Esho Quality Assurance Guidelines for Regional Hyperthermia

Abstract

The Technical Committee and the Clinical Committee of the ESHO evaluated the experience of the institutes which are active in clinical regional hyperthermia using radiative equipment. Based on this evaluation, QA guidelines have been formulated. The focus of these guidelines lies on what must be done not on how it should be done. Subjects covered are: treatment planning, treatment, treatment documentation, requirements and characterization of equipment, safety aspects, hyperthermia staff requirements and instrumentation for quality assurance.

Hyperthermia, Radiation and Chemotherapy: The Role of Heat in Multidisciplinary Cancer Care

“…Guidelines were provided for what the competencies specialist involved in delivery of care including physicians, physicists and technologists need to perform multiple tasks to ensure properly functioning equipment, appropriate patient selection, and to plan and administer hyperthermia treatment. (118) The European Society for Hyperthermic Oncology has likewise published guidelines (119) which were recently updated. Guidelines for the implementation of regional deep hyperthermia treatments under strict rules of quality assurance were provided.…”

Electromagnetic Head-And-Neck Hyperthermia Applicator: Experimental Phantom Verification and FDTD Model

“…Within the framework of ESHO, guidelines for ESHO protocols have been defined 1) for treatment of superficial tumours [33], i.e. locally advanced breast carcinoma, advanced neck nodes, malignant melanoma, and 2) for regional hyperthermia in the pelvic area by radiofrequency equipment [34]. In terms of (regular) assessment of the SAR pattern of an applicator, clearly different approaches are suggested.…”

“…However, by finding perfect linear temperature curves, we showed that longer heating periods can be used. In the guidelines for regional hyperthermia [34], it is required for SAR distribution characterization of equipment to perform system performance regularly using the LED matrix/lamp phantom using different phase/amplitude settings, different phantom positions and different bolus configurations. The E-field Schottky-diode sheet system is compliant to all requirements but a higher resolution is required so the focus size and shape can be determined as well, i.e.…”

Status of Clinical Hyperthermia

“…For clinical studies of hyperthermia, we recommend the quality assurance guidelines of the European Society for Hyperthermic Oncology, ESHO (20,21) and RTOG (22) which emphasize thermometry. Only exceptionally tumour-related endoluminal thermometry can replace intratumoral thermometry: It is difficult to introduce catheters into bladder tumours as well as into small intra-abdominal tumours close to bones or major vessels.…”