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Krogh SL, Brink C, Lorenzen EL, Samsøe E, Vogelius IR, Zukauskaite R, Vrou Offersen B, Eriksen JG, Hansen O, Johansen J, Olloni A, Ruhlmann CH, Hoffmann L, Nissen HD, Skovmos Nielsen M, Andersen K, Grau C, Hansen CR. A national repository of complete radiotherapy plans: design, Results, and experiences. Acta Oncol 2023; 62:1161-1168. [PMID: 37850659 DOI: 10.1080/0284186x.2023.2270143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previously, many radiotherapy (RT) trials were based on a few selected dose measures. Many research questions, however, rely on access to the complete dose information. To support such access, a national RT plan database was created. The system focuses on data security, ease of use, and re-use of data. This article reports on the development and structure, and the functionality and experience of this national database. METHODS AND MATERIALS A system based on the DICOM-RT standard, DcmCollab, was implemented with direct connections to all Danish RT centres. Data is segregated into any number of collaboration projects. User access to the system is provided through a web interface. The database has a finely defined access permission model to support legal requirements. RESULTS Currently, data for more than 14,000 patients have been submitted to the system, and more than 50 research projects are registered. The system is used for data collection, trial quality assurance, and audit data set generation.Users reported that the process of submitting data, waiting for it to be processed, and then manually attaching it to a project was resource intensive. This was accommodated with the introduction of triggering features, eliminating much of the need for users to manage data manually. Many other features, including structure name mapping, RT plan viewer, and the Audit Tool were developed based on user input. CONCLUSION The DcmCollab system has provided an efficient means to collect and access complete datasets for multi-centre RT research. This stands in contrast with previous methods of collecting RT data in multi-centre settings, where only singular data points were manually reported. To accommodate the evolving legal environment, DcmCollab has been defined as a 'data processor', meaning that it is a tool for other research projects to use rather than a research project in and of itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Long Krogh
- Laboratory of Radiation Physics, Department of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Carsten Brink
- Laboratory of Radiation Physics, Department of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Ebbe Laugaard Lorenzen
- Laboratory of Radiation Physics, Department of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Eva Samsøe
- Department of Oncology, Radiotherapy, Zealand University Hospital, Naestved, Denmark
| | | | - Ruta Zukauskaite
- Department of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Birgitte Vrou Offersen
- Department of Experimental Clinical Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Danish Center for Particle Therapy, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jesper Grau Eriksen
- Department of Experimental Clinical Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Olfred Hansen
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Department of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Jørgen Johansen
- Department of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Agon Olloni
- Department of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | | | - Lone Hoffmann
- Department of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Henrik Dahl Nissen
- Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Southern Denmark, Vejle, Denmark
| | | | - Karen Andersen
- Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Cai Grau
- Department of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Christian Rønn Hansen
- Laboratory of Radiation Physics, Department of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Danish Center for Particle Therapy, Aarhus, Denmark
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Cicchetti A, Fiorino C, Ebert MA, Iacovacci J, Kennedy A, Joseph DJ, Denham JW, Vavassori V, Fellin G, Cozzarini C, Degli Esposti C, Gabriele P, Munoz F, Avuzzi B, Valdagni R, Rancati T. Validation of prediction models for radiation-induced late rectal bleeding: evidence from a large pooled population of prostate cancer patients. Radiother Oncol 2023; 183:109628. [PMID: 36934896 DOI: 10.1016/j.radonc.2023.109628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To validate published models for the risk estimate of grade≥1 (G1+), grade≥2 (G2+) and grade=3 (G3) late rectal bleeding (LRB) after radical radiotherapy for prostate cancer in a large pooled population from three prospective trials. MATERIALS AND METHODS The external validation population included patients from Europe, and Oceanian centres enrolled between 2003 and 2014. Patients received 3DCRT or IMRT at doses between 66-80 Gy. IMRT was administered with conventional or hypofractionated schemes (2.35-2.65 Gy/fr). LRB was prospectively scored using patient-reported questionnaires (LENT/SOMA scale) with a 3-year follow-up. All Normal Tissue Complication Probability (NTCP) models published until 2021 based on the Equivalent Uniform Dose (EUD) from the rectal Dose Volume Histogram (DVH) were considered for validation. Model performance in validation was evaluated through calibration and discrimination. RESULTS Sixteen NTCP models were tested on data from 1633 patients. G1+ LRB was scored in 465 patients (28.5%), G2+ in 255 patients (15.6%) and G3 in 112 patients (6.8%). The best performances for G2+ and G3 LRB highlighted the importance of the medium-high doses to the rectum (volume parameters n=0.24 and n=0.18, respectively). Good performance was seen for models of severe LRB. Moreover, a multivariate model with two clinical factors found the best calibration slope. CONCLUSION Five published NTCP models developed on non-contemporary cohorts were able to predict a relative increase in the toxicity response in a more recent validation population. Compared to QUANTEC findings, dosimetric results pointed toward mid-high doses of rectal DVH. The external validation cohort confirmed abdominal surgery and cardiovascular diseases as risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Cicchetti
- Prostate Cancer Program, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
| | - Claudio Fiorino
- Medical Physics, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Martin A Ebert
- University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia; Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia; 5D Clinics, Claremont, Western Australia
| | - Jacopo Iacovacci
- Prostate Cancer Program, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Angel Kennedy
- Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia
| | - David J Joseph
- University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia; 5D Clinics, Claremont, Western Australia; GenesisCare, Perth, Western Australia
| | - James W Denham
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Gianni Fellin
- Radiation Oncology, Ospedale Santa Chiara, Trento, Italy
| | - Cesare Cozzarini
- Radiation Oncology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Pietro Gabriele
- Radiation Oncology, Istituto di Candiolo- Fondazione del Piemonte per l'Oncologia IRCCS, Torino, Italy
| | - Fernando Munoz
- Radiation Oncology, Azienda Ospedaliera di Aosta, Aosta, Italy
| | - Barbara Avuzzi
- Radiation Oncology 1, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Riccardo Valdagni
- Prostate Cancer Program, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy; Radiation Oncology 1, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy; Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi,Milano, Italy
| | - Tiziana Rancati
- Prostate Cancer Program, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
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3
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Hansen CR, Hussein M, Bernchou U, Zukauskaite R, Thwaites D. Plan quality in radiotherapy treatment planning - Review of the factors and challenges. J Med Imaging Radiat Oncol 2022; 66:267-278. [PMID: 35243775 DOI: 10.1111/1754-9485.13374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
A high-quality treatment plan aims to best achieve the clinical prescription, balancing high target dose to maximise tumour control against sufficiently low organ-at-risk dose for acceptably low toxicity. Treatment planning (TP) includes multiple steps from simulation/imaging and segmentation to technical plan production and reporting. Consistent quality across this process requires close collaboration and communication between clinical and technical experts, to clearly understand clinical requirements and priorities and also practical uncertainties, limitations and compromises. TP quality depends on many aspects, starting from commissioning and quality management of the treatment planning system (TPS), including its measured input data and detailed understanding of TPS models and limitations. It requires rigorous quality assurance of the whole planning process and it links to plan deliverability, assessable by measurement-based verification. This review highlights some factors influencing plan quality, for consideration for optimal plan construction and hence optimal outcomes for each patient. It also indicates some challenges, sources of difference and current developments. The topics considered include: the evolution of TP techniques; dose prescription issues; tools and methods to evaluate plan quality; and some aspects of practical TP. The understanding of what constitutes a high-quality treatment plan continues to evolve with new techniques, delivery methods and related evidence-based science. This review summarises the current position, noting developments in the concept and the need for further robust tools to help achieve it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Rønn Hansen
- Laboratory of Radiation Physics, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.,Institute of Medical Physics, School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Danish Centre for Particle Therapy, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mohammad Hussein
- Metrology for Medical Physics Centre, National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, UK
| | - Uffe Bernchou
- Laboratory of Radiation Physics, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Ruta Zukauskaite
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.,Department of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - David Thwaites
- Institute of Medical Physics, School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Khaw P, Do V, Lim K, Cunninghame J, Dixon J, Vassie J, Bailey M, Johnson C, Kahl K, Gordon C, Cook O, Foo K, Fyles A, Powell M, Haie-Meder C, D'Amico R, Bessette P, Mileshkin L, Creutzberg CL, Moore A. Radiotherapy Quality Assurance in the PORTEC-3 (TROG 08.04) Trial. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol) 2021; 34:198-204. [PMID: 34903431 DOI: 10.1016/j.clon.2021.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Quality assurance in radiotherapy (QART) is essential to ensure the scientific integrity of a clinical trial. This paper reports the findings of the retrospective QART assessment for all centres that participated in PORTEC-3; a randomised controlled trial that compared pelvic radiotherapy with concurrent chemoradiotherapy to the pelvis followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. The trial showed an overall survival benefit for the addition of the chemotherapy in the management of women with high-risk endometrial cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS Clinicians were invited to upload a randomly selected case/s treated at each of the participating sites. Panel reviewers analysed the contours to certify that the target volumes and organ at risk structures were contoured according to guidelines. The results were categorised into acceptable, minor variation, major variation or unevaluable. The radiotherapy plans were dosimetrically evaluated using the well-established Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group (TROG) protocol. RESULTS Between August 2010 and January 2018, data from 146 patients of 686 consecutively treated patients were retrospectively reviewed. All 16 Australia and New Zealand and 71 of 77 international centres uploaded data for evaluation. In total, 3514 dosimetric and contour variables were reviewed. Of these, 3136 variables were deemed acceptable (89.2%), with 335 minor (9.6%) and 43 major variations (1.2%). Major contour variations included the clinical target volume vaginal vault, clinical target volume parametria and differential planning target volume vault expansion. CONCLUSION The results of the QART assessment confirmed high uniformity and low rates of both minor and major deviations in contouring and dosimetry in all sites. This supports the safe introduction of the PORTEC-3 treatment protocol into routine clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Khaw
- Division of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - V Do
- Liverpool Cancer Therapy Centre, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia; South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - K Lim
- Liverpool Cancer Therapy Centre, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia; South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - J Cunninghame
- Division of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - J Dixon
- Illawarra Cancer Care Centre, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - J Vassie
- Division of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - M Bailey
- Illawarra Cancer Care Centre, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - C Johnson
- Blood & Cancer Centre, Wellington Hospital, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - K Kahl
- Shoalhaven Cancer Care Centre, Nowra, New South Wales, Australia
| | - C Gordon
- Illawarra Cancer Care Centre, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - O Cook
- Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group (TROG), Waratah, New South Wales, Australia
| | - K Foo
- Institute of Medical Physics, School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - A Fyles
- Canadian Cancer Trials Group, Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - M Powell
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - C Haie-Meder
- Department of Radiotherapy, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
| | - R D'Amico
- Division of Radiation Oncology, ASST-Lecco, Ospedale A. Manzoni, Lecco, Italy
| | - P Bessette
- Gynaecologic Oncology, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - L Mileshkin
- Division of Cancer Medicine, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - C L Creutzberg
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - A Moore
- Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group (TROG), Waratah, New South Wales, Australia
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5
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Marcello M, Denham JW, Kennedy A, Haworth A, Steigler A, Greer PB, Holloway LC, Dowling JA, Jameson MG, Roach D, Joseph DJ, Gulliford SL, Dearnaley DP, Sydes MR, Hall E, Ebert MA. Reduced Dose Posterior to Prostate Correlates With Increased PSA Progression in Voxel-Based Analysis of 3 Randomized Phase 3 Trials. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2020; 108:1304-1318. [PMID: 32739320 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2020.07.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Reducing margins during treatment planning to decrease dose to healthy organs surrounding the prostate can risk inadequate treatment of subclinical disease. This study aimed to investigate whether lack of dose to subclinical disease is associated with increased disease progression by using high-quality prostate radiation therapy clinical trial data to identify anatomically localized regions where dose variation is associated with prostate-specific antigen progression (PSAP). METHODS AND MATERIALS Planned dose distributions for 683 patients of the Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group 03.04 Randomized Androgen Deprivation and Radiotherapy (RADAR) trial were deformably registered onto a single exemplar computed tomography data set. These were divided into high-risk and intermediate-risk subgroups for analysis. Three independent voxel-based statistical tests, using permutation testing, Cox regression modeling, and least absolute shrinkage selection operator feature selection, were applied to identify regions where dose variation was associated with PSAP. Results from the intermediate-risk RADAR subgroup were externally validated by registering dose distributions from the RT01 (n = 388) and Conventional or Hypofractionated High Dose Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer Trial (CHHiP) (n = 253) trials onto the same exemplar and repeating the tests on each of these data sets. RESULTS Voxel-based Cox regression revealed regions where reduced dose was correlated with increased prostate-specific androgen progression. Reduced dose in regions associated with coverage at the posterior prostate, in the immediate periphery of the posterior prostate, and in regions corresponding to the posterior oblique beams or posterior lateral beam boundary, was associated with increased PSAP for RADAR and RT01 patients, but not for CHHiP patients. Reduced dose to the seminal vesicle region was also associated with increased PSAP for RADAR intermediate-risk patients. CONCLUSIONS Ensuring adequate dose coverage at the posterior prostate and immediately surrounding posterior region (including the seminal vesicles), where aggressive cancer spread may be occurring, may improve tumor control. It is recommended that particular care be taken when defining margins at the prostate posterior, acknowledging the trade-off between quality of life due to rectal dose and the preferences of clinicians and patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Marcello
- Department of Physics, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
| | - James W Denham
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Angel Kennedy
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Annette Haworth
- School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Allison Steigler
- Prostate Cancer Trials Group, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Peter B Greer
- School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia; Department of Radiation Oncology, Calvary Mater Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lois C Holloway
- Department of Medical Physics, Liverpool Cancer Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jason A Dowling
- School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia; CSIRO, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Michael G Jameson
- Department of Medical Physics, Liverpool Cancer Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia; Cancer Research Team, Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Dale Roach
- Department of Medical Physics, Liverpool Cancer Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Cancer Research Team, Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - David J Joseph
- School of Surgery, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; 5D Clinics, Claremont, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; GenesisCare WA, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Sarah L Gulliford
- Radiotherapy Department, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom; Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - David P Dearnaley
- Academic UroOncology Unit, The Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew R Sydes
- MRC Clinical Trials Unit, Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emma Hall
- Clinical Trials and Statistics Unit, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
| | - Martin A Ebert
- Department of Physics, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; 5D Clinics, Claremont, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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6
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Marcello M, Denham JW, Kennedy A, Haworth A, Steigler A, Greer PB, Holloway LC, Dowling JA, Jameson MG, Roach D, Joseph DJ, Gulliford SL, Dearnaley DP, Sydes MR, Hall E, Ebert MA. Relationships between rectal and perirectal doses and rectal bleeding or tenesmus in pooled voxel-based analysis of 3 randomised phase III trials. Radiother Oncol 2020; 150:281-292. [PMID: 32745667 DOI: 10.1016/j.radonc.2020.07.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE This study aimed to identify anatomically-localised regions where planned radiotherapy dose is associated with gastrointestinal toxicities in healthy tissues throughout the pelvic anatomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS Planned dose distributions for up to 657 patients of the Trans Tasman Radiation Oncology Group 03.04 RADAR trial were deformably registered onto a single exemplar computed tomography dataset. Voxel-based multiple comparison permutation dose difference testing, Cox regression modelling and LASSO feature selection were used to identify regions where dose-increase was associated with grade ≥2 rectal bleeding (RB) or tenesmus, according to the LENT/SOMA scale. This was externally validated by registering dose distributions from the RT01 (n = 388) and CHHiP (n = 241) trials onto the same exemplar and repeating the tests on each of these data sets, and on all three datasets combined. RESULTS Voxel-based Cox regression and permutation dose difference testing revealed regions where increased dose was correlated with gastrointestinal toxicity. Grade ≥2 RB was associated with posteriorly extended lateral beams that manifested high doses (>55 Gy) in a small rectal volume adjacent to the clinical target volume. A correlation was found between grade ≥2 tenesmus and increased low-intermediate dose (∼25 Gy) at the posterior beam region, including the posterior rectum and perirectal fat space (PRFS). CONCLUSIONS The serial response of the rectum with respect to RB has been demonstrated in patients with posteriorly extended lateral beams. Similarly, the parallel response of the PRFS with respect to tenesmus has been demonstrated in patients treated with the posterior beam.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Marcello
- Department of Physics, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia; Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Australia.
| | - James W Denham
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia
| | - Angel Kennedy
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Australia
| | - Annette Haworth
- School of Physics, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
| | - Allison Steigler
- Prostate Cancer Trials Group, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia
| | - Peter B Greer
- School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia; Department of Radiation Oncology, Calvary Mater Newcastle, Waratah, Australia
| | - Lois C Holloway
- Department of Medical Physics, Liverpool Cancer Centre, Australia; South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Liverpool, Australia; Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Australia
| | - Jason A Dowling
- School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia; CSIRO, Herston, Australia
| | - Michael G Jameson
- Department of Medical Physics, Liverpool Cancer Centre, Australia; South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Liverpool, Australia; Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Australia; Cancer Research Team, Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, Australia
| | - Dale Roach
- Department of Medical Physics, Liverpool Cancer Centre, Australia; South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Liverpool, Australia; Cancer Research Team, Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, Australia
| | - David J Joseph
- School of Surgery, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia; 5D Clinics, Claremont, Australia; GenesisCare WA, Wembley, Australia
| | - Sarah L Gulliford
- Radiotherapy Department, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom; Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - David P Dearnaley
- Academic UroOncology Unit, The Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden NHS Trust, London, Australia
| | - Mathew R Sydes
- MRC Clinical Trials Unit, Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology, University College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emma Hall
- Clinical Trials and Statistics Unit, The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, United Kingdom
| | - Martin A Ebert
- Department of Physics, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia; Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Australia; 5D Clinics, Claremont, Australia
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7
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Marcello M, Denham JW, Kennedy A, Haworth A, Steigler A, Greer PB, Holloway LC, Dowling JA, Jameson MG, Roach D, Joseph DJ, Gulliford SL, Dearnaley DP, Sydes MR, Hall E, Ebert MA. Increased Dose to Organs in Urinary Tract Associates With Measures of Genitourinary Toxicity in Pooled Voxel-Based Analysis of 3 Randomized Phase III Trials. Front Oncol 2020; 10:1174. [PMID: 32793485 PMCID: PMC7387667 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.01174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: Dose information from organ sub-regions has been shown to be more predictive of genitourinary toxicity than whole organ dose volume histogram information. This study aimed to identify anatomically-localized regions where 3D dose is associated with genitourinary toxicities in healthy tissues throughout the pelvic anatomy. Methods and Materials: Dose distributions for up to 656 patients of the Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group 03.04 RADAR trial were deformably registered onto a single exemplar CT dataset. Voxel- based multiple comparison permutation dose difference testing, Cox regression modeling and LASSO feature selection were used to identify regions where 3D dose-increase was associated with late grade ≥ 2 genitourinary dysuria, incontinence and frequency, and late grade ≥ 1 haematuria. This was externally validated by registering dose distributions from the RT01 (up to n = 388) and CHHiP (up to n = 247) trials onto the same exemplar and repeating the voxel-based tests on each of these data sets. All three datasets were then combined, and the tests repeated. Results: Voxel-based Cox regression and multiple comparison permutation dose difference testing revealed regions where increased dose was correlated with genitourinary toxicity. Increased dose in the vicinity of the membranous and spongy urethra was associated with dysuria for all datasets. Haematuria was similarly correlated with increased dose at the membranous and spongy urethra, for the RADAR, CHHiP, and combined datasets. Some evidence was found for the association between incontinence and increased dose at the internal and external urethral sphincter for RADAR and the internal sphincter alone for the combined dataset. Incontinence was also strongly correlated with dose from posterior oblique beams. Patients with fields extending inferiorly and posteriorly to the CTV, adjacent to the membranous and spongy urethra, were found to experience increased frequency. Conclusions: Anatomically-localized dose-toxicity relationships were determined for late genitourinary symptoms in the urethra and urinary sphincters. Low-intermediate doses to the extraprostatic urethra were associated with risk of late dysuria and haematuria, while dose to the urinary sphincters was associated with incontinence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Marcello
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia
- Department of Physics, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - James W. Denham
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Angel Kennedy
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Annette Haworth
- School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Allison Steigler
- Prostate Cancer Trials Group, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Peter B. Greer
- School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Calvary Mater Newcastle, Waratah, NSW, Australia
| | - Lois C. Holloway
- Department of Medical Physics, Liverpool Cancer Centre, Liverpool, NSW, Australia
- South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia
- Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Jason A. Dowling
- School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
- CSIRO, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Michael G. Jameson
- Department of Medical Physics, Liverpool Cancer Centre, Liverpool, NSW, Australia
- South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia
- Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
- Cancer Research Team, Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, NSW, Australia
| | - Dale Roach
- Department of Medical Physics, Liverpool Cancer Centre, Liverpool, NSW, Australia
- South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia
- Cancer Research Team, Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, NSW, Australia
| | - David J. Joseph
- School of Surgery, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- 5D Clinics, Claremont, WA, Australia
- GenesisCare WA, Wembley, WA, Australia
| | - Sarah L. Gulliford
- Radiotherapy Department, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - David P. Dearnaley
- Academic UroOncology Unit, The Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew R. Sydes
- MRC Clinical Trials Unit, Medical Research Council, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emma Hall
- Clinical Trials and Statistics Unit, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
| | - Martin A. Ebert
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia
- Department of Physics, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- 5D Clinics, Claremont, WA, Australia
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8
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Joseph D, Denham JW, Steigler A, Lamb DS, Spry NA, Stanley J, Shannon T, Duchesne G, Atkinson C, Matthews JH, Turner S, Kenny L, Christie D, Tai KH, Gogna NK, Kearvell R, Murray J, Ebert MA, Haworth A, Delahunt B, Oldmeadow C, Attia J. Radiation Dose Escalation or Longer Androgen Suppression to Prevent Distant Progression in Men With Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer: 10-Year Data From the TROG 03.04 RADAR Trial. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2020; 106:693-702. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2019.11.415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2019] [Revised: 11/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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9
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Cox S, Cleves A, Clementel E, Miles E, Staffurth J, Gwynne S. Impact of deviations in target volume delineation - Time for a new RTQA approach? Radiother Oncol 2019; 137:1-8. [PMID: 31039468 DOI: 10.1016/j.radonc.2019.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Revised: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/07/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The international radiotherapy community has recognised that non-adherence to RT protocols can influence trial endpoints. However this conclusion is based on studies predominantly assessing the impact of deviations in dosimetric or treatment delivery protocol parameters rather than target volume delineation (TVD). This review evaluates the assessment of TVD within Radiation Therapy Quality Assurance (RTQA) programmes in clinical trials and the clinical impact of TVD protocol deviations. The implications for RTQA programmes are discussed. MEDLINE, PreMEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, OpenGrey, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform portal and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched. Full-length articles and conference abstracts were included to avoid publication bias. 5864 abstracts were screened for relevance; 94 full-length articles were reviewed and 5 relevant trials identified. Various classification systems were used to assess protocol deviations; 'unacceptable' or 'major' deviations in TVD occurred in 2.9-13.4% of assessed RT plans (when reported). It was often not possible to establish deviation rates specifically related to TVD as these were frequently combined with other types of protocol deviations. Details on the nature of unacceptable deviations was also not routinely reported and difficulties in establishing a 'consensus' for appropriate TVD for on-trial patients highlighted. Results suggest that deviations in TVD were associated with poorer outcomes for overall survival, local control and treatment-related toxicity; however the data were heterogeneous. RTQA of TVD was retrospective and feedback on the quality of TVD to recruiting centres was not standard. In summary, few trials have published outcomes on the impact of assessing the quality of TVD in trials. We propose that a new approach is now required. Unacceptable TVD deviations must be clearly defined at the time of protocol development to minimise interobserver variation, thereby promoting consistency in RTQA feedback. Prospective TVD reviews should be implemented for trials involving novel or complex RT techniques to identify deviations that require modification prior to treatment delivery. Furthermore, the consistent reporting of RTQA programme outcomes, both within and across trial groups, is of paramount importance to accelerate the evidence-base for the best RTQA approach when assessing TVD and to enable the impact on clinical outcomes within RT trials to be assessed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Cox
- South West Wales Cancer Centre, Singleton Hospital, Swansea, UK.
| | - Anne Cleves
- Velindre NHS Trust Library, Velindre Cancer Centre, Cardiff, UK
| | | | | | - John Staffurth
- School of Medicine, Cardiff University and Velindre Cancer Centre, Cardiff, UK
| | - Sarah Gwynne
- South West Wales Cancer Centre, Singleton Hospital, Swansea, UK; Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, UK
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10
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Similarity clustering‐based atlas selection for pelvic
CT
image segmentation. Med Phys 2019; 46:2243-2250. [DOI: 10.1002/mp.13494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Revised: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 03/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
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11
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Cloak K, Jameson MG, Paneghel A, Wiltshire K, Kneebone A, Pearse M, Sidhom M, Tang C, Fraser‐Browne C, Holloway LC, Haworth A. Contour variation is a primary source of error when delivering post prostatectomy radiotherapy: Results of the Trans‐Tasman Radiation Oncology Group 08.03 Radiotherapy Adjuvant Versus Early Salvage (RAVES) benchmarking exercise. J Med Imaging Radiat Oncol 2019; 63:390-398. [DOI: 10.1111/1754-9485.12884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kirrily Cloak
- South Western Sydney Clinical School University of NSW Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Cancer Therapy Centre Liverpool Hospital Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Ingham Institute of Applied Medical Research Liverpool Hospital Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Michael G Jameson
- South Western Sydney Clinical School University of NSW Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Cancer Therapy Centre Liverpool Hospital Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Ingham Institute of Applied Medical Research Liverpool Hospital Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | | | | | - Andrew Kneebone
- University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Royal North Shore Hospital Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | | | - Mark Sidhom
- South Western Sydney Clinical School University of NSW Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Cancer Therapy Centre Liverpool Hospital Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Colin Tang
- Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Perth Western Australia Australia
| | | | - Lois C Holloway
- South Western Sydney Clinical School University of NSW Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Cancer Therapy Centre Liverpool Hospital Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Ingham Institute of Applied Medical Research Liverpool Hospital Sydney New South Wales Australia
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12
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Short-term androgen suppression and radiotherapy versus intermediate-term androgen suppression and radiotherapy, with or without zoledronic acid, in men with locally advanced prostate cancer (TROG 03.04 RADAR): 10-year results from a randomised, phase 3, factorial trial. Lancet Oncol 2018; 20:267-281. [PMID: 30579763 DOI: 10.1016/s1470-2045(18)30757-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The optimal duration of androgen suppression for men with locally advanced prostate cancer receiving radiotherapy with curative intent is yet to be defined. Zoledronic acid is effective in preventing androgen suppression-induced bone loss, but its role in preventing castration-sensitive bone metastases in locally advanced prostate cancer is unclear. The RADAR trial assessed whether the addition of 12 months of adjuvant androgen suppression, 18 months of zoledronic acid, or both, can improve outcomes in men with locally advanced prostate cancer who receive 6 months of androgen suppression and prostatic radiotherapy. This report presents 10-year outcomes from this trial. METHODS For this randomised, phase 3, 2 × 2 factorial trial, eligible men were 18 years or older with locally advanced prostate cancer (either T2b-4, N0 M0 tumours or T2a, N0 M0 tumours provided Gleason score was ≥7 and baseline prostate-specific antigen [PSA] concentration was ≥10 μg/L). We randomly allocated participants in a 2 × 2 factorial design by computer-generated randomisation (using the minimisation technique, and stratified by centre, baseline PSA concentration, clinical tumour stage, Gleason score, and use of a brachytherapy boost) in a 1:1:1:1 ratio to four treatment groups. Patients in the control group received 6 months of neoadjuvant androgen suppression with leuprorelin (22·5 mg every 3 months, intramuscularly) and radiotherapy alone (short-term androgen suppression [STAS]); this treatment was either followed by another 12 months of adjuvant androgen suppression with leuprorelin (22·5 mg every 3 months, intramuscularly; intermediate-term androgen suppression [ITAS]), or accompanied by 18 months of zoledronic acid (4 mg every 3 months, intravenously) starting at randomisation (STAS plus zoledronic acid), or both (ITAS plus zoledronic acid). All patients received radiotherapy to the prostate and seminal vesicles, starting from the end of the fifth month of androgen suppression; dosing options were 66, 70, and 74 Gy in 2-Gy fractions per day, or 46 Gy in 2-Gy fractions followed by a high-dose-rate brachytherapy boost dose of 19·5 Gy in 6·5-Gy fractions. Treatment allocation was open label. The primary endpoint was prostate cancer-specific mortality and was analysed according to intention-to-treat using competing-risks methods. The trial is closed to follow-up and this is the final report of the main endpoints. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00193856. FINDINGS Between Oct 20, 2003, and Aug 15, 2007, 1071 men were enrolled and randomly assigned to STAS (n=268), ITAS (n=268), STAS plus zoledronic acid (n=268), and ITAS plus zoledronic acid (n=267). Median follow-up was 10·4 years (IQR 7·9-11·7). At this 10-year follow-up, no interactions were observed between androgen suppression and zoledronic acid so the treatment groups were collapsed to compare treatments according to duration of androgen suppression: 6 months of androgen suppression plus radiotherapy (6AS+RT) versus 18 months of androgen suppression plus radiotherapy (18AS+RT) and to compare treatments according to whether or not patients received zoledronic acid. The total number of deaths was 375 (200 men receiving 6AS+RT and 175 men receiving 18AS+RT), of which 143 (38%) were attributable to prostate cancer (81 men receiving 6AS+RT and 62 men receiving 18AS+RT). When analysed by duration of androgen suppression, the adjusted cumulative incidence of prostate cancer-specific mortality was 13·3% (95% CI 10·3-16·0) for 6AS+RT versus 9·7% (7·3-12·0) for 18AS+RT, representing an absolute difference of 3·7% (95% CI 0·3-7·1; sub-hazard ratio [sHR] 0·70 [95% CI 0·50-0·98], adjusted p=0·035). The addition of zoledronic acid did not affect prostate cancer-specific mortality; the adjusted cumulative incidence of prostate cancer-specific mortality was 11·2% (95% CI 8·7-13·7) with zoledronic acid vs 11·7% (9·2-14·1) without, representing an absolute difference of -0·5% (95% CI -3·8 to 2·9; sHR 0·95 [95% CI 0·69-1·32], adjusted p=0·78). Although safety analysis was not prespecified for this 10-year analysis, one new serious adverse event (osteonecrosis of the mandible, in a patient who received 18 months of androgen suppression plus zoledronic acid) occurred since our previous report, bringing the total number of cases of this serious adverse event to three (<1% out of 530 patients who received zoledronic acid evaluated for safety) and the total number of drug-related serious adverse events to 12 (1% out of all 1065 patients evaluable for safety). No treatment-related deaths occurred during the study. INTERPRETATION 18 months of androgen suppression plus radiotherapy is a more effective treatment option for locally advanced prostate cancer than 6 months of androgen suppression plus radiotherapy, but the addition of zoledronic acid to this treatment regimen is not beneficial. Evidence from the RADAR and French Canadian Prostate Cancer Study IV trials suggests that 18 months of androgen suppression with moderate radiation dose escalation is an effective but more tolerable option than longer durations of androgen suppression for men with locally advanced prostate cancer including intermediate and high risk elements. FUNDING National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Australia, AbbVie Pharmaceuticals Australia, New Zealand Health Research Council, New Zealand Cancer Society, Cancer Standards Institute New Zealand, University of Newcastle (Australia), Hunter Medical Research Institute, Calvary Mater Newcastle Radiation Oncology Fund, and Maitland Cancer Appeal.
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13
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Kennedy A, Dowling J, Greer PB, Ebert MA. Estimation of Hounsfield unit conversion parameters for pelvic CT images. AUSTRALASIAN PHYSICAL & ENGINEERING SCIENCES IN MEDICINE 2018; 41:739-745. [PMID: 29881940 DOI: 10.1007/s13246-018-0651-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Linear scaling is used to convert raw computed tomography (CT) pixel values into Hounsfield units corresponding to different tissue values. Analysis of a benchmarking study, presented here, where the same CT scan was imported into and then exported from multiple radiotherapy treatment planning systems, found inconsistencies in HU scaling parameter values exported along with the images, particularly when images were exported using the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group format. Several methods of estimating conversion parameters, based on estimating pixel values corresponding to air and water within the image, for pelvic CT images from a large multi-centre trial were compared against original Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine export parameters. In general using the mean of a sample region at the centroid of the bladder to estimate the value of water was more accurate than using the minimum or maximum or a single value at the centroid. Accuracy of methods of air estimation tested were dependent in part on features of the CT scanners and treatment planning systems, making it difficult to pick one method as superior that was independent of scanner and treatment planning system type. Based on the above analysis, methods for estimating air and water were selected for use in performing linear scaling of a set of pelvic CT images prior to their use in an interpatient image registration application. The selected methods were validated against a more recent and homogeneous dataset. Estimation error was found to be much lower within the validation set.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angel Kennedy
- Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Hospital Ave, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia.
