Post-implant dosimetry for permanent prostate brachytherapy is typically performed using computed tomography (CT) images, for which the clear visualization of soft tissue structures is problematic. Registration of CT and magnetic resonance (MR) image volumes can improve the definition of all structures of interest (soft tissues, bones, and seeds) in the joint image set. In the present paper, we...

The Lecture covers the author's personal experience in brachytherapy in radiation oncology, beginning with low-dose rate (LDR) treatments using 226Ra "hot" sources, in the 1960s and early 1970s, through manual afterloading for treating gynaecological cancers with the same sources in the 1970s and 1980s, to high-dose rate (HDR) remote afterloading on a microSelectron HDR machine, from 1989 on. T...

PURPOSE To report on preliminary results of a prospective study on MRI-assisted cervix cancer brachytherapy pre-planning. MATERIAL AND METHODS In six locally advanced cervix cancer patients, five days before the first brachytherapy fraction, tandem & ring applicator was inserted under para-cervical anaesthesia, MRI performed and applicator removed. Procedure-time and patient-tolerability were...

AIMS This audit provides a comprehensive overview of UK prostate brachytherapy practice in the year 2012, measured against existing standards, immediately before the introduction of new Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) guidelines. This audit allows comparison with European and North American brachytherapy practice and for the impact of the RCR 2012 guidelines to be assessed in the future. ...

OBJECTIVE Low dose rate (LDR) prostate brachytherapy (permanent 125I or 103Pd seeds) is an accepted treatment option for low risk prostate cancer patients. However, differences in prostate spatial location, volume and gland deformation between the images obtained during pre-planning and later on during the implant procedure prevent the pre-planned intended dose to be accurately delivered. We ar...

High dose rate (HDR) afterloading brachytherapy in the management of localised prostate cancer has practical, physical and biological advantages over low dose rate seed brachytherapy. There are no free live sources used, no risk of source loss and since the implant is a temporary procedure following discharge no issues with regard to radioprotection use of existing facilities. Adequate coverage...

The majority of quantitative data on the effects of dose-rate come from experiments with cultured cells in vitro. These data are reviewed, and it is concluded that results obtained from the in vitro experience may be carried over, in a quantitative manner, to guide clinical radiotherapeutic design. As an example, there are contradictory guidelines suggested to compensate for changes in dose-rat...

To retrospectively evaluate effectiveness and safety of CT-guided I brachytherapy in patients with lung metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma, sixty lung metastatic lesions in 29 patients were percutaneously treated in 34 I brachytherapy sessions. Each metastatic lesion was treated with computed tomographic (CT) guidance. Follow-up contrast material-enhanced CT scans were reviewed and the ef...