Transition from Oncologist- to Therapist-Led MRI-Guided Ultra-Hypofractionated Adaptive Prostate Radiation Therapy: Evaluation of Early Clinical Outcomes.

Abstract

MR-guided adaptive radiotherapy (ART) enables daily plan optimization for prostate cancer but is resource-intensive. This study evaluated dosimetric and clinical outcomes following transition from radiation oncologist (RO)-led to radiation therapist (RTT)-led MR-guided ART. All prostate cancer patients treated with MR-guided ART on a 1.5T MR-linac were retrospectively reviewed. Consecutive RO-led (September 2019-November 2021) and RTT-led (April 2022-October 2023) cohorts were compared, excluding the actual transition period. Toxicities (CTCAE v5.0), dose-volume metrics from daily adapted plans, target volume variation, and biochemical recurrence-free survival (BRFS) were analyzed. A total of 166 patients were included (78 RO-led, 88 RTT-led; median follow-up 40 and 35 months). Dosimetric differences between the cohorts were statistically small (n = 2 vs. n = 0), likely reflecting higher baseline urinary dysfunction; no post-treatment differences persisted. Early biochemical outcomes were comparable, with 36-month BRFS of 93.5% (RO-led) and 95.0% (RTT-led). RTT-led MR-guided ART achieved comparable dosimetric quality and early biochemical outcomes to RO-led workflows with adverse advents that resolved in the long term. With structured training and a mature practice setting, RTT-led ART represents a scalable model to support future adaptive radiotherapy practice.