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At least 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

SU-G-201-06: Directional Low-Dose Rate Brachytherapy: Determination of the TG-43 Dose-Rate Constant Analog for a New Pd-103 Source

Purpose: The aim of this work is to determine the TG-43 dose-rate constant analog for a new directional low-dose rate brachytherapy source based on experimental methods and comparison to Monte Carlo simulations. The CivaSheet™ is a new commercially available planar source array comprised of a variable number of discrete directional source elements called “CivaDots”. Given the directional nature and non-conventional design of the source, modifications to the AAPM TG-43 protocol for dosimetry are required. As a result, various parameters of the TG-43 dosimetric formalism have to be adapted to accommodate this source. This work focuses on the dose-rate constant analog determination for a CivaDot. Methods: Dose to water measurements of the CivaDot were performed in a polymethyl methacrylate phantom (20×20×12 cm{sup 3}) using thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) and Gafchromic EBT3 film. The source was placed in the center of the phantom, and nine TLD micro-cubes were irradiated along its central axis at a distance of 1 cm. For the film measurements, the TLDs were substituted by a (3×3) cm{sup 2} EBT3 film. Primary air-kerma strength measurements of the source were performed using a variable-aperture free-air chamber. Finally, the source was modeled using the Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code 6. Results: Dose-rate constant analog observed for a total of eight CivaDots using TLDs and five CivaDots using EBT3 film was within ±7.0% and ±2.9% of the Monte Carlo predicted value respectively. The average difference observed was −4.8% and −0.1% with a standard deviation of 1.7% and 2.1% for the TLD and the film measurements respectively, which are both within the comparison uncertainty. Conclusion: A preliminary investigation to determine the doserate constant analog for a CivaDot was conducted successfully with good agreement between experimental and Monte Carlo based methods. This work will aid in the eventual realization of a clinically-viable dosimetric framework for the CivaSheet. This work was partially supported by NCI contract (HHSN261201200052C) through CivaTech Oncology Inc.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2001

Extrapolation of the dna fragment-size distribution after high-dose irradiation to predict effects at low doses

The patterns of DSBs induced in the genome are different for sparsely and densely ionizing radiations: In the former case, the patterns are well described by a random-breakage model; in the latter, a more sophisticated tool is needed. We used a Monte Carlo algorithm with a random-walk geometry of chromatin, and a track structure defined by the radial distribution of energy deposition from an incident ion, to fit the PFGE data for fragment-size distribution after high-dose irradiation. These fits determined the unknown parameters of the model, enabling the extrapolation of data for high-dose irradiation to the low doses that are relevant for NASA space radiation research. The randomly-located-clusters formalism was used to speed the simulations. It was shown that only one adjustable parameter, Q, the track efficiency parameter, was necessary to predict DNA fragment sizes for wide ranges of doses. This parameter was determined for a variety of radiations and LETs and was used to predict the DSB patterns at the HPRT locus of the human X chromosome after low-dose irradiation. It was found that high-LET radiation would be more likely than low-LET radiation to induce additional DSBs within the HPRT gene if this gene already contained one DSB.

NASA Discipline Radiation Health↗
DOE OSTI2011

Determinants of Toxicity, Patterns of Failure, and Outcome Among Adult Patients With Soft Tissue Sarcomas of the Extremity and Superficial Trunk Treated With Greater Than Conventional Doses of Perioperative High-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy and External Beam Radiotherapy

Purpose: The present study was undertaken to determine factors predictive of toxicity, patterns of failure, and survival in 60 adult patients with soft tissue sarcomas of the extremity and superficial trunk treated with combined perioperative high-dose-rate brachytherapy and external beam radiotherapy. Methods and Materials: The patients were treated with surgical resection and perioperative high-dose-rate brachytherapy (16 or 24 Gy) for negative and close/microscopically positive resection margins, respectively. External beam radiotherapy (45 Gy) was added postoperatively to reach a 2-Gy equivalent dose of 62.9 and 72.3 Gy, respectively. Adjuvant chemotherapy with ifosfamide and doxorubicin was given to patients with advanced high-grade tumors. Results: Grade 3 toxic events were observed in 18 patients (30%) and Grade 4 events in 6 patients (10%). No Grade 5 events were observed. A location in the lower limb was significant for Grade 3 or greater toxic events on multivariate analysis (p = .013), and the tissue volume encompassed by the 150% isodose line showed a trend toward statistical significance (p = .086). The local control, locoregional control, and distant control rate at 9 years was 77.4%, 69.5%, and 63.8%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, microscopically involved margins correlated with local control (p = .036) and locoregional control (p = .007) and tumor size correlated with distant metastases (p = .004). The 9-year disease-free survival and overall survival rate was 47.0% and 61.5%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed poorer disease-free survival rates for patients with tumors >6 cm (p = .005) and microscopically involved margins (p = .043), and overall survival rates decreased with increasing tumor size (p = .011). Conclusions: Grade 3 or greater wound complications can probably be decreased using meticulous treatment planning to decrease the tissue volume encompassed by the 150% isodose line, especially in lower limb locations. Microscopically involved margins remain a predictor of local and locoregional failure, despite radiation doses >70 Gy. Patients with tumors {>=}6 cm and microscopically involved margins are at high risk of treatment failure and death from the development of distant metastases.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) for liver metastasis in an experimental model: dose–response at five-week follow-up based on retrospective dose assessment in individual rats

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) was proposed for untreatable colorectal liver metastases. Employing an experimental model of liver metastases in rats, we recently demonstrated that BNCT mediated by boronophenylalanine (BPA-BNCT) at 13 Gy prescribed to tumor is therapeutically useful at 3-week follow-up. The aim of the present study was to evaluate dose–response at 5-week follow-up, based on retrospective dose assessment in individual rats. BDIX rats were inoculated with syngeneic colon cancer cells DHD/K12/TRb. Tumor-bearing animals were divided into three groups: BPA-BNCT (n = 19), Beam only (n = 8) and Sham (n = 7) (matched manipulation, no treatment). For each rat, neutron flux was measured in situ and boron content was measured in a pre-irradiation blood sample for retrospective individual dose assessment. For statistical analysis (ANOVA), individual data for the BPA-BNCT group were pooled according to absorbed tumor dose, BPA-BNCT I: 4.5–8.9 Gy and BPA-BNCT II: 9.2–16 Gy. At 5 weeks post-irradiation, the tumor surface area post-treatment/pre-treatment ratio was 12.2 +/- 6.6 for Sham, 7.8 +/- 4.1 for Beam only, 4.4 +/- 5.6 for BPA-BNCT I and 0.45 +/- 0.20 for BPA-BNCT II; tumor nodule weight was 750 +/- 480 mg for Sham, 960 +/- 620 mg for Beam only, 380 +/- 720 mg for BPA-BNCT I and 7.3 +/- 5.9 mg for BPA-BNCT II. The BPA-BNCT II group exhibited statistically significant tumor control with no contributory liver toxicity. Potential threshold doses for tumor response and significant tumor control were established at 6.1 and 9.2 Gy, respectively.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Metabolomic Response of Human Skin Tissue to Low Dose Ionizing Radiation

Understanding how human organs respond to ionizing radiation (IR) at a systems biology level and identifying biomarkers for IR exposure at low doses can help provide a scientific basis for establishing radiation protection standards. Little is known regarding the physiological responses to low dose IR at the metabolite level, which represents the end-point of biochemical processes inside cells. Using a full thickness human skin tissue model and GC-MS-based metabolomics analysis, we examined the metabolic perturbations at three time points (3, 24 and 48 hr) after exposure to 3, 10 and 200 cGy of X-rays. PLS-DA score plots revealed dose- and time-dependent clustering between sham and irradiated groups. Importantly, a comparable number of metabolites were detected to have significant change 48 hr after exposure to 3 and 10 cGy of irradiation, when compared with the high dose of 200 cGy. Biochemical pathway analysis showed perturbations to DNA/RNA damage and repair, lipid and energy metabolisms, even at low doses of IR.

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTAN↗
DOE OSTI2018

A sub-sampled approach to extremely low-dose STEM

The inpainting of deliberately and randomly sub-sampled images offers a potential means to image specimens at a high resolution and under extremely low-dose conditions (≤1 e - /Å 2 ) using a scanning transmission electron microscope. We show that deliberate sub-sampling acquires images at least an order of magnitude faster than conventional low-dose methods for an equivalent electron dose. More importantly, when adaptive sub-sampling is implemented to acquire the images, there is a significant increase in the resolution and sensitivity which accompanies the increase in imaging speed. Lastly, we demonstrate the potential of this method for beam sensitive materials and in-situ observations by experimentally imaging the node distribution in a metal-organic framework.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2021

High Dose and Dose Rate 60 Co γ-Irradiation of High-Density Polyethylene

We have irradiated high-density polyethylene ribbons and cylinders to ~200 kGy at a dose rate of ~5 kGy day -1 , using a 60 Co source. The radiolytically-generated gas consists almost entirely of H 2 . Based on the time- and dose-dependence of the outgassing, we have determined the radiation- chemical yield for the evolved H 2 , as well as the diffusion coefficient of H 2 in HDPE. We find that the evolved gas yield G evolved depends on the interplay of sample geometry, experimental timescale, and the diffusion coefficient of H 2 in HDPE. When these factors facilitate completion of diffusion prior to gas quantification, such as for sub-mm-thickness ribbons, we measure a time- and dose-invariant value of G evolved = 0.0076 cm 3 std. H 2 J -1 that is in agreement with literature reports. When sample geometry and experiment timescale do not permit completion of diffusion, we measure a time- and dose-dependent value of G evolved . We have developed a model for the transient outgassing behavior of the cylinders, and fitted it to the experimental data. Based on these fits, we estimate a room-temperature diffusivity of D H 2 /HDPE ≈ 1.67 ± 0.12 x 10 -6 cm 2 s -1 for H 2 in HDPE, in good agreement with literature values. At present, the effects of dose rate and γ-photon energy on HDPE gas yield are not known and require further investigation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1972

Mutations induced in Tradescantia by small doses of X-rays and neutrons - Analysis of dose-response curves.

Dose-response curves for pink somatic mutations in Tradescantia stamen hairs were analyzed after neutron and X-ray irradiation with doses ranging from a fraction of a rad to the region of saturation. The dose-effect relation for neutrons indicates a linear dependence from 0.01 to 8 rads; between 0.25 and 5 rads, a linear dependence is indicated for X-rays also. As a consequence the relative biological effectiveness reaches a constant value (about 50) at low doses. The observations are in good agreement with the predictions of the theory of dual radiation action and support its interpretation of the effects of radiation on higher organisms. The doubling dose of X-rays was found to be nearly 1 rad.

Sparrow, A. H.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Comparison of Organ Dose and Dose Equivalent Using Ray Tracing of Male and Female Voxel Phantoms to Space Flight Phantom Torso Data

Phantom torso experiments have been flown on the space shuttle and International Space Station (ISS) providing validation data for radiation transport models of organ dose and dose equivalents. We describe results for space radiation organ doses using a new human geometry model based on detailed Voxel phantoms models denoted for males and females as MAX (Male Adult voXel) and Fax (Female Adult voXel), respectively. These models represent the human body with much higher fidelity than the CAMERA model currently used at NASA. The MAX and FAX models were implemented for the evaluation of directional body shielding mass for over 1500 target points of major organs. Radiation exposure to solar particle events (SPE), trapped protons, and galactic cosmic rays (GCR) were assessed at each specific site in the human body by coupling space radiation transport models with the detailed body shielding mass of MAX/FAX phantom. The development of multiple-point body-shielding distributions at each organ site made it possible to estimate the mean and variance of space dose equivalents at the specific organ. For the estimate of doses to the blood forming organs (BFOs), active marrow distributions in adult were accounted at bone marrow sites over the human body. We compared the current model results to space shuttle and ISS phantom torso experiments and to calculations using the CAMERA model.

Kim, Myung-Hee Y.↗
NASA NTRS2023

Accounting for Dose Uncertainty in Dose-Response Curve Estimation Using Hierarchical Bayes Models

As part of their development of the technology for low-boom supersonic flight, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is planning to conduct a set of supersonic aircraft annoyance surveys in select communities in the United States, to measure public perception of the reduced sonic boom. The relationship between a noise exposure level of a supersonic flight event and the probability of an individual being highly annoyed by the event is quantified by a dose-response curve, which is usually based on logistic regression modeling. Unavoidable amounts of estimation error are expected in the upcoming noise measurements, which can bias the results of the logistic regression if ignored. Hence, the development of an estimation approach that accounts for such error when estimating the dose-response curve is imperative. In this paper, an evaluation study is conducted to assess the impact of measurement error on dose-response curve estimation. For this, hierarchical Bayes models using different specifications are fit to data collected by NASA in 2018, as part of a risk-reduction study of supersonic flights affecting Galveston, Texas. It is observed that the estimated dose-response curve appears sensitive to uncertainty in dose measurements, being subject to attenuation bias.

community response↗
DOE OSTI2011

Dose Constraint for Minimizing Grade 2 Rectal Bleeding Following Brachytherapy Combined With External Beam Radiotherapy for Localized Prostate Cancer: Rectal Dose-Volume Histogram Analysis of 457 Patients

Purpose: To determine the rectal tolerance to Grade 2 rectal bleeding after I-125 seed brachytherapy combined with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), based on the rectal dose-volume histogram. Methods and Materials: A total of 458 consecutive patients with stages T1 to T3 prostate cancer received combined modality treatment consisting of I-125 seed implantation followed by EBRT to the prostate and seminal vesicles. The prescribed doses of brachytherapy and EBRT were 100 Gy and 45 Gy in 25 fractions, respectively. The rectal dosimetric factors were analyzed for rectal volumes receiving >100 Gy and >150 Gy (R100 and R150) during brachytherapy and for rectal volumes receiving >30 Gy to 40 Gy (V30-V40) during EBRT therapy in 373 patients for whom datasets were available. The patients were followed from 21 to 72 months (median, 45 months) after the I-125 seed implantation. Results: Forty-four patients (9.7%) developed Grade 2 rectal bleeding. On multivariate analysis, age (p = 0.014), R100 (p = 0.002), and V30 (p = 0.001) were identified as risk factors for Grade 2 rectal bleeding. The rectal bleeding rate increased as the R100 increased: 5.0% (2/40 patients) for 0 ml; 7.5% (20/267 patients) for >0 to 0.5 ml; 11.0% (11/100 patients) for >0.5 to 1 ml; 17.9% (5/28 patients) for >1 to 1.5 ml; and 27.3% (6/22 patients) for >1.5 ml (p = 0.014). Grade 2 rectal bleeding developed in 6.4% (12/188) of patients with a V30 {<=}35% and in 14.1% (26/185) of patients with a V30 >35% (p = 0.02). When these dose-volume parameters were considered in combination, the Grade 2 rectal bleeding rate was 4.2% (5/120 patients) for a R100 {<=}0.5 ml and a V30 {<=}35%, whereas it was 22.4% (13/58 patients) for R100 of >0.5 ml and V30 of >35%. Conclusion: The risk of rectal bleeding was found to be significantly volume-dependent in patients with prostate cancer who received combined modality treatment. Rectal dose-volume analysis is a practical method for predicting the risk of development of Grade 2 rectal bleeding.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Ultra-high-dose-rate FLASH and Conventional-Dose-Rate Irradiation Differentially Affect Human Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Normal Hematopoiesis

Ultra-high-dose-rate FLASH radiation therapy has been shown to minimize side effects of irradiation in various organs while keeping antitumor efficacy. This property, called the FLASH effect, has caused enthusiasm in the radiation oncology community because it opens opportunities for safe dose escalation and improved radiation therapy outcome. Here, we investigated the impact of ultra-high-dose-rate FLASH versus conventional-dose-rate (CONV) total body irradiation (TBI) on humanized models of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and normal human hematopoiesis.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2013

A framework to measure myocardial extracellular volume fraction using dual-phase low dose CT images

Purpose: Myocardial extracellular volume fraction (ECVF) is a surrogate imaging biomarker of diffuse myocardial fibrosis, a hallmark of pathologic ventricular remodeling. Low dose cardiac CT is emerging as a promising modality to detect diffuse interstitial myocardial fibrosis due to its fast acquisition and low radiation; however, the insufficient contrast in the low dose CT images poses great challenge to measure ECVF from the image. Methods: To deal with this difficulty, the authors present a complete ECVF measurement framework including a point-guided myocardial modeling, a deformable model-based myocardium segmentation, nonrigid registration of pre- and post-CT, and ECVF calculation. Results: The proposed method was evaluated on 20 patients by two observers. Compared to the manually delineated reference segmentations, the accuracy of our segmentation in terms of true positive volume fraction (TPVF), false positive volume fraction (FPVF), and average surface distance (ASD), were 92.18% ± 3.52%, 0.31% ± 0.10%, 0.69 ± 0.14 mm, respectively. The interobserver variability measured by concordance correlation coefficient regarding TPVF, FPVF, and ASD were 0.95, 0.90, 0.94, respectively, demonstrating excellent agreement. Bland-Altman method showed 95% limits of agreement between ECVF at CT and ECVF at MR. Conclusions: The proposed framework demonstrates its efficiency, accuracy, and noninvasiveness in ECVF measurement and dramatically advances the ECVF at cardiac CT toward its clinical use.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Medical imaging using ionizing radiation: Optimization of dose and image quality in fluoroscopy

The 2012 Summer School of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) focused on optimization of the use of ionizing radiation in medical imaging. Day 2 of the Summer School was devoted to fluoroscopy and interventional radiology and featured seven lectures. These lectures have been distilled into a single review paper covering equipment specification and siting, equipment acceptance testing and quality control, fluoroscope configuration, radiation effects, dose estimation and measurement, and principles of flat panel computed tomography. This review focuses on modern fluoroscopic equipment and is comprised in large part of information not found in textbooks on the subject. While this review does discuss technical aspects of modern fluoroscopic equipment, it focuses mainly on the clinical use and support of such equipment, from initial installation through estimation of patient dose and management of radiation effects. This review will be of interest to those learning about fluoroscopy, to those wishing to update their knowledge of modern fluoroscopic equipment, to those wishing to deepen their knowledge of particular topics, such as flat panel computed tomography, and to those who support fluoroscopic equipment in the clinic.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Using Generalized Equivalent Uniform Dose Atlases to Combine and Analyze Prospective Dosimetric and Radiation Pneumonitis Data From 2 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Dose Escalation Protocols

Purpose: To demonstrate the use of generalized equivalent uniform dose (gEUD) atlas for data pooling in radiation pneumonitis (RP) modeling, to determine the dependence of RP on gEUD, to study the consistency between data sets, and to verify the increased statistical power of the combination. Methods and Materials: Patients enrolled in prospective phase I/II dose escalation studies of radiation therapy of non-small cell lung cancer at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) (78 pts) and the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) (86 pts) were included; 10 (13%) and 14 (17%) experienced RP requiring steroids (RPS) within 6 months after treatment. gEUD was calculated from dose-volume histograms. Atlases for each data set were created using 1-Gy steps from exact gEUDs and RPS data. The Lyman-Kutcher-Burman model was fit to the atlas and exact gEUD data. Heterogeneity and inconsistency statistics for the fitted parameters were computed. gEUD maps of the probability of RPS rate {>=}20% were plotted. Results: The 2 data sets were homogeneous and consistent. The best fit values of the volume effect parameter a were small, with upper 95% confidence limit around 1.0 in the joint data. The likelihood profiles around the best fit a values were flat in all cases, making determination of the best fit a weak. All confidence intervals (CIs) were narrower in the joint than in the individual data sets. The minimum P value for correlations of gEUD with RPS in the joint data was .002, compared with P=.01 and .05 for MSKCC and NKI data sets, respectively. gEUD maps showed that at small a, RPS risk increases with gEUD. Conclusions: The atlas can be used to combine gEUD and RPS information from different institutions and model gEUD dependence of RPS. RPS has a large volume effect with the mean dose model barely included in the 95% CI. Data pooling increased statistical power.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Moderate Hypofractionated Protracted Radiation Therapy and Dose Escalation for Prostate Cancer: Do Dose and Overall Treatment Time Matter?

Purpose: This was a retrospective study of 2 sequential dose escalation regimens of twice-weekly 4 Gy/fractions hypofractionated intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT): 56 Gy and 60 Gy delivered within a protracted overall treatment time (OTT) of 6.5 and 7 weeks, respectively. Methods and Materials: 163 prostate cancer patients with cT1c-T3a disease and nodal involvement risk ≤20% (Roach index) were treated twice weekly to the prostate ± seminal vesicles with 2 sequential dose-escalated IMRT schedules: 56 Gy (14 × 4 Gy, n=81) from 2003 to 2007 and 60 Gy (15 × 4 Gy, n=82) from 2006 to 2010. Patient repositioning was made with bone matching on portal images. Gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) toxicities were scored according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 3.0 grading scale. Results: There were no significant differences regarding the acute GU and GI toxicities in the 2 dose groups. The median follow-up times were 80.2 months (range, 4.5-121 months) and 56.5 months (range, 1.4-91.2 months) for patients treated to 56 and 60 Gy, respectively. The 5-year grade ≥2 late GU toxicity-free survivals with 56 Gy and 60 Gy were 96 ± 2.3% and 78.2 ± 5.1% (P=.001), respectively. The 5-year grade ≥2 late GI toxicity-free survivals with 56 Gy and 60 Gy were 98.6 ± 1.3% and 85.1 ± 4.5% (P=.005), respectively. Patients treated with 56 Gy showed a 5-year biochemical progression-free survival (bPFS) of 80.8 ± 4.7%, worse than patients treated with 60 Gy (93.2 ± 3.9%, P=.007). A trend for a better 5-year distant metastasis-free survival was observed among patients treated in the high-dose group (95.3 ± 2.7% vs 100%, P=.073, respectively). On multivariate analysis, only the 60-Gy group predicted for a better bPFS (P=.016, hazard ratio = 4.58). Conclusions: A single 4-Gy additional fraction in patients treated with a hypofractionated protracted IMRT schedule of 14 × 4 Gy resulted in a similar and minimal acute toxicity, in worse moderate to severe urinary and GI late effects, but a significantly better biochemical control.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Dose Fractionation During Puberty Is More Detrimental to Mammary Gland Development Than an Equivalent Acute Dose of Radiation Exposure

Computed tomographic (CT) scans in adolescents have increased dramatically in recent years. However, the effects of cumulative low-dose exposures on the development of radiation sensitive organs, such as the mammary gland, is unknown. The purpose of this work was to define the effects of dose rate on mammary organ formation during puberty, an especially sensitive window in mammary development. We used a fractionated low-dose x-ray exposure to mimic multiple higher dose CT scans, and we hypothesized that fractionated exposure would have less of an effect on the number of mammary gland defects compared with an acute exposure.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Dose calculation software for helical tomotherapy, utilizing patient CT data to calculate an independent three-dimensional dose cube

Purpose: Treatment plans for the TomoTherapy unit are produced with a planning system that is integral to the unit. The authors have produced an independent dose calculation system, to enable plans to be recalculated in three dimensions, using the patient's CT data. Methods: Software has been written using MATLAB. The DICOM-RT plan object is used to determine the treatment parameters used, including the treatment sinogram. Each projection of the sinogram is segmented and used to calculate dose at multiple calculation points in a three-dimensional grid using tables of measured beam data. A fast ray-trace algorithm is used to determine effective depth for each projection angle at each calculation point. Calculations were performed on a standard desktop personal computer, with a 2.6 GHz Pentium, running Windows XP. Results: The time to perform a calculation, for 3375 points averaged 1 min 23 s for prostate plans and 3 min 40 s for head and neck plans. The mean dose within the 50% isodose was calculated and compared with the predictions of the TomoTherapy planning system. When the modified CT (which includes the TomoTherapy couch) was used, the mean difference for ten prostate patients, was -0.4% (range -0.9% to +0.3%). With the original CT (which included the CT couch), the mean difference was -1.0% (range -1.7% to 0.0%). The number of points agreeing with a gamma 3%/3 mm averaged 99.2% with the modified CT, 96.3% with the original CT. For ten head and neck patients, for the modified and original CT, respectively, the mean difference was +1.1% (range -0.4% to +3.1%) and 1.1% (range -0.4% to +3.0%) with 94.4% and 95.4% passing a gamma 4%/4 mm. The ability of the program to detect a variety of simulated errors has been tested. Conclusions: By using the patient's CT data, the independent dose calculation performs checks that are not performed by a measurement in a cylindrical phantom. This enables it to be used either as an additional check or to replace phantom measurements for some patients. The software has potential to be used in any application where one wishes to model changes to patient conditions.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