Study on Automatic Plan Method for Radiotherapy after Breast-conserving Surgery Based on TiGRT System / 中国医疗器械杂志

To study an automatic plan(AP) method for radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery based on TiGRT system and and compare with manual plan (MP). The dosimetry parameters of 10 patients and the evaluation of scoring table were analyzed, it was found that the targets dose of AP were better than that of MP, but there was no statistical difference except for CI, The V5, V20 and V30 of affected lungs and whole lungs in AP were lower than all that in MP, the Dmean of hearts was slightly higher than that of MP, but the difference was not statistically significant, the MU of AP was increase by 16.1% compared with MP, the score of AP evaluation was increase by 6.1% compared with MP. So the AP could be programmed and automated while ensuring the quality of the plan, and can be used to design the plans for radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery.

Study of feasibility of exchanging intensity-modulated radiotherapy plans after beam matching on two Linacs / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To explore the feasibility of the clinical implementation of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans with 6MV photon on two Elekta Linacs (Versa HD and Synergy) after beam matching.Methods:The images of 12 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, central lung cancer and prostate cancer were randomly selected, and the IMRT and VMAT plans were designed. Two different dose tools of ionization chamber and three-dimensional detector ArcCheck were used to verify the individualized radiation treatment of 6MV photon beams on two Linacs and compare the differences.Results:The deviations between the doses of two Linacs (Versa HD and Synergy) measured by the ion chamber and treatment planning system were (0.32±1.32)% and (0.54±1.29)%. The differences of all plans were within the range of ±3%, and the deviations of the point dose between two Linacs were within the range of ±2% with no statistical significance (both P>0.05). The γ analysis of verification using ArcCheck showed that the passing rates of all plans under the 2mm/3% and 3mm/3% with 10% threshold conditions were over 95%, respectively. The average differences between two Linacs were 0.19%(2mm/3%) and 0.09%(3mm/3%). Conclusions:The results of performing IMRT/VMAT plans on two Linacs meet the clinical requirements and the differences between two Linacs are small. Hence, the same plans can be implemented interchangeably on different Linacs.

Regulation of glutathione S-transferase P1 on the radiosensitivity of mouse Lewis lung cancer cells / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To explore the regulatory effect of glutathione S-transferase P1(GSTP1) on the radiosensitivity of mouse Lewis lung cancer (LLC) cells.Methods:GSTP1-shRNA lentivirus and negative control lentivirus were used to respectively infect the LLC cells, and stable transgenic strains were selected. Real-time PCR and Western blot were conducted to quantitatively measure the expression levels of GSTP1 mRNA and protein in the LLC cells to verify the knockdown effect. The cell counting kit-8(CCK-8) assay was used to detect cell viability after irradiation. The colony formation assay was utilized to assess the cell proliferation ability after irradiation. Flow cytometry was performed to assess the level of cell apoptosis after irradiation. The tumor-bearing mice were established and irradiated to detect the changes in the tumor volume after irradiation. TUNEL staining was employed to detect the level of tumor apoptosis after irradiation. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the number of CD 4+ CD 8+ T cells in the tumor after irradiation. Results:Real-time PCR and Western blot showed that after shRNA lentivirus interference, the expression levels of GSTP1 mRNA and protein were significantly down-regulated. Down-regulation of GSTP1 reduced cell viability and proliferation, and increased the rate of cell apoptosis after irradiation. The tumor volume of the tumor-bearing mice after irradiation in the GSTP1 knockdown group was significantly smaller than that in the NC group, whereas the tumor apoptosis rate was significantly higher and the number of infiltrating CD 4+ CD 8+ T cells in the tumor was remarkably higher compared with those in the control group. Conclusion:Knockdown of GSTP1 can significantly increase the radiosensitivity of LLC cells and enhance the infiltration of lymphocytes in tumor tissues.

