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Potential advantages of volumetric arc therapy in head and neck cancer
Author(s) -
Gomez–Millan Barrachina Jaime,
Jerez Sainz Inmaculada,
Perez Rozos Alberto,
Ramirez Ros J. Carlos,
Toledo Serrano M. Dolores,
Lupiañez Perez Yolanda,
Medina Carmona J. Antonio
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
head and neck
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.012
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1097-0347
pISSN - 1043-3074
DOI - 10.1002/hed.23685
Subject(s) - multileaf collimator , collimator , head and neck , radiation therapy , head and neck cancer , linear particle accelerator , nuclear medicine , arc (geometry) , medicine , radiation treatment planning , medical physics , optics , physics , beam (structure) , radiology , mathematics , surgery , geometry
Background Intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) uses solid compensators or multileaf collimators to modulate the intensity of radiation in each field, delivering highly conformal dose distributions. This technique allows treating volumes with concave shapes when the target is close to a critical structure. The movement of multileaf collimator under computer control can modulate the dose in 3 main ways: IMRT with static field with segments, IMRT with dynamic delivery, and IMRT rotational therapy. Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is a novel radiation technique that creates conformal distributions with variable gantry speed, dynamic movements of multileaf collimator, and variations in dose rate. The purpose of this study was to review the basis of VMAT, highlighting the differences with other IMRT techniques. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 37: 909–914, 2015