Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Conditioning Regimens

Clinical feasibility of TBI with helical tomotherapy

Abstract

Our purpose was to present the clinical feasibility of TBI with helical tomotherapy (HT) in four patients with AML. Treatment planning, delivery, dose verification and summation, toxicity and patient outcomes for each patient are presented. TBI prescription was set in such a manner that 80% of the clinical target volume received 12 Gy in six fractions, at two fractions per day. Dose reconstruction was carried out by recontouring the regions of interest in the daily pretreatment megavoltage computed tomography of each individual fraction and calculating its corresponding dose. A deformable registration model was used for dose summation of all individual fractions. Differences between planned and delivered doses were calculated. Average planned and delivered doses to the regions of interest differed by up to 2.7%. TBI toxicity was limited to radiotherapy oncology group grade 1 dermatitis in all patients and grade 1 headache in one patient. Two patients are alive with no evidence of disease and no GVHD. Two patients died of GVHD, but there was no evidence of disease at the time of death. We conclude that HT simplifies the process of TBI. Dose verification is possible with HT showing small differences between plan and delivered doses.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1
Figure 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Peters L . Total Body Irradiation Conference: discussion: the radiobiological bases of TBI. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 1980; 6: 785–787.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Thomas E, Storb R, Clift RA, Fefer A, Johnson L, Neiman PE et al. Bone-marrow transplantation. N Engl J Med 1975; 292: 832–843.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. O’Donoghue JA . Fractionated versus low dose-rate total body irradiation. Radiobiological considerations in the selection of regimes. Radiother Oncol 1986; 7: 241–247.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Dale RG . The application of the linear-quadratic model to fractionated radiotherapy when there is incomplete normal tissue recovery between fractions, and possible implications for treatments involving multiple fractions per day. Br J Radiol 1986; 59: 919–927.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Barendsen GW . Dose fractionation, dose rate and iso-effect relationships for normal tissue responses. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 1982; 8: 1981–1997.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Van Dyk J, Glavin JM, Glasgow GP . The Physical Aspects of Total and Half Body Photon Irradiation: A Report of Task Group 29 Radiation Therapy Committee. American Association of Physicists in Medicine, 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Hui SK, Kapatoes J, Fowler J, Mackie TR . Feasibility study of helical tomotherapy for total body or total marrow irradiation. Med Phys 2005; 32: 3214–3224.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Zhuang AH, Liu A, Schultheiss TE, Wong J . Dosimetric study and verification of total body irradiation using helical tomotherapy and its comparison to extended SSD technique. Med Dosim 2009 (e-pub ahead of print).

