Characterization and clinical evaluation of a novel 2D detector array for conventional and flattening filter free (FFF) IMRT pre-treatment verification

Background and purpose

The novel MatriXX^FFF (IBA Dosimetry, Germany) detector is a new 2D ionization chamber detector array designed for patient specific IMRT-plan verification including flattening-filter-free (FFF) beams. This study provides a detailed analysis of the characterization and clinical evaluation of the new detector array.

Dosimetry audit for a multi-centre IMRT head and neck trial

Background and purpose

PARSPORT was a multi-centre randomised trial in the UK which compared Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) and conventional radiotherapy (CRT) for patients with head and neck cancer. The dosimetry audit goals were to verify the plan delivery in participating centres, ascertain what tolerances were suitable for head and neck IMRT trials and develop an IMRT credentialing program.

Materials and methods

Centres enrolling patients underwent rigorous quality assurance before joining the trial. Following this each centre was visited for a dosimetry audit, which consisted of treatment planning system tests, fluence verification films, combined field films and dose point measurements.

Results

Mean dose point measurements were made at six centres. For the primary planning target volume (PTV) the differences with the planned values for the IMRT and CRT arms were −0.6% (1.8% to −2.4%) and 0.7% (2.0% to −0.9%), respectively. Ninety-four percent of the IMRT fluence films for individual fields passed gamma criterion of 3%/3 mm and 75% of the films for combined fields passed gamma criterion 4%/3 mm (no significant difference between dynamic delivery and step and shoot delivery).

Conclusions

This audit suggests that a 3% tolerance could be applied for PTV point doses. For dose distributions tolerances of 3%/3 mm on individual fields and 4%/3 mm for combined fields are proposed for multi-centre head and neck IMRT trials.     

Clinical introduction of a linac head-mounted 2D detector array based quality assurance system in head and neck IMRT

Background and purpose

IMRT QA is commonly performed in a phantom geometry but the clinical interpretation of the results in a 2D phantom plane is difficult. The main objective of our work is to move from film measurement based QA to 3D dose reconstruction in a patient CT scan. In principle, this could be achieved using a dose reconstruction method from 2D detector array measurements as available in the COMPASS system (IBA Dosimetry). The first step in the clinical introduction of this system instead of the currently used film QA procedures is to test the reliability of the dose reconstruction. In this paper we investigated the validation of the method in a homogeneous phantom with the film QA procedure as a reference. We tested whether COMPASS QA results correctly identified treatment plans that did or did not fulfil QA requirements in head and neck (H&N) IMRT.

Materials and methods

A total number of 24 treatments were selected from an existing database with more than 100 film based H&N IMRT QA results. The QA results were classified as either good, just acceptable or clinically rejected (mean gamma index <0.4, 0.4-0.5 or >0.5, respectively with 3%/3 mm criteria). Film QA was repeated and compared to COMPASS QA with a MatriXX detector measurement performed on the same day.

Results

Good agreement was found between COMPASS reconstructed dose and film measured dose in a phantom (mean gamma 0.83 ± 0.09, 1SD with 1%/1 mm criteria, 0.33 ± 0.04 with 3%/3 mm criteria). COMPASS QA results correlated well with film QA, identifying the same patients with less good QA results. Repeated measurements with film and COMPASS showed changes in delivery after a modified MLC calibration, also visible in a standard MLC check in COMPASS. The time required for QA reduced by half by using COMPASS instead of film.

Conclusions

Agreement of COMPASS QA results with film based QA supports its clinical introduction for a phantom geometry. A standard MLC calibration check is sensitive to <1 mm changes that could be significant in H&N IMRT. These findings offer opportunities to further investigate the method based on a 2D detector array to 3D dose reconstruction in a patient anatomy.     

Image-guided in vivo dosimetry for quality assurance of IMRT treatment for prostate cancer

PURPOSE: In external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and especially in intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), the accuracy of the dose distribution in the patient is of utmost importance. It was investigated whether image guided in vivo dosimetry in the rectum is a reliable method for online dose verification. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Twenty-one dose measurements were performed with an ionization chamber in the rectum of 7 patients undergoing IMRT for prostate cancer. The position of the probe was determined with cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). The point of measurement was determined relative to the isocenter and relative to an anatomic reference point. The dose deviations relative to the corresponding doses in the treatment plan were calculated. With an offline CT soft-tissue match, patient positioning after ultrasound was verified. RESULTS: The mean magnitude +/- standard deviation (SD) of patient positioning errors was 3.0 +/- 2.5 mm, 5.1 +/- 4.9 mm, and 4.3 +/- 2.4 mm in the left-right, anteroposterior and craniocaudal direction. The dose deviations in points at corresponding positions relative to the isocenter were -1.4 +/- 4.9% (mean +/- SD). The mean dose deviation at corresponding anatomic positions was 6.5 +/- 21.6%. In the rare event of insufficient patient positioning, dose deviations could be >30% because of the close proximity of the probe and the posterior dose gradient. CONCLUSIONS: Image-guided dosimetry in the rectum during IMRT of the prostate is a feasible and reliable direct method for dose verification when probe position is effectively controlled.     

Evaluation of DVH-based treatment plan verification in addition to gamma passing rates for head and neck IMRT

Background and purpose

Treatment plan verification of intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) is generally performed with the gamma index (GI) evaluation method, which is difficult to extrapolate to clinical implications. Incorporating Dose Volume Histogram (DVH) information can compensate for this. The aim of this study was to evaluate DVH-based treatment plan verification in addition to the GI evaluation method for head and neck IMRT.

Materials and methods

Dose verifications of 700 subsequent head and neck cancer IMRT treatment plans were categorised according to gamma and DVH-based action levels. Fractionation dependent absolute dose limits were chosen. The results of the gamma- and DVH-based evaluations were compared to the decision of the medical physicist and/or radiation oncologist for plan acceptance.

Results

Nearly all treatment plans (99.7%) were accepted for treatment according to the GI evaluation combined with DVH-based verification. Two treatment plans were re-planned according to DVH-based verification, which would have been accepted using the evaluation alone. DVH-based verification increased insight into dose delivery to patient specific structures increasing confidence that the treatment plans were clinically acceptable. Moreover, DVH-based action levels clearly distinguished the role of the medical physicist and radiation oncologist within the Quality Assurance (QA) procedure.

Conclusions

DVH-based treatment plan verification complements the GI evaluation method improving head and neck IMRT-QA.     

The quality assurance process for the ARTSCAN head and neck study – A practical interactive approach for QA in 3DCRT and IMRT

AIM: This paper describes the quality assurance (QA) work performed in the Swedish multicenter ARTSCAN (Accelerated RadioTherapy of Squamous cell CArcinomas in the head and Neck) trial to guarantee high quality in a multicenter study which involved modern radiotherapy such as 3DCRT or IMRT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was closed in June 2006 with 750 randomised patients. Radiation therapy-related data for every patient were sent by each participating centre to the QA office where all trial data were reviewed, analysed and stored. In case of any deviation from the protocol, an interactive process was started between the QA office and the local responsible clinician and/or physicist to increase the compliance to the protocol for future randomised patients. Meetings and workshops were held on a regular basis for discussions on various trial-related issues and for the QA office to report on updated results. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: This review covers the 734 patients out of a total of 750 who had entered the study. Deviations early in the study were corrected so that the overall compliance to the protocol was very high. There were only negligible variations in doses and dose distributions to target volumes for each specific site and stage. The quality of the treatments was high. Furthermore, an extensive database of treatment parameters was accumulated for future dose-volume vs. endpoint evaluations. CONCLUSIONS: This comprehensive QA programme increased the probability to draw firm conclusions from our study and may serve as a concept for QA work in future radiotherapy trials where comparatively small effects are searched for in a heterogeneous tumour population.     

The design and testing of novel clinical parameters for dose comparison

PURPOSE: New multidimensional dose comparison parameters, normalized agreement test (NAT) values and the NAT index, are introduced and compared with an ideal dose comparison parameter. In this article, we analyze a clinically based two-dimensional (2D) quantitative dose comparison case using a wide range of new and old comparison tools. In doing so, we address the benefits and limitations of many common dose comparison tools. METHODS AND MATERIALS: An in-house software program was developed using the MATLAB 6.5 programming language. Using this software, several 2D quantitative dose comparison parameters were calculated for the computed and measured dose distributions in an intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) prostate cancer treatment. The experiences gained in the design and testing of this software program form the basis of the dose comparison tool analysis. RESULTS: Each dose comparison tool has unique strengths and weaknesses. The underlying assumptions of the NAT values and NAT index lead to acceptable generalized behavior, but are not always valid. CONCLUSION: A thorough 2D quantitative dose comparison analysis can only be accomplished through the use of many dose comparison tools. The introduction of the NAT index allows a 2D dose comparison to be reduced to a single value, and is thus ideal for setting clinical acceptance criteria for IMRT verifications.     

Implementation of high resolution single nucleotide polymorphism array analysis as a clinical test for patients with hematologic malignancies

Single nucleotide polymorphism-based oligonucleotide arrays have been used as a research tool to detect genomic copy number changes and allelic imbalance in a variety of hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. The high resolution, genome-wide coverage, minimal DNA requirements, and relatively short turnaround time are advantageous for use in a clinical setting. We validated the Illumina HumanHap550 BeadChip array for clinical use by analyzing 127 pediatric leukemia and lymphoma samples that had previously been characterized by means of standard cytogenetic analysis and fluorescence in situ hybridization. A higher resolution Illumina HumanHap610 BeadChip array was ultimately used for clinical testing. To date, 180 samples from children with a suspected or confirmed hematologic malignancy have been analyzed. Of the 180 clinical samples, 130 (72%) bone marrow or lymphoma specimens had aberrations revealed by the array that were not seen in the karyotypes. These typically included deletions in genes associated with B- or T-cell malignancies, such as CDKN2A/B, PAX5, and IKZF1. There were also 75 regions of copy number neutral loss of heterozygosity (>5 Mb threshold) detected in 49 samples in this cohort, which could be categorized as constitutional or acquired abnormalities. On the basis of our experience in the last 2 years, we suggest that single nucleotide polymorphism arrays are a valuable addition to, but not a replacement for, standard cytogenetic approaches for hematologic malignancies.     

后装放疗剂量验证软件研究

目的 报道一套独立后装放疗剂量验证软件的实现方法和结果。方法 后装放疗剂量验证软件采用模块化结构设计,以Visual C++为开发平台,剂量计算算法采用AAPM TG 43报告推荐的公式。回顾性选择已完成治疗的宫颈癌患者6例,每例患者都使用了不同的施源器,用剂量体积直方图参数和γ通过率(0.1cm,5%)评估验证软件和计划系统剂量计算结果的偏差。结果 与计划系统剂量计算结果相比,验证软件剂量计算结果的γ通过率均>98%。靶区D100%和D90%的偏差最大值分别为0.29%和0.53%,危及器官D0.1cm³、D1cm³、D2cm³的偏差均<0.5%。结论 仅需极少的人机交互,该剂量验证软件能验证后装临床治疗计划剂量计算的准确性。     

