What is your technique to calculate the vaginal surface dose in gyn intracavitary brachytherapy?
What exactly do you contour and what is your dose constraint to that volume?
Answer from: Radiation Oncologist at Academic Institution
The limited published data on image based brachytherapy has not found any dosimetric correlate of upper vaginal morbidity. The traditional point dose tolerence has underassessed tolerence of the upper vaginaThe recent multi-institutional EMBRACE study with different techniques and dose of cervical b...
Answer from: Radiation Oncologist at Academic Institution
Overall, I agree with the comments above. Vaginal surface dose was, historically, used in part as a surrogate for the dose to other surrounding structures. The maximum lateral surface dose allowed in treatment planning at MD Anderson varied depending on the type of applicator used and, in particula...
Answer from: Radiation Oncologist at Academic Institution
I agree with @Sushil Beriwal but I have also heard that GEC ESTRO has found, using a rectal point, a good surrogate for vaginal toxicity. We await presentation/publication of this validated marker from their group.