scholarly journals Breath Hold Breast Radiotherapy In The Era of Precision Medicine: Appropriate Selection for Left Descending Artery Sparing

Author(s):  
Edy Ippolito ◽  
Carlo Greco ◽  
Maristella Marrocco ◽  
Silvia Gentile ◽  
Serena Palizza ◽  
...  

Abstract Background and purpose To identify anatomical and/or preplanning characteristics correlated with left descending artery (LAD) dose and therefore provide guidance in the selection of patients with left-breast cancer that could benefit the most from the use of deep inspiration breath hold radiotherapy (DIBH-RT). Materials and methods We retrospectively identified patients with left-sided breast cancer who underwent whole breast radiotherapy in DIBH and extracted data from treatment plans in free-breathing (FB) and DIBH. The following anatomical parameters were obtained from the planning CTs in FB: lung volume, heart volume, breast separation, minimum distance from LAD to tangent open field. Receiving operating characteristics was also performed to define the cut-off point of parameters to use in LAD dosimetry prediction. Areas under the curve (AUCs) were calculated for all variables. Post-test probability has been calculated to evaluate advantage for parameters combination. Results One hundred ninety-seven patients were identified. The strongest predictor at FB CT scan of LAD maximum dose > 10 Gy and a LAD mean dose > 4 Gy was the minimum distance of LAD from tangent open fields. Adding consecutively other preplanning anatomic parameters, the positive predictive value (PPV) to identify patients at risk of higher dose to LAD was > 90%. Conclusions The dosimetric benefit of DIBH is valid for all patients and DIBH should be preferred for all left sided patients; however we can identify a subgroup of patients who benefit the least from DIBH. This is the group with favorable anatomy: limited breast separation, well expanded lungs, LAD distant from open tangent fields.

Author(s):  
Xinzhuo Wang ◽  
Odile Fargier-Bochaton ◽  
Giovanna Dipasquale ◽  
Mohamed Laouiti ◽  
Melpomeni Kountouri ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose The advantage of prone setup compared with supine for left-breast radiotherapy is controversial. We evaluate the dosimetric gain of prone setup and aim to identify predictors of the gain. Methods Left-sided breast cancer patients who had dual computed tomography (CT) planning in prone free breathing (FB) and supine deep inspiration breath-hold (DiBH) were retrospectively identified. Radiation doses to heart, lungs, breasts, and tumor bed were evaluated using the recently developed mean absolute dose deviation (MADD). MADD measures how widely the dose delivered to a structure deviates from a reference dose specified for the structure. A penalty score was computed for every treatment plan as a weighted sum of the MADDs normalized to the breast prescribed dose. Changes in penalty scores when switching from supine to prone were assessed by paired t-tests and by the number of patients with a reduction of the penalty score (i.e., gain). Robust linear regression and fractional polynomials were used to correlate patients’ characteristics and their respective penalty scores. Results Among 116 patients identified with dual CT planning, the prone setup, compared with supine, was associated with a dosimetric gain in 72 (62.1%, 95% CI: 52.6–70.9%). The most significant predictors of a gain with the prone setup were the breast depth prone/supine ratio (>1.6), breast depth difference (>31 mm), prone breast depth (>77 mm), and breast volume (>282 mL). Conclusion Prone compared with supine DiBH was associated with a dosimetric gain in 62.1% of our left-sided breast cancer patients. High pendulousness and moderately large breast predicted for the gain.


2020 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 431-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chih-Shen CHANG ◽  
Chia-Hsin CHEN ◽  
Kuo-Chi LIU ◽  
Chia-Sheng HO ◽  
Miao-Fen CHEN

Abstract The deep inspiration breath-hold (DIBH) technique has been utilized to reduce the cardiac dose in left-sided breast cancer (BC) patients undergoing radiotherapy. Further investigation of the parameters for selecting which patients will benefit most from DIBH is essential. We performed dosimetric comparisons for 21 patients with left-sided BC who had both computed tomography (CT)-based free-breathing (FB) and DIBH plans. The doses to the heart and left anterior descending artery (LAD) and any reduction due to the DIBH technique were analysed. Based on CTFB plans, dosimetric analysis revealed that the irradiation doses to the heart and LAD were significantly correlated with the target volume, the ipsilateral lung volume (ILV) and the total lung volume (TLV). When patients had an ILV ≥ 950 cm3 or a TLV ≥ 2200 cm3, the irradiation doses to the heart and LAD were significantly decreased. Furthermore, the reduction in the mean heart dose (MHD) was correlated to the difference in lung volume between FB and DIBH. The difference in ILV between DIBH and FB of 1.8 indicated that the patients obtained more benefit from the DIBH technique. The data suggest that lung volume (ILV and TLV) measured on a CT-simulation scan and the difference between FB and DIBH could be utilized to help select patients for DIBH.


