Dose-volume histogram analysis as predictor of radiation pneumonitis in primary lung cancer patients treated with radiotherapy

Abstract

To determine the relationship between various parameters derived from lung dose-volume histogram analysis and the risk of symptomatic radiation pneumonitis (RP) in patients undergoing radical radiotherapy for primary lung cancer. The records of 156 patients with lung cancer who had been treated with radical radiotherapy (>/=45 Gy) and for whom dose-volume histogram data were available were reviewed. The incidence of symptomatic RP was correlated with a variety of parameters derived from the dose-volume histogram data, including the volume of lung receiving 10 Gy (V(10)) through 50 Gy (V(50)) and the mean lung dose (MLD). The rate of RP at 6 months was 15% (95% confidence interval 9-22%). On univariate analysis, only V(30) (p = 0.036) and MLD (p = 0.043) were statistically significantly related to RP. V(30) correlated highly positively with MLD (r = 0.96, p < 0.001). V(30) and MLD can be used to predict the risk of RP in lung cancer patients undergoing radical radiotherapy.