Intensity-modulated proton therapy patient treatments

Intensity-modulated proton therapy creates a highly conformal dose distribution. Generally, patient treatment delivery and patient dosimetric quality assurance (QA) measurements proceed without issues. In the event of an abort, there is a well-established recovery technique to define and to deliver the remaining spots. Software developed at the Proton Therapy Center at University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center identifies the conditions under which the delivery system aborts and which tracks the number of aborts. Desired improvements in the delivery system include three-dimensional (3D) in-room imaging and improved organ motion management during the treatment. Patient treatment field-specific QA includes both measurements and independent calculations, including Monte Carlo. Desired improvements in the patient-specific QA include increasing effectiveness and efficiency.