A Monte Carlo approach for small electron beam dosimetry

Abstract

Background and purpose: In treatments where it is necessary to conform the field shape yielding a very small effective beam area, dosimetry and conventional treatment planning may be inaccurate. The Monte Carlo (MC) method can be an alternative to verify dose calculations. A conjunctival mucosa-associated lymphoid tissues lymphoma is presented, to show the importance of an independent assessment in critical situations.

Materials and methods: In this work, the MC technique has been employed using the program BEAM (based on EGS4 code). Electron beam simulation has been performed and the results have been compared with those obtained with films. The patient dose distribution has been obtained by two methods: the full Monte Carlo (FMC) simulation and a conventional planning system (PLATO).

Results: Concerning dosimetry, some differences have been observed in the comparison of profiles obtained with film and those obtained with the MC method. Moreover, significant differences were found in the patient isodose distribution between both calculation methods.

Conclusions: The results highlight that, in treatments where small beams are needed, conventional dosimetry and planning systems have some limitations. Therefore, an independent and more accurate assessment, such as MC, would be desirable.