Monte Carlo modelling of the patient and treatment delivery complexities for high dose rate brachytherapy

• Grant number: 11/01913-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: May 01, 2011
• End date: August 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics
• Principal Investigator: Hélio Yoriyaz
• Grantee: Gabriel Paiva Fonseca
• Host Institution: Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN). Secretaria de Desenvolvimento Econômico (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 11/23765-7 - Dose-volume relationship in planning systems for 3D brachytherapy using mcnp5 code, brachyvision and oncentra, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

Brachytherapy is radiotherapy modality, which insert radioactive sources into patient cavities or surgically to treat lung, cervix, prostate and several others types of cancer. One of its main advantages is the capability to deliver high dose to the tumor while preserving adjacent tissues with results equivalents, or even better, than teletherapy. Modern brachytherapy with 3D treatment planning systems (TPS) and remote afterloaders are now possible due to several technological advances and a good clinical outcome. However, there are no protocols that correlate the dose into the tumor volume, organs at risk and/or prescription points (e.g. Point A from ICRU38). Several international studies are aiming to correlate dose-volume using 3D TPS and medical images, as magnetic image resonance. This project aims to aid two hospitals (Brazilian and Dutch) members of the EMBRACE project that are moving to 3D planning. Commercial TPS were compared against Monte Carlo codes and treatments complexities evaluated to obtain more accurate dose distributions to the tumor and organs at risk. These results associated with source parameters and motion can lead to dose-volume calculation methodologies that are more accurate and its relation with previous treatment protocols.

Scientific publications

(6)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

FONSECA, GABRIEL PAIVA; LANDRY, GUILLAUME; WHITE, SHANE; D'AMOURS, MICHEL; YORIYAZ, HELIO; BEAULIEU, LUC; RENIERS, BRIGITTE; VERHAEGEN, FRANK. The use of tetrahedral mesh geometries in Monte Carlo simulation of applicator based brachytherapy dose distributions. Physics in Medicine and Biology, v. 59, n. 19, p. 5921-5935, OCT 7 2014. (11/22778-8, 11/23765-7, 11/01913-4)

FONSECA, G. P.; LANDRY, G.; RENIERS, B.; HOFFMANN, A.; RUBO, R. A.; ANTUNES, P. C. G.; YORIYAZ, H.; VERHAEGEN, F.. The contribution from transit dose for Ir-192 HDR brachytherapy treatments. Physics in Medicine and Biology, v. 59, n. 7, p. 1831-1844, APR 7 2014. (11/22778-8, 11/23765-7, 11/01913-4)

FONSECA, GABRIEL PAIVA; TEDGREN, ASA CARLSSON; RENIERS, BRIGITTE; NILSSON, JOSEF; PERSSON, MARIA; YORIYAZ, HELIO; VERHAEGEN, FRANK. Dose specification for Ir-192 high dose rate brachytherapy in terms of dose-to-water-in-medium and dose-to-medium-in-medium. Physics in Medicine and Biology, v. 60, n. 11, p. 4565-4579, JUN 7 2015. (11/22778-8, 11/23765-7, 11/01913-4)

FONSECA, GABRIEL P.; VIANA, RODRIGO S. S.; PODESTA, MARK; RUBO, RODRIGO A.; DE SALES, CAMILA P.; RENIERS, BRIGITTE; YORIYAZ, HELIO; VERHAEGEN, FRANK. HDR Ir-192 source speed measurements using a high speed video camera. Medical Physics, v. 42, n. 1, p. 412-415, JAN 2015. (11/22778-8, 11/01913-4)

FONSECA, GABRIEL P.; RENIERS, BRIGITTE; LANDRY, GUILLAUME; WHITE, SHANE; BELLEZZO, MURILLO; ANTUNES, PAULA C. G.; DE SALES, CAMILA P.; WELTEMAN, EDUARDO; YORIYAZ, HELIO; VERHAEGEN, FRANK. A medical image-based graphical platform-Features, applications and relevance for brachytherapy. BRACHYTHERAPY, v. 13, n. 6, p. 632-639, NOV-DEC 2014. (11/22778-8, 11/23765-7, 11/01913-4)

FONSECA, G. P.; RUBO, R. A.; MINAMISAWA, R. A.; DOS SANTOS, G. R.; ANTUNES, P. C. G.; YORIYAZ, H.. Determination of transit dose profile for a Ir-192 HDR source. Medical Physics, v. 40, n. 5, MAY 2013. (11/22778-8, 11/23765-7, 11/01913-4)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

FONSECA, Gabriel Paiva. Monte Carlo modelling of the patient and treatment delivery complexities for high dose rate brachytherapy. 2015. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN/BT) São Paulo.