Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
Toyo Medic Co., Ltd., Chiyodaku, Tokyo 162-0813, Japan.
Med Dosim. 2024;49(3):271-275. doi: 10.1016/j.meddos.2024.02.002. Epub 2024 Mar 30.
The increase in high-precision radiation therapy, particularly volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT), has increased patient numbers and expanded treatment sites. However, a significant challenge in VMAT treatment planning is the inconsistent plan quality among different planners and facilities. This study explored the use of dose-volume histogram (DVH) prediction tools to address these disparities, specifically focusing on RapidPlan (Varian Medical Systems) and PlanIQ (Sun Nuclear). RapidPlan predicts achievable DVHs and automatically generates optimization objectives. While it has demonstrated organ-at-risk (OAR) dose reduction benefits, the quality of the plan used to build its model significantly affects its predictions. On the other hand, PlanIQ offers ease of use and does not require prior model-building. Five planners participated in this study, each creating two treatment plans: one referencing RapidPlan and the other using PlanIQ. The planners had the freedom to adjust parameters while referencing the DVH predictions. The plans were evaluated using "Plan Quality Metric" (PQM) scores to assess the planning target volume excluding the rectum and OARs. The results revealed that RapidPlan-referenced plans often outperformed PlanIQ-based plans, with less interplanner variability. PlanIQ played a pivotal role in the construction of the RapidPlan model. This study is the first to compare plans generated by multiple planners using both tools. This study provides insights into optimizing treatment planning by considering the characteristics of both RapidPlan and PlanIQ.
高精准放射疗法（尤其是容积调强弧形治疗，VMAT）的应用增加了患者数量并扩大了治疗部位。然而，VMAT 治疗计划存在一个重大挑战，即不同计划者和医疗机构之间的计划质量存在差异。本研究探讨了使用剂量-体积直方图（DVH）预测工具来解决这些差异，重点关注 RapidPlan（Varian Medical Systems）和 PlanIQ（Sun Nuclear）。RapidPlan 可预测可实现的 DVH 并自动生成优化目标。虽然它已证明可以降低危及器官（OAR）的剂量，但用于构建模型的计划质量会显著影响其预测结果。另一方面，PlanIQ 使用方便，无需事先进行模型构建。五位计划者参与了本研究，每位计划者都创建了两个治疗计划：一个参考 RapidPlan，另一个使用 PlanIQ。计划者可以在参考 DVH 预测的情况下自由调整参数。使用“计划质量度量”（PQM）评分评估不包括直肠和 OAR 的计划靶区来评估计划。结果表明，参考 RapidPlan 的计划通常优于基于 PlanIQ 的计划，且计划者之间的差异较小。PlanIQ 在 RapidPlan 模型的构建中发挥了关键作用。这是首次使用这两种工具比较多位计划者生成的计划。本研究深入了解了通过考虑 RapidPlan 和 PlanIQ 的特点来优化治疗计划。
