To Calculate Total Dose Delivered to Carcinoma Cervix Patients Treated with Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) and Image-Guided Brachytherapy (IGBT)

Authors

  • Sana Naeem Author
  • Ayesha Anees Author
  • Ahmad Farooq Author
  • Tahir Sheikh Author
  • Rub Nawaz Maken Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51985/

Keywords:

Cervical cancer, patients, population, Radiotherapy, VMAT, MRI

Abstract

 Abstract

 

Objective: To calculate the total radiation dose delivered to carcinoma cervix patients treated with Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) and MRI-guided brachytherapy (IGBT), and to evaluate cumulative EQD2 to tumor and organs-atrisk.

 

Study Design and settings: This Descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted at Department of Radiotherapy, INMOL Hospital, Lahore, from 1st August 2024 to 10th January 2025.

 

Methodology: Fifty patients with histologically confirmed carcinoma cervix, ECOG 0–II, aged 45–65 years, receiving VMAT-based external beam radiotherapy (45 Gy/25 fractions) followed by MRI-guided brachytherapy were included. EQD2 values for the high-risk target volume and organs-at-risk (bladder, rectum, sigmoid) were calculated using DVH parameters.

 

Results: The mean age of patients was 55.1 ± 5.8 years, with Stage IIIB being the most common stage (50%). A total of 64% received three brachytherapy insertions, while 36% required four. The mean cumulative tumor EQD2 was 84.9 ± 2.8 Gy. Mean bladder, rectum, and sigmoid EQD2 values were 78.1 ± 4.3 Gy, 67.3 ± 4.4 Gy, and 62.5 ± 4.2 Gy, respectively. More than 90% of patients met internationally recommended tumor and OAR dose constraints.

 

Conclusion: It is concluded that VMAT combined with MRI-guided brachytherapy delivers adequate cumulative tumor dose while maintaining organ-at-risk exposure within acceptable limits 

References

1. World Health Organization. GLOBOCAN 2020: Cervical

Cancer. Estimated Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence

Worldwide in 2020 [Internet]. Available from: https://www.

thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X%2822

%29000501-0/fulltext

2. Speiser D, Mangler M, Köhler C, Hasenbein K, Herfel D,

Chintarvat Y, et al. Fertility outcome after vaginal radical

trachelectomy: a prospective study of 212 patients. Int J

Gynecol Cancer Off J Int Gynecol Cancer Soc. 2011

Dec;21(9):1635–9.3. Lakhman Y, Akin O, Park KJ, Sarasohn DM, Zheng J,

Goldman DA, et al. Stage IB1 cervical cancer: role of

preoperative MR imaging in selection of patients for fertilitysparing radical trachelectomy. Radiology. 2013 Oct;269(1)

:149–58.

4. Malyapa RS, Mutic S, Low DA, Zoberi I, Bosch WR, Laforest

R, et al. Physiologic FDG-PET three-dimensional

brachytherapy treatment planning for cervical cancer. Int J

Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2002 Nov;54(4):1140–6.

5. Vinin N V., Jones J, Ajas VT, Muttath G, Suja CA, Yahyia

EKN, et al. Organ at risk doses during high-dose-rate

intracavitary brachytherapy for cervical cancer: A dosimetric

study. Int J Med Physics, Clin Eng Radiat Oncol. 2018;7(04):

472–8.

6. Wibowo RA, Haris B, Islamiyah DI. Dose evaluation of

organs at risk (OAR) cervical cancer using dose–volume

histogram (DVH) on brachytherapy. J Phys Conf Ser.

2017;853(1).

7. Gupta S, Maheshwari A, Parab P, Mahansthyet U, Hawaldar

R, Sastri Chopra S, et al. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed

by radical surgery versus concomitant chemoradiotherapy in

patients with stage IB2, IIA, or IIB squamous cervical cancer:

a randomized controlled trial. J Clin Oncol. 2018 Jun;36(16):

1548–55.

8. Pötter R, Tanderup K, Schmid MP, Jürgenliemk-Schulz I,

Haie-Meder C, Fokdal LU, et al. MRI-guided adaptive

brachytherapy in locally advanced cervical cancer

(EMBRACE-I): a multicentre prospective cohort study. Lancet

Oncol. 2021 Apr;22(4):538–47.

9. Akiyama H, Pesznyák C, Béla D, Ferenczi Ö, Major T, Polgár

C, Takácsi-Nagy Z. Image guided high-dose-rate brachytherapy

versus volumetric modulated arc therapy for head and neck

cancer: A comparative analysis of dosimetry for target volume

and organs at risk. Radiol Oncol. 2018 Nov 12;52(4):461-

467. doi: 10.2478/raon-2018-0042. PMID: 30422804; PMCID:

PMC6287174.

