PURPOSE: To investigate the feasibility of helical tomotherapy on a wide curved area of the skin, and its accuracy in calculating the absorbed dose in the superficial region. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two types of treatment plans were made with the cylinder-shaped 'cheese phantom'. In the first trial, 2 Gy was prescribed to a 1-cm depth from the surface. For the other trial, 2 Gy was prescribed to a 1-cm depth from the external side of the surface by 5 mm. The inner part of the phantom was completely blocked. To measure the surface dose and the depth dose profile, an EDR2 film was inserted into the phantom, while 6 TLD chips were attached to the surface. RESULTS: The film indicated that the surface dose of the former case was 118.7 cGy and the latter case was 130.9 cGy. The TLD chips indicated that the surface dose was higher than these, but it was due to the finite thickness of the TLD chips. In the former case, 95% of the prescribed dose was obtained at a 2.1 mm depth, while the prescribed does was at 2.2 mm in the latter case. The maximum dose was about 110% of the prescribed dose. As the depth became deeper, the dose decreased rapidly. Accordingly, at a 2-cm depth, the dose was 20% of the prescribed dose. CONCLUSION: Helical tomotherapy could be a useful application in the treatment of a wide area of the skin with curvature. However, for depths up to 2 mm, the planning system overestimated the superficial dose. For shallower targets, the use of a compensator such as a bolus is required.
Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated ; Skin

For applying the quality assurance (QA) of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) introduced in Eulji Hospital, we classify it into three different QA steps, treatment planning QA, pretreatment delivering QA, and treatment verifying QA. These steps are based on the existing intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) QA that is currently used in our hospital. In each QA step, the evaluated items that are from QA program are configured and documented. In this study, QA program is not only applied to actual patient treatment, but also evaluated to establish a reference of clinical acceptance in pretreatment delivering QA. As a result, the confidence limits (CLs) in the measurements for the high-dose and low-dose regions are similar to the conventional IMRT level, and the clinical acceptance references in our hospital are determined to be 3 to 5% for the high-dose and the low-dose regions, respectively. Due to the characteristics of VMAT, evaluation of the intensity map was carried out using an ArcCheck device that was able to measure the intensity map in all directions, 360degrees. With a couple of dosimetric devices, the gamma index was evaluated and analyzed. The results were similar to the result of individual intensity maps in IMRT. Mapcheck, which is a 2-dimensional (2D) array device, was used to display the isodose distributions and gave very excellent local CL results. Thus, in our hospital, the acceptance references used in practical clinical application for the intensity maps of 360degrees directions and the coronal isodose distributions were determined to be 93% and 95%, respectively. To reduce arbitrary uncertainties and system errors, we had to evaluate the local CLs by using a phantom and to cooperate with multiple organizations to participate in this evaluation. In addition, we had to evaluate the local CLs by dividing them into different sections about the patient treatment points in practical clinics.
Humans ; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated

This study was designed to evaluate radiosurgery technique using multiple noncoplanar arc therapy with intensity modulated fine MLC shaped photon beam. The stereotactic radiosurgery was performed with 6-MV X-ray beams from a Clinac 21EX LINAC (Varian, Palo Alto, CA, USA) with a MLC-120, which features a full 40 x 40 cm field and is the first MLC for general use that offers 0.5 cm resolution for high precision treatment of small and irregular fields. We used a single isocenter and five gantry-couch combinations with a set of intensity modulated arc therapy. We investigated dosimetric characteristics of 2 cm sized spherical target volume with film (X-OMAT V2 film, Kodak Inc, Rochester NY, USA) dosimetry within 25 x 25 cm acrylic phantom. A simulated single isocentric treatment using inversely planned 3D radiotherapy planning system demonstrated the ability to conform the dose distribution to an spherical target volume. The 80% dose level was adequate to encompass the target volume in frontal, sagittal, and transverse planes, and the region between the 40% and 80% isodose lines was 4.0~4.5 mm and comparable to the dose distribution of the Boston Arcs. We expect that our radiosurgery technique could be a treatment option for irregular-shaped large intracranial target.
Radiosurgery* ; Radiotherapy ; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated*

