CHARACTERIZATION OF DOSE DISTRIBUTION IN RADIATION-THERAPY PLANS

As a method of considering only significant radiation doses to differe nt tissues, the ICRU Report 50 recommends taking the dose given to a s ignificant tissue volume (minimum diameter greater then 15 mm) instead of choosing a single, potentially insignificant, voxel value. In orde r to find this significant volume, we have adapted an emission imaging analysis method to radiation therapy planning. The resulting method f inds and characterizes the dose distribution in the volumes of interes t in a way that includes spatial arrangement. The data can be used to signal significant hot or cold volumes in the dose plan and to score t he plans based on significant dose to the tissues.