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Title: Effects of Interfractional Motion and Anatomic Changes on Proton Therapy Dose Distribution in Lung Cancer

Journal Article · · International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics
OSTI ID:21172497
; ; ; ;  [1]; ;  [2]
  1. Department of Radiation Phyiscs, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX (United States)
  2. Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX (United States)

Purpose: Proton doses are sensitive to intra- and interfractional anatomic changes. We analyzed the effects of interfractional anatomic changes in doses to lung tumors treated with proton therapy. Methods and Materials: Weekly four-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT) scans were acquired for 8 patients with mobile Stage III non-small cell lung cancer who were actually treated with intensity-modulated photon radiotherapy. A conformal proton therapy passive scattering plan was designed for each patient. Dose distributions were recalculated at end-inspiration and end-expiration breathing phases on each weekly 4D-CT data set using the same plans with alignment based on bone registration. Results: Clinical target volume (CTV) coverage was compromised (from 99% to 90.9%) in 1 patient because of anatomic changes and motion pattern variation. For the rest of the patients, the mean CTV coverage on the repeated weekly 4D-CT data sets was 98.4%, compared with 99% for the original plans. For all 8 patients, however, a mean 4% increase in the volume of the contralateral lung receiving a dose of at least 5 Gy (V5) and a mean 4.4-Gy increase in the spinal cord maximum dose was observed in the repeated 4D-CT data sets. A strong correlation between the CTV density change resulting from tumor shrinkage or anatomic variations and mean contralateral lung dose was observed. Conclusions: Adaptive re-planning during proton therapy may be indicated in selected patients with non-small cell lung cancer. For most patients, however, CTV coverage is adequate if tumor motion is taken into consideration in the original simulation and planning processes.

OSTI ID:
21172497
Journal Information:
International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics, Vol. 72, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2008.03.007; PII: S0360-3016(08)00414-8; Copyright (c) 2008 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0360-3016
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English