Radiotherapy dose calculation on KV cone-beam CT image for lung tumor using the CIRS calibration

On-board kilovoltage (KV) cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images are used predominantly for the setup of patients' positioning. The image data can also potentially be used for dose calculation with the precise calibration of Hounsfield units (HU) to electron density (HU-density). CBCT calibration was analyzed in this study. A clinical treatment planning system was employed for CT and KV CBCT image to dose calculations and subsequent comparisons. Two HU-density tables were generated using the Computerized Imaging Reference Systems (CIRS) phantom. The results showed that a maximum ∼4% dose discrepancy was observed for inserts. The single field isodose curves were very close. The lung clinical patient study indicated that the volume of lung tumor that achieved the prescribed dose in CBCT was lower than in the CT plan. Our study showed that the dosimetric accuracy of CBCT-based dose calculation for lung tumor is acceptable only for the purpose of dosimetric checks with calibration applied. KV CBCT images cannot replace traditional CT images for dose calculation accuracy.