• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.275-286
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• 2001

Purpose : To setup procedures of quality assurance (OA) for implementing intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) clinically, report OA procedures peformed for one patient with prostate cancer. Materials and methods : $P^3IMRT$ (ADAC) and linear accelerator (Siemens) with multileaf collimator are used to implement IMRT. At first, the positional accuracy, reproducibility of MLC, and leaf transmission factor were evaluated. RTP commissioning was peformed again to consider small field effect. After RTP recommissioning, a test plan of a C-shaped PTV was made using 9 intensity modulated beams, and the calculated isocenter dose was compared with the measured one in solid water phantom. As a patient-specific IMRT QA, one patient with prostate cancer was planned using 6 beams of total 74 segmented fields. The same beams were used to recalculate dose in a solid water phantom. Dose of these beams were measured with a 0.015 cc micro-ionization chamber, a diode detector, films, and an array detector and compared with calculated one. Results : The positioning accuracy of MLC was about 1 mm, and the reproducibility was around 0.5 mm. For leaf transmission factor for 10 MV photon beams, interleaf leakage was measured $1.9\%$ and midleaf leakage $0.9\%$ relative to $10\times\;cm^2$ open filed. Penumbra measured with film, diode detector, microionization chamber, and conventional 0.125 cc chamber showed that $80\~20\%$ penumbra width measured with a 0.125 cc chamber was 2 mm larger than that of film, which means a 0.125 cc ionization chamber was unacceptable for measuring small field such like 0.5 cm beamlet. After RTP recommissioning, the discrepancy between the measured and calculated dose profile for a small field of $1\times1\;cm^2$ size was less than $2\%$. The isocenter dose of the test plan of C-shaped PTV was measured two times with micro-ionization chamber in solid phantom showed that the errors upto $12\%$ for individual beam, but total dose delivered were agreed with the calculated within $2\%$. The transverse dose distribution measured with EC-L film was agreed with the calculated one in general. The isocenter dose for the patient measured in solid phantom was agreed within $1.5\%$. On-axis dose profiles of each individual beam at the position of the central leaf measured with film and array detector were found that at out-of-the-field region, the calculated dose underestimates about $2\%$, at inside-the-field the measured one was agreed within $3\%$, except some position. Conclusion : It is necessary more tight quality control of MLC for IMRT relative to conventional large field treatment and to develop QA procedures to check intensity pattern more efficiently. At the conclusion, we did setup an appropriate QA procedures for IMRT by a series of verifications including the measurement of absolute dose at the isocenter with a micro-ionization chamber, film dosimetry for verifying intensity pattern, and another measurement with an array detector for comparing off-axis dose profile.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.176-185
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• 2005

Purpose: Film dosimetry as a part of patient specific intensity modulated radiation therapy quality assurance (IMRT QA) was peformed to develop a new optimization method of film isocenter offset and to then suggest new quantitative criteria for film dosimetry. Materials and Methods: Film dosimetry was peformed on 14 IMRT patients with head and neck cancers. An optimization method for obtaining the local minimum was developed to adjust for the error in the film isocenter offset, which is the largest part of the systemic errors. Results: The adjust value of the film isocenter offset under optimization was 1 mm in 12 patients, while only two patients showed 2 mm translation. The means of absolute average dose difference before and after optimization were 2.36 and $1.56\%$, respectively, and the mean ratios over a $5\%$ tolerance were 9.67 and $2.88\%$. After optimization, the differences in the dose decreased dramatically. A low dose range cutoff (L-Cutoff) has been suggested for clinical application. New quantitative criteria of a ratio of over a $5\%$, but less than $10\%$ tolerance, and for an absolute average dose difference less than $3\%$ have been suggested for the verification of film dosimetry. Conclusion: The new optimization method was effective in adjusting for the film dosimetry error, and the newly quantitative criteria suggested in this research are believed to be sufficiently accurate and clinically useful.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.453-460
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to determine the dose distribution and image quality according to slice thickness and BC(beam collimation) in the gantry aperture. CT scans were performed with a 64-slice MDCT(Brilliance 64, Philips, Cleveland, USA) scanner. To determine the dose distribution according to BC, a ionization chamber was placed at isocenter and 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 cm positions from the isocenter in the 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock directions. The dose distribution for phantom scan was also measured using CT head and body dose phantom with five holes at the center of the phantom and the positions of the 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock directions. The image noise measurement for different BCs was performed using an AAPM CT phantom. Water-filled block of the phantom was moved by 5 cm or 10 cm to the 12 o'clock direction, and the image noise was measured at the center of the phantom, and the points of 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock direction respectively. Some points were placed beyond the scan field of view (SFOV), so that measurement was not possible at that points. The results are as follows: The CTDIw showed a larger decrease as the source goes farther from the iso-center or the BC became wider. The CTDIw depends on the BC width more than the number of the channel of a detector array. The value of CTDIW decreased with increasing BC, but the value decreased 16.6~31.9% in the head phantom scan in air scan and 51.0~64.5% in the body phantom scan. The value of the noise was 3.9~5.9 in the head and 5.3~7.4 in the body except for BC of $2{\times}0.5\;mm$, regardless of the degree of deviation from the iso-center. When a subject was located within the SFOV, the position did not significantly affect image quality even if the subject was out of the center.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.215-224
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• 1997

Purpose : Stereotactic radiosurgery with external beam irradiation successfully obliterates carefully selected intracranial arteriovenous malformation (AVM) . We Present clinical and radiological long term results after treatment with a single high dose irradiation using a linear accelerator. Materials and Methods : Rrom January 1991 to June 1994, fifteen patients with intracranial AVM were treated in our hospital with the stereotactic radiosurgery using a linear accelerator. The radiation was delivered using a 6 MV linear accelerator. The prescribed doses at the isocenter varied from 1800 to 2500cGy (median : 2000cGy) and were given as a sin91e fraction. The radiation doses at the periphery of the lesion typically corresponded to the 80-90% isodose line. In 14 patients, complete clinical and/or radiological follow-up examination were available. Results : Angiography was available in 13 patients with a follow-up Period from 18 months to 27 months. Of 13 patients, the overall complete obliteration rate was 92.3% (12 patients). This incidence did not correlate with lesion size. Seizure, headache and progressive neurologic deficit were complete recovered. One Patient experienced hemorrhage at 2 months after treatment. One patient developed radiation induced brain edema in the white matter surrounding nidus at 16 months after treatment and showed complete resolution of the edema in MR image obtained at 27 months after treatment. After a follow-up period of up to 6 years, no radiation induced severe late complications occurred. Conclusion : We conclude that stereotactic radiosurgery using a linear accelerator is an effective and safe therapy for symptomatic and surgically inaccessible intracranial AVMs and the results compare favorably to the more expensive and elaborate systems that are currently available for stereotactic radiosurgery.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.84-93
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• 2004

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a technique that delivers a high dose to a target legion and a low dose to a critical organ through only one or a few irradiations. For this purpose, many mathematical methods for optimization have been proposed. There are some limitations to using these methods: the long calculation time and difficulty in finding a unique solution due to different tumor shapes. In this study, many clinical target shapes were examined to find a typical pattern of tumor shapes from which some possible ideal geometrical shapes, such as spheres, cylinders, cones or a combination, are assumed to approximate real tumor shapes. Using the arrangement of multiple isocenters, optimum variables, such as isocenter positions or collimator size, were determined. A database was formed from these results. The optimization procedure consisted of the following steps: Any shape of tumor was first assumed to an ideal model through a geometry comparison algorithm, then optimum variables for ideal geometry chosen from the predetermined database, followed by a final adjustment of the optimum parameters using the real tumor shape. Although the result of applying the database to other patients was not superior to the result of optimization in each case, it can be acceptable as a plan starling point.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.43-48
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• 1999

Purpose : For practical application of the MR image for stereotactic radiosurgery, the target point achieved by acquisition of MR image in a relatively homogeneous phantom has to agree with the actual isocenter of irradiation in real radiosurgery and the amount of distortion of the MR image should be known. Materials and Methods : A dosimetric film with a random target point was inserted into a radish vertically and horizontally on axis Z and they were fixed with a headring. After image acquisition by stereotactic radiosurgery planning system, we achieved stereotactic coordinate of the target point and examined irradiation using the coordinate acquired as isocenter. After the irradiation, the film in the radish was developed and processed and the degree of coincidence between the target point marked on the film and the center of the radiation distribution. In order to measure the degree of distortion of the MR image in a different way, an acryl phantom was made and punctures were made at intervals of 1 cm and a drop of oil was dropped into it. Then, it was inserted into the radish vertically and horizontally on axis Z to acquire the MR image. Each coordinate was achieved and the estimation of distortion of MR image was made both in vertical and horizontal directions Results : The film from the radio was developed and for the one inserted vertically on axis Z, there was a good coincidence in the discrepancy between the target point marked on the film and the center of the radiation distribution. For the one inserted horizontally, the discrepancy between them was under 0.5 mm. As a result of estimating distortion of MR image using acryl, the discrepancy was under 0.45 mm in the case of the phantom inserted vertically on axis Z, and that of the one inserted horizontally was 1.4 mm. Conclusion : We were able to confirm good coincidence in homogeneous phantom in actual treatment position of radiosurgery using the MR image and the discrepancy measured in the analysis of distortion of the MR image did not exceed the permissible level. Therefore, it was evident the system of the hospital is suitable for radiosurgery using MR image.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SC
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.44-51
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• 2009

It is very important to verify generated setup errors in cancer therapy by using a high energy radiation and to perform the precise radiation therapy. Specially, the verification of treatment position is very crucial in special therapies like fractionated stereotatic radiotherapy (FSRT). The FSRT uses normally high-dose, small field size for treating small intracranial lesions. To estimate the developed FSRT system, the isocenter accuracy of gantry, couch and collimator were performed and a total of inaccuracy was less than ${\pm}1mm$. Precise beam targeting is crucial when using high-dose, small field size FSRT for treating small intracranial lesions. The EPID image of the 3mm lead ball mounted on the isocenter with a 25mm collimator cone was acquired and detected to the extent of one pixel (0.76mm) after comparing the difference between the center of a 25mm collimator cone and a 3 mm ball after processing the EPID image. In this paper, the radiation treatment efficiency can be improved by performing precise radiation therapy with a developed video based EPID and FSRT at near real time

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.201-206
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• 1998

IMRT optimization method on multiple slice has been developed by using gradient based algorithm. On about 10-30 CT slices including treatment region of a patient, dose optimization has been performed slice by slice to meet the condition that each organ should be exposed below maximum tolerable doses and that the tumor dose within the range of 100$\pm$5 %. Field size was limited to 8$\times$8 cm$^2$ and in this condition, beam divergence was not taken into account to calculate dose distribution. Total dose distribution was calculated by superposing each beamlet whose dose distribution had been precalculated. In order to investigate beam number dependency, dose optimization was performed for one, three, five, seven, and nine coplanar beams and then each optimization index was evaluated. It is found that optimization time was proportional to number of slices to be optimized, and the most efficient plan was obtained from the case of three-to-seven incident beams with respect to calculation time and optimization index. In conclusion, dose optimization of multiple slice was able to be obtained by repeating dose optimization of single slice under condition that the beam size is not too large to ignore beam divergence. And it turns out that result of dose optimization was so sensitive to the position of isocenter that some method to optimize isocenter position is needed to improve it.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.176-182
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• 2005

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a technique to deliver a high dose to a target region and a low dose to a critical organ through only one or a few irradiation. The SRS must be planned exactly. Currently the surgery plan is peformed by trial and error method. There are many questions about the reliability and reproducibility of the plan result. This study Improve each step of the Oh's method based on heuristic target shaping to obtain the better result. The target was reconstructed using cylinders with same height and the neighbored cylinders were combined according to the difference of each center and diameter. Then, spheres were packed within each cylinders by the packing rules. Two virtual targets were used to compare this method with Oh's method. As a result, the numbers of isocenter were successfully reduced - more than $35\%$ and $26\%$ - without serious differences of proscription isodose to tumour volume ratio (PITV) and maximum dose to proscription dose ratio (MDPD). This technique using cylinder piling and sphere packing will be a helpful tool to planner in stereotactic radiosurgery.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.192-200
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• 2006

We evaluated the positional accuracy of the delivered beams to the target in a phantom by simulating the whole process of the radiation treatments Including CT scanning, planning and beam exposures with MLCs. For this purpose, a phantom was made to calibrate the alignment between the CT and the attached laser system. A new, convenient method was also devised to align the setup lasers in the treatment room. Film was used for the Identification of the delivered beam and analyzed with a homemade computer program. The positional differences between the target and the beam centers varied with the couch rotations. The accelerator we used showed a maximum discrepancy of 2.0 mm at the table angle of $295^{\circ}$. The same measurements based on the new isocenter from the Winston-Lutz test resulted in the maximum of 1.35 mm for all rotation angles. The evaluation of the differences between the target and the beam centers is useful for the treatment planning.