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1 Department of Radiology, Tokyo Metropolitan Hiro-o General Hospital, 2-34-10
Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0013, Japan.
2 Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Keio University, 35 Shinanomachi,
Shinkuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
3 Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo 160-8582,
Japan.
Received June 16, 2003;
accepted after revision November 10, 2003.
Address correspondence to T. Takeda
(t-takeda{at}hiroo-hospital.metro.tokyo.jp).
Abstract
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SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Hypofractionated stereotactic radiation therapy was applied to 20 patients with proven primary (n = 11) or metastatic (n = 9) lung cancer, for a total of 22 lesions of 3 cm or less in diameter located within 3 cm from the parietal pleural surface. Follow-up CT was scheduled at 1 and 3 months, and every 3 months thereafter.
RESULTS. Ground-glass opacities were observed around four (18%) of 22 lesions at 36 months. The opacities nearly corresponded to the planned target volume, but half of them were unevenly distributed. Ground-glass opacities gradually disappeared or evolved into dense consolidation while shrinking. Dense consolidations developed in 16 (73%) of 22 lesions, including seven in the center of the planned target volume and nine in the periphery of the planned target volume. Dense consolidations moved in six of these 16 lesions and gradually shrank, becoming fixed as solid or linear opacities approximately 12 months later.
CONCLUSION. The pulmonary opacities observed after hypofractionated stereotactic radiation therapy for peripheral small lung tumors may not precisely correspond to the planned target volume (unlike those with conventional radiation therapy) and may change in shape and location dynamically during the first year. Knowledge of these findings is necessary to avoid misunderstandings concerning tumor regrowth or new tumors.
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In this study, we applied hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy to the treatment of small lung tumors and observed the various radiologic patterns of change after irradiation. As indicated by previous reports [6, 7], radiation injuries caused by conventional coplanar radiotherapy show distinct linear margins on CT that correspond to the margins of the irradiation field. However, because hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy is delivered in a 3D spherical volume with a steep gradient between the periphery of the planned target volume and normal adjacent tissue, the shape of the radiation injury should be considered three-dimensionally. Hypofractionated high-dose irradiation, with highly concentrated narrow beams that target small volumes, is associated with markedly different dose distributions and biologic effects on tissues from those described for coplanar conventional radiotherapy. The aim of this study was to describe the CT characteristics of radiation injury after hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy for small lung malignancies.
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Primary lung cancer was pathologically proven in 11 patients (11 lesions), and metastases from other primary cancers were diagnosed clinically in nine patients (11 lesions). Hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy was generally considered if the tumor was 3 cm or smaller in diameter, if it was 3 cm or less from the parietal pleural surface, if craniocaudal breathing-associated motion of the lesion was 1 cm or less, and if three or fewer lesions were present at the start of treatment. Because the risk of atelectasis and reduction of pulmonary function caused by the collapse of large bronchi was unknown, potential lesions for treatment were limited to peripheral lesions 3 cm or less from the parietal pleural surface so that the planned target volume would not contain lobar bronchi. Tumor pathology and mean tumor volumes are listed in Table 1.
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Pretreatment Evaluation and Radiation Treatment
The planned target volume was determined using CT (Xvision, Toshiba)
performed on patients who were breathing at rest. Serial 2-mm-thick scans were
obtained in 2-mm increments at 48 sec per slice. Longer scanning
periods were used to define the tumor trajectory associated with breathing.
The planned target volume consisted of the imaged volume, defined as the gross
tumor volume plus an internal margin, plus a 5- to 10-mm setup margin.
Tumor volumes (V) were calculated according to the following
formula:
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Treatments were planned using a radiation treatment planning system (FOCUS version 2.7.0, Computerized Medical Systems). Volumes to be treated were set so that the planned target volume received an 80% isodose of the maximum dose, with 80% isodose defined as the therapeutic dose (Figs. 1A, 2A, and 3A). The shape of the field was adjusted dynamically according to the tumor shape using a multileaf collimator.
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The irradiation dose generally consisted of 50 Gy in five fractions administered over 57 days. Seventeen lesions in 15 patients were treated using this dose regimen. When a tumor was adjacent to critical organs (e.g., spinal cord or esophagus), the fractionated dose was reduced to 57 Gy and the total dose was limited to 4050 Gy.
Radiologic Follow-Up
Patients were interviewed monthly to determine the presence or absence of
symptoms and for chest roentgenographic examination.
Lesion characteristics were periodically examined on CT (Xvigor or Xvision, Toshiba) even in the absence of clinical symptoms at follow-up visits approximately 1 and 3 months after treatment, and in principle every 3 months thereafter. The interval of CT varied slightly depending on each patient's clinical status. If dubious opacities were seen on periodic radiography, additional CT was performed between the scheduled examinations. Single-slice helical CT of the entire lung without contrast material was performed using scanning parameters of slice thickness, 10 mm; pitch, 1; tube voltage, 120 kV; tube current, 200 mA; and 0.75 sec per slice. Images focused on tumors and associated pneumonitis were obtained by helical scanning with slice thickness, 2 mm; pitch, 1; tube voltage, 120 kV; tube current, 250 mA; and 0.75 sec per slice. High-resolution CT was reconstructed using a high-spatial-resolution algorithm. Of 100 total CT series, high-resolution CT scans were obtained concurrently in 61 studies. An average of 4.5 CT series per lesion were performed, including an average of 2.8 high-resolution CT series. The mean follow-up period after high-resolution CT was 17.6 months (range, 4.551.6 months). No patients received chemotherapy.
Interpretation of CT Findings
The time of appearance of ground-glass opacities or dense consolidations
(with respect to completion of radiation therapy), location of appearance
(center or periphery of the planned target volume), serial changes (changes in
density, size, and location), and time of appearance of bronchiectasis were
systematically recorded. CT images were independently interpreted by four
diagnostic radiologists who were familiar with the clinical diagnosis and the
development of lung tumors. CT characteristics were determined on the basis of
a consensus among at least three of the four examiners.
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After hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy, ground-glass opacities and dense consolidations were observed as initial lung CT findings at 34 months. Thereafter, the ground-glass opacities either disappeared or evolved into dense consolidations. Dense consolidations that were seen initially gradually shrank to become solid or linear opacities consistent with lesion fixation (Figs. 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 3E, 3F). No ground-glass opacities or dense consolidations were observed at sites remote from the planned target volume.
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Ground-glass opacities appeared on CT scans in four (18%) of 22 lesions at 36 months after completion of radiation therapy. They all corresponded closely to the planned target volume. In two instances, the ground-glass opacities were evenly distributed in the planned target volume (Figs. 1C and 3C), and in the other two instances the opacities remained unevenly distributed at 4 months, thereafter evolving into dense consolidations consistent with the planned target volume.
Dense consolidations appeared in 16 (73%) of 22 lesions on CT scans obtained at 3- to 8-months' follow-up. Of these, seven exhibited dense peritumoral consolidations corresponding to the planned target volume (Figs. 1C and 2D), and the remaining nine showed consolidation limited to the margin of the planned target volume, a short distance from the isocenter (Figs. 3C and 3D). Although dense consolidations shrank in seven (44%) of these 16 lesions, the consolidations did not disappear completely but persisted as solid or linear opacities (Figs. 1F, 2E, and 3F). This shrinkage occurred within 611 months after radiotherapy. In six of 10 lesions followed up for at least 12 months, the pulmonary opacities became fixed on CT scans, consistent with the development of fibrosis. Movement of the opacity was observed in six (37.5%) of the 16 densely consolidated lesions. This movement was detected simultaneously with shrinkage in five of the six lesions, with movement toward the hilum in five (Figs. 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F and 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D), and with movement away from the hilum in one.
Bronchiectasis was present in 10 (45.5%) of 22 lesions and developed almost contemporaneously with dense consolidations that contained dilated or thickened bronchi. Bronchial thickening and lumen irregularities caused by traction (i.e., traction bronchiectasis) became apparent along with movement of the opacities (Figs. 2D and 3E).
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Classic radiation pneumonitis induced by conventional radiation therapy is characterized by a linear margin demarcating the treatment port and is uncommon with exposures of less than 30 Gy but inevitable for exposures greater than 40 Gy [8]. However, the reported incidence of clinical manifestations associated with radiation pneumonitis is 78%, and the symptoms are usually mild, despite imaging findings that may appear more prominent [9, 10]. In our study, only three patients reported a mild cough associated with radiation injury, and all were successfully treated with simple therapy. In contrast, sporadic radiation pneumonitis is an immune-mediated process resulting in lymphocytic alveolitis that leads to a response remote from the localized pulmonary irradiation and that is usually associated with severe symptoms and high mortality in the absence of a "threshold" dose [11]. Classic radiation pneumonitis can be classified as either early (13 months after irradiation) or late (36 months after irradiation), depending on the time of appearance of the pulmonary reaction to the radiation. In our study, hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy-induced lung injuries did not systematically develop in the center of treated volumes, but often began at the periphery. However, injuries eventually conformed to and remained in the planned target volume. These findings suggested that a threshold dose was required to develop pneumonitis, and that hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy-induced lung injuries were classifiable as classic radiation pneumonitis.
