Comparison of mega-voltage cone-beam computed tomography prostate localization with online ultrasound and fiducial markers methods

The online image-guided localization data from 696 ultrasound (US), 598 mega-voltage cone-beam computed tomography (MV-CBCT), and 393 seed markers (SMs) couch alignments for patients undergoing intensity modulation radiotherapy of the prostate were analyzed. Daily US, MV-CBCT and SM images were acquired for 19, 17 and 12 patients, respectively, after each patient was immobilized in a vacuum cradle and setup to skin markers as the center of mass. The couch shifts applied in the lateral (left-right/LR), vertical (anterior-posterior/AP), and longitudinal (superior-inferior/SI) directions, along with the magnitude of the three-dimensional (3D) shift vector, were analyzed and compared for all three methods. The percentage of shifts larger than 5 mm in all directions was also compared. Clinical target volume-planning target volume (CTV-to-PTV) expansion margins were estimated based on the localization data with US, CB, and SM image guidance. Results show the US data have greater variability. Systematic and random shifts were -1.2 +/- 6.8 mm (LR), -2.8 +/- 5.1 mm (SI) and -1.0 +/- 5.9 mm (AP) for US, 1.0 +/- 3.9 mm (LR), -1.3 +/- 2.5 mm (SI) and -0.3 +/- 3.9 mm (AP) for CB, and -1.0 +/- 3.4 mm (LR), 0.0 +/- 3.4 mm (SI) and 0.5 +/- 4.1 mm (AP) for SM. The mean 3D shift distance was larger using US (8.8 +/- 6.2 mm) compared to CB and SM (5.3 +/- 3.4 mm and 5.2 +/- 3.7 mm, respectively). The percentage of US shifts larger than 5 mm were 34%, 31%, and 38% in the LR, SI, and AP directions, respectively, compared to 18%, 6%, and 16% for CB and 14%, 10%, and 20% for SM. MV-CBCT and SM localization data suggest a different distribution of prostate center-of-mass shifts with smaller variability, compared to US. The online MV-CBCT and SM image-guidance data show that for treatments that do not include daily prostate localization, one can use a CTV-to-PTV margin that is 4 mm smaller than the one suggested by US data, hence allowing more rectum and bladder sparing and potentially improving the therapeutic ratio.     

Method comparison of ultrasound and kilovoltage x-ray fiducial marker imaging for prostate radiotherapy targeting

Several measurement techniques have been developed to address the capability for target volume reduction via target localization in image-guided radiotherapy; among these have been ultrasound (US) and fiducial marker (FM) software-assisted localization. In order to assess interchangeability between methods, US and FM localization were compared using established techniques for determination of agreement between measurement methods when a 'gold-standard' comparator does not exist, after performing both techniques daily on a sequential series of patients. At least 3 days prior to CT simulation, four gold seeds were placed within the prostate. FM software-assisted localization utilized the ExacTrac X-Ray 6D (BrainLab AG, Germany) kVp x-ray image acquisition system to determine prostate position; US prostate targeting was performed on each patient using the SonArray (Varian, Palo Alto, CA). Patients were aligned daily using laser alignment of skin marks. Directional shifts were then calculated by each respective system in the X, Y and Z dimensions before each daily treatment fraction, previous to any treatment or couch adjustment, as well as a composite vector of displacement. Directional shift agreement in each axis was compared using Altman-Bland limits of agreement, Lin's concordance coefficient with Partik's grading schema, and Deming orthogonal bias-weighted correlation methodology. 1,019 software-assisted shifts were suggested by US and FM in 39 patients. The 95% limits of agreement in X, Y and Z axes were +/-9.4 mm, +/-11.3 mm and +/-13.4, respectively. Three-dimensionally, measurements agreed within 13.4 mm in 95% of all paired measures. In all axes, concordance was graded as 'poor' or 'unacceptable'. Deming regression detected proportional bias in both directional axes and three-dimensional vectors. Our data suggest substantial differences between US and FM image-guided measures and subsequent suggested directional shifts. Analysis reveals that the vast majority of all individual US and FM directional measures may be expected to agree with each other within a range of 1-1.5 cm. Since neither system represents a gold standard, clinical judgment must dictate whether such a difference is of import. As IMRT protocols seek dose escalation and PTV reduction predicated on US- and FM-guided imaging, future studies are needed to address these potential clinically relevant issues regarding the interchangeability and accuracy of novel positional verification techniques. Comparison series with multiple image-guidance systems are needed to refine comparisons between targeting methods. However, we do not advocate interchangeability of US and FM localization methods.     

基准标志物在前列腺癌图像引导放疗中的应用

在前列腺癌（PCa）图像引导放疗（IGRT）中，传统的体表标志线联合基于骨骼或软组织的校准可获得相对理想的靶区和危及器官剂量；然而当进行立体定向放疗时，传统方法不可靠。经手术置入或天然基准标志物（FM）可替代传统方法为PCa IGRT提供高精度靶区位置验证。本研究从FM特性、置入、临床应用和增益等方面对其进行综述，发现目前商用FM种类繁多并各具特点，置入后安全性和稳定性良好，对提高PCa IGRT疗效具有重要意义。     

Efficient use of continuous, real-time prostate localization

Recent technological advances make it possible to monitor prostate movement during radiation delivery. Using previously published data from 35 patients who underwent continuous localization during prostate cancer treatment, we simulated various interventions to identify the radiation-gating and patient-repositioning strategies that least prolonged the time to complete the daily treatment. Acceptable response protocols were those that resulted in at least 95% of patients' prostates remaining within the planning margins at least 95% of the time. Gating and repositioning were not necessary for margins of 7 or 10 mm because of the rarity of excursions at these margins. However, intervention was routinely necessary for margins of 3 and 5 mm. In simulated interventions for which the therapist could reposition the treatment couch without entering the room, the most time-efficient response protocol was to reposition the couch immediately after the prostate position was outside the treatment margins. In simulations in which the therapist had to enter the room to reposition the couch, overall treatment time could be reduced and accuracy could be increased by manually gating treatment for 11 and 21 s for 3- and 5-mm margins, respectively, before interrupting treatment to reposition the treatment couch.     

Prostate boundary segmentation from 3D ultrasound images

Segmenting, or outlining the prostate boundary is an important task in the management of patients with prostate cancer. In this paper, an algorithm is described for semiautomatic segmentation of the prostate from 3D ultrasound images. The algorithm uses model-based initialization and mesh refinement using an efficient deformable model. Initialization requires the user to select only six points from which the outline of the prostate is estimated using shape information. The estimated outline is then automatically deformed to better fit the prostate boundary. An editing tool allows the user to edit the boundary in problematic regions and then deform the model again to improve the final results. The algorithm requires less than 1 min on a Pentium III 400 MHz PC. The accuracy of the algorithm was assessed by comparing the algorithm results, obtained from both local and global analysis, to the manual segmentations on six prostates. The local difference was mapped on the surface of the algorithm boundary to produce a visual representation. Global error analysis showed that the average difference between manual and algorithm boundaries was -0.20 +/- 0.28 mm, the average absolute difference was 1.19 +/- 0.14 mm, the average maximum difference was 7.01 +/- 1.04 mm, and the average volume difference was 7.16% +/- 3.45%. Variability in manual and algorithm segmentation was also assessed: Visual representations of local variability were generated by mapping variability on the segmentation mesh. The mean variability in manual segmentation was 0.98 mm and in algorithm segmentation was 0.63 mm and the differences of about 51.5% of the points comprising the average algorithm boundary are insignificant (P < or = 0.01) to the manual average boundary.     

Sex-dependent hemispheric asymmetries for processing frequency-modulated sounds in the primary auditory cortex of the mustached bat

Species-specific vocalizations of mammals, including humans, contain slow and fast frequency modulations (FMs) as well as tone and noise bursts. In this study, we established sex-specific hemispheric differences in the tonal and FM response characteristics of neurons in the Doppler-shifted constant-frequency processing area in the mustached bat's primary auditory cortex (A1). We recorded single-unit cortical activity from the right and left A1 in awake bats in response to the presentation of tone bursts and linear FM sweeps that are contained within their echolocation and/or communication sounds. Peak response latencies to neurons' preferred or best FMs were significantly longer on the right compared with the left in both sexes, and in males this right-left difference was also present for the most excitatory tone burst. Based on peak response magnitudes, right hemispheric A1 neurons in males preferred low-rate, narrowband FMs, whereas those on the left were less selective, responding to FMs with a variety of rates and bandwidths. The distributions of parameters for best FMs in females were similar on the two sides. Together, our data provide the first strong physiological support of a sex-specific, spectrotemporal hemispheric asymmetry for the representation of tones and FMs in a nonhuman mammal. Specifically, our results demonstrate a left hemispheric bias in males for the representation of a diverse array of FMs differing in rate and bandwidth. We propose that these asymmetries underlie lateralized processing of communication sounds and are common to species as divergent as bats and humans.     

In-bore setup and software for 3T MRI-guided transperineal prostate biopsy

MRI-guided prostate biopsy in conventional closed-bore scanners requires transferring the patient outside the bore during needle insertion due to the constrained in-bore space, causing a safety hazard and limiting image feedback. To address this issue, we present our custom-made in-bore setup and software to support MRI-guided transperineal prostate biopsy in a wide-bore 3 T MRI scanner. The setup consists of a specially designed tabletop and a needle-guiding template with a Z-frame that gives a physician access to the perineum of the patient at the imaging position and allows the physician to perform MRI-guided transperineal biopsy without moving the patient out of the scanner. The software and Z-frame allow registration of the template, target planning and biopsy guidance. Initially, we performed phantom experiments to assess the accuracy of template registration and needle placement in a controlled environment. Subsequently, we embarked on our clinical trial (N = 10). The phantom experiments showed that the translational errors of the template registration along the right-left (RP) and anterior-posterior (AP) axes were 1.1 ± 0.8 and 1.4 ± 1.1 mm, respectively, while the rotational errors around the RL, AP and superior-inferior axes were (0.8 ± 1.0)°, (1.7 ± 1.6)° and (0.0 ± 0.0)°, respectively. The 2D root-mean-square (RMS) needle-placement error was 3 mm. The clinical biopsy procedures were safely carried out in all ten clinical cases with a needle-placement error of 5.4 mm (2D RMS). In conclusion, transperineal prostate biopsy in a wide-bore 3T scanner is feasible using our custom-made tabletop setup and software, which supports manual needle placement without moving the patient out of the magnet.     

A Monte Carlo model of the Varian IGRT couch top for RapidArc QA

The objectives of this study are to evaluate the effect of couch attenuation on quality assurance (QA) results and to present a couch top model for Monte Carlo (MC) dose calculation for RapidArc treatments. The IGRT couch top is modelled in Eclipse as a thin skin of higher density material with a homogeneous fill of foam of lower density and attenuation. The IGRT couch structure consists of two longitudinal sections referred to as thick and thin. The Hounsfield Unit (HU) characterization of the couch structure was determined using a cylindrical phantom by comparing ion chamber measurements with the dose predicted by the treatment planning system (TPS). The optimal set of HU for the inside of the couch and the surface shell was found to be respectively -960 and -700 HU in agreement with Vanetti et al (2009 Phys. Med. Biol. 54 N157-66). For each plan, the final dose calculation was performed with the thin, thick and without the couch top. Dose differences up to 2.6% were observed with TPS calculated doses not including the couch and up to 3.4% with MC not including the couch and were found to be treatment specific. A MC couch top model was created based on the TPS geometrical model. The carbon fibre couch top skin was modelled using carbon graphite; the density was adjusted until good agreement with experimental data was observed, while the density of the foam inside was kept constant. The accuracy of the couch top model was evaluated by comparison with ion chamber measurements and TPS calculated dose combined with a 3D gamma analysis. Similar to the TPS case, a single graphite density can be used for both the thin and thick MC couch top models. Results showed good agreement with ion chamber measurements (within 1.2%) and with TPS (within 1%). For each plan, over 95% of the points passed the 3D gamma test.     

鼻咽癌放疗中红外定位系统与锥形束CT的摆位精度比较

目的:量化研究鼻咽癌放射治疗过程中红外定位系统OPS与锥形束CT(CBCT)摆位精度的差异。方法:随机选取南通市肿瘤医院2018年4月~11月收治的鼻咽癌患者21例,使用头颈肩热塑膜固定体位,CT扫描前,在热塑膜上粘贴OPS专用定位球6个。首次治疗时使用千伏级CBCT进行位置验证,并移床校正,记录CBCT移床值和移床后的OPS监测偏差值。选择CBCT肿瘤中心摆位值作为理想放疗摆位参考,对室内激光定位系统的肿瘤中心摆位值和OPS肿瘤中心摆位值进行比较和分析。当摆位误差在2.0 mm内,则被认定与CBCT摆位临床一致。结果:与室内激光定位系统摆位相比,OPS大大提高了鼻咽癌放疗摆位的精度。OPS与CBCT在鼻咽癌放疗摆位一致性结果为:患者左右方向(用x轴表示)95.2%、腹背方向(用y轴表示)71.4%、头脚方向(用z轴表示)100.0%。腹背偏差较大主要是因为放射治疗计划系统选择颈椎骨作为参考点,此时选择CBCT摆位将无法消除颈椎骨弯曲产生的偏差。结论:OPS实现了在鼻咽癌放疗中实时、准确和快速的患者摆位,代替室内激光定位系统大大提高了鼻咽癌放疗摆位精度。在鼻咽癌放疗摆位精度方面,OPS和CBCT表现出较高的一致性,而且在每次放疗中均可使用。     

Fast prostate segmentation in 3D TRUS images based on continuity constraint using an autoregressive model

In this article a new slice-based 3D prostate segmentation method based on a continuity constraint, implemented as an autoregressive (AR) model is described. In order to decrease the propagated segmentation error produced by the slice-based 3D segmentation method, a continuity constraint was imposed in the prostate segmentation algorithm. A 3D ultrasound image was segmented using the slice-based segmentation method. Then, a cross-sectional profile of the resulting contours was obtained by intersecting the 2D segmented contours with a coronal plane passing through the midpoint of the manually identified rotational axis, which is considered to be the approximate center of the prostate. On the coronal cross-sectional plane, these intersections form a set of radial lines directed from the center of the prostate. The lengths of these radial lines were smoothed using an AR model. Slice-based 3D segmentations were performed in the clockwise and in the anticlockwise directions, where clockwise and anticlockwise are defined with respect to the propagation directions on the coronal view. This resulted in two different segmentations for each 2D slice. For each pair of unmatched segments, in which the distance between the contour generated clockwise and that generated anticlockwise was greater than 4 mm, a method was used to select the optimal contour. Experiments performed using 3D prostate ultrasound images of nine patients demonstrated that the proposed method produced accurate 3D prostate boundaries without manual editing. The average distance between the proposed method and manual segmentation was 1.29 mm. The average intraobserver coefficient of variation (i.e., the standard deviation divided by the average volume) of the boundaries segmented by the proposed method was 1.6%. The average segmentation time of a 352 x 379 x 704 image on a Pentium IV 2.8 GHz PC was 10 s.     

室间孔周围静脉的磁敏感加权成像

目的 显影室间孔区域静脉及属支,建立三维图像,构建该区静脉网络,探讨室间孔与周围静脉的空间位置关系.方法 筛选60名健康志愿者行3.0 T MR头部扫描,利用最小密度投影(mIP)和交互式医学图像控制系统(Mimics)对原始图像进行后处理,构建室间孔周围静脉网络,对室间孔及周围静脉的解剖学形态进行观察分析.结果 室间...     

DSCF neurons within the primary auditory cortex of the mustached bat process frequency modulations present within social calls

Neurons in the Doppler-shifted constant frequency processing (DSCF) area in the primary auditory cortex of mustached bats, Pteronotus parnellii, are multifunctional, responding both to echolocation and communication sounds. Simultaneous presentation of a DSCF neuron's best low and high frequencies (BF(low) and BF(high), respectively) facilitates its response. BF(low) corresponds to a frequency in the frequency-modulated (FM) component of the first harmonic in the echolocation pulse, and BF(high) corresponds to the constant frequency (CF) component in the second harmonic of the echo. We systematically varied the slopes, bandwidths, and central frequencies of FMs traversing the BF(high) region to arrive at the "best FM" for single DSCF neurons. We report that nearly half (46%) of DSCF neurons preferred linear FMs to CFs and average response magnitude to FMs was not significantly less (P = 0.08) than that to CFs at BF(high) when each test stimulus was paired with a CF at BF(low). For linear FMs ranging in slope from 0.04 to 4.0 kHz/ms and in bandwidth from 0.44 to 7.88 kHz, the majority of DSCF neurons preferred upward (55%) to downward (21%) FMs. Central frequencies of the best FMs were typically close to but did not always match a neuron's BF(high). Neurons exhibited combination-sensitivity to "call fragments" (calls that were band-pass filtered in the BF(high) region) paired with their BF(low). Our data show a close match between the modulation direction of a neuron's best FM and that of its preferred call fragment. These response properties show that DSCF neurons extract multiple parameters of FMs and are specialized for processing both FMs for communication and CFs for echolocation.     

Recording of foetal movements: a comparison of three methods

As decreased foetal movement (FM) may indicate impaired foetal health, FM recording has been suggested as a method of assessing foetal well-being. A non-intrusive, automated method of recording FM (FM-detector), was compared with maternal and ultrasonographic assessment of FMs in 24 women in the third trimester of pregnancy. The FM-detector detected a greater proportion of ultrasonographically recorded FMs than the mothers did (median 70% and 38%, respectively; p less than 0.001). Parity, gestational age, placental site or thickness, maternal weight or the distance from the maternal abdominal surface to the amniotic cavity did not affect the ability of the FM-detector to detect ultrasonographically recorded FMs. The estimation of FM strength by the FM-detector agreed fairly well with the assessment of FM strength by the ultrasound observer. The FM-detector would seem suitable for clinical use, as in the examination of pregnant women complaining of feeling 'less FM'.     

Accuracy Validation of an Automated Method for Prostate Segmentation in Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Three dimensional (3D) manual segmentation of the prostate on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a laborious and time-consuming task that is subject to inter-observer variability. In this study, we developed a fully automatic segmentation algorithm for T2-weighted endorectal prostate MRI and evaluated its accuracy within different regions of interest using a set of complementary error metrics. Our dataset contained 42 T2-weighted endorectal MRI from prostate cancer patients. The prostate was manually segmented by one observer on all of the images and by two other observers on a subset of 10 images. The algorithm first coarsely localizes the prostate in the image using a template matching technique. Then, it defines the prostate surface using learned shape and appearance information from a set of training images. To evaluate the algorithm, we assessed the error metric values in the context of measured inter-observer variability and compared performance to that of our previously published semi-automatic approach. The automatic algorithm needed an average execution time of ～60 s to segment the prostate in 3D. When compared to a single-observer reference standard, the automatic algorithm has an average mean absolute distance of 2.8 mm, Dice similarity coefficient of 82%, recall of 82%, precision of 84%, and volume difference of 0.5 cm³ in the mid-gland. Concordant with other studies, accuracy was highest in the mid-gland and lower in the apex and base. Loss of accuracy with respect to the semi-automatic algorithm was less than the measured inter-observer variability in manual segmentation for the same task.     

Accuracy and variability assessment of a semiautomatic technique for segmentation of the carotid arteries from three-dimensional ultrasound images

In this paper, we report on a semiautomatic method for segmentation of three-dimensional (3D) carotid vascular ultrasound (US) images. Our method is based on a dynamic balloon model represented by a triangulated mesh. The mesh is manually placed within the interior of the carotid vessels, then is driven outward until it reaches the vessel wall by applying an inflation force to the mesh. Once the mesh is in close proximity to the vessel wall, it is further deformed using an image-based force, in order to better localize the boundary. Since the method requires manual initialization, there is inherent variability in the position and shape of the final segmented boundary. Using a 3D US image of a patient's carotids, we have examined the local variability in boundary position as the initialization position is varied throughout the interior of the carotid vessels in the 3D image. We have compared the semiautomatic segmentation method to a fully manual segmentation method, and found that the semiautomatic approach is less variable than the intraobserver variability for manual segmentation. We have furthermore examined the accuracy of the semiautomatic method by comparing the average surface to an "ideal" surface, determined by the average manually segmented surface. We have found, in general, good agreement between the semiautomatic and manual segmentation methods. For the 3D US image in question, the mean separation between the average segmented surface and the gold standard was found to be 0.35 mm. The two surfaces were determined to agree with each other, within uncertainty, at 65% of the mesh points comprising the two surfaces.     

The use of spatial dose gradients and probability density function to evaluate the effect of internal organ motion for prostate IMRT treatment planning

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of internal organ motion on IMRT treatment planning of prostate patients using a spatial dose gradient and probability density function. Spatial dose distributions were generated from a Pinnacle3 planning system using a co-planar, five-field intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) technique. Five plans were created for each patient using equally spaced beams but shifting the angular displacement of the beam by 15 degree increments. Dose profiles taken through the isocentre in anterior-posterior (A-P), right-left (R-L) and superior-inferior (S-I) directions for IMRT plans were analysed by exporting RTOG file data from Pinnacle. The convolution of the 'static' dose distribution D0(x, y, z) and probability density function (PDF), denoted as P(x, y, z), was used to analyse the combined effect of repositioning error and internal organ motion. Organ motion leads to an enlarged beam penumbra. The amount of percentage mean dose deviation (PMDD) depends on the dose gradient and organ motion probability density function. Organ motion dose sensitivity was defined by the rate of change in PMDD with standard deviation of motion PDF and was found to increase with the maximum dose gradient in anterior, posterior, left and right directions. Due to common inferior and superior field borders of the field segments, the sharpest dose gradient will occur in the inferior or both superior and inferior penumbrae. Thus, prostate motion in the S-I direction produces the highest dose difference. The PMDD is within 2.5% when standard deviation is less than 5 mm, but the PMDD is over 2.5% in the inferior direction when standard deviation is higher than 5 mm in the inferior direction. Verification of prostate organ motion in the inferior directions is essential. The margin of the planning target volume (PTV) significantly impacts on the confidence of tumour control probability (TCP) and level of normal tissue complication probability (NTCP). Smaller margins help to reduce the dose to normal tissues, but may compromise the dose coverage of the PTV. Lower rectal NTCP can be achieved by either a smaller margin or a steeper dose gradient between PTV and rectum. With the same DVH control points, the rectum has lower complication in the seven-beam technique used in this study because of the steeper dose gradient between the target volume and rectum. The relationship between dose gradient and rectal complication can be used to evaluate IMRT treatment planning. The dose gradient analysis is a powerful tool to improve IMRT treatment plans and can be used for QA checking of treatment plans for prostate patients.     

Clinical assessment of three-dimensional ultrasound prostate localization for external beam radiotherapy

Three-dimensional ultrasound localization has been performed for external beam prostate treatments at our institution since September 2001. This article presents data from the daily shifts for 221 patients and 5005 fractions, and the results of tests performed to assess the system's performance under clinical conditions. Three tests are presented: (1) To measure the accuracy of the shifts, eight patients treated on a helical tomotherapy machine were localized daily using both ultrasound (US) and a megavoltage computed tomography (MVCT) scan. Comparison of the shifts showed that US localization improved alignment for six of the eight patients when compared to alignment using skin marks alone. The mean US-MVCT vector for these six patients was 3.1+/-1.3 mm, compared to 5.1+/-2.1 mm between the MVCT and the skin marks. The other two patients were identified as poor candidates for US prior to their first treatment fraction. (2) To assess the extent of intrafraction motion, US localization was repeated after treatment for six patients and a total of 29 fractions. The mean intrafraction prostate shift was 1.9+/-1.0 mm, and the shift was within the 3 mm localization uncertainty [Tomé et al., Med. Phys. 29, 1781-1788 (2002); in New Technologies in Radiation Oncology, edited by W. Schlegel, T. Bortfelde, and A. Grosu (Springer, Berlin, 2005)] of the system for 25 of 29 fractions. (3) To assess the interuser variation in shifts, four experienced operators independently localized five patients for five consecutive fractions. The standard deviation of the users' shifts was found to be approximately the same as the system's localization uncertainty. For shifts larger than the system localization uncertainty, the standard deviation of the users' shifts was nearly always much smaller than the mean shift. Taken together with the results of the US-MVCT comparison, this indicates that the shifts improved patient localization despite differences between users.     

Prostate boundary segmentation from 2D ultrasound images

Outlining, or segmenting, the prostate is a very important task in the assignment of appropriate therapy and dose for cancer treatment; however, manual outlining is tedious and time-consuming. In this paper, an algorithm is described for semiautomatic segmentation of the prostate from 2D ultrasound images. The algorithm uses model-based initialization and the efficient discrete dynamic contour. Initialization requires the user to select only four points from which the outline of the prostate is estimated using cubic interpolation functions and shape information. The estimated contour is then deformed automatically to better fit the image. The algorithm can easily segment a wide range of prostate images, and contour editing tools are included to handle more difficult cases. The performance of the algorithm with a single user was compared to manual outlining by a single expert observer. The average distance between semiautomatically and manually outlined boundaries was found to be less than 5 pixels (0.63 mm), and the accuracy and sensitivity to area measurements were both over 90%.     

Adaptive Dose-Compensation Technique for Image-Guided Radiotherapy of Prostate Cancer

Background: For image-guided radiotherapy(IGRT) of prostate cancer, the current standard is online image guidance which can effectively correct setup errors and inter-fraction rigid organ motion. However, planning margins are still necessary for deformation and intra-fraction motion. Objective: This paper aims to investigate an adaptive planning technique incorporating offline dose feedback to manage interfraction motion and residuals from online corrections. Methods:Repeated CT scans from 28 patients were studied. Online IG was simulated by matching center-of-mass of prostate. A seven-beam IMRT plan with zero margins was designed for each patient. Dose distribution at each fraction was evaluated based on actual target and OARs from that fraction. Cumulative dose was calculated using deformable registration and compared to initial plan. If deviation exceeded pre-defined 2% threshold in prostate D99 an adaptive planning technique called dose compensation was invoked, in which cumulative dose was fed back to the planning system and dose deficit was made up through boost radiation in future fractions through IMRT. Results: If 2% under-dose was allowed at the end of course, then 11 patients failed. If the same criteria was assessed at the end of each week(every 5 fractions), then 14 patients failed. The average dose deficit for these 14 patients was4.4%. They improved to 2% after weekly compensation. 10(out of 14) patients passed criterion after weekly dose compensation; 3 failed marginally; 1 failed significantly(10% deficit). A more aggressive compensation frequency(every 3 fractions) could reduce the dose deficit to the acceptable level for this patient. The doses to OARs were not significantly different from online IG only without dose compensation.Conclusion: We demonstrated an offline dose compensation technique in prostate IGRT which can effectively account for residual uncertainties uncorrectable in online IG. Dose compensation allows further margin reduction and critical organs sparing.