  9. Kissick MW, Fenwich J, James JA . The helical tomotherapy thread effect. Med Phys 2005; 32: 1414–1423.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Yan Y, Papanikolaou N, Weng X, Penagaricano J, Ratanatharathorn V . Fast radiographic film calibration procedure for helical tomotherapy intensity modulated radiation therapy dose verification. Med Phys 2005; 32: 1566–1570.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Mayo CS, Urie MM . A systematic benchmark method for analysis and comparison of IMRT treatment planning algorithms. Med Dosim 2003; 28: 232–245.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Leung PM, Rider WD, Webb HP, Aget H, Johns HE . Cobalt-60 therapy unit for large field irradiation. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 1981; 7: 705–712.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Lutz WR, Dougan PW, Bjarngard BE . Design and characteristics of a facility for total-body and large-field irradiation. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 1988; 15: 1035–1040.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Shank B . Can total body irradiation be supplanted by busulfan in cytoreductive regimens for bone marrow transplantation? Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 1995; 31: 195–196;discussion 202–203.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Breneman JC, Elson HR, Little R, Lamba M, Foster AE, Aron BS . A technique for delivery of total body irradiation for bone marrow transplantation in adults and adolescents. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 1990; 18: 1233–1236.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Niroomand-Rad A . Physical aspects of total body irradiation of bone marrow transplant patients using 18 MV x rays. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 1991; 20: 605–611.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Shank B, Hopfan S, Kim JH, Chu F, Grossband E, Kapoor N et al. Hyperfractionated total body irradiation for bone marrow transplantation: I. Early results in leukemia patients. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 1981; 7: 1109–1115.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Lawton CA, Barber-Derus S, Murray KJ, Casper JT, Ash RC, Gillin MT et al. Technical modifications in hyperfractionated total body irradiation for T-lymphocyte depleted bone marrow transplant. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 1989; 17: 319–322.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Tarbell NJ, Guinan EC, Niemeyer C, Mauch C, Salian SE, Weinstein HJ . Late onsent of renal dysfunction in survivors of bone marrow transplantation. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 1988; 15: 99–104.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Miralbell R, Bieri S, Mermillod B, Helg C, Sancho G, Pastoors B et al. Renal toxicity after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation: the combined effects of total-body irradiation and graft-versus-host disease. J Clin Oncol 1996; 14: 579–585.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Chou RH, Womg GB, Kramer JH, Wara DW, Matthay KK, Crittenden MR et al. Toxicities of total body irradiation for pediatric bone marrow transplantation. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 1996; 34: 843–851.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Cheng JC, Schultheiss TE, Wong JYC . Impact of drug therapy, radiation dose, and dose rate on renal toxicity following bone marrow transplantation. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2008; 71: 1436–1443.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Miralbell R, Sancho G, Bieri S, Carrio I, Helg C, Brunet S et al. Renal insufficiency in patients with hematological malignancies undergoing total body irradiation and bone marrow transplantation: A prospective assessment. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2004; 58: 809–816.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Igaki H, Karasawa K, Sakamaki H, Laito H, Nakagawa K, Ohtomo K et al. Renal dysfunction after total body irradiation. Significance of selective renal shielding blocks. Strahlenther Onkol 2005; 181: 704–708.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Appelbaum FR . The influence of total dose, fractionation, dose rate, and distribution of total body irradiation on bone marrow transplantation. Semin Oncol 1993; 20 (Suppl 4): 3–10.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Ozsahin M, Belkacemi Y, Pene F, Laporte JP, Rio B, Leblond V . Interstitial pneumonitis following autologous bone marrow transplantation conditioned with cyclophosphamide and total body irradiation. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 1996; 34: 71–77.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Weiner RS, Bortin MM, Gale RP, Gluckman E, Kay HE, Kolb HJ et al. Interstitial pneumonitis after bone marrow transplantation. Assessment of risk factors. Ann Intern Med 1986; 104: 168–175.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Girinsky T, Benhamou E, Bourhis JH, Dhermain F, Guillot-Valls D, Ganansia V et al. Prospective randomized comparison of single-dose versus hyperfractionated total body irradiation in patients with hematologic malignancies. J Clin Oncol 2000; 18: 981–986.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Sampath S, Schultheiss TE, Wong J . Dose response and factors related to interstitial pneumonitis after bone marrow transplant. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2005; 63: 876–884.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Schultheiss TE, Wong J, Liu A, Olivera G, Somlo G . Image guided total marrow and total lymphatic irradiation using helical tomotherapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2007; 67: 1259–1267.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Roberts KB, Chen Z, Seropian S . Principles and Practice of Radiation Oncology, 5th edn. Lippincott Wlilliams and Wilkins: Philadelphia, PA, 2007.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Cunningham JR, Wright DJ . A simple facility for whole-body irradiation. Radiology 1962; 78: 941–949.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Pla M, Chenery SG, Podgorsak EB . Total body irradiation with a sweeping beam. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 1983; 9: 83–89.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Quast U . Physical treatment planning of total-body irradiation: patient translation and beam-zone method. Med Phys 1985; 12: 567–574.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Kal HB, van Kempen-Harteveld ML, Heijenbrok-Kal MH, Struikman H . Biologically effective dose in total body irradiation and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Strahlenther Onk 2006; 11: 672–679.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the medical dosimetry group at the University of Arkansas-Central Arkansas Radiation Therapy Institute for their support and skillful treatment planning.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J A Peñagarícano.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Peñagarícano, J., Chao, M., Van Rhee, F. et al. Clinical feasibility of TBI with helical tomotherapy. Bone Marrow Transplant 46, 929–935 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/bmt.2010.237

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/bmt.2010.237

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links