title: Comparative dosimetric evaluation of three-dimensional conformal and stereotactic radiotherapy for treatment of intracranial tumors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the dosimetric profile among three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) and stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) for the treatment of intracranial tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen patients with intra cranial tumors of benign nature or low malignant potential were enrolled and planned for SRT as well as 3D-CRT. Dosimetric comparison between these two plans was done considering the following parameters: Target coverage, conformity index, and heterogeneity index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The dosimetric parameters of the 3D-CRT plans were a little inferior compared with those for the SRT plans. The difference between mean target coverage, mean conformity index and mean heterogeneity index for 3D-CRT and SRT plans was highly significant at P < 0.001 (t = 7.74), P < 0.001 (t = 5.52), and P < 0.01 (t = 3.15) respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SRT is a very efficient treatment option for intracranial tumors, in view of better target coverage and conformality compared with 3D-CRT.
authors.affiliation: Radiation Oncology, Yashoda Hospital, Hyderabad, India. mgupta.com@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: Manoj
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Babaiah
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dinesh Kumar
authors.forename: Pushpendra H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Hirapara
authors.forename: Arvind K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Patidar
authors.forename: Rahul V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Walke
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D019583:Dose Fractionation, Radiation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016634:Radiosurgery; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted; D020266:Radiotherapy, Conformal; D055815:Young Adult