Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2026
Treatment of Liver Metastases Using an Internal Target Volume Method for Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy
Published on: May 8, 2018
Range accuracy in carbon ion treatment planning based on CT-calibration with real tissue samples
Eike Rietzel1, Dieter Schardt, Thomas Haberer
1Abteilung Biophysik, Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung, Planckstr. 1, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany. eike@rietzel.net
Background:
The precision in carbon ion radiotherapy depends on the calibration of Hounsfield units (HU) as measured with computed tomography (CT) to water equivalence. This calibration can cause relevant differences between treatment planning and treatment delivery.
Methods:
Calibration data for several soft tissues were measured repeatedly to assess the accuracy of range calibration. Samples of fresh animal tissues including fat, brain, kidney, liver, and several muscle tissues were used. First, samples were CT scanned. Then carbon ion radiographic measurements were performed at several positions. Residual ranges behind the samples were compared to ranges in water.
Results:
Based on the measured data the accuracy of the current Hounsfield look-up table for range calibration of soft tissues is 0.2 +/- 1.2%. Accuracy in range calibration of 1% corresponds to approximately 1 mm carbon ion range control in 10 cm water equivalent depth which is comparable to typical treatment depths for head and neck tumors.
Conclusion:
Carbon ion ranges can be controlled within approximately 1 mm in soft tissue for typical depths of head and neck treatments.
More Related Videos
10:33Expedited Radiation Biodosimetry by Automated Dicentric Chromosome Identification (ADCI) and Dose Estimation
Published on: September 4, 2017
06:33Construction of a Preclinical Multimodality Phantom Using Tissue-mimicking Materials for Quality Assurance in Tumor Size Measurement
Published on: July 29, 2013