Pelvic MRI Application to the Dosimetric Analysis in Brachytherapy of Uterine Cervix Carcinoma

Ahn, Sung Ja; Chung, Woong Ki; Nah, Byung Sik

Abstract

PURPOSE: Before we report the results of curative radiotherapy in cervix cancer patients, we review the significance and safety of our dose specification methods in the brachytherapy system to have the insight of the potential predictive value of doses at specified points.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We analyze the 45 cases of cervix cancer patients treated with intracavitary brachytherapy. In the lateral simulation film we draw the isodose curve and observe the absorbed dose rate of point A, the reference point of bladder(SBD) and rectum(SRD). In the sagittal view of pelvic MRI film we demarcate the tumor volume(TV) and determine whether the prescription dose curve of point A covers the tumor volume adequately by drawing the isodose curve as correctly as possible. Also we estimate the maximum point dose of bladder(MBD) and rectum(MRD) and calculate the inclusion area where the absorbed dose rate is higher than that of point A in the bladder(HBV) and rectum(HRV), respectively.
RESULTS
Of forty-five cases, the isodose curve of point A seems to cover tumor volume optimally in only 24(53%). The optimal tumor coverage seems to be associated not with the stage of the disease but with the tumor volume. There is no statistically significant association between SBD/SRD and MBD/MRD, respectively. SRD has statistically marginally significant association with HRV, while TV has statistically significant association with HBV and HRV.
CONCLUSION
Our current treatment calculation methods seem to have the defect in the aspects of the nonoptimal coverage of the bulky tumor and the inappropriate estimation of bladder dose. We therefore need to modify the applicator geometry to optimize the dose distribution at the position of lower tandem source. Also it appears that the position of the bladder in relation to the applicators needs to be defined individually to define "hot spots".