2021 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 27-31
Author(s):  
D. A. Yussupova ◽  
A. D. Savkhatova ◽  
M. D. Zekebayev ◽  
A. K. Quatbek

Relevance: Breast cancer is one of the most common oncological diseases. Today, it leads among female cancers. Patients with left breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy have a considerable risk of developing cardiovascular diseases caused by ionizing radiation. Various methods are introduced to reduce the radiation load to critical organs to ensure compliance with the main radiation therapy principle. One of these methods is radiation therapy with synchronized breathing, including deep inspiration breath-hold (DIBH). DIBH can significantly reduce the dose load to the heart and the left lung. The study aimed to compare the radiation load to the heart and the left lung during radiation therapy for left breast cancer with free breathing and respiratory synchronization. Results: During radiation therapy with synchronized breathing, the average radiation load to the heart is 1.7 times lower and to the left lung – 1.26 times lower compared to radiation therapy with free breathing. Conclusion: The study results confirm that respiratory synchronization in radiation therapy for left breast cancer reduces the dose to the heart and the left lung.


2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michał Falco ◽  
Bartłomiej Masojć ◽  
Agnieszka Macała ◽  
Magdalena Łukowiak ◽  
Piotr Woźniak ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Patients with left breast cancer who undergo radiotherapy have a non-negligible risk of developing radiation-induced cardiovascular disease (CVD). Cardioprotection can be achieved through better treatment planning protocols and through respiratory gating techniques, including deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH). Several dosimetric studies have shown that DIBH reduces the cardiac dose, but clinical data confirming this effect is limited. The aim of the study was to compare the mean heart dose (MHD) in patients with left breast cancer who underwent radiotherapy at our institution as we transitioned from non-gated free-breathing (FB) radiotherapy to gated radiotherapy (FB-GRT), and finally to DIBH. Patients and methods Retrospective study involving 2022 breast cancer patients who underwent radiotherapy at West Pomeranian Oncology Center in Szczecin from January 1, 2014 through December 31, 2017. We compared the MHD in these patients according to year of treatment and technique. Results Overall, the MHD for patients with left breast cancer in our cohort was 3.37 Gy. MHD values in the patients treated with DIBH were significantly lower than in patients treated with non-gated FB (2.1 vs. 3.48 Gy, p < 0.0001) and gated FB (3.28 Gy, p < 0.0001). The lowest MHD values over the four-year period were observed in 2017, when nearly 85% of left breast cancer patients were treated with DIBH. The proportion of patients exposed to high (> 4 Gy) MHD values decreased every year, from 40% in 2014 to 7.9% in 2017, while the percentage of patients receiving DIBH increased. Conclusions Compared to free-breathing techniques (both gated and non-gated), DIBH reduces the mean radiation dose to the heart in patients with left breast cancer. These findings support the use of DIBH in patients with left breast cancer treated with radiotherapy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Szilvia Gaál ◽  
Zsuzsanna Kahán ◽  
Viktor Paczona ◽  
Renáta Kószó ◽  
Rita Drencsényi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Studying the clinical utility of deep-inspirational breath-hold (DIBH) in left breast cancer radiotherapy (RT) was aimed at focusing on dosimetry and feasibility aspects. Methods In this prospective trial all enrolled patients went through planning CT in supine position under both DIBH and free breathing (FB); in whole breast irradiation (WBI) cases prone CT was also taken. In 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) plans heart, left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), ipsilateral lung and contralateral breast doses were analyzed. The acceptance of DIBH technique as reported by the patients and the staff was analyzed; post-RT side-effects including radiation lung changes (visual scores and lung density measurements) were collected. Results Among 130 enrolled patients 26 were not suitable for the technique while in 16, heart or LAD dose constraints were not met in the DIBH plans. Among 54 and 34 patients receiving WBI and postmastectomy/nodal RT, respectively with DIBH, mean heart dose (MHD) was reduced to < 50%, the heart V25 Gy to < 20%, the LAD mean dose to < 40% and the LAD maximum dose to about 50% as compared to that under FB; the magnitude of benefit was related to the relative increase of the ipsilateral lung volume at DIBH. Nevertheless, heart and LAD dose differences (DIBH vs. FB) individually varied. Among the WBI cases at least one heart/LAD dose parameter was more favorable in the prone or in the supine FB plan in 15 and 4 cases, respectively; differences were numerically small. All DIBH patients completed the RT, inter-fraction repositioning accuracy and radiation side-effects were similar to that of other breast RT techniques. Both the patients and radiographers were satisfied with the technique. Conclusions DIBH is an excellent heart sparing technique in breast RT, but about one-third of the patients do not benefit from that otherwise laborious procedure or benefit less than from an alternative method. Trial registration: retrospectively registered under ISRCTN14360721 (February 12, 2021)


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