title: Dose and dose averaged LET comparison of ¹H, ⁴He, ⁶Li, ⁸Be, ¹⁰B, ¹²C, ¹⁴N, and ¹⁶O ion beams forming a spread-out Bragg peak.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Modern clinical accelerators are capable of producing ion beams from protons up to neon. This work compares the depth dose distribution and corresponding dose averaged linear energy transfer (LET) distribution, which is related to the biological effectiveness, for different ion beams (¹H, ⁴He, ⁶Li, ⁸Be, ¹⁰B, ¹²C, ¹⁴N, and ¹⁶O) using multi-energetic spectra in order to configure spread-out Bragg peaks (SOBP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Monte Carlo simulations were performed in order to configure a 5 cm SOBP at 8 cm depth in water for all the different ion beams. Physical dose and dose averaged LET distributions as a function of depth were then calculated and compared. The superposition of dose distribution of all ions is also presented for a two opposing fields configuration. Additional simulations were performed for (12)C beams to investigate the dependence of dose and dose averaged LET distributions on target depth and size, as well as beam configuration. These included simulations for a 3 cm SOBP at 7, 10, and 13 cm depth in water, a 6 cm SOBP at 7 depth in water, and two opposing fields of 6 cm SOBP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Alpha particles and protons present superior physical depth dose distributions relative to the rest of the beams studied. Dose averaged LET distributions results suggest higher biological effectiveness in the target volume for carbon, nitrogen and oxygen ions. This is coupled, however, with relatively high LET values-especially for the last two ion species-outside the SOBP where healthy tissue would be located. Dose averaged LET distributions for ⁸Be and ¹⁰B beams show that they could be attractive alternatives to ¹²C for the treatment of small, not deeply seated lesions. The potential therapeutic effect of different ion beams studied in this work depends on target volume and position, as well as the number of beams used.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The optimization of beam modality for specific tumor cites remains an open question that warrants further investigation and clinically relevant results.
authors.affiliation: Nuclear and Particle Physics Section, Physics Department, University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, Ilissia, 157 71 Athens, Greece. ikantem@phys.uoa.gr
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kantemiris
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Karaiskos
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Papagiannis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Angelopoulos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006801:Humans; D007477:Ions; D018499:Linear Energy Transfer / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D010315:Particle Accelerators; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods*; D012062:Relative Biological Effectiveness; D012542:Scattering, Radiation
chemical_list: D007477:Ions