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Objective:To compare the difference between breast bracket combined with polyurethane foam and single polyurethane foam in the accuracy of immobilization, providing a better immobilization for breast cancer radiotherapy.Methods:Fifty breast cancer patients who received radiotherapy in Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from March 2021 to July 2021 were selected. Among them, 25 patients were immobilized with polyurethane foam (foam group), and the other 25 patients were immobilized with polyurethane foam combined with breast bracket (combination group). All patients were scanned by CBCT once a week to obtain setup errors in the SI, LR and AP directions for t-test. The formula M PTV=2.5 Σ+0.7 σ was used to calculate the margin of the planning target volume(M PTV). Results:The setup errors in the foam group were SI (2.0±3.26) mm, LR (0.88±2.76) mm, AP (1.22±3.55) mm, Rtn -0.24°±0.85°, Pitch 0.16°±1.11°, Roll -0.32°±1.05°, and the M PTV were 6.75 mm, 8.46 mm and 8.73 mm, respectively. The setup errors in the combination group were SI (1.0±3.01) mm, LR (0.62±2.74) mm, AP (1.82±3.21) mm, Rtn 0.64°±0.59°, Pitch 0.71°±1.22°, Roll 0.29°±0.73°, and the M PTV were 6.35 mm, 7.47 mm, and 7.61 mm, respectively. After comparing the setup errors in the three-dimensional directions between two groups, the t value of LR, SI, AP and Rtn, Pitch, Roll was -4.304, -2.681, 1.384, and -9.457, -3.683, -5.323, respectively. And the differences in the LR, SI, Rtn, Pitch and Roll directions were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Conclusions:The immobilization effect of polyurethane foam combined with breast bracket is better and the M PTV is also smaller than those of polyurethane foam alone. Therefore, it is recommended to use polyurethane foam combined with breast bracket for immobilization in breast cancer radiotherapy.
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Objective:To investigate the manpower allocation and scientific research level of radiotherapists in radiotherapy units in mainland China, aiming to provide reference for the construction of radiotherapist teams.Methods:The questionnaire was designed and produced by the organizer, released in the professional committee, professional group and other channels of the radiotherapist industry, and filled out by the technical person in charge of the radiotherapy unit through the online questionnaire survey. The collection time started from mid-May 2021 to mid-June 2021.Results:A total of 558 effective questionnaires filled out by radiotherapy units. The radiotherapy institutions participating in the survey had a total of 5500 radiotherapists, including 3702 males and 1798 females, 3754 with a bachelor's degree, 371 who are currently studying or have obtained a master's degree, 21 who are currently studying or have already obtained a doctoral degree, 3642 with junior or lower titles, 1580 with intermediate titles, and 278 with senior titles. In 2020, radiotherapists from 193 units published articles, those from 81 units received project funding, and those from 56 units obtained patent authorization, and those from 15 units had scientific research transformation. The participating units had a total of 1080 large-scale radiation therapy equipment. In 2020, the daily average number of radiotherapy patients was 47 900, the average daily load of accelerator patients was 44.35, and the average workload index per capita was 8.71. The average daily radiotherapy patients in county-level or below, city-level, and provincial-level institutions were 25.78, 65.68, and 173.76, respectively, and the per capita workload index was 5.22, 8.09, and 10.11.Conclusions:Compared with the 2019 survey, the educational background of radiotherapists in mainland China has been improved, and the title structure has been optimized to a certain extent, and the workload of large-scale radiotherapy units is larger than that of grass-roots units.
