Yihua Zhong , Mingyuan Pan , Jiyou Peng , Lixiang Zheng , Shengnan Dong , Peijiang Lu , Jiabin Liu , Xianxin Qiu , Daoying Geng , Yang Wang
{"title":"An optimized knowledge-based planning method for craniospinal irradiation integrated with auto-contouring","authors":"Yihua Zhong , Mingyuan Pan , Jiyou Peng , Lixiang Zheng , Shengnan Dong , Peijiang Lu , Jiabin Liu , Xianxin Qiu , Daoying Geng , Yang Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.ejmp.2026.105743","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ejmp.2026.105743","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Craniospinal irradiation (CSI) is a complex treatment requiring precise delineation of extended plan target volumes (PTV) and multiple organs at risk (OARs). The process traditionally demands substantial time and expertise from physicians and medical physicists. While artificial intelligence (AI) has shown promise in auto-contouring and auto-planning in other tumors, its application to CSI remains limited due to challenges in model generalizability and outlier sensitivity.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We developed an automated workflow integrating deep learning-based auto-contouring and machine learning-enhanced rapidplan. A DPNUNet-based auto-contouring model was trained on 91 CSI patients to delineate the PTV and OARs. A knowledge-based planning (KBP) model was iteratively refined using machine learning algorithms to exclude dosimetric and geometric outliers. The performance was evaluated by comparing 20 manual plans (MP) and rapidplan (RP) using dosimetric indices.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The auto-contouring model achieved dice coefficients of 0.93 for PTV and > 0.85 for major OARs, reducing contouring time from 1-2 h to 10 min. RP met clinical targets while demonstrating superior OAR sparing. However, RP showed higher PTV hotspots and required more monitor units. The automated workflow reduced the contouring and planning time by 75%, from 6-8 h to 1 h.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The proposed framework maintained clinical plan quality while significantly improving efficiency, demonstrating feasibility for standardized CSI planning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56092,"journal":{"name":"Physica Medica-European Journal of Medical Physics","volume":"143 ","pages":"Article 105743"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146196130","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Quan Zhou , Yazhou Li , Hui Zhang , Qiang Li , Xinguo Liu , Yuanyuan Ma
{"title":"Risk of secondary cancer from carbon ion arc therapy in two anatomical sites","authors":"Quan Zhou , Yazhou Li , Hui Zhang , Qiang Li , Xinguo Liu , Yuanyuan Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.ejmp.2026.105757","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ejmp.2026.105757","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>Carbon ion arc therapy (CIAT) offers biological and dosimetric advantages over intensity-modulated carbon ion therapy (IMCT) but raises concerns about increased low-dose exposure and secondary cancer risk. This study compared radiation-induced secondary cancer risks between CIAT, IMCT, and photon-based volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for lung and head & neck cancer patients.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Treatment plans for 20 patients (10 lung cancer, 10 head and neck cancer) were generated using IMCT, CIAT, and VMAT. Plan quality was evaluated through conformity index (CI), homogeneity index (HI), and organ-at-risk doses. Secondary cancer risk was assessed using the organ equivalent dose (OED) framework with linear and mechanistic models. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for comparisons.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Both IMCT and CIAT showed superior dose conformity (CI: 0.80–0.84) versus VMAT (CI: 0.69–0.72; p < 0.05). CIAT further lowered the maximum spinal cord and brainstem doses. CIAT reduced contralateral lung secondary cancer risk by 90% (OED ratio: 0.11), ipsilateral lung by 17%, and brainstem by 60–67% versus VMAT. IMCT offered slightly lower ipsilateral lung risk than CIAT, while both showed comparable brainstem risk.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>IMCT and CIAT showed comparable secondary cancer risks with significant advantages over VMAT, with CIAT showing particular promise for critical structure sparing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56092,"journal":{"name":"Physica Medica-European Journal of Medical Physics","volume":"143 ","pages":"Article 105757"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146203911","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Susie Clarke , Michelangelo Biondi , Ayyakkannu Manivannan , Efi Koutsouveli , Jonna Wilén , Caroline Banahan , Mihaela Ivanova , Ana I. Gómez-Varela , Rudolf Verdaasdonk , Jesús Tornero , Ronald Sroka , Nolan Vella , Andreas Springer
{"title":"European survey on laser safety management in medical settings","authors":"Susie Clarke , Michelangelo Biondi , Ayyakkannu Manivannan , Efi Koutsouveli , Jonna Wilén , Caroline Banahan , Mihaela Ivanova , Ana I. Gómez-Varela , Rudolf Verdaasdonk , Jesús Tornero , Ronald Sroka , Nolan Vella , Andreas Springer","doi":"10.1016/j.ejmp.2026.105755","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ejmp.2026.105755","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>The European Federation of Organisations for Medical Physics (EFOMP) Working Group on Policy Statement 21 aims to<!--> <!-->highlight<!--> <!-->the role of the<!--> <!-->medical physics expert in<!--> <!-->management of medical laser sources. To inform this work, a survey on laser safety management was developed and distributed to<!--> <!-->all 37 EFOMP National Member Organisations (NMOs) across Europe. This aimed to understand, in broad terms,<!--> <!-->arrangements for medical laser safety in these countries, including<!--> <!-->the regulatory framework, practical safety arrangements for workers and patients, and safety training.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The 16 question survey was distributed to NMO presidents in November 2024. Questions required a mix of multiple choice answers and open-ended text answers. One<!--> <!-->laser safety representative from each NMO responded for each country.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>25 NMO responses were received. Results showed some lack of awareness on regulatory issues – 10 respondents<!--> <!-->were not aware of a<!--> <!-->regulatory body for laser safety. There was variation in the level of expert and local supervision – 13 indicated laser protection officers for local supervision of laser work was not usual, and 13 indicated a laser safety expert was not normally appointed to an organisation. 23 reported either in-house or manufacturer laser training, however only 15 reported having laser safety documentation.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The survey results indicate that the standard of medical laser safety arrangements vary considerably between European countries. This indicates there is work to be done to ensure that a consistent approach is taken across Europe to minimise laser risks to workers and patients.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56092,"journal":{"name":"Physica Medica-European Journal of Medical Physics","volume":"143 ","pages":"Article 105755"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146203950","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Daniele Ravanelli , Erich Robbi , Sara Citter , Mattia Barbareschi , Annalisa Trianni
{"title":"Ensuring reliable digital pathology: a comparative analysis of HistoQC and PathProfiler for artefacts detection in prostate whole-slide images","authors":"Daniele Ravanelli , Erich Robbi , Sara Citter , Mattia Barbareschi , Annalisa Trianni","doi":"10.1016/j.ejmp.2026.105745","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ejmp.2026.105745","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Whole-slide images (WSIs) offer high-resolution views of tissue but are often compromised by artefacts that hinder human and AI interpretation, potentially leading to diagnostic errors. Open-source tools like HistoQC and PathProfiler aim to assess image quality, but their comparative performance in prostate cancer WSIs remains unexplored.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We evaluated HistoQC and PathProfiler using 240 WSIs from the TCGA-PRAD dataset: 120 artefact-free slides and 40 for each of three artefact categories—usability, out of focus and staining. A three-phase approach was used: (1) PathProfiler scores were normalized and validated via ROC analysis; (2) HistoQC scores were derived using regression models (SVR, XGBoost, LR, LightGBM, GP), trained on 192 slides with 5-fold cross-validation; (3) Tools were compared using Spearman’s correlation, MAE, MSE, MAPE, and Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney tests (p < 0.05). Performance was evaluated on a 48-slide test set.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>PathProfiler showed strong artefact detection (AUCs: 0.960 staining, 0.948 out of focus, 0.921 usability). HistoQC, enhanced by regression models (SVR and LightGBM), demonstrated significant correlation with PathProfiler (ρ = 0.790–0.672–0.537, all p < 0.001) and comparable AUCs (0.842–0.858–0.826). Both tools effectively distinguished between clean and artefact-laden slides (p < 0.05) across all categories.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>HistoQC and PathProfiler reliably assess WSI quality in prostate cancer. PathProfiler offers efficiency for clinical use, while HistoQC provides adaptable scoring via machine learning. Together, they can enhance diagnostic accuracy and support integration of AI in digital pathology workflows.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56092,"journal":{"name":"Physica Medica-European Journal of Medical Physics","volume":"143 ","pages":"Article 105745"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146116685","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Georgia A.A. Alves , Rochelle Lykawka , Thatiane A. Pianoschi , João V.B. Valença , Carlos Ubeda , Mauricio Anés , Alexandre Bacelar , Henrique Trombini
{"title":"Establishing typical dose values in fluoroscopy-guided paediatric central venous catheter placement procedures in a large university hospital","authors":"Georgia A.A. Alves , Rochelle Lykawka , Thatiane A. Pianoschi , João V.B. Valença , Carlos Ubeda , Mauricio Anés , Alexandre Bacelar , Henrique Trombini","doi":"10.1016/j.ejmp.2026.105733","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ejmp.2026.105733","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose:</h3><div>Establishing DRLs is internationally recommended for dose optimization, particularly in paediatric procedures. The first step in defining local or national DRLs is determining typical dose values (TVD). This study presents the first Brazilian evaluation of TVD for fluoroscopy-guided central venous catheter (CVC FGI) placement in paediatric patients.</div></div><div><h3>Methods:</h3><div>A retrospective analysis was conducted at a large university hospital (2017–2024). Procedures were stratified by age and weight according to ICRP 135 guidelines. Six mobile surgical C-arm units were included: four with image intensifiers and two with flat-panel detectors. Dose indicators included kerma-area product (Pka), cumulative air kerma, and fluoroscopy time. Procedures were stratified by age and weight and the TVD was calculated as the median (second quartile, Q2) of the Pka according to ICRP 135. Associations between Pka and weight or age were assessed using Spearman correlation.</div></div><div><h3>Results:</h3><div>Data from 816 patients stratified by weight and 832 by age were analysed. The TVDs corresponding to <span><math><mrow><mi>Q</mi><mn>2</mn><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>P</mi><mi>k</mi><mi>a</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow></math></span> (Gy cm<sup>2</sup>) by weight (kg) were: <span><math><mrow><mo><</mo><mn>5</mn></mrow></math></span> (0.044), <span><math><mrow><mn>5</mn><mo><</mo><mn>15</mn></mrow></math></span> (0.080), <span><math><mrow><mn>15</mn><mo><</mo><mn>30</mn></mrow></math></span> (0.143), <span><math><mrow><mn>30</mn><mo><</mo><mn>50</mn></mrow></math></span> (0.189), and <span><math><mrow><mn>50</mn><mo><</mo><mn>80</mn></mrow></math></span> (0.370). By age in years (Gy cm<sup>2</sup>): <span><math><mrow><mo><</mo><mn>1</mn></mrow></math></span> (0.067), <span><math><mrow><mn>1</mn><mo><</mo><mn>5</mn></mrow></math></span> (0.088), <span><math><mrow><mn>5</mn><mo><</mo><mn>10</mn></mrow></math></span> (0.170), 10 <span><math><mo><</mo></math></span> 15 (0.312), and <span><math><mrow><mo>≥</mo><mn>15</mn></mrow></math></span> (0.279). Statistically significant but weak correlations were found between Pka and weight (<span><math><mrow><mi>ρ</mi><mo>=</mo><mn>0</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>29</mn></mrow></math></span>, <span><math><mrow><mi>p</mi><mo><</mo><mn>0</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>001</mn></mrow></math></span>) and between Pka and age (<span><math><mrow><mi>ρ</mi><mo>=</mo><mn>0</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>27</mn></mrow></math></span>, <span><math><mrow><mi>p</mi><mo><</mo><mn>0</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>001</mn></mrow></math></span>). Weight was the main predictor, though incomplete.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion:</h3><div>TVD for FGI procedures, especially with surgical C-arms, is an important quality indicator. This advances DRL implementation for dose optimization and safety in paediatric radiology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56092,"journal":{"name":"Physica Medica-European Journal of Medical Physics","volume":"142 ","pages":"Article 105733"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yazhou Li , Yuanyuan Ma , Xinguo Liu , Hui Zhang , Jieyan Wu , Hongyi Cai , Qiang Li
