Abstract
The aim of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of a commercially available Auto-Planning module for the radiation therapy treatment planning for locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). 22 patients with locally advanced NPC were included in this study. For each patient, volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans were generated both manually by an experienced physicist and automatically by the Auto-Planning module. The dose distribution, dosimetric parameters, monitor units and planning time were compared between automatic plans (APs) and manual plans (MPs). Meanwhile, the overall stage of disease was factored into the evaluation. The target dose coverage of APs was comparable to that of MPs. For the organs at risk (OARs) except spinal cord, the dose parameters of APs were superior to that of MPs. The Dmax and V50 of brainstem were statistically lower by 1.0 Gy and 1.32% respectively, while the Dmax of optic nerves and chiasm were also lower in the APs (p < 0.05). The APs provided a similar or superior quality to MPs in most cases, except for several patients with stage IV disease. The dose differences for most OARs were similar between the two types of plans regardless of stage while the APs provided better brainstem sparing for patients with stage III and improved the sparing of the parotid glands for stage IV patients. The total monitor units and planning time were significantly reduced in the APs. Auto-Planning is feasible for the VMAT treatment planning for locally advanced NPC.
Highlights
The aim of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of a commercially available Auto-Planning module for the radiation therapy treatment planning for locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). 22 patients with locally advanced NPC were included in this study
Compared to intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) generally improves the target coverage and organs at risk (OARs) sparing for head and neck tumors[3–5]
It was notable that while the dose uniformity for GTV-T-P was superior in the manual plans (MPs), dose inhomogeneity in tumors could be of less clinical concern in the era of imaging guided radiotherapy (IGRT) and inter fractional adaptive planning
Summary
The aim of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of a commercially available Auto-Planning module for the radiation therapy treatment planning for locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). 22 patients with locally advanced NPC were included in this study. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of a commercially available Auto-Planning module for the radiation therapy treatment planning for locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The total monitor units and planning time were significantly reduced in the APs. Auto-Planning is feasible for the VMAT treatment planning for locally advanced NPC. Compared to intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), VMAT generally improves the target coverage and OAR sparing for head and neck tumors[3–5]. In order to obtain a high-quality individualized treatment plan, radiotherapy physicists spend significantly more time and effort iteratively modifying optimization functions and evaluating the results when compared to planning for other sites. Due to the irregular shape of the target volumes and numerous nearby OARs, the design of treatment plans for locally advanced NPC was really time-consuming and challenging. The difference of plan quality as a factor of the overall stages was separately analyzed for a more comprehensive evaluation
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
