SU‐E‐T‐385: Evaluation of DVH Change for PTV Due to Patient Weight Loss in Prostate VMAT Using Gaussian Error Function

Abstract

Purpose:We proposed a method to predict the change of dose‐volume histogram (DVH) for PTV due to patient weight loss in prostate volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). This method is based on a pre‐calculated patient dataset and DVH curve fitting using the Gaussian error function (GEF).Methods:Pre‐calculated dose‐volume data from patients having weight loss in prostate VMAT was employed to predict the change of PTV coverage due to reduced depth in external contour. The effect of patient weight loss in treatment was described by a prostate dose‐volume factor (PDVF), which was evaluated by the prostate PTV. Along with the PDVF, the GEF was used to fit into the DVH curve for the PTV. To predict a new DVH due to weight loss, parameters from the GEF describing the shape of DVH curve were determined. Since the parameters were related to the PDVF as per the specific reduced depth, we could first predict the PDVF at a reduced depth based on the prostate size from the pre‐calculated dataset. Then parameters of the GEF could be determined from the PDVF to plot the new DVH for the PTV corresponding to the reduced depth.Results:A MATLAB program was built basing on the patient dataset with different prostate sizes. We input data of the prostate size and reduced depth of the patient into the program. The program then calculated the PDVF and DVH for the PTV considering the patient weight loss. The program was verified by different patient cases with various reduced depths.Conclusion:Our method can estimate the change of DVH for the PTV due to patient weight loss quickly without CT rescan and replan. This would help the radiation staff to predict the change of PTV coverage, when patient's external contour reduced in prostate VMAT.