Comparative dosimetric analysis of the left breast carcinoma radiotherapy irradiation techniques with deep inspiration breathing and free breathing

Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) is the second most common malignancy in the world, most commonly diagnosed in women. Radiotherapy (RT) for left breast cancer (LBC) is followed by a higher incidence of ischemic heart disease and an increased risk of death. Radiotherapy was applied for 76 patients with LBC using tangential 3D conformal RT (3D CRT) with two different radiotherapy techniques - free breathing (FB) and deep inspiration breath-hold (DIBH). The patients were treated in the period 2016 - 2019 in the Oncology Center, Uni Hospital, Panagyurishte, Bulgaria. We present a comparative dosimetric analysis of the mean heart dose (MHD), mean and maximum left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery doses and mean and maximum left ventricle doses reported with two different radiotherapy techniques FB and DIBH. The linear regression statistical analysis shows a significant decrease in the MHD with the DIBH technique. The left breast cancer RT with the DIBH technique significantly reduces the mean heart dose and allows controlling the maximum LAD dose and the maximum ventricle dose.