Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T17:02:52.600Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Photon Dose Calculation Method Based on Monte Carlo Finite-Size Pencil Beam Model in Accurate Radiotherapy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 June 2015

Huaqing Zheng ,
Guangyao Sun ,
Gui Li ,
Ruifen Cao ,
Xi Pei ,
Liqin Hu ,
Gang Song  and
Yican Wu
Get access

Abstract

This study mainly focused on the key technologies, the photon dose calculation based on the Monte Carlo Finite-Size Pencil Beam (MCFSPB) model in the Accurate Radiotherapy System (ARTS). In the MCFSPB model, the acquisition of pencil beam kernel is one of the most important technologies. In this study, by analyzing the demerits of the clinical pencil beam dose calculation methods, a new pencil beam kernel model was developed based on the Monte Carlo (MC) simulation and the technology of medical accelerator energy spectrum reconstruction. which greatly improved the accuracy of calculated result. According to the axial symmetry principle, only part of simulation results was used for the data of pencil beam kernel, which greatly reduced the data quantity of the pencil beam and reduced calculated time. Based on the above studies, the MCFSPB method was designed and implemented by the Visual C++ development tool. With several tests including the comparisons among the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) No. 55 Report sample and the ion chamber measurement of lung-simulating inhomogeneous phantom in clinical treatment plan, the results showed that the maximum error of most calculated point was less than 0.5% in the homogeneous phantom and less than 3% in the heterogeneous phantom. This method met the clinical criteria, and would be expected to be used as a fast and accurate dose engine for clinic TPS.

Keywords

87.56.J-87.55.D-87.55.KAccurate radiotherapydose calculationpencil beamMonte Carlo
Type
Research Article
Information
Communications in Computational Physics , Volume 14 , Issue 5 , November 2013 , pp. 1415 - 1422
Copyright
Copyright © Global Science Press Limited 2013

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

[1] ICRU, Determination of absorbed dose in a patient irradiated by beams of X or Gamma rays in radiotherapy procedures, ICRU Report 24, 1976.Google Scholar
[2]Lin, H., Wu, Y.-C., Chen, Y.-X.“A finite size pencil beam for IMRT dose optimization” - a simpler analytical function for the finite size pencil beam kernel. Phys. Med. Biol., 2006, 51: 13–15.Google Scholar
[3]Song, G., Wu, Y.A Monte Carlo interstitial brachytherapy study for AAPM TG-43 dose calculation formalism in heterogeneous media. Presented at the 2nd International Conference on Bioinformatics and Biomedical Engineering (ICBBE), May 16–18, 2008, Shanghai, China.Google Scholar
[4]Chen, C.-B., Huangg, Q.-Y., Wu, Y.-C.Effects of CT based voxel phantoms on dose distribution calculated with Monte Carlo method. Plasma Science & Technology, 2005, 7(2): 2777–2780.Google Scholar
[5]Wu, A.-D., Wu, Y.-C.Effect of CT image-based voxel size on Monte Carlo dose calculation. Presented at the 27th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, 2005, Shanghai, China.Google Scholar
[6]Song, G., Li, G.-L., Wu, A.-D.et al. Verification of RBM dose engine in experiment using emulational head phantom. Nuclear Physics Review, 2006, 23: 246–249 (in Chinese).Google Scholar
[7]Zhao, P., Chen, Y.-X., Lin, H.et al. Effect of different voxel-uniting methods on the dose calculation of MCNP/MCNPX. Nuclear Physics Review, 2006, 23: 258–262 (in Chinese).Google Scholar
[8]Lin, H., Song, G., Zhao, P.et al. Comparisons between Monte Carlo codes: MCNP, EGSnrc and DMP in radiotherapy dose calculation. Chinese Journal of Medical Physics, 2007, 27(5): 473–476 (in Chinese).Google Scholar
[9]Ahnesjo, A. and Aspradakis, M. M.Dose calculations for external photon beams in radiotherapy. Phys. Med. Biol., 1999, 44: R99–R155.Google Scholar
[10]Wu, Y.-C., Song, G., Cao, R.-F.et al. Development of accurate/advanced radiotherapy treatment planning and quality assurance system (ARTS). Chinese Physics C (HEP & NP), 2008, 32(Suppl. II): 177–182.Google Scholar
[11]Wu, Y.-C. and Team, FDS. Research and development of an accurate/advanced radiation therapy system (ARTS). Chinese Journal of Medical Physics, 2005, 22: 283–299 (in Chinese).Google Scholar
[12] EGSnrc at http://www.irs.inms.nrc.ca/EGSnrc/EGSnrc.htmlGoogle Scholar
[13]Rogers, D. W. O., Kawrakow, I., Seuntjens, J. P., Walters, B. R. B. and Mainegra-Hing, E., NRC User Codes for EGSnrc, Ionizing Radiation Standards, National Research Council of Canada Ottawa, K1A OR6, 1995.Google Scholar
[14]Walters, B. R. B., Kawrakow, I., and Rogers, D. W. O., DOSXYZnrc User Manual, Ionizing Radiation Standards, National Research Council of Canada Ottawa, K1A OR6, 2007.Google Scholar
[15]Shimozato, T.et al. Calculation of 10 MV x-ray spectra emitted by a medical linear accelerator using the BFGS quasi-Newton method. Phys. Med. Biol., 2007, 52:515–523.Google Scholar
[16]Gui, L., Zheng, H., Sun, G., Photon energy spectrum reconstruction based on Monte Carlo and measured percentage depth dose in accurate radiotherapy, Progress in Nuclear Science and Technology, 2012, 2:160–164Google Scholar
[17]Batho, H. F.Lung correction in cobalt 60 beam therapy. Journal of Cancer Association of Radiology, 1964, 15: 79–83.Google Scholar
[18]AAPM, Radiation Treatment Planning Dosimetry Verification, AAPM Report 55, 1995.Google Scholar