METHODS
New 4-dimensional computed tomography plans for 10 pancreatic cancer patients were created. The
ssIMRT plans had 6 coplanar fields (330-0-30-60-90°) and VMAT plans were generated with 2 268-92° arcs.
RESULTS
VMAT plans revealed better overall sparing of right kidney (volume receiving 15% of prescribed dose
[V15]: 28.3% vs 46.9%, p=0.012; V20: 16.1% vs 27.6%, p=0.007; V25: 8.6% vs 15.2%, p=0.005; mean dose
1549 centigray [cGy] vs 1987 cGy, p=0.005). VMAT delivered similar isodose distribution (planning target
volume [PTV] mean dose: 5164 vs 5183 cGy, PTV max: 5526 cGy vs 5505 cGy; p=0.541) with significantly
fewer monitor units (MU) (MU: 468 vs 527; p=0.032) in comparison with ssIMRT. VMAT was also
found to be superior for V30 intestinal dose, but mean dose was similar (1963 cGy vs 2032 cGy; p=0.05).
CONCLUSION
VMAT provided more effective protection for bilateral kidneys and small intestine with better OAR
doses, as well as for liver, with reduced high-dose volumes in this cohort. This could be investigated as
more tolerable concurrent radiochemotherapy treatment with better OAR preservation.
Keywords: Intensity-modulated radiation therapy; pancreatic cancer; volumetric modulated arc therapy
Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is
an advanced mode of high-precision radiotherapy
that delivers radiation doses precisely to the threedimensional
shape of the tumor by modulating the
intensity of the radiation beam in multiple small
volumes while minimizing the dose to surrounding
normal critical structures.[
The volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT)
technique is a recent form of IMRT with using one or
two-arc gantry rotation by simultaneously modulating
the MLC position and the dose rates. In the recent
reports, VMAT has been shown to be superior for a
variety of cancer types such as head and neck, prostate
cancer and the dosimetric and clinic publications seeking
for new cancer sites to use VMAT were increasing.[
We aimed to define whether VMAT provides a
superior dose distribution in comparison to Intensity
modulated radiotherapy (Step and shoot: ssIMRT)
based on 4D-CT target volume coverage and organs at
risk (OAR) doses in adjuvant postoperative radiotherapy
for pancreas adenocarcinoma patients.
Simulation and target contouring
All the patients were simulated in the supine position
on a customized vacuum bed, with using T-bar, Wingboard,
and knee-foot stopper. 4-D and contrast freebreathing
axial CT scans with 3 mm slice thickness
with were obtained by AcQSim CT simulation of Philips
Brilliance Big Bore CT. Respiratory correlated imaging
was generated for planning which was performed
by Pinnacle radiation therapy planning system (9.0,
Philips Medical Systems Inc. Cleveland, OH) which
uses Collapse Cone [cc] convolution algorithm. Also
for every patient a second scan with intravenous contrast
were obtained and fused for contouring purposes.
Planning
The prescribed dose was 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions
and the planning objective was to give at least 95% prescribed
dose to PTV and 98% prescribed doses to CTV.
Identical objectives were used for IMRT and VMAT
plans. The planning objectives were selected as listed;
The maximum point dose to spinal cord is less than 45
Gy, volume of kidney receiving more than 20 Gy (V20) <33%, if one kidney exceeds the above, then spare the
other kidney with 20 Gy(V20) <20%, mean liver dose
(MLD) <32Gy, V20Gy <66%.
Treated ssIMRT plans were 6 coplanar fields (330-
0-30-60-90 degree) with multiple segments. VMAT
plans were generated as two 268-92° arcs rotating
clockwise and counter clockwise starting from 92° and
268° with 15°collimator angle. Collimator angle was
fixed to -15° to minimize the effects of interleaf leakage
and tongue-and groove effect. For all the plans, 6 MV
Photon beams created by using Varian Linac Triology
(Rapid-Arc) 120 leaf millennium multileaf collimator
(MLC) with a maximum dose rate 600 MU/min and
Grid Size was 0.3x0.3x0.3 cm for both plan calculations.
All plans were performed by one physicist (YS).
Comparison of VMAT and ssIMRT techniques
Clinical target volume (CTV) was delineated according
to departmental guidelines and RTOG pancreas cancer
web based CT contouring atlas,[
The maximum dose (Gy) for spinal cord, V15-V20-V25
for bilateral kidney, V30 and mean dose for intestine,
V30-V45 for liver, total treated monitor units (MU),
and mean and maximum doses for PTV were compared
based on dose volume histograms. VMAT and ssIMRT
techniques were compared using two-tailed pair wise
Wilcoxon signed-ranked tests, with p<0.05 considered
to indicate statistically significant differences.
Target
In all the plans PTV was covered at least 95% prescribed
dose of 50.4Gy. VMAT delivered similar isodose distrubutions
(PTV mean dose: 5164 vs 5183 cGy, PTV
Max 5526 cGy vs 5505 cGy, p=0.541). As an advantage
VMAT has been delivered by significantly less MU
(MU: 468 vs 527, p=0.032) in comparison to ssIMRT.
Representative isodose curves for ssIMRT and VMAT
technique were given in axial, sagittal and coronal CT
slices at Figures
Kidneys; Right kidney was spared better as V15- 28.3% vs 46.9%, p=0.012; V20-16.1% vs 27.6%, p=0.007; V25- 8.6% vs 15.2%, p=0.005; mean dose 1549cGy vs 1987 cGy, p=0.005 compared to 6 field ssIMRT. For left kidney, there was decrease in high dose regions (V20 11.6% vs 18.8%; p=0.008, V25 5.7% vs 11.7%; p=0.018). No statistical difference was found in terms of mean doses (1155 cGy vs 1209 cGy, p=0.33) and V15 -low dose area (V15; 23.4% vs 29.8%, p=0.74) for left kidney.
Small Bowel; VMAT was also found to be superior for intestinal doses (V30: 28.1% vs 32.9%, p=0.008) but both planning technique provides similar mean doses of small bowel.
Liver; the mean doses were found to be similar in each plan, but high dose volumes such as V30 and V45 were decreased by VMAT (VMAT vs ssIMRT: mean dose- 1507 cGy vs 1550, p=0.168, V30- 18.3% vs 20.1%, p=0.012, V45- 7.9% vs 9.5%, p=0.006).
Spinal cord; Both plans provided acceptable and comparable spinal cord doses (cord maximum dose 3792 cGy vs 3697 cGy, p=0.24).
One of the important acute side effect was caused
by the dose that small bowel received during therapy. It
is shown that even large volume of low dose areas (5-15
Gy) also can cause toxicity.[
Brown et al., compared IMRT, integrated boost
IMRT and 3DCRT for locally advanced pancreas cancer
and revealed that left kidney was spared better in 3DCRT
due to the use of multiple fields in IMRT, in contrast to
the right kidney doses which was better with IMRT.[
Similar to our study design, Ali et al., analyzed 10
patients" dosimetric data and concluded that using
double arc VMAT for curative or adjuvant radiotherapy
for pancreas cancer patients, provides lower mean
and V20-V15 doses of both kidney compared to IMRT,
but other organ doses of both plans were found to be
similar.[
Respiration-induced movement of the upper abdominal
organs such as pancreas, liver and kidneys were
assessed in several studies and the largest movements
were noticed in the cranio-caudal direction for pancreas
and liver (23.7±15.9 mm and 24.4±16.4 mm) by Bussels
et al.,[
Disclosure Statement
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.