{"title":"Hypoxia-targeted RBE and OER weighted dose optimization for carbon ion therapy in lung cancer","authors":"Yazhou Li , Yuanyuan Ma , Xinguo Liu , Hui Zhang , Jieyan Wu , Hongyi Cai , Qiang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.ejmp.2026.105727","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ejmp.2026.105727","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Hypoxia, prevalent in solid tumors including lung cancer, is linked to treatment resistance and poor outcomes. This study evaluates the RBE- and OER-weighted dose (ROWD) optimization framework for carbon ion radiotherapy, comparing its performance with conventional intensity-modulated carbon ion radiotherapy (IMCT) plans.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div><sup>18</sup>F-FMISO PET/CT images from 13 lung cancer patients were retrospectively analyzed to design hypoxia-guided ROWD plans. Feasibility was assessed by comparing dose-volume histogram (DVH) metrics, physical dose distributions, dose-averaged linear energy transfer (LET<sub>d</sub>), tumor control probability (TCP) and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) between ROWD optimization and IMCT plans. All statistical analyses employed the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for paired comparisons.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The ROWD optimization achieved over 95% prescription dose coverage in the planning gross tumor volume (PGTV) while constraining doses to organs-at-risk (OARs) below tolerance limits, even in hypoxic regions. Compared with IMCT, ROWD improved physical dose distribution in hypoxic tumor volumes (HTV), with minimal alteration in LET<sub>d</sub>. For the conventional IMCT plans, hypoxia reduced the average TCP in HTV from 76.15% (normoxic baseline) to 72.50%. In contrast, the ROWD optimization plans restored the TCP under hypoxic conditions to 76.20%, matching normoxic benchmark levels. Moreover, the ROWD optimization plans maintained similar NTCP values for OARs while decreasing the NTCP for pulmonary complications from 2.01% to 1.34%.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Thus, our study demonstrates the significant potential of the ROWD optimization technique as an improved approach to enhance the efficacy of carbon ion radiotherapy for lung cancer with hypoxic regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56092,"journal":{"name":"Physica Medica-European Journal of Medical Physics","volume":"142 ","pages":"Article 105727"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145960932","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
R. Villa , R. Azzeroni , M. Bertolini , G. Bruschi , S. Di Biaso , D. D’Urso , G. Giovannini , C. Ghetti , D. Origgi , M. Porzio , V. Ravaglia , R. Rosasco , V. Rossetti , A. Sardo , E.M.L. Vaccara , N. Paruccini
{"title":"Low contrast detectability in contrast enhanced mammography (CEM)","authors":"R. Villa , R. Azzeroni , M. Bertolini , G. Bruschi , S. Di Biaso , D. D’Urso , G. Giovannini , C. Ghetti , D. Origgi , M. Porzio , V. Ravaglia , R. Rosasco , V. Rossetti , A. Sardo , E.M.L. Vaccara , N. Paruccini","doi":"10.1016/j.ejmp.2025.105233","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ejmp.2025.105233","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":56092,"journal":{"name":"Physica Medica-European Journal of Medical Physics","volume":"142 ","pages":"Article 105233"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146146863","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Rago , R. El Gawhary , C. Borrazzo , M. Masi , F. Tortorelli , C. Properzi , D. Marchesano , G. Grimaldi , F. Bianciardi , I. Annessi , A. Di Palma , M. Valentino , L. Verna , G. Chiarello , P. Gentile
{"title":"The powerful tool of failure mode and effect analysis FMEA to mitigate potential errors on stereotactic arrhythmia radioablation star workflow in ViewRay MRIdian LINAC","authors":"M. Rago , R. El Gawhary , C. Borrazzo , M. Masi , F. Tortorelli , C. Properzi , D. Marchesano , G. Grimaldi , F. Bianciardi , I. Annessi , A. Di Palma , M. Valentino , L. Verna , G. Chiarello , P. Gentile","doi":"10.1016/j.ejmp.2025.105309","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ejmp.2025.105309","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":56092,"journal":{"name":"Physica Medica-European Journal of Medical Physics","volume":"142 ","pages":"Article 105309"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146147195","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Vannucci , M. Bonuso , A. Burattini , M. Carruezzo , M.S. De Feo , A. De Gregorio , G. De Vincentis , G. Franciosini , V. Frantellizzi , L. Gasparini , M. Garbini , N. Krah , M. Magi , E. Manuzzato , M. Marafini , L. Mattiello , R. Passerone , V. Patera , F. Quattrini , D. Rocco , G. Traini
{"title":"Development of high-Z doped plastic scintillators for SPECT imaging and radiometabolic dosimetry","authors":"A. Vannucci , M. Bonuso , A. Burattini , M. Carruezzo , M.S. De Feo , A. De Gregorio , G. De Vincentis , G. Franciosini , V. Frantellizzi , L. Gasparini , M. Garbini , N. Krah , M. Magi , E. Manuzzato , M. Marafini , L. Mattiello , R. Passerone , V. Patera , F. Quattrini , D. Rocco , G. Traini","doi":"10.1016/j.ejmp.2025.105288","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ejmp.2025.105288","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":56092,"journal":{"name":"Physica Medica-European Journal of Medical Physics","volume":"142 ","pages":"Article 105288"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146147192","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}