Dual‐layer spectral CT for proton, helium, and carbon ion beam therapy planning of brain tumors

Pretreatment computed tomography (CT) imaging is an essential component of the particle therapy treatment planning chain. Treatment planning and optimization with charged particles require accurate and precise estimations of ion beam range in tissues, characterized by the stopping power ratio (SPR). Reduction of range uncertainties arising from conventional CT‐number‐to‐SPR conversion based on single‐energy CT (SECT) imaging is of importance for improving clinical practice. Here, the application of a novel imaging and computational methodology using dual‐layer spectral CT (DLCT) was performed toward refining patient‐specific SPR estimates. A workflow for DLCT‐based treatment planning was devised to evaluate SPR prediction for proton, helium, and carbon ion beam therapy planning in the brain. DLCT‐ and SECT‐based SPR predictions were compared in homogeneous and heterogeneous anatomical regions. This study included eight patients scanned for diagnostic purposes with a DLCT scanner. For each patient, four different treatment plans were created, simulating tumors in different parts of the brain. For homogeneous anatomical regions, mean SPR differences of about 1% between the DLCT‐ and SECT‐based approaches were found. In plans of heterogeneous anatomies, relative (absolute) proton range shifts of 0.6% (0.4 mm) in the mean and up to 4.4% (2.1 mm) at the distal fall‐off were observed. In the investigated cohort, 12% of the evaluated organs‐at‐risk (OARs) presented differences in mean or maximum dose of more than 0.5 Gy (RBE) and up to 6.8 Gy (RBE) over the entire treatment. Range shifts and dose differences in OARs between DLCT and SECT in helium and carbon ion treatment plans were similar to protons. In the majority of investigated cases (75th percentile), SECT‐ and DLCT‐based range estimations were within 0.6 mm. Nonetheless, the magnitude of patient‐specific range deviations between SECT and DLCT was clinically relevant in heterogeneous anatomical sites, suggesting further study in larger, more diverse cohorts. Results indicate that patients with brain tumors may benefit from DLCT‐based treatment planning.