A Novel ‘In-Silico’ Method for Modeling the RBE of Clinical Proton Beams
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O'Dell, Alexander R.
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Abstract
This thesis explores the variability of RBE in proton therapy, highlighting its dependence not only on LET but also on various biological factors. Employing a novel approach, this study first conducts a Monte Carlo simulation of a clinical SOBP (with parameters from the Emory Proton Therapy Center) to obtain the energy spectrum of primary protons at multiple key depths in a water phantom. The energy spectrum data then served to fetch the DNA damage data from a DNA damage data library, which was pre-calculated by using TOPAS-nBio code simulating proton tracks randomly traversing a cell nucleus. The use of pre-calculated DNA damage data library significantly speeds up computation and allows for rapid assembly of the proton-induced DNA damage data on cell-by-cell basis and for various absorbed doses. Subsequent analysis through the MEDRAS-MC code, simulating DNA damage repair, enables the generation of cell survival curves for each depth, allowing for the variation of RBE (with respect to depth) to be assessed. This mechanistic approach provides a scalable methodology for assessing the RBE of clinical proton beams, achieving a balance between detail and practical applicability.tail and practical applicability.
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2025-04-22
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Thesis