Standard Tangential Radiation Fields Do Not Provide Incidental Coverage to the Internal Mammary Nodes

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the incidental dose delivered to the internal mammary nodes (IMNs) in patients treated with tangential 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy and to identify potential parameters that may affect the IMN mean dose.

The study cohort consisted of 362 consecutively treated patients with breast cancer in our center between January 2015 and July 2017 who had received adjuvant whole-breast radiation therapy or postmastectomy radiation with or without a supraclavicular ± axillary field and without intentional inclusion of the IMN chain. The clinical target volume (CTV) for the IMNs was contoured per the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 3509/3510 protocol and was then divided into 3 subregions: upper, mid, and lower thirds. The planning target volume for the IMNs was generated by adding 5 mm to the CTV. The primary endpoint was to assess the V40 (volume receiving 40 Gy) to the IMN planning target volume and its potential influencing parameters using a linear regression model.

The mean (±standard deviation) dose to the CTV IMN chain was 36% ± 28.7%. The Kruskal-Wallis test demonstrated significant differences in the median dose delivered to each level: upper third (7.2%), mid third (21.5%), and lower third (41.7%) (P < .001). The mean V40 IMN planning target volume was 14.2% (standard deviation, 18.7%). Presternal fat thickness (regression coefficient [RC] = -16.4; P < .001), postmastectomy radiation (RC = 24; P < .001), reconstruction after mastectomy (RC = -22.4; P < .001), and the addition of a supraclavicular field (RC = 8.8; P = .03) were all significantly associated with IMN mean dose.

For patients receiving standard breast/chest wall tangential radiation fields, the IMN chain is not incidentally covered with therapeutic doses in the vast majority of cases. Therefore, if regional nodal radiation is intended to include the IMNs, contouring and careful plan review are necessary to ensure adequate therapeutic coverage.