sHDR BRT appears as safe and effective salvage modality for the reirradiation of locally recurrent prostate cancer after definitive RT.

PBM-LED therapy applied prior to RT might be effective in decreasing the incidence and sequelae of radiation-induced skin toxicity in breast cancer patients treated with breast-conserving surgery.

For patients with recurrent GBM, interstitial HDR BRT is an effective re-irradiation method for even larger tumors providing palliation without excessive toxicity.

Background Total body irradiation (TBI) is often a component of the conditioning regimen prior to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with hematological malignancies. However, total marrow irradiation (TMI) could be an alternative method for reducing radiation therapy-associated toxicity, as it specifically targets the skeleton and thus could better protect organs at risk. Here, we compared dosimetric changes in irradiation received by the target volume and organs at risk between TBI and TMI plans. Materials and methods Theoretical TMI plans were calculated for 35 patients with various hematological malignancies who had already received TBI in our clinic. We then statistically compared irradiation doses between the new TMI plans and existing TBI plans. We examined whether TMI provides greater protection of organs at risk while maintaining the prescribed dose in the targeted skeletal area. We also compared beam-on times between TBI and TMI. Results TMI planning achieved significant reductions in the mean, minimum, and maximum irradiation doses in the lungs, kidneys, liver, spleen, and body (i.e., remaining tissue except organs and skeleton). In particular, the mean dose was reduced by 49% in the liver and spleen and by 55–59% in the kidneys. Moreover, TMI planning reduced the corpus beam-on time by an average of 217 s. Conclusion TMI planning achieved significant dose reduction in organs at risk while still achieving the prescribed dose in the target volume. Additionally, TMI planning reduced the beam-on time for corpus plans despite a high modulation factor. Graphical abstract

Purpose To report our results of image-guided interstitial (IRT) high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy (BRT) in the primary treatment of patients with inoperable glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) in the pre-temozolomide period. Material and methods Between 1994 and 2004, 17 patients were treated with HDR BRT for inoperable GBM. Of those, only 11 patients were treated with IRT BRT, and the remaining six patients received combined IRT BRT and external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). Patient’s median age was 59.3 years (range, 29-83 years) and median tumor volume was 39.3 cm 3 (range, 2-162 cm 3 ). The prescribed HDR dose was median 40 Gy (range, 30-40 Gy), delivered twice daily in 5.0 Gy fractions over four consecutive days. Survival from BRT, toxicity as well as the impact of several prognostic factors was evaluated. Results At a median follow-up of 9.3 months, the median overall survival for the whole population, after BRT alone, and combined BRT with EBRT was 9.3, 7.3, and 10.1 months, respectively. Of the prognostic variables evaluated in univariate analysis, i.e., age, Karnofsky performance score, BRT dose, and tumor volume, only the latter one reached statistical significance. Two patients (11.7%) developed treatment-associated adverse events, with one (5.8%) symptomatic radionecrosis and one (5.8%) severe convulsion episode, respectively. Conclusions For patients with inoperable GBM, IRT HDR BRT alone or in combination with EBRT is a safe and effective irradiation method providing palliation without excessive toxicity.