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Basaula D, Hay B, Wright M, Hall L, Easdon A, McWiggan P, Yeo A, Ungureanu E, Kron T. Additive manufacturing of patient specific bolus for radiotherapy: large scale production and quality assurance. Phys Eng Sci Med 2024; 47:551-561. [PMID: 38285272 PMCID: PMC11166743 DOI: 10.1007/s13246-024-01385-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Bolus is commonly used to improve dose distributions in radiotherapy in particular if dose to skin must be optimised such as in breast or head and neck cancer. We are documenting four years of experience with 3D printed bolus at a large cancer centre. In addition to this we review the quality assurance (QA) program developed to support it. More than 2000 boluses were produced between Nov 2018 and Feb 2023 using fused deposition modelling (FDM) printing with polylactic acid (PLA) on up to five Raise 3D printers. Bolus is designed in the radiotherapy treatment planning system (Varian Eclipse), exported to an STL file followed by pre-processing. After checking each bolus with CT scanning initially we now produce standard quality control (QC) wedges every month and whenever a major change in printing processes occurs. A database records every bolus printed and manufacturing details. It takes about 3 days from designing the bolus in the planning system to delivering it to treatment. A 'premium' PLA material (Spidermaker) was found to be best in terms of homogeneity and CT number consistency (80 HU +/- 8HU). Most boluses were produced for photon beams (93.6%) with the rest used for electrons. We process about 120 kg of PLA per year with a typical bolus weighing less than 500 g and the majority of boluses 5 mm thick. Print times are proportional to bolus weight with about 24 h required for 500 g material deposited. 3D printing using FDM produces smooth and reproducible boluses. Quality control is essential but can be streamlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepak Basaula
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Department of Physical Sciences, 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
| | - Barry Hay
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Department of Radiation Engineering, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Mark Wright
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Department of Radiation Engineering, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Lisa Hall
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Department of Radiation Therapy, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Alan Easdon
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Department of Radiation Engineering, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Peter McWiggan
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Department of Radiation Engineering, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Adam Yeo
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Department of Physical Sciences, 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
- School of Applied Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Elena Ungureanu
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Department of Physical Sciences, 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
| | - Tomas Kron
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Department of Physical Sciences, 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia.
- School of Applied Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia.
- Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
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Gugliandolo SG, Pillai SP, Rajendran S, Vincini MG, Pepa M, Pansini F, Zaffaroni M, Marvaso G, Alterio D, Vavassori A, Durante S, Volpe S, Cattani F, Jereczek-Fossa BA, Moscatelli D, Colosimo BM. 3D-printed boluses for radiotherapy: influence of geometrical and printing parameters on dosimetric characterization and air gap evaluation. Radiol Phys Technol 2024; 17:347-359. [PMID: 38351260 PMCID: PMC11128404 DOI: 10.1007/s12194-024-00782-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/27/2024]
Abstract
The work investigates the implementation of personalized radiotherapy boluses by means of additive manufacturing technologies. Boluses materials that are currently used need an excessive amount of human intervention which leads to reduced repeatability in terms of dosimetry. Additive manufacturing can solve this problem by eliminating the human factor in the process of fabrication. Planar boluses with fixed geometry and personalized boluses printed starting from a computed tomography scan of a radiotherapy phantom were produced. First, a dosimetric characterization study on planar bolus designs to quantify the effects of print parameters such as infill density and geometry on the radiation beam was made. Secondly, a volumetric quantification of air gap between the bolus and the skin of the patient as well as dosimetric analyses were performed. The optimization process according to the obtained dosimetric and airgap results allowed us to find a combination of parameters to have the 3D-printed bolus performing similarly to that in conventional use. These preliminary results confirm those in the relevant literature, with 3D-printed boluses showing a dosimetric performance similar to conventional boluses with the additional advantage of being perfectly conformed to the patient geometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Giovanni Gugliandolo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Via La Masa, 1, 20156, Milano, Italy
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | | | - Shankar Rajendran
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Via La Masa, 1, 20156, Milano, Italy
| | - Maria Giulia Vincini
- Division of Radiation Oncology, IEO European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milano, Italy
| | - Matteo Pepa
- Division of Radiation Oncology, IEO European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milano, Italy
- Clinical Department, Bioengineering Unit, National Center for Oncological Hadrontherapy (CNAO), Pavia, Italy
| | - Floriana Pansini
- Unit of Medical Physics, IEO European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milano, Italy
| | - Mattia Zaffaroni
- Division of Radiation Oncology, IEO European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milano, Italy
| | - Giulia Marvaso
- Division of Radiation Oncology, IEO European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milano, Italy
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milano, Italy
| | - Daniela Alterio
- Division of Radiation Oncology, IEO European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milano, Italy
| | - Andrea Vavassori
- Division of Radiation Oncology, IEO European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milano, Italy
| | - Stefano Durante
- Division of Radiation Oncology, IEO European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milano, Italy
| | - Stefania Volpe
- Division of Radiation Oncology, IEO European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milano, Italy
| | - Federica Cattani
- Division of Radiation Oncology, IEO European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milano, Italy
- Unit of Medical Physics, IEO European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milano, Italy
| | - Barbara Alicja Jereczek-Fossa
- Division of Radiation Oncology, IEO European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milano, Italy
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milano, Italy
| | - Davide Moscatelli
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Bianca Maria Colosimo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Via La Masa, 1, 20156, Milano, Italy.
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Ashenafi M, Jeong S, Wancura JN, Gou L, Webster MJ, Zheng D. A quick guide on implementing and quality assuring 3D printing in radiation oncology. J Appl Clin Med Phys 2023; 24:e14102. [PMID: 37501315 PMCID: PMC10647979 DOI: 10.1002/acm2.14102] [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: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
As three-dimensional (3D) printing becomes increasingly common in radiation oncology, proper implementation, usage, and ongoing quality assurance (QA) are essential. While there have been many reports on various clinical investigations and several review articles, there is a lack of literature on the general considerations of implementing 3D printing in radiation oncology departments, including comprehensive process establishment and proper ongoing QA. This review aims to guide radiation oncology departments in effectively using 3D printing technology for routine clinical applications and future developments. We attempt to provide recommendations on 3D printing equipment, software, workflow, and QA, based on existing literature and our experience. Specifically, we focus on three main applications: patient-specific bolus, high-dose-rate (HDR) surface brachytherapy applicators, and phantoms. Additionally, cost considerations are briefly discussed. This review focuses on point-of-care (POC) printing in house, and briefly touches on outsourcing printing via mail-order services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Ashenafi
- Department of Radiation OncologyUniversity of Rochester Medical CenterRochesterNew YorkUSA
| | - Seungkyo Jeong
- Department of Applied MathematicsUniversity of RochesterRochesterNew YorkUSA
| | - Joshua N. Wancura
- Department of Radiation OncologyUniversity of Rochester Medical CenterRochesterNew YorkUSA
| | - Lang Gou
- Department of Radiation OncologyUniversity of Rochester Medical CenterRochesterNew YorkUSA
| | - Matthew J. Webster
- Department of Radiation OncologyUniversity of Rochester Medical CenterRochesterNew YorkUSA
| | - Dandan Zheng
- Department of Radiation OncologyUniversity of Rochester Medical CenterRochesterNew YorkUSA
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Conrad M, Dal Bello R, van Timmeren JE, Andratschke N, Wilke L, Guckenberger M, Tanadini-Lang S, Balermpas P. Effect of 0.35 T and 1.5 T magnetic fields on superficial dose in MR-guided radiotherapy of laryngeal cancer. Clin Transl Radiat Oncol 2023; 40:100624. [PMID: 37090848 PMCID: PMC10113768 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctro.2023.100624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Treatment of head and neck cancer on linear accelerators with on-board magnetic resonance imaging (MR-linac) might be beneficial to reduce side effects and increase accuracy. For many head and neck cancer patients, dose coverage of the often superficially located planning target volumes (PTVs) is required. This study examines the impact of the electron return effect (ERE) on the surface dose in MR-guided radiotherapy (MRgRT) compared to conventional radiotherapy. Materials and methods For this bicentric dosimetric study, 14 cases of laryngeal carcinomas with PTVs reaching up to the skin surface were included. For each patient, five different plans were compared, two VMAT plans (with and without a 5 mm bolus) and three IMRT MRgRT plans (0.35 T, 1.5 T and 0 T, each without bolus). Dose distributions were also validated with film measurements. Results A similar coverage on the most superficial 3-5 mm of the PTV was achieved in the VMAT plans with bolus and the MRgRT plans for both 0.35 T and 1.5 T. However, coverage on this region was usually not achieved for VMAT without bolus and the 0 T plans. The film measurements on phantoms confirmed the results with the relative error never exceeding the calculated differences between the plans. Conclusion The present study could demonstrate that the ERE for both commercially available MR-linac variants provides sufficient coverage of the superficial tissue layers in MRgRT-plans for laryngeal carcinoma.
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Lu Y, Song J, Yao X, An M, Shi Q, Huang X. 3D Printing Polymer-based Bolus Used for Radiotherapy. Int J Bioprint 2021; 7:414. [PMID: 34805595 PMCID: PMC8600301 DOI: 10.18063/ijb.v7i4.414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Bolus is a kind of auxiliary device used in radiotherapy for the treatment of superficial lesions such as skin cancer. It is commonly used to increase skin dose and overcome the skin-sparing effect. Despite the availability of various commercial boluses, there is currently no bolus that can form full contact with irregular surface of patients' skin, and incomplete contact would result in air gaps. The resulting air gaps can reduce the surface radiation dose, leading to a discrepancy between the delivered dose and planned dose. To avoid this limitation, the customized bolus processed by three-dimensional (3D) printing holds tremendous potential for making radiotherapy more efficient than ever before. This review mainly summarized the recent development of polymers used for processing bolus, 3D printing technologies suitable for polymers, and customization of 3D printing bolus. An ideal material for customizing bolus should not only have the feature of 3D printability for customization, but also possess radiotherapy adjuvant performance as well as other multiple compound properties, including tissue equivalence, biocompatibility, antibacterial activity, and antiphlogosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Lu
- Laboratory of Biomaterial Surface and Interface, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, Shanxi Province, China.,Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Taiyuan 030032, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Jianbo Song
- Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Taiyuan 030032, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Xiaohong Yao
- Laboratory of Biomaterial Surface and Interface, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Meiwen An
- Institute of Applied Mechanics and Biomedical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Qinying Shi
- Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Taiyuan 030032, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Xiaobo Huang
- Laboratory of Biomaterial Surface and Interface, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, Shanxi Province, China
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Wang X, Wang X, Xiang Z, Zeng Y, Liu F, Shao B, He T, Ma J, Yu S, Liu L. The Clinical Application of 3D-Printed Boluses in Superficial Tumor Radiotherapy. Front Oncol 2021; 11:698773. [PMID: 34490095 PMCID: PMC8416990 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.698773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
During the procedure of radiotherapy for superficial tumors, the key to treatment is to ensure that the skin surface receives an adequate radiation dose. However, due to the presence of the built-up effect of high-energy rays, equivalent tissue compensators (boluses) with appropriate thickness should be placed on the skin surface to increase the target radiation dose. Traditional boluses do not usually fit the skin perfectly. Wet gauze is variable in thickness day to day which results in air gaps between the skin and the bolus. These unwanted but avoidable air gaps lead to a decrease of the radiation dose in the target area and can have a poor effect on the outcome. Three-dimensional (3D) printing, a new rising technology named “additive manufacturing” (AM), could create physical models with specific shapes from digital information by using special materials. It has been favored in many fields because of its advantages, including less waste, low-cost, and individualized design. It is not an exception in the field of radiotherapy, personalized boluses made through 3D printing technology also make up for a number of shortcomings of the traditional commercial bolus. Therefore, an increasing number of researchers have tried to use 3D-printed boluses for clinical applications rather than commercial boluses. Here, we review the 3D-printed bolus’s material selection and production process, its clinical applications, and potential radioactive dermatitis. Finally, we discuss some of the challenges that still need to be addressed with the 3D-printed boluses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiran Wang
- Department of Head and Neck Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xuetao Wang
- Department of Radiotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhongzheng Xiang
- Department of Head and Neck Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zeng
- Department of Head and Neck Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Fang Liu
- Department of Head and Neck Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Bianfei Shao
- Department of Head and Neck Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Tao He
- Department of Head and Neck Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiachun Ma
- Department of Head and Neck Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Siting Yu
- Department of Head and Neck Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Lei Liu
- Department of Head and Neck Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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