Introduction: To advise laryngeal carcinoma patients on the most appropriate form of treatment, a tool to predict survival and local control is needed.Materials and methods: We performed a... Show moreIntroduction: To advise laryngeal carcinoma patients on the most appropriate form of treatment, a tool to predict survival and local control is needed.Materials and methods: We performed a population-based cohort study on 994 laryngeal carcinoma patients, treated with RT from 1977 until 2008. Two nomograms were developed and validated. Performance of the models is expressed as the Area Under the Curve (AUC).Results: Unfavorable prognostic factors for overall survival were low hemoglobin level, male sex, high T-status, nodal involvement, older age, lower EQD(2T) (total radiation dose corrected for fraction dose and overall treatment time), and non-glottic tumor. All factors except tumor location were prognostic for local control. The AUCs were 0.73 for overall survival and 0.67 for local control. External validation of the survival model yielded AUCs of 0.68, 0.74, 0.76 and 0.71 for the Leuven (n = 109), the VU Amsterdam (n = 178), the Manchester (n = 403) and the NKI cohort (n = 205), respectively, while the validation procedure for the local control model resulted in AUCs of 0.70, 0.71, 0.72 and 0.62. The resulting nomograms were made available on the website www.predictcancer.org.Conclusions: For patients with a laryngeal carcinoma treated with RT alone, we have developed visual, easy-to-use nomograms for the prediction of overall survival and primary local control. These models have been successfully validated in four external centers. (c) 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. Radiotherapy and Oncology 100 (2011) 108-115 Show less
Roelofs, E.; Persoon, L.; Qamhiyeh, S.; Verhaegen, F.; Ruysscher, D. de; Scholz, M.; ... ; Lambin, P. 2010
This report introduces a framework for comparing radiotherapy treatment planning in multicentric in silico clinical trials. Quality assurance, data incompatibility, transfer and storage issues, and... Show moreThis report introduces a framework for comparing radiotherapy treatment planning in multicentric in silico clinical trials. Quality assurance, data incompatibility, transfer and storage issues, and uniform analysis of results are discussed. The solutions that are given provide a useful guide for the set-up of future multicentric planning studies or public repositories of high quality data. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. Radiotherapy and Oncology 97 (2010) 567-571 Show less
The past decade has provided many technological advances in radiotherapy. The European Institute of Radiotherapy (EIR) was established by the European Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology ... Show moreThe past decade has provided many technological advances in radiotherapy. The European Institute of Radiotherapy (EIR) was established by the European Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ESTRO) to provide current consensus statement with evidence-based and pragmatic guidelines on topics of practical relevance for radiation oncology. This report focuses primarily on 3D CT-based in-room image guidance (3DCT-IGRT) systems. It will provide an overview and current standing of 3DCT-IGRT systems addressing the rationale, objectives, principles, applications, and process pathways, both clinical and technical for treatment delivery and quality assurance. These are reviewed for four categories of solutions; kV CT and kV CBCT (cone-beam CT) as well as MV CT and MV CBCT. It will also provide a framework and checklist to consider the capability and functionality of these systems as well as the resources needed for implementation. Two different but typical clinical cases (tonsillar and prostate cancer) using 3DCT-IGRT are illustrated with workflow processes via feedback questionnaires from several large clinical centres currently utilizing these systems. The feedback from these clinical centres demonstrates a wide variability based on local practices. This report whilst comprehensive is not exhaustive as this area of development remains a very active field for research and development. However, it should serve as a practical guide and framework for all professional groups within the field, focussed on clinicians, physicists and radiation therapy technologists interested in IGRT. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. Radiotherapy and Oncology 94 (2010) 129-144 Show less
