Multi-Institutional Validation of a Knowledge-Based Planning Model for Patients Enrolled in RTOG 0617: Implications for Plan Quality Controls in Cooperative Group Trials.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using a single-institution, knowledge-based planning (KBP) model as a dosimetric plan quality control (QC) for multi-institutional clinical trials. The efficacy of this QC tool was retrospectively evaluated using a subset of plans submitted to Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) study 0617.

Methods And Materials: A single KBP model was created using commercially available software (RapidPlan; Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA) and data from 106 patients with non-small cell lung cancer who were treated at a single institution.

Quantifying Unnecessary Normal Tissue Complication Risks due to Suboptimal Planning: A Secondary Study of RTOG 0126.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to quantify the frequency and clinical severity of quality deficiencies in intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) planning in the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 0126 protocol.

Methods And Materials: A total of 219 IMRT patients from the high-dose arm (79.2 Gy) of RTOG 0126 were analyzed.

Knowledge-based prediction of plan quality metrics in intracranial stereotactic radiosurgery.

Purpose: The objective of this work was to develop a comprehensive knowledge-based methodology for predicting achievable dose-volume histograms (DVHs) and highly precise DVH-based quality metrics (QMs) in stereotactic radiosurgery/radiotherapy (SRS/SRT) plans. Accurate QM estimation can identify suboptimal treatment plans and provide target optimization objectives to standardize and improve treatment planning.

Methods: Correlating observed dose as it relates to the geometric relationship of organs-at-risk (OARs) to planning target volumes (PTVs) yields mathematical models to predict achievable DVHs.

Contouring variations and the role of atlas in non-small cell lung cancer radiation therapy: Analysis of a multi-institutional preclinical trial planning study.

Purpose: To quantify variations in target and normal structure contouring and evaluate dosimetric impact of these variations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases. To study whether providing an atlas can reduce potential variation.

Methods And Materials: Three NSCLC cases were distributed sequentially to multiple institutions for contouring and radiation therapy planning.

Automated radiation therapy treatment plan workflow using a commercial application programming interface.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to create a workflow for the automation and standardization of treatment plan generation and evaluation using an application programming interface (API) to access data from a commercial treatment planning system (Varian Medical Systems, Inc, Palo Alto, CA).

Methods And Materials: The automation workflow begins with converting electronic patient-specific physician treatment planning orders that specify demographics, simulation instructions, and dosimetric objectives for targets and organs at risk into XML files. These XML files are used to generate standard contour names, beam, and patient-specific intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) optimization templates to be executed in a commercial treatment planning system (TPS) by the user.