后装放疗剂量验证软件研究

目的 报道一套独立后装放疗剂量验证软件的实现方法和结果。方法 后装放疗剂量验证软件采用模块化结构设计,以Visual C++为开发平台,剂量计算算法采用AAPM TG 43报告推荐的公式。回顾性选择已完成治疗的宫颈癌患者6例,每例患者都使用了不同的施源器,用剂量体积直方图参数和γ通过率(0.1cm,5%)评估验证软件和计划系统剂量计算结果的偏差。结果 与计划系统剂量计算结果相比,验证软件剂量计算结果的γ通过率均>98%。靶区D100%和D90%的偏差最大值分别为0.29%和0.53%,危及器官D0.1cm³、D1cm³、D2cm³的偏差均<0.5%。结论 仅需极少的人机交互,该剂量验证软件能验证后装临床治疗计划剂量计算的准确性。     

Simulation of realistic linac motion improves the accuracy of a Monte Carlo based VMAT plan QA system

Purpose

To investigate the use of a software-based pre-treatment QA system for VMAT, which incorporates realistic linac motion during delivery.

Methods

A beam model was produced using the GATE platform for GEANT4 Monte Carlo dose calculations. Initially validated against static measurements, the model was then integrated with a VMAT delivery emulator, which reads plan files and generates a set of dynamic delivery instructions analogous to the linac control system. Monte Carlo simulations were compared to measurements on dosimetric phantoms for prostate and head and neck VMAT plans. Comparisons were made between calculations using fixed control points, and simulations of continuous motion utilising the emulator. For routine use, the model was incorporated into an automated pre-treatment QA system.

Results

The model showed better agreement with measurements when incorporating linac motion: mean gamma pass (Γ < 1) over 5 prostate plans was 100.0% at 3%/3 mm and 97.4% at 2%/2 mm when compared to measurement. For the head and neck plans, delivered to the anatomical phantom, gamma passes were 99.4% at 4%/4 mm and 94.94% at 3%/3 mm. For example simulations within patient CT data, gamma passes were observed which are within our centre’s tolerance for pre-treatment QA.

Conclusions

Through comparison to phantom measurements, it was found that the incorporation of a realistic linac motion improves the accuracy of the model compared to the simulation of fixed control points. The ability to accurately calculate dose as a second check of the planning system, and determine realistic delivery characteristics, may allow for the reduction of machine-based pre-treatment plan QA for VMAT.     

ArcCHECK系统在食管癌螺旋断层放疗计划验证中的应用

目的 探讨ArcCHECK系统在食管癌断层治疗旋转照射和固定野照射计划验证中的应用,总结相关经验。方法 对32例不同部位食管癌分别制作Helical旋转照射和Direct固定野照射验证计划,并通过ArcCHECK测量、分析,对比验证结果通过率。分析靶体积与计划验证通过率的相关性。将靶体积较小的治疗验证计划分别放在ArcCHECK模体中心和外周探测点处,分析验证通过率差异。结果 Helical计划验证通过率高于Direct计划(P<0.01),其靶体积与验证通过率的相关系数分别为-0.364和-0.042,P值分别为0.041和0.819。Helical计划采用3%/2mm标准时,高剂量区放在模体中心和外周探测点处测得的通过率不同(P=0.005),后者通过率更高;采用3%/3mm标准时与Direct计划的3%/3m、3%/2mm标准的相近(P均>0.05)。结论 Helical计划验证通过率普遍高于Direct计划,原因可能与ArcCHECK探测器的角度响应以及因更多参考点受到低剂量辐射而未参与计算有关,另外还可能跟Direct计划对断层治疗剂量控制系统要求更高有关。在Helical验证计划中,当采用3%/3mm标准时,靶体积越大,验证时出现较低通过率的可能性增加,但相关系数较低。验证计划的高剂量区位于模体中心或者探测点处都可以实现计划验证,综合考量建议放在模体等中心处。     

Design of and technical challenges involved in a framework for multicentric radiotherapy treatment planning studies

This report introduces a framework for comparing radiotherapy treatment planning in multicentric in silico clinical trials. Quality assurance, data incompatibility, transfer and storage issues, and uniform analysis of results are discussed. The solutions that are given provide a useful guide for the set-up of future multicentric planning studies or public repositories of high quality data.