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Thwaites DI, Prokopovich DA, Garrett RF, Haworth A, Rosenfeld A, Ahern V. The rationale for a carbon ion radiation therapy facility in Australia. J Med Radiat Sci 2024; 71 Suppl 2:59-76. [PMID: 38061984 PMCID: PMC11011608 DOI: 10.1002/jmrs.744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Australia has taken a collaborative nationally networked approach to achieve particle therapy capability. This supports the under-construction proton therapy facility in Adelaide, other potential proton centres and an under-evaluation proposal for a hybrid carbon ion and proton centre in western Sydney. A wide-ranging overview is presented of the rationale for carbon ion radiation therapy, applying observations to the case for an Australian facility and to the clinical and research potential from such a national centre.
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Affiliation(s)
- David I. Thwaites
- Institute of Medical Physics, School of PhysicsUniversity of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Department of Radiation OncologySydney West Radiation Oncology NetworkWestmeadNew South WalesAustralia
- Radiotherapy Research Group, Institute of Medical ResearchSt James's Hospital and University of LeedsLeedsUK
| | | | - Richard F. Garrett
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology OrganisationLucas HeightsNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Annette Haworth
- Institute of Medical Physics, School of PhysicsUniversity of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Department of Radiation OncologySydney West Radiation Oncology NetworkWestmeadNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Anatoly Rosenfeld
- Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, School of PhysicsUniversity of WollongongSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Verity Ahern
- Department of Radiation OncologySydney West Radiation Oncology NetworkWestmeadNew South WalesAustralia
- Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and HealthUniversity of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
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2
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Knäusl B, Belotti G, Bertholet J, Daartz J, Flampouri S, Hoogeman M, Knopf AC, Lin H, Moerman A, Paganelli C, Rucinski A, Schulte R, Shimizu S, Stützer K, Zhang X, Zhang Y, Czerska K. A review of the clinical introduction of 4D particle therapy research concepts. Phys Imaging Radiat Oncol 2024; 29:100535. [PMID: 38298885 PMCID: PMC10828898 DOI: 10.1016/j.phro.2024.100535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background and purpose Many 4D particle therapy research concepts have been recently translated into clinics, however, remaining substantial differences depend on the indication and institute-related aspects. This work aims to summarise current state-of-the-art 4D particle therapy technology and outline a roadmap for future research and developments. Material and methods This review focused on the clinical implementation of 4D approaches for imaging, treatment planning, delivery and evaluation based on the 2021 and 2022 4D Treatment Workshops for Particle Therapy as well as a review of the most recent surveys, guidelines and scientific papers dedicated to this topic. Results Available technological capabilities for motion surveillance and compensation determined the course of each 4D particle treatment. 4D motion management, delivery techniques and strategies including imaging were diverse and depended on many factors. These included aspects of motion amplitude, tumour location, as well as accelerator technology driving the necessity of centre-specific dosimetric validation. Novel methodologies for X-ray based image processing and MRI for real-time tumour tracking and motion management were shown to have a large potential for online and offline adaptation schemes compensating for potential anatomical changes over the treatment course. The latest research developments were dominated by particle imaging, artificial intelligence methods and FLASH adding another level of complexity but also opportunities in the context of 4D treatments. Conclusion This review showed that the rapid technological advances in radiation oncology together with the available intrafractional motion management and adaptive strategies paved the way towards clinical implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Knäusl
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gabriele Belotti
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Jenny Bertholet
- Division of Medical Radiation Physics and Department of Radiation Oncology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Juliane Daartz
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Mischa Hoogeman
- Department of Medical Physics & Informatics, HollandPTC, Delft, The Netherlands
- Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Radiotherapy, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Antje C Knopf
- Institut für Medizintechnik und Medizininformatik Hochschule für Life Sciences FHNW, Muttenz, Switzerland
| | - Haibo Lin
- New York Proton Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Astrid Moerman
- Department of Medical Physics & Informatics, HollandPTC, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Chiara Paganelli
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Antoni Rucinski
- Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, PL-31342 Krakow, Poland
| | - Reinhard Schulte
- Division of Biomedical Engineering Sciences, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University
| | - Shing Shimizu
- Department of Carbon Ion Radiotherapy, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kristin Stützer
- OncoRay – National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden – Rossendorf, Institute of Radiooncology – OncoRay, Dresden, Germany
| | - Xiaodong Zhang
- Department of Radiation Physics, Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ye Zhang
- Center for Proton Therapy, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Katarzyna Czerska
- Center for Proton Therapy, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI, Switzerland
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Missimer JH, Emert F, Lomax AJ, Weber DC. Automatic lung segmentation of magnetic resonance images: A new approach applied to healthy volunteers undergoing enhanced Deep-Inspiration-Breath-Hold for motion-mitigated 4D proton therapy of lung tumors. Phys Imaging Radiat Oncol 2024; 29:100531. [PMID: 38292650 PMCID: PMC10825631 DOI: 10.1016/j.phro.2024.100531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Background and purpose Respiratory suppression techniques represent an effective motion mitigation strategy for 4D-irradiation of lung tumors with protons. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based study applied and analyzed methods for this purpose, including enhanced Deep-Inspiration-Breath-Hold (eDIBH). Twenty-one healthy volunteers (41-58 years) underwent thoracic MR scans in four imaging sessions containing two eDIBH-guided MRIs per session to simulate motion-dependent irradiation conditions. The automated MRI segmentation algorithm presented here was critical in determining the lung volumes (LVs) achieved during eDIBH. Materials and methods The study included 168 MRIs acquired under eDIBH conditions. The lung segmentation algorithm consisted of four analysis steps: (i) image preprocessing, (ii) MRI histogram analysis with thresholding, (iii) automatic segmentation, (iv) 3D-clustering. To validate the algorithm, 46 eDIBH-MRIs were manually contoured. Sørensen-Dice similarity coefficients (DSCs) and relative deviations of LVs were determined as similarity measures. Assessment of intrasessional and intersessional LV variations and their differences provided estimates of statistical and systematic errors. Results Lung segmentation time for 100 2D-MRI planes was ∼ 10 s. Compared to manual lung contouring, the median DSC was 0.94 with a lower 95 % confidence level (CL) of 0.92. The relative volume deviations yielded a median value of 0.059 and 95 % CLs of -0.013 and 0.13. Artifact-based volume errors, mainly of the trachea, were estimated. Estimated statistical and systematic errors ranged between 6 and 8 %. Conclusions The presented analytical algorithm is fast, precise, and readily available. The results are comparable to time-consuming, manual segmentations and other automatic segmentation approaches. Post-processing to remove image artifacts is under development.
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Affiliation(s)
- John H. Missimer
- Center for Proton Therapy, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Frank Emert
- Center for Proton Therapy, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Antony J. Lomax
- Center for Proton Therapy, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI, Switzerland
- Department of Physics, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Damien C. Weber
- Center for Proton Therapy, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI, Switzerland
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland
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Zou W, Zhang R, Schüler E, Taylor PA, Mascia AE, Diffenderfer ES, Zhao T, Ayan AS, Sharma M, Yu SJ, Lu W, Bosch WR, Tsien C, Surucu M, Pollard-Larkin JM, Schuemann J, Moros EG, Bazalova-Carter M, Gladstone DJ, Li H, Simone CB, Petersson K, Kry SF, Maity A, Loo BW, Dong L, Maxim PG, Xiao Y, Buchsbaum JC. Framework for Quality Assurance of Ultrahigh Dose Rate Clinical Trials Investigating FLASH Effects and Current Technology Gaps. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2023; 116:1202-1217. [PMID: 37121362 PMCID: PMC10526970 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2023.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
FLASH radiation therapy (FLASH-RT), delivered with ultrahigh dose rate (UHDR), may allow patients to be treated with less normal tissue toxicity for a given tumor dose compared with currently used conventional dose rate. Clinical trials are being carried out and are needed to test whether this improved therapeutic ratio can be achieved clinically. During the clinical trials, quality assurance and credentialing of equipment and participating sites, particularly pertaining to UHDR-specific aspects, will be crucial for the validity of the outcomes of such trials. This report represents an initial framework proposed by the NRG Oncology Center for Innovation in Radiation Oncology FLASH working group on quality assurance of potential UHDR clinical trials and reviews current technology gaps to overcome. An important but separate consideration is the appropriate design of trials to most effectively answer clinical and scientific questions about FLASH. This paper begins with an overview of UHDR RT delivery methods. UHDR beam delivery parameters are then covered, with a focus on electron and proton modalities. The definition and control of safe UHDR beam delivery and current and needed dosimetry technologies are reviewed and discussed. System and site credentialing for large, multi-institution trials are reviewed. Quality assurance is then discussed, and new requirements are presented for treatment system standard analysis, patient positioning, and treatment planning. The tables and figures in this paper are meant to serve as reference points as we move toward FLASH-RT clinical trial performance. Some major questions regarding FLASH-RT are discussed, and next steps in this field are proposed. FLASH-RT has potential but is associated with significant risks and complexities. We need to redefine optimization to focus not only on the dose but also on the dose rate in a manner that is robust and understandable and that can be prescribed, validated, and confirmed in real time. Robust patient safety systems and access to treatment data will be critical as FLASH-RT moves into the clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zou
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Rongxiao Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Emil Schüler
- Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Paige A Taylor
- Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Eric S Diffenderfer
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Tianyu Zhao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Ahmet S Ayan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Manju Sharma
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Shu-Jung Yu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Weiguo Lu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Walter R Bosch
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Christina Tsien
- Department of Radiation Oncology, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Murat Surucu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Julianne M Pollard-Larkin
- Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jan Schuemann
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eduardo G Moros
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA
| | | | - David J Gladstone
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Heng Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Charles B Simone
- Department of Radiation Oncology, New York Proton Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kristoffer Petersson
- Department of Radiation Oncology, MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Stephen F Kry
- Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Amit Maity
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Billy W Loo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Lei Dong
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Peter G Maxim
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Ying Xiao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jeffrey C Buchsbaum
- Radiation Research Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Knäusl B, Taasti VT, Poulsen P, Muren LP. Surveying the clinical practice of treatment adaptation and motion management in particle therapy. Phys Imaging Radiat Oncol 2023; 27:100457. [PMID: 37361612 PMCID: PMC10285555 DOI: 10.1016/j.phro.2023.100457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Knäusl
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Vicki T Taasti
- Department of Radiation Oncology (Maastro), GROW - School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht, University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Per Poulsen
- Danish Centre for Particle Therapy, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Oncology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ludvig P Muren
- Danish Centre for Particle Therapy, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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6
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Graeff C, Volz L, Durante M. Emerging technologies for cancer therapy using accelerated particles. PROGRESS IN PARTICLE AND NUCLEAR PHYSICS 2023; 131:104046. [PMID: 37207092 PMCID: PMC7614547 DOI: 10.1016/j.ppnp.2023.104046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Cancer therapy with accelerated charged particles is one of the most valuable biomedical applications of nuclear physics. The technology has vastly evolved in the past 50 years, the number of clinical centers is exponentially growing, and recent clinical results support the physics and radiobiology rationale that particles should be less toxic and more effective than conventional X-rays for many cancer patients. Charged particles are also the most mature technology for clinical translation of ultra-high dose rate (FLASH) radiotherapy. However, the fraction of patients treated with accelerated particles is still very small and the therapy is only applied to a few solid cancer indications. The growth of particle therapy strongly depends on technological innovations aiming to make the therapy cheaper, more conformal and faster. The most promising solutions to reach these goals are superconductive magnets to build compact accelerators; gantryless beam delivery; online image-guidance and adaptive therapy with the support of machine learning algorithms; and high-intensity accelerators coupled to online imaging. Large international collaborations are needed to hasten the clinical translation of the research results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Graeff
- GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, Biophysics Department, Planckstraße 1, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany
- Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Lennart Volz
- GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, Biophysics Department, Planckstraße 1, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Marco Durante
- GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, Biophysics Department, Planckstraße 1, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany
- Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
- Dipartimento di Fisica “Ettore Pancini”, University Federico II, Naples, Italy
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7
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Crop F, Laffarguette J, Achag I, Pasquier D, Mirabel X, Cayez R, Lacornerie T. Evaluation of surface image guidance and Deep inspiration Breath Hold technique for breast treatments with Halcyon. Phys Med 2023; 108:102564. [PMID: 36989980 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2023.102564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate the accuracy/agreement of a three-camera Catalyst Surface Guided Radiation Therapy (SGRT) system on a closed-gantry Halcyon for Free-Breathing (FB) and Deep Inspiration Breath Hold (DIBH) breast-only treatments. METHODS The SGRT positioning agreement with Halcyon couch and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) was evaluated on phantom and by evaluation of 2401 FB and 855 DIBH breast-only treatment sessions. The DIBH agreement was evaluated using a programmable moving support. Dose agreement was evaluated for manual SGRT-assisted beam interruption and Halcyon arc beam interruption. RESULTS Geometrical phantom agreement was < 0.4 mm. Couch and SGRT agreement for an anthropomorphic phantom resulted in 95% limits of agreement in Right-Left/Feet-Head/Posterior-Anterior (RL/FH/PA) directions of respectively ± 0.4/0.8/0.5 mm and ± 1.1/1.1/0.6 mm in the virtual and real isocenter. FB-SGRT-assisted patient positioning compared to CBCT positioning resulted in RL/FH/PA systematic differences of -0.1/0.1/2.0 mm with standard deviations of 2.7/2.8/2.4 mm. This mean systematic difference had three origins: a) couch sag/isocenter difference of ≤ 0.5 mm. b) Average reconstructed FB-CBCT images do not visually represent the average respiratory position. c) CBCT-based positioning focused on the inner thoracic interface, which can introduce a mean positioning difference between SGRT and CBCT. Manual SGRT-assisted beam interruption and arc interruptions resulted in mean gamma passing rates > 97% (0.5%/0.5 mm) and mean absolute differences < 0.3%. CONCLUSIONS Accuracy was comparable with breast-only C-arm SGRT techniques, with different tradeoffs. Depending on the patient's morphology, real-time tracking accuracy in the real isocenter can be reduced. This study demonstrates possible discordances between SGRT and CBCT positioning for breast.
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Zhang Y, Trnkova P, Toshito T, Heijmen B, Richter C, Aznar M, Albertini F, Bolsi A, Daartz J, Bertholet J, Knopf A. A survey of practice patterns for real-time intrafractional motion-management in particle therapy. Phys Imaging Radiat Oncol 2023; 26:100439. [PMID: 37124167 PMCID: PMC10133874 DOI: 10.1016/j.phro.2023.100439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and purpose Organ motion compromises accurate particle therapy delivery. This study reports on the practice patterns for real-time intrafractional motion-management in particle therapy to evaluate current clinical practice and wishes and barriers to implementation. Materials and methods An institutional questionnaire was distributed to particle therapy centres worldwide (7/2020-6/2021) asking which type(s) of real-time respiratory motion management (RRMM) methods were used, for which treatment sites, and what were the wishes and barriers to implementation. This was followed by a three-round DELPHI consensus analysis (10/2022) to define recommendations on required actions and future vision. With 70 responses from 17 countries, response rate was 100% for Europe (23/23 centres), 96% for Japan (22/23) and 53% for USA (20/38). Results Of the 68 clinically operational centres, 85% used RRMM, with 41% using both rescanning and active methods. Sixty-four percent used active-RRMM for at least one treatment site, mostly with gating guided by an external marker. Forty-eight percent of active-RRMM users wished to expand or change their RRMM technique. The main barriers were technical limitations and limited resources. From the DELPHI analysis, optimisation of rescanning parameters, improvement of motion models, and pre-treatment 4D evaluation were unanimously considered clinically important future focus. 4D dose calculation was identified as the top requirement for future commercial treatment planning software. Conclusion A majority of particle therapy centres have implemented RRMM. Still, further development and clinical integration were desired by most centres. Joint industry, clinical and research efforts are needed to translate innovation into efficient workflows for broad-scale implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Zhang
- Center for Proton Therapy, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Petra Trnkova
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Toshiyuki Toshito
- Nagoya Proton Therapy Center, Nagoya City University West Medical Center, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Ben Heijmen
- Department of Radiotherapy, Erasmus University Medical Center (Erasmus MC), Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Christian Richter
- OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
| | - Marianne Aznar
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, United Kingdom
| | | | - Alexandra Bolsi
- Center for Proton Therapy, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Juliane Daartz
- F. Burr Proton Therapy, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Jenny Bertholet
- Division of Medical Radiation Physics and Department of Radiation Oncology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Antje Knopf
- Center for Proton Therapy, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Medical Informatics, School of Life Science FHNW, Muttenz, Switzerland
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Hamaide V, Souris K, Dasnoy D, Glineur F, Macq B. Real-time image-guided treatment of mobile tumors in proton therapy by a library of treatment plans: a simulation study. Med Phys 2023; 50:465-479. [PMID: 36345808 DOI: 10.1002/mp.16084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To improve target coverage and reduce the dose in the surrounding organs-at-risks (OARs), we developed an image-guided treatment method based on a precomputed library of treatment plans controlled and delivered in real-time. METHODS A library of treatment plans is constructed by optimizing a plan for each breathing phase of a four dimensional computed tomography (4DCT). Treatments are delivered by simulation on a continuous sequence of synthetic computed tomographies (CTs) generated from real magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences. During treatment, the plans for which the tumor are at a close distance to the current tumor position are selected to deliver their spots. The study is conducted on five liver cases. RESULTS We tested our approach under imperfect knowledge of the tumor positions with a 2 mm distance error. On average, compared to a 4D robustly optimized treatment plan, our approach led to a dose homogeneity increase of 5% (defined as 1 - D 5 - D 95 prescription $1-\frac{D_5-D_{95}}{\text{prescription}}$ ) in the target and a mean liver dose decrease of 23%. The treatment time was roughly increased by a factor of 2 but remained below 4 min on average. CONCLUSIONS Our image-guided treatment framework outperforms state-of-the-art 4D-robust plans for all patients in this study on both target coverage and OARs sparing, with an acceptable increase in treatment time under the current accuracy of the tumor tracking technology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Damien Dasnoy
- ICTEAM Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | | | - Benoît Macq
- ICTEAM Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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10
