Outcomes and patterns of radiation associated brain image changes after proton therapy for head and neck skull base cancers

Grete May Engeseth; Sonja Stieb; Abdallah Sherif Radwan Mohamed; Renjie He; Camilla Hanquist Stokkevåg; Marianne Brydøy; Clifton Dave Fuller; Adam S Garden; David I Rosenthal; Jack Phan; William H Morrison; Jay P Reddy; Richard Wu; Xiaodong Zhang; Steven Jay Frank; Gary Brandon Gunn

doi:10.1016/j.radonc.2020.07.008

Outcomes and patterns of radiation associated brain image changes after proton therapy for head and neck skull base cancers

Radiother Oncol. 2020 Oct:151:119-125. doi: 10.1016/j.radonc.2020.07.008. Epub 2020 Jul 15.

Authors

Grete May Engeseth¹, Sonja Stieb², Abdallah Sherif Radwan Mohamed³, Renjie He⁴, Camilla Hanquist Stokkevåg⁵, Marianne Brydøy⁶, Clifton Dave Fuller⁷, Adam S Garden⁸, David I Rosenthal⁹, Jack Phan¹⁰, William H Morrison¹¹, Jay P Reddy¹², Richard Wu¹³, Xiaodong Zhang¹⁴, Steven Jay Frank¹⁵, Gary Brandon Gunn¹⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA; Department of Oncology and Medical Physics, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway; Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Norway; Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, Norway. Electronic address: grete.may.engeseth@helse-bergen.no.
² Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA. Electronic address: SMStieb@mdanderson.org.
³ Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA. Electronic address: ASMohamed@mdanderson.org.
⁴ Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA. Electronic address: RHe1@mdanderson.org.
⁵ Department of Oncology and Medical Physics, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway. Electronic address: hanquist.stokkevag@helse-bergen.no.
⁶ Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA. Electronic address: marianne.brydoy@helse-bergen.no.
⁷ Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA. Electronic address: CDFuller@mdanderson.org.
⁸ Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA. Electronic address: agarden@mdanderson.org.
⁹ Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA. Electronic address: dirosenthal@mdanderson.org.
¹⁰ Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA. Electronic address: jphan@mdanderson.org.
¹¹ Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA. Electronic address: whmorrison@mdanderson.org.
¹² Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA. Electronic address: JReddy@mdanderson.org.
¹³ Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA. Electronic address: rywu@mdanderson.org.
¹⁴ Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA. Electronic address: xizhang@mdanderson.org.
¹⁵ Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA. Electronic address: sjfrank@mdanderson.org.
¹⁶ Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA. Electronic address: GBGunn@mdanderson.org.

Abstract

Background and purpose: To characterize patterns and outcomes of brain MR image changes after proton therapy (PT) for skull base head and neck cancer (HNC).

Material and methods: Post-treatment MRIs ≥6 months were reviewed for radiation-associated image changes (RAIC) in 127 patients. All patients had received at least a point dose of 40 Gy(RBE) to the brain. The MRIs were rigidly registered to planning CTs and RAIC lesions were contoured both on T1 weighted (post-contrast) and T2 weighted sequences, and dose-volume parameters extracted. Probability of RAIC was calculated using multistate survival analysis. Univariate/multivariate analyses were performed using Cox Regression. Recursive partitioning analysis was used to investigate dose-volume correlates of RAIC development.

Results: 17.3% developed RAIC. All RAIC events were asymptomatic and occurred in the temporal lobe (14), frontal lobe (6) and cerebellum (2). The median volume of the contrast enhanced RAIC lesion was 0.5 cc at their maximum size. The RAIC resolved or improved in 45.5% of the patients and were stable or progressed in 36.4%. The 3-year actuarial rate of developing RAIC was 14.3%. RAIC was observed in 63% of patients when V_{67 Gy(RBE)} of the brain ≥0.17 cc.

Conclusion: Small RAIC lesions after PT occurred in 17.3% of the patients; the majority in nasopharyngeal or sinonasal cancer. The estimated dose-volume correlations confirm the importance of minimizing focal high doses to brain when achievable.

Keywords: Brain necrosis; Dose–response relationship; Head and neck cancer; MR image change; Radiation Injuries; Skull base, Proton therapy.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Brain
Head and Neck Neoplasms* / diagnostic imaging
Head and Neck Neoplasms* / radiotherapy
Humans
Proton Therapy* / adverse effects
Radiotherapy Dosage
Skull Base

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

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