Evaluation of Delivered Doses in Proton Beam Therapy for Prostate Cancer Using Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Imaging

Abstract

AimsProton beams deposit energy along their paths and stop abruptly without penetrating the opposite side, making it difficult to detect their actual paths. However, confirming the path may lead to evaluating the actual doses to organs at risk in proton therapy for prostate cancer. As proton beams produce positron emitters through nuclear fragmentation reactions, theoretically, proton beam paths can be measured by positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). Therefore, this study investigated whether conducting PET/CT examinations immediately after proton beam therapy helps to assess the doses delivered to the rectal and urinary bladder walls, which are the major sites of radiation-related toxicity. Materials and methodsBetween June 2022 and June 2023, 51 consecutive patients with prostate cancer who underwent proton beam therapy were enrolled and imaged with PET/CT to measure these radioactive particles and validate the actual dose delivered to the rectal and urinary bladder walls. ResultsThe delivered doses assessed using PET/CT after proton beam therapy strongly correlated with the planned volume for proton beam treatment. ConclusionsPET/CT exhibited potential as a valuable tool for validating the irradiated dose to organs at risk.