Drzymala R E, Holman M D, Yan D, Harms W B, Jain N L, Kahn M G, Emami B, Purdy J A
Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110.
Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1994 Nov 15;30(4):909-19. doi: 10.1016/0360-3016(94)90367-0.
This article announces the availability of a convenient and useful software environment for the evaluation of three-dimensional (3D) radiotherapy treatment plans.
Using standards such as American National Standards for Information Systems C and the X Window System allowed us to bring the computation and display of dose-volume histograms, dose statistics, tumor control probabilities, normal tissue complication probabilities, and a figure of merit together under one user interface. These plan evaluation tools are not stand alone, but must interact with a 3D radiation therapy planning system to obtain the required dose matrices and patient anatomical contours. Installation of the software involves a programmer who writes a software bridge between the radiation therapy planning system and the tools, thereby providing access to local data files. This design strategy confines portability issues to one area of the software.
Access to the other tools is through the Graphical Plan Evaluation Tool (GPET). GPET coordinates the use of each of the tools and provides graphical facilities for display of their results. Importantly, GPET assures that the displayed results of each tool have been computed with the same input specifications for all treatment plans being compared. For added convenience, the user can rearrange the resultant data to be reviewed in various ways on the video screen. The software design also allows incorporation of customized algorithms and input data for computing tumor control probability and normal tissue complication probabilities, since those currently available are controversial.
The Graphical Plan Evaluation Tool unifies the simultaneous computation for several analytical tools and graphical display of their results. Within the constraints of the X Window System environment, this assemblage of software tools provides a portable, flexible, and convenient method for the quantitative evaluation of several radiotherapy treatment plans.
本文介绍了一种用于评估三维（3D）放射治疗计划的便捷且实用的软件环境。
采用诸如美国国家标准信息系统C和X Window系统等标准，使我们能够将剂量体积直方图的计算与显示、剂量统计、肿瘤控制概率、正常组织并发症概率以及一个品质因数整合在一个用户界面下。这些计划评估工具并非独立存在，而是必须与3D放射治疗计划系统交互，以获取所需的剂量矩阵和患者解剖轮廓。软件的安装需要一名程序员编写放射治疗计划系统与这些工具之间的软件桥梁，从而实现对本地数据文件的访问。这种设计策略将可移植性问题限制在软件的一个区域。
通过图形化计划评估工具（GPET）可访问其他工具。GPET协调每个工具的使用，并提供图形化设施以显示其结果。重要的是，GPET确保在比较所有治疗计划时，每个工具显示的结果都是使用相同的输入规范计算得出的。为了更加方便，用户可以在视频屏幕上以各种方式重新排列待审查的结果数据。软件设计还允许纳入用于计算肿瘤控制概率和正常组织并发症概率的定制算法和输入数据，因为目前可用的算法存在争议。
图形化计划评估工具统一了多个分析工具的同步计算及其结果的图形化显示。在X Window系统环境的限制范围内，这套软件工具为定量评估多个放射治疗计划提供了一种可移植、灵活且便捷的方法。
