Abstract：Objective To analyze the doses to lymph node drainage areas during involved-field irradiation (IFI) in three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) for esophageal cancer (EC). Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 81 patients with medically inoperable thoracic EC who received IFI from 2000 to 2004. The lymph node drainage areas were delineated based on the lesions, and the dose-volume parameters of the planning target volume (PTV) of each lymph node drainage area was analyzed. Results The median values of V30, V35, V40, V45, and V50 were 73%, 70%, 67%, 64%, and 58%, respectively. The prescribed dose was not significantly correlated with V30 and V35(P=0.215,0.054), but significantly correlated with V40 and V50(P=0.027,0.002,0.000);the number of radiation fields was not significantly correlated with V30 and V45(P=0.438,0.535,0.425,0.313), but significantly correlated with V50(P=0.045);the length of lesion on barium meal examination and volume of PTV were significantly correlated with V30 and V50(all P<0.05). The one-way analysis of variance showed that the Vx value of upper-thoracic segment was greater than those of middle-and lower-thoracic segments (P=0.028,0.045);the values of V30 and V35 varied significantly between different lesions, but there were no significant differences in the values of V40 and V50(P=0.076,0.173,0.695). The Vx value had no significant impact on the long-term survival of patients (all P>0.05). Conclusions The lymph node drainage areas of EC receive a considerable dose with IFI in 3DCRT, which may play a certain role in preventing regional lymph node metastasis, but more clinical studies are needed.
Shen Wenbin*,Gao Hongmei,Zhu Shuchai et al. Analysis of doses to lymph node drainage areas during involved-field irradiation for esophageal cancer[J]. Chinese Journal of Radiation Oncology, 2014, 23(3): 220-223.
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2014, Vol. 23 
