Assessment of out-of-field doses in radiotherapy treatments of paediatric patients using Monte Carlo methods and measurements.

PURPOSE: To assess out-of-field doses in radiotherapy treatments of paediatric patients, using Monte Carlo methods to implement a new model of the linear accelerator validated against measurements and developing a voxelized anthropomorphic paediatric phantom. METHODS: CT images of a physical anthropomorphic paediatric phantom were acquired and a dosimetric planning using a TPS was obtained. The CT images were used to perform the voxelization of the physical phantom using the ImageJ software and later implemented in MCNP. In order to validate the Monte Carlo model, dose measurements of the 6 MV beam and Linac with 120 MLC were made in a clinical setting, using ionization chambers and a water phantom. Afterwards TLD measurements in the physical anthropomorphic phantom were performed in order to assess the out-of-field doses in the eyes, thyroid, c-spine, heart and lungs. RESULTS: The Monte Carlo model was validated for in-field and out-of-field doses with average relative differences below 3%. The average relative differences between TLD measurements and Monte Carlo is 14,3% whilst the average relative differences between TLD and TPS is 55,8%. Moreover, organs up to 22.5 cm from PTV center show TLD and MCNP6 relative differences and TLD and TPS relative differences up to 21.2% and 92.0%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides a novel model that could be used in clinical research, namely in dose evaluation outside the treatment fields. This is particularly relevant, especially in pediatric patients, for studying new radiotherapy treatment techniques, since it can be used to estimate the development of secondary tumours.

Radiotherapy setup displacements in breast cancer patients: 3D surface imaging experience.

AIM: In this study, we intend to compare two different setup procedures for female breast cancer patients. BACKGROUND: Imaging in radiotherapy provides a precise localization of the tumour, increasing the accuracy of the treatment delivery in breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty breast cancer patients who underwent whole breast radiotherapy (WBRT) were selected for this study. Patients were divided into two groups of ten. Group one (G1) was positioned by tattoos and then the patient positioning was adjusted with the aid of AlignRT (Vision RT, London, UK). In group two (G2), patients were positioned only by tattoos. For both groups, the first 15 fractions were analyzed, a daily kilovoltage (kV) cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) image was made and then the rotational and translational displacements and, posteriorly, the systematic (Σ) and random (σ) errors were analyzed. RESULTS: The comparison of CBCT displacements for the two groups showed a statistically significant difference in the translational left-right (LR) direction (ρ = 0.03), considering that the procedure with AlignRT system has smaller lateral displacements. The results of systematic (Σ) and random (σ) errors showed that for translational displacements the group positioned only by tattoos (G2) demonstrated higher values of errors when compared with the group positioned with the aid of AlignRT (G1). CONCLUSIONS: AlignRT could help the positioning of breast cancer patients; however, it should be used with another imaging method.