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Characterization Of Treatment Planning System Photon Beam Modeling Errors In Iroc Houston Phantom Irradiations, Mallory Glenn

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

In radiation therapy, proper commissioning of the treatment planning system’s (TPS) dose calculation algorithm is critical because any errors in this process impact all treatment plans prepared in the system. Previously, TPS errors have been identified as a major cause for poor phantom irradiation performance, which may also mean that patients are treated suboptimally. The purpose of this work was to investigate the TPS beam modeling developed by the radiotherapy community to understand where inconsistencies may arise, which variables are most susceptible to variations, and in what way changing these variables can alter dose calculations.

Using the Imaging and Radiation …

Assessment Of Uncertainty In Planning And Dose Delivery Of Proton Therapy In An Iroc- Houston Qa Phantom Due To Variable Ct Technique And Proton Energy, Mattie M. Mcinnis

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

As proton therapy increases in popularity, so does the need for effective quality assurance. Proton therapy institutions participating in NCI funded clinical trials rely heavily on the credentialing and auditing services of IROC-H and therefore the process must be well understood. The purpose of this project is to understand the uncertainties in proton therapy treatment planning for the IROC-H proton phantom QA program due to variations in CT technique and proton energy. It was hypothesized that variations in CT technique and proton energy will alter the delivered dose distributions of typical proton treatments by reducing the percent of passing pixels …

Commissioning An Anthropomorphic Spine And Lung Phantom For Remote Dose Verification Of Institutions Participating In Rtog 0631, Douglas F. Caruthers

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

The RPC developed a new phantom to ensure comparable and consistent radiation administration in spinal radiosurgery clinical trials. This study assessed the phantom’s dosimetric and anatomic utility. The ‘spine phantom’ is a water filled thorax with anatomy encountered in spinal radiosurgery: target volume, vertebral column, spinal canal, esophagus, heart, and lungs. The dose to the target volume was measured with axial and sagittal planes of radiochromic film and thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD). The dose distributions were measured with the radiochromic film calibrated to the absolute dose measured by the TLD. Four irradiations were administered: a four angle box plan, a seven …