Background: Tangent-based intensity modulated radiation therapy (TIMRT) is a common adjuvant radiotherapy strategy for breast cancer patients. This study compared the dosimetric characteristics of tangent-based volumetric modulated arc therapy (TVMAT) and TIMRT for left breast cancer patients during deep inspiration breath-hold (DIBH) and free breathing (FB) techniques.
Methods: Fourteen patients with left breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery were included. The first arc started at 331.8-353.6 degrees and stopped at 281.8-315.0 degrees. The third arc started at 123.2-149.1 degrees and stopped at 88.0-96.0 degrees. The second and fourth arcs were reverse arcs of first and third arcs. DIBH-TIMRT inversing plans were generated using opposing tangential fields. Wilcoxon signed rank test and Spearman correlation were used to examine the significance of dose difference.
Results: Compared with FB-TVMAT, the mean heart dose of DIBH-TVMAT plans was reduced from 7.9 Gy to 3.2 Gy (p < 0.001). The average left lung volume receiving 30 Gy or more (V30Gy) was reduced from 12.9 to 5.7% (p < 0.001). DIBH-TVAMT plans resulted in a lower mean dose to the contralateral breast and lung (2 Gy and 0.7 Gy vs 3.4 Gy and 1.5 Gy, respectively) as compared to FB-TVMAT plans. Compared with DIBH-TIMRT, the average left lung V30Gy of DIBH-TVMAT plans was reduced from 8.5 to 5.7% (p = 0.031). As for low-dose areas, exposure of the left lung, right breast, heart and right lung volume with 10 Gy or more was not significantly different between the IMRT- and VMAT-plans.
Conclusions: DIBH-TVMAT for left breast cancer treatment retains treatment plan quality similar to the DIBH-IMRT technique without compromising dose restrictions to the heart, right breast and right lung. DIBH-TVMAT increased left lung protection but still had higher V5Gy to right breast and substantially higher V5Gy to heart. For left breast cancer patients receiving treatment with the DIBH technique, DIBH-TVMAT provides better treatment quality and is a safe and feasible treatment strategy.
Keywords: Breast cancer; Deep inspiration breath-hold; Tangent-based intensity modulated radiation therapy; Tangent-based volumetric modulated arc therapy.