conformal radiotherapy techniques for the treatment of prostate cancer: The best for femoral head sparing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zare, Mahkameh; Lashkari, Marzieh; Ghalehtaki, Reza; Ghasemi, Arash; Dehghan Manshadi, Hamidreza; Mir, Ali; Noorollahi, Somayeh; Alamolhoda, Mahboobeh

2016-01-01

External radiotherapy is a standard treatment procedure for localized prostate cancer. Given the relatively high long term survival treatment complications have been brought in center of attention. In this planning study, between 2012 and 2014, CT simulation data of 90 consecutive high-risk prostate cancer patients were collected. In the first phase, all were planned for whole pelvis irradiation up to 46Gy in 23 daily fractions. In the second phase, only the prostate gland was the target of radiation. Next, the subjects were divided randomly into three groups and each received a unique 5field conformal radiation plan including Plan A (Gantry angle: 0, 60, 120, 240, and 300), Plan B (Gantry angles: 0, 90, 120, 240, and 270) and Plan C (Gantry angles: 0, 60, 90, 270, and 300). The total dose was 70Gy. For each patient, the rectum, bladder, and both femoral heads were contoured as the at risk organs (OAR). From dose volume histograms, the proportional dose of PTV V100, the bladder and rectum V80 and V90 and femoral head V50 and V100 were calculated in all subjects and compared across plans. A statistically significant difference in the femoral head V50 and V100 was found between our studied 5field plans so that in Plan A (beam angles: 0, 60, 120, 240 and 300) less dose was received by both heads of femur. This study suggests that 5 field treatment planning including an anterior, two anterior oblique and two posterior oblique portals to be more proper for 3D conformal radiotherapy in order to spare femoral head with acceptable PTV coverage, and bladder and rectal doses.

SU-E-J-95: Predicting Treatment Outcomes for Prostate Cancer: Irradiation Responses of Prostate Cancer Stem Cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, K

2014-01-01

Purpose: Most prostate cancers are slow-growing diseases but normally require much higher doses (80Gy) with conventional fractionation radiotherapy, comparing to other more aggressive cancers. This study is to disclose the radiobiological basis of this discrepancy by proposing the concept of prostate cancer stem cells (CSCs) and examining their specific irradiation responses. Methods: There are overwhelming evidences that CSC may keep their stemness, e.g. the competency of cell differentiation, in hypoxic microenvironments and hence become radiation resistive, though the probability is tiny for aggressiveness cancers. Tumor hypoxia used to be considered as an independent reason for poor treatment outcomes, and recent evidences showed that even prostate cancers were also hypoxic though they are very slow-growing. In addition, to achieve comparable outcomes to other much more aggressive cancers, much higher doses (rather than lower doses) are always needed for prostate cancers, regardless of its non-aggressiveness. All these abnormal facts can only be possibly interpreted by the irradiation responses characteristics of prostate CSCs. Results: Both normal cancer cells (NCCs) and CSCs exiting in tumors, in which NCCs are mainly for symptoms whereas killing all CSCs achieves disease-free. Since prostate cancers are slow-growing, the hypoxia in prostate cancers cannot possibly from NCCs, thus it is caused by hypoxic CSCs. However, single hypoxic cell cannot be imaged due to limitation of imaging techniques, unless a large group of hypoxic cells exist together, thus most of CSCs in prostate cancers are virtually hypoxic, i.e. not in working mode because CSCs in proliferating mode have to be normoxic, and this explains why prostate cancers are unaggressive. Conclusion: The fractional dose in conventional radiotherapy (∼2Gy) could only kill NCCs and CSCs in proliferating modes, whereas most CSCs survived fractional treatments since they were hypoxic, thus to eliminate all

3D conformal external beam radiation therapy for prostate carcinoma: an experiment of Instituto do Radium de Campinas with 285 patients; Radioterapia externa conformada 3D para o carcinoma de prostata: experiencia do Instituto do Radium de Campinas com 285 pacientes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakamura, Ricardo Akiyoshi [Hospital de Caridade Dr. Astrogildo de Azevedo, Santa Maria, RS (Brazil); Monti, Carlos Roberto; Trevisan, Felipe Amstalden [Instituto do Radium de Campinas (IRC), Campinas, SP (Brazil); Jacinto, Alexandre Arthur [Fundacao Pio XII, Barretos, SP (Brazil). Hospital de Cancer de Barretos

2009-03-15

Objective: To report the outcomes of 3D conformal radiation therapy for prostate cancer in a single institution. Materials and methods: From July 1997 to January 2002, 285 consecutive patients with prostate cancer were submitted to 3D conformal radiation therapy receiving a median dose of 7920 cGy to the prostate, and were retrospectively evaluated. The patients distribution according to the level of risk was the following: low risk - 95 (33.7%); intermediate risk - 66 (23.4%); high risk -121 (42.9%) patients. Results: Median follow-up of 53.6 months (3.6.95.3 months) demonstrated 85.1% actuarial five-year overall survival, 97.0% specific cause survival, 94.2% five-year distant metastasis-free survival, and 75.8% five-year biochemical recurrence-free survival. Rates of five-year actuarial survival free from late rectal and urinary toxicity were 96.4% and 91.1% respectively. Pre-3D conformal radiation therapy transurethral resection of the prostate and doses > 70 Gy in 30% of the bladder volume implied a higher grade 2-3 late urinary toxicity in five years (p = 0.0002 and p = 0.0264, respectively). Conclusion: The first experiment with 3D conformal radiation therapy reported in Brazil allowed high radiation doses with acceptable levels of urinary and rectal toxicity. Pre-3D conformal radiation therapy transurethral resection of prostate may determine a higher risk for post-irradiation grade 2-3 late urinary toxicity. At the tomography planning, the reduction of the radiation dose to . 70 Gy in 30% of the bladder volume may reduce the risk for late urinary complications. (author)

Conformal irradiation of the prostate: estimating long-term rectal bleeding risk using dose-volume histograms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartford, Alan C.; Niemierko, Andrzej; Adams, Judith A.; Urie, Marcia M.; Shipley, William U.

1996-01-01

Purpose: Dose-volume histograms (DVHs) may be very useful tools for estimating probability of normal tissue complications (NTCP), but there is not yet an agreed upon method for their analysis. This study introduces a statistical method of aggregating and analyzing primary data from DVHs and associated outcomes. It explores the dose-volume relationship for NTCP of the rectum, using long-term data on rectal wall bleeding following prostatic irradiation. Methods and Materials: Previously published data were reviewed and updated on 41 patients with Stages T3 and T4 prostatic carcinoma treated with photons followed by perineal proton boost, including dose-volume histograms (DVHs) of each patient's anterior rectal wall and data on the occurrence of postirradiation rectal bleeding (minimum FU > 4 years). Logistic regression was used to test whether some individual combination of dose and volume irradiated might best separate the DVHs into categories of high or low risk for rectal bleeding. Further analysis explored whether a group of such dose-volume combinations might be superior in predicting complication risk. These results were compared with results of the 'critical volume model', a mathematical model based on assumptions of underlying radiobiological interactions. Results: Ten of the 128 tested dose-volume combinations proved to be 'statistically significant combinations' (SSCs) distinguishing between bleeders (14 out of 41) and nonbleeders (27 out of 41), ranging contiguously between 60 CGE (Cobalt Gray Equivalent) to 70% of the anterior rectal wall and 75 CGE to 30%. Calculated odds ratios for each SSC were not significantly different across the individual SSCs; however, analysis combining SSCs allowed segregation of DVHs into three risk groups: low, moderate, and high. Estimates of probabilities of normal tissue complications (NTCPs) based on these risk groups correlated strongly with observed data (p = 0.003) and with biomathematical model-generated NTCPs

[Technique of complex mammary irradiation: Mono-isocentric 3D conformational radiotherapy and helical tomotherapy].

Science.gov (United States)

Vandendorpe, B; Guilbert, P; Champagne, C; Antoni, T; Nguyen, T D; Gaillot-Petit, N; Servagi Vernat, S

2017-12-01

To evaluate the dosimetric contribution of helical tomotherapy for breast cancers compared with conformal radiotherapy in mono-isocentric technique. For 23 patients, the dosimetric results in mono-isocentric 3D conformational radiotherapy did not satisfy the constraints either of target volumes nor organs at risk. A prospective dosimetric comparison between mono-isocentric 3D conformational radiotherapy and helical tomotherapy was therefore carried out. The use of helical tomotherapy showed a benefit in these 23 patients, with either an improvement in the conformity index or homogeneity, but with an increase in low doses. Of the 23 patients, two had pectus excavatum, five had past thoracic irradiation and two required bilateral irradiation. The other 14 patients had a combination of morphology and/or indication of lymph node irradiation. For these patients, helical tomotherapy was therefore preferred to mono-isocentric 3D conformational radiotherapy. Tomotherapy appears to provide better homogeneity and tumour coverage. This technique of irradiation may be justified in the case of morphological situations such as pectus exavatum and in complex clinical situations. In other cases, conformal radiotherapy in mono-isocentric technique remains to be favoured. Copyright © 2017 Société française de radiothérapie oncologique (SFRO). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

A strategy to correct for intrafraction target translation in conformal prostate radiotherapy: Simulation results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keall, P. J.; Lauve, A. D.; Hagan, M. P.; Siebers, J. V.

2007-01-01

A strategy is proposed in which intrafraction internal target translation is corrected for by repositioning the multileaf collimator position aperture to conform to the new target pose in the beam projection, and the beam monitor units are adjusted to account for the change in the geometric relationship between the target and the beam. The purpose of this study was to investigate the dosimetric stability of the prostate and critical structures in the presence of internal target translation using the dynamic compensation strategy. Twenty-five previously treated prostate cancer patients were replanned using a four-field conformal technique to deliver 72 Gy to 95% of the planning target volume (PTV). Internal translation was introduced by displacing the prostate PTV (no rotation or deformation was considered). Thirty-six randomly selected isotropic displacements of magnitude 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 cm were sampled for each patient, for a total of 3600 errors. Due to their anatomic relation to the prostate, the rectum and bladder contours were also moved with the same magnitude and direction as the prostate. The dynamic compensation strategy was used to correct each of these errors by conforming the beam apertures to the new target pose and adjusting the monitor units using inverse-square and off-axis factor corrections. The dynamic compensation strategy plans were then compared to the original treatment plans via dose-volume histogram (DVH) analysis. Changes of more than 5% of the prescription dose (3.6 Gy) were deemed clinically significant. Compared to the original treatment plans, the dynamic compensation strategy produced small discrepancies in isodose distributions and DVH analyses for all structures considered apart from the femoral heads. These differences increased with the magnitude of the internal motion. Coverage of the PTV was excellent: D 5 , D 95 , and D mean were not increased or decreased by more than 5% of the prescription dose for any of the 3600

Radiation therapy for prostatic cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kimura, Akira; Minowada, Shigeru; Tomoishi, Junzo; Kinoshita, Kenji; Matsuda, Tadayoshi

1983-01-01

A conformation radiotherapy system with collimators, whose openings can be controlled symmetrically by computerized techniques during rotational irradiation by a linear accelerator, has been developed for routine use in our hospital. Forty-four patients underwent radiation therapy, including this particular modality of radiotherapy, for prostatic cancer during the period of July 1976 through December 1981. Eight patients were classified as stage A, 10 stage B, 10 stage C, and 16 as stage D. Twenty-nine patients underwent conformation radiotherapy, two rotation radiotherapy, eight 2-port opposing technique radiotherapy, one 4-field radiotherapy, and four underwent a combination of 2-port opposing technique and conformation radiotherapy. Transient mild side effects such as diarrhea occurred in seven cases, while severe side effects such as rectal stricture or contracted bladder occurred in three cases. The latter occurred only in one case among 29 of conformation radiotherapy and in two among eight of 2-port opposing technique radiotherapy. The results of the treatment of short intervals in stage B, C, and D are as follows: prostatic size was reduced in 26 cases among 36, serum acid phosphatase level was reduced in 15 among 18 who had showed high acid phosphatase levels before treatment, although almost all cases underwent simultaneous hormonal therapy. The effects of radiotherapy alone were verified in two cases of stage B in which radiotherapy preceded hormonal therapy. Prostatic size and serum acid phosphatase level were reduced by radiotherapy alone. (author)

Irradiation of head-and-neck tumors with intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Comparison between two IMRT techniques with 3D conformal irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heeger, Jonas

2013-01-01

For 12 patients with inoperable head-neck carcinoma that were treated with 3D conformal irradiation techniques additional irradiation plans using IMRT were developed. It was shown that the IMRT techniques are superior to the 3D conformal technique. The new rapid arc technique is unclear with respect to the critical organs (parotid glands, spinal canal and mandibles) but is significantly advantageous for the other normal tissue with respect to conformity (steeper dose gradients) and thus radiation dose reduction. The resulting lower irradiation time and the reduced radiation exposure being important for the treatment economy and patients' comfort should favor the more planning intensive rapid arc technique.

Robotic radiotherapy for prostate cancer with CyberKnife

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hannoun-Levi, J.M.; Benezery, K.; Bondiau, P.Y.; Marcie, S.; Gerard, J.P.; Chamorey, E.

2007-01-01

After 3D conformal radiation therapy without and with modulated intensity, image-guided radiation therapy represents a new technological step. Should prostate cancer treatment using radiotherapy with the CyberKnife robotic system be considered as a new treatment and then investigated through classical clinical research procedure rather than a technical improvement of an already validated treatment? After a general presentation of the CyberKnife, the authors focused on prostate cancer treatment assuming that, according to dosimetric and biological considerations, the treatment by robotic system appears comparable to high dose rate brachytherapy. For prostate cancer treatment are discussed: biological rational for hypo fractionated treatment, high dose rate brachytherapy boost and interest of dose escalation. A comparison is presented between CyberKnife and other validated treatment for prostate cancer (radical prostatectomy, 3D conformal radiation therapy and low and high dose rate brachytherapy). In summary, CyberKnife treatment could be considered as a technical improvement of an already validated treatment in order to deliver a prostate boost after pelvic or peri-prostatic area irradiation. However, the clinical, biological and economical results must be precisely analyzed and could be assessed in the frame of a National Observatory based on shared therapeutic program. (authors)

Postoperative Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy in High Risk Prostate Cancer: A Dosimetric Comparison

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Digesu, Cinzia; Cilla, Savino; De Gaetano, Andrea; Massaccesi, Mariangela; Macchia, Gabriella; Ippolito, Edy; Deodato, Francesco; Panunzi, Simona; Iapalucci, Chiara; Mattiucci, Gian Carlo; D'Angelo, Elisa; Padula, Gilbert D.A.; Valentini, Vincenzo; Cellini, Numa

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with 3D conformal technique (3D-CRT), with respect to target coverage and irradiation of organs at risk for high dose postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) of the prostate fossa. 3D-CRT and IMRT treatment plans were compared with respect to dose to the rectum and bladder. The dosimetric comparison was carried out in 15 patients considering 2 different scenarios: (1) exclusive prostate fossa irradiation, and (2) pelvic node irradiation followed by a boost on the prostate fossa. In scenario (1), a 3D-CRT plan (box technique) and an IMRT plan were calculated and compared for each patient. In scenario (2), 3 treatment plans were calculated and compared for each patient: (a) 3D-CRT box technique for both pelvic (prophylactic nodal irradiation) and prostate fossa irradiation (3D-CRT only); (b) 3D-CRT box technique for pelvic irradiation followed by an IMRT boost to the prostatic fossa (hybrid 3D-CRT and IMRT); and (c) IMRT for both pelvic and prostate fossa irradiation (IMRT only). For exclusive prostate fossa irradiation, IMRT significantly reduced the dose to the rectum (lower Dmean, V50%, V75%, V90%, V100%, EUD, and NTCP) and the bladder (lower Dmean, V50%, V90%, EUD and NTCP). When prophylactic irradiation of the pelvis was also considered, plan C (IMRT only) performed better than plan B (hybrid 3D-CRT and IMRT) as respect to both rectum and bladder irradiation (reduction of Dmean, V50%, V75%, V90%, equivalent uniform dose [EUD], and normal tissue complication probability [NTCP]). Plan (b) (hybrid 3D-CRT and IMRT) performed better than plan (a) (3D-CRT only) with respect to dose to the rectum (lower Dmean, V75%, V90%, V100%, EUD, and NTCP) and the bladder (Dmean, EUD, and NTCP). Postoperative IMRT in prostate cancer significantly reduces rectum and bladder irradiation compared with 3D-CRT.

Localized field conformation radiotherapy combined with endocrine therapy for the treatment of prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karasawa, Katsuyuki; Kaizu, Toshihide; Kurosaki, Hiromasa; Tanaka, Yoshiaki

1999-01-01

To improve the quality of life (QOL) of the patients with prostate cancer, we limit the radiotherapy target volume to the prostate and seminal vesicles while using endocrine therapy towards the disease outside the target volume. Radiotherapy technique was rotation conformation technique with computer-controlled multileaf collimators to the total doses of up to 66-70 Gy. Among 145 evaluable cases with the median age of 74, overall and cause-specific 5-year survival rates were 59.3% and 84.1%, respectively, and the relative survival rate of the Stage A-C cases was 100%. The two thirds (33/50) of the deaths were not of prostate cancer. The rate of severe complication was 1.4%. As for QOL, the rate of impotence was 90%, however, the patients' overall satisfaction towards the treatment was 90%. From this analysis, this combined treatment seems beneficial in the treatment of prostate cancer. (author)

Cell Survival and DNA Damage in Normal Prostate Cells Irradiated Out-of-Field.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Shields, L

2014-10-31

Interest in out-of-field radiation dose has been increasing with the introduction of new techniques, such as volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). These new techniques offer superior conformity of high-dose regions to the target compared to conventional techniques, however more normal tissue is exposed to low-dose radiation with VMAT. There is a potential increase in radiobiological effectiveness associated with lower energy photons delivered during VMAT as normal cells are exposed to a temporal change in incident photon energy spectrum. During VMAT deliveries, normal cells can be exposed to the primary radiation beam, as well as to transmission and scatter radiation. The impact of low-dose radiation, radiation-induced bystander effect and change in energy spectrum on normal cells are not well understood. The current study examined cell survival and DNA damage in normal prostate cells after exposure to out-of-field radiation both with and without the transfer of bystander factors. The effect of a change in energy spectrum out-of-field compared to in-field was also investigated. Prostate cancer (LNCaP) and normal prostate (PNT1A) cells were placed in-field and out-of-field, respectively, with the PNT1A cells being located 1 cm from the field edge when in-field cells were being irradiated with 2 Gy. Clonogenic and γ-H2AX assays were performed postirradiation to examine cell survival and DNA damage. The assays were repeated when bystander factors from the LNCaP cells were transferred to the PNT1A cells and also when the PNT1A cells were irradiated in-field to a different energy spectrum. An average out-of-field dose of 10.8 ± 4.2 cGy produced a significant reduction in colony volume and increase in the number of γ-H2AX foci\\/cell in the PNT1A cells compared to the sham-irradiated control cells. An adaptive response was observed in the PNT1A cells having first received a low out-of-field dose and then the bystander factors. The PNT1A cells showed a significant

EPID detection of radio-opaque markers for the evaluation of prostate position during megavoltage irradiation: a clinical study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vigneault, E.; Pouliot, J.; Laverdiere, J.; Roy, J.

1995-01-01

Purpose: To assess daily prostatic apex motion relative to pelvic bone structures during megavoltage irradiation. Materials and Methods: Radio-opaque markers were implanted under ultrasound guidance near the prostatic apex of ten patients with localized prostatic carcinoma. Patients were subsequently treated with four field box technique at a beam energy of 23 MV. During treatment, on-line images were obtained with an Electronic Portal Imaging Device (EPID) for each field and fraction. The marker was easily identified, even on unprocessed images and the distance between the marker and a bony landmark was measured. Timelapse movie for the complete treatment of each patient were also reviewed. After the completion of treatment, a transrectal ultrasound examination was performed to verify the position of the marker relative to the apex. Results: Over 1000 digital portal images were acquired. Antero-posterior and lateral views of each fraction were analysed. The quality of portal images obtained with megavoltage irradiation was good. Even without image histogram equalization it was possible to evaluate pelvic bone structures. Moreover, the radio-opaque marker was easily visible on every on-line portal image. Qualitatively, the review of timelapse movies showed important interfraction motions of the marker while bone structures remained stable. Quantitatively, the position of the marker were measured for each fraction. Marker displacements of up to 1,4 cm were measured between two consecutive days of treatment. Important marker motions were predominately in the antero-posterior and cephalo-caudal directions. Position of the markers relative to the prostatic apex were verified with ultrasound at the end of the treatments and were found to remain globaly at their original position. Intratreatment images were reviewed in two cases and no change in marker positions was observed. Our results, obtained during the treatment courses, indicate similar or larger prostate motions

Patient repositioning in prostate conformal radiotherapy by image fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Betrouni, Nacim

2004-01-01

This research thesis first proposes an overview of imaging modalities which are generally used in radiotherapy, and briefly presents operation principles for ultrasound scans, scanners and MRI. The issue of patient repositioning in radiotherapy is then introduced, and already proposed solutions are presented. In the next part, the author addresses space location and ultrasound-based location, with a brief overview of methods used to track the displacements of a mobile object, in this case an ultrasound probe, and calibration. Then, after a presentation of the adopted method, and a discussion of published works related to contour extraction and to filtering and noise reduction methods in ultrasound imagery, the author addresses the issue of prostate segmentation based on ultrasound images. The next part deals with image registration with an overview of available methods and tools. A method of registration of pre-operation images obtained by MRI or scanner, and of intra-operation ultrasound images is proposed for a real-time registration. This method is aimed at supporting patient repositioning during prostate conformal radiotherapy

Prostatic irradiation is not associated with any measurable increase in the risk of subsequent rectal cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kendal, Wayne S.; Eapen, Libni; MacRae, Robert; Malone, Shawn; Nicholas, Garth

2006-01-01

Purpose: To investigate a putative increased risk of rectal cancer subsequent to prostatic radiotherapy. Methods and Materials: In an analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry, we compared men who had radiotherapy for prostatic carcinoma with those treated surgically and those treated with neither modality. Kaplan-Meier analyses for the time to failure from rectal cancer were performed between age-matched subgroups of the three cohorts. Cox proportional hazards analyses were performed to ascertain what influences might affect the incidence of subsequent rectal cancer. Results: In all, 33,831 men were irradiated, 167,607 were treated surgically, and 36,335 received neither modality. Rectal cancers developed in 243 (0.7%) of those irradiated (mean age, 70.7 years), 578 (0.3%) of those treated surgically (68.7 years), and 227 (0.8%) of those treated with neither modality (74.2 years). When age effects and the differences between the surgical and untreated cohorts were controlled for, we were unable to demonstrate any significant increased incidence of rectal cancer in men irradiated for prostatic cancer. Conclusions: An increased frequency of rectal cancer after prostatic irradiation, apparent on crude analysis, could be attributed to age confounding and other unmeasured confounders associated with prostate cancer treatment and rectal cancer risk

Prostate-specific antigen for pretreatment prediction and posttreatment evaluation of outcome after definitive irradiation for prostate cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuban, Deborah A; El-Mahdi, Anas M; Schellhammer, Paul F

1995-05-15

Purpose: This study was undertaken to assess the predictive value of pretreatment prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and the difference between clinical and PSA disease-free status in patients with long-term follow-up after irradiation for prostatic carcinoma. Comparison of the distribution of prognostic factors between surgical and radiation series was also made. Methods and Materials: From 1975-1989, 652 patients with clinical Stage A2-C prostatic adenocarcinoma were definitively irradiated using external beam therapy. One hundred and fifty patients with banked serum and up to 14 years follow-up have pretreatment PSA levels and 355 patients with up to 17 years follow-up have posttreatment values. Treatment failure was analyzed by tumor stage, grade, and four pretreatment PSA categories. Disease-progression was evaluated by clinical and biochemical (PSA) endpoints. Prognostic factors were compared to two surgical series. Results: A significant difference was seen in clinical and PSA disease-free (PSA {<=} 4.0 ng/ml) status based on tumor grade, stage, and pretreatment PSA category. Although the expected clinical outcome has been well-documented previously, results based on posttreatment PSA levels show 5-year disease-free survivals reduced by 10-16% and 10-year survivals lessened by 15-39% depending upon the particular tumor grade and stage. The earlier stage, lower grade tumors showed the largest difference between clinical and biochemical recurrence rates at the longest interval from treatment. Even more notable were the differences in the clinical and PSA disease-free rates based on the pretreatment PSA level. Comparing the irradiated patients to two surgical series showed that the former had a larger percentage of more advanced stage tumors with more unfavorable PSA levels as compared to prostatectomy patients. Conclusion: With long-term follow-up, the pretreatment PSA level continues to be a powerful predictor of clinical and biochemical outcome in patients

Half-body irradiation in the treatment of metastatic prostatic carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rowland, C.G.; Bullimore, J.A.; Smith, P.J.B.; Roberts, J.B.M.

1981-01-01

High dose radiation therapy given as a single fraction to the upper and lower halves of the body gives effective palliation for metastatic solid tumours. This treatment modality appears to be particularly effective in tumours which may have a slow doubling time such as carcinoma of the prostate. Fifty-two patients with metastatic carcinoma of the prostate involving the skeletal system have received half-body irradiation (8 MeV X-rays at a dose rate of about 100 cGy/min). All had prior treatment with additive hormones or orchiectomy and the majority had received localised irradiation and/or chemotherapy. Significant immediate pain relief was achieved in 42 out of 52 patients (80%). This pain relief was maintained until death in 29 out of 43 patients (67%). Pain relief in responders appears to occur within 24 to 48 h of treatment. (author)

Ion Prostate Irradiation (IPI) – a pilot study to establish the safety and feasibility of primary hypofractionated irradiation of the prostate with protons and carbon ions in a raster scan technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Habl, Gregor; Herfarth, Klaus; Hatiboglu, Gencay; Edler, Lutz; Uhl, Matthias; Krause, Sonja; Roethke, Matthias; Schlemmer, Heinz P; Hadaschik, Boris; Debus, Juergen

2014-01-01

Due to physical characteristics, ions like protons or carbon ions can administer the dose to the target volume more efficiently than photons since the dose can be lowered at the surrounding normal tissue. Radiation biological considerations are based on the assumption that the α/β value for prostate cancer cells is 1.5 Gy, so that a biologically more effective dose could be administered due to hypofractionation without increasing risks of late effects of bladder (α/β = 4.0) and rectum (α/β = 3.9). The IPI study is a prospective randomized phase II study exploring the safety and feasibility of primary hypofractionated irradiation of the prostate with protons and carbon ions in a raster scan technique. The study is designed to enroll 92 patients with localized prostate cancer. Primary aim is the assessment of the safety and feasibility of the study treatment on the basis of incidence grade III and IV NCI-CTC-AE (v. 4.02) toxicity and/or the dropout of the patient from the planned therapy due to any reason. Secondary endpoints are PSA-progression free survival (PSA-PFS), overall survival (OS) and quality-of-life (QoL). This pilot study aims at the evaluation of the safety and feasibility of hypofractionated irradiation of the prostate with protons and carbon ions in prostate cancer patients in an active beam technique. Additionally, the safety results will be compared with Japanese results recently published for carbon ion irradiation. Due to the missing data of protons in this hypofractionated scheme, an in depth evaluation of the toxicity will be created to gain basic data for a following comparison study with carbon ion irradiation. Clinical Trial Identifier: http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01641185 (clinicaltrials.gov)

Electronic portal imaging device detection of radioopaque markers for the evaluation of prostate position during megavoltage irradiation: a clinical study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vigneault, Eric; Pouliot, Jean; Laverdiere, Jacques; Roy, Jean; Dorion, Marc

1997-01-01

Purpose: This study was designed to assess daily prostatic apex motion relative to pelvic bone structures during megavoltage irradiation. Methods and Materials: Radioopaque markers were implanted under ultrasound guidance near the prostatic apex of 11 patients with localized prostatic carcinoma. Patients were subsequently treated with a four field-box technique at a beam energy of 23 MV. During treatment, on-line images were obtained with an electronic portal imaging device (EPID). The marker was easily identified, even on unprocessed images, and the distance between the marker and a bony landmark was measured. Timelapse movies were also reviewed. After the completion of treatment, a transcrectal ultrasound examination was performed in 8 of 11 patients, to verify the position of the marker. Results: We acquired over 900 digital portal images and analyzed posterioanterior and right lateral views. The quality of portal images obtained with megavoltage irradiation was good. It was possible to evaluate pelvic bone structures even without image histogram equalization. Moreover, the radioopaque marker was easily visible on every online portal image. The review of timelapse movies showed important interfraction motion of the marker while bone structures remained stable. We measured the position of the marker for each fraction. Marker displacements up to 1.6 cm were measured between 2 consecutive days of treatment. Important marker motions were predominantly in the posteroanterior and cephalocaudal directions. In eight patients, we verified the position of the marker relative to the prostatic apex with ultrasound at the end of the treatments. The marker remained in the trapezoid zone. Intratreatment images reviewed in two cases showed no change in marker position. Our results, obtained during the treatment courses, indicate similar or larger prostate motions than previously observed in studies that used intertreatment x-ray films and CT images. Marker implantation under

Thermoacoustic contrast of prostate cancer due to heating by very high frequency irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patch, S K; Hull, D; Thomas, M; Jacobsohn, K; See, WA; Griep, SK

2015-01-01

Applying the thermoacoustic (TA) effect to diagnostic imaging was first proposed in the 1980s. The object under test is irradiated by high-power pulses of electromagnetic energy, which heat tissue and cause thermal expansion. Outgoing TA pressure pulses are detected by ultrasound transducers and reconstructed to provide images of the object. The TA contrast mechanism is strongly dependent upon the frequency of the irradiating electromagnetic pulse. When very high frequency (VHF) electromagnetic irradiation is utilized, TA signal production is driven by ionic content. Prostatic fluids contain high levels of ionic metabolites, including citrate, zinc, calcium, and magnesium. Healthy prostate glands produce more ionic metabolites than diseased glands. VHF pulses are therefore expected to generate stronger TA signal in healthy prostate glands than in diseased glands. A benchtop system for performing ex vivo TA computed tomography with VHF energy is described and images are presented. The system utilizes irradiation pulses of 700 ns duration exceeding 20 kW power. Reconstructions frequently visualize anatomic landmarks such as the urethra and verumontanum. TA reconstructions from three freshly excised human prostate glands with little, moderate, and severe cancerous involvement are compared with histology. TA signal strength is negatively correlated with percent cancerous involvement in this small sample size. For the 45 regions of interest analyzed, a reconstruction value of 0.4 mV provides 100% sensitivity but only 29% specificity. This sample size is far too small to draw sweeping conclusions, but the results warrant a larger volume study including comparison of TA images to the gold standard, histology. (paper)

Daily CT planning during boost irradiation of prostate cancer. Feasibility and time requirements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geinitz, H.; Zimmermann, F.B.; Kuzmany, A.; Kneschaurek, P.

2000-01-01

Background: In the irradiation of prostate cancer internal organ movement leads to uncertainties in the daily localization of the clinical target volume. Therefore more or less large safety margins are added when designing the treatment portals. With daily CT planning internal organ movement can be compensated to some extent, safety margins can be reduced and irradiated normal tissue can be spared. The feasibility of daily CT-based 3D treatment planning is studied in a patient with localized prostate carcinoma using a new patient positioning system. Methods: Daily CT planning was applied during boost irradiation of a patient with prostate cancer: After patient immobilization the pelvis was scanned in 3 mm CT slices. Planning was done with the BrainSCAN planning system for stereotactic body irradiation. The prostate was contoured in all slices and the safety margins of the micromultileafs were automatically set to the distance chosen by the physician (0.8 cm). Patient positioning was done with the BrainLAB ExacTrac positioning system on the basis of skin attached stereotactic body markers. Before each treatment verification images of the isocenter were taken. Results: The total time requirement for planning and irradiation was about 1 hour 15 minutes. Patient positioning on the treatment couch took about 10 minutes. The accuracy of the positioning system was good (75% of the deviations were smaller than 3 mm). The shift of the single markers from CT scan to CT scan was more extensive than those of the center of all 7 markers combined (47% of the deviations were smaller than 3 mm). The location of the markers seems to influence the magnitude of their dislocation. Conclusion: Daily CT planning is feasible but time consuming. The new patient positioning system ExacTrac is an interesting tool especially for daily CT planning since conventional simulation can be omitted. (orig.) [de

Hypo fractionated conformal irradiation of patients with malignant glioma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aboziada, M.A.; Abo-Kresha, A.E.

2012-01-01

Purpose: The aim of the study is to evaluate the effect of a conformal irradiation in short fractionation scheme of 49.5 Gy in 15 fractions in an overall time of 3 weeks, in terms of overall survival (OAS) and progression free survival (PFS) rates in brain glioma patients. Patients and methods: A prospective study was conducted on 54 brain glioma patients and was carried out in the Radiation Oncology Department, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University during the period from April 2006 till June 2009. Patients were treated by hypo fractionated conformal irradiation (49.5 Gy/15 fractions/3 weeks). Results: The median follow up was 23 months (range: 9-39 months). Two-year OAS and PFS rates were 68% and 60%, respectively. In univariate analysis, age > 50 years, poor performance status [Karnofasky score of >40- 50 years and glioblastoma pathology were the only independent prognostic factors that were associated with poor OAS (p = 0.003 and p = 0.004, respectively), and PFS (p = 0.027 and p = 0.011, respectively). Conclusion: Hypo fractionated conformal radiotherapy was as effective as the conventional radiotherapy, with time sparing for patients, and for radiation oncology centers. Hypo fractionated radiotherapy may be considered the radiotherapy regimen of choice in clinical practice for patients with gliomas

18F-fluorocholine PET-guided target volume delineation techniques for partial prostate re-irradiation in local recurrent prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Hui; Vees, Hansjoerg; Miralbell, Raymond; Wissmeyer, Michael; Steiner, Charles; Ratib, Osman; Senthamizhchelvan, Srinivasan; Zaidi, Habib

2009-01-01

Background and purpose: We evaluate the contribution of 18 F-choline PET/CT in the delineation of gross tumour volume (GTV) in local recurrent prostate cancer after initial irradiation using various PET image segmentation techniques. Materials and methods: Seventeen patients with local-only recurrent prostate cancer (median = 5.7 years) after initial irradiation were included in the study. Rebiopsies were performed in 10 patients that confirmed the local recurrence. Following injection of 300 MBq of 18 F-fluorocholine, dynamic PET frames (3 min each) were reconstructed from the list-mode acquisition. Five PET image segmentation techniques were used to delineate the 18 F-choline-based GTVs. These included manual delineation of contours (GTV man ) by two teams consisting of a radiation oncologist and a nuclear medicine physician each, a fixed threshold of 40% and 50% of the maximum signal intensity (GTV 40% and GTV 50% ), signal-to-background ratio-based adaptive thresholding (GTV SBR ), and a region growing (GTV RG ) algorithm. Geographic mismatches between the GTVs were also assessed using overlap analysis. Results: Inter-observer variability for manual delineation of GTVs was high but not statistically significant (p = 0.459). In addition, the volumes and shapes of GTVs delineated using semi-automated techniques were significantly higher than those of GTVs defined manually. Conclusions: Semi-automated segmentation techniques for 18 F-choline PET-guided GTV delineation resulted in substantially higher GTVs compared to manual delineation and might replace the latter for determination of recurrent prostate cancer for partial prostate re-irradiation. The selection of the most appropriate segmentation algorithm still needs to be determined.

18F-fluorocholine PET-guided target volume delineation techniques for partial prostate re-irradiation in local recurrent prostate cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hui; Vees, Hansjörg; Miralbell, Raymond; Wissmeyer, Michael; Steiner, Charles; Ratib, Osman; Senthamizhchelvan, Srinivasan; Zaidi, Habib

2009-11-01

We evaluate the contribution of (18)F-choline PET/CT in the delineation of gross tumour volume (GTV) in local recurrent prostate cancer after initial irradiation using various PET image segmentation techniques. Seventeen patients with local-only recurrent prostate cancer (median=5.7 years) after initial irradiation were included in the study. Rebiopsies were performed in 10 patients that confirmed the local recurrence. Following injection of 300 MBq of (18)F-fluorocholine, dynamic PET frames (3 min each) were reconstructed from the list-mode acquisition. Five PET image segmentation techniques were used to delineate the (18)F-choline-based GTVs. These included manual delineation of contours (GTV(man)) by two teams consisting of a radiation oncologist and a nuclear medicine physician each, a fixed threshold of 40% and 50% of the maximum signal intensity (GTV(40%) and GTV(50%)), signal-to-background ratio-based adaptive thresholding (GTV(SBR)), and a region growing (GTV(RG)) algorithm. Geographic mismatches between the GTVs were also assessed using overlap analysis. Inter-observer variability for manual delineation of GTVs was high but not statistically significant (p=0.459). In addition, the volumes and shapes of GTVs delineated using semi-automated techniques were significantly higher than those of GTVs defined manually. Semi-automated segmentation techniques for (18)F-choline PET-guided GTV delineation resulted in substantially higher GTVs compared to manual delineation and might replace the latter for determination of recurrent prostate cancer for partial prostate re-irradiation. The selection of the most appropriate segmentation algorithm still needs to be determined.

Neoadjuvant androgen deprivation and prostate gland shrinkage during conformal radiotherapy

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Sanguineti, Giuseppe; Marcenaro, Michela; Franzone, Paola; Foppiano, Franca; Vitale, Vito

2003-01-01

Purpose: The shrinking effect of 3-month neoadjuvant androgen deprivation (NAD) on preradiotherapy prostate gland volume is well documented. However, recently, it has been shown that the cancerous prostate gland keeps shrinking up to 12 months after NAD start. Thus, if such a reduction is not taken into account, a larger than planned portion of the surrounding normal tissues might shift in the high-dose region during conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) course. The present study was undertaken to quantify this issue. Materials and Methods: Prostate gland volume reduction between planning CT (plCT) and the last week of 3DCRT (tmtCT) was prospectively assessed in 33 consecutive patients with localized prostate carcinoma. The median time interval between plCT and tmtCT was 2.5 months (2.1-2.7 months). A single observer was asked to draw on each slice prostate gland volume as appropriate. The observer was 'blind' to the timing of CT (plCT vs. tmtCT). In order to estimate intra-observer variability, prostate gland delineation was repeated twice for each data set. Mean prostate gland change, plCT and tmtCT cumulative dose volume histogram (DVH) calculations for the rectum were analyzed for each patient. Results were correlated to AD status and its duration before plCT. Means were compared by non-parametric rank tests. Results: Based on an internal protocol, 14 patients (42%) did not receive AD, while 19 patients (58%) had undergone neoadjuvant and concomitant AD. The median duration of AD before plCT ranged from 0.2 to 6 months (median: 2.9 months). Although individual data were highly variable, compared to plCT volume, mean prostate gland volume change at the end of 3DCRT was similar for patients receiving (-7.3%) or not (-7%) androgen deprivation (P=0.77). However, within the group of patients treated with hormones, patients starting AD within 3 months from plCT had a significantly larger reduction in prostate volume (-14.2%) than patients with longer NAD duration (-1.1%, P

Free-breathing conformal irradiation of pancreatic cancer.

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Solla, Ignazio; Zucca, Sergio; Possanzini, Marco; Piras, Sara; Pusceddu, Claudio; Porru, Sergio; Meleddu, Gianfranco; Farace, Paolo

2013-07-08

The purpose of this study was to assess treatment margins in free-breathing irradiation of pancreatic cancer after bone alignment, and evaluate their impact on conformal radiotherapy. Fifteen patients with adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas underwent implantation of single fiducial marker. Intrafraction uncertainties were assessed on simulation four-dimensional computed tomography (4D CT) by calculating maximal intrafraction fiducial excursion (MIFE). In the first ten patients, after bony alignment, the position of the fiducial was identified on weekly acquired megavolt cone-beam CT (MV-CBCT). The interfraction residual uncertainties were estimated by measuring the fiducial displacements with respect to the position in the first session. Patient mean (pM) and patient standard deviation (pSD) of fiducial displacement, mean (μM) and standard deviation (μSD) of pM, and root-mean-square of pSD (σ(res)) were calculated. In the other five patients, MIFE was added to the residual component to obtain personalized margin. In these patients, conformal kidney sparing (CONKISS) irradiation was planned prescribing 54/45 Gy to PTV1/PTV2. The organ-at-risk limits were set according to current NCCN recommendation. No morbidity related to the fiducial marker implantation was recorded. In the first ten patients, along right-left, anterior-posterior, and inferior-superior directions, MIFE was variable (mean ± std = 0.24 ± 0.13 cm, 0.31 ± 0.14 cm, 0.83 ± 0.35 cm, respectively) and was at most 0.51, 0.53, and 1.56 cm, respectively. Along the same directions, μM were 0.09, -0.05, -0.05 cm, μSD were 0.30, 0.17, 0.33 cm, and σ(res) were 0.35, 0.26, and 0.30 cm, respectively. MIFE was not correlated with pM and pSD. In the five additional patients, it was possible to satisfy recommended dose limits, with the exception of slightly higher doses to small bowel. After bony alignment, the margins for target expansion can be obtained by adding personalized MIFE to the residual

Radical irradiation for carcinoma of the prostate | Abratt | South ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Ninety-three patients treated by radical irradiation for stage A2, Band C1 carcinoma of the prostate between 1979 and 1988 at a joint radiotherapy service were reviewed. The average age was 63 years, 84% of the patients were white and on histological examination the tumours were well or moderately differentiated in ...

Late toxicity after conformal and intensity-modulated radiation therapy for prostate cancer. Impact of previous surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Odrazka, K.; Dolezel, M.; Vanasek, J.

2010-01-01

The objective of this study was to retrospectively compare late toxicity of conventional-dose three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) and high-dose intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for prostate cancer. A total of 340 patients with T1-3 prostate cancer were treated with 3D-CRT (n=228) and IMRT (n=112). The median follow-up time was 5.9 years and 3.0 years, respectively. The prescription dose was 70 Gy for 3D-CRT and 78 Gy for IMRT. Late gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) toxicities were graded according to the Fox Chase modification of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group and Late Effects Normal Tissue Task Force criteria. There was no difference between 3D-CRT and IMRT in the incidence of GI and GU toxicity at 3 years. On multivariate analysis, transurethral resection of prostate/open transvesical prostatectomy (TURP/TVPE) for benign prostatic hyperplasia, carried out before radiotherapy, significantly increased the risk of Grade ≥2 GU toxicity (risk ratio 1.88). Among patients who experienced TURP/TVPE, the 5-year actuarial likelihood of Grade 2-3 urinary incontinence was 23%, compared with 9% for those without prostate surgery (P=0.01). Tolerance of 3D-CRT and IMRT was similar, despite the use of high radiation dose with IMRT. Previous TURP/TVPE increased the risk of GU toxicity. (author)

Mechanisms of growth inhibition of primary prostate epithelial cells following gamma irradiation or photodynamic therapy include senescence, necrosis, and autophagy, but not apoptosis

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Frame, Fiona M.; Savoie, Huguette; Bryden, Francesca; Giuntini, Francesca; Mann, Vincent M.; Simms, Matthew S.; Boyle, Ross W.; Maitland, Norman J.

2015-01-01

In comparison to more differentiated cells, prostate cancer stem-like cells are radioresistant, which could explain radio-recurrent prostate cancer. Improvement of radiotherapeutic efficacy may therefore require combination therapy. We have investigated the consequences of treating primary prostate epithelial cells with gamma irradiation and photodynamic therapy (PDT), both of which act through production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Primary prostate epithelial cells were cultured from patient samples of benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer prior to treatment with PDT or gamma irradiation. Cell viability was measured using MTT and alamar blue assay, and cell recovery by colony-forming assays. Immunofluorescence of gamma-H2AX foci was used to quantify DNA damage, and autophagy and apoptosis were assessed using Western blots. Necrosis and senescence were measured by propidium iodide staining and beta-galactosidase staining, respectively. Both PDT and gamma irradiation reduced the colony-forming ability of primary prostate epithelial cells. PDT reduced the viability of all types of cells in the cultures, including stem-like cells and more differentiated cells. PDT induced necrosis and autophagy, whereas gamma irradiation induced senescence, but neither treatment induced apoptosis. PDT and gamma irradiation therefore inhibit cell growth by different mechanisms. We suggest these treatments would be suitable for use in combination as sequential treatments against prostate cancer

Interstitial gold and external beam irradiation for prostate cancer

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Boileau, M.A.; Dowling, R.A.; Gonzales, M.; Handel, P.H.; Benson, G.S.; Corriere, J.N. Jr.

1988-01-01

We treated 65 patients with prostatic cancer confined clinically to the prostate or periprostatic area during an 8-year period. Seven patients had stage A2, 38 stage B and 20 stage C disease. All 65 patients underwent staging pelvic lymphadenectomy and implantation of gold grains into the prostate (mean dose 3,167 rad). A total of 64 patients then completed a course of external beam irradiation to a mean total tumor dose of 6,965 rad. Complications of therapy were mild and limited (less than 3 months in duration) in most patients, and they included radiation cystitis (32 per cent), diarrhea (31 per cent), extremity lymphedema (7.7 per cent) and wound infection (3 per cent). Two patients suffered urinary incontinence after therapy and 2 (3 per cent) had diarrhea more than 3 months in duration. The actuarial 5-year survival rate for all patients was 87 per cent and the 5-year survival free of disease was 72 per cent

Incidence of and factors related to late complications in conformal and conventional radiation treatment of cancer of the prostate

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Schultheiss, Timothy E; Hanks, Gerald E; Hunt, Margie A; Lee, W Robert

1995-06-15

Purpose: The fundament hypothesis of conformal radiation therapy is that tumor control can be increased by using conformal treatment techniques that allow a higher tumor dose while maintaining an acceptable level of complications. To test this hypothesis, it is necessary first to estimate the incidence of morbidity for both standard and conformal fields. In this study, we examine factors that influence the incidence of late Grade 3 and 4 morbidity in patients treated with conformal and standard radiation treatment for prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: Six hundred sixteen consecutive patients treated with conformal or standard techniques between 1986 and 1994 to doses greater than 65 Gy and with more than 3 months follow-up were analyzed. No patients treated with prostatectomies were included in the analysis. The conformal technique includes special immobilization by a cast, careful identification of the target volume in three dimensions, localization of the inferior border of the prostate using a retrograde urethrogram, and individually shaped portals that conform to the Planning Target Volume (PTV). Multivariate analysis using a proportional hazards model compares differences in the incidence of Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for Research and Center Treatment (RTOG/EORTC) Grade 3 and 4 late gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) morbidity by technique, T-stage, grade, age, hormonal treatment, irradiated volume, dose, and comorbid conditions. Grade 3 rectal bleeding was defined as requiring three or more cautery procedures. Results: The overall actuarial incidence of genitourinary (GU) toxicities at 5 years was 3.4%, with the crude incidence being six cases in 616 patients satisfying the selection criteria; for gastrointestinal (GI) toxicities, the overall actuarial incidence was 2.7%, with the crude incidence being 13 cases out of 616 patients. The average time to complication for our patients was 12.8 months for GI toxicity and

Late rectal toxicity: dose-volume effects of conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Eugene H.; Pollack, Alan; Levy, Larry; Starkschall, George; Lei Dong; Rosen, Isaac; Kuban, Deborah A.

2002-01-01

Purpose: To identify dosimetric, anatomic, and clinical factors that correlate with late rectal toxicity after three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) for prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: We retrospectively analyzed the dose-volume histograms and clinical records of 163 Stage T1b-T3c prostate cancer patients treated between 1992 and 1999 with 3D-CRT, to a total isocenter dose of 74-78 Gy at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. The median follow-up was 62 months (range 24-102). All late rectal complications were scored using modified Radiation Therapy Oncology Group and Late Effects Normal Tissue Task Force criteria. The 6-year toxicity rate was assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis and the log-rank test. A univariate proportional hazards regression model was used to test the correlation between Grade 2 or higher toxicity and the dosimetric, anatomic, and clinical factors. In a multivariate regression model, clinical factors were added to the dosimetric and anatomic variables to determine whether they significantly altered the risk of developing late toxicity. Results: At 6 years, the rate of developing Grade 2 or higher late rectal toxicity was 25%. A significant volume effect was observed at rectal doses of 60, 70, 75.6, and 78 Gy, and the risk of developing rectal complications increased exponentially as greater volumes were irradiated. Although the percentage of rectal volume treated correlated significantly with the incidence of rectal complications at all dose levels (p 3 of the rectum. Of the clinical variables tested, only a history of hemorrhoids correlated with rectal toxicity (p=0.003). Multivariate analysis showed that the addition of hemorrhoids increased the risk of toxicity for each dosimetric variable found to be significant on univariate analysis (p<0.05 for all comparisons). Conclusion: Dose-volume histogram analyses clearly indicated a volume effect on the probability of developing late rectal complications

Prostate cancer: experience with definitive irradiation in the aged

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, N.; Bodner, H.; Broth, E.

1985-01-01

When considering therapeutic options for localized prostate cancer, stage and grade of disease have been the most important determinants. In the elderly, the nominal age has assumed increasing importance in the final decision. A balanced judgment must be reached between the patient's normal life expectancy and the rapidity with which the cancer may be expected to express its malignant potential. By careful attention to patient selection and the details of treatment, definitive irradiation can improve quality of life and survival. Of 63 patients aged seventy-three to ninety years referred for irradiation, 56 were found medically suitable for definitive treatment. A review of the authors experience is presented

Conformal technique dose escalation in prostate cancer: improved cancer control with higher doses in patients with pretreatment PSA {>=} 10 ngm/ml

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Hanks, G E; Lee, W R; Hanlon, A L; Kaplan, E; Epstein, B; Schultheiss, T

1995-07-01

Purpose: Single institutions and an NCI supported group of institutions have been investigating the value of dose escalation in patients with prostate cancer treated by conformal treatment techniques. Improvement in morbidity has been previously established, while this report identifies the pretreatment PSA level subgroups of patients who benefitted in cancer control from higher dose. Materials and Methods: We report actuarial bNED survival rates for 375 consecutive patients with known pretreatment PSA levels treated with conformal technique between 5/89 and 12/93. The whole pelvis was treated to 45 Gy in 25 fractions in all T2C,3, all Gleason 8, 9, 10 and all patients with pretreatment PSA {>=}20. The prostate {+-} seminal vesicles was boosted at 2.1 Gy/day to the center of the prostate to 65-79 Gy (65-69 N=50), 70-72.49 N=94, 72.5-74.9 N=82, 75-77.49 N=129 and {>=}77.5 N=20). The median followup is 21 mos with a range of 3 to 67 mos. The highest dose patients have the least followup, reducing the impact of the highest dose levels at this time. Patients are analyzed for the entire group divided at 71 Gy and at 73 Gy calculated at the center of the prostate. Each dose group is then subdivided by pretreatment PSA levels <10, 10-19.9, and {>=}20 ngm/ml and dose levels are compared within pretreatment PSA level group. bNED failure is defined as PSA {>=}1.5 ngm/ml and rising on two consecutive values. Results: Table 1 shows the bNED survival rates at 24 and 36 mos for all patients and the three pretreatment PSA level groups. For all patients pooled, there is an overall advantage to using doses {>=}71 Gy (64% vs 85% at 36 mo, p=.006) and {>=}73 Gy (71% vs 86% at 36 mo, p=.07). The subgroup of PSA <10 ngm/ml, however, shows no benefit in bNED survival when using doses over 71 Gy (90% vs 93% at 36 mo) or 73 Gy (91 vs 94% at 36 mo). The subgroup PSA 10 ngm/ml to 19.9 ngm/ml shows improved cancer control when using doses over 71 Gy (61% vs 88% at 36 mo, p=.03) and over 73

Dosimetric comparison between VMAT and RC3D techniques: case of prostate treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Chemingui, Fatima Zohra; Benrachi, Fatima; Bali, Mohamed Saleh; Ladjal, Hamid

2017-09-01

Considered as the second men cancer in Algeria, prostate cancer is treated in 70% by radiation. That's why radiation therapy is therapeutic weapon for prostate cancer. Conformational Radiotherapy in 3D is the most common technique [1-5]. The use of conventionally optimized treatment plans was compared at case scenario of optimized treatment plans VMAT for prostate cancer. The evaluation of the two optimizations strategies focused on the resulting plans ability to retain dose objectives under the influence of patient set up. Dose Volume Histogram in the Planning Target Volume and dose in the Organs At Risks were used to calculate the conformity index, and evaluation ratio of irradiated volume which represent the main tool of comparison [6,7]. The situation was analysed systematically. The 14% dose increase in the target leads to a decrease in the dose in adjacent organs with 39% in the bladder. Therefore, the criterion for better efficacy and less toxicity reveal that VMAT is the best choice.

Dosimetric comparison between VMAT and RC3D techniques: case of prostate treatment

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Chemingui Fatima Zohra

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Considered as the second men cancer in Algeria, prostate cancer is treated in 70% by radiation. That's why radiation therapy is therapeutic weapon for prostate cancer. Conformational Radiotherapy in 3D is the most common technique [1−5]. The use of conventionally optimized treatment plans was compared at case scenario of optimized treatment plans VMAT for prostate cancer. The evaluation of the two optimizations strategies focused on the resulting plans ability to retain dose objectives under the influence of patient set up. Dose Volume Histogram in the Planning Target Volume and dose in the Organs At Risks were used to calculate the conformity index, and evaluation ratio of irradiated volume which represent the main tool of comparison [6,7]. The situation was analysed systematically. The 14% dose increase in the target leads to a decrease in the dose in adjacent organs with 39% in the bladder. Therefore, the criterion for better efficacy and less toxicity reveal that VMAT is the best choice.

Association of anorectal dose-volume histograms and impaired fecal continence after 3D conformal radiotherapy for carcinoma of the prostate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vordermark, Dirk; Schwab, Michael; Ness-Dourdoumas, Rhea; Sailer, Marco; Flentje, Michael; Koelbl, Oliver

2003-01-01

Purpose: The late toxicity of fecal incontinence after pelvic radiotherapy is now frequently recognized but the etiology poorly understood. We therefore investigated associations between dose-volume histogram (DVH) parameters of the rectum and the anal canal with fecal continence as measured by an established 10-item questionnaire. Methods and materials: Forty-four patients treated for carcinoma of the prostate with 58-72 Gy of 3D conformal radiotherapy between 1995 and 1999 who completed the questionnaire formed the study population. Total continence scores of treated patients obtained 1.5 years (median) after radiotherapy were compared to a control group of 30 patients before radiotherapy. Median, mean, minimum and maximum doses as well as the volume (% and ml) treated to 40, 50, 60 and 70 Gy were determined separately for anal canal and rectum. DVH parameters were correlated with total continence score (Spearman rank test) and patients grouped according to observed continence were compared regarding DVH values (Mann-Whitney U-test). Results: Median fecal continence scores were significantly worse in the irradiated than in the control group (31 vs. 35 of a maximum 36 points). In treated patients, 59%/27%/14% were classified as fully continent, slightly incontinent and severely incontinent. Continence was similar in the 58-to-62-Gy, 66-Gy and 68-to-72-Gy dose groups. No DVH parameter was significantly correlated with total continence score, but severely incontinent patients had a significantly higher minimum dose to the anal canal than fully continent/slightly incontinent, accompanied by portals extending significantly further inferiorly with respect to the ischial tuberosities. Conclusions: Excluding the inferior part of the anal canal from the treated volume in 3D conformal therapy for carcinoma of the prostate appears to be a promising strategy to prevent radiation-induced fecal incontinence

Variation of clinical target volume definition in three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy for prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valicenti, Richard K.; Sweet, John W.; Hauck, Walter W.; Hudes, Richard S.; Lee, Tony; Dicker, Adam P.; Waterman, Frank M.; Anne, Pramila R.; Corn, Benjamin W.; Galvin, James M.

1999-01-01

Purpose: Currently, three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) planning relies on the interpretation of computed tomography (CT) axial images for defining the clinical target volume (CTV). This study investigates the variation among multiple observers to define the CTV used in 3D-CRT for prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: Seven observers independently delineated the CTVs (prostate ± seminal vesicles [SV]) from the CT simulation data of 10 prostate cancer patients undergoing 3D-CRT. Six patients underwent CT simulation without the use of contrast material and serve as a control group. The other 4 had urethral and bladder opacification with contrast medium. To determine interobserver variation, we evaluated the derived volume, the maximum dimensions, and the isocenter for each examination of CTV. We assessed the reliability in the CTVs among the observers by correlating the variation for each class of measurements. This was estimated by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), with 1.00 defining absolute correlation. Results: For the prostate volumes, the ICC was 0.80 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.56-0.96). This changed to 0.92 (95% CI: 0.75-0.99) with the use of contrast material. Similarly, the maximal prostatic dimensions were reliable and improved. There was poor agreement in defining the SV. For this structure, the ICC never exceeded 0.28. The reliability of the isocenter was excellent, with the ICC exceeding 0.83 and 0.90 for the prostate ± SV, respectively. Conclusions: In 3D-CRT for prostate cancer, there was excellent agreement among multiple observers to define the prostate target volume but poor agreement to define the SV. The use of urethral and bladder contrast improved the reliability of localizing the prostate. For all CTVs, the isocenter was very reliable and should be used to compare the variation in 3D dosimetry among multiple observers

Three-dimensional conformal external beam radiotherapy compared with permanent prostate implantation in low-risk prostate cancer based on endorectal magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging and prostate-specific antigen level

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pickett, Barby; Kurhanewicz, John; Pouliot, Jean; Weinberg, Vivian; Shinohara, Katsuto; Coakley, Fergus; Roach, Mack

2006-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the metabolic response by comparing the time to resolution of spectroscopic abnormalities (TRSA) and the time to prostate-specific antigen level in low-risk prostate cancer patients after treatment with three-dimensional conformal external beam radiotherapy (3D-CRT) compared with permanent prostate implantation (PPI). Recent studies have suggested that the treatment of low-risk prostate cancer yields similar results for patients treated with 3D-CRT or PPI. Methods and Materials: A total of 50 patients, 25 in each group, who had been treated with 3D-CRT or PPI, had undergone endorectal magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging before and/or at varying times after therapy. The 3D-CRT patients had received radiation doses of ≥72 Gy compared with 144 Gy for the PPI patients. The spectra from all usable voxels were examined for detectable levels of metabolic signal, and the percentages of atrophic and cancerous voxels were tabulated. Results: The median time to resolution of the spectroscopic abnormalities was 32.2 and 24.8 months and the time to the nadir prostate-specific antigen level was 52.4 and 38.0 months for the 3D-CRT and PPI patients, respectively. Of the 3D-CRT patients, 92% achieved negative endorectal magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging findings, with 40% having complete metabolic atrophy. All 25 PPI patients had negative endorectal magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging findings, with 60% achieving complete metabolic atrophy. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that metabolic and biochemical responses of the prostate are more pronounced after PPI. Our results have not proved PPI is more effective at curing prostate cancer, but they have demonstrated that it may be more effective at destroying prostate metabolism

Conformal radiation therapy with or without intensity modulation in the treatment of localized prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maingon, P.; Truc, G.; Bosset, M.; Peignaux, K.; Ammor, A.; Bolla, M.

2005-01-01

Conformal radiation therapy has now to be considered as a standard treatment of localized prostatic adenocarcinomas. Using conformational methods and intensity modulated radiation therapy requires a rigorous approach for their implementation in routine, focused on the reproducibility of the treatment, target volume definitions, dosimetry, quality control, setup positioning. In order to offer to the largest number of patients high-dose treatment, the clinicians must integrate as prognostic factors accurate definition of microscopic extension as well as the tolerance threshold of critical organs. High-dose delivery is expected to be most efficient in intermediary risks and locally advanced diseases. Intensity modulated radiation therapy is specifically dedicated to dose escalation. Perfect knowledge of classical constraints of conformal radiation therapy is required. Using such an approach in routine needs a learning curve including the physicists and a specific quality assurance program. (author)

Chronic rectal bleeding after high dose conformal treatment of prostate cancer warrants modification of existing morbidity scales

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanlon, A.L.; Schulthiess, T.E.; Hunt, M.A.; Movsas, B.; Peter, R.; Hanks, G.E.

1996-01-01

Purpose: Serious late morbidity (Grade (3(4))) from the conformal treatment of prostate cancer has been reported in <1% to 6% of patients. This study demonstrates that the reported frequency of Grade (3(4)) complications varies by the morbidity scale selected and that no existing morbidity scale adequately represents chronic rectal bleeding, which is our most frequent persisting late sequela of high dose conformal treatment. Materials and Methods: Between (5(89)) and (12(93)), 352 patients with T1-3 NXM0 prostate cancers were treated with our 4-field conformal technique without special rectal blocking. This technique includes a 1 cm margin from the CTV to the PTV in all directions. The median follow-up for these patients was 38 mos (4 to 78), and the median ICRU reporting point dose was 74 Gy (63 to 81). Patients are followed at six month intervals, and no patient is lost to follow-up. Three morbidity scales are assessed, the RTOG, the late effects group (LENT), and our modification of the LENT (FC-LENT). This modification registers chronic rectal bleeding requiring more than two coagulations as a grade 3 event. Estimates for Grade (3(4)) late GI complication rates were determined using Kaplan-Meier methodology. Differences in morbidity rates were evaluated using the log-rank test and differences in time to latency of complications were evaluated using the nonparametric Wilcoxon test. The duration of severe symptoms with chronic rectal bleeding is measured from the first to the last transrectal coagulation. Results: Sixteen patients developed Grade (3(4)) complications by one of the three morbidity scales. Two patients required surgery (colostomy, sigmoid resection), 5 required a transfusion, and 9 required more than two coagulations. The median latency to the third coagulation (plus or minus transfusions) was 24 mos (17 to 40). The median duration of bleeding between the first and last coagulation was 6 mos (3 to 25), illustrating the chronicity of this problem

Overall survival after prostate-specific-antigen-detected recurrence following conformal radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandler, Howard M.; Dunn, Rodney L.; McLaughlin, P. William; Hayman, James A.; Sullivan, Molly A.; Taylor, Jeremy M.G.

2000-01-01

Purpose: To study the significance, in terms of overall and cause-specific survival, of biochemical failure after conformal external-beam radiation therapy (RT) for prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: Of the 1844 patients in the Radiation Oncology prostate cancer database, 718 were deemed eligible. Patients excluded were those with N1 or M1 disease, those treated after radical prostatectomy, those who received hormone therapy before radiation therapy, and those who died, failed clinically, or had no PSA response in the first 6 months after RT. Patients included were required to have a minimum of 2 post-RT PSAs separated by at least 1 week. Biochemical relapse was defined as 3 consecutive PSA rises. This resulted in 154 patients with biochemical failure. Survival was calculated from the third PSA elevation. The rate of rise of PSA was calculated by fitting a regression line to the four rising PSAs on a ln PSA vs. time plot. Results: There were 41 deaths among the 154 patients with failure in 23 of the 41 due to prostate cancer. The overall survival after failure was 58% at 5 years, while the cause-specific failure was 73% at 5 years. Among the 154 failures, several factors were evaluated for an association with overall survival: age at failure, pre-RT PSA, PSA at second rise, PSA nadir, time from RT to failure, time to nadir, Gleason score, T-stage, and rate of rise, both from the nadir and from the beginning of the rise. None of these factors were significantly associated with an increased risk of death. As expected, the group of patients with biochemical failure have significantly worse prognostic factors than those without biochemical failure: median pre-RT PSA 15.9 vs. 9.0 (p < 0.001), and Gleason score of 7 or greater for 48% of subjects vs. 40% (p 0.1). Relative PSA rise and slope of ln PSA vs. time were associated with cause-specific mortality (p < 0.001 and p = 0.007, respectively). Conclusion: Overall survival after conformal radiotherapy for prostate

Role of choline PET/CT in guiding target volume delineation for irradiation of prostate cancer

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Schwarzenboeck, S.M.; Kurth, J. [University Medical Centre Rostock, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Rostock (Germany); Gocke, C.; Kuhnt, T.; Hildebrandt, G. [University Medical Centre Rostock, Department of Radiotherapy, Rostock (Germany); Krause, B.J. [University Medical Centre Rostock, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Rostock (Germany); Universitaet Rostock, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Universitaetsmedizin Rostock, Rostock (Germany)

2013-07-15

Choline PET/CT has shown limitations for the detection of primary prostate cancer and nodal metastatic disease, mainly due to limited sensitivity and specificity. Conversely in the restaging of prostate cancer recurrence, choline PET/CT is a promising imaging modality for the detection of local regional and nodal recurrence with an impact on therapy management. This review highlights current literature on choline PET/CT for radiation treatment planning in primary and recurrent prostate cancer. Due to limited sensitivity and specificity in differentiating between benign and malignant prostatic tissues in primary prostate cancer, there is little enthusiasm for target volume delineation based on choline PET/CT. Irradiation planning for the treatment of single lymph node metastases on the basis of choline PET/CT is controversial due to its limited lesion-based sensitivity in primary nodal staging. In high-risk prostate cancer, choline PET/CT might diagnose lymph node metastases, which potentially can be included in the conventional irradiation field. Prior to radiation treatment of recurrent prostate cancer, choline PET/CT may prove useful for patient stratification by excluding distant disease which would require systemic therapy. In patients with local recurrence, choline PET/CT can be used to delineate local sites of recurrence within the prostatic resection bed allowing a boost to PET-positive sites. In patients with lymph node metastases outside the prostatic fossa and regional metastatic lymph nodes, choline PET/CT might influence radiation treatment planning by enabling extension of the target volume to lymphatic drainage sites with or without a boost to PET-positive lymph nodes. Further clinical randomized trials are required to assess treatment outcomes following choline-based biological radiation treatment planning in comparison with conventional radiation treatment planning. (orig.)

Prostate and seminal vesicle volume based consideration of prostate cancer patients for treatment with 3D-conformal or intensity-modulated radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reddy, Nandanuri M. S.; Nori, Dattatreyudu; Chang, Hyesook; Lange, Christopher S.; Ravi, Akkamma

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this article was to determine the suitability of the prostate and seminal vesicle volumes as factors to consider patients for treatment with image-guided 3D-conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) or intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), using common dosimetry parameters as comparison tools. Methods: Dosimetry of 3D and IMRT plans for 48 patients was compared. Volumes of prostate, SV, rectum, and bladder, and prescriptions were the same for both plans. For both 3D and IMRT plans, expansion margins to prostate+SV (CTV) and prostate were 0.5 cm posterior and superior and 1 cm in other dimensions to create PTV and CDPTV, respectively. Six-field 3D plans were prepared retrospectively. For 3D plans, an additional 0.5 cm margin was added to PTV and CDPTV. Prescription for both 3D and IMRT plans was the same: 45 Gy to CTV followed by a 36 Gy boost to prostate. Dosimetry parameters common to 3D and IMRT plans were used for comparison: Mean doses to prostate, CDPTV, SV, rectum, bladder, and femurs; percent volume of rectum and bladder receiving 30 (V30), 50 (V50), and 70 Gy (V70), dose to 30% of rectum and bladder, minimum and maximum point dose to CDPTV, and prescription dose covering 95% of CDPTV (D95). Results: When the data for all patients were combined, mean dose to prostate and CDPTV was higher with 3D than IMRT plans (P 0.2). On average, among all cases, the minimum point dose was less for 3D-CRT plans and the maximum point dose was greater for 3D-CRT than for IMRT (P 0.1). V30 was less (P 0.2), and V70 was more (P 0.2). Mean dose to femurs was more with 3D than IMRT plans (P 3 (39/48), respectively (P 3 , respectively, would be suitable for 3D-CRT. Patients with prostate and prostate+SV volumes >65 and 85 cm 3 , respectively, might get benefit from IMRT.

Image-guided conformation arc therapy for prostate cancer: Early side effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soete, Guy; Verellen, Dirk; Michielsen, Dirk; Rappe, Bernard; Keuppen, Frans; Storme, Guy

2006-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate early side effects in prostate cancer patients treated with image-guided conformation arc therapy (IGCAT) using a minimultileaf collimator and daily X-ray-assisted patient positioning. Methods and Materials: Between May 2000 and November 2004, 238 cT1-T3N0M0 tumors were treated with doses of 70 or 78 Gy. Seventy patients also received neoadjuvant or concurrent hormonal treatment. Median follow-up is 18 months (range, 4-55 months). Radiation Therapy Oncology Group and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer toxicity scoring system was used to evaluate early side effects. Results: Grade 1, 2, and >2 acute side effects occurred in 19, 6, and 0% (gastrointestinal) and 37, 16, and 0% (genitourinary) of the patients. No relation between radiation dose and early side effects was observed. Conclusion: Patients treated with image-guided conformation arc therapy experience a low rate of Grade 2 (i.e., requiring medication) early side effects. The definitive evaluation of late side effects and biochemical control requires further follow-up

Potency following high-dose three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy and the impact of prior major urologic surgical procedures in patients treated for prostate cancer

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Chinn, Daniel M.; Holland, John; Crownover, Richard L.; Roach, Mack

1995-01-01

Purpose: To assess the impact of high-dose three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) on potency in patients treated for clinically localized prostate cancer and to identify factors that might predict the outcome of sexual function following treatment. Methods and Materials: One hundred twenty-four consecutive patients treated with 3DCRT for localized prostate cancer at UCSF between 1991-1993 were included in this retrospective analysis. Patient responses were obtained from a mailed questionnaire, telephone interviews, or departmental records. Median follow-up was 21 months. Results: Sixty patients reported having sexual function prior to 3DCRT, including 47 who were fully potent and 13 who were marginally potent. Of the remaining 64 patients, 45 were impotent, 7 were on hormones, 1 was status-postorchiectomy, and 11 were not evaluable. Following 3DCRT, 37 of 60 patients (62%) retained sexual function sufficient for intercourse. Of those with sexual function before irradiation, 33 of 47 (70%) of patients fully potent and 4 of 13 (31%) of patients marginally potent maintained function sufficient for intercourse (p < 0.01). Potency was retained in 6 of 15 (40%) patients with a history of a major urologic surgical procedure (MUSP) and in 31 of 45 (69%) with no history of a MUSP (p < 0.04). Transurethral resection of the prostate was the MUSP in eight of these patients, with four (50%) maintaining sexual function. Conclusions: Patients who receive definitive 3DCRT for localized prostate cancer appear to maintain potency similar to patients treated with conventional radiotherapy. However, patients who are marginally potent at presentation or who have a history of a MUSP appear to be at increased risk of impotence following 3DCRT

Set-up error in supine-positioned patients immobilized with two different modalities during conformal radiotherapy of prostate cancer

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Fiorino, C.; Cattaneo, G.M.; Calandrino, R.; Reni, M.; Bolognesi, A.; Bonini, A.

1998-01-01

Background: Conformal radiotherapy requires reduced margins around the clinical target volume (CTV) with respect to traditional radiotherapy techniques. Therefore, high set-up accuracy and reproducibility are mandatory. Purpose: To investigate the effectiveness of two different immobilization techniques during conformal radiotherapy of prostate cancer with small fields. Materials and methods: 52 patients with prostate cancer were treated by conformal three- or four-field techniques with radical or adjuvant intent between November 1996 and March 1998. In total, 539 portal images were collected on a weekly basis for at least the first 4 weeks of the treatment on lateral and anterior 18 MV X-ray fields. The average number of sessions monitored per patient was 5.7 (range 4-10). All patients were immobilized with an alpha-cradle system; 25 of them were immobilized at the pelvis level (group A) and the remaining 27 patients were immobilized in the legs (group B). The shifts with respect to the simulation condition were assessed by measuring the distances between the same bony landmarks and the field edges. The global distributions of cranio-caudal (CC), posterior-anterior (PA) and left-right (LR) shifts were considered; for each patient random and systematic error components were assessed by following the procedure suggested by Bijhold et al. (Bijhold J, Lebesque JV, Hart AAM, Vijlbrief RE. Maximising set-up accuracy using portal images as applied to a conformal boost technique for prostatic cancer. Radiother. Oncol. 1992;24:261-271). For each patient the average isocentre (3D) shift was assessed as the quadratic sum of the average shifts in the three directions. Results 5 mm equal to 4.4% with respect to the 21.6% of group A (P<0.0001). This value was also better than the corresponding value found in a previously investigated group of 21 non-immobilized patients (Italia C, Fiorino C, Ciocca M, et al. Quality control by portal film analysis of the conformal radiotherapy

3D conformal MRI-controlled transurethral ultrasound prostate therapy: validation of numerical simulations and demonstration in tissue-mimicking gel phantoms.

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Burtnyk, Mathieu; N'Djin, William Apoutou; Kobelevskiy, Ilya; Bronskill, Michael; Chopra, Rajiv

2010-11-21

MRI-controlled transurethral ultrasound therapy uses a linear array of transducer elements and active temperature feedback to create volumes of thermal coagulation shaped to predefined prostate geometries in 3D. The specific aims of this work were to demonstrate the accuracy and repeatability of producing large volumes of thermal coagulation (>10 cc) that conform to 3D human prostate shapes in a tissue-mimicking gel phantom, and to evaluate quantitatively the accuracy with which numerical simulations predict these 3D heating volumes under carefully controlled conditions. Eleven conformal 3D experiments were performed in a tissue-mimicking phantom within a 1.5T MR imager to obtain non-invasive temperature measurements during heating. Temperature feedback was used to control the rotation rate and ultrasound power of transurethral devices with up to five 3.5 × 5 mm active transducer elements. Heating patterns shaped to human prostate geometries were generated using devices operating at 4.7 or 8.0 MHz with surface acoustic intensities of up to 10 W cm(-2). Simulations were informed by transducer surface velocity measurements acquired with a scanning laser vibrometer enabling improved calculations of the acoustic pressure distribution in a gel phantom. Temperature dynamics were determined according to a FDTD solution to Pennes' BHTE. The 3D heating patterns produced in vitro were shaped very accurately to the prostate target volumes, within the spatial resolution of the MRI thermometry images. The volume of the treatment difference falling outside ± 1 mm of the target boundary was, on average, 0.21 cc or 1.5% of the prostate volume. The numerical simulations predicted the extent and shape of the coagulation boundary produced in gel to within (mean ± stdev [min, max]): 0.5 ± 0.4 [-1.0, 2.1] and -0.05 ± 0.4 [-1.2, 1.4] mm for the treatments at 4.7 and 8.0 MHz, respectively. The temperatures across all MRI thermometry images were predicted within -0.3 ± 1.6 °C and 0

Comparing two strategies of dynamic intensity modulated radiation therapy (dIMRT with 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT in the hypofractionated treatment of high-risk prostate cancer

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Yartsev Slav

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background To compare two strategies of dynamic intensity modulated radiation therapy (dIMRT with 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT in the setting of hypofractionated high-risk prostate cancer treatment. Methods 3DCRT and dIMRT/Helical Tomotherapy(HT planning with 10 CT datasets was undertaken to deliver 68 Gy in 25 fractions (prostate and simultaneously delivering 45 Gy in 25 fractions (pelvic lymph node targets in a single phase. The paradigms of pelvic vessel targeting (iliac vessels with margin are used to target pelvic nodes and conformal normal tissue avoidance (treated soft tissues of the pelvis while limiting dose to identified pelvic critical structures were assessed compared to 3DCRT controls. Both dIMRT/HT and 3DCRT solutions were compared to each other using repeated measures ANOVA and post-hoc paired t-tests. Results When compared to conformal pelvic vessel targeting, conformal normal tissue avoidance delivered more homogenous PTV delivery (2/2 t-test comparisons; p dose, 1–3 Gy over 5/10 dose points; p Conclusion dIMRT/HT nodal and pelvic targeting is superior to 3DCRT in dose delivery and critical structure sparing in the setting of hypofractionation for high-risk prostate cancer. The pelvic targeting paradigm is a potential solution to deliver highly conformal pelvic radiation treatment in the setting of nodal location uncertainty in prostate cancer and other pelvic malignancies.

Carbon ion irradiation of the human prostate cancer cell line PC3: A whole genome microarray study

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SUETENS, ANNELIES; MOREELS, MARJAN; QUINTENS, ROEL; CHIRIOTTI, SABINA; TABURY, KEVIN; MICHAUX, ARLETTE; GRÉGOIRE, VINCENT; BAATOUT, SARAH

2014-01-01

Hadrontherapy is a form of external radiation therapy, which uses beams of charged particles such as carbon ions. Compared to conventional radiotherapy with photons, the main advantage of carbon ion therapy is the precise dose localization along with an increased biological effectiveness. The first results obtained from prostate cancer patients treated with carbon ion therapy showed good local tumor control and survival rates. In view of this advanced treatment modality we investigated the effects of irradiation with different beam qualities on gene expression changes in the PC3 prostate adenocarcinoma cell line. For this purpose, PC3 cells were irradiated with various doses (0.0, 0.5 and 2.0 Gy) of carbon ions (LET=33.7 keV/μm) at the beam of the Grand Accélérateur National d’Ions Lourds (Caen, France). Comparative experiments with X-rays were performed at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre. Genome-wide gene expression was analyzed using microarrays. Our results show a downregulation in many genes involved in cell cycle and cell organization processes after 2.0 Gy irradiation. This effect was more pronounced after carbon ion irradiation compared with X-rays. Furthermore, we found a significant downregulation of many genes related to cell motility. Several of these changes were confirmed using qPCR. In addition, recurrence-free survival analysis of prostate cancer patients based on one of these motility genes (FN1) revealed that patients with low expression levels had a prolonged recurrence-free survival time, indicating that this gene may be a potential prognostic biomarker for prostate cancer. Understanding how different radiation qualities affect the cellular behavior of prostate cancer cells is important to improve the clinical outcome of cancer radiation therapy. PMID:24504141

103PD brachytherapy and external beam irradiation for clinically localized, high-risk prostatic carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dattoli, Michael; Wallner, Kent; Sorace, Richard; Koval, John; Cash, Jennifer; Acosta, Rudolph; Brown, Charles; Etheridge, James; Binder, Michael; Brunelle, Richard; Kirwan, Novelle; Sanchez, Servando; Stein, Douglas; Wasserman, Stuart

1996-01-01

Purpose: To summarize biochemical failure rates and morbidity of external beam irradiation (EBRT) combined with palladium ( 103 Pd) boost for clinically localized high-risk prostate carcinoma. Methods and Materials: Seventy-three consecutive patients with stage T2a-T3 prostatic carcinoma were treated from 1991 through 1994. Each patient had at least one of the following risk factors for extracapsular disease extension: Stage T2b or greater (71 patients), Gleason score 7-10 (40 patients), prostate specific antigen (PSA) >15 (32 patients), or elevated prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) (17 patients). Patients received 41 Gy EBRT to a limited pelvic field, followed 4 weeks later by a 103 Pd boost (prescription dose: 80 Gy). Biochemical failure was defined as a PSA greater than 1.0 ng/ml (normal 103 Pd brachytherapy for clinically localized, high-risk prostate cancer compare favorably with that reported after conventional dose EBRT alone. Morbidity has been acceptable

Multimodal approaches including three-dimensional conformal re-irradiation for recurrent or persistent esophageal cancer. Preliminary results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamaguchi, Shinsaku; Ohguri, Takayuki; Imada, Hajime

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the toxicity and efficacy of multimodal approaches, including three-dimensional conformal re-irradiation, for patients with recurrent or persistent esophageal cancer after radiotherapy. Thirty-one patients with esophageal cancer treated with three-dimensional conformal re-irradiation were retrospectively analyzed. Of the 31 patients, 27 patients received concurrent chemotherapy, and 14 patients underwent regional hyperthermia during the re-irradiation. We divided the patients into two groups on the basis of their clinical condition: the curative group (n=11) or the palliative group (n=20). Severe toxicities were detected in one patient with Grade 3 esophageal perforation in the curative group, and 5 patients had a Grade 3 or higher toxicity of the esophagus in the palliative group. Advanced T stage at the time of re-irradiation was found to be significantly correlated with Grade 3 or higher toxicity in the esophagus. For the curative group, 10 (91%) of 11 patients had an objective response. For the palliative group, symptom relief was recognized in 8 (57%) of 14 patients with obvious swallowing difficulty. In conclusion, in the curative group with early-stage recurrent or persistent esophageal cancer, the multimodal approaches, including three-dimensional conformal re-irradiation, may be feasible, showing acceptable toxicity and a potential value of promising results, although further evaluations especially for the toxicities of the organs at risk are required. In the palliative group, the benefit of our therapy may be restrictive because severe esophageal toxicities were not uncommon in the patients with advanced T stage at the time of re-irradiation. (author)

Prostate cancer

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Murphy, G.P.; Kuss, R., Khoury, S.; Chatelain, C.; Denis, L.

1987-01-01

This book contains over 70 selections. Some of the titles are: Place of the Computed Tomography in the Staging of Prostatic Cancer; Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in Staging of the Prostatic Cancer; Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Prostate; Long-Term Results in Radiotherapy of Prostatic Cancer; Interstitial Irradiation Using I-125 Seeds; and Treatment of Cancer of the Prostate by Use of Physiotherapy: Long-Term Results.

Prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murphy, G.P.; Kuss, R.; Khoury, S.; Chatelain, C.; Denis, L.

1987-01-01

This book contains over 70 selections. Some of the titles are: Place of the Computed Tomography in the Staging of Prostatic Cancer; Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in Staging of the Prostatic Cancer; Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Prostate; Long-Term Results in Radiotherapy of Prostatic Cancer; Interstitial Irradiation Using I-125 Seeds; and Treatment of Cancer of the Prostate by Use of Physiotherapy: Long-Term Results

Dosimetric and Radiobiologic Comparison of 3D Conformal Versus Intensity Modulated Planning Techniques for Prostate Bed Radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koontz, Bridget F.; Das, Shiva; Temple, Kathy; Bynum, Sigrun; Catalano, Suzanne; Koontz, Jason I.; Montana, Gustavo S.; Oleson, James R.

2009-01-01

Adjuvant radiotherapy for locally advanced prostate cancer improves biochemical and clinical disease-free survival. While comparisons in intact prostate cancer show a benefit for intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) over 3D conformal planning, this has not been studied for post-prostatectomy radiotherapy (RT). This study compares normal tissue and target dosimetry and radiobiological modeling of IMRT vs. 3D conformal planning in the postoperative setting. 3D conformal plans were designed for 15 patients who had been treated with IMRT planning for salvage post-prostatectomy RT. The same computed tomography (CT) and target/normal structure contours, as well as prescription dose, was used for both IMRT and 3D plans. Normal tissue complication probabilities (NTCPs) were calculated based on the dose given to the bladder and rectum by both plans. Dose-volume histogram and NTCP data were compared by paired t-test. Bladder and rectal sparing were improved with IMRT planning compared to 3D conformal planning. The volume of the bladder receiving at least 75% (V75) and 50% (V50) of the dose was significantly reduced by 28% and 17%, respectively (p = 0.002 and 0.037). Rectal dose was similarly reduced, V75 by 33% and V50 by 17% (p = 0.001 and 0.004). While there was no difference in the volume of rectum receiving at least 65 Gy (V65), IMRT planning significant reduced the volume receiving 40 Gy or more (V40, p = 0.009). Bladder V40 and V65 were not significantly different between planning modalities. Despite these dosimetric differences, there was no significant difference in the NTCP for either bladder or rectal injury. IMRT planning reduces the volume of bladder and rectum receiving high doses during post-prostatectomy RT. Because of relatively low doses given to the bladder and rectum, there was no statistically significant improvement in NTCP between the 3D conformal and IMRT plans.

Dosimetric and radiobiologic comparison of 3D conformal versus intensity modulated planning techniques for prostate bed radiotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Koontz, Bridget F; Das, Shiva; Temple, Kathy; Bynum, Sigrun; Catalano, Suzanne; Koontz, Jason I; Montana, Gustavo S; Oleson, James R

2009-01-01

Adjuvant radiotherapy for locally advanced prostate cancer improves biochemical and clinical disease-free survival. While comparisons in intact prostate cancer show a benefit for intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) over 3D conformal planning, this has not been studied for post-prostatectomy radiotherapy (RT). This study compares normal tissue and target dosimetry and radiobiological modeling of IMRT vs. 3D conformal planning in the postoperative setting. 3D conformal plans were designed for 15 patients who had been treated with IMRT planning for salvage post-prostatectomy RT. The same computed tomography (CT) and target/normal structure contours, as well as prescription dose, was used for both IMRT and 3D plans. Normal tissue complication probabilities (NTCPs) were calculated based on the dose given to the bladder and rectum by both plans. Dose-volume histogram and NTCP data were compared by paired t-test. Bladder and rectal sparing were improved with IMRT planning compared to 3D conformal planning. The volume of the bladder receiving at least 75% (V75) and 50% (V50) of the dose was significantly reduced by 28% and 17%, respectively (p = 0.002 and 0.037). Rectal dose was similarly reduced, V75 by 33% and V50 by 17% (p = 0.001 and 0.004). While there was no difference in the volume of rectum receiving at least 65 Gy (V65), IMRT planning significant reduced the volume receiving 40 Gy or more (V40, p = 0.009). Bladder V40 and V65 were not significantly different between planning modalities. Despite these dosimetric differences, there was no significant difference in the NTCP for either bladder or rectal injury. IMRT planning reduces the volume of bladder and rectum receiving high doses during post-prostatectomy RT. Because of relatively low doses given to the bladder and rectum, there was no statistically significant improvement in NTCP between the 3D conformal and IMRT plans.

Salvage conformal radiotherapy for biochemical recurrent prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy

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Carlos R. Monti

2006-08-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Assess the results of salvage conformal radiotherapy in patients with biochemical failure after radical prostatectomy and identify prognostic factors for biochemical recurrence and toxicity of the treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From June 1998 to November 2001, 35 patients were submitted to conformal radiotherapy for PSA > 0.2 ng/mL in progression after radical prostatectomy and were retrospectively analyzed. The mean dose of radiation in prostatic bed was of 77.4 Gy (68-81. Variables related to the treatment and to tumor were assessed to identify prognostic factors for biochemical recurrence after salvage radiotherapy. RESULTS: The median follow-up was of 55 months (17-83. The actuarial survival rates free of biochemical recurrence and free of metastasis at a distance of 5 years were 79.7% e 84.7%, respectively. The actuarial global survival rate in 5 years was 96.1%.The actuarial survival rate free of biochemical recurrence in 5 years was 83.3% with PSA pre-radiotherapy 1 and 2 (p = 0.023. Dose > 70 Gy in 30% of the bladder volume implied in more acute urinary toxicity (p = 0.035. The mean time for the development of late urinary toxicity was 21 months (12-51. Dose > 55 Gy in 50% bladder volume implied in more late urinary toxicity (p = 0.018. A patient presented late rectal toxicity of 2nd grade. CONCLUSIONS: Conformal radiotherapy showed to be effective for the control of biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy. Patients with pre-therapy PSA < 2 ng/mL have more biochemical control.

Can the prostate brachytherapy by permanent implants represent an alternative to external radiotherapy for the localised prostate cancers with intermediary risk?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farnault, B.; Duberge, T.; Salem, N.; Boher, J.M.; Gravis, G.; Bladou, F.; Jochen, W.; Resbeut, M.

2009-01-01

Purpose: the prostate brachytherapy stands out as treatment of low risk prostate cancers, but the data concerning its use as exclusive treatment of intermediary risk prostate cancer are rare. We present a retrospective analysis of intermediary risk prostate cancers which treatment was either an external conformal radiotherapy or an exclusive brachytherapy. conclusion: In this mono centric series, the brachytherapy brings excellent results in comparison with external conformal radiotherapy with dose escalation and could be proposed as alternative to patients suffering of intermediary risk prostate cancer. (N.C.)

Volume and hormonal effects for acute side effects of rectum and bladder during conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peeters, Stephanie T.H.; Hoogeman, Mischa S.; Heemsbergen, Wilma D.; Slot, Annerie; Tabak, Hans; Koper, Peter C.M.; Lebesque, Joos V.

2005-01-01

Purpose: To identify dosimetric variables predictive of acute gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) toxicity and to determine whether hormonal therapy (HT) is independently associated with acute GI and GU toxicity in prostate cancer patients treated with conformal radiotherapy (RT). Methods and Materials: This analysis was performed on 336 patients participating in a multicenter (four hospitals) randomized trial comparing 68 Gy and 78 Gy. The clinical target volume consisted of the prostate with or without the seminal vesicles, depending on the risk of seminal vesicle involvement. The margin from the clinical target volume to the planning target volume was 1 cm. For these patients, the treatment plan for a total dose of 68 Gy was used, because nearly all toxicity appeared before the onset of the 10-Gy boost. Acute toxicity ( 3 months before RT). Results: Acute GI toxicity Grade 2 or worse was seen in 46% of the patients. Patients with long-term neoadjuvant HT experienced less Grade 2 or worse toxicity (27%) compared with those receiving short-term neoadjuvant HT (50%) and no HT (50%). The volumes of the prostate and seminal vesicles were significantly smaller in both groups receiving neoadjuvant HT compared with those receiving no HT. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, including the two statistically significant clinical variables neoadjuvant HT and hospital, a volume effect was found for the relative, as well as absolute, rectal wall volumes exposed to intermediate and high doses. Of all the length parameters, the relative rectal length irradiated to doses of ≥5 Gy and ≥30 Gy and absolute lengths receiving ≥5-15 and 30 Gy were significant. Acute GU toxicity Grade 2 or worse was reported in 56% of cases. For patients with pretreatment GU symptoms, the rate was 93%. The use of short-term and long-term neoadjuvant HT resulted in more GU toxicity (73% and 71%) compared with no HT (50%). In multivariate analysis, containing the variables

Three-dimensional conformal breast irradiation in the prone position

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C. Kurtman

2003-10-01

Full Text Available The prone position can be used for the planning of adjuvant radiotherapy after conservative breast surgery in order to deliver less irradiation to lung and cardiac tissue. In the present study, we compared the results of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy planning for five patients irradiated in the supine and prone position. Tumor stage was T1N0M0 in four patients and T1N1M0 in one. All patients had been previously submitted to conservative breast surgery. Breast size was large in three patients and moderate in the other two. Irradiation in the prone position was performed using an immobilization foam pad with a hole cut into it to accommodate the breast so that it would hang down away from the chest wall. Dose-volume histograms showed that mean irradiation doses reaching the ipsilateral lung were 8.3 ± 3.6 Gy with the patient in the supine position and 1.4 ± 1.0 Gy with the patient in the prone position (P = 0.043. The values for the contralateral lung were 1.3 ± 0.7 and 0.3 ± 0.1 Gy (P = 0.043 and the values for cardiac tissue were 4.6 ± 1.6 and 3.0 ± 1.7 Gy (P = 0.079, respectively. Thus, the dose-volume histograms demonstrated that lung tissue irradiation was significantly lower with the patient in the prone position than in the supine position. Large-breasted women appeared to benefit most from irradiation in the prone position. Prone position breast irradiation appears to be a simple and effective alternative to the conventional supine position for patients with large breasts, since they are subjected to lower pulmonary doses which may cause less pulmonary side effects in the future.

A prospective three-dimensional analysis about the impact of differences in the clinical target volume in prostate cancer irradiation on normal-tissue exposure. A potential for increasing the benefit/risk ratio

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hille, A.; Toews, N.; Schmidberger, H.; Hess, C.F.

2005-01-01

Background and purpose: rectal toxicity following external-beam irradiation of prostate cancer correlates with the exposed percentage of rectal volume. Recently, it has been recommended to reduce the volume of the seminal vesicles that should be included in the clinical target volume (CTV). The purpose of this study was to quantitatively assess the impact of this CTV reduction on the expected rectal and bladder dose sparing. Patients and methods: 14 patients with localized prostate cancer undergoing external-beam radiotherapy were investigated. The prostate, the prostate + entire seminal vesicles, or the prostate + proximal seminal vesicles were delineated as CTV. Treatment plans were generated and compared concerning rectum and bladder dose-volume histograms (DVHs). Results: the exposure of rectum and bladder volume was significantly lower in case of irradiation of the prostate only compared to inclusion of the proximal or entire seminal vesicles into the CTV. The reduction of the CTV from prostate + entire seminal vesicles to prostate + proximal seminal vesicles led to a significant reduction of the rectal and bladder dose exposure. Conclusion: reduction of the CTV to the prostate only, or to the prostate + proximal seminal vesicles led to significant rectal and bladder dose sparing compared to irradiation of the prostate + entire seminal vesicles. In patients with a higher risk for seminal vesicles involvement, irradiation of the prostate + proximal seminal vesicles should be preferred. In case of a need for irradiation of the entire seminal vesicles, patients should be informed about a higher risk for chronic rectal toxicity and, possibly, for bladder complications. (orig.)

Locally advanced prostatic cancer: experience with combined pelvic external beam irradiation and interstitial thermobrachytherapy

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Hancock, Steven L; Kapp, Daniel S; Goffinet, Don R; Prionas, Stavros; Cox, Richard S; Bagshaw, Malcolm A

1995-07-01

Purpose: Recurrence of prostatic carcinoma within the prostate gland remains a significant problem for patients who present with locally advanced disease. In an attempt to improve the local control of such tumors, an iridium-192 transperineal, template-guided prostatic implant was combined wit radiofrequency-induced hyperthermia after external beam irradiation of the pelvic lymph nodes and prostate gland. This study evaluates the influence of pre-treatment patient characteristics and treatment parameters upon outcome. Materials and Methods: Between July 1987 and April 1992 33 patients with adenocarcinoma of the prostate were selected for treatment: 28 of these patients had extensive local disease on clinical examination (AJCC-4 stages T2b or c: 9 patients; T3: 19 patients); two patients with T2a tumors had Gleason grade 5 + 4 disease or disproportionately high prostate specific antigen (PSA) values and a mass encroaching upon the bladder on computerized tomographic scan. Three patients with more clinically limited T2a or T2b involvement elected implantation in lieu of an external beam irradiation boost. The mean pre-treatment serum PSA value was 25.6 ng/ml (Hybritech scale), with values of above 19 ng/ml for 17 of the patients. Treatment consisted of 50 Gy of external beam irradiation to the prostate and pelvic lymph nodes followed by a transperineal needle implant of the prostate gland. Thirty-two patients had no evidence of pelvic nodal involvement during exploration at laparotomy performed after external irradiation, and 25 of these had lymph node samplings that were histologically negative for metastasis. Perineal template oriented needles were placed by inspection and palpation at laparotomy; 2 were performed closed under ultrasound guidance. Needles were afterloaded with {sup 192}Ir to provide a dose of 30 Gy to the periphery of the prostate gland. Interstitial radiofrequency-induced hyperthermia treatments were given in conjunction with the implant, one just

The combined treatment of prostate cancer (stage C) with definitive megavoltage irradiation and fast neutrons (DT, 14 MeV)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franke, H.D.; Hess, A.; Langendorff, G.; Borchers, H.D.

1980-01-01

We treated between 1977 and 1979 patients with low differentiated prostate cancer stage C with megavoltage irradiation (42 MeV-X-rays) in the whole pelvis, including the prostate, up to 30-45 Gy/3-4,5 weeks; thereafter we irradiated a boost on the primary with 6-8 isocentric fields of fast neutrons up to 3,9-8,4 Gy/1-2 weeks. The 13 treated patients had all clinically complete regression of the tumor, they are without local recidive since 9-43 months. Biopsies of 3 patients are morphologic free of tumor cells already 8-12 months after irradiation. Distant metastases occurred in 3 patients: 2 are living since 16 and 43 months, 1 died after 24 months. All patients are free of serious chronic side effects at bladder and rectum, only 1 lives with a slight proctitis after therapy with only 2 opposing fields. The 14th patient is treated on behalf of a local recidive after prostatectomy (anaplastic prostate cancer) and a big pararectal metastasis; we irradiated the whole pelvis with fast neutrons up to a dose of 15,3 Gy/4 weeks (total dose, n + γ): The patient is free of pains since 9 months and without tumor in computer tomography, and free of serious chronic complications. (orig./MG) [de

Comparing two strategies of dynamic intensity modulated radiation therapy (dIMRT) with 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) in the hypofractionated treatment of high-risk prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuen, Jasper; Rodrigues, George; Trenka, Kristina; Coad, Terry; Yartsev, Slav; D'Souza, David; Lock, Michael; Bauman, Glenn

2008-01-01

To compare two strategies of dynamic intensity modulated radiation therapy (dIMRT) with 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) in the setting of hypofractionated high-risk prostate cancer treatment. 3DCRT and dIMRT/Helical Tomotherapy(HT) planning with 10 CT datasets was undertaken to deliver 68 Gy in 25 fractions (prostate) and simultaneously delivering 45 Gy in 25 fractions (pelvic lymph node targets) in a single phase. The paradigms of pelvic vessel targeting (iliac vessels with margin are used to target pelvic nodes) and conformal normal tissue avoidance (treated soft tissues of the pelvis while limiting dose to identified pelvic critical structures) were assessed compared to 3DCRT controls. Both dIMRT/HT and 3DCRT solutions were compared to each other using repeated measures ANOVA and post-hoc paired t-tests. When compared to conformal pelvic vessel targeting, conformal normal tissue avoidance delivered more homogenous PTV delivery (2/2 t-test comparisons; p < 0.001), similar nodal coverage (8/8 t-test comparisons; p = ns), higher and more homogenous pelvic tissue dose (6/6 t-test comparisons; p < 0.03), at the cost of slightly higher critical structure dose (D dose , 1–3 Gy over 5/10 dose points; p < 0.03). The dIMRT/HT approaches were superior to 3DCRT in sparing organs at risk (22/24 t-test comparisons; p < 0.05). dIMRT/HT nodal and pelvic targeting is superior to 3DCRT in dose delivery and critical structure sparing in the setting of hypofractionation for high-risk prostate cancer. The pelvic targeting paradigm is a potential solution to deliver highly conformal pelvic radiation treatment in the setting of nodal location uncertainty in prostate cancer and other pelvic malignancies

Anal wall sparing effect of an endorectal balloon in 3D conformal and intensity-modulated prostate radiotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Smeenk, Robert Jan; van Lin, Emile N J Th; van Kollenburg, Peter; Kunze-Busch, Martina; Kaanders, Johannes H A M

2009-10-01

To investigate the anal wall (Awall) sparing effect of an endorectal balloon (ERB) in 3D conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for prostate cancer. In 24 patients with localized prostate carcinoma, two planning CT-scans were performed: with and without ERB. A prostate planning target volume (PTV) was defined, and the Awall was delineated, using two different methods. Three-field and 4-field 3D-CRT plans, and IMRT plans were generated with a prescription dose of 78Gy. In 144 treatment plans, the minimum dose (D(min)), maximum dose (D(max)), and mean dose (D(mean)) to the Awall were calculated, as well as the Awall volumes exposed to doses ranging from >or=20Gy to >or=70Gy (V(20)-V(70), respectively). In the 3D-CRT plans, an ERB significantly reduced D(mean), D(max), and V(30)-V(70). For IMRT all investigated dose parameters were significantly reduced by the ERB. The absolute reduction of D(mean) was 12Gy in 3D-CRT and was 7.5Gy in IMRT for both methods of Awall delineation. Application of an ERB showed a significant Awall sparing effect in both 3D-CRT and IMRT. This may lead to reduced late anal toxicity in prostate radiotherapy.

Offline multiple adaptive planning strategy for concurrent irradiation of the prostate and pelvic lymph nodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qi, Peng; Xia, Ping; Pouliot, Jean; Roach, Mack

2014-01-01

Purpose: Concurrent irradiation of the prostate and pelvic lymph nodes (PLNs) can be challenging due to the independent motion of the two target volumes. To address this challenge, the authors have proposed a strategy referred to as Multiple Adaptive Planning (MAP). To minimize the number of MAP plans, the authors’ previous work only considered the prostate motion in one major direction. After analyzing the pattern of the prostate motion, the authors investigated a practical number of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) plans needed to accommodate the prostate motion in two major directions simultaneously. Methods: Six patients, who received concurrent irradiation of the prostate and PLNs, were selected for this study. Nine MAP-IMRT plans were created for each patient with nine prostate contours that represented the prostate at nine locations with respect to the PLNs, including the original prostate contour and eight contours shifted either 5 mm in a single anterior-posterior (A-P), or superior-inferior (S-I) direction, or 5 mm in both A-P and S-I directions simultaneously. From archived megavoltage cone beam CT (MV-CBCT) and a dual imaging registration, 17 MV-CBCTs from 33 available MV-CBCT from these patients showed large prostate displacements (>3 mm in any direction) with respect to the pelvic bones. For each of these 17 fractions, one of nine MAP-IMRT plans was retrospectively selected and applied to the MV-CBCT for dose calculation. For comparison, a simulated isocenter-shifting plan and a reoptimized plan were also created for each of these 17 fractions. The doses to 95% (D95) of the prostate and PLNs, and the doses to 5% (D5) of the rectum and bladder were calculated and analyzed. Results: For the prostate, D95 > 97% of the prescription dose was observed in 16, 16, and 17 of 17 fractions for the MAP, isocenter-shifted, and reoptimized plans, respectively. For PLNs, D95 > 97% of the prescription doses was observed in 10, 3, and 17 of 17 fractions for

Clinical assessment of CT-MRI image fusion software in localization of the prostate for 3D conformal radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kagawa, Kazufumi; Lee, W. Robert; Schultheiss, Timothy E.; Hunt, Margie A.; Shaer, Andrew H.; Hanks, Gerald E.

1996-01-01

Purpose: To assess the utility of image fusion software and compare MRI prostate localization with CT localization in patients undergoing 3D conformal radiation therapy of prostate cancer. Materials and Methods: After a phantom study was performed to ensure the accuracy of image fusion procedure, 22 prostate cancer patients had CT and MRI studies before the start of radiotherapy. Immobilization casts used during radiation treatment were also used for both imaging studies. After the clinical target volume (CTV) (prostate or prostate + seminal vesicles) was defined on CT, slices from MRI study were reconstructed to match precisely the corresponding CT slices by identifying three common bony landmarks on each study. The CTV was separately defined on the matched MRI slices. Data related to the size and location of the prostate were compared between CT and MRI. The spatial relationship between the tip of urethrogram cone on CT and prostate apex seen on MRI was also scrutinized. Results: The phantom study showed the registration discrepancies between CT and MRI smaller than 1.0 mm in any pair of comparison. The patient study showed mean image registration error of 0.9 (± 0.6) mm. The average prostate volume was 63.0 (± 25.8) cm 3 and 50.9 (± 22.9) cm 3 determined by CT and MRI respectively (Fig. 1). The difference in prostate location with the two studies most commonly differed at the base and at the apex of the prostate (Fig. 2). On transverse MRI, the prostate apex was situated 7.1 (± 4.5) mm dorsal and 15.1 (± 4.0) mm cephalad to the tip of urethrogram cone (Fig. 3). Conclusions: CT-MRI image fusion study made it possible to compare the two modalities directly. MRI localization of the prostate is more accurate than CT, and indicates the distance from cone to apex is 15 mm. In view of excellent treatment results obtained with current CT localization of the prostate, still it may not be wise to reduce target volume to that demonstrated on MRI

Prognostic role of serum prostatic acid phosphatase for 103Pd-based radiation for prostatic carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dattoli, Michael; Wallner, Kent; True, Lawrence; Sorace, Richard; Koval, John; Cash, Jennifer; Acosta, Rudolph; Biswas, Mohendra; Binder, Michael; Sullivan, Brent; Lastarria, Emilio; Kirwan, Novelle; Stein, Douglas

1999-01-01

Purpose: To establish the prognostic role of serum enzymatic prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) in patients treated with palladium ( 103 Pd) and supplemental external beam irradiation (EBRT) for clinically localized, high-risk prostate carcinoma. Methods and Materials: One hundred twenty-four consecutive patients with Stage T2a-T3 prostatic carcinoma were treated from 1992 through 1995. Each patient had at least one of the following risk factors for extracapsular disease extension: Stage T2b or greater (100 patients), Gleason score 7-10 (40 patients), pretreatment prostate specific antigen (PSA) > 15 ng/ml (32 patients), or elevated serum PAP (25 patients). Patients received 41 Gy conformal EBRT to a limited pelvic field, followed 4 weeks later by a 103 Pd boost (prescription dose 80 Gy). Biochemical failure was defined as a PSA greater than 1 ng/ml (normal < 4 ng/ml). Results: The overall, actuarial freedom from biochemical failure at 4 years after treatment was 79%. In Cox-proportional hazard multivariate analysis, the strongest predictor of failure was elevated pretreatment acid phosphatase (p = 0.02), followed by Gleason score (p = 0.1), and PSA (p = 0.14). Conclusion: PAP was the strongest predictor of long-term biochemical failure. It may be a more accurate indicator of micrometastatic disease than PSA, and as such, we suggest that it be reconsidered for general use in radiation-treated patients

Salvage conformal radiotherapy for biochemical recurrent prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monti, Carlos R.; Nakamura, Ricardo A.; Ferrigno, Robson; Rossi Junior, Aristides; Kawakami, Neusa S.; Trevisan, Felipe A.

2006-01-01

Objective: Assess the results of salvage conformal radiotherapy in patients with biochemical failure after radical prostatectomy and identify prognostic factors for biochemical recurrence and toxicity of the treatment. Materials and methods: From June 1998 to November 2001, 35 patients were submitted to conformal radiotherapy for PSA ≥ 0.2 ng/mL in progression after radical prostatectomy and were retrospectively analyzed. The mean dose of radiation in prostatic bed was of 77.4 Gy (68-81). Variables related to the treatment and to tumor were assessed to identify prognostic factors for biochemical recurrence after salvage radiotherapy. Results: The median follow-up was of 55 months (17-83). The actuarial survival rates free of biochemical recurrence and free of metastasis at a distance of 5 years were 79.7% e 84.7%, respectively. The actuarial global survival rate in 5 years was 96.1%.The actuarial survival rate free of biochemical recurrence in 5 years was 83.3% with PSA pre-radiotherapy ≤ 1, 100% when > 1 and ≤ 2, and 57.1% when > 2 (p = 0.023). Dose > 70 Gy in 30% of the bladder volume implied in more acute urinary toxicity (p = 0.035). The mean time for the development of late urinary toxicity was 21 months (12-51). Dose > 55 Gy in 50% bladder volume implied in more late urinary toxicity (p = 0.018). A patient presented late rectal toxicity of second grade. Conclusions: Conformal radiotherapy showed to be effective for the control of biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy. Patients with pre-therapy PSA < 2 ng/mL have more biochemical control. (author)

Prostate and seminal vesicle volume based consideration of prostate cancer patients for treatment with 3D-conformal or intensity-modulated radiation therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reddy, Nandanuri M. S.; Nori, Dattatreyudu; Chang, Hyesook; Lange, Christopher S.; Ravi, Akkamma [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York Hospital Queens, Flushing, New York 11355 (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York 11203 (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, New York Hospital Queens, Flushing, New York 11355 (United States)

2010-07-15

Purpose: The purpose of this article was to determine the suitability of the prostate and seminal vesicle volumes as factors to consider patients for treatment with image-guided 3D-conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) or intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), using common dosimetry parameters as comparison tools. Methods: Dosimetry of 3D and IMRT plans for 48 patients was compared. Volumes of prostate, SV, rectum, and bladder, and prescriptions were the same for both plans. For both 3D and IMRT plans, expansion margins to prostate+SV (CTV) and prostate were 0.5 cm posterior and superior and 1 cm in other dimensions to create PTV and CDPTV, respectively. Six-field 3D plans were prepared retrospectively. For 3D plans, an additional 0.5 cm margin was added to PTV and CDPTV. Prescription for both 3D and IMRT plans was the same: 45 Gy to CTV followed by a 36 Gy boost to prostate. Dosimetry parameters common to 3D and IMRT plans were used for comparison: Mean doses to prostate, CDPTV, SV, rectum, bladder, and femurs; percent volume of rectum and bladder receiving 30 (V30), 50 (V50), and 70 Gy (V70), dose to 30% of rectum and bladder, minimum and maximum point dose to CDPTV, and prescription dose covering 95% of CDPTV (D95). Results: When the data for all patients were combined, mean dose to prostate and CDPTV was higher with 3D than IMRT plans (P<0.01). Mean D95 to CDPTV was the same for 3D and IMRT plans (P>0.2). On average, among all cases, the minimum point dose was less for 3D-CRT plans and the maximum point dose was greater for 3D-CRT than for IMRT (P<0.01). Mean dose to 30% rectum with 3D and IMRT plans was comparable (P>0.1). V30 was less (P<0.01), V50 was the same (P>0.2), and V70 was more (P<0.01) for rectum with 3D than IMRT plans. Mean dose to bladder was less with 3D than IMRT plans (P<0.01). V30 for bladder with 3D plans was less than that of IMRT plans (P<0.01). V50 and V70 for 3D plans were the same for 3D and IMRT plans (P>0.2). Mean dose to femurs

Longitudinal analysis of quality of life in patients receiving conformal radiation therapy for prostate cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Geinitz, Hans; Thamm, Reinhard; Scholz, Christian; Heinrich, Christine; Prause, Nina; Kerndl, Simone; Molls, Michael; Zimmermann, Frank B. [Dept. of Radiotherapy and Radiooncology, Technische Univ. Muenchen (Germany); Keller, Monika [Psychooncology Section, Dept. of Psychosomatic and General Clinical Medicine, Univ. Hospital, Heidelberg (Germany); Busch, Raymonde [Inst. of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, Technische Univ. Muenchen (Germany)

2010-01-15

Purpose: To prospectively assess quality of life (QoL) in patients receiving conformal radiation therapy (CRT) for prostate cancer. Patients and Methods: 78 men with definitive CRT for prostate cancer were entered into the study. Patients were assessed before CRT, at 40 and 60 Gy, and 2, 12 and 24 months after the end of treatment. QoL was assessed using the EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire C30 and the prostate module PR25. Changes in mean QoL scores with time of {>=} 10 points were considered clinically relevant. Results: Global QoL did not change statistically significant during CRT and was slightly above baseline levels during follow-up. CRT had a statistically significant negative short-term impact on role functioning, fatigue, and PR25 urinary symptoms. The scores recovered within 2 months to 1 year after CRT. Emotional functioning and social functioning scores slightly increased during and after CRT. Role functioning decreased by > 10 points at 60 Gy and urinary symptoms decreased by > 10 points at 40 and 60 Gy. All other differences were < 10 points. A high number of concomitant diseases and having no children were negative pretreatment predictors for long-term global QoL. Conclusion: Definitive CRT for prostate cancer does not compromise global QoL during therapy and up to 2 years after treatment. It has a limited negative effect on role functioning, urinary symptoms and, to a lesser extent, on fatigue with restitution within 2 months to 1 year after treatment. (orig.)

Longitudinal analysis of quality of life in patients receiving conformal radiation therapy for prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geinitz, Hans; Thamm, Reinhard; Scholz, Christian; Heinrich, Christine; Prause, Nina; Kerndl, Simone; Molls, Michael; Zimmermann, Frank B.; Keller, Monika; Busch, Raymonde

2010-01-01

Purpose: To prospectively assess quality of life (QoL) in patients receiving conformal radiation therapy (CRT) for prostate cancer. Patients and Methods: 78 men with definitive CRT for prostate cancer were entered into the study. Patients were assessed before CRT, at 40 and 60 Gy, and 2, 12 and 24 months after the end of treatment. QoL was assessed using the EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire C30 and the prostate module PR25. Changes in mean QoL scores with time of ≥ 10 points were considered clinically relevant. Results: Global QoL did not change statistically significant during CRT and was slightly above baseline levels during follow-up. CRT had a statistically significant negative short-term impact on role functioning, fatigue, and PR25 urinary symptoms. The scores recovered within 2 months to 1 year after CRT. Emotional functioning and social functioning scores slightly increased during and after CRT. Role functioning decreased by > 10 points at 60 Gy and urinary symptoms decreased by > 10 points at 40 and 60 Gy. All other differences were < 10 points. A high number of concomitant diseases and having no children were negative pretreatment predictors for long-term global QoL. Conclusion: Definitive CRT for prostate cancer does not compromise global QoL during therapy and up to 2 years after treatment. It has a limited negative effect on role functioning, urinary symptoms and, to a lesser extent, on fatigue with restitution within 2 months to 1 year after treatment. (orig.)

Rectal dose sparing with a balloon catheter and ultrasound localization in conformal radiation therapy for prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patel, Rakesh R.; Orton, Nigel; Tome, Wolfgang A.; Chappell, Rick; Ritter, Mark A.

2003-01-01

Background and purpose: To compare the rectal wall and bladder volume in the high dose region with or without the use of a balloon catheter with both three-dimensional (3D)-conformal and intensity modulated radiation therapy (CRT, IMRT) approaches in the treatment of prostate cancer. Material and methods: Five patients with a wide range of prostate volumes and treated with primary external beam radiation therapy for localized prostate cancer were selected for analysis. Pinnacle TM treatment plans were generated utilizing a 3D conformal six-field design and an IMRT seven coplanar-field plan with a novel, three-step optimization and with ultrasound localization. Separate plans were devised with a rectal balloon deflated or air inflated with and without inclusion of the seminal vesicles (SV) in the target volume. The prescription dose was 76 Gy in 38 fractions of 2 Gy each. Cumulative dose-volume histograms (DVHs) were analyzed for the planning target volume (PTV), rectal wall, and bladder with an inflated (60 cc air) or deflated balloon with and without SV included. The volumes of rectal wall and bladder above 60, 65, and 70 Gy with each treatment approach were evaluated. Results: Daily balloon placement was well-tolerated with good patient positional reproducibility. Inflation of the rectal balloon in all cases resulted in a significant decrease in the absolute volume of rectal wall receiving greater than 60, 65, or 70 Gy. The rectal sparing ratio (RSR), consisting of a structure's high dose volume with the catheter inflated, divided by the volume with the catheter deflated, was calculated for each patient with and without seminal vesicle inclusion for 3D-CRT and IMRT. For 3D-CRT, RSRs with SV included were 0.59, 0.59, and 0.56 and with SV excluded were 0.60, 0.58, and 0.54 at doses of greater than 60, 65, and 70 Gy, respectively. Similarly, for IMRT, the mean RSRs were 0.59, 0.59, and 0.63 including SV and 0.71, 0.66, and 0.67 excluding SV at these same dose levels

Impact of pelvic nodal irradiation with intensity-modulated radiotherapy on treatment of prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Price, Robert A.; Hannoun-Levi, Jean-Michel; Horwitz, Eric; Buyyounouski, Mark; Ruth, Karen J.; Ma, C.-M.; Pollack, Alan

2006-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of treating the pelvic lymphatic regions during prostate intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with respect to our routine acceptance criteria. Methods and Materials: A series of 10 previously treated prostate patients were randomly selected and the pelvic lymphatic regions delineated on the fused magnetic resonance/computed tomography data sets. A targeting progression was formed from the prostate and proximal seminal vesicles only to the inclusion of all pelvic lymphatic regions and presacral region resulting in 5 planning scenarios of increasing geometric difficulty. IMRT plans were generated for each stage for two accelerator manufacturers. Dose volume histogram data were analyzed with respect to dose to the planning target volumes, rectum, bladder, bowel, and normal tissue. Analysis was performed for the number of segments required, monitor units, 'hot spots,' and treatment time. Results: Both rectal endpoints were met for all targets. Bladder endpoints were not met and the bowel endpoint was met in 40% of cases with the inclusion of the extended and presacral lymphatics. A significant difference was found in the number of segments and monitor units with targeting progression and between accelerators, with the smaller beamlets yielding poorer results. Treatment times between the 2 linacs did not exhibit a clinically significant difference when compared. Conclusions: Many issues should be considered with pelvic lymphatic irradiation during IMRT delivery for prostate cancer including dose per fraction, normal structure dose/volume limits, planning target volumes generation, localization, treatment time, and increased radiation leakage. We would suggest that, at a minimum, the endpoints used in this work be evaluated before beginning IMRT pelvic nodal irradiation

Conformal radiation therapy of localized prostate cancer: acute tolerance and early evaluation of effectiveness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zierhut, D.; Flentje, M.; Sroka-Perez, G.; Rudat, V.; Engenhart-Cabillic, R.; Wannenmacher, M.

1997-01-01

Aim: In a prospective trial early effectiveness and acute toxicity of conformal 3D-planned radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer was quantified using dose-volume-histogramms and evaluated with respect of treatment technique. Results: Eleven patients (of 32) had none, 15 mild (RTOG grade 1) and 6 moderate symptoms (RTOG grade 2, mainly diarrhoea, dysuria and polyuria). Acute complications leading to treatment interruption did not occur. In 16 patients symptoms disappeared within 6 weeks after radiotherapy. Only 2 men had symptoms which lasted longer than 3 months and were endoscopically examined. Up to now no late complications were detected. Incidence and severity of toxicity was significantly (p [de

Intraoperative real-time planned conformal prostate brachytherapy: Post-implantation dosimetric outcome and clinical implications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zelefsky, Michael J.; Yamada, Yoshiya; Cohen, Gil'ad N.; Sharma, Neha; Shippy, Alison M.; Fridman, David; Zaider, Marco

2007-01-01

Purpose: To report the dosimetric outcome of patients with clinically localized prostate cancer treated with I-125 permanent implantation using an intraoperative real-time conformal planning technique. Methods and materials: Five hundred and sixty-two patients with prostate cancer were treated with I-125 permanent interstitial implantation using a transrectal ultrasound-guided approach. Real-time intraoperative treatment planning software that incorporates inverse planning optimization was used. Dose-volume constraints for this inverse-planning system included: prostate V100 ≥95%, maximal urethral dose ≤120%, and average rectal dose 3 of the rectum was exposed to the prescription dose, the incidence of late grade 2 toxicity rectal toxicity was 9% compared to 4% for smaller volumes of the rectum exposed to similar doses (p = 0.003). No dosimetric parameter in these patients with tight dose confines for the urethra influenced acute or late urinary toxicity. Conclusion: Real-time intraoperative planning was associated with a 90% consistency of achieving the planned intraoperative dose constraints for target coverage and maintaining planned urethral and rectal constraints in a high percentage of implants. Rectal volumes of ≥2.5 cm 3 exposed to the prescription doses were associated with an increased incidence of grade 2 rectal bleeding. Further enhancements in imaging guidance for optimal seed deposition are needed to guarantee optimal dose distribution for all patients. Whether such improvements lead to further reduction in acute and late morbidities associated with therapy requires further study

Anal wall sparing effect of an endorectal balloon in 3D conformal and intensity-modulated prostate radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smeenk, Robert Jan; Lin, Emile N.J.Th. van; Kollenburg, Peter van; Kunze-Busch, Martina; Kaanders, Johannes H.A.M.

2009-01-01

Background and purpose: To investigate the anal wall (Awall) sparing effect of an endorectal balloon (ERB) in 3D conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for prostate cancer. Materials and methods: In 24 patients with localized prostate carcinoma, two planning CT-scans were performed: with and without ERB. A prostate planning target volume (PTV) was defined, and the Awall was delineated, using two different methods. Three-field and 4-field 3D-CRT plans, and IMRT plans were generated with a prescription dose of 78 Gy. In 144 treatment plans, the minimum dose (D min ), maximum dose (D max ), and mean dose (D mean ) to the Awall were calculated, as well as the Awall volumes exposed to doses ranging from ≥20 Gy to ≥70 Gy (V 20 - V 70 , respectively). Results: In the 3D-CRT plans, an ERB significantly reduced D mean , D max , and V 30 - V 70 . For IMRT all investigated dose parameters were significantly reduced by the ERB. The absolute reduction of D mean was 12 Gy in 3D-CRT and was 7.5 Gy in IMRT for both methods of Awall delineation. Conclusions: Application of an ERB showed a significant Awall sparing effect in both 3D-CRT and IMRT. This may lead to reduced late anal toxicity in prostate radiotherapy.

Initial clinical assessment of CT-MRI image fusion software in localization of the prostate for 3D conformal radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kagawa, Kazufumi; Lee, W. Robert; Schultheiss, Timothy E.; Hunt, Margie A.; Shaer, Andrew H.; Hanks, Gerald E.

1997-01-01

Purpose: To assess the utility of image fusion software and compare MRI prostate localization with CT localization in patients undergoing 3D conformal radiation therapy of prostate cancer. Materials and Methods: After a phantom study was performed to ensure the accuracy of image fusion procedure, 22 prostate cancer patients had CT and MRI studies before the start of radiotherapy. Immobilization casts used during radiation treatment were also used for both imaging studies. After the clinical target volume (CTV) (prostate or prostate + seminal vesicles) was defined on CT, slices from the MRI study were reconstructed to precisely match the CT slices by identifying three common bony landmarks on each study. The CTV was separately defined on the matched MRI slices. Data related to the size and location of the prostate were compared between CT and MRI. The spatial relationship between the tip of urethrogram cone on CT and prostate apex seen on MRI was also estimated. Results: The phantom study showed the registration discrepancies between CT and MRI smaller than 1.0 mm in any pair in comparison. The patient study showed a mean image registration error of 0.9 (± 0.6) mm. The average prostate volume was 63.0 (± 25.8) cm 3 and 50.9 (± 22.9) cm 3 determined by CT and MRI, respectively. The difference in prostate location with the two studies usually differed at the base and at the apex of the prostate. On the transverse MRI, the prostate apex was situated 7.1 (± 4.5) mm dorsal and 15.1 (± 4.0) mm cephalad to the tip of urethrogram cone. Conclusions: CT-MRI image fusion study made it possible to compare the two modalities directly. MRI localization of the prostate is more accurate than CT, and indicates the distance from cone to apex is 15 mm. CT-MRI image fusion technique provides valuable supplements to CT technology for more precise targeting of the prostate cancer

Long-term results of ultrasonically guided implantation of 125-I seeds combined with external irradiation in localized prostatic cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iversen, P; Rasmussen, F; Holm, H H

1991-01-01

Transperineal 125-iodine seed implantation guided by transrectal ultrasonography and subsequent external beam irradiation was employed in the treatment of 32 patients with localized prostatic carcinoma (16 poorly differentiated). Follow-up is currently 35-98 months with a median of 65 months....... Distant metastases have developed in 18 patients, of whom 11 have died from prostatic cancer. Median change in prostatic volume was a reduction of 35%. Re-biopsy or transurethral resection of the prostate was performed in 25 patients after 1-4 years, revealing still malignant histology in 10 (40......%), of whom 8 have developed distant metastases or died from prostatic cancer. Fourteen patients suffered from late complications of which surgical intervention was indicated in five cases. Nine patients are presently free of progression and prostate specific antigen is less than 0.5 ng/ml in 8 of these...

Long-term results of ultrasonically guided implantation of 125-I seeds combined with external irradiation in localized prostatic cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iversen, P; Rasmussen, F; Holm, H H

1991-01-01

%), of whom 8 have developed distant metastases or died from prostatic cancer. Fourteen patients suffered from late complications of which surgical intervention was indicated in five cases. Nine patients are presently free of progression and prostate specific antigen is less than 0.5 ng/ml in 8 of these......Transperineal 125-iodine seed implantation guided by transrectal ultrasonography and subsequent external beam irradiation was employed in the treatment of 32 patients with localized prostatic carcinoma (16 poorly differentiated). Follow-up is currently 35-98 months with a median of 65 months....... Distant metastases have developed in 18 patients, of whom 11 have died from prostatic cancer. Median change in prostatic volume was a reduction of 35%. Re-biopsy or transurethral resection of the prostate was performed in 25 patients after 1-4 years, revealing still malignant histology in 10 (40...

Efficacy of modest dose irradiation in combination with long-term endocrinal treatment for high-risk prostate cancer. A preliminary report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasaki, Tomonari; Nakamura, Katsumasa; Shioyama, Yoshiyuki

2004-01-01

Although radiotherapy in combination with endocrinal manipulation has been identified as an effective treatment for patients with high-risk prostate cancer, the optimal dose for locoregional control of prostate cancer in combination with hormonal therapy has not yet been determined. The efficacy of modest doses of irradiation (60-62 Gy) combined with long-term endocrinal treatment for patients with high-risk prostate cancer (defined as a pretreatment prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level greater than 20 ng/ml or a Gleason's score of 8-10 or T3-T4 disease) was analyzed in 60 Japanese patients. The patients included in this study had received radical radiotherapy with long-term endocrinal manipulation in the period between 1993 and 2000. The median age of the patients was 70 years (range, 56-83). Neoadjuvant hormonal therapy with a median duration of 3.9 months was performed prior to radiotherapy, and hormonal therapy was continued until recurrence. A median dose of 61.4 Gy (range, 44-71.4) was delivered to the prostate. Pelvic node irradiation was performed in 49 patients (81.6%). After a median follow-up period of 28.5 months, the overall survival, cause-specific survival and biochemical relapse-free survival at 3 years were 94.4%, 96% and 89.8%, respectively. Local failure was observed in one patient, distant metastases were observed in three patients and a late toxic effect greater than Grade 2 was not observed in any patients. This study, though preliminary due to a short-term follow-up period, reveals the possibility that modest doses of irradiation combined with long-term endocrinal treatment could be an effective means of achieving excellent local control of high-risk prostate cancer. (author)

Adjuvant and salvage therapy following radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer: effect of combined transient androgen deprivation and irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eulau, Stephen M.; Tate, David J.; Cox, Richard S.; Bagshaw, Malcolm A.; Hancock, Steven L.

1996-01-01

Purpose: Adjuvant and salvage irradiation have been shown to improve local control after radical prostatectomy for prostatic cancer in patients with high risk pathologic features, rising PSA, or evidence of local failure. Transient androgen deprivation combined with primary irradiation has resulted in improved local control and biochemical disease free survival in patients with locally advanced, unresected, prostate cancer. This retrospective study evaluates whether transient androgen blockade improves the outcome from post-prostatectomy irradiation given as either adjuvant or salvage therapy. Methods: From August, 1985 to December, 1995, 105 patients were treated with radiotherapy to the prostatic fossa following radical prostatectomy for adenocarcinoma of the prostate. No patient had clinically or radiographically evident distant disease. Median follow-up was 4.6 years from the date of surgery and 3.2 years from completion of radiotherapy. Findings at prostatectomy included capsular penetration in 38 patients, seminal vesicle involvement in 42 patients, lymph node involvement in 15 patients, and positive surgical margins in 70 patients. Treatment was administered as adjuvant therapy for high risk pathologic features in 39 patients, for persistent or rising PSA in 52 patients, or for clinically evident local recurrence in 14 patients. Of the 105 patients, 32 received combined androgen deprivation/radiotherapy and 73 received radiotherapy alone. Both groups received 60-70 Gy in 2 Gy daily fractions to the prostatic fossa. Selected patients with poor prognostic features received pelvic irradiation to a median dose of 50 Gy. Androgen deprivation typically consisted of Lupron and Flutamide for 4 to 6 months before, during, and in selected cases, after irradiation. No patients received maintenance androgen deprivation or underwent orchiectomy. Tumor stage, lymph node status, Gleason sum, and indications for treatment did not differ significantly between the two groups

Outcomes After Intensity-Modulated Versus Conformal Radiotherapy in Older Men With Nonmetastatic Prostate Cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bekelman, Justin E.; Mitra, Nandita; Efstathiou, Jason; Liao Kaijun; Sunderland, Robert; Yeboa, Deborah N.; Armstrong, Katrina

2011-01-01

Purpose: There is little evidence comparing complications after intensity-modulated (IMRT) vs. three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (CRT) for prostate cancer. The study objective was to test the hypothesis that IMRT, compared with CRT, is associated with a reduction in bowel, urinary, and erectile complications in elderly men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: We undertook an observational cohort study using registry and administrative claims data from the SEER-Medicare database. We identified men aged 65 years or older diagnosed with nonmetastatic prostate cancer in the United States between 2002 and 2004 who received IMRT (n = 5,845) or CRT (n = 6,753). The primary outcome was a composite measure of bowel complications. Secondary outcomes were composite measures of urinary and erectile complications. We also examined specific subsets of bowel (proctitis/hemorrhage) and urinary (cystitis/hematuria) events within the composite complication measures. Results: IMRT was associated with reductions in composite bowel complications (24-month cumulative incidence 18.8% vs. 22.5%; hazard ratio [HR] 0.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.79–0.93) and proctitis/hemorrhage (HR 0.78; 95% CI, 0.64–0.95). IMRT was not associated with rates of composite urinary complications (HR 0.93; 95% CI, 0.83–1.04) or cystitis/hematuria (HR 0.94; 95% CI, 0.83–1.07). The incidence of erectile complications involving invasive procedures was low and did not differ significantly between groups, although IMRT was associated with an increase in new diagnoses of impotence (HR 1.27, 95% CI, 1.14–1.42). Conclusion: IMRT is associated with a small reduction in composite bowel complications and proctitis/hemorrhage compared with CRT in elderly men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer.

Minimising contralateral breast dose in post-mastectomy intensity-modulated radiotherapy by incorporating conformal electron irradiation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Laan, Hans Paul; Korevaar, Erik W; Dolsma, Willemtje; Maduro, John H; Langendijk, Johannes A

PURPOSE: To assess the potential benefit of incorporating conformal electron irradiation in intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for loco-regional post-mastectomy RT. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ten consecutive patients that underwent left-sided mastectomy were selected for this comparative planning

Dosimetric Evaluation of Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy and 4-Field 3-D Conformal Radiotherapy in Prostate Cancer Treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bora Uysal

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: The purpose of this dosimetric study is the targeted dose homogeneity and critical organ dose comparison of 7-field Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT and 3-D 4-field conformal radiotherapy. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Material and Methods: Twenty patients with low and moderate risk prostate cancer treated at Gülhane Military Medical School Radiation Oncology Department between January 2009 and December 2009 are included in this study. Two seperate dosimetric plans both for 7-field IMRT and 3D-CRT have been generated for each patient to comparatively evaluate the dosimetric status of both techniques and all the patients received 7-field IMRT. Results: Dose-comparative evaluation of two techniques revealed the superiority of IMRT technique with statistically significantly lower femoral head doses along with reduced critical organ dose-volume parameters of bladder V60 (the volume receiving 60 Gy and rectal V40 (the volume receiving 40 Gy and V60. Conclusion: It can be concluded that IMRT is an effective definitive management tool for prostate cancer with improved critical organ sparing and excellent dose homogenization in target organs of prostate and seminal vesicles.

Evidence-based review of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer: An ASTRO outcomes initiative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morris, David E.; Emami, Bahman; Mauch, Peter M.; Konski, Andre A.; Tao, May L.; Ng, Andrea K.; Klein, Eric A.; Mohideen, Najeeb; Hurwitz, Mark D.; Fraas, Bendick A.; Roach, Mack; Gore, Elizabeth M.; Tepper, Joel E.

2005-01-01

Purpose: To perform a systematic review of the evidence to determine the efficacy and effectiveness of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) for localized prostate cancer; provide a clear presentation of the key clinical outcome questions related to the use of 3D-CRT in the treatment of localized prostate cancer that may be answered by a formal literature review; and provide concise information on whether 3D-CRT improves the clinical outcomes in the treatment of localized prostate cancer compared with conventional RT. Methods and Materials: We performed a systematic review of the literature through a structured process developed by the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's Outcomes Committee that involved the creation of a multidisciplinary task force, development of clinical outcome questions, a formal literature review and data abstraction, data review, and outside peer review. Results: Seven key clinical questions were identified. The results and task force conclusions of the literature review for each question are reported. Conclusion: The technological goals of reducing morbidity with 3D-CRT have been achieved. Randomized trials and follow-up of completed trials remain necessary to address these clinical outcomes specifically with regard to patient subsets and the use of hormonal therapy

Long term results of ultrasonically guided implantation of 125-I seeds combined with external irradiation in localized prostatic cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iversen, P; Rasmussen, F; Holm, H H [Depts. of Urology and Ultrasound, Herlev Hospital, Univ. of Copenhagen (Denmark)

1991-01-01

Transperineal 125-iodine seed implantation guided by transrectal ultrasonography and subsequent external beam irradiation was employed in the treatment of 32 patients with localized prostatic carcinoma (16 poorly differentiated). Follow-up is currently 35-98 months with a median of 65 months. Distant metastases have developed in 18 patients, of whom 11 have died from prostatic cancer. Median change in prostatic volume was a reduction of 35%. Re-biopsy or transurethral resection of the prostate was performed in 25 patients after 1-4 years, revealing still malignant histology in 10 (40%), of whom 8 have developed distant metastases or died from prostatic cancer. Fourteen patients suffered from late complications of which surgical intervention was indicated in five cases. Nine patients are presently free of progression and prostate specific antigen is bigger than 0.5 ng/ml in 8 of these. The future role of ultrasonically guided implantation in the management of prostatic cancer is discussed. (au).

Estimation of the incidence of late bladder and rectum complications after high-dose (70-78 Gy) conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer, using dose-volume histograms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boersma, Liesbeth J.; Brink, Mandy van den; Bruce, Allison M.; Shouman, Tarek; Gras, Luuk; Velde, Annet te; Lebesque, Joos V.

1998-01-01

Purpose: To investigate whether Dose-Volume Histogram (DVH) parameters can be used to identify risk groups for developing late gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) complications after conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: DVH parameters were analyzed for 130 patients with localized prostate cancer, treated with conformal radiotherapy in a dose-escalating protocol (70-78 Gy, 2 Gy per fraction). The incidence of late (>6 months) GI and GU complications was classified using the RTOG/EORTC and the SOMA/LENT scoring system. In addition, GI complications were divided in nonsevere and severe (requiring one or more laser treatments or blood transfusions) rectal bleeding. The median follow-up time was 24 months. We investigated whether rectal and bladder wall volumes, irradiated to various dose levels, correlated with the observed actuarial incidences of GI and GU complications, using volume as a continuous variable. Subsequently, for each dose level in the DVH, the rectal wall volumes were dichotomized using different volumes as cutoff levels. The impact of the total radiation dose, and the maximum radiation dose in the rectal and bladder wall was analyzed as well. Results: The actuarial incidence at 2 years for GI complications ≥Grade II was 14% (RTOG/EORTC) or 20% (SOMA/LENT); for GU complications ≥Grade III 8% (RTOG/EORTC) or 21% (SOMA/LENT). Neither for GI complications ≥Grade II (RTOG/EORTC or SOMA/LENT), nor for GU complications ≥Grade III (RTOG/EORTC or SOMA/LENT), was a significant correlation found between any of the DVH parameters and the actuarial incidence of complications. For severe rectal bleeding (actuarial incidence at 2 years 3%), four consecutive volume cutoff levels were found, which significantly discriminated between high and low risk. A trend was observed that a total radiation dose ≥ 74 Gy (or a maximum radiation dose in the rectal wall >75 Gy) resulted in a higher incidence of severe rectal bleeding (p

Study on apoptosis of prostate cancer cell induced by 125I seed irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liao Anyan; Wang Junjie; Wang Jidong; Zhuang Hongqing; Zhao Yong

2007-01-01

Objective: To explore the mechanism of apoptosis induced by 125 I seed irradiation on PC3 cells. Methods: Human prostate cancer cell line PC3 was treated by irradiation of 125 I (2.77 cGy/h) with various dose. Agarose gel electrophoresis of DNA and flows cytometry were used to detect the apoptosis of PC3 cells and indirect immunofluorescence assay was used to detect the expression of Bcl-2. The activity of Caspase-3 was measured by Caspase Colorimetric Assay Kits. Results: Apoptosis of PC3 cells could be efficiently induced by 125 I seed irradiation. The apoptotic peaks were found by flow cytometry and DNA ladder appeared on 1.8% agarose gel. The activity of Caspase-3 on PC3 cells treated by 125 I seed irradiation was not changed significantly. Bcl-2 gene expression was down-regulated with the sample concentration increased. Conclusion: 125 I irradiation can induce the apoptosis of PC3 cells and the mechanism of apoptosis is related with down regulation of Bcl-2 gene expression and is not related with Caspase-3 activity. (authors)

Australian and New Zealand three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy consensus guidelines for prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skala, M.; Berry, M.; Kneebone, A.; Gogna, K.; Turner, S.; Rolfo, A.; Haworth, A.

2004-01-01

Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) has been shown to reduce normal tissue toxicity and allow dose escalation in the curative treatment of prostate cancer. The Faculty of Radiation Oncology Genito-Urinary Group initiated a consensus process to generate evidence-based guidelines for the safe and effective implementation of 3DCRT. All radiation oncology departments in Australia and New Zealand were invited to complete a survey of their prostate practice and to send representatives to a consensus workshop. After a review of the evidence, key issues were identified and debated. If agreement was not reached, working parties were formed to make recommendations. Draft guidelines were circulated to workshop participants for approval prior to publication. Where possible, evidence-based recommendations have been made with regard to patient selection, risk stratification, simulation, planning, treatment delivery and toxicity reporting. This is the first time a group of radiation therapists, physicists and oncologists representing professional radiotherapy practice across Australia and New Zealand have worked together to develop best-practice guidelines. These guidelines should serve as a baseline for prospective clinical trials, outcome research and quality assurance. Copyright (2004) Blackwell Science Pty Ltd

[Doses to organs at risk in conformational radiotherapy and stereotaxic irradiation: The heart].

Science.gov (United States)

Vandendorpe, B; Servagi Vernat, S; Ramiandrisoa, F; Bazire, L; Kirova, Y M

2017-10-01

Radiation therapy of breast cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma, lung cancer and others thoracic irradiations induce an ionizing radiation dose to the heart. Irradiation of the heart, associated with patient cardiovascular risk and cancer treatment-induced cardiotoxicity, increase cardiovascular mortality. The long survival after breast or Hodgkin lymphoma irradiation requires watching carefully late treatment toxicity. The over-risk of cardiac events is related to the dose received by the heart and the irradiated cardiac volume. The limitation of cardiac irradiation should be a priority in the planning of thoracic irradiations. Practices have to be modified, using modern techniques to approach of the primary objective of radiotherapy which is to optimize the dose to the target volume, sparing healthy tissues, in this case the heart. We have reviewed the literature on cardiac toxicity induced by conformational tridimensional radiation therapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy or stereotactic body radiation therapy, in order to evaluate the possibilities to limit cardiotoxicity. Finally, we summarise the recommendations on dose constraints to the heart and coronary arteries. Copyright © 2017 Société française de radiothérapie oncologique (SFRO). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Longitudinal Investigation of Adaptive Functioning following Conformal Irradiation for Pediatric Craniopharyngioma and Low-Grade Glioma

Science.gov (United States)

Netson, Kelli L.; Conklin, Heather M.; Wu, Shengjie; Xiong, Xiaoping; Merchant, Thomas E.

2013-01-01

Purpose Children treated for brain tumors with conformal radiation therapy experience preserved cognitive outcomes. Early evidence suggests that adaptive functions or independent living skills may be spared. This longitudinal investigation prospectively examined intellectual and adaptive functioning during the first 5 years following irradiation for childhood craniopharyngioma and low-grade glioma (LGG). The effect of visual impairment on adaptive outcomes was investigated. Methods and Materials Children with craniopharyngioma (n=62) and LGG (n=77) were treated using conformal or intensity-modulated radiation therapy. The median age was 8.05 years (3.21 years –17.64 years) and 8.09 years (2.20 years–19.27 years), respectively. Serial cognitive evaluations including measures of intelligence quotient (IQ) and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS) were conducted at pre-irradiation baseline, 6 months after treatment, and annually through 5 years. A total of 588 evaluations were completed during the follow-up period. Results Baseline assessment revealed no deficits in IQ and VABS indices for children with craniopharyngioma, with significant (p craniopharyngioma. Children with LGG performed below population norms (p < .05) at baseline on VABS Communication, Daily Living Indices, and the Adaptive Behavior Composite, with significant (p < .05) longitudinal decline limited to VABS Communication. Older age at irradiation was a protective factor against longitudinal decline. Severe visual impairment did not independently correlate with poorer adaptive outcomes for either tumor group. Conclusions There was relative sparing of post-irradiation functional outcomes over time in this sample. Baseline differences in functional abilities prior to the initiation of irradiation suggested that other factors influence functional outcomes above and beyond the effects of irradiation. PMID:23245284

The evolution of rectal and urinary toxicity and immune response in prostate cancer patients treated with two three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy techniques

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vránová, J.; Vinakurau, S.; Richter, J.; Starec, M.; Fišerová, Anna; Rosina, J.

