ACR-ABS-ASTRO Practice Parameter for the Performance of Low-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy.

This practice parameter was revised collaboratively by the American College of Radiology (ACR), the American College of Nuclear Medicine, the American Radium Society, the American Society for Radiation Oncology, and the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. The document is intended to serve as a resource for appropriately trained and licensed physicians who perform therapeutic procedures with unsealed sources, referred to in the document using the more inclusive terminology of radiopharmaceuticals, for which a written directive is required for authorized users under NRC 10 CFR 35.300. This practice parameter was developed according to the process described under the heading The Process for Developing ACR Practice Parameters and Technical Standards on the ACR website ( https://www.acr.org/Clinical-Resources/Practice-Parameters-and-Technical-Standards ) by the Committee on Practice Parameters-Radiation Oncology of the ACR Commission on Radiation Oncology in collaboration with the American Radium Society. This practice parameter addresses the overall role of the applicable physician-authorized user, Qualified Medical Physicist, and other specialized personnel involved in the delivery of radiopharmaceutical therapy. Therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals include those administered as elemental radioactive isotopes (radionuclides) or the radioactive element incorporated into a targeting molecule (ligand) by one or more chemical bonds. This document provides guidance regarding general principles of radionuclide therapies and indications of various alpha, beta, gamma, and mixed emission agents with references to several recent practice parameters on new and commonly performed radiopharmaceutical therapies. This document addresses clinical circumstances, elements of available agents, and the qualifications and responsibilities of various members of the radiation care team, specifications of consultation and other clinical documentation, post-therapy follow-up, radiation safety precautions, elements of quality control and improvement programs, infection control, and patient education to ensure optimal patient care and safety when utilizing radiopharmaceuticals.

The American College of Radiology (ACR) and the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) have jointly developed the following practice parameter for proton beam radiation therapy. Proton radiotherapy is the application of a high-energy proton beam to a patient in a clinical setting with therapeutic intent. Proton radiotherapy may permit improved therapeutic ratios with lower doses to sensitive normal structures and greater dose to target tumor tissues. A literature search was performed to identify published articles regarding clinical outcomes, reviews, quality assurance methodologies, and guidelines and standards for proton radiation therapy. Selected articles are referenced in the text. The following recommendations are based on firsthand experiences of multiple clinical authorities who employ proton therapy and have been peer reviewed by experts at different practicing institutions. This practice parameter is developed to serve as a tool in the appropriate application of this evolving technology in the care of cancer patients or other patients with conditions where radiation therapy is indicated. It addresses clinical implementation of proton radiation therapy, including personnel qualifications, quality assurance standards, indications, and suggested documentation. This practice parameter is a tool to guide technical use of proton therapy and does not assess the relative clinical indication of proton radiotherapy when compared with other forms of radiotherapy, but to focus on the best practices required to deliver proton therapy safely and effectively, when clinically indicated. Costs of proton treatments are high, and the economic costs of proton radiotherapy may also need to be considered.

The goal of therapy with unsealed radiopharmaceutical sources is to provide either cure or significant prolongation of disease-specific survival, and effective reduction and/or prevention of adverse disease-related symptoms or untoward events while minimizing treatment-associated side effects and complications. Radium-223 dichloride (radium-223) is an alpha particle-emitting isotope used for targeted bone therapy. This practice parameter is intended to guide appropriately trained and licensed physicians performing therapy with radium-223. Such therapy requires close cooperation and communication between the physicians who are responsible for the clinical management of the patient and those who administer radiopharmaceutical therapy and manage the attendant side effects. Adherence to this parameter should help to maximize the efficacious use of radium-223, maintain safe conditions, and ensure compliance with applicable regulations. This practice parameter was developed according to the process described on the American College of Radiology (ACR) website ("The Process for Developing ACR Practice Parameters and Technical Standards," www.acr.org/ClinicalResources/Practice-Parameters-and-Technical-Standards) by the Committee on Practice Parameters of the ACR Commission on Radiation Oncology in collaboration with the American College of Nuclear Medicine (ACNM), the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), and the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). All these societies contributed to the development of the practice parameter and approved the final document. This practice parameter addresses the many factors which contribute to appropriate, safe, and effective clinical use of radium-223. Topics addressed include qualifications and responsibilities of personnel, specifications of patient examination and treatment; documentation, radiation safety, quality control/improvement, infection control, and patient education. This practice parameter is intended as a tool to guide clinical use of radium-223 with the goal of facilitating safe and effective medical care based on current knowledge, available resources and patient needs. The sole purpose of this document is to assist practitioners in achieving this objective.

