A precise and simple isodose-volume-based verification method for HDR and LDR brachytherapy plans.

PURPOSE: The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) code of practice for brachytherapy physics recommends performing an independent treatment time calculation. For this we implemented an easy to use isodose-based verification method for HDR (high-dose-rate) and LDR (low-dose-rate) brachytherapy plans. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Dose-volume-based methods have been developed for Ir-192-based high-dose-rate (HDR) and I-125 prostate low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy. They allow checking the integral dwell time or activity when the volume of a suitable isodose is known. The verification method was validated for 55 clinical HDR and 243 clinical LDR plans. RESULTS: For HDR brachytherapy, the mean absolute difference between the estimated and calculated integral dwell time was 0.8% ± 1.0% (n = 30) with a single-source path and 2.7% ± 1.1% (n = 25) for multiple source paths. The corresponding value for LDR brachytherapy was 1.8% ± 2.0% (n = 243). In HDR brachytherapy, the verification method depends slightly on the plan class when considering one or more than one source paths. Good agreement between the estimated and calculated integral dwell times was obtained based on the 2 Gy isodose. Unlike HDR brachytherapy, the parameters used in the verification method for LDR brachytherapy plan verification strongly depend on the type of seed distribution. So, we recommend using an isodose at the prescribed dose for prostate HDR therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Isodose-based verification methods are precise, do not presuppose dedicated tools, and are simple to implement in clinical practice.