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Reduction of normal lung irradiation in locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients, using ventilation
Brian P Yaremko1, Thomas M Guerrero, Josue Noyola-Martinez
1Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Purpose:
To investigate the ability of four-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT)-derived ventilation images to identify regions of highly functional lung for avoidance in intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) planning in locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Methods And Materials:
The treatment-planning records from 21 patients with Stage III NSCLC were selected. Ventilation images were generated from the 4D-CT sets, and each was imported into the treatment-planning system. Ninetieth percentile functional volumes (PFV90), constituting the 10% of the lung volume where the highest ventilation occurs, were generated. Baseline IMRT plans were generated using the lung volume constraint on V20 (<35%), and two additional plans were generated using constraints on the PFV90 without a volume constraint. Dose-volume and dose-function histograms (DVH, DFH) were generated and used to evaluate the planning target volume coverage, lung volume, and functional parameters for comparison of the plans.
Results:
The mean dose to the PFV90 was reduced by 2.9 Gy, and the DFH at 5 Gy (F5) was reduced by 9.6% (SE = 2.03%). The F5, F10, V5, and V10 were all significantly reduced from the baseline values. We identified a favorable subset of patients for whom there was a further significant improvement in the mean lung dose.
Conclusions:
Four-dimensional computed tomography-derived ventilation regions were successfully used as avoidance structures to reduce the DVH and DFH at 5 Gy in all cases. In a subset, there was also a reduction in the F10 and V10 without a change in the V20, suggesting that this technique could be safely used.
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