Advances in magnetic resonance imaging guided radiation therapy / 生物医学工程学杂志

Image-guided radiation therapy using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a new technology that has been widely studied and developed in recent years. The technology combines the advantages of MRI imaging, and can offer online real-time tracking of tumor and adjacent organs at risk, as well as real-time optimization of radiotherapy plan. In order to provide a comprehensive understanding of this technology, and to grasp the international development and trends in this field, this paper reviews and summarizes related researches, so as to make the researchers and clinical personnel in this field to understand recent status of this technology, and carry out corresponding researches. This paper summarizes the advantages of MRI and the research progress of MRI linear accelerator (MR-Linac), online guidance, adaptive optimization, and dosimetry-related research. Possible development direction of these technologies in the future is also discussed. It is expected that this review can provide a certain reference value for clinician and related researchers to understand the research progress in the field.

Evaluation of plan quality for IMPT and VMAT in the treatment of patients with prostate cancer / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective To study the dosimetric characteristics and plan quality of PTV-based intensity modulated proton radiotherapy (IMPT) and volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans for prostate cancer,so as to provide a reference for clinical application.Methods A total of 10 prostate cancer cases were included in this retrospective study.IMPT and RapidArc plans were designed by RayStation and Eclipse TPS based on PTV,respectively.For each case,IMPT plans were generated using multiple field optimization (MFO) technique with two parallel-opposed lateral fields,whereas RapidArc plans were generated using double-arc technique (two full arcs).Final dose calculation of IMPT was conducted by pencil beam (PB) and Monte Carlo (MC) algorithm,respectively,with adopted data model from the pencil beam scanning (PBS) proton therapy system of IBA Protues Plus (IBA Group,Belgium);The data model originated from the linear accelerator of Varian Clinac iX (Varian Medical Systems,America) was used for RapidArc plans.Dosimetric parameters of DVH and dose distribution were used to compare the dose differences in targets and organs at risk (OARs) between these two treatment techniques.Results For targets,HIs of PB-IMPT and MC-IMPT were slightly better than that of RapidArc,but CI of IMPT was slightly lower than that of RapidArc;D1 of PB-IMPT was significantly better than those of MC-IMPT and RapidArc (Z =-2.805,-2.803,P ＜ 0.05).PB-IMPT and MC-IMPT achieved better protection than RapidArc on rectum V30 (Z =-2.191,-1.988,P＜ 0.05) and D (Z =-2.599,-2.497,P＜0.05),bladder V30 (Z=-2.701,-2.701,P＜0.05),V40 (Z=-2.395,-2.395,P＜0.05) and D (Z =-2.701,-2.701,P ＜ 0.05).There was no significant difference between PB-IMPT and MC-IMPT plans for prostate cancer,except for the D1％ [(73.86t67.34) Gy vs.(75.45±2.01) Gy] (RBE) and HI [(0.040±0.010) vs.(0.058±0.020)] of the target.Conclusions Both techniques can meet the clinical requirements,but IMPT showed significant dosimetric advantages compared with RapidArch by reducing the dose to OARs and improving the plan quality.

Automatic segmentation of head and neck organs at risk based on three-dimensional U-NET deep convolutional neural network / 生物医学工程学杂志

The segmentation of organs at risk is an important part of radiotherapy. The current method of manual segmentation depends on the knowledge and experience of physicians, which is very time-consuming and difficult to ensure the accuracy, consistency and repeatability. Therefore, a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) is proposed for the automatic and accurate segmentation of head and neck organs at risk. The data of 496 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma were reviewed. Among them, 376 cases were randomly selected for training set, 60 cases for validation set and 60 cases for test set. Using the three-dimensional (3D) U-NET DCNN, combined with two loss functions of Dice Loss and Generalized Dice Loss, the automatic segmentation neural network model for the head and neck organs at risk was trained. The evaluation parameters are Dice similarity coefficient and Jaccard distance. The average Dice Similarity coefficient of the 19 organs at risk was 0.91, and the Jaccard distance was 0.15. The results demonstrate that 3D U-NET DCNN combined with Dice Loss function can be better applied to automatic segmentation of head and neck organs at risk.

Evaluation of plan quality for IMPT and VMAT in the treatment of patients with prostate cancer / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective@#To study the dosimetric characteristics and plan quality of PTV-based intensity modulated proton radiotherapy (IMPT) and volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans for prostate cancer, so as to provide a reference for clinical application.@*Methods@#A total of 10 prostate cancer cases were included in this retrospective study. IMPT and RapidArc plans were designed by RayStation and Eclipse TPS based on PTV, respectively. For each case, IMPT plans were generated using multiple field optimization (MFO) technique with two parallel-opposed lateral fields, whereas RapidArc plans were generated using double-arc technique (two full arcs). Final dose calculation of IMPT was conducted by pencil beam(PB) and Monte Carlo (MC) algorithm, respectively, with adopted data model from the pencil beam scanning (PBS) proton therapy system of IBA Protues Plus(IBA Group, Belgium); The data model originated from the linear accelerator of Varian Clinac iX (Varian Medical Systems, America) was used for RapidArc plans. Dosimetric parameters of DVH and dose distribution were used to compare the dose differences in targets and organs at risk (OARs) between these two treatment techniques.@*Results@#For targets, HIs of PB-IMPT and MC-IMPT were slightly better than that of RapidArc , but CI of IMPT was slightly lower than that of RapidArc; D1% of PB-IMPT was significantly better than those of MC-IMPT and RapidArc (Z=-2.805, -2.803, P<0.05). PB-IMPT and MC-IMPT achieved better protection than RapidArc on rectum V30(Z=-2.191, -1.988, P<0.05)and Dmean(Z=-2.599, -2.497, P<0.05), bladder V30(Z=-2.701, -2.701, P<0.05), V40(Z=-2.395, -2.395, P<0.05)and Dmean(Z=-2.701, -2.701, P<0.05). There was no significant difference between PB-IMPT and MC-IMPT plans for prostate cancer, except for the D1% [(73.86±67.34) Gy vs.(75.45±2.01) Gy] (RBE) and HI [(0.040±0.010) vs. (0.058±0.020)] of the target.@*Conclusions@#Both techniques can meet the clinical requirements, but IMPT showed significant dosimetric advantages compared with RapidArch by reducing the dose to OARs and improving the plan quality.

A New Generation of Radiotherapy Technology-Flash Radiotherapy / 中国医疗器械杂志

Flash radiotherapy is a kind of radiotherapy method using ultra-high dose rate radiation. Compared with the traditional dose rate radiotherapy, it has unique radiobiological advantages. In this paper, the principle of flash radiotherapy, the process and results of biological experiments are summarized. At the same time, the advantages and challenges of flash radiotherapy are analyzed, and the future clinical application is prospected.

Acceptance tests of beam performance for pencil beam scanning (PBS) proton system of IBA / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To explore the beam performance of GTR 360° PBS dedicated nozzle for IBA Proteus Plus proton system and evaluate the beam characteristics of PBS during acceptance test procedure (ATP) to meet the precision and safety requirements of clinical treatment.Methods:According to the requirements of acceptance tests, the beam tests of PBS mainly included: test of integrated depth dose (IDD), test of maximum field size at the maximum and minimum ranges, field uniformity and informative PBS tests for the GTR 360°, test of lateral dose uniformity in a single field uniform dose in a cube, test of longitudinal dose uniformity in a single field uniform dose in a cube, and test of monitor unit reproducibility and proportionality.Results:The maximum deviation measured of range, fall back accuracy and distal fall-off was 0.03 g/m 2, 0.01 g/m 2 and 0.078 g/m 2, respectively. Maximum field size at the maximum and minimum ranges was 30.2 cm×40.2 cm and 30.1 cm×40.1 cm, respectively. During the different gantry angles and ranges, the lowest γ passing rate of a pattern plan was 97%, the maximum deviation of the centrical beam spot size at the X and Y axes was -0.16 mm and -0.21 mm, and the worst symmetry was 0.80%. Compared with the centrical beam spot, the maximum size deviation of the other beam spots was 0.11 mm and 0.14 mm at the X and Y axes, and the maximum position accuracy deviation of the beam spot was 0.60 mm and 0.43 mm at the X and Y axes. The maximum deviation of lateral dose uniformity at at the X and Y axes was 0.55% and 0.80% in the high energy region, and 0.6% and 0.75% in the low energy region. The maximum deviation of longitudinal dose uniformity was 0.79% in the high energy region, and 2.22% in the low energy region. The monitor unit (MU) reproducibility factor was 0.106% and the maximum proportionality deviation was 0.67%. Conclusion:The dedicated nozzle of PBS has passed all the beam performance acceptance tests, which meet the requirements of all parameters, and the whole system yields relatively high accuracy, repeatability and good stability.

Interfering with glutathione S-transferase P1 induces lung cell damage under irradiation conditions / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To investigate the association and mechanism between glutathione S-transferase P1(GSTP1) and radiation-induced lung injury.Methods Two effective GSTP1 siRNAs were designed and synthesized.The normal lung epithelial cell line BEAS-2B cells were transfected with GSTP1 siRNA (experimental group,siRNA-1,siRNA-2) and negative control siRNA (negative control group,NC).Western blot was performed to detect the expression levels of GSTP1 protein and EMT-related proteins.CDNB was adopted to evaluate the activity of GSTs.DCFH-DA probe was used for incubation.Flow cytometry was conducted to detect the median fluorescence intensity (MFI) and cellular apoptosis.Annexin-v/PI staining was utilized for incubation.MTT assay was performed to measure the proliferation of BEAS-2B,and the growth curve was drawn based on the results.Results After radiation,compared with the NC group,the ROS level and MFI were significantly higher in experimental group (6774.66±399.60 vs.8759.00±256.96 vs.9967.67±735.11,P＜0.05).In the experimental group,the percentage of cellular apoptosis was remarkably higher than that in the NC group (12.3± 1.16 vs.17.38± 1.65 vs.22.88± 1.20,P＜0.05).MTT assay demonstrated that the OD values in the experimental group were significantly lower than that in the NC group everyday.Further more,the level of EMT process is higher in the experimental group.Conclusions Interfering with the GSTP1 expression in lung epithelial cells can increase the intracellular ROS level,increase the percentage of cellular apoptosis,and reduce the cell proliferation rate following γ-radiation.Besides,it can also promote the epithelial mesenchymal transition in lung epithelial cells.The down-regulation of GSTP1 protein expression level probably aggravates the radiationinduced lung cell injury and promotes the epithelial mesenchymal transition.

Construction and application of information management system in department of radiation oncology / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To develop the information management system in the Department of Radiotherapy,optimize the procedures of radiotherapy, realize the informatization of radiotherapy process management and improve medical efficiency. Methods Multi-digital template was adopted to integrate the information of cancer treatment. The server was equipped with multi-terminal mode to establish the information management system of radiotherapy process. The work authority was assigned according to different positions. The system was connected with radiotherapy plan system (TPS),hospital information system (HIS) and picture archiving and communication system (PACS) to realize the information collection, recording charges, information transmission and plan evaluation and audit in Department of Radiotherapy. Results The information management system optimized the radiotherapy procedures,strengthened connection among different systems, linked the information systems among different departments, standardized the radiotherapy procedures and enhanced the clinical efficiency. Conclusions The application of information management system improves the management level of radiotherapy process, establish a unified standard for cancer treatment and provide complete management plans for the radiotherapy process and quality control. It is a unique and prospective system,which is advantageous in the management of treatment process,systematization of information collection and quality control.

A preliminary study of template library-based auto-planning of volume modulated arc therapy / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To explore the feasibility of the volume modulated arc therapy ( VMAT) auto-planning based on template library ( TL). Methods VMAT plans of 68 patients diagnosed with postoperative rectal cancer in Eclipse system were retrospectively selected. The prescription dose was 50 Gy/25F. In 19 patients, the feature values of target and organs at risk were extracted as the vectors. The final optimized restricted conditions were saved as the TL. Then, the plans of 15 rectal cancer patients (10 cases from TL and 5 outside TL) were automatically optimized. According to the multi-dimensional vector similarity principle, the similarity parameter αwas defined. The designed program automatically selected the optimal-object template in an in-house software developed with Matlab. The dosimetric parameters of the auto-optimized plans with the optimal-object template (ATP) and the clinical plan (CP) were compared by the paired t-test. The changes in the dosimetric parameters and similarity parameter α were statistically compared by Pearson′s correlation analysis. The linear fitting of the dosimetric parameters with α was used by least squares method to explore the tendency of the ATP dosimetric parameters relative to CP. Results The dosimetric parameters of ATP for 13 cases were slightly worse than those of CP. The conformal index (P=0. 004), heterogeneous index (P= 0. 015),V40(P= 0. 003) and mean dose (P= 0. 022) of the intestine significantly differed. The α values of these 13 cases were 2. 67,2. 60,2. 60,2. 49,2. 67,2. 74,2. 72,2. 48, 2. 53,2. 86,2. 68,2. 56 and 2. 63. The α value was significantly correlated with the V40 or mean dose of the bladder (r= 0. 649 and 0. 603,P= 0. 016 and 0. 029).Along with the increase of α value ,V40 and mean dose of the intestine for ATP were gradually deteriorated than those of CP . The remaining dosimetric para-meters of ATP were close to or superior to those of CP. Conclusions The results of ATP are slightly worse than those of CP, whereas can satisfy the clinical requirements. The TL, the quality of TL and ATP remain to be further optimized.

Acceptance Test and Image Quality Assurance of MRI Simulator Equipment / 中国医疗器械杂志

MRI simulator(MRI-Sim) images have unique clinical advantages with higher resolution of soft tissue and clearer visualization of tissue boundaries. Thus, the precise positioning of the tumor target area can be achieved and it is widely used in the field of radiotherapy. This article focuses on the acceptance test project and image quality assurance work of MRI-Sim equipment. The obtained ACR phantom images were used to analyze various image quality assurance indicators, and the results all reached the set standards, thereby ensuring that the obtained images meet the requirements of clinical applications.

Evaluation of the quality and efficiency of SRT plans for intracranial tumors using Fixed and Iris collimators of CyberKnife / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To discuss and evaluate the dosimetric characteristics of different plans implementing stereotactic radiotherapy(SRT)for intracranial tumors using Fixed and Iris collimators of CyberKnife VSI.Methods Twenty patients with intracranial tumors were selected and divided into group A with a small target volume(≤30 cm3)and group B with a large target volume(≥30 cm3). There were 10 patients in each group,and the prescribed dose to the target was 21 Gy in 3 fractions. For each patient, two treatment plans were designed using Fixed and Iris collimators. By analyzing the dosimetric parameters such as conformity index(CI),homogeneity index(HI), gradient index(GI), gradient score index(GSI), and organs at risk (OAR),the quality and efficiency of the plans were evaluated in order to discuss the beam characteristics for two sets of collimators. The difference was analyzed with the paired t-test. Results The mean time of Iris plan for delivering was significantly less than that of Fixed plan(group A:P=0.001;group B:P=0.000). In group B,the peripheral dose(20% and 10% of the prescribed dose)volumes of Fixed plan were significantly less than those of Iris plan(P=0.001 and 0.009). For OAR,D minof the visual pathway and D meanor D minof the eyeball in group B were significantly different between Fixed and Iris plans(all P<0.05), while in group A, only D minof the optic chiasm was significantly different between the two plans(P=0.043). For the other parameters of targets,there were no significant differences between Fixed and Iris plans in both groups(all P>0.05). Conclusions Apart from less treatment time in the Iris plan, there are no significant dosimetric differences between the two collimator plans of CyberKnife VSI in treating small intracranial tumor. For the large and complex tumor,although Iris plan meets the requirement for OAR dose constraints,its low-dose volumes are larger than those of Fixed plan. Further studies of the dosimetric characteristics in CyberKnife should be done.

