title: A prospective evaluation of helical tomotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report results from two clinical trials evaluating helical tomotherapy (HT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were enrolled in one of two prospective trials of HT (one for palliative and one for radical treatment). Both an HT plan and a companion three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) plan were generated. Pretreatment megavoltage computed tomography was used for daily image guidance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From September 2004 to January 2006, a total of 61 sites in 60 patients were treated. In all but one case, a clinically acceptable tomotherapy plan for treatment was generated. Helical tomotherapy plans were subjectively equivalent or superior to 3D-CRT in 95% of plans. Helical tomotherapy was deemed equivalent or superior in two thirds of dose-volume point comparisons. In cases of inferiority, differences were either clinically insignificant and/or reflected deliberate tradeoffs to optimize the HT plan. Overall imaging and treatment time (median) was 27 min (range, 16-91 min). According to a patient questionnaire, 78% of patients were satisfied to very satisfied with the treatment process.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Helical tomotherapy demonstrated clear advantages over conventional 3D-CRT in this diverse patient group. The prospective trials were helpful in deploying this technology in a busy clinical setting.
authors.affiliation: London Regional Cancer Program, London, Ontario, Canada. glenn.bauman@lhsc.on.ca
authors.forename: Glenn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bauman
authors.forename: Slav
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yartsev
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Varagur M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Venkatesan
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hammond
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Perera
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ash
authors.forename: A Rashid
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Dar
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lock
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baily
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Coad
authors.forename: Kris
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Trenka
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Warr
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kron
authors.forename: Jerry
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Battista
authors.forename: Jake
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Dyk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D020266:Radiotherapy, Conformal / Q000379:methods; D013679:Technology, Radiologic / Q000379:methods*