Photon versus proton whole ventricular radiotherapy for non-germinomatous germ cell tumors: A report from the Children’s Oncology Group

Mak DY, Siddiqui Z, Liu ZA, Dama H, MacDonald SM, Wu S, Murphy ES, Hall MD, Malkov V, Onar-Thomas A, Ahmed S, Dhall G, Tsang DS. Photon versus proton whole ventricular radiotherapy for non-germinomatous germ cell tumors: A report from the Children’s Oncology Group. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2022 Sep;69(9):e29697. doi: 10.1002/pbc.29697. Epub 2022 Apr 4. PubMed PMID: 35373903; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9329212.

To determine if proton therapy reduces doses to cranial organs-at-risk as compared to photon therapy in children with non-germinomatous germ cell tumours (NGGCT) receiving whole ventricular radiotherapy (WVRT). Dosimetric data for patients with NGGCT prospectively enrolled in stratum 1 of the Children’s Oncology Group study ACNS1123 who received 30.6 Gy WVRT were compared. Target segmentation was standardized using a contouring atlas. Doses to cranial organs-at-risk (OARs) were compared between proton and photon treatments. Clinically relevant dose-volume parameters that were analyzed included mean dose and dose to 40% of the OAR volume (D40).