Use of uniform shots for robust planning of mask-based treatment in Gamma Knife Icon

PurposeTo verify whether Icon automatic correction is robust in preserving plan quality.Materials/methodsAn end-to-end phantom was used to verify Icon’s correction accuracy qualitatively. For quantitative assessment, two plans, a composite- and a uniform-shot-only, were created for an elliptical- (E) and a sausage-shaped (S) lesion inside a PseudoPatient head phantom with a film insert. The phantom was irradiated in the planned and three other positions under each plan: 14° pitch (B); 14° rotation + 8° pitch (C); 95° rotation + 4-cm shift (D).ResultsIcon accurately corrects the locations of the shots. For the uniform-shot plans: all gamma index passing rates were >97%, and the differences between the planned and the delivery doses (minimum, maximum, and mean) were all ≤0.1 Gy. For the composite-shot plans, however, the dose differences increased as the phantom was shifted through positions B-D, with a gamma index passing rate of 61% for lesion-E in position D, and 92%, 79%, and 45% for lesion-S in positions B, C, and D, respectively.ConclusionsPlans using only uniform shots are more robust to deviations in treatment position. The tolerance for such deviations may be lower for plans using composite shots.     

伽玛刀联合肝动脉栓塞化疗治疗原发性肝癌的临床疗效观察

目的:研究伽玛刀联合肝动脉栓塞化疗治疗临床疗效,探索治疗原发性肝癌的最优方案。方法:选择2005年10月~2013年10月在我院伽玛刀室实施伽玛刀治疗的肝癌病例183例,随机分为对照组(n=88)和试验组(n=95),对照组患者采取单纯伽马刀治疗,试验组采用伽马刀联合肝动脉栓塞化疗。治疗后对全部患者进行随访3~24个月,复查肝功能、甲胎蛋白(AFP)等,追踪有无不良反应及并发症的出现,了解其近期与远期疗效。结果:治疗后3个月复查,对照组和试验组的总体有效率分别为60.5%和76.84%,两组近期疗效比较,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。两组治疗后肝功能及AFP改善情况,差异均具有统计学意义(P0.05)。两组患者在治疗期间及后均出现不同程度的不良反应,对照组放射诱导的肝病5例,试验组3例,经内科对症处理后,患者情况均好转。试验组在治疗后6、12、18、24个月的生存率均高于对照组,差异均存在统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:伽玛刀联合肝动脉栓塞化疗治疗原发性肝癌的临床疗效优于单纯伽马刀治疗,可进一步研究,进行临床推广。     

Radiation dose verification of an X-ray based blood irradiator using EBT3 radiochromic films calibrated using Gamma Knife machine

AimBlood irradiators (BI) initial acceptance testing and routine annual dosimetry checks require radiation dose measurements in order to comply with regulatory requirements.BackgroundTraditionally thermo-luminescence dosimeters (TLD) have been used to measure the dose. The EBT3 film is reported to be a better dosimeter for low energy X-rays than its predecessors EBT2 and EBT. To the best of our knowledge, the use of EBT3 films to perform dosimetry on X-ray based BI has not been reported yet.Materials and methodsWe performed routine radiation dosimetry checks using EBT3 films on a new X-ray based BI and compared the results with TLD dosimetry. Calibration films were irradiated with radiation beam from a Co-60 Gamma Knife (GK) radiosurgery machine and, alternatively, using an Ir-192 high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy device. The films were calibrated to cover a wide dose range from 1 to 40 Gy. Such a wide dose range has not been reported yet in BI film dosimetry.ResultsWe obtained a relative difference of about 6.6% between doses measured using TLD and those measured using EBT3 films. Both irradiation methods using GK or HDR were found to be adequate for the calibration of the EBT3 Gafchromic films.ConclusionsWe recommend the use of EBT3 films in routine X-ray based BI dosimetry checks. The presented method takes advantage of available radiotherapy equipment that can be efficiently used for EBT3 films calibration. The method is fast, reproducible and saves valuable medical physicist's time.     

A case report of stereotactic radiosurgery in a patient with Ehlers–Danlos syndrome

In this report, we outline the case of a patient who has Ehlers–Danlos Syndrome (EDS) who received two courses of CyberKnife stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. Patients with EDS have increased blood vessel fragility, and therefore are subject to increased risk of bleeding. There are no published data regarding the risks of hemorrhage associated with SRS for intracranial metastases in this patient population. The patient described in this case report had two courses of SRS for two sites of brain metastases. She tolerated treatment well, with no acute toxicity and good local control to date. We have also included a discussion of published literature regarding toxicity of intracranial radiation in patients with EDS.     

