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Purpose The main aim of this study is to validate the Acuros XB dose calculation algorithm for a Varian Clinac iX linac in our clinics, and subsequently compare it with the wildely used AAA algorithm. Methods and materials The source models for both Acuros XB and AAA were configured by importing the same measured beam data into Eclipse treatment planning system. Both algorithms were validated by comparing calculated dose with measured dose on a homogeneous water phantom for field sizes ranging from 6 cm × 6 cm to 40 cm × 40 cm. Central axis and off-axis points with different depths were chosen for the comparison. In addition, the accuracy of Acuros was evaluated for wedge fields with wedge angles from 15 to 60°. Similarly, variable field sizes for an inhomogeneous phantom were chosen to validate the Acuros algorithm. In addition, doses calculated by Acuros and AAA at the center of lung equivalent tissue from three different VMAT plans were compared to the ion chamber measured doses in QUASAR phantom, and the calculated dose distributions by the two algorithms and their differences on patients were compared. Computation time on VMAT plans was also evaluated for Acuros and AAA. Differences between dose-to-water (calculated by AAA and Acuros XB) and dose-to-medium (calculated by Acuros XB) on patient plans were compared and evaluated. Results For open 6 MV photon beams on the homogeneous water phantom, both Acuros XB and AAA calculations were within 1% of measurements. For 23 MV photon beams, the calculated doses were within 1.5% of measured doses for Acuros XB and 2% for AAA. Testing on the inhomogeneous phantom demonstrated that AAA overestimated doses by up to 8.96% at a point close to lung/solid water interface, while Acuros XB reduced that to 1.64%. The test on QUASAR phantom showed that Acuros achieved better agreement in lung equivalent tissue while AAA underestimated dose for all VMAT plans by up to 2.7%. Acuros XB computation time was about three times faster than AAA for VMAT plans, and computation time for other plans will be discussed at the end. Maximum difference between dose calculated by AAA and dose-to-medium by Acuros XB (Acuros_Dm,m) was 4.3% on patient plans at the isocenter, and maximum difference between D100 calculated by AAA and by Acuros_Dm,m was 11.3%. When calculating the maximum dose to spinal cord on patient plans, differences between dose calculated by AAA and Acuros_Dm,m were more than 3%. Conclusion Compared with AAA, Acuros XB improves accuracy in the presence of inhomogeneity, and also significantly reduces computation time for VMAT plans. Dose differences between AAA and Acuros_Dw,m were generally less than the dose differences between AAA and Acuros_Dm,m. Clinical practitioners should consider making Acuros XB available in clinics, however, further investigation and clarification is needed about which dose reporting mode (dose-to-water or dose-to-medium) should be used in clinics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work quantified differences between recommendations of the TG-51 and TG-51 addendum reference dosimetry protocols. Reference dosimetry was performed for flattened photon beams with nominal energies of 6, 10, 15, and 23 MV, as well as flattening-filter free ( FFF) beam energies of 6 and 10 MV, following the recommendations of both the TG-51 and TG-51 addendum protocols using both a Farmer® ionization chamber and a scanning ionization chamber with calibration coefficients traceable to absorbed dose-to-water ( Dw) standards. Differences in Dw determined by the two protocols were 0.1%-0.3% for beam energies with a flattening filter, and up to 0.2% and 0.8% for FFF beams measured with the scanning and Farmer® ionization chambers, respectively, due to kQ determination, volume-averaging correction, and collimator jaw setting. Combined uncertainty was between 0.91% and 1.2% ( k = 1), varying by protocol and detector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We developed a four‐dimensional volumetric modulated arc therapy (4D VMAT) planning technique for moving targets using a direct aperture deformation (DAD) method and investigated its feasibility for clinical use. A 3D VMAT plan was generated on a reference phase of a 4D CT dataset. The plan was composed of a set of control points including the beam angle, MLC apertures and weights. To generate the 4D VMAT plan, these control points were assigned to the closest respiratory phases using the temporal information of the gantry angle and respiratory curve. Then, a DAD algorithm was used to deform the beam apertures at each control point to the corresponding phase to compensate for the tumor motion and shape changes. Plans for a phantom and five lung cases were included in this study to evaluate the proposed technique. Dosimetric comparisons were performed between 4D and 3D VMAT plans. Plan verification was implemented by delivering the 4D VMAT plans on a moving QUASAR™ phantom driven with patient‐specific respiratory curves. The phantom study showed that the 4D VMAT plan generated with the DAD method was comparable to the ideal 3D VMAT plan. DVH comparisons indicated that the planning target volume (PTV) coverages and minimum doses were nearly invariant, and no significant difference in lung dosimetry was observed. Patient studies revealed that the GTV coverage was nearly the same; although the PTV coverage dropped from 98.8% to 94.7%, and the mean dose decreased from 64.3 to 63.8 Gy on average. For the verification measurements, the average gamma index pass rate was 98.6% and 96.5% for phantom 3D and 4D VMAT plans with 3%/3 mm criteria. For patient plans, the average gamma pass rate was 96.5% (range 94.5–98.5%) and 95.2% (range 94.1–96.1%) for 3D and 4D VMAT plans. The proposed 4D VMAT planning technique using the DAD method is feasible to incorporate the intra‐fraction organ motion and shape change into a 4D VMAT planning. It has great potential to provide high plan quality and delivery efficiency for moving targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In prostate permanent implants using 131Cs seeds, the prostatic edema developed during the implantation procedure, increases the separation between the seeds. This leads to a decrease in the prostate coverage and thus causes an edema induced dose reduction, which results in an increase in tumour cell surviving fraction (SF) with a corresponding decrease in tumour control probability (TCP). To investigate the impact of edema on the SF and the TCP, the expression of the SF of the linear quadratic (LQ) model was extended to account for the effects of edema using the exponential nature of edema resolution and the dose delivered to the edematous prostate. The SF and the TCP for edematous prostate implants were calculated for 31 patients who underwent real time 131Cs permanent seed implantation. The dose delivered to the edematous prostate was calculated to compute the SF and the TCP for these patients for edema half lives (EHL) ranging from 4 days to 34 days and for edemas of magnitudes (M0) varying from 5 to 60% of the actual prostate volume.A reduction in the dose delivered to the edematous prostate was found with the increase of EHL and edema magnitude which results in an increase of the SF, and corresponding decrease in the TCP. The dose reductions in 131Cs implants varied from 1.1% (for EHL = 4 days and M0 = 5%) to 32.3% (for EHL = 34 days and M0 = 60%). These are higher than the dose reduction in 125I implants, which vary from 0.3% (for EHL = 4 days and M0 = 5%) to 17.5% (for EHL = 34 days and M0 = 60%). As edema half life increased from 4 days to 34 days and edema magnitude increased from 5 to 60% the SF increased by 4.57 log, and the TCP decreased by 0.80. Compensation of edema induced increase in the SF and decrease in the TCP in 131Cs seed implants should be carefully done by redefining seed positions with the guidance of post-needle plans. The presented model in this study can be used to estimate the SF or the TCP for pre plan or real time permanent prostate implants using day 0 post-implant CT images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dosimetric characteristics of each sector of the Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion (LGK PFX) and to develop tests that can be done for the routine quality assurance checks of the sectors of the LGK PFX. Methods: The following tests were performed to evaluate the dosimetric characteristics of the sectors: (1) Flash-radiation dose for the 16 mm collimator, (2) transit-radiation dose for the 8 and 4 mm collimators, (3) sector leakage within the radiation cavity and, (4) sector output uniformity. In these tests, the Elekta ABS phantom was used. A micropoint ion-chamber Exradin A16 was placed at the center of the phantom for all measurements. Results: With the version 8.0 of the control software of the MCU in the LGK PFX, the average flash-radiation dose per sector for the 16 mm collimator was measured to be 0.423 ± 0.003 cGy, and the average transit-radiation dose per sector for the 8 and 4 mm collimators was measured to be 0.169 ± 0.0009 and 0.147 ± 0.020 cGy, respectively. The calibration dose rate on the day of measurements was 280.8 cGy/min. Here, the authors have