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Jafarzadeh H, Antaki M, Mao X, Duclos M, Maleki F, Enger SA. Penalty weight tuning in high dose rate brachytherapy using multi-objective Bayesian optimization. Phys Med Biol 2024; 69:115024. [PMID: 38670145 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/ad4448] [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: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Objective.Treatment plan optimization in high dose rate brachytherapy often requires manual fine-tuning of penalty weights for each objective, which can be time-consuming and dependent on the planner's experience. To automate this process, this study used a multi-criteria approach called multi-objective Bayesian optimization with q-noisy expected hypervolume improvement as its acquisition function (MOBO-qNEHVI).Approach.The treatment plans of 13 prostate cancer patients were retrospectively imported to a research treatment planning system, RapidBrachyMTPS, where fast mixed integer optimization (FMIO) performs dwell time optimization given a set of penalty weights to deliver 15 Gy to the target volume. MOBO-qNEHVI was used to find patient-specific Pareto optimal penalty weight vectors that yield clinically acceptable dose volume histogram metrics. The relationship between the number of MOBO-qNEHVI iterations and the number of clinically acceptable plans per patient (acceptance rate) was investigated. The performance time was obtained for various parameter configurations.Main results.MOBO-qNEHVI found clinically acceptable treatment plans for all patients. With increasing the number of MOBO-qNEHVI iterations, the acceptance rate grew logarithmically while the performance time grew exponentially. Fixing the penalty weight of the tumour volume to maximum value, adding the target dose as a parameter, initiating MOBO-qNEHVI with 25 parallel sampling of FMIO, and running 6 MOBO-qNEHVI iterations found solutions that delivered 15 Gy to the hottest 95% of the clinical target volume while respecting the dose constraints to the organs at risk. The average acceptance rate for each patient was 89.74% ± 8.11%, and performance time was 66.6 ± 12.6 s. The initiation took 22.47 ± 7.57 s, and each iteration took 7.35 ± 2.45 s to find one Pareto solution.Significance.MOBO-qNEHVI combined with FMIO can automatically explore the trade-offs between treatment plan objectives in a patient specific manner within a minute. This approach can reduce the dependency of plan quality on planner's experience and reduce dose to the organs at risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Jafarzadeh
- Medical Physics Unit, Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Majd Antaki
- Medical Physics Unit, Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ximeng Mao
- mila-Quebec AI Institute, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Marie Duclos
- McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Canada
| | - Farhard Maleki
- Department of Computer Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Shirin A Enger
- Medical Physics Unit, Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- mila-Quebec AI Institute, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Kalinowski J, Enger SA. RapidBrachyTG43: A Geant4-based TG-43 parameter and dose calculation module for brachytherapy dosimetry. Med Phys 2024; 51:3746-3757. [PMID: 38252746 DOI: 10.1002/mp.16948] [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: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The AAPM TG-43U1 formalism remains the clinical standard for dosimetry of low- and high-energy γ $\gamma$ -emitting brachytherapy sources. TG-43U1 and related reports provide consensus datasets of TG-43 parameters derived from various published measured data and Monte Carlo simulations. These data are used to perform standardized and fast dose calculations for brachytherapy treatment planning. PURPOSE Monte Carlo TG-43 dosimetry parameters are commonly derived to characterize novel brachytherapy sources. RapidBrachyTG43 is a module of RapidBrachyMCTPS, a Monte Carlo-based treatment planning system, designed to automate this process, requiring minimal user input to prepare Geant4-based Monte Carlo simulations for a source. RapidBrachyTG43 may also perform a TG-43 dose to water-in-water calculation for a plan, substantially accelerating the same calculation performed using RapidBrachyMCTPS's Monte Carlo dose calculation engine. METHODS TG-43 parametersS K / A $S_K/A$ , Λ $\Lambda$ ,g L ( r ) $g_L(r)$ , andF ( r , θ ) $F(r,\theta)$ were calculated using three commercial source models, one each of125 $^{125}$ I,192 $^{192}$ Ir, and60 $^{60}$ Co, and were benchmarked to published data. TG-43 dose to water was calculated for a clinical breast brachytherapy plan and was compared to a Monte Carlo dose calculation with all patient tissues, air, and catheters set to water. RESULTS TG-43 parameters for the three simulated sources agreed with benchmark datasets within tolerances specified by the High Energy Brachytherapy Dosimetry working group. A gamma index comparison between the TG-43 and Monte Carlo dose-to-water calculations with a dose difference and difference to agreement criterion of 1%/1 mm yielded a 98.9% pass rate, with all relevant dose volume histogram metrics for the plan agreeing within 1%. Performing a TG-43-based dose calculation provided an acceleration of dose-to-water calculation by a factor of 165. CONCLUSIONS Determination of TG-43 parameter data for novel brachytherapy sources may now be facilitated by RapidBrachyMCTPS. These parameter datasets and existing consensus or published datasets may also be used to determine the TG-43 dose for a plan in RapidBrachyMCTPS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Kalinowski
- Medical Physics Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Shirin A Enger
- Medical Physics Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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Quetin S, Bahoric B, Maleki F, Enger SA. Deep learning for high-resolution dose prediction in high dose rate brachytherapy for breast cancer treatment. Phys Med Biol 2024; 69:105011. [PMID: 38604185 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/ad3dbd] [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: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Objective.Monte Carlo (MC) simulations are the benchmark for accurate radiotherapy dose calculations, notably in patient-specific high dose rate brachytherapy (HDR BT), in cases where considering tissue heterogeneities is critical. However, the lengthy computational time limits the practical application of MC simulations. Prior research used deep learning (DL) for dose prediction as an alternative to MC simulations. While accurate dose predictions akin to MC were attained, graphics processing unit limitations constrained these predictions to large voxels of 3 mm × 3 mm × 3 mm. This study aimed to enable dose predictions as accurate as MC simulations in 1 mm × 1 mm × 1 mm voxels within a clinically acceptable timeframe.Approach.Computed tomography scans of 98 breast cancer patients treated with Iridium-192-based HDR BT were used: 70 for training, 14 for validation, and 14 for testing. A new cropping strategy based on the distance to the seed was devised to reduce the volume size, enabling efficient training of 3D DL models using 1 mm × 1 mm × 1 mm dose grids. Additionally, novel DL architecture with layer-level fusion were proposed to predict MC simulated dose to medium-in-medium (Dm,m). These architectures fuse information from TG-43 dose to water-in-water (Dw,w) with patient tissue composition at the layer-level. Different inputs describing patient body composition were investigated.Main results.The proposed approach demonstrated state-of-the-art performance, on par with the MCDm,mmaps, but 300 times faster. The mean absolute percent error for dosimetric indices between the MC and DL-predicted complete treatment plans was 0.17% ± 0.15% for the planning target volumeV100, 0.30% ± 0.32% for the skinD2cc, 0.82% ± 0.79% for the lungD2cc, 0.34% ± 0.29% for the chest wallD2ccand 1.08% ± 0.98% for the heartD2cc.Significance.Unlike the time-consuming MC simulations, the proposed novel strategy efficiently converts TG-43Dw,wmaps into preciseDm,mmaps at high resolution, enabling clinical integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Quetin
- Medical Physics Unit, Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Montreal Institute for Learning Algorithms, Mila, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Boris Bahoric
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Farhad Maleki
- Department of Computer Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Radiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States of America
| | - Shirin A Enger
- Medical Physics Unit, Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Montreal Institute for Learning Algorithms, Mila, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Zhu J, Wang C, Teng S, Lu J, Lyu P, Zhang P, Xu J, Lu L, Teng GJ. Embedding expertise knowledge into inverse treatment planning for low-dose-rate brachytherapy of hepatic malignancies. Med Phys 2024; 51:348-362. [PMID: 37475484 DOI: 10.1002/mp.16627] [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: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leveraging the precision of its radiation dose distribution and the minimization of postoperative complications, low-dose-rate (LDR) permanent seed brachytherapy is progressively adopted in addressing hepatic malignancies. PURPOSE The present study endeavors to devise a sophisticated treatment planning system (TPS) to optimize LDR brachytherapy for hepatic lesions. METHODS Our TPS encompasses four integral modules: multi-organ segmentation, seed distribution initialization, puncture pathway selection, and inverse dose planning. By amalgamating an array of deep learning models, the segmentation module proficiently labels 17 discrete abdominal targets within the images. We introduce a knowledge-based seed distribution initialization methodology that discerns the most analogous tumor shape in the reference treatment plan from the knowledge base. Subsequently, the seed distribution from the reference plan is transmuted to the current case, thus establishing seed distribution initialization. Furthermore, we parameterize the puncture needles and seeds, while concurrently constraining the puncture needle angle through the employment of a virtual puncture panel to augment planning algorithm efficiency. We also presented a user interface that includes a range of interactive features, seamlessly integrated with the treatment planning generation function. RESULTS The multi-organ segmentation module, which is trained by 50 cases of in-house CT scans and 694 cases of publicly available CT scans, achieved average Dice of 0.80 and Hausdorff distance of 5.2 mm in testing datasets. The results demonstrate that knowledge-based initialization exhibits a marked enhancement in expediting the convergence rate. Our TPS also demonstrates a dominant advantage in dose-volume-histogram criteria and execution time in comparison to commercial TPS. CONCLUSION The study proposes an innovative treatment planning system for low-dose-rate permanent seed brachytherapy for hepatic malignancies. We show that the generated treatment plans meet clinical requirement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianjun Zhu
- Hanglok-Tech Co., Ltd., Hengqin, China
- Center of Interventional Radiology and Vascular Surgery, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | | | | | - Jian Lu
- Center of Interventional Radiology and Vascular Surgery, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | | | | | - Jun Xu
- Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, China
| | - Ligong Lu
- Zhuhai People's Hospital, Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Gao-Jun Teng
- Center of Interventional Radiology and Vascular Surgery, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
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Oliver S, Giménez-Alventosa V, Berumen F, Gimenez V, Beaulieu L, Ballester F, Vijande J. Benchmark of the PenRed Monte Carlo framework for HDR brachytherapy. Z Med Phys 2023; 33:511-528. [PMID: 36509574 PMCID: PMC10751717 DOI: 10.1016/j.zemedi.2022.11.002] [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: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study is to validate the PenRed Monte Carlo framework for clinical applications in brachytherapy. PenRed is a C++ version of Penelope Monte Carlo code with additional tallies and utilities. METHODS AND MATERIALS Six benchmarking scenarios are explored to validate the use of PenRed and its improved bachytherapy-oriented capabilities for HDR brachytherapy. A new tally allowing the evaluation of collisional kerma for any material using the track length kerma estimator and the possibility to obtain the seed positions, weights and directions processing directly the DICOM file are now implemented in the PenRed distribution. The four non-clinical test cases developed by the Joint AAPM-ESTRO-ABG-ABS WG-DCAB were evaluated by comparing local and global absorbed dose differences with respect to established reference datasets. A prostate and a palliative lung cases, were also studied. For them, absorbed dose ratios, global absorbed dose differences, and cumulative dose-volume histograms were obtained and discussed. RESULTS The air-kerma strength and the dose rate constant corresponding to the two sources agree with the reference datatests within 0.3% (Sk) and 0.1% (Λ). With respect to the first three WG-DCAB test cases, more than 99.8% of the voxels present local (global) differences within ±1%(±0.1%) of the reference datasets. For test Case 4 reference dataset, more than 94.9%(97.5%) of voxels show an agreement within ±1%(±0.1%), better than similar benchmarking calculations in the literature. The track length kerma estimator scorer implemented increases the numerical efficiency of brachytherapy calculations two orders of magnitude, while the specific brachytherapy source allows the user to avoid the use of error-prone intermediate steps to translate the DICOM information into the simulation. In both clinical cases, only minor absorbed dose differences arise in the low-dose isodoses. 99.8% and 100% of the voxels have a global absorbed dose difference ratio within ±0.2% for the prostate and lung cases, respectively. The role played by the different segmentation and composition material in the bone structures was discussed, obtaining negligible absorbed dose differences. Dose-volume histograms were in agreement with the reference data. CONCLUSIONS PenRed incorporates new tallies and utilities and has been validated for its use for detailed and precise high-dose-rate brachytherapy simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Oliver
- Instituto de Seguridad Industrial, Radiofísica y Medioambiental (ISIRYM), Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022 València, Spain.
| | - Vicent Giménez-Alventosa
- Escuela de Ciencias, Ingeniería y Diseño, Universidad Europea de Valencia, Paseo de la Alameda 7, 46010 València, Spain; Instituto de Instrumentación para Imagen Molecular (I3M), Centro mixto CSIC - Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022 València, Spain
| | - Francisco Berumen
- Département de Radio-Oncologie et Axe oncologie du Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, CHU de Québec, Québec, QC, Canada; Département de Physique, de Génie Physique et d'Optique et Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Vicente Gimenez
- Departament de Física Teórica and IFIC, Universitat de València-CSIC, Dr. Moliner, 50, 46100 Burjassot, València, Spain
| | - Luc Beaulieu
- Département de Radio-Oncologie et Axe oncologie du Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, CHU de Québec, Québec, QC, Canada; Département de Physique, de Génie Physique et d'Optique et Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Facundo Ballester
- Departamento de Física Atómica, Molecular y Nuclear. IRIMED, IIS-La Fe-Universitat de Valencia, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
| | - Javier Vijande
- Departamento de Física Atómica, Molecular y Nuclear. IRIMED, IIS-La Fe-Universitat de Valencia, 46100 Burjassot, Spain; Instituto de Física Corpuscular, IFIC (UV-CSIC), 46100 Burjassot, Spain
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Antaki M, Renaud MA, Morcos M, Seuntjens J, Enger SA. Applying the column generation method to the intensity modulated high dose rate brachytherapy inverse planning problem. Phys Med Biol 2023; 68. [PMID: 36791469 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/acbc63] [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: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Objective.Intensity modulated high dose rate brachytherapy (IMBT) is a rapidly developing application of brachytherapy where anisotropic dose distributions can be produced at each source dwell position. This technique is made possible by placing rotating metallic shields inside brachytherapy needles or catheters. By dynamically directing the radiation towards the tumours and away from the healthy tissues, a more conformal dose distribution can be obtained. The resulting treatment planning involves optimizing dwell position and shield angle (DPSA). The aim of this study was to investigate the column generation method for IMBT treatment plan optimization.Approach.A column generation optimization algorithm was developed to optimize the dwell times and shield angles. A retrospective study was performed on 10 prostate cases using RapidBrachyMCTPS. At every iteration, the plan was optimized with the chosen DPSA which would best improve the cost function that was added to the plan. The optimization process was stopped when the remaining DPSAs would not add value to the plan to limit the plan complexity.Main results.The average number of DPSAs and voxels were 2270 and 7997, respectively. The column generation approach yielded near-optimal treatment plans by using only 11% of available DPSAs on average in ten prostate cases. The coverage and organs at risk constraints passed in all ten cases.Significance.The column generation method produced high-quality deliverable prostate IMBT plans. The treatment plan quality reached a plateau, where adding more DPSAs had a minimal effect on dose volume histogram parameters. The iterative nature of the column generation method allows early termination of the treatment plan creation process as soon as the dosimetric indices from dose volume histogram satisfy the clinical requirements or if their values stabilize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Majd Antaki
- Medical Physics Unit, Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Marc-André Renaud
- Polytechnique Montréal, Department of Mathematical and Industrial Engineering, Montreal, Canada
| | - Marc Morcos
- Medical Physics Unit, Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H4A 3J1, Canada.,Department of Radiation Oncology, Miami Cancer Institute, Miami, FL, United States of America.,Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States of America
| | - Jan Seuntjens
- Medical Physics Unit, Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Shirin A Enger
- Medical Physics Unit, Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H4A 3J1, Canada.,Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, H3H 2L9, Canada.,Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1E2, Canada
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Poher A, Berumen F, Ma Y, Perl J, Beaulieu L. Validation of the TOPAS Monte Carlo toolkit for LDR brachytherapy simulations. Phys Med 2023; 107:102516. [PMID: 36804693 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2022.102516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE This work has the purpose of validating the Monte Carlo toolkit TOol for PArticle Simulation (TOPAS) for low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy uses. METHODS AND MATERIALS Simulations of 12 LDR sources and 2 COMS eye plaques (10 mm and 20 mm in diameter) and comparisons with published reference data from the Carleton Laboratory for Radiotherapy Physics (CLRP), the TG-43 consensus data and the TG-129 consensus data were performed. Sources from the IROC Houston Source Registry were modeled. The OncoSeed 6711 and the SelectSeed 130.002 were also modeled for historical reasons. For each source, the dose rate constant, the radial dose function and the anisotropy functions at 0.5, 1 and 5 cm were extracted. For the eye plaques (loaded with 125I sources), dose distribution maps, dose profiles along the central axis and transverse axis were calculated. RESULTS Dose rate constants for 11 of the 12 sources are within 4% of the consensus data and within 2% of the CLRP data. The radial dose functions and anisotropy functions are mostly within 2% of the CLRP data. In average, 92% of all voxels are within 1% of the CLRP data for the eye plaques dose distributions. The dose profiles are within 0.5% (central axis) and 1% (transverse axis) of the reference data. CONCLUSION The TOPAS MC toolkit was validated for LDR brachytherapy applications. Single-seed and multi-seed results agree with the published reference data. TOPAS has several benefits such as a simplified approach to MC simulations and an accessible brachytherapy package including comprehensive learning resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audran Poher
- Service de physique médicale et de radioprotection, Centre Intégré de Cancérologie, CHU de Québec - Université Laval et Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Québec, Québec, Canada; Département de Physique, de Génie Physique et d'Optique et Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer, Université Laval, Québec Québec G1V 0A6, Canada.
| | - Francisco Berumen
- Service de physique médicale et de radioprotection, Centre Intégré de Cancérologie, CHU de Québec - Université Laval et Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Québec, Québec, Canada; Département de Physique, de Génie Physique et d'Optique et Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer, Université Laval, Québec Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Yunzhi Ma
- Service de physique médicale et de radioprotection, Centre Intégré de Cancérologie, CHU de Québec - Université Laval et Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Québec, Québec, Canada; Département de Physique, de Génie Physique et d'Optique et Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer, Université Laval, Québec Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Joseph Perl
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, United States of America
| | - Luc Beaulieu
- Service de physique médicale et de radioprotection, Centre Intégré de Cancérologie, CHU de Québec - Université Laval et Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Québec, Québec, Canada; Département de Physique, de Génie Physique et d'Optique et Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer, Université Laval, Québec Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
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Morén B, Antaki M, Famulari G, Morcos M, Larsson T, Enger SA, Tedgren ÅC. Dosimetric impact of a robust optimization approach to mitigate effects from rotational uncertainty in prostate intensity-modulated brachytherapy. Med Phys 2023; 50:1029-1043. [PMID: 36478226 DOI: 10.1002/mp.16134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intensity-modulated brachytherapy (IMBT) is an emerging technology for cancer treatment, in which radiation sources are shielded to shape the dose distribution. The rotatable shields provide an additional degree of freedom, but also introduce an additional, directional, type of uncertainty, compared to conventional high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR BT). PURPOSE We propose and evaluate a robust optimization approach to mitigate the effects of rotational uncertainty in the shields with respect to planning criteria. METHODS A previously suggested prototype for platinum-shielded prostate 169 Yb-based dynamic IMBT is considered. We study a retrospective patient data set (anatomical contours and catheter placement) from two clinics, consisting of six patients that had previously undergone conventional 192 Ir HDR BT treatment. The Monte Carlo-based treatment planning software RapidBrachyMCTPS is used for dose calculations. In our computational experiments, we investigate systematic rotational shield errors of ±10° and ±20°, and the same systematic error is applied to all dwell positions in each scenario. This gives us three scenarios, one nominal and two with errors. The robust optimization approach finds a compromise between the average and worst-case scenario outcomes. RESULTS We compare dose plans obtained from standard models and their robust counterparts. With dwell times obtained from a linear penalty model (LPM), for 10° errors, the dose to urethra ( D 0.1 c c $D_{0.1cc}$ ) and rectum ( D 0.1 c c $D_{0.1cc}$ and D 1 c c $D_{1cc}$ ) increase with up to 5% and 7%, respectively, in the worst-case scenario, while with the robust counterpart, the corresponding increases were 3% and 3%. For all patients and all evaluated criteria, the worst-case scenario outcome with the robust approach had lower deviation compared to the standard model, without compromising target coverage. We also evaluated shield errors up to 20° and while the deviations increased to a large extent with the standard models, the robust models were capable of handling even such large errors. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that robust optimization can be used to mitigate the effects from rotational uncertainty and to ensure the treatment plan quality of IMBT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Björn Morén
- Department of Mathematics, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Majd Antaki
- Department of Oncology, Medical Physics Unit, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Gabriel Famulari
- Department of Oncology, Medical Physics Unit, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Département de Radio-oncologie, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Marc Morcos
- Department of Oncology, Medical Physics Unit, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Torbjörn Larsson
- Department of Mathematics, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Shirin A Enger
- Department of Oncology, Medical Physics Unit, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Åsa Carlsson Tedgren
- Radiation Physics, Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.,Medical Radiation Physics and Nuclear Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Oncology Pathology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
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Dosimetry procedure to verify dose in High Dose Rate (HDR) brachytherapy treatment of cancer patients: A systematic review. Phys Med 2022; 96:70-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2022.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
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Song WY, Robar JL, Morén B, Larsson T, Carlsson Tedgren Å, Jia X. Emerging technologies in brachytherapy. Phys Med Biol 2021; 66. [PMID: 34710856 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/ac344d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Brachytherapy is a mature treatment modality. The literature is abundant in terms of review articles and comprehensive books on the latest established as well as evolving clinical practices. The intent of this article is to part ways and look beyond the current state-of-the-art and review emerging technologies that are noteworthy and perhaps may drive the future innovations in the field. There are plenty of candidate topics that deserve a deeper look, of course, but with practical limits in this communicative platform, we explore four topics that perhaps is worthwhile to review in detail at this time. First, intensity modulated brachytherapy (IMBT) is reviewed. The IMBT takes advantage ofanisotropicradiation profile generated through intelligent high-density shielding designs incorporated onto sources and applicators such to achieve high quality plans. Second, emerging applications of 3D printing (i.e. additive manufacturing) in brachytherapy are reviewed. With the advent of 3D printing, interest in this technology in brachytherapy has been immense and translation swift due to their potential to tailor applicators and treatments customizable to each individual patient. This is followed by, in third, innovations in treatment planning concerning catheter placement and dwell times where new modelling approaches, solution algorithms, and technological advances are reviewed. And, fourth and lastly, applications of a new machine learning technique, called deep learning, which has the potential to improve and automate all aspects of brachytherapy workflow, are reviewed. We do not expect that all ideas and innovations reviewed in this article will ultimately reach clinic but, nonetheless, this review provides a decent glimpse of what is to come. It would be exciting to monitor as IMBT, 3D printing, novel optimization algorithms, and deep learning technologies evolve over time and translate into pilot testing and sensibly phased clinical trials, and ultimately make a difference for cancer patients. Today's fancy is tomorrow's reality. The future is bright for brachytherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Y Song
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - James L Robar
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Björn Morén
- Department of Mathematics, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Torbjörn Larsson
- Department of Mathematics, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Åsa Carlsson Tedgren
- Radiation Physics, Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.,Medical Radiation Physics and Nuclear Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Oncology Pathology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Xun Jia
- Innovative Technology Of Radiotherapy Computations and Hardware (iTORCH) Laboratory, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
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Berumen F, Ma Y, Ramos-Méndez J, Perl J, Beaulieu L. Validation of the TOPAS Monte Carlo toolkit for HDR brachytherapy simulations. Brachytherapy 2021; 20:911-921. [PMID: 33896732 DOI: 10.1016/j.brachy.2020.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The goal of this work is to validate the user-friendly Geant4-based Monte Carlo toolkit TOol for PArticle Simulation (TOPAS) for brachytherapy applications. METHODS AND MATERIALS Brachytherapy simulations performed with TOPAS were systematically compared with published TG-186 reference data. The photon emission energy spectrum, the air-kerma strength, and the dose-rate constant of the model-based dose calculation algorithm (MBDCA)-WG generic Ir-192 source were extracted. For dose calculations, a track-length estimator was implemented. The four Joint AAPM/ESTRO/ABG MBDCA-WG test cases were evaluated through histograms of the local and global dose difference volumes. A prostate, a palliative lung, and a breast case were simulated. For each case, the dose ratio map, the histogram of the global dose difference volume, and cumulative dose-volume histograms were calculated. RESULTS The air-kerma strength was (9.772 ± 0.001) × 10-8 U Bq-1 (within 0.3% of the reference value). The dose-rate constant was 1.1107 ± 0.0005 cGy h-1 U-1 (within 0.01% of the reference value). For all cases, at least 96.9% of voxels had a local dose difference within [-1%, 1%] and at least 99.9% of voxels had a global dose difference within [-0.1%, 0.1%]. The implemented track-length estimator scorer was more efficient than the default analog dose scorer by a factor of 237. For all clinical cases, at least 97.5% of voxels had a global dose difference within [-1%, 1%]. Dose-volume histograms were consistent with the reference data. CONCLUSIONS TOPAS was validated for high-dose-rate brachytherapy simulations following the TG-186 recommended approach for MBDCAs. Built on top of Geant4, TOPAS provides broad access to a state-of-the-art Monte Carlo code for brachytherapy simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Berumen
- Département de Radio-Oncologie et Axe oncologie du Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, CHU de Québec, Québec, QC, Canada; Département de Physique, de Génie Physique et d'Optique et Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Yunzhi Ma
- Département de Radio-Oncologie et Axe oncologie du Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, CHU de Québec, Québec, QC, Canada; Département de Physique, de Génie Physique et d'Optique et Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - José Ramos-Méndez
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Joseph Perl
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA
| | - Luc Beaulieu
- Département de Radio-Oncologie et Axe oncologie du Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, CHU de Québec, Québec, QC, Canada; Département de Physique, de Génie Physique et d'Optique et Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.
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12
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Deufel CL, Dalvin LA, Qian J, Vaishnav B, Cutsinger JM, Wittich MN, Petersen IA. How to design, fabricate, and validate a customized COMS-style eye plaque: Illustrated with a narrow-slotted plaque example. Brachytherapy 2021; 20:1235-1244. [PMID: 34217602 DOI: 10.1016/j.brachy.2021.04.001] [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: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE A customized Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study (COMS)-style eye plaque may provide superior dosimetric coverage compared with standard models for certain intraocular tumor locations and shapes. This work provides a recipe for developing and validating such customized plaques. METHODS AND MATERIALS The concept-into-clinical treatment process for a customized COMS-style eye plaque begins with a CAD model design that meets the specifications of the radiation oncologist and surgeon based on magnetic resonance, ultrasound, and clinical measurements, as well as a TG-43 hybrid heterogeneity-corrected dose prediction to model the dose distribution. Next, a 3D printed plastic prototype is created and reviewed. After design approval, a Modulay plaque is commercially fabricated. Quality assurance (QA) is subsequently performed to verify the physical measurements of the Modulay and Silastic and also includes dosimetric measurement of the calibration, depth dose, and dose profiles. Sterilization instructions are provided by the commercial fabricator. This customization procedure and QA methodology is demonstrated with a narrow-slotted plaque that was recently constructed for the treatment of a circumpapillary (e.g., surrounding the optic disk) ocular tumor. RESULTS The production of a customized COMS-style eye plaque is a multistep process. Dosimetric modeling is recommended to ensure that the design will meet the patient's needs, and QA is essential to confirm that the plaque has the proper dimensions and dose distribution. The customized narrow-slotted plaque presented herein was successfully implemented in the clinic, and provided superior dose coverage of juxtapapillary and circumpapillary tumors compared with standard or notched COMS-style plaques. Plaque development required approximately 30 h of physicist time and a fabrication cost of $1500. CONCLUSION Customized eye plaques may be used to treat intraocular tumors that cannot be adequately managed with standard models. The procedure by which a customized COMS-style plaque may be designed, fabricated, and validated was presented along with a clinical example.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jing Qian
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Birjoo Vaishnav
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | | | | | - Ivy A Petersen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
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13
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Wu J, Xie Y, Ding Z, Li F, Wang L. Monte Carlo study of TG-43 dosimetry parameters of GammaMed Plus high dose rate 192 Ir brachytherapy source using TOPAS. J Appl Clin Med Phys 2021; 22:146-153. [PMID: 33955134 PMCID: PMC8200518 DOI: 10.1002/acm2.13252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To develop a simulation model for GammaMed Plus high dose rate 192 Ir brachytherapy source in TOPAS Monte Carlo software and validate it by calculating the TG-43 dosimetry parameters and comparing them with published data. METHODS We built a model for GammaMed Plus high dose rate brachytherapy source in TOPAS. The TG-43 dosimetry parameters including air-kerma strength SK , dose-rate constant Λ, radial dose function gL (r), and 2D anisotropy function F(r,θ) were calculated using Monte Carlo simulation with Geant4 physics models and NNDC 192 Ir spectrum. Calculations using an old 192 Ir spectrum were also carried out to evaluate the impact of incident spectrum and cross sections. The results were compared with published data. RESULTS For calculations using the NNDC spectrum, the air-kerma strength per unit source activity SK /A and Λ were 1.0139 × 10-7 U/Bq and 1.1101 cGy.h-1 .U-1 , which were 3.56% higher and 0.62% lower than the reference values, respectively. The gL (r) agreed with reference values within 1% for radial distances from 2 mm to 20 cm. For radial distances of 1, 3, 5, and 10 cm, the agreements between F(r,θ) from this work and the reference data were within 1.5% for 15° < θ < 165°, and within 4% for all θ values. The discrepancies were attributed to the updated source spectrum and cross sections. They caused deviations of the SK /A of 2.90% and 0.64%, respectively. As for gL (r), they caused average deviations of -0.22% and 0.48%, respectively. Their impact on F(r,θ) was not quantified for the relatively high statistical uncertainties, but basically they did not result in significant discrepancies. CONCLUSION A model for GammaMed Plus high dose rate 192 Ir brachytherapy source was developed in TOPAS and validated following TG-43 protocols, which can be used for future studies. The impact of updated incident spectrum and cross sections on the dosimetry parameters was quantified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianan Wu
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.,Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, 518116, China
| | - Yaoqin Xie
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Zhen Ding
- Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, 518116, China
| | - Feipeng Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Advanced Machine Learning and Application, College of Mathematics and Statistics, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Luhua Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, 518116, China.,Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
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14
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Morcos M, Viswanathan AN, Enger SA. On the impact of absorbed dose specification, tissue heterogeneities, and applicator heterogeneities on Monte Carlo-based dosimetry of Ir-192, Se-75, and Yb-169 in conventional and intensity-modulated brachytherapy for the treatment of cervical cancer. Med Phys 2021; 48:2604-2613. [PMID: 33619739 DOI: 10.1002/mp.14802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of dose reporting schemes and tissue/applicator heterogeneities for 192 Ir-, 75 Se-, and 169 Yb-based MRI-guided conventional and intensity-modulated brachytherapy. METHODS AND MATERIALS Treatment plans using a variety of dose reporting and tissue/applicator segmentation schemes were generated for a cohort (n = 10) of cervical cancer patients treated with 192 Ir-based Venezia brachytherapy. Dose calculations were performed using RapidBrachyMCTPS, a Geant4-based research Monte Carlo treatment planning system. Ultimately, five dose calculation scenarios were evaluated: (a) dose to water in water (Dw,w ); (b) Dw,w taking the applicator material into consideration (Dw,wApp ); (c) dose to water in medium (Dw,m ); (d and e) dose to medium in medium with mass densities assigned either nominally per structure (Dm,m (Nom) ) or voxel-by-voxel (Dm,m ). RESULTS Ignoring the plastic Venezia applicator (Dw,wApp ) overestimates Dm,m by up to 1% (average) with high energy source (192 Ir and 75 Se) and up to 2% with 169 Yb. Scoring dose to water (Dw,wApp or Dw,m ) generally overestimates dose and this effect increases with decreasing photon energy. Reporting dose other than Dm,m (or Dm,m Nom ) for 169 Yb-based conventional and intensity-modulated brachytherapy leads to a simultaneous overestimation (up to 4%) of CTVHR D90 and underestimation (up to 2%) of bladder D2cc due to a significant dip in the mass-energy absorption ratios at the depths of nearby targets and OARs. Using a nominal mass-density assignment per structure, rather than a CT-derived voxel-by-voxel assignment for MRI-guided brachytherapy, amounts to a dose error up to 1% for all radionuclides considered. CONCLUSIONS The effects of the considered dose reporting schemes trend correspondingly between conventional and intensity-modulated brachytherapy. In the absence of CT-derived mass densities, MRI-only-based dosimetry can adequately approximate Dm,m by assigning nominal mass densities to structures. Tissue and applicator heterogeneities do not significantly impact dosimetry for 192 Ir and 75 Se, but do for 169 Yb; dose reporting must be explicitly defined since Dw,m and Dw,w may overstate the dosimetric benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Morcos
- Medical Physics Unit, Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shirin A Enger
- Medical Physics Unit, Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada
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15
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Antaki M, L Deufel C, Enger SA. Fast mixed integer optimization (FMIO) for high dose rate brachytherapy. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 65:215005. [DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/aba317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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16
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RapidBrachyDL: Rapid Radiation Dose Calculations in Brachytherapy Via Deep Learning. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2020; 108:802-812. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2020.04.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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17
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Torres Díaz J, Grad GB, Venencia CD, Bonzi EV. A novel and fast methodology to calculate doses in LDR brachytherapy. Appl Radiat Isot 2020; 166:109394. [PMID: 33091859 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2020.109394] [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: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 07/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
We present the concept of a new methodology for faster simulation of the doses in brachytherapy with permanent implants, based on the knowledge of the seeds arrangement, adding previously simulated doses in an equivalent medium in terms of the atomic composition of the organ in question. To perform the doses calculations we use Monte Carlo simulations. We simulated a cylindrical I-125 seed and compared our results against published data. Our proposal is to have the doses simulated previously in different arrangement of seed-absorbents, and then, considering the spacial positions of the seeds after the implants, these doses can be directly added, obtaining a very fast computation of the total dose. Two phantoms of prostates with permanent implant seeds in 2D and 3D arrangements were simulated. The results of the proposed methodology were compared with two complete Monte Carlo simulations in 2D and 3D designs. Differences in doses were analysed, obtaining statistical discrepancies of less than 1% and reducing the simulation time by more than 4 orders of magnitude. With the proposed methodology, it is possible to perform rapid dose calculations in brachytherapy, using laptop or desktop computers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Torres Díaz
- CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina; FaMAF, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
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18
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Morcos M, Antaki M, Viswanathan AN, Enger SA. A novel minimally invasive dynamic-shield, intensity-modulated brachytherapy system for the treatment of cervical cancer. Med Phys 2020; 48:71-79. [PMID: 32916763 DOI: 10.1002/mp.14459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To present a novel, MRI-compatible dynamicshield intensity modulated brachytherapy (IMBT) applicator and delivery system using 192 Ir, 75 Se, and 169 Yb radioisotopes for the treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer. Needle-free IMBT is a promising technique for improving target coverage and organs at risk (OAR) sparing. METHODS AND MATERIALS The IMBT delivery system dynamically controls the rotation of a novel tungsten shield placed inside an MRI-compatible, 6-mm wide intrauterine tandem. Using 36 cervical cancer cases, conventional intracavitary brachytherapy (IC-BT) and intracavitary/interstitial brachytherapy (IC/IS-BT) (10Ci 192 Ir) plans were compared to IMBT (10Ci 192 Ir; 11.5Ci 75 Se; 44Ci 169 Yb). All plans were generated using the Geant4-based Monte Carlo dose calculation engine, RapidBrachyMC. Treatment plans were optimized then normalized to the same high-risk clinical target volume (HR-CTV) D90 and the D2cc for bladder, rectum, and sigmoid in the research brachytherapy planning system, RapidBrachyMCTPS. Plans were renormalized until either of the three OAR reached dose limits to calculate the maximum achievable HR-CTV D90 and D98 . RESULTS Compared to IC-BT, IMBT with either of the three radionuclides significantly improves the HR-CTV D90 and D98 by up to 5.2% ± 0.3% (P < 0.001) and 6.7% ± 0.5% (P < 0.001), respectively, with the largest dosimetric enhancement when using 169 Yb followed by 75 Se and then 192 Ir. Similarly, D2cc for all OAR improved with IMBT by up to 7.7% ± 0.6% (P < 0.001). For IC/IS-BT cases, needle-free IMBT achieved clinically acceptable plans with 169 Yb-based IMBT further improving HR-CTV D98 by 1.5% ± 0.2% (P = 0.034) and decreasing sigmoid D2cc by 1.9% ± 0.4% (P = 0.048). Delivery times for IMBT are increased by a factor of 1.7, 3.3, and 2.3 for 192 Ir, 75 Se, and 169 Yb, respectively, relative to conventional 192 Ir BT. CONCLUSIONS Dynamic shield IMBT provides a promising alternative to conventional IC- and IC/IS-BT techniques with significant dosimetric enhancements and even greater improvements with intermediate energy radionuclides. The ability to deliver a highly conformal, OAR-sparing dose without IS needles provides a simplified method for improving the therapeutic ratio less invasively and in a less resource intensive manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Morcos
- Medical Physics Unit, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Majd Antaki
- Medical Physics Unit, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Akila N Viswanathan
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shirin A Enger
- Medical Physics Unit, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Famulari G, Linares Rosales HM, Dupere J, Medich DC, Beaulieu L, Enger SA. Monte Carlo dosimetric characterization of a new high dose rate 169 Yb brachytherapy source and independent verification using a multipoint plastic scintillator detector. Med Phys 2020; 47:4563-4573. [PMID: 32686145 DOI: 10.1002/mp.14336] [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: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE A prototype 169 Yb source was developed in combination with a dynamic rotating platinum shield system (AIM-Brachy) to deliver intensity modulated brachytherapy (IMBT). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dosimetric characteristics of the bare/shielded 169 Yb source using Monte Carlo (MC) simulations and perform an independent dose verification using a dosimetry platform based on a multipoint plastic scintillator detector (mPSD). METHODS The TG-43U1 dosimetric parameters were calculated for the source model using RapidBrachyMCTPS. Real-time dose rate measurements were performed in a water tank for both the bare/shielded source using a custom remote afterloader. For each dwell position, the dose rate was independently measured by the three scintillators (BCF-10, BCF-12, and BCF-60). For the bare source, dose rate was measured at distances up to 3 cm away from the source over a range of 7 cm along the catheter. For the shielded source, measurements were performed with the mPSD placed at 1 cm from the source at four different azimuthal angles ( 0 ∘ , 9 0 ∘ , 18 0 ∘ , and 27 0 ∘ ). RESULTS The dosimetric parameters were tabulated for the source model. For the bare source, differences between measured and calculated along-away dose rates were generally below 5-10%. Along the transverse axis, deviations were, on average (range), 3.3% (0.6-6.2%) for BCF-10, 1.7% (0.9-2.9%) for BCF-12, and 2.2% (0.3-4.4%) for BCF-60. The maximum dose rate reduction due to shielding at a radial distance of 1 cm was 88.8 ± 1.2%, compared to 83.5 ± 0.5% as calculated by MC. CONCLUSIONS The dose distribution for the bare/shielded 169 Yb source was independently verified using mPSD with good agreement in regions close to the source. The 169 Yb source coupled with the partial-shielding system is an effective technique to deliver IMBT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Famulari
- Medical Physics Unit, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Haydee M Linares Rosales
- Département de physique, de génie physique et d'optique et Centre de recherche sur le cancer, Université Laval, QC, G1R 2J6, Canada.,Département de radio-oncologie et Axe Oncologie du CRCHU de Québec, CHU de Québec-Université Laval, QC, G1R 2J6, Canada
| | - Justine Dupere
- Department of Physics, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, 01609, USA
| | - David C Medich
- Department of Physics, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, 01609, USA
| | - Luc Beaulieu
- Département de physique, de génie physique et d'optique et Centre de recherche sur le cancer, Université Laval, QC, G1R 2J6, Canada.,Département de radio-oncologie et Axe Oncologie du CRCHU de Québec, CHU de Québec-Université Laval, QC, G1R 2J6, Canada
| | - Shirin A Enger
- Medical Physics Unit, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada.,Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada.,Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, H3H 2R9, Canada
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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to review the limitations of dose calculation formalisms for photon-emitting brachytherapy sources based on the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Task Group No. 43 (TG-43) report and to provide recommendations to transition to model-based dose calculation algorithms. Additionally, an overview of these algorithms and approaches is presented. The influence of tissue and seed/applicator heterogeneities on brachytherapy dose distributions for breast, gynecologic, head and neck, rectum, and prostate cancers as well as eye plaques and electronic brachytherapy treatments were investigated by comparing dose calculations based on the TG-43 formalism and model-based dose calculation algorithms.
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Famulari G, Alfieri J, Duclos M, Vuong T, Enger SA. Can intermediate-energy sources lead to elevated bone doses for prostate and head & neck high-dose-rate brachytherapy? Brachytherapy 2020; 19:255-263. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brachy.2019.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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Monte Carlo dosimetry study of novel rotating MRI-compatible shielded tandems for intensity modulated cervix brachytherapy. Phys Med 2020; 71:178-184. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2020.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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Famulari G, Duclos M, Enger SA. A novel
169
Yb‐based dynamic‐shield intensity modulated brachytherapy delivery system for prostate cancer. Med Phys 2019; 47:859-868. [DOI: 10.1002/mp.13959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Famulari
- Medical Physics Unit McGill University Montréal Québec H4A 3J1Canada
| | - Marie Duclos
- Department of Oncology McGill University Montréal Québec H4A 3J1Canada
| | - Shirin A. Enger
- Medical Physics Unit McGill University Montréal Québec H4A 3J1Canada
- Department of Oncology McGill University Montréal Québec H4A 3J1Canada
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre Montréal Québec H3H 2R9Canada
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Shoemaker T, Vuong T, Glickman H, Kaifi S, Famulari G, Enger SA. Dosimetric Considerations for Ytterbium-169, Selenium-75, and Iridium-192 Radioisotopes in High-Dose-Rate Endorectal Brachytherapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2019; 105:875-883. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2019.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Revised: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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