METHODS
RT in 10 patients was replanned. Treatment volume was created according to the EORTC-ACROP, and
60 Gy/30 fraction dose was prescribed for planning target volume (PTV). PTV-less brain volume (BPTV)
Dmean, OARs doses; V5Gy and V50Gy of B-PTV volumes; conformality, and homogeneity indices
were analyzed.
RESULTS
B-PTV was spared better in IMRT. The optic chiasm, contralateral optic nerve, ipsilateral/contralateral
cochlea were significantly spared in IMRT and VMAT. The best sparing for brainstem, pituitary gland,
ipsilateral eye, ipsilateral lacrimal gland was obtained with VMAT. B-PTV volume received at least 5 Gy
was similar in three plans, but lower with 50 Gy in IMRT and VMAT (p<0.001). Although homogenous
dose distribution was obtained with similar homogeneity index in all three planning techniques, conformity
index was the best in VMAT (p<0.001).
CONCLUSION
VMAT provides improved conformity index and good homogeneity in GBM RT using the EORTCACROP
target and dose definition. The best sparing for OAR was obtained with VMAT.
Keywords: Glioblastoma multiforme; intensity-modulated radiotherapy; three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy; volumetric-modulated arc therapy
As emphasized in the guidelines for RT for glioblastoma
published by the American Society for Radiation
Oncology in March 2016, four main target delineations
of different cooperative groups (single-phase treatment
or two-phase treatment volume, involving or not involving
edema) exist, and these are defined by the postoperative
MRI but have different target definitions.[
PTV volume was removed from normal brain tissue
and brain?PTV (B-PTV) volume was generated. Dose
constraints for OARs: optic chiasm maximum dose
(Dmax) <54 Gy, (secondary criteria: Dmax <60 Gy),
optic nerve Dmax <54 Gy (secondary criteria: 55 Gy),
cochlear mean dose (Dmean) <45 Gy, brainstem Dmax
<54 Gy (secondary criteria: Dmax <60 Gy, D59Gy <10
ml), pituitary gland Dmax <50 Gy (secondary criteria:
Dmax <60 Gy), the eyes Dmax <45 Gy, lacrimal gland
Dmax <40 Gy, intraocular lens Dmax <6 Gy (secondary
criteria: <10 Gy; Table
Conformity index and homogeneity index were calculated for all treatment plans. Conformity index was defined as the ratio between the tissue volume included in the reference isodose (95% prescribed dose) and the PTV volume (ml; ICRU 62; conformity index=Vri/ PTV). The optimal conformity index was 1.[22] The homogeneity index was calculated to evaluate the homogeneity of the dose distribution within the PTV. It is defined as the ratio of the difference between dose at 2% (almost maximum) and at 98% (almost minimum) of the target and the median dose to the target homogeneity index=(D2%-D98%)/D50% (ICRU 83). Doses of B-PTV Dmean, V5Gy, and V50Gy of B-PTV volumes, optic chiasm Dmax, ipsilateral/contralateral optic nerve Dmax and cochlear Dmean, brainstem Dmax, pituitary gland Dmax, ipsilateral/contralateral eye Dmax, ipsilateral/contralateral lacrimal gland Dmax, ipsilateral/contralateral intraocular lens Dmax; and conformity and homogeneity index were statistically compared by paired sample t-test. A P value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Optic chiasm Dmax median doses of 60.6 Gy, 50.1
Gy, 51 Gy were detected in 3D-CRT, IMRT, VMAT
treatment plans, respectively. Optic chiasm was significantly
better preserved in IMRT and VMAT planning
methods (3D-CRT vs. IMRT, p=0.021; 3D-CRT
vs. VMAT, p=0.008). There was no difference between
IMRT and VMAT (p=0.205; Table
The contralateral optic nerve was significantly better
preserved in both IMRT (median 22.4 Gy) and
VMAT (median 27.2 Gy) when compared to 3D-CRT
(median 61.5 Gy). There was no statistically significant
difference between IMRT and VMAT. Although there
was no statistically significant difference between the three plans at the median dose of the optic nerve, it was
better preserved with IMRT and VMAT (Table
Brainstem Dmax median doses of 60.3 Gy, 54.3 Gy,
52.8 Gy were detected in 3D-CRT, IMRT, and VMAT
treatment plans, respectively. The brainstem was significantly
better preserved in IMRT and VMAT (3DCRT
vs. IMRT, p<0.001; 3D-CRT vs. VMAT, p=0.015).
