Category Archives: Clinical publications

Spatial Accuracy and Visibility Studies of a MRI Compatible Gold Anchor™ Fine Needle Fiducial Marker

Conclusion: The new MRI compatible Gold Anchor™ adds new features on top of the existing advantages. For specific anatomical targets treatment planning with fiducial marker information can be performed based only on MR images. For other targets images from both MRI and CT can be matched through the information from the fiducials. The content of […]

Investigation of dosimetric effects of radiopaque fiducial markers for use in proton beam therapy with film measurements and Monte Carlo simulations

Summary: The purpose was to estimate the dose perturbation introduced by implanted radiopaque fiducial markers in proton beam therapy (PBT) and to compare cylindrical 1.2 x 3.0 mm and 0.6 x 4.0 mm gold markers to 0.28×20 mm Gold Anchor markers. Radiochromic film measurements of a phantom showed that the Gold Anchor marker causes the […]

Visibility and artifacts of gold fiducial markers used for IGRT of pancreatic cancer on MRI

Summary: The authors selected ten different markers suitable for endoscopic placement in the pancreas and tested the visibility and artifacts of these markers on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). They conclude that when visibility of the markers is most important, markers that contain iron [Gold Anchor] are optimal, preferably in a folded configuration. Article in Medical […]

Assessment of the feasibility and complications of implanting “Gold Anchor 25 G” fiducial markers by transparietal puncture under scanner before Cyberknife radiotherapy of lung nodules

Summary: This is the largest series reporting the feasibility and complications of the use of the Gold Anchor 25G system for percutaneous puncture in the lung. This is a quick procedure, performed under local anesthesia. A single marker per lesion minimizes the risk of complications related to the implementation: with a pneumothorax rate of 25% […]

Usefulness of Iron-Containing Fiducial Marker for Prostate Radiotherapy

Abstract: Visualization of markers is critical for imaging modalities such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, the size of the marker varies according to the imaging technique. While a large-sized marker is more useful for visualization in MRI, it results in artifacts on CT and causes substantial pain on administration. In […]

The advantage of iron-containing fiducial markers placed with a thin needle for radiotherapy of liver cancer in terms of visualization on MRI: an initial experience of Gold Anchor

Summary: Gold Anchors were implanted through 22-gauge needle in two liver cancer patients at the Gifu Municipal Hospital in Japan. This caused little pain during placement under local anesthesia with xylocaine. No complication occurred in either patient. The iron-containing fiducial marker composed of 99.5% gold and 0.5% iron made visualization in MRI easy, which helped […]

Clinical Implications of a Novel, Iron-containing Fiducial Marker in Radiotherapy for Liver Tumors: An Initial Experience

Summary: Gold Anchors were implanted percutaneously under local anesthesia close to liver tumors in four patients at the Meiwa Hospital in Japan. All implantations were successfully performed with no complications. The markers were more visible than the uptake of lipiodol emulsion. The markers were also well detected in CB-CT images in all fractions. Article in […]

Percutaneous ultrasound-guided fiducial marker placement for liver cancer robotic stereotactic radio-surgery treatment: A comparative analysis of three types of markers and needles

Summary: In Italy, ultrasound guided implantation in liver was performed in 50 patients of 68 gold grain markers 1×4 mm through 17-gauge needles, 78 Gold Anchors 0.4×10 mm through 22-gauge needles, and 17 Gold Anchors 0.28×10 mm through 25-gauge needles. The use of 17-gauge needles resulted in five patients developing abdominal pain and the migration […]