To determine the spatial overlap agreement between four-dimensional computed tomography (4D CT) ventilation and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) perfusion hypo-functioning pulmonary defect regions in a patient population with malignant airway stenosis. Treatment planning 4D CT images were obtained retrospectively for ten lung cancer patients with radiographically demonstrated airway obstruction due to gross tumor volume. Each patient also received a SPECT perfusion study within one week of the planning 4D CT, and prior to the initiation of treatment. Deformable image registration was used to map corresponding lung tissue elements between the extreme component phase images, from which quantitative three-dimensional (3D) images representing the local pulmonary specific ventilation were constructed. Semi-automated segmentation of the percentile perfusion distribution was performed to identify regional defects distal to the known obstructing lesion. Semi-automated segmentation was similarly performed by multiple observers to delineate corresponding defect regions depicted on 4D CT ventilation. Normalized Dice similarity coefficient (NDSC) indices were determined for each observer between SPECT perfusion and 4D CT ventilation defect regions to assess spatial overlap agreement. Tidal volumes determined from 4D CT ventilation were evaluated versus measurements obtained from lung parenchyma segmentation. Linear regression resulted in a linear fit with slope = 1.01 (R² = 0.99). Respective values for the average DSC, NDSC(1 mm) and NDSC(2 mm) for all cases and multiple observers were 0.78, 0.88 and 0.99, indicating that, on average, spatial overlap agreement between ventilation and perfusion defect regions was comparable to the threshold for agreement within 1-2 mm uncertainty. Corresponding coefficients of variation for all metrics were similarly in the range: 0.10%-19%. This study is the first to quantitatively assess 3D spatial overlap agreement between clinically acquired SPECT perfusion and specific ventilation from 4D CT. Results suggest high correlation between methods within the sub-population of lung cancer patients with malignant airway stenosis.

The purpose of this work was to determine the dosimetric benefit to normal tissues by tracking the multi‐leaf collimator (MLC) apertures with the photon jaws in step‐and‐shoot intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) on the Varian 2100 platform. Radiation treatment plans for ten thoracic, three pediatric, and three head and neck cancer patients were converted to plans with the jaws tracking each segment's MLC apertures, and compared to the original plans in a commercial radiation treatment planning system (TPS). The change in normal tissue dose was evaluated in the new plan by using the parameters V5, V10, and V20 (volumes receiving 5, 10 and 20 Gy, respectively) in the cumulative dose‐volume histogram for the following structures: total lung minus gross target volume, heart, esophagus, spinal cord, liver, parotids, and brainstem. To validate the accuracy of our beam model, MLC transmission was measured and compared to that predicted by the TPS. The greatest changes between the original and new plans occurred at lower dose levels. In all patients, the reduction in V20 was never more than 6.3% and was typically less than 1%; the maximum reduction in V5 was 16.7% and was typically less than 3%. The variation in normal tissue dose reduction was not predictable, and we found no clear parameters that indicated which patients would benefit most from jaw tracking. Our TPS model of MLC transmission agreed with measurements with absolute transmission differences of less than 0.1% and, thus, uncertainties in the model did not contribute significantly to the uncertainty in the dose determination. We conclude that the amount of dose reduction achieved by collimating the jaws around each MLC aperture in step‐and‐shoot IMRT is probably not clinically significant.PACS numbers: 87.55.D‐ 87.55.de 87.55.dk

Purpose: To evaluate normal tissue dose reduction in step‐and‐shoot intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) on the Varian 2100 platform by tracking the multileaf collimator (MLC) apertures with the accelerator jaws. Methods: Clinical radiation treatment plans for 10 thoracic, 3 pediatric and 3 head and neck patients were converted to plans with the jaws tracking each segmentˈs MLC apertures and compared to the original plans in a commercial radiation treatment planning system (TPS). Each segment was then renormalized to account for the change in collimator scatter to obtain target coverage within 1 % of that in the original plan. Reduction in normal tissue dose was evaluated in the new plan by using the parameters V5, V10, and V20 in the cumulative dose‐volume histogram for the following structures: total lung minus GTV (gross target volume), heart, esophagus, spinal cord, liver, parotids, and brainstem. In order to validate the accuracy of our beam model, MLC transmission measurements were made and compared to those predicted by the TPS. Results: The greatest change between the original plan and new plan occurred at lower dose levels. The reduction in V20 was never more than 6.3% and was typically less than 1% for all patients. The reduction in V5 was 16.7% maximum and was typically less than 3% for all patients. The variation in normal tissue dose reduction was not predictable, and we found no clear parameters that indicated which patients would benefit most from jaw tracking. Our TPS model of MLC transmission agreed with measurements with absolute transmission differences of less than 0.1 % and thus uncertainties in the model did not contribute significantly to the uncertainty in the dose determination. Conclusion: The amount of dose reduction achieved by collimating the jaws around each MLC aperture in step and shoot IMRT is probably not clinically significant.