Evaluation of plan quality between two treatment planning systems for volumetric modulated arc therapy / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To investigate the plan quality between two treatment planning systems (TPSs) for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). Methods VMAT plans based on Varian Eclipse and Philips Pinnacle TPS were designed for 10 cervical cancer patients (2, 3 Arcs) and 10 prostate cancer patients ( 1, 2 Arcs) . The delivery system of VMAT was Varian ClinaciX machine, and RapidArc was used. The treatment plan quality between the two TPSs was evaluated based on dose distribution, delivery efficiency, and parameter settings. The differences between the two TPSs were compared using paired t-test. Results For cervical cancer patients, the 2-Arc VMAT plans based on the Pinnacle was slightly better than those based on the Eclipse in terms of the conformal index ( CI) of planning target volume ( PTV) , rectum V30 and V40 , and bladder V30 and V40 , and the homogeneity index ( HI) of PTV and PTV1 as well as CI of PTV1 in the Eclips were slightly better than those in the Pinnacle( P<005) Pinnacle were slightly worse than those in the Eclipse ( P>005) . The number of monitor units with 2-Arcs and 3-Arcs plans of the Eclipse was significantly smaller than those in the Pinnacle (P<005). For prostate cancer patients, The 1-arc VMAT plans of the Pinnacle TPS were slightly superior to those of the Eclipse TPS in terms of the HI of PTV, rectumV30 and V40 , and bladderV30 and V40 , but the former was slight inferior to the latter in terms of the CI of PTV (P<005). The number of monitor units of 1-arc and 2-Arcs plans showed no significant difference between the two TPSs (P>005). Conclusions For patients with cervical cancer and prostate cancer, the VMAT plans based on Varian Eclipse and Philips Pinnacle TPS can achieve a clinically acceptable dose distribution and show a little difference in the treatment plan quality. However, we will still need more cases to further study and determine the performance characteristics of the commercial TPSs for optimizing VMAT.

Evaluation of plan quality between two treatment planning systems for volumetric modulated arc therapy / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To investigate the plan quality between two treatment planning systems (TPSs) for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). Methods VMAT plans based on Varian Eclipse and Philips Pinnacle TPS were designed for 10 cervical cancer patients (2, 3 Arcs) and 10 prostate cancer patients ( 1, 2 Arcs) . The delivery system of VMAT was Varian ClinaciX machine, and RapidArc was used. The treatment plan quality between the two TPSs was evaluated based on dose distribution, delivery efficiency, and parameter settings. The differences between the two TPSs were compared using paired t-test. Results For cervical cancer patients, the 2-Arc VMAT plans based on the Pinnacle was slightly better than those based on the Eclipse in terms of the conformal index ( CI) of planning target volume ( PTV) , rectum V30 and V40 , and bladder V30 and V40 , and the homogeneity index ( HI) of PTV and PTV1 as well as CI of PTV1 in the Eclips were slightly better than those in the Pinnacle( P<005) Pinnacle were slightly worse than those in the Eclipse ( P>005) . The number of monitor units with 2-Arcs and 3-Arcs plans of the Eclipse was significantly smaller than those in the Pinnacle (P<005). For prostate cancer patients, The 1-arc VMAT plans of the Pinnacle TPS were slightly superior to those of the Eclipse TPS in terms of the HI of PTV, rectumV30 and V40 , and bladderV30 and V40 , but the former was slight inferior to the latter in terms of the CI of PTV (P<005). The number of monitor units of 1-arc and 2-Arcs plans showed no significant difference between the two TPSs (P>005). Conclusions For patients with cervical cancer and prostate cancer, the VMAT plans based on Varian Eclipse and Philips Pinnacle TPS can achieve a clinically acceptable dose distribution and show a little difference in the treatment plan quality. However, we will still need more cases to further study and determine the performance characteristics of the commercial TPSs for optimizing VMAT.

