How do patient characteristics and anatomical features correlate to accuracy of organ dose reconstruction for Wilms' tumor radiation treatment plans when using a surrogate patient's CT scan?

In retrospective radiation treatment (RT) dosimetry, a surrogate anatomy is often used for patients without 3D CT. To gain insight in what the crucial aspects in a surrogate anatomy are to enable accurate dose reconstruction, we investigated the relation of patient characteristics and internal anatomical features with deviations in reconstructed organ dose using surrogate patient's CT scans. Abdominal CT scans of 35 childhood cancer patients (age: 2.1–5.6 yr; 17 boys, 18 girls) undergoing RT during 2004–2016 were included. Based on whether an intact right or left kidney is present in the CT scan, two groups were formed each containing 24 patients. From each group, four CTs associated with Wilms' tumor RT plans with an anterior-posterior—posterior-anterior field setup were selected as references. For each reference, a 2D digitally reconstructed radiograph was computed from the reference CT to simulate a 2D radiographic image and dose reconstruction was performed on the other CTs in the respective group. Deviations in organ mean dose (DE_mean) of the reconstructions versus the references were calculated, as were deviations in patient characteristics (i.e. age, height, weight) and in anatomical features including organ volume, location (in 3D), and spatial overlaps. Per reference, the Pearson's correlation coefficient between deviations in DE_mean and patient characteristics/features were studied. Deviation in organ locations and DE_mean for the liver, spleen, and right kidney were moderately correlated (R² > 0.5) for 8/8, 5/8, and 3/4 reference plans, respectively. Deviations in organ volume or spatial overlap and DE_mean for the right and left kidney were weakly correlated (0.3 < R² < 0.5) in 4/4 and 1/4 reference plans. No correlations (R² < 0.3) were found between deviations in age or height and DE_mean. Therefore, the performance of organ dose reconstruction using surrogate patients' CT scans is primarily related to deviation in organ location, followed by volume and spatial overlap. Further, results were plan dependent.