A comparison of electron beam dose calculation accuracy between treatment planning systems using either a pencil beam or a Monte Carlo algorithm

Ding, G; Cygler, Joanna; Yu, Christine W.; Kalach, Nina; Daskalov, George M.

doi:10.1016/j.ijrobp.2005.06.016

Cited by 67 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Ding et al ( 13 ) compared the PDD and dose profiles in heterogeneous phantoms between two commercial treatment planning systems. One uses a Monte Carlo dose calculation engine (Theraplan Plus v.3.8, MDS Nordion, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) and the other uses a pencil beam algorithm (CADPLAN V6.27, Varian Medical Systems Inc., Palo Alto, CA).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comprehensive evaluation and clinical implementation of commercially available Monte Carlo dose calculation algorithm

Zhang

Nurushev

Burmeister

et al. 2013

J Applied Clin Med Phys

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A commercial electron Monte Carlo (eMC) dose calculation algorithm has become available in Eclipse treatment planning system. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the eMC algorithm and investigate the clinical implementation of this system. The beam modeling of the eMC algorithm was performed for beam energies of 6, 9, 12, 16, and 20 MeV for a Varian Trilogy and all available applicator sizes in the Eclipse treatment planning system. The accuracy of the eMC algorithm was evaluated in a homogeneous water phantom, solid water phantoms containing lung and bone materials, and an anthropomorphic phantom. In addition, dose calculation accuracy was compared between pencil beam (PB) and eMC algorithms in the same treatment planning system for heterogeneous phantoms. The overall agreement between eMC calculations and measurements was within 3%/2 mm, while the PB algorithm had large errors (up to 25%) in predicting dose distributions in the presence of inhomogeneities such as bone and lung. The clinical implementation of the eMC algorithm was investigated by performing treatment planning for 15 patients with lesions in the head and neck, breast, chest wall, and sternum. The dose distributions were calculated using PB and eMC algorithms with no smoothing and all three levels of 3D Gaussian smoothing for comparison. Based on a routine electron beam therapy prescription method, the number of eMC calculated monitor units (MUs) was found to increase with increased 3D Gaussian smoothing levels. 3D Gaussian smoothing greatly improved the visual usability of dose distributions and produced better target coverage. Differences of calculated MUs and dose distributions between eMC and PB algorithms could be significant when oblique beam incidence, surface irregularities, and heterogeneous tissues were present in the treatment plans. In our patient cases, monitor unit differences of up to 7% were observed between PB and eMC algorithms. Monitor unit calculations were also preformed based on point‐dose prescription. The eMC algorithm calculation was characterized by deeper penetration in the low‐density regions, such as lung and air cavities. As a result, the mean dose in the low‐density regions was underestimated using PB algorithm. The eMC computation time ranged from 5 min to 66 min on a single 2.66 GHz desktop, which is comparable with PB algorithm calculation time for the same resolution level.PACS number: 87.55.K‐

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comprehensive evaluation and clinical implementation of commercially available Monte Carlo dose calculation algorithm

Zhang

Nurushev

Burmeister

et al. 2013

J Applied Clin Med Phys

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“…Even though measurements could make this study more solid, we couldn't perform measurements and they will be performed in the future. However, various studies have already investigated the accuracy of dose calculation algorithms by comparison with measurements and through Monte Carlo simulations, including situations with inhomogeneity 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 . Based on previous studies of commercial dose calculation algorithms, the dosimetric information from the TPS used in this study seems to be reliable.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of treatment plans using various treatment techniques for the radiotherapy of cutaneous Kaposi's sarcoma developed on the skin of feet

