Clinical implementation of a Monte Carlo based treatment plan QA platform for validation of Cyberknife and Tomotherapy treatments

Abstract

Purpose: The main focus of the current paper is the clinical implementation of a Monte Carlo based platform for treatment plan validation for Tomotherapy and Cyberknife, without adding additional tasks to the dosimetry department.

Methods: The Monte Carlo platform consists of C++ classes for the actual functionality and a web based GUI that allows accessing the system using a web browser. Calculations are based on BEAMnrc/DOSXYZnrc and/or GATE and are performed automatically after exporting the dicom data from the treatment planning system. For Cyberknife treatments of moving targets, the log files saved during the treatment (position of robot, internal fiducials and external markers) can be used in combination with the 4D planning CT to reconstruct the actually delivered dose. The Monte Carlo platform is also used for calculation on MRI images, using pseudo-CT conversion.

Results: For Tomotherapy treatments we obtain an excellent agreement (within 2%) for almost all cases. However, we have been able to detect a problem regarding the CT Hounsfield units definition of the Toshiba Large Bore CT when using a large reconstruction diameter. For Cyberknife treatments we obtain an excellent agreement with the Monte Carlo algorithm of the treatment planning system. For some extreme cases, when treating small lung lesions in low density lung tissue, small differences are obtained due to the different cut-off energy of the secondary electrons.

Conclusions: A Monte Carlo based treatment plan validation tool has successfully been implemented in clinical routine and is used to systematically validate all Cyberknife and Tomotherapy plans.

Keywords: Delivered dose; Monte Carlo; QA; Treatment planning.