BrachyGuide: a brachytherapy‐dedicated DICOM RT viewer and interface to Monte Carlo simulation software

Abstract

This work presents BrachyGuide, a brachytherapy‐dedicated software tool for the automatic preparation of input files for Monte Carlo simulation from treatment plans exported in DICOM RT format, and results of calculations performed for its benchmarking. Three plans were prepared using two computational models, the image series of a water sphere and a multicatheter breast brachytherapy patient, for each of two commercially available treatment planning systems: BrachyVision and Oncentra Brachy. One plan involved a single source dwell position of an 192Ir HDR source (VS2000 or mHDR‐v2) at the center of the water sphere using the TG43 algorithm, and the other two corresponded to the TG43 and advanced dose calculation algorithm for the multicatheter breast brachytherapy patient. Monte Carlo input files were prepared using BrachyGuide and simulations were performed with MCNP v.6.1. For the TG43 patient plans, the Monte Carlo computational model was manually edited in the prepared input files to resemble TG43 dosimetry assumptions. Hence all DICOM RT dose exports were equivalent to corresponding simulation results and their comparison was used for benchmarking the use of BrachyGuide. Monte Carlo simulation results and corresponding DICOM RT dose exports agree within type A uncertainties in the majority of points in the computational models. Treatment planning system, algorithm, and source specific differences greater than type A uncertainties were also observed, but these were explained by treatment planning system‐related issues and other sources of type B uncertainty. These differences have to be taken into account in commissioning procedures of brachytherapy dosimetry algorithms. BrachyGuide is accurate and effective for use in the preparation of commissioning tests for new brachytherapy dosimetry algorithms as a user‐oriented commissioning tool and the expedition of retrospective patient cohort studies of dosimetry planning.PACS numbers: 87.53.Bn, 87.53.Jw, 87.55.D‐, 87.55.Qr, 87.55.km, 87.55.K‐

A comparative assessment of inhomogeneity and finite patient dimension effects in 60 Co and 192 Ir high-dose-rate brachytherapy

“…Efficiency improvement was considered as essential in this work, in view of the large number of simulations required (2 multi catheter/source dwell position plans, for each of the 19 patients studied). Besides automating the preparation of simulation input files from patient dicom RT plans, the BrachyGuide software tool [ 23 ] employed (see next section) improves MC simulation efficiency through representing sources in the generated input files by means of pre-calculated, source-specific phase space files. Single source MC simulations were therefore performed to calculate the required phase space files.…”

“…Input files for patient specific MC simulations were automatically created from corresponding CT images and DICOM-RT treatment plan data, using the BrachyGuide software tool [ 23 ], which is distributed freely over the internet ( www.rdl.gr/downloads ). BrachyGuide has been amended to parse dicom RT information from plans exported from the SagiPlan TPS, using the corresponding dicom conformance statement.…”

“…BrachyGuide has been amended to parse dicom RT information from plans exported from the SagiPlan TPS, using the corresponding dicom conformance statement. The configuration of input files for MC simulation using BrachyGuide has been described in detail in the literature [ 23 , 30 , 31 , 32 ]. In brief, computational models were represented through rectangular lattice geometry.…”

Dosimetric impact of rotational errors on the quality of VMAT‐SRS for multiple brain metastases: Comparison between single‐ and two‐isocenter treatment planning techniques

“…Reference and rotated dose distributions were analyzed and compared in MATLAB using in‐house routines or using BrachyGuide (version 2.1.0), a MATLAB‐based DICOM RT viewer, employed and validated in several previous studies …”

“…Reference and rotated dose distributions were analyzed and compared in MATLAB using in-house routines or using BrachyGuide (version 2.1.0), a MATLAB-based DICOM RT viewer, employed and validated in several previous studies. 41,42 Clinically used dose-volume metrics for targets and OARs were calculated for both reference and rotated dose distributions, such as D max (the maximum dose delivered to a structure) and V xGy (the volume of a structure receiving at least x Gy). DVH analysis was performed for all structures involved.…”