Statistical analysis of the gamma evaluation acceptance criteria: A simulation study of 2D dose distributions under error free conditions

PurposeTo investigate the statistical distribution of the gamma value under error-free conditions, in order to study the relation between the gamma evaluation failure rate and statistically significant deviations in the general situation.MethodsThe 2D absorbed dose distribution for 30 clinical head-and-neck IMRT fields were calculated in a QC phantom. For the same fields, dose measurements were simulated by assuming that the calculated value represented the expectation value, and by adding a random spatial uncertainty of 1–9 mm (1SD) and a random dose uncertainty of 1%–3% (1SD). The simulated measurements were then compared to the calculated dose using the gamma evaluation, and the distribution of the failure rate (i.e. the probability of gamma values above unity) was analysed.ResultsFor a wide range of the random measurement uncertainty, a distinct peak in the failure rate distribution was observed. The presence of higher failure rates was associated with large values of the second order derivative of the dose distribution. For spatial uncertainties larger than or equal to the resolution of the dose matrix, and for reasonable dose uncertainties, the median value of the failure rate distribution was fairly constant.ConclusionsSimulations showed, in the general case, that the probability of having a gamma value above unity under error-free conditions was not spatially uniform. We believe that this shortcoming may be partly responsible for the limited ability of the gamma evaluation method to detect errors in clinically relevant situations.     

围手术期介入治疗对伽玛刀治疗肝癌肝硬化临床疗效及预后的影响

目的:探究围手术期介入治疗对伽玛刀治疗肝癌肝硬化临床疗效及预后的影响。方法:选取2013年1月～2015年1月在我院就诊的肝癌肝硬化患者共61例,按照随机数字表法分为对照组(30例)和观察组(31例),对照组患者仅进行伽玛刀治疗,观察组患者进行围手术期介入治疗联合伽玛刀治疗,比较两组患者治疗后的总有效率、治疗后1年和3年的生存率以及不良反应的发生情况。结果:观察组患者治疗后总有效率为77.4%,显著高于对照组(53.3%,P0.05);观察组治疗后1年和3年生存率分别为74.2%、45.2%,均显著高于对照组(53.3%、20.0%,P0.05);两组患者治疗后均发生不同程度的不良反应,但经对症治疗均有效好转,两组不良反应发生率比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:围手术期介入治疗联合伽玛刀治疗肝癌患者可以有效提高治疗的总有效率以及治疗后1年和3年的生存率,且安全性好。     

Inverse sampling of controls in a matched case control study

A method of inverse sampling of controls in a matched case-control study is described in which, for each case, controls are sampled until a discordant set is achieved. For a binary exposure, inverse sampling is used to determine the number of controls for each case. When most individuals in a population have the same exposure, standard case-control sampling may result in many case-control sets being concordant with respect to exposure and thus uninformative in the conditional logistic analysis. The method using inverse control sampling is proposed as a solution to this problem in situations when it is practically feasible. In many circumstances, inverse control sampling is found to offer improved statistical efficiency relative to a comparable study with a fixed number of controls per case.     

反向激动剂：受体研究中的一个新发现

静息时就有一部分受体处于激活性状它们与非激活状态的受体处于动态平衡状态之中。某些原来认为的受体拮抗对Ｒ的亲和性远远高于对Ｒ的亲和性,导致动态平衡中的Ｒ数量减少,因而产生生物效应,对某些受体突变或爱 体过度表达引起的疾病,反向激动剂具有应用前景。     

山水园林城市生态空间规划研究——以南宁市为例

生态空间是维持城市可持续发展的自然基础,其组成、规模及分布对国土空间生态安全具有重要影响。国土空间规划和城乡规划建设管理必须遵循"山水林田湖草是生命共同体"理念,优化国土空间开发保护格局,合理保护与利用生态空间。以南宁市为例,在梳理国土空间用途管制相关概念的基础上,提出了以生态控制线为核心的生态空间管控体系,通过生态安全评价与生态敏感性评价,识别研究区关键生态问题与核心生态资源,构建区域生态安全格局并划定生态控制线,制定空间管制方案,建立了一种基于"本底评价-格局构建-底线管控"的生态空间规划方法。结果表明：（1）研究区整体生态安全状态较好,但建设用地侵占生态空间的问题有待解决。（2）研究区生态高度敏感区占比40.70%,在空间上集中连片分布,生态连通性较高,是生态安全格局和生态控制线的主要载体。（3）研究区生态安全格局由"一轴、一环、五区,多廊道、多节点"的生态要素构成。（4）研究区生态控制线占比达86.03%,通过实施分级管制,严格保护核心生态资源,合理利用次级生态资源。（5）生态控制线实现了对全域生态空间的管制,是国土空间规划和城乡规划建设管理的前提和基础。研究成果可为南宁市国土空间规划和生态保护修复提供技术与决策支撑,也可为其他城市的生态空间规划提供参考。     

