Improved treatment of the breast and supraclavicular fossa based on a simple geometrical principle

Dalia Yavetz*, Benjamin W. Corn, Diana Matceyevsky, Rahamim Ben-Josef, Viacheslav Soyfer, Igal Bershtein, Moshe Inbar, Ilan Ron, Irena Jiveliouk, Dan Schifter

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

In breast cancer, nodal irradiation has become routine, but adds time and creates concerns for field overlap if the "match" is not accurate. We developed a technique to address these issues by using only one isocenter for both areas. Tangents are designed at simulation. The isocenter is then shifted to the upper border of the breast using a straightforward geometrical calculation. After determining the new isocenter, fields are recreated wherein the tangents are treated with a quarter beam and the supraclavicular field fashioned with a half-beam block. The gantry, collimator, and couch angles of the supraclavicular field are adjusted to achieve an accurate match. Ten patients were evaluated. Doses to the spinal cord and brachial plexus were lowered relative to conventional techniques. The hot spots were not augmented. In comparison with standard arrangements, setup time decreased. Accurate matching was consistently achieved and verified by portal imaging. A new approach for treating the supraclavicular fossa is easily executed. Advantages include negligible doses to the critical neural structures (i.e., spinal cord and brachial plexus), optimized matchline, and reduced setup time.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)434-439
Number of pages6
JournalMedical Dosimetry
Volume36
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2011
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Breast
  • Geometrical technique
  • Supraclavicular fossa

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