| Schedule | Constraint | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 30–34 Gy / 1 fx Peripheral | Max dose <15.4 Gy | TROG SAFRON II |
| 54 Gy / 3 fx Peripheral | Max dose <27 Gy | TROG CHISEL |
| 50 Gy / 5 fx Central | Max dose 52.5 Gy | RTOG 0813 |
| D5 cc <27.5 Gy | RTOG 0813 |
Quoted from eviQ 3389 and eviQ 4018, checked 2026-09-22. Full table with references →
| Schedule | Constraint | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 60 Gy / 30 fx ± concurrent chemotherapy | Mean dose <34 Gy | QUANTEC summary |
| Mean dose ≤28 Gy (concurrent chemo) | Wei 2006 | |
| V60Gy ≤17% (concurrent chemo) | Palma 2013 |
Mean <34 Gy: 5–20% risk of grade 3+ acute esophagitis. Chemo limits target ≤10–15%.
Quoted from QUANTEC summary and eviQ 1871, checked 2026-09-22. Full table with references →
A muscular tube running from the pharynx (at about the level of the cricoid cartilage) to the stomach. In the chest it lies behind the trachea and then the left atrium, slightly left of midline next to the descending aorta, and passes through the diaphragm at the esophageal hiatus.
The esophagus is the muscular tube that carries food and liquid from the throat to the stomach.
The esophagus sits in the middle of the mediastinum, so it matters in two different ways:
Timmerman 2022 marks the esophagus with a footnote to avoid circumferential irradiation — a reminder that how the dose wraps around a tubular organ matters, not only the maximum.
In GI treatment the esophagus is the target for esophageal cancer, but it is an organ at risk for liver SBRT of tumors near the dome of the liver and the gastroesophageal junction, where SBRT sources limit a small-volume maximum.
Kong 2011 contours the esophagus on a mediastinal window, including the mucosa, submucosa and all muscle layers out to the fatty outer layer (adventitia):
Timmerman 2022 (Tables 8–11, written for its SBRT dose tables) uses the same wall layers but contours only at least 10 cm above and below the PTV. Jabbour 2014 adds an optional gastroesophageal junction structure — a wedge that overlaps the lowest esophagus and the top of the stomach.
A thoracic organ-at-risk contouring atlas with discussion of dose limits, covering the lung, proximal bronchial tree, esophagus, spinal cord, ribs and brachial plexus. A published letter in response discusses esophageal delineation.
An editorial history of the UT Southwestern SABR constraint tables — often called the “Timmerman tables” — covering how they were developed and revised, and their relationship to AAPM TG-101 and NRG/RTOG protocols. Tables 2–11 separate serial tissues (listed with a volume, a volume max and a max point dose) from parallel tissues (listed with a critical volume and a critical-volume dose max). In Tables 2–7 a footnote defines “point” as ≤0.035 cm³; Tables 8–11 add a contouring-instructions column for each structure.
RTOG consensus guidelines and atlas for delineating upper abdominal normal organs. Citation checked against Europe PMC.