Should single or distributed parameters be used to explain the steepness of tumour control probability curves?

Linear quadratic (LQ) modelling allows easy comparison of different fractionation schedules in radiotherapy. However, estimating the radiation effect of a single fractionated treatment introduces many questions with respect to the parameters to be used in the modelling process. Several studies have used tumour control probability (TCP) curves in order to derive the values for the LQ parameters that may be used further for the analysis and ranking of treatment plans. Unfortunately, little attention has been paid to the biological relevance of these derived parameters, either for the initial number of cells or their intrinsic radiosensitivity, or both. This paper investigates the relationship between single values for the TCP parameters and the resulting dose–response curve. The results of this modelling study show how clinical observations for the position and steepness of the TCP curve can be explained only by the choice of extreme values for the parameters, if they are single values. These extreme values are in contradiction with experimental observations. This contradiction suggests that single values for the parameters are not likely to explain reasonably the clinical observations and that some distributions of input parameters should be taken into consideration.