ESTRO ACROP guidelines for target volume definition in the thoracic radiation treatment of small cell lung cancer.

Radiotherapy (RT) plays a major role in the treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Therefore, the ACROP committee was asked by ESTRO to provide recommendations on target volume delineation for standard clinical scenarios in definitive (chemo)-radiotherapy (CRT), adjuvant RT for stages I-III SCLC and consolidation thoracic RT for stage IV disease. The aim of these guidelines is to standardise and optimise the process of RT treatment planning for clinical practice and prospective studies. The process for the development of the guidelines included the evaluation of a structured questionnaire followed by a consensus discussion, voting and writing process within the committee. Firstly, we provide recommendations for both the imaging to be performed as part of the diagnostic work-up and for the RT planning process. Secondly, recommendations are made for target volume delineation including delineation of the primary gross tumour volume (GTV) and lymph node GTV and clinical tumour volume (CTV) expansion in the context of definitive and adjuvant RT. With regard to internal target volume (ITV) and planning target volume (PTV) definitions, we make recommendations about the management of geometric uncertainties and target motion. Finally, we provide our opinions on organ at risk (OAR) delineation and organisational issues to be considered.

Consolidative thoracic radiotherapy in stage IV small cell lung cancer: Selection of patients amongst European IASLC and ESTRO experts.

BACKGROUND: The role of consolidative thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) in stage IV small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is not uniformly accepted. METHODS: We obtained a list of 13 European medical oncologists from the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) and 13 European radiation oncologists from the European Society for Therapeutic Radiation Oncology (ESTRO). The strategies in decision making for TRT in stage IV SCLC were collected. Decision trees were created representing these strategies. Frequencies of recommending TRT were analysed for various parameter combinations based on the objective consensus methodology. RESULTS: The factors associated with the recommendation for TRT included fitness of the patient, limited extrathoracic tumour burden, initial bulky thoracic disease and response to chemotherapy. The highest consensus for TRT was in fit patients with limited extrathoracic tumour burden and initial bulky disease with either a complete extrathoracic response or partial thoracic response (92% recommend TRT). For these patients the recommendations were the same for medical and radiation oncologists. In the setting of partial response (intra- and extra-thoracically) without initial bulky thoracic disease radiation oncologists were more likely to recommend TRT than medical oncologists. For unfit patients or for patients with poor overall response to chemotherapy, the majority did not recommend TRT. CONCLUSION: European radiation and medical oncologists specializing in lung cancer recommend TRT in selected patients with stage IV SCLC and restrict its use primarily to fit patients who responded to chemotherapy with limited extrathoracic tumour burden.

ESTRO ACROP guidelines for target volume definition in the treatment of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Radiotherapy (RT) plays a major role in the curative treatment of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Therefore, the ACROP committee was asked by the ESTRO to provide recommendations on target volume delineation for standard clinical scenarios in definitive (chemo)radiotherapy (RT) and adjuvant RT for locally advanced NSCLC. The guidelines given here are a result of the evaluation of a structured questionnaire followed by a consensus discussion, voting and writing procedure within the committee. Hence, we provide advice for methods and time-points of diagnostics and imaging before the start of treatment planning and for the mandatory and optional imaging to be used for planning itself. Concerning target volumes, recommendations are given for GTV delineation of primary tumour and lymph nodes followed by issues related to the delineation of CTVs for definitive and adjuvant radiotherapy. In the context of PTV delineation, recommendations about the management of geometric uncertainties and target motion are given. We further provide our opinions on normal tissue delineation and organisational and responsibility questions in the process of target volume delineation. This guideline intends to contribute to the standardisation and optimisation of the process of RT treatment planning for clinical practice and prospective studies.