Ultrasound-based stereotactic guidance of precision conformal external beam radiation therapy in clinically localized prostate cancer

Objectives. Use of external beam radiation fields that conform to the shape of the target improves biochemical control in prostate cancer by facilitating dose escalation through increased sparing of normal tissue. By correcting potential organ motion and setup errors, ultrasound-directed stereotactic localization is a method that may improve the accuracy and effectiveness of current conformal technology. The purpose of this study was to quantify the precision of the transabdominal ultrasound-based approach using computed tomography (CT) as a standard. Methods. Thirty-five consecutive men participated in a prospective comparison of daily CT and ultrasound-guided localization at Fox Chase Cancer Center. Daily CT prostate localization was completed before the delivery of each final boost field. In the CT simulation suite, transabdominal ultrasound-based stereotactic localization was also performed. The main outcome measure was a three-dimensional comparison of prostate position as determined by CT versus ultrasound. Results. Sixty-nine daily CT and ultrasound prostate position shifts were recorded for 35 patients. The magnitude of difference between the CT and ultrasound localization ranged from 0 to 7.0 mm in the anterior/posterior, 0 to 6.4 mm in the lateral, and 0 to 6.7 mm in the superior/inferior dimension. The corresponding directed average disagreements were extremely small: anterior/posterior, -0.09 +/- 2.8 mm SD; lateral, -0.16 +/- 2.4 mm SD; and superior/inferior, -0.03 +/- 2.3 mm SD). Analysis of the paired CT-ultrasound shifts revealed a high correlation between the two modalities in all three dimensions (anterior/ posterior r = 0.88; lateral r = 0.91; and superior/inferior r = 0.87). Conclusions. Ultrasound-directed stereotactic localization is safe and as accurate as CT scanning in targeting the prostate for conformal external beam radiation therapy. The application of this technology to current conformal techniques will allow the reduction of treatment margins in all dimensions. This should diminish treatment-related morbidity and facilitate further dose escalation, resulting in improved cancer control. (C) 2000, Elsevier Science Inc.