Radiation Dose in Cancer Radiotherapy

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Therapy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2024) | Viewed by 4324

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Guest Editor
Department of Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Science, University College London, London, UK
Interests: radiation dosimetry; radiation detectors; radiotherapy treatment planning; radiotherapy technological developments
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

More than half of cancer patients receive radiotherapy as part of their treatment and ongoing developments in the field have ensured that radiotherapy remains a key treatment option. Technological developments have seen the implementation of image guided, high precision treatments such as stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) employing high dose, low fraction treatment regimens. The number of proton and carbon beam therapy facilities continues to rise globally and developments in molecular radiotherapy and brachytherapy have also been seen. Synergistic approaches using biological and immunotherapy agents are also being developed. These approaches have been supported by developments in preclinical investigations in small animal imaging and irradiation (SARP). All of these developments require accurate determination of the radiation dose to ensure clinical outcomes are not compromised. The aim of this special issue is to provide an up to date overview of developments in all aspects of Radiation Dose in Cancer Radiotherapy. 

Prof. Dr. Andrew Nisbet
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • radiation dosimetry
  • radiation detectors
  • radiotherapy treatment planning
  • radiotherapy technological developments
  • cancer patients

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 7095 KiB  
Article
Cannabidiol (CBD) Protects Lung Endothelial Cells from Irradiation-Induced Oxidative Stress and Inflammation In Vitro and In Vivo
by Lisa Bauer, Bayan Alkotub, Markus Ballmann, Morteza Hasanzadeh Kafshgari, Gerhard Rammes and Gabriele Multhoff
Cancers 2024, 16(21), 3589; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16213589 - 24 Oct 2024
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Abstract
Objective: Radiotherapy, which is commonly used for the local control of thoracic cancers, also induces chronic inflammatory responses in the microvasculature of surrounding normal tissues such as the lung and heart that contribute to fatal radiation-induced lung diseases (RILDs) such as pneumonitis and [...] Read more.
Objective: Radiotherapy, which is commonly used for the local control of thoracic cancers, also induces chronic inflammatory responses in the microvasculature of surrounding normal tissues such as the lung and heart that contribute to fatal radiation-induced lung diseases (RILDs) such as pneumonitis and fibrosis. In this study, we investigated the potential of cannabidiol (CBD) to attenuate the irradiation damage to the vasculature. Methods: We investigated the ability of CBD to protect a murine endothelial cell (EC) line (H5V) and primary lung ECs isolated from C57BL/6 mice from irradiation-induced damage in vitro and lung ECs (luECs) in vivo, by measuring the induction of oxidative stress, DNA damage, apoptosis (in vitro), and induction of inflammatory and pro-angiogenic markers (in vivo). Results: We demonstrated that a non-lethal dose of CBD reduces the irradiation-induced oxidative stress and early apoptosis of lung ECs by upregulating the expression of the cytoprotective mediator heme-oxygenase-1 (HO-1). The radiation-induced increased expression of inflammatory (ICAM-2, MCAM) and pro-angiogenic (VE-cadherin, Endoglin) markers was significantly reduced by a continuous daily treatment of C57BL/6 mice with CBD (i.p. 20 mg/kg body weight), 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after a partial irradiation of the lung (less than 20% of the lung volume) with 16 Gy. Conclusions: CBD has the potential to improve the clinical outcome of radiotherapy by reducing toxic side effects on the microvasculature of the lung. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Radiation Dose in Cancer Radiotherapy)
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15 pages, 1822 KiB  
Article
Dosimetric Comparison and Selection Criteria of Intensity-Modulated Proton Therapy and Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy for Adaptive Re-Plan in T3-4 Nasopharynx Cancer Patients
by Mincheol Ko, Kyungmi Yang, Yong Chan Ahn, Sang Gyu Ju, Dongryul Oh, Yeong-bi Kim, Dong Yeol Kwon, Seyjoon Park and Kisung Lee
Cancers 2024, 16(19), 3402; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16193402 - 5 Oct 2024
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Abstract
Background: Proton therapy requires caution when treating patients with targets near neural structures. Intuitive and quantitative guidelines are needed to support decision-making concerning the treatment modality. This study compared dosimetric profiles of intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) using helical [...] Read more.
Background: Proton therapy requires caution when treating patients with targets near neural structures. Intuitive and quantitative guidelines are needed to support decision-making concerning the treatment modality. This study compared dosimetric profiles of intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) using helical tomotherapy (HT) for adaptive re-planning in cT3-4 nasopharyngeal cancer (NPCa) patients, aiming to establish criteria for selecting appropriate treatment modalities. Methods: HT and IMPT plans were generated for 28 cT3-4 NPCa patients undergoing definitive radiotherapy. Dosimetric comparisons were performed for target coverage and high-priority organs at risk (OARs). The correlation between dosimetric parameters and RT modality selection was analyzed with the target OAR distances. Results: Target coverages were similar, while IMPT achieved better dose spillage. HT was more favorable for brainstem D1, optic chiasm Dmax, optic nerves Dmax, and p-cord D1. IMPT showed advantages for oral cavity Dmean. Actually, 14 IMPT and 14 HT plans were selected as adaptive plans, with IMPT allocated to most cT3 patients (92.9% vs. 42.9%, p = 0.013). The shortest distances from the target to neural structures were negatively correlated with OAR doses. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were carried out to discover the optimal cut-off values of the shortest distances between the target and the OARs (temporal lobes and brainstem), which were 0.75 cm (AUC = 0.908, specificity = 1.00) and 0.85 cm (AUC = 0.857, specificity = 0.929), respectively. Conclusions: NPCa patients with cT4 tumor or with the shortest distance between the target and critical neural structures < 0.8 cm were suboptimal candidates for IMPT adaptive re-planning. These criteria may improve resource utilization and clinical outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Radiation Dose in Cancer Radiotherapy)
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19 pages, 2596 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Inorganic Scintillator Detectors for Dosimetry in Image-Guided Small Animal Radiotherapy Platforms
by Ileana Silvestre Patallo, Anna Subiel, Rebecca Carter, Samuel Flynn, Giuseppe Schettino and Andrew Nisbet
Cancers 2023, 15(3), 987; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15030987 - 3 Feb 2023
Viewed by 2213
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to characterize a detection system based on inorganic scintillators and determine its suitability for dosimetry in preclinical radiation research. Dose rate, linearity, and repeatability of the response (among others) were assessed for medium-energy X-ray beam qualities. The [...] Read more.
The purpose of the study was to characterize a detection system based on inorganic scintillators and determine its suitability for dosimetry in preclinical radiation research. Dose rate, linearity, and repeatability of the response (among others) were assessed for medium-energy X-ray beam qualities. The response’s variation with temperature and beam angle incidence was also evaluated. Absorbed dose quality-dependent calibration coefficients, based on a cross-calibration against air kerma secondary standard ionization chambers, were determined. Relative output factors (ROF) for small, collimated fields (≤10 mm × 10 mm) were measured and compared with Gafchromic film and to a CMOS imaging sensor. Independently of the beam quality, the scintillator signal repeatability was adequate and linear with dose. Compared with EBT3 films and CMOS, ROF was within 5% (except for smaller circular fields). We demonstrated that when the detector is cross-calibrated in the user’s beam, it is a useful tool for dosimetry in medium-energy X-rays with small fields delivered by Image-Guided Small Animal Radiotherapy Platforms. It supports the development of procedures for independent “live” dose verification of complex preclinical radiotherapy plans with the possibility to insert the detectors in phantoms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Radiation Dose in Cancer Radiotherapy)
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