Comparison of Dosimetric Performance among Commercial Quality Assurance Systems for Verifying Pretreatment Plans of Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy Using Flattening-Filter-Free Beams

The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of different commercial quality assurance (QA) systems for the pretreatment verification plan of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) with volumetric arc therapy (VMAT) technique using a flattening-filter-free beam. The verification for 20 pretreatment cancer patients (seven lung, six spine, and seven prostate cancers) were tested using three QA systems (EBT3 film, I’mRT MatriXX array, and MapCHECK). All the SBRT-VMAT plans were optimized in the Eclipse (version 11.0.34) treatment planning system (TPS) using the Acuros XB dose calculation algorithm and were delivered to the Varian TrueBeam® accelerator equipped with a high-definition multileaf collimator. Gamma agreement evaluation was analyzed with the criteria of 2% dose difference and 2 mm distance to agreement (2%/2 mm) or 3%/3 mm. The highest passing rate (99.1% for 3%/3 mm) was observed on the MapCHECK system while the lowest passing rate was obtained on the film. The pretreatment verification results depend on the QA systems, treatment sites, and delivery beam energies. However, the delivery QA results for all QA systems based on the TPS calculation showed a good agreement of more than 90% for both the criteria. It is concluded that the three 2D QA systems have sufficient potential for pretreatment verification of the SBRT-VMAT plan.

Development of Preliminary Quality Assurance Software for GafChromic(R) EBT2 Film Dosimetry / 의학물리

Software for GafChromic EBT2 film dosimetry was developed in this study. The software provides film calibration functions based on color channels, which are categorized depending on the colors red, green, blue, and gray. Evaluations of the correction effects for light scattering of a flat-bed scanner and thickness differences of the active layer are available. Dosimetric results from EBT2 films can be compared with those from the treatment planning system ECLIPSE or the two-dimensional ionization chamber array MatriXX. Dose verification using EBT2 films is implemented by carrying out the following procedures: file import, noise filtering, background correction and active layer correction, dose calculation, and evaluation. The relative and absolute background corrections are selectively applied. The calibration results and fitting equation for the sensitometric curve are exported to files. After two different types of dose matrixes are aligned through the interpolation of spatial pixel spacing, interactive translation, and rotation, profiles and isodose curves are compared. In addition, the gamma index and gamma histogram are analyzed according to the determined criteria of distance-to-agreement and dose difference. The performance evaluations were achieved by dose verification in the 60o-enhanced dynamic wedged field and intensity-modulated (IM) beams for prostate cancer. All pass ratios for the two types of tests showed more than 99% in the evaluation, and a gamma histogram with 3 mm and 3% criteria was used. The software was developed for use in routine periodic quality assurance and complex IM beam verification. It can also be used as a dedicated radiochromic film software tool for analyzing dose distribution.

Dosimetric Characteristics of Edge Detector(TM) in Small Beam Dosimetry / 의학물리

In this study, we evaluated an edge detector for small-beam dosimetry. We measured the dose linearity, dose rate dependence, output factor, beam profiles, and percentage depth dose using an edge detector (Model 1118 Edge) for 6-MV photon beams at different field sizes and depths. The obtained values were compared with those obtained using a standard volume ionization chamber (CC13) and photon diode detector (PFD). The dose linearity results for the three detectors showed good agreement within 1%. The edge detector had the best linearity of +/-0.08%. The edge detector and PFD showed little dose rate dependency throughout the range of 100~600 MU/min, while CC13 showed a significant discrepancy of approximately -5% at 100 MU/min. The output factors of the three detectors showed good agreement within 1% for the tested field sizes. However, the output factor of CC13 compared to the other two detectors had a maximum difference of 21% for small field sizes (~4x4 cm2). When analyzing the 20~80% penumbra, the penumbra measured using CC13 was approximately two times wider than that using the edge detector for all field sizes. The width measured using PFD was approximately 30% wider for all field sizes. Compared to the edge detector, the 10~90% penumbras measured using the CC13 and PFD were approximately 55% and 19% wider, respectively. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the edge detector was close to the real field size, while the other two detectors measured values that were 8~10% greater for all field sizes. Percentage depth doses measured by the three detectors corresponded to each other for small beams. Based on the results, we consider the edge detector as an appropriate small-beam detector, while CC13 and PFD can lead to some errors when used for small beam fields under 4x4 cm2.

Development of Phantom and Comparison Analysis for Performance Characteristics of MOSFET Dosimeter / 의학물리

This study is to develope a phantom for MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductors Field Effect Transistors) dosimetry and compare the dosimetric properties of standard MOSFET and microMOSFET with the phantom. In this study, the developed phantom have two shape: one is the shape of semi-sphere with 10 cm diameters and the other one is the flat slab of 30 cm x 30 cm with 1 cm thickness. The slab phantom was used for calibration and characterization measurements of reproducibility, linearity and dose rate dependency. The semi-sphere phantom was used for angular and directional dependence on the types of MOSFETs. The measurements were conducted under 10 x 10 cm2 fields at 100 cm SSD with 6 MV photon of Clinac (21EX, Varian, USA). For calibration and reproducibility, five standard MOSFETs and microMOSFETs were repeatedly irradiated by 200 cGy five times. The average calibration factor was a range of 1.09+/-0.01~1.12+/-0.02 mV/cGy for standard MOSFETs and 2.81+/-0.03~2.85+/-0.04 mV/cGy for microMOSFETs. The response of reproducibility in the two types of MOSFETs was found to be maximum 2% variation. Dose linearity was evaluated in the range of 5 to 600 cGy and showed good linear response with R2 value of 0.997 and 0.999. The dose rate dependence of standard MOSFET and microMOSFET was within 1% for 200 cGy from 100 to 600 MU/min. For linearity, reproducibility and calibration factor, two types of MOSFETs showed similar results. On the other hand, the standard MOSFET and microMOSFET were found to be remarkable difference in angular and directional dependence. The measured angular dependence of standard MOSFET and microMOSFET was also found to be the variation of 13%, 10% and standard deviation of +/-4.4%, +/-2.1%. The directional dependence was found to be the variation of 5%, 2% and standard deviation of +/-2.1%, +/-1.5%. Therefore, dose verification of radiation therapy used multidirectional X-ray beam treatments allows for better the use of microMOSFET which has a reduced angular and directional dependence than that of standard MOSFET.

Comparison of Enhanced Dynamic Wedge with Physical Metal Wedge based on the Basic Dosimetric Parameters / 의학물리

For clinical implementation of Enhanced Dynamic Wedge (EDW), it is necessary to adequately analyze and commission its dosimetric properties in comparison to common physical metal wedge (MTW). This study was implemented with the essential measurements of parameters for clinical application, such as percentage depth dose, peripheral dose, surface dose, effective wedge factor, and wedge profile. In addition, through the comparison study of EDW with open and MTW, the analysis was performed to characterize the EDW. We also compared EDW dose profiles of measured values using chamber array 24 (CA24) with calculated values using radiation treatment planning system. PDDs of EDW showed good agreements between 0.2~0.5% of open beam, but 2% differences with MTW. In the result of the measurements of peripheral dose, it was shown that MTW was about 1% higher than open field and EDW. The surface doses of 60degrees MTW showed 10% lower than the others. We found that effective wedge factor of EDW had linear relationships according to Y jaw sizes and was independent of X jaw sizes and was independent of X jaw sizes and asymmetric Y jaw opening. In comparison with measured values and calculate values from Golden-STT based radiation treatment planning system (RTP system), it showed very good agreement within difference of 1%. It could be concluded that EDW is a very reliable and useful tool as a beam modification substitute for conventional MTW.

Development of Independent Target Approximation by Auto-computation of 3-D Distribution Units for Stereotactic Radiosurgery / 의학물리

The stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) describes a method of delivering a high dose of radiation to a small target volume in the brain, generally in a single fraction, while the dose delivered to the surrounding normal tissue should be minimized. To perform automatic plan of the SRS, a new method of multi-isocenter/shot linear accelerator (linac) and gamma knife (GK) radiosurgery treatment plan was developed, based on a physical lattice structure in target. The optimal radiosurgical plan had been constructed by many beam parameters in a linear accelerator or gamma knife-based radiation therapy. In this work, an isocenter/shot was modeled as a sphere, which is equal to the circular collimator/helmet hole size because the dimension of the 50% isodose level in the dose profile is similar to its size. In a computer-aided system, it accomplished first an automatic arrangement of multi-isocenter/shot considering two parameters such as positions and collimator/helmet sizes for each isocenter/shot. Simultaneously, an irregularly shaped target was approximated by cubic structures through computation of voxel units. The treatment planning method by the technique was evaluated as a dose distribution by dose volume histograms, dose conformity, and dose homogeneity to targets. For irregularly shaped targets, the new method performed optimal multi-isocenter packing, and it only took a few seconds in a computer-aided system. The targets were included in a more than 50% isodose curve. The dose conformity was ordinarily acceptable levels and the dose homogeneity was always less than 2.0, satisfying for various targets referred to Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) SRS criteria. In conclusion, this approach by physical lattice structure could be a useful radiosurgical plan without restrictions in the various tumor shapes and the different modality techniques such as linac and GK for SRS.

Improvement of a Planning Technique Based on Heuristic Target Shaping for Stereotactic Radiosurgery / 의학물리

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a technique to deliver a high dose to a target region and a low dose to a critical organ through only one or a few irradiation. The SRS must be planned exactly. Currently the surgery plan is performed by trial and error method. There are many questions about the reliability and reproducibility of the plan result. This study improve each step of the Oh's method based on heuristic target shaping to obtain the better result. The target was reconstructed using cylinders with same height and the neighbored cylinders were combined according to the difference of each center and diameter. Then, spheres were packed within each cylinders by the packing rules. Two virtual targets were used to compare this method with Oh's method. As a result, the numbers of isocenter were successfully reduced - more than 36% and 26% - without serious differences of prescription isodose to tumour volume ratio (PITV) and maximum dose to prescription dose ratio (MDPD). This technique using cylinder piling and sphere packing will be a helpful tool to planner in stereotactic radiosurgery.