Development of an optimization concept for arc-modulated cone beam therapy

In this paper, we propose an optimization concept for a rotation therapy technique which is referred to as arc-modulated cone beam therapy (AMCBT). The aim is a reduction of the treatment time while achieving a treatment plan quality equal to or better than that of IMRT. Therefore, the complete dose is delivered in one single gantry rotation and the beam is modulated by a multileaf collimator. The degrees of freedom are the field shapes and weights for a predefined number of beam directions. In the new optimization loop, the beam weights are determined by a gradient algorithm and the field shapes by a tabu search algorithm. We present treatment plans for AMCBT for two clinical cases. In comparison to step-and-shoot IMRT treatment plans, it was possible by AMCBT to achieve dose distributions with a better dose conformity to the target and a lower mean dose for the most relevant organ at risk. Furthermore, the number of applied monitor units was reduced for AMCBT in comparison to IMRT treatment plans.