Abstract: Systems and methods for radiation treatment planning can include a computing system determining a first shell structure defined around a PTV and having a first thickness, and a second shell structure defined around the first shell structure and having a second thickness. The computing system can generate a first objective term of an objective function for optimizing a radiotherapy treatment plan to penalize dose values in the first shell structure exceeding a first radiation dose level, and generate a second objective term of the objective function to penalize dose values in the second shell structure exceeding a second radiation dose level. The second fraction can be smaller than the first fraction. The computing system can generate a third objective term of an objective function for penalizing radiation dose values in another region deviating from a predefined dose distribution, and optimize the objective function to determine the radiotherapy treatment plan.

Abstract: A control circuit configured as a multi-criteria optimizer generates a radiation therapy treatment plan. The circuit then determines a resultant dose distribution as a function of the radiation therapy treatment plan and presents, on a display, at least a part of that resultant dose distribution. The latter may comprise, for example, presenting at least one isodose line on the display. The control circuit then detects user manipulation of a user interface. By one approach, this manipulation does not include corresponding immediate movement of any part of the presented resultant dose distribution itself. In particular, the detected user manipulation does not result in dragged movement of an isodose line on the display.