An MCNPX Monte Carlo model of a discrete spot scanning proton beam therapy nozzle

Journal Article · Wed Sep 15 04:00:00 EDT 2010 · Medical Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1118/1.3476458· OSTI ID:22096768

Sawakuchi, Gabriel O.; Mirkovic, Dragan; Perles, Luis A.; Sahoo, Narayan; Zhu, X. Ron; Ciangaru, George; Suzuki, Kazumichi; Gillin, Michael T.; Mohan, Radhe; Titt, Uwe ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6 (Canada)

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to validate a discrete spot scanning proton beam nozzle using the Monte Carlo (MC) code MCNPX and use the MC validated model to investigate the effects of a low-dose envelope, which surrounds the beam's central axis, on measurements of integral depth dose (IDD) profiles. Methods: An accurate model of the discrete spot scanning beam nozzle from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, Texas) was developed on the basis of blueprints provided by the manufacturer of the nozzle. The authors performed simulations of single proton pencil beams of various energies using the standard multiple Coulomb scattering (MCS) algorithm within the MCNPX source code and a new MCS algorithm, which was implemented in the MCNPX source code. The MC models were validated by comparing calculated in-air and in-water lateral profiles and percentage depth dose profiles for single pencil beams with their corresponding measured values. The models were then further tested by comparing the calculated and measured three-dimensional (3-D) dose distributions. Finally, an IDD profile was calculated with different scoring radii to determine the limitations on the use of commercially available plane-parallel ionization chambers to measure IDD. Results: The distance to agreement, defined as the distance between the nearest positions of two equivalent distributions with the same value of dose, between measured and simulated ranges was within 0.13 cm for both MCS algorithms. For low and intermediate pencil beam energies, the MC simulations using the standard MCS algorithm were in better agreement with measurements. Conversely, the new MCS algorithm produced better results for high-energy single pencil beams. The IDD profile calculated with cylindrical tallies with an area equivalent to the area of the largest commercially available ionization chamber showed up to 7.8% underestimation of the integral dose in certain depths of the IDD profile. Conclusions: The authors conclude that a combination of MCS algorithms is required to accurately reproduce experimental data of single pencil beams and 3-D dose distributions for the scanning beam nozzle. In addition, the MC simulations showed that because of the low-dose envelope, ionization chambers with radii as large as 4.08 cm are insufficient to accurately measure IDD profiles for a 221.8 MeV pencil beam in the scanning beam nozzle.

• OSTI ID: 22096768
• Journal Information: Medical Physics, Journal Name: Medical Physics Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 37; ISSN 0094-2405; ISSN MPHYA6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ALGORITHMS
COULOMB SCATTERING
DEPTH DOSE DISTRIBUTIONS
DOSIMETRY
INTEGRAL DOSES
IONIZATION CHAMBERS
MEV RANGE 100-1000
MONTE CARLO METHOD
NEOPLASMS
PROTON BEAMS
PROTONS
RADIOTHERAPY
SIMULATION
STANDARDS