Modeling clinical outcomes in radiotherapy: NTCP, TCP and the “TECs”

Abstract

Radiation therapy is a double-edged sword which damages both tumor and normal cells. Achieving treatments with high tumor control probability (TCP) yet low normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) is often a struggle because we rarely have a unified understanding of the dosimetric and clinical correlates of the desired outcomes. I am fortunate to have participated in some of these struggles, including analyzing and using in-house data and being involved in the AAPM and ASTRO “TEC” projects—QUANTEC (Quantitatie Analysis of Normal Tissue Effects in the Clinic), HyTEC (Hypofractionated Treatment Effects in the Clinic) and PENTEC (Pediatric Normal Tissue Effects in the Clinic).