Assessing the dose rate delivery of helical TomoTherapy prostate and head & neck treatments.

The dose rate distributions delivered to 55 prostate and head & neck (H&N) cancer patients treated with a helical TomoTherapy (HT) system were resolved and assessed with regard to pitch and field width defined during treatment planning. Statistical analysis of the studied cases showed that the median treatment delivery time was 4.4 min and 6.3 min for the prostate and H&N cases, respectively. Dose rate volume histogram data for the studied cases showed that the 25% and 12% of the volume of the planning target volumes of the prostate and H&N cases are irradiated with a dose rate of greater or equal to 1 Gy min-1. Quartile dose rate (QDR) data confirmed that in HT, where the target is irradiated in slices, most of the dose is delivered to each voxel of the target when it travels within the beam. Analysis of the planning data from all cases showed that this lasts for 68 s (median value). QDRs results showed that using the 2.5 cm field width, 75% of the prescribed dose is delivered to target voxels with a median dose rate of at least 3.2 Gy min-1and 4.5 Gy min-1, for the prostate and H&N cases, respectively. Systematically higher dose rates were observed for the H&N cases due to the shallower depths of the lesions in this anatomical site. Delivered dose rates were also found to increase with field width and pitch setting, due to the higher output of the system which, in general, results in accordingly decreased total treatment time. The biological effect of the dose rate findings of this work needs to be further investigated using in-vitro studies and clinical treatment data.

Dosimetric evaluation of the Leksell GammaPlan™ Convolution dose calculation algorithm.

The dosimetric accuracy of the Leksell GammaPlan Convolution calculation algorithm was evaluated through comparison with corresponding Monte Carlo (MC) dosimetric results. MC simulations were based on generated sector phase space files for the 4 mm, 8 mm and 16 mm collimator sizes, using a previous comprehensive Gamma Knife Perfexion™ source model and validated using film dosimetry. Test cases were designed for the evaluation of the Convolution algorithm involving irradiation of homogeneous and inhomogeneous phantom geometries mimicking clinical cases, with radiation fields created using one sector (single sector), all sectors with the same (single shot) or different (composite shot) collimator sizes. Dose calculations using the Convolution algorithm were found to be in excellent agreement (gamma pass rate greater than 98%, applying 1%/1 mm local dose difference and distance agreement criteria), with corresponding MC calculations, indicating the accuracy of the Convolution algorithm in homogeneous and heterogeneous model geometries. While of minor clinical importance, large deviations were observed for the voxels laying inside air media. The calculated beam on times using the Convolution algorithm were found to increase (up to 7%) relative to the TMR 10 algorithm currently used in clinical practice, especially in a test case mimicking a brain metastasis close to the skull, in excellent agreement with corresponding MC calculations.

Dosimetric performance of the Elekta Unity MR-linac system: 2D and 3D dosimetry in anthropomorphic inhomogeneous geometry.

Following the clinical introduction of the Elekta Unity MR-linac, there is an urgent need for development of dosimetry protocols and tools, not affected by the presence of a magnetic field. This work presents a benchmarking methodology comprising 2D/3D passive dosimetry and involving on-couch adaptive treatment planning, a unique step in MR-linac workflows. Two identical commercially available 3D-printed head phantoms (featuring realistic bone anatomy and MR/CT contrast) were employed. One phantom incorporated a film dosimetry insert, while the second was filled with polymer gel. Gel dose-response characteristics were evaluated under the Unity irradiation and read-out conditions, using vials and a cubic container filled with gel from the same batch. Treatment plan for the head phantoms involved a hypothetical large C-shape brain lesion, partly surrounding the brainstem. An IMRT step-and-shoot 7-beam plan was employed. Pre-treatment on-couch MR-images were acquired in order for the treatment planning system to calculate the virtual couch shifts and perform adaptive planning. Absolute 2D and relative 3D measurements were compared against calculations related to both adapted and original plans. Real-time dose accumulation monitoring in the gel-filled phantom was also performed. Results from the vials and cubic container suggest that gel dose-response is linear in the dose range investigated and signal integrity is mature at the read-out timings considered. Head phantom 2D and 3D measurements agreed well with calculations with 3D gamma index passing rates above 90% in all cases, even with the most stringent criteria used (2 mm/2%). By exploiting the 3D information provided by the gel, comparison also involved DVHs, dose-volume and plan quality metrics, which also reflected the agreement between adapted and delivered plans within ±4%. No considerable discrepancies were detected between adapted and original plans. A novel methodology was developed and implemented, suitable for QA procedures in Unity. TPS calculations were validated within the experimental uncertainties involved.

Characterization of a novel 3D printed patient specific phantom for quality assurance in cranial stereotactic radiosurgery applications.

In single-isocenter stereotactic radiosurgery/radiotherapy (SRS/SRT) intracranial applications, multiple targets are being treated concurrently, often involving non-coplanar arcs, small photon beams and steep dose gradients. In search for more rigorous quality assurance protocols, this work presents and evaluates a novel methodology for patient-specific pre-treatment plan verification, utilizing 3D printing technology. In a patient's planning CT scan, the external contour and bone structures were segmented and 3D-printed using high-density bone-mimicking material. The resulting head phantom was filled with water while a film dosimetry insert was incorporated. Patient and phantom CT image series were fused and inspected for anatomical coherence. HUs and corresponding densities were compared in several anatomical regions within the head. Furthermore, the level of patient-to-phantom dosimetric equivalence was evaluated both computationally and experimentally. A single-isocenter multi-focal SRS treatment plan was prepared, while dose distributions were calculated on both CT image series, using identical calculation parameters. Phantom- and patient-derived dose distributions were compared in terms of isolines, DVHs, dose-volume metrics and 3D gamma index (GI) analysis. The phantom was treated as if the real patient and film measurements were compared against the patient-derived calculated dose distribution. Visual inspection of the fused CT images suggests excellent geometric similarity between phantom and patient, also confirmed using similarity indices. HUs and densities agreed within one standard deviation except for the skin (modeled as 'bone') and sinuses (water-filled). GI comparison between the calculated distributions resulted in passing rates better than 97% (1%/1 mm). DVHs and dose-volume metrics were also in satisfying agreement. In addition to serving as a feasibility proof-of-concept, experimental absolute film dosimetry verified the computational study results. GI passing rates were above 90%. Results of this work suggest that employing the presented methodology, patient-equivalent phantoms (except for the skin and sinuses areas) can be produced, enabling literally patient-specific pre-treatment plan verification in intracranial applications.

Monte Carlo and experimental determination of correction factors for gamma knife perfexion small field dosimetry measurements.

Detector-, field size- and machine-specific correction factors are required for precise dosimetry measurements in small and non-standard photon fields. In this work, Monte Carlo (MC) simulation techniques were used to calculate the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] correction factors for a series of ionization chambers, a synthetic microDiamond and diode dosimeters, used for reference and/or output factor (OF) measurements in the Gamma Knife Perfexion photon fields. Calculations were performed for the solid water (SW) and ABS plastic phantoms, as well as for a water phantom of the same geometry. MC calculations for the [Formula: see text] correction factors in SW were compared against corresponding experimental results for a subset of ionization chambers and diode detectors. Reference experimental OF data were obtained through the weighted average of corresponding measurements using TLDs, EBT-2 films and alanine pellets. [Formula: see text] values close to unity (within 1%) were calculated for most of ionization chambers in water. Greater corrections of up to 6.0% were observed for chambers with relatively large air-cavity dimensions and steel central electrode. A phantom correction of 1.006 and 1.024 (breaking down to 1.014 from the ABS sphere and 1.010 from the accompanying ABS phantom adapter) were calculated for the SW and ABS phantoms, respectively, adding up to [Formula: see text] corrections in water. Both measurements and MC calculations for the diode and microDiamond detectors resulted in lower than unit [Formula: see text] correction factors, due to their denser sensitive volume and encapsulation materials. In comparison, higher than unit [Formula: see text] results for the ionization chambers suggested field size depended dose underestimations (being significant for the 4 mm field), with magnitude depending on the combination of contradicting phenomena associated with volume averaging and electron fluence perturbations. Finally, the presence of 0.5 mm air-gap between the diodes' frontal surface and their phantom-inserts may considerably influence OF measurements, reaching 4.6% for the Razor diode.

Dosimetric and radiobiological comparison of TG-43 and Monte Carlo calculations in 192Ir breast brachytherapy applications.

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical significance of introducing model based dose calculation algorithms (MBDCAs) as an alternative to TG-43 in 192Ir interstitial breast brachytherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 57 patient cohort was used in a retrospective comparison between TG-43 based dosimetry data exported from a treatment planning system and Monte Carlo (MC) dosimetry performed using MCNP v. 6.1 with plan and anatomy information in DICOM-RT format. Comparison was performed for the target, ipsilateral lung, heart, skin, breast and ribs, using dose distributions, dose-volume histograms (DVH) and plan quality indices clinically used for plan evaluation, as well as radiobiological parameters. RESULTS: TG-43 overestimation of target DVH parameters is statistically significant but small (less than 2% for the target coverage indices and 4% for homogeneity indices, on average). Significant dose differences (>5%) were observed close to the skin and at relatively large distances from the implant leading to a TG-43 dose overestimation for the organs at risk. These differences correspond to low dose regions (<50% of the prescribed dose), being less than 2% of the prescribed dose. Detected dosimetric differences did not induce clinically significant differences in calculated tumor control probabilities (mean absolute difference <0.2%) and normal tissue complication probabilities. CONCLUSION: While TG-43 shows a statistically significant overestimation of most indices used for plan evaluation, differences are small and therefore not clinically significant. Improved MBDCA dosimetry could be important for re-irradiation, technique inter-comparison and/or the assessment of secondary cancer induction risk, where accurate dosimetry in the whole patient anatomy is of the essence.

Characterization of system-related geometric distortions in MR images employed in Gamma Knife radiosurgery applications.

This work provides characterization of system-related geometric distortions present in MRIs used in Gamma Knife (GK) stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) treatment planning. A custom-made phantom, compatible with the Leksell stereotactic frame model G and encompassing 947 control points (CPs), was utilized. MR images were obtained with and without the frame, thus allowing discrimination of frame-induced distortions. In the absence of the frame and following compensation for field inhomogeneities, measured average CP disposition owing to gradient nonlinearities was 0.53 mm. In presence of the frame, contrarily, detected distortion was greatly increased (up to about 5 mm) in the vicinity of the frame base due to eddy currents induced in the closed loop of its aluminum material. Frame-related distortion was obliterated at approximately 90 mm from the frame base. Although the region with the maximum observed distortion may not lie within the GK treatable volume, the presence of the frame results in distortion of the order of 1.5 mm at a 7 cm distance from the center of the Leksell space. Additionally, severe distortions observed outside the treatable volume could possibly impinge on the delivery accuracy mainly by adversely affecting the registration process (e.g. the position of the lower part of the N-shaped fiducials used to define the stereotactic space may be miss-registered). Images acquired with a modified version of the frame developed by replacing its front side with an acrylic bar, thus interrupting the closed aluminum loop and reducing the induced eddy currents, were shown to benefit from relatively reduced distortion. System-related distortion was also identified in patient MR images. Using corresponding CT angiography images as a reference, an offset of 1.1 mm was detected for two vessels lying in close proximity to the frame base, while excellent spatial agreement was observed for a vessel far apart from the frame base.

On the development of a comprehensive MC simulation model for the Gamma Knife Perfexion radiosurgery unit.

This work presents a comprehensive Monte Carlo (MC) simulation model for the Gamma Knife Perfexion (PFX) radiosurgery unit. Model-based dosimetry calculations were benchmarked in terms of relative dose profiles (RDPs) and output factors (OFs), against corresponding EBT2 measurements. To reduce the rather prolonged computational time associated with the comprehensive PFX model MC simulations, two approximations were explored and evaluated on the grounds of dosimetric accuracy. The first consists in directional biasing of the (60)Co photon emission while the second refers to the implementation of simplified source geometric models. The effect of the dose scoring volume dimensions in OF calculations accuracy was also explored. RDP calculations for the comprehensive PFX model were found to be in agreement with corresponding EBT2 measurements. Output factors of 0.819 ± 0.004 and 0.8941 ± 0.0013 were calculated for the 4 mm and 8 mm collimator, respectively, which agree, within uncertainties, with corresponding EBT2 measurements and published experimental data. Volume averaging was found to affect OF results by more than 0.3% for scoring volume radii greater than 0.5 mm and 1.4 mm for the 4 mm and 8 mm collimators, respectively. Directional biasing of photon emission resulted in a time efficiency gain factor of up to 210 with respect to the isotropic photon emission. Although no considerable effect on relative dose profiles was detected, directional biasing led to OF overestimations which were more pronounced for the 4 mm collimator and increased with decreasing emission cone half-angle, reaching up to 6% for a 5° angle. Implementation of simplified source models revealed that omitting the sources' stainless steel capsule significantly affects both OF results and relative dose profiles, while the aluminum-based bushing did not exhibit considerable dosimetric effect. In conclusion, the results of this work suggest that any PFX simulation model should be benchmarked in terms of both RDP and OF results.