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Impact of 4D image quality on the accuracy of target definition

Australasian Physical & Engineering Sciences in Medicine volume 39, pages 103–112 (2016)Cite this article

Abstract

Delineation accuracy of target shape and position depends on the image quality. This study investigates whether the image quality on standard 4D systems has an influence comparable to the overall delineation uncertainty. A moving lung target was imaged using a dynamic thorax phantom on three different 4D computed tomography (CT) systems and a 4D cone beam CT (CBCT) system using pre-defined clinical scanning protocols. Peak-to-peak motion and target volume were registered using rigid registration and automatic delineation, respectively. A spatial distribution of the imaging uncertainty was calculated as the distance deviation between the imaged target and the true target shape. The measured motions were smaller than actual motions. There were volume differences of the imaged target between respiration phases. Imaging uncertainties of >0.4 cm were measured in the motion direction which showed that there was a large distortion of the imaged target shape. Imaging uncertainties of standard 4D systems are of similar size as typical GTV–CTV expansions (0.5–1 cm) and contribute considerably to the target definition uncertainty. Optimising and validating 4D systems is recommended in order to obtain the most optimal imaged target shape.

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Acknowledgments

This work is supported by the Region of Southern Denmark and by CIRRO—The Lundbeck Foundation Center for Interventional Research in Radiation Oncology and by The Danish Council for Strategic Research.

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Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Radiation Physics, Odense University Hospital, 5000, Odense, Denmark

    Tine Bjørn Nielsen, Christian Rønn Hansen, Jonas Westberg & Carsten Brink

  2. Department of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark

    Olfred Hansen

  3. Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark

    Olfred Hansen & Carsten Brink

Authors
  1. Tine Bjørn Nielsen
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  2. Christian Rønn Hansen
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  3. Jonas Westberg
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  4. Olfred Hansen
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  5. Carsten Brink
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Correspondence to Tine Bjørn Nielsen.

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Nielsen, T.B., Hansen, C.R., Westberg, J. et al. Impact of 4D image quality on the accuracy of target definition. Australas Phys Eng Sci Med 39, 103–112 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13246-015-0400-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13246-015-0400-3

Keywords

  • 4D-CT
  • Image artefact
  • 4D-CBCT
  • Target motion
  • Motion management
  • NSCLC