Technical note: check software for use with trans-rectal ultrasound guided I-125 seed prostate implants

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiation Oncology
• Medical Software Development

Background:

• Permanent trans-rectal ultrasound guided Iodine-125 seed implantation is a common prostate cancer treatment.
• Accurate dose distribution is critical for effective brachytherapy and minimizing side effects.
• Verification of treatment planning system (TPS) outputs is essential before patient treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and present in-house software for verifying dose distributions from a commercial TPS.
• To facilitate accurate loading pattern communication for Iodine-125 prostate brachytherapy.
• To improve the quality assurance process in prostate seed implantation procedures.

Main Methods:

• Development of custom software integrated with a commercial treatment planning system.
• Software generates dose distribution verification reports.
• Software produces printouts detailing the required seed loading pattern.

Main Results:

• The developed software successfully verifies dose distributions prior to implantation.
• Printouts facilitate clear communication of loading patterns to relevant staff.
• The software enhances the quality assurance workflow for prostate brachytherapy.

Conclusions:

• The in-house software provides a reliable method for verifying prostate brachytherapy dose distributions.
• This tool aids in ensuring treatment accuracy and optimizing the loading pattern.
• The software is available to the medical physics community through the authors and AAPM software exchange.