Development of a new multi-modal Monte-Carlo radiotherapy planning system

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiotherapy
• Nuclear Engineering

Background:

• Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is an advanced radiotherapy technique.
• Accurate dose calculation is critical for effective BNCT treatment planning.
• Existing systems require verification for new treatment modalities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and verify a new multi-modal Monte-Carlo radiotherapy planning system, JCDS-FX.
• To assess the accuracy of JCDS-FX for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) dose evaluations.
• To evaluate the potential of JCDS-FX for accelerator-based BNCT studies.

Main Methods:

• Development of the JCDS-FX system incorporating the PHITS (Particle and Heavy Ion Transport Simulation) code.
• Monte Carlo simulations for particle transport calculations.
• Dose evaluation for neutron irradiation of a water phantom and an actual clinical trial.
• Comparison of JCDS-FX results with JCDS and MCNP (Monte Carlo N-Particle) code calculations.

Main Results:

• The JCDS-FX system successfully integrated PHITS for multi-modal dose calculations.
• Verification studies demonstrated good agreement between JCDS-FX and JCDS with MCNP calculations.
• Calculated doses for neutron irradiation and clinical trials showed JCDS-FX accuracy.

Conclusions:

• The JCDS-FX system, utilizing PHITS, is a reliable tool for BNCT treatment planning.
• The system's accuracy supports its application in clinical BNCT and accelerator-based BNCT research.
• JCDS-FX advancements contribute to the practical implementation of advanced radiotherapy techniques.