Simplified intensity-modulated radiotherapy using pre-defined segments to reduce cardiac complications in left-sided breast cancer

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Left-sided breast cancer patients pose a difficult clinical challenge when significant heart and contralateral breast irradiation are present, particularly with tangential uniform beams. The aims of the study are: (1) to design and evaluate a simplified intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) (SI) solution using pre-defined segments, (2) to compare the SI technique with a conformal (CN) and a full fluence IMRT (FI) approach using two sets of beam orientations, clinical (-C) and optimal (-O), and (3) to quantify the benefits of treatment technique and beam orientation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Nine left-sided breast cancer patients with a maximum heart distance of at least 2.0 cm were planned using three different techniques and two different beam orientations. All three techniques were planned using clinical orientations (i.e. CN-C, FI-C and SI-C). Two techniques were planned using more optimal orientations (i.e. FI-O and SI-O). Dose-volume histograms and radiobiologic modelling are used for plan evaluation. RESULTS: The average mean planning target volume (PTV) doses are 91.6+/-4.5, 98.4+/-6.3, 102.0+/-8.7, 100.0+/-5.9 and 103.9+/-8.3% for the CN-C, FI-C, SI-C, FI-O and SI-O plans, respectively. The average normal tissue complication probabilities for late excess cardiac mortality are 2.1+/-0.6, 0.2+/-0.1, 0.2+/-0.1, 0.1+/-0.0 and 0.1+/-0.0%, respectively. For a given beam orientation, FI plans are the best and CN plans are the worst. The dose distributions for the SI-C and FI-C plans are almost identical with significant heart sparing but at a cost of some target underdosage. The dose distributions are better conformed around the PTV with more optimal beam orientations, resulting in better sparing of adjacent organs at risk. FI-C plans are inferior to SI-O plans. CONCLUSIONS: For clinical uniform two-beam orientations, significant heart sparing is possible with the addition of intensity modulation but at the expense of worsening target coverage. Simplified IMRT can, for all intents, be substituted for full IMRT with clinical beam orientations. Applying more optimal non-uniform beam orientations improves PTV coverage while maintaining significant heart sparing but increases the PTV dose heterogeneity.     

乳腺癌保乳术后调强放疗与常规放疗的剂量学比较

 目的　探讨早期乳腺癌保乳术后全乳适形调强放射治疗（IMRT）的剂量学优势。方法　选择10例接受保乳手术的Tis~2N0M0早期乳腺癌病例,其中左侧乳腺癌6例,右侧乳腺癌4例,应用三维治疗计划系统（3D-TPS）为每位患者设计两种全乳放射治疗计划,即切线野常规计划与IMRT计划,处方剂量均为50 Gy／25次。用剂量体积直方图（DVH）来比较两种计划中计划靶体积（PTV）、危及器官（OARS）的剂量学差异。结果　靶区覆盖率在两种计划中相似,分别为97.83 %、97.61 %,与常规计划相比IMRT计划的PTV接受＜95 %处方剂量与＞103 %处方剂量的体积百分比之和（IHI） 从25.42 %减少到2.71 %,PTV接受至少105 %处方剂量照射的体积百分比（V105 %）从25.79 %减少到1.08 %,IMRT计划改善IHI和减少V105 %的平均值,在PTV较大的患者中更明显。左侧乳腺癌患者心脏的平均剂量（Dmean）从6.72 Gy减少到4.95 Gy、心脏接受30 Gy照射的体积百分比（V30）从7.23 %减少到1.04 %。所有患者同侧肺的Dmean从9.19 Gy减少到7.65 Gy、至少接受20 Gy 照射的体积百分比（V20）从22.34 %减少到20.18 %。对侧乳腺Dmean从5.12 Gy减少到3.52 Gy,对侧肺Dmean从2.76 Gy减少到1.79 Gy。右侧患者肝脏Dmean从7.23 Gy减少到1.04 Gy。结论　全乳IMRT的剂量学优势主要是在保证靶区覆盖率的前提下,显著改善了靶区剂量分布的均匀性,并在一定程度上降低OARS的受照剂量与容积,乳房体积大的病例可以通过IMRT获得更好的剂量学结果。     

Dosimetric analysis of a simplified intensity modulation technique for prone breast radiotherapy

PURPOSE: Prone-position breast radiotherapy (RT) has been described as an alternative technique to improve dose homogeneity for women with large, pendulous breasts. We report the feasibility and dosimetric analysis of a simplified intensity-modulated RT (IMRT) technique, previously reported for women in the supine treatment position, to plan prone-position RT to the intact breast. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Twenty patients with clinical Stage TisN0-T1bN1 breast cancer undergoing breast-conserving therapy underwent whole breast RT using a prone position technique. The treatment plans were developed using both conventional tangents and a simplified intensity-modulated tangential beam technique based on optimization of the intensity distributions across the breast. The plans were compared with regard to the dose-volume parameters. RESULTS: Dose heterogeneity within the breast planning target volume was significantly greater for the conventional tangent plans. Of 20 patients, 16 (80%) received maximal doses of > or =110% using the conventional tangents vs. only 1 (5%) using the IMRT plan. The isodose level encompassing 5% of the planning target volume was reduced from an average of 110% with conventional tangents to 105% with IMRT. The maximal dose within the planning target volume was reduced from an average of 114% with conventional tangents to 107% with IMRT. The greatest improvement was seen in the patients with the most pendulous breasts. CONCLUSION: An IMRT planning approach is feasible for prone-position breast RT and improves dose homogeneity, particularly in women with larger, pendulous breasts. Additional follow-up is necessary to determine whether the improvements in dose homogeneity impact acute toxicity and cosmetic outcome in this cohort of women who have historically suffered from poor cosmesis after breast-conserving therapy.     

早期乳腺癌保乳术后全乳调强放射治疗与常规切线野放疗的剂量学比较

目的探讨早期乳腺癌保乳术后全乳调强放射治疗(intensity-modulated radiotherapy,IMRT)的剂量学优势。方法选择6例接受保乳手术的T1N0M0早期乳腺癌病例,其中左侧乳腺癌4例,右侧乳腺癌2例,应用三维调强治疗计划系统为每例患者设计常规切线野与IMRT2种全乳放射治疗计划,处方剂量均为50Gy/25次。用剂量体积直方图(dose volume histograms,DVH)来比较2种计划中计划靶体积(planning target volume,PTV)、危及器官(organs at risks,OARs)的剂量学差异。结果在2种计划中,95%PTV均接受50Gy,99%PTV均接受95%的处方剂量;但在IMRT计划组V110%(接受大于110%处方剂量体积占PTV的百分比)下降了9.1%(46.3%比37.2%,P<0.05);同侧肺的V20(至少接受20Gy照射的肺体积占同侧肺体积的百分比)下降了7.2%(26.8%比18.0%,P<0.05);同侧肺的V30下降了12.0%(23.2%比11.2%,P<0.05);4例左侧乳腺癌患者的心脏V30下降了3.8%(7.0%比3.2%,P<0.05)。结论全乳IMRT在保证靶区覆盖率的前提下,改善了靶区内剂量的均匀性,降低了危及器官的受照剂量及缩小了危及器官的照射体积,尤其是同侧肺、心脏的照射体积,降低放射性肺炎及心血管事件发生的可能。     

A treatment planning study using non-coplanar static fields and coplanar arcs for whole breast radiotherapy of patients with concave geometry.