Evolution from ground-glass opacity to dense consolidation to fibrosis was observed on CT in a relatively small subset of our patients. In contrast, in a study of 3D conformal radiation therapy, Koenig et al. [12] observed the development of ground-glass opacity around tumors on CT scans at 3 months after radiation therapy in 19 of 19 patients treated with total doses between 69.6 and 90.3 Gy in 3358 fractions. Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy used in that study differs considerably from the hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy used in our study, particularly from the standpoint of the single dose. The incidence and severity of radiation pneumonitis can depend on the extent of irradiation, the total dose, and the number of fractions, and may also be influenced by concurrent chemotherapy [9]. Thus, the differences between the two studies with regard to CT patterns are probably attributable to researchers for the previous study using a higher radiation dose delivered as a single fraction. Therefore, we hypothesize that on CT, early or mild radiation injuries appear as ground-glass opacities, whereas severe radiation injuries appear as dense consolidations.
Movement of dense consolidations often occurred. Movement toward the hilum was seen in all but one case. Because shrinkage of the opacity and traction bronchiectasis were usually seen concurrently, the mechanism of these phenomena seems attributable to fibrosis. Therefore, we think that the apparent movement of the opacity is largely attributable to the deformity of the lung caused by fibrosis. Takahashi et al. [13] observed that the ground-glass opacities corresponded to thickened interlobular walls because of fibroblastic cells and collagen fibers in a pig model of radiation pneumonitis.
Takahashi et al. [13] also found that the ground-glass opacities were not evenly distributed but at pathology were predominant near the interstitium. In a dog model, the same radiation dose caused a more severe reaction when delivered to the periphery of the right lower lobe than to the right hilum [14]. These findings indicate that variable local sensitivity to radiation, depending on the amount of interstitium, causes nonuniform distribution of ground-glass opacities and dense consolidations.
We acknowledge several limitations in our study. Although we differentiated radiation injury patterns as ground-glass opacity, dense consolidation, and fibrosis, we had no pathologic proof. As with other studies examining radiation pneumonitis, we found it difficult to obtain specimens from otherwise asymptomatic patients. Another limitation was the relatively small number of patients in our study. Although it is fortunate that only a few patients complained of mild cough and recovered without resorting to steroids or hospital admission, the number of patients was too small to allow analysis of the relationship among symptomatic pneumonitis, patient background factors, and radiation treatment.
In assessing radiologic findings, residual tumor regrowth, lymphatic spread, and infection should be differentiated from radiation pneumonitis. Local recurrences especially are sometimes difficult to diagnose in the early phase because they are often asymptomatic, as is radiation pneumonitis. Four cases recurred after hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy, of which two had no radiation pneumonitisinduced opacities and one had minimal ground-glass opacity. In these three cases, the initial radiation effect was minimal or could not be evaluated and tumors gradually enlarged without a dramatic change in shape. Therefore, regrowth of the tumors was readily diagnosed. In the last case, the tumor had almost disappeared shortly after hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy. Dense consolidation surrounding the initial tumor appeared 6 months later, followed by overtly solid tumor on its periphery. Needle biopsy confirmed the presence of adenocarcinoma. We suppose that this may be a typical case of recurrence after hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy. However, we have experienced too few cases to draw a clear-cut distinction between recurrence and radiation pneumonitis. It is important to be especially careful during the early assessment of radiation pneumonitis on CT because the CT pattern evolves serially, and pulmonary opacity can move. We should be aware that the CT appearance reflects only one phase of the spectrum.
In conclusion, a size decrease in small lung tumors was generally observable on CT scans 13 months after completion of irradiation by hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy. This decrease in tumor size was accompanied by reduced areas of dense consolidation and surrounding ground-glass opacity at 36 months. Although ground-glass opacities generally resolved, the dense consolidations assumed typical CT patterns, including movement toward the hilum, shrinkage, and fixation at approximately 1 year after treatment. The incidence of ground-glass opacities was relatively low, and neither ground-glass opacities nor dense consolidations coincided exactly with dose distribution, occasionally developing away from the isocenter or remaining heterogeneous. Dynamic changes in ground-glass opacities and dense consolidations were observed over time. Our results indicate that assessment of lesions should be done with knowledge of these changes of radiation pneumonitis on CT during the first year after treatment, before fixation, to avoid misunderstandings about CT findings resembling tumor regrowth or the appearance of new lesions.
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