Biofocussed Prostate Cancer RadioTherapy (BiRT): A Personalised Approach To Delivering The Right Dose To The Right Place
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$753,565.00
Summary
We propose a new approach to treating prostate cancer with radiotherapy to move from the standard whole prostate treatment to a personalised treatment that varies radiation intensity throughout the prostate. We will mathematically combine features that influence radiotherapy effect from advanced imaging, clinical and biopsy information. This model will map out the radiotherapy dose required at each part of the prostate, to maximise killing of the cancer whilst minimising harm to normal tissue
3D-BrachyView: A 3D Real-time Virtual Reality Intra-operative Quality Assurance System For Brachytherapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$359,105.00
Summary
3D-Brachyview aims to bring 3D virtual reality into the Quality Assurance and training of physicists in prostate cancer brachytherapy. The 3D simultaneous visualisation of the position of the seeds implanted, the actual shape and position of the prostate, and the expected treatment plan, will help doctors to deliver the best treatment possible.
BrachyVision: A Novel Multipurpose Probe For In-body Radiation Imaging And Dosimetry.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$532,627.00
Summary
BrachyVision is an in-body imaging and dosimetry system to assist physicians in providing efficient and optimized permanent seed implant brachytherapy cancer treatment. The system allows intra-operative preplanning, image guided treatment, post implant verification and direct rectal dosimetry. It represents a major advance in clinical technology that can improve quality of life of prostate cancer patients and, through reduced post treatment complications, lead to significant health cost savings.
Rectal Invivo Radiotherapy Dosimetry Using A Fibre Optic Array
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$438,963.00
Summary
For pelvic cancer patients too much radiation causes rectal problems which are hard to avoid. To reduce the problem we have developed a tiny dosimeter, which we will network to measure the radiation in the rectum as it is being received. This will tell us the maximum safe dose of radiation we can give before causing rectal complications. This will be an effective quality assurance and radiation safety tool.
Quality Assurance In LDR And HDR Prostate Brachytherapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$221,500.00
Summary
Prostate cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in men over 55 years of age. Approximately 30% of all diagnosed cancers in this age group are prostate carcinomas. Low and high dose rate brachytherapy are newly established treatment options for early-stage, low-risk, prostate cancer and are an alternative to curative prostatectomy in most patients. Local control and cure of prostate cancer is greatly influenced by the dose distribution generated by both the treatment techniques. Tre ....Prostate cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in men over 55 years of age. Approximately 30% of all diagnosed cancers in this age group are prostate carcinomas. Low and high dose rate brachytherapy are newly established treatment options for early-stage, low-risk, prostate cancer and are an alternative to curative prostatectomy in most patients. Local control and cure of prostate cancer is greatly influenced by the dose distribution generated by both the treatment techniques. Treatment plans must be able to deliver a prescribed dose in the tumour, with adequate margins, while minimising the dose delivered to the surrounding normal tissue and critical organs. It is well recognised that, however skilful the radiation oncologist, an ideal dose distribution according to a treatment plan plan does not guarantee a well delivered dose. Complications such as impotence, severe radiation urethritis and severe rectal bleeding will arise if overdosing of the neuro-vascular bundle, urethra and rectum occurs respectively. This project is based on newly developed instrumentation that will allow continuous, realtime, in vivo, monitoring of the radiation dose levels in the urethra and rectum during brachytherapy treatment of prostate cancer. Such monitoring of the treatment procedure, has been identified as a high priority by the American Brachytherapy Society. The technique will allow extensive in vivo and post treatment studies to be performed by clinicians so as to measure the dose levels currently received and identify the optimum acceptable dose levels for future procedures. The outcomes of this project may well be able to be utilised in other forms of brachytherapy treament (e.g. breast, cervical cancer) and other radiation treatment modailities (e.g. conventional radiotherapy and intensity modulated radiotherapy) to also reduce complications associated with these treatment modalities.Read moreRead less