Script-based implementation of automatic grid placement for lattice stereotactic body radiation therapy

• Published in: Physics and imaging in radiation oncology 2024-01, Vol.29, p.100549-100549, Article 100549
• Main Authors: Tucker, Wesley W., Mazur, Thomas R., Schmidt, Matthew C., Hilliard, Jessica, Badiyan, Shahed, Spraker, Matthew B., Kavanaugh, James A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Lattice SBRT; Original; Plan automation; Spatial fractionation
• ISSN: 2405-6316; 2405-6316
• DOI: 10.1016/j.phro.2024.100549

•Script-based sphere placement for lattice SBRT resulted in no placement violations.•No significant differences observed in plan metrics with script-based spheres.•Script-based placement will support standardized lattice sphere planning. Spatially fractionated radiation therapy (SFRT) has demonstrated promising clinical response in treating large tumors with heterogeneous dose distributions. Lattice stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is an SFRT technique that leverages inverse optimization to precisely localize regions of high and lose dose within disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate an automated heuristic approach to sphere placement in lattice SBRT treatment planning. A script-based algorithm for sphere placement in lattice SBRT based on rules described by protocol was implemented within a treatment planning system. The script was applied to 22 treated cases and sphere distributions were compared with manually placed spheres in terms of number of spheres, number of protocol violations, and time required to place spheres. All cases were re-planned using script-generated spheres and plan quality was compared with clinical plans. The mean number of spheres placed excluding those that violate rules was greater using the script (13.8) than that obtained by either dosimetrist (10.8 and 12.0, p