International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics
-
Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. · Feb 1999
Review Clinical TrialUse of three-dimensional radiation therapy planning tools and intraoperative ultrasound to evaluate high dose rate prostate brachytherapy implants.
We performed a pilot study to evaluate the quality of high dose rate (HDR) prostate implants using a new technique combining intraoperative real-time ultrasound images with a commercially available 3-dimensional radiation therapy planning (3D RTP) system. ⋯ The feasibility of evaluating HDR prostate implants using ultrasound images (acquired immediately prior to treatment) with a commercially available 3D RTP system was established. The dosimetric characteristics of these HDR implants appear to be substantially different compared to permanent implants. These developments allow quantitative evaluation of the dosimetric quality of HDR prostate treatments. Future studies will examine any correlation between the dosimetric quality of the implant and clinical/biochemical outcomes.