Physica Medica: European Journal of Medical Physics This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.

Impact of data transfer between treatment planning systems on dosimetric parameters
The main goal in radiotherapy is to generate a quality treatment plan that best achieves the clinical prescription. This involves striking a balance between delivering a high dose to the tumor to maximize control and minimizing doses to organs at risk (OARs) to reduce treatment-related toxicity. Treatment planning involves several steps, from simulation to the computation and reporting of the clinical plan. Maintaining consistent quality throughout this process requires close collaboration and communication among clinicians, physicists, and radiation therapy technicians (RTT). (Source: Physica Medica: European Journal of Medical Physics)
Source: Physica Medica: European Journal of Medical Physics - April 25, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Guenda Meffe, Claudio Votta, Gabriele Turco, Elena Chill è, Matteo Nardini, Angela Romano, Giuditta Chiloiro, Giulia Panza, Matteo Galetto, Amedeo Capotosti, Roberto Moretti, Maria Antonietta Gambacorta, Luca Boldrini, Luca Indovina, Lorenzo Placidi Tags: Technical Note Source Type: research

Optimization of CT pulmonary angiography for pulmonary embolism using task-based image quality assessment and diagnostic reference levels: A multicentric study
Computed tomography (CT) pulmonary angiography (CTPA) is currently the standard of care to quickly and accurately diagnose pulmonary embolism (PE) [1]. The number of CTPA examinations has considerably increased in the last fifteen years [2,3]. In Switzerland, a recent survey showed that despite the increased number of CT examinations, the effective dose has decreased due to efforts to optimize clinical protocols [2]. (Source: Physica Medica: European Journal of Medical Physics)
Source: Physica Medica: European Journal of Medical Physics - April 24, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Ana ïs Viry, Veronika Vitzthum, Pascal Monnin, Julie Bize, David Rotzinger, Damien Racine Tags: Original paper Source Type: research

Evaluation of safety margins for cone beam CT-based adaptive prostate radiotherapy
External beam radiotherapy treatment delivery entails uncertainties [1,2] that can affect the coverage of the target and therefore the treatment outcome [3,4]. In order to account for them, a margin is added to the clinical target volumes (CTV) to create planning target volumes (PTV). This margin depends on the uncertainties that we are dealing with, and can be computed using safety margin recipes, for instance the so-called Van Herk formula [5]. This recipe is based on the separation of systematic uncertainties, that affect the treatment as a whole, and the random uncertainties, that affect each fraction independently. (S...
Source: Physica Medica: European Journal of Medical Physics - April 24, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Florian Dupont, David Dechambre, Edmond Sterpin Tags: Original paper Source Type: research

Optimized scoring of end-to-end dosimetry audits for passive motion management – A simulation study using the IROC thorax phantom
Respiratory motion management is a standard feature of modern radiation therapy (RT) to thoracic and abdominal treatment sites in developed countries [1 –3]. Recent survey data have indicated that passive motion management techniques (including both the internal target volume (ITV) [4] and mid-ventilation [5] approaches) are by far the most prevalently used, most likely due to the now widespread availability of respiratory-correlated planning CT ( 4DCT) [2,3]. Implementing passive motion management in lung stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in particular is supported by evidence gathered in randomized clinical tr...
Source: Physica Medica: European Journal of Medical Physics - April 23, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Alex Burton, Mathieu Gaudreault, Nicholas Hardcastle, Jessica Lye, Sabeena Beveridge, Stephen F. Kry, Rick Franich Tags: Original paper Source Type: research

Heterogeneous PSMA ligand uptake inside parotid glands
Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography (PET) is an imaging procedure primarily used for detecting prostate cancer [1], which quantifies the expression of the PSMA using radiolabeled PSMA ligands. The PSMA is a type II integral membrane protein expressed in all forms of prostate tissue, including cancerous tissue [2], with expression levels being found to increase with the stage and grade of tumours [3,4,5]. PSMA radioligands also accumulate in other body regions such as the major salivary and lacrimal glands [6,7,8], by a process postulated to be at-least partially unrelated to PSMA-mediated...
Source: Physica Medica: European Journal of Medical Physics - April 23, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Caleb M. Sample, Carlos Uribe, Arman Rahmim, Fran çois Bénard, Jonn Wu, Haley Clark Tags: Original paper Source Type: research

A deep learning-based method for the prediction of temporal lobe injury in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Radiotherapy (RT) is the primary treatment modality for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and demonstrates a satisfactory 5-year overall survival [1]. However, the emergence of radiation-induced complications or late RT toxicities cannot be overlooked [2]. Temporal lobe injury (TLI) induced by radiotherapy is a severe late sequela that typically manifests 6 –47 months post-treatment, leading to symptoms such as dizziness, memory loss, personality changes, cognitive impairment, temporal lobe epilepsy, or necrosis. (Source: Physica Medica: European Journal of Medical Physics)
Source: Physica Medica: European Journal of Medical Physics - April 22, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Wenting Ren, Bin Liang, Chao Sun, Runye Wu, Kuo Men, Huan Chen, Xin Feng, Lu Hou, Fei Han, Junlin Yi, Jianrong Dai Tags: Original paper Source Type: research

Uncertainties in ocular proton planning and their impact on required margins
Ocular proton therapy (OPT) for uveal melanoma dates back to 1975 at the Harvard Cylcotron Laboratory and up to date more than 45,000 patients have been treated worldwide with exceptional success rates [1]. Although technical improvements occurred mainly with respect to treatment planning and imaging, the general concept has stayed more or less the same: a geometric eye model is constructed and the positioning of the target relative to the beam isocenter is achieved by means of orthogonal X-rays, which show the radio-opaque tantalum markers sutured to the outer eyeball. (Source: Physica Medica: European Journal of Medical Physics)
Source: Physica Medica: European Journal of Medical Physics - April 21, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: J örg Wulff, Benjamin Koska, Dalia Ahmad Khalil, Ronald Richter, Claus Maximilian Bäcker, Christian Bäumer, Andreas Foerster, Nikolaos E. Bechrakis, Beate Timmermann Source Type: research

Development of novel low-cost readout electronics for large field-of-view gamma camera detectors
Given the extensive use of gamma cameras as a medical diagnostic instrument for characterizing the biodistribution of gamma-emitting radiopharmaceuticals administered to patients [1 –3], significant research was carried out to improve the performance of gamma cameras [4]. In a gamma camera, first the gamma rays emitted from the patient’s body are collimated using a collimator, subsequently interacting with a monolithic scintillation crystal (commonly used NaI(Tl)). The prod uced light is converted to a signal by an array of large area photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) located on the opposite side of the crystal. (Source: Ph...
Source: Physica Medica: European Journal of Medical Physics - April 19, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Aram Radnia, Amirhossein Alikhani, Behnoosh Teimourian, Mahyar Yousef Nejad, Mohammad Hossein Farahani, Fakhereh Pashaei, Arman Rahmim, Habib Zaidi, Mohammad Reza Ay Source Type: research

Dual time-point [18F]FDG PET imaging for quantification of metabolic uptake rate: Evaluation of a simple, clinically feasible method
Semi-quantitative analysis of positron emission tomography (PET) images is commonly performed by measuring the standardized uptake value (SUV) [1 –3]. However, several factors can affect quantification via a single static PET scan at a late time-point post-injection (p.i.) [4]. PET radiopharmaceutical distribution is a dynamic process, and a compartmental model can describe the underlying mechanisms and provide additional kinetic parameters related to the underlying pathology. While several studies have shown the significant potential of dynamic imaging [3–10], this approach has some limitations for routine clinical us...
Source: Physica Medica: European Journal of Medical Physics - April 15, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Rezvan Samimi, Alireza Kamali-Asl, Yashar Ahmadyar, J örg van den Hoff, Parham Geramifar, Arman Rahmim Tags: Original paper Source Type: research

IOeRT conventional and FLASH treatment planning system implementation exploiting fast GPU Monte Carlo: The case of breast cancer
Partial breast irradiation for the treatment of early-stage breast cancer patients can be performed by means of Intra Operative electron Radiation Therapy (IOeRT). One of the main limitations of this technique is the absence of a treatment planning system (TPS) that could greatly help in ensuring a proper coverage of the target volume during irradiation. An IOeRT TPS has been developed using a fast Monte Carlo (MC) and an ultrasound imaging system to provide the best irradiation strategy (electron beam energy, applicator position and bevel angle) and to facilitate the optimisation of dose prescription and delivery to the t...
Source: Physica Medica: European Journal of Medical Physics - April 11, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: G. Franciosini, D. Carlotti, F. Cattani, A. De Gregorio, V. De Liso, F. De Rosa, M. Di Francesco, F. Di Martino, G. Felici, J. Harold Pensavalle, M.C. Leonardi, M. Marafini, A. Muscato, F. Paiar, V. Patera, P. Poortmans, A. Sciubba, A. Schiavi, M. Toppi, Tags: Original paper Source Type: research

Shear wave elastography for assessing the anterior scalene elasticity in patients with neck pain
The scalene muscles have a high clinical interest due to the anatomical relationships and its role in specific musculoskeletal impairments. In fact, the inter-scalene triangle is particularly relevant as it serves as the pathway for the roots and trunks of the brachial plexus and the subclavian artery [1,2]. Histological and functional AS muscle changes has been found associated with neck pain [3] as evidence demonstrated fiber conversion [4] and greater electromyographic activity pain-side specific during low-load tasks [5]. (Source: Physica Medica: European Journal of Medical Physics)
Source: Physica Medica: European Journal of Medical Physics - April 10, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Juan Antonio Valera-Calero, Elena S ánchez-Jiménez, Gustavo Plaza-Manzano, César Fernández-de-las-Peñas, Sandra Sánchez-Jorge, Marcos José Navarro-Santana Tags: Technical Note Source Type: research

Radiomics-based discriminant analysis of principal components to stratify the treatment response of lung metastases following stereotactic body radiation therapy
The lung is the second most common site for metastases for most solid tumor (such as primary lung cancer itself, colorectal, head and neck, renal cell and breast cancer), with 20 –54 % of cancer patients developing lung metastases during their disease [1]. If patients with aggressive metastatic dissemination are usually treated with systemic therapy, patients with a modest metastatic burden, also known as oligometastatic disease, are more likely to benefit from local trea tment [2]. Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is a potentially effective alternative treatment modality that is now regarded as being equally ...
Source: Physica Medica: European Journal of Medical Physics - April 8, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Savino Cilla, Francesco Deodato, Carmela Romano, Gabriella Macchia, Milly Buwenge, Alessio G. Morganti Tags: Original paper Source Type: research

Absolute ground truth-based validation of computer-aided nodule detection and volumetry in low-dose CT imaging
Over the last few years, advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and increased expertise in deep learning have proven to be proficient in learning patterns for large-scale data [1]. Convolutional neural networks have been successfully utilized in endeavors to develop algorithms for image interpretation tasks in radiology [1 –4]. A lot of interest has been raised for the development of AI tools for automatic detection of pulmonary nodules on chest Computed Tomography (CT)[1,5–7]. The potentially huge number of CT examinations, associated with the advent of population-based lung cancer screening (LCS) programs, coul...
Source: Physica Medica: European Journal of Medical Physics - April 8, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Louise D'hondt, Pieter-Jan Kellens, Kwinten Torfs, Hilde Bosmans, Klaus Bacher, Annemiek Snoeckx Source Type: research

Amyloid brain-dedicated PET images can diagnose Alzheimer ’s pathology with Centiloid Scale
The prevalence of dementia is predicted to rise in the coming years as a result of the aging population. As a consequence, it is recognized as a major public health issue with significant unmet needs (such as early detection, effective treatment, prognostic evaluation) [1]. Alzheimer ’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia being characterized by the pathologic accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and tau neurofibrillary tangles [2]. Plaques begin to accumulate 10–20 years before clinical impairment [3]. (Source: Physica Medica: European Journal of Medical Physics)
Source: Physica Medica: European Journal of Medical Physics - April 5, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Maria Teresa Gandia-Ferrero, Irene Torres-Espallardo, Bego ña Martínez-Sanchis, Enrique Muñoz, Constantino Morera-Ballester, Pablo Sopena-Novales, Lourdes Álvarez-Sánchez, Miquel Baquero-Toledo, Luis Martí-Bonmatí Source Type: research

Kidney dosimetry in [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-TATE therapy based on multiple small VOIs
Patient-specific dosimetry is a key component for personalization of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) [1 –4]. A challenge for routine clinical implementation is that some methodological steps require adaption to the individual patient’s data and are thus labour intensive. One such step is kidney delineation in serial single photon emission tomography (SPECT) images. There is thus a need for efficie nt image-analysis methods that provide sufficiently accurate estimates of renal absorbed dose. (Source: Physica Medica: European Journal of Medical Physics)
Source: Physica Medica: European Journal of Medical Physics - March 30, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Selma Curkic Kapidzic, Johan Gustafsson, Erik Larsson, Lovisa Jessen, Katarina Sj ögreen Gleisner Source Type: research