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Understanding the three-dimensional (3D) structure of the human skull is imperative for medical courses. However, medical students are overwhelmed by the spatial complexity of the skull. Separated polyvinyl chloride (PVC) bone models have advantages as learning tools, but they are fragile and expensive. This study aimed to reconstruct 3D-printed skull bone models (3D-PSBs) using polylactic acid (PLA) with anatomical characteristics for spatial recognition of the skull. Student responses to 3D-PSB application were investigated through a questionnaire and tests to understand the requirement of these models as a learning tool. The students were randomly divided into 3D-PSB (n = 63) and skull (n = 67) groups to analyze pre- and post-test scores. Their knowledge was improved, with the gain scores of the 3D-PSB group (50.0 ± 3.0) higher than that of the skull group (37.3 ± 5.2). Most students agreed that using 3D-PSBs with quick response codes could improve immediate feedback on teaching (88%; 4.41 ± 0.75), while 85.9% of the students agreed that individual 3D-PSBs clarified the structures hidden within the skull (4.41 ± 0.75). The ball drop test revealed that the mechanical strength of the cement/PLA model was significantly greater than that of the cement or PLA model. The prices of the PVC, cement, and cement/PLA models were 234, 1.9, and 10 times higher than that of the 3D-PSB model, respectively. These findings imply that low-cost 3D-PSB models could revolutionize skull anatomical education by incorporating digital technologies like the QR system into the anatomical teaching repertoire.

Simple Summary: Radiotherapy is the primary and only curative treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The adoption of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) alone or combined with optimized chemotherapeutic strategies has improved survival rates while reducing treatment-related toxicities. However, the persistent tumor status, including residual tumor presence and early recurrence, is the predominant cause of treatment failure, associated with poorer survival outcomes. This study extracted the radiomic features from pretreatment PET images, which were used to construct a prediction model to identify patients with NPC at high risk of having persistent tumors after treatment. The model trained by the AdaBoost algorithm showed significant diagnostic performance in predicting treatment failure. This model exhibited the feasibility of assisting clinicians in identifying high-risk patients before treatment, allowing for more personalized treatment plans and improving patient outcomes. Background/Objectives: The duration of the response to radiotherapy-related treatment is a critical prognostic indicator for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Persistent tumor status, including residual tumor presence and early recurrence, is associated with poorer survival outcomes. To address this, we developed a prediction model to identify patients at a high risk of persistent tumor status prior to initiating treatment. Methods: This retrospective study included 104 patients with NPC receiving radiotherapy-related treatment who had completed a 3-year follow-up period; 29 were classified into the persistent tumor status group and 75 into the disease-free group. Radiomic features were extracted from pretreatment positron emission tomography (PET) images and used to construct a prediction model by employing machine learning algorithms. The model's diagnostic performance was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), whereas SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) analysis was conducted to determine the contribution of individual features to the model. Results: The prediction model developed using the AdaBoost algorithm and validated through five-fold cross-validation achieved the highest AUC of 0.934. Its sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy were 89.66%, 86.67%, 72.22%, 95.59%, and 87.5%, respectively. SHAP analysis revealed that the feature of high dependence low metabolic uptake emphasis50 had the greatest impact on model predictions. Furthermore, patients classified as disease-free exhibited markedly higher overall survival rates compared with those with persistent tumor status. Conclusions: In conclusion, the proposed prediction model efficiently identified patients with NPC at a high risk of persistent tumor status by using radiomic features extracted from pretreatment PET images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are recommended as the first‐line therapy for platinum‐refractory head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), a disease with a poor prognosis. However, biomarkers in this situation are rare. The objective was to identify radiomic features‐associated biomarkers to guide the prognosis and treatment opinions in the era of ICI. Methods: A total of 31 platinum‐refractory HNSCC patients were retrospectively enrolled. Of these, 65.5% (20/31) received ICI‐based therapy and 35.5% (11/31) did not. Radiomic features of the primary site at the onset of recurrent metastatic (R/M) status were extracted. Prognostic and predictive radiomic biomarkers were analysed. Results: The median overall survival from R/M status (R/M OS) was 9.6 months. Grey‐level co‐occurrence matrix‐associated texture features were the most important in identifying the patients with or without 9‐month R/M death. A radiomic risk‐stratification model was established and equally separated the patients into high‐, intermittent‐ and lower‐risk groups (1‐year R/M death rate, 100.0% vs. 70.8% vs. 27.1%, p = 0.001). Short‐run high grey‐level emphasis (SRHGE) was more suitable than programmed death ligand 1 (PD‐L1) expression in selecting whether patients received ICI‐based therapy. Conclusions: Radiomic features were effective prognostic and predictive biomarkers. Future studies are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of multi-detector row computed tomography in cardiac examinations is increasing globally. Several hospitals are yet to establish a practical method for evaluating the extra scattering dose in the lungs (Dlung) of male examinees with different body-weights undergoing cardiac computed tomography. To measure the dose in each slice of a lung (Dlung,i), thermoluminescent dosimeters are inserted into Rando and tissue-equivalent phantoms made of polymethylmethacrylate and derived from ICRU 48 with masses from 10 to 90 kg. Dlung was evaluated by weighing the scanned volume of each slice. A practical method for determining Dlung involves 64-slice computed tomography scans using a Philips Brilliance computed tomography at 120 kV and 200 mAs, with a thickness of 1.0 mm. Dlung,i increased with distance from the scanning region. This experiment yielded Dlung values from 12.1 ± 2.1 mSv (90 kg) to 23.0 ± 3.8 mSv (10 kg). Finally, a simple equation can be used to derive the relationship between Dlung and the body-weights of a male examinee. Experimental results are compared with others in the literature.

Purpose: CSMed® wound dressing, a dressing with various herb extracts, was tested for its therapeutic effect in radiation dermatitis of breast and head-and-neck cancer patients. Methods: This study included 20 breast cancer patients and 10 head-and-neck cancer patients. Half of the irradiated area was covered with CSMed® and the other half was under routine treatment. The severity of radiation dermatitis was evaluated with radiation therapy oncology group (RTOG) grade throughout the treatment and the follow-up period. The RTOG grade between the dressed and undressed area were compared to illustrate the therapeutic effect of CSMed® dressing. Results: The results showed that CSMed® dressed area had significant lower RTOG score at 3–7 weeks and final record during the treatment, and 1–3 weeks during follow-up than undressed area. Conclusions: This indicated that CSMed® can delay the onset, reduce the severity, and enhance healing of radiation dermatitis. CSMed® can be used for prophylaxis and management of radiation dermatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The objective of this retrospective study is to investigate laryngeal preservation and long-term treatment results in hypopharyngeal carcinoma treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) combined with chemotherapy. Methods Twenty-seven patients with hypopharyngeal carcinoma (stage II-IV) were enrolled and underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The chemotherapy regimens were monthly cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil for six patients and weekly cisplatin for 19 patients. All patients were treated with IMRT with simultaneous integrated boost technique. Acute and late toxicities were recorded based on CTCAE 3.0 (Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events). Results The median follow-up time for survivors was 53.0 months (range 36-82 months). The initial complete response rate was 85.2%, with a laryngeal preservation rate of 63.0%. The 5-year functional laryngeal, local-regional control, disease-free and overall survival rates were 59.7%, 63.3%, 51.0% and 34.8%, respectively. The most common greater than or equal to grade 3 acute and late effects were dysphagia (63.0%, 17 of 27 patients) and laryngeal stricture (18.5%, 5 of 27 patients), respectively. Patients belonging to the high risk group showed significantly higher risk of tracheostomy compared to the low risk group (p = 0.014). Conclusions After long-term follow-up, our results confirmed that patients with hypopharyngeal carcinoma treated with IMRT concurrent with platinum-based chemotherapy attain high functional laryngeal and local-regional control survival rates. However, the late effect of laryngeal stricture remains a problem, particularly for high risk group patients.