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NON-RADIOACTIVE ELEMENTS FOR PROMPT GAMMA ENHANCEMENT IN PROTON THERAPY

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Date Issued:
2023
Abstract/Description:
Intensity modulated proton beam scanning therapy allows for highly conformal dose distribution and better sparing of organ-at-risk compared to conventional photon radiotherapy, thanks to the characteristic dose deposition at depth, the Bragg Peak (BP), of protons as a function of depth and energy. However, proton range uncertainties lead to extended clinical margins, at the expense of treatment quality. Prompt Gamma (PG) rays emitted during non- elastic interactions of proton with the matter have been proposed for in-vivo proton range tracking. Nevertheless, poor PG statistics downgrade the potential of the clinical implementation of the proposed techniques. We study the insertion of the nonradioactive elements 19F, 17O, 127I in a tumor area to enhance the PG production of 4.44 MeV (P1) and 6.15 MeV (P2) PG rays emitted during proton irradiation, both correlated with the distal fall-off of the BP. We developed a novel Monte Carlo (MC) model using the TOPAS MC package. With this model, we simulated incident proton beams with energies of 75 MeV, 100 MeV and 200 MeV in co-centric cylindrical phantoms. The outer cylinder (scorer) was filled with water and the inner cylinder (simulating a tumor region inside water-equivalent body) was filled with water containing 0.1%–20% weight fractions of each of the tested elements.
Title: NON-RADIOACTIVE ELEMENTS FOR PROMPT GAMMA ENHANCEMENT IN PROTON THERAPY.
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Name(s): Galanakou, Panagiota , author
Muhammad, Wazir , Thesis advisor
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Department of Physics
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Created: 2023
Date Issued: 2023
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 95 p.
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: Intensity modulated proton beam scanning therapy allows for highly conformal dose distribution and better sparing of organ-at-risk compared to conventional photon radiotherapy, thanks to the characteristic dose deposition at depth, the Bragg Peak (BP), of protons as a function of depth and energy. However, proton range uncertainties lead to extended clinical margins, at the expense of treatment quality. Prompt Gamma (PG) rays emitted during non- elastic interactions of proton with the matter have been proposed for in-vivo proton range tracking. Nevertheless, poor PG statistics downgrade the potential of the clinical implementation of the proposed techniques. We study the insertion of the nonradioactive elements 19F, 17O, 127I in a tumor area to enhance the PG production of 4.44 MeV (P1) and 6.15 MeV (P2) PG rays emitted during proton irradiation, both correlated with the distal fall-off of the BP. We developed a novel Monte Carlo (MC) model using the TOPAS MC package. With this model, we simulated incident proton beams with energies of 75 MeV, 100 MeV and 200 MeV in co-centric cylindrical phantoms. The outer cylinder (scorer) was filled with water and the inner cylinder (simulating a tumor region inside water-equivalent body) was filled with water containing 0.1%–20% weight fractions of each of the tested elements.
Identifier: FA00014222 (IID)
Degree granted: Dissertation (PhD)--Florida Atlantic University, 2023.
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Includes bibliography.
Subject(s): Proton Therapy
Monte Carlo method--Simulation
Gamma rays
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014222
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Host Institution: FAU