2011-01-01

Roč. 2, č. 6 (2011), s. 1-13 ISSN 1748-717X R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA500200620 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50200510 Keywords : 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) * gastrointestinal and genitourinary toxicity * prostate cancer Subject RIV: EC - Immunology Impact factor: 2.321, year: 2011

Three dimensional conformal radiotherapy for the treatment of prostate cancer: low risk of chronic rectal morbidity observed in a large series of patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandler, Howard M.; McLaughlin, P. William; Ten Haken, Randall K.; Addison, Heather; Forman, Jeffrey; Lichter, Allen

1995-01-01

Purpose: Three dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D CRT) may provide a technique to increase the dose delivered to target tissues while sparing uninvolved normal structures. To evaluate the role of 3D treatment in reducing the treatment toxicity, we analyzed the chronic rectal morbidity observed in a large group of patients undergoing radiotherapy for prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: From 1987 through 1992, 721 prostate cancer patients were treated with 3D CRT at the University of Michigan or Providence Hospital. All had axial computed tomography (CT) specifically for RT planning, multiple structures contoured on the axial images, and beam's-eye-view conformal beams edited to provide 3D dose coverage. Using current American Joint Commission (AJCC) staging, 537 patients had T1-T2 tumors, 123 had T3-T4 tumors, and 60 were treated postprostatectomy. Pelvic lymph nodes were treated in 462 patients. Prostate boosts were delivered with four-field axial, six-field axial, or four-field oblique, nonaxial fields. The median dose was 68.40 Gy (range 59.4-80.4). Median follow-up was 20.4 months; 175 were followed more than 3 years. All complications have been graded conservatively using the RTOG system. Results: Using a Cox proportional hazard's model, patient age, T-stage, prescribed dose, pelvic treatment, and boost technique were analyzed. The factor most strongly related to risk of morbidity was dose (p = 0.05); however, the boost technique was also related: the four-field oblique field had the lowest relative risk. Most episodes of rectal morbidity have been mild: 82 Grade 1 or 2. There have been only 14 more serious complications including 12 Grade 3 and 2 Grade 4. The actuarial risk of a Grade 3 or 4 complication is 3% at 3 and 5 years. Conclusions: A very small proportion of patients treated with 3D CRT had significant rectal morbidity related to RT, supporting the use of conformal treatment planning and dose delivery as a mechanism to minimize complications

A treatment planning study comparing whole breast radiation therapy against conformal, IMRT and tomotherapy for accelerated partial breast irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliver, Mike; Chen, Jeff; Wong, Eugene; Van Dyk, Jake; Perera, Francisco

2007-01-01

Purpose and background: Conventional early breast cancer treatment consists of a lumpectomy followed by whole breast radiation therapy. Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) is an investigational approach to post-lumpectomy radiation for early breast cancer. The purpose of this study is to compare four external beam APBI techniques, including tomotherapy, with conventional whole breast irradiation for their radiation conformity index, dose homogeneity index, and dose to organs at risk. Methods and materials: Small-field tangents, three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy and helical tomotherapy were compared for each of 15 patients (7 right, 8 left). One radiation conformity and two dose homogeneity indices were used to evaluate the dose to the target. The mean dose to organs at risk was also evaluated. Results: All proposed APBI techniques improved the conformity index significantly over whole breast tangents while maintaining dose homogeneity and without a significant increase in dose to organs at risk. Conclusion: The four-field IMRT plan produced the best dosimetric results; however this technique would require appropriate respiratory motion management. An alternative would be to use a four-field conformal technique that is less sensitive to the effects of respiratory motion

Study of PDMS conformation in PDMS-based hybrid materials prepared by gamma irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lancastre, J.J.H.; Fernandes, N.; Margaça, F.M.A.; Miranda Salvado, I.M.; Ferreira, L.M.; Falcão, A.N.; Casimiro, M.H.

2012-01-01

Polydimethylsiloxane-silicate based hybrid materials have recognized properties (high flexibility, low elastic modulus or high mechanical strength) for which there are a large number of applications in development, such as for the bioapplications field. The hybrids addressed in the present study were prepared by gamma irradiation of a mixture of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and zirconium propoxide (PrZr) without addition of any solvent or other product. The materials are homogeneous, transparent, monolithic and flexible. The structure dependence on the PrZr content is addressed. A combination of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Infrared Spectroscopy (IR) was used. The results reveal that the polymer in the hybrids prepared with PrZr, in a content≤5 wt%, shows a structure similar to that in the irradiated pure polymer sample. In these samples the presence of ordered polymer regions is clearly found. For samples prepared with higher content of Zr almost no ordered polymer regions are observed. The addition of PrZr plays an important role on polymer conformation in these hybrid materials. - Highlights: ► PDMS-based hybrid materials were prepared by γ-irradiation. ► FTIR, ATR/FT-IR and XRD techniques were used to characterize the materials. ► Changes in FTIR bands reflect growth of crosslinking network. ► Above certain Zr concentration regions of Zr-silicate oxide are formed. ► Zr content determines conformation of the polymer chain network.

Longitudinal Study of Intestinal Symptoms and Fecal Continence in Patients With Conformal Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geinitz, Hans; Thamm, Reinhard; Keller, Monika; Astner, Sabrina T.; Heinrich, Christine; Scholz, Christian; Pehl, Christian; Kerndl, Simone; Prause, Nina; Busch, Raymonde; Molls, Michael; Zimmermann, Frank B.

2011-01-01

Purpose: To prospectively assess the intestinal symptoms and fecal continence in patients who had undergone conformal radiotherapy (CRT) for prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: A total of 78 men who had undergone definitive CRT for prostate cancer were evaluated. The patients were assessed before, during (treatment Weeks 4 and 6), and 2, 12, and 24 months after CRT completion. The intestinal symptoms and fecal continence were evaluated with comprehensive standardized questionnaires. Results: The intestinal symptoms were mostly intermittent, with only a small minority of patients affected daily. Defecation pain, fecal urge, and rectal mucous discharge increased significantly during therapy. Defecation pain and rectal mucous discharge had returned to baseline levels within 8 weeks and 1 year after CRT, respectively. However, fecal urge remained significantly elevated for ≤1 year and then returned toward the pretreatment values. The prevalence of rectal bleeding was significantly elevated 2 years after CRT. Fecal continence deteriorated during CRT and remained impaired at 1 year after treatment. Incontinence was mostly minor, occurring less than once per week and predominantly affecting incontinence for gas. Conclusion: Intestinal symptoms and fecal incontinence increased during prostate CRT. Except for rectal bleeding, the intestinal symptoms, including fecal incontinence, returned to baseline levels within 1-2 years after CRT. Thus, the rate of long-term late radiation-related intestinal toxicity was low.

Comprehensive irradiation of head and neck cancer using conformal multisegmental fields: assessment of target coverage and noninvolved tissue sparing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eisbruch, Avraham; Marsh, Lon H.; Martel, Mary K.; Ship, Jonathan A.; Haken, Randall ten; Pu, Anthony T.; Fraass, Benedick A.; Lichter, Allen S.

1998-01-01

Purpose: Conformal treatment using static multisegmental intensity modulation was developed for patients requiring comprehensive irradiation for head and neck cancer. The major aim is sparing major salivary gland function while adequately treating the targets. To assess the adequacy of the conformal plans regarding target coverage and dose homogeneity, they were compared with standard irradiation plans. Methods and Materials: Fifteen patients with stage III/IV head and neck cancer requiring comprehensive, bilateral neck irradiation participated in this study. CT-based treatment plans included five to six nonopposed fields, each having two to four in-field segments. Fields and segments were devised using beam's eye views of the planning target volumes (PTVs), noninvolved organs, and isodose surfaces, to achieve homogeneous dose distribution that encompassed the targets and spared major salivary gland tissue. For comparison, standard three-field radiation plans were devised retrospectively for each patient, with the same CT-derived targets used for the clinical (conformal) plans. Saliva flow rates from each major salivary gland were measured before and periodically after treatment. Results: On average, the minimal dose to the primary PTVs in the conformal plans [95.2% of the prescribed dose, standard deviation (SD) 4%] was higher than in the standard plans (91%, SD 7%; p = 0.02), and target volumes receiving <95% or <90% of the prescribed dose were smaller in the conformal plans (p = 0.004 and 0.02, respectively). Similar advantages of the conformal plans compared to standard plans were found in ipsilateral jugular nodes PTV coverage. The reason for underdosing in the standard treatment plans was primarily failure of electron beams to fully encompass targets. No significant differences were found in contralateral jugular or posterior neck nodes coverage. The minimal dose to the retropharyngeal nodes was higher in the standard plans. However, all conformal plans

Radiotherapy efficiency for patients of Polynesian origin suffering from localized prostate cancers: a comparative study; Efficacite de la radiotherapie chez les patients d'origine polynesienne atteints de cancers de la prostate localises: etude comparative mono-centrique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Levy, A.; Chargari, C.; Mozer, P.; Feuvret, L.; Lang, P.; Assouline, A.; Mazeron, J.J.; Simon, J.M. [CHU Pitie-Salpetriere, 75 - Paris (France); Chargari, C. [Hopital d' instruction des armees du Val-de-Grace, 75 - Paris (France); Desrez, G.; Leroux, S. [Centre hospitalier Mamao, Papeete, Polynesie francaise (France)

2010-10-15

The authors report a comparative study of survival probabilities without biochemical relapse for patients of Polynesian (46 patients) or European (106 patients) origin treated in the same establishment by exclusive conformational irradiation for a localized prostate cancer. Polynesian patients were younger with a greater proportion of low risk cancers. Side effects rates, survival probabilities without biochemical relapse by five years, prognostic with respect to cancer stage are compared with respect to the ethnic origin. Short communication

The effectiveness of immobilization during prostate irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bentel, Gunilla C.; Marks, Lawrence B.; Sherouse, George W.; Spencer, David P.; Anscher, Mitchell S.

1995-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of a hemibody foam cradle on the reproducibility of patient setup during external beam radiation treatment of prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: Between January 1992 and April 1993, 74 patients received external beam radiation treatment to the prostate ± nodes, generally with a four-field box technique. Forty-four of the 74 patients had a custom-made hemibody foam cast used in an attempt to improve setup accuracy. A review of the routine weekly port films was performed following the completion of therapy to determine the reproducibility of patient setup in all 74 patients. The physician's request of an isocenter shift was used as an indicator of reproducibility. Neither the treating technologists nor the physicians knew at the time the films were taken that the port films would be reviewed for setup reproducibility at a later date. The results were compared between the patients treated with (44) and without (30) an immobilization device. Results: In the 44 immobilized patients, 213 routine checks of the isocenter were performed during the 7-week course of radiation therapy. In 17.4% of these instances (37 out of 213), an isocenter shift was requested. This rate is compared to 23.1% (30 out of 130) in the 30 patients who did not have the immobilization device (p < 0.2). There was a statistically significant reduction in isocenter shifts requested in the anterior to posterior direction in the patients who were immobilized, 5.1% (9 out of 175) vs. 12.6% (13 out of 103) (p < 0.05, two tailed chi-square test). There was no significant improvement in the reproducibility of isocenter placement in the cephalad to caudal or right to left directions. Conclusions: This custom-made hemibody foam cradle appears to improve the reproducibility of patient setup during the 7-week course of fractionated external beam irradiation for patients with adenocarcinoma of the prostate. This type of immobilization device is now routinely used in our

Primary radiation therapy in the treatment of localized prostatic cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joensuu, T.K.; Blomqvist, C.P.; Kajanti, M.J.

1995-01-01

Prostatic carcinoma is one of the leading causes of male cancer deaths. However, the routine diagnostic and therapeutic strategies have not yet been established. Although the outcome of surgical and radiotherapeutical approaches has frequently been reported to be comparable, the profile of side effects is different. This could offer the basis for selecting the treatment of choice in individual cases. During the last decade the radiotherapeutical technique has markedly improved, in part due to the achievements in the field of computer assisted tomography planning and conformal technique; the outcome of side-effects has decreased with concurrent increase in the rate of local control. The prescribing, recording and reporting of irradiation have also recently developed, as well as the staging of the disease. Therefore we consider it timely to review progress in this subject and to emphasize the role of radiotherapy in the treatment of localized prostatic cancer. (orig.)

The Role of Seminal Vesicle Motion in Target Margin Assessment for Online Image-Guided Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang Jian; Wu Qiuwen; Yan Di

2009-01-01

Purpose: For patients with intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer, the seminal vesicles (SVs) are included in the clinical target volume (CTV). The purposes of this study are to investigate interfraction motion characteristics of the SVs and determine proper margins for online computed tomography image guidance. Methods and Materials: Twenty-four patients, each with 16 daily helical computed tomography scans, were included in this study. A binary image mask was used for image registration to determine daily organ motion. Two online image-guided radiotherapy strategies (prostate only and prostate + SVs) were simulated in a hypofractionated scheme. Three margin designs were studied for both three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). In prostate-only guidance, Margin A was uniformly applied to the whole CTV, and Margin B was applied to the SVs with a fixed 3-mm prostate margin. In prostate plus SV guidance, Margin C was uniformly applied to the CTV. The minimum margins were sought to satisfy the criterion that minimum cumulative CTV dose be more than those of the planning target volume in the plan for greater than 95% of patients. Results: The prostate and SVs move significantly more in the anterior-posterior and superior-inferior than right-left directions. The anterior-posterior motion of the prostate and SVs correlated (R 2 = 0.7). The SVs move significantly more than the prostate. The minimum margins found were 2.5 mm for three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy and 4.5, 4.5, and 3.0 mm for Margins A, B, and C for IMRT, respectively. Margins for IMRT were larger, but the irradiated volume and doses to critical structures were smaller. Minimum margins of 4.5 mm to the SVs and 3 mm to the prostate are recommended for IMRT with prostate-only guidance. Conclusions: The SVs move independently from the prostate gland, and additional margins are necessary for image-guided radiotherapy

SU-F-P-52: A Meta-Analysis of Controlled Clinical Trials Comparing Elective Nodal Irradiation with Involved-Field Irradiation for Conformal Or Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy in Patients with Esophageal Cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bai, W; Zhang, R; Zhou, Z; Qiao, X [The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei (China)

2016-06-15

Purpose: To compare elective nodal irradiation with involved-field irradiation for three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy or intensity-modulated radiotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer by a metaanalysis. Methods: Wanfang, CNKI, VIP, CBM databases, PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library were searched to identify the controlled clinical trials of elective nodal irradiation with involved-field irradiation for three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy or intensity-modulated radiotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer. The obtained data were analyzed using Stata 11.0. The difference between two groups was estimated by calculating the odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Results: A total of 12 controlled clinical trials involving 1095 esophageal cancer patients, which were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, were included in this meta-analysis. The meta-analysis showed that the elective nodal irradiation group reduced the rates of out-field failure comparing with involved-field irradiation group (OR=3.727, P=0.007). However, the rates of ≥grades 3 acute radiation pneumonitis and esophagitis were significantly higher in the elective nodal irradiation group than in the involved-field irradiation group (OR=0.348, P=0.001, OR=0.385, P=0.000). 1-, 2-, 3-year local control rates (OR=0.966, P=0.837, OR=0.946, P=0.781; OR=0.732P=0.098) and 1-, 3-, 5-year survival rates were similar in the two groups ( OR=0.966, P=0.837; OR=0.946, P=0.781; OR=0.732, P=0.098; OR=0.952, P=0.756; OR=1.149, P=0.422; OR=0.768, P=0.120). It is the same with the rates of distant metastasis (OR=0.986, P=0.937). Conclusion: Compared with involved-field irradiation, the elective nodal irradiation can reduce the rates of out-field failure for three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy or intensity-modulated radiotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer. However, its advantage of local control and survival rates is not obvious and it increases the incidence

Evaluation of homogeneity and dose conformity in IMRT planning in prostate radiotherapy; Avaliacao da homogeneidade e conformidade de dose em planejamentos de IMRT de prostata em radioterapia

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Lopes, Juliane S.; Leidens, Matheus; Estacio, Daniela R., E-mail: juliane.lopes@pucrs.br [Hospital Sao Lucas (PUC-RS), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil). Servico de Radioterapia; Razera, Ricardo A.Z.; Streck, Elaine E.; Silva, Ana M.M. da [Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUC-RS), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil). Faculdade de Fisica

2015-12-15

The goal of this study was to evaluate the dose distribution homogeneity and conformity of radiation therapy plans of prostate cancer using IMRT. Data from 34 treatment plans of Hospital Sao Lucas of PUCRS, where those plans were executed, were retrospectively analyzed. All of them were done with 6MV X-rays from a linear accelerator CLINAC IX, and the prescription doses varied between 60 and 74 Gy. Analyses showing the homogeneity and conformity indices for the dose distribution of those plans were made. During these analyses, some comparisons with the traditional radiation therapy planning technic, the 3D-CRT, were discussed. The results showed that there is no correlation between the prescribed dose and the homogeneity and conformity indices, indicating that IMRT works very well even for higher doses. Furthermore, a comparison between the results obtained and the recommendations of ICRU 83 was carried out. It has also been observed that the indices were really close to the ideal values. 82.4% of the cases showed a difference below 5% of the ideal value for the index of conformity, and 88.2% showed a difference below 10% for the homogeneity index. Concluding, it is possible to confirm the quality of the analyzed radiation therapy plans of prostate cancer using IMRT. (author)

Chronic rectal bleeding after high-dose conformal treatment of prostate cancer warrants modification of existing morbidity scales

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanlon, Alexandra L.; Schultheiss, Timothy E.; Hunt, Margie A.; Movsas, Benjamin; Peter, Ruth S.; Hanks, Gerald E.

1997-01-01

Purpose: Serious late morbidity (Grade (3(4))) from the conformal treatment of prostate cancer has been reported in <1% to 6% of patients based on existing late gastrointestinal (GI) morbidity scales. None of the existing morbidity scales include our most frequently observed late GI complication, which is chronic rectal bleeding requiring multiple fulgerations. This communication documents the frequency of rectal bleeding requiring multiple fulgerations and illustrates the variation in reported late serious GI complication rates by the selection of morbidity scale. Methods and Materials: Between May 1989 and December 1993, 352 patients with T1-T3 nonmetastatic prostate cancers were treated with our four-field conformal technique without special rectal blocking. This technique includes a 1-cm margin from the clinical target volume (CTV) to the planning target volume (PTV) in all directions. The median follow-up for these patients was 36 months (range 2-76), and the median center of prostate dose was 74 Gy (range 63-81). Three morbidity scales are assessed: the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG), the Late Effects Normal Tissue Task Force (LENT), and our modification of the LENT (FC-LENT). This modification registers chronic rectal bleeding requiring at least one blood transfusion and/or more than two coagulations as a Grade 3 event. Estimates for Grade (3(4)) late GI complication rates were determined using Kaplan-Meier methodology. The duration of severe symptoms with chronic rectal bleeding is measured from the first to the last transrectal coagulation. Latency is measured from the end of radiotherapy to surgery, first blood transfusion, or third coagulation procedure. Results: Sixteen patients developed Grade (3(4)) complications by one of the three morbidity scales. Two patients required surgery (colostomy or sigmoid resection), three required multiple blood transfusions, two required one or two blood transfusions, and nine required at least three

Studies on 192Ir afterloading irradiation of the canine prostate with special consideration of thermoluminescent dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reuter, M.

1986-01-01

A method for high dose rate afterloading irradiation of the prostate with iridium 192 was developed. The isodoses of the urethra and rectum, which were measured by means of thermoluminescent dosimetry, showed deviations from the doses pre-calculated by computer (BRACHY), because this calculation is based on an anatomically ideal condition. (MBC) [de

Radiotherapy of intensity modulated VS conformational in the treatment of carcinoma of the prostate. A dosimetric comparison; Radioterapia de intensidad modulada VS conformacional en el tratamiento de carcinoma de prostata. Una camparacion dosimetrica

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Rodriguez Martin, G.; Garcia Vicente, F.; Zapatero Laborda, A.; Bermudez Luna, R.; Roch Gonzalez, M.; Perez Gonzalez, L.; Torres Escobar, J. J.

2013-07-01

The intensity modulated (IMRT) radiation therapy is a technique of high conformation which, by its nature, has as one of its main directions prostate cancer radiotherapy treatment. The purpose of this work is presents results of the dosimetric indicators collected in our hospital a number of patients of carcinoma of the prostate with standard three-dimensional Conformal technique (3D-CRT) and IMRT. Aims to demonstrate and quantify with a statistical methodology that, establishing an adequate Protocol of IMRT, significant reductions in risk organ doses can be obtained by keeping the same prescription to the white volume. (Author)

Later Outcomes and Alpha/Beta Estimate From Hypofractionated Conformal Three-Dimensional Radiotherapy Versus Standard Fractionation for Localized Prostate Cancer

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Leborgne, Felix [Department of Radiation Oncology, Hospital Italiano, Montevideo (Uruguay); Fowler, Jack, E-mail: jackfowlersbox@gmail.com [Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, WI (United States); Leborgne, Jose H.; Mezzera, Julieta [Department of Radiation Oncology, Hospital Italiano, Montevideo (Uruguay)

2012-03-01

Purpose: Now that the follow-up time has exceeded 5 years, an estimate of the {alpha}/{beta} ratio can be presented. The additional late outcomes in patients treated with three-dimensional conformal external beam radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer using a hypofractionated vs. a standard fractionation regimen are reported from this prospective nonrandomized contemporary comparison. Methods and Materials: A total of 114 nonrandomized patients chose hypofractionation delivered in 20 fractions of 3 Gy or 3.15 Gy (mean 3.06 Gy) for localized prostate cancer within a median overall time of 32 days (range, 29-49) using four fractions weekly. A total of 160 comparable patients were contemporarily treated within a median of 55 days (range 49-66). The median follow-up was 66 months (range, 24-95) for the hypofractionated arm and 63 months (range, 36-92) for the standard arm. The percentage of patients in the low-, medium-, and high-risk groups was 36%, 46%, and 18% in the hypofractionated arm and 44%, 50%, and 6% in standard arm (2 Gy), respectively. Results: The 5-year actuarial biochemical absence of disease (prostate-specific antigen nadir + 2 ng/mL) and disease-free survival rate was the same at 89% in both arms, making the {alpha}/{beta} calculation unambiguous. The point ratio of {alpha}/{beta} was 1.86 (95% confidence interval, 0.7-5.1 Gy). The 95% confidence interval was determined entirely by the binomial confidence limits in the numbers of patients. Rectal reactions of grade 3 and 4 occurred in 1 of 114 (hypofractionated) and 2 of 160 (standard) patients. Conclusions: The presented three-dimensional conformal regimen was acceptable, and the {alpha}/{beta} value was 1.8, in agreement with other very recent low meta-analyses (reviewed in the '' section).

Prognosis in patients with local recurrence after definitive irradiation for prostatic carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuban, D.A.; el-Mahdi, A.M.; Schellhammer, P.F.

1989-01-01

Of 414 patients with Stage A2-C disease, all with a minimum follow-up period of 3 years, who have been definitively irradiated by external beam therapy or iodine-125 (I-125) implantation for biopsy-proven prostatic adenocarcinoma, 83 patients (20%) have experienced local recurrences. The incidence of distant metastasis was significantly higher in patients with local tumor recurrence (56 of 83; 68%), as compared with those with local control (64 of 331; 19%; P less than 0.001). This difference remained significant within each tumor grade and stage. Subsequently, survival in patients with local recurrence was significantly shorter than in those with local tumor control (66% vs. 89% at 5 years; P = 0.001). Of the 83 patients with local tumor recurrence, 56 had local recurrence and distant metastasis, and 27 had local failure alone, with a median follow-up of 76 months for the latter group. Fifteen of 83 patients with local recurrence (18%) developed major complications secondary to local disease. Three of the 83 (4%) patients were known to die of prostatic recurrence alone and another 11 of 83 (13%) as a result of some combination of local and distant disease. Therefore, in reference to the entire group of definitively irradiated patients, only 0.72% expired solely of complications associated with local tumor recurrence and an additional 2.7% expired of a combination of both local and distant disease

A comparison of ventilatory prostate movement in four treatment positions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dawson, Laura A.; Litzenberg, Dale W.; Brock, Kristy K.; Sanda, Martin; Sullivan, Molly; Sandler, Howard M.; Balter, James M.

2000-01-01

Purpose: To ensure target coverage during radiotherapy, all sources of geometric uncertainty in target position must be considered. Movement of the prostate due to breathing has not traditionally been considered in prostate radiotherapy. The purpose of this study is to report the influence of patient orientation and immobilization on prostate movement due to breathing. Methods and Materials: Four patients had radiopaque markers implanted in the prostate. Fluoroscopy was performed in four different positions: prone in alpha cradle, prone with an aquaplast mold, supine on a flat table, and supine with a false table under the buttocks. Fluoroscopic movies were videotaped and digitized. Frames were analyzed using 2D-alignment software to determine the extent of movement of the prostate markers and the skeleton for each position during normal and deep breathing. Results: During normal breathing, maximal movement of the prostate markers was seen in the prone position (cranial-caudal [CC] range: 0.9-5.1 mm; anterior-posterior [AP] range: up to 3.5 mm). In the supine position, prostate movement during normal breathing was less than 1 mm in all directions. Deep breathing resulted in CC movements of 3.8-10.5 mm in the prone position (with and without an aquaplast mold). This range was reduced to 2.0-7.3 mm in the supine position and 0.5-2.1 mm with the use of the false table top. Deep breathing resulted in AP skeletal movements of 2.7-13.1 mm in the prone position, whereas AP skeletal movements in the supine position were negligible. Conclusion: Ventilatory movement of the prostate is substantial in the prone position and is reduced in the supine position. The potential for breathing to influence prostate movement, and thus the dose delivered to the prostate and normal tissues, should be considered when positioning and planning patients for conformal irradiation

Initial results of irradiation for prostatic cancer following three-dimensional treatment planning. Irradiation technique and toxicity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiegel, T.; Schmidt, R.; Baumann, M.; Schwarz, R.; Steiner, P.; Arps, H.; Goeckel-Beining, B.

1994-01-01

During the period from June 91 until May 93 thirty-three patients suffering from histologically confirmed carcinoms of the prostate were assigned to four treatment groups and subjected to irradiation of the prostate and, if required, efferent lymphatic system of the minor pelvis that was performed according to a three-dimensional prospective treatment plan. The doses used for localized radiotherapy of the tumour tissue were in the range between 62 and 70 Gy, the efferent lymph system of the minor pelvis was irradiated with doses of up to 50 Gy. The local or boost treatments were carried out using four (box technique) or five irregular fields, while radiotherapy of the minor pelvis was solely based on the box technique using four fields of irregular shape. The immediate and long-term toxicity was evaluated in a prospective approach according to the RTOG score for the rectum, urinary bladder and skin. Twenty-five of the thirty-three patients (76%) developed immediate toxic symptoms. Immediate reactions classifiable with degree II of the rating scale were, however, only observed in four patients (15%) for the rectum (2), bladder (1) and skin (1). Immediate toxic reactions compatible with RTOG grades III or IV were not recorded. In all patients, the untoward effects were completely reversed within a maximum period of 6 weeks following termination of treatment. Two patients from the study cohort (6%), which has so far been followed up for an average period of 16 months, showed long-term grade I effects in the rectum and a further long-term effect observed in the urinary bladder of another patient was classified with degree II. Two patients died intercurrently and two patients developed metastases remote from the primary tumour. Local tumour control can currently be reported for 96%. (orig.) [de

Toxicity and cosmetic outcome of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for accelerated partial breast irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gatti, M.; Bresciani, S.; Ponzone, R.; Panaia, R.; Salatino, A.; Stasi, M.; Gabriele, P.

2011-01-01

Full text of publication follows: Purpose.- To analyse the incidence and severity of acute and late normal tissue toxicity and cosmetic outcome using three - dimensional conformal radiotherapy to deliver accelerated partial breast irradiation. Patients and Methods.- 70 patients with stage I disease were treated with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for accelerated partial breast irradiation, in an approved protocol. The prescribed dose was 34 Gy in all patients delivered in 10 fractions over 5 consecutive days. On all CT scans gross tumor volume (GTV ) was defined around surgical clips. A 1.5 cm margin was added in order to account for clinical target volume (CTV) . A margin of 1 cm was added to CTI to define the planning target volume (PTV). The dose-volume constraints were followed in accordance with the specifications as dictated in the NSABP/RTOG protocol. After treatment, patients underwent a clinical and cosmetic evaluation every 3 months. Late toxicity was evaluated according to the RTOG grading schema. The cosmetic assessment was performed by the physicians using the controlateral untreated breast as the reference (Harvard scale). Results.- Median patient age was 66 years (range 51-80). Median follow-up was 15 months (range 6-46). Tumor size was 2 cm in 4(6%). The mean value of the ratio between the PTV and the whole ipsilateral breast volume was 38 % and the median percentage whole breast volume that received 95 % of prescribed dose was 34% (range 16%-55%). The rate of G1 and G2 acute skin toxicity was 28% and 2% respectively and the late toxicity was 17% (G1). G2 or greater toxicities were not observed. The most pronounced G1 late toxicity was subcutaneous fibrosis, developed in 3 patients. The cosmetic outcome was excellent in 83% and good in 17%. Conclusion.- Accelerated partial breast irradiation using three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy is technically feasible with very low acute and late toxicity. Long-term results are needed to assess

High-precision prostate cancer irradiation by clinical application of an offline patient setup verification procedure, using portal imaging

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bel, A.; Vos, P. H.; Rodrigus, P. T.; Creutzberg, C. L.; Visser, A. G.; Stroom, J. C.; Lebesque, J. V.

1996-01-01

PURPOSE: To investigate in three institutions, The Netherlands Cancer Institute (Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Huis [AvL]), Dr. Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center (DDHC), and Dr, Bernard Verbeeten Institute (BVI), how much the patient setup accuracy for irradiation of prostate cancer can be improved by an

High-precision prostate cancer irradiation by clinical application of an offline patient setup verification procedure, using portal imaging

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A. Bel (Arjan); P.H. Vos (Pieter); P. Rodrigus (Patrick); C.L. Creutzberg (Carien); A.G. Visser (Andries); J.Ch. Stroom (Joep); J.V. Lebesque (Joos)

1996-01-01

textabstractPurpose: To investigate in three institutions, The Netherlands Cancer Institute (Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Huis [AvL]), Dr. Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center (DDHC), and Dr. Bernard Verbeeten Institute (BVI), how much the patient setup accuracy for irradiation of prostate cancer can be improved

Postoperative irradiation in carcinoma of the prostate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pilepich, M.V.; Walz, B.J.; Baglan, R.J.

1984-01-01

Twenty-eight patients received postoperative radiotherapy with curative intent following either radical prostatectomy (18 patients) or enucleative prostatectomy (10 patients). In patients undergoing radical prostatectomy, the indications for postoperative radiotherapy included positive margins in 13, close margins in 2, and seminal vesicle involvement in 3 patients. The majority of patients (82%) received total dose to the prostatic bed in excess of 6500 rad. In over 80% of the patients, the pelvic lymphatics are also treated (to a total dose of 4000-5000 rad). All of the patients irradiated after radical prostatectomy clinically remained disease-free locally. Approximately one-half of the patients in both the enucleation and radial prostatectomy groups developed evidence of distant metastases. The complications of treatment have been comparable to those in patients treated with radiotherapy only. The continence status has not been affected significantly. All patients with incontinence following completion of radiotherapy had documented impairment of continence prior to radiotherapy. Postoperative radiotherapy administered following either radical or enucleative prostatectomy was tolerated well and resulted in excellent local control

Treatment-Related Morbidity in Prostate Cancer: A Comparison of 3-Dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy With and Without Image Guidance Using Implanted Fiducial Markers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Jasmeet; Greer, Peter B.; White, Martin A.; Parker, Joel; Patterson, Jackie; Tang, Colin I.; Capp, Anne; Wratten, Christopher; Denham, James W.

2013-01-01

Purpose: To estimate the prevalence of rectal and urinary dysfunctional symptoms using image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) with fiducials and magnetic resonance planning for prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: During the implementation stages of IGRT between September 2008 and March 2010, 367 consecutive patients were treated with prostatic irradiation using 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy with and without IGRT (non-IGRT). In November 2010, these men were asked to report their bowel and bladder symptoms using a postal questionnaire. The proportions of patients with moderate to severe symptoms in these groups were compared using logistic regression models adjusted for tumor and treatment characteristic variables. Results: Of the 282 respondents, the 154 selected for IGRT had higher stage tumors, received higher prescribed doses, and had larger volumes of rectum receiving high dosage than did the 128 selected for non-IGRT. The follow-up duration was 8 to 26 months. Compared with the non-IGRT group, improvement was noted in all dysfunctional rectal symptoms using IGRT. In multivariable analyses, IGRT improved rectal pain (odds ratio [OR] 0.07 [0.009-0.7], P=.02), urgency (OR 0.27 [0.11-0.63], P=<.01), diarrhea (OR 0.009 [0.02-0.35], P<.01), and change in bowel habits (OR 0.18 [0.06-0.52], P<.010). No correlation was observed between rectal symptom levels and dose-volume histogram data. Urinary dysfunctional symptoms were similar in both treatment groups. Conclusions: In comparison with men selected for non-IGRT, a significant reduction of bowel dysfunctional symptoms was confirmed in men selected for IGRT, even though they had larger volumes of rectum treated to higher doses

A phase II study of localized prostate cancer treated to 75.6 Gy with 3D conformal radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nichol, Alan; Chung, Peter; Lockwood, Gina; Rosewall, Tara; Divanbiegi, Lorella; Sweet, Joan; Toi, Ants; Bayley, Andrew; Bristow, Rob; Crook, Juanita; Gospodarowicz, Mary; McLean, Michael; Milosevic, Michael; Warde, Padraig; Catton, Charles

2005-01-01

Background and purpose: To prospectively evaluate toxicity, biochemical failure-free survival (bFFS) and biopsy-proven local control for prostate cancer patients treated with 75.6 Gy in 42 fractions using 6-field conformal radiotherapy to prostate alone. Patients and methods: From 1997 to 1999, 140 patients with T1-2NxM0, Gleason score ≤8, and PSA ≤20 ng/ml prostate cancer were assessed using Radiation Therapy Oncology Group acute and late toxicity scores. bFFS was determined for 120 patients treated without hormones. Post-treatment prostate biopsies were performed at a median of 3 years and a late toxicity questionnaire was administered at a median of 5 years. Results: Clinically important acute toxicities were gastrointestinal (GI) grade 2: 22% and 3: 0%, and genitourinary (GU) grade 2: 24% and 3: 2%. Late physician-assessed toxicities were GI ≥grade 2: 2%, and GU ≥grade 2: 1%. The 3-year bFFS of patients failure-free before biopsy was 93% (95% CI: 83-100) from a negative biopsy and 22% (95% CI: 0-56) from a positive biopsy (P=0.001). Patients reported significantly more late toxicity than physicians (GI: P=0.003, GU: P<0.001). At 5.0 years median follow-up, cause-specific survival was 98% (95% CI: 96-100), overall survival was 91% (95% CI: 86-97), and bFFS was 55% (95% CI: 45-64). Conclusions: 75.6 Gy caused modest levels of acute and late toxicity. Three-year biopsies predicted subsequent biochemical outcome

Dosimetric impact of image-guided 3D conformal radiation therapy of prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaly, B; Song, W; Bauman, G S; Battista, J J; Van Dyk, J

2005-01-01

The goal of this work is to quantify the impact of image-guided conformal radiation therapy (CRT) on the dose distribution by correcting patient setup uncertainty and inter-fraction tumour motion. This was a retrospective analysis that used five randomly selected prostate cancer patients that underwent approximately 15 computed tomography (CT) scans during their radiation treatment course. The beam arrangement from the treatment plan was imported into each repeat CT study and the dose distribution was recalculated for the new beam setups. Various setup scenarios were then compared to assess the impact of image guidance on radiation treatment precision. These included (1) daily alignment to skin markers, thus representing a conventional beam setup without image guidance (2) alignment to bony anatomy for correction of daily patient setup error, thus representing on-line portal image guidance, and (3) alignment to the 'CTV of the day' for correction of inter-fraction tumour motion, thus representing on-line CT or ultrasound image guidance. Treatment scenarios (1) and (3) were repeated with a reduced CTV to PTV margin, where the former represents a treatment using small margins without daily image guidance. Daily realignment of the treatment beams to the prostate showed an average increase in minimum tumour dose of 1.5 Gy, in all cases where tumour 'geographic miss' without image guidance was apparent. However, normal tissue sparing did not improve unless the PTV margin was reduced. Daily realignment to the tumour combined with reducing the margin size by a factor of 2 resulted in an average escalation in tumour dose of 9.0 Gy for all five static plans. However, the prescription dose could be escalated by 13.8 Gy when accounting for changes in anatomy by accumulating daily doses using nonlinear image registration techniques. These results provide quantitative information on the effectiveness of image-guided radiation treatment of prostate cancer and demonstrate that

Intracavitary irradiation of prostatic carcinoma by a high dose-rate afterloading technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Odelberg-Johnson, O.; Underskog, I.; Johansson, J.E.; Bernshaw, D.; Sorbe, B.; Persson, J.E. (Oerebro Medical Center Hospital (Sweden). Dept. of Oncology Oerebro Medical Center Hospital (Sweden). Dept. of Urology Oerebro Medical Center Hospital (Sweden). Dept. of Gynecologic Oncology Oerebro Medical Center Hospital (Sweden). Dept. of Radiation Physics)

1991-01-01

A high dose-rate ({sup 60}Co) afterloading technique was evaluated in a series of 73 patients with prostatic carcinoma stages I-IV. The intraurethral irradiation was combined with external pelvic radiotherapy. A minimum total dose of 78 Gy was delivered to the target volume. In a subgroup of patients extramustine (Estracyt) was given as adjuvant chemohormonal therapy during irradiation. The median follow-up for the whole group was 63 months. The crude 5-year survival rate was 60% and the corrected survival rate 90%. Survival was related to the tumor grade. Local pelvic recurrences were recorded in 17.8%. 'Viable cells' in posttherapy aspiration biopsy were not associated with tumor recurrences or survival. Four patients (5%) had grade 3 late radiation reactions with urethral structure or bladder fibrosis. Urinary tract infections and prior transurethral resections were not associated with a higher frequency of reactions. Concurrent estramustine therapy seemed to increase the frequency of both acute and chronic radiation reactions. Local control, recurrence, and survival were not affected by chemohormonal therapy. The use of tomography, magnetic resonance, and ultrasound as aids to computerized dosimetry may improve local dose distribution and reduce the irradiated volume. (orig.).

High dose rate interstitial brachytherapy with external beam irradiation for localized prostate cancer. Preliminary results

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Hiratsuka, Junichi; Jo, Yoshimasa; Yoden, Eisaku; Tanaka, Hiroyoshi; Imajo, Yoshinari [Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Okayama (Japan); Nagase, Naomi; Narihiro, Naomasa; Kubota, Juichi

2000-12-01

This study was undertaken to assess the biochemical and pathological results of combined external beam radiotherapy and high dose rate Ir-192 brachytherapy (HDR-Ir192) for clinically localized prostate cancer. Between October 1997 and August 1999, 39 evaluable patients with adenocarcinoma of prostate diagnosed by biopsy were treated with interstitial and external beam irradiation. Patients ranged in age from 58-82 years, with a mean of 69.7 years. T1c, T2 and T3 tumors, according to the UICC classification system (1997), were found in 7, 21 and 11 cases respectively. The mean initial pre-treatment PSA was 35.9 ng/ml (median 13.2), with 77% of the patients having had a pre-treatment PSA greater than 10 ng/ml. Of all patients, 17 had received pre-treatment hormonal therapy. Hormonal pretreatment was stopped at the beginning of radiotherapy in all cases. External beam four-field box irradiation was given to the small pelvis to a dose of 45 Gy/25 fractions. Three HDR-Ir192 treatments were given over a 30-h period, with 5.5 Gy per fraction at the circumference of the prostate gland over the course of this study. Biochemical failure was defined as a PSA level >1.5 ng/ml and rising on three consecutive values. If serial post-treatment PSA levels showed a continuous downward trend, failure was not scored. The patient with clinical evidence of progression was classified as a clinical failure. The median follow-up at the time of evaluation was 19.6 months. A post-treatment PSA level {<=}1.0 ng/ml was seen in 26 (67%) patients, and values from >1.0 to {<=}2.0 ng/ml were seen in 10 (26%) patients. Biochemical failure was not seen in 38 patients except for one patient who developed a distant bone metastasis with negative prostatic biopsy 15 months after treatment. Biochemical control rate was 100% (38/38) except for the patient with bone metastasis classified as clinical failure. Negative biopsies 18 months after treatment were found in 93% (14/15) of patients. Only one patient

Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients With Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer After 76 Gy Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy vs. 70 Gy Conformal Radiotherapy in a Prospective and Longitudinal Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lips, Irene; Dehnad, Human; Kruger, Arto Boeken; Moorselaar, Jeroen van; Heide, Uulke van; Battermann, Jan; Vulpen, Marco van

2007-01-01

Purpose: To compare quality of life (QoL) after 70 Gy conformal radiotherapy with QoL after 76 Gy intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in patients with locally advanced prostate carcinoma. Methods and Materials: Seventy-eight patients with locally advanced prostate cancer were treated with 70 Gy three-field conformal radiotherapy, and 92 patients received 76 Gy IMRT with fiducial markers for position verification. Quality of life was measured by RAND-36, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer core questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30(+3)), and the prostate-specific EORTC QLQ-PR25, before radiotherapy (baseline) and 1 month and 6 months after treatment. Quality of life changes in time (baseline vs. 1 month and baseline vs. 6 months) of ≥10 points were considered clinically relevant. Results: Differences between the treatment groups for QoL changes over time occurred in several QoL domains. The 76-Gy group revealed no significant deterioration in QoL compared with the 70-Gy group. The IMRT 76-Gy group even demonstrated a significantly better change in QoL from baseline to 1 month in several domains. The conformal 70-Gy group revealed temporary deterioration in pain, role functioning, and urinary symptoms; for the IMRT 76-Gy group a better QoL in terms of change in health existed after 1 month, which persisted after 6 months. For both treatment groups temporary deterioration in physical role restriction occurred after 1 month, and an improvement in emotional role restriction occurred after 6 months. Sexual activity was reduced after treatment for both groups and remained decreased after 6 months. Conclusions: Intensity-modulated radiotherapy and accurate position verification seem to provide a possibility to increase the radiation dose for prostate cancer without deterioration in QoL

Target volume definition in conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer: quality assurance in the MRC RT-01 trial

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seddon, B.S.; Wilson, J.; Khoo, V.; Dearnaley, D.; Bidmead, M.

2000-01-01

Prior to randomization of patients into the UK Medical Research Council multicentre randomized trial (RT-01) of conformal radiotherapy (CFRT) in prostate cancer, clinicians at participating centres were required to complete a quality assurance (QA) clinical planning exercise to enable an investigation of inter-observer variability in gross target volume (GTV) and normal structure outlining. Thirteen participating centres and two investigators completed the clinical planning exercise of three practice planning cases. Clinicians were asked to draw outlines of the GTV, rectum and bladder on hard-copy computerized tomography (CT) films of the pelvis, which were transferred onto the Cadplan computer planning system by a single investigator. Centre, inferior and superior CT levels of GTV, rectum and bladder were noted, and volume calculations performed. Planning target volumes (PTV) were generated using automatic volume expansion of GTVs by a 1 cm margin. Anterior, right and left lateral beam eye views (BEV) of the PTVs were generated. Using a common central point, the BEV PTVs were superimposed for each beam direction of each case. Radial PTV variation was investigated by measurement of a novel parameter, termed the radial line measurement variation (RLMV). GTV central slice and length were defined with reasonable consistency. The RLMV analysis showed that the main part of the prostate gland, bladder and inferior rectum were outlined with good consistency among clinicians. However, the outlining of the prostatic apex, superior aspect of the prostate projecting into the bladder, seminal vesicles, the base of seminal vesicles and superior rectum were more variable. This exercise has demonstrated adequate consistency of GTV definition. The RLMV method of analysis indicates particular regions of clinician uncertainty. Appropriate feedback has been given to all participating clinicians, and the final RT-01 trial protocol has been modified to accommodate these findings

Setup accuracy of stereoscopic X-ray positioning with automated correction for rotational errors in patients treated with conformal arc radiotherapy for prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soete, Guy; Verellen, Dirk; Tournel, Koen; Storme, Guy

2006-01-01

We evaluated setup accuracy of NovalisBody stereoscopic X-ray positioning with automated correction for rotational errors with the Robotics Tilt Module in patients treated with conformal arc radiotherapy for prostate cancer. The correction of rotational errors was shown to reduce random and systematic errors in all directions. (NovalisBody TM and Robotics Tilt Module TM are products of BrainLAB A.G., Heimstetten, Germany)

CONSERVATIVE TREATMENT IN LOCALLY AND LOCALLY-ADVANCED PROSTATE CANCER USING CONFORMAL RADIOTHERAPY

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Tkachev Sergey Ivanovich

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The combination of androgen deprivation and radiotherapy increase the probability of diseases full regresses and survival rate. Modern technical and technological opportunities of 3D CRT allow to increase total dose to prostate up to 72-76Gy vs. radiotherapy of 66-70Gy. In this study we compare the rates of post radiation toxicity and the efficiency of treatment for the patients receiving conventional radiotherapy and 3D CRT. The use of 3D CRT has not only result to increase of 10-years recurrence free survival rate from 74% (I grope to 86,5% (II grope, р=0,01, but also to increase of 10-years overall survival, 70% versus 78,4% (р=0,04. The proposed version of conformal 3D CRT radiation therapy made ​​it possible compared to conventional 2D RT radiation therapy by increasing SOD radiation to the tumor, accuracy and compliance with the quality assurance of radiation therapy significantly reduce rates of recurrence and significantly increase the performance of 10-year overall and disease-free survival.

Does prostate brachytherapy treat the seminal vesicles? A dose-volume histogram analysis of seminal vesicles in patients undergoing combined PD-103 prostate implantation and external beam irradiation

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Stock, Richard G.; Lo, Yeh-Chi; Gaildon, Mohamoud; Stone, Nelson N.

1999-01-01

Purpose: Combined brachytherapy of the prostate and external beam irradiation (EBRT) of the prostate and seminal vesicles (SV) is becoming a popular treatment for high-risk prostate cancer. Dose-volume histogram (DVH) analysis of the SV in patients undergoing this treatment was performed to determine the dose distribution to the SV and the adequacy of this treatment in patients with potential SV involvement. Methods and Materials: Twenty-five consecutive patients were treated with a Pd-103 implant of the prostate alone and 45 Gy of EBRT to the prostate and SV. Attempts were not made to implant the SV but seeds were routinely placed at the junction of the prostate and SV. All patients underwent CT-based post implant dosimetric analysis 1 month after implantation. As part of this analysis, DVH were generated for the prostate and total SV volume (SVT). In addition, the SV was divided into 6-mm-thick volumes identified as SV1, SV2, SV3, SV4, and SV5 starting from the junction of the prostate and SV and extending distally. DVH were also generated for these structures. Delivered dose was defined as the D90 (dose delivered to 90% of the organ on DVH). Results: The median volumes in cc of the prostate, SVT, SV1, SV2, SV3, SV4, and SV5 were 34.33, 9.75, 2.7, 3.48, 2.92, 3.18, and 1.96 respectively. The SVT contained from 0-9 seeds (median 2). There was little dose delivered to the SVT and SV volumes from the implanted prostate. The median D90 values for the prostate, SVT, SV1, SV2, SV3, SV4, and SV5 were 8615 cGy, 675 cGy, 3100 cGy, 1329 cGy, 553 cGy, 246 cGy, and 67 cGy, respectively. The dose delivered to the prostate covered small percentages of SV. The percents of SV volumes covered by the prostate D90 were 11, 35, 3.3, 0, 0, and 0 for SVT, SV1, SV2, SV3, SV4, and SV5, respectively. Conclusions: DVH analysis of the SV reveals that dose generated from an implanted prostate contributes little to the SV. Those patients at high risk for SV involvement may be under treated

Longitudinal Investigation of Adaptive Functioning Following Conformal Irradiation for Pediatric Craniopharyngioma and Low-Grade Glioma

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Netson, Kelli L. [Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Kansas University School of Medicine—Wichita, Kansas (United States); Conklin, Heather M. [Department of Psychology, St Jude Children' s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee (United States); Wu, Shengjie; Xiong, Xiaoping [Department of Biostatistics, St Jude Children' s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee (United States); Merchant, Thomas E., E-mail: thomas.merchant@stjude.org [Division of Radiation Oncology, St Jude Children' s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee (United States)

2013-04-01

Purpose: Children treated for brain tumors with conformal radiation therapy experience preserved cognitive outcomes. Early evidence suggests that adaptive functions or independent-living skills may be spared. This longitudinal investigation prospectively examined intellectual and adaptive functioning during the first 5 years following irradiation for childhood craniopharyngioma and low-grade glioma (LGG). The effect of visual impairment on adaptive outcomes was investigated. Methods and Materials: Children with craniopharyngioma (n=62) and LGG (n=77) were treated using conformal or intensity modulated radiation therapy. The median age was 8.05 years (3.21-17.64 years) and 8.09 years (2.20-19.27 years), respectively. Serial cognitive evaluations including measures of intelligence quotient (IQ) and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS) were conducted at preirradiation baseline, 6 months after treatment, and annually through 5 years. Five hundred eighty-eight evaluations were completed during the follow-up period. Results: Baseline assessment revealed no deficits in IQ and VABS indices for children with craniopharyngioma, with significant (P<.05) longitudinal decline in VABS Communication and Socialization indices. Clinical factors associated with more rapid decline included females and preirradiation chemotherapy (interferon). The only change in VABS Daily Living Skills correlated with IQ change (r=0.34; P=.01) in children with craniopharyngioma. Children with LGG performed below population norms (P<.05) at baseline on VABS Communication, Daily Living Indices, and the Adaptive Behavior Composite, with significant (P<.05) longitudinal decline limited to VABS Communication. Older age at irradiation was a protective factor against longitudinal decline. Severe visual impairment did not independently correlate with poorer adaptive outcomes for either tumor group. Conclusions: There was relative sparing of postirradiation functional outcomes over time in this sample

Longitudinal Investigation of Adaptive Functioning Following Conformal Irradiation for Pediatric Craniopharyngioma and Low-Grade Glioma

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Netson, Kelli L.; Conklin, Heather M.; Wu, Shengjie; Xiong, Xiaoping; Merchant, Thomas E.

2013-01-01

Purpose: Children treated for brain tumors with conformal radiation therapy experience preserved cognitive outcomes. Early evidence suggests that adaptive functions or independent-living skills may be spared. This longitudinal investigation prospectively examined intellectual and adaptive functioning during the first 5 years following irradiation for childhood craniopharyngioma and low-grade glioma (LGG). The effect of visual impairment on adaptive outcomes was investigated. Methods and Materials: Children with craniopharyngioma (n=62) and LGG (n=77) were treated using conformal or intensity modulated radiation therapy. The median age was 8.05 years (3.21-17.64 years) and 8.09 years (2.20-19.27 years), respectively. Serial cognitive evaluations including measures of intelligence quotient (IQ) and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS) were conducted at preirradiation baseline, 6 months after treatment, and annually through 5 years. Five hundred eighty-eight evaluations were completed during the follow-up period. Results: Baseline assessment revealed no deficits in IQ and VABS indices for children with craniopharyngioma, with significant (P<.05) longitudinal decline in VABS Communication and Socialization indices. Clinical factors associated with more rapid decline included females and preirradiation chemotherapy (interferon). The only change in VABS Daily Living Skills correlated with IQ change (r=0.34; P=.01) in children with craniopharyngioma. Children with LGG performed below population norms (P<.05) at baseline on VABS Communication, Daily Living Indices, and the Adaptive Behavior Composite, with significant (P<.05) longitudinal decline limited to VABS Communication. Older age at irradiation was a protective factor against longitudinal decline. Severe visual impairment did not independently correlate with poorer adaptive outcomes for either tumor group. Conclusions: There was relative sparing of postirradiation functional outcomes over time in this sample

A critical evaluation of the planning target volume for 3-d conformal radiotherapy of prostate cancer

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Tinger, Alfred; Michalski, Jeff M.; Cheng, Abel; Low, Daniel A.; Zhu, Ron; Bosch, Walter R.; Purdy, James A.; Perez, Carlos A.

1996-01-01

Purpose: The goal was to determine an adequate planning target volume (PTV) margin for three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D CRT) of prostate cancer. The uncertainty in the internal positions of the prostate and seminal vesicles and the uncertainty in the treatment set-ups for a single group of patients was measured. Methods: Weekly computed tomography (CT) scans of the pelvis (n=38) and daily electronic portal images (n=1225) were reviewed for six patients who received seven-field 3D CRT for prostate cancer. The weekly CT scans were registered in three dimensions to the original treatment planning CT scan using commercially available software. This registration permitted measurement of the motion in the center-of-volume (COV) of the prostate and seminal vesicles throughout the course of therapy. The daily portal images (PI) were registered to the corresponding simulation films to measure the set-up displacement for each of the seven fields. The field displacements were then entered into a matrix program which calculated the isocenter displacement by a least squares method. The uncertainty in the internal positions of the prostate and seminal vesicles (standard deviation of the motions) was added to the uncertainty in the set-up (standard deviation of the isocenter displacements) in quadrature to arrive at a total uncertainty. Positive directions were defined in the left, anterior, and superior directions. A discussion of an adequate PTV was based on these results. Results: The mean magnitude of motion for the COV of the prostate ± the standard deviation was 0 ± 1 mm in the left-right (LR) direction, 0.5 ± 2.8 mm in the anterior-posterior (AP) direction, and 0.5 ± 3.5 mm in the superior-inferior (SI) direction. The mean magnitude of motion for the COV of the seminal vesicles ± the standard deviation was -0.3 ± 1.5 mm in the LR, 0.6 ± 4.1 mm in the AP, and 0.7 ± 2.3 mm in the SI directions, respectively. For all patients the mean isocenter

Toxicity and cosmetic outcome of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for accelerated partial breast irradiation

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Gatti, M.; Bresciani, S.; Ponzone, R.; Panaia, R.; Salatino, A.; Stasi, M.; Gabriele, P. [IRCC, Candiolo (Italy)

2011-10-15

Full text of publication follows: Purpose.- To analyse the incidence and severity of acute and late normal tissue toxicity and cosmetic outcome using three - dimensional conformal radiotherapy to deliver accelerated partial breast irradiation. Patients and Methods.- 70 patients with stage I disease were treated with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for accelerated partial breast irradiation, in an approved protocol. The prescribed dose was 34 Gy in all patients delivered in 10 fractions over 5 consecutive days. On all CT scans gross tumor volume (GTV ) was defined around surgical clips. A 1.5 cm margin was added in order to account for clinical target volume (CTV) . A margin of 1 cm was added to CTI to define the planning target volume (PTV). The dose-volume constraints were followed in accordance with the specifications as dictated in the NSABP/RTOG protocol. After treatment, patients underwent a clinical and cosmetic evaluation every 3 months. Late toxicity was evaluated according to the RTOG grading schema. The cosmetic assessment was performed by the physicians using the controlateral untreated breast as the reference (Harvard scale). Results.- Median patient age was 66 years (range 51-80). Median follow-up was 15 months (range 6-46). Tumor size was < 10 mm in 33 patients (53%) and > 2 cm in 4(6%). The mean value of the ratio between the PTV and the whole ipsilateral breast volume was 38 % and the median percentage whole breast volume that received 95 % of prescribed dose was 34% (range 16%-55%). The rate of G1 and G2 acute skin toxicity was 28% and 2% respectively and the late toxicity was 17% (G1). G2 or greater toxicities were not observed. The most pronounced G1 late toxicity was subcutaneous fibrosis, developed in 3 patients. The cosmetic outcome was excellent in 83% and good in 17%. Conclusion.- Accelerated partial breast irradiation using three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy is technically feasible with very low acute and late toxicity. Long

The treatment of nonpalpable PSA-detected adenocarcinoma of the prostate with 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy

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Horwitz, Eric M.; Hanlon, Alexandra L.; Pinover, Wayne H.; Hanks, Gerald E.

1998-01-01

Purpose: We reviewed our institution's experience treating patients with nonpalpable PSA-detected prostate cancer with three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) to determine prognostic factors that predict for biochemical-free survival (bNED) control and present the bNED control rates. Methods and Materials: Between May 1, 1990 and November 30, 1994, 160 patients with nonpalpable PSA-detected prostate cancer received 3DCRT at Fox Chase Cancer Center (median total dose 73 Gy; range: 67-78 Gy). bNED failure was defined as three consecutive increases in posttreatment PSA after achieving a nadir. bNED failure was recorded as the time midway between the nadir and the first consecutive rising PSA. Five-year actuarial rates of bNED control were calculated for pretreatment PSA (0-9.9 vs. 10-19.9 vs. ≥ 20 ng/ml), Gleason score (2-6 vs. 7-10), treatment field size (prostate vs. small pelvis), age ( 73 Gy) using Kaplan-Meier methods and compared using the Log rank test. The Cox model was used to multivariately establish independent predictors based on significant univariate factors. Median follow-up was 39 months (range: 2-84 months). Results: The 5-year actuarial rate of bNED control was 86% for the entire group of patients. The Cox Proportional Hazards model demonstrated that pretreatment PSA was an independent predictor of bNED control. Treatment field size was marginally predictive. There was no difference in bNED control when patients were stratified by the number of lobes positive for disease. Statistically different rates of bNED control were seen when the patients with nonpalpable disease were univariately compared to T2b and T2c patients. Three patients experienced Grade 3-4 genitourinary (GU) toxicity and 3 patients experienced Grade 3-4 gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity. Conclusions: Patients with nonpalpable PSA-detected prostate cancer can be effectively treated with 3DCRT with minimal morbidity and high rates of bNED control at 5 years. Pretreatment

Investigation of normal tissue complication probabilities in prostate and partial breast irradiation radiotherapy techniques

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Bezak, E.; Takam, R.; Bensaleh, S.; Yeoh, E.; Marcu, L.

2011-01-01

Full text: Normal- Tissue-Complication Probabilities of rectum, bladder and urethra following various radiation techniques for prostate cancer were evaluated using the relative-seriality and Lyman models. NTCPs of lungs, heart and skin, their dependence on sourceposition, balloon-deformation were also investigated for HDR mammosite brachytherapy. The prostate treatment techniques included external three dimentional conformal-radiotherapy, Low-Dose-Rate brachytherapy (1-125), High-Dose-Rate brachytherapy (Ir-I92). Dose- Volume-Histograms of critical structures for prostate and breast radiotherapy, retrieved from corresponding treatment planning systems, were converted to Biological Effective Dose (BEffD)-based and Equivalent Dose(Deq)-based DVHs to account for differences in radiation delivery and fractionation schedule. Literature-based model parameters were used to calculate NTCPs. Hypofractionated 3D-CRT (2.75 Gy/fraction, total dose 55 Gy) NTCPs of rectum, bladder and urethra were less than those for standard fractionated 4-field 3D-CRT (2-Gy/fraction, 64 Gy) and dose-escalated 4- and 5-field 3D-CRT (74 Gy). Rectal and bladder NTCPs (5.2% and 6.6%) following the dose-escalated 4-field 3D-CRT (74 Gy) were the highest among analyzed techniques. The average NTCP for rectum and urethra were 0.6% and 24.7% for LDRBT and 0.5% and 11.2% for HDR-BT. For Mammosite, NTCP was estimated to be 0.1 %, 0.1 %, 1.2% and 3.5% for skin desquamation, erythema, telangiectasia and fibrosis respectively (the source positioned at the balloon centre). A 4 mm Mammosite-balloon deformation leads to overdosing of PTV regions by ∼40%, resulting in excessive skin dose and increased NTCP. Conclusions Prostate brachytherapy resulted in NTCPs lower compared to external beam techniques. Mammosite-brachytherapy resulted in no heart/lung complications regardless of balloon deformation. However, 4 mm deformation caused 0.6% increase in tissue fibrosis NTCP.

Positive resection margin and/or pathologic T3 adenocarcinoma of prostate with undetectable postoperative prostate-specific antigen after radical prostatectomy: to irradiate or not?

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Choo, Richard; Hruby, George; Hong, Julie; Hong, Eugene; DeBoer, Gerrit; Danjoux, Cyril; Morton, Gerard; Klotz, Laurence; Bhak, Edward; Flavin, Aileen

2002-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) for positive resection margin and/or pathologic T3 (pT3) adenocarcinoma of the prostate with undetectable postoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. Methods and materials: We retrospectively analyzed 125 patients with a positive resection margin and/or pT3 adenocarcinoma of the prostate who had undetectable postoperative serum PSA levels after radical prostatectomy. Seventy-three patients received postoperative adjuvant RT and 52 did not. Follow-up ranged from 1.5 to 12.0 years (median 4.2 for the irradiated group and 4.9 for the nonirradiated group). PSA outcome was available for all patients. Freedom from failure was defined as the maintenance of a serum PSA level of ≤0.2 ng/mL, as well as the absence of clinical local recurrence and distant metastasis. Results: No difference was found in the 5-year actuarial overall survival between the irradiated and nonirradiated group (94% vs. 95%). However, patients receiving adjuvant RT had a statistically superior 5-year actuarial relapse-free rate, including freedom from PSA failure, compared with those treated with surgery alone (88% vs. 65%, p=0.0013). In the irradiated group, 8 patients had relapse with PSA failure alone. None had local or distant recurrence. In the nonirradiated group, 15, 1, and 2 had PSA failure, local recurrence, and distant metastasis, respectively. On Cox regression analysis, pre-radical prostatectomy PSA level and adjuvant RT were statistically significant predictive factors for relapse, and Gleason score, extracapsular invasion, and resection margin status were not. There was a suggestion that seminal vesicle invasion was associated with an increased risk of relapse. The morbidity of postoperative adjuvant RT was acceptable, with only 2 patients developing Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Grade 3 genitourinary complications. Adjuvant RT had a minimal adverse effect on urinary continence and did not cause

Potential clinical efficacy of intensity-modulated conformal therapy

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Meeks, Sanford L.; Buatti, John M.; Bova, Francis J.; Friedman, William A.; Mendenhall, William M.; Zlotecki, Robert A.

1998-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the potential benefit of using intensity-modulated conformal therapy for a variety of lesions currently treated with stereotactic radiosurgery or conventional radiotherapy. Methods and Materials: Intensity-modulated conformal treatment plans were generated for small intracranial lesions, as well as head and neck, lung, breast, and prostate cases, using the Peacock Plan[reg] treatment-planning system (Nomos Corporation). For small intracranial lesions, intensity-modulated conformal treatment plans were compared with stereotactic radiosurgery treatment plans generated for patient treatment at the University of Florida Shands Cancer Center. For other sites (head and neck, lung, breast, and prostate), plans generated using the Peacock Plan[reg] were compared with conventional treatment plans, as well as beam's-eye-view conformal treatment plans. Plan comparisons were accomplished through conventional qualitative review of two-dimensional (2D) dose distributions in conjunction with quantitative techniques, such as dose-volume histograms, dosimetric statistics, normal tissue complication probabilities, tumor control probabilities, and objective numerical scoring. Results: For small intracranial lesions, there is little difference between intensity-modulated conformal treatment planning and radiosurgery treatment planning in the conformation of high isodose lines with the target volume. However, stereotactic treatment planning provides a steeper dose gradient outside the target volume and, hence, a lower normal tissue toxicity index. For extracranial sites, objective numerical scores for beam's-eye-view and intensity-modulated conformal planning techniques are superior to scores for conventional treatment plans. The beam's-eye-view planning technique prevents geographic target misses and better excludes healthy tissues from the treatment portal. Compared with scores for the beam's-eye-view planning technique, scores for

[18F]fluoroethylcholine-PET/CT imaging for radiation treatment planning of recurrent and primary prostate cancer with dose escalation to PET/CT-positive lymph nodes

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Wahl Andreas

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background At present there is no consensus on irradiation treatment volumes for intermediate to high-risk primary cancers or recurrent disease. Conventional imaging modalities, such as CT, MRI and transrectal ultrasound, are considered suboptimal for treatment decisions. Choline-PET/CT might be considered as the imaging modality in radiooncology to select and delineate clinical target volumes extending the prostate gland or prostate fossa. In conjunction with intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT and imaged guided radiotherapy (IGRT, it might offer the opportunity of dose escalation to selected sites while avoiding unnecessary irradiation of healthy tissues. Methods Twenty-six patients with primary (n = 7 or recurrent (n = 19 prostate cancer received Choline-PET/CT planned 3D conformal or intensity modulated radiotherapy. The median age of the patients was 65 yrs (range 45 to 78 yrs. PET/CT-scans with F18-fluoroethylcholine (FEC were performed on a combined PET/CT-scanner equipped for radiation therapy planning. The majority of patients had intermediate to high risk prostate cancer. All patients received 3D conformal or intensity modulated and imaged guided radiotherapy with megavoltage cone beam CT. The median dose to primary tumours was 75.6 Gy and to FEC-positive recurrent lymph nodal sites 66,6 Gy. The median follow-up time was 28.8 months. Results The mean SUVmax in primary cancer was 5,97 in the prostate gland and 3,2 in pelvic lymph nodes. Patients with recurrent cancer had a mean SUVmax of 4,38. Two patients had negative PET/CT scans. At 28 months the overall survival rate is 94%. Biochemical relapse free survival is 83% for primary cancer and 49% for recurrent tumours. Distant disease free survival is 100% and 75% for primary and recurrent cancer, respectively. Acute normal tissue toxicity was mild in 85% and moderate (grade 2 in 15%. No or mild late side effects were observed in the majority of patients (84%. One patient had

Dose Escalation for Prostate Cancer Using the Three-Dimensional Conformal Dynamic Arc Technique: Analysis of 542 Consecutive Patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jereczek-Fossa, Barbara A.; Vavassori, Andrea; Fodor, Cristiana; Santoro, Luigi; Zerini, Dario; Cattani, Federica; Garibaldi, Cristina; Cambria, Raffaella; Fodor, Andrei; Boboc, Genoveva Ionela; Vitolo, Viviana; Ivaldi, Giovanni Battista; Musi, Gennaro; De Cobelli, Ottavio; Orecchia, Roberto

2008-01-01

Purpose: To present the results of dose escalation using three-dimensional conformal dynamic arc radiotherapy (3D-ART) for prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: Five hundred and forty two T1-T3N0M0 prostate cancer patients were treated with 3D-ART. Dose escalation (from 76 Gy/38 fractions to 80 Gy/40 fractions) was introduced in September 2003; 32% of patients received 80 Gy. In 366 patients, androgen deprivation was added to 3D-ART. Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer criteria and Houston definition (nadir + 2) were used for toxicity and biochemical failure evaluation, respectively. Median follow-up was 25 months. Results: Acute toxicity included rectal (G1-2 28.9%; G3 0.5%) and urinary events (G1-2 57.9%; G3-4 2.4%). Late toxicity included rectal (G1-2 15.8%; G3-4 3.1%) and urinary events (G1-2 26.9%; G3-4 1.6%). Two-year failure-free survival and overall survival rates were 94.1% and 97.9%, respectively. Poor prognostic group (GS, iPSA, T), transurethral prostate resection, and dose >76 Gy showed significant association to high risk of progression in multivariate analysis (p = 0.014, p = 0.045, and p 0.04, respectively). The negative effect of dose >76 Gy was not observed (p 0.10), when the analysis was limited to 353 patients treated after September 2003 (when dose escalation was introduced). Higher dose was not associated with higher late toxicity. Conclusions: Three-dimensional-ART is a feasible modality allowing for dose escalation (no increase in toxicity has been observed with higher doses). However, the dose increase from 76 to 80 Gy was not associated with better tumor outcome. Further investigation is warranted for better understanding of the dose effect for prostate cancer

Accuracy of Real-time Couch Tracking During 3-dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy, Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, and Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy for Prostate Cancer

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Wilbert, Juergen; Baier, Kurt; Hermann, Christian; Flentje, Michael; Guckenberger, Matthias

2013-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of real-time couch tracking for prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: Intrafractional motion trajectories of 15 prostate cancer patients were the basis for this phantom study; prostate motion had been monitored with the Calypso System. An industrial robot moved a phantom along these trajectories, motion was detected via an infrared camera system, and the robotic HexaPOD couch was used for real-time counter-steering. Residual phantom motion during real-time tracking was measured with the infrared camera system. Film dosimetry was performed during delivery of 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT), step-and-shoot intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). Results: Motion of the prostate was largest in the anterior–posterior direction, with systematic (∑) and random (σ) errors of 2.3 mm and 2.9 mm, respectively; the prostate was outside a threshold of 5 mm (3D vector) for 25.0%±19.8% of treatment time. Real-time tracking reduced prostate motion to ∑=0.01 mm and σ = 0.55 mm in the anterior–posterior direction; the prostate remained within a 1-mm and 5-mm threshold for 93.9%±4.6% and 99.7%±0.4% of the time, respectively. Without real-time tracking, pass rates based on a γ index of 2%/2 mm in film dosimetry ranged between 66% and 72% for 3D-CRT, IMRT, and VMAT, on average. Real-time tracking increased pass rates to minimum 98% on average for 3D-CRT, IMRT, and VMAT. Conclusions: Real-time couch tracking resulted in submillimeter accuracy for prostate cancer, which transferred into high dosimetric accuracy independently of whether 3D-CRT, IMRT, or VMAT was used.

High-dose (70-78 GY) conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer; the relation between observed late bladder and rectum complications and parameters derived from the dose volume histograms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lebesque, J.V.; Bruce, A.; Boersma, L.J.; Velde, A. te

1996-01-01

complications (≥ grade II) was 13% at 2 years, both for doses to the anterior rectal wall ≤ 75 Gy and > 75 Gy (Figure). This is much lower than after conventional radiotherapy for prostate cancer (Smit et al.), where these figures were 21% and 60%, respectively. In univariate analyses, we did not find a significant relation between GI complications rates (grade II and/or III) and irradiated rectal wall volumes, total prescribed radiation dose or maximum radiation dose to the anterior rectal wall. The estimated NTCPs (on average 11%) were much higher than the incidence of grade III GI toxicity in our study ( 20% these figures were 11.4% and 0%, respectively. We are currently investigating whether dose surface histograms are more reliable to predict the observed late GI complications ≥ grade II. Conclusions: Conformal radiotherapy reduces late rectal complications significantly with respect to conventional radiotherapy. Observed late GI complications grade III were much lower than the NTCP estimations based on the model and parameter values of Kutcher et al. and Burman et al., respectively. Observed late GI complications ≥ grade II were overall in the range of the NTCP estimations, but did not correlate specifically with DVH parameters and NTCP estimations. Consequently, adaptation of the NTCP model and/or its parameter values for rectum complications is highly necessary. Grade III GU complications were mostly related to the prostatic urethra and consequently DVHs of the bladder have only limited value

Analysis of dose volume histogram parameters to estimate late bladder and rectum complications after high-dose (70-78 Gy) conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boersma, L.J.; Brink, M. van den; Bruce, A.; Gras, L.; Velde, A. te; Lebesque, J.V.

