Practical Considerations in the Radiotherapy Treatment Planning for SBRT Pancreas Program

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is one of the most aggressive tumours, with an estimated 5-year overall survival rate of 5% and median survival of 5-11 months. Approximately one third of patients die of complications due to local disease progression, especially among patients with borderline resectable or locally advanced disease; hence achieving local control is significant for improved survival outcomes. Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) allows safe and effective delivery of ablative doses of radiation and is associated with improved locoregional tumour control and progression free survival. Our article describes the rationale and the safe and effective delivery of Linac-based SBRT treatment for pancreatic cancer.