Normal Tissue Integral Dose as a Result of Prostate Radiation Therapy: A Quantitative Comparison Between High-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy and Modern External Beam Radiation Therapy Techniques
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-1-2023
Publication Title
Advances in Radiation Oncology
Abstract
Purpose
Quantification of integral radiation dose delivered during treatment for prostate cancer is lacking. We performed a comparative quantification of dose to nontarget body tissues delivered via 4 common radiation techniques: conventional volumetric modulated arc therapy, stereotactic body radiation therapy, pencil-beam scanning proton therapy, and high-dose-rate brachytherapy.
Methods and Materials
Plans for each radiation technique were generated for 10 patients with typical anatomy. For brachytherapy plans, virtual needles were placed to achieve standard dosimetry. Standard planning target volume margins or robustness margins were applied as appropriate. A “normal tissue” structure (entire computed tomography simulation volume minus planning target volume) was generated for integral dose computation. Dose-volume histogram parameters for targets and normal structures were tabulated. Normal tissue integral dose was calculated by multiplying normal tissue volume by mean dose.
Results
Normal tissue integral dose was lowest for brachytherapy. Pencil-beam scanning protons, stereotactic body radiation therapy, and brachytherapy resulted in 17%, 57%, and 91% absolute reductions compared with standard volumetric modulated arc therapy, respectively. Mean nontarget tissues receiving 25%, 50%, and 75% of the prescription dose were reduced by 85%, 76%, and 83% for brachytherapy relative to volumetric modulated arc therapy, by 79%, 64%, and 74% relative to stereotactic body radiation therapy, and 73%, 60%, and 81% relative to proton therapy. All reductions observed using brachytherapy were statistically significant.
Conclusions
High-dose-rate brachytherapy is an effective technique for reducing dose to nontarget body tissues relative to volumetric modulated arc therapy, stereotactic body radiation therapy, and pencil-beam scanning proton therapy.
Volume
8
Issue
3
First Page
101160
Recommended Citation
Grzywacz VP, Arden JD, Mankuzhy NP, Gustafson GS, Sebastian EA, Abbott VL et al. [Walters KJ, Puzzonia JA, Limbacher AS, Hafron JM, Krauss DJ] Normal tissue integral dose as a result of prostate radiation therapy: a quantitative comparison between high-dose-rate brachytherapy and modern external beam radiation therapy techniques. Adv Radiat Oncol. 2023 May 1;8(3):101160. doi:10.1016/j.adro.2022.101160
DOI
10.1016/j.adro.2022.101160