PURPOSE: A treatment planning study was performed to evaluate the performance of new radiotherapy techniques based on non-coplanar multiple fields or on dynamic conformal arcs for early stage breast treatments. METHODS AND MATERIALS: CT datasets of 7 different patients that were deemed unsuitable for tangential beam treatment due to a large volume of lung in the treatment fields were used as input for the study. Standard tangential field plans and inversely modulated IMRT plans were used as benchmark to evaluate performances of conformal plans with 3 non-coplanar fields (3F-NC), with 2 short dynamic conformal arcs (2-Arc) or hybrid plans with one static conformal field and one dynamic conformal arc (P-Arc). All plans were designed to achieve the higher target coverage and minimum ipsilateral lung involvement depending on the planning technique with a key objective to avoid involvement of the contralateral breast. The following planning objectives were selected. For PTV: D(1%) (maximum significant dose) lower than 110% and D(99%) (minimum significant dose) higher than 90%. For the ipsilateral lung a mean dose lower than 15 Gy and/or a volume receiving more than 20 Gy lower than 22%. For contralateral breast, all techniques but IMRT were set to have no beam impinging this organ at risk, while for IMRT plans were further designed to keep the mean dose lower than 5 Gy and to minimise the volume receiving a dose higher than 70% of the prescribed dose. RESULTS: P-Arc resulted to be on average a better technique, as it provides a PTV dose distribution highly conformal (Conformity index 1.45), homogeneous (D(5%)-D(95%)=15.6%), with adequate coverage (V(90%)=96.4%) and a limited involvement of the ipsilateral lung (MLD approximately 9 Gy, V(5 Gy) approximately 36%, NTCP<2%) when compared to four other treatment techniques. 3F-NC presented similar but slightly worse performances on target: Conformity index 1.57, D(5%)-D(95%)=18.1%, V(90%)=95.7%). 3F-NC on ipsilateral lung resulted as the P-Arc. The tangential approach, the 2-Arc or the IMRT techniques, resulted to be inferior to the previous in either conformality (tangentials), ipsilateral lung sparing (tangentials, 2-Arc and IMRT) and in contralateral or healthy tissue involvement (IMRT). CONCLUSION: For early stage breast cancer when high sparing of lung tissues is required and no involvement of contralateral breast is allowed, the P-Arc or the 3F-NC techniques might be recommended in terms of dosimetric expectations.     

乳腺癌调强放射治疗和常规切线野治疗的三维剂量学研究

背景与目的:乳房保留治疗已在早期乳腺癌患者中逐渐推广应用,其中全乳根治性放疗的标准技术通常采用常规切线野技术。调强放射治疗(intensity-modulatedradiotherapy,IMRT)技术有望在保障相同疗效的同时进一步减少放疗并发症,提高生活质量。本研究利用三维计划系统评价全乳IMRT的剂量学优势与适应证。方法:选择10例接受保乳手术的Tis～2N0M0早期乳腺癌病例,利用三维治疗计划系统为每例患者设计两种全乳放射治疗计划,切线野常规计划与IMRT计划,处方剂量均为5000cGy。用剂量体积直方图(dosevolumehistograms,DVH)来比较各种计划中计划靶体积(planningtargetvolume,PTV)、危及器官(organsatrisks,OARs)的剂量学差异。结果:靶区覆盖率在两种计划中相似,分别为98.3%和97.7%。与常规计划比较,IMRT计划的PTV接受<95%处方剂量与>103%处方剂量的体积百分比之和(inhomogeneityindex,IHI)从29.9%减少到2.9%,PTV接受至少105%处方剂量照射的体积百分比(V105%)从28.2%减少到0.6%;IMRT计划改善IHI和减少V105%的平均值在PTV较大的患者中优势更明显。左侧患者中冠状动脉的最大剂量(Dmax)以及心脏的平均剂量(Dmean)分别从5057.1cGy减少到4832.9cGy和从629.8cGy到450.7cGy;右侧患者肝脏的Dmean从283.9cGy减少到172.0cGy;所有患者中同侧肺的Dmean、至少接受20Gy照射的体积百分比(V20)分别从925.2cGy减少到765.9cGy,从16.0%到15.3%,Dmean与V20的平均值在IMRT计划中减少的百分比在不同射野中心肺厚度(centrallungdistance,CLD)亚组中分别是14.7%与20.9%,7.0%与12.9%;对侧乳腺和对侧肺的Dmean也分别从75.4cGy减少到20.3cGy和从30.9cGy到16.1cGy。结论:全乳IMRT的剂量学优势主要在于保证靶区覆盖率的前提下,显著改善靶区的剂量分布均匀性并一定程度上降低OARs的受照剂量与容积。乳房体积和CLD较大的病例可以通过IMRT技术获得更好的剂量学结果。     

Assessment of extended-field radiotherapy for stage IIIC endometrial cancer using three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy, intensity-modulated radiotherapy, and helical tomotherapy

