Multi-institutional evaluation of knowledge-based planning performance of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for head and neck cancer

Tatsuya Kamima; Yoshihiro Ueda; Jun-Ichi Fukunaga; Yumiko Shimizu; Mikoto Tamura; Kazuki Ishikawa; Hajime Monzen

doi:10.1016/j.ejmp.2019.07.004

Multi-institutional evaluation of knowledge-based planning performance of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for head and neck cancer

Phys Med. 2019 Aug:64:174-181. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2019.07.004. Epub 2019 Jul 16.

Authors

Tatsuya Kamima¹, Yoshihiro Ueda², Jun-Ichi Fukunaga³, Yumiko Shimizu⁴, Mikoto Tamura⁵, Kazuki Ishikawa⁶, Hajime Monzen⁷

Affiliations

¹ Radiation Oncology Department, The Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo 1358550, Japan.
² Department of Radiation Oncology, Osaka International Cancer Institute, 3-1-69 Otemae, Chuo-ku, Osaka 537-8567, Japan.
³ Divisin of Radiology, Department of Medical Technology, Kyushu University Hospital, Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
⁴ Department of Radiology, Seirei Hamamatsu General Hospital, 2-12-12 Sumiyoshi, Naka Ward, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 430-8558, Japan.
⁵ Department of Medical Physics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kindai University, 377-2 Ohno-higashi, Osakasayama, Osaka 589-8511, Japan.
⁶ Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Kindai University, 377-2 Ohno-higashi, Osakasayama, Osaka 589-8511, Japan.
⁷ Department of Medical Physics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kindai University, 377-2 Ohno-higashi, Osakasayama, Osaka 589-8511, Japan. Electronic address: hmon@med.kindai.ac.jp.

PMID: 31515017
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2019.07.004

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate whether additional manual objectives are necessary for the RapidPlan (RP) with a single optimization. We conducted multi-institutional comparisons of plan quality for head and neck cancer (HNC) using the models created at each institute.

Methods: The ability of RP to produce acceptable plans for dose requirements was evaluated in two types of oropharynx cancers at five institutes in Japan. Volumetric modulated arc therapy plans created without (RP plan) and with additional manual objectives (M-RP plan) were compared in terms of planning target volume (PTV), brainstem, spinal cord and parotid glands in dosimetric parameters.

Results: There were no major dosimetric PTV differences between RP and M-RP plans. For the brainstem and spinal cord in the RP plans, only 40% and 30% of the plans achieved the dose requirements, while the M-RP plans with upper objective added to volume 0% at all institutes achieved them for 90% of the plans. For the L-parotid gland, there was no difference in the RP and M-RP plans (both were 40%) in achieving the acceptable criteria. For the R-parotid gland, 60% and 80% of the RP and M-RP plans achieved the constraint criteria, and in terms of the achievement rate, the RP plans were relatively high.

Conclusions: M-RP plans did not require reoptimization; only an upper objective was needed for the brainstem and spinal cord, while the parotid gland dose was reduced in both RP plans with the auto generated line objectives alone.

Keywords: Head and neck cancer; Knowledge-based planning; Optimization objective; RapidPlan.

Publication types

Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

Head and Neck Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
Humans
Organs at Risk / radiation effects
Radiotherapy Dosage
Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted / adverse effects
Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted / methods*
Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated*