Visual Dose Monitoring for Whole Breast Radiation Therapy Treatments via Combined Cherenkov Imaging and Scintillation Dosimetry.

PURPOSE

This study investigates scintillation dosimetry coupled with Cherenkov imaging for in vivo dose monitoring during whole breast radiation therapy (WBRT). Given recent observations of excess dose to the contralateral breast (CB), in vivo dosimetry (IVD) could help ensure accurate dose delivery and decrease risks of secondary cancer. This work presents a rapid, streamlined alternative to traditional IVD, providing direct visualization of measurement location relative to the treatment field on the patient.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Ten WBRT patients consented under an institutional review board-approved protocol were monitored with scintillation dosimetry and always-on Cherenkov imaging, on both their treated and CB for 1 to 3 fractions. Scintillator dosimeters, small plastic discs 1 mm thick and 15 mm in diameter, were calibrated against optically stimulated luminescent dosimeters (OSLDs) to generate an integral output-to-dose conversion, where integral output is measured in postprocessing through a custom fitting algorithm. The discs have been extensively characterized in a previous study for various treatment conditions including beam energy and treatment geometry.

RESULTS

A total of 44 dosimetry measurements were evaluated, including 22 treated breast and 22 CB measurements. After integral output-to-dose calibration, in vivo scintillator dosimeters exhibited high linearity (R = 0.99) with paired OSLD readings across all patients. The difference between scintillation and OSLD dose measurements averaged 2.8% of the prescribed dose, or an absolute dose difference of approximately 7 cGy.

CONCLUSIONS

Integration of scintillation dosimetry with Cherenkov imaging offers an accurate, rapid alternative for in vivo dose verification in WBRT, circumventing the limitations of conventional point dosimeters. The additional benefit of visualizing measurement locations relative to the treatment field provides users an enhanced understanding of results and allows for detection of high dose gradients. Future work will explore the applicability of this technique across a broader range of radiation therapy treatments, aiming to streamline IVD practices.