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Carbon radiotherapy models show significant differences in calculating relative biological effectiveness (RBE) due to beam fragmentation. Understanding these variations is crucial for accurate biological dose predictions in particle therapy.

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Area of Science:

  • Radiation Oncology
  • Medical Physics
  • Radiobiology

Background:

  • Carbon radiotherapy utilizes models like MKM, SMKM, RMF, and LEM for relative biological effectiveness (RBE) calculations.
  • A thorough comparison of these models, particularly regarding carbon beam fragmentation, is lacking.
  • Carbon beam fragmentation significantly influences the physical dose distribution and biological effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare how four distinct models (MKM, SMKM, RMF, LEM) handle carbon beam fragmentation in radiotherapy.
  • To identify the origins of model differences in RBE calculations.
  • To assess the impact of fragmentation on RBE values and biological dose predictions.

Main Methods:

  • Monte Carlo simulations were used to model monoenergetic and spread-out Bragg peak carbon beams in a water phantom.
  • Input parameters for each model were calculated for individual carbon beam fragments (primary, secondary, and others).
  • RBE was calculated using fragment-specific parameters and combined with absorbed dose.

Main Results:

  • Secondary fragments contributed over 30% to the total physical dose.
  • All four models produced different RBE values and trends, with secondary carbon ions showing the highest RBE.
  • RBE magnitude generally increased with fragment atomic number, but trends varied significantly by model and beamline region.

Conclusions:

  • Carbon beam fragmentation is a critical factor in radiotherapy RBE calculations and cannot be ignored.
  • Model-specific handling of fragments leads to substantial variability in total biological dose predictions.
  • Accurate characterization of secondary fragments is essential for improving precision in particle therapy.