Simulational study of a dosimetric comparison between a Gamma Knife treatment plan and an intensity-modulated radiotherapy plan for skull base tumors

Fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) is performed with a linear accelerator-based system such as Novalis. Recently, Gamma Knife Perfexion (PFX) featured the Extend system with relocatable fixation devices available for SRT. In this study, the dosimetric results of these two modalities were compared from the viewpoint of conformity, heterogeneity and gradient in target covering. A total of 14 patients with skull base tumors were treated with Novalis intensity-modulated (IM)-SRT. Treatment was planned on an iPlan workstation. Five- to seven-beam IM-SRT was performed in 14–18 fractions with a fraction dose of 2.5 or 3 Gy. With these patients' data, additional treatment planning was simulated using a GammaPlan workstation for PFX-SRT. Reference CT images with planning structure contour sets on iPlan, including the planning target volume (PTV, 1.1–102.2 ml) and organs at risk, were exported to GammaPlan in DICOM-RT format. Dosimetric results for Novalis IM-SRT and PFX-SRT were evaluated in the same prescription doses. The isocenter number of PFX was between 12 and 50 at the isodose contour of 50–60%. The PTV coverage was 95–99% for Novalis and 94–98% for PFX. The conformity index (CI) was 1.11–1.61 and 1.04–1.15, the homogeneity index (HI) was 1.1–3.62 and 2.3–3.25, and the gradient index (GI) was 3.72–7.97 and 2.54–3.39 for Novalis and PFX, respectively. PTV coverage by Novalis and PFX was almost equivalent. PFX was superior in CI and GI, and Novalis was better in HI. Better conformality would be achieved by PFX, when the homogeneity inside tumors is less important.