In vivo dosimetry for lung radiotherapy including SBRT

Area of Science:

• Radiotherapy Physics
• Radiation Oncology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) is increasingly used for lung cancer.
• SBRT involves high doses of radiation delivered over few fractions, demanding precise delivery.
• Ensuring accurate dose delivery in SBRT is critical for patient safety and treatment efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the technical aspects and challenges of in vivo dosimetry for lung SBRT.
• To focus on transit dosimetry applications using electronic portal imaging devices (EPIDs).
• To discuss current solutions and highlight limited clinical experiences in lung SBRT in vivo dosimetry.

Main Methods:

• Review of in vivo dosimetry techniques, particularly transit dosimetry.
• Focus on the application of electronic portal imaging devices (EPIDs) for dose verification.
• Analysis of technical challenges and available solutions for lung SBRT.

Main Results:

• In vivo dosimetry, especially with EPIDs, can identify treatment errors missed by other quality assurance methods.
• Transit dosimetry using EPIDs enhances confidence in delivered dose for lung SBRT.
• Published clinical experience with in vivo dosimetry for lung SBRT is currently limited.

Conclusions:

• In vivo dosimetry is essential for enhancing patient safety in complex lung SBRT treatments.
• EPID-based transit dosimetry is a promising approach for verifying lung SBRT dose delivery.
• Further clinical validation and experience are needed to fully integrate in vivo dosimetry into routine lung SBRT practice.