title: Concept for individualized patient allocation: ReCompare--remote comparison of particle and photon treatment plans.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Identifying those patients who have a higher chance to be cured with fewer side effects by particle beam therapy than by state-of-the-art photon therapy is essential to guarantee a fair and sufficient access to specialized radiotherapy. The individualized identification requires initiatives by particle as well as non-particle radiotherapy centers to form networks, to establish procedures for the decision process, and to implement means for the remote exchange of relevant patient information. In this work, we want to contribute a practical concept that addresses these requirements.
  
  
  METHODS
  We proposed a concept for individualized patient allocation to photon or particle beam therapy at a non-particle radiotherapy institution that bases on remote treatment plan comparison. We translated this concept into the web-based software tool ReCompare (REmote COMparison of PARticlE and photon treatment plans).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We substantiated the feasibility of the proposed concept by demonstrating remote exchange of treatment plans between radiotherapy institutions and the direct comparison of photon and particle treatment plans in photon treatment planning systems. ReCompare worked with several tested standard treatment planning systems, ensured patient data protection, and integrated in the clinical workflow.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our concept supports non-particle radiotherapy institutions with the patient-specific treatment decision on the optimal irradiation modality by providing expertise from a particle therapy center. The software tool ReCompare may help to improve and standardize this personalized treatment decision. It will be available from our website when proton therapy is operational at our facility.
authors.affiliation: OncoRay-National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr, 74, PF 41, 01307 Dresden, Germany. armin.luehr@OncoRay.de.
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lühr
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Löck
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Helmbrecht
authors.forename: Annika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jakobi
authors.forename: Jørgen B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Just
authors.forename: Mechthild
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krause
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Enghardt
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baumann
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003657:Decision Making; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D018579:Patient Selection; D017785:Photons / Q000627:therapeutic use; D057285:Precision Medicine / Q000379:methods; D061766:Proton Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D012984:Software