Joint Radionuclide and External Beam Planning for Homogeneous Tumor Dose
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing radiotherapy methods fail to provide a homogeneous dose distribution for both internal therapeutic radiation sources (ITRS) and external therapeutic radiation sources (ETRS), leading to incomplete treatment of tumors and increased toxicity due to heterogeneous dose distribution, especially for larger tumors and diffuse diseases.
Innovation Solution
A joint radiotherapy treatment plan is generated by optimizing both ITRS and ETRS doses using functional image data, adjusting doses iteratively to meet prescribed requirements and constraints, ensuring a cumulative biologically equivalent dose (BED) is achieved.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If internal radionuclide therapy is used to treat diffuse or widely disseminated cancer, then the ability to address microscopic disease is improved, but non-specific uptake in healthy tissues increases toxicity
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment is segmented into multiple modalities (external beam radiation therapy and internal radionuclide therapy) with each optimized for specific aspects. EBRT targets visible solid tumors with homogeneous dose, while IRT addresses diffuse/microscopic disease through systemic distribution. This segmentation allows each modality to excel at its strength without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the body receive different treatment approaches based on disease characteristics. Visible solid tumors receive EBRT for homogeneous dosing, while diffuse or microscopic disease receives IRT for systemic coverage. The radiopharmaceutical accumulation varies by tissue type, creating local quality differences in dose distribution that match disease heterogeneity.
2Quantity of substance
If internal radionuclide therapy is used for larger tumors, then systemic distribution is achieved, but dose distribution becomes heterogeneous with concentration in tumor center
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two radiation therapy modalities into a combined treatment plan. External beam radiation therapy provides homogeneous dose to visible tumors, while internal radionuclide therapy provides systemic distribution for diffuse disease. The combination compensates for the heterogeneous dose distribution of IRT alone, ensuring adequate dose to both tumor centers and boundaries.
Solution Approach 2:
The treatment uses a composite approach combining two different radiation delivery systems. EBRT acts as a homogeneous dosing component for macroscopic tumors, while IRT acts as a systemic distribution component for microscopic disease. Together they create a composite treatment effect that overcomes the limitations of either modality alone.
3Manufacturing precision
If external beam radiation therapy is used to precisely target solid tumors, then homogeneous dose delivery is improved, but incomplete treatment occurs for microscopic disease
Solution Approach 1:
The combined treatment plan achieves multi-functionality: EBRT provides precise homogeneous dosing for visible tumors, while IRT provides systemic coverage for microscopic disease. The radiopharmaceutical serves dual purposes of targeting tumor cells and providing crossfire effect to adjacent cells, making the treatment universally effective across different disease presentations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method provides a more homogeneous radiation dose to tumors, minimizing recurrence and toxicity by precisely targeting cancer cells while adhering to dose constraints, facilitating effective treatment of metastatic cancer.
Implementation Method 1
The radioactive decay of an isotope at the site of accumulation of a radiopharmaceutical creates ionization of the local region that may destroy cancer cells directly
Implementation Method 2
The radioactive decay of an isotope at the site of accumulation of a radiopharmaceutical creates ionization of the local region
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are methods for radiotherapy treatment plan optimization for irradiating one or more target regions using both an internal therapeutic radiation source (ITRS) and an external therapeutic radiation source (ETRS). One variation of a method comprises iterating through ITRS radiation dose values and ETRS radiation dose values to attain a cumulative dose that meets prescribed dose requirements. In some variations, an ITRS is an injectable compound that has a targeting backbone and a radionuclide, and images acquired using an imaging compound that has the same targeting backbone as the injectable compound can be used to calculate the radiation dose deliverable using the injectable ITRS, and also to calculate firing filters for delivering radiation using a biologically-guided radiation therapy (BGRT) system. Image data acquired from a previous treatment session may be used to adapt the dose provided by an ITRS and/or ETRS for a future treatment session.