The optimised delivery of Molecular Radiotherapy requires individualised calculation of absorbed dose to both targeted lesions and neighbouring healthy tissue. To achieve this, accurate quantification of the activity distribution in the patient by external detection is vital. Methods: This work extends specific anatomy-related calibration to true organ shapes. A set of patient-specific 3D printed organ inserts based on a diagnostic CT scan was produced, comprising the liver, spleen and both kidneys. The inserts were used to calculate patient-specific calibration factors for 177 Lu. These calibration factors were compared with previously reported calibration factors for corresponding organ models based on the Cristy and Eckerman phantom series and for a comparably sized sphere. Monte Carlo calculations of the patientspecific radiation dose were performed for comparison with current clinical dosimetry methods for these data. Results: Patient-specific calibration factors are shown to be dependent on the volume, shape and position of the organ containing activity with a corresponding impact on the calculation of the dose to the patient. The impact of organ morphology on calculated dose is reduced when the dominant contributor to dose is beta particles. This is due to the small range of beta particles in tissue. Overestimations of recovered activity and hence dose of up to 135% are observed. Conclusion: For accurate quantification to be performed calibration factors accounting for organ size, shape and position must be used. Such quantification is vital if accurate, patient-specific dosimetry is to be achieved.
Accurate image quantification requires accurate calibration of the detector and is vital if dosimetry is to be performed in molecular radiotherapy. A dependence on the position of calibration has been observed in single photon emission computed tomography images when attenuation correction (AC) and scatter correction are applied. This work investigates the origin of this dependence in single photon emission computed tomography scans of phantom inserts filled with
177
Lu solution. A 113 ml sphere and inserts representing a mathematical model of a spleen and an anatomical model of a patient spleen were imaged at the centre and edge of elliptical phantoms. For these inserts, the difference in calibration factor between the positions was around 10% for images reconstructed with AC and triple energy window scatter correction. A combination of experimental imaging and Monte Carlo simulation was used to isolate possible causes due to imaging or reconstruction in turn. Inconsistent application of AC between different reconstruction systems was identified as the origin of the positional dependence.
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