PURPOSE: To perform a dosimetric comparison of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT), intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), and helical tomotherapy (HT) plans for pelvic and para-aortic RT in postoperative endometrial cancer patients; and to evaluate the integral dose (ID) received by critical structures within the radiation fields. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We selected 10 patients with Stage IIIC endometrial cancer. For each patient, three plans were created with 3D-CRT, IMRT, and HT. The IMRT and HT plans were both optimized to keep the mean dose to the planning target volume (PTV) the same as that with 3D-CRT. The dosimetry and ID for the critical structures were compared. A paired two-tailed Student t test was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Compared with the 3D-CRT plans, the IMRT plans resulted in lower IDs in the organs at risk (OARs), ranging from -3.49% to -17.59%. The HT plans showed a similar result except that the ID for the bowel increased 0.27%. The IMRT and HT plans both increased the IDs to normal tissue (see Table 1 and text for definition), pelvic bone, and spine (range, 3.31-19.7%). The IMRT and HT dosimetry showed superior PTV coverage and better OAR sparing than the 3D-CRT dosimetry. Compared directly with IMRT, HT showed similar PTV coverage, lower Ids, and a decreased dose to most OARs. CONCLUSION: Intensity-modulated RT and HT appear to achieve excellent PTV coverage and better sparing of OARs, but at the expense of increased IDs to normal tissue and skeleton. HT allows for additional improvement in dosimetry and sparing of most OARs.     

Accelerated partial-breast intensity-modulated radiotherapy results in improved dose distribution when compared with three-dimensional treatment-planning techniques

PURPOSE: To compare dose distribution and normal tissue sparing in partial-breast treatment using three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) vs. intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Sixty-three patients with Tis-1N0M0 breast cancer were treated on a Phase II prospective accelerated partial-breast IMRT protocol at two facilities between April 2004 and January 2006. Fifty-six patients had data sets sufficient to adequately contour all structures. These cases were subsequently replanned with 3D-CRT techniques using the same contours, to compare the dose distribution patterns of 3D-CRT vs. IMRT. RESULTS: The average planning target volume (PTV) to ipsilateral breast (IB) ratio was 24% (range, 7-58%). The average volume of IB receiving 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of the prescribed dose was 4.0%, 5.0%, 5.5%, and 10.5% less with IMRT than with 3D (p < 0.01). The dose reduction to normal breast was further improved in the subset of patients whose PTV to IB ratio was >25%, and in patients with contoured breast volume <750 cm(3). No difference was detected in delivery to the lumpectomy cavity or clinical target volume. The PTV volume receiving 95% of the dose was higher in the 3D conformal plans (p < 0.01), but no significant difference was observed in the PTV volume receiving 90% (p = 0.17). The irradiated heart and lung volumes were small with both techniques but also favored IMRT. CONCLUSIONS: In T1N0 patients treated with external beam partial-breast radiotherapy, IMRT improves normal tissue sparing in the ipsilateral breast compared with 3DRT, without compromising dose delivery to the lumpectomy cavity and clinical target volume.     

Number and orientation of beams in inversely planned intensity-modulated radiotherapy of the female breast and the parasternal lymph nodes

Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) provides better sparing of normal tissue. We evaluated the optimum beam configuration for IMRT based on inverse treatment planning in adjuvant radiotherapy for breast cancer in a case of left-sided tumor. In addition to radiotherapy planning with the conventional technique of tangential wedged 6-MV photon beams and an oblique 15-MeV electron beam, we performed inversely planned IMRT with the step-and-shoot-technique. Dose calculation was carried out using the treatment planning system Virtuos with the inverse optimization module KonRad adapted to it. IMRT plans were generated for 2 to 16 beams. The results were compared with conventional techniques. For a maximum treatment time of 20 minutes, it is shown that IMRT with 12 modulated photon beams and 7 intensity steps is best suited for treatment in the presented case. Compared with a conventional technique with photons combined with electrons, dose conformality and homogeneity of the planning target volume was increased. The mean heart dose was reduced from 9.1 Gy to 6.1 Gy. The volume of heart irradiated with a dose higher than 30 Gy was reduced from 7.6% to 1.9%, and the volume of the left lung from 13.6% to 11.5% as well. Inverse optimization for IMRT with multiple beams is feasible in the adjuvant treatment of breast cancer. Because of the reduction of the high-dose area of a substantial cardiac volume, it is superior to conventional techniques in cases where the parasternal lymph nodes should be integrated into the target volume. Here, a clinical advantage might be detectable.     

Organ-sparing Intensity-modulated Radiotherapy for Anal Cancer using the ACTII Schedule: A Comparison of Conventional and Intensity-modulated Radiotherapy Plans

AimsConventional external beam radiotherapy for anal cancer is associated with a high rate of treatment-related morbidity. The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare the dosimetric advantages of three intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) plans with the conventional plan with regards to organs at risk avoidance delivering the ACTII schedule of 50.4 Gy in 1.8 Gy/fraction: 17 fractions for phase 1 and 11 fractions for phase 2.Materials and methodsTen anal cancer patients (T1-3 N0-3) treated with the conventional plan using four fields and conformal boost were identified. The phase 1 planning target volume (PTV) included tumour, anal canal and inguinal, peri-rectal and internal/external iliac nodes. Phase 2 included identifiable disease only. Three step-and-shoot IMRT plans were generated: IMRT1: phase 1 inverse-planned IMRT with two- to four-field conformal phase 2; IMRT2: both phase 1 and phase 2 inverse-planned IMRT; IMRT3: phase 1 IMRT and phase 2 forward-planned IMRT. All IMRT plans were then compared against the conventional plan on PTV coverage, small bowel, genitalia, femoral heads, bladder and healthy tissue dose volume information.ResultsWhile achieving similar PTV coverage compared with the conventional plan, significant dose reductions were observed for IMRT plans in external genitalia, small bowel and healthy tissue. Reductions were also observed in the femoral heads and bladder.ConclusionsIMRT significantly reduces the dose to organs at risk while maintaining excellent PTV coverage in anal cancer radiotherapy.     

Improvements in target coverage and reduced spinal cord irradiation using intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in patients with carcinoma of the thyroid gland.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: External beam radiotherapy for thyroid carcinoma poses a significant technical challenge as the target volume lies close to or surrounds the spinal cord. The potential of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) to improve the dose distributions was investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A planning study was performed on patients with thyroid carcinoma. Plans were generated to irradiate the thyroid bed alone or to treat the thyroid bed and the loco-regional lymph nodes in two phases. Conventional plans with minimal beam shaping were compared to three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) and inverse-planned IMRT plans to assess target coverage and normal tissue sparing. IMRT techniques were optimized to find the minimum number of equispaced beams required to achieve the clinical benefit and a concomitant boost technique was explored. RESULTS: For the thyroid bed alone and the thyroid bed plus loco-regional lymph nodes, conventional and conformal techniques produced low minimum doses to the planning target volume (PTV) if spinal cord tolerance was respected. 3DCRT reduced the irradiated volume of normal tissue (P=0.01). IMRT plans achieved the goal dose to the PTV (P<0.01) and also reduced the spinal cord maximum dose (P<0.01). IMRT, using a concomitant boost technique, produced better target coverage than a two-phase technique. For both the two-phase and concomitant boost techniques, IMRT plans with seven and five equispaced fields produced similar dose distributions to nine fields, but three fields were significantly worse. CONCLUSIONS: 3DCRT reduced normal tissue irradiation compared to conventional techniques, but did not improve PTV or spinal cord doses. IMRT improved the PTV coverage and reduced the spinal cord dose. A simultaneous integrated boost technique with five equispaced fields produced the best dose distribution. IMRT should reduce the risk of myelopathy or may allow dose escalation in patients with thyroid cancer.     