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Objective:To investigate and analyze the basic occupational situation of Chinese radiotherapists and to provide references for the development and construction of the radiation therapist team in China.Methods:Between May 7, 2021 and June 15, 2021, this survey was conducted using a self-designed questionnaire, which was distributed and collected in the form of online survey to conduct a statistical analysis of the basic situation of radiotherapists in 30 provincial-level administrative regions in China.Results:A total of 2 928 valid questionnaires were collected from 30 provincial-level administrative regions. The ratio of male to female and average age of the participants were 69∶31 and 35 years (18-65), respectively. According to the survey result, 84.7% of the participants came from Tertiary A-level hospitals. In terms of educational background, the participants with doctoral, master, undergraduate, junior-college, and technical-secondary degrees accounted for 0.2%, 6.9%, 76.6%, 14.9%, and 1.4%, respectively. In terms of title, full senior technologists, associate senior technologist, technologist-in-charge, technologist, and technician in the participants accounted for 0.5%, 5.8%, 32.5%, 52.2%, and 8.2%, respectively. The participants with years of employment of 0-, 5-, 10-, 20-y accounted for 33.74%, 25.79%, 25.51%, and 14.96%, respectively. The majors of the participants included medical imaging/imaging technology (45.9%), clinical medicine (19.1%), and biomedical engineering (11.9%).Conclusions:Chinese radiotherapists tend to be younger and are rapidly increasing in number. Employers should attach importance to the career planningand continuing education of radiotherapists to improve their technical skills, in order to fully satisfy the demand for radiotherapists in the new era.
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Objective:To preliminarily observe the feasibility of different immobilization techniques for total skin irradiation (TSI) using helical tomotherapy.Methods:Three eczema scrophuloderma patients treated with TSI in Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center were immobilized with low-temperature thermoplastic in a prone position, diving suit combined with negative pressure vacuum bag in a supine position, low-temperature thermoplastic combined with vacuum bag in a supine position, respectively. Different immobilization effects were observed. The conformity index (CI) of the target area, heterogeneity index (HI) of the target area, and the mean dose (D mean) of the target area were calculated. Results:Three immobilization methods could achieve satisfactory immobilization effects, and all the dosimetric parameters of radiation treatment plans met the clinical requirements. The average set-up errors in the left and right, head and foot, and abdomen and back directions of three patients were (0.26±3.40) mm, (-2.63±4.63) mm and (6.13±4.86) mm, respectively. The CI, HI andD mean were0.56±0.09, 1.186±0.059 and (2586.56±63.28) cGy. Conclusions:Low-temperature thermoplastic or diving suits can be combined with vacuum bags for immobilization in TSI. The epidermal dose can be increased with bolus through the dose-building effect, which can provide a safe and reliable method for TSI in helical tomotherapy.
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Objective:To investigate the effect of body mass index (BMI) on setup errors in intensity-modulated radiotherapy for cervical cancer and explore the optimal position for patients with different BMI without taking into account the rotation error and the changes in target area and adjacent organs.Methods:A total of 90 patients were divided into three groups according to their BMI: light weight group (BMI≤18.4 kg/m 2), normal weight group (18.5 kg/m 2≤BMI≤23.9 kg/m 2) and overweight group (BMI≥24 kg/m 2). Thirty patients were assigned into each group including15 patients in the supine position and 15 patients in the prone position. In total, 2 250 sets of CBCT scan data of 90 patients were obtained. The setup errors were recorded and analyzed in each group. The margins of the optimal position were calculated according to the formula of M PTV=2.5+ 0.7. Results:When BMI was not taken into account, there was no significant difference in the setup errors between the supine and prone positions in the x, y and z directions (all P>0.05). When BMI was considered, the setup error in the supine position were significantly smaller than those in the prone position in the x and y directions in the light weight group, whereas there was no significant difference in the setup errors between the supine and prone positions in the z direction ( P>0.05). The corresponding M PTV in the supine position was 4.76, 4.27 and 5.73 mm, respectively. In the normal weight group, there was no significant difference in the setup errors between the supine and prone positions in the x and y directions (both P>0.05), whereas the setup error in the prone position was smaller than that in the supine position in the z direction. The corresponding M PTV in the prone position were 6.42, 10.21 and 4.91 mm, respectively. In the overweight group, there was no significant difference in the setup errors between the supine and prone positions in the x and z directions (all P>0.05), whereas the setup error in the prone position was smaller than that in the supine position in the y direction. The corresponding M PTV in the prone position were 5.88, 5.26 and 5.32 mm, respectively. Conclusions:Without taking into account the rotation error and the changes in target area and adjacent organs, when the BMI≤18.4, the supine position is recommended. When the BMI≥18.5, it is better to choose the prone position.
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Objective:To standardize the naming of organ at risk (OAR) and target area during cervical cancer radiotherapy based on AAPM TG-263.Methods:After self-programming of Matlab software to implement the reading and resolution of radiotherapy structure files, the naming of each substructure was automatically output, recorded and restored. After naming all substructures, the structure names were classified by keywords. According to TG-263, a standard naming conversion table of OAR and target area was developed, and the classified structure names were standardized through procedures. Finally, the standardized named radiotherapy structure files were output and imported into the treatment planning system (TPS).Results:The radiation structure of 144 patients with cervical cancer was successfully transformed and displayed correctly in TPS. Before the transformation, the naming of OAR and target area lacked of uniform norms and standards, and the naming of the same structure significantly differed. After the transformation, 43 naming methods of OAR and 74 naming methods of the target area were unified into 20 and 8 naming methods, which were more convenient for staff understanding and communication.Conclusion:The standardization of cervical cancer radiotherapy structure naming can reduce the inconsistency of naming and provide reference for the standardized naming of pelvic tumors.
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Objective:To investigate the clinical feasibility of the Unity radiotherapy system guided by magnetic resonance imaging.Methods:Twenty-four patients were enrolled and received a total of 384 fractions of treatment at Unity system. According to the treatment site, all patients were divided into head-neck, abdomen-thorax, pelvic, spine and limb groups. The patients were set-up without external laser. And then, the time required at different stages in online treatment process and the registration error of each fraction were separately calculated. The geometric deformations of MR images were weekly measured by using MR geometric deformation phantom. At last, the Arccheck was used to perform the dose verification of reference plan, online plan and offline plan.Results:The mean duration of radiotherapy in the five groups were 29.1, 27.6, 26.6, 25.6 and 32.0 min, respectively. The set-up errors in the left-right, superior-inferior and anterior-posterior direction in the five groups were: head-neck group (0.08±0.06 cm, 0.16±0.13 cm, 0.08±0.05 cm), abdomen-thorax group (0.23±0.18 cm, 0.50±0.47 cm, 0.12±0.1 cm), pelvic group (0.25±0.19 cm, 0.32±0.25 cm, 0.11±0.09 cm), spine group (0.46±0.38 cm, 0.26±0.26 cm, 0.13±0.07 cm) and limb group (0.33±0.30 cm, 0.34±0.23 cm, 0.08±0.06 cm), respectively. In the central region, the geometric deformation of MR was less than 0.3 mm, and that of the sphere with a diameter of 500 mm was less than 2.1 mm. The meanγ pass rate of the reference plan, online plan and offline plan were 97.92%, 97.84% and 94.58%, respectively.Conclusions:MR-guided radiotherapy has great potential for clinical application, whereas the process of Unity system is relatively complex. The synergy of different departments has a great impact on the treatment, which needs further optimization.
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Objective:Before the radiotherapy was performed, patients with pelvic tumors were analyzed for the consistency of bladder filling in the three steps of " Immobilization" , " CT Simulation" and " X-ray Simulation" .Methods:In 2014, 105 patients (68 cases of cervical cancer, 32 cases of rectal cancer, 3 cases of vaginal cancer and 2 cases of prostate cancer) with pelvic tumor radiotherapy were randomly assigned to monitor bladder urine volume to a target urine volume of 400 ml. First, patient were exhorted to empty the bladder, and the bladder volume meter BVI 9400 was used to measure the urine volume of the patient after emptying of the bladder. The patient immediately drank about 540 ml of water and suppressed urine, measurements were taken every 0.5 h. At the same time, when the patient complained of " urgency of urine" , bladder urine volume would be measured again and the time would also be recorded. Every other half an hour (emptying, 0.5 h after emptying, 1.0 h after emptying), when complaining of " urgency of urine" , when actually performing urine volume and time were described as: U 0 and t 0, U 0.5 and t 0.5, U 1.0 and t 1.0, U t and t, U T and T. Results:There was a statistically significant difference in gender and age, and women had stronger ability to urinate than men U 1.0( P=0.003), young people had stronger ability to urinate than middle-aged U 1.0( P=0.002). In the three-step comparison, there was no statistically difference between 1 hour after emptying urine volume U 1.0( P=0.177) and the actually performing urine volume U T ( P=0.052). And the final urine volume was concentrated at 298-526 ml. After the patient emptied the urine volume and complained of " urgency of urine" , the time slot was t=(75.2±49.9) min, with the urine volume of U t=(331.2±140.3) ml. And there was no statistically difference between U t and U T ( P=0.198) at X-ray Simulation. Conclusions:The patient emptied the bladder and immediately drank 540 ml of water. After 1 hour of suppressing urine, he complained of " urgency of urine" and achieved the target urine volume (400 ml). At this time, the bladder urine volume U 1.0 was consistency in the immobilization, CT Simulation, and X-ray Simulation.
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Objective:To evaluate the preliminary clinical efficacy and safety of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in combination with targeted therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).Methods:Clinical data of 58 patients with mRCC who were treated with SBRT in combination with targeted therapy in Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from June 2013 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 79.3% patients were classified as intermediate or high risk according to International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium Criteria. The median biologically equivalent dose (BED) was 147 Gy (67 to 238 Gy).Results:Overall, 32, 13, 7, 5 and 1 patients received SBRT for 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 metastatic sites (105 lesions) and 71.4% of them were bone lesions. Targeted therapy was continued during SBRT. With a median follow-up of 9.4 months (range 2.7 to 40.1 months), 18 patients died. The 1-year local control rate was 97.4%. The 1-year progression-free survival was 50.3%. The 1-and 2-year overall survival was 72% and 53%. Approximately 85% patients experienced pain relief after SBRT. Patients who achieved complete or partial response after SBRT obtained better overall survival than those with stable disease or disease progression (1-year overall survival: 83% vs. 48%, P=0.021). In the whole cohort, 6 cases developed Grade Ⅲ adverse events, 4 of which were Grade Ⅲ myelosuppression, 1 case of Grade Ⅲ neuropathy and 1 case of radiation-induced skin injury. Conclusion:Preliminary study reveals that combined use of targeted therapy and SBRT is an efficacious and safe treatment of advanced mRCC.
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Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) image based on a single layer of image and the choice of regions of interest (ROI) is affected by individual subjectivity, making it difficult to compare the image quality. In this article, a quantitative evaluation method of CBCT image quality based on three-dimensional parameters was proposed, which was extended from single layer to multi-layer and from pixel to voxel. The selection range of ROI was discussed to reduce the error of artificial selection and realize the quantitative evaluation of image quality by three-dimensional parameters.
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Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) image based on a single layer of image and the choice of regions of interest (ROI) is affected by individual subjectivity,making it difficult to compare the image quality.In this article,a quantitative evaluation method of CBCT image quality based on threedimensional parameters was proposed,which was extended from single layer to multi-layer and from pixel to voxel.The selection range of ROI was discussed to reduce the error of artificial selection and realize the quantitative evaluation of image quality by three-dimensional parameters.
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Objective To comparatively analyze the acute adverse reactions of helical tomotherapy ( HT) and intensity-modulated radiation therapy ( IMRT) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma ( NPC) . Methods A total of 100 NPC patients treated with radiotherapy were selected and divided into the HT group ( n=50) and IMRT group ( n=50) . All patients were treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The prescription dose of radiotherapy was DT 68.2-73.8 Gy/30-34F. The severity of acute adverse reactions of skin, oral mucosa, salivary glands and esophagus was evaluated with the established RTOG criteria. The differences between two groups were evaluated by paired t-test. Results The dose of organs at risk ( OARs) in the HT group was significantly lower than that in the IMRT group ( P<0.05) , whereas the dose of target area of PTVnx, PTVnd ( left) and PTVnd ( right) did not significantly differ between two groups ( all P>0.05) . In the HT group, the incidence rate of grade 0-3 acute adverse reactions in the skin, oral mucosa, salivary glands and esophagus were ( 14%, 68%, 18%, 0%) , ( 10%, 54%, 36%, 0%) , ( 0%, 74%, 26%, 0%) and ( 10%, 60%, 28%, 2%) , respectively. In the IMRT group, the corresponding results were ( 0%, 52%, 48%, 0%) , ( 0%, 58%, 42%, 0%) , ( 0%, 28%, 72%, 0%) and ( 0, 40%, 60%, 0%) , respectively. The severity of acute adverse reactions of skin, salivary glands and esophagus in the HT group was slighter than those in the IMRT group ( all P<0.05) , the acute adverse reactions in the oral mucosa were similar between two groups ( P>0.05) . In the HT group, the onset time of acute adverse reactions in the skin was later than that in the IMRT group ( P<0.05) , and the onset time of other adverse reactions was similar between two groups ( all P>0.05) . Conclusions Both HT and IMRT can meet the requirements of the dose distribution in the target area for NPC, whereas HT is superior to IMRT in terms of the protection of OARs protection, the severity and onset time of acute adverse reactions.
