Patient dose in image guided radiotherapy: Monte Carlo study of the CBCT dose contribution

Authors

  • Salvatore Leotta Radiosurgery Center, Agropoli
  • Ernesto Amato Università degli Studi di Messina http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7416-8824
  • Nicola Settineri Azienda Ospedaliera Papardo, Messina
  • Emilia Basile Azienda Ospedaliera Papardo, Messina
  • Antonio Italiano Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Catania
  • Lucrezia Auditore Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria “G. Martino”, Messina
  • Anna Santacaterina Azienda Ospedaliera Papardo, Messina
  • Stefano Pergolizzi Università degli Studi di Messina

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1478/AAPP.961A3

Keywords:

Image Guided Radiotherapy, Monte Carlo, GAMOS, Geant4, organ dose

Abstract

Image Guided RadioTherapy (IGRT) is a technique whose diffusion is growing thanks to the well-recognized gain in accuracy of dose delivery. However, multiple Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) scans add dose to patients, and its contribution has to be assessed and minimized. Aim of our work was to evaluate, through Monte Carlo simulations, organ doses in IGRT due to CBCT and therapeutic MV irradiation in head-neck, thorax and pelvis districts. We developed a Monte Carlo simulation in GAMOS (Geant4-based Architecture for Medicine-Oriented Simulations), reproducing an Elekta Synergy medical linac operating at 6 and 10 MV photon energy, and we set up a scalable anthropomorphic model. After a validation by comparison with the experimental quality indexes, we evaluated the average doses to all organs and tissues belonging to the model for the three cases of irradiated district. Scattered radiation in therapy is larger than that diffused by CBCT by one to two orders of magnitude.

Author Biographies

  • Ernesto Amato, Università degli Studi di Messina
    Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Odontoiatriche e delle Immagini Morfologiche e Funzionali
  • Stefano Pergolizzi, Università degli Studi di Messina
    Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Odontoiatriche e delle Immagini Morfologiche e Funzionali

Downloads

Published

2018-02-23

Issue

Vol. 96 No. 1 (2018)

Section

Articles

License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
  • Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  • Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  • Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).