Award Date

5-1-2025

Degree Type

Doctoral Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Medical Physics (DMP)

Department

Health Physics and Diagnostic Sciences

First Committee Member

Steen Madsen

Second Committee Member

Yu Kuang

Third Committee Member

Cephas Mubata

Fourth Committee Member

Ryan Hecox

Fifth Committee Member

Brach Poston

Number of Pages

97

Abstract

Radiation therapy is crucial for treating cancer, using ionizing radiation to target and destroy cancer cells. This radiation is produced by machines like linear accelerators or through natural radioactive decay. Radiation therapy treatment planning involves prescribing doses and contouring target areas. However, managing tumors that move with breathing, such as in the lungs, remains a major challenge. Tumor motion exceeding 5 mm, as outlined in the AAPM’s Task Group 76, can compromise treatment accuracy, risking underdosing the tumor and overdosing healthy tissue. This issue is especially critical in high dose treatments like stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). TG-76 provides different motion management which include passive methods like 4-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) imaging and internal target volume (ITV) contouring, which account for tumor motion during planning. Active techniques that directly restrict motion using methods like abdominal compression, breath-hold, or respiratory gating are also outlined in this report. At Utah Valley Hospital, passive methods such as 4DCT and ITV contouring are standard, alongside compression. This project will explore whether Utah Valley Hospital’s current motion management approach is enough to maintain tumor motion within the 5 mm threshold recommended by TG-76. By assessing current practices and exploring potential improvements, technology, and techniques, this project will aim to determine if investing in additional techniques could enhance clinical outcomes.

Keywords

motion management; oncology; radiation; therapy

Disciplines

Medical Sciences | Medicine and Health Sciences

File Format

pdf

File Size

4100 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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