Modelling curved contact flexible microstrip applicators for patient-specific superficial hyperthermia treatment planning

This paper describes a method to reconstruct bendable superficial hyperthermia applicators for routine clinical patient-specific treatment planning. The reconstruction uses a CT scan with a flexible silicone dummy applicator positioned on the patient. The curvature was approximated by two second-degree polynomial functions. A realistic treatment series was mimicked using a standard Alderson radiation therapy phantom and a treatment planning model was reconstructed from a CT scan. The variation among treatment curvatures was compared to the modelled curvature. The mathematical approximation of the applicator curvature was validated for this phantom experiment, as well as for clinical treatments. The average maximum variation among the successive mimicked sessions was 3.67 ± 0.69 mm (range 2.98–4.60mm). The maximum deviation between the treatment curvature and the modelled curvature was 4.35 mm. Comparing the treatment and approximated curvature yielded a maximum deviation between 2.98 mm and 4.12 mm. For clinical treatments the maximum deviation of the treatment and approximated curvature varied between 0.48 mm and 1.98 mm. These results allow adequate reconstruction of bendable hyperthermia applicators for treatment planning, which can further improve treatment quality, for example by optimizing the water bolus temperature for patient-specific tumor depths. Predictive parameters for hyperthermia treatment outcome can easily be evaluated and compared for various input parameters.