1997-01-01

Purpose: To investigate whether Dose Volume Histogram (DVH) parameters can be used to identify risk groups for developing late gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) complications after conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer, and to examine the effect of using different morbidity scoring systems on the results of these analyses. Materials and Methods: DVH parameters were analyzed for 130 patients with localized prostate cancer, treated with conformal radiotherapy in a dose-escalating protocol (70-78 Gy, 2 Gy per fraction). The incidence of late (> 6 months) GI and GU complications was scored based on questionnaires and classified using the RTOG/EORTC and the SOMA/LENT scoring system. Moreover, patients were classified as being a rectal bleeder or no rectal bleeder and a distinction was made between non-severe and severe (requiring one or more laser treatments) rectal bleeding. The median follow-up time was 22 months. It was investigated whether the relative and absolute rectal wall volumes, irradiated to various dose levels (≥ 60 Gy, ≥ 65 Gy, ≥ 70 Gy and ≥ 75 Gy) were correlated with the observed actuarial incidences of GI complications. First, the analysis was performed using volume as a continuous variable. Subsequently, for each dose level in the DVH the rectal wall volumes were dichotomized using different volumes as cut-off levels. Twenty cut-off levels were tested on their ability to discriminate between high and low risk for developing GI complications (Fig.). The relationship between bladder wall volumes irradiated to various dose levels and observed actuarial GU complications was investigated using the absolute bladder wall volumes, measured as a continuous variable. For both GI and GU complications, the role of the prescribed radiation dose and the maximum radiation dose in the rectal and bladder wall was analyzed as well. Results: None of the DVH parameters of the rectal wall was significantly correlated with the actuarial incidences of

X-ray-assisted positioning of patients treated by conformal arc radiotherapy for prostate cancer: Comparison of setup accuracy using implanted markers versus bony structures

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Soete, Guy; Cock, Mieke de; Verellen, Dirk; Michielsen, Dirk; Keuppens, Frans; Storme, Guy

2007-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare setup accuracy of NovalisBody stereoscopic X-ray positioning using implanted markers in the prostate vs. bony structures in patients treated with dynamic conformal arc radiotherapy for prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: Random and systematic setup errors (RE and SE) of the isocenter with regard to the center of gravity of three fiducial markers were measured by means of orthogonal verification films in 120 treatment sessions in 12 patients. Positioning was performed using NovalisBody semiautomated marker fusion. The results were compared with a control group of 261 measurements in 15 patients who were positioned with NovalisBody automated bone fusion. In addition, interfraction and intrafraction prostate motion was registered in the patients with implanted markers. Results: Marker-based X-ray positioning resulted in a reduction of RE as well as SE in the anteroposterior, craniocaudal, and left-right directions compared with those in the control group. The interfraction prostate displacements with regard to the bony pelvis that could be avoided by marker positioning ranged between 1.6 and 2.8 mm for RE and between 1.3 and 4.3 mm for SE. Intrafraction random and systematic prostate movements ranged between 1.4 and 2.4 mm and between 0.8 and 1.3 mm, respectively. Conclusion: The problem of interfraction prostate motion can be solved by using implanted markers. In addition, the NovalisBody X-ray system performs more accurately with markers compared with bone fusion. Intrafraction organ motion has become the limiting factor for margin reduction around the clinical target volume

Transabdominal ultrasonography, computed tomography and electronic portal imaging for 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jereczek-Fossa, B.A.; Orecchia, R.; Cattani, F.; Garibaldi, C.; Cambria, R.; Valenti, M.; Ciocca, M.; Zerini, D.; Boboc, G.I.; Vavassori, A.; Ivaldi, G.B.; Kowalczyk, A.; Matei, D.V.; Cobelli, O. de

2007-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of daily B-mode acquisition and targeting ultrasound-based prostate localization (BAT trademark) and to compare it with computed tomography (CT) and electronic portal imaging (EPI) in 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3-D CRT) for prostate cancer. Patients and Methods: Ten patients were treated with 3-D CRT (72 Gy/30 fractions, 2.4 Gy/fraction, equivalent to 80 Gy/40 fractions, for α/β ratio of 1.5 Gy) and daily BAT-based prostate localization. For the first 5 fractions, CT and EPI were also performed in order to compare organ-motion and set-up error, respectively. Results: 287 BAT-, 50 CT- and 46 EPI-alignments were performed. The average BAT-determined misalignments in latero-lateral, antero-posterior and cranio-caudal directions were -0.9 mm ± 3.3 mm, 1.0 mm ± 4.0 mm and -0.9 mm ± 3.8 mm, respectively. The differences between BAT- and CT-determined organ-motion in latero-lateral, antero-posterior and cranio-caudal directions were 2.7 mm ± 1.9 mm, 3.9 ± 2.8 mm and 3.4 ± 3.0 mm, respectively. Weak correlation was found between BAT- and CT-determined misalignments in antero-posterior direction, while no correlation was observed in latero-lateral and cranio-caudal directions. The correlation was more significant when only data of good image-quality patients were analyzed (8 patients). Conclusion: BAT ensures the relative positions of target are the same during treatment and in treatment plan, however, the reliability of alignment is patient-dependent. The average BAT-determined misalignments were small, confirming the prevalence of random errors in 3-D CRT. Further study is warranted in order to establish the clinical value of BAT. (orig.)

Late rectal toxicity after conformal radiotherapy of prostate cancer (I): multivariate analysis and dose-response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skwarchuk, Mark W.; Jackson, Andrew; Zelefsky, Michael J.; Venkatraman, Ennapadam S.; Cowen, Didier M.; Levegruen, Sabine; Burman, Chandra M.; Fuks, Zvi; Leibel, Steven A.; Ling, C. Clifton

2000-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to use the outcome of a dose escalation protocol for three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) of prostate cancer to study the dose-response for late rectal toxicity and to identify anatomic, dosimetric, and clinical factors that correlate with late rectal bleeding in multivariate analysis. Methods and Materials: Seven hundred forty-three patients with T1c-T3 prostate cancer were treated with 3D-CRT with prescribed doses of 64.8 to 81.0 Gy. The 5-year actuarial rate of late rectal toxicity was assessed using Kaplan-Meier statistics. A retrospective dosimetric analysis was performed for patients treated to 70.2 Gy (52 patients) or 75.6 Gy (119 patients) who either exhibited late rectal bleeding (RTOG Grade 2/3) within 30 months after treatment (i.e., 70.2 Gy--13 patients, 75.6 Gy--36 patients) or were nonbleeding for at least 30 months (i.e., 70.2 Gy--39 patients, 75.6 Gy--83 patients). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was performed to correlate late rectal bleeding with several anatomic, dosimetric, and clinical variables. Results: A dose response for ≥ Grade 2 late rectal toxicity was observed. By multivariate analysis, the following factors were significantly correlated with ≥ Grade 2 late rectal bleeding for patients prescribed 70.2 Gy: 1) enclosure of the outer rectal contour by the 50% isodose on the isocenter slice (i.e., Iso50) (p max (p max

Health-related quality of life after intensity modulated radiation therapy for localized prostate cancer. Comparison with conventional and conformal radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Namiki, Shunichi; Ishidoya, Shigeto; Tochigi, Tatsuo

2006-01-01

No previous studies have reported the longitudinal health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). We compared HRQOL after IMRT with that after conventional and after conformal radiation therapy (XRT). A total of 110 patients underwent XRT (34 patients underwent conventional radiation therapy and 76 underwent conformal radiation therapy) and 30 underwent IMRT for clinically localized prostate cancer between 2000 and 2002. We measured the general and disease-specific HRQOL using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Health Survey and University of California, Los Angeles, Prostate Cancer Index, respectively. There were no significant differences in the preoperative characteristics and HRQOL scores of the two groups. Repeated measure analyses of variance revealed significantly different patterns of alteration in several general HRQOL domains between XRT and the IMRT groups. In the urinary domain, there was no difference in the alteration patterns between the two groups. The XRT group suffered worse bowel function at 3 and 6 months than the IMRT group (P<0.05). In the XRT group, sexual function decreased at 3 months and remained substantially lower than the baseline level. However, the IMRT group showed no significant difference from the baseline level at any of the observation periods. At 18 months the XRT group showed worse sexual function than the IMRT group. The two approaches showed different longitudinal profiles regarding general and disease-specific HRQOL during the first 2 years after treatment. The IMRT approach produced little impairment in bowel and sexual function. (author)

Comparison of acute and subacute genitourinary and gastrointestinal adverse events of radiotherapy for prostate cancer using intensity-modulated radiation therapy, three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy, permanent implant brachytherapy and high-dose-rate brachytherapy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Morimoto, Masahiro; Yoshioka, Yasuo; Konishi, Koji; Isohashi, Fumiaki; Takahashi, Yutaka; Ogata, Toshiyuki; Koizumi, Masahiko; Teshima, Teruki; Bijl, Henk P; van der Schaaf, Arjen; Langendijk, Johannes A; Ogawa, Kazuhiko

2014-01-01

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: To examine acute and subacute urinary and rectal toxicity in patients with localized prostate cancer monotherapeutically treated with the following four radiotherapeutic techniques: intensity-modulated radiation therapy, three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy,

Initial dosimetric experience using simple three-dimensional conformal external-beam accelerated partial-breast irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taghian, Alphonse G.; Kozak, Kevin R.; Doppke, Karen P.; Katz, Angela; Smith, Barbara L.; Gadd, Michele; Specht, Michelle; Hughes, Kevin; Braaten, Kristina; Kachnic, Lisa A.; Recht, Abram; Powell, Simon N.

2006-01-01

Purpose: Several accelerated partial-breast irradiation (APBI) techniques are being investigated in patients with early-stage breast cancer. We present our initial experience using three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT). Methods and Materials: Sixty-one patients with tumors of 2 cm or less and negative axillary nodes were treated with 3D-CRT accelerated partial-breast irradiation (APBI) between August 2003 and March 2005. The prescribed radiation dose was 32 Gy in 4-Gy fractions given twice daily. Efforts were made to minimize the number of beams required to achieve adequate planning target volume (PTV) coverage. Results: A combination of photons and electrons was used in 85% of patients. A three-field technique that consisted of opposed, conformal tangential photons and enface electrons was employed in 43 patients (70%). Nine patients (15%) were treated with a four-field arrangement, which consisted of three photon fields and enface electrons. Mean PTV volumes that received 100%, 95%, and 90% of the prescribed dose were 93% ± 7%, 97% ± 4%, and 98% ± 2%, respectively. Dose inhomogeneity exceeded 10% in only 7 patients (11%). Mean doses to the ipsilateral lung and heart were 1.8 Gy and 0.8 Gy, respectively. Conclusions: Simple 3D-CRT techniques of APBI can achieve appropriate PTV coverage while offering significant normal-tissue sparing. Therefore, this noninvasive approach may increase the availability of APBI to patients with early-stage breast cancer

Molecular Ultrasound Imaging of Early Vascular Response in Prostate Tumors Irradiated with Carbon Ions

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Moritz Palmowski

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Individualized treatments with combination of radiotherapy and targeted drugs require knowledge about the behavior of molecular targets after irradiation. Angiogenic marker expression has been studied after conventional radiotherapy, but little is known about marker response to charged particles. For the very first time, we used molecular ultrasound imaging to intraindividually track changes in angiogenic marker expression after carbon ion irradiation in experimental tumors. Expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1 and of αvβ3-integrin in subcutaneous AT-1 prostate cancers in rats treated with carbon ions (16 Gy was studied using molecular ultrasound and immunohistochemistry. For this purpose, cyanoacrylate microbubbles were synthesized and linked to specific ligands. The accumulation of targeted microbubbles in tumors was quantified before and 36 hours after irradiation. In addition, tumor vascularization was analyzed using volumetric Doppler ultrasound. In tumors, the accumulation of targeted microbubbles was significantly higher than in nonspecific ones and could be inhibited competitively. Before irradiation, no difference in binding of αvβ3-integrin-specific or ICAM-1-specific microbubbles was observed in treated and untreated animals. After irradiation, however, treated animals showed a significantly higher binding of αvβ3-integrin-specific microbubbles and an enhanced binding of ICAM-1-specific microbubbles than untreated controls. In both groups, a decrease in vascularization occurred during tumor growth, but no significant difference was observed between irradiated and nonirradiated tumors. In conclusion, carbon ion irradiation upregulates ICAM-1 and αvβ3-integrin expression in tumor neovasculature. Molecular ultrasound can indicate the regulation of these markers and thus may help to identify the optimal drugs and time points in individualized therapy regimens.

Comparison of normal tissue dose with three-dimensional conformal techniques for breast cancer irradiation including the internal mammary nodes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Laan, Hans Paul; Dolsma, Willemtje; van t Veld, Aart; Bijl, HP; Langendijk, JA

2005-01-01

PURPOSE: To compare the Para Mixed technique for irradiation of the internal mammary nodes (IMN) with three commonly used strategies, by analyzing the dose to the heart and other organs at risk. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Four different three-dimensional conformal dose plans were created for 30 breast

Erectile dysfunction after prostate three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy. Correlation with the dose to the penile bulb

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magli, A.; Ceschia, T.; Titone, F.; Parisi, G.; Fongione, S.; Giangreco, M.; Crespi, M.; Negri, A.; De Giorgi, G.

2012-01-01

Purpose: Erectile dysfunction is associated with all the common treatment options for prostate cancer. The aim of this research was to evaluate the relationship between erectile function and radiation dose to the penile bulb (PB) and other proximal penile structures in men receiving conformal radiotherapy (CRT) without hormonal therapy (HT) for prostate cancer, whose sexual function was known before treatment. Patients and methods: The study included 19 patients treated with 3D-CRT for localized prostate cancer at our department, who were self-reported to be potent before treatment, had not received HT, and had complete follow-up data available. Our evaluation was based on the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5). Dose-volume histograms (DVHs) were used to evaluate the dose to the PB. Statistical analysis was performed with an unconditional logistic regression model. Results: All patients reported change in potency after radiation. Eight patients (42%) remained potent but showed a decrease of 1 or 2 levels of potency, as defined by the IIEF-5 questionnaire (reduced potency group), while 11 patients (58%) reported a change of higher levels and revealed a severe erectile dysfunction after 2 years (impotence group). Multivariate analysis of morphological and dosimetric variables yielded significance for the mean dose (p = 0.05 with an odds ratio of 1.14 and 95% CI 1-1.30). Patients receiving a mean dose of less than 50 Gy to the PB appear to have a much greater likelihood of maintaining potency. Conclusion: Our data suggest a possible existence of a dose-volume correlation between the dose applied to the PB and radiation-induced impotence. (orig.)

Erectile dysfunction after prostate three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy. Correlation with the dose to the penile bulb

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Magli, A.; Ceschia, T.; Titone, F.; Parisi, G.; Fongione, S. [University Hospital Udine (Italy). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; Giangreco, M. [Udine Univ. (Italy). Hygiene and Epidemiology Inst.; Crespi, M.; Negri, A. [University Hospital Udine (Italy). Dept. of Medical Physics; De Giorgi, G. [University Hospital Udine (Italy). Dept. of Urology

2012-11-15

Purpose: Erectile dysfunction is associated with all the common treatment options for prostate cancer. The aim of this research was to evaluate the relationship between erectile function and radiation dose to the penile bulb (PB) and other proximal penile structures in men receiving conformal radiotherapy (CRT) without hormonal therapy (HT) for prostate cancer, whose sexual function was known before treatment. Patients and methods: The study included 19 patients treated with 3D-CRT for localized prostate cancer at our department, who were self-reported to be potent before treatment, had not received HT, and had complete follow-up data available. Our evaluation was based on the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5). Dose-volume histograms (DVHs) were used to evaluate the dose to the PB. Statistical analysis was performed with an unconditional logistic regression model. Results: All patients reported change in potency after radiation. Eight patients (42%) remained potent but showed a decrease of 1 or 2 levels of potency, as defined by the IIEF-5 questionnaire (reduced potency group), while 11 patients (58%) reported a change of higher levels and revealed a severe erectile dysfunction after 2 years (impotence group). Multivariate analysis of morphological and dosimetric variables yielded significance for the mean dose (p = 0.05 with an odds ratio of 1.14 and 95% CI 1-1.30). Patients receiving a mean dose of less than 50 Gy to the PB appear to have a much greater likelihood of maintaining potency. Conclusion: Our data suggest a possible existence of a dose-volume correlation between the dose applied to the PB and radiation-induced impotence. (orig.)

Diffusion-weighted MRI of the prostate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller-Lisse, U.G.; Scherr, M.K.; Mueller-Lisse, U.L.; Zamecnik, P.; Schlemmer, H.P.W.

2011-01-01

Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) can complement MRI of the prostate in the detection and localization of prostate cancer, particularly after previous negative biopsy. A total of 13 original reports and 2 reviews published in 2010 demonstrate that prostate cancer can be detected by DWI due to its increased cell density and decreased diffusiveness, either qualitatively in DWI images or quantitatively by means of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). In the prostate, the ADC is influenced by the strength of diffusion weighting, localization (peripheral or transitional zone), presence of prostatitis or hemorrhage and density and differentiation of prostate cancer cells. Mean differences between healthy tissue of the peripheral zone and prostate cancer appear to be smaller for ADC than for the (choline + creatine)/citrate ratio in MR spectroscopy. Test quality parameters vary greatly between different studies but appear to be slightly better for combined MRI and DWI than for MRI of the prostate alone. Clinical validation of DWI of the prostate requires both increased technical conformity and increased numbers of patients in clinical studies. (orig.) [de

Conformal radiation therapy of localized prostate cancer: acute tolerance and early evaluation of effectiveness; Konformierende Strahlentherapie des lokalisierten Prostatakarzinoms: Akute Toleranz und fruehe Wirksamkeit

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Zierhut, D. [Klinische Radiologie, Radiologische Universitaetsklinik Heidelberg (Germany); Flentje, M. [Klinische Radiologie, Radiologische Universitaetsklinik Heidelberg (Germany); Sroka-Perez, G. [Klinische Radiologie, Radiologische Universitaetsklinik Heidelberg (Germany); Rudat, V. [Klinische Radiologie, Radiologische Universitaetsklinik Heidelberg (Germany); Engenhart-Cabillic, R. [Klinische Radiologie, Radiologische Universitaetsklinik Heidelberg (Germany); Wannenmacher, M. [Klinische Radiologie, Radiologische Universitaetsklinik Heidelberg (Germany)

1997-02-01

Aim: In a prospective trial early effectiveness and acute toxicity of conformal 3D-planned radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer was quantified using dose-volume-histogramms and evaluated with respect of treatment technique. Results: Eleven patients (of 32) had none, 15 mild (RTOG grade 1) and 6 moderate symptoms (RTOG grade 2, mainly diarrhoea, dysuria and polyuria). Acute complications leading to treatment interruption did not occur. In 16 patients symptoms disappeared within 6 weeks after radiotherapy. Only 2 men had symptoms which lasted longer than 3 months and were endoscopically examined. Up to now no late complications were detected. Incidence and severity of toxicity was significantly (p<0,05) related to the size of treatment volume. Akute toxicity was found to depend statistically significant (p<0,05) on the proportional volume of bladder and rectum, irradiated with more than 35 Gy. In 81% of the patients with pretherapeutic elevated PSA levels normalisation of PSA was observed. Overall mean PSA levels of 15.7{+-}22.6 {mu}g/l at the beginning of radiotherapy fell to 2.1{+-}3.7 {mu}g/l 6 weeks after irradiation. Only 1 Patient relapsed locally 22 months after radiation therapy. Conclusion: We conclude that due to modern 3D-planned conformal techniques with optimization of treatment dose and improved protection of critical organs such as urinary bladder and rectum, radiotherapy allows an effective and well tolerated therapy of localized prostatic carcinoma. (orig./VHE) [Deutsch] Ziel: Quantifizierung der fruehen Wirksamkeit und akuten Toxizitaet der 3D-geplanten und konformierenden Strahlentherapie des lokalisierten Prostatakarzinoms mittels Dosis-Volumen-Histogramm sowie Untersuchung der Abhaengigkeit von der Bestrahlungstechnik in einer prospektiven Studie. Ergebnisse: Elf Patienten hatten keine, 15 leichte (RTOG Grad I) und sechs maessiggradige Nebenwirkungen (RTOG Grad II, meist Diarrhoe, Dysurie und Polyurie). Bei keinem Patienten musste die

What about sexual life after therapy for prostate cancer?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cosset, J.M.

2002-01-01

The precise assessment of sexual dysfunction after treatment of prostatic cancer cannot be avoided in 2002. These iatrogenic complications may significantly alter the quality of life of the patients. In addition, sexual toxicity is progressively becoming a cardinal parameter for the treatment choice, both for the patient and the physician. Significant efforts allowed to reduce sexual toxicity after therapy in the recent years. As an example, nerve-sparing surgical techniques have been proposed, whenever reasonable. However, in spite of these surgical advances, data suggest that overall, the new irradiation techniques (conformal radiotherapy and brachytherapy) are responsible for less alteration of sexual life than surgery. Another potential advantage is that sildenafil (Viagra) is able to restore potency in a majority of cases after radiotherapy, while it is usually poorly effective after surgery. (author)

3-D conformal radiotherapy of localized prostate cancer: A subgroup analysis of rectoscopic findings prior to radiotherapy and acute/late rectal side effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldner, Gregor; Zimmermann, Frank; Feldmann, Horst; Glocker, Stefan; Wachter-Gerstner, Natascha; Geinitz, Hans; Becker, Gerd; Poetzi, Regina; Wambersie, Andre; Bamberg, Michael; Molls, Michael; Wachter, Stefan; Poetter, Richard

2006-01-01

Background and purpose: To identify endoscopic pathological findings prior to radiotherapy and a possible correlation with acute or chronic rectal side effects after three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) for prostate cancer. Patients and methods: Between 03/99 and 07/02, a total of 298 patients, who consented in a voluntary rectoscopy prior to radiotherapy were included into the analysis. Patients were treated with a total dose of either 70 or 74 Gy. Pathological rectoscopic findings like hemorrhoids, polyps or diverticula were documented. Acute and late rectal side effects were scored using the EORTC/RTOG score. Results: The most frequent pathological endosopic findings were hemorrhoids (35%), polyps (24%) and diverticula (13%). Rectal toxicity was mostly low to moderate. Grade 0/1 cumulative acute and late rectal side effects were 82 and 84%, grade 2 were 18 and 17%, respectively. We could not identify any correlation between preexisting pathological findings and rectal side effects by statistical analysis. Conclusions: There is no evidence that prostate cancer patients presenting with endoscopic verified pathological findings in the rectal mucosa at diagnosis are at an increased risk to develop rectal side effects when treated with 3D-CRT of the prostatic region

Hypofractionated Prostate Radiotherapy with or without Conventionally Fractionated Nodal Irradiation: Clinical Toxicity Observations and Retrospective Daily Dosimetry.

Science.gov (United States)

McDonald, Andrew M; Bishop, Justin M; Jacob, Rojymon; Dobelbower, Michael C; Kim, Robert Y; Yang, Eddy S; Smith, Heather; Wu, Xingen; Fiveash, John B

2012-01-01

Purpose. To evaluate toxicity associated with the addition of elective nodal irradiation (ENI) to a hypofractionated regimen for the treatment of prostate cancer. Methods and Materials. Fifty-seven patients received pelvic image-guided IMRT to 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions with a hypofractionated simultaneous boost to the prostate to 70 Gy. Thirty-one patients received prostate-only treatment to 70 Gy in 28 fractions. Results. Median followup was 41.1 months. Early grade ≥2 urinary toxicity rates were 49% (28 of 57) for patients receiving ENI and 58% (18 of 31) for those not (P = 0.61). Early grade ≥2 rectal toxicity rates were 40% (23 of 57) and 23% (7 of 31), respectively (P = 0.09). The addition of ENI resulted in a 21% actuarial rate of late grade ≥2 rectal toxicity at 4 years, compared to 0% for patients treated to the prostate only (P = 0.02). Retrospective daily dosimetry of patients experiencing late rectal toxicity revealed an average increase of 2.67% of the rectal volume receiving 70 Gy compared to the original plan. Conclusions. The addition of ENI resulted in an increased risk of late rectal toxicity. Grade ≥2 late rectal toxicity was associated with worse daily rectal dosimetry compared to the treatment plan.

The role of IL-6 in the radiation response of prostate cancer

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Wu, Chun-Te; Chen, Miao-Fen; Chen, Wen-Cheng; Hsieh, Ching-Chuan

2013-01-01

Hormone-resistant (HR) prostate cancers are highly aggressive and respond poorly to treatment. IL-6/STAT3 signaling has been identified to link with the transition of HR and aggressive tumor behavior. The role of IL-6 in the radiation response of prostate cancer was investigated in the present study. The murine prostate cancer cell line (TRAMP-C1) and the hormone-resistant cell sub-line, TRAMP-HR, were used to assess the radiation response using in vitro clonogenic assays and tumor growth delay in vivo. Biological changes following irradiation were investigated by means of experimental manipulation of IL-6 signaling. Correlations among IL-6 levels, tumor regrowth, angiogenesis and myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) recruitment were examined in an animal model. HR prostate cancer cells had a higher expression of IL-6 and more activated STAT3, compared to TRAMP-C1 cells. HR prostate cancer cells had a greater capacity to scavenge reactive oxygen species, suffered less apoptosis, and subsequently were more likely to survive after irradiation. Moreover, IL-6 expression was positively linked to irradiation and radiation resistance. IL-6 inhibition enhanced the radiation sensitivity of prostate cancer, which was associated with increased p53, RT-induced ROS and oxidative DNA damage. Furthermore, when mice were irradiated with a sub-lethal dose, inhibition of IL-6 protein expression attenuated angiogenesis, MDSC recruitment, and decreased tumor regrowth. These data demonstrate that IL-6 is important in the biological sequelae following irradiation. Therefore, treatment with concurrent IL-6 inhibition is a potential therapeutic strategy for increasing the radiation response of prostate cancer

Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiotherapy in Prostate Cancer Patients: Rise in Interleukin 6 (IL-6) but not IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, Tumor Necrosis Factor-{alpha}, MIP-1-{alpha}, and LIF Levels

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Oliveira Lopes, Carlos [Universidade do Vale do Paraiba, Centro de Oncologia Radioterapica do Vale do Paraiba, Universidade do Vale do Paraiba Instituto de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Universidade do Vale do Paraiba, Sao Jose dos Campos, Sao Paulo (Brazil); Callera, Fernando, E-mail: fcallera@gmail.com [Centro de Hematologia Onco-hematologia e Transplantes de Medula Ossea do Vale do Paraiba, Sao Paulo (Brazil)

2012-03-15

Purpose: To investigate the effect of radiotherapy (RT) on serum levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-{alpha}), macrophage inflammatory protein-1-alpha (MIP-1-{alpha}) and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) in patients with prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: Forty eight patients with prostate cancer received three-dimensional conformal blocking radiation therapy with a linear accelerator. IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, TNF-{alpha}, MIP-1-{alpha}, and LIF levels were measured by the related immunoassay kit 1 day before the beginning of RT and during RT at days 15 and 30. Results: The mean IL-2 values were elevated before and during the RT in contrast with those of IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, TNF-{alpha}, MIP-1-{alpha}, and LIF, which were within the normal range under the same conditions. Regarding markers IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, TNF-{alpha}, MIP-1-{alpha}, and LIF, comparisons among the three groups (before treatment and 15 and 30 days during RT) did not show significant differences. Although values were within the normal range, there was a significant rise in IL-6 levels at day 15 of RT (p = 0.0049) and a decline at day 30 to levels that were similar to those observed before RT. Conclusions: IL-6 appeared to peak after 15 days of RT before returning to pre-RT levels. In contrast, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, TNF-{alpha}, MIP-1-{alpha}, and LIF levels were not sensitive to irradiation. The increased levels of IL-6 following RT without the concurrent elevation of other cytokines involved in the acute phase reaction did not suggest a classical inflammatory response to radiation exposure. Further studies should be designed to elucidate the role of IL-6 levels in patients with prostate cancer treated with RT.

Synchronous prostate and rectal adenocarcinomas irradiation utilising volumetric modulated arc therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Sweet Ping; Tran, Thu; Moloney, Philip; Sale, Charlotte; Mathlum, Maitham; Ong, Grace; Lynch, Rod

2015-12-01

Cases of synchronous prostate and colorectal adenocarcinomas have been sporadically reported. There are case reports on patients with synchronous prostate and rectal cancers treated with external beam radiotherapy alone or combined with high-dose rate brachytherapy boost to the prostate. Here, we illustrate a patient with synchronous prostate and rectal cancers treated using the volumetric arc therapy (VMAT) technique. The patient was treated with radical radiotherapy to 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions to the pelvis, incorporating the involved internal iliac node and the prostate. A boost of 24 Gy in 12 fractions was delivered to the prostate only, using VMAT. Treatment-related toxicities and follow-up prostate-specific antigen and carcinoembryonic antigen were collected for data analysis. At 12 months, the patient achieved complete response for both rectal and prostate cancers without significant treatment-related toxicities.

Partial-Body Irradiation in Patients with Prostate Cancer Treated with IMRT Has Little Effect on the Composition of Serum Proteome.

Science.gov (United States)

Pietrowska, Monika; Jelonek, Karol; Polanska, Joanna; Wojakowska, Anna; Marczak, Lukasz; Chawinska, Ewa; Chmura, Aleksanda; Majewski, Wojciech; Miszczyk, Leszek; Widlak, Piotr

2015-06-30

Partial body irradiation during cancer radiotherapy (RT) induces a response of irradiated tissues that could be observed at the level of serum proteome. Here we aimed to characterize the response to RT in group of patients treated because of prostate cancer. Five consecutive blood samples were collected before, during, and after the end of RT in a group of 126 patients who received definitive treatment with a maximum dose of 76 Gy. Serum peptidome, which was profiled in the 2000-16,000 Da range using MALDI-MS. Serum proteins were identified and quantified using the shotgun LC-MS/MS approach. The majority of changes in serum peptidome were detected between pre-treatment samples and samples collected after 3-4 weeks of RT (~25% of registered peptides changed their abundances significantly), yet the intensity of observed changes was not correlated significantly with the degree of acute radiation toxicity or the volume of irradiated tissues. Furthermore, there were a few serum proteins identified, the abundances of which were different in pre-RT and post-RT samples, including immunity and inflammation-related factors. Observed effects were apparently weaker than in comparable groups of head and neck cancer patients in spite of similar radiation doses and volumes of irradiated tissues in both groups. We concluded that changes observed at the level of serum proteome were low for this cohort of prostate cancer patients, although the specific components involved are associated with immunity and inflammation, and reflect the characteristic acute response of the human body to radiation.

Partial-Body Irradiation in Patients with Prostate Cancer Treated with IMRT Has Little Effect on the Composition of Serum Proteome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Monika Pietrowska

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Partial body irradiation during cancer radiotherapy (RT induces a response of irradiated tissues that could be observed at the level of serum proteome. Here we aimed to characterize the response to RT in group of patients treated because of prostate cancer. Five consecutive blood samples were collected before, during, and after the end of RT in a group of 126 patients who received definitive treatment with a maximum dose of 76 Gy. Serum peptidome, which was profiled in the 2000–16,000 Da range using MALDI-MS. Serum proteins were identified and quantified using the shotgun LC-MS/MS approach. The majority of changes in serum peptidome were detected between pre-treatment samples and samples collected after 3–4 weeks of RT (~25% of registered peptides changed their abundances significantly, yet the intensity of observed changes was not correlated significantly with the degree of acute radiation toxicity or the volume of irradiated tissues. Furthermore, there were a few serum proteins identified, the abundances of which were different in pre-RT and post-RT samples, including immunity and inflammation-related factors. Observed effects were apparently weaker than in comparable groups of head and neck cancer patients in spite of similar radiation doses and volumes of irradiated tissues in both groups. We concluded that changes observed at the level of serum proteome were low for this cohort of prostate cancer patients, although the specific components involved are associated with immunity and inflammation, and reflect the characteristic acute response of the human body to radiation.

Impact of inter- and intrafraction deviations and residual set-up errors on PTV margins. Different alignment techniques in 3D conformal prostate cancer radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Langsenlehner, T.; Doeller, C.; Winkler, P.; Kapp, K.S.; Galle, G.

2013-01-01

The aim of this work was to analyze interfraction and intrafraction deviations and residual set-up errors (RSE) after online repositioning to determine PTV margins for 3 different alignment techniques in prostate cancer radiotherapy. The present prospective study included 44 prostate cancer patients with implanted fiducials treated with three-dimensional (3D) conformal radiotherapy. Daily localization was based on skin marks followed by marker detection using kilovoltage (kV) imaging and subsequent patient repositioning. Additionally, in-treatment megavoltage (MV) images were obtained for each treatment field. In an off-line analysis of 7,273 images, interfraction prostate motion, RSE after marker-based prostate localization, prostate position during each treatment session, and the effect of treatment time on intrafraction deviations were analyzed to evaluate PTV margins. Margins accounting for interfraction deviation, RSE and intrafraction motion were 14.1, 12.9, and 15.1 mm in anterior-posterior (AP), superior-inferior (SI), and left-right (LR) direction for skin mark alignment and 9.6, 8.7, and 2.6 mm for bony structure alignment, respectively. Alignment to implanted markers required margins of 4.6, 2.8, and 2.5 mm. As margins to account for intrafraction motion increased with treatment prolongation PTV margins could be reduced to 3.9, 2.6, and 2.4 mm if treatment time was ≤ 4 min. With daily online correction and repositioning based on implanted fiducials, a significant reduction of PTV margins can be achieved. The use of an optimized workflow with faster treatment techniques such as volumetric modulated arc techniques (VMAT) could allow for a further decrease. (orig.)

Risk group dependence of dose-response for biopsy outcome after three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy of prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levegruen, Sabine; Jackson, Andrew; Zelefsky, Michael J.; Venkatraman, Ennapadam S.; Skwarchuk, Mark W.; Schlegel, Wolfgang; Fuks, Zvi; Leibel, Steven A.; Ling, C. Clifton

2002-01-01

Background and purpose: We fit phenomenological tumor control probability (TCP) models to biopsy outcome after three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) of prostate cancer patients to quantify the local dose-response of prostate cancer. Materials and methods: We analyzed the outcome after photon beam 3D-CRT of 103 patients with stage T1c-T3 prostate cancer treated at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) (prescribed target doses between 64.8 and 81 Gy) who had a prostate biopsy performed ≥2.5 years after end of treatment. A univariate logistic regression model based on D mean (mean dose in the planning target volume of each patient) was fit to the whole data set and separately to subgroups characterized by low and high values of tumor-related prognostic factors T-stage ( 6), and pre-treatment prostate-specific antigen (PSA) (≤10 ng/ml vs. >10 ng/ml). In addition, we evaluated five different classifications of the patients into three risk groups, based on all possible combinations of two or three prognostic factors, and fit bivariate logistic regression models with D mean and the risk group category to all patients. Dose-response curves were characterized by TCD 50 , the dose to control 50% of the tumors, and γ 50 , the normalized slope of the dose-response curve at TCD 50 . Results: D mean correlates significantly with biopsy outcome in all patient subgroups and larger values of TCD 50 are observed for patients with unfavorable compared to favorable prognostic factors. For example, TCD 50 for high T-stage patients is 7 Gy higher than for low T-stage patients. For all evaluated risk group definitions, D mean and the risk group category are independent predictors of biopsy outcome in bivariate analysis. The fit values of TCD 50 show a clear separation of 9-10.6 Gy between low and high risk patients. The corresponding dose-response curves are steeper (γ 50 =3.4-5.2) than those obtained when all patients are analyzed together (γ 50 =2

Benchmarking Dosimetric Quality Assessment of Prostate Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Senthi, Sashendra; Gill, Suki S.; Haworth, Annette; Kron, Tomas; Cramb, Jim; Rolfo, Aldo; Thomas, Jessica; Duchesne, Gillian M.; Hamilton, Christopher H.; Joon, Daryl Lim; Bowden, Patrick; Foroudi, Farshad

2012-01-01

Purpose: To benchmark the dosimetric quality assessment of prostate intensity-modulated radiotherapy and determine whether the quality is influenced by disease or treatment factors. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data from 155 consecutive men treated radically for prostate cancer using intensity-modulated radiotherapy to 78 Gy between January 2007 and March 2009 across six radiotherapy treatment centers. The plan quality was determined by the measures of coverage, homogeneity, and conformity. Tumor coverage was measured using the planning target volume (PTV) receiving 95% and 100% of the prescribed dose (V 95% and V 100% , respectively) and the clinical target volume (CTV) receiving 95% and 100% of the prescribed dose. Homogeneity was measured using the sigma index of the PTV and CTV. Conformity was measured using the lesion coverage factor, healthy tissue conformity index, and the conformity number. Multivariate regression models were created to determine the relationship between these and T stage, risk status, androgen deprivation therapy use, treatment center, planning system, and treatment date. Results: The largest discriminatory measurements of coverage, homogeneity, and conformity were the PTV V 95% , PTV sigma index, and conformity number. The mean PTV V 95% was 92.5% (95% confidence interval, 91.3–93.7%). The mean PTV sigma index was 2.10 Gy (95% confidence interval, 1.90–2.20). The mean conformity number was 0.78 (95% confidence interval, 0.76–0.79). The treatment center independently influenced the coverage, homogeneity, and conformity (all p 95% only, with it being better at the start (p = .013). Risk status, T stage, and the use of androgen deprivation therapy did not influence any aspect of plan quality. Conclusion: Our study has benchmarked measures of coverage, homogeneity, and conformity for the treatment of prostate cancer using IMRT. The differences seen between centers and planning systems and the coverage

Cost-benefit analysis of 3D conformal radiation therapy. Treatment of prostate cancer as a model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, K.H.; Khan, F.M.; Levitt, S.H.

1999-01-01

Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) is a promising new treatment technique based on the principle that improved precision in both tumor definition and dose delivery will enhance outcomes by maximizing dose to the tumor area while minimizing dose to normal tissue. Using a cost-benefit analysis, in terms of outcomes, we first examined the overall risks and benefits of 3D-CRT. We then used the treatment of prostate cancer as a model to compare actual clinical outcomes reported between 3D-CRT and standard radiation therapy (SRT). Our analysis shows that application of 3D-CRT to the clinical setting remains difficult because of the continual difficulties of target definition, and that dose escalation cannot yet be justified on the basis of the lack of benefit found, and suggested increased late toxicity, in most of the dose escalation series compared with SRT. (orig.)

Radiation protection effect of selenium on the Rat's prostate

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Choi, Hyung Seok; Choi, Jun Hyeok; Jung, Do Young; Kim, Jang Oh; Shin, Ji Hye; Kim, Joo Hee; Min, Byung In [Inje University, Kimhae (Korea, Republic of)

2017-06-15

High-tech medical equipment has increased the utilization of radiation in the medical field. As a result, research on radiation protection using natural materials has become an important social issue. Selenium is a natural substance that is highly expressed in prostate known that an essential role in prostate cells. Selenium was orally administered to Rat and irradiated with 10 Gy of radiation. Then, the prostate tissue was used as a target organ for 1 day, 7 days and 21 days to investigate the radiation protection effect of selenium through changes of blood components, Superoxide Dismutase and histological changes. As a result, there was a significant protective effect of hematopoietic immune system(hemoglobin concentration, neutrophil, platelet) in the group irradiated with selenium(p<0.05). The observation of tissue changes selenium is an effective component to increase Superoxide Dismutase activity, and it was confirmed that it has an effect of inhibiting the expression of hypertrophy of prostate by irradiation. Therefore, it is considered that selenium can be utilized as a radioprotective agent by inducing prevention of prostate-related diseases.

A rectal balloon catheter as internal immobilization device for conformal radiotherapy of prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerstner, N.; Wachter, S.; Dorner, D.; Goldner, G.; Colotto, A.; Poetter, R.

1999-01-01

Background: As known from the literature, prostate motion depends on different bladder and/or rectum fillings. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of a rectum balloon catheter, used as an internal immobilization device, on prostate and rectum motion during the treatment course. Moreover we have analysed if the balloon enables an increase of the distance between the prostate and the posterior rectum wall. Results: An increase of the distance between the prostate and the posterior rectal wall of 8 mm was observed at the base of the prostate when using the rectum balloon. Moreover prostate motion in the ventrodorsal direction ≥4 mm (1 SD) was reduced from 6/10 patients (60%) to 1/10 patients (10%) using the rectal balloon. In general, deviations in the latero-lateral and cranio-caudal directions were less (mean ≤ 2 mm, 1 SD), no difference between both examination series (with and without balloon) was observed. Conclusion: Rectal balloon catheter offers a possibility to reduce prostate motion and rectum filling variations during treatment course. In addition it enables an increase in the distance between prostate and posterior rectal wall, which could enable an improved protection of the posterior rectal wall. (orig./AJ) [de

External beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forman, Jeffrey D.

1996-01-01

Purpose/Objectives: The intent of this course is to review the issues involved in the management of non-metastatic adenocarcinoma of the prostate. -- The value of pre-treatment prognostic factors including stage, grade and PSA value will be presented, and their value in determining therapeutic strategies will be discussed. -- Controversies involving the simulation process and treatment design will be presented. The value of CT scanning, Beams-Eye View, 3-D planning, intravesicle, intraurethral and rectal contrast will be presented. The significance of prostate and patient movement and strategies for dealing with them will be presented. -- The management of low stage, low to intermediate grade prostate cancer will be discussed. The dose, volume and timing of irradiation will be discussed as will the role of neo-adjuvant hormonal therapy, neutron irradiation and brachytherapy. The current status of radical prostatectomy and cryotherapy will be summarized. Treatment of locally advanced, poorly differentiated prostate cancer will be presented including a discussion of neo-adjuvant and adjuvant hormones, dose-escalation and neutron irradiation. -- Strategies for post-radiation failures will be presented including data on cryotherapy, salvage prostatectomy and hormonal therapy (immediate, delayed and/or intermittent). New areas for investigation will be reviewed. -- The management of patients post prostatectomy will be reviewed. Data on adjuvant radiation and therapeutic radiation for biochemical or clinically relapsed patients will be presented. This course hopes to present a realistic and pragmatic overview for treating patients with non-metastatic prostatic cancer

Interim report of image-guided conformal high-dose-rate brachytherapy for patients with unfavorable prostate cancer: the William Beaumont Phase II dose-escalating trial

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez, Alvaro A.; Kestin, Larry L.; Stromberg, Jannifer S.; Gonzalez, Jose A.; Wallace, Michelle; Gustafson, Gary S.; Edmundson, Gregory K.; Spencer, William; Vicini, Frank A.

2000-01-01

Purpose: We analyzed our institution's experience treating patients with unfavorable prostate cancer in a prospective Phase II dose-escalating trial of external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) integrated with conformal high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy boosts. This interim report discusses treatment outcome and prognostic factors using this treatment approach. Methods and Materials: From November 1991 through February 1998, 142 patients with unfavorable prostate cancer were prospectively treated in a dose-escalating trial with pelvic EBRT in combination with outpatient HDR brachytherapy at William Beaumont Hospital. Patients with any of the following characteristics were eligible: pretreatment prostate-specific antigen (PSA) ≥ 10.0 ng/ml, Gleason score ≥ 7, or clinical stage T2b or higher. All patients received pelvic EBRT to a median total dose of 46.0 Gy. Pelvic EBRT was integrated with ultrasound-guided transperineal conformal interstitial iridium-192 HDR implants. From 1991 to 1995, 58 patients underwent three conformal interstitial HDR implants during the first, second, and third weeks of pelvic EBRT. After October 1995, 84 patients received two interstitial implants during the first and third weeks of pelvic EBRT. The dose delivered via interstitial brachytherapy was escalated from 5.50 Gy to 6.50 Gy for each implant in those patients receiving three implants, and subsequently, from 8.25 Gy to 9.50 Gy per fraction in those patients receiving two implants. To improve implant quality and reduce operator dependency, an on-line, image-guided interactive dose optimization program was utilized during each HDR implant. No patient received hormonal therapy unless treatment failure was documented. The median follow-up was 2.1 years (range: 0.2-7.2 years). Biochemical failure was defined according to the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology Consensus Panel definition. Results: The pretreatment PSA level was ≥ 10.0 ng/ml in 51% of patients. The

Long term results in radiotherapy of prostatic cancer

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Bagshaw, M.A.; Ray, G.R.; Cox, R.S.

1987-01-01

Discounting skin cancer, prostatic cancer remains second only to lung cancer in incidence in the United States. Colon Cancer is a close third. The incidence of lung cancer has started to decline slightly in the male, while prostatic cancer continues to increase, no doubt related to the aging of the population. Radiation therapy was first used in the treatment of prostatic cancer in the United States about 1915, having been introduced as intracavitary radium treatments by the American urologist, Hugh Young. External beam irradiation was used in the 1930's, but mostly for palliation of ureteral and vascular obstruction. Definitive use was first described by other investigators in the 1940's' however, attention changed to hormonal manipulation following Huggin's discovery of the dependency of prostate cancer on male hormone. Improved radiation therapy sources were invented, such as Cobalt 60 units, linear accelerators and betatrons, stimulated a reinvestigation of the definitive use of radiation therapy to prostate cancer in the 1950's. According to the current American College of Surgeon's survey of patterns of care of patients with prostate cancer, the use of external beam irradiation for the treatment of prostatic cancer has doubled in the United States during the past decade; however, apparently in Europe, hormone deprivation remains the therapeutic standard

Benchmarking Dosimetric Quality Assessment of Prostate Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy

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Senthi, Sashendra, E-mail: sasha.senthi@petermac.org [Division of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Center, East Melbourne, VIC (Australia); Gill, Suki S. [Division of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Center, East Melbourne, VIC (Australia); Haworth, Annette; Kron, Tomas; Cramb, Jim [Department of Physical Sciences, Peter MacCallum Cancer Center, East Melbourne, VIC (Australia); Rolfo, Aldo [Radiation Therapy Services, Peter MacCallum Cancer Center, East Melbourne, VIC (Australia); Thomas, Jessica [Biostatistics and Clinical Trials, Peter MacCallum Cancer Center, East Melbourne, VIC (Australia); Duchesne, Gillian M. [Division of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Center, East Melbourne, VIC (Australia); Hamilton, Christopher H.; Joon, Daryl Lim [Radiation Oncology Department, Austin Repatriation Hospital, Heidelberg, VIC (Australia); Bowden, Patrick [Radiation Oncology Department, Tattersall' s Cancer Center, East Melbourne, VIC (Australia); Foroudi, Farshad [Division of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Center, East Melbourne, VIC (Australia)

2012-02-01

Purpose: To benchmark the dosimetric quality assessment of prostate intensity-modulated radiotherapy and determine whether the quality is influenced by disease or treatment factors. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data from 155 consecutive men treated radically for prostate cancer using intensity-modulated radiotherapy to 78 Gy between January 2007 and March 2009 across six radiotherapy treatment centers. The plan quality was determined by the measures of coverage, homogeneity, and conformity. Tumor coverage was measured using the planning target volume (PTV) receiving 95% and 100% of the prescribed dose (V{sub 95%} and V{sub 100%}, respectively) and the clinical target volume (CTV) receiving 95% and 100% of the prescribed dose. Homogeneity was measured using the sigma index of the PTV and CTV. Conformity was measured using the lesion coverage factor, healthy tissue conformity index, and the conformity number. Multivariate regression models were created to determine the relationship between these and T stage, risk status, androgen deprivation therapy use, treatment center, planning system, and treatment date. Results: The largest discriminatory measurements of coverage, homogeneity, and conformity were the PTV V{sub 95%}, PTV sigma index, and conformity number. The mean PTV V{sub 95%} was 92.5% (95% confidence interval, 91.3-93.7%). The mean PTV sigma index was 2.10 Gy (95% confidence interval, 1.90-2.20). The mean conformity number was 0.78 (95% confidence interval, 0.76-0.79). The treatment center independently influenced the coverage, homogeneity, and conformity (all p < .0001). The planning system independently influenced homogeneity (p = .038) and conformity (p = .021). The treatment date independently influenced the PTV V{sub 95%} only, with it being better at the start (p = .013). Risk status, T stage, and the use of androgen deprivation therapy did not influence any aspect of plan quality. Conclusion: Our study has benchmarked measures

Radiation-Induced Leiomyosarcoma of the Prostate after Brachytherapy for Prostatic Adenocarcinoma

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Hiroto Horiguchi

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Radiation therapy (RTx has been employed as a curative therapy for prostatic adenocarcinoma. RTx-induced sarcomas (RISs are rare, late adverse events, representing less than 0.2% of all irradiated patients. RISs are more aggressive tumors than prostatic adenocarcinomas. Herein, we present a case with RTx-induced prostatic leiomyosarcoma after permanent brachytherapy for prostatic adenocarcinoma. A 69-year-old male presented with dysuria and gross hematuria. Six years previously, he had been diagnosed with localized prostate cancer and was treated by permanent brachytherapy. Urethroscopy showed stenosis by a tumor at the prostate. Transurethral prostatectomy was performed for a diagnosis. Based on pathological findings, the diagnosis was leiomyosarcoma of the prostate. He was treated with three cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (CTx that consisted of doxorubicin and ifosfamide (AI, followed by a prostatocystectomy with intrapelvic lymphadenectomy. The tumor extended from the prostate and infiltrated the bladder wall and serosa with lymphatic and venous invasion. The surgical margin was negative, and no residual prostatic adenocarcinoma was observed. The proportion of necrotic tumor cells by neoadjuvant CTx was around 50%. Subsequently, adjuvant CTx was offered, but the patient chose a follow-up without CTx. Local recurrence and lung metastasis were detected by computed tomography 3 months after the surgery. He was treated again with AI. However, CTx was not effective and he died 6 months after the operation. In conclusion, an effective treatment strategy for prostatic sarcoma should be developed in the near future, although the clinical feature of prostatic sarcoma remains unclear due to its rare incidence.

Effect of testicular irradiation on established BPH in the dog: evidence of a non-steroidal testicular factor for BPH maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grayhack, J.T.; Lee, C.; Brand, W.

1985-01-01

Irradiation of the testes of four to 13-year-old male beagles with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) was undertaken to attempt to evaluate the possibility that the testes secrete a non-androgenic accessory sex gland-stimulating substance that may have a critical role in the development of BPH. Thirteen non-irradiated and shoulder irradiated control and 16 beagles subjected to 1500 to 2200 rads single dose testis irradiation had pre-irradiation, interval post-irradiation and terminal caliper measurements of prostatic length, width and depth, prostatic and testicular biopsies, and determination of serum testosterone and estradiol levels. Four beagles survived in a group observed for 109 weeks post testis irradiation, 12 in a group observed for 51 and 10 in a group observed for 59 weeks. The wet weight of the prostate was determined at sacrifice. Ratios of the final/initial length and width and final actual/initial calculated weight of the prostate were significantly decreased in testis-irradiated as compared to control beagles. Histologic evaluation also demonstrated a significant difference in degree of prostatic stimulation in control and testis-irradiated groups. The serum testosterone and estradiol levels were not significantly different in the testis-irradiated and control beagles

Radiation therapy for prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, Katsumasa

2001-01-01

In Japan, where the mortality rate of prostate cancer is lower than in Western countries, radical prostatectomy or hormonal therapy has been applied more frequently than radiation therapy. However, the number of patients with prostate cancer has been increasing recently and the importance of radiation therapy has rapidly been recognized. Although there have been no randomized trials, results from several institutions in Western countries suggest that similar results of cancer control are achieved with either radiation therapy or radical prostatectomy. For higher-risk cases, conformal high-dose therapy or adjuvant hormonal therapy is more appropriate. In this article, the results of radiation therapy for prostate cancer were reviewed, with a view to the appropriate choice of therapy in Japan. (author)

Magnetic Resonance Imaging and conformal radiotherapy: Characterization of MRI alone simulation for conformal radiotherapy. Development and evaluation of an automatic volumes of interest segmentation tool for prostate cancer radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pasquier, David

2006-01-01

Radiotherapy is a curative treatment of malignant tumours. Radiotherapy techniques considerably evolved last years with the increasing integration of medical images in conformal radiotherapy. This technique makes it possible to elaborate a complex ballistics conforming to target volume and sparing healthy tissues. The examination currently used to delineate volumes of interest is Computed Tomography (CT), on account of its geometrical precision and the information that it provides on electronic densities needed to dose calculation. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) ensures a more precise delineation of target volumes in many locations, such as pelvis and brain. For pelvic tumours, the use of MRI needs image registration, which complicates treatment planning and poses the problem of the lack of in vivo standard method of validation. The obstacles in the use of MRI alone in treatment planning were evaluated. Neither geometrical distortion linked with the system and the patient nor the lack of information on electronic densities represent stumbling obstacles. Distortion remained low even in edge of large field of view on modern machines. The assignment of electronic densities to bone structures and soft tissues in MR images permitted to obtain equivalent dosimetry to that carried out on the original CT, with a good reproducibility and homogeneous distribution within target volume. The assignment of electronic densities could not be carried out using 20 MV photons and suitable ballistics. The development of Image Guided Radiotherapy could facilitate the use of MRI alone in treatment planning. Target volumes and organ at risk delineation is a time consuming task in radiotherapy planning. We took part in the development and evaluated a method of automatic and semi automatic delineation of volumes of interest from MRI images for prostate cancer radiotherapy. For prostate and organ at risk automatic delineation an organ model-based method and a seeded region growing method

Synchronous prostate and rectal adenocarcinomas irradiation utilising volumetric modulated arc therapy

OpenAIRE

Ng, Sweet Ping; Tran, Thu; Moloney, Philip; Sale, Charlotte; Mathlum, Maitham; Ong, Grace; Lynch, Rod

2015-01-01

Abstract Cases of synchronous prostate and colorectal adenocarcinomas have been sporadically reported. There are case reports on patients with synchronous prostate and rectal cancers treated with external beam radiotherapy alone or combined with high?dose rate brachytherapy boost to the prostate. Here, we illustrate a patient with synchronous prostate and rectal cancers treated using the volumetric arc therapy (VMAT) technique. The patient was treated with radical radiotherapy to 50.4 Gy in 2...

Is the alpha-beta ratio of prostate cancer really low? A prospective, non-randomized trial comparing standard and hyperfractionated conformal radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valdagni, Riccardo; Italia, Corrado; Montanaro, Paolo; Lanceni, Angelo; Lattuada, Paola; Magnani, Tiziana; Fiorino, Claudio; Nahum, Alan

2005-01-01

Background and purpose: The objectives of the current study were to compare genito-urinary (GU) and gastro-intestinal (GI) toxicities as well as biochemical control (bRFS) in prostate cancer, utilizing conventional (2.0 Gy daily) (STD) or hyperfractionated (HFX) conformal irradiation (CRT). HFX (1.2 Gy BID) was chosen as a radiobiological method to try to reduce long term sequelae without compromising local control. Patients and methods: Three-hundred-and-seventy consecutive patients (pts) entered this prospective, non-randomized trial in the period January 1993-January 2003; 209 were treated with STD and 161 with HFX CRT. All were evaluable for acute toxicity analysis, 179 (STD) and 151 pts (HFX) being evaluable for late sequelae and bRFS analyses. Pt characteristics were not statistically different in the two groups. CRT consisted of a 4-field technique for prostate and/or pelvic nodes and a 5-field boost with rectal shielding. Median doses were 74 and 79.2 Gy for STD and HFX patients respectively, the latter dose being isoeffective for tumour control assuming α/β=10 (EQD 2 =73.9 Gy). Median follow-up was 29.4 months (25.2 mos for STD; 37.7 mos for HFX; P<0.01). The two regimens were compared in terms of acute and late GU and GI toxicities and 5-year bRFS by univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Acute grade≥2 GU toxicity was higher in the STD group (48.6% versus 37.3% in HFX, P=0.03), while no significant difference was found for acute GI toxicity. Late grade≥2 GU and GI toxicities were lower in the HFX group (5-year actuarial rate: GU: 10.1% versus 20.3%, P=0.05; GI: 6.0% versus 10.6%, P=0.18). Five-year bRFS were 70% (±13.8%, 95% CI) and 82.6% (±7.2%) for STD and HFX, respectively (P=0.44); a trend favouring HFX was found in the subgroup of pts who did not receive hormonal therapy (5-year bRFS: 85.9%±12.4% versus 63.9%±23.8%, P=0.15). Multivariate analysis revealed only risk groups and age statistically related to bRFS but not fractionation

Elimination of importance factors for clinically accurate selection of beam orientations, beam weights and wedge angles in conformal radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bedford, James L.; Webb, Steve

2003-01-01

A method of simultaneously optimizing beam orientations, beam weights, and wedge angles for conformal radiotherapy is presented. This method removes the need for importance factors by optimizing one objective only, subject to a set of rigid constraints. This facilitates the production of inverse solutions which, without trial-and-error modification of importance factors, precisely satisfy the specified constraints. The algorithm minimizes an objective function which is based upon the single objective to be optimized, but which is forced to an artificially high value when the constraints are not met, so that only satisfactory solutions are allowed. Due to the complex nature of the objective function space, including multiple local minima separated by large regions of plateau, a random search technique equivalent to fast simulated annealing is used for producing inverse plans. To illustrate the novel features of the new algorithm, a simulation is first presented, for the case of a cylindrical phantom. The morphology of the objective function space is shown to be significantly different for the new algorithm, compared to that for a conventional quadratic objective function. Clinical cases for prostate and craniopharyngioma are then presented. For the prostate case, the objective is to reduce irradiated rectal volume. Three-field, four-field, and six-field optimizations, with or without orientation optimization, are shown to provide solutions which are consistent with previously reported plans and class solutions. For the craniopharyngioma case, which involves the use of a high-precision stereotactic conformal technique, the objective is to reduce the irradiated volume of normal brain. Practically feasible beam angles are produced which, compared to a standard plan, provide a small but worthwhile sparing of normal brain. The algorithm is thereby shown to be robust and suitable for clinical application

Osteogenic sarcoma of the prostate

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Nishiyama, Tsutomu; Terunuma, Masahiro [Koseiren Nagaoka Chuo General Hospital, Niigata (Japan); Ikarashi, Toshihiko; Ishizaki, Satoshi

2001-04-01

A 76-year-old man was treated with bilateral orchiectomy, estramustine phosphate and pelvic irradiation for prostate cancer. Osteogenic sarcoma of the prostate developed 18 months after the treatment. Postmortem examination revealed that the tumor was 8 cm in diameter and had infiltrated into the bladder and rectal walls and had resulted in peritoneal dissemination. There was no distant metastasis. Macroscopically, the tumor was ashen, firm and relatively homogenous and diffusely spread. Histologically, it was composed of spindle and pleomorphic cells, which were making osteoid with calcification. There was no ordinary tubular formation as shown in adenocarcinoma of the prostate. No positive immunostaining for prostate-specific antigen, epithelial membrane antigen and cytokeratin (AE-1, AE-3) were confirmed. Positive immunostaining for nonepithelial marker vimentin was confirmed. The ultimate diagnosis was osteogenic sarcoma of the prostate. (author)

Weekly bi-fractionated 40 Gy three-dimensional conformational accelerated partial irradiation of breast: results of a phase II French pilot study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bourgier, C.; Pichenot, C.; Verstraet, R.; Heymann, S.; Biron, B.; Delaloge, S.; Garbay, J.R.; Marsiglia, H.; Bourhis, J.; Taghian, A.; Marsiglia, H.

2010-01-01

The authors report the first French experience of three-dimensional conformational and accelerated partial irradiation of breast. Twenty five patients have been concerned by this phase II trial. The prescribed total dose was 40 Gy, was delivered over 5 days in two daily fractions. Irradiation was performed with two 6 MV tangential mini-beams and a 6-22 MeV front electron beams. The planning target volume coverage was very good. Toxicity has been assessed. Healthy tissues (heart, lungs) are considerably protected. The acute and late toxicity is correct. Short communication

Analysis of competing risk parameters in irradiated prostate cancer patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayer, R.; Mayer, E.; Langsenlehner, U.; Hackl, A.; Pummer, K.; Quehenberger, F.; Feigl, G.

2003-01-01

Purpose: Retrospective competing risk analysis of prognostic factors in definitive-irradiated prostate cancer patients. Patients and Methods: Data of 652 patients were analyzed according to three age subgroups ( 75 years; Table 1). Pre-RT PSA values (median 13.4 ng/ml) were available for 340 patients. Adjuvant hormone therapy (n = 261) consisted either of orchiectomy (n = 151) or LHRH agonist with/without antiandrogen therapy or, in the early years, diethystilbestrol. Neoadjuvant hormone therapy (n = 31) using LHRH agonists was given 6 months before and during radiotherapy. Results: Biochemical failure was observed in 69/.340 patients, 5 years after biochemical failure, 64.9% of them also had failed clinically. The cumulative incidence of local failure (LF) and distant metastases (DM) was 9.4% and 37.2%, respectively; LF and DM at the same time were seen in 18.2%. On multivariate analysis (Tables 2 and 3), advanced stage (relative risk [RR] 4.54), pre-RT PSA > 20 ng/ml (RR 2.79) and poorly differentiated tumors (RR 2.96) were significant predictors of biochemical failure. Advanced stage increased the risk of LF (RR 2.18), DM (RR 3.66), and prostate cancer death (PCD; RR 4.30). Hormone therapy decreased the risk of biochemical failure (RR 0.67), DM (RR 0.59), and PCD (RR 0.60) without reaching statistical significance. Median follow-up was 7.6 years. Conclusion: Risk of biochemical failure was predicted by pre-RT PSA, stage, and grade; in patients with biochemical failure, the cumulative incidence of death from intercurrent diseases and PCD was 25.0% and 29.2% after 5 years, respectively. The risk of DM and PCD was predicted by stage and grade. Higher age (> 75 years) decreased the relative risk of LF, DM, and PCD significantly. (orig.)

SU-F-T-402: The Effect of Extremely Narrow MLC Leaf Width On the Plan Quality of VMAT for Prostate Cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, J; Park, S; Kim, J; Choi, C; Park, J

2016-01-01

Purpose: To investigate the effect of multi-leaf collimators (MLCs) with leaf width of 1.25 mm on the plan quality of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for prostate cancer. Methods: A total of 20 patients with prostate cancer were retrospectively selected. Using a high definition MLC (HD MLC), primary and boost VMAT plans with two full arcs were generated for each patient (original plan). After that, by shifting patient CT images by 1.25 mm in the cranio-caudal direction between the 1st and the 2nd arc, we simulated fluences made with MLCs with leaf width of 1.25 mm. After shifting, primary and boost plans were generated for each patient (shifted plan). A sum plan was generated by summation of the primary and boost plan for each patient. Dose-volumetric parameters were calculated and compared. Results: Both homogeneity index (HI) and conformity index (CI) of the shifted plans were better than those of the original plans in primary plans (HI = 0.044 vs. 0.040 with p < 0.001 and CI = 1.056 vs. 1.044 with p = 0.006). Similarly, the shifted plans for boost target volume showed better homogeneity and conformity than did the original plans (HI = 0.042 vs. 0.037 with p = 0.006 and CI = 1.015 vs. 1.009 with p < 0.001). The total body volumes of the original plans irradiated by the prescription dose were larger than those of the shifted plans in sum plans (60.9 cc vs. 49.0 cc with p = 0.007). Conclusion: Use of extremely narrow MLCs could increase dose homogeneity and conformity of the target volume for prostate VMAT. This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIP) (No. 2015R1C1A1A02036331).

Respiratory-induced prostate motion: quantification and characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malone, Shawn; Crook, Juanita M.; Kendal, Wayne S.; Zanto, Janos S.

2000-01-01

Purpose: The precise localization of the prostate is critical for dose-escalated conformal radiotherapy. This study identifies and characterizes a potential cause of inaccurate prostatic localization--respiratory-induced movement. Methods and Materials: Prostate movement during respiration was measured fluoroscopically using implanted gold fiducial markers. Twenty sequential patients with CT 1 -T 3 N 0 M 0 prostate carcinoma were evaluated prone, immobilized in customized thermoplastic shells. A second 20 patients were evaluated both prone (with and without their thermoplastic shells) and supine (without their shells). Results: When the patients were immobilized prone in thermoplastic shells, the prostate moved synchronously with respiration. In the study the prostate was displaced a mean distance of 3.3 ± 1.8 (SD) mm (range, 1-10.2 mm), with 23% (9/40) of the displacements being 4 mm or greater. The respiratory-associated prostate movement decreased significantly when the thermoplastic shells were removed. Conclusion: Significant prostate movement can be induced by respiration when patients are immobilized in thermoplastic shells. This movement presumably is related to transmitted intraabdominal pressure within the confined space of the shells. Careful attention to the details of immobilization and to the possibility of respiratory-induced prostate movements is important when employing small field margins in prostatic radiotherapy

The evolution of rectal and urinary toxicity and immune response in prostate cancer patients treated with two three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vranova, Jana; Vinakurau, Stepan; Richter, Jan; Starec, Miroslav; Fiserova, Anna; Rosina, Jozef

2011-01-01

Our research compared whole pelvic (WP) and prostate-only (PO) 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) techniques in terms of the incidence and evolution of acute and late toxicity of the rectum and urinary bladder, and identified the PTV-parameters influencing these damages and changes in antitumor immune response. We analyzed 197 prostate cancer patients undergoing 3DCRT for gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) toxicities, and conducted a pilot immunological study including flow cytometry and an NK cell cytotoxicity assay. Acute and late toxicities were recorded according to the RTOG and the LENT-SOMA scales, respectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted for factors associated with toxicity. In the WP group, an increase of acute rectal toxicity was observed. A higher incidence of late GI/GU toxicity appeared in the PO group. Only 18 patients (WP-7.76% and PO-11.11%) suffered severe late GI toxicity, and 26 patients (WP-11.21% and PO-16.05%) severe late GU toxicity. In the majority of acute toxicity suffering patients, the diminution of late GI/GU toxicity to grade 1 or to no toxicity after radiotherapy was observed. The 3DCRT technique itself, patient age, T stage of TNM classification, surgical intervention, and some dose-volume parameters emerged as important factors in the probability of developing acute and late GI/GU toxicity. The proportion and differentiation of NK cells positively correlated during 3DCRT and negatively so after its completion with dose-volumes of the rectum and urinary bladder. T and NKT cells were down-regulated throughout the whole period. We found a negative correlation between leukocyte numbers and bone marrow irradiated by 44-54 Gy and a positive one for NK cell proportion and doses of 5-25 Gy. The acute GU, late GU, and GI toxicities up-regulated the T cell (CTL) numbers and NK cytotoxicity. Our study demonstrates the association of acute and late damage of the urinary bladder and rectum, with

Investigations of the conformation of DNA, native or alterated by irradiation, with ultraviolet radiation

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Zierenberg, B.

1971-01-01

An extension of the range of scattering angles in the direction of smaller angles (up to delta = 12 0 ) made it possible to successfully use the light scattering methods for the determination of DNA molecular weights >= 3 x 10 6 . In order to determine the conformation of native DNA in solution, different molecular weights were prepared by ultrasonic degradation. According to their hyperchromicity, these preparations are practically native. When native DNA in solution is irradiated with UV light of the wavelength lambda = 313 nm, two different photoreactions may occur: a) double and single strand breaks leading to degradation of the DNA molecule, and b) dimerisation of neighbouring thymine bases. The two reactions are independent of each other. In the presence of acetophenone as photosensitizer, the reaction type a) is greater by a factor 4 (in terms of single-strand breaks), while the reaction type b) is greater by a factor 16. The number of thymidine dimers per single strand break amounts to 100 for photosensitized reactions and to 25 for non-photosensitized reactions. The number of single strand breaks in terms of the quantum flux of 1 μ Einstein absorbed by the DNA is greater by a factor 3 during irradiation with UV light lambda = 254 nm as compared to the wavelength lambda = 313 nm. At this wavelength, DNA degradation starts at absorption energies as low as >= 2 x 10 7 erg/cm 3 . Light scattering and measurements with DNA containing thymidine dimers indicated neither a change in the total conformation nor a noticeable change in the microstructure. The hyperchromicity of the DNA was also unchanged. From these experimental results, it is concluded that the double helix of DNA is essentially stable to thymidine dimerisation. (orig./MG) [de

The place of conformal radiotherapy in the routine work: national investigation of SFRO members'opinion

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Lagrange, J.L.; Lipinski, F.

2001-01-01

National French investigation of the using of conformal radiotherapy in routine work, has been made in 2001, in 180 radiotherapeutic centers. Eighty responses have been obtained and analyzed. Conformal radiotherapy is used in 88% and virtual simulation in 60% of these centers. There is a heterogeneity in the equipment of these institutions, most of them have one or two machines. The accelerator equipment differs, and the availability of multi-leaf collimators and electronic portal imaging is limited. Actually only eleven centers have IMRT, eight have projects to install. Only six centers have CT-scans, used mainly for simulation. In 75% of centers conformal radiotherapy have been used in the treatment of CNS-tumors, head and neck cancers, prostate, and non-small cell lung carcinoma. If there are more equipment and human facilities to use conformal radiotherapy, this treatment can be proposed to patients with breast cancer, rectal and gynecological tumors. According 90% of responses, all prostatic cancers need conformal radiotherapy. The analysis of routine use of conformal radiotherapy in France shows an important heterogeneity but it seems that there is an agreement with objectives of this treatment. (authors)

Increased risk of biochemical and local failure in patients with distended rectum on the planning CT for prostate cancer radiotherapy

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Crevoisier, Renaud de; Tucker, Susan L.; Dong Lei; Mohan, Radhe; Cheung, Rex; Cox, James D.; Kuban, Deborah A.

2005-01-01

Purpose: To retrospectively test the hypothesis that rectal distension on the planning computed tomography (CT) scan is associated with an increased risk of biochemical and local failure among patients irradiated for prostate carcinoma when a daily repositioning technique based on direct prostate-organ localization is not used. Methods and Materials: This study included 127 patients who received definitive three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer to a total dose of 78 Gy at University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Rectal distension was assessed by calculation of the average cross-sectional rectal area (CSA; defined as the rectal volume divided by length) and measuring three rectal diameters on the planning CT. The impact of rectal distension on biochemical control, 2-year prostate biopsy results, and incidence of Grade 2 or greater late rectal bleeding was assessed. Results: The incidence of biochemical failure was significantly higher among patients with distended rectums (CSA >11.2 cm 2 ) on the planning CT scan (p 0.0009, log-rank test). Multivariate analysis indicates that rectal distension and high-risk disease are independent risk factors for biochemical failure, with hazard ratios of 3.89 (95% C.I. 1.58 to 9.56, p = 0.003) and 2.45 (95% C.I. 1.18 to 5.08, p = 0.016), respectively. The probability of residual tumor without evidence of radiation treatment (as scored by the pathologist) increased significantly with rectal distension (p = 0.010, logistic analysis), and a lower incidence of Grade 2 or greater late rectal bleeding within 2 years was simultaneously observed with higher CSA values (p = 0.031, logistic analysis). Conclusions: We found strong evidence that rectal distension on the treatment-planning CT scan decreased the probability of biochemical control, local control, and rectal toxicity in patients who were treated without daily image-guided prostate localization, presumably because of geographic misses. Therefore, an

Margin to CTV in simultaneous irradiation of treatment volumes attache to various anatomical frameworks: The paradigm of the CA. Of prostate in high risk with indication of lymph node irradiation

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Sanz Freire, C. J.; Perez Echaguen, S.; Collado chamorro, P.; Diaz Pascual, V.; Vazquez Galinanes, A.; Ossola Lentati, G. A.

