PDR brachytherapy: a report on one – year clinical experience at the Medical University of Gdańsk

PurposeOne-year clinical experience with pulse dose rate (PDR) brachytherapy is presented.Material and methodsBetween March 1999 and June 2000 intracavitary, intraluminal, and interstitial PDR brachytherapy was performed in 119 patients with a variety of malignancies. The dose per pulse of 0.5–4 Gy, repeated each hour, or 6 Gy per application was administered, up to the total dose of 6–70 Gy, using a microSelectron-PDR remote afterloading system with a 192Ir source of 1 Ci nominal activity. The planning system PLATO BPS (version 13) was used for dose calculations. Depending on individual applications, the algorithms of the dose point, the geometrical volume, or the geometrical point dose distribution optimization in PDR treatment planning were performed. In 40 patients therapy was given with a curative intent, and 74 cases were treated palliatively. In the remaining five patients PDR was applied as salvage therapy in the previously irradiated area.ResultsWith a median follow-up of 11 months (range 1–18 months) local control was maintained until the last follow-up or death in 39 out of 40 patients treated with radical intent. The subjective improvement was achieved in more than a half of patients with advanced esophageal and lung carcinomas presenting dysphagia and dyspnoe. Significant acute toxicity (severe esophagitis precluding subsequent POR application) occurred in only one patient. Delayed vaginal cuff necrosis was observed in one woman who received prior pelvic irradiation for gynaecological cancer.ConclusionThe PDR brachytherapy is a safe and clinically effective method in a variety of malignancies. The possibility of programme optimization combined with the use of relatively wide range of pulse doses makes it possible to deliver an optimal brachytherapy scheme

PDR brachytherapy: a report on one – year clinical experience at the Medical University of Gdańsk

SummaryPurposeOne-year clinical experience with pulse dose rate (PDR) brachytherapy is presented.Material and methodsBetween March 1999 and June 2000 intracavitary, intraluminal, and interstitial PDR brachytherapy was performed in 119 patients with a variety of malignancies. The dose per pulse of 0.5–4 Gy, repeated each hour, or 6 Gy per application was administered, up to the total dose of 6–70 Gy, using a microSelectron-PDR remote afterloading system with a 192Ir source of 1 Ci nominal activity. The planning system PLATO BPS (version 13) was used for dose calculations. Depending on individual applications, the algorithms of the dose point, the geometrical volume, or the geometrical point dose distribution optimization in PDR treatment planning were performed. In 40 patients therapy was given with a curative intent, and 74 cases were treated palliatively. In the remaining five patients PDR was applied as salvage therapy in the previously irradiated area.ResultsWith a median follow-up of 11 months (range 1–18 months) local control was maintained until the last follow-up or death in 39 out of 40 patients treated with radical intent. The subjective improvement was achieved in more than a half of patients with advanced esophageal and lung carcinomas presenting dysphagia and dyspnoe. Significant acute toxicity (severe esophagitis precluding subsequent POR application) occurred in only one patient. Delayed vaginal cuff necrosis was observed in one woman who received prior pelvic irradiation for gynaecological cancer.ConclusionThe PDR brachytherapy is a safe and clinically effective method in a variety of malignancies. The possibility of programme optimization combined with the use of relatively wide range of pulse doses makes it possible to deliver an optimal brachytherapy scheme

Preliminary design of the COMPASS upgrade tokamak

COMPASS Upgrade is a new medium size, high magnetic field tokamak (R = 0.9 m, Bt = 5 T, Ip = 2 MA) currently under design in the Czech Republic. It will provide unique capabilities for addressing some of the key challenges in plasma exhaust physics, advanced confinement modes and advanced plasma configurations as well as testing new plasma facing materials and liquid metal divertor concepts. This paper contains an overview of the preliminary engineering design of the main systems of the COMPASS Upgrade tokamak (vacuum vessel, central solenoid and poloidal field coils, toroidal field coils, support structure, cryostat, cryogenic system, power supply system and machine monitoring and protection system). The description of foreseen auxiliary plasma heating systems and plasma diagnostics is also provided as well as a summary of expected plasma performance and available plasma configurations