title: Secondary radiation measurements for particle therapy applications: nuclear fragmentation produced by4He ion beams in a PMMA target.
abstract: Nowadays there is a growing interest in particle therapy treatments exploiting light ion beams against tumors due to their enhanced relative biological effectiveness and high space selectivity. In particular promising results are obtained by the use of4He projectiles. Unlike the treatments performed using protons, the beam ions can undergo a fragmentation process when interacting with the atomic nuclei in the patient body. In this paper the results of measurements performed at the Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy center are reported. For the first time the absolute fluxes and the energy spectra of the fragments-protons, deuterons, and tritons-produced by4He ion beams of 102, 125 and 145 MeV u-1energies on a poly-methyl methacrylate target were evaluated at different angles. The obtained results are particularly relevant in view of the necessary optimization and review of the treatment planning software being developed for clinical use of4He beams in clinical routine and the relative bench-marking of Monte Carlo algorithm predictions.
authors.affiliation: INFN-Sezione di Roma, Rome, Italy. Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche 'E. Fermi', Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marafini
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Paramatti
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pinci
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Battistoni
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Collamati
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Lucia
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Faccini
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Frallicciardi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mancini-Terracciano
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mattei
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muraro
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Piersanti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rovituso
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rucinski
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Russomando
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sarti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sciubba
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Solfaroli Camillocci
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toppi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Traini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Voena
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Patera
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D006371:Helium / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate / Q000737:chemistry*; D011522:Protons; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted; D012062:Relative Biological Effectiveness; D012984:Software
chemical_list: D011522:Protons; D006371:Helium; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate