Impact of target volume segmentation accuracy and variability on treatment planning for 4D-CT-based non-small cell lung cancer radiotherapy

AbstractBackground. Accurate target volume segmentation is crucial for success in image-guided radiotherapy. However, variability in anatomical segmentation is one of the most significant contributors to uncertainty in radiotherapy treatment planning. This is especially true for lung cancer where target volumes are subject to varying magnitudes of respiratory motion.Material and methods. This study aims to analyze multiple observer target volume segmentations and subsequent intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) treatment plans defined by those segmentations against a reference standard for lung cancer patients imaged with four-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT). Target volume segmentations of 10 patients were performed manually by six physicians, allowing for the calculation of ground truth estimate segmentations via the simultaneous truth and performance level estimation (STAPLE) algorithm. Segmentation variability was assessed in terms of distance- and volume-based metrics. Treatment plans define...