Responsable: Antonio Leal Plaza
Tipo de Proyecto/Ayuda: Plan Nacional del 2011
Referencia: SAF2011-27116
Fecha de Inicio: 01-01-2012
Fecha de Finalización: 31-07-2015

Empresa/Organismo financiador/es:

• Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación

Equipo:

• Investigadores:
  • Rafael Arráns Lara
  • Patricia Cabrera Roldán
  • Miguel Herrador Córdoba
  • Juan Carlos Mateos Pérez
  • Joan Vicent Roselló Ferrando
  • Santiago Velázquez Miranda

Contratados:

• Investigadores:
  • Ana Rita Pereira Barbeiro
• Técnicos/Personal Administrativo:
  • Ana Rita Pereira Barbeiro

Resumen del proyecto:

The technical evolution of the so called Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) is leading to the Volumetric Modulated Arcotherapy (VMAT). The main benefit of this progression yields similar dose distributions in shorter treatment times. Although some theoretical controversy still remains, some manufacturers such as Elekta or Varian, provide their accelerators with volumetric facilities. Several international centers are involved in comparative studies of IMRT versus VMAT but calculations are performed on conventional treatment planning systems which might fail under non reference dosimetry conditions. In addition, optimization algorithms employed lack a detailed description of the radiation interaction on the collimation system, even in a greater extent than in IMRT. Our group has showed repeatedly the inaccuracy of the calculations involved in IMRT which might be even worse with VMAT.

The above reasons indicate the necessity of a detailed study of volumetric therapy through the theoretical calculation of the radiation transport aiming to assess the influence in the dose delivered to the patient. In this manner, the comparison with IMRT will be both objective and accurate. Moreover, once the problem is properly described, a deeper approach will be faced with the development of more efficient and reliable optimization algorithms. In this scenario, the evaluation of VMAT will be guaranteed and therefore, hypofractionation treatment schemes could be used with confidence with the subsequent benefit of saving of time and/or gaining clinical efficiency.