ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the distribution rules of setup errors in different locations for tomotherapy.Methods 151 patients induding 53 head and neck tumors,45 thoracic tumors,20 abdominal tumors,and 33 pelvic tumors,who accepted tomotherapy were retrospectively analyzed in this study.The planning CT images of patients were obtained in simulation,and all patients underwent megavoltage CT (MVCT) scan before radiotherapy.And the setup errors were calculated by rigid registering MVCT images to planning CT images,and setup errors on + x(left),-x(right),+ y(in),-y(out),+z(ventral),-z (dorsal)axes were analyzed respectively.Results A total of 3 281 MVCT scans were performed on 151 patients,The setup errors on +x (left),-x(right),+y(in),-y(out),+z (ventral),-z (dorsal)axes were (1.61 ± 1.21),(1.76 ±2.11),(2.26 ± 1.74),(1.83 ± 1.47),(3.24±1.76) and (1.75 ± 1.61)mm for head and neck tumors;(2.43 ±1.88),(2.55 ± 1.92),(3.06 ±2.64),(3.90 ±2.91),(6.71 ±3.46) and (2.64 ±2.77)mm for thoracic tumors;(3.67±3.06),(2.37±1.77),(3.18±1.96),(3.98±3.01),(6.74±3.25) and (1.92±2.00) mm for abdominal tumors;(2.92 ±2.13),(2.17±1.68),(3.50±2.61),(3.72±2.66),(7.18± 3.43) and (1.92 ± 1.61)mm for pelvic tumors,respectively.The setup errors were different between +z and-z with statistically significant in all tumors (t =-4.119、-5.033、-3.763、-5.057,P ＜ 0.05).The setup errors on + z direction of patients immobilized with thermoplastic mask were smaller than those immobilized with vacuum cushions for thoracic tumors (t =-2.357,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions The setup errors of head and neck tumors are less than other parts tumor in tomotherapy.The patients immobilized with thermoplastic mask can reduce the setup errors for thoracic tumors.The heterogeneity of setup errors on ventral-dorsal directions for the all parts of tumors should not be ignored.
ABSTRACT
Objective To study the feasibility of helical tomoterapy (HT) at prescription dose escalation for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).Methods Static-IMRT (sIMRT) and HT plans were designed for 10 nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients which were treated by sIMRT and HT treatment plan.Prescription dose was escalated for each plan until any organs at risk (OARs) reached the quantitative analysis of normal tissue effects within the clinical threshold.Dosimetric factors of target and OARs were analyzed for both sIMRT and HT plans.Results Compared with sIMRT plan, prescribed dose of HT plans increased 42.6％ (t =6.373, P ＜ 0.01), and the homogeneity index was also improved (t =-2.288, P＜0.05);the conformity index decreased (P ＞ 0.05).The limits of HT prescribed dose escalation were spinal cord (2 cases), optic nerve (5 cases) and brainstem (3 cases).The limits of sIMRT prescribed dose escalation were lens (1 case), spinal cord (1 case) and parotid (8 cases).Conclusions HT could improve prescription dose of nasopharyngeal carcinoma while keeping the OARs safe.Compared with sIMRT, HT technology might be used at high dose NPC radiotherapy.