• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.138-147
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• 2020

Purpose: To evaluate the dosimetric variations in patients of head and neck cancer treated with definitive or adjuvant radiotherapy using optimized non-coplanar (ncVMAT) beams with coplanar (cVMAT) beams using volumetric arc therapy. Materials and Methods: Twenty-two patients of head and neck cancer that had received radiotherapy using VMAT in our department were retrospectively analyzed. Each of the patients was planned using coplanar and non-coplanar orientations using an optimized couch angle and fluences. We analyzed the Conformity Index (C_IRTOG), Dose Homogeneity Index (DHI), Heterogeneity Index (HI_RTOG), low dose volume, target and organs-at-risk coverage in both the plans without changing planning optimization parameters. Results: The prescription dose ranged from 60 Gy to 70 Gy. Using ncVMAT, C_IRTOG, DHI and HI_RTOG, and tumor coverage (ID_95%) had improved, low dose spillage volume in the body V_5Gy was increased and V_10Gy was reduced. Integral dose and intensity-modulated radiation therapy factor had increased in ncVMAT. In the case of non-coplanar beam arrangements, maximum dose (D_max) of right and left humeral head were reduced significantly whereas apex of the right and left lung mean dose were increased. Conclusion: The use of ncVMAT produced better target coverage and sparing of the shoulder and soft tissue of the neck as well as the critical organ compared with the cVMAT in patients of head and neck malignancy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.1633-1636
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• 2015

Background: The advantages of Rapid Arc plans versus Intensity modulated radiotherapy plans for Carcinoma left breast were analyzed. Materials and Methods: In this study 20 Post mastectomy carcinoma left breast patients were analyzed. Both Intensity modulated Radiotherapy and Rapid Arc plans were generated for these patients. IMRT plans with 7 beams in an arc fashion and VMAT plans with two semi arcs were made to achieve 95% dose coverage to 100% volume. The plans were evaluated using Dose volume Histograms. Results: The mean Conformity and Homogeneity index in VMAT is found to be 1.05 and 0.065 respectively whereas in IMRT it was 1.07 and 0.069. The 20% volume of Heart received a mean dose of 960cGy in VMAT and 1300cGy in IMRT. The mean dose was 1236cGy in VMAT and 1870cGy in IMRT. The ipsilateral Lung received 3395cGy to 5% volume and 1840cGy to 20% volume on an average and the mean dose was 1205cGy in VMAT, while the same were found to be 3525cGy, 2012cGy and 1435cGy respectively in IMRT. The Contralateral Lung received a mean dose of 505cGy in VMAT and 553cGy in IMRT. The mean Monitor units in VMAT were 512MU and 1170MU in IMRT. The NTID in VMAT is $108.8{\times}10^5Gycm^3$ and $110.1{\times}10^5Gycm^3$ in IMRT. Conclusions: The target coverage, homogeneity and Conformity index were better in VMAT plans. The Ipsilateral Lung and heart dose were very less in VMAT plans. The Contralateral Lung dose and the Normal Tissue Integral Dose were also lesser in VMAT plans however the difference is not very appreciable. The MU in VMAT plans is almost 50% that of the IMRT plans which results in the reduction of treatment time. On the whole VMAT proves to be a better modality for treating Ca. Left Breast Patients.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.20
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• pp.9033-9038
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• 2014

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of deep inspiration breath-hold (DIBH) based volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for locally advanced left sided breast cancer patients undergoing radical mastectomy. DIBH immobilizes the tumor bed providing dosimetric benefits over free breathing (FB). Materials and Methods: Ten left sided post mastectomy patients were immobilized in a supine position with both the arms lifted above the head on a hemi-body vaclock. Two thermoplastic masks were prepared for each patient, one for normal free breathing and a second made with breath-hold to maintain reproducibility. DIBH CT scans were performed in the prospective mode of the Varian real time position management (RPM) system. The planning target volume (PTV) included the left chest wall and supraclavicular nodes and PTV prescription dose was 5000cGy in 25 fractions. DIBH-3DCRT planning was performed with the single iso-centre technique using a 6MV photon beam and the field-in-field technique. VMAT plans for FB and DIBH contained two partial arcs ($179^{\circ}-300^{\circ}CCW/CW$). Dose volume histograms of PTV and OAR's were analyzed for DIBH-VMAT, FB-VMAT and DIBH-3DCRT. In DIBH mode daily orthogonal ($0^{\circ}$ and $90^{\circ}$) KV images were taken to determine the setup variability and weekly twice CBCT to verify gating threshold level reproducibility. Results: DIBH-VMAT reduced the lung and heart dose compared to FB-VMAT, while maintaining similar PTV coverage. The mean heart $V_{30Gy}$ was $2.3%{\pm}2.7$, $5.1%{\pm}3.2$ and $3.3%{\pm}7.2$ and for left lung $V_{20Gy}$ was $18.57%{\pm}2.9$, $21.7%{\pm}3.9$ and $23.5%{\pm}5.1$ for DIBH-VMAT, FB-VMAT and DIBH-3DCRT respectively. Conclusions: DIBH-VMAT significantly reduced the heart and lung dose for left side chest wall patients compared to FB-VMAT. PTV conformity index, homogeneity index, ipsilateral lung dose and heart dose were better for DIBH-VMAT compared to DIBH-3DCRT. However, contralateral lung and breast volumes exposed to low doses were increased with DIBH-VMAT.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.225-232
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• 2014

Underwent on modified radical mastectomy(MRM) and radiation therapy, it affects increasing rates of chronic morbidity, because of including chest wall and internal mammary nodes(IMNs). It causes the high absorbed dose on heart and ipsilateral lung. Thus in this study, we compared dose distributions through utilizing the intensity modulated radiation therapy(IMRT) and the volumetric modulated arc therapy(VMAT). We selected 10 breast cancer patients at random who took MRM and radiation therapy. Treatment plannings were done by using IMRT and VMAT from each patient ranging supraclavicular lymphnodes(SCL) and IMNs. After that we analysed the planning target volume(PTV)'s conformity and absorbed doses on heart and lungs. As a results, PTV conformities were indicated the same patten(p<0.05) in both plans. In case of Lt breast cancer patients, the dose maximum regions of the heart were more lesser in VMAT technique rather than the IMRT(p<0.05). Also, the maximum dose areas of lungs were lesser in VMAT technique rather than the IMRT(p<0.05). Therefore, it would be safe to say that it is more effective way to adapt the VMAT technique than IMRT in such cases like involve IMNs in breast cancer patients.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.90-100
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• 2017

Purpose: To Study the dosimetric advantage of the Jaw tracking technique in intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for Head and Neck Cancers. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively selected 10 previously treated head and neck cancer patients stage (T1/T2, N1, M0) in this study. All the patients were planned for IMRT and VMAT with simultaneous integrated boost technique. IMRT and VMAT plans were performed with jaw tracking (JT) and with static jaw (SJ) technique by keeping the same constraints and priorities for a particular patient. Target conformity, dose to the critical structures and low dose volumes were recorded and analyzed for IMRT and VMAT plans with and without JT for all the patients. Results: The conformity index average of all patients followed by standard deviation (${\bar{x}}{\pm}{\sigma}_{\bar{x}}$) of the JT-IMRT, SJ-IMRT, JT-VMAT, and SJ-VMAT were $1.72{\pm}0.56$, $1.67{\pm}0.57$, $1.83{\pm}0.65$, and $1.85{\pm}0.64$, and homogeneity index were $0.059{\pm}0.05$, $0.064{\pm}0.05$, $0.064{\pm}0.04$, and $0.064{\pm}0.05$. JT-IMRT shows significant mean reduction in right parotid and left parotid shows of 7.64% (p < 0.001) and 7.45% (p < 0.001) compare to SJ-IMRT. JT-IMRT plans also shows considerable dose reduction to thyroid, inferior constrictors, spinal cord and brainstem compared to the SJ-IMRT plans. Conclusion: Significant dose reductions were observed for critical structure in the JT-IMRT compared to SJ-IMRT technique. In JT-VMAT plans dose reduction to the critical structure were not significant compared to the SJ-IMRT due to relatively lesser monitor units.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.284-289
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• 2013

A study was performed comparing dosimetric characteristics of volumetric modulated arc and intensity modulated radiatio therapy on patients with bilateral breast cancer. For 5 patients, 3 plans were made for each patient; IMRT beams 8 and 12 of the beam intensity modulated radiation therapy, volumetric modulated arc therapy plan. The average PTVs volumes and $D_{98}$ for 12-IMRT were $51.04{\pm}0.57$ Gy (right), $50.80{\pm}1.07$ Gy (left), $42.94{\pm}16.16$ Gy (right), $42.56{\pm}2.09$ Gy (left). HI ($D_5{\sim}D_{95}$) and $CI_{90,95}$, even 12-IMRT has shown excellent results. In OAR, 3 plans showed excellent results. But the lowest dose of 12-IMRT. 12-IMRT achieved similar PTV coverage and sparing of organs at risk than 8-IMRT and VMAT.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.32-42
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• 2019

Background: There have been much efforts to develop the proper and realistic machine Quality Assurance (QA) reflecting on real Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) plan. In this work we propose and test a special VMAT plan of plan-class specific (pcsr) QA, as a machine QA so that it might be a good solution to supplement weak point of present machine QA to make it more realistic for VMAT treatment. Materials and Methods: We divided human body into 5 treatment sites: brain, head and neck, chest, abdomen, and pelvis. One plan for each treatment site was selected from real VMAT cases and contours were mapped into the computational human phantom where the same plan as real VMAT plan was created and called plan-class specific reference (pcsr) QA plan. We delivered this pcsr QA plan on a daily basis over the full research period and tracked how much MLC movement and dosimetric error occurred in regular delivery. Several real patients under treatments were also tracked to test the usefulness of pcsr QA through comparisons between them. We used dynalog file viewer (DFV) and Dynalog file to analyze position and speed of individual MLC leaf. The gamma pass rate from portal dosimetry for different gamma criteria was analyzed to evaluate analyze dosimetric accuracy. Results and Discussion: The maxRMS of MLC position error for all plans were all within the tolerance limit of < 0.35 cm and the positional variation of maxPEs for both pcsr and real plans were observed very stable over the research session. Daily variations of maxRMS of MLC speed error and gamma pass rate for real VMAT plans were observed very comparable to those in their pcsr plans in good acceptable fluctuation. Conclusion: We believe that the newly proposed pcsr QA would be useful and helpful to predict the mid-term quality of real VMAT treatment delivery.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.10
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• pp.3816-3823
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• 2022

This work analyzed the dosimetric difference between the intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), partial/single/double-arc volumetric modulated arc therapy (PA/SA/DA-VMAT) techniques in treatment planning for treating more than one target of lung cancer at different isocenters. IMRT and VMAT plans at different isocenters were created systematically using a Harold heterogeneous lung phantom. The conformity index (CI), homogeneity index (HI), gradient index (GI), dose-volume histogram and mean and maximum dose of the PTV were calculated and analyzed. Furthermore, the dose-volume histogram and mean and maximum doses of the OARs such as right lung, contralateral lung and non GTV were determined from the plans. The IMRT plans showed the superior target dose coverage, higher mean and maximum values than other VMAT techniques. PA-VMAT technique shows more lung sparing and DA-VMAT increases the V_5/10/20 values of contralateral lung than other VMAT and IMRT techniques. The IMRT technique achieves highly conformal dose distribution to the target than other VMAT techniques. Comparing to the IMRT plans, the higher V_5/10/20 and mean lung dose were observed in the contralateral lung in the DA-VMAT.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2014

Purpose : For non-small cell lung cancer, if the treatment volume is large or the total lung volume is small, and the tumor is located in midline of patient's body, total lung dose tends to increase due to tolerance dose of spinal cord. The purpose of this study is to compare and evaluate the total lung dose of three dimensional conformal radiotherapy(3D CRT), intensity modulated radiotherapy(IMRT) and volumetric modulated arc therapy(VMAT) using restricted angle for non-small cell lung cancer patients. Materials and Methods : The treatment plans for four patients, being treated on TrueBeam STx($Varian^{TM}$, USA) with 10 MV and prescribed dose of 60 Gy in 30 fractions, 3D CRT, restricted angle IMRT and VAMT radiotherapy plans were established. Planning target volume(PTV), dose to total lung and spinal cord were evaluated using the dose volume histogram(DVH). Conformity index(CI), homogeneity index(HI), Paddick's index(PCI) for the PTV, $V_{30}$, $V_{20}$, $V_{10}$, $V_5$, mean dose for total lung and maximum dose for spinal cord was assessed. Results : Average value of CI, HI and PCI for PTV was $0.944{\pm}0.009$, $1.106{\pm}0.027$, $1.084{\pm}0.016$ respectively. $V_{20}$ values from 3D CRT, IMRT and VMAT plans were 30.7%, 20.2% and 21.2% for the first patient, 33.0%, 29.2% and 31.5% for second patient, 51.3%, 34.3% and 36.9% for third patient, finally 56.9%, 33.7% and 40.0% for the last patient. It was noticed that the $V_{20}$ was lowest in the IMRT plan using restricted angle. Maximum dose for spinal cord was evaluated to lower than the tolerance dose. Conclusion : For non-small cell lung cancer, IMRT with restricted angle or VMAT could minimize the lung dose and lower the dose to spinal cord below the tolerance level. Considering PTV coverage and tolerance dose to spinal cord, it was possible to obtain IMRT plan with smaller angle and this could result in lower dose to lung when compared to VMAT.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.110-115
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• 2014

To compare 2 beam arrangements, circumferential equally angles (EA) beams or partially angles (PA) beams for stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) of primary lung cancer for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) delivery techniques with respect to target, ipsilateral lung, contralateral lung, and organs-at-risk (OAR) dose-volume metrics, as well as treatment delivery efficiency. Data from 12 patients, four treatment plans were generated per data sets ($IMRT_{EA}$, $IMRT_{PA}$, $VMAT_{EA}$, $VMAT_{PA}$). The prescribed dose (PD) was 60 Gy in 4 fractions to 95% of the planning target volume (PTV) for a 6-MV photon beam. When compared with the IMRT and VMAT treatment plan for 2 beams, conformity index, homogeneity index, high dose spillage, D2 cm (Dmax at a distance ${\geq}2cm$ beyond the PTV), R50 (ratio of volume circumscribed by the 50% isodose line and the PTV), resulted in similar. But Dmax of the Organ at risk (OAR), spinal cord, trachea, resulted in differ between four treatment plans. Especially $HDS_{location}$ showed big difference in 21.63% vs. 26.46%.