Conformal locoregional breast irradiation with an oblique parasternal photon field technique

We evaluated an isocentric technique for conformal irradiation of the breast, internal mammary, and medial supra-clavicular lymph nodes (IM-MS LN) using the oblique parasternal photon (OPP) technique. For 20 breast cancer patients, the OPP technique was compared with a conventional mixed-beam technique (2D) and a conformal partly wide tangential (PWT) technique, using dose-volume histogram analysis and normal tissue complication probabilities (NTCPs). The 3D techniques resulted in a better target coverage and homogeneity than did the 2D technique. The homogeneity index for the IM-MS PTV increased from 0.57 for 2D to 0.90 for PWT and 0.91 for OPP (both p < 0.001). The OPP technique was able to reduce the volume of heart receiving more than 30 Gy (V(30)), the cardiac NTCP, and the volume of contralateral breast receiving 5 Gy (V(5)) compared with the PWT plans (all p < 0.05). There is no significant difference in mean lung dose or lung NTCP between both 3D techniques. Compared with the PWT technique, the volume of lung receiving more than 20 Gy (V(20)) was increased with the OPP technique, whereas the volume of lung receiving more than 40 Gy (V(40)) was decreased (both p < 0.05). Compared with the PWT technique, the OPP technique can reduce doses to the contralateral breast and heart at the expense of an increased lung V(20).