Independent verification system for intracavitary brachytherapy based on a reference plan and statistical model.

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiation Oncology
• Oncology

Background:

• High dose rate (HDR) intracavitary brachytherapy (ICBT) is crucial for cervical cancer treatment.
• Remote afterloading systems are integral to modern ICBT delivery.
• Ensuring accuracy and safety in treatment planning is paramount.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel verification system for ICBT clinical plans.
• To assess the feasibility of the system across different remote afterloaders, applicators, and techniques.
• To enhance the safety and reliability of cervical cancer brachytherapy.

Main Methods:

• Generated reference plans (PlanRef) for 517 clinical plans (PlanClin).
• Developed an equation correlating V100% and total dwell time (Tdwell).
• Created software to detect human errors by comparing PlanClin with PlanRef parameters.

Main Results:

• A strong correlation was found between V100% and Tdwell, enabling accurate Tdwell prediction.
• The developed equation estimated Tdwell for Flexitron afterloader plans with high accuracy (0.26 ± 0.49%).
• The system successfully identified various introduced human errors in treatment plans.

Conclusions:

• The developed verification system, utilizing PlanRef and statistical analysis, is feasible for diverse ICBT setups.
• This system supports the safe implementation of brachytherapy for cervical cancer.
• The approach enhances quality assurance in HDR-ICBT.