Taking into account tissue heterogeneities, dosimetric impacts for treatment planning and performing

The author report a study which aimed at identifying and quantifying acceptable errors in radiotherapy when not taking heterogeneities into account, at studying the dosimetric impact of tissue heterogeneities on dose distribution, at computing dosimetric errors produced by Hounsfeld calibration errors, and at validating a heterogeneity correction method and proposing recommendations. This study has been performed using the Eclipse dose planning system (TPS, treatment planning system) which is based on the pencil beam convolution method and three methods of correction of heterogeneities, and the Clarkson-based Dosigray dose planning system. Short communication