Program Information
Investigating the Use of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) as a Tool to Determine Optimal Treatment Plans
A Brito Delgado1*, K Rasmussen2 , T Medrano Pesqueira3 , D Cohen4 , T Eng5 , A Gutierrez6 , (1) Cancer Therapy & Research Center UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, (2) University of Texas HSC SA, San Antonio, TX, (3) Hospital Oncologico del Estado de Sonora [Oncologic Hospital of the State , Hermosillo, Sonora, (4) Cancer Therapy & Research Center UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, (5) Cancer Therapy & Research Center UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, (6) Miami Cancer Institute, Miami, FL
Presentations
SU-I-GPD-T-222 (Sunday, July 30, 2017) 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM Room: Exhibit Hall
Purpose: Determining an optimal treatment plan continues to present a challenge in modern day radiotherapy. Historically, optimal treatment plans are determined primarily on their capability to meet target and normal tissue constraint criteria. However, there are a number of other factors that can influence the determination of an optimal treatment plan. Because of this complexity, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) provides a structured technique that has been used in analyzing complex decisions. The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential use of the AHP in radiotherapy by applying the technique to both a whole brain and an intact prostate plan.
Methods: AHP is a structured technique for organizing and analyzing complex decisions based on mathematics and user preference—determined by a preference scale. The hierarchal structure consists of a set of alternatives to meet an objective, each alternative is studied in terms of specific criteria and sub-criteria to understand what contributes to meeting the objective. Hierarchal structures of criteria affecting plan quality analysis were developed for whole brain and intact prostate. A generalized model was developed using factors that are hard to quantify and can affect plan quality, e.g. plan complexity.
Results: AHP enables one to hierarchically organize criteria affecting plan quality. Criteria was determined using dosimetric tolerances based on QUANTEC data and dose constraints for standardized prostate and whole brain cases. However, an opportunity lies to further evaluate the ability to add other criteria to measure plan quality, whilst allowing plans to be assessed for non-traditional metrics.
Conclusion: AHP shows promise as an efficient technique to structure and analyze treatment plan quality. This methodology can be used to include broader criteria. It is necessary to broaden the criteria considered to include factors that, even though hard to quantify, can provide a more exhaustive analysis of plan quality.
Funding Support, Disclosures, and Conflict of Interest: Amy Brito Delgado acknowledges the National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico (CONACYT) for her doctoral fellowship (Fellow No. 216750).
Contact Email: