TY - JOUR
T1 - Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) reduces the dose to the contralateral breast when compared to conventional tangential fields for primary breast irradiation
T2 - Initial report
AU - Bhatnagar, Ajay K.
AU - Brandner, Edward
AU - Sonnik, Deborah
AU - Wu, Andrew
AU - Kalnicki, Shalom
AU - Deutsch, Melvin
AU - Heron, Dwight E.
PY - 2004/11/1
Y1 - 2004/11/1
N2 - PURPOSE: This study was designed to compare the dose received by the contralateral breast during primary breast irradiation using intensity-modulated radiotherapy with the dose received via conventional tangential field techniques. METHODS/MATERIALS: Between March 2003 and March 2004, 44 patients with breast carcinoma were treated using 6-, 10-, or mixed 6/18-MV photons (36 with tangential intensity-modulated radiotherapy technique and eight with three-dimensional technique using tangential fields with wedges) for primary breast irradiation after breast-conserving surgery. Paired thermoluminescent dosimeters were placed on each patient's contralateral breast, 4 cm from the center of the medial border of the tangential field. The thermoluminescent dosimeters were left on the patient during a single fraction and then measured 24 hours later. RESULTS: The mean dose delivered with photons to the primary breast for all patients was 4998 cGy [SD = 52], and the mean single fraction dose was 200 cGy [SD = 9]. The mean percent of the prescribed dose to the contralateral breast was 7.74% (SD = 2.35) for patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy, compared with 9.74% [SD = 2.04] for the patients treated with conventional tangential field techniques. This represented a 20% reduction in the mean dose to the contralateral breast with the use of intensity-modulated radiotherapy when compared with the dose received via the three-dimensional technique, a result that was statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Primary breast irradiation with tangential intensity-modulated radiotherapy technique significantly reduces the dose to the contralateral breast when compared with conventional tangential techniques.
AB - PURPOSE: This study was designed to compare the dose received by the contralateral breast during primary breast irradiation using intensity-modulated radiotherapy with the dose received via conventional tangential field techniques. METHODS/MATERIALS: Between March 2003 and March 2004, 44 patients with breast carcinoma were treated using 6-, 10-, or mixed 6/18-MV photons (36 with tangential intensity-modulated radiotherapy technique and eight with three-dimensional technique using tangential fields with wedges) for primary breast irradiation after breast-conserving surgery. Paired thermoluminescent dosimeters were placed on each patient's contralateral breast, 4 cm from the center of the medial border of the tangential field. The thermoluminescent dosimeters were left on the patient during a single fraction and then measured 24 hours later. RESULTS: The mean dose delivered with photons to the primary breast for all patients was 4998 cGy [SD = 52], and the mean single fraction dose was 200 cGy [SD = 9]. The mean percent of the prescribed dose to the contralateral breast was 7.74% (SD = 2.35) for patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy, compared with 9.74% [SD = 2.04] for the patients treated with conventional tangential field techniques. This represented a 20% reduction in the mean dose to the contralateral breast with the use of intensity-modulated radiotherapy when compared with the dose received via the three-dimensional technique, a result that was statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Primary breast irradiation with tangential intensity-modulated radiotherapy technique significantly reduces the dose to the contralateral breast when compared with conventional tangential techniques.
KW - Breast cancer
KW - Contralateral breast dose
KW - Intensity-modulated radiotherapy
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U2 - 10.1097/00130404-200411000-00008
DO - 10.1097/00130404-200411000-00008
M3 - Article
C2 - 15701270
AN - SCOPUS:15744387129
VL - 10
SP - 381
EP - 385
JO - Cancer Journal from Scientific American
JF - Cancer Journal from Scientific American
SN - 1528-9117
IS - 6
ER -