PRACTICE PATTERNS OF SPATIALLY FRACTIONATED RADIATION THERAPY: A CLINICAL PRACTICE SURVEY

PurposeSpatially fractionated radiation therapy (SFRT) is increasingly used for bulky advanced tumors, but specifics of clinical SFRT practice remain elusive. This study aimed to determine patterns GRID and Lattice (LRT) based SFRT.Materials MethodsA survey was designed identify oncologists’ patient selection SFRT, dosing/planning, dosimetric parameter use, platforms/techniques, combinations with conventional external beam (cERT) multimodality therapies, physicists’ technical implementation, delivery quality procedures. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics. Group comparisons analyzed permutation tests.ResultsThe majority practicing oncologists (100% - US, 72.7% global) considered an accepted standard-of-care radiotherapy option bulky/advanced tumors. Treatment metastases/recurrences non-metastatic primary predominantly head neck, lung cancer sarcoma, commonly practiced.In palliative regimens 15-18 Gy/1 fraction predominated (51.3%); in curative-intent treatment tumors 15 (28.0%) (24.0%) most common. combined cERT not always (78.6%) (85.7%) treatment. SFRT–cERT time sequencing dose adjustments variable. In treatment, concurrent chemotherapy immunotherapy found acceptable by 54.5% 28.6%, respectively. Use parameters highly variable differed between LRT. heterogeneity more (p=0.008) thought influence local control (Peak dose, p=0.008) LRT than therapy.ConclusionsSFRT has already evolved as a pattern advanced/bulky Major approaches are consistent follow the literature, combination/sequencing utilization These areas may benefit from targeted education standardization, knowledge gaps be filled incorporating identified inconsistencies into future research.