锁定型gamma钉与普通型gamma钉、动力髋螺钉治疗不稳定性股骨粗隆间骨折的 临床疗效比较

目的:比较锁定型γ钉(Locking Gamma Nail,LGN)、普通型γ钉(Traditional Gamma Nail,TGN)和动力髋螺钉(Dynamic Hip Screw,DHS)治疗不稳定性股骨粗隆间骨折的临床疗效和安全性。方法:选择2009年1月至2011年1月在我院分别接受锁定型γ钉(A组)、普通型γ钉(B组)和动力髋(C组)内固定治疗的随访资料完整的患者共92例。记录和比较三组患者的手术时间、术中出血量、骨折愈合时间及末次髋关节功能评分等相关数据。结果:A组、B组和C组的手术时间、术中出血比较有统计学差异(均P<0.01),但A、B组之间无明显统计学差异;A组和B组、C组的骨折愈合时间、髋关节功能评分比较差异均有统计学意义(均P<0.01),B、C组之间无明显统计学意义。结论:LGN的固定效果和生物力学性能良好,操作简便,固定牢固,整体治疗效果优于TGN和DHS,可作为临床治疗不稳定性股骨粗隆间骨折的首选。     

Comparison of manual and inverse optimisation techniques in high dose rate intracavitary brachytherapy of cervical cancer: A dosimetric study

Aims and objectivesTo compare dosimetrically the manual optimisation with IPSA using dose volume histograms (DVH) among patients treated for carcinoma of cervix with intracavitary brachytherapy.BackgroundWith the advent of advanced imaging modalities, there has been a shift from conventional X-ray based planning to three-dimensional planning. Manual optimisation is widely used across various institutions but it is time consuming and operator dependant. Inverse planning simulated annealing (IPSA) is now available in various brachytherapy planning systems. But there is a paucity of studies comparing manual optimisation and IPSA in treatment of carcinoma cervix with intracavitary brachytherapy and hence this study.Materials and methodsFifteen consecutive patients treated between December 2013 and March 2014 with intracavitary brachytherapy for carcinoma of cervix were selected for this study. All patients were initially treated with external beam radiotherapy followed by intracavitary brachytherapy. The DVH was evaluated and compared between manually optimised plans and IPSA in the same set of patients.ResultsThere was a significant improvement in the HRCTV coverage, mean V100 of 87.75% and 82.37% (p = 0.001) and conformity index 0.67 and 0.6 (p = 0.007) for plans generated using IPSA and manual optimisation, respectively. Homogeneity index and dose to the OARs remained similar between the two groups.ConclusionThe use of inverse planning in intracavitary brachytherapy of cervix has shown a significant improvement in the target volume coverage when compared with manual planning.     

CyberKnife Stereotactic Radiosurgery in brain metastases: A report from Latin America with literature review

Background and aim

Stereotactic radiosurgery is increasingly being employed for the treatment of brain metastases, both as an adjuvant to surgical resection, and also as a primary treatment modality. The aim of this study is to evaluate overall survival and local control in patients with brain metastases treated with CyberKnife Stereotactic Radiosurgery (CKRS), due to the lack of evidence reported in Latin America.

Applications of MCNP simulation in treatment planning: a comparative study

Radiation and Environmental Biophysics - Monte Carlo codes have been used for approximately 80&nbsp;years to solve various problems in medical physics. In this paper, the importance of the...     

Gamma rhythms in the visual cortex: functions and mechanisms

Gamma-band activity, peaking around 30–100 Hz in the local field potential''s power spectrum, has been found and intensively studied in many brain regions. Although gamma is thought to play a critical role in processing neural information in the brain, its cognitive functions and neural mechanisms remain unclear or debatable. Experimental studies showed that gamma rhythms are stochastic in time and vary with visual stimuli. Recent studies further showed that multiple rhythms coexist in V1 with distinct origins in different species. While all these experimental facts are a challenge for understanding the functions of gamma in the visual cortex, there are many signs of progress in computational studies. This review summarizes and discusses studies on gamma in the visual cortex from multiple perspectives and concludes that gamma rhythms are still a mystery. Combining experimental and computational studies seems the best way forward in the future.     

The clinical chemistry of chimpanzees: II. Gamma glutamyl transferase levels in hepatitis studies

Normal ranges for gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) in chimpanzees were determined and categorized according to age and sex. Enzyme patterns presented for 36 cases of non-A, non-B (NANB) hepatitis and compared to others with hepatitis A and/or B show that the response of this enzyme to these viral agents in chimpanzees is comparable to that seen in human patients. The value of GGT determinations, in addition to aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase for the differentiation of various types of viral hepatitis, is described.     

Significance of preoperative planning for prophylactic augmentation of osteoporotic hip: A computational modeling study

A potential effective treatment for prevention of osteoporotic hip fractures is augmentation of the mechanical properties of the femur by injecting it with bone cement. This therapy, however, is only in research stage and can benefit substantially from computational simulations to optimize the pattern of cement injection. Some studies have considered a patient-specific planning paradigm for Osteoporotic Hip Augmentation (OHA). Despite their biomechanical advantages, customized plans require advanced surgical systems for implementation. Other studies, therefore, have suggested a more generalized injection strategy. The goal of this study is to investigate as to whether the additional computational overhead of the patient-specific planning can significantly improve the bone strength as compared to the generalized injection strategies attempted in the literature. For this purpose, numerical models were developed from high resolution CT images (n = 4). Through finite element analysis and hydrodynamic simulations, we compared the biomechanical efficiency of the customized cement-based augmentation along with three generalized injection strategies developed previously. Two series of simulations were studied, one with homogeneous and one with inhomogeneous material properties for the osteoporotic bone. The customized cement-based augmentation inhomogeneous models showed that injection of only 10 ml of bone cement can significantly increase the yield load (79.6%, P < 0.01) and yield energy (199%, P < 0.01) of an osteoporotic femur. This increase is significantly higher than those of the generalized injections proposed previously (23.8% on average). Our findings suggest that OHA can significantly benefit from a patient-specific plan that determines the pattern and volume of the injected cement.     

Dose calculation accuracy in proximity of a pacemaker: A multicenter study with threecommercial treatment planning systems

This study compares Treatment Planning System (TPS) out of field dose calculation on a pacemaker (PMK) during external beam radiotherapy treatment. We consider four TPSs (Elekta-Monaco, Oncentra- Masterplan and two Philips-Pinnacle3) commissioned for two linacs (Elekta Sinergy and Varian Clinac) delivering two test beams (a highly modulated one and a square field) and two clinical breast plans. To calculate and measure dose to a PMK we built a Real Water3 phantom with a PMK embedded in it. Measures are performed with thermo-luminescent dosimeters and Mosfet dosimeters. We evaluate differences between TPS calculated values for the dose to the PMK (both point dose and dose-volume histogram parameters) when the PMK is positioned in the first 10 cm outside the radiation fields. TPS calculation accuracy is evaluated comparing such values with measures. Differences in TPS calculations are on average 3.5 cGy Gy^-1 for the modulated beam, and always lower than 2 cGy Gy^-1 for the square beam. TPS dose calculation depends mostly on the TPS algorithm and model rather than the linac commissioned. TPSs considered show different degrees of calculation accuracy. In the first 4 cm to the field edge three out of four TPSs are in good agreement with measurements in the square beam, but only one keeps the agreement in the modulated beam: the others show over and underestimations up to +20% −40%. The same accuracy is found considering a homogeneous phantom. Our results confirm what reported in previous studies and highlight the impact of TPS commissioning.     

Automatic VMAT planning for post-operative prostate cancer cases using particle swarm optimization: A proof of concept study

ObjectiveTo investigate the potential of Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) for fully automatic VMAT radiotherapy (RT) treatment planning.Material and MethodsIn PSO a solution space of planning constraints is searched for the best possible RT plan in an iterative, statistical method, optimizing a population of candidate solutions. To identify the best candidate solution and for final evaluation a plan quality score (PQS), based on dose volume histogram (DVH) parameters, was introduced.Automatic PSO-based RT planning was used for N = 10 postoperative prostate cancer cases, retrospectively taken from our clinical database, with a prescribed dose of EUD = 66 Gy in addition to two constraints for rectum and one for bladder. Resulting PSO-based plans were compared dosimetrically to manually generated VMAT plans.ResultsPSO successfully proposed treatment plans comparable to manually optimized ones in 9/10 cases. The median (range) PTV EUD was 65.4 Gy (64.7–66.0) for manual and 65.3 Gy (62.5–65.5) for PSO plans, respectively. However PSO plans achieved significantly lower doses in rectum D_2% 67.0 Gy (66.5–67.5) vs. 66.1 Gy (64.7–66.5, p = 0.016). All other evaluated parameters (PTV D_98% and D_2%, rectum V_40Gy and V_60Gy, bladder D_2% and V_60Gy) were comparable in both plans. Manual plans had lower PQS compared to PSO plans with −0.82 (−16.43–1.08) vs. 0.91 (−5.98–6.25).ConclusionPSO allows for fully automatic generation of VMAT plans with plan quality comparable to manually optimized plans. However, before clinical implementation further research is needed concerning further adaptation of PSO-specific parameters and the refinement of the PQS.