A novel and clinically useful dynamic conformal arc (DCA)-based VMAT planning technique for lung SBRT.

Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is gaining popularity for stereotactic treatment of lung lesions for medically inoperable patients. Due to multiple beamlets in delivery of highly modulated VMAT plans, there are dose delivery uncertainties associated with small-field dosimetry error and interplay effects with small lesions. We describe and compare a clinically useful dynamic conformal arc (DCA)-based VMAT (d-VMAT) technique for lung SBRT using flattening filter free (FFF) beams to minimize these effects. Ten solitary early-stage I-II non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients were treated with a single dose of 30 Gy using 3-6 non-coplanar VMAT arcs (clinical VMAT) with 6X-FFF beams in our clinic. These clinically treated plans were re-optimized using a novel d-VMAT planning technique. For comparison, d-VMAT plans were recalculated using DCA with user-controlled field aperture shape before VMAT optimization. Identical beam geometry, dose calculation algorithm, grid size, and planning objectives were used. The clinical VMAT and d-VMAT plans were compared via RTOG-0915 protocol compliances for conformity, gradient indices, and dose to organs at risk (OAR). Additionally, treatment delivery efficiency and accuracy were recorded. All plans met RTOG-0915 requirements. Comparing with clinical VMAT, d-VMAT plans gave similar target coverage with better target conformity, tighter radiosurgical dose distribution with lower gradient indices, and dose to OAR. Lower total number of monitor units and small beam modulation factor reduced beam-on time by 1.75 min (P < 0.001), on average (maximum up to 2.52 min). Beam delivery accuracy was improved by 2%, on average (P < 0.05) and maximum up to 6% in some cases for d-VMAT plans. This simple d-VMAT technique provided excellent plan quality, reduced intermediate dose-spillage, and dose to OAR while providing faster treatment delivery by significantly reducing beam-on time. This novel treatment planning approach will improve patient compliance along with potentially reducing intrafraction motion error. Moreover, with less MLC modulation through the target, d-VMAT could potentially minimize small-field dosimetry errors and MLC interplay effects. If available, d-VMAT planning approach is recommended for future clinical lung SBRT plan optimization.

Pokhrel D ，Visak J ，Sanford L 《Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics》

A simple, yet novel hybrid-dynamic conformal arc therapy planning via flattening filter-free beam for lung stereotactic body radiotherapy.

Due to multiple beamlets in the delivery of highly modulated volumetric arc therapy (VMAT) plans, dose delivery uncertainties associated with small-field dosimetry and interplay effects can be concerns in the treatment of mobile lung lesions using a single-dose of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). Herein, we describe and compare a simple, yet clinically useful, hybrid 3D-dynamic conformal arc (h-DCA) planning technique using flattening filter-free (FFF) beams to minimize these effects. Fifteen consecutive solitary early-stage I-II non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who underwent a single-dose of 30 Gy using 3-6 non-coplanar VMAT arcs with 6X-FFF beams in our clinic. These patients' plans were re-planned using a non-coplanar hybrid technique with 2-3 differentially-weighted partial dynamic conformal arcs (DCA) plus 4-6 static beams. About 60-70% of the total beam weight was given to the DCA and the rest was distributed among the static beams to maximize the tumor coverage and spare the organs-at-risk (OAR). The clinical VMAT and h-DCA plans were compared via RTOG-0915 protocol for conformity and dose to OAR. Additionally, delivery efficiency, accuracy, and overall h-DCA planning time were recorded. All plans met RTOG-0915 requirements. Comparison with clinical VMAT plans h-DAC gave better target coverage with a higher dose to the tumor and exhibited statistically insignificance differences in gradient index, D2cm , gradient distance and OAR doses with the exception of maximal dose to skin (P = 0.015). For h-DCA plans, higher values of tumor heterogeneity and tumor maximum, minimum and mean doses were observed and were 10%, 2.8, 1.0, and 2.0 Gy, on average, respectively, compared to the clinical VMAT plans. Average beam on time was reduced by a factor of 1.51. Overall treatment planning time for h-DCA was about an hour. Due to no beam modulation through the target, h-DCA plans avoid small-field dosimetry and MLC interplay effects and resulting in enhanced target coverage by improving tumor dose (characteristic of FFF-beam). The h-DCA simplifies treatment planning and beam on time significantly compared to clinical VMAT plans. Additionally, h-DCA allows for the real time target verification and eliminates patient-specific VMAT quality assurance; potentially offering cost-effective, same or next day SBRT treatments. Moreover, this technique can be easily adopted to other disease sites and small clinics with less extensive physics or machine support.

Pokhrel D ，Halfman M ，Sanford L 《Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics》

Dynamic conformal arcs-based single-isocenter VMAT planning technique for radiosurgery of multiple brain metastases.

