Introduction: The aim was to analyze position of CT-verified local recurrences (LR) and local control (LC) among three centers that used different GTV to CTV1 margins.
Materials and methods: In total, 1576 patients completing radical primary IMRT for larynx, pharynx, oral cavity HNSCC in three centers in Denmark between 2006 and 2012 were included. CT-verified LRs were analyzed as possible points of recurrence origin and compared between groups of small (0-2.5 mm), larger (>2.5 mm), and anatomical GTV-CTV1 margins. The recurrence point's position relative to the GTV and 95% prescription dose was evaluated. Overall local control rate was evaluated using Cox uni- and multi-variate analysis.
Results: After a median follow-up of 41 months, 272 patients had local failure. Median GTV-CTV1 margin in Center1, 2 and 3 was 0.0, 3.7 and 9.7 mm, respectively. 51% of local recurrences were inside the GTV. No difference in distribution of LRs in relation to GTV surface (p = 0.4) or the dose to LRs (p = 0.2) was detected between the groups. A difference in LC was found univariate between the centers (p = 0.03), but not in multivariate analysis (p = 0.4).
Conclusions: No relation was found between the recurrences' distributions as function of the margins used at three centers. In multivariate analysis, local control was not influenced by the centers.
Keywords: GTV to CTV margins; HNSCC; IMRT; Local control; Local recurrence; Margins.
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