Relationship between sentinel lymph nodes and postoperative tangential fields in early breast cancer, evaluated using SPECT/CT

Single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) demonstrates the precise location of the sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in patients with breast cancer. We evaluated the relationship between SLNs and postoperative tangential fields by using SPECT/CT images. Subjects included 72 patients with early breast cancer who underwent SPECT/CT of the SLNs and received whole-breast irradiation with tangential fields after partial mastectomy. The SLN locations evaluated by using SPECT/CT images were entered into the treatment-planning CT image with a 5-mm-diameter sphere. A 15-mm-diameter sphere including the 5-mm treatment margin around the SLNs was defined as PTV-SLN. The PTV-SLN doses with tangential irradiation were evaluated and expressed as the percentage of the prescribed dose. In 69 patients, SLNs were detected by using SPECT/CT; 68 SLNs were located at axillary lymph node Level I, and one was located at Level II. A total of 62 SLNs (90%) were determined to be located inside the tangential fields on the digitally reconstructed radiography (DRR) images. The median doses of SLN center, mean PTV-SLN dose, and PTV-SLN D95 (the minimum dose delivered to 95% of the volume) were 94.1% (range, 15.3–101.9%), 93.7% (range, 29.3–104.0%) and 84.8% (range, 6.8–99.8%). The D95 for the SLNs with treatment margins were ≤90% of the prescribed doses in more than half of the cases. Modification of the individual treatment fields seemed to be necessary to ensure coverage of the SLNs in whole-breast irradiation.