Event Description
Title: An Analytical Dose and LET Algorithm to Perform Radiobiological Optimization in Proton Therapy
Physics Major: Mark Kondrla Jr.
Abstract: Optimization of dose distributions in radiotherapy has been part of the recent developments of treatment planning software (TPS), the purpose being, to produce the best radiation dose distribution for a given target volume (tumor) and surrounding tissues. There is evidence showing that there is room in proton radiotherapy to optimize treatments not only in terms of the dose distribution, but also in terms of the proton stopping power characterized by the Linear Energy Transfer (LET) distribution within a proton beam. We have developed an analytical algorithm to calculate the dose and LET distribution for a given treatment plan. The proposed algorithm introduces secondary protons in the LET formulation, as well as, an approximation scheme to calculate the lateral spread for LET. Using this algorithm, we will have a “fast” method to test a second level of optimization: By increasing the LET inside the target, how much dose could be eliminated from a treatment plan, while still maintaining the effectiveness of the treatment plan?
Advisor: Dr. Alejandro Carabe-Fernandez, University of Pennsylvania
Co-Advisor: Dr. Charles Lane |
