Abstract
The Contura brachytherapy applicator is a silicone balloon with five lumens in which a high‐dose‐rate brachytherapy source can traverse. Multilumen applicators, like the Contura, are used in accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) brachytherapy in instances where asymmetric dose distributions are desired; for example, when the applicator surface‐to‐skin thickness is small (< 7 mm). In these instances, the air outside the patient and the lung act as a poor scattering medium, scattering less dose back into the breast and affecting the dose distribution. The recent report by Task Group 186 of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) has outlined the importance of moving towards brachytherapy dose calculations using heterogeneity corrections. However, at this time, many commercial treatment planning systems do not correct for tissue heterogeneity, which can result in inaccuracies in the planned dose distribution. To quantify the deviation in the skin dose we utilize the dose modification factor (DMF), defined as the ratio of the dose rate at 1 cm beyond the applicator surface with homogenous medium, to the dose rate at 1 cm with heterogeneous medium. This investigation models the Contura applicator with the Monte Carlo N‐Particle code version 5, and determines a DMF through simulation. Taking all geometrical considerations into account, an accurate model of the Contura balloon applicator was created in MCNP and used to run simulations. The dose modification factor was found to be only slightly dependent on whether the dose distribution was symmetric or asymmetric. These results indicate that the dose delivered to part of the PTV may be lower than the planned dose by up to 12%, and that these brachytherapy plans should be viewed with caution. In addition to studying the effects of backscatter, an evaluation was made regarding the capabilities of the Contura device to shape an asymmetric dose distribution. We compared these results to a previous study of a MammoSite ML and a SAVI device and found that the dose shaping capabilities of the Contura were quite similar to that of the MammoSite ML, but markedly inferior to the SAVI.PACS number: 87.53.Jw
Highlights
55 Pearson et al.: Analysis of balloon brachytherapy applicator with MC simulation brachytherapy (HDR)
The prescription dose, as defined in the NSABP B-39/RTOG 0413 randomized phase III trial,(2) is 340 cGy per treatment, totaling 3400 cGy over ten treatments, given to the planning target volume (PTV) which is delineated with 1 cm expansion of the balloon in lumpectomy cavity, assuming no organs at risk encroach on this volume
Various concentrations of contrast solution where used in an investigation to study the effect this would have on the dose delivered to the PTV around the applicator.[5,6,7,8] For some treatment sites, the lack of inhomogeneity corrections in the treatment planning algorithm may not be a major concern because there may be no air or bone within the volume being treated
Summary
55 Pearson et al.: Analysis of balloon brachytherapy applicator with MC simulation brachytherapy (HDR). For treatments like APBI where the lumpectomy cavity is close to the skin surface, not correcting for the lack of backscatter from air can cause significant differences in the treatment plan.[9] The difference between the planning system and reality can lead to a plan being created that delivers a lower dose to the treatment volume This effect has been studied for the MammoSite balloon by Kassas et al using Monte Carlo simulations[9] and with TLD measurements.[8] Kassas and colleagues created
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