AIMS To report the feasibility of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for neoadjuvant radiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer in a dose-escalation protocol and simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) approach. Moreover, the VMAT technique was compared with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) and fixed-field intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), in terms of target coverag...

PURPOSE The contrast in dose distribution between proton radiotherapy (RT) and intensity-modulated RT (IMRT) is unclear, particularly in regard to critical structures such as the rectum and bladder. METHODS AND MATERIALS Between August and November 2006, the first 10 consecutive patients treated in our Phase II low-risk prostate proton protocol (University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute ...

BACKGROUND Concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy is the preferred standard of care for patients with anal cancer. Several studies have suggested a benefit of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) compared with 3D-conformal radiation (3D-CRT) regarding acute toxicity. This study evaluates outcome and toxicity of patients undergoing IMRT/Tomotherapy or 3D-CRT at our institution. ...

BACKGROUND The goal of this study was to assess a possible dosimetric advantage of intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) of upper abdominal malignancies compared to three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT), and to assess the impact of IMRT on acute toxicity. METHODS Thirty-one unselected consecutive patients with upper abdominal malignancies were treated with definitive (n =16) or p...

We investigated the outcomes and the associated clinical-pathological factors in patients with prostate cancer (PCa) undergoing salvage intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for post-radical-prostatectomy (RP) biochemical failure. We report clinical outcomes of post-RP salvage IMRT, and describe chronic toxicity in these patients.Fifty patients with PCa underwent post-RP salvage IMRT. Th...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The aim was to evaluate the impact of a spacer gel on the dose distribution, applying three-dimensional conformal (3D CRT) and intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) planning techniques. MATERIAL AND METHODS The injection of a spacer gel (10 ml SpaceOAR™) was performed between the prostate and rectum under transrectal ultrasound guidance in 18 patients with prostate ca...

BACKGROUND Image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) facilitates the delivery of a very precise radiation dose. In this study we compare the toxicity and biochemical progression-free survival between patients treated with daily image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IG-IMRT) and 3D conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) without daily image guidance for high risk prostate cancer (PCa). METHODS A total ...

BACKGROUND To compare the dosimetric differences among fixed field intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), single-arc volumetric-modulated arc therapy (SA-VMAT) and double-arc volumetric-modulated arc therapy (DA-VMAT) plans in rectal cancer. METHOD Fifteen patients with rectal cancer previously treated with IMRT in our institution were selected for this study. For each patient, three p...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To determine if intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in the post-operative setting for gastric cancer was associated with reduced toxicity compared to 3D conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT). MATERIALS/METHODS This retrospective study includes 24 patients with stage IB-IIIB gastric cancer consecutively treated from 2001-2010. All underwent surgery followed by adjuvan...

Background: In order to improve the evaluation of possible rectal toxicity based on the rectal normal tissue complication probability (NTCP), we consider the fractional dependence of the NTCP on the wall thickness (tW) and rectal displacement (RM). Materials and Methods: The two-dimensional NTCP model (NTCP2D) was developed using radiotherapy plans of ten randomly selected patients with prostat...