Enhancing Patient-specific Quality Assurance in Carbon-ion Radiation Therapy: Recalculating Delivered Dose Distribution Using Log Data

Background/Aim: Log data from radiation treatment machines can play a crucial role in quality assurance by enabling the recalculation of the delivered dose distribution and identification of deviations in treatment delivery. This article proposes a novel method for recalculating the delivered dose distribution in carbon-ion radiation therapy using log data. Materials and Methods: The proposed approach leverages existing functionality in commercial treatment planning systems, thus eliminating the need for specialized in-house software for dose calculation and evaluation. The performed tests entail data generation from actual log files using the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine standard, biological dose calculations, and gamma evaluations. Results: The log-based approach demonstrated notable advantages, including improved time efficiency and the ability to calculate three-dimensional biological doses. By recalculating the delivered dose distributions, our method improves quality assurance accuracy in carbon-ion radiation therapy. It complements conventional measurement-based patient- specific quality assurance methods, serving as a valuable addition to the arsenal of tools available for treatment evaluation. Conclusion: We believe that our method has the potential to enhance the efficacy of patient-specific quality assurance and contribute significantly to the advancement of carbon-ion radiation therapy, thereby reinforcing the ongoing evolution of particle therapy.