Flattening filter‐free linac improves treatment delivery efficiency in stereotactic body radiation therapy

• DOI: 10.1120/jacmp.v14i3.4126
• Publication Date: 2017-02-27T23:05:58Z
• Authors: Brendan M. Prende...; John B. Fiveash; Richard A. Popple; Grant M. Clark; Evan M. Thomas; Douglas J. Minnich; Rojymon Jacob; Sharon A. Spencer; James A. Bonner; Michael C. Dobelb...
• Keywords: Flattening

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) employs precision target tracking and image-guidance techniques to deliver ablative doses of localized malignancies; however, treatment with conventional photon beams requires lengthy immobilization times. The use flattening filter-free (FFF) operating at higher dose rates can shorten beam-on time, we hypothesize that it will overall delivery time. A total 111 lung liver SBRT cases treated our institution from July 2008 2011 were reviewed 99 complete data identified. Treatment times for a FFF linac versus rate compared. frequency type intrafraction image guidance was also collected compared between groups. Three hundred ninety-one individual fractions plans examined; 36 linac. In the cohort, mean (± standard deviation) time (time elapsed until end) patient's first alignment 11.44 6.3) 21.08 6.8) minutes 32.94 14.8) 47.05 17.6) cohort (p < 0.01 all values). Intrafraction-computed tomography (CT) used more often in (84% vs. 25%; p 0.05), but orthogonal X-ray imaging remained same (16% 19%). For SBRT, reduces by than 50% addition, is associated less physician-ordered guidance, which contributes further improvement efficiency.