Consensus and controversies on delineation of radiotherapy target volume for a patient with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To investigate the consensus and controversies on the delineation of radiotherapy target volume for patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC).Methods Questionnaires including 15 questions on the delineation of radiotherapy target volume of NSCLC were sent to 12 radiation departments in China in November 2015.A patient with LA-NSCLC was selected by Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and simulation CT images and medical history data were sent to the 12 radiation departments.Twelve radiation oncologists from the 12 radiation departments showed and explained the delineation of radiotherapy target volume of their own, and the patient was discussed by all experts in the sixth multidisciplinary summit forum of precise radiotherapy and chemotherapy for tumor and lung cancer.Results All receivers of the questionnaire answered the questions.The standard lung window width/level for the delineation of lung cancer was 800-1600/-600 to-750 HU, and the mediastinum window was 350-400/20-40 HU.Respiratory movement was measured by stimulator, 4D-CT, and stimulator+4D-CT with 2-5 mm expansion based on experience.The primary clinical target volume (CTV) was defined as gross target volume (GTV) plus 5-6 mm for squamous carcinoma/5-8 mm for adenocarcinoma.The metastatic lesion of mediastinal lymph nodes was delineated as 5 mm plus primary lesion in 6 departments and as primary lesion in another 6 departments.Of the 12 departments, 10 applied 5 mm of set-up error, 1 applied 3 mm, and 1 applied 4-6 mm.For V20 of the lungs, 10 departments defined it as<30%, 1 as<35%, and 1 as 28%.Nine departments defined the radiation dose of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for LA-NSCLC as 60 Gy in 30 fractions, 62.7 Gy in 33 fractions in 1 department, 50-60 Gy in 25-30 fractions in 1 department, and 60-70 Gy in 25-30 fractions in 1 department.For the delineation of target volume for the LA-NSCLC patient treated with CCRT, the primary planning target volume (PTV) was defined as GTV plus organ movement (IGTV) and set-up error (GTV→IGTV→PTV) in 3 departments, as CTV plus organ movement (ITV) and set-up error (GTV→CTV→ITV→PTV) in 8 departments, and as CTV plus set-up error/IGTV plus 5-6 mm for squamous carcinoma/5-8 mm for adenocarcinoma (CTV) and set-up error (GTV→CTV→PTV/GTV→IGTV→CTV→PTV) in 1 department.For the delineation of PTV in the mediastinal lymph node, GTV→IGTV→PTV was performed in 3 departments, GTV→CTV→ITV→PTV in 8 departments, and GTV→CTV→PTV in 1 department.For 10%-100% patients with LA-NSCLC, the radiation field needed to be replanned when 38-50 Gy was completed.There was no unified standard for the optimal standardized uptake value (SUV) of positron emission tomography (PET)-computed tomography (CT) simulation and delineation.Seven departments had applied magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) simulation and 10 departments had applied stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for the treatment of early-stage NSCLC.For the delineation of PTV for early-stage NSCLC (T1-2N0M0), GTV→IGTV→PTV was performed in 5 departments, IGTV→PTV in 3 departments, and GTV→CTV→ITV→PTV in 2 departments.In all the 12 departments, peripheral early-stage NSCLC was given 6.0-12.5 Gy/fraction, 3-12 fractions and central early-stage NSCLC was given 4.6-10.0 Gy/fraction, 5-10 fractions.The results of discussion on the delineation of target volume for the patient were as follows:respiratory movements should be measured by 4D-CT or simulator;the lung window width/level is 1600/-600 HU and the mediastinal window width/level is 400/20 HU;the primary controversy is whether the involved-field irradiation or elective nodal irradiation should be used for the delineation of CTVnd in the mediastinal lymph node.Conclusions Basic consensus is reached for the delineation of target volume in LANSCLC in these aspects:lung window width/level, respiratory movements and set-up error, primary lesion delineation, the radiation dose in CCRT, and the optimal time for replanning the radiation field.There are controversies on the optimal SUV in the delineation of target volume based on PET-CT simulation, the optimal dose fractionation in SBRT for early-stage NSCLC, and the delineation of CTVnd.

Effect of hypofractionated intensity-modulated radiation therapy on acute toxicities for locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx / 中国肿瘤临床

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of hypofractionated intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) combined with concurrent chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx. Methods:Patients with stageⅢ-ⅣA carcinoma of the hypopharynx were treated with IMRT and cisplatin-based concurrent chemotherapy. Two groups were di-vided according to the prescription dose to the primary gross tumor volume, as follows:Cohort-1 comprised patients who were recruit-ed before February 2013 (70 Gy/33 F and 2.12 Gy/F);and Cohort-2 comprised patients who were recruited since February 2013 (69 Gy/30 F and 2.30 Gy/F). Acute toxicities were evaluated. This study was registered with the number ChiCTR-ONRC-14004240. Results:Between August 2008 and December 2014, a total of 76 patients (35 in Cohort-1 and 41 in Cohort-2) were recruited. No xerostomia of grade 3 and higher was observed in all patients, who showed low incidences of grade 3 skin reaction, oral mucositis, and dysphagia. All patients did not show acute toxicities of higher than grade 4. No statistical differences in acute toxicities were observed between the two cohorts. No statistical difference was observed in acute toxicities between the IMRT techniques. Induction chemotherapy was the inde-pendent prognostic factor for grade 2 xerostomia (P=0.002). Conclusion:The 69 Gy/30 F hypofractionated IMRT was safe and effec-tive in the treatment of locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx. Late toxicities and long-term outcome need to be investigated further.

