Automatic generation of a plan optimization volume for tangential field breast cancer radiation therapy.

Background And Purpose: Dose homogeneity is one of the objectives during computer planning of postoperative radiotherapy of the conserved breast. For three-dimensional (3-D) optimization of the dose distribution using serial CT scan images, suitable volumes have to be delineated. The purpose of this study was to develop a computer-generated delineation of a plan optimization volume (POV) and an irradiated volume (IV) and to automate their use in a fast dose homogeneity optimization engine.