Deformable registration of X-ray and MRI for post-implant dosimetry in low-dose-rate prostate brachytherapy

Purpose Dosimetric assessment following permanent prostate brachytherapy (PPB) commonly involves seed localization using CT and prostate delineation using coregistered MRI. However, pelvic CT leads to additional imaging dose and requires significant resources to acquire and process both CT and MRI. In this study, we propose an automatic postimplant dosimetry approach that retains MRI for soft‐tissue contouring, but eliminates the need for CT and reduces imaging dose while overcoming the inconsistent appearance of seeds on MRI with three projection x rays acquired using a mobile C‐arm. Methods Implanted seeds are reconstructed using x rays by solving a combinatorial optimization problem and deformably registered to MRI. Candidate seeds are located in MR images using local hypointensity identification. X ray‐based seeds are registered to these candidate seeds in three steps: (a) rigid registration using a stochastic evolutionary optimizer, (b) affine registration using an iterative closest point optimizer, and (c) deformable registration using a local feature point search and nonrigid coherent point drift. The algorithm was evaluated using 20 PPB patients with x rays acquired immediately postimplant and T2‐weighted MR images acquired the next day at 1.5 T with mean 0.8 × 0.8 × 3.0 mmurn:x-wiley:00942405:media:mp13667:mp13667-math-0001 voxel dimensions. Target registration error (TRE) was computed based on the distance from algorithm results to manually identified seed locations using coregistered CT acquired the same day as the MRI. Dosimetric accuracy was determined by comparing prostate D90 determined using the algorithm and the ground truth CT‐based seed locations. Results The mean ± standard deviation TREs across 20 patients including 1774 seeds were 2.23 ± 0.52 mm (rigid), 1.99 ± 0.49 mm (rigid + affine), and 1.76 ± 0.43 mm (rigid + affine + deformable). The corresponding mean ± standard deviation D90 errors were 5.8 ± 4.8%, 3.4 ± 3.4%, and 2.3 ± 1.9%, respectively. The mean computation time of the registration algorithm was 6.1 s. Conclusion The registration algorithm accuracy and computation time are sufficient for clinical PPB postimplant dosimetry

Imaging in Radiation Oncology: A Perspective

This paper reviews the integration of imaging and radiation oncology, and discusses challenges and opportunities for improving the practice of radiation oncology with imaging

MRI guidance in high-dose-rate brachytherapy for prostate cancer

INTRODUCTION: MRI has been widely accepted as the best imaging modality for prostate cancer. However, there is lack of knowledge how MRI perform when applied in MRI-only workflow for catheter insertion and treatment planning in patients receiving standard-care high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy prior to external beam radiotherapy for prostate cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty patients with intermediate or high-risk prostate cancer were enrolled on a prospective clinical trial approved by institution’s research ethics board. Multiparametric MR imaging with stereotactic navigation was used to guide insertion of brachytherapy catheters, followed by MRI-based treatment planning. RESULTS: Sixty-two implants were performed. Median catheter insertion + imaging time was 100 min, and overall anaesthesia time was 4.0 hours (range 2.1-6.9 hours). MRI at the time of brachytherapy re-staged 14 patients (35%) who were found to have a higher stage of disease. In 6 patients this translated in directed insertion of brachytherapy catheters outside of the prostate boundary (extracapsular disease (n=2) or seminal vesicle invasion (n=4)). Most patients (80%) had gross tumor visible on MRI, which influenced catheter insertion and treatment planning. MRI depicted post-implant anatomic boundaries clearly, with the exception of the apical prostate which was blurred by blood after catheter insertion. Conventional dose planning objectives for PTV coverage (PTV V100>98%) and for the rectum (rectal V75<1.0 cc) were difficult to achieve, but toxicities were low (acute grade≥2 genitourinary = 20%, late grade≥2 genitourinary = 15%, late grade ≥2 gastrointestinal = 7%).Urethral trauma visualized on MRI led to 2 transient grade 3 events. CONCLUSION: Despite a standard-care treatment, MRI acquired throughout the procedure altered catheter insertion and dose-planning strategies. An MRI-only workflow is feasible and safe, but must be streamlined for broader acceptance

A 3D US Guidance System for Permanent Breast Seed Implantation: Development and Validation

Permanent breast seed implantation (PBSI) is a promising breast radiotherapy technique that suffers from operator dependence. We propose and have developed an intraoperative 3D ultrasound (US) guidance system for PBSI. A tracking arm mounted to a 3D US scanner registers a needle template to the image. Images were validated for linear and volumetric accuracy, and image quality in a volunteer. The tracking arm was calibrated, and the 3D image registered to the scanner. Tracked and imaged needle positions were compared to assess accuracy and a patient-specific phantom procedure guided with the system. Median/mean linear and volumetric error was ±1.1% and ±4.1%, respectively, with clinically suitable volunteer scans. Mean tracking arm error was 0.43mm and 3D US target registration error ≤0.87mm. Mean needle tip/trajectory error was 2.46mm/1.55°. Modelled mean phantom procedure seed displacement was 2.50mm. To our knowledge, this is the first reported PBSI phantom procedure with intraoperative 3D image guidance

Brachytherapy Seed and Applicator Localization via Iterative Forward Projection Matching Algorithm using Digital X-ray Projections