Clinic results of 121 nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients treated by helical tomotherapy / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To summarize the outcome of nasopharyngeal carcinoma ( NPC) treated by helical tomotherapy in the Chinese PLA general hospital. Methods Between September 2007 and August 2010, 121 newly diagnosed NPC patients were treated by radiotherapy with Tomotherapy system, with ( n =90) or without ( n = 31) concurrent chemotherapy or molecular target therapy. The prescription dose was 70 - 74 Gy/33f to primary tumor and positive lymph node planning target volume,60. 0 - 62. 7 Gy/33f to high risk planning target volume, and 52 -56 Gy/33f to low risk planning target volume. Acute side-effects were evaluated with RTOG/EORTC criteria. Results The remission rate of primary lesion and positive lymph nodes was 95. 0％ and 99. 0％ , respectively. The follow-up rate was 100％ . The number of patients with 1 ,2 and 3 years followed-up were 99 , 49 , and 7. The 1-, 2-and 3-year local relapse-free survival rates were 97. 30％ , 97. 3％ and 97. 3％ , respectively. The 1-,2-and 3-year nodal relapse-free survival rates were 100％ , 100％ and lOO％, respectively. The 1-, 2-and 3-year distant metastasis-free survival rates were 98. 4％ , 96. 3％ and 96. 3％ , respectively. The 1-, 2-and 3-year overall survival rates were 96. 5％ ,92. 6％ and 86. 8％ , respectively. Acute toxicities of skin, oral mucosa and xerostomia with grade 0,1,2 and 3 were 5. 0％ , 74. 4％ , 15. 7％ and 4. 9％ ; 0. 8％ , 37. 2％ , 57. 9％ and 4. 1％ ; 3. 3％ , 53. 7％ ,43. 0％ and 0％ , respectively. Xerostomia restored with time, no grade 2 or more xerostomia was observed 1 year after radiation therapy. Concurrent chemotherapy significantly increased incidence of mucositis,esophagitis and tracheitis. Conclusion Helical tomotherapy is efficient, secure and effective modality for the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Efficacy of Liangxue Jiedu Huoxue Decoction in prevention of radiation pneumonitis: a randomized controlled trial / 中西医结合学报

Background: Radiation pneumonitis is one of the most common complications during radiotherapy of thoracic tumors. It impacts the quality of life of the patients and has life-threatening danger. However, there is a lack of drugs for prevention and treatment of this disease. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of Liangxue Jiedu Huoxue Decoction, a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, in prevention of radiation pneumonitis. Design, setting, participants and interventions: A prospective randomized clinical study was conducted. A total of 100 patients diagnosed with lung cancer from Department of Radiotherapy, Chinese PLA General Hospital, who were planning to receive radiotherapy, were randomly assigned into treatment group and control group, with 50 patients in each group. In the treatment group 3 cases were lost to follow-up and one case was excluded, while in the control group 6 cases were lost to follow-up and 2 cases were excluded. Patients in the treatment group were treated with Liangxue Jiedu Huoxue Decoction in addition to radiotherapy, while patients in the control group were treated with radiotherapy alone. Main outcome measures: The incidence rates of radiation pneumonitis in the two groups were calculated. Acute radiation injury scoring criteria by Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG), clinical-radiographic-physiologic (CRP) score system, and Karnofsky Performance Status Scale (KPS) were used to evaluate the status of the patients. Results: The incidence rate of radiation pneumonitis was lower in the treatment group than in the control group (13.04% versus 33.33%, P<0.05). According to the RTOG scale, the extent of lung injury was improved in the treatment group as compared with that in the control group (P<0.05). The CRP score in the treatment group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). The KPS score in the treatment group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Liangxue Jiedu Huoxue Decoction can decrease the incidence rate of radiation pneumonitis, reduce the extent of the lung injury, alleviate the symptoms of radiation pneumonitis, and improve life quality of the patients.