[Radiotherapy for brain tumors: which margins should we apply?]

Cancer Radiother. 2013 Oct;17(5-6):434-43. doi: 10.1016/j.canrad.2013.07.136. Epub 2013 Sep 5.
[Article in French]

Abstract

Radiotherapy is a major modality in the treatment of brain tumours. The target volumes definition has to be precise for the radiation planification. The gross target volume (GTV) is most of the time delineated within the fusion of the planning CT scan with the appropriated MRI sequences. The clinical target volume (CTV) definition is more complex: it varies in time following the evolution of scientific knowledge and also depending of the school of thought. This article offers a review of the literature about the margins applied in brain tumours radiotherapy for gliomas (high grade, anaplastic, low grade and brain stem gliomas), embryologic tumours (medulloblastomas and primitive neuroectodermal tumours [PNET]), ependymomas, atypical teratoid rahbdoid tumours (ATRT), craniopharyngiomas, pineal gland tumours, primary central nervous cell lymphomas, meningiomas and schwannomas. New imaging modalities such as diffusion-weighted imaging, dynamic contrast enhanced, spectroscopic MRI and PET scan will allow us to delineate more precisely the target volumes and to realise dose-painting by adapting the dose to the tumour metabolism.

Keywords: Brain tumours; Clinical target volume; Marges; Margins; Radiation therapy; Radiothérapie; Tumeurs cérébrales; Volume cible anatomoclinique; Volumes.

Publication types

  • English Abstract
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Brain Neoplasms / pathology
  • Brain Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
  • Diagnostic Imaging
  • Humans
  • Lymphoma / pathology
  • Lymphoma / radiotherapy
  • Meningioma / pathology
  • Meningioma / radiotherapy
  • Neoplasm Grading
  • Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / pathology
  • Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / radiotherapy
  • Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted*