BACKGROUND Radiotherapy for retroperitoneal sarcomas remains controversial and a technical challenge considering the threshold of contiguous critical organs tolerance. We performed consecutive RapidArc dosimetric plans in preoperative or postoperative setting. METHODS A dosimetric study was carried out from six preoperative (group A) and four postoperative (group B) CT-scans, performed in 7 p...

Dose distributions in HN-IMRT are complex and may be sensitive to the treatment uncertainties. The goals of this study were to evaluate: 1) dose differences between plan and actual delivery and implications on margin requirement for HN-IMRT with rigid setup errors; 2) dose distribution complexity on setup error sensitivity; and 3) agreement between average dose and cumulative dose in fractionat...

PURPOSE Hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) for Stage I non-small-cell lung cancer requires that meticulous attention be paid toward ensuring optimal target definition. Two computed tomography (CT) scan techniques for defining internal target volumes (ITV) were evaluated. METHODS AND MATERIALS Ten consecutive patients treated with SRT underwent six "standard" rapid multislice CT ...

INTRODUCTION To evaluate in-field megavoltage (MV) imaging of simultaneously integrated boost (SIB) breast fields to determine its feasibility in treatment verification for the SIB breast radiotherapy technique, and to assess whether the current-imaging protocol and treatment margins are sufficient. METHODS For nine patients undergoing SIB breast radiotherapy, in-field MV images of the SIB fi...

The name “Brachytherapy” is derived from ancient Greek words for short distance (brachios) and treatment (therapy) and refers to the therapeutic use of encapsulated radionuclides placed within or close to the tumor. Brachytherapy (BT), used as an integral part of cancer treatment for almost a century, developed in last three decades a rapid growth with the development of afterloading devices an...

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and efficacy of hypofractionated simultaneous integrated boost-intensity modulated radiotherapy (SIB-IMRT) using three-layered planning target volumes (PTV) for malignant gliomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS We conducted a retrospective analysis of 12 patients (WHO grade IV-10; III-2) postoperatively treated with SIB-IMRT with concurrent t...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) after extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). A total of 15 patients who received VMAT after EPP were enrolled. All patients were males, and the median age was 67 years (Stage IB in two, II in six, and III in seven patients). The clinical t...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE This study compares dosimetric parameters of planning target volume (PTV) coverage and organs at risk (OAR) sparing when postoperative radiotherapy for gynecologic cancers is delivered using volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) versus a four-field (4FLD) box technique. MATERIAL AND METHODS From July to December 2012, women requiring postoperative radiation for gyneco...

PURPOSE To analyze dosimetric parameters of patients receiving adjuvant breast radiotherapy (RT) in the prone versus supine position. METHODS AND MATERIALS Forty-one out of 55 patients with pendulous breasts and candidates for adjuvant RT were enrolled in the study after informed consent. They underwent computed tomography (CT)-simulation in both prone and supine position. Target and non targ...

PURPOSE Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) of head and neck tumors allows a precise conformation of the high-dose region to clinical target volumes (CTVs) while respecting dose limits to organs a risk (OARs). Accurate patient setup reduces translational and rotational deviations between therapy planning and therapy delivery days. However, uncertainties in the shape of the CTV and OARs...