Rationale: One of the fundamentals of glioblastoma management is radiotherapy, where
ionizing radiation is aimed towards a specific target area in the brain to inhibit
further tumor growth. As these brain tumors are notorious for their extensive tumor
infiltration, where tumor grows beyond the tumor that is visible on conventional magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI), this target area, defined as the clinical target volume (CTV),
consists of the visible tumor plus a 1.5-cm isotropic safety margin. In the majority of
cases, this unspecific CTV margin adequately covers tumor infiltration, but inevitably
also includes considerable amounts of healthy tissue. Radiation-induced side-effects like
headaches, nausea, fatigue and cognitive decline can substantially affect the quality of
life for these patients. An opportunity arises to indirectly visualize tumor infiltration
with state-of-the-art advanced MRI (aMRI) techniques, providing additional information on
biology rather than only showing anatomical information through conventional MRI. A
workflow has been developed to create a CTV based on these aMRI scans (CTVbio) rather
than an isotropic expansion. With the additional information that aMRI provides, it could
be possible to more accurately define what needs to be targeted and thus minimize damage
to healthy tissue. In this research, the aim is to assess the potential of integrating
aMRI into radiotherapy target delineation for patients with a glioblastoma by comparing
the pattern of failure (coverage of first tumor recurrence by the radiotherapy plan) and
the expected radiation dose to organs at risk between the CTVbio and the 1.5-cm CTV. It
is hypothesized that the CTVbio can result in decreased radiation dose to organs at risk,
whilst having similar pattern of failure.
Primary objective:
• To demonstrate that the probability for reduced coverage of the recurrence volume by a
radiotherapy plan based on a CTVbio, compared to the clinical radiotherapy plan (1.5-cm
CTV), is lower than 0.20.
Secondary objectives:
- - To illustrate a reduction in dose to organs at risk with a radiotherapy plan based
on a conceptual CTVbio compared to the clinical radiotherapy plan (1.5-cm CTV).
- - To evaluate the synergistic information that each individual aMRI-scan provides for
the identification of tumor infiltration.
- - To explore the association between pathophysiological changes on aMRI and future
tumor recurrence.
Study design: In this prospective cohort study, the clinical standard MRI session used
for radiotherapy planning of glioblastoma patients will be extended with aMRI techniques
that assess altered oxygenation, angiogenesis and increased protein concentration. In
clinical practice at the Erasmus MC, not all patients get an MRI-scan prior to
radiotherapy. Patients who would not have received an MRI-scan prior to radiotherapy,
will get an extra MRI-scan when they participate in this study. Radiation treatment (and
patient follow-up) will occur according to the clinical standard, i.e. using the 1.5-cm
CTV for radiotherapy planning. The aMRI-scans will be used to create a theoretical CTVbio
and corresponding radiotherapy plan. Pattern-of-failure analysis and assessment of dose
to organs at risk will be done to compare the radiotherapy plan based on the 1.5-cm CTV
with the (theoretical) radiotherapy plan based on the CTVbio. Additionally, various
theoretical CTVs based on different combinations of aMRI-scans are generated to explore
the added value of the different aMRI techniques. Lastly, the signal intensities on the
aMRI-scans at the site of tumor recurrence are compared with contralateral
normal-appearing white matter.
Study population: Patients (≥ 18 years), diagnosed with IDH-wildtype glioblastoma, as
confirmed by molecular or immunohistochemistry analysis post resection/biopsy and
referred to outpatient clinic of the Department of Radiotherapy to undergo standard
treatment with radiotherapy. The inclusion comes to an end when 53 patients have been
included.
Intervention: Patients will have an extension to their standard radiotherapy planning
MRI-scan taken for regular clinical care (Brain tumor MRI protocol: ± 25 minutes).
Patients who would not have received an MRI-scan prior to radiotherapy, will get an extra
MRI-scan when they participate in the study. The duration of the extended MRI-scan, which
includes the brain tumor MRI protocol, is ± 45 minutes.
Main study parameters/endpoints: Pattern of failure and dose to organs at risk by the
radiotherapy plan based on the 1.5-cm CTV and the theoretical plan created with the
CTVbio.
Nature and extent of the burden and risks associated with participation, benefit and
group relatedness: For patients who will already undergo an MRI-scan for radiotherapy,
the burden will be an extended MRI-scan (+20 minutes; the total scan time will be 45
minutes instead of 25 minutes). There is no benefit for these patients. For patients who
would not have received an MRI-scan prior to radiotherapy, the burden of participation
will be an extra MRI-scan (total scan time: 45 minutes) with additional contrast
injection. The dosage and administration are similar to the standard Brain tumor MRI
protocol, which has often already been acquired before in these patients. The radiation
oncologist may decide to use the conventional MRI-scan from this study MRI for target
delineation if they believe it has an added value. The use of the conventional MRI-scans
is recommended in the ESTRO-EANO guidelines, but is not routinely done for all patients
at Erasmus MC. The advanced MRI-scans investigated in this research will not be used by
the radiation oncologist