To analyze respiratory motion of surgical clips, chest wall (CW) and the anterior displacement of the heart and its impact on heart dosimetry between prone (Pr) and supine (Su) positions during whole breast radiotherapy after breast conserving surgery. Sixteen patients underwent 4D-CT for radiotherapy planning in Pr and Su positions. Maximum inhale and maximum exhale phases were analyzed. Mean 3D vectorial displacements ± standard deviations (SD) of the surgical clips were measured. Volumetric changes of the CW were recorded and compared. Cardiac displacement was assessed by a volume between the inner surface of CW and the myocardium of the heart (CW/H-V). For left-sided cases, comparative dosimetry was performed in each position simulating no- (Pr-noC, Su-noC) versus daily correction protocols (Pr-C, Su-C). The movements of 81 surgical clips were analyzed. Prone positioning significantly reduced both the mean 3D vectorial displacements (1.1 ± 0.6 (Pr) vs. 2.0 ± 0.9 mm (Su), p < 0.01) and their variability (0.3 ± 0.2 vs. 0.5 ± 0.3 mm, p = 0.01). Respiration-induced volumetric changes of CW were also significantly lower in Pr (2.3 ± 4.9 vs. 9.6 ± 7.1 cm(3), p < 0.01). The CW/H-V was significantly smaller in Pr than in Su (39.9 ± 14.6 vs. 64.3 ± 28.2 cm(3), p < 0.01). Besides identical target coverage heart, left-anterior-descending coronary artery (LADCA) and ipsilateral lung dose parameters were lowered with Pr-C compared to Pr-noC, Su-C and Su-noC. Prone position significantly reduced respiration-related surgical clip movements, their variability as well as CW movements. Significant anterior heart displacement was observed in Pr. Prone position with daily online correction could maximize the heart and LADCA protection.
To analyse the displacement of surgical clips in prone (Pr) position and assess the consequences on target volumes and integral dose of partial breast irradiation (PBI). 30 post-lumpectomy breast cancer patients underwent CT imaging in supine (Su) and Pr. Clip displacements were measured by the distances from the clips to a common fix bony reference point. On each dataset, the tumour bed (TB = clips ± seroma), clinical target volume (CTV = TB + 1.5 cm) and planning target volumes (PTV = CTV + 1 cm) for PBI were determined and the volume pairs were compared. Furthermore estimation of integral dose ratio (IDR) within the breast from tangential treatment was performed as the ratio of the irradiated breast volume and the volume encompassing all clips. Clips close to the chest wall (CW) in Su showed significantly less displacement in Pr. The mean volumes of seroma, CTV and PTV were significantly higher in Pr than in Su. The PTV volume difference (Pr-Su) was significantly higher in patients with presence of seroma, deep clips and TB location in the superior-internal-quadrant (SIQ) and at the junction of superior quadrants (jSQ). In a multivariate analysis two factors remained significant: seroma and TB localization in SIQ-jSQ. The IDR was significantly larger in Su than in Pr (7.6 vs. 4.1 p < 0.01). Clip displacements varied considerably with respect to their relative position to the CW. In selected patients Pr position potentially leads to a significant increase in target volumes of PBI. Tangential beam arrangement for PBI should be avoided, not only in Su but in Pr as well in case of clip-based target volume definition.
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