• Nesrin Dogan, Laurie Cuttino, Rick Lloyd, Edward A Bump, and Douglas W Arthur.
• Department of Radiation Oncology, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, 401 College Street, Richmond, VA 23298, USA. ndogan@mcvh-vcu.edu
• Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. 2007 Jul 15; 68 (4): 1238-50.

PurposeTo determine whether the use of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) would lead to improved dosimetry for the breast and regional nodes.Methods And MaterialsTen patients with left-sided breast cancer were selected. The clinical target volume included left breast and internal mammillary (IM), supraclavicular (SC), and axillary (AX) nodes. The critical structures included heart, right and left lungs, contralateral breast, esophagus, thyroid, and humeral head. Conventional and a series of IMRT plans were generated for comparison.ResultsThe average heart D(3) was reduced from 31.4 +/- 18.9 with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) to 15 +/- 7.2 Gy with 9-field (9-FLD IMRT). The average left lung D(30) was also decreased from 27.9 +/- 11.5 Gy (3D-CRT) to 12.6 +/- 8.2 Gy (9-FLD IMRT). The average contralateral breast D(2) was reduced from 4.4 +/- 5.3 Gy (3D-CRT) to 1.8 +/- 1.2 Gy (4-FLD IMRT). Esophagus D(2) was increased from 9.3 +/- 8.1 Gy (3D-CRT) to 29.4 +/- 5.4 (9-FLD IMRT); thyroid D(50) was increased from 0.9 +/- 0.6 Gy (3D-CRT) to 11.9 +/- 6.6 (9-FLD IMRT); humeral head D(2) was increased from 36.1 +/- 13.1 Gy (3D-CRT) to 39.9 +/- 6.5 (9-FLD IMRT).ConclusionsThe use of IMRT improves breast and regional node coverage while decreasing doses to the lungs, heart, and contralateral breast when compared with 3D-CRT. Doses to esophagus, thyroid, and humeral head, however, were increased with IMRT.

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