Comparison of two Monte Carlo-based codes for small-field dose calculations in external beam radiotherapy

Dose calculation accuracy for photon small fields in treatment planning systems with comparison by Monte Carlo simulations

Purpose: Advanced radiation therapy techniques use small fields in treatment planning and delivery. Small fields have the advantage of more accurate dose delivery, but with the cost of some complications in dosimetry. Different dose calculation algorithms imported in various treatment planning systems (TPSs) which each of them has different accuracy. Monte Carlo (MC) simulation has been reported as one of the accurate methods for calculating dose distribution in radiation therapy. The aim of this study was the evaluation of TPS dose calculation algorithms in small fields against 2 MC codes.

Methods: A linac head was simulated in 2 MC codes, MCNPX, and GATE. Then three small fields (0.5×0.5, 1×1 and 1.5×1.5 cm2) were simulated with 2 MC codes, and also these fields were planned with different dose calculation algorithms in Isogray and Monaco TPS. PDDs and lateral dose profiles were extracted and compared between MC simulations and dose calculation algorithms.

Results: For 0.5×0.5 cm2 field mean differences in PDDs with MCNPX were 2.28, 4.6, 5.3, and 7.4% and with GATE were -0.29, 2.3, 3 and 5% for CCC, superposition, FFT and Clarkson algorithms respectively. For 1×1 cm2 field mean differences in PDDs with MCNPX were 1.58, 0.6, 1.1 and 1.4% and with GATE were 0.77, 0.1, 0.6 and 0.9% for CCC, superposition, FFT and Clarkson algorithms respectively. For 1.5×1.5 cm2 field mean differences in PDDs with MCNPX were 0.82, 0.4, 0.6 and -0.4% and with GATE were 2.38, 2.5, 2.7 and 1.7% for CCC, superposition, FFT and Clarkson algorithms respectively.

Conclusions: Different dose calculation algorithms were evaluated and compared with MC simulation in small fields. Mean differences with MC simulation decreased with the increase of field sizes for all algorithms.

PENELOPE simulations and experiment for 6 MV clinac iX accelerator for standard and small static fields

The goal of this work was to produce accurate data for use as a 'gold standard' and a valid tool for measurements in reference dosimetry for standard/small static field sizes from 0.5 × 0.5 to 10 × 10 cm². It is based on the accuracy of the phase space files (PSFs) as a key quantity. Because the IAEA general public database provides few PSFs for the Varian iX, we simulated the head through Monte Carlo (MC) simulations and calculated validated PSFs for 12 square field sizes including seven for small static fields. The resulting dosimetric calculations allowed us to reach a good level of agreement in comparison to our relative and absolute dose measurements performed on a Varian iX in water phantom. Measured and MC calculated output factors were investigated for different detectors. Based on the TRS 483 formalism and MC (PENELOPE/penEasy), we calculated output correction factors for the unshielded Diode-E (T60017) and the PinPoint-3D (T31016) micro-chamber according to manufacturers' blueprints. Our MC results were in agreement with the recommended data; they compete with recent measurements and MC simulations and in particular the TRS 483 MC data obtained from similar simulations. Moreover, our MC results provide supplemental data in comparison to TRS 483 data in particular for the PinPoint-3D (T31016). We suggest our MC output correction factors as new datasets for future TRS compilations. The work was substantial, used different robust MC strategies depending on the scoring regions, and led in most cases to uncertainties of less than 1%.

Detector-specific correction factors in radiosurgery beams and their impact on dose distribution calculations

Silicon-diode-based detectors are commonly used for the dosimetry of small radiotherapy beams due to their relatively small volumes and high sensitivity to ionizing radiation. Nevertheless, silicon-diode-based detectors tend to over-respond in small fields because of their high density relative to water. For that reason, detector-specific beam correction factors (kQclin,Qmsrfclin,fmsr) have been recommended not only to correct the total scatter factors but also to correct the tissue maximum and off-axis ratios. However, the application of kQclin,Qmsrfclin,fmsr to in-depth and off-axis locations has not been studied. The goal of this work is to address the impact of the correction factors on the calculated dose distribution in static non-conventional photon beams (specifically, in stereotactic radiosurgery with circular collimators). To achieve this goal, the total scatter factors, tissue maximum, and off-axis ratios were measured with a stereotactic field diode for 4.0-, 10.0-, and 20.0-mm circular collimators. The irradiation was performed with a Novalis® linear accelerator using a 6-MV photon beam. The detector-specific correction factors were calculated and applied to the experimental dosimetry data for in-depth and off-axis locations. The corrected and uncorrected dosimetry data were used to commission a treatment planning system for radiosurgery planning. Various plans were calculated with simulated lesions using the uncorrected and corrected dosimetry. The resulting dose calculations were compared using the gamma index test with several criteria. The results of this work presented important conclusions for the use of detector-specific beam correction factors (kQclin,Qmsrfclin,fmsr) in a treatment planning system. The use of kQclin,Qmsrfclin,fmsr for total scatter factors has an important impact on monitor unit calculation. On the contrary, the use of kQclin,Qmsrfclin,fmsr for tissue-maximum and off-axis ratios has not an important impact on the dose distribution calculation by the treatment planning system. This conclusion is only valid for the combination of treatment planning system, detector, and correction factors used in this work; however, this technique can be applied to other treatment planning systems, detectors, and correction factors.