Reproducibility and air gap pockets of 3D-printed brachytherapy applicator placement in high-dose-rate skin cancer.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the reproducibility of a novel approach using 3D printed brachytherapy applicators for the treatment of skin cancer. Specifically, we aimed to assess the accuracy of applicator placement and to minimize the existence of air gap pockets between the applicator and the patient's skin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 20 patients plans diagnosed with skin cancer were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy. To ensure precise applicator placement, patient-specific 3D printed applicators were designed based on individual body and tumor topography, utilizing data obtained from computer tomography (CT) scans. All applicators were fabricated using fused deposition modeling technology. RESULTS: The error in applicator placement was measured and found to be less than 1.0 mm on average, with a standard deviation of 0.9 mm. Additionally, the average error in air gap pockets between the applicator and the patient's skin was 0.4 mm (standard deviation was 0.5 mm). The study demonstrated that the personalized approach of 3D printed brachytherapy applicator placement in skin cancer treatment yielded highly accurate results. The average error of less than 1.0 mm in applicator positioning and the minimal air gap pockets demonstrated the reproducibility and precision of this technique. CONCLUSION: Our study establishes the reproducibility and accuracy of 3D-printed brachytherapy applicator placement in the treatment of skin cancer. This personalized treatment approach offers a highly precise method for delivering radiation therapy, minimizing the risk to adjacent healthy tissues, and enhancing overall patient outcomes.

Brachytherapy and 3D printing for skin cancer: A review paper.

Brachytherapy is a type of radiation therapy, in which a radiation source is placed directly or close to a tumor. It is commonly used to treat skin cancer, and enables precise irradiation treatment of affected area (planning target volume - PTV) while minimizing exposure dose to surrounding healthy tissue (organs at risk - OARs). Recently, the use of 3D printing has begun revolutionizing brachytherapy, as it allows manufacturing of custom-designed applicators for unique shape of skin topography, tumor, and surrounding tissues. Outcome of the combination of 3D printing and brachytherapy has several advantages over traditional treatment planning methods. Some of the advantages are intuitive, whereas others can be concluded from a literature overview as follows: 1) Possibility of developing patient-specific applicators that precisely match the shape of tumor area; 2) Reduction of the time required for applicator production, especially when custom-made devices are needed; 3) Reduction of manufacturing costs; 4) Treatment procedures improvement; 5) Improvement of safety measures accelerated by the development of smart materials (e.g., polymer filaments with admixture of heavy elements); 6) Possibility of nearly instant adjustment into tumor treatment (applicators can be changed as the tumor is changing its shape); and 7) Applicators designed to securely fit to treatment area to hold radioactive source always in the same place for each fraction. Consequently, tumor-provided dose is accurate and leads to effective treatment. In this review paper, we investigated the current state-of-the-art of the application of 3D printing in brachytherapy. A number of existing reports were chosen and reviewed in terms of printing technology, materials used, treatment effectiveness, and fabrication protocols. Furthermore, the development of future directions that should be considered by collaborative teams bridging different fields of science, such as medicine, physics, chemistry, and material science were summarized. With the indicated topics, we hope to stimulate the innovative progress of 3D printing technology in brachytherapy.

Angiosarcoma of the scalp: a case report.

PURPOSE: The aim of this paper is to report the treatment of angiosarcoma of the scalp. High-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy with an individual mold applicator is presented. CASE DESCRIPTION: A case of a 75-year-old male will be presented with multicentric lesions over the scalp in the temple and crown region. Biopsy diagnosis was angiosarcoma of the scalp, nonoperable. The patient was qualified for chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy. DISCUSSION: Angiosarcoma of the scalp is a very aggressive tumor. The main aim of the treatment of angiosarcoma is local control of the tumor. Most cases are treated with wide excision surgery. The use of surgery with adjuvant radiotherapy or chemotherapy is recommended in some cases. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are suggested in the recurrent or extensive lesions with regional or distant metastasis. Radiation therapy can be realized with external beam therapy or brachytherapy. High-dose-rate brachytherapy is an effective, adequate, well tolerated by patients treatment method. In every case, an individual approach is needed. CONCLUSIONS: The HDR brachytherapy technique is useful and practicable. The advantages of brachytherapy are: targeted dose distribution, low integral dose, and short time of treatment. The mold HDR brachytherapy treatment using an individual applicator was an appropriate tool for the presented patient.

Penile cancer brachytherapy HDR mould technique used at the Holycross Cancer Center.

The aim of this pictorial essay is to present the mould based HDR brachytherapy technique used at the Holycross Cancer Center for penile cancer patients. We use images to describe this method step by step.