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Title: A Study on Target Positioning Error and Its Impact on Dose Variation in Image-Guided Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for the Spine

Journal Article · · International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4]
  1. Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL (United States)
  2. University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute, University of Florida, Jacksonville, FL (United States)
  3. Druid City Hospital Medical Center, Tuscaloosa, AL (United States)
  4. Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)

Purpose: To investigate the amount of target positioning error and evaluate its dosimetric impact during image-guided stereotactic body radiotherapy for single-fraction spine treatment. Methods and Materials: A prescription dose of 15 Gy and five to nine coplanar intensity-modulated beams were used. The patient was immobilized with a custom-fit vacuum mold, and the target was localized with a volumetric cone-beam CT image. A robotic couch with six degrees of freedom was used for target adjustment. For evaluation a cone-beam CT image was obtained at the end of treatment. Both target positioning error and its dosimetric impact were investigated for the first 9 cases. Results: For cases studied, translational errors were 0.9 {+-} 0.5 mm (lateral), 1.2 {+-} 0.9 mm (longitudinal), 0.7 {+-} 0.6 mm (vertical), and 1.8 {+-} 1.0 mm (vector), and rotational errors were 1.6 deg. {+-} 1.3 deg. (pitch), 0.8 deg. {+-} 0.9 deg. (roll), and 0.8 deg. {+-} 0.4{sup o} (yaw). For the clinical target volume, D{sub 95} (dose to 95% of target volume), D{sub 90}, D{sub max}, and D{sub mean} were evaluated. Only 1 case showed significant dose variations, reaching up to 18% in D{sub 95}. The spinal cord dose was evaluated by observing D{sub 0.1} (dose to 0.1 cm{sup 3}), D{sub 0.5}, D{sub 1.0}, and D{sub max}. Although 1 case showed a dose change reaching up to 30% in D{sub max}, cord dose was within the planning tolerance limit in all but 2 cases (3% higher in one and 0.4% higher in the other). Conclusion: The implemented image-guided stereotactic body radiotherapy provides precise target localization. However, despite reasonably precise spatial precision, dosimetric perturbation can be significant because of both extremely steep dose gradients and close distances between the target and the spinal cord.

OSTI ID:
21276759
Journal Information:
International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics, Vol. 73, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2008.12.023; PII: S0360-3016(08)03919-9; Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0360-3016
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English