[Proposal for the delineation of postoperative primary clinical target volumes in maxillary sinus and nasal cavity cancers]. / Proposition de délinéation des volumes cibles anatomocliniques postopératoires de la tumeur primitive des cancers du sinus maxillaire et des cavités nasales.

In this article, we propose a consensus delineation of postoperative clinical target volumes for the primary tumour in maxillary sinus and nasal cavity cancers. These guidelines are developed based on radioanatomy and the natural history of those cancers. They require the fusion of the planning CT with preoperative imaging for accurate positioning of the initial GTV and the combined use of the geometric and anatomical concepts for the delineation of clinical target volume for the primary tumour. This article does not discuss the indications of external radiotherapy (nor concurrent systemic treatment) but focuses on target volumes when there is an indication for radiotherapy.

[Proposal for the delineation of postoperative primary clinical target volumes in ethmoid cancers]. / Proposition de délinéation des volumes cibles anatomocliniques postopératoires de la tumeur primitive des cancers de l'ethmoïde.

It is proposed to delineate the anatomo-clinical target volumes of primary tumor (CTV-P) in ethmoid cancers treated with post-operative radiotherapy. This concept is based on the use of radioanatomy and the natural history of cancer. It is supported by the repositioning of the planning scanner with preoperative imaging for the replacement of the initial GTV and the creation of margins around it extended to the microscopic risk zones according to the anatomical concept. This article does not discuss the indications of external radiotherapy but specifies the volumes to be delineated if radiotherapy is considered.

Time of PTV is ending, robust optimization comes next.

Continuous improvements have been made in the way to prescribe, record and report dose distributions since the therapeutic use of ionizing radiations. The international commission for radiation units and measurement (ICRU) has provided a common language for physicians and physicists to plan and evaluate their treatments. The PTV concept has been used for more than two decades but is becoming obsolete as the CTV-to-PTV margin creates a static dose cloud that does not properly recapitulate all planning vs. delivery uncertainties. The robust optimization concept has recently emerged to overcome the limitations of the PTV concept. This concept is integrated in the inverse planning process and minimizes deviations to planned dose distribution through integration of uncertainties in the planning objectives. It appears critical to account for the uncertainties that are specific to protons and should be accounted for to better exploit the clinical potential of proton therapy. It may also improve treatment quality particularly in hypofractionated photon plans of mobile tumors and more widely to photon radiotherapy. However, in contrast to the PTV concept, a posteriori evaluation of plan quality, called robust evaluation, using error-based scenarios is still warranted. Robust optimization metrics are warranted. These metrics are necessary to compare PTV-based photon and robustly optimized proton plans in general and in model-based NTCP approaches. Assessment of computational demand and approximations of robust optimization algorithms along with metrics to evaluate plan quality are needed but a step further to better prescribe radiotherapy may has been achieved.

[Proposal for the selection and delineation of clinical target volumes for the radiotherapy of submandibular gland tumours]. / Proposition de sélection et délinéation des volumes cibles anatomocliniques tumoraux et ganglionnaire pour la radiothérapie des cancers de la glande sous-mandibulaire.

This article provides a proposal for the selection and delineation of clinical target volumes for the treatment with radiation of submandibular glands tumours. This article does not deal with external radiotherapy indications but specifies the volumes to be treated if radiotherapy is chosen. High-risk and low-risk peritumoral clinical target volumes are described based on the probability of local tumoral spread. High-risk and low-risk clinical target volumes are illustrated on CT-scan slices. A proposal for the selection of nodal clinical target volumeis also proposed.

[Radiotherapy for cervix carcinomas: clinical target volume delineation]. / Délinéation des volumes cibles anatomocliniques pour la radiothérapie des cancers du col utérin.

Concurrent chemoradiation followed by brachytherapy is currently the standard treatment for locally advanced cervix carcinomas. Modern radiation techniques require planning based on 3D images, and therefore an accurate delineation of target volumes. The clinical target volume (CTV) used for the different phases of treatment are now well defined, but are not always easy to delineate on a CT scan which is currently the standard examination for simulation in radiotherapy. MRI and PET-CT are routinely performed at diagnosis, and can be used to improve the accuracy of the delineation. The objective of this review is to describe the definitions and recommendations of CTV in the treatment of cervical cancer.

[Radiotherapy for brain tumors: which margins should we apply?]. / Radiothérapie des tumeurs cérébrales : quelles marges ?

Radiotherapy is a major modality in the treatment of brain tumours. The target volumes definition has to be precise for the radiation planification. The gross target volume (GTV) is most of the time delineated within the fusion of the planning CT scan with the appropriated MRI sequences. The clinical target volume (CTV) definition is more complex: it varies in time following the evolution of scientific knowledge and also depending of the school of thought. This article offers a review of the literature about the margins applied in brain tumours radiotherapy for gliomas (high grade, anaplastic, low grade and brain stem gliomas), embryologic tumours (medulloblastomas and primitive neuroectodermal tumours [PNET]), ependymomas, atypical teratoid rahbdoid tumours (ATRT), craniopharyngiomas, pineal gland tumours, primary central nervous cell lymphomas, meningiomas and schwannomas. New imaging modalities such as diffusion-weighted imaging, dynamic contrast enhanced, spectroscopic MRI and PET scan will allow us to delineate more precisely the target volumes and to realise dose-painting by adapting the dose to the tumour metabolism.

[Choice of optimal margins in prostate conformal radiotherapy]. / Radiothérapie conformationnelle prostatique : quelles marges ?

The planning CT allows the delineation of the prostate (clinical target volume, CTV) but with an imprecision at the apex and the inability to visualize the intraprostatic cancer. MRI enables accurate visualization of the prostate outlines and in some extent the intraprostatic tumour (gross tumour volume [GTV]). The integration of MRI data within the CT remains still complex. Analysis of prostatectomy specimen has guided the definition of a CTV beyond the capsule, depending on pretreatment factors. In practice, the CTV can be defined as follows: prostate-only, for good prognosis tumours; prostate (+0 to 5mm margins, excluding the rectum) and seminal vesicles (possibly limited to 2 cm of their proximal region) for intermediate-risk tumours; prostate (+5mm margins) and seminal vesicles for high-risk tumours. The planning target volume (PTV) should be between 5mm and 10mm depending on the space directions, in the absence of image-guidance (IGRT). It could be reduced to 5mm in case of IGRT. In the adjuvant setting after prostatectomy, the definition of the CTV should follow the recommendations from cooperative groups. It takes into account both the analysis of pattern of local recurrence after prostatectomy, but also the specific histological analysis of the surgical specimen of the patient. The corresponding PTV margin is 6 to 8mm.

[Clinical target volume delineation for radiotherapy of the esophagus]. / Définition du volume cible anatomoclinique pour l'irradiation des cancers de l'œsophage.

The dense lymphatic network of the esophagus facilitates tumour spreading along the cephalo-caudal axis and to locoregional lymph nodes. A better understanding of microscopic invasion by tumour cells, based on histological analysis of surgical specimens and analysis of recurrence sites, has justified a reduction in radiotherapy target volumes. The delineation of the clinical target volume (CTV) depends on tumour characteristics (site, histology) and on its spread as assessed on endoscopic ultrasonography and ((18)F)-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography (FDG-PET). We propose that positive and negative predictive values for FDG-PET should be used to adapt the CTV according to the risk of nodal involvement.

[Target volume margins for lung cancer: internal target volume/clinical target volume]. / Marges dans le cancer pulmonaire : volume cible interne/volume cible anatomoclinique.

The aim of this study was to carry out a review of margins that should be used for the delineation of target volumes in lung cancer, with a focus on margins from gross tumour volume (GTV) to clinical target volume (CTV) and internal target volume (ITV) delineation. Our review was based on a PubMed literature search with, as a cornerstone, the 2010 European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) recommandations by De Ruysscher et al. The keywords used for the search were: radiotherapy, lung cancer, clinical target volume, internal target volume. The relevant information was categorized under the following headings: gross tumour volume definition (GTV), CTV-GTV margin (first tumoural CTV then nodal CTV definition), in field versus elective nodal irradiation, metabolic imaging role through the input of the PET scanner for tumour target volume and limitations of PET-CT imaging for nodal target volume definition, postoperative radiotherapy target volume definition, delineation of target volumes after induction chemotherapy; then the internal target volume is specified as well as tumoural mobility for lung cancer and respiratory gating techniques. Finally, a chapter is dedicated to planning target volume definition and another to small cell lung cancer. For each heading, the most relevant and recent clinical trials and publications are mentioned.