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Radiation Treatment Planning: Mixed Integer Programming Formulations and Approaches

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Handbook on Modelling for Discrete Optimization

Part of the book series: International Series in Operations Research & Management Science ((ISOR,volume 88))

Abstract

Radiation therapy is extensively used to treat a wide range of cancers. Due to the increasing complexities of delivery mechanisms, and the improved imaging devices that allow more accurate determination of cancer location, determination of high quality treatment plans via trial-and-error methods is impractical and computer optimization approaches to planning are becoming more critical and more difficult.

We outline three examples of the types of treatment planning problem that can arise in practice and strive to understand the commonalities and differences in these problems. We highlight optimization approaches to the problems, and particularly consider approaches based on mixed integer programming. Details of the mathematical formulations and algorithmic approaches are developed and pointers are given to supporting literature that shows the efficacy of the approaches in practical situations.

This material is based on research partially supported by the National Science Foundation Grants ACI-0113051, DMI-0100220, and CCR-9972372 and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research Grant F49620-01-1-0040.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Computer Sciences Department, University of Wisconsin, 1210 West Dayton Street, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA

    Michael C. Ferris & Robert R. Meyer

  2. University of Maryland School of Medicine, 22 South Green Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA

    Warren D’Souza

Authors
  1. Michael C. Ferris
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  2. Robert R. Meyer
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  3. Warren D’Souza
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Operational Research Department, London School of Economics, UK

    Gautam Appa  & H. Paul Williams  & 

  2. Department of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

    Leonidas Pitsoulis

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Ferris, M.C., Meyer, R.R., D’Souza, W. (2006). Radiation Treatment Planning: Mixed Integer Programming Formulations and Approaches. In: Appa, G., Pitsoulis, L., Williams, H.P. (eds) Handbook on Modelling for Discrete Optimization. International Series in Operations Research & Management Science, vol 88. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-32942-0_11

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