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Breast movement during normal and deep breathing, respiratory training and set up errors: implications for external beam partial breast irradiation

¹ Radiation Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, ² ACTREC, Kharghar, NaviMumbai, Maharashtra, India

Correspondence: Prof. Rajiv Sarin, Director, ACTREC, Tata Memorial Centre, Kharghar, NaviMumbai, Maharashtra, India

This study was designed to evaluate interfraction and intrafraction breast movement and to study the effect of respiratory training on respiratory indices. Five patients were immobilized in supine position in a vacuum bag and three-dimensional set up errors, respiratory movement of the breast during normal and deep breathing, tidal volume and breath hold time were recorded. All patients underwent respiratory training and all the respiratory indices were re-evaluated at the end of training. Cumulative maximum movement error (CMME) was calculated by adding directional maximum set up error and maximum post training movement during normal breathing. The mean set up deviation was 1.3 mm (SD ± 0.5 mm), 1.3 mm (SD ± 0.3 mm) and 4.4 mm (SD ± 2.6 mm) in the mediolateral, superoinferior and anteroposterior dimensions. Pre-training mean of the maximum marker movement during normal breathing was 1.07 mm, 1.94 mm and 1.86 mm in the mediolateral, superoinferior and anteroposterior dimensions. During deep breathing these values were 2 mm, 5.5 mm and 4.8 mm. While respiratory training had negligible effect on breast movement during normal breathing, it resulted in a modest reduction during deep breathing (p = 0.2). The mean CMME recorded for these patients was 3.4 mm, 4.5 mm and 7.1 mm in the mediolateral, superoinferior and anteroposterior dimension. Respiratory training also resulted in an increase in breath hold time from a mean of 31 s to 44 s (p = 0.04) and tidal volume from a mean of 560 cm³ to 1160 cm³ (p = 0.04). With patients immobilized in the vacuum bag the CMMEs are relatively less. Individualized directional margins may aid in reduction of planning target volume (PTV).