Currently, patients having cervical cancer with extension into the lower vagina are being treated with a combination of the Fletcher-Suit applicator, which treats the cervix, and a vaginal cylinder, which treats the lower vagina. With this method, patients receive two separate implants-a procedure that creates greater uncertainty in the dose distribution and unnecessary patient inconvenience. T...

High dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy is one of the accepted treatment modalities in gastro-intestinal tract and bladder carcinomas. Considering the shortcoming of contact brachytherapy routinely used in gastrointestinal tract in treatment of big tumors or invasive method of bladder treatment, an intraluminal applicator with the capability of insertion into the tumor depth seems to be useful. This...

The design concept and dosimetric characteristics of a new applicator system for intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) are presented in this work. A new hard-docking commercial system includes polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) applicators with different diameters and applicator end angles and a set of secondary lead collimators. A telescopic device allows changing of source-to-surface distance (S...

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. Brachytherapy is one of the ways to treat breast cancer. In brachytherapy treatments, high-dose sources are used in interstitial placement. Here, Iridium-192 is used. This source emits gamma rays with energies ranging from 136 kV to 1060 kV electron volts. The activity of the used spring is 10 Ci. The simulated ...

Nancy Thompson, RN, MS, AOCNS, is a clinical nurse specialist at Swedish Cancer Institute, Caroline Cogen, RN, BSN, is a staff nurse at Swedish Medical Center, Debra Forman, RN, BSN, OCN ®, is a supervisor in the Comprehensive Breast Center at Swedish Cancer Institute, and Sheryl Londerville, RN, BSN, OCN ®, is the radiation oncology charge nurse at Swedish Cancer Institute, all in Seattle, WA....

Model-based dose calculation algorithms have recently been incorporated into brachytherapy treatment planning systems, and their introduction requires critical evaluation before clinical implementation. Here, we present an experimental evaluation of Oncentra® Brachy Advanced Collapsed-cone Engine (ACE) for a multichannel vaginal cylinder (MCVC) applicator using radiochromic film. A uniform dose...

A custom balloon applicator was created to deliver intracavitary high-dose-rate brachytherapy to a patient with a superficial vaginal cancer. The patient was unable to be treated conventionally due to an extremely narrow introitus that prevented the introduction of a conventional cylinder applicator. The custom applicator was constructed by inserting a straight titanium tandem applicator throug...

PURPOSE To investigate quantitatively the deformation of the mammosite balloon, eccentricity of the source position and their effects on the dose delivered to the tumor lumpectomy site and critical structures. MATERIALS AND METHODS The distances of the brachytherapy source to the surface of the mammosite balloon were measured in using radiographic images for fractions 1 to 10 for twelve patie...

PURPOSE To provide longitudinal follow-up and assess the intermediate outcomes in breast cancer patients treated with the MammoSite radiation therapy system. METHODS AND MATERIAL Ninety-two patients with histologically proven stage 0-II breast cancer were treated with MammoSite accelerated partial breast irradiation after breast-conserving surgery. The catheter was placed at the time of surge...