Cancer News Around the Web
August 19, 2019
How might financial pressures have impacted brachytherapy? A proposed narrative to explain the declines in cervical and prostate brachytherapy utilization
Rates of brachytherapy administration in the United States have declined for both cervical and prostate cancers, and we argue that the available facts suggest financial considerations are a major contributor to this issue...
July 30, 2019
Brachytherapy: An overview for clinicians
Brachytherapy is a specific form of radiotherapy consisting of the precise placement of radioactive sources directly into or next to the tumor. This technique is indicated for patients affected by various types of cancers...
June 11, 2019
Vaginal brachytherapy alone for patients with Stage II endometrial cancer with inner half cervical stromal invasion
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to review outcomes of women with Stage II endometrial carcinoma with inner half cervical stromal invasion treated with adjuvant vaginal brachytherapy (VB) alone...
June 10, 2019
Effectiveness of Image-guided Brachytherapy in Patients With Locally Advanced Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma Receiving Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy
Aim: To compare the advantage of image-guided brachytherapy (IGBT) over conventional two-dimensional brachytherapy (2DBT) in patients with advanced cervical squamous cell carcinoma...
June 10, 2019
Influence of dwell time homogeneity error weight parameter on treatment plan quality in inverse optimized HDR cervix brachytherapy using SagiPlan
Purpose: Over the past decade, high-dose-rate (HDR) cervix brachytherapy has benefited from more widespread use of 3D image-based treatment planning techniques, completed mainly with the use of computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A shift from applicator-based optimization methods to anatomy-based inverse optimization has resulted from these developments [1,2,3,4]...
April 29, 2019
Impact of different dose prescription schedules on EQD2 in high-dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy of carcinoma cervix
Purpose: To observe the effect of different high-dose-rate (HDR) intracavitary brachytherapy dose schedules on equieffective dose in 2 Gy per fraction (EQD2)...
April 09, 2019
Compendium of fractionation choices for gynecologic HDR brachytherapy - An American Brachytherapy Society Task Group Report
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to report a list of accepted fractionation schemes for high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy for gynecological cancers in a definitive, neoadjuvant, or adjuvant setting...
February 28, 2019
Current state of interventional radiotherapy (brachytherapy) education in Italy: results of the INTERACTS survey
Purpose: Rapid evolution and improvement of technology in radiation oncology and the complexity of each area of radiotherapy (RT) practice determined the need for an adequate and flexible practical training system. In the field of interventional radiotherapy (brachytherapy – BT), a decline in BT utilization was detected in the 1990’s, essentially due to technological improvement of external beam RT...
February 07, 2019
Factors associated with deformation accuracy and modes of failure for MRI-optimized cervical brachytherapy using deformable image registration
Purpose: To identify factors associated with MRI-to-CT image deformation accuracy and modes of failure for MRI-optimized intracavitary high-dose-rate treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer...
February 02, 2019
Understanding the underutilization of cervical brachytherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer
Purpose: To understand the reasons behind current low utilization of brachytherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer in the United States...
January 18, 2019
Brachytherapy: A critical component of primary radiation therapy for cervical cancer
Brachytherapy is well-established as an integral component in the standard of care for treatment of patients receiving primary radiotherapy for cervical cancer. A decline in brachytherapy has been associated with negative impacts on survival in the era of modern EBRT techniques...
December 28, 2018
Pain relief procedures before high-dose-rate brachytherapy for non-surgical treatment of cervix cancer
Purpose: Cervical cancer (CC) is a neoplasm with a great potential for prevention, but it is still an important public health problem in most developing countries, leading to a significant number of deaths in young women (15-50 years old). In 2012, there has been a total of 528,000 new diagnosis and 266,000 deaths due to CC worldwide, accounting for 7.5% of all deaths from female cancers [1]...
November 18, 2018
Vaginal toxicity after high-dose-rate endovaginal brachytherapy: 20 years of results
Purpose: To evaluate vaginal toxicity (primary endpoint) and local control (secondary endpoint) in patients with endometrial cancer who underwent primary surgery and adjuvant high-dose-rate (HDR) endovaginal brachytherapy (BT)...
November 15, 2018
Cervical Cancer Treatment: Cure Is Possible If Patients Receive Brachytherapy
Patients with non-operable, locally advanced cervical cancer have some of the highest cure rates compared to other advanced cancers, but only if HDR GYN Brachytherapy is a part of their treatment...
