A Cancer Care Ontario Consensus-Based Organizational Guideline for the Planning and Delivery of Spine Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Treatment in Ontario.

The proposed recommendations are primarily based on the consensus opinion and in-field experience of the Ontario Health/Cancer Care Ontario stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for Spine Metastasis Guideline Development Group and published literature when available. Primary consideration was given to the perceived benefits for patients and the small likelihood of harm arising from recommendation implementation. Apart from the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) follow-up strategy, all evidence was considered indirect and was provided by the working group in conjunction with their collective expertise in the field of SBRT. The application of an SBRT program requires a multidisciplinary team consisting of a radiation oncologist, spine surgeon, neuroradiologist, medical physicist, medical dosimetrist, and radiation therapist. In Canada, linear accelerators are the most used treatment delivery units and should follow technology-specific quality assurance procedures. Immobilization technique is location dependant. Treatment planning MRI sequences should be acquired no more than 14 days from the date of treatment. In the case of epidural disease, simulation MRI should be completed no more than 7 days from the date of treatment. After treatment, patients should be followed with routine clinical visits every 3 months for the first year, every 3 to 6 months during years 2 and 3, and every 4 to 6 months thereafter. The recommendations enclosed provide a framework for the minimum requirements for a cancer center in Ontario, Canada to offer SBRT for spine metastases.

A Cancer Care Ontario Organizational Guideline for the Delivery of Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Brain Metastasis in Ontario, Canada.

PURPOSE: In Ontario, Canada, there is increasing demand for stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for brain metastases. Recommendations for safe SRS delivery are needed to ensure that patients receive an equitable level of care across the province. This guideline presents the minimal recommendations for the organization and delivery of SRS with respect to the multidisciplinary team, applicable technologies, imaging requirements, quality assurance program, and patient follow-up. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The recommendations are based on the consensus opinion of the Cancer Care Ontario SRS for Brain Metastasis Guideline Development Group and clinical evidence when available. Primary consideration was given to the perceived benefits for patients and the small likelihood of harm arising from recommendation implementation. With the exception of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) follow-up strategy, all evidence was considered indirect and was provided by the working group in conjunction with their collective expertise in the field of SRS. RESULTS: The application of SRS requires a multidisciplinary team consisting of a radiation oncologist, neurosurgeon, neuroradiologist, medical physicist, radiation therapist, and medical dosimitrist. Volumetric imaging scanning parameters must be set to ensure sufficient spatial resolution, geometric fidelity, and contrast signal for brain metastases to be adequately and reliably visualized, contoured, and planned. The MRI-to-treatment time interval should be as short as possible, ideally no more than 7 days and certainly no more than 14 days as a maximum. Quality assurance programs must ensure that the treatment unit is in compliance with the manufacturer and with national and international guidelines. Follow-up of patients undergoing SRS should consist of routine clinical visits with an MRI every 2 to 3 months for the first year; every 3 to 4 months for the second and third year; and thereafter as determined by the multidisciplinary case conference. CONCLUSIONS: The recommendations enclosed provide a framework for the minimum requirements for a cancer center in Ontario, Canada, to offer SRS for brain metastases.

The Utility of Positron Emission Tomography in Epilepsy.

The role of fludeoxyglucose F 18 positron emission tomography (PET) in the presurgical evaluation of patients with medically intractable epilepsy continues to be refined. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the literature to assess the diagnostic accuracy and utility of PET in this setting. Thirty-nine studies were identified through MEDLINE and EMBASE databases that met the inclusion criteria. In adult patients, PET hypometabolism showed a 56 to 90% agreement with seizure onset localized by intracranial electroencephalogram (pediatric: 21 to 86%). In temporal lobe epilepsy patients with good surgical outcome, PET displayed moderate to high sensitivity in localizing the seizure focus (range: 71 to 89%). The sensitivity increased by 8 to 23% when PET results were combined with magnetic resonance imaging or electroencephalogram. PET has been shown to affect patient management by improving the guidance of intracranial electrodes placement, altering the decision to perform surgery, or excluding patients from further evaluation.