MCMEG: Intercomparison exercise on prostate radiotherapy dose assessment

Publication date: Available online 28 April 2019Source: Radiation Physics and ChemistryAuthor(s): T.C.F. Fonseca, P.C.G. Antunes, M.C.L. Belo, F. Bastos, T.P. Campos, J.M. Geraldo, A.M. Mendes, B.M. Mendes, L. Paixão, P.C. Santana, B. Seniwal, P.L. Squair, H. YoriyazAbstractThe improvement of the Monte Carlo (MC) community skills on computational simulations in Medical Physics is crucial to the field of radiotherapy as well as radiology. The Monte Carlo Modelling Expert Group (MCMEG) is an expert network specialized in MC radiation transport modelling and simulation applied to the radiation protection and dosimetry research fields. The MCMEG addressed a multigroup dosimetric intercomparison exercise for modelling and simulating a case of prostate radiation therapy (RT) protocol. This intercomparison was launched in order to obtain the dose distribution in the prostate target volume and in the neighboring organs. Dose assessments were achieved by using TLDs. A protocol using two pair of parallel-opposed fields were planned and performed with Alderson-Rando Pelvic Phantom. The assessed organs at risk were the urinary bladder, rectum and right and left femur heads. The RT simulations were performed using the MCNPx, MCNP6 and egs++ and BEAMnrc/DOSXYZnrc modules of EGSnrc Monte Carlo codes. The dose to the target volume, mean doses and standard deviation in the organs at risk, and dose volume data were computed. A comparison between the simulated results and the experimental valu...
Source: Radiation Physics and Chemistry - Category: Physics Source Type: research