Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T15:24:17.020Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Optimising image-guidance frequency for patients treated with volumetric-modulated arc therapy for pelvic cancer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 February 2021

Thunyarat Wongke
Affiliation:
Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand Graduate School, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Wannapha Nobnop*
Affiliation:
Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand Northern Thai Research Group of Radiation Oncology (NTRG-RO), Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Ekkasit Tharavichitkul
Affiliation:
Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand Northern Thai Research Group of Radiation Oncology (NTRG-RO), Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
*
Author for correspondence: Wannapha Nobnop, Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, 110 Intawaroros Road, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand. Tel: +66-53-935456. Fax: +66-53-935491. E-mail: pung435@yahoo.com

Abstract

Aim:

To determine the feasibility of non-daily image-guided radiotherapy (RT) with volumetric-modulated arc therapy for pelvic cancer.

Methods:

Daily cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images data of 21 patients (542 fractions) with pelvic cancer were used to simulate 5 non-daily imaging (DL) protocols (Alternate day: AD, First 5 + Weekly: FF+WL, Weekly: WL, First 5 fractions: FF and Alternate week: AW protocol). The residual errors in the lateral (X), longitudinal (Y), and vertical (Z) directions and 3D vector shifts of each non-DL protocol were explored. The planning target volume (PTV) margins were calculated using the van Herk’s formula according to population systematic and random error. Finally, the average time of each process from the start to stop of the treatment was used to calculate the number of patients treated per day to assess the treatment delivery capacity for different imaging protocols.

Results:

The 3D vector shift for the FF+WL protocol produced the greatest proportion of residual error ≤ 0·5 cm and showed the smallest random error in all three directions. However, the FF protocol produced the greatest proportion of residual error > 0·5 cm and revealed the largest magnitudes of systematic error in all three directions. Only the AD protocol can explore the PTV margin of less than 0·5 cm in all three directions. The AW protocol showed the maximum capacity of the treatment delivery, showed the highest number of patients treated per day. In contrast, the AW protocol also affects the treatment accuracy, showed the large residual error and PTV margin.

Findings:

Reducing the frequency of image-guided RT results in a high residual error. Non-daily image-guided RT strategies for pelvic irradiation should be applied for margins more than 0·5 cm. The number of patients treated per day, residual error and PTV margin are information to determine non-daily protocol applications that balance treatment delivery capacity and treatment accuracy.

Type
Original Article
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Rehman, J, Zhara, S, Ahmad, N et al. Intensity modulated radiation therapy: a review of current practice and future outlooks. J Radiat Res Appl Sci 2018; 11: 361367.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, A, Powell, M E B. Intensity-Modulated radiotherapy–what is it? Cancer Imaging Int Cancer Imaging Soc 2004; 4 (2): 6873.Google Scholar
Teoh, M, Clark, C H, Wood, K, Whitaker, S, Nisbet, A. Volumetric modulated arc therapy: a review of current literature and clinical use in practice. Br J Radiol 2011; 84 (1007): 967996.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sehgal, S A, Anand, A K, Munjal, R K Bansal, A K. Impact of volumetric imaging (CBCT) in defining PTV margins in the treatment of carcinoma cervix. J Cancer Prev Curr Res 2019; 10 (4): 7480.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kanakavelu, N, Jebaseelan, J. Determination of patient set-up error and optimal treatment margin for intensity modulated radiotherapy using image guidance system. J BUON 2016; 21: 505511.Google ScholarPubMed
Kalita, A K, Bora, G, Bhattacharyya, M, Singh, M N, Medhi, P P, Shashank, B. Assessment of set up errors and determination of planning target volume margins in image guided radiotherapy for cervical cancer patients treated in supine position. Int J Sci Res 2019; 8 (6): 5961.Google Scholar
Goyal, S, Kataria, T. Image guidance in radiation therapy: techniques and applications. Radiol Res Pract 2014; 2014: 705604.Google ScholarPubMed
Yao, L, Zhu, L, Wang, J et al. Positioning accuracy during VMAT of gynecologic malignancies and the resulting dosimetric impact by a 6-degree-of-freedom couch in combination with daily kilovoltage cone beam computed tomography. Radiat Oncol 2015; 10: 104.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gupta, M, Gamre, P, Kannan, S, Rokde, G, Krishnatry, R, Murthy, V. Effect of imaging frequency on PTV margins and geographical miss during image guided radiation therapy for prostate cancer. Pract Radiat Oncol 2018; 8 (2): e41e47.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bichay, T J, Davis, S, Mayville, A H, Bichay, N D T. A Quantitative Assessment of Imaging Frequency on the Treatment Setup Accuracy in TomoTherapy. Radiat Oncol 2016; 1: 1064.Google Scholar
The Royal College of Radiologists. On Target-Ensuring Geometric Accuracy in Radiotherapy. London, UK: RCR, 2008.Google Scholar
Nigam, J, Kuma, P, Balan, U. Set up errors and recommended safety margins in the pelvic radiotherapy fields of cancer cervix patients: an institutional experience. SRMS J Med Sci 2016; 2: 5561.Google Scholar
Stromberger, C, Gruen, A, Wlodarczyk, W, Budach, V, Koehler, C, Marnitz, S. Optimizing image guidance frequency and implication on margins for gynecologic malignancies. Radiat Oncol 2013, 88: 110.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Soaida, S M, Mulla, Z, Sayed, M E, Soliman, O Y, Hebshi, A S. Image-Guided Radiotherapy Treatment Using Daily versus Weekly Cone Beam CT for Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy of Prostate. J Cancer Prev Curr Res 2016: 4 (5): 00137.CrossRefGoogle Scholar