title: Automated Monte Carlo Simulation of Proton Therapy Treatment Plans.
abstract: Simulations of clinical proton radiotherapy treatment plans using general purpose Monte Carlo codes have been proven to be a valuable tool for basic research and clinical studies. They have been used to benchmark dose calculation methods, to study radiobiological effects, and to develop new technologies such as in vivo range verification methods. Advancements in the availability of computational power have made it feasible to perform such simulations on large sets of patient data, resulting in a need for automated and consistent simulations. A framework called MCAUTO was developed for this purpose. Both passive scattering and pencil beam scanning delivery are supported. The code handles the data exchange between the treatment planning system and the Monte Carlo system, which requires not only transfer of plan and imaging information but also translation of institutional procedures, such as output factor definitions. Simulations are performed on a high-performance computing infrastructure. The simulation methods were designed to use the full capabilities of Monte Carlo physics models, while also ensuring consistency in the approximations that are common to both pencil beam and Monte Carlo dose calculations. Although some methods need to be tailored to institutional planning systems and procedures, the described procedures show a general road map that can be easily translated to other systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA jverburg@mgh.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Joost Mathijs
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Verburg
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Clemens
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grassberger
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dowdell
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schuemann
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Joao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seco
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Paganetti
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006801:Humans; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D061766:Proton Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D011522:Protons; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D011522:Protons
keywords: Monte Carlo simulation; dose calculation; proton therapy; radiotherapy; treatment planning