This practice parameter was revised collaboratively by the American College of Radiology (ACR), the American College of Nuclear Medicine (ACNM), the American Society for Neuroradiology (ASNR), and the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI).This important update now includes all FDA approved agents for PET imaging of dementia and reflects the expanding role of PET imaging for the early and more accurate diagnostic characterization of the neurodegenerative processes underlying cognitive deterioration. Clinical indications, personnel qualifications, and technical specifications are discussed in this practice parameter. This practice parameter was revised according to the process described under the heading The Process for Developing ACR Practice Parameters and Technical Standards on the ACR website (https://www.acr.org/Clinical-Resources/Practice-Parameters-and-Technical-Standards) by the Committee on Practice Parameters - Neuroradiology of the ACR Commission on Neuroradiology and the Committee on Practice Parameters - Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging of the ACR Commission on Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging in collaboration with the ACNM, the ASNR, and the SNMMI. ACR/ACNM/ASNR/SNMMI collaborative work to update the practice parameter of Brain PET imaging. The new parameter includes all FDA approved PET agents for the evaluation of dementia. The updated practice parameter is intended to serve as a reference for clinical indications, technical specifications, and personnel qualifications state for PET/CT imaging in dementia.

This practice parameter was revised collaboratively by the American College of Radiology (ACR), and American Radium Society (ARS). Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) uses various imaging modalities to maximize the accuracy and precision of radiation treatment delivery. This practice parameter was developed according to the process described under the heading The Process for Developing ACR Practice Parameters and Technical Standards on the ACR website ( https://www.acr.org/Clinical-Resources/Practice-Parameters-and-Technical-Standards ) by the Committee on Practice Parameters-Radiation Oncology of the ACR Commission on Radiation Oncology in collaboration with the ARS. This practice parameter for IGRT addresses qualifications and responsibilities of personnel, clinical IGRT implementation, documentation, quality control and improvement, safety, and patient education. Since the publication of the ACR-ASTRO Practice Parameter in 2019, there is now more clarity as to what criteria and parameters need to be documented in the medical record, a better appreciation of the large amount of imaging data, how to interpret such data, as well as the complex interactions of multiple systems in the implementation of IGRT. This practice parameter assists practitioners in the clinical use of IGRT. IGRT should complement and be used in combination with other quality assurance processes. IGRT is a rapidly evolving field, and practitioners should have a thorough understanding of its strengths and potential limitations.

is a multidisciplinary association dedicated to advancing the safe and effective use of ultrasound in medicine through professional and public education, research, development of parameters, and accreditation.

In Regard to Pohar et al

Total body irradiation (TBI) is a specialized radiotherapy technique. It is frequently used as a component of treatment plans involving hematopoietic stem cell transplant for a variety of disorders, most commonly hematologic malignancies. A variety of treatment delivery techniques, doses, and fractionation schemes can be utilized. A collaborative effort of the American College of Radiology and American Society for Radiation Oncology has produced a practice guideline for delivery of TBI. The guideline defines the qualifications and responsibilities of the involved personnel, including the radiation oncologist, physicist, dosimetrist, and radiation therapist. Review of the typical indications for TBI is presented, and the importance of integrating TBI into the multimodality treatment plan is discussed. Procedures and special considerations related to the simulation, treatment planning, treatment delivery, and quality assurance for patients treated with TBI are reviewed. This practice guideline can be part of ensuring quality and safety in a successful TBI program.

