Clinical goal treatment planning and optimization
An apparatus for developing an intensity-modulated radiation therapy treatment plan includes a memory that stores machine instructions and a processor that executes the machine instructions to receive a clinical goal associated with the treatment plan as a user input. The processor further executes the machine instructions to determine a plan objective based on the clinical goal, generate a cost function comprising a term based on the plan objective, and assign an initial value to a parameter associated with the term. The processor also executes the machine instructions to identify a microstate that results in a reduced value associated with the cost function, evaluate a fulfillment level associated with the clinical goal, and adjust the value of the parameter to improve the fulfillment level.
1. An apparatus for developing an intensity-modulated radiation therapy treatment plan, the apparatus comprising:
a memory that stores machine instructions; and
a processor that executes the machine instructions to receive a clinical goal associated with the treatment plan, determine a plan objective based on the clinical goal, generate a cost function comprising a term based on the plan objective, assign an initial estimate of a value of a parameter associated with the term, identify a microstate that results in a reduced value associated with the cost function, wherein the reduced value is iteratively converging on a minimum value of the cost function, evaluate a fulfillment level associated with the clinical goal, adjust the value associated with the parameter to improve the fulfillment level, and generate the intensity-modulated radiation therapy treatment plan based on the value.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reduced value is a total value of the cost function.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein to adjust the value associated with the parameter the processor further executes the machine instructions to project a gradient associated with the term to estimate a goal value at which the clinical goal is just achieved.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein to adjust the value associated with the parameter the processor further executes the machine instructions to estimate a resultant response of a dose distribution associated with a prospective adjustment of the value based on an extrapolation corresponding to a localized response of the dose distribution.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein to adjust the value associated with the parameter the processor further executes the machine instructions to consider a priority associated with the clinical goal.
6. A method for developing an intensity-modulated radiation therapy treatment plan, the method comprising:
determining a plan objective based on a clinical goal associated with the treatment plan;
generating a cost function comprising a term based on the plan objective, the term including a parameter;
identifying a microstate that results in a reduced value associated with the cost function, wherein the reduced value is iteratively converging on a minimum value of the cost function;
evaluating a fulfillment level associated with the clinical goal;
adjusting a value associated with the parameter to improve the fulfillment level; and
generating the intensity-modulated radiation therapy treatment plan based on the value.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the reduced value is a total value of the cost function.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein adjusting the value associated with the parameter includes projecting a gradient associated with the term to estimate a goal value at which the clinical goal is just achieved.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein adjusting the value associated with the parameter includes estimating a resultant response of a dose distribution associated with a prospective adjustment of the value based on an extrapolation corresponding to a localized response of the dose distribution.
10. The method of claim 6 , wherein adjusting the value associated with the parameter further takes into consideration a priority associated with the clinical goal.
11. The method of claim 6 , wherein identifying the microstate includes performing an iterative gradient flow analysis.
12. The method of claim 6 , further comprising assigning an initial estimate of the value associated with the parameter based on an estimated dose distribution.
13. The method of claim 6 , further comprising receiving the clinical goal as a user input.
14. The method of claim 6 , wherein the plan objective is associated with a dose level corresponding to a point in a patient.
15. The method of claim 6 , wherein the parameter is associated with one selected from the group consisting of a location and a weighting factor.
16. A computer program product for developing an intensity-modulated radiation therapy treatment plan, comprising:
a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to implement:
determining a plan objective based on a clinical goal associated with the treatment plan;
generating a cost function comprising a term based on the plan objective, the term including a parameter;
identifying a microstate that results in a reduced value associated with the cost function, wherein the reduced value is iteratively converging on a minimum value of the cost function;
evaluating a fulfillment level associated with the clinical goal;
adjusting a value associated with the parameter to improve the fulfillment level; and
generating the intensity-modulated radiation therapy treatment plan based on the value.
17. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein adjusting the value associated with the parameter includes projecting a gradient associated with the term to estimate a goal value at which the clinical goal is just achieved.
18. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein adjusting the value associated with the parameter includes estimating a resultant response of a dose distribution associated with a prospective adjustment of the value based on an extrapolation corresponding to a localized response of the dose distribution.