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Biomedical subjects

W F Hartsell

Publications and source records attributed to W F Hartsell.

21 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Technique for breast irradiation using custom blocks conforming to the chest wall contour.

A technique for the treatment of the breast and regional nodes is presented. The technique involves the use of tangential fields to treat the breast and chest wall. Customized blocks which conform to the slope of the chest wall are made for each tangent field. Simulation and treatment with this technique requires no special equipment. The setup is simple and quick. A three-field technique is also described using the custom half-beam blocks; this technique avoids the use of tangential field corner blocks, thus simplifying simulation and treatment.

Breast↗

Is pelvic irradiation necessary in stage III1A Hodgkin's disease?

Eighteen patients with pathologic Stage (PS) III1A Hodgkin's disease were treated with mantle and para-aortic field radiation therapy alone between 1973 and 1988. The median follow-up time is 84 months (range 20-174 months). The 5-year survival and relapse-free survival rates are 76 and 82%. Six patients had extensive splenic involvement or bulky mediastinal adenopathy, and three have relapsed and are dead of disease. Of the other 12 patients, only one has had recurrence of disease and died. Patients with PS III1A Hodgkin's disease are good candidates for mantle and para-aortic radiation therapy only, provided that they do not have extensive splenic involvement or large mediastinal adenopathy.

Adult↗

Hyperfractionation decreases the deleterious effects of conventional radiation fractionation on vertebral growth in animals.

Craniospinal axis irradiation in the treatment of pediatric tumors is associated with serious long-term sequelae including decreased bone growth (short sitting stature). In this study, an animal model was used to determine the effects of smaller incremental doses of radiation on bone growth. Sprague-Dawley weanling rats were given 25 Gy to the spine in 8 to 9 days, with fraction sizes ranging from 1.0 to 1.8 Gy. The animals receiving smaller doses per fraction (1.0 or 1.25 Gy) showed significantly more growth of the vertebral bodies in the treated fields than animals given larger incremental doses (1.5 or 1.8 Gy). These findings indicate a protective effect on bone growth for hyperfractionated irradiation of vertebral bodies.

Abdomen↗