ArticleMedical physics2026
Enhancing dose conformity in head and neck intensity-modulated proton therapy using a novel dynamic multi-leaf collimator strategy.
Article in Medical physics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundProton pencil beam scanning (PBS) enables highly conformal dose distributions; however, its lateral dose fall-off (penumbra) can be compromised by the use of range shifters (RSs) and increased air gaps. In PBS for head and neck regions, where critical organs at risk (OARs) are frequently adjacent to the target, penumbra degradation may lead to increased OAR doses or suboptimal target coverage. The integration of a dynamic multi-leaf collimator (dMLC), which adjusts leaf positions at each energy layer, has been shown to improve dose conformity in single-field uniform dose (SFUD) delivery. In parallel, intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) offers enhanced dose shaping over SFUD by modulating beam intensity across multiple fields and does not require a single beam to encompass the entire target volume, providing greater flexibility in utilizing dMLC capabilities. PURPOSE: This study integrates dMLC into IMPT for head and neck cancer and proposes a novel leaf positioning strategy. We evaluate the dosimetric impact of this approach and assess its potential clinical benefits in terms of target coverage and OAR sparing.
methodsTreatment plans were retrospectively created for five patients with head and neck cancer. For each patient, IMPT plans with three beam angles were generated using three techniques: (1) uncollimated PBS, (2) dMLC
resultsThe integration of dMLC with IMPT significantly reduced the dose to surrounding OARs while maintaining comparable target coverage and robustness relative to uncollimated PBS. Notably, dMLC
conclusionsThe combination of IMPT and dMLC provides notable dosimetric advantages, supporting its potential for clinical applications. Further validation across a broader range of cases is necessary to comprehensively assess its efficacy and safety, particularly with respect to leaf positioning accuracy and potential variations in biological effectiveness.
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