Hybrid proton planning combining spread-out Bragg peak beams with transmission beams to shorten field delivery times while maintaining plan quality

Delivery times of Bragg-peak-based intensity-modulated proton therapy fields play an important role in patient throughput and comfort. Despite the associated exit dose, single-layer proton transmission beams benefit from sharper penumbras and are extremely fast to deliver. In this study, we investigated the trade-offs in field delivery times (FDT) and plan quality when using both field types.

Reference treatment plans were created for eight left-sided breast and ten oropharynx cancer patients using an in-house automatic iterative optimizer. Comparative hybrid plans were created for each case. For breast, different combinations of transmission and conventional beams were evaluated. For oropharynx, two of the three conventional beams were replaced with six transmission beams. Hybrid plans were evaluated by comparing the dose metrics and FDT against the reference plans.

Hybrid breast plans exhibited mean and maximum organ at risk (OAR) doses, and target dose homogeneity and conformity comparable to the reference plans, while their FDTs decreased by median (interquartile range) of 58 %/166 s (56-61 %). Compared to reference plans, hybrid oropharynx plans exhibited higher mean OAR dose especially to oral cavity (median of 34 Gy vs 31 Gy) and spinal cord (20 Gy vs 11 Gy), while FDTs decreased by 73 %/91 s (71-73 %).

Depending on the case, hybrid planning can significantly reduce total FDT with only limited impact on plan quality. The reduced total FDT can improve patient comfort, reduce overall duration of the treatment, and improve beam scheduling at multi-room centers.