Copenhagen, Denmark
Onsite/Online

ESTRO 2022

Session Item

Monday
May 09
10:30 - 11:30
Mini-Oral Theatre 1
19: Applications of photon & ion beam therapy
Lena Nenoff, Germany;
Vania Batista, Germany
3250
Mini-Oral
Physics
Altered breathing pattern can jeopardize PBS proton therapy of locally advanced NSCLC
Camilla Grindeland Boer, Norway
MO-0792

Abstract

Altered breathing pattern can jeopardize PBS proton therapy of locally advanced NSCLC
Authors:

Liv Bolstad Hysing1,2, Camilla Grindeland Boer1, Kristine Fjellanger1,2, Inger Marie Sandvik1, Maren Ugland1, Grete May Engeseth1,3

1Haukeland University Hospital, Oncology and Medical physics, Bergen, Norway; 2University of Bergen, Physics and technology, Bergen, Norway; 3University of Bergen, Clinical science, Bergen, Norway

Show Affiliations
Purpose or Objective

Patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) have poor prognosis, with treatment intensifications prevented by high toxicity rates from state-of-the-art multimodal therapy. Pencil beam scanning proton therapy (PBS-PT) has potential to spare the lungs and heart compared to IMRT. However, little knowledge exists on how uncertainties occurring between planning (Plan) and start of treatment (Start) influence organ at risk sparing and target coverage. The purpose of this prospective simulation study was to evaluate if the clinical potential of PBS-PT persists from Plan to Start, in order to guide its use in LA-NSCLC.

Material and Methods

4DCT imaging at Plan and Start (fraction 2 or 3) was carried out for 15 patients that received state-of-the-art IMRT with prescribed doses of 60-66 Gy in 2 Gy fractions. Three PBS-PT plans were created per patient: 3D-robust single field uniform dose (SFUD), 3D-robust intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) and 4D-robust IMPT (4DIMPT). Target coverage and dose-volume parameters relevant for toxicity were compared across PBS-PT and IMRT. Robustness towards setup and range, breathing motion and interplay were investigated at Plan, and robustness towards changes in breathing motion and anatomy was investigated at Start (Table).

Uncertainty
Robustness evaluations at Plan
Robustness evaluations at Start
Criterion for target
Setup and range
Simulations up to 5 mm setup and 3.5% calibration uncertainty
-D98% > 95% of prescribed dose
Interplay
Spot scanning simulations on all 10 breathing phases
-D98% > 90%
Breathing motion 
Recalculation on maximum and minimum inspiration
Recalculation on maximum and minimum inspiration
D98% > 95%
Changes in breathing motion and anatomy
-Recalculation on 4DCT average intensity projection
D98% > 95%

 

Results

Sparing at Plan with PBS-PT compared to IMRT was significant and largest with IMPT, followed by 4DIMPT, SFUD and IMRT, and persisted at Start (Figure 1). All plans met the preset criteria for target robustness at Plan (Figure 2). At Start, D98% was >95% for 12/15 patients with PBS-PT. Three patients had lack of CTV coverage (worst for IMPT with D98% of 82-93%), mainly in the mediastinal lymph nodes, caused by changes in breathing-motion pattern between Plan and Start (Figure 2).

Conclusion

The potential of PBS-PT to reduce heart and lung toxicity compared to IMRT was significant and persistent from Plan to Start. All PBS-PT techniques responded similarly to uncertainties and were sufficiently robust at Plan, and for the majority of patients at Start. Altered breathing patterns between Plan and Start jeopardized target coverage for 3/15 patients with all PBS-PT techniques. Adaptive protocols should therefore include imaging at onset of or early in treatment.