TOPAS - Proton Monte Carlo simulations

TOPAS is a Geant4-based Monte Carlo tool for proton therapy. The goal of TOPAS to provide easy-to-use Monte Carlo simulation capabilities to to all projects in radiation therapy involving Monte Carlo.

In parallel we are currently developing a GPU based fast Monte Carlo tool for proton therapy, which does focus on dose and LET calculations only.

Key MGH personnel involved

  • Harald Paganetti, PhD
  • Jan Schuemann, PhD  
  • Jungwook Shin, PhD
  • David Hall, DPhil

Collaborators

  • Bruce Faddegon (University of California San Francisco (UCSF))
  • Joseph Perl (Stanford National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC))  

Publications

  1. Hall DC; Makarova A; Paganetti H and Gottschalk B: Validation of nuclear models in Geant4 using the dose distribution of a 177 MeV proton pencil beam. Physics in Medicine and Biology 2016 61; N1-N10
  2. Ramos-Mendez J; Perl J; Schuemann J; Shin J; Paganetti H and Faddegon B: A framework for implementation of organ effect models in TOPAS with benchmarks extended to proton therapy. Physics in Medicine and Biology 2015 60; 5037-5052
  3. Polster L; Schuemann J; Rinaldi I; Burigo L; McNamara A; Stewart R; Attili A; Carlson D; Sato T; Ramos-Mendez J; Faddegon B; Perl J and Paganetti H: Extension of TOPAS for the simulation of proton radiation effects considering molecular and cellular endpoints. Physics in Medicine and Biology 2015 60; 5053-5070
  4. Ramos-Mendez J; Perl J; Schuemann J; Shin J; Paganetti H and Faddegon B: Improved efficiency in Monte Carlo simulation for passive-scattering proton therapy. Physics in Medicine and Biology 2015 60; 5019-5035  
  5. Testa M; Schümann J; Lu H-M; Shin J; Faddegon B; Perl J and Paganetti H: Experimental validation of the TOPAS Monte Carlo system for proton therapy simulations. Medical Physics 2013 40: 121719
  6. Ramos-Mendez JA; Perl J; Faddegon B; Schuemann J and Paganeti H: Geometrical splitting technique to improve the computational efficiency in Monte Carlo calculations for proton therapy. Medical Physics 2013 40: 041718
  7. Perl J; Shin J; Schuemann S; Faddegon BA and Paganetti H: TOPAS - An innovative proton Monte Carlo platform for research and clinical applications. Medical Physics 2012 39: 6818-6837
  8. Titt U; Bednraz B and Paganetti H: Comparison of MCNPX and Geant4 proton energy deposition predictions for clinical use. Physics in Medicine and Biology 2012 57: 6381-6394
  9. Shin J; Perl J; Schuemann S; Paganetti H and Faddegon BA: A modular method to handle multiple time-dependent quantities in Monte Carlo simulations. Physics in Medicine and Biology 2012 57: 3295-3308
  10. Dowdell SJ; Clasie B; Depauw N; Metcalfe P; Rosenfeld AB; Kooy HM; Flanz JB and Paganetti H: Monte Carlo study of the potential reduction in out-of-field dose using a patient-specific aperture in pencil beam scanning proton therapy. Physics in Medicine and Biology 2012 57: 2829-2842
  11. Akagi T; Aso T; Faddegon B; Kimuar A; Matsufuji N; Nishio T; Omachi C; Paganetti H; Perl J; Sasaki T; Sawkey D; Schümann J; Sin J; Toshito T; Yamashita T and Yoshida H: The PTSim and TOPAS Projects, Bringing Geant4 to the Particle Therapy Clinic. Progress in Nuclear Science and Technology 2011 2: 912-917
  12. Bednarz B; Lu HM; Engelsman M and Paganeti H: Uncertainties and correction methods when modeling passive scattered proton therapy treatment heads with Monte Carlo. Physics in Medicine and Biology 2011 56: 2837-2854
  13. Rinaldi I; Ferrari A; Mairani A; Paganetti H; Parodi K and Sala P: An integral test of FLUKA nuclear models with 160 MeV proton beams in Multi Layer Faraday Cups. Physics in Medicine and Biology 2011 56: 4001-4012
  14. Bednarz B; Chen GTY; Paganetti H; Han B; Ding A and Xu GX: Comparison of particle-tracking features in Geant4 and MCNPX codes for applications in mapping of proton range uncertainty. Nuclear Technology 2011 175: 2-5
  15. Depauw N; Danto S; Bednarz B; Paganetti H; Fink Y and Seco J: Preliminary Study of Proton Radiography Imaging Qualities Using GEANT4 Monte Carlo Simulations. Nuclear Technology 2011 175: 6-10
  16. Seco J; Depauw N; Danto S; Paganetti H and Fink Y: Qualitative Evaluation of Proton Radiography for Viewing Density Differences in Lung Tumors: A Monte Carlo Study. Nuclear Technology 2011 175: 27-31
  17. Henkner K; Sobolevsky N and Paganetti H: Test of the nuclear interaction model in SHIELD-HIT and a dose comparison with GEANT4. Physics in Medicine and Biology: 2009: 54, N509-N518
  18. Paganetti H; Jiang H; Parodi K; Slopsema R; and Engelsman M: Clinical implementation of Monte Carlo dose calculation in proton beam therapy. Physics in Medicine and Biology 2008: 53, 4825-4853