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Objective To evaluate the effect of helical tomotherapy (HT) megavoltage CT (MVCT) under different acquisition pitch and registration conditions upon the accuracy of radiotherapy for used nasopharyngeal carcinoma,aiming to provide reference for image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.Methods MVCT scans were performed on an anthropomorphic head& neck phantom which was simulated the positioning errors in the x,y and z direction.The obtained images were registered with the planning CT images.Acquisition pitch was set as the coarse,normal and fine modes.Registration conditions were set as bone registration,bone and soft tissue registration and full-image registration.Registration accuracy was determined by comparing the measured value with the preset value.The accuracy of radiotherapy under different acquisition pitch and registration conditions was statistically compared.Results The 3D errors of bone,bone and soft tissue and full-image registration under different acquisition pitch (coarse,normal and fine) were (1.51±0.47,1.54±0.35,1.81±0.53) mm and (1.41± 0.37,1.53±0.36,1.56±0.39) mm and (1.51±0.27,1.57±0.32,1.73±0.33) mm,respectively.The bone registration yielded the highest accuracy (P＜0.05).When the registration condition was set as bone registration,the accuracy of three acquisition pitch did not significantly differ (all P＞0.05).The fine mode of acquisition pitch possessed the highest stability,whereas required the longest time.Conclusion The acquisition pitch and registration conditions should be selected during HT MVCT based on the clinical requirement of each patient with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
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Objective To analyze the 10-year survival outcome and failure patterns for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) after intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT),aiming to provide reference for optimized treatment for NPC.Methods Clinical data of 866 patients with NPC receiving IMRT from January 2001 to December 2008 were retrospectively analyzed.Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier estimator.Univariate analysis was carried out by log-rank test and multivariate analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazards model.Results The median follow-up time was 132 months.The 10-year local recurrence-free survival (LRFS),distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS),progression-free survival (PFS) and disease specific survival (DSS) were 92.0％,83.4％,75.7％ and 78.6％,respectively.A total of 210 patients died including 124 patients (59.0％) from distant metastasis,which was the primary cause of death,and 47 (22.3％) from local regional recurrence.Independent negative factors of DSS included age＞50 years (P=0.00),LDH ≥ 245 IU/L (P=0.00),Hb＜ 120 g/L (P=0.01),T2-T4 staging (P=0.00),N1-N3 staging (P=0.00) and GTV-nx＞20 cm3(P=0.00).The 10-year LRFS,DMFS and DSS of stage Ⅱ NPC patients did not significantly differ after IMRT alone and chemoradiotherapy (P=0.83,0.22,0.23).For patients with stage Ⅲ NPC,the 10-year LRFS and DSS in the chemoradiotherapy arm were significantly higher than those in the IMRT alone (P=0.01,0.01),whereas no statistical significance was observed in the DMFS between two groups (P=0.14).The overall survival of stage Ⅳa+Ⅳb NPC patients is relatively poor.Conclusions IMRT can improve the long-term survival of NPC patients.Distant metastasis is the primary failure pattern.Patients with stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ NPC can obtain satisfactory survival outcomes after IMRT alone.The addition of chemotherapy can further enhance the LRFS and DSS of stage Ⅲ NPC patients.However,the optimal therapeutic strategy remains to be urgently investigated for stage a+ Ⅳb NPC patients.
