A Novel Polymer-Encapsulated Multi-Imaging Modality Fiducial Marker with Positive Signal Contrast for Image-Guided Radiation Therapy.
Cancers (Basel) 2024;
16:625. [PMID:
38339376 PMCID:
PMC10854757 DOI:
10.3390/cancers16030625]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Current fiducial markers (FMs) in external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for prostate cancer (PCa) cannot be positively visualized on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and create dose perturbation and significant imaging artifacts on computed tomography (CT) and MRI. We report our initial experience with clinical imaging of a novel multimodality FM, NOVA.
METHODS
We tested Gold Anchor [G-FM], BiomarC [carbon, C-FM], and NOVA FMs in phantoms imaged with kilovoltage (kV) X-rays, transrectal ultrasound (TRUS), CT, and MRI. Artifacts of the FMs on CT were quantified by the relative streak artifacts level (rSAL) metric. Proton dose perturbations (PDPs) were measured with Gafchromic EBT3 film, with FMs oriented either perpendicular to or parallel with the beam axis. We also tested the performance of NOVA-FMs in a patient.
RESULTS
NOVA-FMs were positively visualized on all 4 imaging modalities tested. The rSAL on CT was 0.750 ± 0.335 for 2-mm reconstructed slices. In F-tests, PDP was associated with marker type and depth of measurement (p < 10-6); at 5-mm depth, PDP was significantly greater for the G-FM (12.9%, p = 10-6) and C-FM (6.0%, p = 0.011) than NOVA (4.5%). EBRT planning with MRI/CT image co-registration and daily alignments using NOVA-FMs in a patient was feasible and reproducible.
CONCLUSIONS
NOVA-FMs were positively visible and produced less PDP than G-FMs or C-FMs. NOVA-FMs facilitated MRI/CT fusion and identification of regions of interest.
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