Tomo Flashcards
What is tomo
CT guided Helical IMRT
Radioactive units with Precision planning system
How does Tomo work
Radiation delivered in helical way (couch moving while gantry rotates) -> layered effect
360 degree rotation
FFF 6MV photon beam — dose rate 1180MU/Min
85cm bore (40cm imaging diameter FOV)
MLC window width (sup-inf)
Max treatment width - 40cm, max treatment length 135cm
TomoTherapy helical delivery
Conformal dosimetric is achieved through:
- bends the dose to conform tightly to the ptv
- in a narrow rotating beam
- with high speed MLCs
- from multiple angles around the target
Slip ring gantry
Continuous radiation through 360 degrees
MLCs can change every 7 degrees = 51 dynamic arc segments
64 beamlets per projection
Binary MLC
Pneumatically driven leaves
Transverse motion control
10cm thick
Open/close time = 20ms
Leaf width = 6.25cm at iso
Interleaf transmission = 0.5% in field and 0.25% out of field
What sites are often treated
Head and neck
Prostate and pelvis - due to better imaging now
Treatment bunker
Noisy - 78 decibels (85 can cause permanent damage)
Cold room
Control panel (touch screens)
Couch weight limit - 200kgs
Auto load and unoad
Machine considerations
Tall couch causes issues with patient mobility
Couch catcher - reduce sag and increased weight limit
Daily scanning
Time to complete scan - full CNS 90sec
Whole treatment area included daily
Sticky scan limits - saves parameters
Only Sag axis to choose scan limits
TomoTherapy image registration
6 DOF can be reviewed but only 4 can be corrected
- sup/inf
- ant/post
- left/right
- roll
Imaging tolerance
Pitch and yaw incorrect —> patient must be repositioned
Patients with lateral volumes must be offset and indexed on the bed as lateral movement is limited to +/-20mm
Weight loss and volume changes
Most common problem as Head and neck is biggest patient load
Requires MDT- nursing, dietitian, speech pathologist
PEGs are also offered - can lead to increase in recovery time
How to deal with weight loss
Foam can be added to areas of vac lock bag
Plan adaptive may be required- depending on where the foam is placed
TomoTherapy planning
Form of IMRT
Lots of contouring - can take between 1-6hrs
Planners check RO volumes before commencing outlining for errors
RO delineated contours
GTV, CTV, PTV
Optic chasm, brain stem, pituitary, cochlea, lacrimal gland
Pharyngeal constrictors, larynx, trachea, salivary glands, brachial plexus
RT contouring
PRV
Tuning/avoid structures
Ring volumes
OAR OPT
PTV eval
Shoulder blocks
Beamlets
Set number of beamlets available in a plan
Beamlets assigned to each structure depending on how it is meeting tolerances
When it has achieved constraints to a structure, it will divide that structure’s remaining beamlets over any remaining structures that are not achieving constraints