introduced a new concept of 'equivalent-time-duration' (ETD) to represent the time duration, during which the flash-radiation or the transit-radiation dose is delivered. The ETD is a quotient of the measured dose of the flash-radiation or the transit-radiation and the respective calibrated dose rate for the 16, 8, or 4 mm collimator. The ETD constancy is an indicator of the constancy of the sector movements. The average value of ETD per sector was measured to be 724 ± 6, 313 ± 2, and 311 ± 45 ms for the 16, 8, and 4 mm collimators, respectively. During monthly spot checks, the authors have been measuring the total ETD for the flash-radiation when all eight sectors are open with the 16 mm collimator. The average value of the total ETD of the last 40 consecutive months was measured to be 642 ± 10 ms. This number is a useful quality parameter for the LGK PFX, which can be used to establish the base-line performance of the collimators of the LGK PFX. The reader is alerted that with the newly introduced version 9.0 of the control software of the MCU in the LGK PFX, the flash-radiation and the transit-radiation doses have become practically zero due to the fact that the treatment time is now corrected to compensate for these radiation doses. The sector output uniformity for the 16, 8, and 4 mm collimators was determined to be 98.9%, 97.3%, and 96.6%, respectively. The total leakage radiation with in the radiation cavity from all sectors was measured to be 0.17% of the dose output for the 16 mm collimator. Conclusions: Our measurements show that the dosimetric characteristics of all sectors of the LGK PFX are satisfactory. The authors recommend that the sector performance of the LGK PFX be determined initially at the time of installation of the LGK PFX and thereafter, at least annually. Similarly, our recommendation is that the total flash-radiation dose for the 16 mm collimator and the corresponding ETD value be measured on a monthly basis. Should any change in the sector movement occur, it will be revealed by the sector performance and the measurement of ETD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: On-board cone-beam CT (CBCT) imaging has been widely available in radiotherapy clinic for target localization. However, the extra radiation dose from CBCT is always a concern for its frequent use. Additionally, the relatively large scatter in CBCT often degrades the image quality. By using collimators, some of the X-rays can be stopped from reaching the patient and the detectors, hence both the scatter and the patient doses are simultaneously reduced. The authors show in this work that the collimated CBCT data can be reconstructed without any noticeable artifacts for certain collimator blocking ratios and blocking patterns, and the focus of this work is to study the relationship between the image quality and these two collimator factors. Methods: A CBCT system with collimators was simulated following the typical geometry used in clinic. Different collimator designs were tested by varying the size and the number of the collimator slits, and at the same time, the ratio of transmitted beams to total beams was varied from 100% to 10%, resulting in hundreds of different simulation scenarios. Lung and pelvis phantoms created from patients CT images were used in the simulations, and an iterative reconstruction algorithm using the compressed sensing technique was adopted. The image quality was examined by root mean square errors (RMSEs) and compared with the conventional CBCT images. Results: The CBCT image quality increases as the amount of beams passing through the collimators increases, and decreases as the size of the collimator slits increases. With ultra-high resolution collimators, the RMSEs were comparable to the conventional CBCT image quality until the beam transmission rate is reduced below 25%. Conclusions: Collimators can reduce the scatters and radiation dose, however, the collimated CBCT image quality is strongly dependent on both the collimator blocking ratio and the blocking pattern. To achieve image quality comparable to the conventional CBCT, the amount of information and data format must be adequate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) has been proposed for the palliation of painful vertebral bone metastases because higher radiation doses may result in superior and more durable pain control. A phase III clinical trial (Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 0631) comparing single fraction SBRT with single fraction external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) in palliative treatment of painful vertebral bone metastases is now ongoing. We performed a cost-effectiveness analysis to compare these strategies. Methods and Materials A Markov model, using a 1-month cycle over a lifetime horizon, was developed to compare the cost-effectiveness of SBRT (16 or 18 Gy in 1 fraction) with that of 8 Gy in 1 fraction of EBRT. Transition probabilities, quality of life utilities, and costs associated with SBRT and EBRT were captured in the model. Costs were based on Medicare reimbursement in 2014. Strategies were compared using the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), and effectiveness was measured in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). To account for uncertainty, 1-way, 2-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. Strategies were evaluated with a willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of $100,000 per QALY gained. Results Base case pain relief after the treatment was assumed as 20% higher in SBRT. Base case treatment costs for SBRT and EBRT were $9000 and $1087, respectively. In the base case analysis, SBRT resulted in an ICER of $124,552 per QALY gained. In 1-way sensitivity analyses, results were most sensitive to variation of the utility of unrelieved pain; the utility of relieved pain after initial treatment and median survival were also sensitive to variation. If median survival is ≥11 months, SBRT cost <$100,000 per QALY gained. Conclusion SBRT for palliation of vertebral bone metastases is not cost-effective compared with EBRT at a $100,000 per QALY gained WTP threshold. However, if median survival is ≥11 months, SBRT costs ≤$100,000 per QALY gained, suggesting that selective SBRT use in patients with longer expected survival may be the most cost-effective approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The purpose of this work is to investigate the dosimetric influence of the residual rotational setup errors on head and neck carcinoma (HNC) intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with routine 3 translational setup corrections and the adequacy of this routine correction. A total of 66 kV cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) image sets were acquired on the first day of treatment and weekly thereafter for 10 patients with HNC and were registered with the corresponding planning CT images, using 2 3-dimensional (3D) rigid registration methods. Method 1 determines the translational setup errors only, and method 2 determines 6-degree (6D) setup errors, i.e., both rotational and translational setup errors. The 6D setup errors determined by method 2 were simulated in the treatment planning system and were then corrected using the corresponding translational data determined by method 1. For each patient, dose distributions for 6 to 7 fractions with various setup uncertainties were generated, and a plan sum was created to determine the total dose distribution through an entire course and was compared with the original treatment plan. The average rotational setup errors were 0.7°± 1.0°, 0.1°±1.9°, and 0.3°±0.7° around left-right (LR), anterior-posterior (AP), and superior-inferior (SI) axes, respectively. With translational corrections determined by method 1 alone, the dose deviation could be large from fraction to fraction. For a certain fraction, the decrease in prescription dose coverage (Vp) and the dose that covers 95% of target volume (D95) could be up to 15.8% and 13.2% for planning target volume (PTV), and the decrease in Vp and the dose that covers 98% of target volume (D98) could be up to 9.8% and 5.5% for the clinical target volume (CTV). However, for the entire treatment course, for PTV, the plan sum showed that the average Vp was decreased by 4.2% and D95 was decreased by 1.2Gy for the first phase of IMRT with a prescription dose of 50Gy. For CTV, the plan sum showed that the average Vp was decreased by 0.8% and D98, relative to prescription dose, was not decreased. Among these 10 patients, the plan sum showed that the dose to 1-cm3 spinal cord () increased no more than 1Gy for 7 patients and more than 2Gy for 2 patients. The average increase in was 1.2Gy. The study shows that, with translational setup error correction, the overall CTV Vp has a minor decrease with a 5-mm margin from CTV to PTV. For the spinal cord, a noticeable dose increase was observed for some patients. So to decide whether the routine clinical translational setup error correction is adequate for this HNC IMRT technique, the dosimetric influence of rotational setup errors should be evaluated carefully from case to case when organs at risk are in close proximity to the target. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]