Clinical association between plan complexity and the local-recurrence-free-survival of non-small-cell lung cancer patients receiving stereotactic body radiation therapy

Purpose To investigate the clinical impact of plan complexity on the local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). Methods Data from 123 treatment plans for 113 NSCLC patients were analyzed. Plan-averaged beam modulation (PM), plan beam irregularity (PI), monitor unit/Gy (MU/Gy) and spherical disproportion (SD) were calculated. The γ passing rates (GPR) were measured using ArcCHECK 3D phantom with 2 %/2mm criteria. High complexity (HC) and low complexity (LC) groups were statistically stratified based on the aforementioned metrics, using cutoffs determined by their significance in correlation with survival time, as calculated using the R-3.6.1 packages. Kaplan-Meier analysis, Cox regression, and Random Survival Forest (RSF) models were employed for the analysis of local recurrence-free survival (LRFS). Propensity-score-matched pairs were generated to minimize bias in the analysis. Results The median follow-up time for all patients was 25.5 months (interquartile range 13.4–41.2). The prognostic capacity of PM was suggested using RSF, based on Variable Importance and Minimal Depth methods. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year LRFS rates in the HC group were significantly lower than those in the LC group (p = 0.023), when plan complexity was defined by PM. However, no significant difference was observed between the HC and LC groups when defined by other metrics (p > 0.05). All γ passing rates exceeded 90.5 %. Conclusions This study revealed a significant association between higher PM and worse LRFS in NSCLC patients treated with SBRT. This finding offers additional clinical evidence supporting the potential optimization of pre-treatment quality assurance protocols.