GEC-ESTRO (ACROP)-ABS-CBG Consensus Brachytherapy Target Definition Guidelines for Recurrent Endometrial and Cervical Tumors in the Vagina

Abstract

Purpose: Representatives from the Gynecologic Groupe European de Curietherapie-European Society for Radiation Therapy and Oncology (GYN GEC-ESTRO), the American Brachytherapy Society (ABS), and the Canadian Brachytherapy Group (CBG) met to develop international consensus recommendations for target definitions for image-guided adaptive brachytherapy for vaginal recurrences of endometrial or cervical cancer.

Methods and materials: Seventeen radiation oncologists and 2 medical physicists participated. Before an in-person meeting each participant anonymously contoured 3 recurrent endometrial/cervical cancer cases. Participants contoured the residual gross primary tumor volume (GTV-T_res), a high-risk clinical target volume (CTV-T_HR), and an intermediate-risk clinical target volume (CTV-T_IR), on T2-weighted magnetic resonance images (MRIs). All contours were drawn using Falcon EduCase. Contours were reviewed at an in-person meeting during which a consensus document was created defining agreed-upon target definitions (Trial 1). After establishing these definitions, the group was sent one of the cases again (recurrent cervical cancer vaginal recurrence) and asked to contour the targets again (Trial 2). The Computerized Environment for Radiation Research (CERR) software (The Mathworks, Natwick, MA) was used to analyze the contours. Kappa statistics were generated to assess level of agreement between contours. A conformity index (CI), defined as the ratio between the intersection and union volume of a given pair of contours, was calculated. A simultaneous truth and performance level estimation (STAPLE) contour was created for the CTV-T_HR and CTV-T_IR for the postmeeting case.

Results: Consensus definitions for GTV-T_res, CTV-T_HR, and CTV-T_IR were established. Kappa statistics (Trial 1/Trial 2) for GTV-T_res, CTV-T_HR, and CTV-T_IR were 0.536/0.583, 0.575/0.743 and 0.522/0.707. Kappa statistics for Trial 2 for the CTV-T_HR and CTV-T_IR showed "substantial" agreement while the GTV-T_res remained at moderate agreement.

Conclusions: This consensus provides recommendations to facilitate future collaborations for MRI-guided adaptive brachytherapy target definitions in endometrial/cervical vaginal recurrences.