An efficient method for small field treatment dose calculation for stereotactic radiosurgery using a LINAC

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiation Oncology
• Computational Imaging

Background:

• Traditional stereotactic radiosurgery treatment planning relies on time-consuming trial-and-error or automatic optimization methods.
• Current dose calculation methods, including random sampling, face challenges with accuracy and optimization compatibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a faster and accurate method for calculating radiation doses in stereotactic radiosurgery.
• To introduce an adaptive technique that improves the efficiency of treatment plan design.

Main Methods:

• An adaptive method utilizing a hollow sphere for dose calculation was proposed.
• The objective function was calculated based on this adaptive hollow sphere, mimicking traditional 3-D cube matrix calculations.
• The method's efficiency was evaluated by comparing dose calculation speeds.

Main Results:

• The adaptive hollow sphere method achieved dose calculation speed improvements ranging from 4 to 100 times.
• The objective function calculated using the adaptive method was consistent with traditional methods.
• The improved speed allows for routine use in treatment plan design.

Conclusions:

• The adaptive hollow sphere method offers a significant speed enhancement for radiation dose calculations in stereotactic radiosurgery.
• This method provides a viable and efficient alternative for routine clinical use in treatment planning.
• Faster dose calculations can streamline the workflow for physician-physicist teams.