skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Verification of dose distribution for volumetric modulated arc therapy total marrow irradiation in a humanlike phantom

Journal Article · · Medical Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1118/1.3668055· OSTI ID:22098719
; ; ; ; ;  [1]
  1. Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology University of Chicago, 5758 South Maryland Avenue, MC 9006, Chicago, Illinois 60637 (United States)

Purpose: Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) treatment planning studies have been reported to provide good target coverage and organs at risk (OARs) sparing in total marrow irradiation (TMI). A comprehensive dosimetric study simulating the clinical situation as close as possible is a norm in radiotherapy before a technique can be used to treat a patient. Without such a study, it would be difficult to make a reliable and safe clinical transition especially with a technique as complicated as VMAT-TMI. To this end, the dosimetric feasibility of VMAT-TMI technique in terms of treatment planning, delivery efficiency, and the most importantly three dimensional dose distribution accuracy was investigated in this study. The VMAT-TMI dose distribution inside a humanlike Rando phantom was measured and compared to the dose calculated using RapidArc especially in the field junctions and the inhomogeneous tissues including the lungs, which is the dose-limiting organ in TMI. Methods: Three subplans with a total of nine arcs were used to treat the planning target volume (PTV), which was determined as all the bones plus the 3 mm margin. Thermoluminescent detectors (TLDs) were placed at 39 positions throughout the phantom. The measured TLD doses were compared to the calculated plan doses. Planar dose for each arc was verified using mapcheck. Results: TLD readings demonstrated accurate dose delivery, with a median dose difference of 0.5% (range: -4.3% and 6.6%) from the calculated dose in the junctions and in the inhomogeneous medium including the lungs. Conclusions: The results from this study suggest that RapidArc VMAT technique is dosimetrically accurate, safe, and efficient in delivering TMI within clinically acceptable time frame.

OSTI ID:
22098719
Journal Information:
Medical Physics, Vol. 39, Issue 1; Other Information: (c) 2012 American Association of Physicists in Medicine; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-2405
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English