Volumetric decrease of pancreas after abdominal irradiation, it is time to consider pancreas as an organ at risk for radiotherapy planning

• Published in: Radiation oncology (London, England) England), 2018-12, Vol.13 (1), p.238-238, Article 238
• Main Authors: Gemici, Cengiz, Yaprak, Gokhan, Ozdemir, Sevim, Baysal, Tamer, Seseogullari, Ozgur Ozan, Ozyurt, Hazan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abdomen; Abdomen - radiation effects; Adenocarcinoma; Adenocarcinoma - pathology; Adenocarcinoma - radiotherapy; Atrophy; Cancer therapies; Complications and side effects; Computed tomography; Contours; Diabetes; Disease control; Endocrine insufficiency; Exocrine insufficiency; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Histograms; Humans; Irradiation; Male; Medical treatment; Middle Aged; Organ at risk; Organs at Risk - radiation effects; Pancreas; Pancreas - pathology; Pancreas - radiation effects; Pancreatitis; Patient outcomes; Patients; Physiological aspects; Planning; Prognosis; Radiation; Radiation effects; Radiation Injuries - etiology; Radiation Injuries - pathology; Radiation therapy; Radiotherapy; Radiotherapy Dosage; Radiotherapy planning; Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted - methods; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant - adverse effects; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated - methods; Risk; Salivary gland; Salivary glands; Shrinkage; Side effects; Stomach Neoplasms - pathology; Stomach Neoplasms - radiotherapy; Surgery; Tissues; Toxicity
• ISSN: 1748-717X; 1748-717X
• DOI: 10.1186/s13014-018-1189-5

Volumetric shrinkage of normal tissues such as salivary glands, kidneys, hippocampus are observed after radiotherapy. We aimed to assess the alterations in pancreatic volume of patients who received abdominal radiotherapy and define pancreas as an organ at risk for radiation treatment planning. Forty-nine patients operated for gastric adenocarcinoma who received adjuvant abdominal radiotherapy were in the study group, 27 patients with early stage disease who did not need adjuvant treatment after surgery comprised the control group. An experienced radiologist contoured the pancreas of all the patients from computed tomographies imported to the planning system obtained either for radiation planning purpose or for follow-up after surgery. The same procedure was repeated one year later for both groups. Measured volume of the pancreas was expressed in cm . Mean pancreatic volumes were similar in both groups at the onset of the study, 51,34 ± 20,33 cm , and 50,12 ± 23,75 cm in the irradiated and the control groups respectively (p = 0,63). One year later, mean pancreatic volumes were significantly decreased in each group; 22,48 ± 10,53 cm , 44,18 ± 23,08 cm respectively, p