Dosimetric Evaluation of Heterogeneity Corrections for RTOG 0236: Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy of Inoperable Stage I-II Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Received 18 August 2008; received in revised form 11 November 2008; accepted 13 November 2008.
Purpose
Using a retrospective analysis of treatment plans submitted from multiple institutions accruing patients to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 0236 non–small-cell stereotactic body radiotherapy protocol, the present study determined the dose prescription and critical structure constraints for future stereotactic body radiotherapy lung protocols that mandate density-corrected dose calculations.
Method and Materials
A subset of 20 patients from four institutions participating in the RTOG 0236 protocol and using superposition/convolution algorithms were compared. The RTOG 0236 protocol required a prescription dose of 60 Gy delivered in three fractions to cover 95% of the planning target volume. Additional requirements were specified for target dose heterogeneity and the dose to normal tissue/structures. The protocol required each site to plan the patient's treatment using unit density, and another plan with the same monitor units and applying density corrections was also submitted. These plans were compared to determine the dose differences. Two-sided, paired Student's t tests were used to evaluate these differences.
Results
With heterogeneity corrections applied, the planning target volume receiving ≥60 Gy decreased, on average, 10.1% (standard error, 2.7%) from 95% (p = .001). The maximal dose to any point ≥2 cm away from the planning target volume increased from 35.2 Gy (standard error, 1.7) to 38.5 Gy (standard error, 2.2).
Conclusion
Statistically significant dose differences were found with the heterogeneity corrections. The information provided in the present study is being used to design future heterogeneity-corrected RTOG stereotactic body radiotherapy lung protocols to match the true dose delivered for RTOG 0236.
∗Department of Radiation Oncology, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA
†Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX
‡Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, Philadelphia, PA
§Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
Reprint requests to: Ying Xiao, Ph.D., Department of Radiation Oncology, Jefferson Medical College 111 South 11th St., Philadelphia, PA 19107. Tel: (215) 955-1632; Fax: (215) 955-0412
Supported by National Cancer Institute Grants U24 CA 81647, U10 CA21661, and U10 CA32115.
Presented in part as an oral presentation at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology Annual Meeting, 2007.
ABSTRACT