MRI-guided cardiac radiotherapy using a 1.5 T MR-linac: surveying emerging patterns of care

Abstract

Background: Cardiac tumours are rare and treated by surgical resections, which are complex, invasive and carry procedural risks. MRI-guided radiotherapy (MRgRT) noninvasively facilitates conformal dose deliveries using soft-tissue imaging and adaptive radiotherapy techniques. Aim: To assess the application of MRgRT for cardiac tumours, we conducted a patterns-of-care analysis with users of the 1.5T MR-linac. Materials & methods: A survey was distributed to users of the 1.5T MR-linac that treated patients with cardiac tumours. The survey included 30 questions concerning the patient cohort, imaging, treatment planning/simulation, radiotherapy treatment and treatment outcome. Results: Users from six international institutes completed the survey reporting twelve cardiac MRgRT treatments between 2021-2024. The median age[range] of the patients was 59[16-81] years with 50% of the cases concerning the treatment of primary tumours. The prescribed dose ranged between 30-60 Gy, with 30 Gy being prescribed the most (59%). In 75% of the cases, the treatment plans were delivered in five fractions with 6-8 Gy per fraction. Daily images were acquired with T1- and T2-weighted MRI and respiratory motion monitoring was performed in 92% of the cases using cine imaging. A single case was treated with intrafraction motion management using a novel vendor-provided gating solution on the MR-linac. Treatment outcomes were reported for 50% of the cases. All, but one case, attained local control using MRgRT without serious adverse events (grade$\geq$3). Conclusion: This study provides real-world insights into the feasibility and early outcomes to aid the development of cardiac MRgRT treatment recommendations and protocol harmonization.