Adaptive replanning using cone beam CT for deformation of original CT simulation

During a course of radiation therapy, anatomical changes such as a decrease in tumour size or weight loss can trigger the need for repeating a computed tomography (CT) simulation scan in order to generate a new treatment plan. This adaptive approach requires a separate appointment for an additional CT scan which generates additional burden, cost, and radiation exposure for patients.

Here, we present a case of a head and neck cancer patient who required palliative radiation for a large neck mass. During treatment, he had a remarkable response which required a replan due to rapid tumour downsizing. In this case, we used a novel technique to avoid repeating the planning CT simulation by using a mid-treatment high-quality cone beam CT (CBCT) to deform the secondary image (plan CT) of the original planning CT and generate a new adapted treatment plan.

This is the first report to our knowledge using a Halcyon CBCT to deform the original planning CT in order to generate a new radiation treatment plan, and this novel technique represents a new potential method of adaptive replanning for select patients.