Dosimetric comparison of volumetric modulated arc therapy and intensity-modulated radiation therapy for pancreatic malignancies.

Volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) has been previously evaluated for several tumor sites and has been shown to provide significant dosimetric and delivery benefits when compared with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). To date, there have been no published full reports on the benefits of VMAT use in pancreatic patients compared with IMRT. Ten patients with pancreatic malignancies treated with either IMRT or VMAT were retrospectively identified. Both a double-arc VMAT and a 7-field IMRT plan were generated for each of the 10 patients using the same defined tumor volumes, organs at risk (OAR) volumes, dose, fractionation, and optimization constraints. The planning tumor volume (PTV) maximum dose (55.8 Gy vs. 54.4 Gy), PTV mean dose (53.9 Gy vs. 52.1 Gy), and conformality index (1.11 vs. 0.99) were statistically similar between the IMRT and VMAT plans, respectively. The VMAT plans had a statistically significant reduction in monitor units compared with the IMRT plans (1109 vs. 498, p < 0.001). In addition, the doses to the liver, small bowel, and spinal cord were comparable between the IMRT and VMAT plans. However, the VMAT plans demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in the mean left kidney V(25) (9.4 Gy vs. 2.3 Gy, p = 0.018), mean right kidney V(15) (53.4 Gy vs. 45.9 Gy, p = 0.035), V(20) (32.2 Gy vs. 25.5 Gy, p = 0.016), and V(25) (21.7 Gy vs. 14.9 Gy, p = 0.001). VMAT was investigated in patients with pancreatic malignancies and compared with the current standard of IMRT. VMAT was found to have similar or improved dosimetric parameters for all endpoints considered. Specifically, VMAT provided reduced monitor units and improved bilateral kidney normal tissue dose. The clinical relevance of these benefits in the context of pancreatic cancer patients, however, is currently unclear and requires further investigation.

Ali AN ，Dhabaan AH ，Jarrio CS ，Siddiqi AK ，Landry JC ... -  《-》

Dosimetric comparison of hybrid volumetric-modulated arc therapy, volumetric-modulated arc therapy, and intensity-modulated radiation therapy for left-sided early breast cancer.

To compare the dosimetric performance of 3 different treatment techniques: hybrid volumetric-modulated arc therapy (hybrid-VMAT), pure-VMAT, and fixed-field intensity-modulated radiation therapy (F-IMRT) for whole-breast irradiation of left-sided early breast cancer. The hybrid-VMAT treatment technique and 2 other treatment techniques—pure-VMAT and F-IMRT—were compared retrospectively in 10 patients with left-sided early breast cancer. The treatment plans of these patients were replanned using the same contours based on the original computed tomography (CT) data sets. Dosimetric parameters were calculated to evaluate plan quality. Total monitor units (MUs) and delivery time were also recorded and evaluated. The hybrid-VMAT plan generated the best results in dose coverage of the target and the dose uniformity inside the target (p < 0.0001 for conformal index [CI]; p = 0.0002 for homogeneity index [HI] of planning target volume [PTV](50.4 Gy) and p < 0.0001 for HI of PTV(62 Gy)). Volumes of ipsilateral lung irradiated to doses of 20 Gy (V(20 Gy)) and 5 Gy (V(5 Gy)) by the hybrid-VMAT plan were significantly less than those of the F-IMRT and the pure-VMAT plans. The volume of ipsilateral lung irradiated to a dose of 5 Gy was significantly less using the hybrid-VMAT plan than that using the F-IMRT or the pure-VMAT plan. The total mean MUs for the hybrid-VMAT plan were significantly less than those for the F-IMRT or the pure-VMAT plan. The mean machine delivery time was 3.23 ± 0.29 minutes for the hybrid-VMAT plans, which is longer than that for the pure-VMAT plans but shorter than that for the F-IMRT plans. The hybrid-VMAT plan is feasible for whole-breast irradiation of left-sided early breast cancer.

Lin JF ，Yeh DC ，Yeh HL ，Chang CF ，Lin JC ... -  《-》

Volumetric modulated arc therapy vs. IMRT for the treatment of distal esophageal cancer.

