Carsten Brink

Comparison of dose calculation algorithms for treatment planning in external photon beam therapy for clinical situations.

A study of the performance of five commercial radiotherapy treatment planning systems (TPSs) for common treatment sites regarding their ability to model heterogeneities and scattered photons has been performed. The comparison was based on CT information for prostate, head and neck, breast and lung cancer cases. The TPSs were installed locally at different institutions and commissioned for clinical use based on local procedures. For the evaluation, beam qualities as identical as possible were used: low energy (6 MV) and high energy (15 or 18 MV) x-rays. All relevant anatomical structures were outlined and simple treatment plans were set up. Images, structures and plans were exported, anonymized and distributed to the participating institutions using the DICOM protocol. The plans were then re-calculated locally and exported back for evaluation. The TPSs cover dose calculation techniques from correction-based equivalent path length algorithms to model-based algorithms. These were divided into two groups based on how changes in electron transport are accounted for ((a) not considered and (b) considered). Increasing the complexity from the relatively homogeneous pelvic region to the very inhomogeneous lung region resulted in less accurate dose distributions. Improvements in the calculated dose have been shown when models consider volume scatter and changes in electron transport, especially when the extension of the irradiated volume was limited and when low densities were present in or adjacent to the fields. A Monte Carlo calculated algorithm input data set and a benchmark set for a virtual linear accelerator have been produced which have facilitated the analysis and interpretation of the results. The more sophisticated models in the type b group exhibit changes in both absorbed dose and its distribution which are congruent with the simulations performed by Monte Carlo-based virtual accelerator.

On the dosimetric behaviour of photon dose calculation algorithms in the presence of simple geometric heterogeneities: comparison with Monte Carlo calculations

A comparative study was performed to reveal differences and relative figures of merit of seven different calculation algorithms for photon beams when applied to inhomogeneous media. The following algorithms were investigated: Varian Eclipse: the anisotropic analytical algorithm, and the pencil beam with modified Batho correction; Nucletron Helax-TMS: the collapsed cone and the pencil beam with equivalent path length correction; CMS XiO: the multigrid superposition and the fast Fourier transform convolution; Philips Pinnacle: the collapsed cone. Monte Carlo simulations (MC) performed with the EGSnrc codes BEAMnrc and DOSxyznrc from NRCC in Ottawa were used as a benchmark. The study was carried out in simple geometrical water phantoms (rho = 1.00 g cm(-3)) with inserts of different densities simulating light lung tissue (rho = 0.035 g cm(-3)), normal lung (rho = 0.20 g cm(-3)) and cortical bone tissue (rho = 1.80 g cm(-3)). Experiments were performed for low- and high-energy photon beams (6 and 15 MV) and for square (13 x 13 cm2) and elongated rectangular (2.8 x 13 cm2) fields. Analysis was carried out on the basis of depth dose curves and transverse profiles at several depths. Assuming the MC data as reference, gamma index analysis was carried out distinguishing between regions inside the non-water inserts or inside the uniform water. For this study, a distance to agreement was set to 3 mm while the dose difference varied from 2% to 10%. In general all algorithms based on pencil-beam convolutions showed a systematic deficiency in managing the presence of heterogeneous media. In contrast, complicated patterns were observed for the advanced algorithms with significant discrepancies observed between algorithms in the lighter materials (rho = 0.035 g cm(-3)), enhanced for the most energetic beam. For denser, and more clinical, densities a better agreement among the sophisticated algorithms with respect to MC was observed.

Single Arc Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy of head and neck cancer

BACKGROUND The quality of Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) plans is highly dependent on the performance of the optimization algorithm used. Recently new algorithms have become available which are capable of generating VMAT plans for Elekta accelerators. The VMAT algorithm in Pinnacle is named SmartArc and its capability to generate treatment plans for head and neck cancer was tested. METHODS Twenty-five patients with oropharyngeal or hypopharyngeal carcinoma, previously treated with IMRT by means of Pinnacle and Elekta accelerators, were replanned with single arc VMAT. The VMAT planning objectives were to achieve clinical target coverage and sparing of the organs at risk (OAR). Comparison with the original clinically used IMRT was made by evaluating (1) dose-volume histograms (DVHs) for PTVs, (2) DVHs for OARs, (3) delivery time and monitor units (MU), and (4) treatment accuracy. RESULTS Equivalent or superior target coverage and sparing of OARs were achieved with VMAT compared to IMRT. Volumes in the healthy tissues receiving between 17.3 Gy and 49.4 Gy were significantly reduced and the conformity (CI(95%)) of the elective PTV was improved from 1.7 with IMRT to 1.6 with VMAT. Compared to step-and-shoot IMRT, VMAT reduced the number of MUs by 8.5% to 460+/-63 MUs per fraction, and delivered on an Elekta Synergy accelerator, the treatment time was on average reduced by 35% to 241 +/- 16s. In Delta4 measurements of the VMAT treatments, 99.6 +/- 0.5% of the detector points passed a 3 mm and 3% gamma criterion, identical to the results of IMRT. CONCLUSIONS The target coverages obtained in the IMRT and VMAT plans were found to be very similar. SmartArc generated single arc VMAT plans with equivalent or better target coverage and sparing of OARs compared to IMRT, while both delivery time and MUs were decreased. Very good dose accuracy results were obtained delivering the plans on an Elekta accelerator.

Deviations in delineated GTV caused by artefacts in 4DCT

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) is used for breathing-adapted radiotherapy planning. Irregular breathing, large tumour motion or interpolation of images can cause artefacts in the 4DCT. This study evaluates the impact of artefacts on gross tumour volume (GTV) size. MATERIAL AND METHODS In 19 4DCT scans of patients with peripheral lung tumours, GTV was delineated in all bins. Variations in GTV size between bins in each 4DCT scan were analysed and correlated to tumour motion and variations in breathing signal amplitude and breathing signal period. End-expiration GTV size (GTVexp) was considered as reference for GTV size. Intra-session delineation error was estimated by re-delineation of GTV in eight of the 4DCT scans. RESULTS In 16 of the 4DCT scans the maximum deviations from GTVexp were larger than could be explained by delineation error. The deviations were largest in the bins adjacent to the end-inspiration bin. The coefficient of variation of GTV size was significantly correlated to tumour motion in the cranio-caudal direction, but no significant correlation was found to breathing signal variations. CONCLUSION We found considerable variations in GTV size throughout the 4DCT scans. Awareness of the error introduced by artefacts is important especially if radiotherapy planning is based on a single 4DCT bin.

Inter-observer variation in delineation of the heart and left anterior descending coronary artery in radiotherapy for breast cancer: A multi-centre study from Denmark and the UK

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE To determine the extent of inter-observer variation in delineation of the heart and left anterior descending coronary artery (LADCA) and its impact on estimated doses. METHODS AND MATERIALS Nine observers from five centres delineated the heart and LADCA on fifteen patients receiving left breast radiotherapy. The delineations were carried out twice, first without guidelines and then with a set of common guidelines. RESULTS For the heart, most spatial variation in delineation was near the base of the heart whereas for the LADCA most variation was in its length at the apex of the heart. Common guidelines reduced the spatial variation for the heart and the length of the LAD, but increased the variation in the anterior-posterior/right-left plane. The coefficients of variation (CV) in the estimated doses to the heart were: mean dose 7.5% without and 3.6% with guidelines, maximum dose 8.7% without and 4.0% with guidelines. The CVs in the estimated doses to the LADCA were: mean dose 27% without and 29% with guidelines, maximum dose 39% without and 31% with guidelines. CONCLUSIONS For the heart, there was little inter-observer variation in the estimated dose, especially when guidelines were used. In contrast, for the LADCA there was substantial variation in the estimated dose, which was not reduced with guidelines.

