Objectives: In irradiation of pelvic malignancies by IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radio Therapy) technique, bladder and rectum toxicities have been a major concern. Rectum and bladder are routinely being contoured as solid organs. However, there is inclusion of the wastes also which leads to incongruity in the evaluation of dose volume parameters. The intention of this study is to evaluate the differences in dose volume parameters of prostate cancer IMRT depending on the method of contouring of bladder and rectum.
Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, we included 50 patients of carcinoma prostate treated with IG- IMRT (Image Guided- Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy) at our institute. We delineated bladder and rectal walls and compared the dose volume parameters of these solid organs with their walls.
Statistical analysis: Paired t-test has been used for statistical analysis.
Results: This study revealed statistically significant differences in the dose volume parameters used to assess the acute and chronic toxicity of bladder and rectum, when corresponding walls were delineated, which received higher doses as compared to the solid organs.
Conclusions: The results of this study have been well supported by the available literature in the sense that method of contouring bladder and rectum may produce significant differences in the estimation of doses received by these hollow organs which may in turn lead to inaccurate assessment of the acute and chronic toxicities pertaining to these OARs (Organ At Risk).
Impact Factor
2022: 6.012
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