We published in May 10, 2022 a retrospective cohort study comparing the post-radiotherapy (post-RT) hemoglobin levels between patients with breast cancer who underwent intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and those who underwent three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) in the Radiation Oncology Section of the Department of Radiological and Imaging Sciences of Southern Philippines Medical Center (ROS DORIS-SPMC) from October 2018 to March 2019. It came to our knowledge that the IMRT planning that was done on the patients included in our study was different from the IMRT planning that is currently being done since late 2020. Prior to late 2020, ROS DORIS-SPMC had been implementing forward-planned IMRT, wherein the weight of the multileaf collimator (MLC) segment was preselected at fixed values. In late 2020, ROS DORIS-SPMC started implementing inverse-planned IMRT, wherein the appropriate weights of the MLC segments are determined by an inverse optimization algorithm that creates a more uniform dose distribution throughout the target. Inverse-planned IMRT improves the dose homogeneity within the entire 3D-breast volume, while forward-planned IMRT mainly improves the dose distribution on the inframammary fold.1 Compared to 3D-CRT, however, forward-planned IMRT improves target homogeneity, albeit to a lesser degree than the homogeneity produced by the inverse technique.2 In the original article, we also stated that, for both IMRT and 3D-CRT, each dose fraction is given weekly within a span of 7 to 8 months. We recently confirmed that, among patients with breast cancer, each dose fraction of IMRT or 3D-CRT is given daily within a span of 33 days—28 days for conventional dose and 5 days for boost dose. In this corrigendum, we specify that the IMRT protocol used among the patients in our study was forward-planned IMRT, with all dose fractions given daily for 33 consecutive workdays, excluding weekends and holidays. We also describe here the original statements that we changed or removed because they have become irrelevant in light of the corrections. The table below shows the list of corrections.
Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated ; Radiotherapy, Conformal

No abstract available.
Humans ; Pancreatic Neoplasms/*radiotherapy ; *Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated

PURPOSETo validate that DMPO model for "one step" algorithm can reduce the total MLC segments number, we compare the dosage distribution of "one-step" algorithm with "two-step" algorithm for generating IMRT MLC segments.

METHODSOn the platform of "Pinnacle 8.0h" version radiation treatment planning system developed by Philips, we respectively select one head and neck tumor case, one thorax tumor case and one abdomen tumor case, by means of designing seven fields IMRT planning, then utilized "one-step" algorithm and "two-step" algorithm to optimize and generate IMRT MLC segments, and then calculated dosage distribution, evaluated dosage distribution lines and DVH diagram, in order to compare the two MLC segment groups generated by the two different algorithm.

RESULTFor the three IMRT plans selected by us, the number of MLC segments generated by "two-step" algorithm appear to be larger than "one-step" algorithm but dosage distribution seems to be worse than the latter.

DISCUSSIONFor utilizing the "Pinnacle" plan system to design IMRT plan, "one-step" algorithm with "DMPO" definitely can effectively reduce the number of MLC segments, what's more, the result of dosage distribution seems to be better.

We present a case of cervical cancer treated by concurrent chemoradiation. In radiation therapy part, the combination of the whole pelvic helical tomotherapy plus image-guided brachytherapy with megavoltage computed tomography of helical tomotherapy was performed. We propose this therapeutic approach could be considered in a curative setting in some problematic situation as our institution.
Brachytherapy* ; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

We present a case of cervical cancer treated by concurrent chemoradiation. In radiation therapy part, the combination of the whole pelvic helical tomotherapy plus image-guided brachytherapy with megavoltage computed tomography of helical tomotherapy was performed. We propose this therapeutic approach could be considered in a curative setting in some problematic situation as our institution.
Brachytherapy* ; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

Algorithms ; Humans ; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated ; methods

Quality control includes application of VARIAN IMRT network, quality control of radiotherapy technology, radiologic physics and radiotherapy equipment. Strengthen quality control and establish quality control system can further promote the level of intensity modulation radiotherapy.
Quality Control ; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated ; standards