scholarly journals Dosimetric predictors of treatment-related lymphopenia induced by palliative radiotherapy: predictive ability of dose-volume parameters based on body surface contour

2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 228-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tetsuo Saito ◽  
Ryo Toya ◽  
Tomohiko Matsuyama ◽  
Akiko Semba ◽  
Natsuo Oya

Abstract Background Radiation-related lymphopenia has been associated with poor patient outcome. Our aim was to identify predictors of lymphopenia after palliative radiotherapy, with a focus on dose-volume parameters. Patients and methods To retrospectively assess patients with various cancers who had undergone palliative radiotherapy, we delineated three organs at risk: the volume enclosed by the body surface contour (body A), the volume left after excluding air, pleural effusion, ascites, bile, urine, and intestinal content (body B), and the volume of the bone marrow (BM). We then noted the absolute volume of the three organs at risk that had received 5-30 Gy, and assessed the predictive value for post-treatment lymphopenia of grade 3 or higher (LP3+). Results Of 54 patients, 23 (43%) developed LP3+. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that body A V5, body A V10, body B V5, body B V10, the number of fractions, and splenic irradiation were significant predictors of LP3+ (p < 0.05). By multivariate analysis, body A V5, body A V10, body B V5, body B V10, and the number of fractions retained significance (p < 0.05). BM dose-volume parameters did not predict lymphopenia. Conclusions Higher body A and body B dose-volume parameters and a larger number of fractions may be predictors of severe lymphopenia after palliative radiotherapy.

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (11) ◽  
pp. 5467-5481
Author(s):  
Zhiqiang Liu ◽  
Xinyuan Chen ◽  
Kuo Men ◽  
Junlin Yi ◽  
Jianrong Dai

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wufei Cao ◽  
Yongdong Zhuang ◽  
Lixin Chen ◽  
Xiaowei Liu

Abstract Purpose In this study, we employed a gated recurrent unit (GRU)-based recurrent neural network (RNN) using dosimetric information induced by individual beam to predict the dose-volume histogram (DVH) and investigated the feasibility and usefulness of this method in biologically related models for nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPC) treatment planning. Methods and materials One hundred patients with NPC undergoing volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) between 2018 and 2019 were randomly selected for this study. All the VMAT plans were created using the Monaco treatment planning system (Elekta, Sweden) and clinically approved: > 98% of PGTVnx received the prescribed doses of 70 Gy, > 98% of PGTVnd received the prescribed doses of 66 Gy and > 98% of PCTV received 60 Gy. Of these, the data from 80 patients were used to train the GRU-RNN, and the data from the other 20 patients were used for testing. For each NPC patient, the DVHs of different organs at risk were predicted by a trained GRU-based RNN using the information given by individual conformal beams. Based on the predicted DVHs, the equivalent uniform doses (EUD) were calculated and applied as dose constraints during treatment planning optimization. The regenerated VMAT experimental plans (EPs) were evaluated by comparing them with the clinical plans (CPs). Results For the 20 test patients, the regenerated EPs guided by the GRU-RNN predictive model achieved good consistency relative to the CPs. The EPs showed better consistency in PTV dose distribution and better dose sparing for many organs at risk, and significant differences were found in the maximum/mean doses to the brainstem, brainstem PRV, spinal cord, lenses, temporal lobes, parotid glands and larynx with P-values < 0.05. On average, compared with the CPs, the maximum/mean doses to these OARs were altered by − 3.44 Gy, − 1.94 Gy, − 1.88 Gy, 0.44 Gy, 1.98 Gy, − 1.82 Gy and 2.27 Gy, respectively. In addition, significant differences were also found in brainstem and spinal cord for the dose received by 1 cc volume with 4.11 and 1.67 Gy dose reduction in EPs on average. Conclusion The GRU-RNN-based DVH prediction method was capable of accurate DVH prediction. The regenerated plans guided by the predicted EUDs were not inferior to the manual plans, had better consistency in PTVs and better dose sparing in critical OARs, indicating the usefulness and effectiveness of biologically related model in knowledge-based planning.


2000 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Haycocks ◽  
J. Mui ◽  
H. Alasti ◽  
C. Catton

Ten patients with prostate cancer were each planned with 3 conventional and 3 conformal isocentric treatment techniques to compare the relative radiation doses to the bladder and rectal walls, and femoral head using dose volume histograms (DVH). The DVH were calculated for each organ and each technique, and the plans were ranked using the area under the curve method and also by the relative radiation dose given to specific normal tissue volumes.The results show that for the planning target volume chosen, the 4 field non-coplanar technique delivers the least dose to the bladder, the 6 field coplanar technique delivers the least dose to the rectum and the 3 field oblique technique delivers the least dose to the femoral heads. The 4-field technique with no shielding contributes the most dose to the bladder and rectum and the 6 field coplanar technique contributes the most dose to the femoral heads.No technique was shown to be optimal for all the organs at risk, but both the 6 field and 4 field non-coplanar field arrangements were shown to be superior techniques for minimising both the bladder and rectal dosage. The choice of technique will therefore depend on other factors such as the total prescribed dose, the ease of set-up and the ease of verification of isocentre reproducibility.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 323-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
James C. L. Chow ◽  
Runqing Jiang ◽  
Lu Xu

AbstractPurpose:Dose distribution index (DDI) is a treatment planning evaluation parameter, reflecting dosimetric information of target coverage that can help to spare organs at risk (OARs) and remaining volume at risk (RVR). The index has been used to evaluate and compare prostate volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans using two different plan optimisers, namely photon optimisation (PO) and its predecessor, progressive resolution optimisation (PRO).Materials and methods:Twenty prostate VMAT treatment plans were created using the PO and PRO in this retrospective study. The 6 MV photon beams and a dose prescription of 78 Gy/39 fractions were used in plans with the same dose–volume criteria for plan optimisation. Dose–volume histograms (DVHs) of the planning target volume (PTV), as well as of OARs such as the rectum, bladder, left and right femur were determined in each plan. DDIs were calculated and compared for plans created by the PO and PRO based on DVHs of the PTV and all OARs.Results:The mean DDI values were 0·784 and 0·810 for prostate VMAT plans created by the PO and PRO, respectively. It was found that the DDI of the PRO plan was about 3·3% larger than the PO plan, which means that the dose distribution of the target coverage and sparing of OARs in the PRO plan was slightly better. Changing the weighting factors in different OARs would vary the DDI value by ∼7%. However, for plan comparison based on the same set of dose–volume criteria, the effect of weighting factor can be neglected because they were the same in the PO and PRO.Conclusions:Based on the very similar DDI values calculated from the PO and PRO plans, with the DDI value in the PRO plan slightly larger than that of the PO, it may be concluded that the PRO can create a prostate VMAT plan with slightly better dose distribution regarding the target coverage and sparing of OARs. Moreover, we found that the DDI is a simple and comprehensive dose–volume parameter for plan evaluation considering the target, OARs and RVR.


2012 ◽  
Vol 39 (12) ◽  
pp. 7446-7461 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsey M. Appenzoller ◽  
Jeff M. Michalski ◽  
Wade L. Thorstad ◽  
Sasa Mutic ◽  
Kevin L. Moore

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