Investigating the robustness of ion beam therapy treatment plans to uncertainties in biological treatment parameters.
Physics in medicine and biology 57:23 (2012) 7983-8004
Abstract:
Uncertainties in determining clinically used relative biological effectiveness (RBE) values for ion beam therapy carry the risk of absolute and relative misestimations of RBE-weighted doses for clinical scenarios. This study assesses the consequences of hypothetical misestimations of input parameters to the RBE modelling for carbon ion treatment plans by a variational approach. The impact of the variations on resulting cell survival and RBE values is evaluated as a function of the remaining ion range. In addition, the sensitivity to misestimations in RBE modelling is compared for single fields and two opposed fields using differing optimization criteria. It is demonstrated for single treatment fields that moderate variations (up to ±50%) of representative nominal input parameters for four tumours result mainly in a misestimation of the RBE-weighted dose in the planning target volume (PTV) by a constant factor and only smaller RBE-weighted dose gradients. Ensuring a more uniform radiation quality in the PTV eases the clinical importance of uncertainties in the radiobiological treatment parameters, as for such a condition uncertainties tend to result only in a systematic misestimation of RBE-weighted dose in the PTV by a constant factor. Two opposed carbon ion fields with a constant RBE in the PTV are found to result in rather robust conditions. Treatments using two ion species may be used to achieve a constant RBE in the PTV irrespective of the size and depth of the spread-out Bragg peak.ENLIGHT: The European Network for Light Ion Hadron Therapy.
Health physics 103:5 (2012) 674-680
Abstract:
The European Network for Light Ion Hadron Therapy (ENLIGHT) was established in 2002 to coordinate European efforts on hadron therapy (radiotherapy performed with protons and light ions instead of high-energy photons). The ENLIGHT network is formed by the European Hadron Therapy Community, with more than 300 participants from 20 different countries. A major success of ENLIGHT has been uniting traditionally separate communities so that clinicians, physicists, biologists, and engineers with experience and interest in particle therapy work together. ENLIGHT has been a successful initiative in forming a common European platform and bringing together people from diverse disciplines. ENLIGHT demonstrates the advantages of regular and organized exchanges of data, information, and best practices, as well as determining and following strategies for future needs in research and technological development in the hadron therapy field.A community call for a dedicated radiobiological research facility to support particle beam cancer therapy.
Radiotherapy and oncology : journal of the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology 105:1 (2012) 1-3
Connection of European particle therapy centers and generation of a common particle database system within the European ULICE-framework.
Radiation oncology (London, England) 7 (2012) 115
Abstract:
Background
To establish a common database on particle therapy for the evaluation of clinical studies integrating a large variety of voluminous datasets, different documentation styles, and various information systems, especially in the field of radiation oncology.Methods
We developed a web-based documentation system for transnational and multicenter clinical studies in particle therapy. 560 patients have been treated from November 2009 to September 2011. Protons, carbon ions or a combination of both, as well as a combination with photons were applied. To date, 12 studies have been initiated and more are in preparation.Results
It is possible to immediately access all patient information and exchange, store, process, and visualize text data, any DICOM images and multimedia data. Accessing the system and submitting clinical data is possible for internal and external users. Integrated into the hospital environment, data is imported both manually and automatically. Security and privacy protection as well as data validation and verification are ensured. Studies can be designed to fit individual needs.Conclusions
The described database provides a basis for documentation of large patient groups with specific and specialized questions to be answered. Having recently begun electronic documentation, it has become apparent that the benefits lie in the user-friendly and timely workflow for documentation. The ultimate goal is a simplification of research work, better study analyses quality and eventually, the improvement of treatment concepts by evaluating the effectiveness of particle therapy.Phase I/II trial evaluating carbon ion radiotherapy for the treatment of recurrent rectal cancer: the PANDORA-01 trial.
BMC cancer 12 (2012) 137