Heterogeneous radiotherapy dose-outcomes response in parotid glands

Parotid glands are treated clinically as though the distribution of functional burden were homogeneous. Radiotherapy treatments are planned using whole parotid mean dose to predict risk of salivary dysfunction. Recent progress has identified specific parotid non-homogeneities by demonstrating the existence of regional, bath-and-shower, and dose-volume effects. In this and shape within the parotid while also accounting for differing parotid morphology across the population. Exact adjacency is forfeited in order to reduce travel when the parotid contour is deformed. This results in robustness to contouring perturbations. The segmentation order was chosen to be straightforward to apply clinically.