Brainstem NTCP and Dose Constraints for Carbon Ion RT-Application and Translation From Japanese to European RBE-Weighted Dose.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Italian (CNAO) has applied dose constraints for carbon ion RT (CIRT) as defined by Japan's (NIRS). However, these institutions use different models to predict the (RBE). CNAO applies the (LEM I), which in most clinical situations predicts higher RBE than NIRS's (MKM). Equal constraints therefore become more restrictive at CNAO. Tolerance doses for the brainstem have not been validated for LEM I-weighted dose ( ). However, brainstem constraints and a (NTCP) model were recently reported for MKM-weighted dose ( ), showing that a constraint relaxation to <30 Gy (RBE) and <40 Gy (RBE) was feasible. The aim of this work was to evaluate the brainstem NTCP associated with CNAO's current clinical practice and to propose new brainstem constraints for LEM I-optimized CIRT at CNAO.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We reproduced the absorbed dose of 30 representative patient treatment plans from CNAO. Subsequently, we calculated both and , and the relationship between and for various brainstem dose metrics was analyzed. Furthermore, the NTCP model developed for was applied to estimate the NTCPs of the delivered plans.

RESULTS

The translation of CNAO treatment plans to confirmed that the former CNAO constraints were conservative compared with constraints. Estimated NTCPs were 0% for all but one case, in which the NTCP was 2%. The relationship / could be described by a quadratic regression model which revealed that the validated constraints corresponded to <41 Gy (RBE) (95% CI, 38-44 Gy (RBE)) and <49 Gy (RBE) (95% CI, 46-52 Gy (RBE)).

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrates that RBE-weighted dose translation is of crucial importance in order to exchange experience and thus harmonize CIRT treatments globally. To mitigate uncertainties involved, we propose to use the lower bound of the 95% CI of the translation estimates, , <38 Gy (RBE) and <46 Gy (RBE) as brainstem dose constraints for 16 fraction CIRT treatments optimized with LEM I.