Special report: workshop on 4D-treatment planning in actively scanned particle therapy--recommendations, technical challenges, and future research directions

Abstract

This article reports on a 4D-treatment planning workshop (4DTPW), held on 7-8 December 2009 at the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) in Villigen, Switzerland. The participants were all members of institutions actively involved in particle therapy delivery and research. The purpose of the 4DTPW was to discuss current approaches, challenges, and future research directions in 4D-treatment planning in the context of actively scanned particle radiotherapy. Key aspects were addressed in plenary sessions, in which leaders of the field summarized the state-of-the-art. Each plenary session was followed by an extensive discussion. As a result, this article presents a summary of recommendations for the treatment of mobile targets (intrafractional changes) with actively scanned particles and a list of requirements to elaborate and apply these guidelines clinically.