Radiotherapy Treatment Planning

1. Introduction and Brief Review of Developments in Radiotherapy.- 1.1 Introduction.- 1.2 Historical Review of Developments in Radiotherapy.- 1.3 Radiotherapy Treatment Planning Procedures.- 1.4 Background to the Optimisation of Radiotherapy Treatment Plans.- 1.5 Optimisation in Radiotherapy: A Brief Review.- 1.6 Concluding remarks.- 2. Beam Characteristics and Preliminary Modelling Considerations.- 2.1 Introduction.- 2.2 Need for an Appropriate Model Structure.- 2.3 Preliminary Physical Consideration.- 2.4 Typical Beam Characteristics.- 2.5 Concept of Primary Modelling and Scatter Phenomenon.- 2.6 Concluding Remarks.- 3. Formulation of Matrix Based Beam Model.- 3.1 Introduction.- 3.2 Parallel Pencil Beam Model Formulation.- 3.3 Divergent Pencil Beam Matrix Formulation.- 3.4 Inclusion of In-Air-Profile, Penumbra and Patient Contour Correction.- 3.5 Verification and Tuning of Developed Beam Model.- 3.6 Concluding Remarks.- 4. Solving the Inverse Problem in Radiotherapy Treatment Planning.- 4.1 Introduction.- 4.2 Definition of the Inverse Problem.- 4.3 Formulating the Inverse Problem for Matrix Based Beam Model.- 4.4 Articulation of the Objectives.- 4.5 Improving the Rate of Convergence of the Algorithm.- 4.6 Simulation Studies.- 4.7 Concluding remarks.- 5. Hybrid Genetic Algorithms Applied to Radiotherapy Treatment Planning.- 5.1 Introduction.- 5.2 Genetic Algorithms.- 5.3 Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithms.- 5.4 Optimisation of Coplanar Beam Orientation in Radiotherapy.- 5.5 Optimisation of Beam Weights and Wedge Angles.- 5.6 Concluding Remarks.- 6. Experimental Verification of Overall Approach.- 6.1 Introduction.- 6.2 Optimisation of Conformal Radiotherapy Treatment.- 6.3 Modulating Beam Intensity with Compensators.- 6.4 Experimental Verification of Intensity ModulatedRadiation Therapy.- 6.5 Concluding remarks.- 7. Conclusions.- References.