| 1. |
- Qatarneh, Sharif, 1972-
(författare)
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Development of a Whole Body Atlas for Radiation Therapy Planning and Treatment Optimization
- 2006
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The main objective of radiation therapy is to obtain the highest possible probability of tumor cure while minimizing adverse reactions in healthy tissues. A crucial step in the treatment process is to determine the location and extent of the primary tumor and its loco regional lymphatic spread in relation to adjacent radiosensitive anatomical structures and organs at risk. These volumes must also be accurately delineated with respect to external anatomic reference points, preferably on surrounding bony structures. At the same time, it is essential to have the best possible physical and radiobiological knowledge about the radiation responsiveness of the target tissues and organs at risk in order to achieve a more accurate optimization of the treatment outcome.A computerized whole body Atlas has therefore been developed to serve as a dynamic database, with systematically integrated knowledge, comprising all necessary physical and radiobiological information about common target volumes and normal tissues. The Atlas also contains a database of segmented organs and a lymph node topography, which was based on the Visible Human dataset, to form standard reference geometry of organ systems. The reference knowledgebase and the standard organ dataset can be utilized for Atlas-based image processing and analysis in radiation therapy planning and for biological optimization of the treatment outcome. Atlas-based segmentation procedures were utilized to transform the reference organ dataset of the Atlas into the geometry of individual patients. The anatomic organs and target volumes of the database can be converted by elastic transformation into those of the individual patient for final treatment planning. Furthermore, a database of reference treatment plans was started by implementing state-of-the-art biologically based radiation therapy planning techniques such as conformal, intensity modulated, and radiobiologically optimized treatment planning.The computerized Atlas can be viewed as a central framework that contains different forms of optimal treatment plans linked to all the essential information needed in treatment planning, which can be adapted to a given patient, in order to speed up treatment plan convergence. The Atlas also offers a platform to synthesize the results of imaging studies through its advanced geometric transformation and segmentation procedures. The whole body Atlas is anticipated to become a physical and biological knowledgebase that can facilitate, speed up and increase the accuracy in radiation therapy planning and treatment optimization.
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| 2. |
- Ahnesjö, Anders, et al.
(författare)
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Application of the convolution method for calculation of output factors for therapy photon beams
- 1992
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Ingår i: Medical Physics. - : Wiley. - 0094-2405. ; 19:2, s. 295-301
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The output factor for a therapy photon beam is defined as the dose per monitor unit relative to the dose per monitor unit in a reference field. Convolution models for photon dose calculations yield the dose in units normalized to the incident energy fluence with phantom scatter intrinsically modeled. Output factors calculated with the convolution method as the dose per unit energy fluence relative to the calculated dose per unit energy fluence in a reference field could deviate as much as 5% if corrections are not made for perturbations due to treatment head scatter. Significant perturbations are particles backscattered from the collimators to the monitor and photons forward scattered from the filter and collimators in the treatment head. The forward scatter adds an "unmonitored" contribution to the total energy fluence of the beam. A model is developed that describes the field size dependence of these perturbations for conversion of output factors, calculated with the convolution method, to machine output factors as an integrated part in treatment planning. The necessary machine characteristics are derived from measurements of the output in air for a limited set of field sizes. The method has been tested using five different multileaf collimated irregular fields at 6 MV and for a large set of rectangular fields at 5, 6, and 18 MV and found to predict output factors with an accuracy better than 1%.
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| 3. |
- Ahnesjö, Anders, et al.
(författare)
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Beam modeling and verification of a photon beam multisource model.
- 2005
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Ingår i: Medical Physics. - : Wiley. - 0094-2405. ; 32:6, s. 1722-37
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dose calculations for treatment planning of photon beam radiotherapy require a model of the beam to drive the dose calculation models. The beam shaping process involves scattering and filtering that yield radiation components which vary with collimator settings. The necessity to model these components has motivated the development of multisource beam models. We describe and evaluate clinical photon beam modeling based on multisource models, including lateral beam quality variations. The evaluation is based on user data for a pencil kernel algorithm and a point kernel algorithm (collapsed cone) used in the clinical treatment planning systems Helax-TMS and Nucletron-Oncentra. The pencil kernel implementations treat the beam spectrum as lateral invariant while the collapsed cone involves off axis softening of the spectrum. Both algorithms include modeling of head scatter components. The parameters of the beam model are derived from measured beam data in a semiautomatic process called RDH (radiation data handling) that, in sequential steps, minimizes the deviations in calculated dose versus the measured data. The RDH procedure is reviewed and the results of processing data from a large number of treatment units are analyzed for the two dose calculation algorithms. The results for both algorithms are similar, with slightly better results for the collapsed cone implementations. For open beams, 87% of the machines have maximum errors less than 2.5%. For wedged beams the errors were found to increase with increasing wedge angle. Internal, motorized wedges did yield slightly larger errors than external wedges. These results reflect the increased complexity, both experimentally and computationally, when wedges are used compared to open beams.
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| 4. |
- Ahnesjö, Anders, et al.
(författare)
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The IMRT information process-mastering the degrees of freedom in external beam therapy
- 2006
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Ingår i: Physics in Medicine and Biology. - 0031-9155 .- 1361-6560. ; 51:13, s. R381-402
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The techniques and procedures for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) are reviewed in the context of the information process central to treatment planning and delivery of IMRT. A presentation is given of the evolution of the information based radiotherapy workflow and dose delivery techniques, as well as the volume and planning concepts for relating the dose information to image based patient representations. The formulation of the dose shaping process as an optimization problem is described. The different steps in the calculation flow for determination of machine parameters for dose delivery are described starting from the formulation of optimization objectives over dose calculation to optimization procedures. Finally, the main elements of the quality assurance procedure necessary for implementing IMRT clinically are reviewed.
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| 5. |
- Grönlund, Eric, et al.
(författare)
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Dose painting by numbers based on retrospectively determined recurrence probabilities
- 2017
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Ingår i: Radiotherapy and Oncology. - : ELSEVIER IRELAND LTD. - 0167-8140 .- 1879-0887. ; 122:2, s. 236-241
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background and purpose: The aim of this study is to derive "dose painting by numbers" prescriptions from retrospectively observed recurrence volumes in a patient group treated with conventional radiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Materials and methods: The spatial relation between retrospectively observed recurrence volumes and pre-treatment standardized uptake values (SUV) from fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) imaging was determined. Based on this information we derived SUV driven dose-response functions and used these to optimize ideal dose redistributions under the constraint of equal average dose to the tumor volumes as for a conventional treatment. The response functions were also implemented into a treatment planning system for realistic dose optimization. Results: The calculated tumor control probabilities (TCP) increased between 0.1-14.6% by the ideal dose redistributions for all included patients, where patients with larger and more heterogeneous tumors got greater increases than smaller and more homogeneous tumors. Conclusions: Dose painting prescriptions can be derived from retrospectively observed recurrence volumes spatial relation to pre-treatment FDG-PET image data. The ideal dose redistributions could significantly increase the TCP for patients with large tumor volumes and large spread in SUV from FDG-PET. The results yield a basis for prospective studies to determine the clinical value for dose painting of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas.
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| 6. |
- Sjöberg, Carl, et al.
(författare)
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Clinical evaluation of multi-atlas based segmentation of lymph node regions in head and neck and prostate cancer patients
- 2013
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Ingår i: Radiation Oncology. - : BioMed Central. - 1748-717X. ; 8, s. Article number: 229-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Semi-automated segmentation using deformable registration of selected atlas cases consisting of expert segmented patient images has been proposed to facilitate the delineation of lymph node regions for three-dimensional conformal and intensity-modulated radiotherapy planning of head and neck and prostate tumours. Our aim is to investigate if fusion of multiple atlases will lead to clinical workload reductions and more accurate segmentation proposals compared to the use of a single atlas segmentation, due to a more complete representation of the anatomical variations. Methods: Atlases for lymph node regions were constructed using 11 head and neck patients and 15 prostate patients based on published recommendations for segmentations. A commercial registration software (Velocity AI) was used to create individual segmentations through deformable registration. Ten head and neck patients, and ten prostate patients, all different from the atlas patients, were randomly chosen for the study from retrospective data. Each patient was first delineated three times, (a) manually by a radiation oncologist, (b) automatically using a single atlas segmentation proposal from a chosen atlas and (c) automatically by fusing the atlas proposals from all cases in the database using the probabilistic weighting fusion algorithm. In a subsequent step a radiation oncologist corrected the segmentation proposals achieved from step (b) and (c) without using the result from method (a) as reference. The time spent for editing the segmentations was recorded separately for each method and for each individual structure. Finally, the Dice Similarity Coefficient and the volume of the structures were used to evaluate the similarity between the structures delineated with the different methods. Results: For the single atlas method, the time reduction compared to manual segmentation was 29% and 23% for head and neck and pelvis lymph nodes, respectively, while editing the fused atlas proposal resulted in time reductions of 49% and 34%. The average volume of the fused atlas proposals was only 74% of the manual segmentation for the head and neck cases and 82% for the prostate cases due to a blurring effect from the fusion process. After editing of the proposals the resulting volume differences were no longer statistically significant, although a slight influence by the proposals could be noticed since the average edited volume was still slightly smaller than the manual segmentation, 9% and 5%, respectively. Conclusions: Segmentation based on fusion of multiple atlases reduces the time needed for delineation of lymph node regions compared to the use of a single atlas segmentation. Even though the time saving is large, the quality of the segmentation is maintained compared to manual segmentation.
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| 7. |
- Abbasinejad Enger, Shirin, 1975-
(författare)
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Dosimetry Studies of Different Radiotherapy Applications using Monte Carlo Radiation Transport Calculations
- 2008
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Developing radiation delivery systems for optimisation of absorbed dose to the target without normal tissue toxicity requires advanced calculations for transport of radiation. In this thesis absorbed dose and fluence in different radiotherapy applications were calculated by using Monte Carlo (MC) simulations.In paper I-III external neutron activation of gadolinium (Gd) for intravascular brachytherapy (GdNCB) and tumour therapy (GdNCT) was investigated. MC codes MCNP and GEANT4 were compared. MCNP was chosen for neutron capture reaction calculations. Gd neutron capture reaction includes both very short range (Auger electrons) and long range (IC electrons and gamma) products. In GdNCB the high-energetic gamma gives an almost flat absorbed dose delivery pattern, up to 4 mm around the stent. Dose distribution at the edges and inside the stent may prevent stent edge and in-stent restenosis. For GdNCT the absorbed dose from prompt gamma will dominate over the dose from IC and Auger electrons in an in vivo situation. The absorbed dose from IC electrons will enhance the total absorbed dose in the tumours and contribute to the cell killing.In paper IV a model for calculation of inter-cluster cross-fire radiation dose from β-emitting radionuclides in a breast cancer model was developed. GEANT4 was used for obtaining absorbed dose. The dose internally in cells binding the isotope (self-dose) increased with decreasing β-energy except for the radionuclides with substantial amounts of conversion electrons and Auger electrons. An effective therapy approach may be a combination of radionuclides where the high self-dose from nuclides with low β-energy should be combined with the inter-cell cluster cross-fire dose from high energy β-particles.In paper V MC simulations using correlated sampling together with importance sampling were used to calculate spectra perturbations in detector volumes caused by the detector silicon chip and its encapsulation. Penelope and EGSnrc were used and yielded similar results. The low energy part of the electron spectrum increased but to a less extent if the silicon detector was encapsulated in low z-materials.
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| 8. |
- Ahnesjö, Anders, 1953-, et al.
(författare)
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Collapsed cone dose calculations for heterogeneous tissues in brachytherapy using primary and scatter separation source data
- 2017
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Ingår i: Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine. - : ELSEVIER IRELAND LTD. - 0169-2607 .- 1872-7565. ; 139, s. 17-29
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background and Objective: Brachytherapy is a form of radiation therapy using sealed radiation sources inserted within or in the vicinity of the tumor of, e.g., gynecological, prostate or head and neck cancers. Accurate dose calculation is a crucial part of the treatment planning. Several reviews have called for clinical software with model-based algorithms that better take into account the effects of patient individual distribution of tissues, source-channel and shielding attenuation than the commonly employed TG-43 formalism which simply map homogeneous water dose distributions onto the patient. In this paper we give a comprehensive and thorough derivation of such an algorithm based on collapsed cone point-kernel superposition, and describe details of its implementation into a commercial treatment planning system for clinical use. Methods: A brachytherapy version of the collapsed-cone algorithm using analytical raytraces of the primary photon radiation followed by successive scattering dose calculation for once and multiply scattered photons is described in detail, including derivation of the corresponding set of recursive equations for energy transport along cone axes/transport lines and the coupling to clinical source modeling. Specific implementation issues for setting up of the calculation grid, handling of intravoxel gradients and voxels partly containing non patient applicator material are given. Results: Sample runs for two clinical cases are shown, one being a gynecological application with a tungsten-shielded applicator and one a breast implant. These two cases demonstrate the impact of improved dose calculation versus TG-43 formalism. Conclusions: Use of model-based dose calculation algorithms for brachytherapy taking the three-dimensional treatment geometry into account increases the dosimetric accuracy in planning and follow up of treatments. The comprehensive description and derivations provided gives a rigid background for further clinical, educational and research applications.
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| 9. |
- Ahnesjö, Anders, et al.
(författare)
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Detector response modeling
- 2009
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Patent (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- A detector response correction arrangement and method is proposed for online determination of correction factors for arbitrary positions from arbitrary incident fluence distributions. As modern radiotherapy utilizes more of the available degrees of freedom of radiation machines, dosimetry has to be able to present reliable measurements for all these degrees of freedom. To determine correction factors online during measurement, Monte Carlo technique is used to precalculate fluence pencil kernels from a monodirectional beam to fully describe the particle fluence in an irradiated medium. Assuming that the particle fluence is not significantly altered by the introduction of a small detector volume, the fluence pencil kernels (212) can be integrated (214), and correction factors (216) determined, e.g. by Cavity Theory, in different positions for the detector material.
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- Ahnesjö, Anders, et al.
(författare)
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Modeling transmission and scatter for photon beam attenuators
- 1995
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Ingår i: Medical Physics. - : Wiley. - 0094-2405. ; 22:11, s. 1711-1720
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The development of treatment planning methods in radiation therapy requires dose calculation methods that are both accurate and general enough to provide a dose per unit monitor setting for a broad variety of fields and beam modifiers. The purpose of this work was to develop models for calculation of scatter and transmission for photon beam attenuators such as compensating filters, wedges, and block trays. The attenuation of the beam is calculated using a spectrum of the beam, and a correction factor based on attenuation measurements. Small angle coherent scatter and electron binding effects on scattering cross sections are considered by use of a correction factor. Quality changes in beam penetrability and energy fluence to dose conversion are modeled by use of the calculated primary beam spectrum after passage through the attenuator. The beam spectra are derived by the depth dose effective method, i.e., by minimizing the difference between measured and calculated depth dose distributions, where the calculated distributions are derived by superposing data from a database for monoenergetic photons. The attenuator scatter is integrated over the area viewed from the calculation point of view using first scatter theory. Calculations are simplified by replacing the energy and angular-dependent cross-section formulas with the forward scatter constant r2(0) and a set of parametrized correction functions. The set of corrections include functions for the Compton energy loss, scatter attenuation, and secondary bremsstrahlung production. The effect of charged particle contamination is bypassed by avoiding use of dmax for absolute dose calibrations. The results of the model are compared with scatter measurements in air for copper and lead filters and with dose to a water phantom for lead filters for 4 and 18 MV. For attenuated beams, downstream of the buildup region, the calculated results agree with measurements on the 1.5% level. The accuracy was slightly less in situations where the scatter component is very large, as for very large fields with very short filter to detector distances. The implementation of the model into treatment planning systems is discussed.
