The effect of leaf width and sampling distance on the “stair-stepping” of field borders defined by multileaf collimators

Abstract

Standard multileaf collimators (MLCs) are now available with 1.0 and 0.5 cm leaf widths. The aim of this work is to compare the dose-undulation and effective penumbra of field edges formed by these MLC leaf widths and to determine how reducing the sampling distance (centre-to-centre distance between adjacent MLC leaves) for the 1.0 cm leaf width compares to the smaller leaf width. The undulation of the 50% isodose line and the 80-20% and 80-30% effective penumbra were compared for a field edge angled at 45 degrees to the MLC leaf motion direction at 8 cm depth. The larger leaf width field was also segmented to form field edges with 0.5, 0.33 and 0.2 cm sampling distance. Random setup variation of 2 mm standard deviation was also incorporated. Dose undulation was 1.5 mm for the 0.5 cm MLC leaf width compared to 4.5 mm for the 1.0 cm width. The 80-20% effective penumbra was 2 mm less for the 0.5 cm leaf width and the 80-30% effective penumbra was approximately 3 mm less. When random setup variation was incorporated the 0.5 cm leaf width isodoses were straight compared with approximately 3 mm undulation for the larger MLC. Reducing the sampling distance for the 1.0 cm MLC leaf width to 0.33 cm resulted in penumbra only slightly greater than the 0.5 cm leaf width and removed the undulation. Effective penumbra and dose undulation are reduced for the 0.5 cm leaf width compared to a 1.0 cm leaf width. Reducing the sampling distance for the 1.0 cm MLC leaf can approximate the 0.5 cm leaf width, at the expense of longer treatment times, and increased quality assurance investment.