title: Objective evaluation of radiation treatment plans.
abstract: The evaluation of radiation treatment plans involves making trade-offs among doses delivered to the tumor volumes and nearby normal tissues. Evaluating state-of-the-art three-dimensional (3D) plans is a difficult task because of the huge amount of planning data that needs to be deciphered. Multiattribute utility theory provides a methodology for specifying trade-offs and selecting the optimal plan from many competing plans. Using multiattribute utility theory, we are developing a clinically meaningful objective plan-evaluation model for 3D radiation treatment plans. Our model incorporates three of the factors involved in radiation treatment evaluation--treatment preferences of the radiation oncologist, clinical condition of the patient, and complexity of the treatment plan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110.
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Kahn
mesh_terms: D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D003662:Decision Theory; D006801:Humans; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted