Akio Higashi

Relationship between CT number and electron density, scatter angle and nuclear reaction for hadron-therapy treatment planning

The precise conversion of CT numbers to their electron densities is essential in treatment planning for hadron therapy. Although some conversion methods have already been proposed, it is hard to check the conversion accuracy during practical therapy. We have estimated the CT numbers of real tissues by a calculational method established by Mustafa and Jackson. The relationship between the CT numbers and the electron densities was investigated for various body tissues as well as some tissue-equivalent materials used for a conversion to check the accuracy of the current conversion methods. The result indicates a slight disagreement at the high-CT-number region. A precise estimation of the multiple scattering, nuclear reaction and range straggling of incident particles has been considered as being important to realize higher-level conformal therapy in the future. The relationship between these parameters and the CT numbers was also investigated for tissues and water. The result shows that it is sufficiently practical to replace these parameters for real tissues with those for water by adjusting the density.

Ridge filter design for proton therapy at Hyogo Ion Beam Medical Center

At the Hyogo Ion Beam Medical Center (HIBMC) we have developed a new design method for the bar ridge filter used in proton therapy, taking into consideration the scattering and nuclear interaction effects within the filter itself, which are introduced in the design. In our beam delivery system, the bar ridge filter is employed as the range modulator. It is combined with the wobbler system, and produces a three-dimensionally uniform spread-out Bragg peak (SOBP). The design program predicts the three-dimensional dose distribution. Ridge filters of 3-12 cm SOBP in 1 cm increments were designed in the maximum radiation field for 150 MeV and 190 MeV proton beams so that a uniform physical dose area is obtained in the SOBP region three-dimensionally. Measurements were performed with the constructed ridge filters to verify the uniformity and these were compared with the predictions of the design program. The predictions and measurements were found to be in agreement except for the 12 cm SOBP. The uniformities were better than +/- 3.0% for all SOBPs produced. The ridge filters are now clinically in use.

Broad-beam three-dimensional irradiation system for heavy-ion radiotherapy at HIMAC

Abstract A three-dimensional irradiation system using a broad beam has been installed for heavy-ion cancer therapy at the Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator in Chiba (HIMAC) facility. Only the target region is irradiated at the 100% dose level; the dose level at other parts of irradiated tissues is less, using a range shifter, a multileaf collimator and a compensator. The devices are the same as those used in two-dimensional irradiation, except that the setting values of the devices can be dynamically changed during the treatment. The thickness of the absorber and the aperture of the multileaf collimator are dynamically controlled during irradiation, so that the Bragg peak is swept in the depth direction and the Bragg peak outside of the target volume is blocked by the multileaf collimator. The performance of this system was checked by irradiation of a phantom using a 290 MeV/nucleon carbon beam. The dose distribution realized by this three-dimensional irradiation agreed satisfactorily with the planned one.