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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[Dosimetric evaluation of conformal radiotherapy: conformity factor].

The aim of three-dimensional conformal therapy (3DCRT) is to treat the Planning Target Volume (PTV) to the prescribed dose while reducing doses to normal tissues and critical structures, in order to increase local control and reduce toxicity. The evaluation tools used for optimizing treatment techniques are three-dimensional visualization of dose distributions, dose-volume histograms, tumor control probabilities (TCP) and normal tissue complication probabilities (NTCP). These tools, however, do not fully quantify the conformity of dose distributions to the PTV. Specific tools were introduced to measure this conformity for a given dose level. We have extended those definitions to different dose levels, using a conformity index (CI). CI is based on the relative volumes of PTV and outside the PTV receiving more than a given dose. This parameter has been evaluated by a clinical study including 82 patients treated for lung cancer and 82 patients treated for prostate cancer. The CI was low for lung dosimetric studies (0.35 at the prescribed dose 66 Gy) due to build-up around the GTV and to spinal cord sparing. For prostate dosimetric studies, the CI was higher (0.57 at the prescribed dose 70 Gy). The CI has been used to compare treatment plans for lung 3DCRT (2 vs 3 beams) and prostate 3DCRT (4 vs 7 beams). The variation of CI with dose can be used to optimize dose prescription.

Bronchial Neoplasms↗
PubMed1999

[Conformal radiotherapy].

Conformal radiotherapy is a new irradiation technique made possible by technological improvements, especially progress in imaging and 3D dosimetry. By conforming the volume irradiated as closely as possible to the clinical anatomical target volume, conformal radiotherapy is designed to deliver a higher dose to the tumour volume, while more effectively sparing the adjacent tissues from the adverse effects of irradiation. Conformal radiotherapy may therefore constitute a progress comparable to the contribution of high-energy radiotherapy in the 1960s or the impact of computer-assisted dosimetry in the 1970s. Evaluation of the results, definition of its indications, standardisation of practices, and study of the impact of dose escalation require further studies in the field of prostate cancer, as the superiority of this new technique over conventional radiotherapy has not been formally established due to the limited follow-up.

Humans↗
PubMed2001

[Are there physical, technical and morphological limits to conformational radiotherapy?].

Conformal radiotherapy results from several technical and data processing advances. The treatment planning and the daily treatments have benefited from a significant improvement of the quality control. However, all the steps of the process contain various limitations of varying effects. It appear important to identify, describe and exploit those limits to better drive the procedures and optimise the quality. Identifying the limits of the conformal radiotherapy should be an important help to implement intensity modulation radiotherapy.

Anthropometry↗
PubMed1983

Work in progress: treatment planning system for conformation radiotherapy.

Conformation radiotherapy is a treatment technique that allows the high-dose region in the treatment field to be shaped to the prescribed treatment volume. The algorithms and software for obtaining a complete dose distribution needed to plan conformation radiotherapy for patients have been developed and implemented on the Modulex RTP system, manufactured by Computerized Medical Systems, Inc. Standard beam data, i.e., tissue-phantom ratios and off-center ratios, were used to calculate asymmetric dose profiles for the irregular field at any gantry angle. Computed dose distributions were compared with measured dose distributions and agreement was within 5% in the high-dose region.

Computers↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Conformal radiotherapy in cancer of the upper aerodigestive tract].

The outcome of head and neck malignancies is closely related to the achievement of local tumor control. The occurrence of severe late complications is the consequence of the anatomic vicinity between dose-limiting normal tissues and the tumor, thus reducing the curative potential of radiotherapy. Conformal radiotherapy is presently actively investigated as a way to improve the dose distribution in head and neck malignancies (especially when originating from the nasopharynx or the sinuses) while protecting healthy organs. Such an approach requires a chain of sophisticated procedures, including efficient quality assurance programs, in order to achieve the proper degree of safety. The relatively limited clinical studies published to-date have already confirmed the advantage of conformal radiotherapy in terms of dose delivery. The development of beam intensity modulation is likely to further contribute to the improvement of the therapeutic ratio.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

[Non-small-cell bronchial cancers: improvement of survival probability by conformal radiotherapy].

The conformal radiotherapy approach, three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), is based on modern imaging modalities, efficient 3D treatment planning systems, sophisticated immobilization devices and demanding quality assurance and treatment verification. The main goal of conformal radiotherapy is to ensure a high dose distribution tailored to the limits of the target volume while reducing exposure of healthy tissues. These techniques would then allow a further dose escalation increasing local control and survival. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most difficult malignant tumors to be treated. It combines geometrical difficulties due to respiratory motion, and number of low tolerance neighboring organs, and dosimetric difficulties because of the presence of huge inhomogeneities. This localization is an attractive and ambitious example for the evaluation of new techniques. However, the published clinical reports in the last years described very heterogeneous techniques and, in the absence of prospective randomized trials, it is somewhat difficult at present to evaluate the real benefits drawn from those conformal radiotherapy techniques. After reviewing the rationale for 3DCRT for NSCLC, this paper will describe the main studies of 3DCRT, in order to evaluate its impact on lung cancer treatment. Then, the current state-of-the-art of IMRT and the last technical and therapeutic innovations in NSCLC will be discussed.

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung↗
PubMed2003

Intensity-modulated stereotactic radiotherapy vs. stereotactic conformal radiotherapy for the treatment of meningioma located predominantly in the skull base.

PURPOSE: This study evaluates a possible advantage of intensity-modulated stereotactic radiotherapy (IMSRT) over stereotactic conformal radiotherapy (SCRT) in the treatment of lesions in the base of the skull. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Ten patients (7 with a skull base meningioma) planned for routine SCRT were replanned for IMSRT. The criteria for comparison were the same for both methods: optimal dose to the planning target volume (PTV) and optimal sparing of the organs at risk (OAR). For SCRT, sparing of OAR was achieved by conformal avoidance using 5-6 fields. The IMSRT inverse planning process used optimized OAR sparing through user-defined dose constraints. Dose to the PTV and OAR were assessed by dose-volume histograms, maximum dose, 2 conformity indices, and volumes of relevant isodoses. RESULTS: The conformity index is consistently higher for IMSRT, the largest improvement being for the multifocal and irregular cases. Volumes of the 90% and 80% isodoses were smaller for IMSRT, whereas the volume of the 30% isodose was larger for IMSRT in 6 cases. The maximum dose was consistently higher for IMSRT (mean values 102% and 108% for SCRT and IMSRT, respectively). Sparing of OAR was better with IMSRT, especially for those OARs situated in or near a concave PTV. CONCLUSIONS: In terms of PTV coverage, there is an advantage in using IMSRT for all target shapes, but especially for irregular and concave targets. The dose to OAR is lower with IMSRT, although the volume of normal tissue receiving a low dose can be larger than for SCRT.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Probability of mediastinal involvement in non-small-cell lung cancer: a statistical definition of the clinical target volume for 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy?

PURPOSE: Conformal irradiation (3D-CRT) of non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is largely based on precise definition of the nodal clinical target volume (CTVn). A reduction of the number of nodal stations to be irradiated would facilitate tumor dose escalation. The aim of this study was to design a mathematical tool based on documented data to predict the risk of metastatic involvement for each nodal station. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We reviewed the large surgical series published in the literature to identify the main pretreatment parameters that modify the risk of nodal invasion. The probability of involvement for the 17 nodal stations described by the American Thoracic Society (ATS) was computed from all these publications. Starting with the primary site of the tumor as the main characteristic, we built a probabilistic tree for each nodal station representing the risk distribution as a function of each tumor feature. Statistical analysis used the inversion of probability trees method described by Weinstein and Feinberg. Validation of the software based on 134 patients from two different populations was performed by receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Analysis of all of the various parameters of pretreatment staging relative to each level of the ATS map results in 20,000 different combinations. The first parameters included in the tree, depending on tumor site, were histologic classification, metastatic stage, nodal stage weighted as a function of the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnostic examination used (positron emission tomography scan, computed tomography scan), and tumor stage. Software is proposed to compute a predicted probability of involvement of each nodal station for any given clinical presentation. Double cross validation confirmed the methodology. A 10% cutoff point was calculated from ROC and logistic model giving the best prediction of mediastinal lymph node involvement. CONCLUSION: To more accurately define the CTVn in NSCLC three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy, we propose a software that evaluates the risk of mediastinal lymph node involvement from easily accessible individual pretreatment parameters.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Comparison of intensity-modulated radiotherapy with conventional conformal radiotherapy for complex-shaped tumors.

PURPOSE: Conformal and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) plans for 9 patients were compared based on characterization of plan quality and effects on the oncology department. METHODS AND MATERIALS: These clinical cases, treated originally with conformal radiotherapy (CRT), required extraordinary effort to produce conformal treatment plans using nonmodulated, shaped noncoplanar fields with multileaf collimators (MLCs). IMRT plans created for comparison included rotational treatments with slit collimator, and fixed-field MLC treatments using equispaced coplanar, and noncoplanar fields. Plans were compared based upon target coverage, target conformality, dose homogeneity, monitor units (MU), user-interactive planning time, and treatment delivery time. The results were subjected to a statistical analysis. RESULTS: IMRT increased target coverage an average of 36% and conformality by 10%. Where dose escalation was a goal, IMRT increased mean dose by 4-6 Gy and target coverage by 19% with the same degree of conformality. Rotational IMRT was slightly superior to fixed-field IMRT. All IMRT techniques increased integral dose and target dose heterogeneity. IMRT planning times were significantly less, whereas MU increased significantly; estimated delivery times were similar. CONCLUSION: IMRT techniques increase dose and target coverage while continuing to spare organs-at-risk, and can be delivered in a time frame comparable to other sophisticated techniques.

Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic↗
PubMed2004

[Comparison of intensity-modulated postoperative radiotherapy with conventional postoperative conformal radiotherapy for retroperitoneal sarcoma].

External postoperative radiation therapy for retroperitoneal sarcoma is an example of treatment using large fields for complex shaped volumes of irradiation. Prescribed dose is limited by tolerance of adjacent organs at risk (OAR). From a recent case treated by conventional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT), we evaluate the benefit of five theoretical IMRT plans. Criteria used are calculated from DVH related to delineated PTV and OAR. IMRT should permit to enhance the prescribed dose without increasing dose in the OAR (especially residual kidney, spinal cord and small bowel). This theoretical study show the feasibility of a dose escalation from a treatment dose of 45 Gy delivered by 3D-CRT up to a planning dose of 54 Gy calculated by IMRT with: for the PTV: an improvement of the dose homogeneity about 5% (range 2-6%) and moreover the coverage factor (CF) about 13% (range 9-16%); for the OAR: an improvement of the protection factor (PF) about 20% (range 11-24%); and thus an improved conformity index (CI = CF x PF) about 25% (range 15-32%).

Feasibility Studies↗
PubMed2000

Conformal radiotherapy and intensity-modulated radiotherapy--clinical data.

Conformal radiotherapy (CRT) is based on three hypotheses: (i) a higher rate of local control can improve the survival rate; (ii) dose escalation can increase tumor control; and (iii) CRT allows the delivery of higher doses by decreasing the incidence of late effects. These postulates are now supported by several data. Three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) has markedly progressed since its introduction two decades ago. However, there are situations for which 3D-CRT cannot produce a satisfactory treatment plan because of complex target volume shapes or the close proximity of sensitive normal tissues. This is why intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) was introduced. Its aim is to overcome the limitations of 3D-CRT by adding modulators of beam intensity to beam shaping. IMRT can achieve nearly any dose distribution; however, the role of the planner remains crucial. CRT has been investigated mainly for prostate cancers and head and neck cancers. By and large, the clinical data, although still limited, seem to confirm the advantages of this type of radiotherapy. Dose escalation in prostate cancers improves the local control rate without increasing late effects and for this cancer site IMRT appears to be a significant advance over conventional 3D-CRT. In head and neck cancers the clinical data are still scarce but encouraging. CRT should be investigated in breast cancers with the aim of reducing the incidence of late effects. The available data underline the great potential for major progress in 3D-CRT and IMRT. The techniques are still costly and time consuming, nevertheless they merit investigation since their cost should decrease. Efforts should be concentrated on the specification of robust optimization criteria, taking into account clinical and radiobiological data.

Dose Fractionation, Radiation↗
PubMed2002

[Upper aerodigestive tract cancers: clinical benefits of conformal radiotherapy and intensity modulation].

The conformal radiotherapy approach, three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) or intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), is based on modern imaging modalities, efficient 3D treatment planning systems, sophisticated immobilization systems and rigorous quality assurance and treatment verification. The central objective of conformal radiotherapy is to ensure a high dose distribution tailored to the limits of the target volume while reducing exposure of normal tissues. These techniques would then allow further tumor dose escalation. Head-and-neck tumors are some of the most attractive localizations to test conformal radiotherapy. They combine ballistic difficulties due to particularly complex shapes (nasopharynx, ethmoid) and problems due to the number and low tolerance of neighbouring organs like parotids, eyes, brainstem and spinal cord. The therapeutic irradiation of head-and-neck tumors thus remains a challenge for the radiation oncologist. Conformal radiotherapy does have a significant potential for improving local control and reducing toxicity when compared to standard radiotherapy. However, in the absence of prospective randomized trials, it is somewhat difficult at present to evaluate the real benefits drawn from 3DCRT and IMRT. The published clinical reports on the use of conformal radiotherapy are essentially dealing with dosimetric comparisons on relatively small numbers of patients. Recently, a few publications have emphasized the clinical experience of several precursor teams with a suitable follow-up. This paper describes the current state-of-the-art of 3DCRT and IMRT in order to evaluate the impact of these techniques on head-and-neck cancers irradiation.

Central Nervous System↗
PubMed2001

[Conformational radiotherapy: economic evaluation].

Conformational radiotherapy is more and more used. It seems that this kind of treatment requests more manpower and material than 2D techniques. The purpose was to estimate its cost. We first tried to estimate the development of 3D radiotherapy. Then we calculated its relative cost compared to classical radiation therapy. To estimate relative costs, we first used the official catalogue. Then we reported results of a study performed in 1998 in two different radiotherapy departments. We conclude that 3D treatment are more expensive. The incremental cost is mainly related to that of dosimetry.

Diagnostic Imaging↗