Background: Nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEF)-based electroporation is a new therapy modality potentially synergized with radiation therapy to improve treatment outcomes. To verify its treatment accuracy intraoperatively, electroacoustic tomography (EAT) has been developed to monitor in-vivo electric energy deposition by detecting ultrasound signals generated by nsPEFs in real-time. However, utility of EAT is limited by image distortions due to the limited-angle view of ultrasound transducers.

Methods: This study proposed a supervised learning-based workflow to address the ill-conditioning in EAT reconstruction. Electroacoustic signals were detected by a linear array and initially reconstructed into EAT images, which were then fed into a deep learning model for distortion correction. In this study, 56 distinct electroacoustic data sets from nsPEFs of different intensities and geometries were collected experimentally, avoiding simulation-to-real-world variations. Forty-six data were used for model training and 10 for testing. The model was trained using supervised learning, enabled by a custom rotating platform to acquire paired full-view and single-view signals for the same electric field.

Results: The proposed method considerably improved the image quality of linear array-based EAT, generating pressure maps with accurate and clear structures. Quantitatively, the enhanced single-view images achieved a low-intensity error (RMSE: 0.018), high signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR: 35.15), and high structural similarity (SSIM: 0.942) compared to the reference full-view images.

Conclusions: This study represented a pioneering stride in achieving high-quality EAT using a single linear array in an experimental environment, which improves EAT’s utility in real-time monitoring for nsPEF-based electroporation therapy.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of definitive radiotherapy in selected patients with local recurrence of Kimura disease of the head and neck after surgery.

Methods: This retrospective study collected the clinical data of 14 patients with postoperative recurrence of Kimura disease of the head and neck who received definitive radiotherapy at the First AffiliatedHospital of Fujian Medical University between 2006 and 2022. The radiation dose ranged from 28 to 40 Gy. Its efficacy and safety were analyzed.

Results: During follow-up, ranging from 17 to 168 months, local control was achieved in 13 (92.9%) of the 14 patients with postoperative recurrence. There were no serious late toxicities except for mild xerostomia in four (28.6%) patients; the patients’ peripheral blood eosinophil count dropped from 1.73×10⁹/L before treatment to 0.42×10⁹/L after treatment, and the eosinophil percentage dropped from 20.64% to 9.78%. Both changes were statistically significant (p<0.001).

Conclusions: The findings of the study suggest that definitive radiotherapy is a viable and effective alternative to repeated surgery for managing recurrent Kimura disease of the head and neck, with significant response rates and a good safety profile. Peripheral blood eosinophil counts and percentages serve as simple and reliable biomarkers for monitoring Kimura disease progression and treatment responses.

Purpose: To facilitate the use of quantitative modeling of biological effects in treatment planning by introducing a simpler function equivalent to the Lyman formula for calculating normal tissue complication probability (NTCP).

Methods: We first provide an approximation of the Lyman-Kutcher-Burman (LKB) formula using three parameters (n, m, TD₅₀) as a function of equivalent uniform dose (EUD). The parameters for the new formula are defined in terms of the Lyman model’s m and TD₅₀. Conversely, m and TD₅₀ are expressed in terms of the parameters of the new equation. The role of the Lyman volume-effect parameter n remains unchanged from its role in the Lyman model.

Results: The new formula, which exhibits a sigmoidal shape, demonstrates symmetry about TD₅₀, akin to the LKB model. The difference in NTCP between the two formulas is less than 0.1%. The parameters (n, m, TD₅₀) are preserved through rigorous mathematical deduction and have been recalibrated to the tolerance data of Emani et al. using the proposed formula. This new model provides a better fit to these data than the model by Burman et al., which was fitted “by eye” rather than using statisticalmethods.

Conclusion: We have developed a formula that represents NTCP as a function of EUD, which proves to be potentially useful. The parameters derived in this study are mathematically robust and offer a superior fit to the data compared to previous efforts. Additionally, the new model fits brain data as well as, if not better than, the LKB model.

Purpose: This study investigates three different calibration methods for the selection of background pixel intensity.

Methods: Film-by-Film (FBF) Method: Each film serves as its own control. Batch-by-Film (BBF) Method: A single film is used as a control for all calibration films. Generic (GEN) Method: A generic value (65535) is used as the background pixel value for all calibration films. Three calibration curves were established for the red, green, blue, and RGB channels, and the Radbard NIH (image) curve-fitting model was used to predict the dose. Sensitivity at different dose levels was quantified by calculating the first derivative of each color channel.

Results: The GEN method exhibited a difference of up to 6% between the predicted and delivered doses below 2 Gy. The changes in optical density when using the GEN method differed significantly (p<0.0001) from those of the FBF and BBF methods. In the dose range 5–30 Gy, the percentage difference between the predicted and delivered doses for the FBF, BBF, and GEN methods was within 2%. Both the red and green channels demonstrated higher sensitivity than the blue channel over the dose range of 2–30 Gy.

Conclusions: The FBF method is more accurate than the BBF and GEN methods because it accounts for inter-film variations. The Radbard NIH (image) curve-fitting function proved suitable for predicting the dose for all the three calibration methods.

Nuclear protein in testis (NUT) carcinoma is a rare and highly aggressive cancer, characterized by rearrangements involving theNUTgene located on chromosome 15q14. In this report, wepresent the case of a 52-year-old female diagnosed with primary parotid NUT carcinoma. Despite undergoing surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy, and incomplete regional radiotherapy, the patient succumbed to the disease after an overall survival duration of 7 months. We retrospectively discuss patient clinical and pathological features, as well as therapeutic approaches of NUT carcinoma of the head and neck.

Radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT) is a precision medicine approach that involves the targeted delivery of radioactive atoms to tumor cells, representing a breakthrough strategy for cancer treatment. Radiopharmaceuticals typically consist of a small amount of radioactive material, a radionuclide, paired with a chemical that specifically targets the cell. Some radionuclides naturally target specific cells or biological processes without the need for modification. RPT is a novel cancer treatment method that offers various advantages over current traditional treatment approaches. One of the primary advantages of RPT is its ability to target cancer cells, including those in metastatic areas. Another key advantage of RPT is that radiation can be delivered systemically, locally, or physiologically to specific cells internally rather than being applied externally. Moreover, radiotracer imaging can be utilized to determine radiopharmaceutical absorption in target tissues before providing a therapeutic dose. Compared to all other cancer treatment approaches, RPT has demonstrated high efficacy with minimal toxicity. The recent approval of multiple RPT medicines by the US Food and Drug Administration highlights the tremendous potential of this treatment. This article provides a detailed review of RPT, including insights into manufacturing procedures, safetymeasures, and its applications in cancer therapy.

Breast cancer has surpassed lung cancer as the most common type of malignancy worldwide. Treatments for breast cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, endocrine therapy, immunotherapy, and hyperthermia. Radiotherapy plays an important role in breast cancer treatment. Patients with early breast cancer can have longer survival after combined treatment, but cardiotoxicity caused by radiotherapymay affect long-term prognosis. This article reviews cardiac damage caused by radiotherapy in breast cancer.

Sinonasal teratocarcinosarcoma (SNTCS) is a rare malignancy characterized by a highly aggressive nature. Itmainly arises in the ethmoidal ormaxillary sinus. SNTCShas a poor prognosis, with a mean survival rate of 55% at 2 years. Herein, we presented a case of advanced SNTCS successfully treated with surgery followed by chemoradiotherapy plus targeted therapy and reviewed the published literature on this rare entity.