Abstract In radiation therapy (RT) for prostate cancer, changes in patient anatomy during treatment might lead to inadequate tumor coverage and higher irradiation of healthy tissues in the nearby pelvic organs. Exploring and analyzing anatomical variability throughout the course of RT can support the design of more robust treatment strategies, while identifying patients that are prone to radiation-induced toxicity. We present VAPOR, a novel application for the exploration of pelvic organ variability in a cohort of patients, across the entire treatment process. Our application addresses: (i) the global exploration and analysis of anatomical variability in an abstracted tabular view, (ii) the local exploration and analysis thereof in anatomical 2D/3D views, where comparative and ensemble visualizations are integrated, and (iii) the correlation of anatomical variability with radiation doses and potential toxicity. The workflow is based on available retrospective cohort data, which include segmentations of the bladder, the prostate, and the rectum through the entire treatment period. VAPOR is applied to four usage scenarios, which were conducted with two medical physicists. Our application provides clinical researchers with promising support in demonstrating the significance of treatment adaptation to anatomical changes.

中文翻译：

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VAPOR：用于探索放射治疗中盆腔器官变异性的可视化分析

摘要 在前列腺癌的放射治疗 (RT) 中，治疗期间患者解剖结构的变化可能会导致肿瘤覆盖率不足和对附近盆腔器官健康组织的更高照射。在整个放疗过程中探索和分析解剖变异可以支持设计更稳健的治疗策略，同时识别易于发生辐射诱导毒性的患者。我们提出了 VAPOR，这是一种在整个治疗过程中探索一组患者的盆腔器官变异性的新应用。我们的应用程序解决：(i) 抽象表格视图中解剖变异的全局探索和分析，(ii) 解剖 2D/3D 视图中的局部探索和分析，其中集成了比较和整体可视化，(iii) 解剖变异与辐射剂量和潜在毒性的相关性。该工作流程基于可用的回顾性队列数据，其中包括整个治疗期间膀胱、前列腺和直肠的分割。VAPOR 应用于四个使用场景，由两名医学物理学家进行。我们的应用程序为临床研究人员证明治疗适应解剖变化的重要性提供了有希望的支持。