Rectal Filling at Planning Does Not Predict Stability of the Prostate Gland during a Course of Radical Radiotherapy if Patients with Large Rectal Filling are Re-imaged

Abstract

AIMS: It has been suggested that large rectal filling is associated with an increased risk of prostate motion in radiotherapy. The aim of the present study was to determine if there is a correlation between rectal distension on planning computed tomography and the intrafraction and interfraction stability of the prostate gland during a course of radical radiotherapy for prostate cancer if a protocol was used to rescan patients with excessive rectal diameter during planning. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The computed tomography planning scans of 89 patients with adenocarcinoma of the prostate treated with conformal radiotherapy were reviewed. All patients had three gold seed fiducial markers implant..