Abstract
BackgroundIt has been reported that proximity of the tumor to the optic disc and macula, and radiation dose to the critical structures are substantial risk factors for vision loss following plaque brachytherapy. However, there is little dosimetry data published on this. In this study, therefore, the relationship between distance from tumor margin and radiation dose to the optic disc and macula in ocular brachytherapy using 125I Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study (COMS) plaques was comprehensively investigated. From the information, this study aimed to allow for estimation of optic disc dose and macula dose without treatment planning.MethodsAn in-house brachytherapy dose calculation program utilizing the American Association of Physicists in Medicine Task Group-43 U1 formalism with a line source approximation in a homogenous water phantom was developed and validated against three commercial treatment planning systems (TPS). Then optic disc dose and macula dose were calculated as a function of distance from tumor margin for various tumor basal dimensions for seven COMS plaques (from 10 mm to 22 mm in 2 mm increments) loaded with commercially available 125I seeds models (IAI-125A, 2301 and I25.S16). A prescribed dose of 85 Gy for an irradiation time of 168 h was normalized to a central-axis depth of 5 mm. Dose conversion factors for each seed model were obtained by taking ratios of total reference air kerma per seed at various prescription depths (from 1 mm to 10 mm in 1 mm intervals) to that at 5 mm.ResultsThe in-house program demonstrated relatively similar accuracy to commercial TPS. Optic disc dose and macula dose decreased as distance from tumor margin and tumor basal dimension increased. Dose conversion factors increased with increasing prescription depth. There existed dose variations (<8%) among three 125I seed models. Optic disc dose and macula dose for each COMS plaque and for each seed model are presented in a figure format. Dose conversion factors for each seed model are presented in a tabular format.ConclusionsThe data provided in this study would enable clinicians in any clinic using 125I COMS plaques to estimate optic disc dose and macula dose without dose calculations.
Highlights
It has been reported that proximity of the tumor to the optic disc and macula, and radiation dose to the critical structures are substantial risk factors for vision loss following plaque brachytherapy
By providing the dosimetry data, this study aims to enable clinicians in any clinic or institution using 125I Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study (COMS) plaques to predict optic disc dose and macula dose at the time of tumor size measurements without dose calculations in a treatment planning system (TPS)
Validation of our in-house brachytherapy dose calculation program Table 1 presents the comparison of central-axis dose values for a 16 mm COMS plaque loaded with 125I seeds between our in-house program and three treatment planning systems (TPS) used in Rivard et al.’s study [15]
Summary
It has been reported that proximity of the tumor to the optic disc and macula, and radiation dose to the critical structures are substantial risk factors for vision loss following plaque brachytherapy. Plaque brachytherapy is currently the most common treatment option for early stage or medium-sized intraocular tumors (≤10 mm in apical height and ≤ 16 mm in diameter for uveal melanomas) [1,2,3]. It offers equivalent tumor control and better quality of life such as eye preservation and vision retention in comparison to enucleation [3,4,5]. There is a paucity of literature on the relationship between proximity of the tumor to the vision-related critical structures and radiation dose to them in plaque brachytherapy
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