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Terunuma T, Sakae T, Hu Y, Takei H, Moriya S, Okumura T, Sakurai H. Explainability and controllability of patient-specific deep learning with attention-based augmentation for markerless image-guided radiotherapy. Med Phys 2023; 50:480-494. [PMID: 36354286 PMCID: PMC10100026 DOI: 10.1002/mp.16095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We reported the concept of patient-specific deep learning (DL) for real-time markerless tumor segmentation in image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT). The method was aimed to control the attention of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) by artificial differences in co-occurrence probability (CoOCP) in training datasets, that is, focusing CNN attention on soft tissues while ignoring bones. However, the effectiveness of this attention-based data augmentation has not been confirmed by explainable techniques. Furthermore, compared to reasonable ground truths, the feasibility of tumor segmentation in clinical kilovolt (kV) X-ray fluoroscopic (XF) images has not been confirmed. PURPOSE The first aim of this paper was to present evidence that the proposed method provides an explanation and control of DL behavior. The second purpose was to validate the real-time lung tumor segmentation in clinical kV XF images for IGRT. METHODS This retrospective study included 10 patients with lung cancer. Patient-specific and XF angle-specific image pairs comprising digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs) and projected-clinical-target-volume (pCTV) images were calculated from four-dimensional computer tomographic data and treatment planning information. The training datasets were primarily augmented by random overlay (RO) and noise injection (NI): RO aims to differentiate positional CoOCP in soft tissues and bones, and NI aims to make a difference in the frequency of occurrence of local and global image features. The CNNs for each patient-and-angle were automatically optimized in the DL training stage to transform the training DRRs into pCTV images. In the inference stage, the trained CNNs transformed the test XF images into pCTV images, thus identifying target positions and shapes. RESULTS The visual analysis of DL attention heatmaps for a test image demonstrated that our method focused CNN attention on soft tissue and global image features rather than bones and local features. The processing time for each patient-and-angle-specific dataset in the training stage was ∼30 min, whereas that in the inference stage was 8 ms/frame. The estimated three-dimensional 95 percentile tracking error, Jaccard index, and Hausdorff distance for 10 patients were 1.3-3.9 mm, 0.85-0.94, and 0.6-4.9 mm, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The proposed attention-based data augmentation with both RO and NI made the CNN behavior more explainable and more controllable. The results obtained demonstrated the feasibility of real-time markerless lung tumor segmentation in kV XF images for IGRT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiyuki Terunuma
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.,Proton Medical Research Center, University of Tsukuba Hospital, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Takeji Sakae
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.,Proton Medical Research Center, University of Tsukuba Hospital, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Yachao Hu
- Proton Medical Research Center, University of Tsukuba Hospital, Tsukuba, Japan.,Center Hospital and Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hideyuki Takei
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.,Proton Medical Research Center, University of Tsukuba Hospital, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Moriya
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.,Proton Medical Research Center, University of Tsukuba Hospital, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Toshiyuki Okumura
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.,Proton Medical Research Center, University of Tsukuba Hospital, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Sakurai
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.,Proton Medical Research Center, University of Tsukuba Hospital, Tsukuba, Japan
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11
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Hirotaki K, Moriya S, Akita T, Yokoyama K, Sakae T. Image preprocessing to improve the accuracy and robustness of mutual-information-based automatic image registration in proton therapy. Phys Med 2022; 101:95-103. [PMID: 35987025 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2022.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE We propose a method that potentially improves the outcome of mutual-information-based automatic image registration by using the contrast enhancement filter (CEF). METHODS Seventy-six pairs of two-dimensional X-ray images and digitally reconstructed radiographs for 20 head and neck and nine lung cancer patients were analyzed retrospectively. Automatic image registration was performed using the mutual-information-based algorithm in VeriSuite®. Images were preprocessed using the CEF in VeriSuite®. The correction vector for translation and rotation error was calculated and manual image registration was compared with automatic image registration, with and without CEF. In addition, the normalized mutual information (NMI) distribution between two-dimensional images was compared, with and without CEF. RESULTS In the correction vector comparison between manual and automatic image registration, the average differences in translation error were < 1 mm in most cases in the head and neck region. The average differences in rotation error were 0.71 and 0.16 degrees without and with CEF, respectively, in the head and neck region; they were 2.67 and 1.64 degrees, respectively, in the chest region. When used with oblique projection, the average rotation error was 0.39 degrees with CEF. CEF improved the NMI by 17.9 % in head and neck images and 18.2 % in chest images. CONCLUSIONS CEF preprocessing improved the NMI and registration accuracy of mutual-information-based automatic image registration on the medical images. The proposed method achieved accuracy equivalent to that achieved by experienced therapists and it will significantly contribute to the standardization of image registration quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kouta Hirotaki
- Doctoral Program in Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 3058577, Japan; Department of Radiological Technology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba 2778577, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Moriya
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 3058575, Japan.