October 22, 2018
Increasing age predicts poor cervical cancer prognosis with subsequent effect on treatment and overall survival
Purpose: Stage and histology are well-established prognostic factors for cervical cancer, but the importance of age has been controversial and a clear role for this factor has not yet been defined. Thus, we aim with this study to evaluate the significance of age as an independent prognostic factor in women with cervical cancer and evaluate the therapeutic consequences and survival outcomes as they relate to this factor...
September 15, 2018
Does adjuvant concurrent or sequential chemotherapy increase the radiation-related toxicity of vaginal brachytherapy for endometrial cancer patients?
PURPOSE: To compare radiation toxicity in endometrial cancer patients treated with adjuvant vaginal brachytherapy (VBT) vs. VBT with concurrent chemotherapy (CCT) or sequential chemotherapy (SCT)...
September 03, 2018
Does postoperative irradiation improve survival in early-stage endometrial cancer?
Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecological cancer in developed countries. Postoperative irradiation has been shown to lower locoregional relapses among high-intermediate risk endometrial cancer patients. In addition, vaginal cuff brachytherapy has demonstrated similar control to external beam radiotherapy but with lower toxicity...
July 26, 2018
High-volume providers and brachytherapy practice: A Medicare provider utilization and payment analysis
PURPOSE: Brachytherapy is an important component of the treatment of gynecologic and prostate
cancers, with data supporting its impact on clinical outcomes. Prior data have suggested that brachytherapy tends to be focused at high-volume centers. Medicare reimbursement data can provide an understanding of the distribution of brachytherapy cases among billing providers...
July 23, 2018
Treatment outcomes of high-dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy for cervical cancer: a comparison of Ir-192 versus Co-60 sources
Objective: To determine and compare treatment outcomes between cobalt-60 (Co-60) and iridium-192 (Ir-192) high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy in stage IB2–IIIB cervical cancer patients at Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine Vajira Hospital, Navamindrahiraj University...
June 09, 2018
Second primary malignancies after high-dose-rate 60Co photon or 252Cf neutron brachytherapy in conjunction with external-beam radiotherapy for endometrial cancer
Purpose: Second primary malignancies (SPMs) may occur in organs after radiotherapy (RT). This study aimed to determine the rate and distribution of SPMs for photon- or neutron-emitting radiotherapy sources for patients treated for primary endometrial cancer...
May 25, 2018
Comparison of spinal and general anesthesia approaches for MRI-guided brachytherapy for cervical cancer
Purpose: To evaluate the impact of general versus spinal anesthesia on postprocedure narcotic use and of extradepartmental planning MRI on treatment time in high-dose-rate brachytherapy for cervical cancer...
May 24, 2018
Outcomes for Cervical Cancer Patients Treated With Radiation in High-Volume and Low-Volume Hospitals
Purpose: To investigate the effects of different hospital patient loads on the standard of care and treatment outcomes of patients with cervical cancer treated primarily with radiation therapy and to identify factors that may contribute to survival differences among hospitals...
May 01, 2018
The European Society of Gynaecological Oncology/European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology/European Society of Pathology guidelines for the management of patients with cervical cancer
Background: Despite significant advances in the screening, detection, and treatment of preinvasive cervical lesions, invasive cervical cancer is the fifth most common cancer in European women. There are large disparities in Europe and worldwide in the incidence, management, and mortality of cervical cancer...
April 21, 2018
Brachytherapy proves safe for cervical cancer
Ureteral stricture - a narrowing of the tube that takes urine from the kidneys to the bladder - is a rare but potentially serious complication following radiation treatment for cervical cancer. The stricture can lead to kidney damage and sometimes life-threatening infections...
April 18, 2018
Perioperative high-dose-rate brachytherapy in locally advanced and recurrent gynecological cancer: Final results of a Phase II trial
Purpose: To determine the long-term results of a Phase II trial of perioperative high-dose-rate brachytherapy (PHDRB) in primary advanced or recurrent gynecological cancer...
March 30, 2018
Radiation Therapy Research: A Global Analysis 2001-2015
Radiation therapy is a core modality of cancer treatment; however, concerns have been expressed regarding its underutilization and its lack of prioritization as a research domain relative to other cancer treatment modalities, despite its rapid technical evolution...
