Dosimetric evaluation of VMAT radiation therapy technique for breast cancer after conservative surgery based on three different types of multileaf collimators

Objective Radiotherapy combined with conservative surgery plays an important role in the treatment of early-stage breast cancer. Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) has been introduced into clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to investigate the dosimetric effects of different multileaf collimators (MLC) on VMAT radiotherapy plans for treating breast cancer. Methods Fifteen breast cancer patients who were treated using a conventional technique in our department were selected to participate in this retrospective analysis. VMAT plans based on three types of Elekta MLCs [Beam Modulator (BM) with 4-mm leaf width, Agility with 5-mm leaf width and MLCi2 with 10- mm leaf width] were independently generated for each patient. Plan comparisons were performed based on dose-volume histogram (DVH) analysis including dosimetric parameters such as the homogeneity index (HI), conformity index (CI), Dmax, Dmin, and Dmean for the planning treatment volume (PTV), in addition to dose-volume parameters for the organs at risk (OARs). The delivery efficiency of the three types of MLCs was compared in terms of the beam delivery time and the monitor units (MUs) per fraction for each plan. Results Both target uniformity and conformity were improved in plans for Agility and BM MLC compared with the plan using MLCi2. The mean HI decreased from 1.14 for MLCi2 to 1.13 for BM and 1.10 for Agility, while the mean CI increased from 0.68 for MLCi2 to 0.73 for BM and 0.75 for Agility. Furthermore, at both low and high dose levels, smaller volumes of ipsilateral lung, heart, contralateral lung, and breast were irradiated with Agility MLC than with the other two types of MLCs. The delivery time with Agility MLC was reduced by 10.8％ and 32.1％, respectively, compared with that for MLCi2 and BM. Conclusion Our results indicate that the Agility MLC exhibits a dosimetric advantage and a significant improvement in delivery efficiency for the treatment of breast cancer using VMAT.