2013-01-01

The triple objective of this work is: 1 check the effect on the positioning of the GGPP of corrections on the position of the prostate in simultaneous irradiation guided through daily image and its relationship with the filling of rectum and bladder 2. check if employees standard margins for CTV GGPP are valid for this technique 3 calculate the necessary extension of the margin to 2. is not verified. (Author)

Preoperative irradiation, lymphadenectomy, and 125iodine implantation for patients with localized carcinoma of the prostate

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DeLaney, T.F.; Shipley, W.U.; O'Leary, M.P.; Biggs, P.J.; Prout, G.R. Jr.

1986-01-01

Fifty-four patients with clinically and surgically localized prostatic carcinoma were treated with low-dose preoperative irradiation (1050 cGy), pelvic lymphadenectomy, and interstitial 125 Iodine implantation. The follow-up range is 2 to 9 years with a median follow-up of 5 years. Overall local tumor control is 92%. Actuarial 5-year survival is 86% and the actuarial disease-free survival at 5 years is 73%. Patients with poorly differentiated tumors have a significantly worse actuarial survival (62%) at 5 years than patients with well (95%) or moderately well differentiated tumors (93%), p = 0.04. Disease-free survival at 5 years was influenced by grade: well (100%), moderate (60%), and poor (48%), p = 0.03. Multivariate regression analysis indicates that only the degree of differentiation (p = 0.05) significantly impacts on survival. Both degree of differentiation (p = 0.04) and nodal status (p = 0.03) significantly influence disease-free survival. Potency has been maintained in 71% of patients potent at the time of implantation. Late reactions have been acceptable to date: bladder outlet obstruction (13%), mild proctitis (13%), cystourethritis (6%), incontinence (2%), and prostatic calculi (2%)

Irradiation of the prostate and pelvic lymph nodes with an adaptive algorithm

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Hwang, A. B.; Chen, J.; Nguyen, T. B.; Gottschalk, A. G.; Roach, M. R. III; Pouliot, J.

2012-01-01

Purpose: The simultaneous treatment of pelvic lymph nodes and the prostate in radiotherapy for prostate cancer is complicated by the independent motion of these two target volumes. In this work, the authors study a method to adapt intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment plans so as to compensate for this motion by adaptively morphing the multileaf collimator apertures and adjusting the segment weights. Methods: The study used CT images, tumor volumes, and normal tissue contours from patients treated in our institution. An IMRT treatment plan was then created using direct aperture optimization to deliver 45 Gy to the pelvic lymph nodes and 50 Gy to the prostate and seminal vesicles. The prostate target volume was then shifted in either the anterior-posterior direction or in the superior-inferior direction. The treatment plan was adapted by adjusting the aperture shapes with or without re-optimizing the segment weighting. The dose to the target volumes was then determined for the adapted plan. Results: Without compensation for prostate motion, 1 cm shifts of the prostate resulted in an average decrease of 14% in D-95%. If the isocenter is simply shifted to match the prostate motion, the prostate receives the correct dose but the pelvic lymph nodes are underdosed by 14% ± 6%. The use of adaptive morphing (with or without segment weight optimization) reduces the average change in D-95% to less than 5% for both the pelvic lymph nodes and the prostate. Conclusions: Adaptive morphing with and without segment weight optimization can be used to compensate for the independent motion of the prostate and lymph nodes when combined with daily imaging or other methods to track the prostate motion. This method allows the delivery of the correct dose to both the prostate and lymph nodes with only small changes to the dose delivered to the target volumes.

Conformity index: A review

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Feuvret, Loic; Noel, Georges; Mazeron, Jean-Jacques; Bey, Pierre

2006-01-01

We present a critical analysis of the conformity indices described in the literature and an evaluation of their field of application. Three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy, with or without intensity modulation, is based on medical imaging techniques, three-dimensional dosimetry software, compression accessories, and verification procedures. It consists of delineating target volumes and critical healthy tissues to select the best combination of beams. This approach allows better adaptation of the isodose to the tumor volume, while limiting irradiation of healthy tissues. Tools must be developed to evaluate the quality of proposed treatment plans. Dosimetry software provides the dose distribution in each CT section and dose-volume histograms without really indicating the degree of conformity. The conformity index is a complementary tool that attributes a score to a treatment plan or that can compare several treatment plans for the same patient. The future of conformal index in everyday practice therefore remains unclear

Identification of Serine Conformers by Matrix-Isolation IR Spectroscopy Aided by Near-Infrared Laser-Induced Conformational Change, 2D Correlation Analysis, and Quantum Mechanical Anharmonic Computations.

Science.gov (United States)

Najbauer, Eszter E; Bazsó, Gábor; Apóstolo, Rui; Fausto, Rui; Biczysko, Malgorzata; Barone, Vincenzo; Tarczay, György

2015-08-20

The conformers of α-serine were investigated by matrix-isolation IR spectroscopy combined with NIR laser irradiation. This method, aided by 2D correlation analysis, enabled unambiguously grouping the spectral lines to individual conformers. On the basis of comparison of at least nine experimentally observed vibrational transitions of each conformer with empirically scaled (SQM) and anharmonic (GVPT2) computed IR spectra, six conformers were identified. In addition, the presence of at least one more conformer in Ar matrix was proved, and a short-lived conformer with a half-life of (3.7 ± 0.5) × 10(3) s in N2 matrix was generated by NIR irradiation. The analysis of the NIR laser-induced conversions revealed that the excitation of the stretching overtone of both the side chain and the carboxylic OH groups can effectively promote conformational changes, but remarkably different paths were observed for the two kinds of excitations.

Assessing the variability of outcome for patients treated with localized prostate irradiation using different definitions of biochemical control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horwitz, Eric M.; Vicini, Frank A.; Ziaja, Ellen L.; Gonzalez, Jose; Dmuchowski, Carl F.; Stromberg, Jannifer S.; Brabbins, Donald S.; Hollander, Jay; Chen, Peter Y.; Martinez, Alvaro A.

1996-01-01

Purpose: Biochemical control using serial posttreatment serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels is being increasingly used to assess treatment efficacy for localized prostate cancer. However, no standardized definition of biochemical control has been established. We reviewed our experience treating patients with localized prostate cancer and applied three different commonly used definitions of biochemical control to determine if differences in therapeutic outcome would be observed. Methods and Materials: Between January 1987 and December 1991, 480 patients with clinically localized prostate cancer received external beam irradiation (RT) using localized prostate fields at William Beaumont Hospital. The median dose to the prostate was 66.6 Gy (range 58-70.4) using a four-field or arc technique. Pretreatment and posttreatment serum PSA levels were recorded. Over 86% (414 of 480) of patients had a pretreatment PSA level available. Three different definitions of biochemical control were used: (a) PSA nadir 20), and 5-year actuarial rates of biochemical control were calculated using the three biochemical control and one clinical local control definitions. For Group 1, 5-year actuarial rates of biochemical control were 84%, 90%, and 96% for Definitions 1-3 and clinical local control, respectively. For Group 2, 5-year actuarial control rates were 45%, 54%, 74%, and 92% for the four definitions, respectively. For Group 3, 5-year actuarial control rates were 26%, 31%, 63%, and 100% for the four definitions, respectively. For Group 4, 5-year actuarial control rates were 24%, 24%, 50%, and 100% for the four definitions, respectively. Finally, for Group 5, 5-year actuarial control rates were 5%, 14%, 15%, and 89% for the four definitions, respectively. Depending on the definition used, statistically significant differences overall in outcome rates were observed. Differences between all four definitions for all pairwise comparisons ranged from 5 to 53% (p < 0

Prostate immobilization can be achieved with patient positioning

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Huang, David T.; Silverman, Larry N.; Tercilla, Oscar F.; Lutz, Stephen T.

1995-01-01

Purpose/Objective: With advances in 3D conformal therapy, daily variation in the position of the prostate poses increasing problems for radiation oncologists. In this study we attempt to define the optimal treatment position for patients with prostate cancer by measuring the range of movement of the prostate. Materials and Methods: Ten patients with biopsy proven adenocarcinoma of the prostate underwent prone and supine CT scans with IV and oral contrast. Foley catheters (FC) were placed in the urinary bladder, and renograffin was used to make the balloon radiopaque. AP/PA and lateral radiographs were taken for patients in the supine and prone position with either empty bladder (EB) or partially filled bladder (PFB, containing 60 cc of contrast medium). Measurements were taken from the Foley catheter (represents prostatic urethra), to the anterior rectal wall and pubic symphysis (PS). The rectal gas pattern was analyzed to evaluate the rectum-sparing effect. The false table top was not used. Results: For radiographs taken in the supine position, the FC was located 1.4 ± 0.5 cm from the PS in the case of PFB versus EB. In the prone position the variation was significantly less, with an increase in FC to PS distance of only 0.5 ± 0.3 cm for a PFB versus EB. The rectal gas pattern was also noted to vary, with a more expanded and rounded shape in the prone position. Conclusion: Most institutions treat patients with prostate cancer in the supine position. The previous rationale for treatment in the prone position has been small bowel sparing. Here, however, we show that prone treatment also minimizes the motion of the prostate. With less posterior margin required, 3D conformal treatment could be delivered with an additional 30-50% rectal sparing

Treatment of prostatic cancer using daily intermittent multiportal therapy (DIMT) technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suzuki, Keishiro; Irie, Goro (Hokkaido Univ., Sapporo (Japan). School of Medicine); Shirato, Hiroki; Takayama, Naohisa; Sutoh, Susumu

1992-06-01

In the treatment of prostatic cancer using a newly proposed intermittent multiportal therapy (DIMT), acute reactions, change in tumor marker levels, and complications more than 6 months after treatment were evaluated. From June 1989 to September 1990, 26 patients with prostatic cancer (stage A2, 3 patients; B, 9; C, 2; D, 10; recurrence, 2) were treated. Fifteen patients were followed up for more than one year, with a mean period of 11.6 months. The treatment schedule is 52.5 Gy in 16 fractions in 4 weeks for radical treatment, and 30.0 Gy in 8 fractions in 2 weeks for palliative treatment. The 360 degree rotation about the patient was divided into 16 fractions, and 2 opposing fractions were used in one day as parallel opposed portals to treat the target volume. The fractions were serially treated one per day, so that 8 treatment days produced a total dose of distribution similar to that for conventional conformational therapy. The size of the irradiation field varied from 6 x 6 cm to 9 x 9 cm. No hormonal therapy was performed for stage A2 or B. Acute effect was minimal including skin erythema 2/26 (7%), pollakisuria 1/26 (4%), mild symptoms due to acute proctitis 9/26 (35%). Abnormality high PSA and/or PAP levels returned to the normal range after the treatment in 7 of 10 patients. Local recurrence was detected in 1 patient with stage D, 15 months after completion of therapy, but 21 other patients continued for more than 6 months with no clinical evidence of local recurrence. No residual disease was detected by biopsy undertaken in 10 patients after more than 6 months. No severe complication was detected after more than 6 months except in 1 patient who needed colostomy for the relief of rectal bleeding. DIMT can have the total dose distribution similar to that of conventional conformational therapy without specific devices. Initial results on prostatic cancer treatment were encouraging. (J.P.N.).

Radiosensitivity of Prostate Cancer Cell Lines for Irradiation from Beta Particle-emitting Radionuclide ¹⁷⁷Lu Compared to Alpha Particles and Gamma Rays.

Science.gov (United States)

Elgqvist, Jörgen; Timmermand, Oskar Vilhelmsson; Larsson, Erik; Strand, Sven-Erik

2016-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the radiosensitivity of the prostate cancer cell lines LNCaP, DU145, and PC3 when irradiated with beta particles emitted from (177)Lu, and to compare the effect with irradiation using alpha particles or gamma rays. Cells were irradiated with beta particles emitted from (177)Lu, alpha particles from (241)Am, or gamma rays from (137)Cs. A non-specific polyclonal antibody was labeled with (177)Lu and used to irradiate cells in suspension with beta particles. A previously described in-house developed alpha-particle irradiator based on a (241)Am source was used to irradiate cells with alpha particles. External gamma-ray irradiation was achieved using a standard (137)Cs irradiator. Cells were irradiated to absorbed doses equal to 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10 Gy. The absorbed doses were calculated as mean absorbed doses. For evaluation of cell survival, the tetrazolium-based WST-1 assay was used. After irradiation, WST-1 was added to the cell solutions, incubated, and then measured for level of absorbance at 450 nm, indicating the live and viable cells. LNCaP, DU145, and PC3 cell lines all had similar patterns of survival for the different radiation types. No significant difference in surviving fractions were observed between cells treated with beta-particle and gamma-ray irradiation, represented for example by the surviving fraction values (mean±SD) at 2, 6, and 10 Gy (SF2, SF6, and SF10) for DU145 after beta-particle irradiation: 0.700±0.090, 0.186±0.050 and 0.056±0.010, respectively. A strong radiosensitivity to alpha particles was observed, with SF2 values of 0.048±0.008, 0.018±0.006 and 0.015±0.005 for LNCaP, DU145, and PC3, respectively. The surviving fractions after irradiation using beta particles or gamma rays did not differ significantly at the absorbed dose levels and dose rates used. Irradiation using alpha particles led to a high level of cell killing. The results show that the beta-particle emitter

Monte Carlo conformal treatment planning as an independent assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rincon, M.; Leal, A.; Perucha, M.; Carrasco, E.; Sanchez-Doblado, F.; Hospital Univ. Virgen Macarena, Sevilla; Arrans, R.; Sanchez-Calzado, J.A.; Errazquin, L.; Medrano, J.C.

2001-01-01

The wide range of possibilities available in Radiotherapy with conformal fields cannot be covered experimentally. For this reason, dosimetrical and planning procedures are based on approximate algorithms or systematic measurements. Dose distribution calculations based on Monte Carlo (MC) simulations can be used to check results. In this work, two examples of conformal field treatments are shown: A prostate carcinoma and an ocular lymphoma. The dose distributions obtained with a conventional Planning System and with MC have been compared. Some significant differences have been found. (orig.)

Mapping of nodal disease in locally advanced prostate cancer: Rethinking the clinical target volume for pelvic nodal irradiation based on vascular rather than bony anatomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shih, Helen A.; Harisinghani, Mukesh; Zietman, Anthony L.; Wolfgang, John A.; Saksena, Mansi; Weissleder, Ralph

2005-01-01

Purpose: Toxicity from pelvic irradiation could be reduced if fields were limited to likely areas of nodal involvement rather than using the standard 'four-field box.' We employed a novel magnetic resonance lymphangiographic technique to highlight the likely sites of occult nodal metastasis from prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: Eighteen prostate cancer patients with pathologically confirmed node-positive disease had a total of 69 pathologic nodes identifiable by lymphotropic nanoparticle-enhanced MRI and semiquantitative nodal analysis. Fourteen of these nodes were in the para-aortic region, and 55 were in the pelvis. The position of each of these malignant nodes was mapped to a common template based on its relation to skeletal or vascular anatomy. Results: Relative to skeletal anatomy, nodes covered a diffuse volume from the mid lumbar spine to the superior pubic ramus and along the sacrum and pelvic side walls. In contrast, the nodal metastases mapped much more tightly relative to the large pelvic vessels. A proposed pelvic clinical target volume to encompass the region at greatest risk of containing occult nodal metastases would include a 2.0-cm radial expansion volume around the distal common iliac and proximal external and internal iliac vessels that would encompass 94.5% of the pelvic nodes at risk as defined by our node-positive prostate cancer patient cohort. Conclusions: Nodal metastases from prostate cancer are largely localized along the major pelvic vasculature. Defining nodal radiation treatment portals based on vascular rather than bony anatomy may allow for a significant decrease in normal pelvic tissue irradiation and its associated toxicities

Identification of Serine Conformers by Matrix-Isolation IR Spectroscopy Aided by Near-Infrared Laser Induced Conformational Change, 2D Correlation Analysis, and Quantum Mechanical Anharmonic Computations

Science.gov (United States)

Najbauer, Eszter E.; Bazsó, Gábor; Apóstolo, Rui; Fausto, Rui; Biczysko, Malgorzata; Barone, Vincenzo; Tarczay, György

2018-01-01

The conformers of α-serine were investigated by matrix-isolation IR spectroscopy combined with NIR laser irradiation. This method, aided by 2D correlation analysis, enabled unambiguously grouping the spectral lines to individual conformers. On the basis of comparison of at least nine experimentally observed vibrational transitions of each conformer with empirically scaled (SQM) and anharmonic (GVPT2) computed IR spectra, 6 conformers were identified. In addition, the presence of at least one more conformer in Ar matrix was proved, and a short-lived conformer with a half-live of (3.7±0.5)·103 s in N2 matrix was generated by NIR irradiation. The analysis of the NIR laser induced conversions revealed that the excitation of the stretching overtone of both the side-chain and the carboxylic OH groups can effectively promote conformational changes, but remarkably different paths were observed for the two kinds of excitations. PMID:26201050

Impact of radiation dose on achieving nadir PSA levels after 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for patients with localized prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zelefsky, Michael J.; Leibel, Steven A.; Kelson, Suzanne; Fuks, Zvi

1996-01-01

Purpose: Several reports have documented the prognostic value of a post-irradiation nadir PSA of ≤1 ng/ml in prostatic cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to determine which pre-treatment and treatment-related variables impact upon achieving such nadir levels. Materials and Methods: Between January 1987 and June 1995, 740 patients with clinically localized prostate cancer were treated with 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT). 214 (29%) patients were treated with neo-adjuvant androgen ablation prior to therapy and were excluded from this analysis. Among the 526 evaluable patients, the clinical stage were as follows: T 1 C=128 (24%); T 2 A=76 (14%); T 2 B=116 (22%); T 2 C=99 (19%) and T 3 =107 (21%). The prescription dose to the planning target volume (PTV) was 64.8-68.4 Gy in 87 patients (17%); 70.2 Gy in 191 (36%); 75.6 Gy in 209 (40%) and 81 Gy in 39 (7%). The median pre-treatment PSA value was 11.2 ng/ml (range 0.3-114). The median follow-up was 20 months (range: 6-76 months). Results: 242 patients (46%) had PSA levels which declined to ≤1.0 ng/ml. The median time to a nadir level of ≤1.0 was 15.6 months (range: 1-43 months) from completion of 3D-CRT. 154 (29%) patients continued to show declining PSA levels within the first 2 years after therapy, and 130 patients (25%) failed to nadir at PSA levels of ≤1.0 ng/ml. Among patients with nadir PSA levels ≤1, the 3 year PSA relapse-free survival was 91% compared to 29% for patients with nadir PSA levels >1 ng/ml (p<0.0001). A Cox-regression analysis demonstrated that nadir PSA ≤1 was the strongest predictor of PSA relapse-free survival (p<0.001) followed by Gleason score ≤ 6 (p<0.001) and stage< T3 (p=0.004). Among patients who received doses of ≥75.6 Gy, the likelihood of achieving PSA nadir levels ≤1.0 at 24 and 36 months was 86% and 93%, respectively, compared to 74 and 80%, respectively, among those who received lower doses (p<0.001). Doses of ≥75.6 Gy was the strongest

Application of biological dose concept in dose optimization for conformal radiotherapy of prostate carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Yunhai; Liao Yuan; Zhou Lijun; Pan Ziqiang; Feng Yan

2003-01-01

Objective: On basis of physical dose optimization, LQ model was used to investigate the difference between the curves of biological effective dose and physical isodose. The influence of applying the biological dose concept on three dimensional conformal radiotherapy of prostate carcinoma was discussed. Methods: Four treatment plannings were designed for physical dose optimization: three fields, four-box fields, five fields and six fields. Target dose uniformity and protection of the critical tissue-rectum were used as the principal standard for designing the treatment planning. Biological effective dose (BED) was calculated by LQ model. The difference between the BED curve drawn in the central layer and the physical isodose curve was studied. The difference between the adjusted physical dose (APD) and the physical dose was also studied. Results: Five field planning was the best in target dose uniformity and protection of the critical tissue-rectum. The physical dose was uniform in the target, but the biological effective doses revealed great discrepancy in the biological model. Adjusted physical dose distribution also displayed larger discrepancy than the physical dose unadjusted. Conclusions: Intensified Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) technique with inversion planning using biological dose concept may be much more advantageous to reach a high tumor control probability and low normal tissue complication probability

Identification and comparison of predictive models of rectal and bladder toxicity in the case of prostatic irradiation; Identification et comparaison de modeles predictifs de toxicite rectale et vesicale en cas d'irradiation prostatique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gnep, K.; Chira, C.; Le Prise, E.; Crevoisier, R. de [Centre Eugene-Marquis, Rennes (France); Zhu, J.; Simon, A.; Ospina Arango, J.D. [Inserm U642, Rennes (France); Messai, T.; Bossi, A. [Institut Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif (France); Beckendorf, V. [Centre Alexis-Vautrin, Nancy (France)

2011-10-15

More than 400 patients have been treated by conformational radiation therapy for a localized prostate adenocarcinoma and some have been selected according to the availability of dose-volume histograms. Predictive models of rectal and bladder toxicity have been compared: LKB, Logit EUD and Poisson EUD for rectal toxicity, LKB, Logit EUD, Poisson EUD and Schultheiss for bladder toxicity. Results suggest that these models could be used during the inverse planning of intensity-modulated radiation therapy in order to decrease toxicity. Short communication

A treatment planning comparison of two different 3D conformal techniques for irradiation of head and neck cancer patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krstevska, Valentina; Lukarski, Dusko; Petkovska, Sonja

2010-01-01

The purpose of this treatment planning study was to compare two different three dimensional conformal irradiation techniques for head and neck cancer patients. For 33 patients with head and neck carcinoma, irradiated according to the classical technique, we computed and evaluated a second irradiation technique in order to optimize the treatment planning protocol. The classical technique, termed 'electron-photon fields', employed two lateral semi-fields (23 fractions) for irradiation of the upper part of the planning target volume that should receive 50 Gy (PTV50) and an anterior and posterior field for the lower part. After the 23rd fraction the lateral fields were reduced from the dorsal side (2 fractions), in order to exclude the spinal cord from them. At the same time the dose to the shielded part of the target volume was delivered with matched electron fields. Finally, after the 25th fraction, the high risk volume was irradiated to the desired dose with plan where the spinal cord was completely shielded. In the new technique, termed 'oblique photon fields', 4 oblique isocentric photon fields were used (25 fractions): two anterior fields that covered the entire target volume that should receive 50 Gy and two posterior fields that covered only half of the target volume in order to shield the spinal cord. Thus, the necessity for using electron fields is eliminated. We kept the plan for irradiation of the high risk planning target volume the same as in the classical technique. The prescribed dose per fraction in all plans was 2 Gy. In both techniques the plans were optimized to the same maximal point dose and the same dose to the spinal cord. The oblique fields plan showed better coverage and homogeneity of the PTV50, except for the patients with positive resection margins receiving postoperative radiotherapy (receiving 66 Gy), where the coverage did not differ significantly. The conformity in both techniques did not differ significantly. The mean dose to the

Assessment and management of interfractional variations in daily diagnostic-quality-CT guided prostate-bed irradiation after prostatectomy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Feng; Ahunbay, Ergun; Lawton, Colleen; Allen Li, X., E-mail: ali@mcw.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226 (United States)

2014-03-15

Purpose: To quantify interfractional anatomic variations and limitations of the current practice of image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) for prostate-bed patients and to study dosimetric benefits of an online adaptive replanning scheme that addresses the interfractional variations. Methods: Contours for the targets and organs at risk (OARs) from daily diagnostic-quality CTs acquired with in-room CT (CTVision, Siemens) were generated by populating the planning contours using an autosegmentation tool based on deformable registration (ABAS, Elekta) with manual editing for ten prostate-bed patients treated with postoperative daily CT-guided IMRT. Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) obtained by maximizing the overlap of contours for a structure between the daily and plan contours was used to quantify the organ deformation between the plan and daily CTs. Three interfractional-variation-correction schemes, the current standard practice of IGRT repositioning, a previously developed online adaptive RT (ART), and the full reoptimization, were applied to these daily CTs and a number of dose-volume quantities for the targets and organs at risk were compared for their effectiveness to account for the interfractional variations. Results: Large interfractional organ deformations in prostate-bed irradiation were seen. The mean DSCs for CTV, rectum, and bladder were 86.6 ± 5.1% (range from 61% to 97%), 77.3% ± 7.4% (range from 55% to 90%), and 75.4% ± 11.2% (range from 46% to 96%), respectively. The fractional and cumulative dose-volume quantities for CTV and PTV: V100 (volume received at least 100% prescription dose), and rectum and bladder: V{sub 45Gy} and V{sub 60Gy} (volume received at least 45 or 60 Gy), were compared for the repositioning, adaptive, reoptimization, and original plans. The fractional and cumulative dosimetric results were nearly the same. The average cumulative CTV V100 were 88.0%, 98.4%, 99.2%, and 99.3% for the IGRT, ART, reoptimization, and original plans

Local high voltage radiotherapy with curative intent for prostatic carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacobi, G.H.; Kurth, K.H.; Hohenfellner, R.

1979-01-01

In a 10-year interval 179 patients with prostatic carcinoma were treated by cobalt-60 teletherapy (7600 R). A selected group of 47 patients with localized disease and irradiated with curative intent had serial prostatic biopsies and were analized after a minimum follow-up of 1 year. Biopsies of half of the patients rendered definitively negative, on an average 14 months after radiotherapy. 8 patients with initial negative biopsy changed to positive secondarily. In one third of the patients histological conversion was missed, considered as radiation persister. Persistent carcinoma were of predominant low grade. 5 patients developed distant metastases 30 months after irradiation on an average. These patients had persistent positive tissue studies. Over all cumulative 5-years survival was 89%. In patients with prostatic carcinoma and local high voltage radiotherapy with curative intent (stage A through C) serial prostatic biopsies to document therapy effect seen mandatory. (orig.) 891 AJ/orig. 892 BRE [de

Combined radio- and hormone therapy of the prostate carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papic, R.

1979-08-01

Intention of this study is to detect in 49 patients suffering from prostate carcinomas, effects and side effects of radiotherapy. According to the present results, there is not any doubt that prostate carcinomas are radiosensitive. In all patients radiotherapy induced a prostate shrinkage and an increasing of consistency. It resulted that a prostate biopsy must be carried out in order to control the success of therapy. The success of the treatment depends upon tumour spreading and on its degree of differentiation. Within the observation period only in four cases metastasation of the prostate carcinoma occurred after radiotherapy. According to literature, the 5-year survival rate with an organ-defined prostate carcinoma ranges between 70 and 80% when radiotherapeutic methods are applied. The same authors indicate a 5-year survival rate between 42 and 48% for scattered carcinomas. Only minor side effects are provoked by radiotherapy. In 75% of the patients pollakisuria and dysuria resulted. After irradiation was finished, the symptoms disappeared and did not cause in any case any late complications. In 12% of the cases proctitic pain occurred during irradiation, which in 6% remained even after the treatment was terminated. We could prove unequivocally on our patients that passage impairments caused by a prostate carcinoma are improved by radiotherapy. Finally it can be said that this treatment is applicable for curing carcinoma which is localised on the prostate. In the case of an undefined, scattered carcinoma radiotherapy combined with hormone therapy is the treatment of choice. With regards to undesired side effects radiotherapy is superior to other therapeutic measures. (orig./MG) [de

Phase II clinical trial of whole-brain irradiation plus three-dimensional conformal boost with concurrent topotecan for brain metastases from lung cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ge, Xiao-hui; Liu, Miao-ling; Lin, Qiang; Ren, Xiao-cang; Liu, Yue-e; Chen, Xue-ji; Wang, Dong-ying; Wang, Yong-qiang; Cao, Bin; Li, Zhi-gang

2013-01-01

Patients with brain metastases from lung cancer have poor prognoses and short survival time, and they are often excluded from clinical trials. Whole-cranial irradiation is considered to be the standard treatment, but its efficacy is not satisfactory. The purpose of this phase II clinical trial was to evaluate the preliminary efficacy and safety of the treatment of whole-brain irradiation plus three-dimensional conformal boost combined with concurrent topotecan for the patients with brain metastases from lung cancer. Patients with brain metastasis from lung cancer received concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy: conventional fractionated whole-brain irradiation, 2 fields/time, 1 fraction/day, 2 Gy/fraction, 5 times/week, and DT 40 Gy/20 fractions; for the patients with ≤ 3 lesions with diameter ≥ 2 cm, a three-dimensional (3-D) conformal localised boost was given to increase the dosage to 56–60 Gy; and during radiotherapy, concurrent chemotherapy with topotecan was given (the chemoradiotherapy group, CRT). The patients with brain metastasis from lung cancer during the same period who received radiotherapy only were selected as the controls (the radiotherapy-alone group, RT). From March 2009 to March 2012, both 38 patients were enrolled into two groups. The median progression-free survival(PFS) time , the 1- and 2-year PFS rates of CRT group and RT group were 6 months, 42.8%, 21.6% and 3 months, 11.6%, 8.7% (χ 2 = 6.02, p = 0.014), respectively. The 1- and 2-year intracranial lesion control rates of CRT and RT were 75.9% , 65.2% and 41.6% , 31.2% (χ 2 = 3.892, p = 0.049), respectively. The 1- and 2-year overall survival rates (OS) of CRT and RT were 50.8% , 37.9% and 40.4% , 16.5% (χ 2 = 1.811, p = 0.178), respectively. The major side effects were myelosuppression and digestive toxicities, but no differences were observed between the two groups. Compared with radiotherapy alone, whole-brain irradiation plus 3-D conformal boost irradiation and concurrent

The management of localized and locally advanced prostate cancer - 1995

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forman, Jeffrey D.

1995-01-01

Purpose/Objectives: The intent of this course is to review the issues involved in the management of non-metastatic adenocarcinoma of the prostate. - The value of pre-treatment prognostic factors including stage, grade and PSA value will be presented, and their value in determining therapeutic strategies will be discussed. - Controversies involving the simulation process and treatment design will be presented. The value of CT scanning, Beams-Eye View, 3-D planning, intravesicle, intraurethral and rectal contrast will be presented. The significance of prostate and patient movement and strategies for dealing with them will be presented. - The management of low stage, low to intermediate grade prostate cancer will be discussed. The dose, volume and timing of irradiation will be discussed as will the role of neo-adjuvant hormonal therapy, neutron irradiation and brachy therapy. The current status of radical prostatectomy and cryotherapy will be summarized. - Treatment of locally advanced, poorly differentiated prostate cancer will be presented including a discussion of neo-adjuvant and adjuvant hormones, dose-escalation and neutron irradiation. - Strategies for post-radiation failures will be presented including data on cryotherapy, salvage prostatectomy and hormonal therapy (immediate, delayed and/or intermittent). New areas for investigation will be reviewed. - The management of patients post prostatectomy will be reviewed. Data on adjuvant radiation and therapeutic radiation for biochemical or clinically relapsed patients will be presented. This course hopes to present a realistic and pragmatic overview for treating patients with non-metastatic prostatic cancer

Clinical Applications of 3-D Conformal Radiotherapy

Science.gov (United States)

Miralbell, Raymond

Although a significant improvement in cancer cure (i.e. 20% increment) has been obtained in the last 2-3 decades, 30-40% of patients still fail locally after curative radiotherapy. In order to improve local tumor control rates with radiotherapy high doses to the tumor volume are frequently necessary. Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3-D CRT) is used to denote a spectrum of radiation planning and delivery techniques that rely on three-dimensional imaging to define the target (tumor) and to distinguish it from normal tissues. Modern, high-precision radiotherapy (RT) techniques are needed in order to implement the goal of optimal tumor destruction delivering minimal dose to the non-target normal tissues. A better target definition is nowadays possible with contemporary imaging (computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography) and image registration technology. A highly precise dose distributions can be obtained with optimal 3-D CRT treatment delivery techniques such as stereotactic RT, intensity modulated RT (IMRT), or protontherapy (the latter allowing for in-depth conformation). Patient daily set-up repositioning and internal organ immobilization systems are necessary before considering to undertake any of the above mentioned high-precision treatment approaches. Prostate cancer, brain tumors, and base of skull malignancies are among the sites most benefitting of dose escalation approaches. Nevertheless, a significant dose reduction to the normal tissues in the vicinity of the irradiated tumor also achievable with optimal 3-D CRT may also be a major issue in the treatment of pediatric tumors in order to preserve growth, normal development, and to reduce the risk of developing radiation induced diseases such as cancer or endocrinologic disorders.

Rapid Arc, helical tomotherapy, sliding window intensity modulated radiotherapy and three dimensional conformal radiation for localized prostate cancer: A dosimetric comparison

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rajesh A Kinhikar

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the potential role of RapidArc (RA compared with helical tomotherapy (HT, sliding window intensity modulated radiotherapy (SW IMRT and three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D CRT for localized prostate cancer. Materials and Methods: Prescription doses ranged from 60 Gy to planning target volume (PTV and 66.25 Gy for clinical target volume prostate (CTV-P over 25-30 fractions. PTV and CTV-P coverage were evaluated by conformity index (CI and homogeneity index (HI. Organ sparing comparison was done with mean doses to rectum and bladder. Results: CI 95 were 1.0 ± 0.01 (RA, 0.99 ± 0.01 (HT, 0.97 ± 0.02 (IMRT, 0.98 ± 0.02 (3D CRT for PTV and 1.0 ± 0.00 (RA, HT, SW IMRT and 3D CRT for CTV-P. HI was 0.11 ± 0.03 (RA, 0.16 ± 0.08 (HT, 0.12 ± 0.03 (IMRT, 0.06 ± 0.01 (3D CRT for PTV and 0.03 ± 0.00 (RA, 0.05 ± 0.01 (HT, 0.03 ± 0.01 (SW IMRT and 3D CRT for CTV-P. Mean dose to bladder were 23.68 ± 13.23 Gy (RA, 24.55 ± 12.51 Gy (HT, 19.82 ± 11.61 Gy (IMRT and 23.56 ± 12.81 Gy (3D CRT, whereas mean dose to rectum was 36.85 ± 12.92 Gy (RA, 33.18 ± 11.12 Gy (HT, IMRT and 38.67 ± 12.84 Gy (3D CRT. Conclusion: All studied intensity-modulated techniques yield treatment plans of significantly improved quality when compared with 3D CRT, with HT providing best organs at risk sparing and RA being the most efficient treatment option, reducing treatment time to 1.45-3.7 min and monitor unit to <400 for a 2 Gy fraction.

Chromosomal aberration in peripheral lymphocytes and doses to the active bone marrow in radiotherapy of prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gershkevitsh, E.; Trott, K.R.

2002-01-01

Purpose: Radiotherapy plays an important role in the management of prostate cancer. Epidemiological data indicate a small but significant risk of radiation-induced leukemia after radiotherapy which might be related to the high mean bone marrow dose associated with radiotherapy of prostate cancer. The purpose of the study was to investigate the relation between the mean bone marrow dose and unstable chromosome aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes in patients undergoing conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer as a possible indicator of risk. Endometrial cancer patients were also included for comparison. Patients and Methods: Nine patients, six with prostate cancer (60-73 years old) and three with endometrial cancer (61-81 years old) treated with radiotherapy were included in the study. The non-bony spaces inside the pelvic bones were outlined on every CT slice using the treatment planning system and mean doses to the bone marrow calculated. Blood samples of the patients were obtained at different times before, during and at the end of treatment. Lymphocytes were cultured in the usual way and metaphases scored for dicentric aberrations. Results: 46 samples from nine patients were obtained. The mean number of metaphases analyzed per sample was 180 with a range from 52 to 435. The mean bone marrow doses for prostate cancer patients ranged from 2.8 to 4.2 Gy and for endometrial cancer patients from 12.8 to 14.8 Gy. The aberration yield increased with the planning target volume and the mean bone marrow dose. Conclusion: The yield of dicentric aberrations for prostate cancer patients correlated closely with the mean bone marrow dose albeit the induction of dicentrics occurred in mature T lymphocytes most of which were probably in transit through the irradiated volumes. Therefore, the observed relationship between dicentrics and mean bone marrow doses are indirect. (orig.) [de

Late Gastrointestinal Toxicity After Dose-Escalated Conformal Radiotherapy for Early Prostate Cancer: Results From the UK Medical Research Council RT01 Trial (ISRCTN47772397)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Syndikus, Isabel; Morgan, Rachel C.; Sydes, Matthew R.; Graham, John D.; Dearnaley, David P.

2010-01-01

Purpose: In men with localized prostate cancer, dose-escalated conformal radiotherapy (CFRT) improves efficacy outcomes at the cost of increased toxicity. We present a detailed analysis to provide further information about the incidence and prevalence of late gastrointestinal side effects. Methods and Materials: The UK Medical Research Council RT01 trial included 843 men with localized prostate cancer, who were treated for 6 months with neoadjuvant radiotherapy and were randomly assigned to either 64-Gy or 74-Gy CFRT. Toxicity was evaluated before CFRT and during long-term follow-up using Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) grading, the Late Effects on Normal Tissue: Subjective, Objective, Management (LENT/SOM) scale, and Royal Marsden Hospital assessment scores. Patients regularly completed Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy--Prostate (FACT-P) and University of California, Los Angeles, Prostate Cancer Index (UCLA-PCI) questionnaires. Results: In the dose-escalated group, the hazard ratio (HR) for rectal bleeding (LENT/SOM grade ≥2) was 1.55 (95% CI, 1.17-2.04); for diarrhea (LENT/SOM grade ≥2), the HR was 1.79 (95% CI, 1.10-2.94); and for proctitis (RTOG grade ≥2), the HR was 1.64 (95% CI, 1.20-2.25). Compared to baseline scores, the prevalence of moderate and severe toxicities generally increased up to 3 years and than lessened. At 5 years, the cumulative incidence of patient-reported severe bowel problems was 6% vs. 8% (standard vs. escalated, respectively) and severe distress was 4% vs. 5%, respectively. Conclusions: There is a statistically significant increased risk of various adverse gastrointestinal events with dose-escalated CFRT. This remains at clinically acceptable levels, and overall prevalence ultimately decreases with duration of follow-up.

A dosimetric selectivity intercomparison of HDR brachytherapy, IMRT and helical tomotherapy in prostate cancer radiotherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hermesse, Johanne; Biver, Sylvie; Jansen, Nicolas; Coucke, Philippe [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Liege Univ. Hospital (Belgium); Lenaerts, Eric [Dept. of Medical Physics, Liege Univ. Hospital (Belgium); De Patoul, Nathalie; Vynckier, Stefaan [Dept. of Medical Physics, St Luc Univ. Hospital, Brussels (Belgium); Scalliet, Pierre [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, St Luc Univ. Hospital, Brussels (Belgium); Nickers, Philippe [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Oscar Lambret Center, Lille (France)

2009-11-15

Background and purpose: dose escalation in order to improve the biochemical control in prostate cancer requires the application of irradiation techniques with high conformality. The dosimetric selectivity of three radiation modalities is compared: high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT), intensity-modulated radiation radiotherapy (IMRT), and helical tomotherapy (HT). Patients and methods: ten patients with prostate adenocarcinoma treated by a 10-Gy HDR-BT boost after external-beam radiotherapy were investigated. For each patient, HDR-BT, IMRT and HT theoretical treatment plans were realized using common contour sets. A 10-Gy dose was prescribed to the planning target volume (PTV). The PTVs and critical organs' dose-volume histograms obtained were compared using Student's t-test. Results: HDR-BT delivers spontaneously higher mean doses to the PTV with smaller cold spots compared to IMRT and HT. 33% of the rectal volume received a mean HDR-BT dose of 3.86 {+-} 0.3 Gy in comparison with a mean IMRT dose of 6.57 {+-} 0.68 Gy and a mean HT dose of 5.58 {+-} 0.71 Gy (p < 0.0001). HDR-BT also enables to better spare the bladder. The hot spots inside the urethra are greater with HDR-BT. The volume of healthy tissue receiving 10% of the prescribed dose is reduced at least by a factor of 8 with HDR-BT (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: HDR-BT offers better conformality in comparison with HT and IMRT and reduces the volume of healthy tissue receiving a low dose. (orig.)

Three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy in the treatment of prostate cancer in Australia and New Zealand: Report on a survey of radiotherapy centres and the proceedings of a consensus workshop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tai, K.-H.; Duchesne, G.; See, A.; Berry, M.

2004-01-01

There is an increasing use of 3-D conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) in the radiotherapeutic management of prostate cancer. The Faculty of Radiation Oncology Genito-Urinary Group carried out a survey of Australian and New Zealand radiotherapy centres in the preparation of a consensus workshop. Of the 19 centres that were represented, there were 24 radiation oncologists, 16 radiation therapists and 12 medical physicists. The survey collected demographic information and data on the practices undertaken at those centres when delivering curative radiotherapy in the treatment of prostate cancer. There was much variation in the delivery of treatment in the areas of patient set-up, contouring of target volumes and organs of interest during computer planning, the techniques and the dose constraints used in these techniques, the use of adjuvant androgen deprivation therapy and the quality assurance processes used in monitoring effects of treatment. This variability reflects the range of data in the published literature. Emerging trends of practices were also identified. This is a first report on a multi-disciplinary approach to the development of guidelines in 3DCRT of prostate cancer. Copyright (2004) Blackwell Science Pty Ltd

Potential interest to combine an intensity modulated conformal radiotherapy (I.M.C.R.T.) with a daily repositioning on intra-prostate implants to reduce sexual toxicity induced by exclusive irradiation of prostate cancers; Interets potentiels de combiner une radiotherapie de conformation avec modulation d'intensite (RCMI) avec un repositionnement journalier sur implants intraprostatiques pour reduire la toxicite sexuelle induite par l'irradiation exclusive des cancers de prostate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chapet, O.; Sotton, M.P.; Vial, L.; Belliere, A.; Ardiet, J.M.; Mornex, F.; Sentenac, I.; Romestaing, P. [Centre Hospitalier Lyon-Sud, Dept. de Radiotherapie-oncologie, 69 - Pierre-Benite (France); Bouffard, J. [Centre Hospitalier Lyon-Sud, Service de Radiologie, 69 - Pierre-Benite (France)

2007-11-15

A reduction in margins defining the forecast target volume thanks to a daily repositioning on intra prostate implants would reduce the doses delivered to the penis bulb, corpora cavernosa penis and a. pudendae internae left and right. An optimization of the I.M.C.R.T. on the same anatomical structures amplifies this earnings. The combination of the two could improve the sexual preservation and be proposed for patients with favourable stage prostate cancer. A study of Phase 2 begins soon. (N.C.)

Investigations on uncertainties in patient positioning for prostate treatment with EPID

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bakai, A.; Nuesslin, F.; Paulsen, F.; Plasswilm, L.; Bamberg, M.

2002-01-01

Background: Conformal radiotherapy techniques as used in prostate treatment allow to spare normal tissue by conforming the radiation fields to the shape of the planning target volume (PTV). To be able to fully utilize the advantages of these techniques correct patient positioning is an important prerequisite. This study employing an electronic portal imaging device (EPID) investigated the positioning uncertainties that occur in the pelvic region for different patient positioning devices. Patients and Methods: 15 patients with prostate cancer were irradiated with or without rectal balloon/pelvic mask at a linear accelerator with multileaf collimator (MLC). For each patient multiple portal images were taken from different directions and compared to the digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs) of the treatment planning system and to simulation films (Table 1, Figure 1). Results: In spite of different positioning devices, all patients showed comparable total positioning uncertainties of 4.0 mm (lateral), 4.5 mm (cranio-caudal) and 1.7 mm (dorso-ventral). The lateral positioning error was reduced for the pelvic mask patients while the cranio-caudal error increased (Table 2, Figure 2). A systematic and a random component sum up to the total positioning error, and a good estimate of the magnitudes of the two is possible from six to eight portal images (Figure 3). Conclusions: With a small number of portal images it is possible to find out the systematic and random positioning error of a patient. Knowledge of the random error can be used to resize the treatment margin which is clinically relevant since this error differs greatly for different patients (Figure 4). Image analysis with EPID is convenient, yet has some problems. For example, one only gets indirect information on the movement of the ventral rectum wall. The successful operation of positioning devices, although, needs further improvement - especially if one focuses on IMRT. (orig.) [de

Patterns of failure in children with medulloblastoma treated with 3D conformal radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skowronska-Gardas, Anna; Chojnacka, Marzanna; Morawska-Kaczynska, Marzena; Perek, Danuta; Perek-Polnik, Marta

2007-01-01

Background and purpose: Craniospinal irradiation for medulloblastoma is one of the most complex techniques employed in radiotherapy. Many reports stress the impact of irradiation quality on survival in these patients. Our report presents the outcome and patterns of failure for 95 patients treated with 3D conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT). Materials and methods: From 1998 to 2003, 95 children with medulloblastoma received 3D conformal radiotherapy. All of them were previously treated with surgery and chemotherapy. The brain and upper spinal cord were treated with two lateral 6 MV photon fields. In four patients, the cribriform plate was irradiated by the additional field. For primary tumour bed we applied two or three photon beams. Spinal cord was irradiated either with 18-20 MeV electron fields or with a mixed beam. Results: With a median follow-up of 48 months, 32/95 patients suffered a multifocal (21) or isolated (11) recurrence. We evaluated every primary site of failure. In all patients, the recurrence appeared within the isodose level of 95-100%. Conclusions: Patterns of failure in medulloblastoma patients treated with 3D conformal radiotherapy indicated that the relapse was mainly associated with poor response to pre-irradiation chemotherapy. We believe that 3D conformal radiotherapy allows avoiding failures, related to radiotherapy uncertainties

Rotational radiotherapy for prostate cancer in clinical practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aznar, Marianne C; Petersen, Peter Meidahl; Logadottir, Ashildur

2010-01-01

Radiotherapy is the standard treatment in locally advanced prostate cancer. The latest technological improvement is modulated rotational radiotherapy, where one single rotation of the treatment machine is used to conform the dose delivery to the target and spare organs at risk, requiring less than...

Tookad-mediated photodynamic effects on the prostate and its adjacent tissues: in vivo study in canine models

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Zheng; Chen, Qun; Luck, David; Beckers, Jill; Blanc, Dominique; Hetzel, Fred W.

2005-04-01

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) mediated with a vascular acting photosensitizer Tookad (pd-bacteriopheophorbide), was investigated as an alternative treatment modality for prostate cancer. Tookad photodynamic effects on the prostate and its adjacent tissues were evaluated in canine models. Interstitial prostate PDT was performed by irradiating individual lobes with a diode laser (763 nm) and 1-cm cylindrical diffuser fibers at various light doses to activate the IV administered photosensitizer Tookad (1 - 2 mg/kg). The sensitivity of the adjacent tissues to Tookad-PDT was determined by superficially irradiating the surfaces of the bladder, colon, abdominal muscle and pelvic plexus with a microlens fiber at various drug/light doses. PDT effect on the prostatic urethra was evaluated by transurethral irradiation. The prostate and adjacent tissues were harvested one-week after the treatment and subjected to histopathologic examination. At one-week post interstitial prostate PDT, the animals recovered well with little or no urethral complications. PDT induced prostate lesions were characterized by marked hemorrhagic necrosis. The bladder, colon, abdominal muscle and pelvic plexus, appeared to also be sensitive to Tookad-PDT at light dose levels greater than 40 Jcm2. Urethral mucosa appeared less sensitive to Tookad-PDT. In conclusion, Tookad-mediated PDT demonstrates very strong vascular effects and can provide an effective alternative for the treatment of localized prostate cancer. Protection of the adjacent tissues should be taken into consideration in the total prostate ablation process due to their sensitivity to the Tookad-mediated PDT.

Conformational composition of neutral leucine. Matrix isolation infrared and ab initio study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stepanian, Stepan G.; Ivanov, Alexander Yu.; Adamowicz, Ludwik

2013-01-01

Highlights: • FTIR spectra of leucine isolated in argon, neon and xenon matrices are obtained. • UV irradiation is used to separate bands of the leucine conformers. • Populations of the leucine conformers is determined. - Abstract: Low-temperature matrix-isolation FTIR spectroscopy and ab initio calculations are employed to determine conformational composition of neutral leucine. The presence of three leucine conformers in the matrices is revealed. This is in agreement with the results of a detailed study of the potential energy surface of leucine which demonstrates that only five out of 105 possible conformers should have populations in the matrices larger than 2% and only three conformers, which are the ones detected in the experiment, should have populations larger than 10%. UV irradiation of the matrix samples are used to separate bands of the different conformers. We also show that the populations of the leucine conformers in the gas phase at 440 K are significantly different from the ones in matrices. The population of the lowest energy conformer in the gas phase being approximately 23% in the gas phase increases to over 64% in matrices

Conformers, infrared spectrum, UV-induced photochemistry, and near-IR-induced generation of two rare conformers of matrix-isolated phenylglycine

Science.gov (United States)

Borba, Ana; Gómez-Zavaglia, Andrea; Fausto, Rui

2014-10-01

The conformational space of α-phenylglycine (PG) have been investigated theoretically at both the DFT/B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) and MP2/6-311++G(d,p) levels of approximation. Seventeen different minima were found on the investigated potential energy surfaces, which are characterized by different dominant intramolecular interactions: type I conformers are stabilized by hydrogen bonds of the type N-H...O=C, type II by a strong O-H...N hydrogen bond, type III by weak N-H...O-H hydrogen bonds, and type IV by a C=O...H-C contact. The calculations indicate also that entropic effects are relevant in determining the equilibrium populations of the conformers of PG in the gas phase, in particular in the case of conformers of type II, where the strong intramolecular O-H...N hydrogen bond considerably diminishes entropy by reducing the conformational mobility of the molecule. In consonance with the relative energies of the conformers and barriers for conformational interconversion, only 3 conformers of PG were observed for the compound isolated in cryogenic Ar, Xe, and N2 matrices: the conformational ground state (ICa), and forms ICc and IITa. All other significantly populated conformers existing in the gas phase prior to deposition convert either to conformer ICa or to conformer ICc during matrix deposition. The experimental observation of ICc had never been achieved hitherto. Narrowband near-IR irradiation of the first overtone of νOH vibrational mode of ICa and ICc in nitrogen matrices (at 6910 and 6930 cm-1, respectively) led to selective generation of two additional conformers of high-energy, ITc and ITa, respectively, which were also observed experimentally for the first time. In addition, these experiments also provided the key information for the detailed vibrational characterization of the 3 conformers initially present in the matrices. On the other hand, UV irradiation (λ = 255 nm) of PG isolated in a xenon matrix revealed that PG undergoes facile photofragmentation

Conformers, infrared spectrum, UV-induced photochemistry, and near-IR-induced generation of two rare conformers of matrix-isolated phenylglycine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borba, Ana; Fausto, Rui; Gómez-Zavaglia, Andrea

2014-01-01

The conformational space of α-phenylglycine (PG) have been investigated theoretically at both the DFT/B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) and MP2/6-311++G(d,p) levels of approximation. Seventeen different minima were found on the investigated potential energy surfaces, which are characterized by different dominant intramolecular interactions: type I conformers are stabilized by hydrogen bonds of the type N–H···O=C, type II by a strong O–H···N hydrogen bond, type III by weak N–H···O–H hydrogen bonds, and type IV by a C=O···H–C contact. The calculations indicate also that entropic effects are relevant in determining the equilibrium populations of the conformers of PG in the gas phase, in particular in the case of conformers of type II, where the strong intramolecular O–H···N hydrogen bond considerably diminishes entropy by reducing the conformational mobility of the molecule. In consonance with the relative energies of the conformers and barriers for conformational interconversion, only 3 conformers of PG were observed for the compound isolated in cryogenic Ar, Xe, and N 2 matrices: the conformational ground state (ICa), and forms ICc and IITa. All other significantly populated conformers existing in the gas phase prior to deposition convert either to conformer ICa or to conformer ICc during matrix deposition. The experimental observation of ICc had never been achieved hitherto. Narrowband near-IR irradiation of the first overtone of νOH vibrational mode of ICa and ICc in nitrogen matrices (at 6910 and 6930 cm −1 , respectively) led to selective generation of two additional conformers of high-energy, ITc and ITa, respectively, which were also observed experimentally for the first time. In addition, these experiments also provided the key information for the detailed vibrational characterization of the 3 conformers initially present in the matrices. On the other hand, UV irradiation (λ = 255 nm) of PG isolated in a xenon matrix revealed that PG

Potency probability following conformal megavoltage radiotherapy using conventional doses for localized prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mantz, C.A.; Song, P.; Farhangi, E.; Nautiyal, J.; Awan, A.; Ignacio, L.; Weichselbaum, R.; Vijayakumar, S.

1997-01-01

Purpose: Impotence is a familiar sequela of definitive external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for localized prostate cancer; however, nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy (NSRP) has offered potency rates as high as 70% for selected for patients in several large series. To the authors' knowledge, age and stage-matched comparisons between the effects of EBRT and NSRP upon the normal age trend of impotence have not been performed. Herein, we report the change in potency over time in an EBRT-treated population, determine the significantly predisposing health factors affecting potency in this population, and compare age and stage-matched potency rates with those of normal males and prostatectomy patients. Methods and Materials: Our results are obtained from a retrospective study of 114 patients ranging in age from 52 to 85 (mean, 68) who were diagnosed with clinical stages A-C C (T1-T4N0M0) prostate cancer and then treated conformally with megavoltage x-rays to 6500-7000 cGy (180-200 cGy per fraction) using the four-field box technique. Information concerning pre-RT potency, medical and surgical history, and medications was documented for each patient as was time of post-RT change in potency during regular follow-up. The median follow-up time was 18.5 months. Results: The actuarial probability of potency for all patients gradually decreased throughout post-RT follow-up. At months 1, 12, 24, and 36, potency rates were 98, 92, 75, and 66%, respectively. For those patients who became impotent, the median time to impotence was 14 months. Factors identified from logistic regression analysis as significant predictors of post-EBRT impotence include pre-EBRT partial potency (p < 0.001), vascular disease (p < 0.001), and diabetes (p = 0.003). Next, an actuarial plot of potency probability to patient age for the EBRT-treated population was compared to that obtained from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study of normal males. The two curves were not significantly different (logrank

Does hormonal therapy influence sexual function in men receiving 3D conformal radiation therapy for prostate cancer?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Christopher T.; Valicenti, Richard K.; Lu Jiandong; Derose, Troy; Dicker, Adam P.; Strup, Stephen E.; Mulholland, S. Grant; Hirsch, Irvin H.; McGinnis, David E.; Gomella, Leonard G.

2001-01-01

Purpose: We evaluated the effect of three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) with or without hormonal therapy (HT) on sexual function (SF) in prostate cancer patients whose SF was known before all treatment. Methods and Materials: Between March 1996 and March 1999, 144 patients received 3D-CRT (median dose = 70.2 Gy, range 66.6-79.2 Gy) for prostate cancer and had pre- and post-therapy SF data. All SF data were obtained with the O'Leary Brief SF Inventory, a self-administered, multidimensional, validated instrument. We defined total sexual potency as erections firm enough for penetration during intercourse. Mean follow-up time was 21 months (SD ± 11 months). The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to test for significance of the change from baseline. Results: Before 3D-CRT, 87 (60%) of 144 men were totally potent as compared to only 47 (47%) of 101 at 1-year follow-up. Of the 60 men totally potent at baseline and followed for at least 1 year, 35 (58%) remained totally potent. These changes corresponded to a significant reduction in SF (p<0.05). Patients who had 3D-CRT alone were more likely to be totally potent at 1 year than those receiving 3D-CRT with HT (56% vs. 31%, p=0.012); however, they were also more likely to be potent at baseline (71% vs. 44%, p=0.001). Although these two groups had a significant reduction in SF from baseline, their change was not significantly different from each other. Conclusion: These data indicate that 3D-CRT causes a significant reduction in total sexual potency as compared to pretreatment baseline. The addition of HT does not appear to increase the risk of sexual dysfunction

Assessing the variability of outcome for patients treated with localized prostate irradiation using different definitions of biochemical control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horwitz, Eric; Ziaja, Ellen; Vicini, Frank; Dmuchowski, Carl; Gonzalez, Jose; Stromberg, Jannifer; Brabbins, Donald; Hollander, Jay; Chen, Peter; Martinez, Alvaro

1995-01-01

Purpose: Biochemical control is rapidly becoming the standard to assess treatment outcome of clinically localized prostate cancer. However, no standardized definition of biochemical control has been established. We reviewed our experience treating patients with localized prostate cancer and applied 3 different commonly used definitions to estimate the variability in rates of biochemical control. Materials and Methods: Between (1(87)) and (12(91)), 480 patients with clinically localized prostate cancer received uniform treatment with external beam irradiation (RT) using localized prostate fields at William Beaumont Hospital. The median dose to the prostate was 66.6 Gy (range 58 to 70.4 Gy) through a 4 field technique. A total of 14 patients received pelvic nodal RT (median dose 45 Gy). Four hundred seventy patients had post-treatment (posttx) PSA values and 414 patients had pre-treatment (pretx) PSA values. Three different definitions of biochemical control were used: 1) Biochemical control was defined as posttx PSA nadir < 1 ng/ml within 1 year. After achieving nadir, if there were 2 consecutive increases, the patient was scored a failure at the time of the first increase; 2) Biochemical control was defined as posttx PSA nadir < 1.5 ng/ml within 1 year. After achieving nadir, if there were 2 consecutive increases, the patient was scored a failure at the time of the first increase; 3) Posttx PSA nadir < 4 ng/ml without a time limit. Once the nadir was achieved, and it did not rise above normal, the patient was considered controlled. Clinical local control was defined as no palpable prostate nodularity beyond 18 months, no new prostate nodularity, or a negative biopsy. If hormonal therapy was started, the patient was censored for biochemical failure at that time. Results: Median follow-up is 48 months (range 3 to 112 months). Pre-treatment PSA values were correlated with biochemical response using the 3 definitions of biochemical control as well as clinical local

Gastro-intestinal and genito-urinary morbidity after 3D conformal radiotherapy of prostate cancer: observations of a randomized trial

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koper, Peter C.; Jansen, Peter; Putten, Wim van; Os, Marjolein van; Wijnmaalen, Arend J.; Lebesque, Joos V.; Levendag, Peter C.

2004-01-01

Background and purpose: The late morbidity of a randomized study was analyzed after a follow up of 2 years. The difference in intestinal morbidity was analyzed as a function of the treatment arm and dose volume parameters. The correlation with acute toxicity and (pre-existing) bowel complaints was investigated. Patients and methods: 266 T1-4N0M0 prostate cancer patients were randomized for conventional (open fields) and 3D conformal radiotherapy using beams eye view blocked fields with the same dose (66 Gy) and gross target volume-planning target volume margin (15 mm). Apart from the RTOG toxicity scoring system a patient self-assessment questionnaire was used to obtain detailed information on morbidity. Results: At 2 years there is only a trend for less rectal toxicity (grade≥1) in favor of the conformal radiotherapy (grade 1, 47 versus 40% and grade 2, 10 versus 7% for conventional and conformal radiotherapy, respectively (P=0.1). A significant relation was found between late rectal toxicity (grade≥1) and the volume of the anus and rectum exposed to≥90% tumor dose (TD). A highly significant relationship is observed between acute rectum and anal toxicity and late rectal toxicity. The patient self-assessment questionnaire analysis revealed that patients are most bothered by compliance related symptoms like urgency, soiling and fecal loss. In a multivariate analysis, all other variables loose significance, when anal volume exposed to≥90% TD and pre-treatment defaecation frequency are accounted for. Late anal toxicity is low and related only to acute anal toxicity. Late bladder toxicity is related solely to pre-treatment frequency and overall urological symptoms. The incidence of grade 2 toxicity increases with a factor 2.5-4 when (stool or urine) frequency is unfavorable at the start of treatment. Conclusions: Conformal radiotherapy at the dose level of 66 Gy does not significantly decrease the incidence of rectal, anal and bladder toxicity compared to

Rectal bleeding after conformal 3D treatment of prostate cancer: time to occurrence, response to treatment and duration of morbidity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teshina, Teruki; Hanks, Gerald E.; Peters, Ruth S.; Hanlon, Alexandra L.; Schultheiss, Timothy E.

1996-01-01

Purpose: Late rectal bleeding is the most common sequelae of high dose 3D conformal treatment (3DCRT) for prostate cancer and limits attempts to improve local control by dose escalation. The clinical course of this complication is reported including time to onset, response to treatment, duration of morbidity and risk factor analysis by multivariate analysis. Materials and Methods: From March, 1989 to June 1996, 670 patients with prostate cancer were treated with 3DCRT. Eighty-nine patients developed grade 2 or 3 complications due to rectal bleeding and are analyzed (Grade 2 LENT scale, Grade 3 Fox Chase modification of LENT including >2 coagulations as Grade 3). They are compared to 581 patients without Grade 2,3 morbidity in multivariate analysis. Time to development, response to initial and retreatment and duration of morbidity are tabulated. Results: The median time to occurrence is not significantly different (p=.09) for Grade 2 (13 mo. range 4-41 mo.) compared to Grade 3 (18 mo. range 4-40 mo.). The corresponding median duration of symptoms >Grade 1 were significantly different (p=.0001) being 1 month (range 1-<12) versus 10 months (1-34) respectively. The response to treatment and retreatment is shown in Table 1. For Grade 2 complications medication or coagulation was highly effective as initial or retreatment resolving 66 of 73 patients. For Grade 3 a few responded to only transfusion and with multiple coagulations and medication (12(16)) patients improved to ≤ Grade 1. Multivariate analysis demonstrates that dose is the only significant factor associated with Grade 2 (LENT) (p=.01) or Grade 3 (FC-LENT) (p=.01) complication. Lack of response to treatment was associated with hypertension on univariate analysis only. Of 7 non-responders to treatment of Grade 2 bleeding, 3 have died of intercurrent disease at 10, 19 and 26 months while 4 are alive with continuing Grade 2 bleeding at 26, 34, 41 and 45 months after onset. Of 4 non-responders to treatment of

Rectal bleeding after conformal 3D treatment of prostate cancer: Time to occurrence, response to treatment and duration of morbidity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teshima, Teruki; Hanks, Gerald E.; Hanlon, Alexandra L.; Peter, Ruth S.; Schultheiss, Timothy E.

1997-01-01

Purpose: Rectal bleeding is the most common late sequelae of high-dose 3D conformal treatment (3DCRT) for prostate cancer and may limit attempts to improve local control by dose escalation. The clinical course of this complication is reported including time to onset, response to treatment, duration of morbidity, and multivariate analysis for predictors. Methods and Materials: From March 1989 to June 1995, 670 patients with prostate cancer were treated with 3DCRT at Fox Chase Cancer Center. Eighty-nine patients developed Grade 2 or Grade 3 complications due to rectal bleeding and are analyzed. Multivariate analysis results for predictors of Grade 2 and 3 rectal bleeding are reported as well as time to development, response to initial and retreatment, and duration of morbidity. Results: The median time to occurrence is not significantly different (p = 0.09) for Grade 2 (13 months, range 4-41 months) compared to Grade 3 rectal bleeding (18 months, range 4-40 months), while the corresponding median duration of symptoms was significantly different (p < 0.0001) being 1 month (range 1-12) vs. 10 months (1-34) for Grade 2 and Grade 3 bleeding, respectively. For Grade 2 bleeding, medication or coagulation was highly effective as initial or retreatment resolving 66 of 73 patients. For Grade 3 bleeding, three patients responded without medication following blood transfusion only, while with multiple coagulations and medication 12 of 16 patients improved to ≤ Grade 1. Multivariate analysis demonstrates that dose is the only significant factor associated with Grade 2 (p = 0.01) or Grade 3 (p = 0.01) rectal bleeding. Of seven nonresponders to treatment for Grade 2 bleeding, three have died of intercurrent disease at 10, 19, and 26 months, while four are alive with continuing Grade 2 bleeding at 12, 14, 15, and 30 months after onset. The four nonresponders to treatment for Grade 3 bleeding continue to bleed 1, 9, 32, and 35 months after the third coagulation despite continuing

Acute and Late Toxicity in a Randomized Trial of Conventional Versus Hypofractionated Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arcangeli, Giorgio; Fowler, Jack; Gomellini, Sara; Arcangeli, Stefano; Saracino, Biancamaria; Petrongari, Maria Grazia; Benassi, Marcello; Strigari, Lidia

2011-01-01

Purpose: To compare the toxicity between hypofractionation vs. conventional fractionation schedules in patients with high-risk prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: Between January 2003 and December 2007, 168 patients were randomized to receive either hypofractionated (62 Gy in 20 fractions within 5 weeks, 4 fractions/wk) or conventionally fractionated (80 Gy in 40 fractions within 8 weeks) three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy to the prostate and seminal vesicles. All patients had undergone a 9-month course of total androgen deprivation, with radiotherapy starting 2 months after initiation of the total androgen deprivation. Results: The median follow-up was 32 and 35 months in the hypofractionation and conventional fractionation arms, respectively. For the patients developing acute toxicity, no difference between the two fractionation groups was found in either severity or duration of gastrointestinal or genitourinary toxicity. Also, no difference was found in the incidence and severity of late gastrointestinal and genitourinary toxicity between the two treatment schedules, with a 3-year rate of Grade 2 or greater toxicity of 17% and 16% for the hypofractionation arm and 14% and 11% for the conventional fractionation arm, respectively. A statistically significant correlation between acute and late gastrointestinal toxicity was found only in the conventional fractionation group. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the hypofractionation regimen used in our study is safe, with only a slight, nonsignificant increase in tolerable and temporary acute toxicity compared with the conventional fractionation schedule. The severity and frequency of late complications was equivalent between the two treatment groups.

Accelerated partial breast irradiation using robotic radiotherapy: a dosimetric comparison with tomotherapy and three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Rault, Erwann; Lacornerie, Thomas; Dang, Hong-Phuong; Crop, Frederik; Lartigau, Eric; Reynaert, Nick; Pasquier, David

2016-02-27

Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) is a new breast treatment modality aiming to reduce treatment time using hypo fractionation. Compared to conventional whole breast irradiation that takes 5 to 6 weeks, APBI is reported to induce worse cosmetic outcomes both when using three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). These late normal tissue effects may be attributed to the dose volume effect because a large portion of the non-target breast tissue volume (NTBTV) receives a high dose. In the context of APBI, non-coplanar beams could spare the NTBTV more efficiently. This study evaluates the dosimetric benefit of using the Cyberknife (CK) for APBI in comparison to IMRT (Tomotherapy) and three dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT). The possibility of using surgical clips, implanted during surgery, to track target movements is investigated first. A phantom of a female thorax was designed in-house using the measurements of 20 patients. Surgical clips of different sizes were inserted inside the breast. A treatment plan was delivered to the mobile and immobile phantom. The motion compensation accuracy was evaluated using three radiochromic films inserted inside the breast. Three dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT), Tomotherapy (TOMO) and CK treatment plans were calculated for 10 consecutive patients who received APBI in Lille. To ensure a fair comparison of the three techniques, margins applied to the CTV were set to 10 mm. However, a second CK plan was prepared using 3 mm margins to evaluate the benefits of motion compensation. Only the larger clips (VITALITEC Medium-Large) could be tracked inside the larger breast (all gamma indices below 1 for 1 % of the maximum dose and 1 mm). All techniques meet the guidelines defined in the NSABP/RTOG and SHARE protocols. As the applied dose volume constraints are very strong, insignificant dosimetric differences exist between techniques regarding the PTV

Accelerated partial breast irradiation using robotic radiotherapy: a dosimetric comparison with tomotherapy and three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rault, Erwann; Lacornerie, Thomas; Dang, Hong-Phuong; Crop, Frederik; Lartigau, Eric; Reynaert, Nick; Pasquier, David

2016-01-01

Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) is a new breast treatment modality aiming to reduce treatment time using hypo fractionation. Compared to conventional whole breast irradiation that takes 5 to 6 weeks, APBI is reported to induce worse cosmetic outcomes both when using three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). These late normal tissue effects may be attributed to the dose volume effect because a large portion of the non-target breast tissue volume (NTBTV) receives a high dose. In the context of APBI, non-coplanar beams could spare the NTBTV more efficiently. This study evaluates the dosimetric benefit of using the Cyberknife (CK) for APBI in comparison to IMRT (Tomotherapy) and three dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT). The possibility of using surgical clips, implanted during surgery, to track target movements is investigated first. A phantom of a female thorax was designed in-house using the measurements of 20 patients. Surgical clips of different sizes were inserted inside the breast. A treatment plan was delivered to the mobile and immobile phantom. The motion compensation accuracy was evaluated using three radiochromic films inserted inside the breast. Three dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT), Tomotherapy (TOMO) and CK treatment plans were calculated for 10 consecutive patients who received APBI in Lille. To ensure a fair comparison of the three techniques, margins applied to the CTV were set to 10 mm. However, a second CK plan was prepared using 3 mm margins to evaluate the benefits of motion compensation. Only the larger clips (VITALITEC Medium-Large) could be tracked inside the larger breast (all gamma indices below 1 for 1 % of the maximum dose and 1 mm). All techniques meet the guidelines defined in the NSABP/RTOG and SHARE protocols. As the applied dose volume constraints are very strong, insignificant dosimetric differences exist between techniques regarding the PTV

Analysis of biopsy outcome after three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy of prostate cancer using dose-distribution variables and tumor control probability models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levegruen, Sabine; Jackson, Andrew; Zelefsky, Michael J.; Venkatraman, Ennapadam S.; Skwarchuk, Mark W.; Schlegel, Wolfgang; Fuks, Zvi; Leibel, Steven A.; Ling, C. Clifton

2000-01-01

Purpose: To investigate tumor control following three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) of prostate cancer and to identify dose-distribution variables that correlate with local control assessed through posttreatment prostate biopsies. Methods and Material: Data from 132 patients, treated at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), who had a prostate biopsy 2.5 years or more after 3D-CRT for T1c-T3 prostate cancer with prescription doses of 64.8-81 Gy were analyzed. Variables derived from the dose distribution in the PTV included: minimum dose (Dmin), maximum dose (Dmax), mean dose (Dmean), dose to n% of the PTV (Dn), where n = 1%, ..., 99%. The concept of the equivalent uniform dose (EUD) was evaluated for different values of the surviving fraction at 2 Gy (SF 2 ). Four tumor control probability (TCP) models (one phenomenologic model using a logistic function and three Poisson cell kill models) were investigated using two sets of input parameters, one for low and one for high T-stage tumors. Application of both sets to all patients was also investigated. In addition, several tumor-related prognostic variables were examined (including T-stage, Gleason score). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. The ability of the logistic regression models (univariate and multivariate) to predict the biopsy result correctly was tested by performing cross-validation analyses and evaluating the results in terms of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: In univariate analysis, prescription dose (Dprescr), Dmax, Dmean, dose to n% of the PTV with n of 70% or less correlate with outcome (p 2 : EUD correlates significantly with outcome for SF 2 of 0.4 or more, but not for lower SF 2 values. Using either of the two input parameters sets, all TCP models correlate with outcome (p 2 , is limited because the low dose region may not coincide with the tumor location. Instead, for MSKCC prostate cancer patients with their

Prostatic carcinoma: limited field irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rounsaville, M.C.; Green, J.P.; Vaeth, J.M.; Purdon, R.P.; Heltzel, M.M.

1987-01-01

This is a retrospective study of 251 patients with histologically proven adenocarcinoma treated primarily with limited field radiotherapy techniques, under the principle direction of authors JMV and JPG, between 1968 and 1981 in San Francisco, California. All patients are followed for a minimum of 3 years; mean follow-up is 7.3 years. Routine clinical staging procedures included: HandP, digital prostate exam, cystoscopy, biopsy, blood studies including serum acid phosphatase, and imaging studies including chest X ray, IVP, bone survey or radionucleotide bone scan, and in recent years, pelvic CT scans. Twelve patients are Stage A1, 37-Stage A2, 50-Stage B, 140-Stage C1 and 12-Stage C2. Ninety percent of all cases and 85% of Stage C patients were treated with limited fields to the prostate and periprostatic volume only. Total doses were prescribed at midplane or isocenter and were generally 6500-7000 cGy, daily doses of 180-200 cGy, 5 days per week. Actuarial 5- and 10-year survival rates are: entire population-69% and 47%; Stage A1-74% and 50%; Stage A2-81% and 67%; Stage B-84% and 53%; Stage C1-63% and 42%; Stage C2-32% and 11%. The 5- and 10-year disease-free actuarial survivals are: entire population-71% and 50%; Stage A1-89% and 74%; Stage A2-82% and 69%; Stage B-71% and 52%; Stage C1-67% and 44%; Stage C2-0%. Sites of recurrence, alone or as a component of the failure pattern are: 37 (15%) local, 11 (4%) symptomatic regional recurrence (lower extremity edema, pelvic pain/sciatica, hydroureteronephrosis), and 87 (35%) distant metastasis. Seven (3%) had unknown sites of failure. Local-regional failure occurred in 42% of Stage C2 patients

Prostatic cancer: intolerance and morbidity of external radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Douchez, J.; Fregevu, Y.; Allain, Y.M.; Cellier, P.; Fenton, J.; Hay, M.; Le Bourgeois, J.P.; Vincent, F.

1985-01-01

The pertherapeutic intolerance and morbidity are analyzed in a groupe of 597 patients with localized prostatic carcinoma treated by definitive radiotherapy between 1975 and 1982. Minimum follow-up is 2 years, median is 46 months. The results are compared to following parameters: associated diseases, associated surgical treatments, doses and irradiated target volumes. Pertherapeutic intolerance manifestations were found in 73% of patients and lead to complications. Urinary incontinence and chronic cystitis were more frequent after transurethral resection or prostatic target volume and by split course irradiation. Chronic diarrhea was more frequent when using large target volume. Leg edema was closely associated with pelvic lymphadenectomy. The control of pertherapeutic manifestations and the prevention of complications should improve survival in patients treated by external radiotherapy [fr

Phase II trial of 3D-conformal accelerated partial breast irradiation: Lessons learned from patients and physicians’ evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azoury, Fares; Heymann, Steve; Acevedo, Catalina; Spielmann, Marc; Vielh, Philippe; Garbay, Jean-Rémi; Taghian, Alphonse G.; Marsiglia, Hugo; Bourgier, Céline

2012-01-01

Introduction: The present study prospectively reported both physicians’ and patients’ assessment for toxicities, cosmetic assessment and patients’ satisfaction after 3D-conformal accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI). Materials and Methods: From October 2007 to September 2009, 30 early breast cancer patients were enrolled in a 3D-conformal APBI Phase II trial (40 Gy/10 fractions/5 days). Treatment related toxicities and cosmetic results were assessed by both patients and physicians at each visit (at 1, 2, 6 months, and then every 6 months). Patient satisfaction was also scored. Results: After a median follow-up of 27.7 months, all patients were satisfied with APBI treatment, regardless of cosmetic results or late adverse events. Good/excellent cosmetic results were noticed by 80% of patients versus 92% of cases by radiation oncologists. Breast pain was systematically underestimated by physicians (8–20% vs. 16.6–26.2%; Kappa coefficient KC = 0.16–0.44). Grade 1 and 2 fibrosis and/or breast retraction occurred in 7–12% of patients and were overestimated by patients (KC = 0.14–0.27). Conclusions: Present results have shown discrepancies between patient and physician assessments. In addition to the assessment of efficacy and toxicity after 3D-conformal APBI, patients’ cosmetic results consideration and satisfaction should be also evaluated.

Study of radionuclide 90Sr-90Y on cell proliferation and apoptosis in benign prostatic hyperplasia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Tong; Wei Wei; Zou Benjie; Liu Fang; Xu Zhishun

2003-01-01

Objective: To investigate the effect of 90 Sr- 90 Yon cell proliferation and apoptosis in benign prostatic hyperplasia. Methods: The apoptosis and expression of Ki-67 in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) before and after irradiation 90 Sr- 90 Y were detected by transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) method and immunohistochemical technique, respectively. Results: The proliferation index (PI) of BPH after 90 Sr- 90 Y irradiation was much lower than that before irradiation, but there was no significant change in apoptosis index (AI). Conclusion: Irradiation with 90 Sr- 90 Y could restrain cell proliferation of BPH, but could not induce apoptosis

Measurement of intrafractional prostate motion using magnetic resonance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mah, Dennis; Freedman, Gary; Milestone, Bart; Hanlon, Alexandra; Palacio, Elizabeth; Richardson, Theresa; Movsas, Benjamin; Mitra, Raj; Horwitz, Eric; Hanks, Gerald E.

2002-01-01

Purpose: To quantify the three-dimensional intrafractional prostate motion over typical treatment time intervals with cine-magnetic resonance imaging (cine MRI) studies. Methods and Materials: Forty-two patients with prostate cancer were scanned supine in an alpha cradle cast using cine MRI. Twenty sequential slices were acquired in the sagittal and axial planes through the center of the prostate. Each scan took ∼9 min. The posterior, lateral, and superior edges of the prostate were tracked on each frame relative to the initial prostate position, and the size and duration of each displacement was recorded. Results: The prostate displacements were (mean ± SD): 0.2 ± 2.9 mm, 0.0 ± 3.4 mm, and 0.0 ± 1.5 mm in the anterior-posterior, superior-inferior, and medial-lateral dimensions respectively. The prostate motion appeared to have been driven by peristalsis in the rectum. Large displacements of the prostate (up to 1.2 cm) moved the prostate both anteriorly and superiorly and in some cases compressed the organ. For such motions, the prostate did not stay displaced, but moved back to its original position. To account for the dosimetric consequences of the motion, we also calculated the time-averaged displacement to be ∼1 mm. Conclusions: Cine MRI can be used to measure intrafractional prostate motion. Although intrafractional prostate motions occur, their effects are negligible compared to interfractional motion and setup error. No adjustment in margin is necessary for three-dimensional conformal or intensity-modulated radiation therapy

When treating prostate cancer with three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy the impact of bladder filling status on the volume and integral dose distribution of the target and critical organs should be kept in mind

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Yueping; Liu Xinfan; Li Yexiong; Guang Ying

2007-01-01

Objective: In prostate cancer treated with three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT), we tried to prospectively assess the impact of the filling status of bladder on the volume and the integral dose distribution to the target and surrounding critical organs. Methods: Ten patients with stage T1-T2N0M0 prostate cancer were studied. All patients received 3DCRT to the prostate and inferior seminal vesicle. One hour before CT simulation, the bladder was first voided, and then 400 ml of oral contrast solution was given at every half hour before the CT scan. Urethral catheterization was used for voiding or distending the bladder. When distending the bladder, 250-300 ml of contrast was injected into the bladder with the patient fixed at the supine position. Two sets of transverse images were taken for the whole pelvis in empty and full bladder. After the target and critical organs (bladder, rectum, pelvic small bowel, and femoral heads) were contoured, a treatment plan of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy was made using the CMS Focus-Xio treatment planning system. The volume and mean doses of CTV, PTV, rectum, bladder, femoral heads, and small bowel with the bladder empty and full were evaluated. The percentage of volume which received 50 Gy in the rectum and bladder, 30 Gy in the femoral heads, and the maximal dose to the pelvic small bowel were also assessed . The variability of volume and dose distribution in these targets or organs was compared between the empty and full bladder status. Results: Comparing to the bladder empty status, full bladder led to a mean increase of 499% in the bladder volume, (67±9) ml and (336±48) ml (P=0.000), respectively. No volume change was found in the CTV, PTV, rectum, femoral heads and pel- vic small bowel(P=0.153,0.501,0.929,0.771,0.081). The mean dose to the bladder in full status was only 35% of that in empty status, (1501±201 ) cGy and (4267±216) cGy(P =0.000), respectively. The mean dose to the pelvic small

Five-year follow-up of health-related quality of life after intensity-modulated radiation therapy for prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Namiki, Shunichi; Ishidoya, Shigeto; Ito, Akihiro; Narazaki, Kakutaro; Yamada, Shogo; Takai, Yoshihiro; Arai, Yoichi; Tochigi, Tatsuo; Numata, Isao

2009-01-01

We evaluated health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with localized prostate cancer who underwent intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) or three-field conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT). A total of 97 patients underwent 3DCRT and 36 underwent IMRT for localized prostate cancer between 2002 and 2004. We measured the general and disease-specific HRQOL with the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Health Survey and University of California, Los Angeles Prostate Cancer Index, respectively. There were no significant differences in the pre-operative characteristics of the two groups. The patients in the 3DCRT group were more likely to receive hormonal therapy compared with the IMRT group before and after radiation therapy (P<0.001 and P=0.011, respectively). With regard to general HRQOL domains, both the 3DCRT and IMRT group scores showed no significant difference between baseline and any of the observation periods. At 60 months after treatment, the 3DCRT group had significantly worse bowel function and bother scores than baseline (both P<0.001). On the other hand, there were no significant differences between the baseline and any of the post-treatment time periods in the IMRT group. In the 3DCRT group, sexual function remained substantially lower than the baseline level (P=0.023). The IMRT group tended to show a decrease in sexual function, which was not statistically significant (P=0.11). IMRT can provide the possibility to deliver a high irradiation dose to the prostate with satisfactory functional outcomes for long-term periods. (author)

Prostate motion during standard radiotherapy as assessed by fiducial markers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raymond, Y.; Crook, J.M.; Salhani, D.; Yang, H.; Esche, B.

1995-01-01

From November 1993 to August 1994, 55 patients with localized prostate carcinoma had three gold seeds placed in the prostate under transrectal ultrasound guidance prior to the start of radiotherapy in order to track prostate motion. Patients had a planning CT scan before initial simulation and again at about 40 Gy, just prior to simulation of a field reduction. Seed position relative to fixed bony landmarks (pubic symphysis and both ischial tuberosities) was digitized from each pair of orthogonal films from the initial and boost simulation using the Nucletron brachytherapy planning system. Vector analysis was performed to rule out the possibility of independent seed migration within the prostate between the time of initial and boost simulation. Prostate motion was seen in the posterior (mean: 0.56 cm; SD: 0.41 cm) and inferior directions (mean: 0.59 cm; SD: 0.45 cm). The base of the prostate was displaced more than 1 cm posteriorly in 30% of patients and in 11% in the inferior direction. Prostate position is related to rectal and bladder filling. Distension of these organs displaces the prostate in an anterosuperior direction, with lesser degrees of filling allowing the prostate to move posteriorly and inferiorly. Conformal therapy planning must take this motion into consideration. Changes in prostate position of this magnitude preclude the use of standard margins

Modification of parotids in case of conformal ORL irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Louvel, G.; Lafond, C.; Manens, J.P.; Jouyaux, F.; Williaume, D.; Le Prise, E.; Crevoisier, R. de; Cazoulat, G.; Simon, A.; Haigron, P.

2009-01-01

The objective of the study is to analyze the anatomical modifications of the parotids in case of tumors irradiation of the O.R.L. area. In case of irradiation of the O.R.L. area the parotids reduce about one third of their volume, by moving inwards and backwards. The dose received by these glands at the end of irradiation can be different from this one initially planned. (N.C.)

Normal tissue complication probabilities correlated with late effects in the rectum after prostate conformal radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dale, Einar; Olsen, Dag R.; Fossa, Sophie D.

1999-01-01

Purpose: Radiation therapy of deep-sited tumours will always result in normal tissue doses to some extent. The aim of this study was to calculate different risk estimates of late effects in the rectum for a group of cancer prostate patients treated with conformal radiation therapy (CRT) and correlate these estimates with the occurrences of late effects. Since the rectum is a hollow organ, several ways of generating dose-volume distributions over the organ are possible, and we wanted to investigate two of them. Methods and Materials: A mathematical model, known as the Lyman-Kutcher model, conventionally used to estimate normal tissue complication probabilities (NTCP) associated with radiation therapy, was applied to a material of 52 cancer prostate patients. The patients were treated with a four field box technique, with the rectum as organ at risk. Dose-volume histograms (DVH) were generated for the whole rectum (including the cavity) and of the rectum wall. One to two years after the treatment, the patients completed a questionnaire concerning bowel (rectum) related morbidity quantifying the extent of late effects. Results: A correlation analysis using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, for NTCP values calculated from the DVHs and the patients' scores, gave correlation coefficients which were not statistically significant at the p max , of the whole rectum, correlated better to observed late toxicity than D max derived from histograms of the rectum wall. Correlation coefficients from 'high-dose' measures were larger than those calculated from the NTCP values. Accordingly, as the volume parameter of the Lyman-Kutcher model was reduced, raising the impact of small high-dose volumes on the NTCP values, the correlation between observed effects and NTCP values became significant at p < 0.01 level. Conclusions: 1) High-dose levels corresponding to small volume fractions of the cumulative dose-volume histograms were best correlated with the occurrences of late

Use of benchmark dose-volume histograms for selection of the optimal technique between three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy and intensity-modulated radiation therapy in prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo Chunhui; Yang, Claus Chunli; Narayan, Samir; Stern, Robin L.; Perks, Julian; Goldberg, Zelanna; Ryu, Janice; Purdy, James A.; Vijayakumar, Srinivasan

2006-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop and validate our own benchmark dose-volume histograms (DVHs) of bladder and rectum for both conventional three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), and to evaluate quantitatively the benefits of using IMRT vs. 3D-CRT in treating localized prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: During the implementation of IMRT for prostate cancer, our policy was to plan each patient with both 3D-CRT and IMRT. This study included 31 patients with T1b to T2c localized prostate cancer, for whom we completed double-planning using both 3D-CRT and IMRT techniques. The target volumes included prostate, either with or without proximal seminal vesicles. Bladder and rectum DVH data were summarized to obtain an average DVH for each technique and then compared using two-tailed paired t test analysis. Results: For 3D-CRT our bladder doses were as follows: mean 28.8 Gy, v60 16.4%, v70 10.9%; rectal doses were: mean 39.3 Gy, v60 21.8%, v70 13.6%. IMRT plans resulted in similar mean dose values: bladder 26.4 Gy, rectum 34.9 Gy, but lower values of v70 for the bladder (7.8%) and rectum (9.3%). These benchmark DVHs have resulted in a critical evaluation of our 3D-CRT techniques over time. Conclusion: Our institution has developed benchmark DVHs for bladder and rectum based on our clinical experience with 3D-CRT and IMRT. We use these standards as well as differences in individual cases to make decisions on whether patients may benefit from IMRT treatment rather than 3D-CRT

Retrospective evaluation of dosimetric quality for prostate carcinomas treated with 3D conformal, intensity modulated and volumetric modulated arc radiotherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crowe, Scott B [Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland (Australia); Kairn, Tanya [Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland (Australia); Premion, Wesley Medical Centre, Brisbane, Queensland (Australia); Middlebrook, Nigel; Hill, Brendan; Christie, David R H; Knight, Richard T [Premion, Wesley Medical Centre, Brisbane, Queensland (Australia); Kenny, John [Australian Clinical Dosimetry Services, Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia); Langton, Christian M; Trapp, Jamie V [Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland (Australia)

2013-12-15

This study examines and compares the dosimetric quality of radiotherapy treatment plans for prostate carcinoma across a cohort of 163 patients treated across five centres: 83 treated with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT), 33 treated with intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and 47 treated with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). Treatment plan quality was evaluated in terms of target dose homogeneity and organs at risk (OAR), through the use of a set of dose metrics. These included the mean, maximum and minimum doses; the homogeneity and conformity indices for the target volumes; and a selection of dose coverage values that were relevant to each OAR. Statistical significance was evaluated using two-tailed Welch's T-tests. The Monte Carlo DICOM ToolKit software was adapted to permit the evaluation of dose metrics from DICOM data exported from a commercial radiotherapy treatment planning system. The 3DCRT treatment plans offered greater planning target volume dose homogeneity than the other two treatment modalities. The IMRT and VMAT plans offered greater dose reduction in the OAR: with increased compliance with recommended OAR dose constraints, compared to conventional 3DCRT treatments. When compared to each other, IMRT and VMAT did not provide significantly different treatment plan quality for like-sized tumour volumes. This study indicates that IMRT and VMAT have provided similar dosimetric quality, which is superior to the dosimetric quality achieved with 3DCRT.

A pilot survey of sexual function and quality of life following 3D conformal radiotherapy for clinically localized prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roach, Mack; Chinn, Daniel M.; Holland, John; Clarke, Michelle

1996-01-01

Purpose: To assess the impact of high dose three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D CRT) for prostate cancer on the sexual function-related quality of life of patients and their partners. Methods and Materials: Sixty of 124 consecutive patients (median age 72.3 years) treated with 3D CRT for localized prostate cancer were surveyed and reported being potent prior to treatment. The answers to survey questions assessing the impact of quality of life related to sexual function from these 60 patients and their partners forms the basis for this retrospective analysis. Results: Following 3D CRT, 37 of 60 patients (62%) retained sexual function sufficient for intercourse. Intercourse at least once per month was reduced from 71 to 40%, whereas intercourse less than once per year increased from 12 to 35%. Following treatment, 25% of patients reported that the change in sexual dysfunction negatively affected their relationship or resulted in poor self-esteem. This outcome was associated with impotence following treatment (p < 0.01). Patients who had partners and satisfactory sexual function appeared to be at a higher risk of having a negatively affected relationship or losing self-esteem if they become impotent (p < 0.05). Partners of patients who reported a negatively affected relationship or loss of self-esteem appear to be less likely to return the survey instrument used (p = 0.02). Conclusions: More work is needed to evaluate the impact of radiotherapy and other treatments on the quality of life of patients and their partners to allow adequate informed consent to be given

Changes in Initial Treatment for Prostate Cancer Among Medicare Beneficiaries, 1999–2007

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dinan, Michaela A.; Robinson, Timothy J.; Zagar, Timothy M.; Scales, Charles D.; Curtis, Lesley H.; Reed, Shelby D.; Lee, W. Robert; Schulman, Kevin A.

2012-01-01

Purpose: In the absence of evidence from large clinical trials, optimal therapy for localized prostate cancer remains unclear; however, treatment patterns continue to change. We examined changes in the management of patients with prostate cancer in the Medicare population. Methods and Materials: We conducted a retrospective claims-based analysis of the use of radiation therapy, surgery, and androgen deprivation therapy in the 12 months after diagnosis of prostate cancer in a nationally representative 5% sample of Medicare claims. Patients were Medicare beneficiaries 67 years or older with incident prostate cancer diagnosed between 1999 and 2007. Results: There were 20,918 incident cases of prostate cancer between 1999 and 2007. The proportion of patients receiving androgen deprivation therapy decreased from 55% to 36%, and the proportion of patients receiving no active therapy increased from 16% to 23%. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy replaced three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy as the most common method of radiation therapy, accounting for 77% of external beam radiotherapy by 2007. Minimally invasive radical prostatectomy began to replace open surgical approaches, being used in 49% of radical prostatectomies by 2007. Conclusions: Between 2002 and 2007, the use of androgen deprivation therapy decreased, open surgical approaches were largely replaced by minimally invasive radical prostatectomy, and intensity-modulated radiation therapy replaced three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy as the predominant method of radiation therapy in the Medicare population. The aging of the population and the increasing use of newer, higher-cost technologies in the treatment of patients with prostate cancer may have important implications for nationwide health care costs.

Studies of vascular acting photosensitizer Tookad for the photodynamic therapy of prostate cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Zheng; Chen, Qun; Blanc, Dominique; Hetzel, Fred W.

2005-01-01

In this pre-clinical study, photodynamic therapy (PDT) mediated with a vascular acting photosensitizer Tookad (palladium-bacteriopheophorbide) is investigated as an alternative treatment modality for the ablation of prostate cancer. Canine prostate was used as the animal model. PDT was performed by interstitially irradiating the surgically exposed prostates with a diode laser (763 nm) to activate the IV infused photosensitizer. The effects of drug dose, drug-light interval, and light fluence rate on PDT efficacy were evaluated. The prostates and adjacent tissues were harvested at one-week post PDT and subjected to histopathological examination. The dogs recovered well with little or no urethral complications. Urinalysis showed trace blood. Histological examination showed minimal damage to the prostatic urethra. These indicated that the urethra was well preserved. PDT induced prostate lesions were characterized by marked hemorrhagic necrosis with a clear demarcation. Maximum lesion volume of ~3 cm3 could be achieved with a single 1-cm diffuser fiber at a dose level of 1 mg/kg and 200 J/cm, suggesting the therapy is very effective in ablating prostatic tissue. PDT induced lesion could reach the capsule layers but adjacent tissues were well preserved. The novel photosensitizer is a vascular drug and cleared rapidly from the circulation. Light irradiation can be performed during drug infusion thereby eliminating waiting time. The novel vascular acting photosensitizer Tookad-mediated PDT could provide an effective alternative to treat prostate cancer.

Multi-Institution Prospective Trial of Reduced-Dose Craniospinal Irradiation (23.4 Gy) Followed by Conformal Posterior Fossa (36 Gy) and Primary Site Irradiation (55.8 Gy) and Dose-Intensive Chemotherapy for Average-Risk Medulloblastoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merchant, Thomas E.; Kun, Larry E.; Krasin, Matthew J.; Wallace, Dana; Chintagumpala, Murali M.; Woo, Shiao Y.; Ashley, David M.; Sexton, Maree; Kellie, Stewart J.; Ahern, Verity M.B.B.S.; Gajjar, Amar

2008-01-01

Purpose: Limiting the neurocognitive sequelae of radiotherapy (RT) has been an objective in the treatment of medulloblastoma. Conformal RT to less than the entire posterior fossa (PF) after craniospinal irradiation might reduce neurocognitive sequelae and requires evaluation. Methods and Materials: Between October 1996 and August 2003, 86 patients, 3-21 years of age, with newly diagnosed, average-risk medulloblastoma were treated in a prospective, institutional review board-approved, multi-institution trial of risk-adapted RT and dose-intensive chemotherapy. RT began within 28 days of definitive surgery and consisted of craniospinal irradiation (23.4 Gy), conformal PF RT (36.0 Gy), and primary site RT (55.8 Gy). The planning target volume for the primary site included the postoperative tumor bed surrounded by an anatomically confined margin of 2 cm that was then expanded with a geometric margin of 0.3-0.5 cm. Chemotherapy was initiated 6 weeks after RT and included four cycles of high-dose cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, and vincristine. Results: At a median follow-up of 61.2 months (range, 5.2-115.0 months), the estimated 5-year event-free survival and cumulative incidence of PF failure rate was 83.0% ± 5.3% and 4.9% ± 2.4% (± standard error), respectively. The targeting guidelines used in this study resulted in a mean reduction of 13% in the volume of the PF receiving doses >55 Gy compared with conventionally planned RT. The reductions in the dose to the temporal lobes, cochleae, and hypothalamus were statistically significant. Conclusion: This prospective trial has demonstrated that irradiation of less than the entire PF after 23.4 Gy craniospinal irradiation for average-risk medulloblastoma results in disease control comparable to that after treatment of the entire PF

Targeting Radiation Therapy for Developing Dendritic Cell Based Immunotherapy of Metastatic Prostate Cancer

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Chakravarty, Prabir K

2006-01-01

.... The hypothesis was tested using a murine prostate cancer model, RM-1. The study showed that irradiation induces apoptosis and the irradiated tumor cells were able to activate dendritic cells and stimulate tumor specific immune response in vitro...

3-D conformal treatment of prostate cancer to 74 Gy vs. high-dose-rate brachytherapy boost: A cross-sectional quality-of-life survey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vordermark, Dirk

2006-01-01

The effects of two modalities of dose-escalated radiotherapy on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) were compared. Forty-one consecutive patients were treated with a 3-D conformal (3-DC) boost to 74 Gy, and 43 with high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy boost (2x9 Gy), following 3-D conformal treatment to 46 Gy. Median age was 70 years in both groups, median initial PSA was 7.9 μg/l in 3-DC boost patients and 8.1 μg/l in HDR boost patients. Stage was 7 in 52% and 47%, respectively. HRQOL was assessed cross-sectionally using EORTC QLQ-C30 and organ-specific PR25 modules 3-32 (median 19) and 4-25 (median 14) months after treatment, respectively. Questionnaires were completed by 93% and 97% of patients, respectively. Diarrhea and insomnia scores were significantly increased in both groups. In the PR25 module, scores of 3-DC boost and HDR boost patients for urinary, bowel and treatment-related symptoms were similar. Among responders, 34% of 3-DC boost patients and 86% of HDR boost patients had severe erectile problems. Dose escalation in prostate cancer by either 3-DC boost to 74 Gy or HDR brachytherapy boost appears to result in similar HRQOL profiles

Nd : YAG surgical laser effects in canine prostate tissue: temperature and damage distribution

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Nimwegen, S. A.; L'Eplattenier, H. F.; Rem, A. I.; van der Lugt, J. J.; Kirpensteijn, J.

2009-01-01

An in vitro model was used to predict short-term, laser-induced, thermal damage in canine prostate tissue. Canine prostate tissue samples were equipped with thermocouple probes to measure tissue temperature at 3, 6, 9 and 12 mm depths. The tissue surface was irradiated with a Nd:YAG laser in contact

Conformal radiotherapy for 6 cases of bile duct carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawasaki, Yoshiyuki; Suzuki, Takashi; Sugahara, Shinji

1998-01-01

Authors performed the conformal radiotherapy using the multileaf collimator for inoperable patients with bile duct carcinoma and examined the usefulness of this treatment. Forty one patients were examined, whose age was from 45 to 80 years (mean: 69.5 years), and whose ratio of men to women was 1 to 1.6. Patients in Group I (palliative irradiation, 30 cases) received bilateral irradiation using the linac with 4 MV-x-ray of total 50.0 Gy (2.0 Gy a dose, 5 times a week), those in Group II (palliative irradiation, 5 cases) using the microtron with 10 MV-x-ray of total 50.0 Gy (2.0 Gy a dose, 5 times a week). And those in Group III (radial irradiation, 6 cases) were first irradiated using the microtron with total 40.0 Gy (2.0 Gy a dose, 5 times a week) and secondly by the conformal radiotherapy with total 20.0 Gy (2.0 Gy a dose, 5 times a week). Patients in Group III were irradiated with total 60.0 Gy. Patients in all Groups showed mild side-effects including nausea and vomiting. And patients in Group III, who were irradiated 10 Gy more than other Group, showed no severe side-effects as alimentary bleeding, liver function disorders and cholangitis. In Group I, one year survivors were 3 (10.0%) and two years survivors were none. The median survival month was 7.2 months. In Group II, one year survivor was 1 (20.0%) and two years survivors were none. The median survival month was 8.1 months. In Group III, one year survivors were 2 (33.3%), and two years survivors were 2 (33.3%). The median survival month was 11.2 months. Two patients are survival at present (March, 1998), 2 years and 10 months, and 2 years and 9 months, respectively. The conformal radiotherapy gave better results than the ordinary radiotherapy. (K.H.)

Quality of life following 3D conformal radiation therapy or permanent interstitial brachytherapy for localized prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michalski, J.M.; Kong, F.M.; Mansur, D.B.; Ahmed, N.; Perez, C.A.

2001-01-01

Purpose: Both 3D Conformal Radiation Therapy (3DCRT) and Transperineal Interstitial Permanent Brachytherapy (TIPPB) are offered as suitable non-surgical alternatives to radical prostatectomy. Despite equivalent cancer control, very little data has been published that compares Quality of Life (QOL) in contemporary cohorts of patients choosing these treatments. Materials and Methods: Since 1998, patients selecting either 3DCRT alone or TIPPB (monotherapy or boost after external beam) for primary management of localized prostate cancer were asked to participate in a prospective assessment of QOL measures. In this preliminary report, 41 3DCRT and 40 TIPPB (34 monotherapy, 6 boost) patients completed validated QOL instruments at each followup visit. QOL instruments included the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), FACT-P, and Sexual Adjustment Questionnaire (SAQ). Results: The average age of men in each group was 69 years. Choice of treatment was left to the patient unless there were significant medical or technical contraindications to either modality. 3DCRT total doses ranged from 61-78 Gy (mean 73.5Gy) and TIPPB doses were 145Gy (TG43) in 34 I-125 implants and 115 Gy in 1 Pd-103 (monotherapy) or 90 Gy in 5 Pd-103 (boost) implants. Patients undergoing TIPPB reported significantly worse urinary and sexual function than their counterparts receiving 3DCRT. The mean cumulative IPSS was 12.5 with TIPPB compared to 8.3 with 3DCRT (p=0.036). Differences were most pronounced in the first 12 months after treatment, particularly with respect to the strength of stream and the need to strain. TIPPB patients were more likely to report a need to urinate frequently (p=0.02), require a pad (p=0.001), be bothered (p=0.02), or have activity limited by urinary side effects (p=0.01). TIPPB patients were less likely to resume sexual activity within 6 months after treatment (p=0.0003) and engaged in sexual activity less often (p= 0.016) than 3DCRT patients. They were also more

Five-year follow-up using a prostate stent as fiducial in image-guided radiotherapy of prostate cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Carl, Jesper; Sander, Lotte

2015-06-01

To report results from the five-year follow-up on a previously reported study using image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) of localized or locally advanced prostate cancer (PC) and a removable prostate stent as fiducial. Patients with local or locally advanced PC were treated using five-field 3D conformal radiotherapy (3DRT). The clinical target volumes (CTV) were treated to 78 Gy in 39 fractions using daily on-line image guidance (IG). Late genito-urinary (GU) and gastro-intestinal (GI) toxicities were scored using the radiotherapy oncology group (RTOG) score and the common toxicity score of adverse events (CTC) score. Urinary symptoms were also scored using the international prostate symptom score (IPSS). Median observation time was 5.4 year. Sixty-two of the 90 patients from the original study cohort were eligible for toxicity assessment. Overall survival, cancer-specific survival and biochemical freedom from failure were 85%, 96% and 80%, respectively at five years after radiotherapy. Late toxicity GU and GI RTOG scores≥2 were 5% and 0%. Comparing pre- and post-radiotherapy IPSS scores indicate that development in urinary symptoms after radiotherapy may be complex. Prostate image-guided radiotherapy using a prostate stent demonstrated survival data comparable with recently published data. GU and GI toxicities at five-year follow-up were low and comparable to the lowest toxicity rates reported. These findings support that the precision of the prostate stent technique is at least as good as other techniques. IPSS revealed a complex development in urinary symptoms after radiotherapy.

Carcinoma of the prostate treated by pelvic node dissection, iodine-125 seed implant and external irradiation; a study of rectal complications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abadir, R.; Ross, G. Jr.; Weinstein, S.H. (Missouri Univ., Columbia (USA). Hospital and Clinics)

1984-09-01

The University of Missouri-Columbia protocol for localised cancer of the prostate calls for pelvic node dissection, 10 000 cGy at the periphery of the prostate from /sup 125/I and 4000 cGy in 20 fractions to the whole pelvis using supervoltage X-ray therapy. Rectal complications were studied in 104 patients; acute and chronic reactions were defined. During external irradiation 54% did not develop diarrhoea, 43% had mild diarrhoea and 3% had severe diarrhoea. In the chronic stage 77% did not have diarrhoea, 12% had delayed, non-distressing rectal bleeding which did not need specific treatment or needed only simple treatment, 7% had prolonged distressing proctitis and 4% had rectal ulceration or recto-urethral fistula necessitating colostomy. Each of the four patients who had colostomy had an additional aetiological factor (arterial disease, pelvic inflammation, additional radiation, pelvic malignancy or second operation). None of the patients entered in the combined brachytherapy and teletherapy programme, and in whom 0.5 cm space was maintained between the closest seed and the rectal mucosa, developed prolonged proctitis.

Biochemical failure after radical external beam radiotherapy for prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nomoto, Satoshi; Imada, Hajime; Kato, Fumio; Yahara, Katsuya; Morioka, Tomoaki; Ohguri, Takayuki; Nakano, Keita; Korogi, Yukunori

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate biochemical failures after radical external beam radiotherapy for prostate cancer. A total of 143 patients with prostate cancer (5 cases in stage A2, 95 in stage B and 43 in stage C; 18 in low risk group, 37 in intermediate risk group, 67 in high risk group and 21 in unknown group) were included in this study. Patients of stage A2 and B underwent external irradiation of 46 Gy to the prostate gland and seminal vesicle and additional 20 Gy to the prostate gland, while patients of stage C underwent external irradiation of 66 Gy to the prostate gland and seminal vesicle including 46 Gy to the pelvis. Neoadjuvant hormonal therapy was done in 66 cases, and long-term hormonal therapy in 75 cases; two cases were treated with radiation therapy alone. The 3-year relapse free survival rates by stage A2, B and C were 100%, 96.7% and 88.1%, respectively. The 3-year relapse free survival rates by low, intermediate and high risk groups were 100%, 92.3% and 89.7%, respectively. Biochemical failure was noted in nine cases during the average observation term of 32.2 months; in this group the median of prostate specific antigen (PSA) value was 2.6 ng/ml, the doubling time was 8.6 months, and the term of biochemical failure was 33.2 months. Six of eight cases with biochemical failure were the neoadjuvant hormonal therapy group, but biochemical no evidence of disease (bNED) curve showed no significant difference between neoadjuvant and long-term hormonal groups. It is supposed that unnecessary hormonal therapies were performed based on the nonspecific diagnosis of biochemical failure after radical radiotherapy in our group of patients. A precise criterion of biochemical failure after radical radiotherapy for prostate cancer is necessary. (author)

Questionnaire based quality assurance for the RT01 trial of dose escalation in conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer (ISRCTN 47772397)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayles, W.; Moore, A.Rollo; Aird, Edwin G.A.; Bidmead, A. Margaret; Dearnaley, David P.; Griffiths, Sue E.; Stephens, Richard J.; Warrington, A.P. Jim

2004-01-01

Background and purpose: In order to ensure the validity of the outcome of the Medical Research Council's 'RT01 trial' of dose escalation in conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer it was considered important that the quality of treatment delivery should meet an adequate standard across all contributing centres. A questionnaire was therefore devised to ensure that all aspects of the planning and delivery process were adequately covered. Patients and methods: The questionnaire considered each step in the planning and delivery process and drew the attention of the participants to the specific requirements of the trial. Before entering patients into the trial each participating centre had to complete the questionnaire and an outlining exercise (reported elsewhere). Results: It was not practicable to define a detailed universally acceptable protocol for the whole process of delivery of conformal radiotherapy, not least because of the different equipment available for planning and treatment in different centres. The questionnaire identified some areas of difference in practice between centres where there may be a need for the development of a consensus as to best practice, particularly in the area of patient set-up. Occasionally it was necessary to follow up responses to questions that had been misunderstood or inadequately answered, but in most cases these issues proved to be easily resolved. Conclusions: The questionnaire proved to be a useful self-assessment tool as well as enabling the quality assurance group to ensure that the standards of the trial were being met. Subsequent follow-up visits confirmed the usefulness and validity of this self assessment process

Sexual Function After Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer: Results From a Dose-Escalation Trial

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wielen, Gerard J. van der; Putten, Wim van; Incrocci, Luca

2007-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to provide information about sexual function (SF) after three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) for prostate cancer while taking important factors into account that influence SF. Methods and Materials: Between June 1997 and February 2003, a total of 268 patients from a randomized dose-escalation trial comparing 68 Gy and 78 Gy agreed to participate in an additional part of the trial that evaluated SF. Results: At baseline 28% of patients had erectile dysfunction (ED). After 1 year, 27% of the pretreatment potent patients had developed ED. After 2 years this percentage had increased to 36%. After 3 years it almost stabilized at 38%. Satisfaction with sexual life was significantly correlated with ED. After 2 years one third of the pre-treatment potent patients still had considerable to very much sexual desire and found sex (very) important. No significant differences were found between the two dose-arms. Potency aids were used on a regular base by 14% of the patients. Conclusion: By taking adjuvant hormonal therapy (HT), HT during follow-up and potency aids into account, we found a lower percentage of ED after 3D-CRT than reported in previous prospective studies. A large group of patients still had sexual desire, considered sex important and 14% used potency aids after 3D-CRT

Dosimetric comparison of proton and photon three-dimensional, conformal, external beam accelerated partial breast irradiation techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kozak, Kevin R.; Katz, Angela; Adams, Judith C.; Crowley, Elizabeth M.; Nyamwanda, Jacqueline A.C.; Feng, Jennifer K.C.; Doppke, Karen P.; DeLaney, Thomas F.; Taghian, Alphonse G.

2006-01-01

Purpose: To compare the dosimetry of proton and photon-electron three-dimensional, conformal, external beam accelerated partial breast irradiation (3D-CPBI). Methods and Materials: Twenty-four patients with fully excised, Stage I breast cancer treated with adjuvant proton 3D-CPBI had treatment plans generated using the mixed-modality, photon-electron 3D-CPBI technique. To facilitate dosimetric comparisons, planning target volumes (PTVs; lumpectomy site plus 1.5-2.0 cm margin) and prescribed dose (32 Gy) were held constant. Plans were optimized for PTV coverage and normal tissue sparing. Results: Proton and mixed-modality plans both provided acceptable PTV coverage with 95% of the PTV receiving 90% of the prescribed dose in all cases. Both techniques also provided excellent dose homogeneity with a dose maximum exceeding 110% of the prescribed dose in only one case. Proton 3D-CPBI reduced the volume of nontarget breast tissue receiving 50% of the prescribed dose by an average of 36%. Statistically significant reductions in the volume of total ipsilateral breast receiving 100%, 75%, 50%, and 25% of the prescribed dose were also observed. The use of protons resulted in small, but statistically significant, reductions in the radiation dose delivered to 5%, 10%, and 20% of ipsilateral and contralateral lung and heart. The nontarget breast tissue dosimetric advantages of proton 3D-CPBI were not dependent on tumor location, breast size, PTV size, or the ratio of PTV to breast volume. Conclusions: Compared to photon-electron 3D-CPBI, proton 3D-CPBI significantly reduces the volume of irradiated nontarget breast tissue. Both approaches to accelerated partial breast irradiation offer exceptional lung and heart sparing

Thermoacoustic imaging of prostate cancer: comparison to histology

Science.gov (United States)

Patch, S. K.; Griep, S. K.; Jacobsohn, K.; See, W. A.; Hull, D.

2014-03-01

Ex vivo imaging of fresh prostate specimens was performed to test the hypothesis that the thermoacoustic (TA) contrast mechanism generated with very high frequency electromagnetic (EM) irradiation is sensitive to prostate cancer. Ex vivo imaging was performed immediately after radical prostatectomy, performed as part of normal care. Irradiation pulsewidth was 700 ns and duty cycle was extremely low. Typical specific absorption rate (SAR) throughout the prostate was 70-90 kW/kg during pulsing, but time-averaged SAR was below 2 W/kg. TA pressure pulses generated by rapid heating due to EM energy deposition were detected using single element transducers. 15g/L glycine powder mixed into DI water served as acoustic couplant, which was chilled to prevent autolysis. Spatial encoding was performed by scanning in tomographic "step-and-shoot" mode, with 3 mm translation between slices and 1.8-degree rotation between tomographic views. Histology slides for 3 cases scanned with 2.25 MHz transducers were marked for comparison to TA reconstructions. These three cases showed little, moderate, and severe involvement in the histology levels surrounding the verumontanum. TA signal strength decreased with percent cancerous involvement. When VHF is used for tissue heating, the TA contrast mechanism is driven by ionic content and we observed suppressed TA signal from diseased prostate tissue in the peripheral zone. For the 45 regions of interest analyzed, a reconstruction value of 0.4 mV provides 100% sensitivity but only 29% specificity.

Physician resource utilization in radiation oncology: a model based on management of carcinoma of the prostate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobeissi, Beverly J.; Gupta, Mahendra; Perez, Carlos A.; Dopuch, Nicholas; Michalski, Jeff M.; Antwerp, George van; Gerber, Russell; Wasserman, Todd H.

1998-01-01

Purpose: To develop a methodology to estimate the comparative cost of physician time in treating patients with localized prostate cancer, using as an example two-dimensional (2D) vs. three-dimensional (3D) conformal irradiation techniques, and to illustrate how current cost-accounting techniques can be used to quantify the cost of physician time and effort of any treatment. Methods and Materials: Activity-based costing, a recent innovation in accounting, widely recommended for estimating and managing the costs of specific activities, was used to derive physician resource utilization costs (actual cost of the physician services and related support services consumed). Results: Patients treated with 3D conformal irradiation consume about 50% more physician time than patients receiving 2D conventional radiation therapy. The average professional reimbursement for the 3D conformal irradiation is only about 26% more than for the 2D treatment. Substantial variations in cost are found depending on the total available physician working hours. In an academic institution, a physician working 40 hours a week would have to spend an average of about 60% of available time on clinical services to break even on a 2D treatment process and over 74% of available time on clinical work to break even on a 3D treatment process. The same physician working 50 hours a week would have to spend an average of about 48% of available time on 2D clinical services and about 60% of available time on 3D clinical work to break even. Current Medicare reimbursement for 3D treatment falls short of actual costs, even if physicians work 100% of a 50-hour week. Medicare reimbursement for 2D barely allows the department to break even for 2D treatments. Conclusions: Costs based on estimates of resource use can be substantially under- or overestimated. A consistent language (method) is needed to obtain and describe the costs of radiation therapy. The methodology described here can help practitioners and

Conformational changes in hemoglobin triggered by changing the iron charge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Croci, S.; Achterhold, K.; Ortalli, I.; Parak, F. G.

2008-01-01

In this work the hemoglobin conformational changes induced by changing the iron charge have been studied and compared with Myoglobin. Moessbauer spectroscopy was used to follow the change of the iron conformation. In order to compare the conformational relaxation of hemoglobin and myoglobin, and to study a possible influence of the quaternary structure, an intermediate metastable state of hemoglobin has been created by low temperature X-ray irradiation of methemoglobin. The irradiation reduces the Fe(III) of the heme groups to Fe(II) Low Spin, where the water is still bound on the sixth coordination. Heating cycles performed at temperatures from 140 K to 200 K allow the molecules to overcome an activation energy barrier and to relax into a stable conformation such as deoxy-hemoglobin or carboxy-hemoglobin, if CO is present. Slightly different structures (conformational substates) reveal themselves as a distribution of energy barriers (ΔG). The distribution of the activation energy, for the decay of the Fe(II) Low Spin intermediate, has been fitted with a Gaussian. For comparison, published myoglobin data were re-analysed in the same way. The average energy value at characteristic temperature is very similar in case of myoglobin and hemoglobin. The larger Gaussian energy distribution for myoglobin with respect to hemoglobin shows that more conformational substates are available. This may be caused by a larger area exposed to water. In hemoglobin, part of the surface of the chains is not water accessible due to the quaternary structure.

3-D conformal treatment of prostate cancer to 74 Gy vs. high-dose-rate brachytherapy boost: A cross-sectional quality-of-life survey

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vordermark, Dirk [Univ. of Wuerzburg (DE). Dept. of Radiation Oncology] (and others)

2006-09-15

The effects of two modalities of dose-escalated radiotherapy on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) were compared. Forty-one consecutive patients were treated with a 3-D conformal (3-DC) boost to 74 Gy, and 43 with high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy boost (2x9 Gy), following 3-D conformal treatment to 46 Gy. Median age was 70 years in both groups, median initial PSA was 7.9 {mu}g/l in 3-DC boost patients and 8.1 {mu}g/l in HDR boost patients. Stage was 7 in 52% and 47%, respectively. HRQOL was assessed cross-sectionally using EORTC QLQ-C30 and organ-specific PR25 modules 3-32 (median 19) and 4-25 (median 14) months after treatment, respectively. Questionnaires were completed by 93% and 97% of patients, respectively. Diarrhea and insomnia scores were significantly increased in both groups. In the PR25 module, scores of 3-DC boost and HDR boost patients for urinary, bowel and treatment-related symptoms were similar. Among responders, 34% of 3-DC boost patients and 86% of HDR boost patients had severe erectile problems. Dose escalation in prostate cancer by either 3-DC boost to 74 Gy or HDR brachytherapy boost appears to result in similar HRQOL profiles.

Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy Causes Fewer Side Effects than Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiotherapy When Used in Combination With Brachytherapy for the Treatment of Prostate Cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forsythe, Kevin; Blacksburg, Seth; Stone, Nelson; Stock, Richard G.

2012-01-01

Purpose: To measure the benefits of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) compared with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) when used in combination with brachytherapy for the treatment of prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: We conducted a retrospective review of all patients with localized prostate cancer who received external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) in combination with brachytherapy with at least 1 year follow-up (n = 812). Combination therapy consisted of 103 Pd or 125 I implant, followed by a course of EBRT. From 1993 to March 2003 521 patients were treated with 3D-CRT, and from April 2003 to March 2009 291 patients were treated with IMRT. Urinary symptoms were prospectively measured with the International Prostate Symptom Score questionnaire with a single quality of life (QOL) question; rectal bleeding was assessed per the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Late Radiation Morbidity Scoring Schema. The Pearson χ 2 test was used to compare toxicities experienced by patients who were treated with either IMRT or 3D-CRT. Logistic regression analyses were also performed to rule out possible confounding factors. Results: Within the first 3 months after treatment, patients treated with 3D-CRT scored their urinary symptoms as follows: 19% mild, 44% moderate, and 37% severe; patients treated with IMRT scored their urinary symptoms as follows: 36% mild, 47% moderate, and 17% severe (p < 0.001). The 3D-CRT patients rated their QOL as follows: 35% positive, 20% neutral, and 45% negative; IMRT patients rated their QOL as follows: 51% positive, 18% neutral, and 31% negative (p < 0.001). After 1 year of follow-up there was no longer any difference in urinary morbidity between the two groups. Logistic regression confirmed the differences in International Prostate Symptom Score and QOL in the acute setting (p < 0.001 for both). Grade ≥2 rectal bleeding was reported by 11% of 3D-CRT patients and 7

Urethrography and ischial intertuberosity line in radiation therapy planning for prostate carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadeghi, Ahmad; Kuisk, Hans; Tran, Luu; St Royal, Leslie

1996-01-01

We analyzed our urethrography procedure regarding the validity of using the ischial tuberosity line (ITL) as the caudal margin of treatment portals for prostate carcinoma. The distances of the external urethral sphincter and the lowest margin of the opacified urinary bladder were analyzed in one hundred fifteen consecutive urethrograms. None showed the urethral sphincter to be caudal to the ITL. Ten percent of the sphincters were located less than 1.0 cm cephalad to the ITL, yielding inadequate treatment coverage if the ITL was relied on. Arbitrarily considering 2.0 cm or more of the urethral irradiation to be excessive, the use of the ITL would then have resulted in unnecessary normal tissue irradiation of 42.5%. The ITL should not be used as the caudal margin for prostate treatment portals. Variation in sphincter position, as also seen on lateral projections, reveal a need for urethrography as a necessary supplement to computed tomography to plan radiation portals for prostate cancer

The reaction rates of electrons with native and irradiated ribonuclease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schuessler, H.; Ebert, M.; Davies, J.V.

1977-01-01

The rate of reaction of hydrated electrons with proteins depends, amongst other things, on the conformational structure of the protein, and irradiation itself causes conformational changes in proteins. A study has been made of variations in the reaction rates of hydrated electrons with RNase pre-irradiated by the Linac or by a 60 Co γ-source. The reaction rate constants varied with the pre-irradiation dose, the concentration of phosphate buffer, the enzyme concentration and also the presence of 10 -2 M ethanol. These variations serve to emphasize the importance of the tertiary structure of biological molecules in irradiation processes and have significant implications in the mathematical analysis of the inactivation of enzymes in steady-state irradiation processes. (U.K.)

Dosimetric evaluation of three adaptive strategies for prostate cancer treatment including pelvic lymph nodes irradiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Cantin, Audrey; Gingras, Luc; Lachance, Bernard; Foster, William; Goudreault, Julie; Archambault, Louis

2015-12-01

The movements of the prostate relative to the pelvic lymph nodes during intensity-modulated radiation therapy treatment can limit margin reduction and affect the protection of the organs at risk (OAR). In this study, the authors performed an analysis of three adaptive treatment strategies that combine information from both bony and gold marker registrations. The robustness of those treatments against the interfraction prostate movements was evaluated. A retrospective study was conducted on five prostate cancer patients with 7-13 daily cone-beam CTs (CBCTs). The clinical target volumes (CTVs) consisting of pelvic lymph nodes, prostate, and seminal vesicles as well as the OARs were delineated on each CBCT and the initial CT. Three adaptive strategies were analyzed. Two of these methods relied on a two-step patient positioning at each fraction. First step: a bony registration was used to deliver the nodal CTV prescription. Second step: a gold marker registration was then used either to (1) complete the dose delivered to the prostate (complement); (2) or give almost the entire prescription to the prostate with a weak dose gradient between the targets to compensate for possible motions (gradient). The third method (COR) used a pool of precalculated plans based on images acquired at previous treatment fractions. At each new fraction, a plan is selected from that pool based on the daily position of prostate center-of-mass. The dosimetric comparison was conducted and results are presented with and without the systematic shift in the prostate position on the CT planning. The adaptive strategies were compared to the current clinical standard where all fractions are treated with the initial nonadaptive plan. The minimum daily prostate D95% is improved by 2%, 9%, and 6% for the complement, the gradient, and the COR approaches, respectively, compared to the nonadaptive method. The average nodal CTV D95% remains constant across the strategies, except for the gradient approach

Dosimetric evaluation of three adaptive strategies for prostate cancer treatment including pelvic lymph nodes irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cantin, Audrey; Gingras, Luc; Archambault, Louis; Lachance, Bernard; Foster, William; Goudreault, Julie

2015-01-01

Purpose: The movements of the prostate relative to the pelvic lymph nodes during intensity-modulated radiation therapy treatment can limit margin reduction and affect the protection of the organs at risk (OAR). In this study, the authors performed an analysis of three adaptive treatment strategies that combine information from both bony and gold marker registrations. The robustness of those treatments against the interfraction prostate movements was evaluated. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on five prostate cancer patients with 7–13 daily cone-beam CTs (CBCTs). The clinical target volumes (CTVs) consisting of pelvic lymph nodes, prostate, and seminal vesicles as well as the OARs were delineated on each CBCT and the initial CT. Three adaptive strategies were analyzed. Two of these methods relied on a two-step patient positioning at each fraction. First step: a bony registration was used to deliver the nodal CTV prescription. Second step: a gold marker registration was then used either to (1) complete the dose delivered to the prostate (complement); (2) or give almost the entire prescription to the prostate with a weak dose gradient between the targets to compensate for possible motions (gradient). The third method (COR) used a pool of precalculated plans based on images acquired at previous treatment fractions. At each new fraction, a plan is selected from that pool based on the daily position of prostate center-of-mass. The dosimetric comparison was conducted and results are presented with and without the systematic shift in the prostate position on the CT planning. The adaptive strategies were compared to the current clinical standard where all fractions are treated with the initial nonadaptive plan. Results: The minimum daily prostate D 95% is improved by 2%, 9%, and 6% for the complement, the gradient, and the COR approaches, respectively, compared to the nonadaptive method. The average nodal CTV D 95% remains constant across the strategies

Radical prostatectomy and postoperative irradiation in patients with pathological stage C (T3) carcinoma of the prostate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petrovich, Zbigniew; Lieskovsky, Gary; Langholz, Bryan; Formenti, Silvia; Baert, Luc; Streeter, Oscar; Skinner, Donald G.

1998-01-01

Purpose: Adenocarcinoma of the prostate is the most common human cancer of internal organs. Radical surgery is regarded by many to be the treatment of choice for capsule confined disease. Since accurate preoperative assessment of tumor stage is difficult to define, many patients are subsequently found to have pathological stage C (T3) disease. These patients should be considered for adjuvant radiotherapy. Methods and Materials: A group of 201 PS C (T3) unselected patients, treated with radical prostatectomy and limited pelvic lymphadenectomy, received postoperative irradiation to the prostate bed. This radiotherapy was given between 42-90 days after surgery and consisted of a median dose of 48 Gy. Patient survival, disease free survival, time to clinical and chemical relapse and the incidence of local and systemic relapse were analyzed. The influence of multiple parameters on the treatment outcome including patient age, treatment period, clinical stage, pathological stage, Gleason's score, prostate specific antigen (PSA), radiotherapy techniques and radiation dose were examined using univariate and multivariate analysis. Follow-up ranged from 3 to 15 years, with a median of 5 years. Results: The overall 5- and 10-year actuarial survival was 92% and 83% (median > 10 years), respectively and the 5- and 10-year disease-free survival (clinical and PSA) was 67% and 53% (median > 10 years), respectively. A total of 61 (30%) patients had a recurrence, including 23 (11%) patients who had clinical and 38 (19%) who had PSA recurrence. Of the 23 patients with clinical recurrence, 10 (5%) had local recurrence, including two patients who had local and systemic recurrence. Pathological stage and Gleason's score were independently predictive of recurrence (each with p 25 ng/ml) was also an important independent factor predicting tumor recurrence, p = 0.05. All other investigated parameters were not significant in predicting tumor recurrence. This treatment program was very well

Associations between volume changes and spatial dose metrics for the urinary bladder during local versus pelvic irradiation for prostate cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Casares-Magaz, Oscar; Moiseenko, Vitali; Hopper, Austin; Pettersson, Niclas Johan; Thor, Maria; Knopp, Rick; Deasy, Joseph O; Muren, Ludvig Paul; Einck, John

2017-06-01

Inter-fractional variation in urinary bladder volumes during the course of radiotherapy (RT) for prostate cancer causes deviations between planned and delivered doses. This study compared planned versus daily cone-beam CT (CBCT)-based spatial bladder dose distributions, for prostate cancer patients receiving local prostate treatment (local treatment) versus prostate including pelvic lymph node irradiation (pelvic treatment). Twenty-seven patients (N = 15 local treatment; N = 12 pelvic treatment) were treated using daily image-guided RT (1.8 Gy@43-45 fx), adhering to a full bladder/empty rectum protocol. For each patient, 9-10 CBCTs were registered to the planning CT, using the clinically applied translations. The urinary bladder was manually segmented on each CBCT, 3 mm inner shells were generated, and semi and quadrant sectors were created using axial/coronal cuts. Planned and delivered DVH metrics were compared across patients and between the two groups of treatment (t-test, p bladder volume variations and the dose-volume histograms (DVH) of the bladder and its sectors were evaluated (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, r s ). Bladder volumes varied considerably during RT (coefficient of variation: 16-58%). The population-averaged planned and delivered DVH metrics were not significantly different at any dose level. Larger treatment bladder volumes resulted in increased absolute volume of the posterior/inferior bladder sector receiving intermediate-high doses, in both groups. The superior bladder sector received less dose with larger bladder volumes for local treatments (r s  ± SD: -0.47 ± 0.32), but larger doses for pelvic treatments (r s  ± SD: 0.74 ± 0.24). Substantial bladder volume changes during the treatment course occurred even though patients were treated under a full bladder/daily image-guided protocol. Larger bladder volumes resulted in less bladder wall spared at the posterior-inferior sector, regardless the

RapidArc, intensity modulated photon and proton techniques for recurrent prostate cancer in previously irradiated patients: a treatment planning comparison study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weber, Damien C; Miralbell, Raymond; Wang, Hui; Cozzi, Luca; Dipasquale, Giovanna; Khan, Haleem G; Ratib, Osman; Rouzaud, Michel; Vees, Hansjoerg; Zaidi, Habib

2009-01-01

A study was performed comparing volumetric modulated arcs (RA) and intensity modulation (with photons, IMRT, or protons, IMPT) radiation therapy (RT) for patients with recurrent prostate cancer after RT. Plans for RA, IMRT and IMPT were optimized for 7 patients. Prescribed dose was 56 Gy in 14 fractions. The recurrent gross tumor volume (GTV) was defined on 18 F-fluorocholine PET/CT scans. Plans aimed to cover at least 95% of the planning target volume with a dose > 50.4 Gy. A maximum dose (D Max ) of 61.6 Gy was allowed to 5% of the GTV. For the urethra, D Max was constrained to 37 Gy. Rectal D Median was < 17 Gy. Results were analyzed using Dose-Volume Histogram and conformity index (CI 90 ) parameters. Tumor coverage (GTV and PTV) was improved with RA (V 95% 92.6 ± 7.9 and 83.7 ± 3.3%), when compared to IMRT (V 95% 88.6 ± 10.8 and 77.2 ± 2.2%). The corresponding values for IMPT were intermediate for the GTV (V 95% 88.9 ± 10.5%) and better for the PTV (V 95% 85.6 ± 5.0%). The percentages of rectal and urethral volumes receiving intermediate doses (35 Gy) were significantly decreased with RA (5.1 ± 3.0 and 38.0 ± 25.3%) and IMPT (3.9 ± 2.7 and 25.1 ± 21.1%), when compared to IMRT (9.8 ± 5.3 and 60.7 ± 41.7%). CI 90 was 1.3 ± 0.1 for photons and 1.6 ± 0.2 for protons. Integral Dose was 1.1 ± 0.5 Gy*cm 3 *10 5 for IMPT and about a factor three higher for all photon's techniques. RA and IMPT showed improvements in conformal avoidance relative to fixed beam IMRT for 7 patients with recurrent prostate cancer. IMPT showed further sparing of organs at risk

Potential benefits of combining cytosine deaminase/5-fluorocytosine gene therapy and irradiation for prostate cancer. Experimental study

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Kato, Hiroaki; Koshida, Kiyoshi; Yokoyama, Kunihiko; Mizokami, Atsushi; Namiki, Mikio [Kanazawa Univ. (Japan). School of Medicine

2002-10-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of combining cytosine deaminase/5-fluorocytosine (CD/5-FC) gene therapy and radiation therapy (either external beam radiation or radioimmunotherapy [RIT]), for the treatment of prostate cancer. Tumor xenografts of CD-transduced LNCaP cells grown in the testes of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice were used to evaluate antitumor effect. The mice were injected intraperitoneally with 500 mg/kg of 5-FC, or with 5, 15 or 30 mg/kg of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), for 9 days. The tumors were treated with fractionated radiation at a dose of 1 or 3 Gy/day for 3 days, or I-131 labelled anti-prostate specific antigen (anti-PSA) monoclonal antibody (mAb) administration at a subtherapeutic dose of 20 or 80 {mu}Ci. Intratumoral and serum concentrations of 5-FU were measured using high performance liquid chromatography. Mice treated with CD/5-FC gene therapy presented a significant tumor growth inhibition comparable to that obtained with 15 mg/kg, 5-FU systemic administration without marked weight loss. Treatment with CD/5-FC gene therapy resulted in higher tumor but lower serum concentrations of 5-FU than treatment with systemic 5-FU chemotherapy. An additive antitumor effect was obtained when CD/5-FC therapy was combined with 1 Gy irradiation, which by itself did not produce a significant antitumor effect. However, the efficacy of CD/5-FC therapy was not enhanced when combined with RIT, probably due to poor accumulation of the mAb as the tumor/blood ratio never exceeded 1. These findings indicate that CD/5-FC gene therapy for prostate cancer may function with enhanced antitumor effect when combined with external beam radiation. However, combining CD/5-FC gene therapy and RIT using an anti-PSA mAb may not be effective because of insufficient accumulation of the mAb at the target tumors. (author)

Potential benefits of combining cytosine deaminase/5-fluorocytosine gene therapy and irradiation for prostate cancer. Experimental study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kato, Hiroaki; Koshida, Kiyoshi; Yokoyama, Kunihiko; Mizokami, Atsushi; Namiki, Mikio

2002-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of combining cytosine deaminase/5-fluorocytosine (CD/5-FC) gene therapy and radiation therapy (either external beam radiation or radioimmunotherapy [RIT]), for the treatment of prostate cancer. Tumor xenografts of CD-transduced LNCaP cells grown in the testes of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice were used to evaluate antitumor effect. The mice were injected intraperitoneally with 500 mg/kg of 5-FC, or with 5, 15 or 30 mg/kg of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), for 9 days. The tumors were treated with fractionated radiation at a dose of 1 or 3 Gy/day for 3 days, or I-131 labelled anti-prostate specific antigen (anti-PSA) monoclonal antibody (mAb) administration at a subtherapeutic dose of 20 or 80 μCi. Intratumoral and serum concentrations of 5-FU were measured using high performance liquid chromatography. Mice treated with CD/5-FC gene therapy presented a significant tumor growth inhibition comparable to that obtained with 15 mg/kg, 5-FU systemic administration without marked weight loss. Treatment with CD/5-FC gene therapy resulted in higher tumor but lower serum concentrations of 5-FU than treatment with systemic 5-FU chemotherapy. An additive antitumor effect was obtained when CD/5-FC therapy was combined with 1 Gy irradiation, which by itself did not produce a significant antitumor effect. However, the efficacy of CD/5-FC therapy was not enhanced when combined with RIT, probably due to poor accumulation of the mAb as the tumor/blood ratio never exceeded 1. These findings indicate that CD/5-FC gene therapy for prostate cancer may function with enhanced antitumor effect when combined with external beam radiation. However, combining CD/5-FC gene therapy and RIT using an anti-PSA mAb may not be effective because of insufficient accumulation of the mAb at the target tumors. (author)

Urethral dose and increment of international prostate symptom score (IPSS) in transperineal permanent interstitial implant (TPI) of prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murakami, N.; Itami, J.; Okuma, K.; Marino, H.; Ban, T.; Nakazato, M.; Kanai, K.; Naoi, K.; Fuse, M.; Nakagawa, K.

2008-01-01

Purpose: to find the factors which influence the acute increment of international prostate symptom score (IPSS) after transperineal permanent interstitial implant (TPI) using 125 I seeds. Patients and methods: from April 2004 through September 2006, 104 patients with nonmetastatic prostate cancer underwent TPI without external-beam irradiation. Median patient age was 70 years with a median follow-up of 13.0 months. 73 patients (70%) received neoadjuvant hormone therapy. The increment of IPSS was defined as the difference between pre- and postimplant maximal IPSS. Clinical, treatment, and dosimetric parameters evaluated included age, initial prostate-specific antigen, Gleason Score, neoadjuvant hormone therapy, initial IPSS, post-TPI prostatic volume, number of implanted seeds, prostate V 100 , V 150 , D 90 , urethral D max , and urethral D 90 . In order to further evaluate detailed urethral doses, the base and apical urethra were defined and the dosimetric parameters were calculated. Results: the IPSS peaked 3 months after TPI and returned to baseline at 12-15 months. Multivariate analysis demonstrated a statistically significant correlation of post-TPI prostatic volume, number of implanted seeds, and the dosimetric parameters of the base urethra with IPSS increment. Conclusion: the base urethra appears to be susceptible to radiation and the increased dose to this region deteriorates IPSS. It remains unclear whether the base urethral dose relates to the incidence of late urinary morbidities. (orig.)

Automated treatment planning engine for prostate seed implant brachytherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Yan; Zhang, J.B.Y.; Brasacchio, Ralph A.; Okunieff, Paul G.; Rubens, Deborah J.; Strang, John G.; Soni, Arvind; Messing, Edward M.

1999-01-01

Purpose: To develop a computer-intelligent planning engine for automated treatment planning and optimization of ultrasound- and template-guided prostate seed implants. Methods and Materials: The genetic algorithm was modified to reflect the 2D nature of the implantation template. A multi-objective decision scheme was used to rank competing solutions, taking into account dose uniformity and conformity to the planning target volume (PTV), dose-sparing of the urethra and the rectum, and the sensitivity of the resulting dosimetry to seed misplacement. Optimized treatment plans were evaluated using selected dosimetric quantifiers, dose-volume histogram (DVH), and sensitivity analysis based on simulated seed placement errors. These dosimetric planning components were integrated into the Prostate Implant Planning Engine for Radiotherapy (PIPER). Results: PIPER has been used to produce a variety of plans for prostate seed implants. In general, maximization of the minimum peripheral dose (mPD) for given implanted total source strength tended to produce peripherally weighted seed patterns. Minimization of the urethral dose further reduced the loading in the central region of the PTV. Isodose conformity to the PTV was achieved when the set of objectives did not reflect seed positioning uncertainties; the corresponding optimal plan generally required fewer seeds and higher source strength per seed compared to the manual planning experience. When seed placement uncertainties were introduced into the set of treatment planning objectives, the optimal plan tended to reach a compromise between the preplanned outcome and the likelihood of retaining the preferred outcome after implantation. The reduction in the volatility of such seed configurations optimized under uncertainty was verified by sensitivity studies. Conclusion: An automated treatment planning engine incorporating real-time sensitivity analysis was found to be a useful tool in dosimetric planning for prostate

An analysis of clinical and treatment related prognostic factors on outcome using biochemical control as an end-point in patients with prostate cancer treated with external beam irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horwitz, Eric M.; Vicini, Frank A.; Ziaja, Ellen L.; Dmuchowski, Carl F.; Stromberg, Jannifer S.; Gustafson, Gary S.; Martinez, Alvaro A.

1997-01-01

Purpose: We reviewed our institution's experience in treating patients with clinically localized prostate cancer with external beam irradiation (RT) to determine if previously analyzed clinical and treatment related prognostic factors affected outcome when biochemical control was used as an end-point to evaluate results. Materials and methods: Between 1 January 1987 and 31 December 1991, 470 patients with clinically localized prostate cancer were treated with external beam RT using localized prostate fields at William Beaumont Hospital. Biochemical control was defined as PSA nadir ≤1.5 ng/ml within 1 year of treatment. After achieving nadir, if two consecutive increases of PSA were noted, the patient was scored a failure at the time of the first increase. Prognostic factors, including the total number of days in treatment, the method of diagnosis, a history of any pretreatment transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and the type of boost were analyzed. Results: Median follow-up was 48 months. No statistically significant difference in rates of biochemical control were noted for treatment time, overall time (date of biopsy to completion of RT), history of any pretreatment TURP, history of diagnosis by TURP, or boost techniques. Patients diagnosed by TURP had a significant improvement in the overall rate of biochemical control (P < 0.03) compared to transrectal/transperineal biopsy. The 5-year actuarial rates were 58 versus 39%, respectively. This improvement was not evident when pretreatment PSA, T stage, or Gleason score were controlled for. On multivariate analysis, no variable was associated with outcome. When analysis was limited to a more favorable group of patients (T1/T2 tumors, pretreatment PSA ≤20 ng/ml and Gleason score <7), none of these variables were significantly predictive of biochemical control when controlling for pretreatment PSA, T stage and Gleason score. Conclusions: No significant effect of treatment time, overall time, pretreatment

What about sexual life after therapy for prostate cancer?; Y a t-il une vie sexuelle apres traitement d'un cancer prostatique?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cosset, J.M. [Institut Curie, 75 - Paris (France)

2002-05-01

The precise assessment of sexual dysfunction after treatment of prostatic cancer cannot be avoided in 2002. These iatrogenic complications may significantly alter the quality of life of the patients. In addition, sexual toxicity is progressively becoming a cardinal parameter for the treatment choice, both for the patient and the physician. Significant efforts allowed to reduce sexual toxicity after therapy in the recent years. As an example, nerve-sparing surgical techniques have been proposed, whenever reasonable. However, in spite of these surgical advances, data suggest that overall, the new irradiation techniques (conformal radiotherapy and brachytherapy) are responsible for less alteration of sexual life than surgery. Another potential advantage is that sildenafil (Viagra) is able to restore potency in a majority of cases after radiotherapy, while it is usually poorly effective after surgery. (author)

Prostatic sarcoma after treatment of rectal cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hill Andrew G

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The relationship between radiation exposure for treatment of cancer and occurrence of a second primary cancer at the irradiated site is well known. This phenomenon is however rare in prostate. Case presentation A 75-year-old farmer was treated for rectal cancer with preoperative 45 Gy of radiotherapy and abdominoperineal resection. Four years later he developed symptoms of bladder outlet obstruction and acute urinary retention. He underwent a transurethral resection of the prostate. Histological examination of the removed prostate tissue and immunohistochemistry revealed it to be a poorly differentiated sarcoma. Conclusion We believe this to be the first reported case of radiation-induced sarcoma following radiotherapy treatment for rectal cancer. Since radiotherapy plays a pivotal role in the contemporary treatment of rectal adenocarcinoma, it is relevant to be aware of the potential long-term carcinogenic complications of radiotherapy of the pelvis.

Lateral rectal shielding reduces late rectal morbidity after high dose three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy for clinically localized prostate cancer: further evidence for a dose effect

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, W Robert; Hanks, Gerald E; Hanlon, Alexandra; Schultheiss, Timothy E

1995-07-01

Purpose: Using conventional treatment methods for the treatment of clinically localized prostate cancer central axis doses must be limited to 65-70 Gy to prevent significant damage to nearby normal tissues. A fundamental hypothesis of three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) is that, by defining the target organ(s) accurately in three dimensions, it is possible to deliver higher doses to the target without a significant increase in normal tissue complications. This study examines whether this hypothesis holds true and whether a simple modification of treatment technique can reduce the incidence of late rectal morbidity in patients with prostate cancer treated with 3DCRT to minimum planning target volume (PTV) doses of 71-75 Gy. Materials and Methods: 257 patients with clinically localized prostate cancer completed 3DCRT by December 31, 1993 and received a minimum PTV dose of 71-75 Gy. The median follow-up time was 22 months (range 4-67 months) and 98% of patients had followup of longer than 12 months. The calculated dose at the center of the prostate was <74 Gy in 19 patients, 74-76 Gy in 206 patients and >76 Gy in 32 patients. Late rectal morbidity was graded according to the LENT scoring system. Eighty-eight consecutive patients were treated with a rectal block added to the lateral fields. In these patients the posterior margin from the prostate to the block edge was reduced from the standard 15 mm to 7.5 mm for the final 10 Gy which reduced the dose to portions of the anterior rectal wall by approximately 4-5 Gy. Estimates of rates for rectal morbidity were determined by Kaplan-Meier actuarial analyses. Differences in morbidity percentages were evaluated by the Pearson chi square test. Results: Grade 2-3 rectal morbidity developed in 46 of 257 patients (18%) and in the majority of cases consisted of rectal bleeding. No patient has developed grade 4 or 5 rectal morbidity. The actuarial rate of grade 2-3 morbidity is 22% at 24 months and the median

Contribution of the deep-inspiration breath-hold technique in patients treated for a left breast cancer by mono-isocentric conformational irradiation; Apport du blocage inspiratoire profond chez des patientes traitees pour un cancer du sein gauche par irradiation conformationnelle mono-isocentrique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zioueche, A.; Mege, A.; Bodez, V.; Rauglaudre, G. de [Institut Sainte-Catherine, Avignon (France)

2011-10-15

The authors report a study which aimed at assessing the benefit of a deep-inspiration-breath-hold on heart sparing in 31 women treated in the left breast or wall and locoregional ganglionary areas by three-dimensional conformational irradiation with field-in-field optimization. All heart and lung parameters (delivered doses) have been significantly improved by a deep-inspiration-breath-hold. Short communication

IMRT and 3D conformal radiotherapy with or without elective nodal irradiation in locally advanced NSCLC: A direct comparison of PET-based treatment planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Fleckenstein, Jochen; Kremp, Katharina; Kremp, Stephanie; Palm, Jan; Rübe, Christian

2016-02-01

The potential of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) as opposed to three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) is analyzed for two different concepts of fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET)-based target volume delineation in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC): involved-field radiotherapy (IF-RT) vs. elective nodal irradiation (ENI). Treatment planning was performed for 41 patients with LA-NSCLC, using four different planning approaches (3D-CRT-IF, 3D-CRT-ENI, IMRT-IF, IMRT-ENI). ENI included a boost irradiation after 50 Gy. For each plan, maximum dose escalation was calculated based on prespecified normal tissue constraints. The maximum prescription dose (PD), tumor control probability (TCP), conformal indices (CI), and normal tissue complication probabilities (NTCP) were analyzed. IMRT resulted in statistically significant higher prescription doses for both target volume concepts as compared with 3D-CRT (ENI: 68.4 vs. 60.9 Gy, p ENI, there was a considerable theoretical increase in TCP (IMRT: 27.3 vs. 17.7 %, p ENI: 12.3 vs. 30.9 % p < 0.0001; IF: 15.9 vs. 24.1 %; p < 0.001). The IMRT technique and IF target volume delineation allow a significant dose escalation and an increase in TCP. IMRT results in an improved sparing of OARs as compared with 3D-CRT at equivalent dose levels.

Three dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3d-crt) in prostate carcinoma: for whom and how?; La radiotherapie conformationnelle dans le cancer de la prostate: pour qui et comment?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bey, P.; Beckendorf, V.; Aletti, P.; Marchesi, V. [Centre Alexis-Vautrin, Dept. de Radiotherapie, 54 - Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy (France)

2002-05-01

External radiotherapy is one of the modalities use o cure localized prostate carcinoma. Most of localized prostate carcinomas, specially those of the intermediate prognostic group, may benefit from escalated dose above 70 Gy at least as regard biochemical and clinical relapse free survival. 3D-CRT allows a reduction of the dose received by organs at risk and an increase of prostate dose over 70 Gy. It is on the way to become a standard. Intensity modulated radiation therapy increases dose homogeneity and reduces rectal dose. These methods necessitate rigorous procedures in reproducibility, delineation of volumes, dosimetry, daily treatment. They need also technological and human means. It is clear that localized prostate cancer is a good example for evaluation of these new radiotherapy modalities. (author)

Re-analysis of clinical and treatment related prognostic factors on outcome using biochemical control as an end-point in patients with prostate cancer treated with external beam irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ziaja, Ellen L.; Horwitz, Eric M.; Vicini, Frank A.; Dmuchowski, Carl F.; Brabbins, Donald S.; Gustafson, Gary S.; Hollander, Jay; Matter, Richard C.; Stromberg, Jannifer S.; Martinez, Alvaro A.

1996-01-01

Purpose: Prostate specific antigen (PSA) has been established as the most important prognostic factor for prostate cancer. We reviewed our experience treating patients with clinically localized prostate cancer with external beam irradiation (RT) to evaluate if previously defined clinical and treatment related prognostic factors remain valid when biochemical control was used as an end-point to evaluate results. Methods and Materials: Between 1/87 and 12/91, 480 patients with clinically localized prostate cancer received external beam irradiation (RT) using localized prostate fields at William Beaumont Hospital. The median dose to the prostate was 66.6 Gy (range 58 - 70.4 Gy) using a 4 field or arc technique. Pre- and post-treatment serum PSA levels were recorded. Biochemical control was defined as PSA nadir ≤ 1.5 ng/ml within 1 year of treatment completion. After achieving nadir, if 2 consecutive increases of PSA were noted, the patient was scored a failure at the time of the first increase. Patients (pts) were divided into 3 groups according to total number of days on treatment: ≤ 49 days (≤ 7 weeks)- 21 pts; 50-63 days (8-9 weeks)- 429 pts; and ≥ 64 days (≥ 9 weeks)- 15 pts. Patients were also divided into groups with respect to the method of diagnosis: TURP (81 pts), or other means (399 pts). Patients were further divided into 2 groups: 1) if they had ever had a pre-treatment TURP (170 pts) or 2) if they had not (310 pts). Patients were divided into 2 groups according to boost technique: bilateral arcs (459 pts) or 4 field box (21 pts). Patients were also divided into groups according to total RT dose: ≤ 70 Gy (421 pts) or > 70 Gy (59 pts). Patients were further subdivided into 3 dose groups: 70 Gy (59 pts). Results: Median follow-up is 48 months (range 3 - 112 months). No statistically significant difference in rates of biochemical control were noted for treatment time, overall time (date of biopsy to completion of RT), or treatment time divided into

Therapeutic results and prognostic factors after irradiation of loco-regional prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Debrigode, C.; Dubois, J.; Hay, H.M.; Astre, C.; Savu, N.M.

1994-01-01

The present study concerns 140 patients with loco-regional prostatic cancer, treated with external beam irradiation at the CRLC Val-d'Aurelle in Montpellier, France, between 1982 and 1988, with a minimum of 54 months follow-up. The local control after radiotherapy is 78.6%, all stages and histological grades combined. The median overall survival is 114 months and the median disease-free survival 59 months. The most frequent modality of treatment failure is metastatic disease, isolated (32.8%) or combined to local relapse (10%). The rate of urinary intolerance symptoms during treatment was 87.1 and 80.6% for the digestive ones. The late urinary complications and sequellae rate was 21.4% for the cystitis-type and 12.9% for post-radiotherapy urethral structures; the latter has imposed in 2/3 of cases one or more trans-urethral resections that never showed pathological signs of recurrence. Digestive complications and sequellae occurred in 31.3% of the patients; in the latter group there were two internal digestive fistulae which needed surgical treatment and three postradiotherapeutic stenosis of the anal canal. The prognostic factors revealed by statistical analysis are clinical stage, pathological grade for overall and disease-free survival, age for overall survival and trans-urethral resection for disease-free survival, the latter being equally a risk factor for cystitis-type complications and urethral structures. (authors). 26 refs., 8 figs., 7 tabs

Critical appraisal of a conformal head and neck cancer irradiation avoiding electron beams and field matching

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fogliata, Antonella; Cozzi, Luca; Bieri, Sabine; Bernier, Jacques

1999-01-01

Purpose: In head and neck cancer patients, spinal chains are usually irradiated by a combination of photon and electron beams, requiring high precision in field matching. This study compares a conventional treatment approach where two lateral photon beams are combined to direct electron fields, to a conformal radiotherapy based on five photon fields, covering the whole neck. Methods and Materials: A comparative analysis of dose distributions and dose-volume histograms was carried out in patients with locally advanced head and neck tumors, for which planning target volumes (PTV) were outlined from the base of the skull down to the supraclavicular region. The prescribed dose to PTV (excluding booster irradiation) was 54 Gy, with spinal dose constraint not exceeding 75% of the total dose, whatever the technique. Results: For the new five-field technique, minimum and maximum point doses showed mean deviations, on five patients entered in the study, of 84% and 113% from the ICRU prescription point. In the conventional treatment, the corresponding figures were 73% and 112%, respectively. A positioning error analysis (isocenter displacement of 2 mm, in all directions) did not elicit any systematic difference in five-field treatment plans while hot spots were found with electron fields. Conclusions: The five-field technique appears routinely feasible and compares favorably with the conventional mixed photon- and electron-therapy approach, especially in regard to its better compliance with dose homogeneity requirements and a reduced risk in dose inhomogeneity related to field matching and patient positioning

Guidelines for primary radiotherapy of patients with prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boehmer, Dirk; Maingon, Philippe; Poortmans, Philip; Baron, Marie-Helene; Miralbell, Raymond; Remouchamps, Vincent; Scrase, Christopher; Bossi, Alberto; Bolla, Michel

2006-01-01

Background and purposes: The appropriate application of 3-D conformal radiotherapy, intensity modulated radiotherapy or image guided radiotherapy for patients undergoing radiotherapy for prostate cancer requires a standardisation of target delineation as well as clinical quality assurance procedures. Patients and methods: Pathological and imaging studies provide valuable information on tumour extension. In addition, clinical investigations on patient positioning and immobilisation as well as treatment verification data offer an abundance of information. Results: Target volume definitions for different risk groups of prostate cancer patients based on pathological and imaging studies are provided. Available imaging modalities, patient positioning and treatment preparation studies as well as verification procedures are collected from literature studies. These studies are summarised and recommendations are given where appropriate. Conclusions: On behalf of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Radiation Oncology Group this article presents a common set of recommendations for external beam radiotherapy of patients with prostate cancer

Quantification of prostate movements during radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Artignana, X.; Rastkhah, M.; Balosso, J.; Bolla, M.; Fourneret, P.; Gilliot, O.

2006-01-01

Decrease treatment uncertainties is one of the most important challenge in radiation oncology. Numerous techniques are available to quantify prostate motion and visualize prostate location day after day before each irradiation: CT-scan, cone-beam-CT-Scan, ultrasound, prostatic markers... The knowledge of prostate motion is necessary to define the minimal margin around the target volume needed to avoid mis-positioning during treatment session. Different kind of prostate movement have been studied and are reported in the present work: namely, those having a large amplitude extending through out the whole treatment period on one hand; and those with a shorter amplitude happening during treatment session one the other hand. The long lasting movement are mostly anterior posterior (3 mm standard deviation), secondary in cranial-caudal (1-2 mm standard deviation) and lateral directions (0.5-1 mm standard deviation). They are mostly due to the rectal state of filling and mildly due to bladder filling or inferior limbs position. On the other hand the shorter movement that occurs during the treatment session is mostly variation of position around a steady point represented by the apex. Ones again, the rectal filling state is the principle cause. This way, during the 20 minutes of a treatment session, including the positioning of the patient, a movement of less than 3 mm could be expected when the rectum is empty. Ideally, real time imaging tools should allow an accurate localisation of the prostate and the adaptation of the dosimetry before each treatment session in a time envelope not exceeding 20 minutes. (author)

A study of the effects of internal organ motion on dose escalation in conformal prostate treatments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Happersett, Laura; Mageras, Gig S.; Zelefsky, Michael J.; Burman, Chandra M.; Leibel, Steven A.; Chui Chen; Fuks, Zvi; Bull, Sarah; Ling, C. Clifton; Kutcher, Gerald J.

2003-01-01

Background and purpose: To assess the effect of internal organ motion on the dose distributions and biological indices for the target and non-target organs for three different conformal prostate treatment techniques. Materials and methods: We examined three types of treatment plans in 20 patients: (1) a six field plan, with a prescribed dose of 75.6 Gy; (2) the same six field plan to 72 Gy followed by a boost to 81 Gy; and (3) a five field plan with intensity modulated beams delivering 81 Gy. Treatment plans were designed using an initial CT data set (planning) and applied to three subsequent CT scans (treatment). The treatment CT contours were used to represent patient specific organ displacement; in addition, the dose distribution was convolved with a Gaussian distribution to model random setup error. Dose-volume histograms were calculated using an organ deformation model in which the movement between scans of individual points interior to the organs was tracked and the dose accumulated. The tumor control probability (TCP) for the prostate and proximal half of seminal vesicles (clinical target volume, CTV), normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) for the rectum and the percent volume of bladder wall receiving at least 75 Gy were calculated. Results: The patient averaged increase in the planned TCP between plan types 2 and 1 and types 3 and 1 was 9.8% (range 4.9-12.5%) for both, whereas the corresponding increases in treatment TCP were 9.0% (1.3-16%) and 8.1% (-1.3-13.8%). In all patients, plans 2 and 3 (81 Gy) exhibited equal or higher treatment TCP than plan 1 (75.6 Gy). The maximum treatment NTCP for rectum never exceeded the planning constraint and percent volume of bladder wall receiving at least 75 Gy was similar in the planning and treatment scans for all three plans. Conclusion: For plans that deliver a uniform prescribed dose to the planning target volume (PTV) (plan 1), current margins are adequate. In plans that further escalate the dose to part

A nonaxial boost may reduce late complications of radiotherapy for prostate cancer

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Ben-Josef, E; Mesina, C F; Choi, J; Forman, J D

1995-07-01

Purpose: The nonaxial external beam (NAEBT) prostate boost technique was designed to reduce late complications of radiotherapy for prostate cancer. It has been previously shown that with this beam arrangement, the volumes of bladder and rectum receiving high doses could be substantially reduced. This study was undertaken to find if these advantages in dose distribution would translate into clinically significant benefits. Materials and Methods: Follow-up was obtained on 106 prostate cancer patients who had been treated with 3D conformal radiotherapy. Late complications were scored using the RTOG scale. A standard four-field axial (STD) technique had been used to deliver 45 Gy to the prostate, seminal vesicles and periprostatic lymph-nodes. A subsequent 24 Gy boost had been delivered using a STD technique (58 patients) or a NAEBT technique (48 patients). In the latter, the opposing anterior and posterior pair of beams had been substituted for a right and left anterior infero-superior pair. Actuarial probabilities of developing late complications were calculated by the life-table method. The Mantel-Haenszel test was used to compare these probabilities between the two groups. Results: The groups were comparable in regard to age, race, pretreatment serum PSA, stage distribution and dose to prostate. With a median follow-up of 21 months, 18 patients have developed grade 1-2 gastrointestinal or genitourinary complications (14 in the STD group, 4 in the NAEBT group). There were no grade 3-4 complications. The actuarial 3-year complication probability was 58% and 11% in the STD and NAEBT groups, respectively. However, this difference was not statistically significant. Gastrointestinal and genitourinary complications were reduced from 12.1% to 6.2% and from 15.5% to 4.2%, respectively. Conclusion: The use of a nonaxial boost technique has resulted in fewer complications in patients treated with 3D conformal radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer. The greater reduction

The antioxidant, MnTE-2-PyP, prevents side-effects incurred by prostate cancer irradiation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rebecca E Oberley-Deegan

Full Text Available Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer, with an estimated 240,000 new cases reported annually in the United States. Due to early detection and advances in therapies, more than 90% of patients will survive 10 years post diagnosis and treatment. Radiation is a treatment option often used to treat localized disease; however, while radiation is very effective at killing tumor cells, normal tissues are damaged as well. Potential side-effects due to prostate cancer-related radiation therapy include bowel inflammation, erectile dysfunction, urethral stricture, rectal bleeding and incontinence. Currently, radiation therapy for prostate cancer does not include the administration of therapeutic agents to reduce these side effects and protect normal tissues from radiation-induced damage. In the current study, we show that the small molecular weight antioxidant, MnTE-2-PyP, protects normal tissues from radiation-induced damage in the lower abdomen in rats. Specifically, MnTE-2-PyP protected skin, prostate, and testes from radiation-induced damage. MnTE-2-PyP also protected from erectile dysfunction, a persistent problem regardless of the type of radiation techniques used because the penile neurovascular bundles lay in the peripheral zones of the prostate, where most prostate cancers reside. Based on previous studies showing that MnTE-2-PyP, in combination with radiation, further reduces subcutaneous tumor growth, we believe that MnTE-2-PyP represents an excellent radioprotectant in combination radiotherapy for cancer in general and specifically for prostate cancer.

Temporal and Spatial Dynamics of Androgen Receptor Conformation and Interactions in Prostate Cancer Cells

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Schaufele, Fred

2007-01-01

... for prostate cancer treatment. Studies supported by this grant indicate that the failure of tumors to respond to anti-androgen therapy corresponded best with an increased nuclear transport of AR...

Palliative radiotherapy for local progression of hormone refractory stage D2 prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawakami, Satoru; Kawai, Tsuneo; Yonese, Junji; Yamauchi, Tamio; Ishibashi, Keiichiro; Ueda, Tomohiro

1993-01-01

From 1970 to 1992, 10 patients with hormone refractory stage D2 adenocarcinoma of the prostate presenting themselves with urinary retention and/or gross hematuria were treated by palliative irradiation for local progression at Cancer Institute Hospital. External beam irradiation was delivered to the primary lesion at dose of 38 Gy to one patient and 30∼27 Gy to seven patients. Five of these patients in whom an urethral catheter had been indwelt were able to void without difficulty following the treatment. Of four patients with severe hematuria resulting from vesical tamponade, none had hematuria after the treatment. These effect lasted until patients' death or more than 11 months follow-up. In other 2 patients, irradiation had to be discontinued at dose less than 20 Gy because of deteriorated general conditions and no significant effect. Complications of the treatment were minimal. These results indicate that the optimal dose of local palliative irradiation is around 30 Gy. Irradiation is a good choice for palliation of locally progressive hormone refactory prostate cancer in view of its certain and long-lasting effect, low invasiveness and minimal complications. When to institute palliative irradiation is one of the most important question in order to secure a good quality of life of patients. From our experiences, it is our belief that if local progression is symptomatic, palliative irradiation should be initiated as soon as possible. (author)

Dose perturbation due to the presence of a prostatic urethral stent in patients receiving pelvic radiotherapy: an in vitro study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gez, E; Cederbaum, M; Yachia, D; Bar-Deroma, R; Kuten, A

1997-01-01

Temporary metallic intraprostatic stent is a new alternative treatment for patients with urinary obstructive syndrome caused by prostate cancer. Definitive radiotherapy is a treatment of choice for localized prostate cancer. This study evaluates in vitro the effect of a urethral intraprostatic metallic stent on the dose absorbed by the surrounding tissue. The study was designed to mimic the conditions under which the prostatic stent is placed in the body during pelvic irradiation. A urethral stent composed of a 50% nickel-50% titanium alloy (Uracoil-InStent) was imbedded in material mimicking normal tissue (bolus) at a simulated body depth of 10 cm. The distribution of the absorbed dose of irradiation was determined by film dosimetry using Kodak X-Omat V film. Irradiation was done in a single field at the isocenter of a 6 MV linear accelerator with a field size of 7 x 7 cm. The degree of film blackening was in direct proportion to the absorbed dose. The measurements showed an increase in dose of up to 20% immediately before the stent and a decrease of up to 18% immediately after the stent. These changes occurred within a range of 1-3 mm from both sides of the stent. In practice, irradiation in prostate cancer is given by two pairs of opposed co-axial fields; a total of four fields (Box Technique). The dose perturbations are partly cancelled in a pair of opposed beams resulting in a net variation of +/- 4%; therefore, the presence of the intraprostatic stent should not influence radiotherapy planning for prostate cancer.

Evaluation of IMRT plans for prostate treatment using energies of 6 MV and 15 MV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guimaraes, Lucas Francisco C.; Silva, Murilo C. da; Silveira, Paula J.; Flosi, Adriana A.; Boccaletti, Karina W.

2013-01-01

This study aims to evaluate and compare radiotherapy plans with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for prostate cancer treatments optimized for photon energies of 6 MV and 15 MV. We retrospectively evaluated 29 patients with prostate cancer, planned with IMRT technique with prescribed dose of 78 Gy. The initial plan was done for the two photon energies, keeping the same optimization parameters and comparing maximum, minimum and modal PTV doses, conformity and homogeneity indexes, dose gradients, isodoses volumes of 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 Gy, and the total number of monitor units. It was found that the plans are equivalent regarding higher isodose volumes, conformity and homogeneity indexes, maximum, minimum and modal PTV doses. However, for 6 MV plans there was a considerable increase in both number of monitor units and volume lower isodose volumes, especially the 30 Gy. (author)

Acute toxicity profile in prostate cancer with conventional and hypofractionated treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Viani, Gustavo Arruda; Zulliani, Giseli Correa; Stefano, Eduardo Jose; Silva, Lucas Bernardes Godoy da; Silva, Bruna Bueno da; Crempe, Yuri Bonicelli; Martins, Vinicius Spazzapan; Ferrari, Ricardo Jose Rambaiolo; Pólo, Mariana Colbachini; Rossi, Bruno Thiago; Suguikawa, Elton

2013-01-01

To compare the acute toxicities in radical treatment of prostate cancer between conventional schedule (C-ARM) with 78 Gy/39 fractions and hypofractionation conformal treatment (H-ARM) with 69 Gy/23 fractions. This prospective double arm study consisted of 217 patients with prostate cancer, 112 in H-ARM and 105 in C-ARM arm. C-ARM received conventional six- field conformal radiotherapy with 78 Gy in 39 fractions while H-ARM received hypofractionation with 69 Gy in 23 fractions. Weekly assessment of acute reactions was done during treatment and with one, and 3 months using RTOG scale. Univariated analysis was performed to evaluate differences between the incidences of acute reaction in the treatment arms. Variables with p value less than 0.1 were included in the multivariated logistic regression. There was no difference between H-ARM versus C-ARM for severity and incidence in genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) acute toxicity. During the treatment comparing H-ARM with C-ARM no differences was observed for GI toxicity (grade 0–3; H-ARM = 45.5%, 34%, 18.7% and 1.8% versus C-ARM = 47.6%, 35.2%, 17.2% and 0). For acute GU toxicity no difference was detected between H-ARM (grade 0–3; 22.3%, 54.5%, 18.7% and 4.5%) and C-ARM (grade 0–3; 25.8%, 53.3%, 17.1% and 3.8%). At the 3- months follow-up, persistent Grade > =2 acute GU and GI toxicity were 2.5% and 1.8% in H-ARM versus 5.7% and 3% in C-ARM (p > 0.05). In univariated and multivariated analyses, there was not any dosimetric predictor for GI and GU toxicity. Our data demonstrate that hypofractionated radiotherapy achieving high biological effective dose using conformal radiotherapy is feasible for prostate cancer, being well tolerated with minimal severe acute toxicity

Self-assembled albumin nanoparticles for combination therapy in prostate cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lian H

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Huibo Lian,1 Jinhui Wu,2 Yiqiao Hu,2 Hongqian Guo1 1Department of Urology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, 2State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Resistance to regular treatment strategies is a big challenge in the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer. Combination of photothermal and photodynamic therapy (PTT/PDT with chemotherapy offers unique advantages over monotherapy alone. However, free drugs, such as photosensitizers and chemotherapeutic agents, lack tumor-targeted accumulation and can be easily eliminated from the body. Moreover, most of the PTT drugs are hydrophobic and their organic solvents have in vivo toxicity, thereby limiting their potential in clinical translation. Herein, simple multifunctional nanoparticles (NPs using IR780 (a near-infrared dye and docetaxel (DTX-loaded nanoplatform based on human serum albumin (HSA (HSA@IR780@DTX was developed for targeted imaging and for PTT/PDT with chemotherapy for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer treatment. In this platform, HSA is a biocompatible nanocarrier that binds to both DTX and IR780. DTX and IR780, as hydrophobic drug, can induce the self-assembly of HSA proteins. Transmission electron microscopic imaging showed that NPs formed by self-assembly are spherical with a smooth surface with a hydrodynamic diameter of 146.5±10.8 nm. The cytotoxicity of HSA@IR780@DTX NPs with or without laser irradiation in prostate cancer cells (22RV1 was determined via CCK-8 assay. The antitumor effect of HSA@IR780@DTX plus laser irradiation was better than either HSA@IR780@DTX without laser exposure or single PTT heating induced by HSA@IR780 NPs under near-infrared laser, suggesting a significant combined effect in comparison to monotherapy. Near-infrared fluorescence imaging showed that HSA@IR780@DTX NPs could preferentially

Automatic localization of the prostate for on-line or off-line image-guided radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smitsmans, Monique H.P.; Wolthaus, Jochem W.H.; Artignan, Xavier; Bois, Josien de; Jaffray, David A.; Lebesque, Joos V.; Herk, Marcel van

2004-01-01

analysis and were removed from the data set before further analysis. Results: Comparing gray value registration to contour registration, we found a success rate of 91%. The accuracy for rotations around the left-right, cranial-caudal, and anterior-posterior axis was 2.4 degrees, 1.6 degrees, and 1.3 degrees (1 SD), respectively, and for translations along these axes 0.7, 1.3, and 1.2 mm (1 SD), respectively. A large part of the error is attributed to uncertainty in the reference contour set. Automatic prostate localization takes about 45 seconds on a 1.7 GHz Pentium IV personal computer. Conclusions: This newly developed method localizes the prostate quickly, accurately, and with a good success rate, although visual inspection is still needed to detect outliers. With this approach, it will be possible to correct on-line or off-line for prostate movement. Combined with the conformity of intensity-modulated dose distributions, this method might permit dose escalation beyond that of current conformal approaches, because margins can be safely reduced

Presence of PSA auto-antibodies in men with prostate abnormalities (prostate cancer/benign prostatic hyperplasia/prostatitis).

Science.gov (United States)

Lokant, M T; Naz, R K

2015-04-01

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA), produced by the prostate, liquefies post-ejaculate semen. PSA is detected in semen and blood. Increased circulating PSA levels indicate prostate abnormality [prostate cancer (PC), benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostatitis (PTIS)], with variance among individuals. As the prostate has been proposed as an immune organ, we hypothesise that variation in PSA levels among men may be due to presence of auto-antibodies against PSA. Sera from healthy men (n = 28) and men having prostatitis (n = 25), BPH (n = 30) or PC (n = 29) were tested for PSA antibody presence using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) values converted to standard deviation (SD) units, and Western blotting. Taking ≥2 SD units as cut-off for positive immunoreactivity, 0% of normal men, 0% with prostatitis, 33% with BPH and 3.45% with PC demonstrated PSA antibodies. One-way analysis of variance (anova) performed on the mean absorbance values and SD units of each group showed BPH as significantly different (P prostatitis. All others were nonsignificant (P prostate abnormalities, especially differentiating BPH from prostate cancer and prostatitis. © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Radiation-induced cytogenetic damage in relation to changes in interphase chromosome conformation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pantelias, G.E.

1986-01-01

The premature chromosome condensation (PCC) technique was used to study several factors that determine the yield of chromosome fragments as observed in interphase cells after irradiation. In addition to absorbed dose and the extent of chromosome condensation at the time of irradiation, changes in chromosome conformation as cells progressed through the cell cycle after irradiation affected dramatically the yield of chromosome fragments observed. As a test of the effect of chromosome decondensation, irradiated metaphase Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were allowed to divide, and the prematurely condensed chromosomes in the daughter cells were analyzed in their G1 phase. The yield of chromosome fragments increased as the daughter cells progressed toward S phase and chromosome decondensation occurred. When early G1 CHO cells were irradiated and analyzed at later times in G1 phase, an increase in chromosome fragmentation again followed the gradual increase in chromosome decondensation. As a test of the effect of chromosome condensation, G0 human lymphocytes were irradiated and analyzed at various times after fusion with mitotic CHO cells, i.e., as condensation proceeded. The yield of fragments observed was directly related to the amount of chromosome condensation allowed to take place after irradiation and inversely related to the extent of chromosome condensation at the time of irradiation. It can be concluded that changes in chromosome conformation interfered with rejoining processes. In contrast, resting chromosomes (as in G0 lymphocytes irradiated before fusion) showed efficient rejoining. These results support the hypothesis that cytogenetic lesions become observable chromosome breaks when chromosome condensation or decondensation occurs during the cell cycle

Relation between the treated region of the patient with ca. of the uterine cervix and her body-type in whole pelvis irradiation with conformation technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morita, Kozo; Kakehi, Masae

1975-01-01

In whole pelvis irradiation using the conformation technique for the patient with carcinoma of the uterine cervix, standardization of the shape of the treated region was tried on the basis of measuring the pelvis in X-ray films. This was done on the X-rays of 200 patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix. The body-type of the patient the most remarkably influenced the shape of the treated region. Ten clinical types of cam-group (treated region) were determined, in order to perform conformation radiotherapy for carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Although the shape of the treated region could also be changed by the invasion of the lesion, the position of the portio and the general condition of the patients, these 10 standard types of cam-group can be applied practically to almost all of the patients. (Evans, J.)

Health-Related Quality of Life 2 Years After Treatment With Radical Prostatectomy, Prostate Brachytherapy, or External Beam Radiotherapy in Patients With Clinically Localized Prostate Cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferrer, Montserrat; Suarez, Jose Francisco; Guedea, Ferran; Fernandez, Pablo; Macias, Victor; Marino, Alfonso; Hervas, Asuncion; Herruzo, Ismael; Ortiz, Maria Jose; Villavicencio, Humberto; Craven-Bratle, Jordi; Garin, Olatz; Aguilo, Ferran

2008-01-01

Purpose: To compare treatment impact on health-related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with localized prostate cancer, from before treatment to 2 years after the intervention. Methods and Materials: This was a longitudinal, prospective study of 614 patients with localized prostate cancer treated with radical prostatectomy (134), three-dimensional external conformal radiotherapy (205), and brachytherapy (275). The HRQL questionnaires administered before and after treatment (months 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24) were the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form, the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (General and Prostate Specific), the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC), and the American Urological Association Symptom Index. Differences between groups were tested by analysis of variance and within-group changes by univariate repeated-measures analysis of variance. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) models were constructed to assess between-group differences in HRQL at 2 years of follow-up after adjusting for clinical variables. Results: In each treatment group, HRQL initially deteriorated after treatment with subsequent partial recovery. However, some dimension scores were still significantly lower after 2 years of treatment. The GEE models showed that, compared with the brachytherapy group, radical prostatectomy patients had worse EPIC sexual summary and urinary incontinence scores (-20.4 and -14.1; p < 0.001), and external radiotherapy patients had worse EPIC bowel, sexual, and hormonal summary scores (-3.55, -5.24, and -1.94; p < 0.05). Prostatectomy patients had significantly better EPIC urinary irritation scores than brachytherapy patients (+4.16; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Relevant differences between treatment groups persisted after 2 years of follow-up. Radical prostatectomy had a considerable negative effect on sexual functioning and urinary continence. Three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy had a moderate negative impact on bowel

Acute toxicity in pelvic radiotherapy; a randomised trial of conformal versus conventional treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tait, Diana M.; Nahum, Alan E.; Meyer, Lesley C.; Law, Matthew; Dearnaley, David P.; Horwich, Alan; Mayles, W. Philip; Yarnold, John R.

1997-01-01

Background: A prospective, randomized clinical trial to assess the effect of reducing the volume of irradiated normal tissue on acute reactions in pelvic radiotherapy accrued 266 evaluable patients between 1988 and 1993. Purpose: This is the definitive analysis to assess the differences between the conformal and conventional arms of the trial. Materials and methods: In both arms, patients were treated with 6 MV X-rays using a 3-field technique (in all but 5 cases) consisting of an anterior and two wedged lateral or posterior oblique fields; in the conventional arm, rectangular fields were employed, whereas in the conformal arm, the fields were shaped with customized blocks drawn according to the beam's-eye-view of the target volume. The most common dosage was 65 Gy in 2-Gy fractions 5 times a week, although a subgroup (of ca. bladder patients) were treated with 30-36 Gy in once-a-week 6 Gy fractions. Each patient completed a comprehensive acute toxicity scoring questionnaire concentrating on bowel and bladder problems, tiredness and nausea, before the start of treatment, weekly during and for 3 weeks after the end of treatment and then monthly for a further 2 months. Compliance was excellent. Results: There were no differences between the patients in the two arms with respect to age, gender, tumour type (52% prostate, 41% bladder, 5% rectum, 2% other) fractionation/dosage, anterior field size, weight, or baseline symptoms. Substantial differences in normal-tissue volumes (rectum, bladder, etc.) were achieved: median high-dose volume (HDV) of 689 cm 3 for the conformal technique versus 792 cm 3 for the conventional. A clear pattern of an increase in symptoms during RT, followed by a decrease after RT, was observed for the patient group as a whole. However, a very extensive analysis has not revealed any (statistically) significant differences between the two arms in level of symptoms, nor in medication prescribed. The disparity between our findings and those of other

Incidental irradiation of mediastinal and hilar lymph node stations during 3D-conformal radiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kepka, Lucyna; Bujko, Krzysztof; Zolciak-Siwinska, Agnieszka; Garmol, Dariusz

2008-01-01

Purpose. To estimate the doses of incidental irradiation in particular lymph node stations (LNS) in different extents of elective nodal irradiation (ENI) in 3D-conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods. Doses of radiotherapy were estimated for particular LNS delineated according to the recommendations of the Univ. of Michigan in 220 patients treated using 3D-CRT with different (extended, limited and omitted) extents of ENI. Minimum doses and volumes of LNS receiving 40 Gy or more (V40) were compared for omitted vs. limited+extended ENI and limited vs. extended ENI. Results. For omission of the ENI the minimum doses and V40 for particular LNS were significantly lower than for patients treated with ENI. For the limited ENI group, the minimum doses for LNS 5, 6 lower parts of 3A and 3P (not included in the elective area) did not differ significantly from doses given to respective LNS for extended ENI group. When the V40 values for extended and limited ENI were compared, no significant differences were seen for any LNS, except for group 1/2R, 1/2L. Conclusions. Incidental irradiation of untreated LNS seems play a part in case of limited ENI, but not in cases without ENI. For subclinical disease the delineation of uninvolved LNS 5, 6, and lower parts of 3A, 3P may be not necessary, because these stations receive the substantial part of irradiation incidentally, if LNS 4R, 4L, 7, and ipsilateral hilum are included in the elective area while this is not case for stations 1 and 2

Preclinical studies of vascular acting photosensitizer bacteriopheophorbide for the treatment of prostate cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Hetzel, Fred W.; Chen, Qun; Luck, David; Beckers, Jill; Huang, Zheng

2004-06-01

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) mediated with vascular acting photosensitizer pd-bacteriopheophorbide (Tookad), is investigated as an alternative modality for the total ablation of prostate cancer. In vivo normal canine prostate is used as the animal model. Interstitial PDT was performed by irradiating the surgically exposed prostates with a diode laser (763 nm, 150 mW/cm) to activate the IV infused photosensitizer drug. The prostate and its adjacent tissues were harvested and subjected to histopathological examination. At one-week post PDT, the animals recovered well with little or no urethral complications. Prostatic urethra and prostate adjacent tissues (bladder and underlying colon) were well preserved. PDT induced prostate lesions were characterized by marked hemorrhagic necrosis. Prostate lesions could be detected by MRI scan as early as 48 h post PDT. Maximum lesion size of 1.5 cm3 and 2.9 cm3 could be achieved at 50 J/cm and 100 J/cm, respectively, with interstitial treatment using a single 1-cm diffuser fiber, suggesting the Tookad-PDT is very effective in ablating prostatic tissue. Pharmacokinetic studies show that the photosensitizer is cleared rapidly from the circulation. In conclusion, the novel photosensitizer Tookad mediated PDT may provide an effective alternative to treat localized prostate cancer.

Evaluation of the utilization of external radiotherapy in the treatment of localized prostate cancer in Andalusia, Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Expósito, José; Linares, Isabel; Castillo, Isabel; Martínez, Miguel; Vargas, Pilar; Herruzo, Ismael; Medina, José Antonio; Palacios, Amalia; Bayo, Eloísa; Peracaula, Francisco; Jaén, Javier; Sánchez, José Antonio; Ortiz, María José

2015-12-30

Around 27,000 new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed every year in Spain and 5400 die from this disease. Radiotherapy (RT), alone or combined, has proven to be effective as initial treatment in patients with localized disease. Our objective was to evaluate the use of external beam RT (EBRT) in our region, comparing the indication rate and irradiation rate and examining variability in its application among hospitals. We conducted a review of RT guidelines and indication studies for prostate cancer (% expected irradiation). Data were gathered from all twelve public healthcare centers in Andalusia (Spain) on RT-treated prostate cancer patients during 2013 (% actual irradiation) and from nine of the centers on RT discharge reports. Information was classified according to type of hospital, tumor risk category and RT treatment (technique, dosage, volume, toxicity). The estimated RT rate was 67 % (1289/1917), 43 % were aged > 70 years, 44.7 % had ECOG performance status of 0); 44.7 % had high-risk tumors; 57 % underwent RT associated with hormone therapy; 70 % of patients receiving RT were treated with 3D planning (30 % IGRT); and doses were 70-76 Gy in 70 % of cases and >76 Gy in 10.7 %. Acute gastrointestinal and genitourinary toxicities were < grade 2 in 79 and 89 % of patients, respectively. An irradiation rate significantly below the mean for the study was found in four provinces. There was a significant difference among provinces in the distribution of risk groups. Underutilization of EBRT was estimated to be around 30 % in prostate cancer patients, with an elevated variability in irradiation rates among hospitals related to differences in available technology and in the distribution of patients with different risk levels. These data should be a matter of concern to regional health managers, given the negative and measurable impact on the survival of patients.

Evaluation of the utilization of external radiotherapy in the treatment of localized prostate cancer in Andalusia, Spain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Expósito, José; Linares, Isabel; Castillo, Isabel; Martínez, Miguel; Vargas, Pilar; Herruzo, Ismael; Medina, José Antonio; Palacios, Amalia; Bayo, Eloísa; Peracaula, Francisco; Jaén, Javier; Sánchez, José Antonio; Ortiz, María José

2015-01-01

Around 27,000 new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed every year in Spain and 5400 die from this disease. Radiotherapy (RT), alone or combined, has proven to be effective as initial treatment in patients with localized disease. Our objective was to evaluate the use of external beam RT (EBRT) in our region, comparing the indication rate and irradiation rate and examining variability in its application among hospitals. We conducted a review of RT guidelines and indication studies for prostate cancer (% expected irradiation). Data were gathered from all twelve public healthcare centers in Andalusia (Spain) on RT-treated prostate cancer patients during 2013 (% actual irradiation) and from nine of the centers on RT discharge reports. Information was classified according to type of hospital, tumor risk category and RT treatment (technique, dosage, volume, toxicity). The estimated RT rate was 67 % (1289/1917), 43 % were aged > 70 years, 44.7 % had ECOG performance status of 0); 44.7 % had high-risk tumors; 57 % underwent RT associated with hormone therapy; 70 % of patients receiving RT were treated with 3D planning (30 % IGRT); and doses were 70–76 Gy in 70 % of cases and >76 Gy in 10.7 %. Acute gastrointestinal and genitourinary toxicities were < grade 2 in 79 and 89 % of patients, respectively. An irradiation rate significantly below the mean for the study was found in four provinces. There was a significant difference among provinces in the distribution of risk groups. Underutilization of EBRT was estimated to be around 30 % in prostate cancer patients, with an elevated variability in irradiation rates among hospitals related to differences in available technology and in the distribution of patients with different risk levels. These data should be a matter of concern to regional health managers, given the negative and measurable impact on the survival of patients

Estrogen receptors in the human male prostatic urethra and prostate in prostatic cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bødker, A; Bruun, J; Balslev, E

1999-01-01

Estrogen receptors (ERs) in the prostate and prostatic urethra were examined in 33 men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and in 11 with prostate cancer (PC). The Abbot monoclonal ER-ICA assay was used for immunohistochemical investigation. In the BPH group, ERs were revealed in the prostatic...... demonstrated in the prostatic stroma and/or prostatic urethra in 6 out of 11 cases. In both BPH and PC patients, immunoreactivity was weak and confined to few cells, indicating low ER content in the prostate as well as in the prostatic urethra. Dextran-coated charcoal (DCC) analysis was used for detection...... and quanticization of cytosolic and nuclear ERs. In the BPH group, ERs were detected once in the prostate and prostatic urethra in the nuclear and cytosol, and additionally in the prostatic urethra in the cytosol fraction in three cases. In all cases, ER content was low, ranging from 10-15 fmol/mg protein. In the PC...

Defining an outcomes management program for definitive irradiation of prostate cancer: preliminary considerations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seltzer, Jonathan; Valicenti, Richard K.; Dlutowski, Mark; Corn, Benjamin W.

1996-01-01

PURPOSE: The advent of managed medical care presents challenges to health care providers who strive to maintain a high quality of patient care at a reasonable cost. The goals of clinical guidelines and paths are to improve the quality of patient care by using outcomes to redefine the path and to eliminate ineffective steps in the clinical algorithm. The purpose of the current endeavor was to systematically develop a clinical pathway for the radiation therapy of prostate cancer which can serve as 1) a measurement tool of operational variables such as cost and utilization, 2) a treatment tool to measure satisfaction and toxicity, 3) a research framework from which questions of efficacy can be investigated. METHODS: An initial path was constructed by the physicians based on recommendations from consensus conference of the Patterns of Care Study (PCS), and the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG). The program was initiated by a core group of 2 attending radiation oncologists, a radiation physicist, a clinical nurse specialist, a dosimetrist, a simulation technologist, a treatment technologist, and a medical social worker. These data served as a baseline from which clinical pathway development could begin using the method of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) as described by Berwick (New Engl J Med 320: 53, 1989). Following the creation of a draft path, the document was circulated to other staff members of the team. Simultaneously, the Clinical Financial Management System (Transition Systems Incorporated, Boston, MA) was applied to departmental and institutional records to determine treatment patterns, utilization, toxicity, and cost for prostate cancer patients irradiated between July 1, 1995 and December 31, 1995. The aforementioned staff team as well as a seven person patient group were queried by a CQI facilitator to identify process and quality factors to be included in the clinical path. RESULTS: During the period of study, 51 patients were definitively

Optimal needle arrangement for intraoperative planning in permanent I-125 prostate implants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, S.A.; Fung, A.Y.C.; Zaider, M.

2002-01-01

One limitation of intraoperative planning of permanent prostate implants is that needles must already be in the gland before planning images are acquired. Improperly placed needles often restrict the capability of generating optimal seed placement. We developed guiding principles for the proper layout of needles within the treatment volume. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center planning system employs a genetic algorithm to find the optimal seed implantation pattern consistent with pre-assigned constraints (needle geometry, uniformity, conformity and the avoidance of high doses to urethra and rectum). Ultrasound volumes for twelve patients with I-125 implants were used to generate six plans per patient (total 72 plans) with different needle arrangements. The plans were evaluated in terms of V100 (percentage prostate volume receiving at least the prescription dose), U135 (percentage urethra volume receiving at least 135% of prescription dose), and CI (conformity index, the ratio of treatment volume to prescription dose volume.) The method termed POSTCTR, in which needles were placed on the periphery of the largest ultrasound slice and posterior central needles were placed as needed, consistently gave superior results for all prostate sizes. Another arrangement, labelled POSTLAT, where the needles were placed peripherally with additional needles in the posterior lateral lobes, also gave satisfactory results. We advocate two needle arrangements, POSTCTR and POSTLAT, with the former giving better results. (author)

Optimal needle arrangement for intraoperative planning in permanent I-125 prostate implants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thompson, S.A. [Department of Medical Physics, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, Manhassett, NY (United States); Fung, A.Y.C.; Zaider, M. [Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY (United States)

2002-08-21

One limitation of intraoperative planning of permanent prostate implants is that needles must already be in the gland before planning images are acquired. Improperly placed needles often restrict the capability of generating optimal seed placement. We developed guiding principles for the proper layout of needles within the treatment volume. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center planning system employs a genetic algorithm to find the optimal seed implantation pattern consistent with pre-assigned constraints (needle geometry, uniformity, conformity and the avoidance of high doses to urethra and rectum). Ultrasound volumes for twelve patients with I-125 implants were used to generate six plans per patient (total 72 plans) with different needle arrangements. The plans were evaluated in terms of V100 (percentage prostate volume receiving at least the prescription dose), U135 (percentage urethra volume receiving at least 135% of prescription dose), and CI (conformity index, the ratio of treatment volume to prescription dose volume.) The method termed POSTCTR, in which needles were placed on the periphery of the largest ultrasound slice and posterior central needles were placed as needed, consistently gave superior results for all prostate sizes. Another arrangement, labelled POSTLAT, where the needles were placed peripherally with additional needles in the posterior lateral lobes, also gave satisfactory results. We advocate two needle arrangements, POSTCTR and POSTLAT, with the former giving better results. (author)

Prostate-specific antigen density: correlation with histological diagnosis of prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatitis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Iersel, M. P.; Witjes, W. P.; de la Rosette, J. J.; Oosterhof, G. O.

1995-01-01

To assess the additional value of prostate-specific antigen density in the diagnosis of prostate cancer in patients who undergo prostate biopsies. The study comprised 376 patients with symptoms of prostatism who were undergoing prostate biopsy. Digital rectal examination (DRE) and transrectal

Ultrasonically guided 125iodine seed implantation with external radiation in management of localized prostatic carcinoma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iversen, P; Bak, M; Juul, N

1989-01-01

Thirty-three patients with localized prostatic carcinoma (16 poorly differentiated) were treated with transperineal 125Iodine seed implantation (160 Gy) guided by transrectal ultrasonography and subsequent external beam irradiation (47.4 Gy). The observation time was six to sixty-eight months...... with a median follow-up of thirty-five months. Median change in prostatic volume was a reduction of 35 percent. Re-biopsy or transurethral resection of the prostate was performed in 25 patients after one to two years, revealing still malignant histology in 12 (48%). Development of distant metastases occurred...

Factors related to late GI and GU complications in conformal and conventional radiation treatment of cancer of the prostate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schultheiss, Timothy E.; Lee, W. Robert; Hunt, Margie A.; Hanlon, Alexandra L.; Peter, Ruth S.; Hanks, Gerald E.

1995-01-01

Purpose: To assess the factors that predict for late GI and GU morbidity in radiation treatment of the prostate. Materials and Methods: Six hundred sixteen consecutive prostate cancer patients treated between 1985 and 1994 with conformal or conventional techniques were included in the analysis. All patients had at least 3 months followup (median 26 months) and received at least 65 Gy. Late GI morbidity was rectal bleeding (requiring more than 2 procedures) or proctitis. Late GU morbidity was cystitis or stricture. Univariate analysis compared the differences in the incidence of RTOG-EORTC grade 3 and 4 late morbidity by age (<60 versus ≥ 60 years), peracute side effects ≥ grade 1 (during treatment), subacute side effects ≥ grade 1 (0 to 90 days after treatment), irradiated volume parameters, and dose. Multivariate proportional hazards analysis includes these same variables in a model of time to complication. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze incidence of peracute and subacute GI and GU side effects by GI and GU comorbidities, performance status, pretreatment procedures (biopsy, TURP, etc.), age, treatment volume parameters, and peracute responses. Results: Peracute GI and GU side effects were noted in 441 and 442 patients, respectively. Subacute GI and GU side effects were noted in 34 and 54 patients, respectively. Subacute GI side effects were highly correlated with subacute GU side effects (p<0.00001). Late morbidities were not correlated with peracute side effects but were correlated with subacute side effects (both GI and GU). Thirteen of the 616 patients expressed grade 3 or 4 GI injuries 3 to 32 months after the end of treatment, with a mean of 13 months. The 6 GU morbidities occurred significantly later (9 - 52 months) with a mean of 33 months. Central axis dose and age less than 60 years were the only independent variables significantly related to the incidence of late GI morbidity on multivariate analysis. Subacute and peracute

Estrogen receptors in the human male prostatic urethra and prostate in prostatic cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bødker, A; Bruun, J; Balslev, E

1999-01-01

Estrogen receptors (ERs) in the prostate and prostatic urethra were examined in 33 men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and in 11 with prostate cancer (PC). The Abbot monoclonal ER-ICA assay was used for immunohistochemical investigation. In the BPH group, ERs were revealed in the prostatic...... stroma in eight cases and in the glandular epithelium in one. In four cases ERs were seen in the prostatic stroma and in the glandular epithelium. In the prostatic urethra, ERs were found in 19 cases located in the urothelium, lamina propria and/or periurethral glands. In the PC group, ERs were...... demonstrated in the prostatic stroma and/or prostatic urethra in 6 out of 11 cases. In both BPH and PC patients, immunoreactivity was weak and confined to few cells, indicating low ER content in the prostate as well as in the prostatic urethra. Dextran-coated charcoal (DCC) analysis was used for detection...

Postoperative Radiotherapy in Prostate Cancer: The Case of the Missing Target

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Croke, Jennifer; Malone, Shawn; Roustan Delatour, Nicolas; Belanger, Eric; Avruch, Leonard; Morash, Christopher; Kayser, Cathleen; Underhill, Kathryn; Spaans, Johanna

2012-01-01

Purpose: Postoperative radiotherapy (XRT) increases survival in high-risk prostate cancer patients. Approximately 50% of patients on long-term follow-up relapse despite adjuvant XRT and the predominant site of failure remains local. Four consensus guidelines define postoperative clinical target volume (CTV) in prostate cancer. We explore the possibility that inadequate CTV coverage is an important cause of local failure. This study evaluates the utility of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in defining prostate bed CTV. Methods and Materials: Twenty prostate cancer patients treated with postoperative XRT who also had preoperative staging MRI were included. The four guidelines were applied and the CTVs were expanded to create planning target volumes (PTVs). Preoperative MRIs were fused with postoperative planning CT scans. MRI-based prostate and gross visible tumors were contoured. Three-dimensional (3D) conformal four- and six-field XRT plans were developed and dose–volume histograms analyzed. Subtraction analysis was conducted to assess the adequacy of prostate/gross tumor coverage. Results: Gross tumor was visible in 18 cases. In all 20 cases, the consensus CTVs did not fully cover the MRI-defined prostate. On average, 35% of the prostate volume and 32% of the gross tumor volume were missed using six-field 3D treatment plans. The entire MRI-defined gross tumor volume was completely covered in only two cases (six-field plans). The expanded PTVs did not cover the entire prostate bed in 50% of cases. Prostate base and mid-zones were the predominant site of inadequate coverage. Conclusions: Current postoperative CTV guidelines do not adequately cover the prostate bed and/or gross tumor based on preoperative MRI imaging. Additionally, expanded PTVs do not fully cover the prostate bed in 50% of cases. Inadequate CTV definition is likely a major contributing factor for the high risk of relapse despite adjuvant XRT. Preoperative imaging may lead to more

DOSE-ESCALATED EXTERNAL BEAM RADIOTHERAPY DURING HORMONO-RADIOTHERAPY FOR PROSTATE CANCER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu. V. Gumenetskaya

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. The introduction of modern technologies of conformal external beam radiotherapy (EBRT into clinical practice for the treatment of prostate cancer requires proper quality assurance measures as well as a careful analysis of both the efficacy and toxicity data of treatments. The purpose of this study was to inves- tigate tolerance and the immediate efficacy of conformal dose-escalated EBRT during hormono-radiotherapy for prostate cancer. material and methods. The study involved 156 prostate cancer patients treated with EBRT. Among them, 30 patients received a total dose of 70 Gy, and in 126 patients the total dose was esca- lated to 72-76 Gy (median total dose - 74.0 Gy. Fifty-nine patients received intensity modulated radiation therapy. Results. The prescribed course of treatment was completed in all the patients with prostate cancer. Acute radiation-induced bladder reactions (RTOG were observed in 50 (32.1 % patients, of whom 48 (30.8 % experienced grade I reactions, and 2 (1.3 % experienced grade II reactions. Eighteen (11.5 % patients had radiation-induced rectum reactions, not above grade I. The development of grade II dysuric phenomena necessitated treatment interruption only in two patients. Of 9 (5.8 % patients who had late bladder complica- tions (RTOG/EORTC, 8 (5.1 % patients developed grade I complications, and one (0.6 % patient developed grade II complications. Of 11 (7.1 % patients who had rectum complications, 8 (5.1 % patients developed grade I complications, and 3 (1.9 % patients developed grade II complications. No patients experienced the increase in toxicity of treatment during dose escalation up to a total dose exceeding 70 Gy. During the follow-up period, only one patient developed recurrent disease. Conclusion. The results of our study suggest acceptable levels of toxicity following a continuous course of dose-escalated EBRT given in conjunction with hormono-radiotherapy to prostate cancer patients. Further

Xanthogranulomatous Prostatitis, a Rare Prostatic Entity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alejandro Noyola

2017-01-01

Full Text Available There are several benign prostatic pathologies that can clinically mimic a prostate adenocarcinoma. Xanthogranulomatous prostatitis is a benign inflammatory condition of the prostate and a rare entity. A 47-year old male, with 3 years of lower urinary tract symptoms, with a palpable hypogastric tumor, digital rectal examination: solid prostate, of approximately 60 g. Initial PSA was 0.90 ng/mL. He underwent surgical excision of the lower abdominal nodule and prostatectomy. Histopathology showed xanthogranulomatous prostatitis, without malignancy. Xanthogranulomatous prostatitis is an extremely rare entity that can simulate prostate adenocarcinoma, therefore having a correct histopathological diagnosis is essential.

Dosimetric implications of changes in patient repositioning and organ motion in conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miralbell, Raymond; Oezsoy, Orhan; Pugliesi, Angela; Carballo, Natalia; Arnalte, Raquel; Escude, Lluis; Jargy, Clara; Nouet, Philippe; Rouzaud, Michel

2003-01-01

Purpose: To assess the influence of patient repositioning and organ motion on dose distribution within the prostate and the seminal vesicles (clinical target volume, (CTV)). Material and methods: Nine patients were simulated and treated in the supine position, with an empty bladder, and without immobilization devices. While on treatment, patients underwent weekly pelvic computed tomography (CT) scans under conditions identical to those at simulation. Patients were aligned using lasers on anterior and lateral skin tattoos, onto which lead markers were placed. After each CT scan (n=53) the CTV was redefined by contouring, and a new isocenter was obtained. A six-field technique was used. The field margins around the CTV were 20 mm in the cranio-caudal axis, and 13 mm in the other axes, except in the lateral fields where a 10 mm posterior margin was used. Dose-volume histograms (DVHs) for each organ were compared with those determined at simulation, using the notion of the proportional change in the area under the CTV-DVH curve resulting from a change in treatment plan (cDVH). Results: The reproducibility of the dose distribution was good for the prostate (%cDVH, mean±SD: -0.97±2.11%) and less than optimal for the seminal vesicles (%cDVH, mean±SD: -4.66±10.45%). When correlating prostate %cDVH variations with displacements of the isocenter in the Y axis (antero-posterior) the %cDVH exceeded (-)5% in only two dosimetries, both with an isocenter shift of >10 mm. For the seminal vesicles, however, ten out of 53 dosimetries showed a %cDVH exceeding (-) 5%. In nine of these ten dose distribution studies the posterior shift of the isocenter exceeded 8 mm. Conclusions: Precise targeting of prostate radiotherapy is primarily dependent on careful daily set-up and on random changes in rectal geometry. Margins no less than 10 mm around the prostate and at least 15 mm around the seminal vesicles are probably necessary to insure adequate target coverage with a six

Palliative radiotherapy for local progression of hormone refractory stage D2 prostate cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kawakami, Satoru; Kawai, Tsuneo; Yonese, Junji; Yamauchi, Tamio; Ishibashi, Keiichiro; Ueda, Tomohiro (Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo (Japan). Hospital)

1993-09-01

From 1970 to 1992, 10 patients with hormone refractory stage D2 adenocarcinoma of the prostate presenting themselves with urinary retention and/or gross hematuria were treated by palliative irradiation for local progression at Cancer Institute Hospital. External beam irradiation was delivered to the primary lesion at dose of 38 Gy to one patient and 30[approx]27 Gy to seven patients. Five of these patients in whom an urethral catheter had been indwelt were able to void without difficulty following the treatment. Of four patients with severe hematuria resulting from vesical tamponade, none had hematuria after the treatment. These effect lasted until patients' death or more than 11 months follow-up. In other 2 patients, irradiation had to be discontinued at dose less than 20 Gy because of deteriorated general conditions and no significant effect. Complications of the treatment were minimal. These results indicate that the optimal dose of local palliative irradiation is around 30 Gy. Irradiation is a good choice for palliation of locally progressive hormone refactory prostate cancer in view of its certain and long-lasting effect, low invasiveness and minimal complications. When to institute palliative irradiation is one of the most important question in order to secure a good quality of life of patients. From our experiences, it is our belief that if local progression is symptomatic, palliative irradiation should be initiated as soon as possible. (author).

Comparison study of the partial-breast irradiation techniques: Dosimetric analysis of three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy, electron beam therapy, and helical tomotherapy depending on various tumor locations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Min-Joo; Park, So-Hyun; Son, Seok-Hyun; Cheon, Keum-Seong; Choi, Byung-Ock; Suh, Tae-Suk

2013-01-01

The partial-breast irradiation (PBI) technique, an alternative to whole-breast irradiation, is a beam delivery method that uses a limited range of treatment volume. The present study was designed to determine the optimal PBI treatment modalities for 8 different tumor locations. Treatment planning was performed on computed tomography (CT) data sets of 6 patients who had received lumpectomy treatments. Tumor locations were classified into 8 subsections according to breast quadrant and depth. Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT), electron beam therapy (ET), and helical tomotherapy (H-TOMO) were utilized to evaluate the dosimetric effect for each tumor location. Conformation number (CN), radical dose homogeneity index (rDHI), and dose delivered to healthy tissue were estimated. The Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U, and Bonferroni tests were used for statistical analysis. The ET approach showed good sparing effects and acceptable target coverage for the lower inner quadrant—superficial (LIQ-S) and lower inner quadrant—deep (LIQ-D) locations. The H-TOMO method was the least effective technique as no evaluation index achieved superiority for all tumor locations except CN. The ET method is advisable for treating LIQ-S and LIQ-D tumors, as opposed to 3D-CRT or H-TOMO, because of acceptable target coverage and much lower dose applied to surrounding tissue

Synergistic interaction of benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatitis on prostate cancer risk

Science.gov (United States)

Hung, S-C; Lai, S-W; Tsai, P-Y; Chen, P-C; Wu, H-C; Lin, W-H; Sung, F-C

2013-01-01

Background: The incidence of prostate cancer is much lower in Asian men than in Western men. This study investigated whether prostate cancer is associated with prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and other medical conditions in the low-incidence population. Methods: From the claims data obtained from the universal National Health Insurance of Taiwan, we identified 1184 patients with prostate cancer diagnosed from 1997 to 2008. Controls comprised 4736 men randomly selected from a cancer-free population. Both groups were 50 years of age or above. Medical histories between the two groups were compared. Results: Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that prostatitis and BPH had stronger association with prostate cancer than the other medical conditions tested. Compared with men without prostatitis and BPH, a higher odds ratio (OR) for prostate cancer was associated with BPH (26.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 20.8–33.0) than with prostatitis (10.5, 95% CI=3.36–32.7). Men with both conditions had an OR of 49.2 (95% CI=34.7–69.9). Conclusion: Men with prostate cancer have strong association with prostatitis and/or BPH. Prostatitis interacts with BPH, resulting in higher estimated relative risk of prostate cancer in men suffering from both conditions. PMID:23612451

The proportion of prostate biopsy tissue with Gleason pattern 4 or 5 predicts for biochemical and clinical outcome after radiotherapy for prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D'Ambrosio, David J.; Hanlon, Alexandra L.; Al-Saleem, Tahseen; Feigenberg, Steven J.; Horwitz, Eric M.; Uzzo, Robert G.; Pollack, Alan; Buyyounouski, Mark K.

2007-01-01

Purpose: To investigate the prognostic utility of the proportion of prostate biopsy tissue containing Gleason pattern 4 or 5 (GP4/5) after definitive radiotherapy (RT) for prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: A total of 568 patients with T1c-3 Nx/0 prostate cancer who received three-dimensional conformal RT alone between May 1989 and August 2001 were studied. There were 161 men with Gleason score 7-10 disease. The GP4/5 was defined as the percentage of biopsy tissue containing Gleason pattern 4 or 5. A Cox proportional hazards model was used for univariate and multivariate analyses (MVA) for biochemical failure (BF) (American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology definition) and distant metastasis (DM). A recursive partitioning analysis was done using the results of the MVA to identify a cutpoint for GP4/5. Results: The median follow-up was 46 (range, 13-114) months and median RT dose was 76 (range, 65-82) Gy. On MVA, increasing initial prostate-specific antigen (p = 0.0248) decreasing RT dose (continuous, p = 0.0022), T stage (T1/2 vs. T3) (p = 0.0136) and GP4/5 (continuous, p < 0.0001) were significant predictors of BF in a model also containing GS. GP4/5 was the only significant predictor of DM in the same model (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: The GP4/5 in prostate biopsy specimens is a predictor of BF and DM after RT independent of Gleason score. This parameter should be reported by the pathologist when reviewing prostatic biopsy specimens

γ-ray irradiation of cooked dishes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin Ruotai; Cheng Wei; Wen Shengli; Xiong Guangquan; Ye Lixiu; Chen Yuxia; Zhang Jinmu; He Jianjun; Lin Yong; Zhan Hanping

2005-01-01

Ready-to-eat cooked dishes, including stir-fried dishes, steamed dishes, roast meat, deep dried dishes, shrimps and seashells, and dishes of local flavor, etc were irradiated with 60 Co γ-rays, and the decontamination effects were studied. The results showed that most of the cooked dishes are suitable for irradiation. The effective dose is 4 kGy to 8 kGy. Index of microbe of the irradiated dishes was conformed to the National Food-Health standards, and no significant sensory changes was observed with the irradiated dishes. The quality guarantee period (0-5 degree C) is 60 days. (authors)

The correlation between the astro consensus panel definition of biochemical failure and clinical outcome for patients with prostate cancer treated with external beam irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horwitz, Eric M.; Vicini, Frank A.; Ziaja, Ellen L.; Dmuchowski, Carl F.; Stromberg, Jannifer S.; Matter, Richard C.; Martinez, Alvaro A.

1997-01-01

Purpose: The ASTRO Consensus Panel on PSA After Radiation Therapy recently recommended a definition of biochemical failure (BF) following treatment of prostate cancer with radiation therapy. We reviewed our institution's experience treating patients with external beam irradiation (RT) to determine if the Consensus Panel definition correlates with clinical distant metastases free survival (DMFS), disease free survival (DFS), cause specific survival (CSS), and local control (LC) rates for a large group of patients from the PSA era. Methods And Materials: Between 1/1/87 and 12/31/92, 653 patients with clinically localized prostate cancer received external beam irradiation (RT) using localized prostate fields at William Beaumont Hospital. Of these patients, 568 had a minimum follow-up of 2 years and constitute the study population. The median pre-treatment PSA and Gleason score was 11 ng/ml and 6, respectively. The median dose to the prostate using megavoltage RT was 66.6 Gy (range: 60-70.4 Gy) using a four field or arc technique. No patient received hormonal therapy either prior to, during, or after radiotherapy unless local or distant failure was documented. Pre-treatment and post-treatment serum PSA levels were recorded. Biochemical failure was defined as three consecutive increases in post-treatment PSA after achieving a nadir. Biochemical failure was recorded as the time midway between the nadir and first increase in PSA. Five year actuarial rates of DMFS, DFS, CSS, and LC were calculated for patients who were biochemically controlled (BC) versus those who failed biochemically. Results: Median follow-up was 56 months (range: 24-118 months). The overall 5 year actuarial rates of DMFS, DFS, CSS, and LC were significantly better in patients who were biochemically controlled versus those who were not (p< 0.001). The median time to DM within the BF group was 21 months (range: 2-112 months). When stratifying by pre-treatment PSA, Gleason score, and T stage, these

Long-term urinary toxicity after 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer in patients with prior history of transurethral resection

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Sandhu, Ajaypal S.; Zelefsky, Michael J.; Lee, Henry J.; Lombardi, Danna; Fuks, Zvi; Leibel, Steven A.

2000-01-01

Purpose: To report on the long-term urinary morbidity among prostate cancer patients with a prior history of a transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) treated with high-dose 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT). Methods and Materials: Between 1988 and 1997, 1100 patients with clinically localized prostate cancer were treated with 3D-CRT. Of these, 120 patients (8%) were identified as having had a prior TURP and are the subjects of this analysis. The median age was 71 years (range: 49-83 years). The clinical stages of the patients were T1c: 33 (28%); T2a: 38 (32%); T2b: 15 (13%); and T3: 34 (27%). Neoadjuvant androgen ablation therapy was given to 39 (33%). The median radiation dose prescribed to the planning target volume was 75.6 Gy (range: 64.8-81 Gy). The median elapsed time from TURP to initiation of 3D-CRT was 69 months (range: 4-360 months). The median follow-up time was 51 months (range: 18-109 months). Results: Five patients of the 120 with a prior history of TURP (4%) developed a urethral stricture after 3D-CRT which was corrected with dilatation. The 5-year actuarial likelihood of ≥ Grade 2 late urinary toxicities was 9%. No Grade 4 urinary toxicities were observed in this group of patients. Among 110 patients who were completely continent of urine prior to 3D-CRT, 10 (9%) developed stress incontinence requiring 1 pad daily for protection or experienced occasional leakage (not requiring pad protection). The 5-year incidence of ≥ Grade 1 stress incontinence was 18% in patients who developed acute ≥ Grade 2 GU symptoms during the course of 3D-CRT compared to 7% for patients who experienced Grade 1 or no acute urinary symptoms (p = 0.05). The radiation dose (≥75.6 Gy vs. <75.6 Gy), the number of prior TURP procedures, or the volume of resected tissue at the time of TURP had no significant impact on the long-term urinary morbidity outcome. A multivariate analysis demonstrated that the presence of Grade 2 acute urinary symptoms was the

Normalization of serum testosterone levels in patients treated with neoadjuvant hormonal therapy and three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer

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Padula, Gilbert D.A.; Zelefsky, Michael J.; Venkatraman, Ennapadam S.; Fuks, Zvi; Lee, Henry J.; Natale, Linda; Leibel, Steven A.

2002-01-01

Purpose: To determine the expected time to serum testosterone normalization after short-course neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy (NAAD) and three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for patients with localized prostate cancer and to identify pretreatment predictors that correlated with the time to testosterone normalization. Methods: Between 1993 and 1999, 88 patients with localized prostate cancer, treated with NAAD and external beam radiotherapy, were prospectively monitored after treatment with sequential testosterone levels. NAAD was administered before and during the entire course of radiotherapy and discontinued at the end of treatment. The median duration of NAAD was 6 months. The actuarial rate of serum testosterone normalization from the end of treatment was evaluated, and the presence or absence of androgen deprivation-related symptoms was correlated with serum testosterone levels. Symptoms assessed included weight gain, loss of libido, breast tenderness, breast enlargement, hot flashes, and fatigue. Results: Serum testosterone levels returned to the normal range in 57 (65%) of the 88 patients and failed to normalize in 31 patients (35%). The median time to normalization was 18.3 months. The actuarial rate of normalization at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months was 10%, 26%, 38%, and 59%, respectively. In a multivariate analysis, a pretreatment testosterone level in the lower range of normal was the only variable that predicted for delayed testosterone normalization after NAAD (p=0.00047). Among 45 patients with information concerning androgen deprivation-related symptoms recorded 1 year after cessation of NAAD, 24 (53%) had normalized testosterone levels, but in 21 patients (47%), the levels had not yet returned to normal. At 1 year, only 1 (4%) of 24 patients whose testosterone level had returned to normal experienced NAAD-related symptoms compared with 14 (67%) of 21 patients who did not have normal testosterone levels (p<0.001). Conclusion: Testosterone

Prophylactic irradiation of the male mammary gland - prevention of gynaecomastia as caused by endocrine treatment of carcinomas of the prostate

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Eggerath, E.M.

1983-01-01

During the period between 1975 and 1980 bilateral irradiation of the mammary glands was carried out in a total of 72 bearers of carcinomas of the prostate that had previously been confirmed on a histological basis. In no less than 35 (90%) out of the 39 patients where radiotherapy was started prior to the beginning of endocrine treatment the follow-up checks revealed a prevention or suppression of gynaecomastia as a result of radiation. The effectiveness of this treatment is described in the literature as being in the order 81% and its beneficial influences are confirmed by the data of our study. If gynaecomastia has already become established, radiotherapy holds out little promise of success and a relief of the associated discomfort is the best to be expected here. (orig./MG) [de

Late morbidity profiles in prostate cancer patients treated to 79-84 Gy by a simple four-field coplanar beam arrangement

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Chism, Derek B.; Horwitz, Eric M.; Hanlon, Alexandra L.; Pinover, Wayne H.; Mitra, Raj K.; Hanks, Gerald E.