Locoregional Control of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in Relation to Automated Early Assessment of Tumor Regression on Cone Beam Computed Tomography

PURPOSE Large interindividual variations in volume regression of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are observable on standard cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) during fractionated radiation therapy. Here, a method for automated assessment of tumor volume regression is presented and its potential use in response adapted personalized radiation therapy is evaluated empirically. METHODS AND MATERIALS Automated deformable registration with calculation of the Jacobian determinant was applied to serial CBCT scans in a series of 99 patients with NSCLC. Tumor volume at the end of treatment was estimated on the basis of the first one third and two thirds of the scans. The concordance between estimated and actual relative volume at the end of radiation therapy was quantified by Pearsons correlation coefficient. On the basis of the estimated relative volume, the patients were stratified into 2 groups having volume regressions below or above the population median value. Kaplan-Meier plots of locoregional disease-free rate and overall survival in the 2 groups were used to evaluate the predictive value of tumor regression during treatment. Cox proportional hazards model was used to adjust for other clinical characteristics. RESULTS Automatic measurement of the tumor regression from standard CBCT images was feasible. Pearsons correlation coefficient between manual and automatic measurement was 0.86 in a sample of 9 patients. Most patients experienced tumor volume regression, and this could be quantified early into the treatment course. Interestingly, patients with pronounced volume regression had worse locoregional tumor control and overall survival. This was significant on patient with non-adenocarcinoma histology. CONCLUSIONS Evaluation of routinely acquired CBCT images during radiation therapy provides biological information on the specific tumor. This could potentially form the basis for personalized response adaptive therapy.

Automatic planning of head and neck treatment plans

Treatment planning is time-consuming and the outcome depends on the person performing the optimization. A system that automates treatment planning could potentially reduce the manual time required for optimization and could also provide a method to reduce the variation between persons performing radiation dose planning (dosimetrist) and potentially improve the overall plan quality. This study evaluates the performance of the Auto-Planning module that has recently become clinically available in the Pinnacle3 radiation therapy treatment planning system. Twenty-six clinically delivered head and neck treatment plans were reoptimized with the Auto-Planning module. Comparison of the two types of treatment plans were performed using DVH metrics and a blinded clinical evaluation by two senior radiation oncologists using a scale from one to six. Both evaluations investigated dose coverage of target and dose to healthy tissues. Auto-Planning was able to produce clinically acceptable treatment plans in all 26 cases. Target coverages in the two types of plans were similar, but automatically generated plans had less irradiation of healthy tissue. In 94% of the evaluations, the autoplans scored at least as high as the previously delivered clinical plans. For all patients, the Auto-Planning tool produced clinically acceptable head and neck treatment plans without any manual intervention, except for the initial target and OAR delineations. The main benefit of the method is the likely improvement in the overall treatment quality since consistent, high-quality plans are generated which even can be further optimized, if necessary. This makes it possible for the dosimetrist to focus more time on difficult dose planning goals and to spend less time on the more tedious parts of the planning process. PACS number: 87.55.de.Treatment planning is time‐consuming and the outcome depends on the person performing the optimization. A system that automates treatment planning could potentially reduce the manual time required for optimization and could also provide a method to reduce the variation between persons performing radiation dose planning (dosimetrist) and potentially improve the overall plan quality. This study evaluates the performance of the Auto‐Planning module that has recently become clinically available in the Pinnacle3 radiation therapy treatment planning system. Twenty‐six clinically delivered head and neck treatment plans were reoptimized with the Auto‐Planning module. Comparison of the two types of treatment plans were performed using DVH metrics and a blinded clinical evaluation by two senior radiation oncologists using a scale from one to six. Both evaluations investigated dose coverage of target and dose to healthy tissues. Auto‐Planning was able to produce clinically acceptable treatment plans in all 26 cases. Target coverages in the two types of plans were similar, but automatically generated plans had less irradiation of healthy tissue. In 94% of the evaluations, the autoplans scored at least as high as the previously delivered clinical plans. For all patients, the Auto‐Planning tool produced clinically acceptable head and neck treatment plans without any manual intervention, except for the initial target and OAR delineations. The main benefit of the method is the likely improvement in the overall treatment quality since consistent, high‐quality plans are generated which even can be further optimized, if necessary. This makes it possible for the dosimetrist to focus more time on difficult dose planning goals and to spend less time on the more tedious parts of the planning process. PACS number: 87.55.de

Stereotactic body radiation therapy versus conventional radiation therapy in patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer: An updated retrospective study on local failure and survival rates