| | - Tsunemichi Akita
- Department of Radiological Technology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba 2778577, Japan
| | - Kazutoshi Yokoyama
- Department of Radiological Technology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba 2778577, Japan
| | - Takeji Sakae
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 3058575, Japan
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12
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Pakela JM, Knopf A, Dong L, Rucinski A, Zou W. Management of Motion and Anatomical Variations in Charged Particle Therapy: Past, Present, and Into the Future. Front Oncol 2022; 12:806153. [PMID: 35356213 PMCID: PMC8959592 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.806153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The major aim of radiation therapy is to provide curative or palliative treatment to cancerous malignancies while minimizing damage to healthy tissues. Charged particle radiotherapy utilizing carbon ions or protons is uniquely suited for this task due to its ability to achieve highly conformal dose distributions around the tumor volume. For these treatment modalities, uncertainties in the localization of patient anatomy due to inter- and intra-fractional motion present a heightened risk of undesired dose delivery. A diverse range of mitigation strategies have been developed and clinically implemented in various disease sites to monitor and correct for patient motion, but much work remains. This review provides an overview of current clinical practices for inter and intra-fractional motion management in charged particle therapy, including motion control, current imaging and motion tracking modalities, as well as treatment planning and delivery techniques. We also cover progress to date on emerging technologies including particle-based radiography imaging, novel treatment delivery methods such as tumor tracking and FLASH, and artificial intelligence and discuss their potential impact towards improving or increasing the challenge of motion mitigation in charged particle therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia M Pakela
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Antje Knopf
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.,Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Cologne, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Lei Dong
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Antoni Rucinski
- Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
| | - Wei Zou
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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13
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Knopf AC, Czerska K, Fracchiolla F, Graeff C, Molinelli S, Rinaldi I, Rucincki A, Sterpin E, Stützer K, Trnkova P, Zhang Y, Chang JY, Giap H, Liu W, Schild SE, Simone CB, Lomax AJ, Meijers A. Clinical necessity of multi-image based (4DMIB) optimization for targets affected by respiratory motion and treated with scanned particle therapy – a comprehensive review. Radiother Oncol 2022; 169:77-85. [DOI: 10.1016/j.radonc.2022.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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14
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Dasnoy-Sumell D, Aspeel A, Souris K, Macq B. Locally tuned deformation fields combination for 2D cine-MRI-based driving of 3D motion models. Phys Med 2021; 94:8-16. [PMID: 34968950 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2021.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To target mobile tumors in radiotherapy with the recent MR-Linac hardware solutions, research is being conducted to drive a 3D motion model with 2D cine-MRI to reproduce the breathing motion in 4D. This work presents a method to combine several deformation fields using local measures to better drive 3D motion models. METHODS The method uses weight maps, each representing the proximity with a specific area of interest. The breathing state is evaluated on cine-MRI frames in these areas and a different deformation field is estimated for each using a 2D to 3D motion model. The different deformation fields are multiplied by their respective weight maps and combined to form the final field to apply to a reference image. A global motion model is adjusted locally on the selected areas and creates a 3DCT for each cine-MRI frame. RESULTS The 13 patients on which it was tested showed on average an improvement of the accuracy of our model of 0.71 mm for areas selected to drive the model and 0.5 mm for other areas compared to our previous method without local adjustment. The additional computation time for each region was around 40 ms on a modern laptop. CONCLUSION The method improves the accuracy of the2D-based driving of 3D motion models. It can be used on top of existing methods relying on deformation fields. It does add some computation time but, depending on the area to deform and the number of regions of interests, offers the potential of online use.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Dasnoy-Sumell
- Universite Catholique de Louvain, Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics, ImagX-R Lab, Place du Levant 3 Box L5.03.02, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
| | - A Aspeel
- Universite Catholique de Louvain, Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics, ImagX-R Lab, Place du Levant 3 Box L5.03.02, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
| | - K Souris
- Universite Catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherche Experimentale et Clinique (IREC), Molecular Imaging, Radiotherapy and Oncology (MIRO), Avenue Hippocrate 54 Box B1.54.07, 1200 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - B Macq
- Universite Catholique de Louvain, Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics, ImagX-R Lab, Place du Levant 3 Box L5.03.02, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
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15
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Hamatani N, Tsubouchi T, Takashina M, Yagi M, Kanai T. Commissioning of carbon-ion radiotherapy for moving targets at the Osaka Heavy-Ion Therapy Center. Med Phys 2021; 49:801-812. [PMID: 34894413 PMCID: PMC9306684 DOI: 10.1002/mp.15403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Herein, we report the methods and results of the Hitachi carbon‐ion therapy facility commissioning to determine the optimum values of the magnitude of movement and repaint number in respiratory‐gated irradiation. Methods A virtual‐cylinder target was created using the treatment‐planning system (VQA Plan), and measurements were performed to study the effects of respiratory movements using a two‐dimensional ionization‐chamber array detector and a phantom with movable wedge and stage. For simulations, we selected a 10 × 10 × 10 cm3 cubic irradiation pattern with a uniform physical dose and two actual cases of liver‐cancer treatments, whose prescribed doses were 60 Gy(RBE)/4 fraction (Case 1) and 60 Gy(RBE)/12 fraction (Case 2). We employed two types of repainting methods, one produced by the algorithm of VQA Plan (VQA algorithm) and the other by ideal repainting. The latter completely repeats all spots with set number of repaintings. We performed flatness calculations and gamma analysis to evaluate the effects of each condition. Results From the measurements, the gamma passing rates for which the criteria were 3%/3 mm exceeded 95% for displacements in the head‐to‐tail direction if the repaint number was greater than 3 and the magnitude of the residual motions was less than 5.0 mm. In simulations with the cubic irradiation pattern, the gamma passing rates (with criteria of 2%/2 mm) exceeded 95% when the magnitude of the residual motions was 3.0 mm and the repaint number was greater than 3. When the repaint number was set to 4 in the VQA with the actual liver cases, the flatness results for Case 2 was minimal. For ideal repainting, the flatness results for all ports fell within ∼3.0% even when the magnitude of the residual motions was 5.0 mm if the repaint number was 6. However, the flatness was less than 3.0% for almost all ports if the magnitude of the residual motions was less than 3.0 mm with a repaint number of 4 in case of both types of repaint methods. Conclusions At our facility, carbon‐ion radiotherapy can be provided safely to a moving target with residual motions of 3.0 mm magnitude and with a repaint number of 4.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Masashi Yagi
- Department of Carbon Ion Radiotherapy, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
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16
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Durante M, Debus J, Loeffler JS. Physics and biomedical challenges of cancer therapy with accelerated heavy ions. NATURE REVIEWS. PHYSICS 2021; 3:777-790. [PMID: 34870097 PMCID: PMC7612063 DOI: 10.1038/s42254-021-00368-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Radiotherapy should have low toxicity in the entrance channel (normal tissue) and be very effective in cell killing in the target region (tumour). In this regard, ions heavier than protons have both physical and radiobiological advantages over conventional X-rays. Carbon ions represent an excellent combination of physical and biological advantages. There are a dozen carbon-ion clinical centres in Europe and Asia, and more under construction or at the planning stage, including the first in the USA. Clinical results from Japan and Germany are promising, but a heated debate on the cost-effectiveness is ongoing in the clinical community, owing to the larger footprint and greater expense of heavy ion facilities compared with proton therapy centres. We review here the physical basis and the clinical data with carbon ions and the use of different ions, such as helium and oxygen. Research towards smaller and cheaper machines with more effective beam delivery is necessary to make particle therapy affordable. The potential of heavy ions has not been fully exploited in clinics and, rather than there being a single 'silver bullet', different particles and their combination can provide a breakthrough in radiotherapy treatments in specific cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Durante
- Biophysics Department, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, Darmstadt, Germany
- Institute of Condensed Matter Physics, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Jürgen Debus
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Heidelberg Ion Beam Therapy Center, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jay S. Loeffler
- Departments of Radiation Oncology and Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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17
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Inui S, Nishio T, Ueda Y, Ohira S, Ueda H, Washio H, Ono S, Miyazaki M, Koizumi M, Konishi K. Machine log file-based dose verification using novel iterative CBCT reconstruction algorithm in commercial software during volumetric modulated arc therapy for prostate cancer patients. Phys Med 2021; 92:24-31. [PMID: 34837857 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2021.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Revised: 11/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate the utility of the use of iterative cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) for machine log file-based dose verification during volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for prostate cancer patients. METHODS All CBCT acquisition data were used to reconstruct images with the Feldkamp-Davis-Kress algorithm (FDK-CBCT) and the novel iterative algorithm (iCBCT). The Hounsfield unit (HU)-electron density curves for CBCT images were created using the Advanced Electron Density Phantom. The I'mRT and anthropomorphic phantoms were irradiated with VMAT after CBCT registration. Subsequently, fourteen prostate cancer patients received VMAT after CBCT registration. Machine log files and both CBCT images were exported to the PerFRACTION software, and a 3D patient dose was reconstructed. Mean dose for planning target volume (PTV), the bladder, and rectum and the 3D gamma analysis were evaluated. RESULTS For the phantom studies, the variation of HU values was observed at the central position surrounding the bones in FDK-CBCT. There were almost no changes in the difference of doses at the isocenter between measurement and reconstructed dose for planning CT (pCT), FDK-CBCT, and iCBCT. Mean dose differences of PTV, rectum, and bladder between iCBCT and pCT were approximately 2% lower than those between FDK-CBCT and pCT. For the clinical study, average gamma analysis for 2%/2 mm was 98.22% ± 1.07 and 98.81% ± 1.25% in FDK-CBCT and iCBCT, respectively. CONCLUSIONS A similar machine log file-based dose verification accuracy is obtained for FDK-CBCT and iCBCT during VMAT for prostate cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoki Inui
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Osaka International Cancer Institute, Osaka, Japan; Department of Medical Physics and Engineering, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan.
| | - Teiji Nishio
- Department of Medical Physics and Engineering, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Ueda
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Osaka International Cancer Institute, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shingo Ohira
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Osaka International Cancer Institute, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hikari Ueda
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Osaka International Cancer Institute, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hayate Washio
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Osaka International Cancer Institute, Osaka, Japan; Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Ono
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Osaka International Cancer Institute, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masayoshi Miyazaki
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Osaka International Cancer Institute, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masahiko Koizumi
- Department of Medical Physics and Engineering, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Koji Konishi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Osaka International Cancer Institute, Osaka, Japan
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18
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Placidi L, Castriconi R, Rancati T, Lecchi M, Fusi F, Russo P, Cavedon C, Fiorino C, Garibaldi C. The scientific publications of AIFM members in 2015-2019: A survey of the FutuRuS working group. Phys Med 2021; 88:111-116. [PMID: 34225239 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2021.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Within the Italian Association of Medical Physics and Health Physics (AIFM) working group "FutuRuS" we carried out a survey regarding the number of the peer-reviewed articles by AIFM members. METHODS We surveyed papers published in the years 2015-2019. Data extracted from Scopus included information regarding authors, title, journal, impact factor (IF), leading or standard authorship by AIFM members, keywords, type of collaboration (monocentric/multicentric/international), area of interest [radiation oncology (RO), radiology (RAD), nuclear medicine (NM), radioprotection (RP) and professional issue (PI)] and topics. RESULTS We found 1210 papers published in peer-reviewed journals: 48%, 22%, 16%, 6%, 2 and 6% in RO, RAD, NM, RP, PI and other topics, respectively. Forty-seven percent of the papers involved monocentric teams, 31% multicentric and 22% international collaborations. Leading authorship of AIFM members was in 56% of papers, with a corresponding IF equal to 52% of the total IF (3342, IFmean = 2.8, IFmax = 35.4). The most represented journal was Physica Medica, with 15% of papers, while a relevant fraction of IF (54%) appeared in clinically oriented journals. The number of papers increased significantly between 2015 and 2016 and remained almost constant in 2017-2019. CONCLUSIONS This survey led to the first quantitative assessment of the number and theme distribution of peer-reviewed scientific articles contributed by AIFM members. It constitutes a ground basis to support future AIFM strategies and promote working groups on scientific activity of medical physicists, and to build the basis for rational comparison with other countries, first of all within Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Placidi
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | | | - Tiziana Rancati
- Prostate Cancer Program, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | - Michela Lecchi
- Health Physics Unit, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, Milan, Italy
| | - Franco Fusi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Paolo Russo
- Università di Napoli Federico II, Dipartimento di Fisica "Ettore Pancini", Napoli, Italy
| | - Carlo Cavedon
- Medical Physics Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata - Verona, Italy
| | - Claudio Fiorino
- Medical Physics, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Cristina Garibaldi
- Unit of Radiation Research, IEO European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milano, Italy.
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