10. Gazsi, I., Marcu, L.G. Comparative dosimetric assessment of

combined treatment modalities in cervical cancer radiotherapy

for optimal organ protection. Radiat Environ Biophys 64,

291–302 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-025-01113-

7

11. Van Anh DT, Thang VH, Dung TA, Huyen TT, Nhan DTT,

Van Giang B, Huyen PT. Outcome and toxicity of

chemoradiation using volumetric modulated arc therapy

followed by 3D image-guided brachytherapy for cervical

cancer: Vietnam National Cancer Hospital experience. Rep

Pract Oncol Radiother. 2024 Feb 16;28(6):784-793. doi:

10.5603/rpor.98735. PMID: 38515819; PMCID: PMC109

54271.

12. Hitova-Topkarova, D., Payakova, V., Yordanov, A., KostovaLefterova, D., Ivanova, M., Iliev, I., Valkov, M., Mutkurov,

N., Kostov, S., & Encheva, E. (2025). Preliminary Experience

with Electronic Brachytherapy in the Treatment of Locally

Advanced Cervical Carcinoma. Cancers, 17(14), 2286.

https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17142286

13. Kim H, Lee YC, Benedict SH, Dyer B, Price M, Rong Y,

Ravi A, Leung E, Beriwal S, Bernard ME, Mayadev J, Leif

JRL, Xiao Y. Dose Summation Strategies for External Beam

Radiation Therapy and Brachytherapy in Gynecologic

Malignancy: A Review from the NRG Oncology and NCTN

Medical Physics Subcommittees. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol

Phys. 2021 Nov 15;111(4):999-1010. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.

2021.06.019. Epub 2021 Jun 17. PMID: 34147581; PMCID:

PMC8594937.

14. van Heerden LE, Houweling AC, Koedooder K, van Kesteren

Z, van Wieringen N, Rasch CRN, Pieters BR, Bel A. Structurebased deformable image registration: Added value for dose

accumulation of external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy

in cervical cancer. Radiother Oncol. 2017 May;123(2):319-

324. doi: 10.1016/j.radonc.2017.03.015. Epub 2017 Mar 31.

PMID: 28372889.

15. Xue J, Wu M, Zhang J, Yang J, Lv G, Qu B, Zhang Y, Yan

X, Song J. Delta-radiomics analysis based on magnetic

resonance imaging to identify radiation proctitis in patients

with cervical cancer after radiotherapy. Front Oncol. 2025

Jan 29;15:1523567. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1523567. PMID:

39944831; PMCID: PMC11813761.

16. Han B, Zheng R, Zeng H, Wang S, Sun K, Chen R, et al.

Cancer incidence and mortality in China, 2022. J Natl Cancer

Cent. 2024;4:47–53. doi:10.1016/j.jncc.2024.01.006

17. Singh D, Vignat J, Lorenzoni V, Eslahi M, Ginsburg O, LaubySecretan B, et al. Global estimates of incidence and mortality

of cervical cancer in 2020: a baseline analysis of the WHO

Global Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative. Lancet Glob

Health. 2023;11:e197–206. doi:10.1016/S2214-109X(22)

00501-0

18. Hafiz A, Abbasi AN, Ali N, Khan KA, Qureshi BM. Frequency

and severity of acute toxicity of pelvic radiotherapy for

gynecological cancer. J Coll Physicians Surg Pak. 2015;25:

802–6.

19. Le VH, Kha QH, Hung TNK, Le NQK. Risk score generated

from CT-based radiomics signatures for overall survival

prediction in non-small cell lung cancer. Cancers. 2021;13(14):

3616. doi:10.3390/cancers13143616

20. Le VH, Kha QH, Minh TNT, Nguyen VH, Le VL, Le NQK.

Development and validation of CT-based radiomics signature

for overall survival prediction in multi-organ cancer. J Digit

Imaging. 2023;36:911–22. doi:10.1007/s10278-023-00778-

Downloads

Published

2026-07-01

Issue

Section

Original Articles

How to Cite

To Calculate Total Dose Delivered to Carcinoma Cervix Patients Treated with Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) and Image-Guided Brachytherapy (IGBT). (2026). Journal of Bahria University Medical and Dental College, 16(03), 669-673. https://doi.org/10.51985/

Similar Articles

1-10 of 113

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.