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Biomedical subjects

G Gaboriaud

Publications and source records attributed to G Gaboriaud.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Combination of photon and proton radiation therapy for chordomas and chondrosarcomas of the skull base: the Centre de Protonthérapie D'Orsay experience.

PURPOSE: Prospective analysis of local tumor control, survival, and treatment complications in 44 consecutive patients treated with fractionated photon and proton radiation for a chordoma or chondrosarcoma of the skull base. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Between December 1995 and December 1998, 45 patients with a median age of 55 years (14-85) were treated using a 201-MeV proton beam at the Centre de Protonthérapie d'Orsay, 34 for a chordoma and 11 for a chondrosarcoma. Irradiation combined high-energy photons and protons. Photons represented two-thirds of the total dose and protons one-third. The median total dose delivered within the gross tumor volume was 67 cobalt Gray equivalent (CGE) (range: 60-70). RESULTS: With a mean follow-up of 30.5 months (range: 2-56), the 3-year local control rates for chordomas and chondrosarcomas were 83.1% and 90%, respectively, and 3-year overall survival rates were 91% and 90%, respectively. Eight patients (18%) failed locally (7 within the clinical tumor volume and 1 unknown). Four patients died of tumor and 2 others of intercurrent disease. In univariate analysis, young age at time of radiotherapy influenced local control positively (p < 0.03), but not in multivariate analysis. Only 2 patients presented Grade 3 or 4 complications. CONCLUSION: In skull-base chordomas and chondrosarcomas, the combination of photons with a proton boost of one-third the total dose offers an excellent chance of cure at the price of an acceptable toxicity. These results should be confirmed with a longer follow-up.

Adolescent↗

Experimental determination and verification of the parameters used in a proton pencil beam algorithm.

We present an experimental procedure for the determination and the verification under practical conditions of physical and computational parameters used in our proton pencil beam algorithm. The calculation of the dose delivered by a single pencil beam relies on a measured spread-out Bragg peak, and the description of its radial spread at depth features simple specific parameters accounting individually for the influence of the beam line as a whole, the beam energy modulation, the compensator, and the patient medium. For determining the experimental values of the physical parameters related to proton scattering, we utilized a simple relation between Gaussian radial spreads and the width of lateral penumbras. The contribution from the beam line has been extracted from lateral penumbra measurements in air: a linear variation with the distance collimator-point has been observed. Analytically predicted radial spreads within the patient were in good agreement with experimental values in water under various reference conditions. Results indicated no significant influence of the beam energy modulation. Using measurements in presence of Plexiglas slabs, a simple assumption on the effective source of scattering due to the compensator has been stated, leading to accurate radial spread calculations. Dose measurements in presence of complexly shaped compensators have been used to assess the performances of the algorithm supplied with the adequate physical parameters. One of these compensators has also been used, together with a reference configuration, for investigating a set of computational parameters decreasing the calculation time while maintaining a high level of accuracy. Faster dose computations have been performed for algorithm evaluation in the presence of geometrical and patient compensators, and have shown good agreement with the measured dose distributions.

Algorithms↗

Dose calculation and verification of intensity modulation generated by dynamic multileaf collimators.

While the development of inverse planning tools for optimizing dose distributions has come to a level of maturity, intensity modulation has not yet been widely implemented in clinical use because of problems related to its practical delivery and a lack of verification tools and quality assurance (QA) procedures. One of the prerequisites is a dose calculation algorithm that achieves good accuracy. The purpose of this work was twofold. A primary-scatter separation dose model has been extended to account for intensity modulation generated by a dynamic multileaf collimator (MLC). Then the calculation procedures have been tested by comparison with carefully carried out experiments. Intensity modulation is being accounted for by means of a 2D (two-dimensional) matrix of correction factors that modifies the spatial fluence distribution, incident to the patient. The dose calculation for the corresponding open field is then affected by those correction factors. They are used in order to weight separately the primary and the scatter component of the dose at a given point. In order to verify that the calculated dose distributions are in good agreement with measurements on our machine, we have designed a set of test intensity distributions and performed measurements with 6 and 20 MV photons on a Varian Clinac 2300C/D linear accelerator equipped with a 40 leaf pair dynamic MLC. Comparison between calculated and measured dose distributions for a number of representative cases shows, in general, good agreement (within 3% of the normalization in low dose gradient regions and within 3 mm distance-to-dose in high dose gradient regions). For absolute dose calculations (monitor unit calculations), comparison between calculation and measurement reveals good agreement (within 2%) for all tested cases (with the condition that the prescription point is not located on a high dose gradient region).

