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Abstract Background A modified form of high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy has been developed called Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy (EBT). EBT uses a kilovolt X-ray source and does not require treatment in a shielded vault or a HDR afterloader unit. A multi-center clinical study was carried out to evaluate the success of treatment delivery, safety and toxicity of EBT in patients with endometrial cancer. Methods A total of 15 patients with stage I or II endometrial cancer were enrolled at 5 sites. Patients were treated with vaginal EBT alone or in combination with external beam radiation. Results The prescribed doses of EBT were successfully delivered in all 15 patients. From the first fraction through 3 months follow-up, there were 4 CTC Grade 1 adverse events and 2 CTC Grade II adverse events reported that were EBT related. The mild events reported were dysuria, vaginal dryness, mucosal atrophy, and rectal bleeding. The moderate treatment related adverse events included dysuria, and vaginal pain. No Grade III or IV adverse events were reported. The EBT system performed well and was associated with limited acute toxicities. Conclusions EBT shows acute results similar to HDR brachytherapy. Additional research is needed to further assess the clinical efficacy and safety of EBT in the treatment of endometrial cancer.

Abstract Background In an effort to overcome the barriers to BCT, alternative methods of delivering radiation therapy have been explored. APBI allows the radiation treatment to be accomplished in one week or less. XB is a form of balloon-based APBI that uses an electronic source generated by a mobile controller unit. Investigators have also explored IORT treatment that delivers a single fraction of radiation in the operating suite at the time of surgery. Methods We report on the first patient treated with XB to deliver IORT. Results IORT treatment utilizing XB is feasible and can be accomplished with a total procedure time of approximately 2 hours. Conclusion Further research on XB and other methods of IORT is needed to establish clinical efficacy and safety for patients with early-stage breast cancer.

Inherently, treating pancreatic adenocarcinoma with chemotherapy is limited by the marginal sensitivity of this tumor to available drugs and drug combinations. For radiotherapy, a similar therapeutic insensitivity is adversely combined with a compromised ability to escalate biologic dose within relevant target volumes because of an intertwining and surrounding matrix of dose-limiting critical normal organs and tissues. The need for effective adjuvant therapy has been intensified by an increase in the safety, applicability, and availability of surgical resection even though such resections remain largely inadequate for producing long-term disease-free survival. The need for improved treatments for locally unresectable tumors remains self-evident based on limited prognosis and the frequency of this presentation. Studies in both domains have attempted to incorporate technical advances in radiotherapy planning and delivery (3-dimensional conformal, intensity modulation) as well as the systemic promise and radiosensitizing properties of gemcitabine-based approaches. The challenges of clinical research are well reflected by the controversies resulting from available studies and the difficulties in successfully designing and executing future trials. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]