Author/Authors :
Zhang, Geoffrey G Radiation Oncology - Moffitt Cancer Center - Tampa, USA , Latifi, Kujtim Radiation Oncology - Moffitt Cancer Center - Tampa, USA , Feygelman, Vladimir Radiation Oncology - Moffitt Cancer Center - Tampa, USA , Chou, Kuei-Ting Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Science - China Medical University - Taichung City, Taiwan , Huang, Tzung-Chi Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Science - China Medical University - Taichung City, Taiwan , Dilling, Thomas J Radiation Oncology - Moffitt Cancer Center - Tampa, USA , Perez, Bradford A Radiation Oncology - Moffitt Cancer Center - Tampa, USA , Moros, Eduardo G Radiation Oncology - Moffitt Cancer Center - Tampa, USA
Abstract :
The major problem with ventilation distribution calculations using DIR and 4DCT is the motion artifacts in 4DCT. Quite often
not all phases would exhibit mushroom motion artifacts. If the ventilation series similarity is sufficiently robust, the ventilation
distribution can be calculated using only the artifact-free phases. This study investigated the ventilation similarity among the data
derived from different respiration phases. Fifteen lung cancer cases were analyzed. In each case, DIR was performed between the
end-expiration phase and all other phases. Ventilation distributions were then calculated using the deformation matrices. The
similarity was compared between the series ventilation distributions. The correlation between the majority phases was reasonably
good, with average SCC values between 0.28 and 0.70 for the original data and 0.30 and 0.75 after smoothing. The better correlation
between the neighboring phases, with average SCC values between 0.55 and 0.70 for the original data, revealed the nonlinear
property of the dynamic ventilation. DSC analysis showed the same trend. To reduce the errors if motion artifacts are present, the
phases without serious mushroom artifacts may be used. To minimize the effect of the nonlinearity in dynamic ventilation, the
calculation phase should be chosen as close to the end-inspiration as possible.
