Correlation of mid-sternum and mid-spine positions in 82 patients irradiated for breast cancer.

Abstract

The validity of designing anterior internal mammary node (IMN) radiation therapy fields based on vertebral body landmarks was tested by reviewing computer tomography (CT) images in 82 patients treated for breast cancer. The horizontal distance between the geometric center of the sternum and the vertebral body was 0-5, 6-10 and > 10 mm in approximately 30%, 25%, and 45% of patients, respectively. This suggests that using the projection of the vertebral bodies to design an anterior internal mammary node field is frequently inaccurate and may lead to inadequate coverage of these lymph nodes.