RESUMEN
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The purpose of this work was a comparison of realistic IMRT plans based on the same CT-image data set and a common predefined set of dose objectives for the planning target volume and the organs at risk. This work was part of the larger European QUASIMODO IMRT verification project. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eleven IMRT plans were produced by nine different European groups, each applying a representative set of clinically used IMRT treatment planning systems. The plans produced were to be deliverable in a clinically acceptable treatment time with the local technical equipment. All plans were characterized using a set of different quality measures such as dose-volume histograms, number of monitor units and treatment time. RESULTS: Only one plan was able to fulfil all dose objectives strictly; six plans failed some of the objectives but were still considered to be clinically acceptable; four plans were not able to reach the objectives. Additional quality scores such as the number of monitor units and treatment time showed large variations, which mainly depend on the delivery technique. CONCLUSION: The presented planning study showed that with nearly all presently available IMRT planning and delivery systems comparable dose distributions could be achieved if the planning goals are clearly defined in advance.
Asunto(s)
Garantía de la Calidad de Atención de Salud , Radioterapia/métodos , Radioterapia/normas , Antropometría , Fraccionamiento de la Dosis de Radiación , Europa (Continente) , Humanos , Neoplasias/radioterapia , Radiometría , Reproducibilidad de los ResultadosRESUMEN
Shielded p-silicon diodes, frequently applied in general photon-beam dosimetry, show certain imperfections when applied in the small photon fields occurring in stereotactic or intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), in electron beams and in the buildup region of photon beam dose distributions. Using as a study object the shielded p-silicon diode PTW 60008, well known for its reliable performance in general photon dosimetry, we have identified these imperfections as effects of electron scattering at the metallic parts of the shielding. In order to overcome these difficulties a new, unshielded diode PTW 60012 has been designed and manufactured by PTW Freiburg. By comparison with reference detectors, such as thimble and plane-parallel ionization chambers and a diamond detector, we could show the absence of these imperfections. An excellent performance of the new unshielded diode for the special dosimetric tasks in small photon fields, electron beams and build-up regions of photon beams has been observed. The new diode also has an improved angular response. However, due to its over-response to low-energy scattered photons, its recommended range of use does not include output factor measurements in large photon fields, although this effect can be compensated by a thin auxiliary lead shield.
Asunto(s)
Electrones/uso terapéutico , Fotones/uso terapéutico , Radiometría/métodos , Silicio , Fenómenos Biofísicos , Biofisica , Humanos , Radiocirugia , Planificación de la Radioterapia Asistida por Computador , Radioterapia de Intensidad Modulada , Dispersión de RadiaciónRESUMEN
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: An increasing number of radiotherapy centres is now aiming for clinical implementation of intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), but--in contrast to conventional treatment--no national or international guidelines for commissioning of the treatment planning system (TPS) and acceptance tests of treatment equipment have yet been developed. This paper bundles the experience of five radiotherapy departments that have introduced IMRT into their clinical routine. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The five radiotherapy departments are using similar configurations since they adopted the commercially available Varian solution for IMRT, regarding treatment planning as well as treatment delivery. All are using the sliding window technique. Different approaches towards the derivation of the multileaf collimator (MLC) parameters required for the configuration of the TPS are described. A description of the quality control procedures for the dynamic MLC, including their respective frequencies, is given. For the acceptance of the TPS for IMRT multiple quality control plans were developed on a variety of phantoms, testing the flexibility of the inverse planning modules to produce the desired dose pattern as well as assessing the accuracy of the dose calculation. Regarding patient treatment verification, all five centres perform dosimetric pre-treatment verification of the treatment fields, be it on a single field or on a total plan procedure. During the actual treatment, the primary focus is on patient positioning rather than dosimetry. Intracavitary in vivo measurements were performed in special cases. RESULT AND CONCLUSION: The configurational MLC parameters obtained through different methods are not identical for all centres, but the observed variations have shown to be of no significant clinical relevance. The quality control (QC) procedures for the dMLC have not detected any discrepancies since their initiation, demonstrating the reliability of the MLC controller. The development of geometrically simple QC plans to test the inverse planning, the dynamic MLC modules and the final dose calculation has proven to be useful in pointing out the need to remodel the single pencil beam scatter kernels in some centres. The final correspondence between calculated and measured dose was found to be satisfactory by all centres, for QC test plans as well as for pre-treatment verification of clinical IMRT fields. An intercomparison of the man hours needed per patient plan verification reveals a substantial variation depending on the type of measurements performed.
Asunto(s)
Planificación de la Radioterapia Asistida por Computador/métodos , Planificación de la Radioterapia Asistida por Computador/normas , Humanos , Fantasmas de Imagen , Control de Calidad , Dosificación Radioterapéutica/normas , Planificación de la Radioterapia Asistida por Computador/instrumentaciónRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Local failure is the one of the most frequent cause of tumor related death in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LAD-NSCLC). Dose escalation has the promise of increased loco-regional tumor control but is limited by the tolerances of critical organs. PATIENTS AND METHODS: To evaluate the potential of IMRT in comparison to conventional three-dimensional conformal planning (3DCRT) dose constraints were defined: Maximum dose (D(max)) to spinal cord < 48 Gy, mean lung dose 70 Gy in not more than 5 cm of the total length. For ten patients two plans were compared: (1) 3DCRT with 5 weekly fractions (SD) of 2 Gy to a total dose (TD) of 50 Gy to the planning target volume of second order (PTV2). If the tolerance of the critical organs was not exceeded, patients get a boost plan with a higher TD to the PTV1. (2) IMRT: concomitant boost with 5 weekly SD of 2 Gy (PTV1) and 1.5 Gy to a partial (p)PTV (pPTV=PTV2 profile of a line PTV1) to a TD of 51 Gy to the pPTV and 68 Gy to the PTV1. If possible, patients get a boost plan to the PTV1 with 5 weekly SD of 2 Gy to the highest possibly TD. RESULTS: Using 3DCRT, 3/10 patients could not be treated with TD > 50 Gy, but 9/10 patients get higher TD by IMRT. TD to the PTV1 could be escalated by 16% on average. The use of non-coplanar fields in IMRT lead to a reduction of the irradiated lung volume. There is a strong correlation between physical and biological mean lung doses. CONCLUSION: IMRT gives the possibility of further dose escalation without an increasing mean lung dose especially in patients with large tumors.