The Divisions of Radiation Oncology and Medical Physics, with support from Radiation Therapy, continue to develop innovative approaches to radiation medicine.
Over the past several years, our brachytherapy program has continued to mature and expand. Clinically we offer both LDR and HDR approaches to prostate cancer and complex MR guided interstitial techniques for gynecologic cancers. The international EMBRACE 2 protocol is open and accruing to patients with cervix cancer. The COMBO trial is open for patients with prostate cancer to compare the cost of LDR versus HDR boost treatments. The brachytherapy program has benefited from the support of ACF and development projects on integrating advanced imaging information (3d ultrasound and MR) into the operating room for procedure guidance will reach patient trials within the next 2 years. We offer a brachytherapy fellowship program and have developed technology enhanced procedure simulations to enhance our educational programs. Dr. Kevin Martell was recruited in the past year to join the team after fellowship training at Sunnybrook Odette.
Investigators from the program have recently completed accrual to the ACCEL protocol, a single arm prospective evaluation of accelerated partial breast irradiation. The technical development work has been published and early clinical outcomes are promising. This work has made a significant contribution to the practice of breast radiotherapy as outcomes on partial breast treatment from multiple other trials emerges.
Other projects include the development of a novel approach to total body irradiation and, in collaboration with researchers from cardiac sciences, opening a study of ablative radiotherapy for ventricular arrhythmias.
The radiation medicine program is excited about the new cancer centre which will house 2 MR LINACs. We have recently hired Dr. Laurence Lee who completed an MR LINAC fellowship to join Dr. Kundan Thind in building our MR LINAC program. It will be 2 years before the new centre opens, but there are many activities underway as we prepare for the arrival of this new modality.
- Results of the ACCEL trial: Dosimetry in accelerated partial breast irradiation. Quirk S, Grendarova P, Craighead P, Phan T, Lesiuk M, Pinilla J, Liu HW, Wilson J, Bignell K, Austin T, Olivotto IA, Roumeliotis M.Radiother Oncol. 2020 Jun;147:50-55.
- One-Year Cosmesis and Fibrosis From ACCEL: Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (APBI) Using 27 Gy in 5 Daily Fractions. Grendarova P, Roumeliotis M, Quirk S, Lesiuk M, Craighead P, Liu HW, Pinilla J, Wilson J, Bignell K, Phan T, Olivotto IA.Pract Radiat Oncol. 2019 Sep-Oct;9(5):e457-e464.
- Five-field IMRT class solutions and dosimetric planning guidelines for implementing accelerated partial breast irradiation. Quirk S, Grendarova P, Roumeliotis M.Pract Radiat Oncol. 2018 May-Jun;8(3):e99-e107
- Standardized flattening filter free volumetric modulated arc therapy plans based on anteroposterior width for total body irradiation. Frederick R, Hudson A, Balogh A, Cao JQ, Pierce G.J Appl Clin Med Phys. 2020 Mar;21(3):75-86.
- Extended SSD VMAT treatment for total body irradiation. Pierce G, Balogh A, Frederick R, Gordon D, Yarschenko A, Hudson A.J Appl Clin Med Phys. 2019 Jan;20(1):200-211
- The impact of inter-fraction changes for perineal template-based interstitial gynecologic brachytherapy implants. Belliveau JG, Thind K, Banerjee R, Quirk S, Doll C, Phan T, Meyer T, Roumeliotis M.J Contemp Brachytherapy. 2019 Apr;11(2):122-127.
- Anemia, leukocytosis and thrombocytosis as prognostic factors in patients with cervical cancer treated with radical chemoradiotherapy: A retrospective cohort study. Koulis TA, Kornaga EN, Banerjee R, Phan T, Ghatage P, Magliocco AM, Lees-Miller SP, Doll CM.Clin Transl Radiat Oncol. 2017 Jun 12;4:51-56.
- Cervical cancer brachytherapy in Canada: A focus on interstitial brachytherapy utilization. Taggar AS, Phan T, Traptow L, Banerjee R, Doll CM.Brachytherapy. 2017 Jan-Feb;16(1):161-166.
- Radiotherapy practices in postoperative endometrial cancer: A survey of the ABS membership. Martell K, Doll C, Barnes EA, Phan T, Leung E, Taggar A.Brachytherapy. 2019 Nov-Dec;18(6):741-746.
- Analysis of outcomes after non-contour-based dose painting of dominant intra-epithelial lesion in intra-operative low-dose rate brachytherapy. Martell K, Roy S, Meyer T, Stosky J, Jiang W, Thind K, Roumeliotis M, Bosch J, Angyalfi S, Quon H, Husain S.Heliyon. 2020 Jun 7;6(6):e04092.
- Establishing a simulation-based education program for radiation oncology learners in permanent seed implant brachytherapy: Building validation evidence. Roumeliotis M, Quirk S, Husain S, Guebert A, Watt E, Frederick A, Martell K, Hilts M, Crook J, Batchelar D, Ma I, Meyer T.Brachytherapy. 2019 Nov 27:S1538-4721(19)30619-1.
- Multicenter Evaluation of Biochemical Relapse-Free Survival Outcomes for Intraoperatively Planned Prostate Brachytherapy Using an Automated Delivery System.Martell K, Husain S, Taussky D, Angyalfi S, Delouya G, Després P, Beaulieu L, Martin AG, Vigneault E.Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2017 Nov 15;99(4):895-903.
- Parameters predicting for prostate specific antigen response rates at one year post low-dose-rate intraoperative prostate brachytherapy. Martell K, Meyer T, Sia M, Angyalfi S, Husain S.J Contemp Brachytherapy. 2017 Apr;9(2):99-105.
- Institutional long-term outcomes at the first Canadian center performing intraoperatively planned low-dose-rate brachytherapy alone in low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer. Peacock M, Martell K, Taggar A, Meyer T, Smith W, Sia M, Angyalfi S, Husain S.Brachytherapy. 2017 Jul-Aug;16(4):822-830.
