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The volumetric reduction rate (VRR) was evaluated with consideration for six degrees-of-freedom (6DoF) patient setup errors based on a mathematical tumor model in single-isocenter volumetric modulated arc therapy (SI-VMAT) for brain metastases. Simulated gross tumor volumes (GTV) of 1.0 cm and dose distribution were created (27 Gy/3 fractions). The distance between the GTV center and isocenter (d) was set at 0–10 cm. The GTV was translated within 0–1.0 mm (Trans) and rotated within 0–1.0° (Rot) in the three axis directions using affine transformation. The tumor growth volume was calculated using a multicomponent mathematical model (MCTM), and lethal effects of irradiation and repair from damage during irradiation were calculated by a microdosimetric kinetic model (MKM) for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) A549 and NCI-H460 (H460) cells. The VRRs were calculated 5 days after the end of irradiation using the physical dose to the GTV for varying d and 6DoF setup errors. The tolerance value of VRR, the GTV volume reduction rate, was set at 5%, based on the pre-irradiation GTV volume. With the exception of the only one A549 condition where (Trans, Rot) = (1.0 mm, 1.0°) was repeated for 3 fractions, all conditions met all the tolerance VRR values for A549 and H460 cells with varying d from 0 to 10 cm. Evaluation based on the mathematical tumor model suggested that if the 6DoF setup errors at each irradiation could be kept within 1.0 mm and 1.0°, there would be little effect on tumor volume regardless of the distance from the isocenter in SI-VMAT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We proposed a new mathematical model that combines an ordinary differential equation (ODE) and microdosimetric kinetic model (MKM) to predict the tumor-cell lethal effect of Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) applied to non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The tumor growth volume was calculated by the ODE in the multi-component mathematical model (MCM) for the cell lines NSCLC A549 and NCI-H460 (H460). The prescription doses 48 Gy/4 fr and 54 Gy/3 fr were used in the SBRT, and the effect of the SBRT on tumor cells was evaluated by the MKM. We also evaluated the effects of (1) linear quadratic model (LQM) and the MKM, (2) varying the ratio of active and quiescent tumors for the total tumor volume, and (3) the length of the dose-delivery time per fractionated dose (tinter) on the initial tumor volume. We used the ratio of the tumor volume at 1 day after the end of irradiation to the tumor volume before irradiation to define the radiation effectiveness value (REV). The combination of MKM and MCM significantly reduced REV at 48 Gy/4 fr compared to the combination of LQM and MCM. The ratio of active tumors and the prolonging of tinter affected the decrease in the REV for A549 and H460 cells. We evaluated the tumor volume considering a large fractionated dose and the dose-delivery time by combining the MKM with a mathematical model of tumor growth using an ODE in lung SBRT for NSCLC A549 and H460 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the tumor residual volumes considering six degrees-of-freedom (6DoF) patient setup errors in stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) with multicomponent mathematical model using single-isocenter irradiation for brain metastases. Simulated spherical gross tumor volumes (GTVs) with 1.0 (GTV 1), 2.0 (GTV 2), and 3.0 (GTV 3)-cm diameters were used. The distance between the GTV center and isocenter (d) was set at 0–10 cm. The GTV was simultaneously translated within 0–1.0 mm (T) and rotated within 0°–1.0° (R) in the three axis directions using affine transformation. We optimized the tumor growth model parameters using measurements of non-small cell lung cancer cell lines' (A549 and NCI-H460) growth. We calculated the GTV residual volume at the irradiation's end using the physical dose to the GTV when the GTV size, d, and 6DoF setup error varied. The d-values that satisfy tolerance values (10%, 35%, and 50%) of the GTV residual volume rate based on the pre-irradiation GTV volume were determined. The larger the tolerance value set for both cell lines, the longer the distance to satisfy the tolerance value. In GTV residual volume evaluations based on the multicomponent mathematical model on SRT with single-isocenter irradiation, the smaller the GTV size and the larger the distance and 6DoF setup error, the shorter the distance that satisfies the tolerance value might need to be. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of target positioning error (TPE) on radiobiological parameters, such as tumor control probability (TCP) and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP), in stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for metastatic brain tumors of different sizes using CyberKnife. The reference SRS plans were created using the circular cone of the CyberKnife for each spherical gross tumor volume (GTV) with diameters (φ) of 5, 7.5, 10, 15, and 20 mm, contoured on computed tomography images of the head phantom. Subsequently, plans involving TPE were created by shifting the beam center by 0.1–2.0 mm in three dimensions relative to the reference plans using the same beam arrangements. Conformity index (CI), generalized equivalent uniform dose (gEUD)-based TCP, and NTCP of estimated brain necrosis were evaluated for each plan. When the gEUD parameter "a" was set to − 10, the CI and TCP for the reference plan at the φ5-mm GTV were 0.90 and 80.8%, respectively. The corresponding values for plans involving TPE of 0.5-mm, 1.0-mm, and 2.0-mm were 0.62 and 77.4%, 0.40 and 62.9%, and 0.12 and 7.2%, respectively. In contrast, the NTCP for all GTVs were the same. The TCP for the plans involving a TPE of 2-mm was 7.2% and 68.8% at the φ5-mm and φ20-mm GTV, respectively. The TPEs corresponding to a TCP reduction rate of 3% at the φ5-mm and φ20-mm GTV were 0.41 and 0.99 mm, respectively. TPE had a significant effect on TCP in SRS for metastatic brain tumors using CyberKnife, particularly for small GTVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through geometrical simulation, we evaluated the effect of rotational error in patient setup on geometrical coverage and calculated the maximum distance between the isocenter and target, where the clinical PTV margin secures geometrical coverage with a single-isocenter technique. We used simulated spherical GTVs with diameters of 1.0 (GTV 1), 1.5 (GTV 2), 2.0 (GTV 3), and 3.0 cm (GTV 4). The location of the target center was set such that the distance between the target and isocenter ranged from 0 to 15 cm. We created geometrical coverage vectors so that each target was entirely covered by 100% of the prescribed dose. The vectors of the target positions were simultaneously rotated within a range of 0°–2.0° around the x-, y-, and z-axes. For each rotational error, the reduction in geometrical coverage of the targets was calculated and compared with that obtained for a rotational error of 0°. The tolerance value of the geometrical coverage reduction was defined as 5% of the GTV. The maximum distance that satisfied the 5% tolerance value for different values of rotational error at a clinical PTV margin of 0.1 cm was calculated. When the rotational errors were 0.5° for a 0.1 cm PTV margin, the maximum distances were as follows: GTV 1: 7.6 cm; GTV 2: 10.9 cm; GTV 3: 14.3 cm; and GTV 4: 21.4 cm. It might be advisable to exclude targets that are > 7.6 cm away from the isocenter with a single-isocenter technique to satisfy the tolerance value for all GTVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the effects of a respiratory gating and multifield technique on the dose-volume histogram (DVH) in radiotherapy for esophageal cancer.Methods and Materials: Twenty patients who underwent four-dimensional computed tomography for esophageal cancer were included. We retrospectively created the four treatment plans for each patient, with or without the respiratory gating and multifield technique: No gating-2-field, No gating-4-field, Gating-2-field, and Gating-4-field plans. We compared the DVH parameters of the lung and heart in the No gating-2-field plan with the other three plans.Result: In the comparison of the parameters in the No gating-2-field plan, there are significant differences in the Lung V5Gy, V20Gy, mean dose with all three plans and the Heart V25Gy-V40Gy with Gating-2-field plan, V35Gy, V40Gy, mean dose with No Gating-4-field plan and V30Gy-V40Gy, and mean dose with Gating-4-field plan. The lung parameters were smaller in the Gating-2-field plan and larger in the No gating-4-field and Gating-4-field plans. The heart parameters were all larger in the No gating-2-field plan.Conclusion: The lung parameters were reduced by the respiratory gating technique and increased by the multifield technique. The heart parameters were reduced by both techniques. It is important to select the optimal technique according to the risk of complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this retrospective analysis was to evaluate the accuracy of 10 mm thickness single helical computed tomography (CT) examination for confirming the diagnosis of appendicitis or providing a diagnosis other than appendicitis, including underlying periappendical neoplasms. From April 1, 2001 to March 30, 2005, a total of 272 patients with suspected appendicitis underwent CT examinations. Of the 272 patients, 106 (39%) underwent surgery. Seven CT examinations for seven patients were excluded because of inconsistency of the CT protocol. We therefore reviewed 99 CT images (99 patients) with correlation to surgical-pathological findings to clarify the diagnostic accuracy of CT examinations. We compared the postoperative diagnosis with the preoperative CT report. The final diagnoses were confirmed by macroscopic findings at surgery and pathological evaluations if necessary. Of the 99 patients, 87 had acute appendicitis at surgery. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of CT were 98.9%, 75.0%, and 96.0%, respectively. The positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 96.6% and 90.0%, respectively. Among nine patients in the true-negative category, five had colon cancers; and among three patients in the false-positive category, two had cancer of the cecal-appendiceal region as the underlying disease. CT examination is useful for patients with suspected appendicitis, but radiologists should be aware of the limitation of thick-sliced single helical CT. They should also be aware of the possibility of other diseases, including coincident abdominal neoplasms and underlying cecal-appendiceal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]