| | - Jason Dowling
- Australian e-Health Research Centre, CSIRO, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia.,School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia.,South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Peter B Greer
- Calvary Mater Newcastle Hospital, Newcastle, Australia.,School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia
| | - Martin A Ebert
- Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Hospital Ave, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia.,Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.,School of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
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14
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Kron T, Chesson B, Hardcastle N, Crain M, Clements N, Burns M, Ball D. Credentialing of radiotherapy centres in Australasia for TROG 09.02 (Chisel), a Phase III clinical trial on stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy of early stage lung cancer. Br J Radiol 2018; 91:20170737. [PMID: 29446317 DOI: 10.1259/bjr.20170737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE A randomised clinical trial comparing stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) with conventional radiotherapy for early stage lung cancer has been conducted in Australia and New Zealand under the auspices of the TransTasman Radiation Oncology Group (NCT01014130). We report on the technical credentialing program as prerequisite for centres joining the trial. METHODS Participating centres were asked to develop treatment plans for two test cases to assess their ability to create plans according to protocol. Dose delivery in the presence of inhomogeneity and motion was assessed during a site visit using a phantom with moving inserts. RESULTS Site visits for the trial were conducted in 16 Australian and 3 New Zealand radiotherapy facilities. The tests with low density inhomogeneities confirmed shortcomings of the AAA algorithm for dose calculation. Dose was assessed for a typical treatment delivery including at least one non-coplanar beam in a stationary and moving phantom. This end-to-end test confirmed that all participating centres were able to deliver stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy with the required accuracy while the planning study demonstrated that they were able to produce acceptable plans for both test cases. CONCLUSION The credentialing process documented that participating centres were able to deliver dose as required in the trial protocol. It also gave an opportunity to provide education about the trial and discuss technical issues such as four-dimensional CT, small field dosimetry and patient immobilisation with staff in participating centres. Advances in knowledge: Credentialing is an important quality assurance tool for radiotherapy trials using advanced technology. In addition to confirming technical competence, it provides an opportunity for education and discussion about the trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Kron
- 1 Department of Physical Sciences, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre , Melbourne, VIC , Australia.,2 Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne , Parkville, VIC , Australia
| | - Brent Chesson
- 3 Department of Radiation Therapy Services, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre , Melbourne, VIC , Australia
| | - Nicholas Hardcastle
- 1 Department of Physical Sciences, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre , Melbourne, VIC , Australia
| | - Melissa Crain
- 4 Trans Tasman Radiation Oncology Group (TROG) , Newcastle, NSW , Australia
| | | | - Mark Burns
- 3 Department of Radiation Therapy Services, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre , Melbourne, VIC , Australia
| | - David Ball
- 2 Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne , Parkville, VIC , Australia.,6 Department of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre , Melbourne, VIC , Australia
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15
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Marcello M, Ebert M, Haworth A, Steigler A, Kennedy A, Joseph D, Denham J. Association between treatment planning and delivery factors and disease progression in prostate cancer radiotherapy: Results from the TROG 03.04 RADAR trial. Radiother Oncol 2018; 126:249-256. [DOI: 10.1016/j.radonc.2017.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Revised: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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16
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Marcello M, Ebert MA, Haworth A, Steigler A, Kennedy A, Bulsara M, Kearvell R, Joseph DJ, Denham JW. Association between measures of treatment quality and disease progression in prostate cancer radiotherapy: An exploratory analysis from the TROG 03.04 RADAR trial. J Med Imaging Radiat Oncol 2017; 62:248-255. [PMID: 29222833 DOI: 10.1111/1754-9485.12695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Quality assurance methods are incorporated into multicentre radiotherapy clinical trials for ensuring consistent application of trial protocol and quantifying treatment uncertainties. The study's purpose was to determine whether post-treatment disease progression is associated with measures of the quality of radiotherapy treatment. METHODS The TROG 03.04 RADAR trial tested the impact of androgen deprivation on prostate cancer patients receiving dose-escalated external beam radiation therapy. The trial incorporated a plan-review process and Level III dosimetric intercomparison at each centre, from which variables suggestive of treatment quality were collected. Kaplan-Meier statistics and Fine and Gray competing risk modelling were employed to test for associations between quality-related variables and the participant outcome local composite progression. RESULTS Increased 'dose-difference' at the prostatic apex and at the anterior rectal wall, between planned and measured dose, was associated with reduced progression. Participants whose treatment plans included clinical target volume (CTV) to planning target volume (PTV) margins exceeding protocol requirements also experienced reduced progression. Other quality-related variables, including total accrual from participating centres, measures of target coverage and other variations from protocol, were not significantly associated with progression. CONCLUSIONS This analysis has revealed the association of several treatment quality factors with disease progression. Increased dose and dose margin coverage in the prostate region can reduce disease progression. Extensive and rigorous monitoring has helped to maximise treatment quality, reducing the incidence of quality-indicator outliers, and thus reduce the chance of observing significant associations with progression rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Marcello
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.,School of Physics, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Martin A Ebert
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.,School of Physics, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Annette Haworth
- School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Allison Steigler
- Prostate Cancer Trials Group, Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Angel Kennedy
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Max Bulsara
- Institute for Health Research, University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Rachel Kearvell
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - David J Joseph
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.,School of Surgery, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - James W Denham
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
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17
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Gulliford S, Ghose S, Ebert M, Kennedy A, Dowling J, Mitra J, Joseph D, Denham J. Radiotherapy dose-distribution to the perirectal fat space (PRS) is related to gastrointestinal control-related complications. Clin Transl Radiat Oncol 2017; 7:62-70. [PMID: 29594231 PMCID: PMC5862665 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctro.2017.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2017] [Revised: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Traditionally rectal symptoms following pelvic/prostate radiotherapy are correlated to the dosimetry of the anorectum or a substructure of this. It has been suggested that the perirectal fat space (PRS) surrounding the rectum may also be relevant. This study considers the delineation and dosimetry of the PRS related to both rectal bleeding and control-related toxicity. Initially, a case-control cohort of 100 patients from the RADAR study were chosen based on presence/absence of rectal control-related toxicity. Automated contouring was developed to delineate the PRS. 79 of the 100 auto-segmentations were considered successful. Balanced case-control cohorts were defined from these cases. Atlas of Complication Incidence (ACI) were generated to relate the DVH of the PRS with specific rectal symptoms; rectal bleeding and control-related symptoms (LENT/SOM). ACI demonstrated that control-related symptoms were related to the dose distribution to the PRS which was confirmed with Wilcoxon rank sum test (p < 0.05). To the authors knowledge this is the first study implicating the dose distribution to the PRS to the incidence of control-related symptoms of rectal toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- S.L. Gulliford
- Joint Department of Physics, Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden National Health Service Foundation Trust, Sutton, United Kingdom
| | - S. Ghose
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - M.A. Ebert
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Western Australia, Australia
- School of Physics, University of Western Australia, Western Australia, Australia
| | - A. Kennedy
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Western Australia, Australia
| | - J. Dowling
- Australian e-Health Research Centre, CSIRO, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - J. Mitra
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - D.J. Joseph
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Western Australia, Australia
- School of Surgery, University of Western Australia, Western Australia, Australia
| | - J.W. Denham
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
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18
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Yahya N, Ebert MA, Bulsara M, House MJ, Kennedy A, Joseph DJ, Denham JW. Statistical-learning strategies generate only modestly performing predictive models for urinary symptoms following external beam radiotherapy of the prostate: A comparison of conventional and machine-learning methods. Med Phys 2017; 43:2040. [PMID: 27147316 DOI: 10.1118/1.4944738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Given the paucity of available data concerning radiotherapy-induced urinary toxicity, it is important to ensure derivation of the most robust models with superior predictive performance. This work explores multiple statistical-learning strategies for prediction of urinary symptoms following external beam radiotherapy of the prostate. METHODS The performance of logistic regression, elastic-net, support-vector machine, random forest, neural network, and multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) to predict urinary symptoms was analyzed using data from 754 participants accrued by TROG03.04-RADAR. Predictive features included dose-surface data, comorbidities, and medication-intake. Four symptoms were analyzed: dysuria, haematuria, incontinence, and frequency, each with three definitions (grade ≥ 1, grade ≥ 2 and longitudinal) with event rate between 2.3% and 76.1%. Repeated cross-validations producing matched models were implemented. A synthetic minority oversampling technique was utilized in endpoints with rare events. Parameter optimization was performed on the training data. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was used to compare performance using sample size to detect differences of ≥0.05 at the 95% confidence level. RESULTS Logistic regression, elastic-net, random forest, MARS, and support-vector machine were the highest-performing statistical-learning strategies in 3, 3, 3, 2, and 1 endpoints, respectively. Logistic regression, MARS, elastic-net, random forest, neural network, and support-vector machine were the best, or were not significantly worse than the best, in 7, 7, 5, 5, 3, and 1 endpoints. The best-performing statistical model was for dysuria grade ≥ 1 with AUROC ± standard deviation of 0.649 ± 0.074 using MARS. For longitudinal frequency and dysuria grade ≥ 1, all strategies produced AUROC>0.6 while all haematuria endpoints and longitudinal incontinence models produced AUROC<0.6. CONCLUSIONS Logistic regression and MARS were most likely to be the best-performing strategy for the prediction of urinary symptoms with elastic-net and random forest producing competitive results. The predictive power of the models was modest and endpoint-dependent. New features, including spatial dose maps, may be necessary to achieve better models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noorazrul Yahya
- School of Physics, University of Western Australia, Western Australia 6009, Australia and School of Health Sciences, National University of Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Malaysia
| | - Martin A Ebert
- School of Physics, University of Western Australia, Western Australia 6009, Australia and Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Western Australia 6008, Australia
| | - Max Bulsara
- Institute for Health Research, University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, Western Australia 6959, Australia
| | - Michael J House
- School of Physics, University of Western Australia, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Angel Kennedy
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Western Australia 6008, Australia
| | - David J Joseph
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Western Australia 6008, Australia and School of Surgery, University of Western Australia, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - James W Denham
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, New South Wales 2308, Australia
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19
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Yahya N, Ebert MA, House MJ, Kennedy A, Matthews J, Joseph DJ, Denham JW. Modeling Urinary Dysfunction After External Beam Radiation Therapy of the Prostate Using Bladder Dose-Surface Maps: Evidence of Spatially Variable Response of the Bladder Surface. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2016; 97:420-426. [PMID: 28068247 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2016.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2016] [Revised: 09/27/2016] [Accepted: 10/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE We assessed the association of the spatial distribution of dose to the bladder surface, described using dose-surface maps, with the risk of urinary dysfunction. METHODS AND MATERIALS The bladder dose-surface maps of 754 participants from the TROG 03.04-RADAR trial were generated from the volumetric data by virtually cutting the bladder at the sagittal slice, intersecting the bladder center-of-mass through to the bladder posterior and projecting the dose information on a 2-dimensional plane. Pixelwise dose comparisons were performed between patients with and without symptoms (dysuria, hematuria, incontinence, and an International Prostate Symptom Score increase of ≥10 [ΔIPSS10]). The results with and without permutation-based multiple-comparison adjustments are reported. The pixelwise multivariate analysis findings (peak-event model for dysuria, hematuria, and ΔIPSS10; event-count model for incontinence), with adjustments for clinical factors, are also reported. RESULTS The associations of the spatially specific dose measures to urinary dysfunction were dependent on the presence of specific symptoms. The doses received by the anteroinferior and, to lesser extent, posterosuperior surface of the bladder had the strongest relationship with the incidence of dysuria, hematuria, and ΔIPSS10, both with and without adjustment for clinical factors. For the doses to the posteroinferior region corresponding to the area of the trigone, the only symptom with significance was incontinence. CONCLUSIONS A spatially variable response of the bladder surface to the dose was found for symptoms of urinary dysfunction. Limiting the dose extending anteriorly might help reduce the risk of urinary dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noorazrul Yahya
- School of Health Sciences, National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; School of Physics, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
| | - Martin A Ebert
- School of Physics, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Michael J House
- School of Physics, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Angel Kennedy
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
| | - John Matthews
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - David J Joseph
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia; School of Surgery, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - James W Denham
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
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Cicchetti A, Rancati T, Ebert M, Fiorino C, Palorini F, Kennedy A, Joseph DJ, Denham JW, Vavassori V, Fellin G, Avuzzi B, Stucchi C, Valdagni R. Modelling late stool frequency and rectal pain after radical radiotherapy in prostate cancer patients: Results from a large pooled population. Phys Med 2016; 32:1690-1697. [PMID: 27720692 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2016.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2016] [Revised: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM To investigate late gastrointestinal toxicity in a large pooled population of prostate cancer patients treated with radical radiotherapy. Normal tissue complication probability models were developed for late stool frequency and late rectal pain. METHODS AND MATERIALS Population included 1336 patients, 3-year minimum follow-up, treated with 66-80Gy. Toxicity was scored with LENT-SOMA-scale. Two toxicity endpoints were considered: grade ⩾2 rectal pain and mean grade (average score during follow-up) in stool frequency >1. DVHs of anorectum were reduced to equivalent uniform dose (EUD). The best-value of the volume parameter n was determined through numerical optimization. Association between EUD/clinical factors and the endpoints was investigated by logistic analyses. Likelihood, Brier-score and calibration were used to evaluate models. External calibration was also carried out. RESULTS 4% of patients (45/1122) reported mean stool frequency grade >1; grade ⩾2 rectal pain was present in the TROG 03.04 RADAR population only (21/677, 3.1%): for this endpoint, the analysis was limited to this population. Analysis of DVHs highlighted the importance of mid-range doses (30-50Gy) for both endpoints. EUDs calculated with n=1 (OR=1.04) and n=0.35 (OR=1.06) were the most suitable dosimetric descriptors for stool frequency and rectal pain respectively. The final models included EUD and cardiovascular diseases (OR=1.78) for stool frequency and EUD and presence of acute gastrointestinal toxicity (OR=4.2) for rectal pain. CONCLUSION Best predictors of stool frequency and rectal pain are consistent with findings previously reported for late faecal incontinence, indicating an important role in optimization of mid-range dose region to minimize these symptoms highly impacting the quality-of-life of long surviving patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Cicchetti
- Prostate Cancer Program, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
| | - T Rancati
- Prostate Cancer Program, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - M Ebert
- Medical Physics, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; Physics Research, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - C Fiorino
- Medical Physics, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - F Palorini
- Prostate Cancer Program, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - A Kennedy
- Physics Research, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - D J Joseph
- Physics Research, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - J W Denham
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - V Vavassori
- Radiotherapy, Cliniche Humanitas-Gavazzeni, Bergamo, Italy
| | - G Fellin
- Radiotherapy, Ospedale Santa Chiara, Trento, Italy
| | - B Avuzzi
- Radiation Oncology 1, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - C Stucchi
- Medical Physics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - R Valdagni
- Prostate Cancer Program, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy; Radiation Oncology 1, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy; Oncology and Hemato-oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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21
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Gwynne S, Jones G, Maggs R, Eaton D, Miles E, Staffurth J, Nixon L, Ray R, Lewis G, Crosby T, Spezi E. Prospective review of radiotherapy trials through implementation of standardized multicentre workflow and IT infrastructure. Br J Radiol 2016; 89:20160020. [PMID: 27245136 PMCID: PMC5124880 DOI: 10.1259/bjr.20160020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2016] [Revised: 05/03/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: We sought to develop a process that would allow us to perform a prospective review of outlining in trials using expert reviewers based in multiple centres. METHODS: We implemented a specific information technology infrastructure and workflow that could serve all organizations involved in the radiotherapy quality assurance (RTQA) process. RESULTS: Data were processed and packaged in the computational environment for radiotherapy research (CERR) binary format and securely transmitted to the expert reviewer at the designated remote organization. It was opened and reviewed using the distributed CERR-compiled application, and a standardized report was sent to the respective centre. Centres were expected to correct any unacceptable deviations and resubmit outlining for approval prior to commencing treatment. 75% of reviews were completed and fed back to centres within 3 working days. There were no delays in treatment start date. CONCLUSION: Our distributed RTQA review approach provides a method of prospective outlining review at multiple centres, without compromising the quality, delaying the start of treatment or the need for significant additional infrastructure resources. Future progress in the area of prospective individual case review will need to be supported by additional resources for clinician time to undertake the reviews. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: Trial groups around the world have formulated different approaches to address the need for the prospective review of radiotherapy (RT) data with clinical trials, in line with available resources. We report a UK solution that has allowed the workload for outlining review to be distributed across a wider group of volunteer reviewers without the need for any additional infrastructure costs and has already been adopted within the UK RT trials community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Gwynne
- South West Wales Cancer Centre, Swansea, UK
- NISCHR Cardiff RTTQA Centre, Cardiff, UK
| | - Gareth Jones
- NISCHR Cardiff RTTQA Centre, Cardiff, UK
- Velindre Cancer Centre, Cardiff, UK
| | - Rhydian Maggs
- NISCHR Cardiff RTTQA Centre, Cardiff, UK
- Velindre Cancer Centre, Cardiff, UK
| | - David Eaton
- Radiotherapy Physics, Mount Vernon Hospital, Northwood, UK
- NCRI RTTQA Team, Mount Vernon Hospital, Northwood, UK
| | | | - John Staffurth
- NISCHR Cardiff RTTQA Centre, Cardiff, UK
- Institute of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Lisette Nixon
- NISCHR Cardiff RTTQA Centre, Cardiff, UK
- Wales Cancer Trials Unit, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Ruby Ray
- Institute of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Geraint Lewis
- NISCHR Cardiff RTTQA Centre, Cardiff, UK
- Velindre Cancer Centre, Cardiff, UK
| | | | - Emiliano Spezi
- NISCHR Cardiff RTTQA Centre, Cardiff, UK
- School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
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22
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Bulk evaluation and comparison of radiotherapy treatment plans for breast cancer. AUSTRALASIAN PHYSICAL & ENGINEERING SCIENCES IN MEDICINE 2016; 39:633-44. [PMID: 27325526 DOI: 10.1007/s13246-016-0454-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2016] [Accepted: 05/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
This study provides a bulk, retrospective analysis of 151 breast and chest wall radiotherapy treatment plans, as a small-scale demonstration of the potential breadth and value of the information that may be obtained from clinical data mining. The treatments were planned at three centres belonging to one organisation over a period of 3 months. All 151 plans were used to evaluate inter-centre consistency and compliance with a local planning protocol. A subset of 79 plans, from one centre, were used in a more detailed evaluation of the effects of anatomical asymmetry on heart and lung dose, the effects of a metallic temporary tissue expander port on dose homogeneity and the overall conformity and homogeneity achieved in routine breast treatment planning. Differences in anatomical structure contouring and nomenclature were identified between the three centres, with all centres showing some non-compliance with the local planning protocol. When evaluated against standard conformity indices, these breast plans performed relatively poorly. However, when evaluated against recommended organ-at-risk tolerances, all evaluated plans performed sufficiently well that tighter planning tolerances could be recommended for future planning. Heart doses calculated in left breast and chest wall treatments were significantly higher than heart doses calculated in right sided breast and chest wall treatments (p < 0.001). In the treatment involving a temporary tissue expander, the inflated implant effectively pushed the targeted breast tissue away from the healthy tissues, leading to a dose distribution that was relatively conformal, although attenuation through the tissue expander's metallic port may have been underestimated by the treatment planning system. The results of this study exemplify the use of bulk treatment planning data to evaluate clinical workloads and inform ongoing treatment planning.
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23
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Kumar AA, Akula RR, Ayyangar K, Krishna RP, Vuppu S, Narayana PVL, Rao ADP. In-house quality check of external beam plans using 3D treatment planning systems - a DVH comparison. J Appl Clin Med Phys 2016; 17:138-146. [PMID: 27167271 PMCID: PMC5690922 DOI: 10.1120/jacmp.v17i3.6020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2015] [Revised: 12/21/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper presents a new approach towards the quality assurance of external beam plans using in-house-developed DICOM import and export software in a clinical setup. The new approach is different from what is currently used in most clinics, viz., only MU and point dose are verified. The DICOM-RT software generates ASCII files to import/export structure sets, treatment beam data, and dose-volume histo-grams (DVH) from one treatment planning system (TPS) to the other. An efficient and reliable 3D planning system, ROPS, was used for verifying the accuracy of treatment plans and treatment plan parameters. With the use of this new approach, treatment plans planned using Varian Eclipse planning system were exported to ROPS planning system. Important treatment and dosimetrical data, such as the beam setup accuracy, target dose coverage, and dose to critical structures, were also quantitatively verified using DVH comparisons. Two external beam plans with diverse photon energies were selected to test the new approach. The satisfactory results show that the new approach is feasible, easy to use, and can be used as an adjunct test for patient treatment quality check.
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24
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Nelms B, Stambaugh C, Hunt D, Tonner B, Zhang G, Feygelman V. Methods, software and datasets to verify DVH calculations against analytical values: Twenty years late(r). Med Phys 2016; 42:4435-48. [PMID: 26233174 DOI: 10.1118/1.4923175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The authors designed data, methods, and metrics that can serve as a standard, independent of any software package, to evaluate dose-volume histogram (DVH) calculation accuracy and detect limitations. The authors use simple geometrical objects at different orientations combined with dose grids of varying spatial resolution with linear 1D dose gradients; when combined, ground truth DVH curves can be calculated analytically in closed form to serve as the absolute standards. METHODS dicom RT structure sets containing a small sphere, cylinder, and cone were created programmatically with axial plane spacing varying from 0.2 to 3 mm. Cylinders and cones were modeled in two different orientations with respect to the IEC 1217 Y axis. The contours were designed to stringently but methodically test voxelation methods required for DVH. Synthetic RT dose files were generated with 1D linear dose gradient and with grid resolution varying from 0.4 to 3 mm. Two commercial DVH algorithms-pinnacle (Philips Radiation Oncology Systems) and PlanIQ (Sun Nuclear Corp.)-were tested against analytical values using custom, noncommercial analysis software. In Test 1, axial contour spacing was constant at 0.2 mm while dose grid resolution varied. In Tests 2 and 3, the dose grid resolution was matched to varying subsampled axial contours with spacing of 1, 2, and 3 mm, and difference analysis and metrics were employed: (1) histograms of the accuracy of various DVH parameters (total volume, Dmax, Dmin, and doses to % volume: D99, D95, D5, D1, D0.03 cm(3)) and (2) volume errors extracted along the DVH curves were generated and summarized in tabular and graphical forms. RESULTS In Test 1, pinnacle produced 52 deviations (15%) while PlanIQ produced 5 (1.5%). In Test 2, pinnacle and PlanIQ differed from analytical by >3% in 93 (36%) and 18 (7%) times, respectively. Excluding Dmin and Dmax as least clinically relevant would result in 32 (15%) vs 5 (2%) scored deviations for pinnacle vs PlanIQ in Test 1, while Test 2 would yield 53 (25%) vs 17 (8%). In Test 3, statistical analyses of volume errors extracted continuously along the curves show pinnacle to have more errors and higher variability (relative to PlanIQ), primarily due to pinnacle's lack of sufficient 3D grid supersampling. Another major driver for pinnacle errors is an inconsistency in implementation of the "end-capping"; the additional volume resulting from expanding superior and inferior contours halfway to the next slice is included in the total volume calculation, but dose voxels in this expanded volume are excluded from the DVH. PlanIQ had fewer deviations, and most were associated with a rotated cylinder modeled by rectangular axial contours; for coarser axial spacing, the limited number of cross-sectional rectangles hinders the ability to render the true structure volume. CONCLUSIONS The method is applicable to any DVH-calculating software capable of importing dicom RT structure set and dose objects (the authors' examples are available for download). It includes a collection of tests that probe the design of the DVH algorithm, measure its accuracy, and identify failure modes. Merits and applicability of each test are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dylan Hunt
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida 33612
| | - Brian Tonner
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida 33612
| | - Geoffrey Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida 33612
| | - Vladimir Feygelman
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida 33612
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25
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Jameson MG, McNamara J, Bailey M, Metcalfe PE, Holloway LC, Foo K, Do V, Mileshkin L, Creutzberg CL, Khaw P. Results of the Australasian (Trans-Tasman Oncology Group) radiotherapy benchmarking exercise in preparation for participation in the PORTEC-3 trial. J Med Imaging Radiat Oncol 2016; 60:554-9. [PMID: 27059658 DOI: 10.1111/1754-9485.12447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2015] [Accepted: 02/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Protocol deviations in Randomised Controlled Trials have been found to result in a significant decrease in survival and local control. In some cases, the magnitude of the detrimental effect can be larger than the anticipated benefits of the interventions involved. The implementation of appropriate quality assurance of radiotherapy measures for clinical trials has been found to result in fewer deviations from protocol. This paper reports on a benchmarking study conducted in preparation for the PORTEC-3 trial in Australasia. METHODS A benchmarking CT dataset was sent to each of the Australasian investigators, it was requested they contour and plan the case according to trial protocol using local treatment planning systems. These data was then sent back to Trans-Tasman Oncology Group for collation and analysis. RESULTS Thirty three investigators from eighteen institutions across Australia and New Zealand took part in the study. The mean clinical target volume (CTV) volume was 383.4 (228.5-497.8) cm(3) and the mean dose to a reference gold standard CTV was 48.8 (46.4-50.3) Gy. CONCLUSIONS Although there were some large differences in the contouring of the CTV and its constituent parts, these did not translate into large variations in dosimetry. Where individual investigators had deviations from the trial contouring protocol, feedback was provided. The results of this study will be used to compare with the international study QA for the PORTEC-3 trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Jameson
- Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.,Liverpool Cancer Therapy Centre, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.,Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jo McNamara
- Illawarra Shoalhaven Cancer & Haematology Network, Illawarra, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Michael Bailey
- Illawarra Shoalhaven Cancer & Haematology Network, Illawarra, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Peter E Metcalfe
- Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.,Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lois C Holloway
- Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.,Liverpool Cancer Therapy Centre, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.,Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kerwyn Foo
- School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Viet Do
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre Westmead, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Linda Mileshkin
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group (ANZGOG), Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Carien L Creutzberg
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Pearly Khaw
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group (ANZGOG), Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
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Trada Y, Kneebone A, Paneghel A, Pearse M, Sidhom M, Tang C, Wiltshire K, Haworth A, Fraser-Browne C, Martin J. Optimizing Radiation Therapy Quality Assurance in Clinical Trials: A TROG 08.03 RAVES Substudy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2015; 93:1045-51. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2015.08.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2015] [Revised: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 08/13/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Yahya N, Ebert MA, Bulsara M, House MJ, Kennedy A, Joseph DJ, Denham JW. Urinary symptoms following external beam radiotherapy of the prostate: Dose-symptom correlates with multiple-event and event-count models. Radiother Oncol 2015; 117:277-82. [PMID: 26476560 DOI: 10.1016/j.radonc.2015.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2015] [Revised: 09/30/2015] [Accepted: 10/03/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE This study aimed to compare urinary dose-symptom correlates after external beam radiotherapy of the prostate using commonly utilised peak-symptom models to multiple-event and event-count models which account for repeated events. MATERIALS AND METHODS Urinary symptoms (dysuria, haematuria, incontinence and frequency) from 754 participants from TROG 03.04-RADAR trial were analysed. Relative (R1-R75 Gy) and absolute (A60-A75Gy) bladder dose-surface area receiving more than a threshold dose and equivalent uniform dose using exponent a (range: a ∈[1 … 100]) were derived. The dose-symptom correlates were analysed using; peak-symptom (logistic), multiple-event (generalised estimating equation) and event-count (negative binomial regression) models. RESULTS Stronger dose-symptom correlates were found for incontinence and frequency using multiple-event and/or event-count models. For dysuria and haematuria, similar or better relationships were found using peak-symptom models. Dysuria, haematuria and high grade (⩾ 2) incontinence were associated to high dose (R61-R71 Gy). Frequency and low grade (⩾ 1) incontinence were associated to low and intermediate dose-surface parameters (R13-R41Gy). Frequency showed a parallel behaviour (a=1) while dysuria, haematuria and incontinence showed a more serial behaviour (a=4 to a ⩾ 100). Relative dose-surface showed stronger dose-symptom associations. CONCLUSIONS For certain endpoints, the multiple-event and event-count models provide stronger correlates over peak-symptom models. Accounting for multiple events may be advantageous for a more complete understanding of urinary dose-symptom relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noorazrul Yahya
- School of Physics, University of Western Australia, Australia; School of Health Sciences, National University of Malaysia, Malaysia.
| | - Martin A Ebert
- School of Physics, University of Western Australia, Australia; Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Australia
| | - Max Bulsara
- Institute for Health Research, University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, Australia
| | - Michael J House
- School of Physics, University of Western Australia, Australia
| | - Angel Kennedy
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Australia
| | - David J Joseph
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Australia; School of Surgery, University of Western Australia, Australia
| | - James W Denham
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Australia
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Duchesne GM, Haworth A, Bone E, Carter H, Ebert MA, Gagliardi F, Gibbs A, Hornby C, Martin A, Sidhom M, Wood M, Jackson M. Testing the Assessment of New Radiation Oncology Technology and Treatments framework using the evaluation of post-prostatectomy radiotherapy techniques. J Med Imaging Radiat Oncol 2015; 60:129-37. [PMID: 26439588 DOI: 10.1111/1754-9485.12390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2015] [Accepted: 08/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION We tested the ability of the Assessment of New Radiation Oncology Technology and Treatments framework to determine the clinical efficacy and safety of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) compared with 3-dimensional radiation therapy (3DCRT) for post-prostatectomy radiation therapy (PPRT) to support its timely health economic evaluation. METHODS Treatment plans produced using FROGG guidelines provided dosimetry parameters for both techniques at 64 Gy and 70 Gy and were also used to model early and late outcome probabilities. Clinical parameters were derived from early toxicity and quality of life patient data, systematic literature review and expert opinion. Dosimetry parameters were correlated with the measures of clinical efficacy and safety. RESULTS Data from two patient cohorts (29 and 27 respectively) were collected within the project timeframe, providing evidence for acute toxicity and quality of life, and dosimetric comparisons. Relative rates of tumour control probability (TCP) and normal tissue control probability (NTCP) modelling were readily derived from the planning exercise and demonstrated advantages in uncomplicated TCP for IMRT over 3DCRT, predominantly due to normal tissue sparing. The safety of IMRT delivery was demonstrated with TCP uncompromised by IMRT protocol violations, which achieved rectal sparing only by reducing minimum target dose and coverage. CONCLUSION Sources of desk-top and patient-based evidence were successfully used to demonstrate potential improved clinical efficacy and safety of applying dose escalation using IMRT instead of 3DCRT in PPRT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gillian M Duchesne
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Annette Haworth
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Eric Bone
- TROG, Consumer Representative, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Hannah Carter
- NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Martin A Ebert
- Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.,School of Physics, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Frank Gagliardi
- William Buckland Radiotherapy Centre, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Adrian Gibbs
- Radiation Oncology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Colin Hornby
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew Martin
- NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Mark Sidhom
- Liverpool Cancer Therapy Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Maree Wood
- Coffs Harbour Health Campus, North Coast Cancer Institute, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Michael Jackson
- Prince of Wales Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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29
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Yahya N, Ebert MA, Bulsara M, Haworth A, Kennedy A, Joseph DJ, Denham JW. Dosimetry, clinical factors and medication intake influencing urinary symptoms after prostate radiotherapy: An analysis of data from the RADAR prostate radiotherapy trial. Radiother Oncol 2015; 116:112-8. [PMID: 26163088 DOI: 10.1016/j.radonc.2015.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2014] [Revised: 05/31/2015] [Accepted: 06/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE To identify dosimetry, clinical factors and medication intake impacting urinary symptoms after prostate radiotherapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS Data describing clinical factors and bladder dosimetry (reduced with principal component (PC) analysis) for 754 patients treated with external beam radiotherapy accrued by TROG 03.04 RADAR prostate radiotherapy trial were available for analysis. Urinary symptoms (frequency, incontinence, dysuria and haematuria) were prospectively assessed using LENT-SOMA to a median of 72months. The endpoints assessed were prevalence (grade ⩾1) at the end of radiotherapy (representing acute symptoms), at 18-, 36- and 54-month follow-ups (representing late symptoms) and peak late incidence including only grade ⩾2. Impact of factors was assessed using multivariate logistic regression models with correction for over-optimism. RESULTS Baseline symptoms, non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, age and PC1 (correlated to the mean dose) impact symptoms at >1 timepoints. Associations at a single timepoint were found for cerebrovascular condition, ECOG status and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug intake. Peak incidence analysis shows the impact of baseline, bowel and cerebrovascular condition and smoking status. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence and incidence analysis provide a complementary view for urinary symptom prediction. Sustained impacts across time points were found for several factors while some associations were not repeated at different time points suggesting poorer or transient impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noorazrul Yahya
- School of Physics, University of Western Australia, Australia; Faculty of Health Sciences, National University of Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia.
| | - Martin A Ebert
- School of Physics, University of Western Australia, Australia; Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Australia
| | - Max Bulsara
- Institute for Health Research, University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, Australia
| | - Annette Haworth
- Department of Physical Sciences, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Angel Kennedy
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Australia
| | - David J Joseph
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Australia; School of Surgery, University of Western Australia, Australia
| | - Jim W Denham
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Australia
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Denham JW, Steigler A, Joseph D, Lamb DS, Spry NA, Duchesne G, Atkinson C, Matthews J, Turner S, Kenny L, Tai KH, Gogna NK, Gill S, Tan H, Kearvell R, Murray J, Ebert M, Haworth A, Kennedy A, Delahunt B, Oldmeadow C, Holliday EG, Attia J. Radiation dose escalation or longer androgen suppression for locally advanced prostate cancer? Data from the TROG 03.04 RADAR trial. Radiother Oncol 2015; 115:301-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.radonc.2015.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2015] [Revised: 05/20/2015] [Accepted: 05/22/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Kalet AM, Gennari JH, Ford EC, Phillips MH. Bayesian network models for error detection in radiotherapy plans. Phys Med Biol 2015; 60:2735-49. [PMID: 25768885 DOI: 10.1088/0031-9155/60/7/2735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to design and develop a probabilistic network for detecting errors in radiotherapy plans for use at the time of initial plan verification. Our group has initiated a multi-pronged approach to reduce these errors. We report on our development of Bayesian models of radiotherapy plans. Bayesian networks consist of joint probability distributions that define the probability of one event, given some set of other known information. Using the networks, we find the probability of obtaining certain radiotherapy parameters, given a set of initial clinical information. A low probability in a propagated network then corresponds to potential errors to be flagged for investigation. To build our networks we first interviewed medical physicists and other domain experts to identify the relevant radiotherapy concepts and their associated interdependencies and to construct a network topology. Next, to populate the network's conditional probability tables, we used the Hugin Expert software to learn parameter distributions from a subset of de-identified data derived from a radiation oncology based clinical information database system. These data represent 4990 unique prescription cases over a 5 year period. Under test case scenarios with approximately 1.5% introduced error rates, network performance produced areas under the ROC curve of 0.88, 0.98, and 0.89 for the lung, brain and female breast cancer error detection networks, respectively. Comparison of the brain network to human experts performance (AUC of 0.90 ± 0.01) shows the Bayes network model performs better than domain experts under the same test conditions. Our results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of comprehensive probabilistic models as part of decision support systems for improved detection of errors in initial radiotherapy plan verification procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan M Kalet
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA 98195-6043, USA. Department of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98019-4714, USA
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Ebert MA, Foo K, Haworth A, Gulliford SL, Kennedy A, Joseph DJ, Denham JW. Gastrointestinal dose-histogram effects in the context of dose-volume-constrained prostate radiation therapy: analysis of data from the RADAR prostate radiation therapy trial. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2015; 91:595-603. [PMID: 25596108 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2014.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2014] [Revised: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 11/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To use a high-quality multicenter trial dataset to determine dose-volume effects for gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity following radiation therapy for prostate carcinoma. Influential dose-volume histogram regions were to be determined as functions of dose, anatomical location, toxicity, and clinical endpoint. METHODS AND MATERIALS Planning datasets for 754 participants in the TROG 03.04 RADAR trial were available, with Late Effects of Normal Tissues (LENT) Subjective, Objective, Management, and Analytic (SOMA) toxicity assessment to a median of 72 months. A rank sum method was used to define dose-volume cut-points as near-continuous functions of dose to 3 GI anatomical regions, together with a comprehensive assessment of significance. Univariate and multivariate ordinal regression was used to assess the importance of cut-points at each dose. RESULTS Dose ranges providing significant cut-points tended to be consistent with those showing significant univariate regression odds-ratios (representing the probability of a unitary increase in toxicity grade per percent relative volume). Ranges of significant cut-points for rectal bleeding validated previously published results. Separation of the lower GI anatomy into complete anorectum, rectum, and anal canal showed the impact of mid-low doses to the anal canal on urgency and tenesmus, completeness of evacuation and stool frequency, and mid-high doses to the anorectum on bleeding and stool frequency. Derived multivariate models emphasized the importance of the high-dose region of the anorectum and rectum for rectal bleeding and mid- to low-dose regions for diarrhea and urgency and tenesmus, and low-to-mid doses to the anal canal for stool frequency, diarrhea, evacuation, and bleeding. CONCLUSIONS Results confirm anatomical dependence of specific GI toxicities. They provide an atlas summarizing dose-histogram effects and derived constraints as functions of anatomical region, dose, toxicity, and endpoint for informing future radiation therapy planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin A Ebert
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia; School of Physics, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
| | - Kerwyn Foo
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Annette Haworth
- Department of Physical Sciences, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sarah L Gulliford
- Joint Department of Physics, Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden National Health Service Foundation Trust, Sutton, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Angel Kennedy
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
| | - David J Joseph
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia; School of Surgery, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - James W Denham
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
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Yahya N, Ebert MA, Bulsara M, Haworth A, Kearvell R, Foo K, Kennedy A, Richardson S, Krawiec M, Joseph DJ, Denham JW. Impact of treatment planning and delivery factors on gastrointestinal toxicity: an analysis of data from the RADAR prostate radiotherapy trial. Radiat Oncol 2014; 9:282. [PMID: 25498565 PMCID: PMC4271488 DOI: 10.1186/s13014-014-0282-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2014] [Accepted: 12/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To assess the impact of incremental modifications of treatment planning and delivery technique, as well as patient anatomical factors, on late gastrointestinal toxicity using data from the TROG 03.04 RADAR prostate radiotherapy trial. METHODS The RADAR trial accrued 813 external beam radiotherapy participants during 2003-2008 from 23 centres. Following review and archive to a query-able database, digital treatment plans and data describing treatment technique for 754 patients were available for analysis. Treatment demographics, together with anatomical features, were assessed using uni- and multivariate regression models against late gastrointestinal toxicity at 18-, 36- and 54-month follow-up. Regression analyses were reviewed in the context of dose-volume data for the rectum and anal canal. RESULTS A multivariate analysis at 36-month follow-up shows that patients planned using a more rigorous dose calculation algorithm (DCA) was associated with a lower risk of stool frequency (OR: 0.435, CI: 0.242-0.783, corrected p = 0.04). Patients using laxative as a method of bowel preparation had higher risk of having increased stool frequency compared to patients with no dietary intervention (OR: 3.639, CI: 1.502-8.818, corrected p = 0.04). Despite higher risks of toxicities, the anorectum, anal canal and rectum dose-volume histograms (DVH) indicate patients using laxative had unremarkably different planned dose distributions. Patients planned with a more rigorous DCA had lower median DVH values between EQD23 = 15 Gy and EQD23 = 35 Gy. Planning target volume (PTV), conformity index, rectal width and prescription dose were not significant when adjusted for false discovery rate. Number of beams, beam energy, treatment beam definition, positioning orientation, rectum-PTV separation, rectal length and mean cross sectional area did not affect the risk of toxicities. CONCLUSIONS The RADAR study dataset has allowed an assessment of technical modifications on gastrointestinal toxicity. A number of interesting associations were subsequently found and some factors, previously hypothesised to influence toxicity, did not demonstrate any significant impact. We recommend trial registries be encouraged to record technical modifications introduced during the trial in order for more powerful evidence to be gathered regarding the impact of the interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noorazrul Yahya
- School of Physics, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia. .,School of Health Sciences, National University of Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia.
| | - Martin A Ebert
- School of Physics, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia. .,Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.
| | - Max Bulsara
- Institute for Health Research, University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia.
| | - Annette Haworth
- Department of Physical Sciences, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Victoria, Australia. .,Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Rachel Kearvell
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.
| | - Kerwyn Foo
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Angel Kennedy
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.
| | - Sharon Richardson
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.
| | - Michele Krawiec
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.
| | - David J Joseph
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia. .,School of Surgery, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.
| | - Jim W Denham
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
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Hoisak JDP, Pawlicki T, Kim GY, Fletcher R, Moore KL. Improving linear accelerator service response with a real- time electronic event reporting system. J Appl Clin Med Phys 2014; 15:4807. [PMID: 25207564 PMCID: PMC5711091 DOI: 10.1120/jacmp.v15i5.4807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2013] [Revised: 05/08/2014] [Accepted: 04/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
To track linear accelerator performance issues, an online event recording system was developed in-house for use by therapists and physicists to log the details of technical problems arising on our institution's four linear accelerators. In use since October 2010, the system was designed so that all clinical physicists would receive email notification when an event was logged. Starting in October 2012, we initiated a pilot project in collaboration with our linear accelerator vendor to explore a new model of service and support, in which event notifications were also sent electronically directly to dedicated engineers at the vendor's technical help desk, who then initiated a response to technical issues. Previously, technical issues were reported by telephone to the vendor's call center, which then disseminated information and coordinated a response with the Technical Support help desk and local service engineers. The purpose of this work was to investigate the improvements to clinical operations resulting from this new service model. The new and old service models were quantitatively compared by reviewing event logs and the oncology information system database in the nine months prior to and after initiation of the project. Here, we focus on events that resulted in an inoperative linear accelerator ("down" machine). Machine downtime, vendor response time, treatment cancellations, and event resolution were evaluated and compared over two equivalent time periods. In 389 clinical days, there were 119 machine-down events: 59 events before and 60 after introduction of the new model. In the new model, median time to service response decreased from 45 to 8 min, service engineer dispatch time decreased 44%, downtime per event decreased from 45 to 20 min, and treatment cancellations decreased 68%. The decreased vendor response time and reduced number of on-site visits by a service engineer resulted in decreased downtime and decreased patient treatment cancellations.
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Short-term androgen suppression and radiotherapy versus intermediate-term androgen suppression and radiotherapy, with or without zoledronic acid, in men with locally advanced prostate cancer (TROG 03.04 RADAR): an open-label, randomised, phase 3 factorial trial. Lancet Oncol 2014; 15:1076-89. [PMID: 25130995 DOI: 10.1016/s1470-2045(14)70328-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We investigated whether 18 months of androgen suppression plus radiotherapy, with or without 18 months of zoledronic acid, is more effective than 6 months of neoadjuvant androgen suppression plus radiotherapy with or without zoledronic acid. METHODS We did an open-label, randomised, 2 × 2 factorial trial in men with locally advanced prostate cancer (either T2a N0 M0 prostatic adenocarcinomas with prostate-specific antigen [PSA] ≥10 μg/L and a Gleason score of ≥7, or T2b-4 N0 M0 tumours regardless of PSA and Gleason score). We randomly allocated patients by computer-generated minimisation--stratified by centre, baseline PSA, tumour stage, Gleason score, and use of a brachytherapy boost--to one of four groups in a 1:1:1:1 ratio. Patients in the control group were treated with neoadjuvant androgen suppression with leuprorelin (22·5 mg every 3 months, intramuscularly) for 6 months (short-term) and radiotherapy alone (designated STAS); this procedure was either followed by another 12 months of androgen suppression with leuprorelin (intermediate-term; ITAS) or accompanied by 18 months of zoledronic acid (4 mg every 3 months for 18 months, intravenously; STAS plus zoledronic acid) or by both (ITAS plus zoledronic acid). The primary endpoint was prostate cancer-specific mortality. This analysis represents the first, preplanned assessment of oncological endpoints, 5 years after treatment. Analysis was by intention-to-treat. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00193856. FINDINGS Between Oct 20, 2003, and Aug 15, 2007, 1071 men were randomly assigned to STAS (n=268), STAS plus zoledronic acid (n=268), ITAS (n=268), and ITAS plus zoledronic acid (n=267). Median follow-up was 7·4 years (IQR 6·5-8·4). Cumulative incidences of prostate cancer-specific mortality were 4·1% (95% CI 2·2-7·0) in the STAS group, 7·8% (4·9-11·5) in the STAS plus zoledronic acid group, 7·4% (4·6-11·0) in the ITAS group, and 4·3% (2·3-7·3) in the ITAS plus zoledronic acid group. Cumulative incidence of all-cause mortality was 17·0% (13·0-22·1), 18·9% (14·6-24·2), 19·4% (15·0-24·7), and 13·9% (10·3-18·8), respectively. Neither prostate cancer-specific mortality nor all-cause mortality differed between control and experimental groups. Cumulative incidence of PSA progression was 34·2% (28·6-39·9) in the STAS group, 39·6% (33·6-45·5) in the STAS plus zoledronic acid group, 29·2% (23·8-34·8) in the ITAS group, and 26·0% (20·8-31·4) in the ITAS plus zoledronic acid group. Compared with STAS, no difference was noted in PSA progression with ITAS or STAS plus zoledronic acid; however, ITAS plus zoledronic acid reduced PSA progression (sub-hazard ratio [SHR] 0·71, 95% CI 0·53-0·95; p=0·021). Cumulative incidence of local progression was 4·1% (2·2-7·0) in the STAS group, 6·1% (3·7-9·5) in the STAS plus zoledronic acid group, 1·5% (0·5-3·7) in the ITAS group, and 3·4% (1·7-6·1) in the ITAS plus zoledronic acid group; no differences were noted between groups. Cumulative incidences of bone progression were 7·5% (4·8-11·1), 14·6% (10·6-19·2), 8·4% (5·5-12·2), and 7·6% (4·8-11·2), respectively. Compared with STAS, STAS plus zoledronic acid increased the risk of bone progression (SHR 1·90, 95% CI 1·14-3·17; p=0·012), but no differences were noted with the other two groups. Cumulative incidence of distant progression was 14·7% (10·7-19·2) in the STAS group, 17·3% (13·0-22·1) in the STAS plus zoledronic acid group, 14·2% (10·3-18·7) in the ITAS group, and 11·1% (7·6-15·2) in the ITAS plus zoledronic acid group; no differences were recorded between groups. Cumulative incidence of secondary therapeutic intervention was 25·6% (20·5-30·9), 28·9% (23·5-34·5), 20·7% (16·1-25·9), and 15·3% (11·3-20·0), respectively. Compared with STAS, ITAS plus zoledronic acid reduced the need for secondary therapeutic intervention (SHR 0·67, 95% CI 0·48-0·95; p=0·024); no differences were noted with the other two groups. An interaction between trial factors was recorded for Gleason score; therefore, we did pairwise comparisons between all groups. Post-hoc analyses suggested that the reductions in PSA progression and decreased need for secondary therapeutic intervention with ITAS plus zoledronic acid were restricted to tumours with a Gleason score of 8-10, and that ITAS was better than STAS in tumours with a Gleason score of 7 or lower. Long-term morbidity and quality-of-life scores were not affected adversely by 18 months of androgen suppression or zoledronic acid. INTERPRETATION Compared with STAS, ITAS plus zoledronic acid was more effective for treatment of prostate cancers with a Gleason score of 8-10, and ITAS alone was effective for tumours with a Gleason score of 7 or lower. Nevertheless, these findings are based on secondary endpoint data and post-hoc analyses and must be regarded cautiously. Long- term follow-up is necessary, as is external validation of the interaction between zoledronic acid and Gleason score. STAS plus zoledronic acid can be ruled out as a potential therapeutic option. FUNDING National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Australia, Abbott Pharmaceuticals Australia, New Zealand Health Research Council, New Zealand Cancer Society, University of Newcastle (Australia), Calvary Health Care (Calvary Mater Newcastle Radiation Oncology Fund), Hunter Medical Research Institute, Maitland Cancer Appeal, Cancer Standards Institute New Zealand.
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Ebert MA, Bulsara M, Haworth A, Kearvell R, Richardson S, Kennedy A, Spry NA, Bydder SA, Joseph DJ, Denham JW. Technical quality assurance during the TROG 03.04 RADAR prostate radiotherapy trial: Are the results reflected in observed toxicity rates? J Med Imaging Radiat Oncol 2014; 59:99-108. [DOI: 10.1111/1754-9485.12212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2014] [Accepted: 06/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Martin A Ebert
- Department of Radiation Oncology; Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, University of Western Australia; Perth Australia
- School of Physics; University of Western Australia; Perth Australia
| | - Max Bulsara
- School of Health Sciences; University of Notre Dame; Fremantle Western Australia Australia
| | - Annette Haworth
- Department of Physical Sciences; Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, University of Melbourne; Melbourne Victoria Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology; University of Melbourne; Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Rachel Kearvell
- Department of Radiation Oncology; Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, University of Western Australia; Perth Australia
| | - Sharon Richardson
- Department of Radiation Oncology; Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, University of Western Australia; Perth Australia
| | - Angel Kennedy
- Department of Radiation Oncology; Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, University of Western Australia; Perth Australia
| | - Nigel A Spry
- Department of Radiation Oncology; Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, University of Western Australia; Perth Australia
- School of Medicine and Pharmacology; University of Western Australia; Perth Australia
| | - Sean A Bydder
- Department of Radiation Oncology; Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, University of Western Australia; Perth Australia
- School of Surgery; University of Western Australia; Perth Australia
| | - David J Joseph
- Department of Radiation Oncology; Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, University of Western Australia; Perth Australia
- School of Surgery; University of Western Australia; Perth Australia
| | - James W Denham
- School of Medicine and Public Health; University of Newcastle; Newcastle New South Wales Australia
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Ebert MA, Gulliford SL, Buettner F, Foo K, Haworth A, Kennedy A, Joseph DJ, Denham JW. Two non-parametric methods for derivation of constraints from radiotherapy dose–histogram data. Phys Med Biol 2014; 59:N101-11. [DOI: 10.1088/0031-9155/59/13/n101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Ebert MA, Foo K, Haworth A, Gulliford SL, Kearvall R, Kennedy A, Richardson S, Krawiec M, Stewart N, Joseph DJ, Denham JW. Derivation and representation of dose-volume response from large clinical trial data sets: an example from the RADAR prostate radiotherapy trial. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/489/1/012090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Westberg J, Krogh S, Brink C, Vogelius IR. A DICOM based radiotherapy plan database for research collaboration and reporting. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/489/1/012100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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Kron T, Willis D, Link E, Lehman M, Campbell G, O'Brien P, Chua B. Can We Predict Plan Quality for External Beam Partial Breast Irradiation: Results of a Multicenter Feasibility Study (Trans Tasman Radiation Oncology Group Study 06.02). Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2013; 87:817-24. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2013.07.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2013] [Revised: 07/19/2013] [Accepted: 07/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Chang D, Joseph DJ, Ebert MA, Galvão DA, Taaffe DR, Denham JW, Newton RU, Spry NA. Effect of androgen deprivation therapy on muscle attenuation in men with prostate cancer. J Med Imaging Radiat Oncol 2013; 58:223-8. [DOI: 10.1111/1754-9485.12124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2012] [Accepted: 09/02/2013] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David Chang
- Radiation Oncology; Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre; East Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - David J Joseph
- Radiation Oncology; Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital; Nedlands Western Australia Australia
- School of Surgery; University of Western Australia; Nedlands Western Australia Australia
- Edith Cowan University Health and Wellness Institute; Edith Cowan University; Joondalup Western Australia Australia
| | - Martin A Ebert
- Radiation Oncology; Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital; Nedlands Western Australia Australia
- School of Physics; University of Western Australia; Perth Western Australia Australia
| | - Daniel A Galvão
- Edith Cowan University Health and Wellness Institute; Edith Cowan University; Joondalup Western Australia Australia
| | - Dennis R Taaffe
- Edith Cowan University Health and Wellness Institute; Edith Cowan University; Joondalup Western Australia Australia
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences; The University of Newcastle; Newcastle New South Wales Australia
- School of Human Movement Studies; The University of Queensland; St. Lucia Queensland Australia
| | - James W Denham
- School of Medicine and Public Health; The University of Newcastle; Newcastle New South Wales Australia
| | - Robert U Newton
- Edith Cowan University Health and Wellness Institute; Edith Cowan University; Joondalup Western Australia Australia
| | - Nigel A Spry
- Radiation Oncology; Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital; Nedlands Western Australia Australia
- School of Medicine and Pharmacology; University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australia Australia
- Edith Cowan University Health and Wellness Institute; Edith Cowan University; Joondalup Western Australia Australia
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Kron T, Haworth A, Williams I. Dosimetry for audit and clinical trials: challenges and requirements. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/444/1/012014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Pham D, Roxby P, Kron T, Rolfo A, Foroudi F. Introduction of online adaptive radiotherapy for bladder cancer through a multicentre clinical trial (Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group 10.01): Lessons learned. J Med Phys 2013; 38:59-66. [PMID: 23776308 PMCID: PMC3683302 DOI: 10.4103/0971-6203.111308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2012] [Revised: 01/01/2013] [Accepted: 01/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Online adaptive radiotherapy for bladder cancer is a novel radiotherapy technique that was found feasible in a pilot study at a single academic institution. In September 2010 this technique was opened as a multicenter study through the Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group (TROG 10.01 bladder online adaptive radiotherapy treatment). Twelve centers across Australia and New-Zealand registered interest into the trial. A multidisciplinary team of radiation oncologists, radiation therapists and medical physicists represented the trial credentialing and technical support team. To provide timely activation and proper implementation of the adaptive technique the following key areas were addressed at each site: Staff education/training; Practical image guided radiotherapy assessment; provision of help desk and feedback. The trial credentialing process involved face-to-face training and technical problem solving via full day site visits. A dedicated “help-desk” team was developed to provide support for the clinical trial. 26% of the workload occurred at the credentialing period while the remaining 74% came post-center activation. The workload was made up of the following key areas; protocol clarification (36%), technical problems (46%) while staff training was less than 10%. Clinical trial credentialing is important to minimizing trial deviations. It should not only focus on site activation quality assurance but also provide ongoing education and technical support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Pham
- Department of Radiation Therapy Services, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia
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Wang Y, Zolnay A, Incrocci L, Joosten H, McNutt T, Heijmen B, Petit S. A quality control model that uses PTV-rectal distances to predict the lowest achievable rectum dose, improves IMRT planning for patients with prostate cancer. Radiother Oncol 2013; 107:352-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.radonc.2013.05.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2012] [Revised: 04/11/2013] [Accepted: 05/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Geraghty JP, Grogan G, Ebert MA. Automatic segmentation of male pelvic anatomy on computed tomography images: a comparison with multiple observers in the context of a multicentre clinical trial. Radiat Oncol 2013; 8:106. [PMID: 23631832 PMCID: PMC3653737 DOI: 10.1186/1748-717x-8-106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2013] [Accepted: 04/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This study investigates the variation in segmentation of several pelvic anatomical structures on computed tomography (CT) between multiple observers and a commercial automatic segmentation method, in the context of quality assurance and evaluation during a multicentre clinical trial. Methods CT scans of two prostate cancer patients (‘benchmarking cases’), one high risk (HR) and one intermediate risk (IR), were sent to multiple radiotherapy centres for segmentation of prostate, rectum and bladder structures according to the TROG 03.04 “RADAR” trial protocol definitions. The same structures were automatically segmented using iPlan software for the same two patients, allowing structures defined by automatic segmentation to be quantitatively compared with those defined by multiple observers. A sample of twenty trial patient datasets were also used to automatically generate anatomical structures for quantitative comparison with structures defined by individual observers for the same datasets. Results There was considerable agreement amongst all observers and automatic segmentation of the benchmarking cases for bladder (mean spatial variations < 0.4 cm across the majority of image slices). Although there was some variation in interpretation of the superior-inferior (cranio-caudal) extent of rectum, human-observer contours were typically within a mean 0.6 cm of automatically-defined contours. Prostate structures were more consistent for the HR case than the IR case with all human observers segmenting a prostate with considerably more volume (mean +113.3%) than that automatically segmented. Similar results were seen across the twenty sample datasets, with disagreement between iPlan and observers dominant at the prostatic apex and superior part of the rectum, which is consistent with observations made during quality assurance reviews during the trial. Conclusions This study has demonstrated quantitative analysis for comparison of multi-observer segmentation studies. For automatic segmentation algorithms based on image-registration as in iPlan, it is apparent that agreement between observer and automatic segmentation will be a function of patient-specific image characteristics, particularly for anatomy with poor contrast definition. For this reason, it is suggested that automatic registration based on transformation of a single reference dataset adds a significant systematic bias to the resulting volumes and their use in the context of a multicentre trial should be carefully considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P Geraghty
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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Kearvell R, Haworth A, Ebert MA, Murray J, Hooton B, Richardson S, Joseph DJ, Lamb D, Spry NA, Duchesne G, Denham JW. Quality improvements in prostate radiotherapy: Outcomes and impact of comprehensive quality assurance during the TROG 03.04 ‘RADAR’ trial. J Med Imaging Radiat Oncol 2013; 57:247-57. [DOI: 10.1111/1754-9485.12025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2012] [Accepted: 10/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Kearvell
- Department of Radiation Oncology; Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital; Nedlands; Western Australia; Australia
| | | | | | - Judy Murray
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine; University of Otago; Wellington; New Zealand
| | - Ben Hooton
- Department of Radiation Oncology; Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital; Nedlands; Western Australia; Australia
| | - Sharon Richardson
- Department of Radiation Oncology; Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital; Nedlands; Western Australia; Australia
| | | | - David Lamb
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine; University of Otago; Wellington; New Zealand
| | | | | | - James W Denham
- School of Medicine and Public Health; University of Newcastle; Callaghan; New South Wales; Australia
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Denham JW, Wilcox C, Joseph D, Spry NA, Lamb DS, Tai KH, Matthews J, Atkinson C, Turner S, Christie D, Gogna NK, Kenny L, Duchesne G, Delahunt B, McElduff P. Quality of life in men with locally advanced prostate cancer treated with leuprorelin and radiotherapy with or without zoledronic acid (TROG 03.04 RADAR): secondary endpoints from a randomised phase 3 factorial trial. Lancet Oncol 2012; 13:1260-70. [DOI: 10.1016/s1470-2045(12)70423-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Denham JW, Wilcox C, Lamb DS, Spry NA, Duchesne G, Atkinson C, Matthews J, Turner S, Kenny L, Tai KH, Gogna NK, Ebert M, Delahunt B, McElduff P, Joseph D. Rectal and urinary dysfunction in the TROG 03.04 RADAR trial for locally advanced prostate cancer. Radiother Oncol 2012; 105:184-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.radonc.2012.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2012] [Revised: 09/20/2012] [Accepted: 09/29/2012] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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QA makes a clinical trial stronger: Evidence-based medicine in radiation therapy. Radiother Oncol 2012; 105:4-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.radonc.2012.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2012] [Revised: 08/15/2012] [Accepted: 08/16/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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