Investigation of uncertainty in internal target volume definition for lung stereotactic body radiotherapy

This study evaluated the validity of internal target volumes (ITVs) defined by three- (3DCT) and four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT), and subsequently compared them with actual movements during treatment. Five patients with upper lobe lung tumors were treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) at 48 Gy in four fractions. Planning 3DCT images were acquired with peak-exhale and peak-inhale breath-holds, and 4DCT images were acquired in the cine mode under free breathing. Cine images were acquired using an electronic portal imaging device during irradiation. Tumor coverage was evaluated based on the manner in which the peak-to-peak breathing amplitude on the planning CT covered the range of tumor motion (± 3 SD) during irradiation in the left–right, anteroposterior, and cranio-caudal (CC) directions. The mean tumor coverage of the 4DCT-based ITV was better than that of the 3DCT-based ITV in the CC direction. The internal margin should be considered when setting the irradiation field for 4DCT. The proposed 4DCT-based ITV can be used as an efficient approach in free-breathing SBRT for upper-lobe tumors of the lung because its coverage is superior to that of 3DCT.