Abstract Introduction. Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is now an accepted and patient friendly treatment, but still controversy exists about its comparability to conventional radiation therapy (RT). The purpose of this single-institutional report is to describe survival outcome for medically inoperable patients with early stage NSCLC treated with SBRT compared with high dose conventional RT. Material and methods. From August 2005 to June 2012, 100 medically inoperable patients were treated with SBRT at Odense University Hospital. The thoracic RT consisted of 3 fractions (F) of 15–22 Gy delivered in nine days. For comparison a group of 32 medically inoperable patients treated with conventional RT with 80 Gy/35–40 F (5 F/week) in the period of July 1998 to August 2011 were analyzed. All tumors had histological or cytological proven NSCLC T1-2N0M0. Results. The median overall survival was 36.1 months versus 24.4 months for SBRT and conventional RT, respectively (p = 0.015). Local failure-free survival rates at one year were in SBRT group 93% versus 89% in the conventional RT group and at five years 69% versus 66%, SBRT and conventional RT respectively (p = 0.99). On multivariate analysis, female gender and performance status of 0–1 and SBRT predicted improved prognosis. Conclusion. In a cohort of patients with NSCLC there was a significant difference in overall survival favoring SBRT. Performance status of 0–1, female gender and SBRT predicted improved prognosis. However, staging procedure, confirmation procedure of recurrence and technical improvements of radiation treatment is likely to influence outcomes. However, SBRT seems to be as efficient as conventional RT and is a more convenient treatment for the patients.

Radiation dose response of normal lung assessed by Cone Beam CT – A potential tool for biologically adaptive radiation therapy

BACKGROUND Density changes of healthy lung tissue during radiotherapy as observed by Cone Beam CT (CBCT) might be an early indicator of patient specific lung toxicity. This study investigates the time course of CBCT density changes and tests for a possible correlation with locally delivered dose. METHODS A total of 665 CBCTs in 65 lung cancer patients treated with IMRT/VMAT to 60 or 66 Gy in 2 Gy fractions were analyzed. For each patient, CBCT lung density changes during the treatment course were related to the locally delivered dose. RESULTS A dose response is observed for the patient population at the end of the treatment course. However, the observed dose response is highly variable among patients. Density changes at 10th and 20th fraction are clearly correlated to those observed at the end of the treatment course. CONCLUSIONS CBCT density changes in healthy lung tissue during radiotherapy correlate with the locally delivered dose and can be detected relatively early during the treatment. If these density changes are correlated to subsequent clinical toxicity this assay could form the basis for biological adaptive radiotherapy.

Respiration-Correlated Image Guidance Is the Most Important Radiotherapy Motion Management Strategy for Most Lung Cancer Patients

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to quantify the effects of four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT), 4D image guidance (4D-IG), and beam gating on calculated treatment field margins in a lung cancer patient population. MATERIALS AND METHODS Images were acquired from 46 lung cancer patients participating in four separate protocols at three institutions in Europe and the United States. Seven patients were imaged using fluoroscopy, and 39 patients were imaged using 4DCT. The magnitude of respiratory tumor motion was measured. The required treatment field margins were calculated using a statistical recipe (van Herk M, et al. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2000;474:1121-1135), with magnitudes of all uncertainties, except respiratory peak-to-peak displacement, the same for all patients, taken from literature. Required margins for respiratory motion management were calculated using the residual respiratory tumor motion for each patient for various motion management strategies. Margin reductions for respiration management were calculated using 4DCT, 4D-IG, and gated beam delivery. RESULTS The median tumor motion magnitude was 4.4 mm for the 46 patients (range 0-29.3 mm). This value corresponded to required treatment field margins of 13.7 to 36.3 mm (median 14.4 mm). The use of 4DCT, 4D-IG, and beam gating required margins that were reduced by 0 to 13.9 mm (median 0.5 mm), 3 to 5.2 mm (median 5.1 mm), and 0 to 7 mm (median 0.2 mm), respectively, to a total of 8.5 to 12.4 mm (median 8.6 mm). CONCLUSION A respiratory management strategy for lung cancer radiotherapy including planning on 4DCT scans and daily image guidance provides a potential reduction of 37% to 47% in treatment field margins. The 4D image guidance strategy was the most effective strategy for >85% of the patients.