Abstract
Purpose
To develop a user-oriented procedure for testing treatment planning system (TPS) dosimetry
in high-dose-rate brachytherapy, with particular focus to TPSs using model-based dose
calculation algorithms (MBDCAs).
Methods and Materials
Identical plans were prepared for three computational models using two commercially
available systems and the same 192Ir source. Reference dose distributions were obtained for each plan using the MCNP
v.6.1 Monte Carlo (MC) simulation code with input files prepared via automatic parsing
of plan information using a custom software tool. The same tool was used for the comparison
of reference dose distributions with corresponding MBDCA exports.
Results
The single source test case yielded differences due to the MBDCA spatial discretization
settings. These affect points at relatively increased distance from the source, and
they are abated in test cases with multiple source dwells. Differences beyond MC Type
A uncertainty were also observed very close to the source(s), close to the test geometry
boundaries, and within heterogeneities. Both MBDCAs studied were found equivalent
to MC within 5 cm from the target volume for a clinical breast brachytherapy test
case. These are in agreement with previous findings of MBDCA benchmarking in the literature.
Conclusions
The data and the tools presented in this work, that are freely available via the web,
can serve as a benchmark for advanced clinical users developing their own tests, a
complete commissioning procedure for new adopters of currently available TPSs using
MBDCAs, a quality assurance testing tool for future updates of already installed TPSs,
or as an admission prerequisite in multicentric clinical trials.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: December 22, 2015
Accepted:
November 6,
2015
Received in revised form:
October 19,
2015
Received:
September 21,
2015
Footnotes
Funding: Research cofinanced by the European Union (European Social Fund–ESF) and Greek national funds through the Operational Program “Education and Lifelong Learning Investing in Knowledge Society” of the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF). Research Funding Program: Aristeia.
Identification
Copyright
© 2016 American Brachytherapy Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
