Radiotherapy Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Radiotherapy, including details on cancer treatment, side effects.

Dosimetric study and in-vivo dose verification for conformal avoidance treatment of anal adenocarcinoma using helical tomotherapy.

Han C, Chen YJ, Liu A, Schultheiss TE, Wong JY

Department of Radiation Physics, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA. chan@coh.org

This study evaluated the efficacy of using helical tomotherapy for conformal avoidance treatment of anal adenocarcinoma. We retrospectively generated step-and-shoot intensity-modulated radiotherapy (sIMRT) plans and helical tomotherapy plans for two anal cancer patients, one male and one female, who were treated by the sIMRT technique. Dose parameters for the planning target volume (PTV) and the organs-at-risk (OARs) were compared between the sIMRT and the helical tomotherapy plans. The helical tomotherapy plans showed better dose homogeneity in the PTV, better dose conformity around the PTV, and, therefore, better sparing of nearby OARs compared with the sIMRT plans. In-vivo skin dose measurements were performed during conformal avoidance helical tomotherapy treatment of an anal cancer patient to verify adequate delivery of skin dose and sparing of OARs.

Published 23 February 2007 in Med Dosim, 32(1): 33-7.
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