Algorithms↗

[Radiotherapy of cancer of the breast. Technical problems and new approaches].

Technical problems often arise during irradiation to the breast, chest wall, and regional lymph nodes. The following are among the most frequently encountered problems: avoidance of normal tissues (heart and lungs) during chest wall, internal mammary nodes, and large breast irradiations; dose heterogeneity in large breasts; under- or overdosage at field junctions (breast medial tangent and internal mammary fields in particular). Various technical solutions have been offered: modified treatment positions, field inclinations, and conformal irradiation. Many are currently under evaluation. These new technical approaches in breast cancer irradiation require modern facilities for imaging, simulation, and dosimetry, which help to individually design treatment planning.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Automatic three-dimensional expansion of structures applied to determination of the clinical target volume in conformal radiotherapy.

PURPOSE: A method is provided for the automatic calculation of the Clinical Target Volume (CTV) by automatic three dimensional (3D) expansion of the Gross Tumor Volume (GTV), keeping a constant margin M in all directions and taking into account anatomic obstacles. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Our model uses a description of the GTV from contours (polygons) defined in a series of parallel slices obtained from Computed Tomography (CT) or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Each slice is considered sequentially, including those slices located apart from the GTV at a distance smaller than M. In the current slice a two-dimensional (2D) expansion is performed by transforming each vertex of the polygon into a circle with a radius equal to M, and each segment into a rectangle with a height equal to 2M. A cartesian millimetric grid is then "projected" onto the slice and a specific value is assigned at each point depending if the point is internal to the 2D expansion. The influence in the current slice of any slice located at a distance delta z smaller than M is taken into account by applying a 2D expansion using a margin [formula: see text]. Additional contours representative of various "barriers" stopping the expansion process can also be defined. RESULTS: The method has been applied to cylindrical and spherical structures and has proven to be successful, provided that the slice thickness is small enough. For usual slice thicknesses and margins, it gives a slight overestimation of the additional volume (around 5%) due to the choice that the calculated target volume would not be less than the expected volume. It has been shown that for a spherical volume, a 2D expansion performed slice by slice leads to a volume up to 80% smaller than that obtained by 3D expansion. CONCLUSIONS: This tool, which mimics the tumor cell spreading process, has been integrated in our treatment-planning software and used clinically for conformal radiotherapy of brain and prostatic tumors. It has been found to be extremely useful, not only saving time but also allowing a precise determination of the CTV which would be impossible to do manually.

Algorithms↗

A simple method for 3D lesion reconstruction from two projected angiographic images: implementation to a stereotactic radiotherapy treatment planning system.

INTRODUCTION: The most used imaging modality for diagnosis and localisation of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) treated with stereotactic radiotherapy is angiography. The fact that the angiographic images are projected images imposes the need of the 3D reconstruction of the lesion. This, together with the 3D head anatomy from CT images could provide all the necessary information for stereotactic treatment planning. We have developed a method to combine the complementary information provided by angiography and 2D computerized tomography, matching the reconstructed AVM structure with the reconstructed head of the patient. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The ISIS treatment planning system, developed at Institute Curie, has been used for image acquisition, stereotactic localisation and 3D visualisation. A series of CT slices are introduced in the system as well as two orthogonal angiographic projected images of the lesion. A simple computer program has been developed for the 3D reconstruction of the lesion and for the superposition of the target contour on the CT slices of the head. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: In our approach we consider that the reconstruction can be made if the AVM is approximated with a number of adjacent ellipses. We assessed the method comparing the values of the reconstructed and the actual volumes of the target using linear regression analysis. For treatment planning purposes we overlapped the reconstructed AVM on the CT slices of the head. The above feature is to our knowledge a feature that the majority of the commercial stereotactic radiotherapy treatment planning system could not provide. The implementation of the method into ISIS TPS shows that we can reliably approximate and visualize the target volume.

Cerebral Angiography↗

Dosimetric and cytogenetic studies of multiple radiation-induced meningiomas for a single patient.

No criteria are currently available to determine the spontaneous or radiation-induced origin of a malignant tumor occurring in a previously irradiated area. This study presents the dosimetric and cytogenetic analysis of meningiomas diagnosed in irradiated brain areas from a single patient and a discussion of the karyotypes of spontaneous meningiomas and radiation-induced tumors published in the literature.

Adult↗

Potential of T2 relaxation time measurements for early detection of radiation injury to the brain: experimental study in pigs.

PURPOSE: To investigate the MR T2 relaxation time and histologic changes after a single-fraction 25-Gy dose of radiation to the brain of pigs. METHODS: The right hemisphere of 10 Meishan pigs was irradiated with a single dose of 25 GY at the 90% isodose, using a 12-MeV electron beam. T2 relaxation time was measured within three regions of interest in the brain: those that had received 90%, 70%, and 40% of the total dose, respectively. T2 kinetics over time was compared with histologic studies. RESULTS: Brain T2 values were noted to increase within the irradiated areas. T2 kinetics were analyzed in three phases: an immediate transient phase and two long-lasting phases. These two long-lasting phases were correlated with the detection of ventricular compression and necrosis, respectively. The T2 increase within the 90% region of interest was 19%, 22%, and 26% for phases I, II, and III, respectively. T2 measurements within other regions of interest were not significant. CONCLUSION: Although our results suggest a dose threshold for T2 variations, brain T2 values increased after irradiation at a level at which disease could not be seen on conventional MR images. This illustrates the value of using conventional MR imaging in a quantitative manner to assess molecular tissue abnormalities at earlier stages of developing diseases.

Animals↗

Quantitative magnetic resonance and isotopic imaging: early evaluation of radiation injury to the brain.

PURPOSE: Using magnetic resonance (MR) and isotopic imaging to investigate the cerebral alterations after highdose single-fraction irradiation on a pig model. We assessed the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation times as early markers of radiation injury to the healthy brain. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A total of 17 animals was studied; 15 irradiated and 2 unirradiated controls. Pigs were irradiated with a 12 MeV electron beam at a rate of 2 Gy/min. Ten animals received 40 Gy at the 90% isodose, five animals received 60 Gy, and two animals were unirradiated. The follow-up intervals ranged from 2 days to 6 months. T1-weighted scans, T2-weighted scans, and scintigrams were performed on all animals to study neurological abnormalities, cerebral blood flow, and blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity. T1 and T2 relaxation times were measured in selected regions of interest (ROIs) within the irradiated and contralateral hemispheres. A ratio T1 after irradiation/T1 before irradiation, and a ratio T2 after irradiation/T2 before irradiation, were calculated, pooled for each dose group, and followed as a function of time after irradiation. RESULTS: Scintigraphy visualized the brain perfusion defect and BBB disruption in all irradiated brains. The ratio T2 after irradiation/T2 before irradiation was proportional to the effective dose received. The T2 ratio kinetics could be analyzed in three phases:an immediate and transient phase, two long-lasting phases, which preceded compression of the irradiated lateral ventricle, and edema and necrosis at later stages of radiation injury, respectively. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) observations correlated well with histological analysis. CONCLUSION: The results show that quantitative imaging is a sensitive in vivo method for early detection of cerebral radiation injury. The reliability and dose dependence of T2 relaxation time may offer new opportunities to detect and understand brain pathophysiology after high-dose single-fraction irradiation.

Animals↗

Experimental MR study of cerebral radiation injury: quantitative T2 changes over time and histopathologic correlation.

PURPOSE: To use the pig brain as a large-animal model to examine the effects of high-dose single-fraction irradiation on MR images, T2 relaxation time, and histologic integrity. METHODS: A total of 24 Meishan pigs were studied: 20 irradiated animals and 4 unirradiated controls. A high dose was delivered to the right hemisphere of the animals, using a 12-MeV electron beam. Ten animals received 40 Gy at the 90% isodose, and 10 animals received 60 Gy. Quantitative measurement of T2 relaxation time was compared with qualitative analysis of T2-weighted images and histologic studies. RESULTS: Quantitative analysis revealed a reproducible increase of the T2 parameter within the irradiated areas. The T2 kinetic could be analyzed in two phases, which appeared before the visualization of ventricle compression, necrosis, and edema. The first is characterized by vascular inflammation and the latter by radiation necrosis and edema. Both are dose dependent. CONCLUSION: These results underline the ability of quantitative MR for early diagnosis of brain radiation lesions in vivo.

Animals↗

Microwave imaging of tissue blood content changes.

Active microwave imaging gives information on the dielectric properties of of the body, allowing the collection of data that are distinct from, but complementary to, those available from other imaging methods based on different radiations. Two types of microwave imaging systems have been developed. The first is a planar system that irradiates the object with a plane wave and collects scattered phase and amplitude data at 1024 points on a parallel plane. The data can be reconstructed using a back propagation technique to give an image of the object. The second type of system is a tomographic scanner, consisting of a multiplexed 64-element circular array of waveguides. The waveguides are electronically scanned, alternately as sources and receivers, to give a complete scan of the object with no mechanical movement. A tomographic 'slice' of the object is reconstructed using spectral domain interpolation. Both systems work at 2.45 GHz with an incident power less than 1 mW cm-2 at the object and require a coupling medium (usually water) between the object and the source/receiver. Imaging parameters are appropriate for clinical use: a spatial resolution of 1 cm, measurement time of a few seconds and contrast resolution of around 1%. The effects of changes in perfusion on images of isolated animal organs are presented. Images have also been obtained, with both systems, of the internal dielectric structure of the forearm and of variations in dielectric properties due to changes of tissue blood content effected by application and release of tourniquets to the upper arm. Results show that these changes are well demonstrated by microwave imaging, and possible clinical applications are discussed.

Animals↗

Association of microwaves and ionizing radiation: potentiation of teratogenic effects in the rat.

Pregnant Wistar rats were exposed to either microwave-induced hyperthermia or gamma radiation or a combination of both. In microwave-induced hyperthermia, a core temperature of 42 degrees C was slightly teratogenic and a core temperature greater than or equal to 43 degrees C was highly teratogenic. Gamma radiation at 40 cGy was subteratogenic, while a dose of 75 cGy was highly teratogenic. A combination of microwave-induced hyperthermia up to 42 degrees C with 40 cGy of gamma radiation was highly teratogenic, indicating a mutual potentiation of the embryotoxic action of these two teratogens.

Abnormalities, Radiation-Induced↗

[Glomus jugulare tumors. Possibilities of radiotherapy].

From 1964 to 1981, twelve patients with glomus jugulare tumors involving bony lesions of base of skull were treated by high energy radiation. Ten patients presented cranial nerve pairs paralysis. Conventionally fractionated doses of 45 to 60 Gy were applied, and 11 of the 12 patients were alive and clinically stable after follow up for between 3 and 20 years. One patient died of an intercurrent infection after 16 years. Strict irradiation technique is essential to avoid principally neurologic complications. Favorable results after radiotherapy were obtained in extensive tympano-jugular forms.

Adult↗

[Present clinical status of hyperthermia associated with radiotherapy (author's transl)].

Improved techniques for inducing heat: ultrasound, microwaves, diathermy with different application modalities, capable of producing localized superficial or deep, regional or total body hyperthermia have been responsible for the multiplication of clinical trials. These studies have confirmed the tumoricidal effect of hyperthermia alone, or more especially when combined with radiotherapy, and the good tolerance of normal tissues to localized temperatures of 42 to 43.5 degrees C even in previously irradiated cases. Localized heating does not seem to increase the incidence of metastasis. Enhancement ratios and therapeutic gain with respect to normal tissues are not yet well documented. Many problems, including the heterogenicity of tissues to be heated, difficulties with temperature monitoring, and selection of appropriate sequential scheduling of radiation and hyperthermia remain unsolved and further investigations are required.

Chemotherapy, Cancer, Regional Perfusion↗

[Preliminary results for a 434 MHz microwave hyperthermia applicator (author's transl)].

Laboratory tests on inert gel and gel of different compositions were conducted to determine the distribution of isothermal temperature zones. The repartition in depth and along a perpendicular plane to the applicator axis was studied as a function of different parameters: the skin cooling water temperature of the applicator, the incident microwave power, the application time, the gel composition and the antenna position. Experimental results were compared to theoretical values corresponding to a plane microwave penetrating into a tissue-equivalent medium. To take into account in vivo temperature regulation phenomena, the same measurements were made in vivo in pigs and humans and compared to in vitro results.

Animals↗