Delivery of magnetic resonance-guided single-fraction stereotactic lung radiotherapy

Single-fraction stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) is an effective treatment for early-stage lung cancer, but concerns remain about the accurate delivery of SABR in a single session. We evaluated the delivery of single-fraction lung SABR using magnetic resonance (MR)-guidance.

An MR-simulation was performed in 17 patients, seven of whom were found to be unsuitable, largely due to unreliable tracking of small tumors. Ten patients underwent single-fraction SABR to 34 Gy on a 0.35 T MR-linac system, with online plan adaptation. Gated breath-hold SABR was delivered using a planning target volume (PTV) margin of 5 mm, and a 3 mm gating window. Continuous MR-tracking of the gross tumor volume (GTV_t) was performed in sagittal plane, with visual patient feedback provided using an in-room monitor. The real-time MR images were analyzed to determine precision and efficiency of gated delivery.

All but one patient completed treatment in a single session. The median total in-room procedure was 120 min, with a median SABR delivery session of 39 min. Review of 7.4 h of cine-MR imaging revealed a mean GTV_t coverage by the PTV during beam-on of 99.6%. Breath-hold patterns were variable, resulting in a mean duty cycle efficiency of 51%, but GTV_t coverage was not influenced due to real-time MR-guidance. On-table adaptation improved PTV coverage, but had limited impact on GTV doses.

Single-fraction gated SABR of lung tumors can be performed with high precision using MR-guidance. However, improvements are needed to ensure MR-tracking of small tumors, and to reduce treatment times.