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Monte-Carlo techniques for radiotherapy applications I: introduction and overview of the different Monte-Carlo codes. JOURNAL OF RADIOTHERAPY IN PRACTICE 2023. [DOI: 10.1017/s1460396923000079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction:
The dose calculation plays a crucial role in many aspects of contemporary clinical radiotherapy treatment planning process. It therefore goes without saying that the accuracy of the dose calculation is of very high importance. The gold standard for absorbed dose calculation is the Monte-Carlo algorithm.
Methods:
This first of two papers gives an overview of the main openly available and supported codes that have been widely used for radiotherapy simulations.
Results:
The paper aims to provide an overview of Monte-Carlo in the field of radiotherapy and point the reader in the right direction of work that could help them get started or develop their existing understanding and use of Monte-Carlo algorithms in their practice.
Conclusions:
It also serves as a useful companion to a curated collection of papers on Monte-Carlo that have been published in this journal.
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Shende R, Dhoble S, Gupta G. Geometrical source modeling of 6MV flattening-filter-free (FFF) beam from TrueBeam linear accelerator and its commissioning validation using Monte Carlo simulation approach for radiotherapy. Radiat Phys Chem Oxf Engl 1993 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.radphyschem.2022.110339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Ma CMC, Chetty IJ, Deng J, Faddegon B, Jiang SB, Li J, Seuntjens J, Siebers JV, Traneus E. Beam modeling and beam model commissioning for Monte Carlo dose calculation-based radiation therapy treatment planning: Report of AAPM Task Group 157. Med Phys 2019; 47:e1-e18. [PMID: 31679157 DOI: 10.1002/mp.13898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Revised: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Dose calculation plays an important role in the accuracy of radiotherapy treatment planning and beam delivery. The Monte Carlo (MC) method is capable of achieving the highest accuracy in radiotherapy dose calculation and has been implemented in many commercial systems for radiotherapy treatment planning. The objective of this task group was to assist clinical physicists with the potentially complex task of acceptance testing and commissioning MC-based treatment planning systems (TPS) for photon and electron beam dose calculations. This report provides an overview on the general approach of clinical implementation and testing of MC-based TPS with a specific focus on models of clinical photon and electron beams. Different types of beam models are described including those that utilize MC simulation of the treatment head and those that rely on analytical methods and measurements. The trade-off between accuracy and efficiency in the various source-modeling approaches is discussed together with guidelines for acceptance testing of MC-based TPS from the clinical standpoint. Specific recommendations are given on methods and practical procedures to commission clinical beam models for MC-based TPS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Ming Charlie Ma
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, 19111, USA
| | - Indrin J Chetty
- Radiation Oncology Department, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI, 48188, USA
| | - Jun Deng
- Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06032, USA
| | - Bruce Faddegon
- Department of Radiation Oncology, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Steve B Jiang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | | | - Jan Seuntjens
- Medical Physics Unit, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Jeffrey V Siebers
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
| | - Erik Traneus
- RaySearch Laboratories AB, SE-103 65, Stockholm, Sweden
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Brualla L, Rodriguez M, Sempau J, Andreo P. PENELOPE/PRIMO-calculated photon and electron spectra from clinical accelerators. Radiat Oncol 2019; 14:6. [PMID: 30634994 PMCID: PMC6330451 DOI: 10.1186/s13014-018-1186-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The availability of photon and electron spectra in digital form from current accelerators and Monte Carlo (MC) systems is scarce, and one of the packages widely used refers to linacs with a reduced clinical use nowadays. Such spectra are mainly intended for the MC calculation of detector-related quantities in conventional broad beams, where the use of detailed phase-space files (PSFs) is less critical than for MC-based treatment planning applications, but unlike PSFs, spectra can easily be transferred to other computer systems and users. METHODS A set of spectra for a range of Varian linacs has been calculated using the PENELOPE/PRIMO MC system. They have been extracted from PSFs tallied for field sizes of 10 cm × 10 cm and 15 cm × 15 cm for photon and electron beams, respectively. The influence of the spectral bin width and of the beam central axis region used to extract the spectra have been analyzed. RESULTS Spectra have been compared to those by other authors showing good agreement with those obtained using the, now superseded, EGS4/BEAM MC code, but significant differences with the most widely used photon data set. Other spectra, particularly for electron beams, have not been published previously for the machines simulated in this work. The influence of the bin width on the spectrum mean energy for 6 and 10 MV beams has been found to be negligible. The size of the region used to extract the spectra yields differences of up to 40% for the mean energies in 10 MV beams, but the maximum difference for TPR 20,10 values derived from depth-dose distributions does not exceed 2% relative to those obtained using the PSFs. This corresponds to kQ differences below 0.2% for a typical Farmer-type chamber, considered to be negligible for reference dosimetry. Different configurations for using electron spectra have been compared for 6 MeV beams, concluding that the geometry used for tallying the PSFs used to extract the spectra must be accounted for in subsequent calculations using the spectra as a source. CONCLUSIONS An up-to-date set of consistent spectra for Varian accelerators suitable for the calculation of detector-related quantities in conventional broad beams has been developed and made available in digital form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Brualla
- West German Proton Therapy Centre Essen (WPE), Essen, D-45147, Germany. .,West German Cancer Center (WTZ), Essen, D-45147, Germany. .,University Hospital Essen, Essen, D-45147, Germany. .,Universität Duisburg-Essen, Medizinische Fakultät, Essen, D-45147, Germany.
| | - Miguel Rodriguez
- Centro Médico Paitilla, Panama City, 0816-03075, Panama.,Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y de Alta Tecnología, INDICASAT-AIP, City of Knowledge, Building 219, Panama City, Panama
| | - Josep Sempau
- Department of Physics and Institute of Energy Technologies, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, E-08028, Spain
| | - Pedro Andreo
- Department of Medical Radiation Physics and Nuclear Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, and Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SE-171 76, Sweden
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Abstract
BACKGROUND The use of the Monte Carlo (MC) method in radiotherapy dosimetry has increased almost exponentially in the last decades. Its widespread use in the field has converted this computer simulation technique in a common tool for reference and treatment planning dosimetry calculations. METHODS This work reviews the different MC calculations made on dosimetric quantities, like stopping-power ratios and perturbation correction factors required for reference ionization chamber dosimetry, as well as the fully realistic MC simulations currently available on clinical accelerators, detectors and patient treatment planning. CONCLUSIONS Issues are raised that include the necessity for consistency in the data throughout the entire dosimetry chain in reference dosimetry, and how Bragg-Gray theory breaks down for small photon fields. Both aspects are less critical for MC treatment planning applications, but there are important constraints like tissue characterization and its patient-to-patient variability, which together with the conversion between dose-to-water and dose-to-tissue, are analysed in detail. Although these constraints are common to all methods and algorithms used in different types of treatment planning systems, they make uncertainties involved in MC treatment planning to still remain "uncertain".
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Andreo
- Department of Medical Radiation Physics and Nuclear Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, and Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SE-171 76, Sweden.
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Kinoshita N, Oguchi H, Nishimoto Y, Adachi T, Shioura H, Kimura H, Doi K. Comparison of AAPM Addendum to TG-51, IAEA TRS-398, and JSMP 12: Calibration of photon beams in water. J Appl Clin Med Phys 2017; 18:271-278. [PMID: 28771919 PMCID: PMC5874857 DOI: 10.1002/acm2.12159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Revised: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Working Group on TG-51 published an Addendum to the AAPM's TG-51 protocol (Addendum to TG-51) in 2014, and the Japan Society of Medical Physics (JSMP) published a new dosimetry protocol JSMP 12 in 2012. In this study, we compared the absorbed dose to water determined at the reference depth for high-energy photon beams following the recommendations given in AAPM TG-51 and the Addendum to TG-51, IAEA TRS-398, and JSMP 12. This study was performed using measurements with flattened photon beams with nominal energies of 6 and 10 MV. Three widely used ionization chambers with different compositions, Exradin A12, PTW 30013, and IBA FC65-P, were employed. Fully corrected charge readings obtained for the three chambers according to AAPM TG-51 and the Addendum to TG-51, which included the correction for the radiation beam profile (Prp ), showed variations of 0.2% and 0.3% at 6 and 10 MV, respectively, from the readings corresponding to IAEA TRS-398 and JSMP 12. The values for the beam quality conversion factor kQ obtained according to the three protocols agreed within 0.5%; the only exception was a 0.6% difference between the results obtained at 10 MV for Exradin A12 according to IAEA TRS-398 and AAPM TG-51 and the Addendum to TG-51. Consequently, the values for the absorbed dose to water obtained for the three protocols agreed within 0.4%; the only exception was a 0.6% difference between the values obtained at 10 MV for PTW 30013 according to AAPM TG-51 and the Addendum to TG-51, and JSMP 12. While the difference in the absorbed dose to water determined by the three protocols depends on the kQ and Prp values, the absorbed dose to water obtained according to the three protocols agrees within the relative uncertainties for the three protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Kinoshita
- Department of Radiological and Medical Laboratory SciencesNagoya University Graduate School of MedicineNagoya‐shiAichi‐kenJapan
- Radiological CenterUniversity of Fukui HospitalYoshida‐gunFukui‐kenJapan
| | - Hiroshi Oguchi
- Department of Radiological and Medical Laboratory SciencesNagoya University Graduate School of MedicineNagoya‐shiAichi‐kenJapan
| | - Yasuhiro Nishimoto
- Radiological CenterUniversity of Fukui HospitalYoshida‐gunFukui‐kenJapan
| | - Toshiki Adachi
- Radiological CenterUniversity of Fukui HospitalYoshida‐gunFukui‐kenJapan
| | - Hiroki Shioura
- Department of RadiologyUniversity of Fukui HospitalYoshida‐gunFukui‐kenJapan
| | - Hirohiko Kimura
- Department of RadiologyUniversity of Fukui HospitalYoshida‐gunFukui‐kenJapan
| | - Kunio Doi
- Department of RadiologyUniversity of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
- Gunma Prefectural College of Health SciencesMaebashi‐shiGunma‐kenJapan
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McEwen M, DeWerd L, Ibbott G, Followill D, Rogers DWO, Seltzer S, Seuntjens J. Addendum to the AAPM's TG-51 protocol for clinical reference dosimetry of high-energy photon beams. Med Phys 2014; 41:041501. [PMID: 24694120 PMCID: PMC5148035 DOI: 10.1118/1.4866223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 201] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2013] [Revised: 02/03/2014] [Accepted: 02/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
An addendum to the AAPM's TG-51 protocol for the determination of absorbed dose to water in megavoltage photon beams is presented. This addendum continues the procedure laid out in TG-51 but new kQ data for photon beams, based on Monte Carlo simulations, are presented and recommendations are given to improve the accuracy and consistency of the protocol's implementation. The components of the uncertainty budget in determining absorbed dose to water at the reference point are introduced and the magnitude of each component discussed. Finally, the consistency of experimental determination of ND,w coefficients is discussed. It is expected that the implementation of this addendum will be straightforward, assuming that the user is already familiar with TG-51. The changes introduced by this report are generally minor, although new recommendations could result in procedural changes for individual users. It is expected that the effort on the medical physicist's part to implement this addendum will not be significant and could be done as part of the annual linac calibration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malcolm McEwen
- National Research Council, 1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Larry DeWerd
- University of Wisconsin, 1111 Highland Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53705
| | - Geoffrey Ibbott
- Department of Radiation Physics, M D Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - David Followill
- IROC Houston QA Center, Radiological Physics Center, 8060 El Rio Street, Houston, Texas 77054
| | - David W O Rogers
- Carleton Laboratory for Radiotherapy Physics, Physics Department, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stephen Seltzer
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899
| | - Jan Seuntjens
- Medical Physics Unit, McGill University, 1650 Cedar Avenue, Montreal, Québec, Canada
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Koivunoro H, Siiskonen T, Kotiluoto P, Auterinen I, Hippelainen E, Savolainen S. Accuracy of the electron transport in mcnp5 and its suitability for ionization chamber response simulations: A comparison with the egsnrc and penelope codes. Med Phys 2013; 39:1335-44. [PMID: 22380366 DOI: 10.1118/1.3685446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE In this work, accuracy of the mcnp5 code in the electron transport calculations and its suitability for ionization chamber (IC) response simulations in photon beams are studied in comparison to egsnrc and penelope codes. METHODS The electron transport is studied by comparing the depth dose distributions in a water phantom subdivided into thin layers using incident energies (0.05, 0.1, 1, and 10 MeV) for the broad parallel electron beams. The IC response simulations are studied in water phantom in three dosimetric gas materials (air, argon, and methane based tissue equivalent gas) for photon beams ((60)Co source, 6 MV linear medical accelerator, and mono-energetic 2 MeV photon source). Two optional electron transport models of mcnp5 are evaluated: the ITS-based electron energy indexing (mcnp5(ITS)) and the new detailed electron energy-loss straggling logic (mcnp5(new)). The electron substep length (ESTEP parameter) dependency in mcnp5 is investigated as well. RESULTS For the electron beam studies, large discrepancies (>3%) are observed between the MCNP5 dose distributions and the reference codes at 1 MeV and lower energies. The discrepancy is especially notable for 0.1 and 0.05 MeV electron beams. The boundary crossing artifacts, which are well known for the mcnp5(ITS), are observed for the mcnp5(new) only at 0.1 and 0.05 MeV beam energies. If the excessive boundary crossing is eliminated by using single scoring cells, the mcnp5(ITS) provides dose distributions that agree better with the reference codes than mcnp5(new). The mcnp5 dose estimates for the gas cavity agree within 1% with the reference codes, if the mcnp5(ITS) is applied or electron substep length is set adequately for the gas in the cavity using the mcnp5(new). The mcnp5(new) results are found highly dependent on the chosen electron substep length and might lead up to 15% underestimation of the absorbed dose. CONCLUSIONS Since the mcnp5 electron transport calculations are not accurate at all energies and in every medium by general clinical standards, caution is needed, if mcnp5 is used with the current electron transport models for dosimetric applications.
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Pena J, González-Castaño DM, Gómez F, Gago-Arias A, González-Castaño FJ, Rodríguez-Silva D, Gómez A, Mouriño C, Pombar M, Sánchez M. eIMRT: a web platform for the verification and optimization of radiation treatment plans. J Appl Clin Med Phys 2009; 10:205-220. [PMID: 19692983 PMCID: PMC5720544 DOI: 10.1120/jacmp.v10i3.2998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2009] [Revised: 03/31/2009] [Accepted: 04/02/2009] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The eIMRT platform is a remote distributed computing tool that provides users with Internet access to three different services: Monte Carlo optimization of treatment plans, CRT & IMRT treatment optimization, and a database of relevant radiation treatments/clinical cases. These services are accessible through a user-friendly and platform independent web page. Its flexible and scalable design focuses on providing the final users with services rather than a collection of software pieces. All input and output data (CT, contours, treatment plans and dose distributions) are handled using the DICOM format. The design, implementation, and support of the verification and optimization algorithms are hidden to the user. This allows a unified, robust handling of the software and hardware that enables these computation-intensive services. The eIMRT platform is currently hosted by the Galician Supercomputing Center (CESGA) and may be accessible upon request (there is a demo version at http://eimrt.cesga.es:8080/eIMRT2/demo; request access in http://eimrt.cesga.es/signup.html). This paper describes all aspects of the eIMRT algorithms in depth, its user interface, and its services. Due to the flexible design of the platform, it has numerous applications including the intercenter comparison of treatment planning, the quality assurance of radiation treatments, the design and implementation of new approaches to certain types of treatments, and the sharing of information on radiation treatment techniques. In addition, the web platform and software tools developed for treatment verification and optimization have a modular design that allows the user to extend them with new algorithms. This software is not a commercial product. It is the result of the collaborative effort of different public research institutions and is planned to be distributed as an open source project. In this way, it will be available to any user; new releases will be generated with the new implemented codes or upgrades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Pena
- Departamento de Fílsica de Partículas, Facultade de Física, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Diego M González-Castaño
- Departamento de Fílsica de Partículas, Facultade de Física, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Faustino Gómez
- Departamento de Fílsica de Partículas, Facultade de Física, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Araceli Gago-Arias
- Departamento de Fílsica de Partículas, Facultade de Física, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Francisco J González-Castaño
- Departamento de Enxeñería Telemática, Escola Técnica Superior de Enxeñería das Telecomunicacións, Universidade de Vigo, Spain
| | - Daniel Rodríguez-Silva
- Departamento de Enxeñería Telemática, Escola Técnica Superior de Enxeñería das Telecomunicacións, Universidade de Vigo, Spain
| | - Andrés Gómez
- Centro de Supercomputación de Galicia, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Carlos Mouriño
- Centro de Supercomputación de Galicia, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Miguel Pombar
- Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Manuel Sánchez
- Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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