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Proton Therapy Delivery and Its Clinical Application in Select Solid Tumor Malignancies
Published on: February 6, 2019
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Optimization of FLASH proton beams using a track-repeating algorithm
Qianxia Wang1,2, Uwe Titt2, Radhe Mohan2
1Department, of Physics and Astronomy, MS 315, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA.
Medical Physics
|July 28, 2022
Summary
New algorithms optimize proton therapy for faster radiation treatment (FLASH), reducing side effects while maintaining tumor control. This innovation enables efficient delivery of precise proton beams for deep-seated tumors.
Area of Science:
- Medical Physics
- Radiation Oncology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- High dose rate (FLASH) radiation therapy reduces normal tissue toxicity and maintains tumor control compared to conventional methods.
- FLASH electron therapy is established for superficial tumors; proton therapy is preferred for deep-seated tumors.
- FLASH proton therapy shows promise, but efficient generation of wide dose distributions for tumor coverage remains a challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a fast and efficient optimizer for passive scattering proton FLASH radiotherapy.
- To design beamline components for precise dose delivery at The University of Texas MD Anderson Proton Therapy Center.
- To utilize a fast dose calculator (FDC) for rapid optimization.
Main Methods:
- A track-repeating Fast Dose Calculator (FDC) algorithm was validated against Geant4 simulations.
- Optimizer designed beamline components (ridge filter, scatterer, collimator) for homogeneous fields and spread-out Bragg peaks (SOBP).
- Optimization tested for proton energies of 87.0 and 159.5 MeV across various beamline arrangements.
Main Results:
- Optimized 87.0-MeV beams achieved an 8.5-mm SOBP and lateral widths up to 14.5 mm.
- Optimized 159.5-MeV beams achieved a 39.0-mm SOBP and lateral widths up to 20.5 mm.
- Optimized beams achieved dose rates exceeding the 40 Gy/s FLASH threshold, with rapid design generation.
Conclusions:
- An efficient optimizer coupled with FDC was developed and validated for FLASH proton therapy.
- The system successfully designed beam shaping elements for various proton energies, distances, and SOBPs.
- Automatic optimization algorithms provide efficient and high-quality beam shaping element designs for clinical application.
