Interobserver variability of clinical target volume delineation in soft-tissue sarcomas.
OBJECTIVE
The present observational study reports the results of a multi-institutional dummy-run designed to estimate the consistency of interobserver variability in clinical target volume delineation in two different cases of soft-tissue sarcomas in which postoperative and preoperative radiotherapy were prescribed, respectively. The purpose of this work was to quantify interobserver variability in routine clinical practice.


METHODS
Two different cases of soft-tissues sarcomas were chosen: a case of postoperative and a case of preoperative radiation therapy. Participating centres were requested to delineate clinical target volumes according to their experience in both cases. Descriptive statistic was calculated for each variable (volume, diameters) separately for two cases. Box-whiskers plots were used for presentation of clinical target volume. A Shapiro-Wilk's test was performed to evaluate the departures from normality distribution for each variable. The comparison between relative variations of diameters was evaluated using the Student's t test.


RESULTS
Several variations affecting both volumes and diameters were observed. Main variations were observed in the craniocaudal and laterolateral diameters. Each case showed similar dispersion, indicating a lack of reproducibility in volumes definition.


CONCLUSIONS
This observational study highlighted that, in the absence of specific instructions or guidelines, the interobserver variability can be significant both in postoperative and preoperative radiotherapy of soft-tissue sarcomas.
Department of Radiotherapy, SS. Annunziata Hospital, "G. D'Annunzio" University, via dei Vestini, 66100 Chieti, Italy. Electronic address: d.genovesi@unich.it.
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Genovesi
Department of Radiotherapy, SS. Annunziata Hospital, "G. D'Annunzio" University, via dei Vestini, 66100 Chieti, Italy.
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Ausili Cèfaro
Department of Radiotherapy, SS. Annunziata Hospital, "G. D'Annunzio" University, via dei Vestini, 66100 Chieti, Italy.
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Trignani
Department of Radiotherapy, SS. Annunziata Hospital, "G. D'Annunzio" University, via dei Vestini, 66100 Chieti, Italy.
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Vinciguerra
Department of Radiotherapy, SS. Annunziata Hospital, "G. D'Annunzio" University, via dei Vestini, 66100 Chieti, Italy.
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Augurio
Department of Radiotherapy, SS. Annunziata Hospital, "G. D'Annunzio" University, via dei Vestini, 66100 Chieti, Italy.
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Di Tommaso
Department of Radiotherapy, SS. Annunziata Hospital, "G. D'Annunzio" University, via dei Vestini, 66100 Chieti, Italy.
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Perrotti
Department of Radiotherapy C.R.O., Aviano, Italy.
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De Paoli
Department of Radiotherapy, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milano, Italy.
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Olmi
Department of Radiotherapy "Cattolica Sacro Cuore" University, Roma, Italy.
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Valentini
Department of Experimental and Clinical Sciences, Laboratory of Biostatistics, "G. D'Annunzio" University, Chieti, Italy.
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Di Nicola
D000368:Aged; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008080:Liposarcoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D015588:Observer Variation; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Delineation; Délinéation; Radiotherapy; Radiothérapie; Sarcoma; Sarcome; Variability; Variabilité