Journal of Breast Cancer  2012;15(1):105-110

doi:10.4048/jbc.2012.15.1.105

Dose-Volume Analysis of Lung and Heart according to Respiration in Breast Cancer Patients Treated with Breast Conserving Surgery.

Jae Goo SHIM 1 ; Jeong Koo KIM ; Won PARK ; Jeong Min SEO ; Chae Sun HONG ; Ki Won SONG ; Cheong Hwan LIM ; Hong Ryang JUNG ; Chan Hyeong KIM

Affiliations

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Keywords

Breast neoplasms; Heart; Lung; Radiotherapy

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

English

Abstract

PURPOSE: Adjuvant radiotherapy of breast cancer using a photon tangential field incurs a risk of late heart and lung toxicity. The use of free breathing (FB), expiration breath hold (EBH), and deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) during tangential breast radiotherapy as a means of reducing irradiated lung and heart volume was evaluated. METHODS: In 10 women with left-sided breast cancer (mean age, 44 years) post-operative computed tomography (CT) scanning was done under different respiratory conditions using FB, EBH, and DIBH in 3 CT scans. For each scan, an optimized radiotherapy plan was designed with 6 MV photon tangential fields encompassing the clinical target volume after breast-conserving surgery. RESULTS: The results of dose-volume histograms were compared using three breathing pattern techniques for the irradiated volume and dose to the heart. A significant reduction dose to the irradiated heart volume for the DIBH breathing technique was compared to FB and EBH breathing techniques (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the irradiated heart volume can be significantly reduced in patients with left-sided breast cancer using the DIBH breathing technique for tangential radiotherapy.