Clinical proton Monte Carlo dose calculation

Monte Carlo dose calculation is considered to be the most accurate method to compute doses in radiation therapy. Monte Carlo simulations take into account the physics of particle interactions on a particle-by-particle basis using theoretical models or experimental cross section data for electromagnetic and nuclear interactions. Further, they consider tissue inhomogeneities by using specific material properties, e.g. elemental composition, electron density, mass density or ionization potential. The appropriate position of inhomogeneities along the beam path and its scattering effects are modeled. Secondary particles can be tracked, which allows the appropriate consideration of nuclear fragments. Full proton Monte Carlo dose calculation, including treatment head simulation and dose calculation for passive scattering and beam scanning delivery, is currently not commercially available.  We perform clinical dose calculations for routine operations in QA as well as for interpreting clinical trials.

Key MGH personnel involved

  • Harald Paganetti, PhD
  • Jan Schuemann, PhD
  • Nicolas Depauw, PhD
  • Jungwook Shin, PhD
  • Drosoula Giantsoudi, PhD
  • Clemens Grassberger, PhD
  • Maryam Moteabbed, PhD
  • Joost Verburg, PhD
  • Changran Geng, PhD
  • Juliane Daartz, PhD
  • Maria Marteinsdottir
  • Pablo Botas Sanmartin

Publications

  1. Moteabbed M; Yock TI; Depauw N; Madden TM; Kooy HM and Paganetti H: Impact of spot size and beam-shaping devices on the treatment plan quality for pencil beam scanning proton therapy. International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics 2016 96; 190-198
  2. Geng C; Moteabbed M; Seco J; Gao Y; Xu XG; Ramos-Méndez J; Faddegon B and Paganetti H: Dose assessment for the fetus considering scattered and secondary radiation from photon and proton therapy when treating a brain tumor of the mother. Physics in Medicine and Biology 2016 61; 683-695
  3. Verburg JM; Grassberger C; Dowdell S; Schuemann J; Seco J and Paganetti H: Automated Monte Carlo Simulation of Proton Therapy Treatment Plans. Technology in Cancer Research and Treatment 2015; online ahead of print
  4. Dowdell S; Grassberger C; Sharp G and Paganetti H: Fractionated Lung IMPT Treatments: Sensitivity to Setup Uncertainties and Motion Effects Based on Single-Field Homogeneity. Technology in Cancer Research and Treatment 2015; in press; online ahead of print
  5. Schuemann J; Giantsoudi D; Grassberger C; Moteabbed M; Min CH and Paganetti H: Assessing the clinical impact of approximations in analytical dose calculations for proton therapy. International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics 2015 92; 1157-1164
  6. Grassberger C; Dowdell S; Sharp GC and Paganetti H: Motion Mitigation for Lung Cancer Patients treated with Active Scanning Proton Therapy. Medical Physics 2015 42: 2462-2469
  7. Giantsoudi D; Schuemann J; Jia X; Dowdell S; Jiang S and Paganetti H: Validation of a GPU-based Monte Carlo code (gPMC) for proton radiation therapy: clinical cases study. Physics in Medicine and Biology 2015 60: 2257-2270
  8. Grassberger C; Lomax A and Paganetti H: Characterizing a proton beam scanning system for Monte Carlo dose calculation in patients. Physics in Medicine and Biology 2015 60: 633-645
  9. Hünemohr N; Paganetti H; Greilich S; Jäkel O and Seco J: Tissue decomposition from dual energy CT data for MC based dose calculation in particle therapy. Medical Physics 2014 41: 061714
  10. Paganetti H: Monte Carlo simulations will change the way we treat patients with proton beams today. British Journal of Radiology 2014 87: 0293
  11. Schuemann J; Dowdell S; Grassberger C; Min CH and Paganetti H: Site-specific range uncertainties caused by dose calculation algorithms for proton therapy. Physics in Medicine and Biology 2014 59: 4007-4031
  12. Grassberger C; Daartz J; Dowdell S; Ruggiere TA; Sharp GC and Paganetti H: Quantification of Proton Dose Calculation Accuracy in the Lung. International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics 2014 89: 424-430
  13. Dowdell S; Grassberger C and Paganetti H: Four-dimensional Monte Carlo simulations demonstrating how the extent of intensity-modulation impacts motion effects in proton therapy lung treatments. Medical Physics 2013 40: 121713
  14. Bueno M; Paganetti H; Duch MA and Schuemann J: An algorithm to assess the need for clinical Monte Carlo dose calculation for proton therapy fields. Medical Physics 2013 40: 081704
  15. Dowdell S; Grassberger C; Sharp GC and Paganetti H: Interplay effects in proton scanning for lung: A 4D Monte Carlo study assessing the impact of tumor and beam delivery parameters. Physics in Medicine and Biology 2013 58: 4137-4156
  16. Grassberger C; Dowdell S; Shackleford J; Sharp GC; Choi N; Willers H and Paganetti H: Motion interplay as a function of patient parameters and spot size in spot scanning proton therapy for lung cancer. International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics 2013 86: 380-386
  17. Besemer A; Paganetti H and Bednarz B: Clinical impact of uncertainties in the mean excitation energy of human tissues during proton therapy. Physics in Medicine and Biology 2013 58: 887-902
  18. 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
  19. 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
  20. Paganetti H: Range uncertainties in proton therapy and the role of Monte Carlo simulations. Physics in Medicine and Biology 2012 57: R99-R117
  21. Schuemann S; Paganetti H; Shin J; Faddegon BA and Perl J: Efficient voxel navigation for proton therapy dose calculation in TOPAS and Geant4. Physics in Medicine and Biology 2012 57: 3281-3293
  22. Espana S and Paganetti H: Uncertainties in planned dose due to the limited voxel size of the planning CT when treating lung tumors with proton therapy. Physics in Medicine and Biology 2011 56: 3843-3856
  23. España S and Paganetti H: The impact of uncertainties in the CT conversion algorithm when predicting proton beam ranges in patients from dose and PET-activity distributions. Physics in Medicine and Biology 2010 55: 7557-7572
  24. Bednarz B; Daartz J and Paganetti H: Dosimetric accuracy of planning and delivering small proton therapy fields. Physics in Medicine and Biology 2010 55:7425-7438
  25. 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
  26. Paganetti H: Dose to water versus dose to medium in proton beam therapy. Physics in Medicine and Biology 2009: 54, 4399-4421
  27. 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
  28. Zacharatou Jarlskog C and Paganetti H: Physics settings for using the Geant4 toolkit in proton therapy. IEEE Transactions in Nuclear Science 2008: 55, 1018-1025