Duplicating a tandem and ovoids distribution with intensity-modulated radiotherapy: a feasibility study.

Brachytherapy plays an important role in the definitive treatment of cervical cancers by radiotherapy. In the present study, we investigated whether sliding-window intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) can achieve a pear-shaped distribution with a similar sharp dose falloff identical to that of brachytherapy. The computed tomography scans of a tandem and ovoid patient were pushed to both a high dose rate (HDR) and an IMRT treatment planning system (TPS) after the rectum, bladder, and left and right femoral heads had been outlined, ensuring identical structures in both planning systems.

Technical and dosimetric considerations in IMRT treatment planning for large target volumes.

The maximum width of an intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) treatment field is usually smaller than the conventional maximum collimator opening because of design limitations inherent in some multileaf collimators (MLCs). To increase the effective field width, IMRT fluences can be split and delivered with multiple carriage positions. However, not all treatment-planning systems and MLCs support this technique, and if they do, the maximum field width in multiple carriage position delivery is still significantly less than the maximum collimator opening.

Quantifying IOHDR brachytherapy underdosage resulting from an incomplete scatter environment.

Purpose: Most brachytherapy planning systems are based on a dose calculation algorithm that assumes an infinite scatter environment surrounding the target volume and applicator. Dosimetric errors from this assumption are negligible. However, in intraoperative high-dose-rate brachytherapy (IOHDR) where treatment catheters are typically laid either directly on a tumor bed or within applicators that may have little or no scatter material above them, the lack of scatter from one side of the applicator can result in underdosage during treatment.