2003-01-01

Purpose: To describe the frequency and magnitude of late GI and GU morbidity in prostate cancer patients treated to high dose levels with a simple three-dimensional conformal technique. Methods and Materials: A total of 156 intermediate- and high-risk patients were treated between January 1, 1992 and February 28, 1999 with a simple four-field three-dimensional conformal technique to 79-84 Gy. All patients were treated with a four-field conformal technique; the prostate received 82 Gy and the seminal vesicles and periprostatic tissue 46 Gy. GI and GU toxicity was scored according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Late Morbidity Grading Scale and compared using Kaplan-Meier estimates. Results: The late Grade 2 GI complication rate was 9% and 38% at 3 years for patients treated with and without rectal blocking, respectively (p=0.0004). No Grade 3 late GI complications developed. The rate of Grade 2 late GU complications was 5%, 8%, and 12% at 12, 24, and 36 months, respectively. The Grade 3 late GU complication rate was 2% at 36 months. These differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion: The treatment method described is a simple four-field conformal technique that can be easily implemented in the general radiation community. A dose of 79-84 Gy can be safely delivered to the prostate, with a 9% rate of late Grade 2 GI, 12% rate of late Grade 2 GU, and 2% rate of late Grade 3 GU complications

Inverse planning anatomy-based dose optimization for HDR-brachytherapy of the prostate using fast simulated annealing algorithm and dedicated objective function

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Lessard, Etienne; Pouliot, Jean

2001-01-01

An anatomy-based dose optimization algorithm is developed to automatically and rapidly produce a highly conformal dose coverage of the target volume while minimizing urethra, bladder, and rectal doses in the delivery of an high dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy boost for the treatment of prostate cancer. The dwell times are optimized using an inverse planning simulated annealing algorithm (IPSA) governed entirely from the anatomy extracted from a CT and by a dedicated objective function (cost function) reflecting clinical prescription and constraints. With this inverse planning approach, the focus is on the physician's prescription and constraint instead of on the technical limitations. Consequently, the physician's control on the treatment is improved. The capacity of this algorithm to represent the physician's prescription is presented for a clinical prostate case. The computation time (CPU) for IPSA optimization is less than 1 min (41 s for 142 915 iterations) for a typical clinical case, allowing fast and practical dose optimization. The achievement of highly conformal dose coverage to the target volume opens the possibility to deliver a higher dose to the prostate without inducing overdosage of urethra and normal tissues surrounding the prostate. Moreover, using the same concept, it will be possible to deliver a boost dose to a delimited tumor volume within the prostate. Finally, this method can be easily extended to other anatomical sites

Class solution to decrease rectal dose in prostate radiotherapy treatments 3D-CRT

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Andres Rodriguez, C.; Tortosa Oliver, R.; Alonso Hernandez, D.; Mari Palacios, A.; Castillo Belmonte, A. del

2011-01-01

This paper contains a method developed in our center with conventional 3D radiotherapy techniques to increase the dose conformation around the target volume in prostate cancer treatments significantly reduced the doses to the rectum. To evaluate the goodness of the method, the results are compared with two classical techniques of treatment.

The role and strategy of IMRT in radiotherapy of pelvic tumors: Dose escalation and critical organ sparing in prostate cancer

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Liu, Y.-M.; Shiau, C.-Y.; Lee, M.-L.; Huang, P.-I.; Hsieh, C.-M.; Chen, P.-H.; Lin, Y.-H.; Wang, L.-W.; Yen, S.-H.

2007-01-01

Purpose: To investigate the intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) strategy in dose escalation of prostate and pelvic lymph nodes. Methods and Materials: Plan dosimetric data of 10 prostate cancer patients were compared with two-dimensional (2D) or IMRT techniques for pelvis (two-dimensional whole pelvic radiation therapy [2D-WPRT] or IM-WPRT) to receive 50 Gy or 54 Gy and additional prostate boost by three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy or IMRT (3D-PBRT or IM-PBRT) techniques up to 72 Gy or 78 Gy. Dose-volume histograms (DVHs), normal tissue complication probabilities (NTCP) of critical organ, and conformity of target volume in various combinations were calculated. Results: In DVH analysis, the plans with IM-WPRT (54 Gy) and additional boost up to 78 Gy had lower rectal and bladder volume percentage at 50 Gy and 60 Gy, compared with those with 2D-WPRT (50 Gy) and additional boost up to 72 Gy or 78 Gy. Those with IM-WPRT (54 Gy) also had better small bowel sparing at 30 Gy and 50 Gy, compared with those with 2D-WPRT (50 Gy). In NTCP, those with IM-WPRT and total dose of 78 Gy achieved lower complication rates in rectum and small bowel, compared with those of 2D-WPRT with total dose of 72 Gy. In conformity, those with IM-WPRT had better conformity compared with those with 2D-WPRT with significance (p < 0.005). No significant difference in DVHs, NTCP, or conformity was found between IM-PBRT and 3D-PBRT after IM-WPRT. Conclusions: Initial pelvic IMRT is the most important strategy in dose escalation and critical organ sparing. IM-WPRT is recommended for patients requiring WPRT. There is not much benefit for critical organ sparing by IMRT after 2D-WPRT

NOTE: Optimal needle arrangement for intraoperative planning in permanent I-125 prostate implants

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, S. A.; Fung, A. Y. C.; Zaider, M.

2002-08-01

One limitation of intraoperative planning of permanent prostate implants is that needles must already be in the gland before planning images are acquired. Improperly placed needles often restrict the capability of generating optimal seed placement. We developed guiding principles for the proper layout of needles within the treatment volume. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center planning system employs a genetic algorithm to find the optimal seed implantation pattern consistent with pre-assigned constraints (needle geometry, uniformity, conformity and the avoidance of high doses to urethra and rectum). Ultrasound volumes for twelve patients with I-125 implants were used to generate six plans per patient (total 72 plans) with different needle arrangements. The plans were evaluated in terms of V100 (percentage prostate volume receiving at least the prescription dose), U135 (percentage urethra volume receiving at least 135% of prescription dose), and CI (conformity index, the ratio of treatment volume to prescription dose volume.) The method termed POSTCTR, in which needles were placed on the periphery of the largest ultrasound slice and posterior central needles were placed as needed, consistently gave superior results for all prostate sizes. Another arrangement, labelled POSTLAT, where the needles were placed peripherally with additional needles in the posterior lateral lobes, also gave satisfactory results. We advocate two needle arrangements, POSTCTR and POSTLAT, with the former giving better results.

The correlation between the ASTRO consensus panel definition of biochemical failure and clinical outcome for patients with prostate cancer treated with external beam irradiation

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Horwitz, Eric M.; Vicini, Frank A.; Ziaja, Ellen L.; Dmuchowski, Carl F.; Stromberg, Jannifer S.; Martinez, Alvaro A.

1998-01-01

Purpose: We reviewed our institution's experience treating patients with external beam irradiation (RT) to determine if the ASTRO Consensus Panel definition of biochemical failure (BF) following radiation therapy correlates with clinical distant metastases free survival (DMFS), disease-free survival (DFS), cause-specific survival (CSS), and local control (LC). Methods and Materials: Between 1/1/87 and 12/31/92, 568 patients with clinically localized prostate cancer received external beam irradiation (RT) using localized prostate fields at William Beaumont Hospital (median total dose 66.6 Gy; range: 60-70.4 Gy). Biochemical failure was defined as three consecutive increases in post-treatment prostate specific antigen (PSA) after achieving a nadir. Biochemical failure was recorded as the time midway between the nadir and the first rising PSA. Five-year actuarial rates of clinical DMFS, DFS, CSS, and LC were calculated for patients who were biochemically controlled (BC) versus those who failed biochemically. Median follow-up was 56 months (range: 24-118 months). Results: Five-year actuarial rates of DMFS, DFS, CSS, and LC were significantly greater in patients who were biochemically controlled versus those who were not (p < 0.001). In patients who were BC, the 5-year actuarial rates of DMFS, DFS, CSS, and LC were 99%, 99%, 98%, and 99% respectively. For patients who failed biochemically, the 5-year actuarial rates of DMFS, DFS, CSS, and LC were 74%, 64%, 89%, and 86% respectively. When stratifying by pretreatment PSA, Gleason score, and T stage these differences remained significant for DMFS, DFS, and CSS. The Cox proportional hazards model demonstrated that BC was the single most important predictor of clinical outcome for DMFS, DFS, CSS, and LC. Pretreatment PSA and Gleason score were also independent predictors of outcome for DMFS and DFS. Conclusions: The ASTRO Consensus Panel definition of BF following radiation therapy correlates well with clinical DMFS, DFS

Diffusion-weighted MRI of the prostate; Diffusionsgewichtete MRT der Prostata

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Mueller-Lisse, U.G.; Scherr, M.K. [Klinikum der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, Institut fuer Klinische Radiologie, Muenchen (Germany); Mueller-Lisse, U.L. [Klinikum der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, Klinik und Poliklinik fuer Urologie, Muenchen (Germany); Zamecnik, P.; Schlemmer, H.P.W. [Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ), Abteilung fuer Radiologische Diagnostik, Heidelberg (Germany)

2011-03-15

Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) can complement MRI of the prostate in the detection and localization of prostate cancer, particularly after previous negative biopsy. A total of 13 original reports and 2 reviews published in 2010 demonstrate that prostate cancer can be detected by DWI due to its increased cell density and decreased diffusiveness, either qualitatively in DWI images or quantitatively by means of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). In the prostate, the ADC is influenced by the strength of diffusion weighting, localization (peripheral or transitional zone), presence of prostatitis or hemorrhage and density and differentiation of prostate cancer cells. Mean differences between healthy tissue of the peripheral zone and prostate cancer appear to be smaller for ADC than for the (choline + creatine)/citrate ratio in MR spectroscopy. Test quality parameters vary greatly between different studies but appear to be slightly better for combined MRI and DWI than for MRI of the prostate alone. Clinical validation of DWI of the prostate requires both increased technical conformity and increased numbers of patients in clinical studies. (orig.) [German] Die diffusionsgewichtete MRT (''diffusion-weighted imaging'', DWI) kann die MRT der Prostata bei der Erkennung und Lokalisation von Prostatakarzinomen besonders nach vorangehender, negativer Stanzbiopsie ergaenzen. In 13 klinischen Original- und 2 Uebersichtsarbeiten des Jahres 2010 zeigt sich, dass die DWI Prostatakarzinome an Einschraenkungen der freien Teilchenbeweglichkeit bei erhoehter Zelldichte qualitativ im Bild oder quantitativ an Hand des ''apparent diffusion coefficient'' (ADC) nachweist. Den ADC in der Prostata beeinflussen Staerke der Diffusionsgewichtung, Lokalisation (periphere Zone, Transitionalzone), Vorliegen von Prostatitis oder Einblutung sowie Streudichte und Differenzierung von Prostatakarzinomzellen. Unterschiede zwischen gesundem

On complex preparation for radiotherapy of prostatic tumor patients

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Tkachev, S.I.

1980-01-01

An experience with the treatment of 62 patients with prostatic gland tumor has contributed to the elaboration of some approaches to the utilization of modern diagnostic facilities in order to define the spread of neoplastic process and select therapeutic tactics. A sequence of methods to be used has been described, including clinical and X-ray, radioisotope and ultrasonic methods of examination. The matter of particular attention is a newly developed method of the prostatic gland cranio-caudal size determination. The latter together with ultrasonic data enable one to detect the size of the tumor and select an adequate physico-technical regime of irradiation for each individual patient

The specific role of radiotherapy in the management of prostate carcinoma at different stages of tumor development

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Huber, J.

1987-01-01

The study described here was based on the case reports of 135 patients of the Radiological Department at Kiel's University Hospital, who were treated for carcinomas of the prostate at any time during the period between 1965 and 1980. It was the aim of these evaluations to define the particular role of radiotherapy in the management of carcinomas of the prostate and to compare it to that of other methods of treatment (hormones, surgery). Percutaneous local irradiation of the carcinoma or irradiation of metastases were the criteria of inclusion into this retrospective study. The stage of the tumour was a decisive factor in the final analysis of the results. (orig.) [de

Radiotherapy for local progression in patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer

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Furuya, Yuzo; Akakura, Koichiro; Akimoto, Susumu; Ichikawa, Tomohiko; Ito, Haruo

1999-01-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of radiotherapy on the local progression of hormone-refractory prostate cancer. From 1986 to 1995, 38 patients were diagnosed with local progression without distant progression after hormonal therapy at Chiba University Hospital. Eleven cases were treated with irradiation for local progression. External beam irradiation was delivered to the prostate at a dose of 50-66.6 Gy. In patients treated with radiotherapy, the duration from initial treatment to local recurrence was 6-80 months (mean±SD: 33.9±22.9 months). The follow-up period after irradiation was 7-64 months (mean±SD: 25.4±18.8 months). Three and 5 year cause-specific survival rates from radiotherapy were 46.2 and 23.1%, respectively. Radiotherapy had a marked effect on symptoms associated with local progression and no patients suffered from the symptoms after the radiotherapy. Complications of radiotherapy were limited. In patients with hormone refractory local progression without distant progression, low morbidity, low mortality radiotherapy offers a variable therapy to other palliative treatments because radiotherapy is able to control local symptoms for a long period of time. (author)

Conformal Nets II: Conformal Blocks

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Bartels, Arthur; Douglas, Christopher L.; Henriques, André

2017-08-01

Conformal nets provide a mathematical formalism for conformal field theory. Associated to a conformal net with finite index, we give a construction of the `bundle of conformal blocks', a representation of the mapping class groupoid of closed topological surfaces into the category of finite-dimensional projective Hilbert spaces. We also construct infinite-dimensional spaces of conformal blocks for topological surfaces with smooth boundary. We prove that the conformal blocks satisfy a factorization formula for gluing surfaces along circles, and an analogous formula for gluing surfaces along intervals. We use this interval factorization property to give a new proof of the modularity of the category of representations of a conformal net.

Adjuvant and salvage irradiation following radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer

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Morris, M M; Dallow, K C; Zietman, A L; Althausen, A F; Heney, N M; McGovern, F J; Shipley, W U

1995-07-01

Purpose: To assess the ability of adjuvant irradiation to prevent PSA failure in cases of pT3N0 disease, and of salvage irradiation to durably suppress a rising PSA following radical prostatectomy. Methods and Materials: 62 patients treated by post-operative radiation therapy (60-64Gy in 1.8Gy fractions to the tumor bed) between 1988 and 1993 were evaluated. All had complete pre- and post-radiation PSA data. Median follow up was 3.2 years from time of surgery and 2.2 years from irradiation. 20 patients had Gleason grade 3 disease (moderately differentiated) and 41 Gleason 4-5 (poorly differentiated). 46 had positive inked surgical margins, 18 involved seminal vesicles and 5 had palpable recurrent disease. None had known nodal or metastatic disease. 32 patients underwent adjuvant treatment (undetectable PSA at time of irradiation) and 30 salvage (detectable PSA at time of irradiation). Kaplan-Meier life table analysis was employed. The endpoint studied was freedom from biochemical failure. This was defined as a rise in the PSA of greater than 10% (intra laboratory error <8%) or a previously undetectable PSA becoming detectable. Results: The overall actuarial freedom from biochemical failure at 4 years from radiotherapy was 59%. A significant difference was seen between those receiving adjuvant and those receiving salvage irradiation (71% vs 51%, p=0.03). Amongst those in the salvage group neither the PSA prior to surgery, the PSA at the time of irradiation, the seminal vesicle status, nor the Gleason score (3 vs 4-5) correlated significantly with outcome. The time interval between surgery and irradiation was, however, significant. Those being treated within 6 months fared better than those treated later (60% vs 36%, p=0.04). Further, those treated early were more likely to achieve an undetectable nadir PSA level (94% vs 71%). Conclusion: The addition of adjuvant irradiation appears to improve the 4 year biochemical disease-free survival of patients with poor

A dose homogeneity and conformity evaluation between ViewRay and pinnacle-based linear accelerator IMRT treatment plans

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Daniel L Saenz

2014-01-01

Full Text Available ViewRay, a novel technology providing soft-tissue imaging during radiotherapy is investigated for treatment planning capabilities assessing treatment plan dose homogeneity and conformity compared with linear accelerator plans. ViewRay offers both adaptive radiotherapy and image guidance. The combination of cobalt-60 (Co-60 with 0.35 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI allows for magnetic resonance (MR-guided intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT delivery with multiple beams. This study investigated head and neck, lung, and prostate treatment plans to understand what is possible on ViewRay to narrow focus toward sites with optimal dosimetry. The goal is not to provide a rigorous assessment of planning capabilities, but rather a first order demonstration of ViewRay planning abilities. Images, structure sets, points, and dose from treatment plans created in Pinnacle for patients in our clinic were imported into ViewRay. The same objectives were used to assess plan quality and all critical structures were treated as similarly as possible. Homogeneity index (HI, conformity index (CI, and volume receiving <20% of prescription dose (DRx were calculated to assess the plans. The 95% confidence intervals were recorded for all measurements and presented with the associated bars in graphs. The homogeneity index (D5/D95 had a 1-5% inhomogeneity increase for head and neck, 3-8% for lung, and 4-16% for prostate. CI revealed a modest conformity increase for lung. The volume receiving 20% of the prescription dose increased 2-8% for head and neck and up to 4% for lung and prostate. Overall, for head and neck Co-60 ViewRay treatments planned with its Monte Carlo treatment planning software were comparable with 6 MV plans computed with convolution superposition algorithm on Pinnacle treatment planning system.

Predictors for Rectal and Intestinal Acute Toxicities During Prostate Cancer High-Dose 3D-CRT: Results of a Prospective Multicenter Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vavassori, Vittorio; Fiorino, Claudio; Rancati, Tiziana; Magli, Alessandro; Fellin, Gianni; Baccolini, Michela; Bianchi, Carla; Cagna, Emanuela; Mauro, Flora A.; Monti, Angelo F.; Munoz, Fernando; Stasi, Michele; Franzone, Paola; Valdagni, Riccardo

2007-01-01

Purpose: To find predictors for rectal and intestinal acute toxicity in patients with prostate cancer treated with ≥70 Gy conformal radiotherapy. Methods and Materials: Between July 2002 and March 2004, 1,132 patients were entered into a cooperative study (AIROPROS01-02). Toxicity was scored using the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer scale and by considering the changes (before and after treatment) of the scores of a self-administered questionnaire on rectal/intestinal toxicity. The correlation with a number of parameters was assessed by univariate and multivariate analyses. Concerning the questionnaire, only moderate/severe complications were considered. Results: Of 1,132 patients, 1,123 were evaluable. Of these patients, 375, 265, and 28 had Grade 1, 2, and 3 Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer toxicity, respectively. The mean rectal dose was the most predictive parameter (p = 0.0004; odds ratio, 1.035) for Grade 2 or worse toxicity, and the use of anticoagulants/antiaggregants (p 0.02; odds ratio, 0.63) and hormonal therapy (p = 0.04, odds ratio, 0.65) were protective. The questionnaire-based scoring revealed that a greater mean rectal dose was associated with a greater risk of bleeding; larger irradiated volumes were associated with frequency, tenesmus, incontinence, and bleeding; hormonal therapy was protective against frequency and tenesmus; hemorrhoids were associated with a greater risk of tenesmus and bleeding; and diabetes associated highly with diarrhea. Conclusion: The mean rectal dose correlated with acute rectal/intestinal toxicity in three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer, and hormonal therapy and the use of anticoagulants/antiaggregants were protective. According to the moderate/severe injury scores on the self-assessed questionnaire, several clinical and dose-volume parameters were independently predictive for

Role of prostate dose escalation in patients with greater than 15% risk of pelvic lymph node involvement

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Jacob, Rojymon; Hanlon, Alexandra L.; Horwitz, Eric M.; Movsas, Benjamin; Uzzo, Robert G.; Pollack, Alan

2005-01-01

Purpose: To determine whether the radiation dose is a determinant of clinical outcome in patients with a lymph node risk of >15% treated using whole pelvic (WP), partial pelvic (PP), or prostate only (PO) fields. Methods and materials: A total of 420 patients with prostate cancer treated with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy with or without short-term androgen deprivation (STAD) between June 1989 and July 2000 were included in this study. Patients had an initial pretreatment prostate-specific antigen level of 15% in the patient population studied. These data suggest that the primary tumor takes precedence over lymph node coverage or the use of STAD. Doses >70 Gy are of paramount importance in such intermediate- and high-risk patients

Comparison of 2D and 3D algorithms for adding a margin to the gross tumor volume in the conformal radiotherapy planning of prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khoo, Vincent S.; Bedford, James L.; Webb, Steve; Dearnaley, David P.

1998-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the adequacy of tumor volume coverage using a three-dimensional (3D) margin-growing algorithm compared to a two-dimensional (2D) margin-growing algorithm in the conformal radiotherapy planning of prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: Two gross tumor volumes (GTV) were segmented in each of 10 patients with localized prostate cancer; prostate gland only (PO) and prostate with seminal vesicles (PSV). A predetermined margin of 10 mm was applied to these two groups (PO and PSV) using both 2D and 3D margin-growing algorithms. The 2D algorithm added a transaxial margin to each GTV slice, whereas the 3D algorithm added a volumetric margin all around the GTV. The true planning target volume (PTV) was defined as the region delineated by the 3D algorithm. The adequacy of geometric coverage of the GTV by the two algorithms was examined in a series of transaxial planes throughout the target volume. Results: The 2D margin-growing algorithm underestimated the PTV by 17% (range 12-20) in the PO group and by 20% (range 13-28) for the PSV group when compared to the 3D-margin algorithm. For the PO group, the mean transaxial difference between the 2D and 3D algorithm was 3.8 mm inferiorly (range 0-20), 1.8 mm centrally (range 0-9), and 4.4 mm superiorly (range 0-22). Considering all of these regions, the mean discrepancy anteriorly was 5.1 mm (range 0-22), posteriorly 2.2 (range 0-20), right border 2.8 mm (range 0-14), and left border 3.1 mm (range 0-12). For the PSV group, the mean discrepancy in the inferior region was 3.8 mm (range 0-20), central region of the prostate was 1.8 mm ( range 0-9), the junction region of the prostate and the seminal vesicles was 5.5 mm (range 0-30), and the superior region of the seminal vesicles was 4.2 mm (range 0-55). When the different borders were considered in the PSV group, the mean discrepancies for the anterior, posterior, right, and left borders were 6.4 mm (range 0-55), 2.5 mm (range 0-20), 2.6 mm (range 0-14), and 3

Prostate Bed Motion During Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy Treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klayton, Tracy; Price, Robert; Buyyounouski, Mark K.; Sobczak, Mark; Greenberg, Richard; Li, Jinsheng; Keller, Lanea; Sopka, Dennis; Kutikov, Alexander; Horwitz, Eric M.

2012-01-01

Purpose: Conformal radiation therapy in the postprostatectomy setting requires accurate setup and localization of the prostatic fossa. In this series, we report prostate bed localization and motion characteristics, using data collected from implanted radiofrequency transponders. Methods and Materials: The Calypso four-dimensional localization system uses three implanted radiofrequency transponders for daily target localization and real-time tracking throughout a course of radiation therapy. We reviewed the localization and tracking reports for 20 patients who received ultrasonography-guided placement of Calypso transponders within the prostate bed prior to a course of intensity-modulated radiation therapy at Fox Chase Cancer Center. Results: At localization, prostate bed displacement relative to bony anatomy exceeded 5 mm in 9% of fractions in the anterior-posterior (A-P) direction and 21% of fractions in the superior-inferior (S-I) direction. The three-dimensional vector length from skin marks to Calypso alignment exceeded 1 cm in 24% of all 652 fractions with available setup data. During treatment, the target exceeded the 5-mm tracking limit for at least 30 sec in 11% of all fractions, generally in the A-P or S-I direction. In the A-P direction, target motion was twice as likely to move posteriorly, toward the rectum, than anteriorly. Fifteen percent of all treatments were interrupted for repositioning, and 70% of patients were repositioned at least once during their treatment course. Conclusion: Set-up errors and motion of the prostatic fossa during radiotherapy are nontrivial, leading to potential undertreatment of target and excess normal tissue toxicity if not taken into account during treatment planning. Localization and real-time tracking of the prostate bed via implanted Calypso transponders can be used to improve the accuracy of plan delivery.

Radiation therapy for localized prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, W.J.; Richardson, G.; Hafermann, M.D.

1979-01-01

Since 1965, 401 patients with prostate cancer have received intensive local pelvic radiation therapy at the Virginia Mason Medical Center. Two hundred twenty-one of this series were in the Stage C category. The 36 Stage B cancers were either medically nonoperable, or advanced extent, or had high-grade histopathology. Ten patients each were in diffuse Stage A or Stage D groups, the latter receiving local palliative inensive treatment to the prostate area. The mean age of the patients was 67.6 years. The five year survival of the Stage C group was 57.7%. There was no apparent influence on the survival of irradiated Stage C patients who received estrogen therapy. Current treatment techniques employ 10 megavolt photon beam with whole pelvic nodal fields and bilateral are rotational boost fields. The incidence of reactions and complications is presented

The effect of 90Sr/90Y β-rays on benign prostatic hyperplasia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kong Xiangbo; Ma Qingjie; Gu Xinquan

2004-01-01

Objective: To investigate the effect of 90Sr/90Y β-rays on Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Methods: In order to carry out β intracavitary irradiation, the active area of the applicator was located into prostate gland section of urethra in 37 patients. The dose was controlled 30∼50Gy in each patient and the patients were observed for 3 months. Results: After two weeks 26 cases were remarkably improved, 7 cases were improved and 4 cases were ineffective. There was significant difference on MFR, PVR, I-PSS and volume of prostate gland before and after treatment (P<0.01=. Conclusion: Clinical tests indicate that the 90Sr/90Y prostatic hyperplasia applicators provide a safe, effective ,non-invasive and economical therapeutic method for BPH. It is especially applicable for old and high-risk patients. (authors)

Novel Monoclonal Antibodies Recognizing Human Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) as Research and Theranostic Tools.

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Nováková, Zora; Foss, Catherine A; Copeland, Benjamin T; Morath, Volker; Baranová, Petra; Havlínová, Barbora; Skerra, Arne; Pomper, Martin G; Barinka, Cyril

2017-05-01

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a validated target for the imaging and therapy of prostate cancer. Here, we report the detailed characterization of four novel murine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) recognizing human PSMA as well as PSMA orthologs from different species. Performance of purified mAbs was assayed using a comprehensive panel of in vitro experimental setups including Western blotting, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, ELISA, flow cytometry, and surface-plasmon resonance. Furthermore, a mouse xenograft model of prostate cancer was used to compare the suitability of the mAbs for in vivo applications. All mAbs demonstrate high specificity for PSMA as documented by the lack of cross-reactivity to unrelated human proteins. The 3F11 and 1A11 mAbs bind linear epitopes spanning residues 226-243 and 271-288 of human PSMA, respectively. 3F11 is also suitable for the detection of PSMA orthologs from mouse, pig, dog, and rat in experimental setups where the denatured form of PSMA is used. 5D3 and 5B1 mAbs recognize distinct surface-exposed conformational epitopes and are useful for targeting PSMA in its native conformation. Most importantly, using a mouse xenograft model of prostate cancer we show that both the intact 5D3 and its Fab fragment are suitable for in vivo imaging. With apparent affinities of 0.14 and 1.2 nM as determined by ELISA and flow cytometry, respectively, 5D3 has approximately 10-fold higher affinity for PSMA than the clinically validated mAb J591 and, therefore, is a prime candidate for the development of next-generation theranostics to target PSMA. Prostate 77:749-764, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Time management in radiation oncology: evaluation of time, attendance of medical staff, and resources during radiotherapy for prostate cancer: the DEGRO-QUIRO trial.

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Keilholz, L; Willner, J; Thiel, H-J; Zamboglou, N; Sack, H; Popp, W

2014-01-01

In order to evaluate resource requirements, the German Society of Radiation Oncology (DEGRO) recorded the times needed for core procedures in the radio-oncological treatment of various cancer types within the scope of its QUIRO trial. The present study investigated the personnel and infrastructural resources required in radiotherapy of prostate cancer. The investigation was carried out in the setting of definitive radiotherapy of prostate cancer patients between July and October 2008 at two radiotherapy centers, both with well-trained staff and modern technical facilities at their disposal. Personnel attendance times and room occupancy times required for core procedures (modules) were each measured prospectively by two independently trained observers using time measurements differentiated on the basis of professional group (physician, physicist, and technician), 3D conformal (3D-cRT), and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Total time requirements of 983 min for 3D-cRT and 1485 min for step-and-shoot IMRT were measured for the technician (in terms of professional group) in all modules recorded and over the entire course of radiotherapy for prostate cancer (72-76 Gy). Times needed for the medical specialist/physician were 255 min (3D-cRT) and 271 min (IMRT), times of the physicist were 181 min (3D-cRT) and 213 min (IMRT). The difference in time was significant, although variations in time spans occurred primarily as a result of various problems during patient treatment. This investigation has permitted, for the first time, a realistic estimation of average personnel and infrastructural requirements for core procedures in quality-assured definitive radiotherapy of prostate cancer. The increased time needed for IMRT applies to the step-and-shoot procedure with verification measurements for each irradiation planning.

Impact of geometric uncertainties on evaluation of treatment techniques for prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Craig, Tim; Wong, Eugene; Bauman, Glenn; Battista, Jerry; Van Dyk, Jake

2005-01-01

Purpose: To assess the impact of patient repositioning and internal organ motion on prostate treatment plans using three-dimensional conformal and intensity-modulated radiotherapy. Methods and materials: Four-field, six-field, and simplified intensity-modulated arc therapy plans were generated for 5 prostate cancer patients. The planning target volume was created by adding a 1-cm margin to the clinical target volume. A convolution model was used to estimate the effect of random geometric uncertainties during treatment. Dose statistics, tumor control probabilities, and normal tissue complication probabilities were compared with and without the presence of uncertainty. The impact of systematic uncertainties was also investigated. Results: Compared with the planned treatments, the delivered dose distribution with random geometric uncertainties displayed an increase in the apparent minimal dose to the prostate and seminal vesicles and a decrease in the rectal volume receiving a high dose. This increased the tumor control probabilities and decreased the normal tissue complication probabilities. Changes were seen in the percentage of prostate volume receiving 100% and 95% of the prescribed dose, and the minimal dose and tumor control probabilities for the target volume. In addition, the volume receiving at least 65 Gy, the minimal dose, and normal tissue complication probabilities changed considerably for the rectum. The simplified intensity-modulated arc therapy technique was the most sensitive to systematic errors, especially in the anterior-posterior and superior-inferior directions. Conclusion: Geometric uncertainties should be considered when evaluating treatment plans. Contrary to the widely held belief, increased conformation of the dose distribution is not always associated with increased sensitivity to random geometric uncertainties if a sufficient planning target volume margin is used. Systematic errors may have a variable effect, depending on the treatment

Effect of gamma irradiation on phenol content, antioxidant activity and biological activity of black maca and red maca extracts (Lepidium meyenii walp).

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Zevallos-Concha, A; Nuñez, D; Gasco, M; Vasquez, C; Quispe, M; Gonzales, G F

2016-01-01

This study was performed to determine the effects of gamma irradiation on UV spectrum on maca, total content of polyphenols, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging activities and in vivo biological activities of red and black maca extracts (Lepidium meyenii). Adult mice of the strain Swiss aged 3 months and weighing 30-35 g in average were used to determine biological activities. Daily sperm production, effect on testosterone-induced prostate hyperplasia and forced swimming test were used to determine the effect of irradiation on biological activities of maca extracts. Irradiation did not show differences in UV spectrum but improves the amount of total polyphenols in red maca as well as in black maca extracts. In both cases, black maca extract has more content of polyphenols than red maca extract (p maca extract were administered to mice (p > 0.05). Black maca extract but not red maca extract has more swimming endurance capacity in the forced swimming test. Irradiation of black maca extract increased the swimming time to exhaustion (p maca extract (p > 0.05). Testosterone enanthate (TE) increased significantly the ventral prostate weight. Administration of red maca extract in animals treated with TE prevented the increase in prostate weight. Irradiation did not modify effect of red maca extract on prostate weight (p > 0.05). In conclusion, irradiation does not alter the biological activities of both black maca and red maca extracts. It prevents the presence of microorganisms in the extracts of black or red maca, but the biological activities were maintained.

Radical formation of irradiated α-alanine and N-acetyl alanine with heavy ion beams. Effects of the irradiation temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minegishi, Atsuko; Nagasaki, Jun; Mori, Wasuke; Amano, Chikara; Takagi, Shinji; Murakami, Takeshi; Kanai, Tatsuaki; Furusawa, Yoshiya; Iwata, Yoshiyuki

2003-01-01

The characteristics of irradiation with C290 MeV/u ion beams were investigated using X-band electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy for a polycrystalline powder of L-α-alanine at from 77K to 310K. The formed main radicals at 190K∼310K were the deamino radical and the decarboxyl radical. Because of the first-derivative ESR, decarboxyl radical showed an expanded spectral width and a lower peak height because of its amino hydrogen and nitrogen than that of the same amount of deamino radical. The ESR of irradiated L-α-alanine predominantly indicates the spectrum of the deamino radical. On the irradiated, L-α-alanine at from 77K to 310K ESR showed 1:4:6:4:1 lines at 220K and at room temperature, which indicate that the methyl group of the radical was rotating. On the other hand, at 77K ESR the spectrum showed nearly 1:5:5:5:1 lines, like the teeth of a saw, on samples irradiated at 270K∼350K (range IV), and 1:4:6:4:1 lines for those irradiated at 180K∼260K (range II and III), respectively. It is considered that the radical conformation of the deamino radical is planar (most stable conformation) on an irradiated sample in range IV, and a pyramidal structure on the irradiated sample in ranges II and III. (author)

Focal Laser Ablation of Prostate Cancer: Numerical Simulation of Temperature and Damage Distribution

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Nevoux Pierre

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The use of minimally invasive ablative techniques in the management of patients with low grade and localized prostate tumours could represent a treatment option between active surveillance and radical therapy. Focal laser ablation (FLA could be one of these treatment modalities. Dosimetry planning and conformation of the treated area to the tumor remain major issues, especially when, several fibers are required. An effective method to perform pre-treatment planning of this therapy is computer simulation. In this study we present an in vivo validation of a mathematical model. Methods The simulation model is based on finite elements method (FEM to solve the bio-heat and the thermal damage equations. Laser irradiation was performed with a 980 nm laser diode system (5 W, 75 s. Light was transmitted using a cylindrical diffusing fiber inserted inside a preclinical animal prostate cancer model induced in Copenhagen rats. Non-enhanced T2-weighted and dynamic gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted MR imaging examinations were performed at baseline and 48 hours after the procedure. The model was validated by comparing the simulated necrosis volume to the results obtained in vivo on (MRI and by histological analysis. 3 iso-damage temperatures were considered 43° C, 45° C and 50° C. Results The mean volume of the tissue necrosis, estimated from the histological analyses was 0.974 ± 0.059 cc and 0.98 ± 0.052 cc on the 48 h MR images. For the simulation model, volumes were: 1.38 cc when T = 43° C, 1.1 cc for T = 45°C and 0.99 cc when T = 50 C°. Conclusions In this study, a clear correlation was established between simulation and in vivo experiments of FLA for prostate cancer. Simulation is a promising planning technique for this therapy. It needs further more evaluation to allow to FLA to become a widely applied surgical method.

Studies of a novel photosensitizer Pd-bacteriopheophorbide (Tookad) for the prostate cancer PDT in canine model

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Huang, Zheng; Chen, Qun; Brun, Pierre-Herve; Wilson, Brian C.; Scherz, Avigdor; Salomon, Yoram; Luck, David L.; Beckers, Jill; Hetzel, Fred W.

2003-12-01

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) mediated with vascular acting photosensitizer pd-bacteriopheophorbide (Tookad), is investigated as an alternative modality for the total ablation of prostate cancer. In vivo normal canine prostate is used as the animal model. Interstitial PDT was performed by irradiating the surgically exposed prostates with a diode laser (763 nm, 150 mW/cm) to activate the i.v. infused photosensitizer drug. The effects of two-session PDT were evaluated. The prostate and its adjacent tissues were harvested and subjected to histopathological examination. At one-week, post second-session PDT, the animals recovered well with little or no urethral complications. Prostatic urethra and prostate adjacent tissues (bladder and underlying colon) were well preserved. Two-session PDT or one single session PDT induced a similar extent of damage. PDT induced prostate lesions were characterized by marked hemorrhagic necrosis. Maximum lesion size of over 3 cm in dimension could be achieved with a single 1-cm interstitial treatment, suggesting the therapy is very effective in ablating prostatic tissue. Pharmacokinetic studies show that the photosensitizer is cleared rapidly from the circulation. In conclusion, the novel photosensitizer Tookad mediated PDT may provide an effective alternative to treat prostate cancer.

Antibody Responses to Prostate-Associated Antigens in Patients with Prostatitis and Prostate Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Maricque, Brett B.; Eickhoff, Jens C.; McNeel, Douglas G.

2010-01-01

Background An important focus of tumor immunotherapy has been the identification of appropriate antigenic targets. Serum-based screening approaches have led to the discovery of hundreds of tumor-associated antigens recognized by IgG. Our efforts to identify immunologically recognized proteins in prostate cancer have yielded a multitude of antigens, however prioritizing these antigens as targets for evaluation in immunotherapies has been challenging. In this report, we set out to determine whether the evaluation of multiple antigenic targets would allow the identification of a subset of antigens that are common immunologic targets in patients with prostate cancer. Methods Using a phage immunoblot approach, we evaluated IgG responses in patients with prostate cancer (n=126), patients with chronic prostatitis (n=45), and men without prostate disease (n=53). Results We found that patients with prostate cancer or prostatitis have IgG specific for multiple common antigens. A subset of 23 proteins was identified to which IgG were detected in 38% of patients with prostate cancer and 33% patients with prostatitis versus 6% of controls (pprostate and prostate cancer, and suggest that IgG responses to a panel of commonly recognized prostate antigens could be potentially used in the identification of patients at risk for prostate cancer or as a tool to identify immune responses elicited to prostate tissue. PMID:20632317

Changes in Treatment Volume of Hormonally Treated and Untreated Cancerous Prostate and its Impact on Rectal Dose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lilleby, Wolfgang; Dale, Einar; Olsen, Dag R.; Gude, Unn; Fossaa, Sophie D.

2003-01-01

Late chronic side effects of the rectum constitute one of the principal limiting factors for curative radiation therapy in patients with prostate cancer. The purpose of the study was to determine the impact of immediate androgen deprivation (IAD) prior to conformal radiotherapy on rectal volume exposed to high doses, as compared with a deferred treatment strategy (DAD). Twenty-five patients (13 in the IAD group and 12 in the DAD group) with bulky tumours of the prostate, T3pN1-2M0 from the prospective EORTC trial 30846 were analysed. Three-dimensional conformal radiation treatment plans (3D CRT) using a 4-field box technique were generated based on the digitized computed tomographic or magnetic resonance findings acquired during the first 9 months after inclusion in the EORTC trial. Dose-volume histograms (DVHs) were calculated for the prostate and rectum. In the DAD group, there was no obvious alteration in the mean size of the prostate or other evaluated structures. In the IAD patients, a statistically significant reduction of approximately 40% of the gross tumour volume (GTV) was reached after a 6 months' course of hormonal treatment (p<0.001). High-dose rectal volume was correlated with the volume changes of the GTV (p<0.001). Mean rectal volume receiving 95% or more of the target dose was significantly reduced by 20%. Our study confirms the effect of downsizing of locally advanced prostate tumours following AD treatment and demonstrates the interdependence of the high-dose rectal volume with the volume changes of the GTV. However, the mean beneficial sparing of rectal volume was outweighed in some patients by considerable inter-patient variations

Combined Treatment Effects of Radiation and Immunotherapy: Studies in an Autochthonous Prostate Cancer Model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wada, Satoshi; Harris, Timothy J.; Tryggestad, Erik; Yoshimura, Kiyoshi; Zeng, Jing; Yen, Hung-Rong; Getnet, Derese; Grosso, Joseph F.; Bruno, Tullia C.; De Marzo, Angelo M.

2013-01-01

Purpose: To optimize the combination of ionizing radiation and cellular immunotherapy using a preclinical autochthonous model of prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: Transgenic mice expressing a model antigen under a prostate-specific promoter were treated using a platform that integrates cone-beam CT imaging with 3-dimensional conformal therapy. Using this technology we investigated the immunologic and therapeutic effects of combining ionizing radiation with granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor-secreting cellular immunotherapy for prostate cancer in mice bearing autochthonous prostate tumors. Results: The combination of ionizing radiation and immunotherapy resulted in a significant decrease in pathologic tumor grade and gross tumor bulk that was not evident with either single-modality therapy. Furthermore, combinatorial therapy resulted in improved overall survival in a preventive metastasis model and in the setting of established micrometastases. Mechanistically, combined therapy resulted in an increase of the ratio of effector-to-regulatory T cells for both CD4 and CD8 tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Conclusions: Our preclinical model establishes a potential role for the use of combined radiation-immunotherapy in locally advanced prostate cancer, which warrants further exploration in a clinical setting

Combined Treatment Effects of Radiation and Immunotherapy: Studies in an Autochthonous Prostate Cancer Model

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Wada, Satoshi [Department of Oncology, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (United States); Harris, Timothy J.; Tryggestad, Erik [Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (United States); Yoshimura, Kiyoshi [Department of Oncology, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (United States); Zeng, Jing [Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (United States); Yen, Hung-Rong; Getnet, Derese; Grosso, Joseph F.; Bruno, Tullia C. [Department of Oncology, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (United States); De Marzo, Angelo M. [Department of Pathology, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (United States); Department of Urology, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (United States); and others

2013-11-15

Purpose: To optimize the combination of ionizing radiation and cellular immunotherapy using a preclinical autochthonous model of prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: Transgenic mice expressing a model antigen under a prostate-specific promoter were treated using a platform that integrates cone-beam CT imaging with 3-dimensional conformal therapy. Using this technology we investigated the immunologic and therapeutic effects of combining ionizing radiation with granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor-secreting cellular immunotherapy for prostate cancer in mice bearing autochthonous prostate tumors. Results: The combination of ionizing radiation and immunotherapy resulted in a significant decrease in pathologic tumor grade and gross tumor bulk that was not evident with either single-modality therapy. Furthermore, combinatorial therapy resulted in improved overall survival in a preventive metastasis model and in the setting of established micrometastases. Mechanistically, combined therapy resulted in an increase of the ratio of effector-to-regulatory T cells for both CD4 and CD8 tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Conclusions: Our preclinical model establishes a potential role for the use of combined radiation-immunotherapy in locally advanced prostate cancer, which warrants further exploration in a clinical setting.

Treatment of cancer of the prostate by use of physiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ballanger, R.; Ballanger, P.

1987-01-01

For more than twenty five years, the authors have been physical agents in the treatment of cancer of the prostate at its initial stage. Obviously, in the course of this long period the technique of external irradiation has been improved upon (high energy photons, location of the irradiated mass using C-T scan, multiple beams) and also the screening of patients thanks to transrectal ultrasonography, bone scinitscans and lympography with cyto-puncture. It is hence probable that the results the authors are presenting in the forthcoming years will even be enhanced

Irradiation effects on secondary structure of protein induced by keV ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cui, F.Z.; Lin, Y.B.; Zhang, D.M.; Tian, M.B.

2001-01-01

Protein secondary structure changes by low-energy ion irradiation are reported for the first time. The selected system is 30 keV N + irradiation on bovine serum albumin (BSA). After irradiation at increasing fluences from 1.0x10 15 to 2.5x10 16 ion/cm 2 , Fourier transform infrared spectra analysis was conducted. It was found that the secondary structures of BSA molecules were very sensitive to ion irradiation. Secondary conformations showed different trends of change during irradiation. With the increase of ion fluence from 0 to 2.5x10 16 ion/cm 2 , the fraction of α-helix and β-turns decreased from 17 to 12%, and from 40 to 31%, respectively, while that of random coil and β-sheet structure increased from 18 to 27%, and from 25 to 30%, respectively. Possible explanations for the secondary conformational changes of protein are proposed. (author)

Conformational changes in matrix-isolated 6-methoxyindole: Effects of the thermal and infrared light excitations

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Lopes Jesus, A. J. [CQC, Department of Chemistry, University of Coimbra, 3004-535 Coimbra (Portugal); CQC, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3004-295 Coimbra (Portugal); Reva, I., E-mail: reva@qui.uc.pt; Fausto, R. [CQC, Department of Chemistry, University of Coimbra, 3004-535 Coimbra (Portugal); Araujo-Andrade, C. [CQC, Department of Chemistry, University of Coimbra, 3004-535 Coimbra (Portugal); Unidad Académica de Física de la Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Zacatecas (Mexico); ICFO–The Institute of Photonic Sciences, 08860 Castelldefels (Barcelona) (Spain)

2016-03-28

Conformational changes induced thermally or upon infrared excitation of matrix-isolated 6-methoxyindole were investigated. Narrowband near-infrared excitation of the first overtone of the N–H stretching vibration of each one of the two identified conformers is found to induce a selective large-scale conversion of the pumped conformer into the other one. This easily controllable bidirectional process consists in the intramolecular reorientation of the methoxy group and allowed a full assignment of the infrared spectra of the two conformers. Matrices with different conformational compositions prepared by narrow-band irradiations were subsequently used to investigate the effects of both thermal and broadband infrared excitations on the conformational mixtures. Particular attention is given to the influence of the matrix medium (Ar vs. Xe) and conformational effects of exposition of the sample to the spectrometer light source during the measurements.

Prostatitis

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Prostatitis Overview Prostatitis is swelling and inflammation of the prostate gland, a walnut-sized gland situated directly below the bladder in ... produces fluid (semen) that nourishes and transports sperm. Prostatitis often causes painful or difficult urination. Other symptoms ...

Doses in sensitive organs during prostate treatment with a 60Co unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vega-Carrillo, H.R.; Navarro Becerra, J.A.; Pérez Arrieta, M.L.; Pérez-Landeros, L.H.

2014-01-01

Using thermoluminiscent dosimeters the absorbed dose in the bladder, rectum and thyroid have been evaluated when 200 cGy was applied to the prostate. The treatment was applied with a 60 Co unit. A water phantom was built and thermoluminiscent dosimeters were located in the position where the prostate, bladder, rectum and thyroid are located. The therapeutic beam was applied in 4 irradiations at 0, 90, 180 and 270° with the prostate at the isocenter. The TLDs readouts were used to evaluate the absorbed dose in each organ. The absorbed doses were used to estimate the effective doses and the probability of developing secondary malignacies in thyroid, rectum and bladder. - Highlights: • The absorbed doses in the bladder, rectum and thyroid were measured. • Measurements were done during prostate treatment with a 60 Co unit. • TLD100s in a water phantom were used. • The effective doses were also estimated

Effectiveness of Educational Intervention on the Congruence of Prostate and Rectal Contouring as Compared With a Gold Standard in Three-Dimensional Radiotherapy for Prostate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szumacher, Ewa; Harnett, Nicole; Warner, Saar; Kelly, Valerie; Danjoux, Cyril; Barker, Ruth; Woo, Milton; Mah, Kathy; Ackerman, Ida; Dubrowski, Adam; Rose, Stuart; Crook, Juanita

2010-01-01

Purpose: To examine effects of a teaching intervention on precise delineation of the prostate and rectum during planning of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) for prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: A pretest, posttest, randomized controlled group design was used. During pretest all participants contoured prostate and rectum on planning CT. Afterward, they participated in two types of workshops. The experimental group engaged in an interactive teaching session focused on prostate and rectum MR anatomy compared with CT anatomy. The control group focused on 3D-CRT planning without mention of prostate or rectal contouring. The experimental group practiced on fused MR-CT images, whereas the control group practiced on CT images. All participants completed the posttest. Results: Thirty-one trainees (12 male, 19 female) were randomly assigned to two groups, 17 in the experimental arm, and 14 in the control group. Seventeen felt familiar or very familiar with pelvic organ contouring, 12 somewhat, and 2 had never done it. Thirteen felt confident with organ contouring, 13 somewhat, and 5 not confident. The demographics and composition of groups were analyzed with χ 2 and repeated-measures analysis of variance with the two groups (experimental or control) and two tests (pre- or posttest) as factors. Satisfaction with the course and long-term effects of the course on practice were assessed with immediate and delayed surveys. All performance variables showed a similar pattern of results. Conclusions: The training sessions improved the technical performance similarly in both groups. Participants were satisfied with the course content, and the delayed survey reflected that cognitively participants felt more confident with prostate and rectum contouring and would investigate opportunities to learn more about organ contouring.

Proton Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer Is Not Associated With Post-Treatment Testosterone Suppression

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Nichols, R. Charles, E-mail: rnichols@floridaproton.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States); University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute, Jacksonville, FL (United States); Morris, Christopher G.; Hoppe, Bradford S.; Henderson, Randal H.; Marcus, Robert B.; Mendenhall, William M.; Li Zuofeng [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States); University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute, Jacksonville, FL (United States); Williams, Christopher R.; Costa, Joseph A. [Division of Urology, University of Florida Shands Hospital, Jacksonville, FL (United States); Mendenhall, Nancy P. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States); University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute, Jacksonville, FL (United States)

2012-03-01

Purpose: Three independent studies of photon (x-ray) radiotherapy (RT) for prostate cancer have demonstrated evidence of testosterone suppression after treatment. The present study was undertaken to determine whether this would also be the case with conformal protons. Methods and Materials: Between August 2006 and October 2007, 171 patients with low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer were enrolled and underwent treatment according to University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute institutional review board-approved PR01 and PR02 protocols. Of the 171 patients, 18 were excluded because they had received androgen deprivation therapy either before (n = 17) or after (n = 1) RT. The pretreatment serum testosterone level was available for 150 of the remaining 153 patients. These 150 patients were included in the present study. The post-treatment levels were compared with the pretreatment levels. Results: The median baseline pretreatment serum testosterone level was 357.9 ng/dL. The median post-treatment testosterone value was 375.5 ng/dL at treatment completion (p = .1935) and 369.9 ng/dL (p = .1336), 348.7 ng/dL (p = .7317), 353.4 ng/dL (p = .6996), and 340.9 ng/dL (p = .1669) at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after proton therapy, respectively. Conclusions: Conformal proton therapy to the prostate, as delivered using University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute PR01 and PR02 protocols, did not appear to significantly affect the serum testosterone levels within 24 months after RT.

Proton Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer Is Not Associated With Post-Treatment Testosterone Suppression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nichols, R. Charles; Morris, Christopher G.; Hoppe, Bradford S.; Henderson, Randal H.; Marcus, Robert B.; Mendenhall, William M.; Li Zuofeng; Williams, Christopher R.; Costa, Joseph A.; Mendenhall, Nancy P.

2012-01-01

Purpose: Three independent studies of photon (x-ray) radiotherapy (RT) for prostate cancer have demonstrated evidence of testosterone suppression after treatment. The present study was undertaken to determine whether this would also be the case with conformal protons. Methods and Materials: Between August 2006 and October 2007, 171 patients with low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer were enrolled and underwent treatment according to University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute institutional review board-approved PR01 and PR02 protocols. Of the 171 patients, 18 were excluded because they had received androgen deprivation therapy either before (n = 17) or after (n = 1) RT. The pretreatment serum testosterone level was available for 150 of the remaining 153 patients. These 150 patients were included in the present study. The post-treatment levels were compared with the pretreatment levels. Results: The median baseline pretreatment serum testosterone level was 357.9 ng/dL. The median post-treatment testosterone value was 375.5 ng/dL at treatment completion (p = .1935) and 369.9 ng/dL (p = .1336), 348.7 ng/dL (p = .7317), 353.4 ng/dL (p = .6996), and 340.9 ng/dL (p = .1669) at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after proton therapy, respectively. Conclusions: Conformal proton therapy to the prostate, as delivered using University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute PR01 and PR02 protocols, did not appear to significantly affect the serum testosterone levels within 24 months after RT.

Interstitially implanted I125 for prostate cancer using transrectal ultrasound

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greenburg, S.; Petersen, J.; Hansen-Peters, I.; Baylinson, W.

1990-01-01

Prostate cancer is the third leading cause of death from cancer among men in the United States. Traditional treatments for prostate cancer are prostatectomy, external beam irradiation, and interstitial implantation of Iodine125 (I125) via laparotomy. These treatments are associated with significant morbidity and limitations. Based on experience with I125 interstitial implantation by transrectal ultrasound guidance for early-stage prostate cancer, it seems that this newer method of treatment has greater accuracy of placement and distribution of the isotope and has had few reported complications. The need for a surgical incision has been eliminated. Hospitalization time also has been decreased, creating the need for ambulatory and inpatient nurses to understand the importance of their respective roles in providing coordinated quality care for these patients. Nurses in these departments must have knowledge of the procedure, radiation safety, and common side effects related to the implant

Role and expression of FRS2 and FRS3 in prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valencia, Tania; Joseph, Ajay; Kachroo, Naveen; Darby, Steve; Meakin, Susan; Gnanapragasam, Vincent J

2011-01-01

FGF receptor substrates (FRS2 and FRS3) are key adaptor proteins that mediate FGF-FGFR signalling in benign as well as malignant tissue. Here we investigated FRS2 and FRS3 as a means of disrupting global FGF signalling in prostate cancer. FRS2 and FRS3 manipulation was investigated in vitro using over-expression, knockdown and functional assays. FRS2 and FRS3 expression was profiled in cell lines and clinical tumors of different grades. In a panel of cell lines we observed ubiquitous FRS2 and FRS3 transcript and protein expression in both benign and malignant cells. We next tested functional redundancy of FRS2 and FRS3 in prostate cancer cells. In DU145 cells, specific FRS2 suppression inhibited FGF induced signalling. This effect was not apparent in cells stably over-expressing FRS3. Indeed FRS3 over-expression resulted in enhanced proliferation (p = 0.005) compared to control cells. Given this functional redundancy, we tested the therapeutic principle of dual targeting of FRS2 and FRS3 in prostate cancer. Co-suppression of FRS2 and FRS3 significantly inhibited ERK activation with a concomitant reduction in cell proliferation (p < 0.05), migration and invasion (p < 0.05). Synchronous knockdown of FRS2 and FRS3 with exposure to cytotoxic irradiation resulted in a significant reduction in prostate cancer cell survival compared to irradiation alone (p < 0.05). Importantly, this synergistic effect was not observed in benign cells. Finally, we investigated expression of FRS2 and FRS3 transcript in a cohort of micro-dissected tumors of different grades as well as by immunohistochemistry in clinical biopsies. Here, we did not observe any difference in expression between benign and malignant biopsies. These results suggest functional overlap of FRS2 and FRS3 in mediating mitogenic FGF signalling in the prostate. FRS2 and FRS3 are not over-expressed in tumours but targeted dual inhibition may selectively adversely affect malignant but not benign prostate cells

Six-dimensional correction of intra-fractional prostate motion with CyberKnife stereotactic body radiation therapy

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Sean eCollins

2011-12-01

Full Text Available AbstractLarge fraction radiation therapy offers a shorter course of treatment and radiobiological advantages for prostate cancer treatment. The CyberKnife is an attractive technology for delivering large fraction doses based on the ability to deliver highly conformal radiation therapy to moving targets. In addition to intra-fractional translational motion (left-right, superior-inferior and anterior-posterior, prostate rotation (pitch, roll and yaw can increase geographical miss risk. We describe our experience with six-dimensional (6D intrafraction prostate motion correction using CyberKnife stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT. Eighty-eight patients were treated by SBRT alone or with supplemental external radiation therapy. Trans-perineal placement of four gold fiducials within the prostate accommodated X-ray guided prostate localization and beam adjustment. Fiducial separation and non-overlapping positioning permitted the orthogonal imaging required for 6D tracking. Fiducial placement accuracy was assessed using the CyberKnife fiducial extraction algorithm. Acute toxicities were assessed using Common Toxicity Criteria (CTC v3. There were no Grade 3, or higher, complications and acute morbidity was minimal. Ninety-eight percent of patients completed treatment employing 6D prostate motion tracking with intrafractional beam correction. Suboptimal fiducial placement limited treatment to 3D tracking in 2 patients. Our experience may guide others in performing 6D correction of prostate motion with CyberKnife SBRT.

Development of a Set of Nomograms to Predict Acute Lower Gastrointestinal Toxicity for Prostate Cancer 3D-CRT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valdagni, Riccardo; Rancati, Tiziana; Fiorino, Claudio; Fellin, Gianni; Magli, Alessandro; Baccolini, Michela; Bianchi, Carla; Cagna, Emanuela; Greco, Carlo; Mauro, Flora A.; Monti, Angelo F.; Munoz, Fernando; Stasi, Michele; Franzone, Paola; Vavassori, Vittorio

2008-01-01

Purpose: To predict acute Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG)/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) and Subjective Objective Signs Management and Analysis/Late Effect of Normal Tissue (SOMA/LENT) toxicities of the lower gastrointestinal (LGI) syndrome in patients with prostate cancer undergoing three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy using a tool (nomogram) that takes into account clinical and dosimetric variables that proved to be significant in the Italian Association for Radiation Oncology (AIRO) Group on Prostate Cancer (AIROPROS) 0102 trial. Methods and Materials: Acute rectal toxicity was scored in 1,132 patients by using both the RTOG/EORTC scoring system and a 10-item self-assessed questionnaire. Correlation between clinical variables/dose-volume histogram constraints and rectal toxicity was investigated by means of multivariate logistic analyses. Multivariate logistic analyses results were used to create nomograms predicting the symptoms of acute LGI syndrome. Results: Mean rectal dose was a strong predictor of Grade 2-3 RTOG/EORTC acute LGI toxicity (p 0.0004; odds ratio (OR) = 1.035), together with hemorrhoids (p = 0.02; OR 1.51), use of anticoagulants/antiaggregants (p = 0.02; OR = 0.63), and androgen deprivation (AD) (p = 0.04; OR = 0.65). Diabetes (p = 0.34; OR 1.28) and pelvic node irradiation (p = 0.11; OR = 1.56) were significant variables to adjust toxicity prediction. Bleeding was related to hemorrhoids (p = 0.02; OR = 173), AD (p = 0.17; OR = 0.67), and mean rectal dose (p 0.009; OR = 1.024). Stool frequency was related to seminal vesicle irradiation (p = 0.07; OR = 6.46), AD administered for more than 3 months (p = 0.002; OR = 0.32), and the percent volume of rectum receiving more than 60 Gy (V60Gy) V60 (p = 0.02; OR = 1.02). Severe fecal incontinence depended on seminal vesicle irradiation (p = 0.14; OR = 4.5) and V70 (p = 0.033; OR 1.029). Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this work presents the

Comparison of 2D and 3D algorithms for adding a margin to the gross tumor volume in the conformal radiotherapy planning of prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khoo, V.S.; Bedford, J.L.; Webb, S.; Dearnaley, D.P.

1997-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the adequacy of tumor volume coverage using a three dimensional (3D) margin growing algorithm compared to a two dimensional (2D) margin growing algorithm in the conformal radiotherapy planning of prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: Two gross tumor volumes (GTV) were segmented in each of ten patients with localized prostate cancer: prostate gland only (PO) and prostate with seminal vesicles (PSV). A margin of 10 mm was applied to these two groups (PO and PSV) using both the 2D and 3D margin growing algorithms. The true planning target volume (PTV) was defined as the region delineated by the 3D algorithm. Adequacy of geometric coverage of the GTV with the two algorithms was examined throughout the target volume. Discrepancies between the two margin methods were measured in the transaxial plane. Results: The 2D algorithm underestimated the PTV by 17% (range 12-20) in the PO group and by 20% (range 13-28) for the PSV group when compared to the 3D algorithm. For both the PO and PSV groups, the inferior coverage of the PTV was consistently underestimated by the 2D margin algorithm when compared to the 3D margins with a mean radial distance of 4.8 mm (range 0-10). In the central region of the prostate gland, the anterior, posterior, and lateral PTV borders were underestimated with the 2D margin in both the PO and PSV groups by a mean of 3.6 mm (range 0-9), 2.1 mm (range 0-8), and 1.8 (range 0-9) respectively. The PTV coverage of the PO group superiorly was radially underestimated by 4.5mm (range 0-14) when comparing the 2D margins to the 3D margins. For the PSV group, the junction region between the prostate and the seminal vesicles was underestimated by the 2D margin by a mean transaxial distance of 18.1 mm in the anterior PTV border (range 4-30), 7.2 mm posteriorly (range 0-20), and 3.7 mm laterally (range 0-14). The superior region of the seminal vesicles in the PSV group was also consistently underestimated with a radial discrepancy of 3.3 mm

Hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular system following testicular X-irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verjans, H.L.; Eik-Nes, K.B.

1976-01-01

Testes of adult, male rats were exposed to a total dose of 1500 R of X-irradiation. Testicular weight decreased from day 8 after X-ray treatment. This decrease was, however, precded by an increment of the testis weight on day 4 following treatment. X-ray treatment of testes was associated with significant increase in serum FSH. Testicular irradiation had, however, no effect on ventral prostate and seminal vesicles weights. Serum testosterone increased only on day 1, 2 and 4 after irradiation, while serum LH levels tended to increase from day 8 post-irradiation. These changes were not significant, however, when compared with non-irradiated controls. At 7, 13 and 20 days following 1500 R of bilateral, testicular X-irradiation, the hypothalamic-pituitary unit was still capable of responding to exogenous gonadotrophin releasing factor. Serum FSH may in male rats be regulated at least partly by circulating steroids of testicular origin and partly by an unknown factor of non-interstitial cell nature. (author)

Pattern of decrease of prostate specific antigen after radical radiotherapy for the prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Bo Kyoung; Park, Suk Won; Ha, Sung Whan

1999-01-01

Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is a useful tumor marker, which is widely used as a diagnostic index and predictor of both treatment and follow-up result in prostate cancer. A prospective analysis was carried out to obtain the period of PSA normalization and the half life of PSA and to analyze the factors influencing the period of PSA normalization. The PSA level was checked before and serially after radical radiotherapy. Twenty patients with clinically localized prostate cancer who underwent radical external beam radiotherapy were enrolled in this study. Accrual period was from April 1993 to May 1998. Median follow-up period was 26 months. Radiotherapy was given to whole pelvis followed by a boost to prostate. Dose range for the whole pelvis was from 45 Gy to 50 Gy and boost dose to prostate, from 14 Gy to 20 Gy. The post-irradiation PSA normal value was under 3.0 ng/ml. The physical examination and serum PSA level evaluation were performed at 3 month interval in the first on year, and then at every 4 to 6 months. PSA value was normalized in nineteen patients (95%) within 12 months. The mean period of PSA normalization was 5.3 (±2.7) months. The half life of PSA ofd the nonfailing patients was 2.1 (±0.9) month. The nadir PSA level of the nonfailing patients was 0.8 (±0.5) ng/ml. The period of PSA normalization had the positive correlation with pretreatment PSA level (R 2 =0.468). The nadir PSA level had no definite positive correlation with the pretreatment PSA level (R 2 =0.175). The half life of serum PSA level also had no definite correlation with pretreatment PSA level (R 2 =0.029). The PSA level was mostly normalized within 8 months (85%). If it has not normalized within 12 months, we should consider the residual disease in prostate or distant metastasis. In 2 patients, the PSA level increased 6 months or 20 months before clinical disease was detected. So the serum PSA level can be used as early diagnostic indicator of treatment failure

Dosimetric Verification and Evaluation of the 3-D Conformal Parotid Gland-Sparing Irradiation Technique for Bilateral Neck Treatment at University Hospital Centre Zagreb

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kovacevic, N; Hrsak, H.; Bibic, J.

2011-01-01

3-D Conformal Parotid Gland-Sparing Irradiation Technique for Bilateral Neck (ConPas) is an alternative to Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), and is in routine use at University Hospital Centre Rebro (KBC-Rebro), Zagreb. This technique includes highly asymmetric wedged conformal multi-leaf fields and demands very precise application. The aim of this paper is to present the dosimetric verification method of ConPas (and evaluation of ConPas applicability) as performed at KBC, taking into account the precision of the Treatment Planning System (TPS), possibilities of linear accelerator and patient set-up error. Results for two patients are shown in some details.ConPas is a rather sophisticated method and demands high precision in the whole radiotherapy process. Verification of ConPas using IMRT Verification Matrix Phantom shows good agreement between measured and predicted doses inside and outside PTV regions of the head and neck. Furthermore, a careful track of the positioning during the treatment shows that the overall set-up error is very small (practically negligible). When possible, one parotid gland may be partially spared, and therefore its function preserved at least to some extent. (author)

Prostate cancer: Doses and volumes of radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hennequin, C.; Rivera, S.; Quero, L.; Latorzeff, I.

2010-01-01

Radiotherapy is nowadays a major therapeutic option in prostate cancer. Technological improvements allowed dose escalation without increasing late toxicity. Some randomized trials have shown that dose escalation decreases the biochemical failure rate, without any benefit in survival with the present follow-up. However, some studies indicate that the distant metastases rate is also decreased. Most of these studies have been done without hormonal treatment, and the role of dose escalation in case of long-term androgen deprivation is unknown. The target volume encompassed the whole gland: however, complete or partial focal treatment of the prostate can be done with sophisticated IMRT technique and must be evaluated. Proximal part of the seminal vesicles must be included in the target volumes. The role of nodal irradiation is another debate, but it could be logically proposed for the unfavourable group. (authors)

The early toxicity of escalated versus standard dose conformal radiotherapy with neo-adjuvant androgen suppression for patients with localised prostate cancer: Results from the MRC RT01 trial (ISRCTN47772397)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dearnaley, David P.; Sydes, Matthew R.; Langley, Ruth E.; Graham, John D.; Huddart, Robert A.; Syndikus, Isabel; Matthews, John H.L.; Scrase, Christopher D.; Jose, Chakiath C.; Logue, John; Stephens, Richard J.

2007-01-01

Background: Five-year disease-free survival rates for localised prostate cancer following standard doses of conventional radical external beam radiotherapy are around 80%. Conformal radiotherapy (CFRT) raises the possibility that radiotherapy doses can be increased and long-term efficacy outcomes improved, with safety an important consideration. Methods: MRC RT01 is a randomised controlled trial of 862 men with localised prostate cancer comparing Standard CFRT (64 Gy/32 f) versus Escalated CFRT (74 Gy/37 f), both administered with neo-adjuvant androgen suppression. Early toxicity was measured using physician-reported instruments (RTOG, LENT/SOM, Royal Marsden Scales) and patient-reported questionnaires (MOS SF-36, UCLA Prostate Cancer Index, FACT-P). Results: Overall early radiotherapy toxicity was similar, apart from increased bladder, bowel and sexual toxicity, in the Escalated Group during a short immediate post-radiotherapy period. Toxicity in both groups had abated by week 12. Using RTOG Acute Toxicity scores, cumulative Grade ≥2 bladder and bowel toxicity was 38% and 30% for Standard Group and 39% and 33% in Escalated Group, respectively. Urinary frequency (Royal Marsden Scale) improved in both groups from pre-androgen suppression to 6 months post-radiotherapy (p < 0.001), but bowel and sexual functioning deteriorated. This pattern was supported by patient-completed assessments. Six months after starting radiotherapy the incidence of RTOG Grade ≥2 side-effects was low (<1%); but there were six reports of rectal ulceration (6 Escalated Group), six haematuria (5 Escalated Group) and eight urethral stricture (6 Escalated Group). Conclusions: The two CFRT schedules with neo-adjuvant androgen suppression have broadly similar early toxicity profiles except for the immediate post-RT period. At 6 months and compared to before hormone therapy, bladder symptoms improved, whereas bowel and sexual symptoms worsened. These assessments of early treatment safety will be

Prostate Problems

Science.gov (United States)

... know the exact cause of your prostate problem. Prostatitis The cause of prostatitis depends on whether you ... prostate problem in men older than age 50. Prostatitis If you have a UTI, you may be ...

Significance of prostatic weight in prostatism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, K M; Bruskewitz, R C; Iversen, P

1983-01-01

In addition to routine evaluation, 68 patients with prostatism underwent blinded urodynamic testing prior to transurethral prostatectomy and were reexamined symptomatologically and urodynamically at 3 and 12 months after surgery to determine if prostatic weight could predict postoperative outcome....... Resected prostatic weight correlated with estimated weight at cystoscopy and with obstructive symptoms, but not with urodynamic variables of infravesical obstruction. Patients with small prostates improved symptomatologically to the same degree as patients with larger glands, although they did not improve...... to the same degree urodynamically. Prostatic weight, therefore, could not be used to predict the outcome of transurethral surgery....

Localization of the prostatic apex for radiotherapy treatment planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilder, Richard B.; Fone, Patricia D.; Jones, C. Darryl; White, Ralph DeVere

1996-01-01

Purpose/Objective: There is no consensus on the optimal method for localizing the prostatic apex in patients with early stage adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Some radiation oncologists have recommended that transrectal ultrasound or MRI scans be used to define the inferior border of radiation portals. The purpose of this prospective study is to assess the ability of retrograde urethrograms and CT scans to accurately define the prostatic apex in the craniocaudad dimension, using urethroscopy as a reference. Materials and Methods: Following construction of an Alpha cradle, plain radiographs of the pelvis were obtained in 15 patients with early stage adenocarcinoma of the prostate, with the tip of a urethroscope placed at the superior border of the external sphincter (which most closely approximates the prostatic apex). The scope was then withdrawn, and a retrograde urethrogram was performed. Immediately afterwards, a treatment planning CT scan of the pelvis was obtained. Since differential filling of the bladder and rectum affects the position of the prostatic apex, patients voided prior to rather than in between the 3 consecutive studies. Results: The urethroscopy-defined prostatic apex was located 28 ± 3 mm (mean ± SE) superior to the ischial tuberosities, 12 ± 1 mm (mean ± SE) superior to the urethrogram tip and 8 ± 2 mm (mean ± SE) superior to the CT-defined apex. Placement of the inferior border of the radiation portals at the ischial tuberosities would have resulted in irradiation of > 20 mm membranous and spongy urethra in all of the patients. Conclusion: Retrograde urethrograms provide more helpful information than CT scans with regard to localization of the prostatic apex and are more cost effective than sonograms or MRI scans. The prostatic apex is typically 12 mm superior to the urethrogram tip with little variability. Retrograde urethrograms allow one to spare as much urethra as possible in the radiation portals, which should theoretically reduce

Bacterial prostatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Gill, Bradley C; Shoskes, Daniel A

2016-02-01

The review provides the infectious disease community with a urologic perspective on bacterial prostatitis. Specifically, the article briefly reviews the categorization of prostatitis by type and provides a distillation of new findings published on bacterial prostatitis over the past year. It also highlights key points from the established literature. Cross-sectional prostate imaging is becoming more common and may lead to more incidental diagnoses of acute bacterial prostatitis. As drug resistance remains problematic in this condition, the reemergence of older antibiotics such as fosfomycin, has proven beneficial. With regard to chronic bacterial prostatitis, no clear clinical risk factors emerged in a large epidemiological study. However, bacterial biofilm formation has been associated with more severe cases. Surgery has a limited role in bacterial prostatitis and should be reserved for draining of a prostatic abscess or the removal of infected prostatic stones. Prostatitis remains a common and bothersome clinical condition. Antibiotic therapy remains the basis of treatment for both acute and chronic bacterial prostatitis. Further research into improving prostatitis treatment is indicated.

Long-term results of high-dose conformal radiotherapy for patients with medically inoperable T1-3N0 non-small-cell lung cancer: Is low incidence of regional failure due to incidental nodal irradiation?