Conformation therapy: a method of improving the tumour treatment volume ratio.
Restriction of the volume irradiated is a fundamental tenet of radiotherapy. Conventional two-dimensional treatment results in geometrically shaped high-dose regions, the sizes of which are defined by the greatest dimensions of a tumour mass. Conformation therapy permits a tumour to be considered for treatment as multiple short segments, and the radiation field to be tailored to fit each segment accurately. This paper demonstrates that this results in a reduction of the treatment volume of between 10% and 80%, depending on the shape of the tumour. Also, it is shown that a greater proportion of the high-dose region is occupied by tumour, thus reducing the volume of normal tissue treated to a high dose. Smaller treatment volumes allow the prescription of tumoricidal doses and improve the tolerance of radiation by patients.
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D001011:Aorta; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008722:Methods; D010386:Pelvic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed