Patients with skin lesions of the temple region that have spread to the parotid gland are commonly treated with three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT). 3DCRT has associated limitations when treating this disease. 3DCRT requires this disease site to be treated with two junction regions, resulting in poor dose conformity to the tumour target. Proximity of critical structures to the target volume can make dosimetry difficult, "especially for concave-shaped targets in close proximity to sensitive normal structures" (Saw.C et al., 2002, p76). Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is a relatively new treatment technology that has potential to overcome limitations associated with 3DCRT (Garden.A et al., 2004). IMRT has been reported to have significant advantages over conventional 3DCRT treatment, by improving dose to the tumour and lowering doses to critical structures (Adams.E et al., 2001). Research has been conducted into the optimal IMRT treatment for specific head and neck carcinomas. They are identified as class solutions. "A class solution can be defined as the historical experience in designing RT plans for a particular site" (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy Collaborative Working, 2001, p913). This study was performed to establish an optimal IMRT class solution for patients with skin lesions of the temple region that have spread to the parotid gland, and to determine if it is the superior treatment option over 3DCRT treatment. Dosimetry planning was performed on computerised tomography data sets of nine patients with this disease site. One optimised 3DCRT dosimetry plan and eight optimised IMRT plans with specific beam arrangements were calculated. Clinical and statistical analysis was performed on; critical structures, conformity indices (CI) and dose volume histogram (DVH) range analysis of the planning target volume (PTV). Analysis of IMRT plans revealed that the 7-beam arrangement and 4-beam ipsilateral arrangement produced significantly lower doses to the majority of critical structures (P < 0.05). The 7-beam IMRT arrangement produced the best and second best CI and DVH PTV results, but these were not significantly different to the majority of other beam arrangements. This indicates that the 7-beam arrangement with defined beam angles of; 40°,120°,160°,200°,240°,300°,0°, is the superior IMRT treatment plan, and thus class solution for this disease site. Clinical analysis confirmed results. Analysis was performed on IMRT class solution results compared with 3DCRT results. CI was significance higher and DVH PTV range was significantly lower for the IMRT class solution (P < 0.05). The class solution delivered significantly higher doses to the majority of critical structures in comparison to the 3DCRT plan (P < 0.05). This indicates that the IMRT class solution is superior to 3DCRT in terms of PTV conformity and homogeneity, but not in terms of doses to critical structures. Skin lesions of the temple region with tumour extension to the parotid gland, is a complicated disease site. Investigations into current and potential radiation therapy treatments will guide treatment options and facilitate outcomes for patients with this disease.

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To predict fluid properties and interactions is an important task for the industry. It is plagued, however, by being close to impossible to predict analytically. Hence, it is customary to turn to numerical solutions. This in itself comes with many different methods and approaches suitable for different needs. This work focuses on two methods: Tip Vortex Index (TVI) and Diffused Vortex Hydrodynamics (DVH). TVI is a method to predict when a marine propeller will experience cavitation of tip vortices and is based on calculations from a Boundary Element Method (BEM). DVH is a particle method for simulating the circulation of a fluid in two dimensions and three dimensions. The aim is to investigate an implemented TVI model based on MPUF-3A for different marine propeller series, with different sub-designs for a total of 28 unique propellers, and implement the DVH method and test it for 3 different bodies. The results of this thesis show that the implemented TVI model is non-functional for the 28 different propellers, but the DVH method is successfully implemented and able to handle 2 different bodies. / Att förutspå fluid egenskaper och interaktioner är en viktig uppgift för industrin. Det plågas dock av att vara näst intil omöjligt att förutspå analytiskt. Det är därför vanligt att vända sig till numeriska lösningar. Detta kommer i sig med många olika metoder och tillvägagångssätt som passar olika behov. Detta arbete fokuserar på två metoder: Tip Vortex Index (TVI) och Diffused Vortex Hydrodynamics (DVH). TVI är en metod för att förutsäga när en marin propeller kommer att uppleva kavitation av spetsvirvlar och baseras på beräkningar från en Boundary Element Method (BEM). DVH är en partikelmetod för att simulera cirkulationen i fluid i två dimensioner och tre dimensioner. Syftet är att undersöka en implementerad TVI-modell baserad på MPUF-3A för olika marina propellerserier, med olika underdesigner, för totalt 28 unika propellrar, och implementera DVH-metoden och testa den för 3 olika kroppar. Resultaten av denna avhandling visar att den implementerade TVI-modellen är icke-funktionell för de 28 olika propellrarna, men DVH-metoden är framgångsrikt implementerad och kan hantera 2 olika kroppar

Thulani Nyathi, Student no: 0413256X, MSc thesis, Physics, Faculty of science. 2006. Supervisor: Prof D van der Merwe. / This study aims to calculate tumour control probabilities (TCP) and normal tissue complication probabilities (NTCP) using radiobiological models and correlate these probabilities with clinically observed treatment outcome from follow-up records. These radiobiological calculations were applied retrospectively to thirty-nine paediatric patients who were treated with radiation at Johannesburg Hospital during the period January 1990 to December 2000 and had histologically proven rhabdomyosarcoma. Computer software, BIOPLAN, was used to calculate the TCP and NTCP arising from the dose distribution calculated by the treatment planning system and characterized by dosevolume histograms (DVHs). There was a weak correlation between the calculated TCP and the observed 5-year overall survival status. Furthermore, potential prognostic factors for survival were examined. Statistical analysis was performed using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. The 5-year overall survival rate was 55 %. The findings of this study are a yardstick against which more aggressive radiotherapy fractionation regimes can be compared.

Orientador: Marco Antônio Rodrigues Fernandes / Resumo: O sucesso da radioterapia está intimamente ligado à razão terapêutica que representa o quociente entre a quantidade de tecido tumoral irradiado e o volume de tecido sadio atingido. A Probabilidade de Complicação em Tecidos Normais (NTCP) e a Probabilidade de Controle do Tumor (TCP) são parâmetros fornecidos por Sistemas de Planejamentos de Tratamentos (TPS) computadorizados, usados na rotina da radioterapia que auxiliam na interpretação da qualidade do tratamento. Neste trabalho são analisados os planejamentos de radioterapia de 03 pacientes portadores de câncer de próstata. Os planejamentos dos tratamentos foram realizados no TPS XiO, simulando as técnicas de radioterapia por intensidade modulada de feixe (IMRT) e radioterapia tridimensional conformada (3D-CRT). A dose de radiação preconizada para o volume de tratamento planejado (PTV) foi de 7.600 cGy, as simulações foram realizadas para um arranjo de 6 campos de radiação com feixes de raios X de megavoltagem e energia de 10 MV. Os volumes prostáticos variaram entre 107 cm3 e 143 cm3. A dose de cobertura D98% do PTV variou de 6.940 cGy a 7.570 cGy com IMRT e de 6.410 cGy a 7.250 cGy com 3D-CRT. Os valores obtidos para o TCP ficaram entre 73,5% a 81,1% com IMRT e entre 70,6% a 75,9% com 3D-CRT. Considerando os valores de NTCP para o reto e a bexiga, os maiores valores encontrados foram 6,9% para o reto e 6,1% para a bexiga, ambos planejados com a técnica de 3D-CRT. Para os casos analisados, os resultados mostram que a técnic... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The success of radiotherapy is closely related to the therapeutic ratio which represents the ratio of the amount of irradiated tumor tissue to the volume of healthy tissue achieved. Normal Tissue Complication Probability (NTCP) and Tumor Control Probability (TCP) are parameters provided by computerized treatment planning systems (TPS), used in radiotherapy routine and also allow the interpretation of treatment quality. The aim of this work is analyze the planning of 03 cases of patients submitted to prostate cancer radiotherapy. The treatment plans were performed in TPS XiO, simulating the techniques of beam intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and tree-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT). The recommended radiation dose for the planned treatment volume (PTV) was 7600 cGy, the simulations were performed for an arrangement of 6 radiation fields with megavoltage X-ray beams and 10 MV energy. Prostatic volumes ranged from 107cm3 to 143cm3 . The D98% PTV coverage dose ranged from 6,940 cGy to 7,570 cGy with IMRT and from 6,410 cGy to 7,250 cGy with 3D-CRT. The values obtained for TCP were between 73.5% to 81.1% with IMRT and between 70.6% to 75.9% with 3D-CRT. Considering the NTCP values for the rectum and bladder, the highest values found were 6.9% for the rectum and 6.1% for the bladder, both planned using the 3D-CRT technique. For the analyzed cases, the results show that the IMRT technique presents better NTCP and TCP values than the 3D-CRT technique. These par... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

In optimization of intensity-modulated radiation therapy treatment plans, dose-volumehistogram (DVH) functions are often used as objective functions to minimize the violationof dose-volume criteria. Neither DVH functions nor dose-volume criteria, however,are ideal for gradient-based optimization as the former are not continuously differentiableand the latter are discontinuous functions of dose, apart from both beingnonconvex. In particular, DVH functions often work poorly when used in constraintsdue to their being identically zero when feasible and having vanishing gradients on theboundary of feasibility.In this work, we present a general mathematical framework allowing for direct optimizationon all DVH-based metrics. By regarding voxel doses as sample realizations ofan auxiliary random variable and using kernel density estimation to obtain explicit formulas,one arrives at formulations of volume-at-dose and dose-at-volume which are infinitelydifferentiable functions of dose. This is extended to DVH functions and so calledvolume-based DVH functions, as well as to min/max-dose functions and mean-tail-dosefunctions. Explicit expressions for evaluation of function values and corresponding gradientsare presented. The proposed framework has the advantages of depending on onlyone smoothness parameter, of approximation errors to conventional counterparts beingnegligible for practical purposes, and of a general consistency between derived functions.Numerical tests, which were performed for illustrative purposes, show that smoothdose-at-volume works better than quadratic penalties when used in constraints and thatsmooth DVH functions in certain cases have significant advantage over conventionalsuch. The results of this work have been successfully applied to lexicographic optimizationin a fluence map optimization setting. / Vid optimering av behandlingsplaner i intensitetsmodulerad strålterapi används dosvolym- histogram-funktioner (DVH-funktioner) ofta som målfunktioner för att minimera avståndet till dos-volymkriterier. Varken DVH-funktioner eller dos-volymkriterier är emellertid idealiska för gradientbaserad optimering då de förstnämnda inte är kontinuerligt deriverbara och de sistnämnda är diskontinuerliga funktioner av dos, samtidigt som båda också är ickekonvexa. Speciellt fungerar DVH-funktioner ofta dåligt i bivillkor då de är identiskt noll i tillåtna områden och har försvinnande gradienter på randen till tillåtenhet. I detta arbete presenteras ett generellt matematiskt ramverk som möjliggör direkt optimering på samtliga DVH-baserade mått. Genom att betrakta voxeldoser som stickprovsutfall från en stokastisk hjälpvariabel och använda ickeparametrisk densitetsskattning för att få explicita formler, kan måtten volume-at-dose och dose-at-volume formuleras som oändligt deriverbara funktioner av dos. Detta utökas till DVH-funktioner och så kallade volymbaserade DVH-funktioner, såväl som till mindos- och maxdosfunktioner och medelsvansdos-funktioner. Explicita uttryck för evaluering av funktionsvärden och tillhörande gradienter presenteras. Det föreslagna ramverket har fördelarna av att bero på endast en mjukhetsparameter, av att approximationsfelen till konventionella motsvarigheter är försumbara i praktiska sammanhang, och av en allmän konsistens mellan härledda funktioner. Numeriska tester genomförda i illustrativt syfte visar att slät dose-at-volume fungerar bättre än kvadratiska straff i bivillkor och att släta DVH-funktioner i vissa fall har betydlig fördel över konventionella sådana. Resultaten av detta arbete har med framgång applicerats på lexikografisk optimering inom fluensoptimering.