Deep Inspiration Breath-Hold (DIBH) for Locoregional Breast Irradiation using Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) and Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy (IMPT): A Dosimetric Comparison to Cardiac Substructure

Abstract

Conventional breast irradiation with tangent fields poses cardiotoxicity risks but recent techniques significantly reduce heart exposure, such as rotational intensity modulated radiation therapy or proton therapy. This study evaluates the potential of deep inspiration breath-hold (DIBH) combination with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) for further cardiac sparing, at the cardiac substructure level. Following breast conserving surgery, 14 left-sided breast cancer patients treated with free breathing (FB)-VMAT (n = 7) or DIBH-VMAT (n = 7) were retrospectively included. Patients were treated to a dose of 51.8Gy to the whole left breast, 50.4 Gy to the axillary and internal mammary nodes, and 63 Gy to the tumor bed. Pencil beam scanning plans were generated on the initial simulation FB or DIBH computed tomography scans with similar PTV coverage constraints. The endpoint was the mean dose to the heart, to the cardiac cavities, to the left ventricle walls and to the coronary arteries. Table 1 presents the mean doses to cardiac substructures using VMAT and IMPT, with or without DIBH. When combined with VMAT, DIBH significantly reduces dose to nearly all cardiac substructures and to all coronary artery segments. In contrast, when combined with IMPT, DIBH does not show any dosimetric benefit. FB-IMPT significantly spares cardiac substructures compared with DIBH-VMAT. Contrasting with VMAT irradiation where DIBH significantly reduces doses delivered to nearly all cardiac substructures, DIBH does not seem to demonstrate a dosimetric benefit when combined with IMPT. DIBH is thus probably unnecessary for locoregional breast irradiation with IMPT.Abstract 2091; TableStructureVMAT (mean dose Gy)IMPT (mean dose Gy)Free BreathingDIBHp valueFree BreathingDIBHp valueHeart7.123.500.010.800.320.05Left ventricle7.403.19<0.010.090.220.09Anterior wall12.475.23<0.010.260.720.18Apical wall12.384.390.010.400.880.20Lateral wall6.603.37<0.010.040.160.02Inferior wall4.131.65<0.02<0.010.010.47Septal wall6.622.77<0.030.020.010.36Right ventricle7.053.55<0.040.790.070.14Left auricle3.971.910.02<0.01<0.010.08Right auricle3.892.440.040.060.030.13Left main coronary artery6.342.85<0.010.02<0.010.37Left anterior descending artery21.198.32<0.012.481.650.47Proximal segment12.995.170.040.190.290.63Mid segment24.1010.88<0.014.003.130.68Distal segment23.528.370.012.151.380.35Circumflex artery5.122.540.03<0.01<0.010.11Proximal segment7.343.090.02<0.010.010.22Distal segment4.532.410.06<0.01<0.010.10Right coronary artery5.402.870.010.030.060.62Proximal segment6.454.580.220.060.140.59Mid segment4.152.270.050.01<0.010.29Distal segment3.011.170.01<0.01<0.010.36Posterior descending segment6.151.560.01<0.01<0.010.18Author Disclosure: P. Loap: None. F. Goudjil: None. B. Baron: None. M. Ribeiro: None. A. Fourquet: None. Y. Kirova: None. Open table in a new tab