Feasibility of three-dimensional-printed template-guided 125I seed brachytherapy and dosimetric evaluation in patients with malignant tumor.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study is to test whether three-dimensional (3D)-printed template can be used reproducibly for guiding malignant tumors brachytherapy and study the dosimetric consistency and adequacy between pre- and post-plan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January and December 2016 in our hospital, a total of 14 patients underwent 3D-printed template-guided brachytherapy. All the patients were fixed into position using a vacuum cushion before undertaking a computed tomography (CT) scan. After the preplan was designed, the templates were printed. The tumors were punctured through predesigned needle holes. Following this, another CT scan was used to confirm the locations of needles, and then the 125 I radioactive seeds were implanted into the tumor according to the preplan. Postplan was performed after the operation. Data of the D90 (minimum absorbed dose of 90% target volume), V90 (90% prescription dose coverage volume percentage of target volume), V100, V150, and seed number pre- and post-operation were collected and compared. RESULTS: The mean D90, V90, V100, V150, and seed number preoperation were 94.96 ± 16.43 Gy, 94.64% ± 1.43%, 91.21% ± 1.59%, 65.01% ± 5.78%, and 46.67 ± 21.87, respectively. The mean D90, V90, V100, V150, and seed number postoperation were 91.97 ± 17.54 Gy, 93.35% ± 2.45%, 89.35% ± 3.21%, 63.40% ± 6.36%, and 46.60 ± 22.85, respectively. No significant difference between pre- and post-operation was observed across the data (P >0.05). CONCLUSION: For immobilized malignant tumors, 3D-printed template can be used reproducibly. The dose parameters in preplan can be achieved easily and satisfactorily by 3D-printed template guided brachytherapy, and it may become an easily reproducible standardized procedure in the future.

Precision dose measurement of 125I seed in solid water through SPECT/CT detecting.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study is to study the feasibility of gamma-ray-detection-based precision dose measurement of 125I seed brachytherapy in solid water. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven group 125I seeds with different activities were put into a hole in the center of solid water individually. Each group had ten seeds, and the seed activity ranged from 1.48 × 107 Bq to 3.7 × 107 Bq. Single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) was used to scan the seeds perpendicular to the long axis of the seed, with a slice thickness of 3.75 mm. The radioactive count values (x) of the radioactive concentration around the seeds were collected at a distance of 1-15 mm from the center of the seeds, while the corresponding doses (Y) (Gy) were calculated. SPSS 18.0 was used to analyze the relationship between the count value and the dose. RESULTS: With the same seed activity, the count values became smaller according to the distance from the center of the seeds. The count values at the same point had an increasing trend according to the activity. This is similar to the doses calculated at the same point. There was an exponential relationship between the dose around the 125I seeds, and the radioactive count value detected by SPECT/CT. Correlative curves between the dose and radioactive count value detected by SPECT/CT of different-activity 125I seeds were fitted. The formulas of the dose and radioactive count with different seed activity were in the form of Y = b0 (b1)x. The constant b0 ranged from 1.48 to 3.93, according to the seed activity, while b1 was 1.006 for every seed's activity. CONCLUSION: The count value around the 125I seed can be detected accurately by SPECT/CT, and then can be quantified. This study provided useful experiment data for the precision measurement of 125I seed implantation. Radiation detection-based dose measurement may become a new noninvasive technology for the dynamic dosimetry verification method after brachytherapy.

The medical events of prostate brachytherapy at veterans affairs medical centers in USA / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

As a standard method for early stage prostate cancer, 125Ⅰ seed implantations are used widely in America. Although there are guidelines from American Brachytherapy Society and American Association of Physicists in Medicine, some hospitals still cannot implant the seeds properly according to the guidelines. Complications were observed inevitably. The medical events about seeds implantation in America from 2002 were investigated and the reasons were analyzed in this paper. Additionally, some solutions were given to avoid the medical events, so that the practitioners in China can learn from it and make sure the 125Ⅰ seeds implantation can be developed healthily and smoothly.

The medical events of prostate brachytherapy at veterans affairs medical centers in USA / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

As a standard method for early stage prostate cancer, 125Ⅰ seed implantations are used widely in America. Although there are guidelines from American Brachytherapy Society and American Association of Physicists in Medicine, some hospitals still cannot implant the seeds properly according to the guidelines. Complications were observed inevitably. The medical events about seeds implantation in America from 2002 were investigated and the reasons were analyzed in this paper. Additionally, some solutions were given to avoid the medical events, so that the practitioners in China can learn from it and make sure the 125Ⅰ seeds implantation can be developed healthily and smoothly.