Impact of Heart Dose on Lung Cancer Survival
Author Information
Author(s): Luuk H.G. van der Pol, Jacquelien Pomp, Firdaus A.A. Mohamed Hoesein, Bas W. Raaymakers, Joost J.C. Verhoeff, Martin F. Fast
Primary Institution: University Medical Center Utrecht
Hypothesis
What is the correlation between cardiac substructure dose and overall survival in lung cancer patients treated with stereotactic radiotherapy?
Conclusion
The left atrium mean dose significantly influences overall survival in lung cancer patients receiving stereotactic body radiotherapy.
Supporting Evidence
- The left atrium mean dose was identified as the most influential cardiac substructure dose parameter.
- Patients with a left atrium mean dose above 3.3 Gy had significantly lower median survival times.
- Deep learning was used to create accurate cardiac contours for analysis.
- Robustness of findings was tested by varying contour definitions.
- Significant confounding factors included age, sex, and planning target volume.
Takeaway
This study found that the amount of radiation the left atrium receives during lung cancer treatment can affect how long patients live.
Methodology
This retrospective cohort study analyzed 730 lung cancer patients treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy, using deep learning for cardiac contouring and survival modeling.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the retrospective nature of the study and missing patient data.
Limitations
Missing data on causes of death and cardiac events may affect the survival model's accuracy.
Participant Demographics
{"sex":{"male":412,"female":318},"age":{"median":74,"range":"37-92"},"tumor_stage":{"stage_1":559,"stage_2":171},"laterality":{"left":314,"right":416}}
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.02
Confidence Interval
1.00–1.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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