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A virtual-accelerator-based verification of a Monte Carlo dose calculation algorithm for electron beam treatment planning in clinical situations.

Wieslander, Elinore LU and Knöös, Tommy LU orcid (2007) In Radiotherapy and Oncology 82(2). p.208-217
Abstract
Background and purpose



The introduction of Monte Carlo (MC) techniques for treatment planning and also for verification purposes will have considerable impact on the radiation therapy planning process. The aim of this work was to use a virtual accelerator to study the performance of a MC-based electron dose calculation algorithm, implemented in a commercial treatment planning system.

Methods



The performance in phantoms containing air and bone as well as in patient-specific geometries (thorax wall, nose, parotid gland and spinal cord) has been studied.

Results



The agreement between the virtual accelerator and the MC dose calculation algorithm is generally very good.... (More)
Background and purpose



The introduction of Monte Carlo (MC) techniques for treatment planning and also for verification purposes will have considerable impact on the radiation therapy planning process. The aim of this work was to use a virtual accelerator to study the performance of a MC-based electron dose calculation algorithm, implemented in a commercial treatment planning system.

Methods



The performance in phantoms containing air and bone as well as in patient-specific geometries (thorax wall, nose, parotid gland and spinal cord) has been studied.

Results



The agreement between the virtual accelerator and the MC dose calculation algorithm is generally very good. A γ-evaluation with criteria of 0.03 Gy/3 mm (per Gy at the depth of maximum dose) shows that, even for the worst cases, only a small volume of about 1.5% has γ > 1.0. In the worst case, with the 0.02 Gy/2 mm criteria, about 92% of the volume receiving more than 0.85 Gy per 100 monitor units (MU) has γ-values <1.0. The corresponding value for the volume receiving more than 0.10 Gy/100 MU is about 98%. For the 18 MeV spinal-cord case, where a 6 × 20 cm2 insert is used, the TPS underestimates the dose outside the primary field due to inadequate modelling of the insert.

Conclusion



The possibility of dose calculations in typical patient cases makes the virtual accelerator a powerful tool for validation and evaluation of dose calculation algorithms present in treatment planning systems. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Inhomogeneities, Verification, Monte Carlo, Electrons, Radiotherapy, Treatment planning
in
Radiotherapy and Oncology
volume
82
issue
2
pages
208 - 217
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000245151400014
  • scopus:33847066339
ISSN
1879-0887
DOI
10.1016/j.radonc.2006.12.005
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
bf106d36-7cbb-473f-8f41-640026d2eb25 (old id 164911)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:38:42
date last changed
2022-02-25 19:13:15
@article{bf106d36-7cbb-473f-8f41-640026d2eb25,
  abstract     = {{Background and purpose<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The introduction of Monte Carlo (MC) techniques for treatment planning and also for verification purposes will have considerable impact on the radiation therapy planning process. The aim of this work was to use a virtual accelerator to study the performance of a MC-based electron dose calculation algorithm, implemented in a commercial treatment planning system.<br/><br>
Methods<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The performance in phantoms containing air and bone as well as in patient-specific geometries (thorax wall, nose, parotid gland and spinal cord) has been studied.<br/><br>
Results<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The agreement between the virtual accelerator and the MC dose calculation algorithm is generally very good. A γ-evaluation with criteria of 0.03 Gy/3 mm (per Gy at the depth of maximum dose) shows that, even for the worst cases, only a small volume of about 1.5% has γ &gt; 1.0. In the worst case, with the 0.02 Gy/2 mm criteria, about 92% of the volume receiving more than 0.85 Gy per 100 monitor units (MU) has γ-values &lt;1.0. The corresponding value for the volume receiving more than 0.10 Gy/100 MU is about 98%. For the 18 MeV spinal-cord case, where a 6 × 20 cm2 insert is used, the TPS underestimates the dose outside the primary field due to inadequate modelling of the insert.<br/><br>
Conclusion<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The possibility of dose calculations in typical patient cases makes the virtual accelerator a powerful tool for validation and evaluation of dose calculation algorithms present in treatment planning systems.}},
  author       = {{Wieslander, Elinore and Knöös, Tommy}},
  issn         = {{1879-0887}},
  keywords     = {{Inhomogeneities; Verification; Monte Carlo; Electrons; Radiotherapy; Treatment planning}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{208--217}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Radiotherapy and Oncology}},
  title        = {{A virtual-accelerator-based verification of a Monte Carlo dose calculation algorithm for electron beam treatment planning in clinical situations.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.radonc.2006.12.005}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.radonc.2006.12.005}},
  volume       = {{82}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}