VMAT preserved brainstem better than IMRT
(p=0.015; Table
The contralateral cochlea and ipsilateral cochlea
doses were significantly higher in IMRT (median 13.4
Gy and 22.6 Gy, respectively) and VMAT (median 14 Gy and 26.2 Gy, respectively) than in 3D-CRT (median
53.8 Gy and 58.7 Gy, respectively; p=0.003 and
p=0.002, respectively). Bilateral cochlear sparing was
similar in IMRT and VMAT (Table
The contralateral eye was similarly spared in all
three plans. There was no statistical difference between
the ipsilateral eye Dmax in 3D-CRT (median 22.9 Gy,
0.4?65.6), IMRT (median 34.5 Gy, 21.5?52.9) and
VMAT (median 24 Gy; 8.9?47.1). However, the ipsilateral
eye Dmax was statistically lower in VMAT than in
IMRT (p=0.006). VMAT provides the best sparing for
ipsilateral eye (Table
The contralateral lacrimal gland was similarly
spared in all three plans. There was no statistical difference
for the ipsilateral lacrimal gland Dmax between
3D-CRT (median 27.7 Gy, 0.3?65.9), IMRT (median
36.2 Gy, 15.2?43.6), and VMAT (median 27.8 Gy,
10.3?40.5). However, ipsilateral lacrimal Dmax significantly
lower in VMAT than IMRT (p=0.002). VMAT
showed the best sparing for the ipsilateral lacrimal
gland (Table
Median doses of contralateral intraocular lens
Dmax were 3.1 Gy, 6.2 Gy, 6 Gy in 3D-CRT, IMRT,
and VMAT treatment plans, respectively; there were
no significant difference between three plans. Median
doses of ipsilateral intraocular lens Dmax were 2.1 Gy,
7.2 Gy, 6.5 Gy in 3D-CRT, IMRT, and VMAT treatment
plans, respectively. There was no significant difference
between IMRT and VMAT, but the lowest dose was obtained
with 3D-CRT (Table
A similar homogeneity index was obtained in all
three plans. Conformity index median values were
2.3, 1.1, and 1 in 3D-CRT, IMRT, and VMAT treatment
plans, respectively. Compared with 3D-CRT, a
more conformal treatment plan was obtained with
both IMRT and VMAT. Although the difference was
low, VMAT treatment plan was statistically significant
more conformal (Table
Adeberg et al. compared IM proton therapy (PRT),
VMAT, and 3D-CRT treatment plans in 12 patients
with high-grade glial tumors.[
Navarria et al. performed treatment plan assessment,
progression-free survival, and overall survival analysis
in patients with high-grade 341 gliomas treated with
3D-CRT and VMAT.[
In the first of three studies comparing VMAT and
IMRT, Shaffer et al. evaluated these two planning
methods dosimetrically in 10 patients with frontal and
temporal high-grade glioma.[
Wagner et al. compared VMAT, IMRT, and 3D-CRT,
which is only such study in the literature.[
Peer-review: Externally peer-reviewed.
Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that there is no
conflict of interest.
Authorship contributions: Concept - K.İ.; Design - K.İ.; Supervision - K.İ., M.A.; Materials - K.İ., M.A.; Data collection &/or processing - K.İ., U.A., C.K.; Analysis and/or interpretation - K.İ., U.A., M.A.; Literature search - K.İ., C.K.; Writing - K.İ., M.A.; Critical review - K.İ., M.A.