Background: Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) technique is used to treat a surgically exposed tumor or tumor bed in the treatment of locally advanced intraabdominal, retroperitoneal, pelvic, thoracic, breast and soft tissue tumors. One way to perform IORT is to use an existing linac and modify the treatment head using an applicator system. In this study the objectives were to design, and ...

Three dimensional planning for high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy in cervical cancer has been highly recommended by consensus guidelines such as the American Brachytherapy Society (ABS) and the Groupe Européen de Curiethérapie - European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (GEC-ESTRO). In this document, we describe our experience with computed tomography (CT)-based planning using the tandem/r...

I T HAS been recognized that intracavi-tary irradiation is essential in the treatment of carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Since the beginning of the present century3 many applicators have been used to irradiate the uterus and vagina and later several afterloading techniques have been de-scnibed. " 4 Some of the techniques involve the use of remote control5 " and linear distribution of the sourc...

The purpose of this study is to find the uncertainties in the reconstruction of MR compatible ring-tandem intracavitary applicators of high-dose rate image-based brachytherapy treatment planning using rigid registration of 3D MR and CT image fusion. Tandem and ring reconstruction in MR image based brachytherapy planning was done using rigid registration of CT and MR applicator geometries. Verif...

MammoSite balloon brachytherapy is a relatively new technique for partial breast irradiation. The present paper focuses on the treatment planning, dosimetry, and quality assurance aspects of that treatment, based on the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 0413 randomized prospective trial (RTOG 0413) protocol. We investigate the usefulness of evaluating implants for treatment appropriateness accor...

For each patient receiving definitive treatment for cervix cancer, several CT/MR imaging studies need to be registered in order to specify the total physical or biological dose to each fixed tissue voxel in an organ system. This turns out to be a difficult problem due to large localized deformations and displacements of bladder, rectum, vagina, uterus and paracervical tissues due to tumor regre...

use the ‘‘handle,’’ likened to an open scroll, to steady the patch strip as it is loaded with aqueous antigens and applied to the patient’s back. The cotton tipped applicator can then be gently reverse rolled out of position once the patch test strip is applied. This method allows for decreased handling of the adhesive surface, increased stability of the patch and ultimately much less risk of a...

The design, analysis, and fabrication of a prototype triaxial applicator is described. The applicator provides both reflected and transmitted signals that can be used to characterize the electromagnetic properties of materials in situ. A method for calibrating the probe is outlined and validated using simulated data. Fabrication of the probe is discussed, and measured data for typical absorbing...