Robustness of elective lymph node target coverage with shrinking Planning Target Volume margins in external beam radiotherapy of locally advanced cervical cancer

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Image-Guidance decreases set-up uncertainties, which may allow for Planning Target Volume (PTV) margins reduction. This study evaluates the robustness of the elective lymph node target coverage to translational and rotational set-up errors in combination with shrinking PTV margins and determines the gain for the Organs At Risk (OARs). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ten cervix cancer patients who underwent external beam radiotherapy with 45 Gy/25Fx were analysed. Daily Image-Guidance was based on bony registration of Cone Beam CT (CBCT) to planning CT (pCT) and daily couch correction (translation and yaw). On each pCT, four Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy dose-plans were generated with PTV margins of 0, 3, 5 and 8 mm. The elective clinical target volume (CTV-E) was propagated from daily CBCTs to the pCT to evaluate daily CTV-E dose. Additional systematic translational isocenter shifts of 2 mm were simulated. D98% (dose received by 98% of the volume of interest) and D99.9% were extracted from each CTV-E for all dose-plans and scenarios. Total dose was accumulated by Dose-Volume Histogram addition. The dosimetric impact of PTV margin reduction on the OARs was evaluated through V30Gy (volume included within the 30 Gy isodose), V40Gy and body V43Gy. RESULTS: When decreasing the PTV margin from 5 to 0 mm, bowel V30Gy was decreased by 13% (from 247 cm(3) to 214 cm(3)), body V43Gy by 19% (from 1462 cm(3) to 1188 cm(3)) and PTV by 39% (from 1416 to 870 cm(3)). The dosimetric impact of combined systematic shifts and residual rotations on the elective target with a 0 mm PTV margin was a decrease of D98% (mean ± SD) from 44.1 Gy ± 0.4 Gy to 43.7 Gy ± 0.8 Gy and a minimum of 42.4 Gy. CONCLUSION: PTV margin reduction from 5 to 0 mm induced significant OARs dosimetric gains while elective target coverage remained robust to positioning uncertainties.