Abstract
Purpose:To investigate correlation of normal lung CT density changes with dose accuracy and outcome after SBRT for patients with early stage lung cancer.Methods:Dose distributions for patients originally planned and treated using a 1‐D pencil beam‐based (PB‐1D) dose algorithm were retrospectively recomputed using algorithms: 3‐D pencil beam (PB‐3D), and model‐basedMethods:AAA, Acuros XB (AXB), and Monte Carlo (MC). Prescription dose was 12 Gy × 4 fractions. Planning CT images were rigidly registered to the followup CT datasets at 6–9 months after treatment. Corresponding dose distributions were mapped from the planning to followup CT images. Following the method of Palma et al .(1–2), Hounsfield Unit (HU) changes in lung density in individual, 5 Gy, dose bins from 5–45 Gy were assessed in the peri‐tumor region, defined as a uniform, 3 cm expansion around the ITV(1).Results:There is a 10–15% displacement of the high dose region (40–45 Gy) with the model‐based algorithms, relative to the PB method, due to the electron scattering of dose away from the tumor into normal lung tissue (Fig.1). Consequently, the high‐dose lung region falls within the 40–45 Gy dose range, causing an increase in HU change in this region, as predicted by model‐based algorithms (Fig.2). The patient with the highest HU change (∼110) had mild radiation pneumonitis, and the patient with HU change of ∼80–90 had shortness of breath. No evidence of pneumonitis was observed for the 3 patients with smaller CT density changes (<50 HU). Changes in CT densities, and dose‐response correlation, as computed with model‐based algorithms, are in excellent agreement with the findings of Palma et al. (1–2).Conclusion:Dose computed with PB (1D or 3D) algorithms was poorly correlated with clinically relevant CT density changes, as opposed to model‐based algorithms. A larger cohort of patients is needed to confirm these results.This work was supported in part by a grant from Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA
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