February 28, 2018
A comparative assessment of inhomogeneity and finite patient dimension effects in 60Co and 192Ir high-dose-rate brachytherapy
Purpose: To perform a comparative study of heterogeneities and finite patient dimension effects in 60Co and 192Ir high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy...
February 15, 2018
Insurance status and cancer treatment mediate the association between race/ethnicity and cervical cancer survival
Cervical cancer outcomes remain poor among disadvantaged populations, including ethnic minorities, low-income, and underinsured women. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mechanisms that underlie the observed association between race/ethnicity and cervical cancer survival. We identified 13,698 women, ages 21 to 64 years...
January 18, 2018
Quality of training in radiation oncology in Germany: where do we stand?
Purpose: To evaluate the current situation of young radiation oncologists in Germany with regard to the contents and quality of training and level of knowledge, as well as their working conditions and professional satisfaction...
October 21, 2017
Delineating the relationship between Point A prescription dose and pelvic lymph node doses in intracavitary high-dose-rate brachytherapy treatment of cervical cancer for use in low- and middle-income countries
Purpose: To define the relationship between the Point A prescription dose and the dose delivered to various pelvic lymph node groups during high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy treatment of cervical cancer. In less developed countries, brachytherapy is often done without three-dimensional image guidance, instead relying on plain radiography and prescription to Point A...
September 26, 2017
Efficacy of high-dose brachytherapy for cervical cancer differs by dose
High-dose brachytherapy delivered in four fractions of 7 Gy conferred a higher rate of 5-year tumor control than two fractions of 9 Gy among patients with cervical cancer undergoing external beam radiotherapy, according to results of a prospective...
July 28, 2017
Brachytherapy patient safety events in an academic radiation medicine program
Purpose: To describe the incidence and type of brachytherapy patient safety events over 10 years in an academic brachytherapy program...
April 28, 2017
Use of ultrasound in image-guided high-dose-rate brachytherapy: enumerations and arguments
Inherently, brachytherapy is the most conformal radiotherapeutic technique. As an aid to brachytherapy, ultrasonography (USG) serves as a portable, inexpensive, and simple to use method allowing for accurate, reproducible, and adaptive treatments...
March 30, 2017
How one institution overcame the challenges to start an MRI-based brachytherapy program for cervical cancer
Purpose: Adaptive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based brachytherapy results in improved local control and decreased high-grade toxicities compared to historical controls. Incorporating MRI into the workflow of a department can be a major challenge when initiating an MRI-based brachytherapy program...
March 25, 2017
Three-dimensional-guided perineal-based interstitial brachytherapy in cervical cancer: A systematic review of technique, local control and toxicities
Objective: To evaluate local control and toxicities of perineal-based interstitial brachytherapy (P-ISBT) in cervical cancers treated with three-dimensional (3D) image-based planning through a systematic review. The secondary objective of this review is to summarize the implant and dosimetric techniques in 3D P-ISBT...
January 06, 2017
US cancer death rate drops 25% since 1991
The cancer death rate in the United States has dropped 25 per cent from a peak in 1991, mainly due to a steady decline in smoking and advances in early detection and treatment of tumors, new research released Thursday shows...
December 28, 2016
CT-Planned, High-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy Effective in Cervical Cancer
The use of computed-tomography (CT)-planned high-dose-rate (HDR) intracavitary brachytherapy (BT) demonstrated excellent local control (LC) and survival for patients with stage I/II cervical carcinoma, according to the results of a recent study published in Gynecologic Oncology. With a median follow-up of 30 months, no patients experienced local-only recurrence...
December 26, 2016
CT-Guided 125I Seed Interstitial Brachytherapy as a Salvage Treatment for Recurrent Spinal Metastases after External Beam Radiotherapy
Abstract: The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and clinical efficacy of CT-guided 125I seed interstitial brachytherapy in patients with recurrent spinal metastases after external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). Between August 2003 and September 2015, 26 spinal metastatic lesions (24 patients) were reirradiated by this salvage therapy modality...
October 31, 2016
Cervical cancer brachytherapy in Canada: A focus on interstitial brachytherapy utilization
PURPOSE: Brachytherapy (BT) techniques for cervical cancer in Canada have changed over the last decade, with evolution to high-dose-rate and image-guided BT. However, there are currently no national data on the use of interstitial BT (IBT). The purpose of this study was to document IBT utilization in Canadian centers, as well as update details of cervical cancer BT practices...
October 21, 2016
American Brachytherapy Society: Brachytherapy treatment recommendations for locally advanced cervix cancer for low-income and middle-income countries
Purpose: Most cervix cancer cases occur in low-income and middle-income countries (LMIC), and outcomes are suboptimal, even for early stage disease. Brachytherapy plays a central role in the treatment paradigm, improving both local control and overall survival. The American Brachytherapy Society (ABS) aims to provide guidelines for brachytherapy delivery in resource-limited settings...
September 28, 2016
Differences in outcome for cervical cancer patients treated with or without brachytherapy
Purpose: To compare the clinical outcome of cervical cancer patients treated with primary radiotherapy with and without the addition of brachytherapy...
August 10, 2016
Receipt of Vaginal Brachytherapy Is Associated With Improved Survival in Women With Stage I Endometrioid Adenocarcinoma of the Uterus: A National Cancer Data Base Study
BACKGROUND: Randomized controlled trials have consistently shown that the use of postoperative radiotherapy (RT) for stage I endometrial cancer leads to a reduction in the incidence of pelvic recurrences without a corresponding reduction in overall mortality...
June 27, 2016
Commissioning and Quality Control of the New Saginova HDR Treatment System; First Year Experience from the United Kingdom and Germany
Purpose: It is estimated that worldwide, less than one-quarter of centres undertake their own comprehensive local commissioning tests at installation of new HDR Brachytherapy equipment [1]. Commissioning and routine quality control (QC) of HDR brachytherapy treatment equipment is essential to avoid errors and assure quality...
June 15, 2016
The American College of Radiology and the American Brachytherapy Society practice parameter for the performance of low-dose-rate brachytherapy
Abstract: Brachytherapy is the use of radionuclides to treat malignancies or benign conditions by means of a radiation source placed close to or into the tumor or treatment site. This practice parameter refers only to the use of radionuclide brachytherapy. Brachytherapy alone or combined with external beam therapy plays an important role in the management and treatment of patients with cancer...
May 31, 2016
Adjuvant vaginal brachytherapy for early-stage endometrial cancer: A comprehensive review
This article aims to review the risk stratification of endometrial cancer, treatment rationale, outcomes, treatment planning, and treatment recommendations of vaginal brachytherapy (VBT) in the postoperative management of endometrial cancer patients...
May 04, 2016
Proposal to improve commissioning of HDR brachytherapy with results from the first 2 SagiNova® units
Purpose: Commissioning of HDR brachytherapy treatment equipment is essential to avoid errors and assure quality. However, it is estimated that worldwide, less than onequarter of centres undertake robust local commissioning tests at installation [1], important checks may be omitted [2], or systematic errors may remain [3]...
April 29, 2016
Image guided brachytherapy in locally advanced cervical cancer: Improved pelvic control and survival in RetroEMBRACE, a multicenter cohort study
Purpose: Image guided brachytherapy (IGBT) for locally advanced cervical cancer allows dose escalation to the high-risk clinical target volume (HRCTV) while sparing organs at risk (OAR). This is the first comprehensive report on clinical outcome in a large multi-institutional cohort...
April 27, 2016
Brachytherapy improves survival for inoperable early stage endometrial cancer
Women who have early stage endometrial cancer and are inoperable tend to live longer if they have been treated with brachytherapy with or without external beam radiation, according to new research to be presented at the 3rd ESTRO Forum in Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday...
April 21, 2016
Image guided adaptive brachytherapy with combined intracavitary and interstitial technique improves the therapeutic ratio in locally advanced cervical cancer: Analysis from the retroEMBRACE study
Background and purpose: Image guided adaptive brachytherapy (IGABT) using intracavitary applicators (IC) has led to a significant improvement of local control in locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC). Further improvement has been obtained with combined intracavitary/interstitial (IC/IS) applicators. The aim of this analysis was to evaluate the impact on local control and late morbidity of application of combined IS/IC brachytherapy...
April 08, 2016
American Brachytherapy Task Group Report: Adjuvant vaginal brachytherapy for early-stage endometrial cancer: A comprehensive review
Abstract: This article aims to review the risk stratification of endometrial cancer, treatment rationale, outcomes, treatment planning, and treatment recommendations of vaginal brachytherapy (VBT) in the postoperative management of endometrial cancer patients...
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GEC-ESTRO Handbook of Brachytherapy:
ABS Brachytherapy Guidelines and Consensus Statements:
