A Feasibility Study on the Role of Ultrasound Imaging of Bladder Volume as a Method to Improve Concordance of Bladder Filling Status on Treatment with Simulation

Purpose Accurate positioning of the prostate is of paramount importance to ensure optimal target coverage and normal tissue sparing in stereotactic ablative body radiation when large doses per fraction are delivered with tight margins around the prostate. Bladder and rectal filling play an important part in controlling the accuracy of a patient's setup and therefore the overall toxicities and outcomes. The aim of this study was to establish the value of characterizing patients' bladder filling kinetics at the time of simulation with ultrasound scans so that a predictive model can be used to ensure that a bladder volume at treatment would match at simulation. Methods A prospective trial was conducted in unfavorable risk prostate cancer patients to evaluate the utility of ultrasound bladder monitoring. Thirty patients (n = 30) were enrolled in this study. Patients were required to void before simulation and then were given 500 mL of fluids to drink. Ultrasound measurements of the bladder were documented at 15-minute intervals for up to four measurements before simulation. On treatment, bladder volumes were measured at a single time point; typically, half an hour after the patient voided and consumed 500 mL of fluids. The kinetic model was then used to predict the optimal time to set up the patient for treatment such that the bladder volume at treatment would match the volume at simulation. Every patient had a cone beam computed tomography scan before each fraction to ensure accurate patient positioning before dose delivery. Bladder volumes at treatment were measured and compared with those at simulation on the cone beam computed tomography data sets using MIMVISTA software. Results Of 30 patients, 26 were analyzed. The comparison of the bladder contours at treatment compared to simulation yielded a DICE coefficient (similarity) of 0.76 ± 0.11. The largest variation in bladder size was seen in the anterior-posterior direction. Conclusions This study demonstrated that ultrasound monitoring of the bladder status was a valuable tool in ensuring reproducible bladder filling on treatment. The bladder kinetic model indicated the general time required to achieve optimal bladder filling was 60 minutes after voiding and drinking 500 mL of water.