Nanodosimetric quantity-weighted dose optimization for carbon-ion treatment planning

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiation Oncology
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Radiotherapy treatment planning requires accurate dose verification.
• Carbon ion-beam therapy offers biological advantages but requires precise planning.
• Current methods for biological-oriented treatment plans can be complex to verify.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate a novel method for carbon ion-beam treatment planning using nanodosimetric quantity-weighted dose (NQWD).
• To establish a direct physical basis for verifying biological-oriented treatment plans.
• To explore the potential of nanodosimetry for improving radiotherapy workflows.

Main Methods:

• Investigated the relationship between nanodosimetric quantities and relative biological effectiveness (RBE) using linear least-squares fitting.
• Optimized NQWD within the matRad treatment planning platform.
• Compared NQWD-based plans with RBE-weighted dose (RWD) plans using the microdosimetric kinetic model (MKM).

Main Results:

• The nanodosimetric quantity F_3-10 showed a strong correlation with radiobiological effects.
• NQWD-based treatment plans generally reproduced RWD plans.
• F_3-10 was identified as a suitable radiation quality descriptor for carbon-ion planning.

Conclusions:

• NQWD offers a promising approach for physical verification of biological-oriented carbon ion-beam treatment plans.
• The proposed method could enable rapid verification and facilitate inter-institutional comparisons.
• This strategy may enhance carbon-ion radiotherapy planning and patient safety.