From 2001 through 2009, the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) has documented 244 reports of radiation therapy events, of which 228 have resulted from the delivery of radiation beam therapy using linear accelerators (LINACs). Historically, radiation therapy events involving LINACs have not been uniformly reported across the country because LINACs are regulated by state radiation control programs, and reporting requirements vary among states. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Nuclear Material Events Database (NMED) only tracks events involving radioactive materials (RAM). Efforts to track medical events involving LINACs at a national level have begun only recently. This article highlights the importance of tracking and analyzing all medical radiation events in order to improve quality of care and patient safety. An analysis of a subset of the data collected by the NYSDOH from 2001-2009 is presented. This subset consists of only events arising from the use of LINACs in radiation therapy. There are very few publications on errors and error rates in the use of medical accelerators in radiation therapy. This analysis highlights the most common types of errors, causes and contributing factors, areas for improvement and actions taken to bring this information to the regulated community. An error rate of 0.07% per patient receiving radiation treatment is estimated using these data and the New York State Tumor Registry data for the same period. NY State Regulations governing the practice of Radiation Oncology have been revised recently to reflect the increased complexity in the delivery of therapeutic radiation. Collaboration and sharing of data such as those presented here, between federal, state and local regulators, professional organizations such as the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors (CRCPD), American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), American College of Radiology (ACR), American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO), manufacturers of medical radiation equipment and software developers and the regulated community has begun and will contribute to improved quality of care and patient safety.

The American College of Radiology and the American Brachytherapy Society practice parameter for transperineal permanent brachytherapy of prostate cancer

Self-Reported COVID-19 Infections and Social Mixing Behavior at Oncology Meetings

To provide guidance on the role of adjuvant radiation therapy in the treatment of endometrial cancer. "The Role of Postoperative Radiation Therapy for Endometrial Cancer: An ASTRO Evidence-Based Guideline" by Klopp et al, published in 2014 in Practical Radiation Oncology, was reviewed for developmental rigor by methodologists. The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) guideline content and recommendations were further reviewed by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Endorsement Panel. The ASCO Endorsement Panel determined that the recommendations from the ASTRO guideline are clear, thorough, and based on the most relevant scientific evidence. ASCO endorsed the ASTRO guideline with several qualifying statements. Surveillance without adjuvant radiation therapy is a reasonable option for women without residual disease in the hysterectomy specimen and for women with grade 1 or 2 cancer and < 50% myometrial invasion, especially when no other high-risk features are present. For women with grade 1 or 2 cancer and ≥ 50% myometrial invasion or grade 3 cancer and < 50% myometrial invasion, vaginal brachytherapy is as effective as pelvic radiation therapy at preventing vaginal recurrence and is preferred. Patients with grade 3 cancer and ≥ 50% myometrial invasion or cervical stroma invasion may benefit from pelvic radiation to prevent pelvic recurrence. For women with high-risk early-stage disease and advanced disease, the ASCO Endorsement Panel added qualifying statements to the ASTRO recommendations to provide stronger statements in favor of chemotherapy (with or without radiation therapy).

Assessment of Approaches Promoting Virtual Radiation Oncology Educational Content to Medical Students.

Initial Impact and Operational Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic by American Radiation Oncology Practices

The dosimetric impact of gold fiducial markers (FM) implanted prior to external beam radiotherapy of prostate cancer on low dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy seed implants performed in the context of combined therapy was investigated. A virtual water phantom was designed containing a single FM. Single and multi source scenarios were investigated by performing Monte Carlo dose calculations, along with the influence of varying orientation and distance of the FM with respect to the sources. Three prostate cancer patients treated with LDR brachytherapy for a recurrence following external beam radiotherapy with implanted FM were studied as surrogate cases to combined therapy. FM and brachytherapy seeds were identified on post implant CT scans and Monte Carlo dose calculations were performed with and without FM. The dosimetric impact of the FM was evaluated by quantifying the amplitude of dose shadows and the volume of cold spots. D(90) was reported based on the post implant CT prostate contour. Large shadows are observed in the single source-FM scenarios. As expected from geometric considerations, the shadows are dependent on source-FM distance and orientation. Large dose reductions are observed at the distal side of FM, while at the proximal side a dose enhancement is observed. In multisource scenarios, the importance of shadows appears mitigated, although FM at the periphery of the seed distribution caused underdosage (<prescription dose). In clinical cases, the FM reduced the dose to some voxels by up to 50% and generated shadows with extents of the order of 4 mm. Within the prostate contour, cold spots (<95% prescription dose) of the order of 20 mm(3) were observed. D(90) proved insensitive to the presence of FM for the cases selected. There is a major local impact of FM present in LDR brachytherapy seed implant dose distributions. Therefore, reduced tumor control could be expected from FM implanted in tumors, although our results are too limited to draw conclusions regarding clinical significance.