Dose Prescription Methods in Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Small Peripheral Lung Tumors: Approaches Based on the Gross Tumor Volume Are Superior to Prescribing a Dose That Covers 95% of the Planning Target Volume

• Published in: Technology in cancer research & treatment 2020, Vol.19, p.1533033820974030
• Main Authors: Komiyama, Takafumi, Saito, Masahide, Kuriyama, Kengo, Marino, Kan, Aoki, Shinichi, Saito, Ryo, Muramatsu, Juria, Maehata, Yoshiyasu, Ze, Chen, Akita, Tomoko, Yamada, Takashi, Sano, Naoki, Yoshizawa, Kazuya, Kazunari, Ashizawa, Hidekazu, Suzuki, Ueda, Koji, Vu, Nam, Onishi, Hiroshi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma; Computed tomography; Lung cancer; Original; Prescriptions; Radiation therapy; Squamous cell carcinoma; Tumors; Variation
• ISSN: 1533-0346; 1533-0338
• DOI: 10.1177/1533033820974030

Background and Purpose: We aimed to validate the usefulness of prescriptions based on gross tumor volume for stereotactic body radiotherapy for small peripheral lung tumors. Materials and Methods: Radiotherapy treatment planning data of 50 patients with small peripheral lung tumors (adenocarcinoma: 24, squamous cell carcinoma: 10, other: 1, unknown: 15) receiving breath-hold computed tomography-guided stereotactic body radiotherapy at our institution during 2013–2016 were analyzed. For each case, 3 dose prescription methods were applied: one based on 95% (PTVD95%) of the planning target volume, one based on 50% of the gross tumor volume (GTVD50%), and one based on 98% (GTVD98%) of the gross tumor volume. The maximum (GTVDmax), minimum (GTVDmin), and mean gross tumor volume dose (GTVDmean) and the dose covering 98% of the gross tumor volume were calculated to evaluate variations in the gross tumor volume dose. Results: Upon switching to GTVD50%, the variations in GTVDmax and GTVDmean decreased significantly, compared with variations observed for PTVD95% (p < 0.01), but the variation in GTVDmin increased significantly (p < 0.01). Upon switching to the GTVD98%, the variation in GTVDmean decreased significantly compared with that observed for PTVD95% (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Switching from prescriptions based on 95% of the planning target volume to those based on 98% of the gross tumor volume decreased variations among cases in the overall gross tumor volume dose. Overall, prescriptions based on 98% of the gross tumor volume appear to be more suitable than those based on 95% of the planning target volume in cases of small peripheral lung tumors treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy.