open access
Voluntary breath-hold reduces dose to organs at risk in radiotherapy of left-sided breast cancer
open access
Abstract
Aim
To compare the dose to organs at risk with free breathing (FB) or voluntary breath-hold (VBH) during radiotherapy of patients with left sided breast cancer.
Background
Radiotherapy reduces the risk of breast-cancer-specific mortality but the effects on other organs increase non-cancer-specific mortality. Radiation exposure to the heart, in particular in patients with left sided breast cancer, can be reduced by breath hold methods that increase the distance between the heart and the radiation field.
Materials and Methods
Three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) dose plans for the left breast and organs at risk including the heart, left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) and ipsilateral lung were compared with FB and VBH in ten patients with left sided breast cancer.
Results
The mean doses to the heart and LAD were reduced by 50.4 % (p<0.001) and 58.8 % (p=0.006), respectively, in VBH relative to FB. The mean dose to the ipsilateral lung was reduced by 13.8 % (p=0.11) in VBH relative to FB. The planning target volume (PTV) coverage was at least 95 % in both FB and VBH (p=0.78).
Conclusion
The VBH technique significantly reduces the dose to organs at risk in 3D-CRT treatment plans of left sided breast cancer.
Abstract
Aim
To compare the dose to organs at risk with free breathing (FB) or voluntary breath-hold (VBH) during radiotherapy of patients with left sided breast cancer.
Background
Radiotherapy reduces the risk of breast-cancer-specific mortality but the effects on other organs increase non-cancer-specific mortality. Radiation exposure to the heart, in particular in patients with left sided breast cancer, can be reduced by breath hold methods that increase the distance between the heart and the radiation field.
Materials and Methods
Three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) dose plans for the left breast and organs at risk including the heart, left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) and ipsilateral lung were compared with FB and VBH in ten patients with left sided breast cancer.
Results
The mean doses to the heart and LAD were reduced by 50.4 % (p<0.001) and 58.8 % (p=0.006), respectively, in VBH relative to FB. The mean dose to the ipsilateral lung was reduced by 13.8 % (p=0.11) in VBH relative to FB. The planning target volume (PTV) coverage was at least 95 % in both FB and VBH (p=0.78).
Conclusion
The VBH technique significantly reduces the dose to organs at risk in 3D-CRT treatment plans of left sided breast cancer.
Keywords
Voluntary breath-hold; Cardiac dosimetry; Radiotherapy; Breast cancer
About this articleTitle
Voluntary breath-hold reduces dose to organs at risk in radiotherapy of left-sided breast cancer
Journal
Reports of Practical Oncology and Radiotherapy
Issue
Pages
104-108
Published online
2020-01-01
DOI
10.1016/j.rpor.2019.12.016
Bibliographic record
Rep Pract Oncol Radiother 2020;25(1):104-108.
Keywords
Voluntary breath-hold
Cardiac dosimetry
Radiotherapy
Breast cancer
Authors
María Adela Poitevin-Chacón
Rubí Ramos-Prudencio
José Alfonso Rumoroso-García
Alejandro Rodríguez-Laguna
Julio Cesar Martínez-Robledo