Author: Maria Jose Almada, Bruno Forti, Andres Lima, Carlos Daniel Venencia 👨🔬
Affiliation: Instituto Zunino - Fundacion Marie Curie 🌍
Purpose:
To automate the planning of radiotherapy treatments for bone metastases using a script in the ECLIPSE planning system version 15.6 with a graphical interface.
Methods:
A script was developed in C# using the .NET Framework 4.8, incorporating version 15.6 of ESAPI and Visual Studio 1.73. The script facilitates the planning of bone metastases using VMAT. Users input parameters such as beam energy, gantry start and stop angles, arc rotation direction, collimator rotation, and optimization structure margin. During execution, a progress bar, a list of statuses, and a timer are displayed. Fourteen automated plans were assessed and compared to plans created by an experienced user using the conformity index, gradient index, heterogeneity index, and planning time. PSQA was conducted and evaluated based on institutional criteria.
Results:
The implementation of the script demonstrated the segmentation of optimization volumes, the calculation of target dose distribution, and the application of the VMAT technique. The quality indices indicated that the automated plans achieved values ranging from [0.80 - 0.95], maintained control of dose fall-off outside the volume with gradient indices between [2.5 - 4.4], and exhibited heterogeneity between [1.06 - 1.13], all values comparable to those of the manual plans. Planning times were shorter for automated planning, averaging between 5 to 13 minutes, compared to manual plans (which ranged from 10 to 18 minutes). The PSQA showed similar approval percentages for both planning modalities.
Conclusion:
The script functions correctly and produces treatment plans for bone metastases that are similar in quality to those of an experienced user.