Influence of calculation model on dose distribution in stereotactic radiotherapy for pulmonary targets.

PURPOSE To compare the pencil beam (PB) and collapsed cone (CC)-based three-dimensional dose calculation used for stereotactic irradiation of pulmonary targets. METHODS AND MATERIALS Three-dimensional conformal dose distributions (using 6-MV and 18-MV photon beams) were generated for 33 pulmonary targets using the PB algorithm implemented in the Helax-TMS treatment planning system and then recalculated with the CC algorithm of TMS using an identical beam setup and parameters. The differences were analyzed by evaluating the dose-volume histograms for the planning target volume (PTV) and clinical target volume (CTV) and evaluating the computed absolute monitor units (MUs). The influence of the photon energy was also studied. For three cases, the results were compared with Monte-Carlo calculations. RESULTS Use of the CC model typically showed increased dose inhomogeneity. Owing to a more accurate modeling of secondary charged particle disequilibrium at the tumor-lung interface, the beam penumbra is broadened. The median and mean target dose decreased by 13.9% and 11.2% for the PTV and 9.2% and 9.4% for the CTV, respectively, using the CC algorithm. Consequently, the average PTV dose coverage decreased by 7.1% (SD, 6.5%). On average, the MUs calculated to achieve the prescribed dose were 5.4% (SD, 5.8%) greater for the CC algorithm. The difference in MUs between the PB and CC increased with decreasing PTV size and high photon energy (18 MV; r = -0.68), reaching 26% at the maximum. CONCLUSION The absorbed dose at the lung-tumor interface calculated by the PB algorithm was considerably greater than the dose calculated using the CC algorithm. In small targets (PTV < or = 100 cm(3)) and for 18-MV photons, the MUs calculated with PB may lead to an insufficient dose to the target volume.