Start here · Students & new planners

I’m planning my first lung SBRT case

A learning roadmap: the concepts and resources to understand before planning lung SBRT. It is not instruction on how to treat any specific patient.

  1. Understand SBRT

    What makes stereotactic treatment different from conventional fractionation.

  2. Understand respiratory motion

    4DCT, gating, breath hold and compression.

  3. Understand GTV / ITV / PTV

    How target volumes build on one another.

  4. Central or peripheral?

    Why tumor location changes which organs limit the plan.

  5. Review contouring resources

    Organ contouring guides for the chest.

  6. Understand conformity

    How well the prescription dose fits the target.

  7. Understand R50%

    The size of the 50% isodose cloud relative to the target.

  8. Understand D2cm

    The hottest point beyond 2 cm from the target.

  9. Understand dose calculation in lung

    Heterogeneity, algorithms and why lung is hard to calculate.

  10. Review common dose constraints

    Common limits for 1, 3 and 5 fractions, and the study behind each one.

  11. Review relevant protocols

    Protocols and papers behind lung SBRT practice.

  12. Understand basic plan evaluation

    Putting the metrics together.