1.Progress in the clinical use of radiotherapy for bone metastasis in breast cancer
Qunchao HU ; Xiaoli YU ; Xiaomao GUO
China Oncology 2016;26(4):346-350
Bone remains the predominant site of metastasis in advanced breast cancer. Bone metastases dramatically decrease the quality of life. Moreover, pathologic fractures and other skeletal-related events (SREs) caused by bone metastases could result in higher mortality risk in patients with breast cancer. Palliative radiotherapy is a crucial element in bone metastases treatment. The present review discusses the emerging evidence in bone metastases of breast cancer, focusing on optimized radiotherapy strategies and multidisciplinary management.
2.Clinical needs, training objectives, and implementation plans for establishing a standardized training system for radiotherapists
Xinlei ZHANG ; Haitao LIN ; Qunchao HU
Chinese Journal of Medical Education Research 2023;22(12):1821-1824
In order to narrow the capability gap of junior radiotherapists from different institutions, construction of standardized radiotherapist post-graduated education and medical skill training system is in great demand, which help to meet the actual needs of clinical standardized management of precision radiotherapy. Based on the current situation of the education and post training of radiotherapists, this article elaborates on the real clinical needs, primary training objectives, and strategies of the standardized training system for radiotherapists, so as to provide a theoretical reference for training high-quality radiotherapists with good medical professional ethics and solid theoretical and practical skills in radiotherapy institutions at all levels.
3.Research advances in the treatment of cervical cancer with liver metastasis
Shangdan XIE ; Qunchao HU ; Haiyan ZHU
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2024;40(7):1307-1311
Though liver metastasis of cervical cancer has a relatively low incidence rate,it is often accompanied by metastasis in other sites and thus has a poor prognosis.For the patients with liver metastasis of cervical cancer,it is necessary to formulate individualized treatment regimens based on various factors such as general status,lesion distribution,initial treatment modality,and life expectancy,so as to prolong the overall survival of patients and improve their quality of life.With reference to related studies in China and globally,this article reviews the clinical features,treatment,and prognosis of cervical cancer with liver metastasis.
4.Comparison of the positional stability of two different methods of marking surface landmarks in radiotherapy patients with abdominal and pelvic fixation
Haitao LIN ; Hong ZHU ; Fubo LIU ; Xinlei ZHANG ; Hangbiao SUN ; Xuwei HE ; Feng LI ; Qunchao HU
International Journal of Biomedical Engineering 2023;46(4):342-347
Objective:To compare the effects of two methods of marking surface landmarks on the patient’s positional stability when using a multifunctional body board in combination with thermoplastics to fix the abdominal and pelvic areas for radiotherapy patients.Methods:50 subjects who underwent positional fixation using a multifunctional body board in combination with thermoplastics from August 2022 to January 2023. The subjects were divided into two groups, A and B, with 25 cases each, according to the different methods of body surface marking. In group A, landmarks were marked on the body surface on the top edge of the thermoplastics. In group B, three sets of surface landmarks were marked on the patient’s body according to the laser line on the projection of the patient’s body surface when the thermoplastics were completed. Manual registration is performed using L3 to L5 as the main registration targets. The pre-treatment CBCT image is used to analyze the first-time positioning pass rate, setup errors in the x-, y-, and z-axis directions, and the distribution of positive and negative setup errors in both groups of patients. Results:The pass rates of the first-time positioning of patients in Groups A and B were 76.9% and 86.1%, respectively, which met the clinical requirements. Group B had a better first-time positioning pass rate than group A, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( P < 0.05). The pendulum errors of group B were smaller than those of group A in both the x-axis and y-axis (all P < 0.05), and the difference between the two groups in terms of the pendulum errors in the z-axis direction was not statistically significant (all P > 0.05). The difference in the frequency distribution of the pendulum error in the positive and negative directions of the x- and z-axis between the two groups was not statistically significant (all P > 0.05). The difference in the frequency of distribution of the pendulum error in the positive and negative directions of the y-axis between the two groups was statistically significant ( P < 0.05). Conclusions:The proposed two methods of surface landmark marking are generally in line with the positioning requirements for conventional fractionation radiotherapy for abdominal and pelvic patients. Using a laser line on the projection of the patient’s body surface for three sets of surface landmark markings produces smaller setup errors and is better than using the top edge of the thermoplastics for surface landmark markings, improving the positional stability of abdominal and pelvic patients.