Several studies have demonstrated that volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) has the ability to reduce monitor units and treatment time when compared with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). This study aims to demonstrate that VMAT is able to provide adequate organs at risk (OAR) sparing and planning target volume (PTV) coverage for adenocarcinoma of the distal esophagus while reducing monitor units and treatment time. Fourteen patients having been treated previously for esophageal cancer were planned using both VMAT and IMRT techniques. Dosimetric quality was evaluated based on doses to several OARs, as well as coverage of the PTV. Treatment times were assessed by recording the number of monitor units required for dose delivery. Body V(5) was also recorded to evaluate the increased volume of healthy tissue irradiated to low doses. Dosimetric differences in OAR sparing between VMAT and IMRT were comparable. PTV coverage was similar for the 2 techniques but it was found that IMRT was capable of delivering a slightly more homogenous dose distribution. Of the 14 patients, 12 were treated with a single arc and 2 were treated with a double arc. Single-arc plans reduced monitor units by 42% when compared with the IMRT plans. Double-arc plans reduced monitor units by 67% when compared with IMRT. The V(5) for the body was found to be 18% greater for VMAT than for IMRT. VMAT has the capability to decrease treatment times over IMRT while still providing similar OAR sparing and PTV coverage. Although there will be a smaller risk of patient movement during VMAT treatments, this advantage comes at the cost of delivering small doses to a greater volume of the patient.

Van Benthuysen L ，Hales L ，Podgorsak MB 《-》

Volumetric-modulated arc radiotherapy for pancreatic malignancies: dosimetric comparison with sliding-window intensity-modulated radiotherapy and 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy.

Volumetric-modulated arc radiotherapy (VMAT) is an iteration of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), both of which deliver highly conformal dose distributions. Studies have shown the superiority of VMAT and IMRT in comparison with 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) in planning target volume (PTV) coverage and organs-at-risk (OARs) sparing. This is the first study examining the benefits of VMAT in pancreatic cancer for doses more than 55.8 Gy. A planning study comparing 3D-CRT, IMRT, and VMAT was performed in 20 patients with pancreatic cancer. Treatments were planned for a 25-fraction delivery of 45 Gy to a large field followed by a reduced-volume 8-fraction external beam boost to 59.4 Gy in total. OARs and PTV doses, conformality index (CI) deviations from 1.0, monitor units (MUs) delivered, and isodose volumes were compared. IMRT and VMAT CI deviations from 1.0 for the large-field and the boost plans were equivalent (large field: 0.032 and 0.046, respectively; boost: 0.042 and 0.037, respectively; p > 0.05 for all comparisons). Both IMRT and VMAT CI deviations from 1.0 were statistically superior to 3D-CRT (large field: 0.217, boost: 0.177; p < 0.05 for all comparisons). VMAT showed reduction of the mean dose to the boost PTV (VMAT: 61.4 Gy, IMRT: 62.4 Gy, and 3D-CRT: 62.3 Gy; p < 0.05). The mean number of MUs per fraction was significantly lower for VMAT for both the large-field and the boost plans. VMAT delivery time was less than 3 minutes compared with 8 minutes for IMRT. Although no statistically significant dose reduction to the OARs was identified when comparing VMAT with IMRT, VMAT showed a reduction in the volumes of the 100% isodose line for the large-field plans. Dose escalation to 59.4 Gy in pancreatic cancer is dosimetrically feasible with shorter treatment times, fewer MUs delivered, and comparable CIs for VMAT when compared with IMRT.

Nabavizadeh N ，Simeonova AO ，Waller JG ，Romer JL ，Monaco DL ，Elliott DA ，Tanyi JA ，Fuss M ，Thomas CR Jr ，Holland JM ... -  《-》

Optimising the dosimetric quality and efficiency of post-prostatectomy radiotherapy: a planning study comparing the performance of volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) with an optimised seven-field intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) technique.

The purpose of this study was to compare and evaluate radiotherapy treatment plans using volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for post-prostatectomy radiotherapy. The quality of radiotherapy plans for 10 patients planned and treated with a seven-field IMRT technique for biochemical failure post-prostatectomy were subsequently compared with 10 prospectively planned single-arc VMAT plans using the same computed tomography data set and treatment planning software. Plans were analysed using parameters to assess for target volume coverage, dose to organs at risk (OAR), biological outcomes, dose conformity and homogeneity, as well as the total monitor units (MU), planning and treatment efficiency. The mean results for the study population are reported for the purpose of comparison. For IMRT, the median dose to the planning target volume, V(95%) and D(95%) was 71.1 Gy, 98.9% and 68.3 Gy compared with 71.2 Gy, 99.2% and 68.6 Gy for VMAT. There was no significant difference in the conformity index or homogeneity index. The VMAT plans achieved better sparing of the rectum and the left and right femora with a reduction in the median dose by 7.9, 6.3 and 3.6 Gy, respectively. The total number of monitor units (MU) was reduced by 24% and treatment delivery time by an estimated 3 min per fraction without a significant increase in planning requirements. VMAT can achieve post-prostatectomy radiotherapy plans of comparable quality to IMRT with the potential to reduce dose to OAR and improve the efficiency of treatment delivery.

Nguyen BT ，Hornby C ，Kron T ，Cramb J ，Rolfo A ，Pham D ，Haworth A ，Tai KH ，Foroudi F ... -  《-》