title: Clinical dosimetry for radiotherapy to the breast based on imaging with the prototype Royal Marsden Hospital CT simulator.
abstract: The result of conservative management of breast cancer is strongly dependent on the homogeneity of the dose delivered a schedule of post-surgical radiotherapy. In addition to improvements in local control, late normal-tissue effects should be minimised by achieving a good dose homogeneity. The Royal Marsden Hospital prototype CT simulator has been used to image patients in the treatment position. With the CT data incorporated into the planning process a quantitative measure of the dose homogeneity was made. There are strong indications that unless tissue compensators are used and/or conformation therapy is performed, the dose inhomogeneity in a widely used treatment geometry is too large to be clinically acceptable.
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010315:Particle Accelerators; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*