Development and Validation of a Small Animal Immobilizer and Positioning System for the Study of Delivery of Intracranial and Extracranial Radiotherapy Using the Gamma Knife System.

The purpose of this research is to establish a process of irradiating mice using the Gamma Knife as a versatile system for small animal irradiation and to validate accurate intracranial and extracranial dose delivery using this system. A stereotactic immobilization device was developed for small animals for the Gamma Knife head frame allowing for isocentric dose delivery. Intercranial positional reproducibility of a reference point from a primary reference animal was verified on an additional mouse. Extracranial positional reproducibility of the mouse aorta was verified using 3 mice. Accurate dose delivery was validated using film and thermoluminescent dosimeter measurements with a solid water phantom. Gamma Knife plans were developed to irradiate intracranial and extracranial targets. Mice were irradiated validating successful targeted radiation dose delivery. Intramouse positional variability of the right mandible reference point across 10 micro-computed tomography scans was 0.65 ± 0.48 mm. Intermouse positional reproducibility across 2 mice at the same reference point was 0.76 ± 0.46 mm. The accuracy of dose delivery was 0.67 ± 0.29 mm and 1.01 ± 0.43 mm in the coronal and sagittal planes, respectively. The planned dose delivered to a mouse phantom was 2 Gy at the 50% isodose with a measured thermoluminescent dosimeter dose of 2.9 ± 0.3 Gy. The phosphorylated form of member X of histone family H2A (γH2AX) staining of irradiated mouse brain and mouse aorta demonstrated adjacent tissue sparing. In conclusion, our system for preclinical studies of small animal irradiation using the Gamma Knife is able to accurately deliver intracranial and extracranial targeted focal radiation allowing for preclinical experiments studying focal radiation.

MIRD pamphlet No. 24: Guidelines for quantitative 131I SPECT in dosimetry applications.

The reliability of radiation dose estimates in internal radionuclide therapy is directly related to the accuracy of activity estimates obtained at each imaging time point. The recently published MIRD pamphlet no. 23 provided a general overview of quantitative SPECT imaging for dosimetry. The present document is the first in a series of isotope-specific guidelines that will follow MIRD 23 and focuses on one of the most commonly used therapeutic radionuclides, (131)I. The purpose of this document is to provide guidance on the development of protocols for quantitative (131)I SPECT in radionuclide therapy applications that require regional (normal organs, lesions) and 3-dimensional dosimetry.

An automatic method for PET target segmentation using a lookup table based on volume and concentration ratio.

Accurate evaluation of functionally significant target volumes in combination with anatomic imaging is of primary importance for effective radiation therapy treatment planning. In this study, a method for rapid and accurate PET image segmentation and volumetrics based on phantom measurements and independent of scanner calibration was developed. A series of spheres ranging in volume from 0.5 mL to 95 mL were imaged in an anthropomorphic phantom of human thorax using two commercial PET and CT/PET scanners. The target to background radioactivity concentration ratio ranged from 3:1 to 12:1 in 11 separate phantom scanning experiments. The results confirmed that optimal segmentation thresholding depends on target volume and radioactivity concentration ratio. This information can be derived from a generalized pre-determined "lookup table" of volume and contrast dependent threshold values instead of using fitted curves derived from machine specific information. A three-step method based on the PET image intensity information alone was used to delineate volumes of interest. First, a mean intensity segmentation method was used to generate an initial estimate of target volume, and the radioactivity concentration ratio was computed by a family of recovery coefficient curves to compensate for the partial volume effect. Next, the appropriate threshold value was obtained from a phantom-generated threshold lookup table. Lastly, a threshold level set method was performed on the threshold value to further refine the target contour by reducing the limitation of global thresholding. The segmentation results were consistent for spheres greater than 2.5 mL which yielded volume average uncertainty of 11.2% in phantom studies. The results of segmented volumes were comparable to those determined by contrast-oriented method and iterative threshold method (ITM). In addition, the new volume segmentation method was applied clinically to ten patients undergoing PET/CT volume analysis for radiation therapy treatment planning of solitary lung metastases. For these patients, the average PET segmented volumes were within 8.0% of the CT volumes and were highly dependent on the extension of functionally inactive tumor volume. In summary, the current method does not require fitted threshold curves or a priori knowledge of the CT/MRI target volume. This threshold method can be universally applied to radiation therapy treatment planning with comparable accuracy, and may be useful in the rapid identification and assessment of plans containing multiple targets.

MIRD Pamphlet No. 22 (abridged): radiobiology and dosimetry of alpha-particle emitters for targeted radionuclide therapy.

