Which Modality of SFRT Should be Considered First for Bulky Tumor Radiation Therapy, GRID or LATTICE?

Abstract

Spatially fractionated radiation therapy (SFRT), also known as the GRID and LATTICE radiotherapy (GRT, LRT), the concept of treating tumors by delivering a spatially modulated dose with highly non-uniform dose distributions, is a treatment modality of growing interest in radiation oncology, physics, and radiation biology. Clinical experience in SFRT has suggested that GRID and LATTICE therapy can achieve a high response and low toxicity in the treatment of refractory and bulky tumors. Limited initially to GRID therapy using block collimators, advanced, and versatile multi-leaf collimators, volumetric modulated arc technologies and particle therapy have since increased the capabilities and individualization of SFRT and expanded the clinical investigation of SFRT to various dosing regimens, multiple malignancies, tumor types and sites. As a 3D modulation approach outgrown from traditional 2D GRID, LATTICE therapy aims to reconfigure the traditional SFRT as spatial modulation of the radiation is confined solely to the tumor volume. The distinctively different beam geometries used in LATTICE therapy have led to appreciable variations in dose-volume distributions, compared to GRID therapy. The clinical relevance of the variations in dose-volume distribution between LATTICE and traditional GRID therapies is a crucial factor in determining their adoption in clinical practice. In this Point-Counterpoint contribution, the authors debate the pros and cons of GRID and LATTICE therapy. Both modalities have been used in clinics and their applicability and optimal use have been discussed in this article.