Dose Constraints for the Temporal Lobes of Intensity-modulated Radiotherapy Treatment Plans for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Radiation-induced temporal lobe injury (TLI) is usually devastating to patients; however, there is a poor understanding of TLI in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients treated with IMRT. Knowledge of the dose tolerance of the TL is essential, in order to predict the safety of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) treatment plans. In our previous studies, D1cc (the dose to 1ml of the TL volume) and Dmax (the maximum point dose) were the significant predictors of TLI development. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of dose constraints based on D1cc and Dmax for the temporal lobes following IMRT for NPC.