Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM: Post-operative radiotherapy for breast cancer can increase cardiac disease in a dose-dependent manner. In this study we show the reduction of dose to heart and left anterior descending artery (LAD) which can be achieved by using "Deep inspiration breath-hold" (DIBH) technique. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Tangential 3D-planned radiation was delivered to 357 patients with left-sided breast cancer, 159 of them with the DIBH technique. A distinction was made according to fractionation scheme. RESULTS: The mean heart dose was significantly reduced by DIBH from 2.64 Gy to 1.39 Gy (p<0.001). The mean dose to the LAD was significantly reduced from 5.68 Gy to 3.88 Gy (p<0.001). Mean dose and volume receiving 5, 10 and 15 Gy of ipsilateral lung were higher with both hypofractionated schedule and conventional fractionation in the DIBH group. CONCLUSION: DIBH in left-sided breast irradiation is an effective method of reducing the radiogenic heart dose.