Transducer Arrays' Impact on Glioblastoma Radiotherapy Dosimetry Revealed

Deep-seated dosimetry in radiotherapy for glioblastoma is a critical aspect that requires thorough analysis, especially when considering the impact of transducer arrays. Glioblastoma, a highly aggressive brain tumor, presents challenges in treatment and prognosis. Current standard care involves surgery followed by chemoradiotherapy, but survival rates remain low. To improve outcomes, researchers have explored various treatment modalities, including radiotherapy combined with tumor treating fields (TTFields).

TTFields have shown promise in enhancing overall survival for glioblastoma patients. The primary mechanism involves disrupting cell division, making it a valuable addition to traditional treatments like chemotherapy. Combining TTFields with radiotherapy has emerged as a potential synergistic approach to improve outcomes further. The transducer arrays used to deliver TTFields are crucial in establishing the required electric field within the brain, but they also pose challenges in terms of patient comfort, treatment costs, and accuracy.

In a recent study, the impact of transducer arrays on deep-seated dosimetry was investigated using an extreme analysis method. Eight patients undergoing glioblastoma radiotherapy with concurrent TTFields were selected for the study. The study aimed to simulate an extreme scenario where twelve electrodes surrounded the same cross-section, mimicking a challenging clinical situation. Dosimetry film measurements were used to assess the consistency of dose distribution with and without transducer arrays.

The results of the study demonstrated that even in the extreme scenario of twelve electrodes covering the same layer, the perturbation of the deep-seated dose distribution was minimal. Gamma-based consistency analysis revealed high agreement between dose distributions with and without arrays coverage. This finding suggests that the presence of TTFields arrays has little effect on the precision of glioblastoma radiotherapy plans and dose delivery.

While the study provided valuable insights into the dosimetric effects of transducer arrays, there are limitations to consider. The use of a phantom restricted the evaluation to specific layers, and future studies may benefit from expanding the sample size and exploring advanced dosimetry techniques. Overall, the study highlights the importance of assessing the impact of TTFields arrays on deep-seated dosimetry to optimize treatment outcomes for glioblastoma patients.