Park

Kim

et al. 2014

J Applied Clin Med Phys

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the plan qualities of various treatment modalities for the radiotherapy of cutaneous Kaposi's sarcoma developed on the skin of the foot. A total of six virtual targets were generated on the skin of the foot in CT images. Five types of treatment plans were generated using photon beams (PB), electron beams (EB), high‐dose‐rate (HDR) brachytherapy with a Freiburg flap applicator, intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), and volumetric‐modulated arc therapy (VMAT) techniques. Plans for each of the six targets (single‐target plans) and also for the combined target consisting of the six single targets combined (multitarget plans) were generated. Dose‐volumetric analysis was performed for the targets and normal tissues. The averaged conformity index (CI) and homogeneity index (HI) values for each single target using PB, EB, HDR, IMRT, and VMAT techniques were 1.97, 2.39, 1.60, 4.60, and 0.80 and 1.05, 1.11, 1.52, 1.04, and 1.04, respectively. For the multitarget, the CI values were 3.99, 5.08, 1.38, 1.95, and 0.84, and the values of HI were 1.10, 1.36, 1.43, 1.06, and 1.04, respectively. The averaged mean doses to normal tissue were 2.5, 2.7, 3.6, 1.7, and 2.9 Gy for single‐target plans, and 21.3, 14.6, 14.2, 14.3, and 13.0 Gy for the multitarget plans, respectively. The VMAT demonstrated dosimetric advantages and better treatment efficiency over other techniques for the radiotherapy of multifocal skin disease of the feet.PACS number: 87.55.dk

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“…In real clinical situations, in case of heterogeneity, large absorbent curvatures and, in the case of a change of SSD, from a distance for which the input data was measured, and at greater distances the Hogstrom algorithm did not provide satisfactory accuracy [2][3][4]. The increasing power of computers and the development of algorithms allowed to implement the Monte Carlo method in the treatment planning systems for electron beams [5][6][7]. This method has been used in the Varian Eclipse treatment planning system [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of the usefulness of the electron Monte Carlo algorithm for planning radiotherapy with the use of electron beams

Łukomska

Kukołowicz

Zawadzka

et al. 2016

Polish Journal of Medical Physics and Engineering

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The aim of the study was to verify the accuracy of calculations of dose distributions for electron beams performed using the electron Monte Carlo (eMC) v.10.0.28 algorithm implemented in the Eclipse treatment planning system (Varian Medical Systems). Implementation of the objective of the study was carried out in two stages. In the first stage the influence of several parameters defined by the user on the calculation accuracy was assessed. After selecting a set of parameters for which the best results were obtained a series of tests were carried. The tests were carried out in accordance with the recommendations of the Polish Society of Medical Physics (PSMP). The calculation and measurement of dose rate under reference conditions for semi quadratic and shaped fields were compared by individual cut-outs. We compared the calculated and measured percent depth doses, profiles and output factors for beams with an energy of 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 MeV, for semi quadratic fields and for three different SSDs 100, 110, and 120 cm. All tests were carried out for beams generated in the Varian 2300CD Clinac linear accelerator. The results obtained during the first stage of the study demonstrated that the highest compliance between the calculations and measurements were obtained for the mean statistical uncertainty equal to 1, and the parameter responsible for smoothing the statistical noise defined as medium. Comparisons were made showing similar compliance calculations and measurements for the calculation grid of 0.1 cm and 0.25 cm and therefore the remaining part of the study was carried out for these two grids.In stage 2 it was demonstrated that the use of calculation grid of 0.1 cm allows for greater compliance of calculations and measurements. For energy 12, 15 and 18 MeV discrepancies between calculations and measurements, in most cases, did not exceed the PSMP action levels. The biggest differences between measurements and calculations were obtained for 6 MeV energy, for smallest fields and large SSD distances. Despite these discrepancies between calculations the model was adopted for clinical use.

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A comparison of electron beam dose calculation accuracy between treatment planning systems using either a pencil beam or a Monte Carlo algorithm

Cited by 67 publications

References 13 publications

Comprehensive evaluation and clinical implementation of commercially available Monte Carlo dose calculation algorithm

Comprehensive evaluation and clinical implementation of commercially available Monte Carlo dose calculation algorithm

Evaluation of treatment plans using various treatment techniques for the radiotherapy of cutaneous Kaposi's sarcoma developed on the skin of feet

Evaluation of the usefulness of the electron Monte Carlo algorithm for planning radiotherapy with the use of electron beams

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