introduction: recently, magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (mrsi), as a functional imaging method, has been used for clinical target volume definition. in this study, we used this method to define the target volume in prostate radiotherapy. material and method: in this study, we used images of 20 prostate cancer cases. mrsi and mri images were fused with ct images. then, treatment plannin...

Background: This study evaluates dosimetric and spatial variations in inter–fraction applicator positioning in high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy. Materials and Methods: This study includes 25 retrospective patients of carcinoma of the cervix. Each patient received 5 fractions of HDR intracavitary brachytherapy. High Risk-Clinical Target Volume (HR-CTV) were drawn on CT images. First impl...

PURPOSE To investigate the impact of clinical target volume (CTV) shape and size on CTV to planning target volume (PTV) margin expansion. METHODS AND MATERIALS Using numerical integration methods, margins accounting for random errors and systematic errors were calculated for CTVs of different shapes and sizes. We use k(r-95) and k(s-95) to represent the coefficients, for random errors and sys...

BACKGROUND FDG-PET/CT imaging has an emerging role in staging and treatment planning of various tumor locations and a number of literature studies show that also the carcinoma of the anal canal may benefit from this diagnostic approach. We analyzed the potential impact of FDG-PET/CT in stage definition and target volume delineation of patients affected by carcinoma of the anal canal and candida...

Currently, image-based 3-dimentional (3D) planning brachytherapy allows for a better assessment of gross tumor volume (GTV) and the definition and delineation of target volume in cervix cancer. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of our novel computed tomography (CT)-guided free-hand high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy (HDRISBT) technique for cervical cancer by evaluating the d...

PURPOSE To analyze the distribution of functional liver volume (FLV) in the margin volume (MV) surrounding hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) before radiation therapy (RT) and to verify the safety of single photon emission computed tomography-based three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (SPECT-B3DCRT) by exploring the relation of FLV in MV to radiation-induc...

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to comprehensively compare the 3-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided and conventional 2-dimensional (2D) point A-based intracavitary brachytherapy (BT) planning for cervical cancer with regard to target dose coverage and dosages to adjacent organs-at risk (OARs). METHODS A total of 79 patients with cervical cancer were enrolled to r...

A clinical target volume (CTV) to planning target volume (PTV) margin recipes was routinely used to ensure dose was actually delivered to target for all (most) patients. Currently used margin recipes were associated with only translational set-up errors in radiotherapy. However, when set-up errors extended to six-degree (6D) scope (three translational and three rotational set-up errors), margin...

PURPOSE To analyze the feasibility of omitting clinical target volume (CTV) for limited small cell lung cancer treated with chemotherapy and intensity modulated radiotherapy. METHODS AND MATERIALS 89 patients were treated from January 1, 2008 to August 31, 2011, 54 cases were irradiated with target volume without CTV, and 35 cases were irradiated with CTV. Both arms were irradiated post chemo...

PURPOSE The aim of this study is to ascertain the subsequent radiobiological impact of using a consensus guideline target volume delineation atlas. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using a representative case and target volume delineation instructions derived from a proposed IMRT rectal cancer clinical trial, gross tumor volume (GTV) and clinical/planning target volumes (CTV/PTV) were contoured by 13 ph...