Use of an in-house Monte Carlo platform to assess the clinical impact of algorithm-related dose differences on DVH constraints.

Purpose: The aim of the present work is to evaluate a semi-automatic prescription and validation system of treatment plans for complex delivery techniques, integrated in a Monte Carlo platform, and to investigate the clinical impact of dose differences due to the calculation algorithms, by assessing the changes in DVH constraints.

Methods: A new prescription module was implemented into the Moderato system, an in-house Monte Carlo platform, with corresponding dose constraints generated depending on the anatomical region and fractionation scheme considered. The platform was tested on 83 cases treated with Cyberknife and Tomotherapy machines, to assess whether dose variations between the re-calculated dose and the Treatment Planning System might impact the dose constraints on the sensitive structures.

Clinical implementation of a Monte Carlo based treatment plan QA platform for validation of Cyberknife and Tomotherapy treatments.

Purpose: The main focus of the current paper is the clinical implementation of a Monte Carlo based platform for treatment plan validation for Tomotherapy and Cyberknife, without adding additional tasks to the dosimetry department.

Methods: The Monte Carlo platform consists of C++ classes for the actual functionality and a web based GUI that allows accessing the system using a web browser. Calculations are based on BEAMnrc/DOSXYZnrc and/or GATE and are performed automatically after exporting the dicom data from the treatment planning system.