Survey of current practices from an international task force for gynecological stereotactic ablative radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR) is an effective treatment that improves local control for many tumours. However, the role of SABR in gynecological cancers (GYN) has not been well-established. We hypothesize that there exists considerable variation in GYN-SABR practice and technique. The goal of this study is to describe clinical and technical factors in utilization of GYN-SABR among 11 experienced radiation oncologists. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 63 question survey on GYN-SABR was sent to 11 radiation oncologists (5 countries) who have published original research, conducted trials or have an established program at their institutions. Responses were combined and analyzed at a central institution. RESULTS: Most respondents indicated that salvage therapy (non-irradiated or re-irradiated field) for nodal (81%) and primary recurrent disease (91%) could be considered standard options for SABR in the setting of inability to administer brachytherapy. All other indications should be considered on clinical trials. Most would not offer SABR as a boost in primary treatment off-trial without absolute contraindications to brachytherapy. Multi-modality imaging is often (91%) used for planning including PET, CT contrast and MRI. There is a wide variation for OAR tolerances however small bowel is considered the dose-limiting structure for most experts (91%). Fractionation schedules range from 3 to 6 fractions for nodal/primary definitive and boost SABR. CONCLUSIONS: Although SABR has become increasingly standard in other oncology disease sites, there remains a wide variation in both clinical and technical factors when treating GYN cancers. Nodal and recurrent disease is considered a potential indication for SABR whereas other indications should be offered on clinical trials. This study summarizes SABR practices among GYN radiation oncologists while further studies are needed to establish consensus guidelines for GYN-SABR treatment.

Helical tomotherapy versus conventional radiation to deliver abdominopelvic radiation.

While whole abdominopelvic radiation (APRT) provided satisfactory radiation dosimetry for the treatment of cancers with peritoneal dissemination, APRT was abandoned due to unsatisfactory tumor control from necessary radiation shielding of vital organs. Our goal was to develop a helical tomotherapy (TOMO) abdominopelvic radiation technique improving target tissue coverage while dose-limiting vital organs, especially hematopoietic bone marrow. This study reports our clinical development of a TOMO abdominopelvic radiation technique for treatment of patients with advanced stage ovarian cancer. Novel chemoradiosensitizing agent clinical trials incorporating our TOMO abdominopelvic radiation technique for treatment of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer are under development.

Bony changes at the lateral epicondyle of possible significance in tennis elbow syndrome.

Examination of a large number (1232) of elbows from skeletal specimens revealed that 16% displayed a characteristic pattern of bone formation exactly underlying the area of exquisite point tenderness at the lateral humeral epicondyle found in clinical cases of tennis elbow. These changes are usually not seen on standard roentgenograms and can be missed, even at the time of surgery, because this area is not commonly exposed in standard tennis elbow approaches. In a group of clinical cases of tennis elbow (20 patients), similar bony changes could be demonstrated in the majority (60%) of patients with chronic tennis elbow symptoms by the use of specialized x-ray techniques-most notably, coronal reconstructions with computed axial tomography. Ten cadaver specimens were also dissected to delineate the muscular and capsulotendinous insertions in this area. We call attention to these bony changes in the supposition that they may be involved in the development and persistence of symptoms in tennis elbow.

First rib metamorphosis: its possible utility for human age-at-death estimation.

Human first ribs demonstrate predictable, sequential changes in shape, size, and texture with increasing age, and thus, can be used as an indicator of age at death. Metamorphosis of the first rib's head, tubercle, and costal face was documented in a cross-sectional sample of preadult and adult first ribs of known age at death from the Hamann-Todd skeletal collection (Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland, Ohio). Blind tests of the usefulness of the first rib as an age indicator were conducted, including tabulation of intraobserver and interobserver inaccuracies and biases. First rib age estimates show inaccuracies and biases by decade comparable to those generated by other aging techniques. Indeed, the first rib method is useful as an isolated age indicator. When used in conjunction with other age indicators, the first rib improves the quality of summary age assessments.

A radiographic study of the development of the human mandibular dentition.

This paper presents new data on the absolute timing of the growth of the mandibular permanent teeth, with an emphasis on the timing of the completion of the enamel crown. Two collections of cranio-dental radiographs were analyzed: (1) 267 juveniles from a contemporary pediatric dental clinic (Case Western Reserve University School of Dentistry, Cleveland, Ohio), and (2) 36 individuals sampled longitudinally from the Bolton-Brush Growth Study Center. The ages of the individuals span from three months to 18 years of age and the study includes both cross-sectional and longitudinal data. Comparisons of the ages of attainment of the Cleveland samples with other schedules of dental development are made. The relative contribution of the multiple underlying sources of variation producing the differences between the radiographically based developmental schedules remain elusive.