Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-21T14:17:28.637Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Long-term stability of the Hounsfield unit to electron density calibration curve in cone-beam computed tomography images for adaptive radiotherapy treatment planning

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 July 2015

Akihiro Takemura ,
Shogo Tanabe ,
Mei Tokai ,
Shinichi Ueda ,
Kimiya Noto ,
Naoki Isomura  and
Hironori Kojima
Akihiro Takemura*
Affiliation:
Institution of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
Shogo Tanabe
Affiliation:
Department of Radiodiagnosis, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, Higashinari, Osaka, Japan
Mei Tokai
Affiliation:
Division of Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
Shinichi Ueda
Affiliation:
Department of Radiological Technology, Kanazawa University Hospital, Kanazawa, Japan
Kimiya Noto
Affiliation:
Department of Radiological Technology, Kanazawa University Hospital, Kanazawa, Japan
Naoki Isomura
Affiliation:
Department of Radiological Technology, Kanazawa University Hospital, Kanazawa, Japan
Hironori Kojima
Affiliation:
Department of Radiological Technology, Kanazawa University Hospital, Kanazawa, Japan
*
Correspondence to: Akihiro Takemura, Institution of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, 5-11-80 Kodatsuno, Kanazawa 902-0942, Japan. Tel: +8 176 265 2538. Fax: +8 176 234 4366. E-mail: at@mhs.mp.kanazawa-u.ac.jp
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Aim

To use cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images for treatment planning, the Hounsfield unit (HU)-electron density (ED) calibration table for CBCT should be stable. The purpose of this study was to verify the stability of the HU values for the CBCT system over 1 year and to evaluate the effects of variation in HU-ED calibration curves on dose calculation.

Materials and Methods

A tissue characterisation phantom was scanned with the field of view (FOV) of size S (FOV-S) and FOV of size M (FOV-M) using the CBCT system once a month for 1 year. A single field treatment plan was constructed on digital phantom images to validate the dose distribution using mean HU-ED calibration curves and possible variations.

Results

HU values for each material rod over the observation period varied with trend. The HU value of the cortical bone rod decreased by about 100 HU for the FOV-S and by about 300 HU for the FOV-M. Possible variation in the HU-ED calibration curves produced a ≤17·9% dose difference in the dose maximum in the treatment plan.

Conclusions

The CBCT system should be calibrated periodically for consistent dose calculation.

Keywords

adaptive radiotherapyCBCTdose calculationHU-ED calibration tablelong-term stability
Type
Original Articles
Information
Journal of Radiotherapy in Practice , Volume 14 , Issue 4 , December 2015 , pp. 410 - 417
Check for updates
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Veiga, C, McClelland, J, Moinuddin, Set al. Toward adaptive radiotherapy for head and neck patients: feasibility study on using CT-to-CBCT deformable registration for “dose of the day” calculations. Med Phys 2014; 41 (3): 031703.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2.Boggula, R, Lorenz, F, Abo-Madyan, Yet al. A new strategy for online adaptive prostate radiotherapy based on cone-beam CT. Z Med Phys 2009; 19 (4): 264–276.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3.Nijkamp, J, Pos, F J, Nuver, T Tet al. Adaptive radiotherapy for prostate cancer using kilovoltage cone-beam computed tomography: first clinical results. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2008; 70 (1): 75–82.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4.Hu, W, Ye, J, Wang, J, Ma, X, Zhang, Z. Use of kilovoltage X-ray volume imaging in patient dose calculation for head-and-neck and partial brain radiation therapy. Radiat Oncol 2010; 5 (29): 1–10.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5.Ping, H S, Kandaiya, S. The influence of the patient size and geometry on cone beam-computed tomography Hounsfield unit. J Med Phys 2012; 37 (3): 155–158.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6.Guan, H, Dong, H. Dose calculation accuracy using cone-beam CT (CBCT) for pelvic adaptive radiotherapy. Phys Med Biol 2009; 54 (20): 6239–6250.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.Hatton, J, McCurdy, B, Greer, P B. Cone beam computerized tomography: the effect of calibration of the Hounsfield unit number to electron density on dose calculation accuracy for adaptive radiation therapy. Phys Med Biol 2009; 54 (15): N329–N346.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8.Rong, Y, Smilowitz, J, Tewatia, D, Tomé, W A, Paliwal, B. Dose calculation on kV cone beam CT images: an investigation of the HU-density conversion stability and dose accuracy using the site-specific calibration. Med Dosim 2010; 35 (3): 195–207.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9.Onozato, Y, Kadoya, N, Fujita, Yet al. Evaluation of on-board kV cone beam computed tomography-based dose calculation with deformable image registration using Hounsfield unit modifications. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2014; 89 (2): 416–423.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10.Yadav, P, Ramasubramanian, V, Paliwal, B R. Feasibility study on effect and stability of adaptive radiotherapy on kilovoltage cone beam CT. Radiol Oncol 2011; 45 (3): 220–226.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11.Cheng, C, Zhao, L, Wolanski, Met al. Comparison of tissue characterization curves for different CT scanners: implication in proton therapy treatment planning. Transl Cancer Res 2013; 1 (4): 236–246.Google Scholar