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Plan complexity metrics for head and neck VMAT competition plans
Hiroyuki Okamoto1, Akihisa Wakita2, Kensuke Tani2
1Radiation Safety and Quality Assurance Division, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan.
Summary
Plan complexity metrics (PCMs) in head and neck (HN) volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) competition plans were evaluated against clinical plans. Competition plans were found realistic and reasonable from a quality assurance perspective, informing future plan evaluations.
Area of Science:
- Medical Physics
- Radiation Oncology
- Radiotherapy Planning
Background:
- Previous radiotherapy plan competitions focused on dose metrics, neglecting plan realism and quality assurance (QA).
- Assessing plan complexity metrics (PCMs) in volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) competition plans is crucial for understanding their clinical relevance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between PCMs in VMAT competition plans and clinically accepted treatment plans verified by patient-specific QA (PSQA).
- To examine the association of PCMs with overall plan quality, specifically dose distribution quality.
Main Methods:
- A head and neck (HN) VMAT plan competition in Japan provided 210 competition plans.
- Dose distribution quality was assessed using dose-volume histogram (DVH) metrics and a dose distribution plan score (DDPS).
- PCMs of competition plans were compared with clinically accepted HN VMAT plans undergoing PSQA.
Main Results:
- The mean DDPS for competition plans was 158.5 ± 20.6, with weak correlations observed between DDPS and most PCMs.
- Significant differences in PCMs were noted between high-DDPS plans and others, indicating complexity increases with quality.
- PCMs of competition plans showed similar distributions to clinical plans, suggesting comparable planning skills and variability.
Conclusions:
- Submitted HN VMAT competition plans are realistic and reasonable from a QA standpoint when compared to clinical plans.
- Plan complexity in HN VMAT competition plans correlates with improved dose distribution quality.
- This study provides a potential framework for evaluating plan quality in future radiotherapy plan competitions.
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