Back to all available

Evaluation of dosimetric consistency between pre- and postoperative CT-guided 3D-printed noncoplanar template-assisted ¹²⁵I seed implantation in recurrent and metastatic thoracic tumors: a retrospective study

oncology
radiology-and-medical-imaging
palliative-care

Abstract

Objective: Recurrent and metastatic thoracic tumors are difficult to treat because of their proximity to critical organs and the influence of respiratory motion. This study aimed to evaluate the consistency of dosimetric parameters between preoperative planning and postoperative verification in CT-guided, 3D-printed noncoplanar template (3DPNCT)-assisted ¹²⁵I seed implantation (RISI).

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 32 patients with recurrent or metastatic thoracic tumors. Preoperative and postoperative dosimetric parameters—including D90, V100, V150, the conformity index (CI), the external index (EI), and the homogeneity index (HI)—were compared. Data normality was tested using the Shapiro–Wilk method, and consistency was assessed by paired t tests and Bland–Altman analysis.

Results: The postoperative D90 was significantly lower than the preoperative D90 (142.47 ± 28.90 Gy vs. 135.06 ± 31.66 Gy, P = 0.022). No significant differences in V100, V200, CI, or EI (P > 0.05) were observed. The HI increased significantly after implantation (P = 0.049). Bland–Altman analysis indicated overall good agreement, although D90 and V150 showed larger deviations.

Conclusions: 3DPNCT-assisted ¹²⁵I seed implantation demonstrated favorable dosimetric consistency in the treatment of thoracic tumors. Although respiratory motion and seed displacement contributed to the variability in D90 and V150, this approach remains a promising option for complex thoracic cases. Future studies should integrate optimized respiratory management strategies and validate these findings in larger prospective cohorts to confirm long-term efficacy and safety.

Ask to review this manuscript

Notes for potential reviewers

  • Volunteering is not a guarantee that you will be asked to review. There are many reasons: reviewers must be qualified, there should be no conflicts of interest, a minimum of two reviewers have already accepted an invitation, etc.
  • This is NOT OPEN peer review. The review is single-blind, and all recommendations are sent privately to the Academic Editor handling the manuscript. All reviews are published and reviewers can choose to sign their reviews.
  • What happens after volunteering? It may be a few days before you receive an invitation to review with further instructions. You will need to accept the invitation to then become an official referee for the manuscript. If you do not receive an invitation it is for one of many possible reasons as noted above.
  • PeerJ does not judge submissions based on subjective measures such as novelty, impact or degree of advance. Effectively, reviewers are asked to comment on whether or not the submission is scientifically and technically sound and therefore deserves to join the scientific literature. Our Peer Review criteria can be found on the "Editorial Criteria" page - reviewers are specifically asked to comment on 3 broad areas: "Basic Reporting", "Experimental Design" and "Validity of the Findings".
  • Reviewers are expected to comment in a timely, professional, and constructive manner.
  • Until the article is published, reviewers must regard all information relating to the submission as strictly confidential.
  • When submitting a review, reviewers are given the option to "sign" their review (i.e. to associate their name with their comments). Otherwise, all review comments remain anonymous.
  • All reviews of published articles are published. This includes manuscript files, peer review comments, author rebuttals and revised materials.
  • Each time a decision is made by the Academic Editor, each reviewer will receive a copy of the Decision Letter (which will include the comments of all reviewers).

If you have any questions about submitting your review, please email us at [email protected].