The potential of alpha-particle emitters to treat cancer has been recognized since the early 1900s. Advances in the targeted delivery of radionuclides and radionuclide conjugation chemistry, and the increased availability of alpha-emitters appropriate for clinical use, have recently led to patient trials of radiopharmaceuticals labeled with alpha-particle emitters. Although alpha-emitters have been studied for many decades, their current use in humans for targeted therapy is an important milestone. The objective of this work is to review those aspects of the field that are pertinent to targeted alpha-particle emitter therapy and to provide guidance and recommendations for human alpha-particle emitter dosimetry.

MIRD pamphlet No. 20: the effect of model assumptions on kidney dosimetry and response--implications for radionuclide therapy.

UNLABELLED: Renal toxicity associated with small-molecule radionuclide therapy has been shown to be dose-limiting for many clinical studies. Strategies for maximizing dose to the target tissues while sparing normal critical organs based on absorbed dose and biologic response parameters are commonly used in external-beam therapy. However, radiopharmaceuticals passing though the kidneys result in a differential dose rate to suborgan elements, presenting a significant challenge in assessing an accurate dose-response relationship that is predictive of toxicity in future patients. We have modeled the multiregional internal dosimetry of the kidneys combined with the biologic response parameters based on experience with brachytherapy and external-beam radiation therapy to provide an approach for predicting radiation toxicity to the kidneys. METHODS: The multiregion kidney dosimetry model of MIRD pamphlet no. 19 has been used to calculate absorbed dose to regional structures based on preclinical and clinical data. Using the linear quadratic model for radiobiologic response, we computed regionally based surviving fractions for the kidney cortex and medulla in terms of their concentration ratios for several examples of radiopharmaceutical uptake and clearance. We used past experience to illustrate the relationship between absorbed dose and calculated biologically effective dose (BED) with radionuclide-induced nephrotoxicity. RESULTS: Parametric analysis for the examples showed that high dose rates associated with regions of high activity concentration resulted in the greatest decrease in tissue survival. Higher dose rates from short-lived radionuclides or increased localization of radiopharmaceuticals in radiosensitive kidney subregions can potentially lead to greater whole-organ toxicity. This finding is consistent with reports of kidney toxicity associated with early peptide receptor radionuclide therapy and (166)Ho-phosphonate clinical investigations. CONCLUSION: Radionuclide therapy dose-response data, when expressed in terms of biologically effective dose, have been found to be consistent with external-beam experience for predicting kidney toxicity. Model predictions using both the multiregion kidney and linear quadratic models may serve to guide the investigator in planning and optimizing future clinical trials of radionuclide therapy.

Overview of dosimetry for Systemic Targeted Radionuclide Therapy (STaRT).

The purposes of systemic targeted radionuclide therapy dosimetry include compiling a database of normal organ radiation-absorbed doses that are carrier- and radionuclide-specific, and assuring that the normal organ radiation doses are within a safe range before therapy. Also of importance is quantitation of radiation delivery to tumors vs. normal tissues to correlate absorbed dose with tumor control. For agents with significant and variable excretion, estimates of individual patient distribution/clearance may be needed to optimize the dose-response relationship.

Phase I study of 131I-chimeric(ch) TNT-1/B monoclonal antibody for the treatment of advanced colon cancer.

PURPOSE: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the biodistribution and toxicity of 131I-chimeric(ch) TNT-1/B monoclonal antibody (MAB), which binds to intracellular antigens of necrotic regions within tumors, in patients with advanced colon or colorectal cancer. The rationale for targeting areas of tumor necrosis is the observation that necrotic lesions are more abundant in cancer lesions than in surrounding tissues. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Cohorts of patients with advanced colon or colorectal cancer were administered a one-time 30-60-minute intravenous (i.v.) infusion of 131I-chTNT-1/B at doses ranging from 12.95 to 66.23 MBq/kg (0.35-1.79 mCi/kg). RESULTS: The dose-limiting toxicity, experienced at 66.23 MBq/kg (1.79 mCi/kg) 131I-chTNT-1/B MAB, was myelosuppression. Two (2) patients at the 66.23-MBq/kg (1.79 mCi/kg) dose level had both grade 3 thrombocytopenia and grade 3 neutropenia that persisted for at least 2 weeks but were reversible. The maximum tolerated dose was 58.09 MBq/kg (1.57 mCi/kg) 131I-chTNT-1/B MAB. Of the 21 patients, one developed a moderate human antichimeric antibody (HACA) response and 6 developed low HACA responses. CONCLUSIONS: The infusion of 131I-chTNT-1/B MAB was well tolerated, without significant nonhematological toxicity. No patient obtained a complete or partial response, based on tumor cross-product response criteria. Tumor localization was seen in patients with dose levels at, and exceeding, 50.23 MBq/kg (1.36 mCi/kg) 131I-chTNT-1/B MAB.

12 Gy gamma knife radiosurgical volume is a predictor for radiation necrosis in non-AVM intracranial tumors.

PURPOSE: To determine whether the 12-Gy radiosurgical volume (12-GyV) correlates with the development of postradiosurgical imaging changes suggestive of radiation necrosis in patients treated for non-arteriovenous malformation (non-AVM) intracranial tumors with gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery (GKSRS). METHODS AND MATERIALS: A retrospective single-institution review of 129 patients with 198 separate non-AVM tumors was performed. Patients were followed with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and physical examinations at 3- to 6-month intervals. Patients who developed postradiosurgical MRI changes suggestive of radiation necrosis were labeled as having either symptomatic radiation necrosis (S-NEC) if they experienced any decline in neurologic examination associated with the imaging changes, or asymptomatic radiation necrosis (A-NEC) if they had a stable or improving neurologic examination. RESULTS: 12-GyV correlated with risk of S-NEC, which was 23% (for 12-GyV of 0-5 cc), 20% (5-10 cc), 54% (10-15 cc), and 57% (>15 cc). The risk of A-NEC did not significantly change with 12-GyV. Logistic regression analyses showed that the following factors were associated with the development of S-NEC: 12-GyV (p<0.01), occipital and temporal lesions (p<0.01), previous whole-brain radiotherapy (p=0.03), and male sex (p=0.03). Radiosurgical plan conformality did not correlate with the development of S-NEC. CONCLUSION: The risk of S-NEC, but not A-NEC after GKSRS for non-AVM tumors correlates with 12-GyV, and increases significantly for 12-GyV>0 cc.

Safety and feasibility of convection-enhanced delivery of Cotara for the treatment of malignant glioma: initial experience in 51 patients.

OBJECTIVE: We report the safety and feasibility of using convection-enhanced delivery to administer Cotara (Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tustin, CA), a novel radioimmunotherapeutic agent, to patients with malignant glioma. METHODS: Between April 1998 and November 2002, 51 patients with histologically confirmed malignant glioma received Cotara by convection-enhanced delivery. Most patients (88%) were treated with Cotara targeting tumor volume-dependent, single or multiple administrations of activity ranging from 0.5 to 3.0 mCi/cm3 of baseline clinical target volume. Two weeks after infusion, single-photon emission computed tomographic imaging determined the spatial distribution of Cotara. Patients were followed for as long as 41 months (average follow-up, 5 mo). Safety was evaluated on the basis of incidence of procedure-related, neurological, and systemic adverse events. Feasibility was evaluated in a subset of patients on the basis of the correlation between the prescribed activity and the actual activity administered to the targeted region. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients, 37 with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme, 8 with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme, and 6 with recurrent anaplastic astrocytomas, were treated. Average tumor volume was 36 +/- 27.6 cm3 (range, 5-168 cm3). Of the 67 infusions, 13 (19%), 52 (78%), and 2 (3%) delivered less than 90%, 100 +/- 10%, and more than 110%, respectively, of the prescribed administered activity to the targeted region. Treatment-emergent, drug-related central nervous system adverse events included brain edema (16%), hemiparesis (14%), and headache (14%). Systemic adverse events were mild. Several patients had objective responses to Cotara. CONCLUSION: The majority of Cotara infusions delivered between 90 and 110% of the prescribed administered activity to the targeted region. This method of administration has an acceptable safety profile compared with literature reports of other therapeutics delivered by convection-enhanced delivery.

Bone marrow dosimetry using blood-based models for radiolabeled antibody therapy: a multiinstitutional comparison.

UNLABELLED: Standardization of marrow dosimetry is of considerable importance when estimating dose-response for a multicentered clinical trial involving radionuclide therapy. However, it is only within the past five years that the intercomparison of marrow dosimetry results among separate clinical trials that use the same agent has become scientifically feasible. In this work, we have analyzed reported marrow dosimetry results from radioimmunotherapy trials and recalculated marrow absorbed doses at a central facility using a standard blood model with patient-specific source data. The basic approach used in the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM)/Sgouros marrow dosimetry methodology was common to calculation performed at all participating institutions, including the central facility. Differences in dose estimates associated with starting assumptions and the exact implementation of the AAPM/Sgouros calculation methodology used by the source institutions and the central facility were quantified and compared. METHODS: Data from 22 patients enrolled in radiolabeled antibody clinical trials were randomly selected from 7 participating institutions for the assessment of marrow dose. The analysis was restricted to those patients who were treated with 131I- or 186Re-labeled antibody and had no marrow involvement. Calculation of bone marrow dose at each participating institution was unique to the trial or institution, but all used some form of the AAPM/Sgouros blood model approach. The central facility adopted a marrow dosimetry model based on the AAPM/Sgouros model for radiolabeled antibodies using the standard MIRD approach to the remainder-of-body contribution. A standardized approach to account for variations in patient mass was used for the remainder-of-body component. To simplify clinical implementation, regional marrow uptake and time-dependent changes in the marrow-to-blood concentration ratio were not included. Methods of formatting the collection of standard datasets useful in defining dose-response parameters are also presented. RESULTS: Bone marrow doses were calculated according to the method described for each of the 22 patients based on the patient-specific data supplied by the participating institutions. These values were then individually compared with the marrow doses originally reported by each institution. Comparison of the two calculation methods was expressed as a ratio of the marrow doses for each patient. The mean ratio for the dose estimates at the participating institution calculation compared with the central laboratory value was 0.920 +/- 0.259 (mean +/- SD), with a range from 0.708 to 1.202. CONCLUSION: The independent use of the AAPM/Sgouros method blood model approach to marrow dosimetry has brought these dose estimates to within 30% of the results obtained centrally compared with substantially higher uncertainties reported previously. Variations in calculation methodology or initial assumptions adopted by individual institutions may still contribute significant uncertainty to dose estimates, even when the same data are used as a starting point for the calculation comparison shown here. A clinically relevant, standard method for marrow dosimetry for radiolabeled antibodies is proposed as a benchmark for intercomparison purposes. A parameter sensitivity analysis and a summary discussion of the use of this model for potentially improving dose-response data correlation are also presented.

Real-time inverse planning for Gamma Knife radiosurgery.

The challenges of real-time Gamma Knife inverse planning are the large number of variables involved and the unknown search space a priori. With limited collimator sizes, shots have to be heavily overlapped to form a smooth prescription isodose line that conforms to the irregular target shape. Such overlaps greatly influence the total number of shots per plan, making pre-determination of the total number of shots impractical. However, this total number of shots usually defines the search space, a pre-requisite for most of the optimization methods. Since each shot only covers part of the target, a collection of shots in different locations and various collimator sizes selected makes up the global dose distribution that conforms to the target. Hence, planning or placing these shots is a combinatorial optimization process that is computationally expensive by nature. We have previously developed a theory of shot placement and optimization based on skeletonization. The real-time inverse planning process, reported in this paper, is an expansion and the clinical implementation of this theory. The complete planning process consists of two steps. The first step is to determine an optimal number of shots including locations and sizes and to assign initial collimator size to each of the shots. The second step is to fine-tune the weights using a linear-programming technique. The objective function is to minimize the total dose to the target boundary (i.e., maximize the dose conformity). Results of an ellipsoid test target and ten clinical cases are presented. The clinical cases are also compared with physician's manual plans. The target coverage is more than 99% for manual plans and 97% for all the inverse plans. The RTOG PITV conformity indices for the manual plans are between 1.16 and 3.46, compared to 1.36 to 2.4 for the inverse plans. All the inverse plans are generated in less than 2 min, making real-time inverse planning a reality.

MIRD Pamphlet No 19: absorbed fractions and radionuclide S values for six age-dependent multiregion models of the kidney.

UNLABELLED: As one of the major organs of the excretory pathway, the kidneys represent a frequent source of radiopharmaceutical uptake in both diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine. The unique organization of the functional tissues of the organ ensures transient changes in suborgan localization of renal activity. Current single-region dosimetric models of the kidneys, however, force the assumption of a uniform distribution of radioactivity across the entire organ. The average absorbed dose to the kidneys predicted by such models can misrepresent local regional doses to specific substructures. METHODS: To facilitate suborgan dosimetry for the kidneys, 6 new age-dependent multiregion kidney models are presented. The outer dimensions of the models conform to those used currently in single-region kidney models, whereas interior structures are defined for the renal cortex, the medullary pyramids with papillae (2 vertical and 3 horizontal), and the renal pelvis. Absorbed fractions of energy were calculated for both photon and electron sources (10 keV to 4 MeV) located in each source region within the 6 age-dependent models. The absorbed fractions were then used to assemble S values for radionuclides of potential interest in suborgan kidney dosimetry. RESULTS: For the adult, the absorbed dose to the renal cortex for (90)Y-labeled compounds retained within that subregion is approximately 1.3 times that predicted by the single-region kidney model, whereas the medullary dose is only 26% of that same single-region value. For compounds that are rapidly filtered in the kidneys, the renal cortex dose is approximately one-half of that predicted under the single-region model, whereas the tissues of the medullary pyramids receive an absorbed dose 1.5-1.8 times larger. CONCLUSION: The multiregion model described here permits estimates of regional kidney dose not previously supported by current single-region models. Full utilization of the new model, however, requires serial imaging of the kidneys with regions of interest assigned to the renal cortex and medulla.