Implementing a fully computed tomography-free online adaptive palliative radiotherapy: a one-visit workflow

Same-day palliative radiotherapy requires rapid workflows, but conventional computed tomography (CT)-based workflows cause delays and strain resources. Advances in cone-beam CT (CBCT) enabled accurate dose calculation and planning without a planning CT. This study evaluated the feasibility and efficiency of a fully CT-free online adaptive workflow for same-day palliative radiotherapy using high-quality CBCT.

This prospective study enrolled sixteen patients between January-May 2025, of whom fifteen completed same-day treatment. Eligible patients were referred for single-fraction palliative radiotherapy (8  Gy) to non-mobile target volumes. No planning CT was acquired; instead, a reference plan was generated on a phantom with standardized beam setups and planning objectives. On the treatment day, planning and delivery were performed on the Varian Ethos 2.0 platform using HyperSight CBCT, providing more accurate Hounsfield Unit imaging for automated organs at risk segmentation and target definition. Plans were adapted online and delivered while patients were on the couch. Workflow times, plan quality, and patient characteristics were studied.

All fifteen treatments were delivered successfully. All plans met clinical objectives, with planning target volume coverage exceeding required thresholds. The CT-free workflow reduced median departmental time to 73 min, including 28 min in the treatment room, compared with 335 min in a conventional CT-based workflow. In one urgent case, referral-to-treatment time was 2.5 h. Repeated CBCTs were required in 7 patients.

A fully CT-free workflow for palliative radiotherapy is feasible and efficient, enabling same-day treatment, reduces departmental workload, and is well-suited for urgent cases requiring rapid intervention.