Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34183040›Full record

ArticleRadiation oncology (London, England)2021

Interobserver variability in organ at risk delineation in head and neck cancer.

J van der Veen, A Gulyban, S Willems, F Maes, S Nuyts

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Radiation oncology (London, England), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 49 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
49citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

49 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Malnutrition and radiation therapy in head and neck cancers, a systematic review on reported definitions and associated factors.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024
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  6. Inter-center variability of dosimetry methodology and the impact on reported absorbed dose for [European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging · 2026
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  20. Deep learning for autosegmentation for radiotherapy treatment planning: State-of-the-art and novel perspectives.Strahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft ... [et al] · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

J van der VeenDepartment of Oncology, Radiation-Oncology, University of Leuven, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000, Leuven, KU, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1934-4845
A GulybanDepartment of Medical Physics, Jules Bordet Institute, Brussels, Belgium. akos.gulyban@gmail.com.
S WillemsDepartment ESAT, Processing Speech and Images (PSI), Medical Imaging Research Center, KU Leuven, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
F MaesDepartment ESAT, Processing Speech and Images (PSI), Medical Imaging Research Center, KU Leuven, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
S NuytsDepartment of Oncology, Radiation-Oncology, University of Leuven, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000, Leuven, KU, Belgium. sandra.nuyts@uzleuven.be.

Funding

Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek SA6419NUniversitaire Ziekenhuizen Leuven, KU Leuven C24/18/047
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn radiotherapy inaccuracy in organ at risk (OAR) delineation can impact treatment plan optimisation and treatment plan evaluation. Brouwer et al. showed significant interobserver variability (IOV) in OAR delineation in head and neck cancer (HNC) and published international consensus guidelines (ICG) for OAR delineation in 2015. The aim of our study was to evaluate IOV in the presence of these guidelines.

methodsHNC radiation oncologists (RO) from each Belgian radiotherapy centre were invited to complete a survey and submit contours for 5 HNC cases. Reference contours (OARref) were obtained by a clinically validated artificial intelligence-tool trained using ICG. Dice similarity coefficients (DSC), mean surface distance (MSD) and 95% Hausdorff distances (HD95) were used for comparison.

resultsFourteen of twenty-two RO (64%) completed the survey and submitted delineations. Thirteen (93%) confirmed the use of delineation guidelines, of which six (43%) used the ICG. The OARs whose delineations agreed best with the OARref were mandible [median DSC 0.9, range (0.8-0.9); median MSD 1.1 mm, range (0.8-8.3), median HD95 3.4 mm, range (1.5-38.7)], brainstem [median DSC 0.9 (0.6-0.9); median MSD 1.5 mm (1.1-4.0), median HD95 4.0 mm (2.3-15.0)], submandibular glands [median DSC 0.8 (0.5-0.9); median MSD 1.2 mm (0.9-2.5), median HD95 3.1 mm (1.8-12.2)] and parotids [median DSC 0.9 (0.6-0.9); median MSD 1.9 mm (1.2-4.2), median HD95 5.1 mm (3.1-19.2)]. Oral cavity, cochleas, PCMs, supraglottic larynx and glottic area showed more variation. RO who used the consensus guidelines showed significantly less IOV (p = 0.008).

conclusionsAlthough ICG for delineation of OARs in HNC exist, they are only implemented by about half of RO participating in this study, which partly explains the delineation variability. However, this study highlights that guidelines alone do not suffice to eliminate IOV and that more effort needs to be done to accomplish further treatment standardisation, for example with artificial intelligence.

Indexed as

Artificial IntelligenceObserver VariationHead and Neck NeoplasmsHumansOrgans at RiskPrognosisRadiotherapy DosageRadiotherapy, Intensity-ModulatedRadiotherapy Planning, Computer-AssistedContouringGuidelinesHead and neckInterobserver variabilityOrgans at risk

Identifiers

PMID34183040
PMCPMC8240214

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.