Purpose: To investigate the dosimetric impact of breathing motion on robustly optimized proton therapy treatment plans for left-sided breast cancer patients with an indication for locoregional irradiation.
Materials and methods: Clinical Target Volumes (CTVs) (left-sided breast, level 1 to 4 axillary lymph nodes, interpectoral and internal mammary lymph node regions) and organs at risk were delineated on 4 D-CTs of ten female patients. After treatment planning to a prescribed dose of 40.05 Gy(RBE) in 15 fractions on the time-averaged CT, the dose was calculated on all ten phases of the breathing cycle. Robustness to setup (5 mm) and range errors (3%) was evaluated for those ten phases. Correlations were evaluated between the phases of the breathing cycle and the D98% of the CTV and the Dmean of the heart.
Results: Correlations coefficients were between -0.12 and 0.29. At the most extreme values of the 28 robustness scenarios, the clinical goals were met for all but two patients. The mean heart dose was 0.41 Gy(RBE) with a standard deviation of 0.31 Gy(RBE) of proton therapy plans.
Conclusion: The effect of breathing motion on the robustness of proton therapy treatment plans for this patient group is minor and not of clinical significance. Based on this patient group, a deep-inspiration breath hold seems to be unnecessary to improve robustness for these patients.
Keywords: Breast cancer; breathing movement; proton therapy; robustness.