Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T21:08:38.709Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The effect of carbon fibre treatment couch with and without immobilisation devices on radiotherapy dose calculation using three different planning algorithms and photon beam energies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 April 2021

Y. Oulhouq Open the ORCID record for Y. Oulhouq [Opens in a new window] ,
A. Rrhioua ,
D. Bakari ,
M. Zerfaoui  and
D. Krim
Y. Oulhouq*
Affiliation:
LPMR, Faculty of Sciences, University Mohamed 1st, Oujda, Morocco HASSAN II Oncology Center, University Hospital Mohammed VI, Oujda, Morocco
A. Rrhioua
Affiliation:
LPMR, Faculty of Sciences, University Mohamed 1st, Oujda, Morocco
D. Bakari
Affiliation:
National School of Applied Sciences, University Mohamed 1st, Oujda, Morocco
M. Zerfaoui
Affiliation:
LPMR, Faculty of Sciences, University Mohamed 1st, Oujda, Morocco
D. Krim
Affiliation:
LPMR, Faculty of Sciences, University Mohamed 1st, Oujda, Morocco
*
Author for correspondence: Yassine Oulhouq, Faculty of Sciences, University Mohammed First, OujdaMorocco. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Introduction:

The objective of radiotherapy immobilisation devices is to improve the reproducibility of patient positioning during treatment sessions. The inclusion of these devices in the treatment protocol may increase the skin dose. In practice, these devices are not systematically taken into account in the dose calculation.

Material and methods:

In this study, the dosimetric effects of the carbon fibre couch iBEAM Evo Extension 415, with and without three different immobilisation devices (a Klarity Breastboard R610-2ECF, a Bionix Butterfly Board and CIVCO Vac-Lok vacuum bag), were calculated and evaluated on the dose calculation for conformal three-dimensional radiation therapy. The measurements were carried out by comparing the measured dose with the one calculated for three different algorithms, FFT convolution, fast superposition and superposition algorithms, which are implemented in Xio treatment planning system (TPS).

Results:

Dosimetric tolerance levels have been respected for specific dose calculations, which do not include the fibre couch with or without immobilisation devices. Errors of up to 8% in the dose calculation were obtained for the beams passing through the fibre couch and the breast board base support region.

Conclusion:

According to the significant attenuation differences of the beam by the fibre couch and immobilisation devices, it was concluded that ignoring the device in the dose calculation can change patient’s skin and target doses. The fibre couch and immobilisation device should be included within external body contour to account for the TPS calculation algorithms dose attenuation.

Keywords

carbon fibretreatment couchimmobilisation devicesradiotherapyTPS
Type
Original Article
Information
Journal of Radiotherapy in Practice , Volume 21 , Issue 4 , December 2022 , pp. 501 - 505
Check for updates
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Olch, AJ, Gerig, L, Li, H. et al. Dosimetric effects caused by couch tops and immobilization devices: report of AAPM Task Group 176. Med Phys 2014; 41: 061501.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Meara, SJ, Langmack, KA. An investigation into the use of carbon fibre for megavoltage radiotherapy applications. Phys Med Biol 1998; 43 (5): 1359.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bie De, Ost, Jo, Vanregemorter, Bob, Schaeken, Danielle Van den, Weyngaert. The effect of carbon fibre inserts on the build-up and attenuation of high energy photon beams. Radiother Oncol 1997; 45, 275–277.Google Scholar
Zhang, R, Gao, Y, Bai, W. Quantification and comparison the dosimetric impact of two treatment couch model in VMAT. J Appl Clin Med Phys 2018; 19 (1):10–16. doi: 10.1002/acm2.12206.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Teke, T, Gill, B, Duzenli, C, Popescu, IA. A Monte Carlo model of the Varian IGRT couch top for RapidArc QA. Phys Med Biol 2011; 56 (24): N295–305. doi: 10.1088/0031-9155/56/24/N01.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gillis, S, Bral, S, De Wagter, C, et al. Evaluation of the Sinmed Mastercouch as replacement for a standard couch. Radiother Oncol 2005; 75 (2): 227–236. doi: 10.1016/j.radonc.2005.04.013.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Seppala, JKH, Kumala, JAA. Increased beam attenuation and surface dose by different couch inserts of treatment tables used in megavoltage radiotherapy. J Appl Clin Med Phys, 2011; 12 (4): 15–23.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pulliam, K, Howell, R, Followill, D, Luo, D, White, R, Kry, S. Clinical impact of the couch top and rails on IMRT and Arc therapy. Phys Med Biol 2011; 56 (23): 7435–7447.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Njeh, C, Raines, T, Saunders, M. Determination of the photon beam attenuation by the Brainlab imaging couch: angular and field size dependence. J Appl Clin Med Phys 2009; 10, 2979.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gerig, LH, Niedbala, M, Nyiri, BJ. Dose perturbations by two carbon fiber treatment couches and the ability of a commercial treatment planning system to predict these effects. Med Phys 2010; 37, 322–328.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
De Puysseleyr, A, De Neve, W, De Wagter, C. A patient immobilization device for prone breast radiotherapy: dosimetric effects and inclusion in the treatment planning system. Phys Med 2016; 32 (6): 758–766. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2016.04.013.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kuo-Wei, L, Jian-Kuen, W, Shiu-Chen, J, Yen-Wan, HL, Jason Chia-Hsien, C. Skin dose impact from vacuum immobilization device and carbon fiber couch in intensity modulated radiation therapy for prostate cancer. Med Dosim 2009; 34: 228–232.Google Scholar
Chen, L, Peng, Y, Gu, S, et al. Dosimetric effects of head and neck immobilization devices on multi-field intensity modulated radiation therapy for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma. J Cancer 2018; 9: 2443–2450.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Alyssa, O, Kristine, P, Tamara, E, Nishele, L, Ashley, H, Daniel, L, Douglas, B. Assessing dose variance from immobilization devices in VMAT head and neck treatment planning: a retrospective case study analysis. Med Dosim 2018; 43: 39–45.Google Scholar
Oulhouq, Y, Zerfaoui, M, Bakari, D, Rrhioua, A, Machichi, M, Berhili, S. The comparison of two calculation algorithms to evaluate the dosimetric effects of thermoplastic masks used in radiotherapy. Mater Today Proc 2019; 13: 1102–1107.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fraass, B, Doppke, K, Hunt, M, et al. American Association of Physicists in Medicine Radiation Therapy Committee Task Group 53: quality assurance for clinical radiotherapy treatment planning. Med Phys 1998; 25 (10): 1773–1829.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Papanikolaou, N, Battista, JJ, Boyer, AL, et al. Tissue inhomogeneity corrections for megavoltage photon beams. AAPM Task Group, 2004; 65: 1–142.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ahn, S, Park, K, Kim, J, et al. An empirical approach to dosimetric effect of carbon fiber couch for flattening filter free beam of elekta LINAC. Prog Med Phys 2016; 27 (4): 220–223.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Njeh, CF, Parker, J, Spurgin, J, et al. A validation of carbon fiber imaging couch top modeling in two radiation therapy treatment planning systems: Philips Pinnacle 3 and BrainLAB iPlan RT Dose. Radiat Oncology 2012; 7 (1): 1–11.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed