Dosimetric comparison between helical tomotherapy and intensity‐modulated radiotherapy for esophageal carcinoma

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveTo compare the effectiveness of different radiotherapy techniques – tomotherapy (TOMO) and intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) – for patients with esophageal carcinoma on the basis of dosimetric analysis.MethodsThe target areas and organs at risk in 10 patients with esophageal carcinoma were underlined and transmitted to the Raystation and TOMO planning systems. The homogeneity index (HI) and conformal index (CI) values, and dose distributions to organs at risk were compared on the basis of dose–volume histograms parameters.ResultsThe median of HI of gross planning target volume by TOMO (HI = 0.0575) showed superior homogeneity dose distribution compared with the IMRT technique (HI = 0.0735, P = 0.047). The median of CI of planning target volume by TOMO (CI = 0.785) showed improved conformity of dose distribution compared with IMRT (CI = 0.6825, P = 0.009). The median of the maximum dose to planning gross tumor volume (PGTV) and planning target volume by TOMO was significantly decreased compared with IMRT. The median of total lung doses, total heart doses, and maximum doses to the spinal cord were all significantly reduced by TOMO compared with IMRT.ConclusionsCompared with IMRT, TOMO could provide better conformal target coverage, more homogeneity dose distribution, and significantly decreased the radiation dose to the lungs, heart, and spinal cord.