An automated treatment planning strategy for highly noncoplanar radiotherapy arc trajectories

Radiation therapy is a technology-driven cancer treatment modality that has experienced significant advances over the last decades, due to multidisciplinary contributions include engineering and computing. Recent technological developments allow use of noncoplanar volumetric modulated arc (VMAT), one most recent photon techniques, in clinical practice. In this work, an automated trajectory optimization framework designed two modular phases presented. First, beam angle algorithm used obtain set irradiation directions. Then, anchored these directions, strategy proposed compute optimal trajectory. The computational experiments considered pool twelve difficult head-and-neck tumor cases. It was possible observe that, for some cases, optimized trajectories led planning quality improvements, when compared with coplanar VMAT plans. Although were done research environment software (matRad), conclusions can be interest setting: procedures simplify current workflow, produce high-quality plans, making better human resources allowing unbiased comparisons between different techniques.