Dosimetric comparison of postoperative interstitial high-dose-rate brachytherapy and modern external beam radiotherapy modalities in tongue and floor of the mouth tumours in terms of doses to critical organs.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to dosimetrically compare interstitial high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy (BT) and modern external beam radiotherapy modalities, as volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and stereotactic radiotherapy with Cyberknife (CK) of tumours of the tongue and floor of the mouth in terms of dose to the critical organs. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, between March 2013 and August 2022 twenty patients (11 male/9 female) with stage T1-3N0M0 tongue (n = 14) and floor of mouth (n = 6) tumours received postoperative radiotherapy because of close/positive surgical margin and/or lymphovascular and/or perineural invasion. High-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy applying flexible plastic catheters with a total dose of 15 × 3 Gy was used for treatment. In addition to BT plans VMAT and stereotactic CK plans were also made in all cases, using the same fractionation scheme and dose prescription. As for the organs at risk, the doses to the mandible, the ipsilateral and the contralateral salivary glands were compared. RESULTS: The mean volume of the planning target volume (PTV) was 12.5 cm3, 26.5 cm3 and 17.5 cm3 in BT, VMAT and CK techniques, respectively, due to different safety margin protocols. The dose to the mandible was the most favourable with BT, as for the salivary glands (parotid and submandibular) the CK technique resulted in the lowest dose. The highest dose to the critical organs was observed with the VMAT technique. The mean values of D2cm3 and D0.1cm3 for the critical organs were as follows for BT, VMAT and CK plans: 47.4% and 73.9%, 92.2% and 101.8%, 68.4% and 92.3% for the mandible, 4.8% and 6.7%, 7.3% and 13.8%, 2.3% and 5.1% for the ipsilateral parotid gland, 3.5% and 4.9%, 6.8% and 10.9%, 1.5% and 3.3% for the contralateral parotid gland, 7.3% and 9.4%, 9.0% and 14.3%, 3.6% and 5.6% for the contralateral submandibular gland. CONCLUSIONS: The present results confirm that BT, despite being an invasive technique, is dosimetrically clearly beneficial in the treatment of oral cavity tumours and is a modality worth considering when applying radiotherapy, not only as definitive treatment, but also postoperatively. The use of the CK in the head and neck region requires further investigation.

Image guided high-dose-rate brachytherapy versus volumetric modulated arc therapy for head and neck cancer: A comparative analysis of dosimetry for target volume and organs at risk.

Background The aim of the study was to present dosimetric comparison of image guided high-dose-rate brachytherapy (IGBT) with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for head and neck cancer regarding conformity of dose distribution to planning target volume (PTV) and doses to organs at risk (OARs). Patients and methods Thirty-eight consecutive patients with T1-4 mobile tongue, floor of mouth and base of tongue cancer treated with IGBT were selected. For these patients additional VMAT treatment plans were also prepared using identical computed tomography data. OARs and PTV related parameters (e.g. V98, D0.1cm3, Dmean, etc.) were compared. Results Mean V98 of the PTV was 90.2% vs. 90.4% (p > 0.05) for IGBT and VMAT, respectively. Mean D0.1cm3 to the mandible was 77.0% vs. 85.4% (p < 0.05). Dmean to ipsilateral and contralateral parotid glands was 4.6% vs. 4.6% and 3.0% vs. 3.9% (p > 0.05). Dmean to ipsilateral and contralateral submandibular glands was 16.4% vs. 21.9% (p > 0.05) and 8.2% vs. 16.9% (p < 0.05), respectively. Conclusions Both techniques showed excellent target coverage. With IGBT dose to normal tissues was lower than with VMAT. The results prove the superiority of IGBT in the protection of OARs and the important role of this invasive method in the era of new external beam techniques.

[Investigating the clinical applicability of EBT2 self-developing films]. / Az EBT2 önhívó filmek sugárterápiás klinikai alkalmazhatóságának vizsgálata.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the physical properties of the EBT2 radiochromic films and define the conditions of its clinical applicability. We irradiated the films with different treatment techniques 3D conformal (3DCRT), intensity-modulated (IMRT) and stereotactic body radiotherapy with arc therapy (SBRT), and then compared the data with the dose distribution exported from the treatment planning system (Eclipse). Two film analysis softwares were investigated for the comparison: PTW Mephysto and FilmQA Pro. The comparisons of dose distributions were performed with gamma analysis, and the gamma criterion was 3%, 3mm, and 2%, 2mm. The gamma analysis results by the two programs were the following, (PTW/FilmQA Pro) with 3%, 3mm gamma criterion: 3DCRT (95,5/100%), IMRT (97/99,9%), SBRT (99,7/100%). In case of 2%, 2mm the results were: 3DCRT (87,1/98,9%), IMRT (92/98,5%), SBRT (96,7/97,9%). Based on the results it can be stated that during proper use, the features of the scanner do not affect the results. Both evaluation softwares are suitable for calibrating and evaluating films, moreover, performing the gamma analysis. The EBT2 film is suitable for the two-dimensional controlling of radiation therapy plans.

[Dosimetry analysis of intensity-modulated and conformal radiation therapy for head and neck tumors]. / Intenzitásmodulált és konformális besugárzási tervek dozimetriai elemzése fej-nyak tumorok külsõ besugárzásánál.

The aim of the study was to compare different treatment plans - intensity-modulated and conformal - for head and neck cancer patients. Treatment plans were developed for ten head and neck cancer patients by applying four different techniques: two conventional 3D conformal plans (forward treatment planning, with two opposing fields 90o-270o and one asymmetric anterior field, matching in isocenter /Conv/, conformal parotis sparing plans /ConPas/), 3D conformal plans with inverse treatment planning techniques /INVCRT/ and intensity-modulated radiation therapy plans /IMRT/. The plans were made for the same target volumes PTV50 (elective) and PTV66 (boost-16 Gy). The cumulative dose was 66 Gy, and the Philips Pinnacle3 v8.0m TPS was used for treatment planning. The organs at risk (OAR) were as follows: spinal cord, brain stem, left and right parotis and oral cavity. The dose constrains and conditions for optimization were determined for IMRT techniques with 7 fields. During the optimization we applied two different protocols: in one case the plans were made by 40 segments for "step and shoot" IMRT techniques and by 14 segments for INVCRT, which were converted into static fields. The homogeneity (HI) and conformity (COIN) indices were calculated for planning target volumes and the comparisons were assessed on several dosimetric parameters for OARs. The IMRT, INVCRT, Conv and ConPas techniques for PTV50 planning target volume gave the following values for homogeneity index: 0.13, 0.18, 0.22, 0.19, and for conformity index: 0.76, 0.68, 0.13, 0.09. The spinal cord received a maximum of 38 Gy, 42 Gy, 45 Gy and 44 Gy for the PTV66. Mean doses of the oral cavity outside the target volume were 33 Gy, 36 Gy, 30 Gy and 48 Gy. When the 16 Gy boost treatment was applied on one side only, the mean dose for the parotis on the contralateral side was 28 Gy, 31 Gy, 49 Gy and 43 Gy, while 39 Gy, 41 Gy, 59 Gy and 53 Gy on the same side. The objectives of adequate target coverage and sparing of critical structures were fulfilled only with IMRT technique. Although the sparing of the oral cavity was the most effectively provided by the traditional technique - due to the arrangement of the fields - it gave the worst results regarding the parotis and the target volume. The highest dose for the oral cavity was given by the ConPas technique, which can cause serious early and late side effects. By increasing the number of segments for IMRT at a reasonable level, the dose for OARs can be reduced.