Strahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Röntgengesellschaft ... [et al]
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Comparative Study
Comparison of short-course versus long-course whole-brain radiotherapy in the treatment of brain metastases.
Whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) is the most common treatment for brain metastases. Most of these patients have a poor survival prognosis. Therefore, a short radiation program is preferred, if it provides a similar outcome as longer programs. This study compares 20 Gy in five fractions (treatment time: 1 week) to longer programs, with higher doses including 30 Gy in ten fractions (2 weeks) and 40 Gy in 20 fractions (4 weeks). ⋯ Short-course WBRT with 20 Gy in five fractions is preferable for most patients, because it is associated with similar survival as longer programs and is less time-consuming.
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Helical tomotherapy was introduced into clinical routine at the Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Germany, in July 2006. This report is intended to describe the experience with the first 150 patients treated with helical tomotherapy. Patient selection, time effort, handling of daily image guidance with megavoltage (MV) CT, and quality of radiation plans shall be assessed. ⋯ Helical tomotherapy and daily image guidance with MV-CT could fast be introduced into daily clinical routine. This technique allows precise intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in standard cases and offers new treatment options in a huge variety of difficult cases.