Radiat Oncol
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Comparative Study
Proposal of a post-prostatectomy clinical target volume based on pre-operative MRI: volumetric and dosimetric comparison to the RTOG guidelines.
Recurrence rates following radiotherapy for prostate cancer in the post-operative adjuvant or salvage setting remain substantial. Previous work from our institution demonstrated that published prostate bed CTV guidelines frequently do not cover the pre-operative MRI defined prostate. Inadequate target delineation may contribute to the high recurrence rates, but increasing target volumes may increase dose to organs at risk. ⋯ CTV contours based upon the patient's co-registered pre-operative MRI in the post-prostatectomy setting may improve coverage of the individual's prostate bed without substantially increasing the PTV size or dose to bladder/ rectum compared to RTOG CTV guidelines. Further evaluation of whether the use of pre-operative MRI improves local control rates is warranted.