SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GLOBAL OPTIMIZATION OF TREATMENT PLANNING FOR EXTERNAL BEAM RADIATION THERAPY

Systems and methods for providing an optimal treatment plan for delivering a prescribed radiation dose to a predefined target volume within a patient using an external beam radiation delivery unit are provided. The systems have an interface which is adapted to receive information related to a prescribed radiation dose, a predefined target volume within a patient, and parameters associated with an external beam delivery unit. The systems also have a treatment plan modeling processor which is adapted to receive all of the input data and develop a dose calculation optimization model defining a global system. The systems also have an optimization processor which is adapted to determine an optimal treatment plan based on the dose calculation optimization model and all the input data. The methods involve (1) receiving information related to the prescribed radiation dose, the predefined target volume, and parameters associated with the external beam delivery unit, (2) developing a dose calculation optimization model based on a plurality of variables corresponding to the information which define a global system, and (3) outputting an optimal treatment plan based on the dose calculation optimization model and the information.