ABSTRACT
Objective To analyze the effect of needle arrangement on the lung dose in interstitial brachytherapy for lung cancer. Methods For 15 patients undergoing interstitial brachytherapy for lung cancer, a virtual radiotherapy plan in which needle arrangement was not restricted by the ribs was designed and compared with the original plan. For the two plans, V5, V20, V30, and mean lung dose(MLD)of the whole lung were determined when the prescribed doses were 10,30, 60, and 120 Gy, respectively. The data were analyzed by Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results The lung V5,V20, V30, and MLD were significantly smaller in the virtual plan than in the actual plan(all P<0.05). Conclusions Irregular needle arrangement prevents a further reduction in the lung dose in interstitial brachytherapy for lung cancer. In the implantation surgery, therefore, the needles should be arranged as regularly as possible.