The overall goal of Core A is to develop a unique and enhanced software engineering, IMRT planning andquality assurance infrastructure, that addresses the unique data management needs, error pathways, andlogistical constraints posed by image guided adaptive radiation therapy (IGART). IGART confronts radiationoncology with new and unfamiliar demands: a high volume of imaging data drawn from many differentmodalities, new clinical tools such as deformable image registration which must perform reliably in a real-time automated mode, the need for real-time IMRT planning codes that deliver optimal plans with little or nointervention, and integration of complex software tools and functions drawn from the other projects and coresinto an integrated structure. These functions include the comprehensive management and manipulation ofmultiple imaging data sets from diverse imaging modalities, IGART IMRT planning incorporating probabilisticmodels, maintaining a plan database, and acquiring statistics derived from the quantitative plan evaluationtools such as equivalent uniform dose (EUD), normal tissue complication probability (NTCP), tumor controlprobability (TCP), and biologically equivalent dose (BED) to accommodate variations in fraction size and toallow summation of brachytherapy and external beam dose distributions. Core A will provide the followingfunctions to meet the overall goals of this PPG of which develops, investigates, optimizes, and implements asystem to study the potential clinical advantages of IGART via coupled virtual clinical trials (VCTs) andclinical trials (ACTs). Core Function 1 will develop a novel layered software engineering and datamanagement infrastructure, based upon a shared set of user-program data structures, common tools, andsimulation scripting languages, that isolates software developers from the mechanics of storing andretrieving data and converting imaging studies from a variety of native formats to a common format forperforming virtual clinical trials (VCTs) conducted by Projects 1-4. Core Function 2 will interface new toolsas they are developed in Projects 1-4 into the software infrastructure, which will form the VCD IGARTsystem. Core Function 3 will generate automated IMRT re-optimizations and treatment plans, and dataanalysis utilizing the VCU IGART system. Core Function 4 will focus on developing a comprehensive set ofQA tools and techniques to facilitate the safe and efficient clinical implementation of IGART.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 72 publications
