International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics
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Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. · Nov 2011
KRAS and BRAF mutations and PTEN expression do not predict efficacy of cetuximab-based chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer.
Mutations in KRAS and BRAF genes as well as the loss of expression of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) (deleted on chromosome 10) are associated with impaired activity of antibodies directed against epidermal growth factor receptor in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. The predictive and prognostic value of the KRAS and BRAF point mutations as well as PTEN expression in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) treated with cetuximab-based neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy is unknown. ⋯ In the present series, no BRAF mutation was detected. The presence of KRAS mutations and loss of PTEN expression were not associated with impaired response to cetuximab-based chemoradiotherapy and 3-year DFS.
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Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. · Nov 2011
The American Society for Radiation Oncology's 2010 core physics curriculum for radiation oncology residents.
In 2004, the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) published its first physics education curriculum for residents, which was updated in 2007. A committee composed of physicists and physicians from various residency program teaching institutions was reconvened again to update the curriculum in 2009. ⋯ The ASTRO physics education curriculum for radiation oncology residents has been updated. To ensure continued commitment to a current and relevant curriculum, the subject matter will be updated again in 2 years.
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Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. · Nov 2011
[¹⁸F]fluorodeoxyglucose uptake patterns in lung before radiotherapy identify areas more susceptible to radiation-induced lung toxicity in non-small-cell lung cancer patients.
Our hypothesis was that pretreatment inflammation in the lung makes pulmonary tissue more susceptible to radiation damage. The relationship between pretreatment [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose ([(18)F]FDG) uptake in the lungs (as a surrogate for inflammation) and the delivered radiation dose and radiation-induced lung toxicity (RILT) was investigated. ⋯ The risk of RILT increased with the 95th percentile of the [(18)F]FDG uptake in the lungs, excluding clinical tumor volume (OR = 4.3). The effect became more pronounced as the fraction of the 5%, 10%, and 20% highest standardized uptake value voxels that received more than 2 Gy to 5 Gy increased. Therefore, the risk of RILT may be decreased by applying sophisticated radiotherapy techniques to avoid areas in the lung with high [(18)F]FDG uptake.
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Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. · Nov 2011
[¹⁸F]FDG-positron emission tomography coregistration with computed tomography scans for radiation treatment planning of lymphoma and hematologic malignancies.
Positron emission-tomography (PET) using 2-[(18)F]fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG-PET) increases sensitivity and specificity of disease detection in lymphoma and thus is standard in lymphoma management. This study examines the effects of coregistering FDG-PET and computed tomography (CT) (PET/CT) scans on treatment planning for lymphoma patients. ⋯ Incorporation of FDG-PET into CT-based treatment planning for lymphoma patients resulted in considerable changes in management, volume definition, and normal tissue dosimetry for a significant number of patients.
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Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. · Nov 2011
Image-guided radiotherapy for breast cancer patients: surgical clips as surrogate for breast excision cavity.
To determine the use of surgical clips as a surrogate for localization of the excision cavity and to quantify the stability of the clips' positions during the course of external beam radiotherapy for breast cancer patients, using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans. ⋯ Clips move in the direction of the center of gravity of the excision cavity, on average, 1.4 mm. The clips are good surrogates for locating the excision cavity and providing small residual errors.