PORTABLE SOFTWARE TOOLS FOR 3D RADIATION-THERAPY PLANNING

Purpose: Produce a collection of software tools (computer programs) th at support three-dimensional (3D) radiation therapy planning. The tool s are not a complete 3D planning system. Instead, they work with any 3 D planning system that meets certain minimal specifications. The tools assist in deriving anatomic data from images, generating target volum e contours, evaluating treatment plans, and verifying accurate treatme nt delivery. The tools are portable: they can run without source code changes in any computing environment that provides a library of functi ons and data definitions called the Foundation. The Foundation couples the portable tools to the (usually nonportable) file system and dose calculation associated with a particular 3D planning system. Methods a nd Materials: Tools were written at three different (geographically se parated) institutions. Software developers from all three sites specif ied the Foundation. The programmers' interface to the Foundation is po rtable, but a Foundation implementation need not be portable. Each gro up implemented a Foundation adapted to the (different) 3D planning sys tem used at their site. Results: All teals run at all three sites with out source code changes. Each Foundation was implemented in a few pers on-months of programming effort. The program text and documentation fo r the tools have been plated in the public domain. Conclusions: It is practical and economical to produce portable radiotherapy treatment pl anning tools. Providers of 3D planning programs should offer Foundatio ns for their systems, so they can be used with tools. Researchers cons idering new computer programs should write them as tools, so they can work with any 3D planning system.