Insights
Innovative scripting for radiation planningChallenge With a reputation as a leader in cancer research and therapy, The Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) treats between 3500 and 4000 cancer patients annually. Treatment plans for their eight linear accelerators (each equipped with a multi-leaf collimator) were being handled by a radiation treatment planning system acquired in 1989.
In an effort to take advantage of recent technological advances that would increase accuracy and improve workflow, NKI proposed to find the best radiation treatment planning system on the market.
Response After careful review of several candidates, Philips Healthcare’s Pinnacle3 was chosen. The decision was based not only on exceptional ease-of-use and accuracy, but on innovative scripting functionality.
Initial clinical evaluation of IMRT treatment planning of prostate tumors demonstrated a 50% shorter planning time – down from two days to one. “We’re still getting used to Pinnacle3 so we expect this time to drop even further,” explained Dr. Eugène Damen, Clinical Physicist. “Pinnacle3 ’s scripting function in particular has proven invaluable by allowing us to set up template scripts defining a whole series of IMRT plans and then to adapt them to the needs of individual patients.”
“Using scripts we can greatly improve planning efficiency and hence workflow.”
Contributor Dr. Eugène Damen, Clinical Physicist at The Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), Amsterdam.
Related Links + NKI website
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