Application of a treatment planning system-assisted large-aperture computed tomography simulator to percutaneous biopsy: initial experience of a radiation therapist.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the application of treatment planning system (TPS)-assisted large-aperture computed tomography (CT) simulator to percutaneous biopsy. METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled patients that underwent TPS-assisted large-aperture CT simulator-guided percutaneous biopsy from November 2018 to December 2019. Retrospective analyses of puncture accuracy were compared using paired t-test and a Wilcoxon rank sum test. The risk factors for puncture accuracy and complications were identified. RESULTS: A total of 38 patients were included in this study. There were no significant differences between the planned and actual puncture depth and angle. Pulmonary puncture was significantly associated with the accuracy of the puncture angle. The diagnostic rate of malignancy was 76% (29 of 38), of which 20 of 25 patients were in the group initially diagnosed with unconfirmed lesions and nine of 13 patients were in the group of treated patients that needed additional pathological analyses. For patients that underwent a pulmonary biopsy, 12 had minor pneumothorax and three suffered needle track bleeding. No other complications were observed. Regression analyses indicated a significant correlation between puncture angle and the incidence of pneumothorax. CONCLUSION: TPS-assisted large-aperture CT simulator may improve the percutaneous biopsy procedure by combining the advantages of radiotherapy specialties with computer targeting.

Smoking status and cessation counseling practices among physicians, Guangxi, China, 2007.

INTRODUCTION: We examined Chinese physicians' smoking behavior, knowledge of smoking's health effects, and compliance with accepted cessation counseling practices. METHODS: We used a structured questionnaire adapted from the Global Health Professionals Survey of the World Health Organization to survey Chinese physicians based at 5 hospitals in Nanning, Guangxi Province, China. RESULTS: The response rate was 85% for a total of 673 completed questionnaires. Of the 673 respondents, 73% were men, 42% were aged 30 years or younger, and 26% were smokers (men, 35%; women, 3%). Only 28% of the smokers were ready to quit immediately. A substantial proportion of physicians did not have adequate knowledge of smoking-related health hazards or favorable attitudes toward smoking cessation counseling. Asking patients whether they smoked and recording smoking status in the medical record were significantly associated with being female and being very well or somewhat prepared to counsel patients about smoking cessation. Advising patients to quit smoking was significantly associated with being female, being a nonsmoker, being very well or somewhat prepared to counsel patients about smoking cessation, and having read any smoking cessation guidelines. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that smoking is common among male Chinese physicians and that Chinese physicians have inadequate knowledge of smoking's health hazards and of how to help smokers quit. Physicians in China and their patients who smoke would benefit from widely accessible Chinese clinical practice guidelines on smoking cessation, better medical school education about the health risks of smoking, and government funding of cessation medications.