Detailed indication list

Patient groups who particularly benefit from online adaptive radiotherapy
Patients who show significant anatomical variability during treatment or whose tumors are located close to critical organs benefit most from online adaptive radiotherapy (ART). These include, in particular:

Head and neck cancer patients

Relevant volumetric and positional changes of both target and organs at risk are common. Online ART can improve target coverage and reduce radiation dose to sensitive structures such as salivary glands and skin. [1–3]

Prostate cancer patients

Especially in high-risk cases requiring pelvic radiation, the adaptive technique allows for smaller safety margins and thereby reduces toxicity to bladder and rectum. [4–5]

Patients with abdominal tumors (e.g., pancreatic, liver, or rectal cancer)

Daily adaptation helps manage the considerable variation in tumor and organ position caused by respiration, filling status, or peristalsis. This improves targeting accuracy and decreases radiation exposure to stomach, bowel, and other organs at risk. [4][6]

Patients with lymphomas

Particularly for sites with high mobility (e.g., stomach, mesentery) or those near critical structures. Online ART enables smaller treatment volumes and enhances safety. [7]

Patients with gynecologic tumors

Especially in cases of large, residual, or recurrent disease where brachytherapy is not feasible. The online adaptive approach is advantageous when using small safety margins or hypofractionated regimens. [8]

In general, patients with pronounced anatomical changes, complex tumor locations, or close proximity to critical organs benefit the most from online adaptive radiotherapy. [1][4][9]

References

  1. Online Radiotherapy: The Paradigm Shift to Real-Time Adaptive Radiotherapy.
(Kalinauskaite G, Nikolaou K, Wittig A, et al. Deutsches Arzteblatt International. 2025;122(3):59-64. doi:10.3238/arztebl.m2024.0242.
  2. Dosimetric Advantages of Online Adaptive Radiation Therapy for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Results From a Prospective Registry Study.
    Shi JJ, Meduri K, Liao CY, et al. International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics. 2025;122(4):917-925. doi:10.1016/j.ijrobp.2025.03.050.
  3. An Efficient Strategy to Select Head and Neck Cancer Patients for Adaptive Radiotherapy.
    Gan Y, Langendijk JA, van der Schaaf A, et al. Radiotherapy and Oncology: Journal of the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology. 2023;186:109763. doi:10.1016/j.radonc.2023.109763.
  4. Dosimetric Benefit of MR-guided Online Adaptive Radiotherapy in Different Tumor Entities: Liver, Lung, Abdominal Lymph Nodes, Pancreas and Prostate.
    Nierer L, Eze C, da Silva Mendes V, et al. Radiation Oncology (London, England). 2022;17(1):53. doi:10.1186/s13014-022-02021-6.
  5. Online Adaptive Radiotherapy Potentially Reduces Toxicity for High-Risk Prostate Cancer Treatment.
    Christiansen RL, Dysager L, Hansen CR, et al. Radiotherapy and Oncology: Journal of the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology. 2022;167:165-171. doi:10.1016/j.radonc.2021.12.013.
  6. Online Adaptive Radiotherapy in Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer Patients.
    Jiang D, Peng J, Xu H, et al. Scientific Reports. 2024;14(1):22101. doi:10.1038/s41598-024-72831-z.
  7. Adaptive Radiation Therapy in Lymphomas: Indications, Early Experiences, and Future Directions.
    Kumar KA, Zhong X, Iqbal Z, et al. International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics. 2025;122(4):926-935. doi:10.1016/j.ijrobp.2025.03.063.
  8. Comparison of Online-Onboard Adaptive Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy or Volumetric-Modulated Arc Radiotherapy With Image-Guided Radiotherapy for Patients With Gynecologic Tumors in Dependence on Fractionation and the Planning Target Volume Margin.
    Guberina M, Santiago Garcia A, Khouya A, et al. JAMA Network Open. 2023;6(3):e234066. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.4066.
  9. Adaptive Radiotherapy: Next-Generation Radiotherapy.
    Dona Lemus OM, Cao M, Cai B, Cummings M, Zheng D. Cancers. 2024;16(6):1206. doi:10.3390/cancers16061206.
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