Accuracy Evaluation of Collapsed Cone Convolution Superposition Algorithms for the Nasopharynx Interface in the Early Stage of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Abstract

This study combined the use of radiation dosimeteric measurements and a custom-made anthropomorphic phantom in order to evaluate the accuracy of therapeutic dose calculations at the nasopharyngeal air-tissue interface. The doses at the nasopharyngeal air-tissue interface obtained utilizing the Pinnacle and TomoTherapy TPS, which are based on collapsed cone convolution superposition (CCCS) algorithms, were evaluated and measured under single 10 × 10 cm², 2 × 2 cm², two parallel opposed 2 × 2 cm² and clinical fields for early stage of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by using EBT3, GR-200F, and TLD 100. At the air-tissue interface under a 10 × 10 cm² field, the TPS dose calculation values were in good agreement with the dosimeter measurement with all differences within 3.5%. When measured the single field 2 × 2 cm², the differences between the average dose were measured at the distal interface for EBT3, GR-200F, and TLD-100 and the calculation values were -15.8%, -16.4%, and -4.9%, respectively. When using the clinical techniques such as IMRT, VMAT, and tomotherapy, the measurement results at the interface for all three techniques did not imply under dose. Small-field sizes will lead to dose overestimation at the nasopharyngeal air-tissue interface due to electronic disequilibrium when using CCCS algorithms. However, under clinical applications of multiangle irradiation, the dose errors caused by this effect were not significant.