Comparison of setup error using different reference images: a phantom and lung cancer patients study

The purpose of this study was to compare setup errors obtained with kilovoltage cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and 2 different kinds of reference images, free-breathing 3D localization CT images (FB-CT) and the average images of 4-D localization CT images (AVG-CT) for phantom and lung cancer patients. This study also explored the correlation between the difference of translational setup errors and the gross tumor volume (GTV) motion. A respiratory phantom and 14 patients were enrolled in this study. For phantom and each patient, 3D helical CT and 4D CT images were acquired, and AVG-CT images were generated from the 4D CT. The setup errors were determined based on the image registration between the CBCT and the 2 different reference images, respectively. The data for both translational and rotational setup errors were analyzed and compared. The GTV centroid movement as well as its correlation with the translational setup error differences was also evaluated. In the phantom study, the AVG-CT method was more accurate than the FB-CT method. For patients, the translational setup errors based on FB-CT were significantly larger than those from AVG-CT in the left-right (LR), superior-inferior (SI), and anterior-posterior (AP) directions (p < 0.05). Translational setup errors differed by >1 mm in 32.6% and >2 mm in 12.9% of CBCT scans. The rotational setup errors from FB-CT were significantly different from those from AVG-CT in the LR and AP directions (p < 0.05). The correlation coefficient of the translational setup error differences and the GTV centroid movement in the LR, SI, and AP directions was 0.515 (p = 0.060), 0.902 (p < 0.001), and 0.510 (p = 0.062), respectively. For lung cancer patients, respiration may affect the on-line target position location. AVG-CT provides different reference information than FB-CT. The difference in SI direction caused by the 2 methods increases with the GTV movement. Therefore, AVG-CT should be the prefered choice of reference images.