Quality assurance in the 22991 EORTC ROG trial in localized prostate cancer: dummy run and individual case review.

INTRODUCTION: EORTC trial 22991 was designed to evaluate the addition of concomitant and adjuvant short-term hormonal treatments to curative radiotherapy in terms of disease-free survival for patients with intermediate risk localized prostate cancer. In order to assess the compliance to the 3D conformal radiotherapy protocol guidelines, all participating centres were requested to participate in a dummy run procedure. An individual case review was performed for the largest recruiting centres as well. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CT-data of an eligible prostate cancer patient were sent to 30 centres including a description of the clinical case. The investigator was requested to delineate the volumes of interest and to perform treatment planning according to the protocol. Thereafter, the investigators of the 12 most actively recruiting centres were requested to provide data on five randomly selected patients for an individual case review. RESULTS: Volume delineation varied significantly between investigators. Dose constraints for organs at risk (rectum, bladder, hips) were difficult to meet. In the individual case review, no major protocol deviations were observed, but a number of dose reporting problems were documented for centres using IMRT. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, results of this quality assurance program were satisfactory. The efficacy of the combination of a dummy run procedure with an individual case review is confirmed in this study, as none of the evaluated patient files harboured a major protocol deviation. Quality assurance remains a very important tool in radiotherapy to increase the reliability of the trial results. Special attention should be given when designing quality assurance programs for more complex irradiation techniques.

Dummy run and conformity indices in the ongoing EORTC low-grade glioma trial 22033-26033: First evaluation of quality of radiotherapy planning.

PURPOSE: Early assessment of radiotherapy (RT) quality in the ongoing EORTC trial comparing primary temozolomide versus RT in low-grade gliomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: RT plans provided for dummy cases were evaluated and compared against expert plans. We analysed: (1) tumour and organs-at-risk delineation, (2) geometric and dosimetric characteristics, (3) planning parameters, compliance with dose prescription and Dmax for OAR (4) indices: RTOG conformity index (CI), coverage factor (CF), tissue protection factor (PF); conformity number (CN = PF x CF); dose homogeneity in PTV (U). RESULTS: Forty-one RT plans were evaluated. Only two (5%) centres were requested to repeat CTV-PTV delineations. Three (7%) plans had a significant under-dosage and dose homogeneity in one deviated > 10%. Dose distribution was good with mean values of 1.5, 1, 0.68, and 0.68 (ideal values = 1) for CI, CF, PF, and CN, respectively. CI and CN strongly correlated with PF and they correlated with PTV. Planning with more beams seems to increase PTV(Dmin), improving CF. U correlated with PTV(Dmax). CONCLUSION: Preliminary results of the dummy run procedure indicate that most centres conformed to protocol requirements. To quantify plan quality we recommend systematic calculation of U and either CI or CN, both of which measure the amount of irradiated normal brain tissue.

Quality assurance of the EORTC 22043-30041 trial in post-operative radiotherapy in prostate cancer: Results of the Dummy Run procedure.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The EORTC 22043-30041 trial investigates the role of the addition of androgen suppression to post-operative radiotherapy in patients who have undergone radical prostatectomy. As part of the quality assurance of radiotherapy (QART) a Dummy Run (DR) procedure was performed. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The protocol included detailed and published delineation guidelines. Participating institutions digitally submitted radiotherapy treatment volumes and a treatment plan for a standard clinical case. Submissions were centrally reviewed using the VODCA software platform. RESULTS: Thirty-eight submissions from thirty-one institutions were reviewed. Six were accepted without comments. Twenty-three were accepted with comments on one or more items: target volume delineation (22), OAR delineation (23), planning and dosimetry (3) or treatment verification (1). Nine submissions were rejected requiring resubmission, seven for target volume delineation reasons alone. Intervention to highlight the importance of delineation guidelines was made prior to the entry of the first patient in the trial. After this, a lower percentage of resubmissions was required. CONCLUSIONS: The EORTC 22043-30041 Dummy Run highlights the need for timely and effective QART in clinical trials. The variation in target volume and OAR definition demonstrates that clinical guidelines and radiotherapy protocols are not a substitute for QART procedures. Early intervention in response to the Dummy Run improved protocol understanding.

Bigarren hizkuntza irakasteko eskolak egin dezakeena. 'Lo que la escuela puede hacer para enseñar una segunda lengua'.

La didáctica de segundas lenguas presenta perfiles específicos cuando se trata de enseñanza en programas de inmersión, es decir, en aquellos donde la lengua se adquiere a través de los contenidos curriculares. Tal es el caso de la mayoría de los programas bilingües del País Vasco, denominados modelo B o D. Se recogen una serie de recomendaciones de orden didáctico para la enseñanza-aprendizaje de la lengua vasca en esos contextos escolares, provenientes tanto de la investigación en lengua vasca como de otros ámbitos, a los que se han unido reflexiones surgidas del trabajo con profesorado de centros que tienen como objetivo prioritario enseñar euskera a niños castellano-hablantes..

Zurekin barre egin, ez zure bizkar : bizikidetza haur eta lehen hezkuntzako ikastetxeetan hobetzeko kanpaina (2008-2009 ikasturtea). 'Reírme contigo, nunca de ti : campaña para la mejora de la convivencia en infantil y primaria (curso 2008-2009)'.

Resumen tomado de la web del Departamento de Educación

Bigarren hizkuntza irakasteko eskolak egin dezakeena.'Lo que la escuela puede hacer para la enseñanza de la segunda lengua'.

Resumen tomado de la publicación

Syzygium cumini (L.) Skells no tratamento do diabetes melito tipo 2 : resultado de um ensaio clínico randomizado, controlado, duplo-cego e double-dummy

Resumo não disponível.

Implementação de um sistema de aquisição de dados da técnica de judô Osotogari utilizando dummy na realização do uchikomi

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Mecânica - FEG

Development of an eddy current noncontact displacement gage for monitoring anthropomorphic dummy chest deflections. Final report.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, D.C.

Anthropomorphic dummy positioning and repeatability measurements. Final report.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Vehicle Crashworthiness, Washington, D.C.