Interstitial and intracavitary brachytherapy plays an essential role in management of several malignancies. However, the achievable accuracy of brachytherapy treatment for prostate and cervical cancer is limited due to the lack of intraoperative planning and adaptive replanning. A major problem in implementing TRUS-based intraoperative planning is an inability of TRUS to accurately localize individual seed poses (positions and orientations) relative to the prostate volume during or after the implantation. For the locally advanced cervical cancer patient, manual drawing of the source positions on orthogonal films can not localize the full 3D intracavitary brachytherapy (ICB) applicator geometry. A new iterative forward projection matching (IFPM) algorithm can explicitly localize each individual seed/applicator by iteratively matching computed projections of the post-implant patient with the measured projections. This thesis describes adaptation and implementation of a novel IFPM algorithm that addresses hitherto unsolved problems in localization of brachytherapy seeds and applicators. The prototype implementation of 3-parameter point-seed IFPM algorithm was experimentally validated using a set of a few cone-beam CT (CBCT) projections of both the phantom and post-implant patient’s datasets. Geometric uncertainty due to gantry angle inaccuracy was incorporated. After this, IFPM algorithm was extended to 5-parameter elongated line-seed model which automatically reconstructs individual seed orientation as well as position. The accuracy of this algorithm was tested using both the synthetic-measured projections of clinically-realistic Model-6711 125I seed arrangements and measured projections of an in-house precision-machined prostate implant phantom that allows the orientations and locations of up to 100 seeds to be set to known values. The seed reconstruction error for simulation was less than 0.6 mm/3o. For the physical phantom experiments, IFPM absolute accuracy for position, polar angle, and azimuthal angel were (0.78 ± 0.57) mm, (5.8 ± 4.8)o, and (6.8 ± 4.0)o, respectively. It avoids the need to match corresponding seeds in each projection and accommodates incomplete data, overlapping seed clusters, and highly-migrated seeds. IFPM was further generalized from 5-parameter to 6-parameter model which was needed to reconstruct 3D pose of arbitrary-shape applicators. The voxelized 3D model of the applicator was obtained from external complex combinatorial geometric modeling. It is then integrated into the forward projection matching method for computing the 2D projections of the 3D ICB applicators, iteratively. The applicator reconstruction error for simulation was about 0.5 mm/2o. The residual 2D registration error (positional difference) between computed and actual measured applicator images was less than 1 mm for the intrauterine tandem and about 1.5 mm for the bilateral colpostats in each detector plane. By localizing the applicator’s internal structure and the sources, the effect of intra and inter-applicator attenuation can be included in the resultant dose distribution and CBCT metal streaking artifact mitigation. The localization accuracy of better than 1 mm and 6o has the potential to support more accurate Monte Carlo-based or 2D TG-43 dose calculations in clinical practice. It is hoped the clinical implementation of IFPM approach to localize elongated line-seed/applicator for intraoperative brachytherapy planning may have a positive impact on the treatment of prostate and cervical cancers

Anniversary Paper: A sampling of novel technologies and the role of medical physicists in radiation oncology

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135037/1/mp1006.pd

Tools for improving high-dose-rate prostate cancer brachytherapy using three-dimensional ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging

High-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) is an interstitial technique for the treatment of intermediate and high-risk localized prostate cancer that involves placement of a radiation source directly inside the prostate using needles. Dose-escalated whole-gland treatments have led to improvements in survival, and tumour-targeted treatments may offer future improvements in therapeutic ratio. The efficacy of tumour-targeted HDR-BT depends on imaging tools to enable accurate dose delivery to prostate sub-volumes. This thesis is focused on implementing ultrasound tools to improve HDR-BT needle localization accuracy and efficiency, and evaluating dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) for tumour localization. First, we implemented a device enabling sagittally-reconstructed 3D (SR3D) ultrasound, which provides sub-millimeter resolution in the needle insertion direction. We acquired SR3D and routine clinical images in a cohort of 12 consecutive eligible HDR-BT patients, with a total of 194 needles. The SR3D technique provided needle insertion depth errors within 5 mm for 93\% of needles versus 76\% for the clinical imaging technique, leading to increased precision in dose delivered to the prostate. Second, we implemented an algorithm to automatically segment multiple HDR-BT needles in a SR3D image. The algorithm was applied to the SR3D images from the first patient cohort, demonstrating mean execution times of 11.0 s per patient and successfully segmenting 82\% of needles within 3 mm. Third, we augmented SR3D imaging with live-2D sagittal ultrasound for needle tip localization. This combined technique was applied to another cohort of 10 HDR-BT patients, reducing insertion depth errors compared to routine imaging from a range of [-8.1 mm, 7.7 mm] to [-6.2 mm, 5.9 mm]. Finally, we acquired DCE-MRI in 16 patients scheduled to undergo prostatectomy, using either high spatial resolution or high temporal resolution imaging, and compared the images to whole-mount histology. The high spatial resolution images demonstrated improved high-grade cancer classification compared to the high temporal resolution images, with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.79 and 0.70, respectively. In conclusion, we have translated and evaluated specialized imaging tools for HDR-BT which are ready to be tested in a clinical trial investigating tumour-targeted treatment