Multiple small beamlets in the delivery of highly modulated single-isocenter HyperArc VMAT plan can lead to dose delivery errors associated with small-field dosimetry, which can be a major concern for stereotactic radiosurgery for multiple brain lesions. Herein, we describe and compare a clinically valuable dynamic conformal arc (DCA)-based VMAT (DCA-VMAT) approach for stereotactic radiosurgery of multiple brain lesions using flattening filter free beams to minimize this effect. Original single-isocenter HyperArc style VMAT and DCA-VMAT plans were created on 7 patients with 2 to 8 brain lesions (total 35 lesions) for 10 MV- flattening filter free beam. 20 Gy was prescribed to each lesion. For identical planning criteria, DCA-VMAT utilizes user-controlled field aperture shaper before VMAT optimization. Plans were evaluated for conformity and target coverage, low- and intermediate dose spillages to brain volume that received more than 30% (V30%) and 50% (V50%) of prescription dose. Additionally, mean brain dose, V8, V12 and maximal dose to adjacent organs-at-risk (OAR) including hippocampi were reported. Total monitor units, beam modulation factor, treatment delivery efficiency, and accuracy were recorded. Comparing with original VMAT, DCA-VMAT plans provided similar tumor dose, target coverage and conformity, yet tighter radio-surgical dose distribution with lower dose to normal brain V30% (p = 0.009), V50% (p = 0.05) and other OAR including lower dose to hippocampi. Lower total number of monitor units and smaller beam modulation factor reduced beam on time by 2.82 min (p < 0.001), on average (maximum up to 3.8 min). Beam delivery accuracy was improved by 8%, on average (p < 0.001) and maximum up to 13% in some cases for DCA-VMAT plans. This novel DCA-VMAT approach provided excellent plan quality, reduced dose to normal brain, and other OAR while significantly reducing beam-on time for radiosurgery of multiple brain lesions-improving patient compliance and clinic workflow. It also provided less MLC modulation through the targets-potentially minimizing small field dosimetry errors as demonstrated by quality assurance results. Incorporating DCA-based VMAT optimization in HyperArc module for radiosurgery of multiple brain lesions merits future investigation.

Pokhrel D ，Palmiero AN ，Bernard ME ，Clair WS ... -  《-》

FFF-VMAT for SBRT of lung lesions: Improves dose coverage at tumor-lung interface compared to flattened beams.

To quantify the differences in dosimetry as a function of ipsilateral lung density and treatment delivery parameters for stereotactic, single dose of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) lung stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) delivered with 6X flattening filter free (6X-FFF) beams compared to traditional flattened 6X (6X-FF) beams. Thirteen consecutive early stage I-II non-small-cell-lung cancer (NSCLC) patients were treated with highly conformal noncoplanar VMAT SBRT plans (3-6 partial arcs) using 6X-FFF beam and advanced Acuros-based dose calculations to a prescription dose of 30 Gy in one fraction to the tumor margin. These clinical cases included relatively smaller tumor (island tumors) sizes (2.0-4.2 cm diameters) and varying average ipsilateral lung densities between 0.14 g/cc and 0.34 g/cc. Treatment plans were reoptimized with 6X-FF beams for identical beam/arc geometries and planning objectives. For same target coverage, the organs-at-risk (OAR) dose metrics as a function of ipsilateral lung density were compared between 6X-FFF and 6X-FF plans. Moreover, monitor units (MU), beam modulation factor (MF) and beam-on time (BOT) were evaluated. Both plans met the RTOG-0915 protocol compliance. The ipsilateral lung density and the tumor location heavily influenced the treatment plans with 6X-FFF and 6X-FF beams, showing differences up to 12% for the gradient indices. For similar target coverage, 6X-FFF beams showed better target conformity, lower intermediate dose-spillage, and lower dose to the OAR. Additionally, BOT was reduced by a factor of 2.3 with 6X-FFF beams compared to 6X-FF beams. While prescribing dose to the tumor periphery, 6X-FFF VMAT plans for stereotactic single-dose lung SBRT provided similar target coverage with better dose conformity, superior intermediate dose-spillage (improved dose coverage at tumor interface), and improved OAR sparing compared to traditional 6X-FF beams and significantly reduced treatment time. The ipsilateral lung density and tumor location considerably affected dose distributions requiring special attention for clinical SBRT plan optimization on a per-patient basis. Clinical follow up of these patients for tumor local-control rate and treatment-related toxicities is in progress.

Pokhrel D ，Halfman M ，Sanford L 《Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics》

An Automated knowledge-based planning routine for stereotactic body radiotherapy of peripheral lung tumors via DCA-based volumetric modulated arc therapy.

To develop a knowledge-based planning (KBP) routine for stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) of peripherally located early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumors via dynamic conformal arc (DCA)-based volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) using the commercially available RapidPlanTM software. This proposed technique potentially improves plan quality, reduces complexity, and minimizes interplay effect and small-field dosimetry errors associated with treatment delivery. KBP model was developed and validated using 70 clinically treated high quality non-coplanar VMAT lung SBRT plans for training and 20 independent plans for validation. All patients were treated with 54 Gy in three treatments. Additionally, a novel k-DCA planning routine was deployed to create plans incorporating historical three-dimensional-conformal SBRT planning practices via DCA-based approach prior to VMAT optimization in an automated planning engine. Conventional KBPs and k-DCA plans were compared with clinically treated plans per RTOG-0618 requirements for target conformity, tumor dose heterogeneity, intermediate dose fall-off and organs-at-risk (OAR) sparing. Treatment planning time, treatment delivery efficiency, and accuracy were recorded. KBPs and k-DCA plans were similar or better than clinical plans. Average planning target volume for validation was 22.4 ± 14.1 cc (7.1-62.3 cc). KBPs and k-DCA plans provided similar conformity to clinical plans with average absolute differences of 0.01 and 0.01, respectively. Maximal doses to OAR were lowered in both KBPs and k-DCA plans. KBPs increased monitor units (MU) on average 1316 (P < 0.001) while k-DCA reduced total MU on average by 1114 (P < 0.001). This routine can create k-DCA plan in less than 30 min. Independent Monte Carlo calculation demonstrated that k-DCA plans showed better agreement with planned dose distribution. A k-DCA planning routine was developed in concurrence with a knowledge-based approach for the treatment of peripherally located lung tumors. This method minimizes plan complexity associated with model-based KBP techniques and improve plan quality and treatment planning efficiency.

Visak J ，Ge GY ，McGarry RC ，Randall M ，Pokhrel D ... -  《Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics》