Online correction of intrafraction motion during volumetric modulated arc therapy for prostate radiotherapy using fiducial-based kV imaging: A cohort study quantifying the frequency of shifts and analysis of men at highest risk

Abstract

Background: Various methods exist to correct for intrafraction motion (IFM) of the prostate during radiotherapy. We sought to characterize setup corrections in our practice informed by the TrueBeam Advanced imaging package, and analyze factors associated with IFM.

Methods: 132 men received radiation therapy for prostate cancer with a volumetric modulated arc therapy technique. All patients underwent planning CT immediately following transrectal placement of 3 fiducial markers. The most common RT course was 20 fractions (range: 17-44). Triggered kV images were acquired every 15 seconds over 2-3 full arcs using an onboard imaging system. IFM correction was considered when if any two fiducial markers in a single kV image were observed to be outside beyond a 3 mm tolerance margin. A manual 2D/3D match was performed using the fiducial markers from the single triggered kV image to obtain a suggested couch shift. Shift data for three (x, y, z) planes were extracted from the record and verify system and expressed as a single 3-dimensional translation. Shift percent (SP) was defined as the number of instances of an intrafraction correction divided by the total number of fractions for a given patient.

Results: Over 2659 fractions of radiation, IFM was observed and corrected for 582 times across 463 (17%) fractions, and at least one shift was made over the course of treatment in 77% of men. Univariate analysis revealed that larger rectal volume or width, smaller prostate volume, and use of ADT were associated with SP > 20% (p < 0.05). Men with a rectal width >3.6 cm were more likely to have IFM corrected (SP > 20% 47% vs 18%, p = 0.0016). On multivariate analysis, only rectal volume and width were associated with IFM.

Conclusions: In this cohort study, 17% of fractions were interrupted to apply at least one couch shift. Men treated with shorter courses of therapy, such as stereotactic body radiation therapy, or men at high risk for IFM (e.g. larger rectal size) may warrant more careful consideration regarding the implications of IFM.

Keywords: IFM; intrafraction motion; onboard imaging; prostate cancer; shift correction.

FIGURE 1

Histogram demonstrating the magnitude of intrafraction shifts across 2659 treatment fractions. Each bar shows a shift range above the lower boundary and up to the upper boundary (e.g. >0.3 cm and up to 0.5 cm).