Management of the vertebrae as an organ at risk in paediatric radiotherapy clinical trials: Initial QUARTET experience

Irradiation of the vertebrae in prepubertal patients, if non-homogenous, can result in future growth deformities including kyphoscoliosis. Vertebral delineation and dosimetry were assessed for 101 paediatric cases reviewed within QUARTET-affiliated trials. Despite the availability of published consensus guidelines, a high variability in vertebral delineation was observed, with impact on dosimetry. & COPY; 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. Radiotherapy and Oncology 187 (2023) 1-5 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Automated summary

Irradiation of the vertebrae in prepubertal patients, if non-homogeneous, can result in future growth deformities including kyphoscoliosis. Vertebral delineation and dosimetry were assessed for 101 paediatric cases reviewed within QUARTET-affiliated trials. Despite the availability of published consensus guidelines, a high variability in vertebral delineation was observed, with impact on dosimetry.