A planning comparison using a body contour with head and neck mask and a body contour without head and neck mask in Head and neck cancer

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 LSIB, laboratory, Faculty of Sciences and Technologies Mohammedia, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Mohammedia,Morocco

2 Ibn Tofail University Faculty of Sciences, physics of materials and subatomic

3 LPMS Department, Faculty of Science, IBN Tofail University, Kenitra, Morocco

Abstract

In radiation for head and neck cancer, where patient positioning is crucial, accuracy in dose estimation is critical. Although thermoplastic masks are frequently used for immobilization, it is still up for debate whether or not these devices should be added to the body contour during planning.

Two planning approaches are compared in this study: one that integrates the thermoplastic mask into the body contour and the other that does not. Using an identical beam dataset in the Eclipse planning system, 22 VMAT treatment plans were created. CT datasets were replicated for each case in order to provide comparable designs with and without the mask contour.

In addition to standard tissue dose comparisons, dosimetric factors like D95%, D2%, and conformity index (CI) were evaluated for the PTV. The results show that target coverage and OAR sparing were marginally enhanced when the mask was removed from the body contour.

These findings lend evidence to the possible benefit of removing immobilization devices from the body contour in order to improve treatment precision and planning effectiveness in clinical practice

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