Copenhagen, Denmark
Onsite/Online

ESTRO 2022

Session Item

Saturday
May 07
16:55 - 17:55
Room D5
Applications of photon treatment planning
Georgina Fröhlich, Hungary;
Gert Meijer, The Netherlands
1540
Proffered Papers
Physics
16:55 - 17:05
Personalized trade-off: elective nodal coverage vs. NTCP in head-and-neck cancer using automated MCO
Laura Patricia Kaplan, Denmark
OC-0285

Abstract

Personalized trade-off: elective nodal coverage vs. NTCP in head-and-neck cancer using automated MCO
Authors:

Laura Patricia Kaplan1,2,3,4, Linda Rossi4, Ben J. M. Heijmen4, Anne Ivalu Sander Holm1, Jesper Grau Eriksen5, Stine Sofia Korreman6,3,1

1Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Oncology, Aarhus, Denmark; 2Aarhus University, Departmenet of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus, Denmark; 3Aarhus University Hospital, Danish Centre for Particle Therapy, Aarhus, Denmark; 4Erasmus Medical Center, Department of Radiation Oncology, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; 5Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Experimental Clinical Oncology, Aarhus, Denmark; 6Aarhus University, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus, Denmark

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Purpose or Objective

The current standard in curative radiotherapy (RT) for head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is to prioritize dose coverage highly for all patients, even for the elective nodal CTV (CTVE). The risk of microscopic spread is not uniform throughout CTVE, however. Some patients might benefit from trading a slightly reduced dose in sub-volumes of CTVE where risk of microscopic spread is lowest for lower organ-at-risk (OAR) doses. Our aim was to develop an automated multi-criteria optimization (MCO) planning workflow to systematically explore such patient-specific trade-offs between low-risk CTVE coverage and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP).

Material and Methods

For 40 HNSCC patients, baseline VMAT plans (68/60/50 Gy SIB, PTV margin 5mm) were retrospectively created following our clinical treatment protocol using an in-house automated MCO software.


Sub-volumes of CTVE/PTVE with lower risk of microscopic spread were defined individually for each patient (termed trade-off CTVE/PTVE). Trade-off CTVE was defined as the total CTVE minus lymph levels containing a nodal metastasis (GTV + 1cm isotropic extension, see Fig.1).


The goal for total PTVE near-minimum dose (D99%) was reduced from 47.5Gy to 45Gy and 42.5Gy in two trade-off plans (TP45/42.5). Minimum dose to trade-off CTVE was constrained to 45Gy in both TPs (47.5Gy in baseline plans). All other planning objectives and constraints (OARs and remaining targets) were the same in all plans. Target dose reduction relative to baseline plans was allowed only in trade-off CTVE/PTVE.


OAR doses, total PTVE V47.5Gy, and NTCP for xerostomia and dysphagia (models used in the DAHANCA35 study, based on doses to salivary glands or oral cavity and swallowing muscles, respectively) were compared between baseline plans and TPs. The location of voxels (interpolated to size 0.25x0.25x0.25 mm3) with doses below 47.5 and 45Gy in trade-off PTVE was quantified by distance to the volume’s outer contour.

Results

Trade-off PTVE volumes ranged from 6% to 73% of the total PTVE volume (Fig.2, right). The trade-off possibilities thus varied between patients.


Reductions in OAR mean dose, NTCP, and PTVE coverage are shown in Fig.2 and below (median[min;max]).


Contralateral submandibular [Gy]
Glottic larynx [Gy]
Esophagus [Gy]
PTVE V47.5Gy [%]
TP45
1.5[0.1;6.1]
1.9[-0.9;7.0]
1.8[-0.1;12.7]2.4[1.2;5.2]
TP42.5
2.6[0.1;7.6]
2.9[-0.8;14.4]
2.7[0.4;13.8]
7.9[2.5;18.3]
Ninety-five percent (95%) of trade-off PTVE voxels below 47.5/45Gy in TPs were located within 10/4mm of the volume’s outer edge.
Conclusion

We have demonstrated the possibility for substantial patient-specific reduction in OAR doses and NTCP by limited and well-controlled coverage reduction in elective target sub-volumes with low risk of microscopic disease spread. This workflow was made feasible by using automated multi-criteria optimization.

The proposed method may present a step towards novel planning strategies which systematically include spatial variation in sub-clinical disease spread.