Original Article
Dose accumulation in IMRT for left breast cancer determined by applying deformation registration
Abstract
Background: To evaluate the dosimetric changes in the target volume and organs at risk (OARs) of patients with left breast cancer (LBC) who underwent intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) based on a deformation registration (DF) method.
Methods: Sixteen patients with LBC treated with 6 MV X-ray IMRT were retrospectively analyzed. All targets included the lymph node drainage area and chest wall. All patients underwent CT for simulation of the primary positioning and repositioning. Primary and secondary treatment plans were developed using primary positioning CT (CT1) and repositioning CT (CT2) images to obtain plan1 and plan2, respectively. Rigid and DF of the dose distribution of plan2 to 1 were applied; the results were then added to the dose distribution of plan1, yielding planrig and plandef, respectively. The dosimetric differences between the target and OAR volumes of the four plans were compared.
Results: The clinical target volume of CT2 was 8.74% less than that of 1. The planned target volume of CT2 was 11.20% less than that of 1. The Dice similarity coefficients (DSCs) of the heart, left lung and right lung were significantly lower after than before DF (0.94±0.01 vs. 0.89±0.05, 0.96±0.01 vs. 0.91±0.03, and 0.96±0.01 vs. 0.92±0.03, respectively; t=3.83, 7.28, and 6.70, P<0.05, respectively). There were no significant differences in the dose-volume indices of the heart or left lung between plan1 and the other plans, while the dose-volume indices were higher in planrig than in plandef.
Conclusions: Because of small changes in the target and OAR volumes during radiotherapy, we suggest the first IMRT plan could be used to evaluate the dose-volume indices of the lungs and heart for these patients.
Methods: Sixteen patients with LBC treated with 6 MV X-ray IMRT were retrospectively analyzed. All targets included the lymph node drainage area and chest wall. All patients underwent CT for simulation of the primary positioning and repositioning. Primary and secondary treatment plans were developed using primary positioning CT (CT1) and repositioning CT (CT2) images to obtain plan1 and plan2, respectively. Rigid and DF of the dose distribution of plan2 to 1 were applied; the results were then added to the dose distribution of plan1, yielding planrig and plandef, respectively. The dosimetric differences between the target and OAR volumes of the four plans were compared.
Results: The clinical target volume of CT2 was 8.74% less than that of 1. The planned target volume of CT2 was 11.20% less than that of 1. The Dice similarity coefficients (DSCs) of the heart, left lung and right lung were significantly lower after than before DF (0.94±0.01 vs. 0.89±0.05, 0.96±0.01 vs. 0.91±0.03, and 0.96±0.01 vs. 0.92±0.03, respectively; t=3.83, 7.28, and 6.70, P<0.05, respectively). There were no significant differences in the dose-volume indices of the heart or left lung between plan1 and the other plans, while the dose-volume indices were higher in planrig than in plandef.
Conclusions: Because of small changes in the target and OAR volumes during radiotherapy, we suggest the first IMRT plan could be used to evaluate the dose-volume indices of the lungs and heart for these patients.
