[Computerized radiotherapy planning: retrospective analysis and current methods]

To present the development of treatment planning methods at the National Institute of Oncology (NIO) from 1969 till 2005.

The methods and devices of treatment planning is described chronologically.

First we did the treatment planning with in-house made devices: body contour drawing instrument, simplified anatomical cross sections, treatment planning table for the cross section projection, archives of isodose curves adjusted to body contours, etc. It was a significant improvement when the graphical addition of isodose curves was followed by computerized dose calculation. In 1978 the work of the Computerized National Treatment Planning Network was started. The Network was organized by IAEA, Ministry of Health Hungary and NIO. The modern treatment planning started at NIO in 1981. From this year, the treatment planning was based on CT, using the CT apparatus of the Medical Postgraduate University. In 1991 a Siemens MEVAPLAN treatment planning system was installed at NIO. The CT data were transferred to the system via floppy disk. The 3D treatment planning program (Pinnacle software of ADAC) started in 2000. The CT, the treatment planning system and newer linear accelerators are connected through the computerized radiotherapy network. Patient positioning, fixing and control devices (mask, EPID etc.) increased the efficacy of the treatment. In-house made devices help this aim too: mirrors at the linear accelerators, special skin marks for CT, block verification unit, multileaf collimator for x-ray treatment simulator. In this year the intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) will be started at NIO.

The treatment planning at NIO developed to high degree during the investigated time, and it had a considerable effect on the efficacy of radiotherapy.