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| 12. |
- Ahnesjö, Anders
(författare)
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Patient Dose Computation
- 2014
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Ingår i: Comprehensive Biomedical Physics. - Amsterdam : Elsevier. - 9780444536327 - 9780444536334 ; , s. 235-247
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Various dose calculation methods have been proposed to serve the needs in treatment planning of radiotherapy. Common to these are that they need a patient model to describe the interaction properties of the irradiated tissues, and a sufficiently accurate description of the incident radiation. This chapter starts with a brief review of the contexts in which patient dose calculations may serve, followed by a description of common methods for patient modelling and beam characterization. The focus is on external beam photon, but also partly covers particle beams like electrons and protons. The last section describes common approaches of varying complexity for dose calculations ranging from simple factor based models, more elaborate pencil and point kernel models, and finally summarizes some aspects of Monte Carlo and grid based methods.
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| 13. |
- Ahnesjö, Ingrid, et al.
(författare)
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En beteende-ekologisk forskningsperiod på Klubbans biologiska station : Rapport från återträff med Doktorer som disputerade (1983-2001) på avhandlingar med fältarbete på Klubbans Biologiska station. I en värld av kantnålar, stubbar, spiggar och nudingar.
- 2018
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Rapport (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- We had the fortune as PhD-students and scientists in Animal Ecology at Uppsala University, to spend joyful and creative field work summers at Klubban Biological Station, during the 1980-90’s. A reunion in June 2018 resulted in this report highlighting research on pipefishes, gobies, sticklebacks and nudibranchs. Our research on these animals have provided novel insights and knowledge of the process of sexual selection and paternal care. These animals have, in many aspects, now become model organisms in evolutionary behavioral ecology in marine environments. Our list of publications provides many examples of how environmental factors influence how sexual selection and mate choice operate, how predictors like potential reproductive rates, operational sex ratios work and how male parental care is prominent in influencing selection. This research, that started at Klubban, has broadened our understanding of the ecological importance of shallow marine areas. The evolutionary understanding of how males and females can behave and how adaptive traits are selected in interaction with social and an increasingly changing ambient environment is in focus in our continued scientific endeavors. We have happily compiled this report illustrating how science and scientist can stimulate each other at a wonderful place like Klubban Biological Station, with the access to amazing organisms like pipefishes, gobies, sticklebacks and nudibranchs.
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
- Almhagen, Erik, et al.
(författare)
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A beam model for focused proton pencil beams
- 2018
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Ingår i: Physica medica (Testo stampato). - : Elsevier. - 1120-1797 .- 1724-191X. ; 52, s. 27-32
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: We present a beam model for Monte Carlo simulations of the IBA pencil beam scanning dedicated nozzle installed at the Skandion Clinic. Within the nozzle, apart from entrance and exit windows and the two ion chambers, the beam traverses vacuum, allowing for a beam that is convergent downstream of the nozzle exit. Materials and methods: We model the angular, spatial and energy distributions of the beam phase space at the nozzle exit with single Gaussians, controlled by seven energy dependent parameters. The parameters were determined from measured profiles and depth dose distributions. Verification of the beam model was done by comparing measured and GATE acquired relative dose distributions, using plan specific log files from the machine to specify beam spot positions and energy. Results: GATE-based simulations with the acquired beam model could accurately reproduce the measured data. The gamma index analysis comparing simulated and measured dose distributions resulted in > 95% global gamma index pass rates (3%/2 mm) for all depths. Conclusion: The developed beam model was found to be sufficiently accurate for use with GATE e.g. for applications in quality assurance (QA) or patient motion studies with the IBA pencil beam scanning dedicated nozzles.
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| 19. |
- Almhagen, Erik, et al.
(författare)
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Handling of beam spectra in training and application of proton RBE models
- 2021
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Ingår i: Physics in Medicine and Biology. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 0031-9155 .- 1361-6560. ; 66:18
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Published data from cell survival experiments are frequently used as training data for models of proton relative biological effectiveness (RBE). The publications rarely provide full information about the primary particle spectrum of the used beam, or its content of heavy secondary particles. The purpose of this paper is to assess to what extent heavy secondary particles may have been present in published cell survival experiments, and to investigate the impact of non-primary protons for RBE calculations in treatment planning. We used the Monte Carlo code Geant4 to calculate the occurrence of non-primary protons and heavier secondary particles for clinical protons beams in water for four incident energies in the [100, 250] MeV interval. We used the resulting spectra together with a conservative RBE parameterization and an RBE model to map both the rise of RBE at the beam entry surface due to heavy secondary particle buildup, and the difference in estimated RBE if non-primary protons are included or not in the beam quality metric. If included, non-primary protons cause a difference of 2% of the RBE in the plateau region of an spread out Bragg peak and 1% in the Bragg peak. Including non-primary protons specifically for RBE calculations will consequently have a negligible impact and can be ignored. A buildup distance in water of one millimeter was sufficient to reach an equilibrium state of RBE for the four incident energies selected. For the investigated experimental data, 83 out of the 86 data points were found to have been determined with at least that amount of buildup material. Hence, RBE model training data should be interpreted to include the contribution of heavy secondaries.
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| 20. |
- Almhagen, Erik, et al.
(författare)
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Modelling tissue specific RBE for different radiation qualities based on a multiscale characterization of energy deposition
- 2023
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Ingår i: Radiotherapy and Oncology. - : Elsevier. - 0167-8140 .- 1879-0887. ; 182
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PurposeWe present the nanoCluE model, which uses nano- and microdosimetric quantities to model RBE for protons and carbon ions. Under the hypothesis that nano- and microdosimetric quantities correlates with the generation of complex DNA double strand breakes, we wish to investigate whether an improved accuracy in predicting LQ parameters may be achieved, compared to some of the published RBE models.MethodsThe model is based on experimental LQ data for protons and carbon ions. We generated a database of track structure data for a number of proton and carbon ion kinetic energies with the Geant4-DNA Monte Carlo code. These data were used to obtain both a nanodosimetric quantity and a set of microdosimetric quantities. The latter were tested with different parameterizations versus experimental LQ-data to select the variable and parametrization that yielded the best fit.ResultsFor protons, the nanoCluE model yielded, for the ratio of the linear LQ term versus the test data, a root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.57 compared to 1.31 and 1.30 for two earlier other published proton models. For carbon ions the RMSE was 2.26 compared to 3.24 and 5.24 for earlier published carbon ion models.ConclusionThese results demonstrate the feasibility of the nanoCluE RBE model for carbon ions and protons. The increased accuracy for carbon ions as compared to two other considered models warrants further investigation.
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| 21. |
- Almhagen, Erik, et al.
(författare)
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Plan robustness and RBE influence for proton dose painting by numbers for head and neck cancers
- 2023
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Ingår i: Physica medica (Testo stampato). - : Elsevier. - 1120-1797 .- 1724-191X. ; 115, s. 103157-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PurposeTo investigate the feasibility of dose painting by numbers (DPBN) with respect to robustness for proton therapy for head and neck cancers (HNC), and to study the influence of variable RBE on the TCP and OAR dose burden.Methods and materialsData for 19 patients who have been scanned pretreatment with PET-FDG and subsequently treated with photon therapy were used in the study. A dose response model developed for photon therapy was implemented in a TPS, allowing DPBN plans to be created. Conventional homogeneous dose and DPBN plans were created for each patient, optimized with either fixed RBE = 1.1 or a variable RBE model. Robust optimization was used to create clinically acceptable plans. To estimate the maximum potential loss in TCP due to actual SUV variations from the pre-treatment imaging, we applied a test case with randomized SUV distribution.ResultsRegardless of the use of variable RBE for optimization or evaluation, a statistically significant increase (p < 0.001) in TCP was found for DPBN plans as compared to homogeneous dose plans. Randomizing the SUV distribution decreased the TCP for all plans. A correlation between TCP increase and variance of the SUV distribution and target volume was also found.ConclusionDPBN for protons and HNC is feasible and could lead to a TCP gain. Risks associated with the temporal variation of SUV distributions could be mitigated by imposing minimum doses to targets. The correlation found between TCP increase and SUV variance and target volume may be used for patient selection.
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| 22. |
- Almhagen, Erik
(författare)
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Techniques for the increased utilization of dose response variability in proton therapy
- 2022
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Particle therapy is a form of radiation therapy in which protons and heavier ions are used, as opposed to photons in conventional radiation therapy. The biological effectiveness of particles compared to photons is often quantified as relative biological effectiveness (RBE). In clinical practice, protons are assumed to be 10% more efficient than photons, despite the fact that RBE is known to vary. On the other hand, variable RBE models can be used to describe the RBE at a given position as a function of a few parameters, such as the linear energy transfer (LET) of the beam. Questions of accuracy and validation have prevented the clinical introduction of variable RBE models. In this thesis, we tried to develop a variable RBE model for protons and carbon ions, and then apply it in a proton planning study.We started with developing a beam model for protons. It was based on measured data at the Skandion Clinic in Uppsala, Sweden. It is capable of describing the spatial, angular and energy distributions of a proton beam at a certain position in a treatment room. This, coupled with a particle transport engine, allows for accurate study of the physical properties of a clinical beam.Prior to developing our RBE model, we studied a number of publications containing proton in vitro cell survival data. It was found that the particle beams used included heavy secondary particle contamination and thus this need not be accounted for separately in a proton RBE model based on this data. Taking this into account, the subsequent RBE model did not provided increased accuracy compared to the considered proton RBE models. For carbon ions, accuracy was increased. Coupled with a treatment planning system, treatment plans taking into account RBE variability can thus be made with this RBE model.Finally, we applied the nanoCluE RBE model in a proton dose painting planning study, where the tumor target is given a heterogeneous dose based on an estimated radio sensitivity map of the tumor such that more resistant areas are given higher doses. Variable RBE was not beneficial in increasing the control probability of the tumor, but it did help in decreasing doses to nearby, healthy tissue.
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| 23. |
- Andersson, Jonas, 1975-
(författare)
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Ion recombination in liquid ionization chambers : development of an experimental method to quantify general recombination
- 2013
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- An experimental method (the two-dose-rate method) for the correction of general recombination losses in liquid ionization chambers has been developed and employed in experiments with different liquids and radiation qualities. The method is based on a disassociation of initial and general recombination, since an ionized liquid is simultaneously affected by both of these processes.The two-dose-rate method has been compared to an existing method for general recombination correction for liquid ionization chambers, and has been found to be the most robust method presently available.The soundness of modelling general recombination in liquids on existing theory for gases has been evaluated, and experiments indicate that the process of general recombination is similar in a gas and a liquid. It is thus reasonable to employ theory for gases in the two-dose-rate method to achieve experimental corrections for general recombination in liquids. There are uncertainties in the disassociation of initial and general recombination in the two-dose-rate method for low applied voltages, where initial recombination has been found to cause deviating results for different liquids and radiation qualities.Sensitivity to ambient electric fields has been identified in the microLion liquid ionization chamber (PTW, Germany). Experimental data may thus be perturbed if measurements are conducted in the presence of ambient electric fields, and the sensitivity has been found to increase with an increase in the applied voltage. This can prove to be experimentally limiting since general recombination may be too severe for accurate corrections if the applied voltage is low.
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| 24. |
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| 25. |
- Andersson, Karin M., 1989-, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluation of a metal artifact reduction algorithm in CT studies used for proton radiotherapy treatment planning
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1526-9914. ; 15:5, s. 112-119
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Metal objects in the body such as hip prostheses cause artifacts in CT images. When CT images degraded by artifacts are used for treatment planning of radiotherapy, the artifacts can yield inaccurate dose calculations and, for particle beams, erroneous penetration depths. A metal artifact reduction software (O-MAR) installed on a Philips Brilliance Big Bore CT has been tested for applications in treatment planning of proton radiotherapy. Hip prostheses mounted in a water phantom were used as test objects. Images without metal objects were acquired and used as reference data for the analysis of artifact-affected regions outside of the metal objects in both the O-MAR corrected and the uncorrected images. Water equivalent thicknesses (WET) based on proton stopping power data were calculated to quantify differences in the calculated proton beam penetration for the different image sets. The WET to a selected point of interest between the hip prostheses was calculated for several beam directions of clinical relevance. The results show that the calculated differences in WET relative to the reference case were decreased when the O-MAR algorithm was applied. WET differences up to 2.0 cm were seen in the uncorrected case while, for the O-MAR corrected case, the maximum difference was decreased to 0.4 cm. The O-MAR algorithm can significantly improve the accuracy in proton range calculations. However, there are some residual effects, and the use of proton beam directions along artifact streaks should only be used with caution and appropriate margins.
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| 26. |
- Andersson, Karin M., 1989-, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluation of two commercial CT metal artifact reduction algorithms for use in proton radiotherapy treatment planning in the head and neck area
- 2018
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Ingår i: Medical physics (Lancaster). - : Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Inc.. - 0094-2405 .- 2473-4209. ; 45:10, s. 4329-4344
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PURPOSE: To evaluate two commercial CT metal artifact reduction (MAR) algorithms for use in proton treatment planning in the head and neck (H&N) area.METHODS: An anthropomorphic head phantom with removable metallic implants (dental fillings or neck implant) was CT-scanned to evaluate the O-MAR (Philips) and the iMAR (Siemens) algorithms. Reference images were acquired without any metallic implants in place. Water equivalent thickness (WET) was calculated for different path directions and compared between image sets. Images were also evaluated for use in proton treatment planning for parotid, tonsil, tongue base, and neck node targets. The beams were arranged so as to not traverse any metal prior to the target, enabling evaluation of the impact on dose calculation accuracy from artifacts surrounding the metal volume. Plans were compared based on γ analysis (1 mm distance-to-agreement/1% difference in local dose) and dose volume histogram metrics for targets and organs at risk (OARs). Visual grading evaluation of 30 dental implant patient MAR images was performed by three radiation oncologists.RESULTS: In the dental fillings images, ΔWET along a low-density streak was reduced from -17.0 to -4.3 mm with O-MAR and from -16.1 mm to -2.3 mm with iMAR, while for other directions the deviations were increased or approximately unchanged when the MAR algorithms were used. For the neck implant images, ΔWET was generally reduced with MAR but residual deviations remained (of up to -2.3 mm with O-MAR and of up to -1.5 mm with iMAR). The γ analysis comparing proton dose distributions for uncorrected/MAR plans and corresponding reference plans showed passing rates >98% of the voxels for all phantom plans. However, substantial dose differences were seen in areas of most severe artifacts (γ passing rates of down to 89% for some cases). MAR reduced the deviations in some cases, but not for all plans. For a single patient case dosimetrically evaluated, minor dose differences were seen between the uncorrected and MAR plans (γ passing rate approximately 97%). The visual grading of patient images showed that MAR significantly improved image quality (P < 0.001).CONCLUSIONS: O-MAR and iMAR significantly improved image quality in terms of anatomical visualization for target and OAR delineation in dental implant patient images. WET calculations along several directions, all outside the metallic regions, showed that both uncorrected and MAR images contained metal artifacts which could potentially lead to unacceptable errors in proton treatment planning. ΔWET was reduced by MAR in some areas, while increased or unchanged deviations were seen for other path directions. The proton treatment plans created for the phantom images showed overall acceptable dose distributions differences when compared to the reference cases, both for the uncorrected and MAR images. However, substantial dose distribution differences in the areas of most severe artifacts were seen for some plans, which were reduced by MAR in some cases but not all. In conclusion, MAR could be beneficial to use for proton treatment planning; however, case-by-case evaluations of the metal artifact-degraded images are always recommended.
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| 27. |
- Bäckström, Gloria, 1979-
(författare)
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Protons, other Light Ions, and 60Co Photons : Study of Energy Deposit Clustering via Track Structure Simulations
- 2013
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Radiotherapy aims to sterilize cancer cells through ionization induced damages to their DNA whilst trying to reduce dose burdens to healthy tissues. This can be achieved to a certain extent by optimizing the choice of radiation to treat the patient, i.e. the types of particles and their energy based on their specific interaction patterns. In particular, the formation of complex clusters of energy deposits (EDs) increases with the linear energy transferred for a given particle. These differences cause variation in the relative biological effectiveness (RBE). The complexity of ED clusters might be related to complex forms of DNA damage, which are more difficult to repair and therefore prone to inactivate the cells. Hence, mapping of the number and complexity of ED clusters for different radiation qualities could aid to infer a surrogate measure substituting physical dose and LET as main predictors for the RBE . In this work the spatial patterns of EDs at the nanometre scale were characterized for various energies of proton, helium, lithium and carbon ions. A track structure Monte Carlo code, LIonTrack, was developed to accurately simulate the light ion tracks in liquid water. The methods to emulate EDs at clinical dose levels in cell nucleus-sized targets for both 60Co photons and light ions were established, and applied to liquid water targets. All EDs enclosed in such targets were analyzed with a specifically developed cluster algorithm where clustering was defined by a single parameter, the maximum distance between nearest neighbour EDs. When comparing measured RBE for different radiation qualities, there are cases for which RBE do not increase with LET but instead increase with the frequencies of high order ED clusters.A test surrogate-measure based on ED cluster frequencies correlated to parameters of experimentally determined cell survival. The tools developed in this thesis can facilitate future exploration of semi-mechanistic modelling of the RBE.
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| 28. |
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| 29. |
- Bäckström, Gloria, et al.
(författare)
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Track structure of protons and other light ions in liquid water : Applications of the LIonTrack code at the nanometer scale
- 2013
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Ingår i: Medical physics (Lancaster). - : Wiley. - 0094-2405. ; 40:6, s. 064101-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: The LIonTrack (Light Ion Track) Monte Carlo (MC) code for the simulation of H+, He2+, and other light ions in liquid water is presented together with the results of a novel investigation of energy-deposition site properties from single ion tracks. Methods: The continuum distorted-wave formalism with the eikonal initial state approximation (CDW-EIS) is employed to generate the initial energy and angle of the electrons emitted in ionizing collisions of the ions with H2O molecules. The model of Dingfelder et al. ["Electron inelastic-scattering cross sections in liquid water," Radiat. Phys. Chem. 53, 1-18 (1998); " Comparisons of calculations with PARTRAC and NOREC: Transport of electrons in liquid water," Radiat. Res. 169, 584-594 (2008)] is linked to the general-purpose MC code PENELOPE/penEasy to simulate the inelastic interactions of the secondary electrons in liquid water. In this way, the extended PENELOPE/penEasy code may provide an improved description of the 3D distribution of energy deposits (EDs), making it suitable for applications at the micrometer and nanometer scales. Results: Single-ionization cross sections calculated with the ab initio CDW-EIS formalism are compared to available experimental values, some of them reported very recently, and the theoretical electronic stopping powers are benchmarked against those recommended by the ICRU. The authors also analyze distinct aspects of the spatial patterns of EDs, such as the frequency of nearest-neighbor distances for various radiation qualities, and the variation of the mean specific energy imparted in nanoscopic targets located around the track. For 1 MeV/u particles, the C6+ ions generate about 15 times more clusters of six EDs within an ED distance of 3 nm than H+. Conclusions: On average clusters of two to three EDs for 1 MeV/u H+ and clusters of four to five EDs for 1 MeV/u C6+ could be expected for a modeling double strand break distance of 3.4 nm.
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| 30. |
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| 31. |
- Carlsson Tedgren, Asa, et al.
(författare)
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Optimization of the computational efficiency of a 3D, collapsed cone dose calculation algorithm for brachytherapy.
- 2008
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Ingår i: Medical physics (Lancaster). - : Wiley. - 0094-2405. ; 35:4, s. 1611-1618
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Brachytherapy dose calculations based on point kernel superposition using the collapsed cone method have been shown to accurately model the influence from finite dimensions of the patient and effects from heterogeneities including those of high atomic numbers. The collapsed cone method is for brachytherapy applications most effectively implemented through a successive-scattering approach, in which the dose from once and higher order of scattered photons is calculated separately and in successive scatter order. The calculation speed achievable is directly proportional to the number of directions used for point kernel discretization and to the number of voxels in the volume. In this work we investigate how to best divide the total number of directions between the two steps of successive-scattering dose calculations. Results show that the largest fraction of the total number of directions should be utilized in calculating the first-scatter dose. Also shown is how the number of directions required for keeping discretization artifacts at acceptably low levels decreases significantly in multiple-source configurations, as a result of the dose gradients being less steep than those around single sources. Investigating the number of kernel directions required to keep artifacts low enough within the high dose region of an implant (i.e., for dose levels above approximately 5%-10% of the mean central target dose) reveals similar figures for brachytherapy as for external beam applications, where collapsed cone superposition is clinically used. Also shown is that approximating point kernels with their isotropic average leads to small dose differences at low and intermediate energies, implying that the collapsed cone calculations can be done in a single operation common to all sources of the implant at these energies. The current findings show that collapsed cone calculations can be achieved for brachytherapy with the same efficiency as for external beams. This, combined with recent results on gains in efficiency through implementing the algorithm on graphical card parallel hardware indicates that dose can be calculated with account for heterogeneities and finite dimensions within a few seconds for large voxel arrays and is therefore of interest for practical application to treatment planning.
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| 32. |
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| 33. |
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| 34. |
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| 35. |
- Dahlgren, Christina Vallhagen, et al.
(författare)
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Portal dose image verification : the collapsed cone superposition method applied with different electronic portal imaging devices.
