Dependence of volume dose indices on dose calculation algorithms for VMAT-SBRT plans for peripheral lung tumor

The purpose of this study was to investigate the dependence of volume dose indices on dose calculation algorithms for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) plans to treat peripheral lung tumors by comparing them with those of Monte Carlo (MC) calculations. VMAT-SBRT plans for peripheral lung tumors were created using the Eclipse treatment planning system (TPS) for 24 patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer. VMAT dose distributions for gross tumor volume (GTV), internal target volume (ITV), and planning target volume (PTV) were calculated using the analytical anisotropic algorithm (AAA), the Acuros XB (AXB) algorithm, and a MC algorithm. VMAT dose distributions of the 3 algorithms were compared using their volume dose indices from dose volume histograms (DVHs), a dose difference map, and 3-dimensional gamma analysis. The DVHs for GTV and ITV from AAA, AXB, and MC were in good agreement. The difference between the ITV and PTV volume dose indices from AAA and MC increased as D₉₈, D₉₅, D₈₀, D₅₀, and D₂. In particular, the difference between D₉₈ for PTV from AAA and MC was up to 48%. A >5% difference between D₉₅ for PTV from AAA and MC was 11 patients, but only 2 patients for ITV. The volume dose indices for AXB were near those of MC. AAA tended to overestimate the PTV volume dose indices compared to AXB and MC. Thus, we propose that the volume dose indices for the ITV be used because they are independent of dose calculation algorithms.