Purpose: The purpose of the study was to consider and calculate dosimetric parameters during treatment planning to improve radiobiological outcomes for cervical cancer patients treated with high-dose-rate (HDR) intracavitary brachytherapy (ICBT).
Material and methods: In the present study, dose volume histograms (DVH) of 30 cervical cancer patients treated with HDR brachytherapy using computer tomography (CT)-based planning were analyzed. High-risk clinical target volume (HR-CTV) was contoured as the main target volume for all the patients, with an assumption that there was no presence of gross tumor at the time of brachytherapy. Values of target coverage volumes (100%, 150%, and 200%) were obtained from DVH, which was used to calculate different quality indices (QIs), including coverage index (CI), dose homogeneity index (DHI), overdose volume index (ODI), and dose non-uniformity ratio (DNR). Values of these QIs were further used to calculate tumor control probability (TCP). Statistical correlation between all QIs with TCP was established. Also, normal tissue complication probabilities for bladder (NTCP_B) and rectum (NTCP_R) were calculated.
Results: The mean values of the various calculated parameters, including CI, DHI, ODI, DNR, TCP, NTCP_B and NTCP_R were 0.92 ±0.07, 0.26 ±0.10, 0.50 ±0.10, 0.74 ±0.10, 0.92 ±0.07, 0.08 ±0.25, and 0.36 ±0.27, respectively. Pearson's product moment correlation coefficient between CI, DHI, ODI, and DNR with regards to TCP was +0.85, -0.85, +0.84, and +0.85, respectively.
Conclusions: The correlation between dosimetric and radiobiological parameters was found statistically significant, which shows the influence of dosimetric parameters on the radiobiological outcome. Therefore, these parameters should be considered during the treatment planning to improve the radiobiological outcome.
Keywords: DVH; HDR; NTCP; TCP; intracavitary brachytherapy; quality indices.
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