Implementation and validation of a three-dimensional deformable registration algorithm for targeted prostate cancer radiotherapy.
OBJECTIVE
Daily prostate deformation hinders accurate calculation of dose, especially to intraprostatic targets. We implemented a three-dimensional deformable registration algorithm to aid dose tracking for targeted prostate radiotherapy.


METHODS
The algorithm registers two computed tomography (CT) scans by iteratively minimizing their differences in image intensity. For validation, we measured the accuracy in registering (a) a pelvic CT set to its mathematically deformed counterpart, (b) CT scans of a deformable pelvic phantom with and without an endorectal balloon inflated, to simulate intraprostatic targets, 23 CT-opaque seeds were embedded in the prostate, and (c) two pelvic CT scans of a patient obtained on 2 separate days.


RESULTS
The mean (SD) error in registering the pelvic CT set to its transformed set was 0.5 mm (1.5), with correlation coefficient improvement from 0.626 to 0.991. Using the deformable pelvic phantom, the correlation coefficient improved from 0.543 to 0.816 after registration. The mean (SD) error in tracking the intraprostatic seeds was 0.8 mm (0.5). The correlation coefficient improved from 0.610 to 0.944 after registration of the two patient CT sets.


CONCLUSIONS
The algorithm had an accuracy of about 1 mm. It could be used for optimizing dose calculation and delivery for prostate radiotherapy.
Wang
He
H
Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Dong
Lei
L
Lii
Ming Fwu
MF
Lee
Andrew L
AL
de Crevoisier
Renaud
R
Mohan
Radhe
R
Cox
James D
JD
Kuban
Deborah A
DA
Cheung
Rex
R
D000465:Algorithms; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed