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. 2022 Oct-Dec;47(4):352-361.
doi: 10.4103/jmp.jmp_30_22. Epub 2023 Jan 10.

Commissioning Validation of a Brachytherapy Treatment Planning System with EGSnrc Monte Carlo Code and EBT3 GAFChromic Film

Mohammed Lahlabou  1 , Rachid Khelifi  2
Affiliations

Commissioning Validation of a Brachytherapy Treatment Planning System with EGSnrc Monte Carlo Code and EBT3 GAFChromic Film

Mohammed Lahlabou et al. J Med Phys. 2022 Oct-Dec.

Abstract

Aims: Most brachytherapy treatment planning system (TPS) commissioning requires data input based on the American Association of Physicists in Medicine Task Group-43 formalism. The commissioning accuracy is very important for dose calculation. The aim of this study is the implementation of a brachytherapy TPS into a clinical environment and check the TPS calculated dose accuracy.

Subjects and methods: After introducing data of the different catheters (CIS Bio International, Saclay, France), composed of several Cesium-137 Eckert and Ziegler BEBIG CSM-11 radioactive sources; for XiO (CMS, St. Louis) brachytherapy TPS, the TPS dose calculation accuracy was investigated by comparing between the TPS calculated dose distribution (DD) for all the catheters with (1) the measuring DD using EBT3 GAFChromic film and (2) calculating DD by egs_brachy (Electron Gamma Shower, National Research Council of Canada) Monte Carlo simulation. The phantom used for this study consists of six PTW slabs 30 cm × 30 cm × 1 cm of polymethyl methacrylate with a Delouche MEDpro applicator on the top. The TPS DD was calculated on the computed tomography scan of this phantom.

Statistical analysis used: PTW VeriSoft version 6.0.1.7 (PTW-Freiburg, Germany) software was used for analyzing scanned films and to perform the comparison based on the gamma index distribution.

Results: For each catheter, the gamma index distribution showed agreement >95% of all pixels in both verification methods, with gamma ≤1.

Conclusions: We confirm the commissioning accuracy and that the TPS can be used for clinical purposes.

Keywords: Brachytherapy; EBT3; TG43; egs_brachy; gamma index.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(a) Synergy Elekta linear accelerator, (b) centrally located EBT3 film on the slab, (c) absolute dose calculation with an ionization chamber, (d) Epson GT200000 Flatbed Scanner, and (e) irradiated EBT3 films
Figure 2
Figure 2
Reference polar coordinate system for radioactive sources adapted from the TG-43 report
Figure 3
Figure 3
(a) BEBIG Eckert and Ziegler Curietron, (b) Curiestock, and (c) Delouche MEDPro applicator
Figure 4
Figure 4
PTW slabs phantom and intrauterine probe setup (a) Front view (b) profile view
Figure 5
Figure 5
(a) PHILIPS Big Bore Brilliance CT scanner, (b) phantom transversal slice, and (c) phantom sagittal slice. CT: Computed tomography
Figure 6
Figure 6
Catheter_70 TPS calculated dose distribution. TPS: Treatment planning system
Figure 7
Figure 7
Eckert and Ziegler BEBIG LDR 137Cs model CSM-11 source. LDR: Low-dose-rate
Figure 8
Figure 8
Catheter_17 simulation geometry
Figure 9
Figure 9
Egs_brachy routine validation comparison
Figure 10
Figure 10
Comparison measured and TPS calculated dose distribution with gamma index distribution for dose difference and distance criteria 3% and 5 mm, respectively, for catheter_70. TPS: Treatment planning system
Figure 11
Figure 11
Comparison measured and TPS calculated dose distribution with different profiles for catheter_70. TPS: Treatment planning system
Figure 12
Figure 12
Comparison of egs_brachy and TPS calculated dose distribution with the gamma index distribution for dose difference and distance criteria 3% and 2 mm, respectively, for catheter_70. TPS: Treatment planning system
Figure 13
Figure 13
Comparison of egs_brachy and TPS calculated dose distribution with different profiles for catheter_70. TPS: Treatment planning system. LR: Left-Right for lateral direction, TG: Target-Gun for longitudinal direction
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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