Comparison of novel shielded nasopharynx applicator designs for intracavitary brachytherapy

Insley, Benjamin; Goldberg, Ken; Beaulieu, Luc; Ma, Y.; McKinley, Stephen; Hsu, I‐Chow; Cunha, J. Adam M.

doi:10.1016/j.brachy.2021.12.007

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…With the remarkable advances made in technological capacities achieved in the field of additive manufacturing, the recent years have seen a surge in the number of papers describing BT procedures enhanced by the use of patient‐specific devices such as applicators and vaginal templates for intracavitary‐interstitial applicators, [ 29 ] even patient‐specific shielded nasopharynx applicator, [ 30 ] patient‐specific molds for treating patients with hard palate carcinoma with high‐dose‐rate interventional radiotherapy (HDR‐IR), [ 31 ] patient‐specific applicators for HDR BT, boluses for photon and electron radiotherapy for patients with basal cell carcinoma and recurrent squamous cell carcinoma, [ 32 ] personalized elastic skin applicators for HDR BT, [ 33 ] as well as patient‐specific templates for multicatheter interstitial BT for the treatment of breast cancer patients. [ 34 ] In all of these applications effectively implemented in the clinic, the authors reported that the templates and applicators developed by 3D printing provided an easy and effective way to deliver personalized radiotherapy treatments to cancer patients.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tumor Shape‐Specific Brachytherapy Implants by 3D‐Printing, Precision Radioactivity Painting, and Biomedical Imaging

Lescot

Lebel-Cormier

Seniwal

et al. 2023

Adv Healthcare Materials

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In brachytherapy, or internal radiation therapy, cancer is treated by inserting radioactive implants in or close to the tumors. These implants, such as episcleral plaques for the treatment of uveal melanoma, are designed according to generic population approximations. However, implants more personalized to the anatomy and to the precise geometry of each patient's tumor, could enhance treatment precision by allowing better adjustment of dose profiles to the contours of cancerous tissues. This work describes an original approach integrating biomedical imaging, 3D printing, radioactivity painting, and anatomical measurement of biomedical imaging, as a workflow for the development of tumor shape‐specific brachytherapy implants. A case study is carried out on the fabrication of radioactive episcleral plaques (EP) for the treatment of uveal melanoma. First, computer‐aided design (CAD) plans of EP are prepared according to guidelines prescribed by the Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study (COMS) protocol. Polyetheretherketone (PEEK), a high‐performance polymer suitable for permanent implants, is used to 3D‐print plaques (10‐, 14‐ or 22‐mm diameter EPs) according to these CAD plans and the geometrical accuracy of the printed design is evaluated. The possibility to modulate the dose distribution is demonstrated by painting the inner surfaces of the EPs with radioactive 103Pd in different patterns, followed by dose profile measurements. The approach confirms the possibility to modulate the dose distribution generated by 3D‐printed plaques through radioactivity painting. Lastly, the suitability of the 3D‐printed plaques for surgical manipulations is demonstrated by performing ex vivo surgical tests on human eyeballs. This new workflow for the fabrication of tumor‐specific radioactive implants may improve the precision of a range of different brachytherapy procedures that require more personalized anatomical adjustments with the geometry of tumors and organs at risk .This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

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