To obtain a Dose Volume Histogram (DVH), which is required?

To obtain a Dose Volume Histogram (DVH), 3D dose computations are necessary because a DVH represents the distribution of dose within a three-dimensional volume of tissue. This histogram illustrates how much of a specific volume of tissue receives a certain dose of radiation, providing critical information about the effectiveness of the treatment plan and the potential for damage to surrounding healthy tissues.

3D dose computations allow for a detailed analysis of the dose delivered to specific structures within the treatment area, taking into account the geometric configuration of both the target and surrounding tissues. This three-dimensional representation is essential to accurately calculate and depict dose distributions; a traditional 2D approach would not effectively capture the complexities involved in dose delivery that are inherent to modern radiation therapy techniques such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) or volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT).

Moreover, while patient geometric information and treatment histories are helpful in the planning and treatment process, they alone cannot provide the necessary data to generate a DVH without the corresponding 3D dose distribution calculations.