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.

A prospective evaluation of helical tomotherapy.

Bauman G, Yartsev S, Rodrigues G, Lewis C, Venkatesan VM, Yu E, Hammond A, Perera F, Ash R, Dar AR, Lock M, Baily L, Coad T, Trenka K, Warr B, Kron T, Battista J, Van Dyk J

London Regional Cancer Program, London, Ontario, Canada. glenn.bauman@lhsc.on.ca

PURPOSE: To report results from two clinical trials evaluating helical tomotherapy (HT). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Patients were enrolled in one of two prospective trials of HT (one for palliative and one for radical treatment). Both an HT plan and a companion three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) plan were generated. Pretreatment megavoltage computed tomography was used for daily image guidance. RESULTS: From September 2004 to January 2006, a total of 61 sites in 60 patients were treated. In all but one case, a clinically acceptable tomotherapy plan for treatment was generated. Helical tomotherapy plans were subjectively equivalent or superior to 3D-CRT in 95% of plans. Helical tomotherapy was deemed equivalent or superior in two thirds of dose-volume point comparisons. In cases of inferiority, differences were either clinically insignificant and/or reflected deliberate tradeoffs to optimize the HT plan. Overall imaging and treatment time (median) was 27 min (range, 16-91 min). According to a patient questionnaire, 78% of patients were satisfied to very satisfied with the treatment process. CONCLUSIONS: Helical tomotherapy demonstrated clear advantages over conventional 3D-CRT in this diverse patient group. The prospective trials were helpful in deploying this technology in a busy clinical setting.

Published 14 May 2007 in Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys, 68(2): 632-41.
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