Optimisation of radiotherapy for carcinoma of the parotid gland: a comparison of conventional, three-dimensional conformal, and intensity-modulated techniques.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To compare external beam radiotherapy techniques for parotid gland tumours using conventional radiotherapy (RT), three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT), and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). To optimise the IMRT techniques, and to produce an IMRT class solution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The planning target volume (PTV), contra-lateral parotid gland, oral cavity, brain-stem, brain and cochlea were outlined on CT planning scans of six patients with parotid gland tumours. Optimised conventional RT and 3DCRT plans were created and compared with inverse-planned IMRT dose distributions using dose-volume histograms. The aim was to reduce the radiation dose to organs at risk and improve the PTV dose distribution. A beam-direction optimisation algorithm was used to improve the dose distribution of the IMRT plans, and a class solution for parotid gland IMRT was investigated. RESULTS: 3DCRT plans produced an equivalent PTV irradiation and reduced the dose to the cochlea, oral cavity, brain, and other normal tissues compared with conventional RT. IMRT further reduced the radiation dose to the cochlea and oral cavity compared with 3DCRT. For nine- and seven-field IMRT techniques, there was an increase in low-dose radiation to non-target tissue and the contra-lateral parotid gland. IMRT plans produced using three to five optimised intensity-modulated beam directions maintained the advantages of the more complex IMRT plans, and reduced the contra-lateral parotid gland dose to acceptable levels. Three- and four-field non-coplanar beam arrangements increased the volume of brain irradiated, and increased PTV dose inhomogeneity. A four-field class solution consisting of paired ipsilateral coplanar anterior and posterior oblique beams (15, 45, 145 and 170 degrees from the anterior plane) was developed which maintained the benefits without the complexity of individual patient optimisation. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with parotid gland tumours, reduction in the radiation dose to critical normal tissues was demonstrated with 3DCRT compared with conventional RT. IMRT produced a further reduction in the dose to the cochlea and oral cavity. With nine and seven fields, the dose to the contra-lateral parotid gland was increased, but this was avoided by optimisation of the beam directions. The benefits of IMRT were maintained with three or four fields when the beam angles were optimised, but were also achieved using a four-field class solution. Clinical trials are required to confirm the clinical benefits of these improved dose distributions.     

Node-positive left-sided breast cancer patients after breast-conserving surgery: potential outcomes of radiotherapy modalities and techniques.

PURPOSE: To determine how much proton and intensity modulated photon radiotherapy (IMRT) can improve treatment results of node-positive left-sided breast cancer compared to conventional radiation qualities (X-rays and electrons) after breast-conserving surgery in terms of lower complication risks for cardiac mortality and radiation pneumonitis. METHODS AND MATERIAL: For each of 11 patient studies, one proton plan, one IMRT, and two conventional (tangential and patched) plans were calculated using a three-dimensional treatment-planning system, Helax-TMS(). The evaluation of the different treatment plans was made by applying the normal tissue complication probability model (NTCP) proposed by K?llman (also denoted the relative seriality model) on the dose distributions in terms of dose-volume histograms. The organs at risk are the spinal cord, the left lung, the heart, and the non-critical normal tissues (including the right breast). RESULTS: The comparison demonstrated that the proton treatment plans provide significantly lower NTCP values for the heart and lung when compared to conventional radiation qualities including IMRT for all 11 patients. At a prescribed dose of 50 Gy in the PTV, the calculated mean NTCP value for the patients decreased, on the average, from 14.7 to 0.6% for the lung (radiation pneumonitis) for the proton plans compared with the best plan using conventional radiation qualities. The corresponding figures for the heart (cardiac mortality) were from 2.1 to 0.5%. The figures for cardiac mortality for IMRT, tangential technique and the patched technique were 2.2, 6.7, and 2.1%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Protons appear to have major advantages in terms of lower complication risks when compared with treatments using conventional radiation qualities for treating node-positive left-sided breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery.     

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for locally advanced paranasal sinus tumors: incorporating clinical decisions in the optimization process

PURPOSE: Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) plans require decisions about priorities and tradeoffs among competing goals. This study evaluates the incorporation of various clinical decisions into the optimization system, using locally advanced paranasal sinus tumors as a model. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Thirteen patients with locally advanced paranasal sinus tumors were retrospectively replanned using inverse planning. Two clinical decisions were assumed: (1) Spare both optic pathways (OP), or (2) Spare only the contralateral OP. In each case, adequate tumor coverage (treated to 70 Gy in 35 fractions) was required. Two beamlet IMRT plans were thus developed for each patient using a class solution cost function. By altering one key variable at a time, different levels of risk of OP toxicity and planning target volume (PTV) compromise were compared in a systematic manner. The resulting clinical tradeoffs were analyzed using dosimetric criteria, tumor control probability (TCP), equivalent uniform dose (EUD), and normal tissue complication probability. RESULTS: Plan comparisons representing the two clinical decisions (sparing both OP and sparing only the contralateral OP), with respect to minimum dose, TCP, V(95), and EUD, demonstrated small, yet statistically significant, differences. However, when individual cases were analyzed further, significant PTV underdosage (>5%) was present in most cases for plans sparing both OP. In 6/13 cases (46%), PTV underdosage was between 5% and 15%, and in 3 cases (23%) was greater than 15%. By comparison, adequate PTV coverage was present in 8/13 cases (62%) for plans sparing only the contralateral OP. Mean target EUD comparisons between the two plans (including 9 cases where a clinical tradeoff between PTV coverage and OP sparing was required) were similar: 68.6 Gy and 69.1 Gy, respectively (p = 0.02). Mean TCP values for those 9 cases were 56.5 vs. 61.7, respectively (p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: In IMRT plans for paranasal sinus tumors, tradeoff values between OP toxicity and PTV coverage can be compared for different clinical decisions. The information derived can then be used to individualize the parameters within the optimization system. This process of determining clinical tradeoffs associated with different clinical decisions may be a useful tool in other sites.     

Treatment planning comparison of electron arc therapy and photon intensity modulated radiotherapy for Askin's tumor of chest wall.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A dosimetric study to quantitatively compare radiotherapy treatment plans for Askin's tumor using Electron Arc (EA) vs. photon Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five patients treated with EA were included in this study. Treatment plans were generated for each patient using EA and IMRT. Plans were compared using dose volume histograms (DVH) of the Planning Target Volume (PTV) and Organs at Risk (OAR). RESULTS: IMRT resulted in superior PTV coverage, and homogeneous dose distribution compared to EA. For EA, 92% of the PTV was covered to 85% of the dose compared to IMRT in which 96% was covered to 95% of the dose. V(107) that represents the hot spot within the PTV was more in IMRT compared to EA: 7.4(+/-2)% vs. 3(+/-0.5)%, respectively. With PTVs located close to the spinal cord (SC), the dose to SC was more with EA, whereas for PTVs located away from the SC, the dose to SC was more with IMRT. The cardiac dose profile was similar to that of SC. Ipsilateral lung received lower doses with IMRT while contralateral lung received higher dose with IMRT compared to EA. For non-OAR normal tissues, IMRT resulted in large volumes of low dose regions. CONCLUSIONS: IMRT resulted in superior PTV coverage and sparing of OAR compared to EA plans. Although IMRT seems to be superior to EA, one needs to keep in mind the volume of low dose regions associated with IMRT, especially while treating young children.     

Clinical outcome of adjuvant treatment of endometrial cancer using aperture-based intensity-modulated radiotherapy

PURPOSE: To assess disease control and acute and chronic toxicity with aperture-based intensity-modulated radiotherapy (AB-IMRT) for postoperative pelvic irradiation of endometrial cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Between January and July 2005, after hysterectomy for endometrial cancer, 15 patients received 45 Gy to the pelvis using AB-IMRT. The AB-IMRT plans were generated by an in-house treatment planning system (Ballista). The AB-IMRT plans were used for treatment and were dosimetrically compared with three other approaches: conventional four-field, enlarged four-field, and beamlet-based IMRT (BB-IMRT). Disease control and toxicity were prospectively recorded and compared with retrospective data from 30 patients treated with a conventional four-field technique. RESULTS: At a median follow-up of 27 months (range, 23-30), no relapse was noted among the AB-IMRT group compared with five relapses in the control group (p = 0.1). The characteristics of each group were similar, except for the mean body mass index, timing of brachytherapy, and applicator type used. Patients treated with AB-IMRT experienced more frequent Grade 2 or greater gastrointestinal acute toxicity (87% vs. 53%, p = 0.02). No statistically significant difference was noted between the two groups regarding the incidence or severity of chronic toxicities. AB-IMRT plans significantly improved target coverage (93% vs. 76% of planning target volume receiving 45 Gy for AB-IMRT vs. conventional four-field technique, respectively). The sparing of organs at risk was similar to that of BB-IMRT. CONCLUSION: The results of our study have shown that AB-IMRT provides excellent disease control with equivalent late toxicity compared with the conventional four-field technique. AB-IMRT provided treatment delivery and quality assurance advantages compared with BB-IMRT and could reduce the risk of second malignancy compared with BB-IMRT.