Role of an Atomic-Level-Based Approach for Improving Cancer Therapy

Looking at the atomic level of biological activity, the electron spin may be considered a key parameter, governing fundamental biological processes. Spin states have a major role in defining the structure, reactivity, magnetic and spectroscopic properties of a molecule. In the last decades, there has been a growing interest in the use of magnetic fields (MF) to study their influence on different biological systems, considering their effect on electron spin energy levels and consequently on redox-related cellular changes. Different authors have studied the use of magnetic fields as potential antitumor agent as well as an adjuvant agent to chemotherapy and radiotherapy with promising results. Overall, the published data support the presence, in laboratory animals, of antitumor efficacy in many types of cancer including adenocarcinoma, breast cancer, melanoma and neuroblastoma. Those antitumor effects seem to be associated with no observable side effects or toxicity in animals or in humans. More studies are necessary, mainly at the clinical level, to understand the real potential of this atomic approach in improving availability of cancer therapy. In addition, this approach may contribute to fulfill a knowledge gap facing biomedical science today, the one between the atomic level and the cellular level

Verification of Varian enhanced dynamic wedge implementation in MasterPlan treatment planning system

This paper investigates the accuracy of the two available calculation algorithms of the Oncentra MasterPlan three-dimensional treatment planning system (TPS) – the pencil beam method and collapsed-cone convolution – in modeling the Varian enhanced dynamic wedge (EDW). Measurements were carried out for a dual high energy (6-15 MV) Varian DHX-S linear accelerator using ionization chambers for beam axis measurements (wedge factors and depth doses), film dosimetry for offaxis dose profiles measurements, and a diode matrix detector for two dimensional absolute dose distributions. Using both calculation algorithms, different configuration of symmetric and asymmetric fields varying the wedge’s angle were tested. Accuracy of the treatment planning system was evaluated in terms of percentage differences between measured and calculated values for wedge factors, depth doses, and profiles. As far as the absolute dose distribution was concerned, the gamma index method (Low et al. (13) ) was used with 3 % and 3 mm as acceptance criteria for dose difference and distance-to-agreement, respectively. Wedge factors and percentage depth doses were within 1 % deviation between calculated and measured values. The comparison of measured and calculated dose profiles shows that the Van Dyk’s acceptance criteria (Van Dyk et al. (14) ) are generally met; a disagreement can be noted for large wedge angles and field size limited to the low dose-low gradient region only. The 2D absolute dose distribution analysis confirms the good accuracy of the two calculation algorithms in modeling the enhanced dynamic wedge. PACS number: 87.53.Bn, 87.55.kn, 87.56.ng Key words: radiotherapy, enhanced dynamic wedge, treatment plannin

Different IMRT solutions vs. 3D-Conformal Radiotherapy in early stage Hodgkin's lymphoma: dosimetric comparison and clinical considerations

none10BACKGROUND: Radiotherapy in Hodgkin's Lymphoma (HL) is currently evolving with new attempts to further reduce radiation volumes to the involved-node concept (Involved Nodes Radiation Therapy, INRT) and with the use of intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Currently, IMRT can be planned and delivered with several techniques, and its role is not completely clear. We designed a planning study on a typical dataset drawn from clinical routine with the aim of comparing different IMRT solutions in terms of plan quality and treatment delivery efficiency. METHODS: A total of 10 young female patients affected with early stage mediastinal HL and treated with 30 Gy INRT after ABVD-based chemotherapy were selected from our database. Five different treatment techniques were compared: 3D-CRT, VMAT (single arc), B-VMAT ("butterfly", multiple arcs), Helical Tomotherapy (HT) and Tomodirect (TD). Beam energy was 6 MV, and all IMRT planning solutions were optimized by inverse planning with specific dose-volume constraints on OAR (breasts, lungs, thyroid gland, coronary ostia, heart). Dose-Volume Histograms (DVHs) and Conformity Number (CN) were calculated and then compared, both for target and OAR by a statistical analysis (Wilcoxon's Test). RESULTS: PTV coverage was reached for all plans (V95% >= 95%); highest mean CN were obtained with HT (0.77) and VMAT (0.76). B-VMAT showed intermediate CN mean values (0.67), while the lowest CN were obtained with TD (0.30) and 3D-CRT techniques (0.30). A trend of inverse correlation between higher CN and larger healthy tissues volumes receiving low radiation doses was shown for lungs and breasts. For thyroid gland and heart/coronary ostia, HT, VMAT and B-VMAT techniques allowed a better sparing in terms of both Dmean and volumes receiving intermediate-high doses compared to 3D-CRT and TD. CONCLUSIONS: IMRT techniques showed superior target coverage and OAR sparing, with, as an expected consequence, larger volumes of healthy tissues (lungs, breasts) receiving low doses. Among the different IMRT techniques, HT and VMAT showed higher levels of conformation; B-VMAT and HT emerged as the planning solutions able to achieve the most balanced compromise between higher conformation around the target and smaller volumes of OAR exposed to lower doses (typical of 3D-CRT).noneFiandra C; Filippi AR; Catuzzo P; Botticella A; Ciammella P; Franco P; Casanova Borca V; Ragona R; Tofani S; Ricardi U.Fiandra, C; Filippi, Ar; Catuzzo, P; Botticella, A; Ciammella, P; Franco, P; Casanova Borca, V; Ragona, R; Tofani, S; Ricardi, U

Penile metastasis from prostate cancer: a case report

: Metastatic involvement of the penis is rare. About 80% of secondary lesions originate from pelvic primary tumors, mainly bladder and prostate. We present a case of prostatic mucinous adenocarcinoma with penile metastasis symptomatic for pain, which was treated with external-beam radiation (35 Gy/14 fractions; 2.5 Gy daily) combined with androgen deprivation, resulting in complete pain relief and objective response after treatment