Dosimetric properties of equivalent-quality flattening filter-free (FFF) and flattened photon beams of Versa HD linear accelerator

Dosimetric characteristics of 6MV flattening filter free and flattened beams among beam-matched linacs: a three-institutional study

BACKGROUND

Beam matching is a concept in radiotherapy applied to clinics where more than one linac is employed to harmonise beam characteristics across linacs for allowing patients interchange without replanning. In view of this, the current study analyzes and compares dosimetric characteristics of 6MV flattening filter free and flattened beams of three beam-matched linear accelerators (linacs) from three different clinics with the aim to evaluate the matching under tight criteria for gamma analysis.

METHODS

Three Elekta linacs from three different clinics were included. The linacs have the same collimator assembly, Elekta Agility. Beam data were collected during commissioning process using PTW dosimetry systems. Dose profiles and percentage depth doses (PDD) were analyzed using 1D gamma analysis (1 mm/1%) as well as the following parameters: depth of maximum dose, PDD10, flatness, unflattnes, symmetry, penumbra, output factors. Additionally, five stereotactic treatment plans were optimized in one clinic and calculated by all three planning systems (Monaco) for a dosimetric comparison.

RESULTS

Gamma analysis of dose profiles and PDDs showed clinically acceptable results of 96.3% passing rate for profiles and 100% passing rate for PDDs. All dosimetric parameters were in good agreement with the reference data. Furthermore, dosimetric comparisons between stereotactic treatment plans showed a maximum standard deviation of 0.48 Gy for the maximum dose to PTV, and a maximum standard deviation of 0.1 Gy for the dose to the organs at risk.

CONCLUSIONS

All three linacs showed a strong agreement between parameters and passed the gamma analysis using 1% DD/1mm DTA criteria. This study confirmed the matching between linacs, offering the possibility to interchange patients with no replanning.

Dosimetric impact of FFF over FF beam using VMAT for brain neoplasms treated with radiotherapy

Background: This study was conducted to assess the dosimetric impact of FFF beam plans on high-grade brain neoplasms using the VMAT technique when compared with FF beam plans.

Material and Methods: Thirty patients with high-grade brain neoplasms, who had received radiotherapy using VMAT technique retrospectively were selected for this study. All the patients were planned for VMAT using 6MV_FF beam and the same plan was re-optimized using 6MV_FFF beam keeping the same dose constraint. Radiotherapy dose distribution on planning target volume (PTV) and organs at risk (OAR), target conformity index (CI), Homogeneity Index (HI), Low dose volume in the patient (V5, V10, V20, and V30), and Integral dose to the whole body in both plans were compared.

Results: The PTV coverage and OAR’s showed no significant differences in dose distribution between the FFF and FF beam VMAT planning. There was a reduction of the average maximum dose in the right eye, left eye, right optic nerve, and left optic nerve using FFF beams. The reduction in average low dose volume was observed in V5, V10, V20, V30, and Mean Dose. Also, a significant reduction was observed in the integral dose to the whole body using the FFF beam.

Conclusions: Using FFF beams with VMAT is doable for the treatment of high-grade brain neoplasms, and the delivery mode of the FFF beam in VMAT may yield similar results to FF beam which should be confirmed in a large scale prospective clinical trial.

Enhancement of the Dose on 12 MV Linac with Free Flattening Filter Mode

PURPOSE

In the last years, some studies investigated dosimetric benefits of a free flattening filter for the photon mode in the radiotherapy field. This study aims to provide a theoretical study published and analysis of basic dosimetric properties for a Saturne 43 Linac head to implement free flattening filter beams clinically.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This is the first Monte Carlo study for the head of Saturne 43 with replacement flattening filter mode investigating beam dosimetric characteristics, including central axis absorbed doses, beam profiles and photon energy spectra. The later ones were analyzed for flattening filter and replacement flattening filter beams using BEAMnrc and DOSXYZnrc Monte Carlo codes for 10 × 10 cm², 5 × 5 cm² and 2 × 2 cm² square field sizes.

RESULTS

A 3.94-fold increase of dose rate and electron contaminating increased by 246.4 % with the replacement flattening filter mode for field size of 10 × 10 cm². Reduction was made by replacement flattening filter beam in the peripheral dose up to 30%, and the time was reduced more than 50 %.

CONCLUSION

Results obtained from our study revealed that some characteristic dosimetries such as the maximum increase in depth dose rate, decrease in out-of-depth dose, and reducing time can be beneficial for the unflattened beam to be used in the radiotherapy for the advanced techniques.

Comparison of detector performance in small 6 MV and 6 MV FFF beams using a Versa HD accelerator

1. BACKGROUND & PURPOSE

Investigate the applicability of a series of detectors in small field dosimetry and the possible differences between their responses to FF and FFF beams. This work extends upon the series of detectors used by other authors to also include metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) detectors and radiochromic film. We also included a later correction of output factors (OFs) recommended by the recently published IAEA´s code of practice TRS 483 on dosimetry of small static fields used in external beam radiotherapy.

2. MATERIALS & METHODS

The OFs, profiles, and PDDs of 6 MV and 6 MV FFF beams were measured with 11 different detectors using field sizes between 0.6 × 0.6 cm2 and 10 × 10 cm2.

3. RESULTS

The OFs of the FFF beams were lower than those of the FF beams for field sizes larger than 3 × 3 cm2 but higher for field sizes smaller than 3 × 3 cm2. After applying the IAEA´s TRS 483 corrections, the final OFs were compatible with our initial results when considering uncertainties involved. Small-volume detectors are preferable for measuring the penumbra of these small fields where this attribute is higher in the crossline direction than in the inline direction. The R100 of equivalent-quality FFF beams was higher compared to the corresponding flattened beams.

4. CONCLUSIONS

We observed no difference for the dose responses between 6 MV and 6 MV FFF beams for any of the detectors. OF results, profiles and PDDs were clearly consistent with the previously published literature regarding the Versa HD linac. Correcting our first OFs, taken as ratio of detector charges, with the IAEA´s TRS 483 corrections to obtain the final OFs, did not make the former significantly different.