Quality and mechanical efficiency of automated knowledge-based planning for volumetric-modulated arc therapy in head and neck cancer.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the automated RapidPlan in assessing plan quality and to explore how beam complexity affects the mechanical performance of volumetric modulated arc therapy for head and neck cancers.

Materials And Methods: The plans were first generated using automated RapidPlan with scripting application programming interface (API) and then further refined through manual optimization (RP+MP) to improve plan quality. The quality of 20 plans was assessed, taking into account dose statistics and clinical plan acceptability.

Correction: Suwanbut et al. Assessment of Fetal Dose and Health Effect to the Fetus from Breast Cancer Radiotherapy during Pregnancy. 2022, , 84.

In the original publication [...

Automating QA analysis for a six-degree-of-freedom (6DOF) couch using image displacement and an accelerometer sensor.

The purpose of this study is to develop an approach for automating quality assurance (QA) analysis for a six-degree-of-freedom (6DOF) couch using image displacement and an accelerometer sensor. A cubic phantom was fabricated using 3D printing and the accelerometer sensor was embedded in the phantom to measure the couch in the pitch and roll directions. The accuracy and reliability of image displacement and the accelerometer sensor were investigated prior to their practical use for 6DOF couch QA.

Assessment of Fetal Dose and Health Effect to the Fetus from Breast Cancer Radiotherapy during Pregnancy.

Decision for radiotherapy during the first trimester of pregnancy may occur, as patients may not realize their pregnancy at the very early stage. Since radiation dose can affect fetal development, the aim of this study was to evaluate fetal dose and associated deterministic effects and risks to the fetus from breast cancer radiotherapy of an 8-week pregnant patient. PHITS (Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System) Monte Carlo simulation and the J-45 computational pregnancy phantom were used to simulate breast cancer radiotherapy from a 6 MV TrueBeam linear accelerator using the three dimensional-conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) technique with a prescribed dose to the planning target volume (PTV) of 50 Gy.

Dosimetric Effect of Jaw Tracking in Volumetric-Modulated Arc Therapy.

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of jaw tracking with the volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) to reduce the normal tissue dose. Plans of nasopharynx, lung, and prostate cancers (10 plans for each) were used to perform VMAT with and without jaw tracking. The dose reduction was evaluated in terms of organ doses and integral doses.

Comparison of CT images with average intensity projection, free breathing, and mid-ventilation for dose calculation in lung cancer.

The purpose of this study was to compare three computed tomography (CT) images under different conditions-average intensity projection (AIP), free breathing (FB), mid-ventilation (MidV)-used for radiotherapy contouring and planning in lung cancer patients. Two image sets derived from four-dimensional CT (4DCT) acquisition (AIP and MidV) and three-dimensional CT with FB were generated and used to plan for 29 lung cancer patients. Organs at risk (OARs) were delineated for each image.

Posterior kV-CBCT scanning of the head and neck region minimizes doses to critical organs with sustained image quality.

We evaluated the absorbed dose to critical organs, as well as the image quality, at different partial angles in kV-CBCT (Cone Beam Computed Tomography) scanning of the head and neck region. CBCT images of phantom from a 200° rotation were performed by using three different scanning paths, anterior, posterior, and right lateral with Catphan504 and RANDO phantoms. Critical organ dose was measured using TLD 100H in the RANDO phantom.

In vivo whole body dosimetry measurement technique of total body irradiation: a 12-year retrospective study result from one institute in Thailand.

Objective: The main problem of total body irradiation (TBI) is how to maintain radiation dose homogeneity throughout the body during a treatment course. The simple set up treatment with non-complicated in vivo dosimetry measurement technique is the ideal method to solve this problem. For this reason, the authors have reported the results of in vivo dosimetry measurement method to prove the reliability of dose distribution from the authors' TBI technique.