IGRT IMRT BRACHYTHERAPY

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: External beam accelerated partial breast irradiation (EB-aPBI) is noninvasive with broader potential applicability than aPBI using brachytherapy. However, it has inherent challenges in daily reproducibility. Image-guide radiotherapy (IGRT) can improve daily reproducibility, allowing smaller treatment margins. Our institution proposed IG-IMRT in the prone position to evaluate dose homogeneity, conformality, normal tissue avoidance, and reliable targeting for EB-aPBI...

Technical and methodical developments have changed radiation oncology substantially over the last 40 years. Modern imaging methods, e.g., computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and ultrasound (US), have not only improved the detection of tumors but have also become tools for computed treatment planning. Megavoltage irradiation with accelerators using photons and electrons with large and small fields, intensity modulation (IMRT), image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), stereotactic irradiation and radiosurgery, intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT), and modern remote controlled afterloading brachytherapy have made high precision radiotherapy increasingly possible...

Medical physics plays an essential role in modern medicine. This is particularly evident in cancer care where medical physicists are involved in radiotherapy treatment planning and quality assurance as well as in imaging and radiation protection. Due to the large variety of tasks and interests, medical physics is often subdivided into specialties such as radiology, nuclear medicine and radiation oncology medical physics. However, even within their specialty, the role of radiation oncology medical physicists (ROMPs) is diverse and varies between different societies...

INTRODUCTION: Prostate cancer (PC) is one of the tumours with the highest incidence in recent years. PC therapies have several adverse effects. A panel consensus recommendation has been made to prevent or ameliorate complications in PC treatment to improve quality of life. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifteen specialists have met to analyse the different toxicities associated with PC treatment. Each medical specialist performed a National Library of Medicine PubMed search citations searching about these secondary effects and his specialty from 1999 to 2009 to propose measures for their prevention/amelioration...

Justification of clinical physics staffing levels is difficult due to the lack of direction as how to equate clinical needs with the staffing levels and competency required. When a physicist negotiates staffing requests to administration, she/he often refers to American College of Radiology staffing level suggestions, and resources such as the Abt studies. This approach is often met with questions as to how to fairly derive the time it takes to perform tasks. The result is often insufficient and/or inexperienced staff handling complex and cumbersome tasks...

Significant developments in radiation oncology have taken place in recent years as a result of advances in radiation physics and molecular radiobiology. From the conventional 2-dimensional (2D) radiotherapy to 3-dimensional (3D) conformal radiotherapy, we have now entered the era of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT). IMRT/IGRT allows conformal treatment of tumor and conformal avoidance of normal tissues leading to possible improvement of tumor control and decrease in treatment-related toxicity...

Radiotherapy is a well-accepted treatment modality for patients with localised prostate cancer. Provided that radiotherapy is applied with a sufficient radiation dose, it is as effective as radical prostatectomy. Different radiation modalities are available (interstitial brachytherapy, external beam radiotherapy or a combination of both). Various new developments will further increase the value of radiation-based approaches. In this regard, a wider use of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) will result in higher treatment doses with even lower toxicity rates...