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Objective To compare the positioning accuracy between personalized polyurethane foam with wing boards and negative pressure vacuum bag in radiotherapy for lung cancer using kilovoltage cone beam computed tomography(CBCT). Methods Thirty-nine patients with lung cancer who received chest radiotherapy in our hospital from 2015 to 2016 were enrolled as subjects. In those patients, 20 were immobilized by negative pressure vacuum bags(VB group)and the others by personalized polyurethane foam with wing boards(PF group).CBCT images were acquired weekly and registered with planning CT images. Setup errors in the left-right, superior-inferior, and anterior-posterior directions, three-dimensional(3D) displacement vector,and setup time were recorded. The margin of the planning target volume(PTV)was calculated using the Van Herk formula(2.5∑+0.7σ). Between-group comparison was made by paired t test. Results The PF group had a significant smaller setup error in the y-direction than the VB group (2.54±1.79 vs.3.19±2.14 mm,P=0.03),while there were no significant differences in setup errors in the x-or z-direction between the two groups(1.80± 1.48 vs. 1.90± 1.41 mm, P=0.46;2.14± 1.75 vs. 2.25± 1.75 mm,P=0.35). There were no significant differences in rotational setup errors in the Rx-,Ry-,or Rz-direction between the two groups(1.15°±0.76°vs. 1.15°±0.85°, P=0.50;0.71°±0.60°vs. 0.72°±0.43°, P=0.45;0.62°±0.54° vs. 0.46°±0.30°,P=0.06). The PTV margins in the x?,y?,and z?directions were expanded by 5.56, 8.57, and 7.02 mm, respectively, in the PF group, and by 5.62, 9.27, and 7.23 mm,respectively,in the VB group. The proportion of patients with 3D displacement vectors larger than 5 mm was 40% in the PF group and 45% in the VB group.Conclusions For patients undergoing radiotherapy for lung cancer,personalized polyurethane foam with wing boards can,to a certain extent,reduce the setup error in the superior-inferior direction and PTV margin expansion.[Key words] Lung neoplasms/radiotherapy; Polyurethane foam; Vacuum bag; Setup errors;Margin
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Objective To compare the setup errors of the negative pressure vacuum air cushion (vacuum bag) and the Orfit body foam fixator (Orfit frame) in radiotherapy for cervical cancer.Methods A total of 40 patients receiving three-dimensional radiotherapy for cervical cancer were enrolled in this study and equally and randomly divided into vacuum bag group and Orfit frame group.And the two groups were divided into Orfit-1 group, Orfit-2 group, vacuum-1 group, and vacuum-2 group according to the treatment course.The Orfit-1 group and vacuum-1 group were the data in the first 12 treatments, while the Orfit-2 group and vacuum-2 group were the data in the following 13 treatments.A cone-beam computed tomography scan was performed before each treatment to analyze setup error and then the body position was corrected to start the treatment.Comparison of continuous data between groups was made by paired t-test, while comparison of categorical data was made by chi-square test.Results There was a significant difference in the setup error in y-axis direction between the Orfit-1 group and the Orfit-2 group (P=0.003) and the setup error in r-axis direction between the vacuum-1 group and the vacuum-2 group (P=0.013).There were no significant differences in the setup errors in four directions (x-axis, y-axis, z-axis, and r-axis) between the Orfit-1 group and the vacuum-1 group (P>0.05).There were significant differences in the setup errors in y-axis and z-axis directions between the Orfit-2 group and the vacuum-2 group (P=0.007;P=0.001).Conclusions The Orfit frame and the vacuum bag have their own advantages and disadvantages in the fixation of body position in radiotherapy for cervical cancer.The setup error can be improved by long vacuum bags, ultrasound bladder capacity scanner, image-guided radiotherapy, or sectional radiotherapy plan.
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Objective To develop a MOSAIQ Integration PlatformCHN (MIP) based on the workflow of radiotherapy (RT) and to meet the actual requirements in China and the special needs for the radiotherapy department.Methods MIP used C/S (client-server) structure mode running on the local network in the hospital and its database was based on the Treatment Planning System (TPS) and MOSAIQ database.Five network servers,as the core hardware,supplied data storage and network service based on cloud services.The core software was developed based on Microsoft Visual Studio Platform using C# network programming language.The MIP server could simultaneously offer network service for about 200 workstations,including entry,query,statistics,and print of data.Results MIP had 15 core function modules,such as Notice,Appointment,Billing,Document Management (application/execution),and System Management,which almost covered the whole workflow of radiotherapy.Up to June 2016,the recorded data in the MIP were as follows:13546 patients,13533 plan application forms,15475 RT records,14656 RT summaries,567048 billing records,and 506612 workload records.Conclusions The MIP based on the RT workflow has been successfully developed and used in clinical practice.It is an important part of radiotherapy information system construction with the advantages of intuitive operation,real-time performance,data security,and stable operation.It is digital,paperless,user-friendly,and convenient for the retrieval and statistics of data as well as information sharing and department management,and can significantly improve the efficiency of the department.More functions can be added or modified to enhance its potentials in research and clinical practice.
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Objective To investigate an appropriate megavoltage computed tomography ( MVCT ) protocol to guide helical tomotherapy ( HT) for multiple metastases. Methods According to the location of target volume, 48 patients with multiple metastases undergoing HT were divided into head/chest group ( n=15), head/pelvis group (n=15), and chest/pelvis group (n=18). Each target volume received MVCT scans during the treatment. The obtained MVCT images were registered to CT images and the setup errors were recorded. The CTV?PTV margins were calculated. Comparison was made by paired t test. Results In the head/chest group, there was no significant difference in the setup error in x?axis between the head and chest (-0.15±1?25 vs. -0.21±2?34, P=0?71), while the head had significantly smaller setup errors in y?and z?axis than the chest (0.73±1?22 vs. 1.56±2?54, P=0?00;0.93±1?44 vs. 2.65±1?88, P=0?00). In the head/pelvis group, the head had significantly smaller setup errors in x?, y?, and z?axis than the pelvis (-0.16±1?31 vs. -1.29±3?72, P=0?00;0.81±1?34 vs. 3.20±3?90, P=0?00;1.24±1?75 vs. 5.49±2?80, P=0?00) . In the chest/pelvis group, there were no significant differences in setup errors in x?or y?axis between the chest and pelvis (-0.25± 2?90 vs. -0.22± 3?65, P=0?06;0.35± 3?60 vs. 0.38± 3?78, P=0?87), while the chest had a significantly smaller setup error in z?axis than the pelvis (1.95±2?81 vs. 3.35± 3?05, P=0?00) . In the three groups, the CTV?PTV margins of lower target volume were reduced in three dimensions after the correction of upper target volume, in which y?axis showed the largest reduction of CTV?PTV margins (5?13 vs. 4?01;9?17 vs. 8?30;8?52 vs. 7?13). Conclusions The setup error of individual target volume should not be used for correction of the overall setup error in HT for multiple metastases with isolated target volume. An MVCT protocol that provides image?based guidance for multiple target volumes is recommended.
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Objective To investigate the accuracy and reliability of the image automatic matching using X-ray volumetric image (ⅩⅥ) system with the accelerator Elekta Synergy and to compare the matches with different methods and area.Methods A simulation plan using the head and neck phantom was designed and sent to ⅩⅥ system for CBCT scanning.During the scanning,the couch for certain distance was moved and the data of ⅩⅥ image automatic Matching in different matching methods and area was collected.Results The result of ⅩⅥ image automatic matching is consistent and correct to direction and distance which the couch had been moved (x:(0.11 ± 0.41) mm,y:(-0.04± 2.6) mm,z:(0.28 ± 0.74 mm)).There are not significant differences between the results that matching in different matching methods and different matching area.Conclusions The automatic image Matching of ⅩⅥ is accuracy and high reliability in recognition of offset error.But there are some significant differences on the automatic image Matching in different matching methods and different matching area.
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Objective To introduce a new way to solve the problem of field-field junction in the traditional radiotherapy of the nasopharyngeal carcinoma better.Methods Using the 3-dimentional planning system,the dose distribution of traditional radiotherapy and the electronic beam irradiation technology of L shape field for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in 2D-or 3D-CRT could be gotten.Results The dose coverage of V95 of the gross tumor volume(GTV)satisfied the clinical requirements.The highest dose in the electronic beam irradiation of L shape field was 7200 cGy,while it was 8900 cGy in the traditional way.The volume of dose that over 6500 cGy of throat was 19.64 ％ in the former,the latter was 31.95 ％.Conclusion The electronic beam irradiation technology of L shape field is better than the traditional radiotherapy in field-field junction and in dose distribution.Since that,the electronic beam irradiation technology of L shape field is worth of application for the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.