Simultaneous ThermoBrachytherapy

Simultaneous ThermoBrachytherapy: Electromagnetic Simulation Methods for Fast and Accurate Adaptive Treatment Planning

Androulakis, Ioannis (Erasmus MC)
Mestrom, Rob M.C. (Eindhoven University of Technology)
Christianen, Miranda E.M.C. (Erasmus MC)
Kolkman‐deurloo, Inger Karine K. (Erasmus MC)
van Rhoon, G.C. (TU Delft RST/Applied Radiation & Isotopes; Erasmus MC)

2022

The combination of interstitial hyperthermia treatment (IHT) with high dose rate brachytherapy (HDR‐BT) can improve clinical outcomes since it highly enhances the efficiency of cell kill, especially when applied simultaneously. Therefore, we have developed the ThermoBrachy applicators. To effectively apply optimal targeted IHT, treatment planning is considered essential. However, treatment planning in IHT is rarely applied as it is regarded as difficult to accurately calculate the deposited energy in the tissue in a short enough time for clinical practice. In this study, we investigated various time‐efficient methods for fast computation of the electromagnetic (EM) energy deposition resulting from the ThermoBrachy applicators. Initially, we investigated the use of an electro‐quasistatic solver. Next, we extended our investigation to the application of geometric simplifications. Furthermore, we investigated the validity of the superpositioning principle, which can enable adaptive treatment plan optimization without the need for continuous recomputation of the EM field. Finally, we evaluated the accuracy of the methods by comparing them to the golden standard Finite‐Difference Time‐Domain calculation method using gamma‐index analysis. The simplifications considerably reduced the computation time needed, improving from >12 h to a few seconds. All investigated methods showed excellent agreement with the golden standard by showing a >99% passing rate with 1%/0.5 mm Dose Difference and Distance‐to‐Agreement criteria. These results allow the proposed electromagnetic simulation method to be used for fast and accurate adaptive treatment planning.

Automated treatment planning
Capacitive heating
Electromagnetic simulations
Finite‐difference time‐domain
Gamma index analysis
High dose rate brachytherapy
Interstitial hyperthermia
Quasistatic simulations
ThermoBrachytherapy
Treatment plan optimization

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:6e2c052c-ed7d-4969-93a1-79297f68d808

https://doi.org/10.3390/s22041328

1424-8220

Sensors, 22 (4)

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2022 Ioannis Androulakis, Rob M.C. Mestrom, Miranda E.M.C. Christianen, Inger Karine K. Kolkman‐deurloo, G.C. van Rhoon