- 2006
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Ingår i: Physics in Medicine and Biology. - 0031-9155. ; 51:2, s. 335-49
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Two different commercial electronic portal imaging devices (EPIDs), one based on a liquid ion chamber matrix and the other based on a fluoroscopic CCD camera, were used to acquire readings that, through a calibration procedure, provided images proportional to the absolute dose to a virtual water slab located at the EPID plane. The transformation of the matrix ion chamber image into a portal dose image (PDI) was based on a published relationship between dose rate and ionization current. For the fluoroscopic CCD-camera-based system, the transformation was based on a deconvolution with a radial light scatter kernel. Local response variations were corrected in the images from both systems using open field fluence maps. The acquired PDIs were compared with PDIs calculated with the collapsed cone superposition method for a three-dimensional detector model in water equivalent buildup material. The calculation model was based on the beam modelling and geometrical description of the treatment unit and energy used for treatment planning in a kernel-based system. The validity of the calculation method was evaluated for several field shapes and thicknesses of patient phantoms for the matrix ion chamber at 6 MV x-rays and for the camera-based EPID at 6 and 15 MV x-rays. The agreement between predicted and measured PDIs was evaluated with dose comparisons at points of interest and gamma index calculations. The average area failing the passing criteria in dose and position deviation was analysed to validate the performance of the method. For the matrix ion chamber on average an area less than 1% fails the passing criteria of 3 mm and 3%. For the camera-based EPID, the average area is 7% and 1% for 6 and 15 MV, respectively. The overall agreement centrally in the fields was 0.1 +/- 1.6% (1 sd) for the camera-based EPID and -0.1 +/- 1.6% (1 sd) for the matrix ion chamber. Thus, an absolute dose calibrated EPID could validate the delivered dose to the patient by comparing a calculated and a measured PDI.
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| 36. |
- Das, Indra J., et al.
(författare)
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Accelerator beam data commissioning equipment and procedures : report of the TG-106 of the Therapy Physics Committee of the AAPM
- 2008
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Ingår i: Medical physics (Lancaster). - : Wiley. - 0094-2405. ; 35:9, s. 4186-4215
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- For commissioning a linear accelerator for clinical use, medical physicists are faced with many challenges including the need for precision, a variety of testing methods, data validation, the lack of standards, and time constraints. Since commissioning beam data are treated as a reference and ultimately used by treatment planning systems, it is vitally important that the collected data are of the highest quality to avoid dosimetric and patient treatment errors that may subsequently lead to a poor radiation outcome. Beam data commissioning should be performed with appropriate knowledge and proper tools and should be independent of the person collecting the data. To achieve this goal, Task Group 106 (TG-106) of the Therapy Physics Committee of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine was formed to review the practical aspects as well as the physics of linear accelerator commissioning. The report provides guidelines and recommendations on the proper selection of phantoms and detectors, setting up of a phantom for data acquisition (both scanning and no-scanning data), procedures for acquiring specific photon and electron beam parameters and methods to reduce measurement errors (<1%), beam data processing and detector size convolution for accurate profiles. The TG-106 also provides a brief.discussion on the emerging trend in Monte Carlo simulation techniques in photon and electron beam commissioning. The procedures described in this report should assist a qualified medical physicist in either measuring a complete set of beam data, or in verifying a subset of data before initial use or for periodic quality assurance measurements. By combining practical experience with theoretical discussion, this document sets a new standard for beam data commissioning.
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| 37. |
- Das, Indra J., et al.
(författare)
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Report of AAPM Task Group 155 : Megavoltage photon beam dosimetry in small fields and non-equilibrium conditions
- 2021
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Ingår i: Medical physics (Lancaster). - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0094-2405 .- 2473-4209. ; 48:10, s. E886-E921
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Small-field dosimetry used in advance treatment technologies poses challenges due to loss of lateral charged particle equilibrium (LCPE), occlusion of the primary photon source, and the limited choice of suitable radiation detectors. These challenges greatly influence dosimetric accuracy. Many high-profile radiation incidents have demonstrated a poor understanding of appropriate methodology for small-field dosimetry. These incidents are a cause for concern because the use of small fields in various specialized radiation treatment techniques continues to grow rapidly. Reference and relative dosimetry in small and composite fields are the subject of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) dosimetry code of practice that has been published as TRS-483 and an AAPM summary publication (IAEA TRS 483; Dosimetry of small static fields used in external beam radiotherapy: An IAEA/AAPM International Code of Practice for reference and relative dose determination, Technical Report Series No. 483; Pal-mans et al., Med Phys 45(11):e1123, 2018). The charge of AAPM task group 155 (TG-155) is to summarize current knowledge on small-field dosimetry and to provide recommendations of best practices for relative dose determination in small megavoltage photon beams. An overview of the issue of LCPE and the changes in photon beam perturbations with decreasing field size is provided. Recommendations are included on appropriate detector systems and measurement methodologies. Existing published data on dosimetric parameters in small photon fields (e.g., percentage depth dose, tissue phantom ratio/tissue maximum ratio, off-axis ratios, and field output factors) together with the necessary perturbation corrections for various detectors are reviewed. A discussion on errors and an uncertainty analysis in measurements is provided. The design of beam models in treatment planning systems to simulate small fields necessitates special attention on the influence of the primary beam source and collimating devices in the computation of energy fluence and dose. The general requirements for fluence and dose calculation engines suitable for modeling dose in small fields are reviewed. Implementations in commercial treatment planning systems vary widely, and the aims of this report are to provide insight for the medical physicist and guidance to developers of beams models for radiotherapy treatment planning systems.
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| 38. |
- Das, Indra J., et al.
(författare)
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Small fields : nonequilibrium radiation dosimetry
- 2008
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Ingår i: Medical physics (Lancaster). - : Wiley. - 0094-2405. ; 35:1, s. 206-215
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Advances in radiation treatment with beamlet-based intensity modulation, image-guided radiation therapy, and stereotactic radiosurgery (including specialized equipments like CyberKnife, Gamma Knife, tomotherapy, and high-resolution multileaf collimating systems) have resulted in the use of reduced treatment fields to a subcentimeter scale. Compared to the traditional radiotherapy with fields > or =4 x 4 cm2, this can result in significant uncertainty in the accuracy of clinical dosimetry. The dosimetry of small fields is challenging due to nonequilibrium conditions created as a consequence of the secondary electron track lengths and the source size projected through the collimating system that are comparable to the treatment field size. It is further complicated by the prolonged electron tracks in the presence of low-density inhomogeneities. Also, radiation detectors introduced into such fields usually perturb the level of disequilibrium. Hence, the dosimetric accuracy previously achieved for standard radiotherapy applications is at risk for both absolute and relative dose determination. This article summarizes the present knowledge and gives an insight into the future procedures to handle the nonequilibrium radiation dosimetry problems. It is anticipated that new miniature detectors with controlled perturbations and corrections will be available to meet the demand for accurate measurements. It is also expected that the Monte Carlo techniques will increasingly be used in assessing the accuracy, verification, and calculation of dose, and will aid perturbation calculations of detectors used in small and highly conformal radiation beams.
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| 39. |
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| 40. |
- Eklund, Karin, 1978-, et al.
(författare)
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Fast modelling of spectra and stopping-power ratios using differentiated fluence pencil kernels
- 2008
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Ingår i: Physics in Medicine and Biology. - : IOP Publishing. - 0031-9155 .- 1361-6560. ; 53:16, s. 4231-4247
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Modern radiotherapy steadily utilizes more of the available degrees of freedom provided by radiotherapy equipment, raising the need for the dosimetric methods to deliver reliable measurements for situations where the spectral properties of the radiation field may also vary. A kernel-based superposition method is presented for which the spectra from any field modulation can be instantly calculated, thus facilitating the determination of dosimetric quantities at arbitrary locations. A database of fluence pencil kernels describing the fluence resulting from point monodirectional monoenergetic beams incident onto a water phantom has been calculated with the PENELOPE-2005 Monte Carlo package. Spectra calculated by means of the kernels are presented for various 6 MV fields. The spectra have been used to investigate depth and lateral variations of water-to-air stopping-power ratios. Results show that the stopping-power ratio decreases with depth, and that this effect is more pronounced for small fields. These variations are clearly connected to spectral variations. For a 10 x 10 cm(2) field, the difference between the stopping-power ratio at 2.5 cm depth and 30 cm depth is less than 0.3% while for a 0.3 x 0.3 cm(2) field this difference is 0.7%. Ratios outside the field were found to be sensitive to the collimator leakage spectral variations.
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| 41. |
- Eklund, Karin, 1978-, et al.
(författare)
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Modeling silicon diode dose response factors for small photon fields
- 2010
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Ingår i: Physics in Medicine and Biology. - : IOP Publishing. - 0031-9155 .- 1361-6560. ; 55:24, s. 7411-7423
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The dosimetry of small fields is important for the use of high resolution photon radiotherapy. Silicon diodes yield a high signal from a small detecting volume which makes them suitable for use in small fields and high dose gradients. Unshielded diodes used in large fields are known to give a varying dose response depending on the proportion of low energy scattered photons in the field. Response variations in small fields can be caused by both spectral variations, and disturbances of the local level of lateral electron equilibrium. We present a model that includes the effects from lack of charged particle equilibrium. The local spectra are calculated by use of fluence pencil kernels and divided into a low and a high energy component. The low energy part is treated with large cavity theory and the high energy part with the Spencer-Attix small cavity theory. Monte Carlo-derived correction factors are used to account for both the local level of electron equilibrium in the field, and deviations from this level in the silicon disk cavity. Results for field sizes ranging from 0.5 × 0.5 to 20 × 20 cm2 are compared to data from full Monte Carlo simulations and measurements. The achieved dose response accuracy is for the smallest fields 1-2%, and for larger fields 0.5%. Spectral variations were of little importance for the small field response, implying that volume averaging, and to some extent interface transient effects, are of importance for use of unshielded diodes in non-equilibrium conditions. The results indicate that diodes should preferably be designed to have the thin layer of active volume padded in between inactive layers of the silicon base material.
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| 42. |
- Eklund, Karin, 1978-
(författare)
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Modeling Silicon Diode Dose Response in Radiotherapy Fields using Fluence Pencil Kernels
- 2010
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In radiotherapy, cancer is treated with ionizing radiation, most commonly bremsstrahlung photons from electrons of several MeV. Secondary electrons produced in photon-interactions results in dose deposition. The treatment response is low for low doses, raises sharply for normal treatment doses and saturates at higher doses. This response pattern applies to both eradication of tumors and to complications in healthy tissues. Well controlled treatments require accurate dosimetry since the uncertainty in delivered dose will be magnified 1 to 5 times in treatment response variations. Techniques that superpose many small radiation fields to concentrate the dose to a localized target are becoming increasingly used. A detector with high spatial resolution suitable for such fields is a silicon diode. To maintain the current accuracy of the dosimetric calibration of 1.5%, diode measurements relative to this calibration should preferably be possible at 0.5% accuracy level. The main limitation of silicon diodes is their over-response to low-energy photons. This problem has been adressed with the insertion of a high atomic number filter in diodes. For modeling diode detector response one must quantify the spectral variations in the irradiated medium resulting from variations of the beam parameters. This requires understanding of the particle transport and can be achieved by Monte Carlo simulations. However, the small dimensions of the detector geometry compared to surrounding medium makes a direct application of Monte Carlo impractical due to the large amount of CPU time necessary to reach statistically satisfactory results. In this work a fast method for spectra calculations is used, based on superposition of mono-energetic fluence pencil kernels. Building on this base a general model for silicon response functions in photon fields is developed. The incident photons are bipartitioned into a low and a high energy component. The high energy part is treated with the Spencer-Attic cavity theory while the low energy part and scattered photons are treated with large cavity theory. The deviations from electron equilibrium are investigated and handled with correction factors. The result is used to correct unshielded diode measurements, with an overall uncertainty less than 0.5%, except for very small fields where the precision is around 1-2%, thus eliminating the need for less predictable shielded diodes for measurements in photon fields.
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| 43. |
- Eklund, Karin, 1978-, et al.
(författare)
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Modeling silicon diode energy response factors for use in therapeutic photon beams
- 2009
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Ingår i: Physics in Medicine and Biology. - : IOP Publishing. - 0031-9155 .- 1361-6560. ; 54:20, s. 6135-6150
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Silicon diodes have good spatial resolution, which makes them advantageous over ionization chambers for dosimetry in fields with high dose gradients. However, silicon diodes overrespond to low-energy photons, that are more abundant in scatter which increase with large fields and larger depths. We present a cavity-theory-based model for a general response function for silicon detectors at arbitrary positions within photon fields. The model uses photon and electron spectra calculated from fluence pencil kernels. The incident photons are treated according to their energy through a bipartition of the primary beam photon spectrum into low- and high-energy components. Primary electrons from the high-energy component are treated according to Spencer–Attix cavity theory. Low-energy primary photons together with all scattered photons are treated according to large cavity theory supplemented with an energy-dependent factor K(E) to compensate for energy variations in the electron equilibrium. The depth variation of the response for an unshielded silicon detector has been calculated for 5 × 5 cm2, 10 × 10 cm2 and 20 × 20 cm2 fields in 6 and 15 MV beams and compared with measurements showing that our model calculates response factors with deviations less than 0.6%. An alternative method is also proposed, where we show that one can use a correlation with the scatter factor to determine the detector response of silicon diodes with an error of less than 3% in 6 MV and 15 MV photon beams.
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| 44. |
- Eklund, Karin, 1978-, et al.
(författare)
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Spectral perturbations from silicon diode detector encapsulation and shielding in photon fields
- 2010
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Ingår i: Medical physics (Lancaster). - : Wiley. - 0094-2405. ; 37:11, s. 6055-6060
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PURPOSE Silicon diodes are widely used as detectors for relative dose measurements in radiotherapy. Generally two types of diode mountings are used. Plastic encapsulation is used for electron fields while the encapsulation for diodes intended for photon fields include a shield of high density material (typically tungsten). The purpose of the shield is to absorb low energy scattered photons to which a silicon diode over-responses. However, new models based on spectra calculations have been proposed for direct correction of the readout from unshielded (e.g.”electron”) diodes in photon fields. This raises the question whether it is correct to assume that the spectrum calculated for water is not disturbed by the detector encapsulation. This work aims at investigating the spectral effects of the encapsulation materials typical for typical silicon diodes used in radiotherapy clinics, including the effects of the shielding traditionally used for photon field diodes. METHOD The effects of detector encapsulation of an unshielded and a shielded commercial diode on the spectra at the silicon chip location are studied through Monte Carlo simulations with PENELOPE-2005. Variance reduction based on importance sampling and correlated sampling is applied to reduce the CPU-time needed for the simulations. RESULTS The use of variance reduction is proved to be efficient and to not introduce any significant bias of the results. Compared to reference spectra calculated in water, the encapsulation for an unshielded diode is demonstrated to not perturb the spectrum while tungsten shielded diode caused not only the desired decrease in low energy scattered photons but also a large increase of primary electrons of all energies. Measurements with a shielded diode in a 6MV photon beam proved that the shielding does not completely remove the field-size dependence of the detector response caused by the over response from low energy photons. CONCLUSIONS Spectra calculated for water can be directly used for modeling the response of silicon diodes with plastic only encapsulations. For photon dose measurements, an unshielded diode used together with appropriate corrections gives more accurate results than the traditionally used shielded diodes. Variance reduction for diode simulations can effectively be applied, however with great considerations considering choice of application.
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| 45. |
- Enger, Shirin A., et al.
(författare)
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Dose to tissue medium or water cavities as surrogate for the dose to cell nuclei at brachytherapy photon energies
- 2012
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Ingår i: Physics in Medicine and Biology. - : IOP Publishing. - 0031-9155 .- 1361-6560. ; 57:14, s. 4489-4500
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- It has been suggested that modern dose calculation algorithms should be able to report absorbed dose both as dose to the local medium, D-m,D-m, and as dose to a water cavity embedded in the medium, D-w,D-m, using conversion factors from cavity theory. Assuming that the cell nucleus with its DNA content is the most important target for biological response, the aim of this study is to investigate, by means of Monte Carlo (MC) simulations, the relationship of the dose to a cell nucleus in a medium, D-n,D-m, to D-m,D-m and D-w,D-m, for different combinations of cell nucleus compositions and tissue media for different photon energies used in brachytherapy. As D-n,D-m is very impractical to calculate directly for routine treatment planning, while D-m,D-m and D-w,D-m are much easier to obtain, the questions arise which one of these quantities is the best surrogate for D-n,D-m and which cavity theory assumptions should one use for its estimate. The Geant4.9.4 MC code was used to calculate D-m,D-m, D-w,D-m and D-n,D-m for photon energies from 20 (representing the lower energy end of brachytherapy for Pd-103 or I-125) to 300 keV (close to the mean energy of Ir-192) and for the tissue media adipose, breast, prostate and muscle. To simulate the cell and its nucleus, concentric spherical cavities were placed inside a cubic phantom (10 x 10 x 10 mm(3)). The diameter of the simulated nuclei was set to 14 mu m. For each tissue medium, three different setups were simulated; (a) D-n,D-m was calculated with nuclei embedded in tissues (MC-D-n,D-m). Four different published elemental compositions of cell nuclei were used. (b) D-w,D-m was calculated with MC (MC-D-w,D-m) and compared with large cavity theory calculated D-w,D-m (LCT-D-w,D-m), and small cavity theory calculated D-w,D-m (SCT-D-w,D-m). (c) D-m,D-m was calculated with MC (MC-D-m,D-m). MC-D-w,D-m is a good substitute for MC-D-n,D-m for all photon energies and for all simulated nucleus compositions and tissue types. SCT-D-w,D-m can be used for most energies in brachytherapy, while LCT-D-w,D-m should only be considered for source spectra well below 50 keV, since contributions to the absorbed dose inside the nucleus to a large degree stem from electrons released in the surrounding medium. MC-D-m,D-m is not an appropriate substitute for MC-D-n,D-m for the lowest photon energies for adipose and breast tissues. The ratio of MC-D-m,D-m to MC-D-n,D-m for adipose and breast tissue deviates from unity by 34% and 15% respectively for the lowest photon energy (20 keV), whereas the ratio is close to unity for higher energies. For prostate and muscle tissue MC-D-m,D-m is a good substitute for MC-D-n,D-m. However, for all photon energies and tissue types the nucleus composition with the highest hydrogen content behaves differently than other compositions. Elemental compositions of the tissue and nuclei affect considerably the absorbed dose to the cell nuclei for brachytherapy sources, in particular those at the low-energy end of the spectrum. Thus, there is a need for more accurate data for the elemental compositions of tumours and healthy cells. For the nucleus compositions and tissue types investigated, MC-D-w,D-m is a good substitute to MC-D-n,D-m for all simulated photon energies. Whether other studied surrogates are good approximations to MC-D-n,D-m depends on the target size, target composition, composition of the surrounding tissue and photon energy.
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| 46. |
- Fernández-Varea, José M., et al.
(författare)
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Limitations (and merits) of PENELOPE as a track-structure code
- 2012
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Ingår i: International Journal of Radiation Biology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0955-3002 .- 1362-3095. ; 88:1-2, s. 66-70
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: To outline the limitations of PENELOPE (acronym of PENetration and Energy LOss of Positrons and Electrons) as a track-structure code, and to comment on modifications that enable its fruitful use in certain microdosimetry and nanodosimetry applications.Methods: Attention is paid to the way in which inelastic collisions of electrons are modelled and to the ensuing implications for microdosimetry analysis.Results: Inelastic mean free paths and collision stopping powers calculated with PENELOPE and two well-known optical-data models are compared. An ad hoc modification of PENELOPE is summarized where ionization and excitation of liquid water by electron impact is simulated using tables of realistic differential and total cross sections.Conclusions: PENELOPE can be employed advantageously in some track-structure applications provided that the default model for inelastic interactions of electrons is replaced by suitable tables of differential and total cross sections.
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| 47. |
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| 48. |
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| 49. |
- Forsman, Anders, et al.
(författare)
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Fitness benefits of diverse offspring in pygmy grasshoppers
- 2007
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Ingår i: Evolutionary Ecology Research. ; 9:8, s. 1305-1318
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Question: Do females obtain fitness benefits from an increase in offspring diversity?Hypotheses: Polyandry increases offspring diversity within a clutch. Increased offspring diversity will reduce competition among siblings (manifested as increased mean survival in more diverse families) and the probability that all offspring might be ill-suited to future conditions (manifested as lower variance in survival in diverse families).Organisms: Pygmy grasshoppers, Tetrix subulata and Tetrix: undulata, that are polymorphic for colour pattern.Field site: South-central Sweden.Methods: We varied the number of mates provided to colour polymorphic pygmy grasshoppers. We reared families in either warm or cold conditions using a split-brood design.Conclusions: The colour morph diversity of broods increased with the number of experimentally provided mates. Colour morphs represent alternative strategies that differ in body size, physiology, behaviour, and life history. Survival increased with increasing sibling diversity, supporting the hypothesis that different morphs avoid competition by using different subsets of available resources. Homogeneous families (in which all siblings belong to the same or only a few colour morphs) varied more in survival than did families with diverse siblings, supporting the hypothesis that morphs vary in their ability to cope with and utilize different resources.
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- Fransson, Samuel, et al.
(författare)
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Intrafractional motion models based on principal components in Magnetic Resonance guided prostate radiotherapy
- 2021
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Ingår i: Physics and Imaging in Radiation Oncology. - : Elsevier. - 2405-6316. ; 20, s. 17-22
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background and purpose: Devices that combine an MR-scanner with a Linac for radiotherapy, referred to as MR-Linac systems, introduce the possibility to acquire high resolution images prior and during treatment. Hence, there is a possibility to acquire individualised learning sets for motion models for each fraction and the construction of intrafractional motion models. We investigated the feasibility for a principal component analysis (PCA) based, intrafractional motion model of the male pelvic region.Materials and methods: 4D-scans of nine healthy male volunteers were utilized, FOV covering the entire pelvic region including prostate, bladder and rectum with manual segmentation of each organ at each time frame. Deformable image registration with an optical flow algorithm was performed for each subject with the first time frame as reference. PCA was performed on a subset of the resulting displacement vector fields to construct individualised motion models evaluated on the remaining fields.Results: The registration algorithm produced accurate registration result, in general DICE overlap >0.95 across all time frames. Cumulative variance of the eigen values from the PCA showed that 50% or more of the motion is explained in the first component for all subjects. However, the size and direction for the components differed between subjects. Adding more than two components did not improve the accuracy significantly and the model was able to explain motion down to about 1 mm.onclusions: An individualised intrafractional male pelvic motion model is feasible. Geometric accuracy was about 1 mm based on 1-2 principal components.
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