Complexity metrics for IMRT and VMAT plans: a review of current literature and applications

Abstract

Modulated radiotherapy with multileaf collimators is widely used to improve target conformity and normal tissue sparing. This introduced an additional degree of complexity, studied by multiple teams through different properties. Three categories of complexity metrics were considered in this review: fluence, deliverability and accuracy metrics. The first part of this review is dedicated to the inventory of these complexity metrics. Different applications of these metrics emerged. Influencing the optimizer by integrating complexity metrics into the cost function has been little explored and requires more investigations. In modern treatment planning system, it remains confined to MUs or treatment time limitation. A large majority of studies calculated metrics only for analysis, without plan modification. The main application was to streamline the patient specific quality assurance workload, investigating the capability of complexity metrics to predict patient specific quality assurance results. Additionally complexity metrics were used to analyze behaviour of TPS optimizer, compare TPS, operators and plan properties, and perform multicentre audit. Their potential was also explored in the context of adaptive radiotherapy and automation planning. The second part of the review gives an overview of these studies based on the complexity metrics.

Figure 1.

Typical aspect of correlation plots for two complexity metrics (MU and MCS) and PSQA results. An important spread out appears for plans with large MU (>700) and low MCS (<0.23) corresponding to high modulation level. Figure comes from McGarry et al. MCS, modulation complexity score; PSQA, patient specific quality assurance.