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Year:
2001
| Volume: 9
| Issue: 2
| Pages: 83-87
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Original Article |
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COMPARISON OF MEASURED AND MONTE CARLO CALCULATED ELECTRON BEAM CENTRAL AXIS
DEPTH DOSE IN WATER
Darko LALIC, Radovan D. ILIC, Srboljub J. STANKOVIC |
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DOI:
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Abstract: |
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Background: The Monte Carlo method is the most accurate means of predicting dose distributions in radiation treatment of patients. Owing to rapid development of computer technology the use of this method is now not restricted only to big research centers. A Monte Carlo simulation of medical linear accelerator head and central axis depth dose calculation for electron beams are presented in this work. Methods: Calculation of central axis depth dose distributions for 6, 9 and 12 MeV electron beams from medical linear accelerator Varian 2100C was performed with pro- gram FOTELP on personal computer. FOTELP is a general purpose Monte Carlo code for simulation of coupled transport of photons, electrons and positrons. The results of calculations were compared with experimental data. Measurement of electron central axis depth dose distributions was performed with automatic field analyzer in water. Results: Good agreement between calculated and measured data is demonstrated for depths from surface of water phantom to depth on which dose falls to about 50% of maximum dose on central axis. Systematic discrepancies between measured and calculated data exist under depth of 50% dose. Simplification of geometrical model of accelerator head is supposed to be the main reason for these discrepancies. Conclusion: Because of limited computer power (333MHz Celeron processor) it was necessary to simplify geometric model of accelerator head and to follow relative- ly modest number of electron histories. In this sense the results of calculations could be estimated as very good. In order to achieve better agreement between calculated and measured data or to perform more complex calculations a much more powerful hardware is needed. |
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Key words:
Monte Carlo Method; Phantoms, Imaging; Software; Radiotherapy Dosage |
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