# Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy Versus Dynamic Conformal Arc Therapy for Single Isocenter Stereotactic Radiotherapy of Multiple Brain Metastases

## TL;DR

This study compares two radiotherapy techniques for treating brain metastases, finding that one method offers similar quality with better delivery and less complexity.

## Contribution

The study introduces optimized dynamic conformal arc therapy as a less complex alternative to VMAT for brain metastases treatment.

## Key findings

- OptDCA showed higher gamma passing rates and lower plan complexity compared to VMAT.
- VMAT provided slightly better conformity but required more monitor units.
- No significant differences were found in gradient index or target coverage between the two techniques.

## Abstract

Introduction: Stereotactic radiosurgery is a highly precise radiotherapy technique widely used for the management of brain metastases. While VMAT enables highly conformal dose distributions, it is often associated with increased plan complexity and longer delivery times. Optimized dynamic conformal arc therapy (OptDCA) represents a less complex alternative that may achieve comparable dosimetric performance. In this retrospective study, dosimetric quality, deliverability, and plan complexity of VMAT and OptDCA were compared for single-isocenter SRS of multiple brain metastases. Materials and Methods: Thirty patients previously treated with VMAT were randomly selected and replanned using OptDCA with identical beam arrangements. Plan quality was evaluated using the Paddick conformity index, gradient index, target coverage, MUs, and brain V12Gy and V20Gy. Deliverability was assessed using gamma passing rates, and plan complexity was quantified using multiple complexity metrics. Results: VMAT achieved a slightly higher CI (0.72 vs. 0.71) but required a higher number of MUs (5376 vs. 4820), while no significant differences were observed in GI or target coverage. OptDCA demonstrated significantly higher GPR (median 96.95% vs. 91.1%) and consistently lower plan complexity. Significant correlations were observed between GPR and several complexity metrics for both techniques. Conclusion: Overall, OptDCA provides comparable plan quality to VMAT, while offering improved deliverability and reduced complexity, making it a viable alternative technique.